August

Disclaimer: Same as Chapter 1. In Ayame's POV





Chapter 6 - Doubts and Misconceptions



The first two class periods went by a lot slower than I would have personally liked. I'm one of those geeks who actually like school... and I honestly believe that this was the first time in my academic career that I hated being in class. Who knew that Anatomy and Prob-Stat could be so boring and dull. Normally, even the most bland of subjects could hold my interest because I liked problem solving, I was good at it.



But after my revelation this morning about Kouga, I found it hard to concentrate on anything except the look in his electric light blue eyes as I walked away from him. The hurt, puzzled, and confused expression on his face after I recited all the lyrics from one of my favorite songs. 'Dust in the Wind' by Kansas. It reflected how my thoughts of the future kept punching their way through to the forefront of my mind. Nothing really lasts forever does it? Were all my longings and dreams done in vain? Only to be brought to life for a few short months then shattered when I had to watch him walk across the graduation stand and head off to college?



I had such strong feelings for Kouga, and they had only been my feelings to bare until recently... and now that they were out in the open where anyone could see them, what am I supposed to do? Just a few days ago my thoughts and feelings for Kouga had been a total secret. No one knew. No one cared. Now only after three days going on four, were people interested in what I thought... what I cared about. All this just because I was the girl on stage that Kouga made out with and proclaimed as 'His Girl...' which was basically the boldest declaration that anyone could make other than standing on top of the picnic tables at lunch and shouting out to the student body who they were dating. However, Kouga's version was the coolest, or so says many of the people in my classes.



I found it odd -note my sarcasm- that most of the people that spoke to me never paid me any mind until Kouga became my boyfriend. I also found it interesting that many of the people who talked to me had a hard time believing that I... the unobtrusive yet eccentric, Ayame... had really grabbed a firm hold on to Kouga's interest.



Can you believe that I even caught some asshole sophomore boys taking bets on how soon Kouga and I would break up?!



But the fact that someone was doing such a thing made me question my relationship with him. Should I have really taken the risk of letting all my feelings slide? Yes! I'm glad I took the risk. What the hell is wrong with me? What do I care about some underclassmen and their stupid fucking bets? If it taught them a lesson I would marry Kouga, and we would be together forever... then who would win the bet?



Lunch was in between second and third period due to block scheduling and that the school was large enough campus-wise to let the entire student body eat lunch all at once. It was almost like we had five periods throughout the day. First, and second period, then lunch was the same time frame as one period, which was close to two hours long... then third and fourth period. So now I had a good two hours to attempt to hide myself from the eyes of student society. Hard to do with titan red hair and brilliant lily white skin. I stick out like a sore thumb. I felt like I should be wearing some ridiculously large jacket, sunglasses that were too large for my face, and a babushka.



I could feel eyes just staring at me as I walked through the steady flow of bodies towards the cafeteria. Once I reached the lunch hall I could make a break for one of the school campus' many court yards and perhaps find the solitude that I longed for... something I think I took for granted but a few days previous. For once my aspirations worked in my favor and I was able to break free of the body traffic and head back behind the cafeteria building and the theatre.



There was a tiny fifteen square foot courtyard behind the theatre that not that many people retreated to during lunch, and that is where I found my solace. It was just me and of course the company of a very old oak tree, that grew wildly from behind a half beaten and weather worn fence. The roots of the tree even jutted out of the pavement of the road that went behind the building and between the theatre and it's tiny court yard. I couldn't help but think that this tree was magical in a way. It was so old, and no matter what was going on around it... it always managed to grow. I'm sure it had seen many love stories, and listened to many broken hearts... and that is what it did best, listen. It listened and tried to teach the lesson of just keep growing. If you give up then you will never know how tall you will become or how wide your branches can expand. I sat down not on the bench that was placed in the courtyard, but instead in a large, hollowed out knot on the tree. It was large enough to hold me comfortably and let my bag rest at my side instead of on the ground. Someone had made the tree enjoyable to anyone who wished of it, and made the knot into a chair... at least that is what I thought.



I reached into my bag to grab my lunch only to find that my hand caressed the smooth plastic of the iPod that Kouga had given me. I bit my bottom lip, as habit had it, I did that when I was nervous or anxious. Slowly I removed it from my bag and placed the ear pieces in my ears. 'Dust in the Wind' seemed to be my song of the day, so I let it play on repeat as I leaned back and ate my lunch while staring up at the sun that danced through the oak tree's leaves.



By the time I was finished with the food I had brought with me, I still had an hour and a half of just sitting around and relaxing. I dared not take a nap. Even if I felt secure under the protection of the mighty oak, even a tree could not save me from someone who had malicious intentions. But I could feel my body start to sag with the weight of exhaustion like it had earlier in the morning, and I caught myself yawning all but a couple of times. Stubbornly, I crossed my arms over my chest and sat up straight before pulling out a book from my bag. I could keep myself awake! Although reading was a good attempt, I could no longer hold back from the heaviness of my eyelids. A twenty minute refresher nap couldn't hurt anyone? Right?



I started to doze off when a voice roused me from my attempt to fall asleep... and the voice was one that I had heard earlier today. It sent chills up my spine, and not in the good way. I sat up abruptly and held myself in a more defensive position.



"You know, my brother's girlfriend is a red head and he has told me that she is an animal in bed. I wonder if it's the same with you Ayame?"



It was Kenji. Mitsuko and Hari flanked him on either of his sides. How the hell did they know where I was?



His words pissed me off.



"It's none of your damn business how I am in bed," I snapped back at him.



"But it's Kouga's isn't it?" Hari asked, waggling his eyebrows at me. I had to fight the urge to cringe or vomit.



"Wouldn't it be interesting if he heard about it second hand?" Mitsuko added.



What nasty, perverted fuck heads.



"Leave me alone," I stated bluntly.



"Aww, you hear that boys," Kenji smirked. "She doesn't like our company."



"I fucking hate your company," I spat.



"Feisty," Mitsuko said with a lusty grin.



"Fuck off!" I growled out at the three of them.



"We would rather fuck you," Hari replied.



"Don't make me vomit," I snapped. Inside I was starting to feel cornered, trapped. What were the three bastards planning? I didn't like the looks of how things were turning out. There were three of them. One of me. We were back in a secluded area and it's not like my cries for help would be answered. A fight or flight instinct took over me as the three of them started coming closer, until they were right up on the edge of the tree. My stubborn ass thought that I could take them on, and that if Prince Charming didn't come around the corner, then I, the Princess would have to fight the dragon on my own. But I had no weapons. I was really trapped.



Kenji put his hands on either side of my hips and leaned in so that he was only a few breaths away from my face. I swallowed the nervous lump that had grown in my throat, but continued to sit there in defiance. I wouldn't let these sleezebags get the better of me. If I showed them that I was afraid, it would almost be as if I was showing them that I would just let them take advantage of me. Fuck that. I had to stand my ground. But my body was shaking from the adrenaline pumping through my system and Kenji took it as me shaking in fear.



"Get out of my face," I whispered harshly, and for an answer he lashed forward and grabbed my wrists. Shit! I struggled against him, tried to kick him, but he had moved so that his body was pressing against my legs, holding them in place against himself and the tree in which I was still sitting. He forced my arms to be straight at my sides and he was leaning in as if he was going to kiss me. Instead he stuck out his tongue and ran it along from my jaw to my ear. I shook my head furiously, fighting the hardest that I could to get this bastard at least an inch away from me. All I needed was an inch for leverage. Then I could push him and kick him and run. Even with me shaking my head, his lips, his teeth were able to find my ear, and he showed no mercy. He bit down, and he bit me hard, right on the ear lobe. I think it drew blood.



I screamed, but my shouts were muffled as Kenji moved so that he was holding both of my wrists with only one of his hands, and his now free hand clasped over my mouth. I did the first thing that came to mind. I bit him back. I got a good grip on his middle finger and I clamped down, which tore a scream from his throat. It caused him to take a step back, ripping his hand from my teeth, and it also set me free. Damn right, you deserve it you cock sucker!



His eyes flashed angrily at me and he moved faster this time to try and regain his hold over me, but Mitsuko and Hari beat him to me. I kicked Mitsuko in the stomach and when Hari grabbed a hold of my arm I scratched him, which left long bloody rivulets running down his skin and he hissed in pain. I made my move. I grabbed my bag and jumped from my seat on the tree only to be thrown down to the ground. Kenji had lunged at me and tackled me to the dirt. I used my back pack as a shield, for now he was throwing punches at me. Apparently it really upset him that he and his buddies were getting their asses kicked by a girl.



I was running out of options, my back pack was only so big. If I covered my head with it, he would aim for my sides, and he was hitting me hard enough to knock the wind out of me. I was gasping for air in between deciding where to protect myself. My ribs couldn't take another punch without one breaking, so I risked moving my bag to protect my upper torso. I couldn't have made a dumber move. I saw the rage and lust in Kenji's eyes, as he pulled his fist back to deliver a punch directly to my face. I flinched, but I never felt a blow to my face. Instead Kenji's weight was lifted off of my body. Was I dead? No. Death wasn't supposed to hurt, and I could feel my sides burning from the abuse they had taken.



I lay half in the dirt and half on the pavement of the road that went behind the building, and if I attempted to sit up to see what the hell was going on I was only rewarded by a sharp gasp and a rush of pain. I bit back that pain enough to turn and see long black hair, and a fury of fists. There was shouting, screaming, and growling... and I didn't pass out until my rescuer had delivered a final combo of punches to my three attackers, sending all three of them to the ground. Knocked out.