**Chapter Seven**


Seré tu cielo si quieres volar/I'll be your sky if you want to fly.


I'm in my room that night when there's a knock on my door. At least it isn't Sebastien. How do I know that? He'd never knock.

"It's open!"

Asuka pokes her head inside.

"Hello! Are you studying?"

"Yeah, a bit."

"Oh, you and Bas are both such bright children. I don't know why he hasn't mentioned you before!" Asuka steps inside, holding a tray. "Bas has already gone to sleep, so I didn't bother making anything for him."

My eyes widen and I stare at the clock. It is only nine o'clock.

"Yes, Bas always goes to sleep this early. He never studies," Asuka mutters almost petulantly. "I've been robbed of all the things I've dreamed of doing for my children."

"I'd be happy if I could do that," I say. "Thank you for the snack, Oba-sama."

"It's nothing," Asuka insists. "Can I sit with you a bit?"

I shrug, and Asuka sits next to me on the bed. She looks a little wistful as she stares around the room.

"I'm sorry we're being a burden on you, Oba-sama," I say, feeling guilt tweak my heart again.

She shakes her head vehemently.

"No, you aren't. You and Suzana-chan are the best new family members we could ask for. Actually...Amaris-chan...I had to ask you a question."

"What is it?"

"Do you have a thing for Bas?"

My eyes widen and I jump back, cheeks reddening in shock. Asuka laughs evilly, a glint in her eyes. What sort of person outright asks something like that?! Much less the mother of the guy in question!

"You do! Oh you do! Excellent, I was right in setting this up."

"Setting..."

"Oh, I mean the room, Amaris-chan. When I heard that you were Bas' age... I couldn't resist. I mean, he's never had a girlfriend! I was beginning to think he was disinterested in everyone! I had to do something! And he seems...different around you."

"Oba-sama, we barely talk," I protest, still blushing. No way am I telling her about the crush.

"Still! He's different with you. Also! I have something I thought you might be interested in seeing."

Asuka rummages in her pocket, procuring a small pink album. I frown, confused. She opens it. On every page are pictures of a beautiful little girl, maybe not more than five, with long, shining black hair and grey eyes.

"Oh, is this a niece of yours?" I ask. "She's adorable."

Asuka leans in, the conspiratorial glint in her eye again.

"Nope. That's Bas."

I gasp, and nearly choke. Sebastien?! I look at the pictures again.

"Oh, I wanted a girl so badly, Amaris-chan. I had bought all of the clothes and everything already! I dressed him like that for as long as I could. Maybe this is why he's so cold and bitter now. I'm sure you'll put this knowledge to good use," Asuka says, smirking.

This woman is crazy.

*

I'm eating lunch with Maiko when the door to the classroom is banged open. I look up, and to my utter shock, I see Sebastien at the door, looking quite deranged.

"Amaris! Come with me! Now!"

"I...I'm not something you can just command to-"

"Oh for the love of-"

Sebastien strides into the room and yanks me up. Jeez, he's strong. He's pulling me out of the room.

"Hey! You can't just do that to her!"

I hear Maiko yelling at him in the background. Sebastien keeps a firm grip on my hand as he drags me through the halls.

"I thought the point of this was to act like I don't know you!" I cry out, trying to tug my arm away.

"That is exactly the problem!"

Sebastien stops abruptly, and pulls me into an empty classroom. I'm too terrified to speculate upon the fact that we are alone, in a classroom, the setting of many a clichéd high school romance.

"Look at this!" Sebastien hissed, taking out his phone and thrusting it into my hands.

A picture was loading.


"I don't see..." I begin, then broke off, totally shocked.

"The couple everyone is talking about! Amaris Tsukino and Sebastien Oshiro are now living together!"

It was a bright pink font, decorated with suggestive images.

"I-I-I-"

"I told you not to tell anybody!" Sebastien rages his cheeks pink.

"The only person I told was Mai! And she wouldn't tell anyone!"

I have complete faith in my best friend, and Sebastien drops this line of assault when he sees the look in my eye.

"Then who?!"

"I-"

A movement catches my eye, from the window of the classroom. I turn and I see a familiar blond head bobbing away. Anger bubbles in my veins. I push past Sebastien.

"Where the hell do you think you're going?!"

"To commit bloody murder!"

I don't care if Sebastien is following me. I had only one thought in mind.

*

"Jake! Jake! Jason Montgomery! Stop right now and look at me!"

Jake stops running, and turns around to look at me. Guilt is written on every crevice of his face.

"The hell was that notice about?"

"So it's true then? You're living with him?"

Aha! It was him.

"I could be living with the prince of bloody England, it's not any of your business if I don't tell you! How did you even find out?! Did you stalk me?" I take his silence for the affirmative. "Jake! How could you? Why?!"

"Because...yesterday, when I was asking you about him. Your words might have denied it but your face didn't. I saw all the emotions written on your face. You think I didn't know about your crush? You think everyone doesn't know? Why do you think so many of the girls go to you before confessing to him? They think you've done it, been rejected and moved on!"

My jaw drops, and tears sting my eyes. But I'll be damned if I let this go.

"What the hell do my crushes matter to you?"

"I like you Amaris! I always have! I approached you because you seemed real. Sweet, innocent, and you definitely didn't seem like a carbon copy of every girl who's crushed on Sebastien. But I saw the way you looked at him. The way you always blushed when he came in the room. I wanted to be that guy! But you never even looked my way once. Is it because I'm not smart like him? I want to know, now that it's out in the open."

"W-what? Intelligence has nothing to do with it!" I say, stunned. "Jake, you're like a little brother to me. You've never been anything more!"

"You're so naïve. You think living with him is going to give you any sort of edge? Think about this, Amaris. Your emotions print out all the time, no matter what. Even if you try to hide it, once someone sees your face, they'll know the truth. If he didn't know you crushed on him before, he had to have been really dense. And he's a pretty smart guy."

My eyes widen. Something Sebastien had said comes back to me...

And you'd know about that right? You're even more innocent than they are.

"See? I know you understand now, even without you saying a word. If he even looks at you now, you've got to know he's using you. If he was a decent guy, he would have done something before now."

"And if you were a decent friend you wouldn't be acting this way!" I yell, tears falling despite my hardest efforts. "Just what are you trying to pull?"

"I'm telling you, I like you Amaris."

I shake my head, disbelieving.

"This isn't you. The Jake I know wouldn't say such callous, cruel things in that way. The Jake I know is always making me laugh, making me happy. The Jake I know would never make me cry!"

"Oh? But you like callous and cruel, don't you, baby? That's why you've been fantasizing about the 'cold hearted bully'."

No...

"Yeah, sweetheart, I've read them. You shouldn't leave your books unguarded like that. What? You have a problem with me calling you sweetheart? I'm just using what was in the book, darling. Babe, why are you crying? Love, did I upset you? Princess, did you-"

He gets no further. I run up to him and shove him harshly, pushing as hard as I can. I put more force behind it than I thought; he collides with the cherry tree behind him. I stalk away, refusing to run, refusing to let the tears fall.


A/N: Did anybody see it coming? Yes, yes, I piggybacked off of Itazura na Kiss' original idea of Naoki being dressed up as a girl when he was younger, but it did inspire this fanfiction so... What are you all thinking so far? Please tell me your thoughts! I'd be happy to hear them!

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