Prologue

 

I believe in love, no more. It has been ripped away from me.

But I still hope, we all do, it is one of the first stages of guilt, or anguish.

And it's all I have left.

There are no more pieces to this puzzle, no more side doors, everything, every hint of an accident forgotten.

I will not look, but I will hope, though it is a weakness, and perhaps...

Useless.

 

 

Ch. 1 – A Perfect Lie

 

“Rikuo! I'll have you know that the animals won't feed themselves!”

 

I blinked.

 

“Shocked? I am too!”

 

I rolled my eye's.

 

“Why won't you get up when I tell you to?” She complained, as always. I smirked under the quilt, of course I was awake, been awake since the first time she hounded on me.

 

“Ah! Rikuo, I saw that!”

 

You saw nothing, moron.

 

“Urgh!” She left, stomping as she went. I decided now was a pleasant time to get up. I lazily threw the comforters to the side, forcing myself to sit up, stretching until my body quivered. I glanced at the hanging clock, five a.m was when my chores started, it was now twenty-five past the hour. I yawned, farm life was not for me.

Once I was dressed, I grabbed my denim jacket hanging from the bed post, and proceeded to head out the door...

 

When I was suddenly attacked by something wet.

 

After sputtering, and having a moment to glare at the culprit, I spat. “Dammit woman, what was that for?”

 

“That is what you get for sleeping in.” She twirled the squirt gun in her hand. “And don't cuss, it's unbecoming.” She turned and left into whatever room she came from. I mumbled some unmentionable things as I wiped my wet face and headed into the cold morning.

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x

 

“Done.” I called out as I removed my shoes at the door. I walked forward into the kitchen to smell bacon, upon entering I saw eggs frying.

 

“Any eggs from the chickens?”

“Not yet.” I pulled up a chair, watching her.

“Feed the dogs?”

“Yes.”

“Kittens?” She flipped an egg without breaking the yolk.

“Yes, I even fed the little buggars.”

She sighed “They're not 'buggars', They're cute.” She turned and smiled at me, I couldn't help but smile back.

 

Tsukiko.

 

She's my mother, my sister, love, life... I know it sounds hokey, but she means everything to me. She took me in when I was ten, I ran away from an orphanage. She was fifteen, living by herself. Her family owned half of Japan, thanks to her fathers crazy inventions that sold like conflagrations. Tsukiko had a wild heart, and longed to be like the people of the world, not stuck in the past, brought up and raised traditionally by her parents. Tsukiko began sneaking out at night, wearing short skirts instead of conservative dresses, and getting a boyfriend who was seven years older than her. Soon after this streak, her parents disowned her, forcing her to move in with her boyfriend. That didn't last long, in a few months, she was on the streets.

 

That's what she told me.

 

I was hiding in an old polluted creek when she found me, inside a pipe. Even though I protested, she dragged me out, and into her life.

It's been almost six years since then.

 

“Mr. Seguchi is interested in Mai.” Tsukiko started, as she set a plate full of food in front of me.

“The calf?... Thanks.” I added.

“Yup.” She nodded to both. “He offered 39,800 yen.”

“Wow, that's good.” I picked at an egg with my fork.

She shrugged. “It's good, but I was expecting more.” She sat across from me.

I grinned. “You always want more.”

“Nuh uh.” She brought up her elbow to the table, resting her neck in hand.

“Are you going to eat that bacon?” I switched gears, gesturing to her stacked plate with my fork.

“Of course.” She looked appalled “I don't make all the food just for you.”

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

“There's an opening at belle icône as a model.” Tsukiko worked in the fashion business as a designer, watching her draw is something I do in my free time.

 

“You mean a test subject.” I eyed her suspiciously as she frantically ran around, looking for her lost sketch pad, most likely.

 

“Not necessarily...” She ran her fingers through her long, black hair in frustration. “Have you seen my portfolio?”

 

“I think you left it in the car, stop freaking out.”

 

“Ah!” She ran out the door, I walked behind her.

“Found it!” She victoriously held it in the air. I nodded for her benefit.

“But you really should get a job Rikuo, we're barely making ends meet as it is.” She brought up the previous conversation after shutting the car door.

“I'm not going to be a dummy that wears dresses.”

She scoffed. “I'm not that cynical, you would wear mens cloths, of course.”

 

I starred.

 

“Or, you could attend school.” She looked hopeful.

“Shouldn't you be leaving now?” I pretended to be annoyed.

“Nya.” She sighed “You certianly don't act like a fifteen year old.”

“Ah, sixteen.” I corrected her.

“Not yet boy, you still got four days.” She held up four fingers in my face.

“You don't seem much like an adult yourself.”

“Ew, I hate being old.” She sniffed, making a face.

“I know...” I put an my arm over her shoulder. Even though she was twenty-one, I towered over her. “You're thinking, 'If only I were five years younger...'” I teased.

 

She laughed, a melodic laugh that filled me up with bliss. “You wish Rikuo.” She grabbed my arm to bring it back down. “C'ya later, please consider the offer.”

“I'll think about it.” I grinned when she smiled.

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

I shut the door behind me, and leaned against it. Tsukiko is always in a decorative mood, I thought as I starred ahead at the green couches, forest green walls with a floral design running across them. On the north wall, just to the side of the half square of couches, was a china cabinet, which I found useless, we never eat from those dishes. Tsukiko always says we need a certain sense of decorum. She finds a need to clean every day, or rearrange everything, or even get a new paint job, which doesn't happen often. I smirked where I stood, crossed the room, through the kitchen, to my room.

I made it to my stereo in three strides, picked up my favorite rock CD, popped it in the tray, and turned the knob until it stopped rolling.

“Unrefined” Tsukiko called my music. Or “loutish”... whatever that means. Really, whenever she leaves for work is the only time I can play my music, loud enough for my pleasures.

Lucky we don't have complaining neighbors for miles.

I started opening the windows in the house, so I could hear my music when I started my chores outside again.

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

When I heard the familiar sound of an old, popping engine entering the driveway, I ran back inside to turn off the stereo, which was playing it's third CD.

She sure is home early...

 

“Rikuo, Rikuo, Rikuo, Rikuo, Rikuooooooooooooooo!!”

 

I ran out of my bedroom, expecting the worse, when she burst through the door, holding a paper and a small slip, I exhaled.

 

“What's the commotion?” My tone sounded irritated.

 

She ran down the hallway instead of coming forward to meet me, and came into the kitchen “I'm gunna be in a magazine!” Was the first thing out of her mouth.

 

“You are?” I was suddenly filled with excitement.

“Well, my dress is- Look!” She shoved, a more recent drawing, of a very elegant, yet risqué, gown in my face.

“I do like that one.” I grinned.

“My boss said celebrities would pay big money for this.” Her smile was from ear to ear.

“Uh huh.”

“I got a raise.” She added playfully, shifting her body slightly, standing on one foot for a moment. It seemed like this is what she was really getting at.

I laughed. “How much?”

“Guess.” She sat at the table.

I shrugged.

She motioned me to sit next to her. I sighed and pulled up a chair. She handed me a check, when I read it, my eye's almost popped out of their sockets. “...One million?”

She bobbed her head.

“...This includes your monthly check, right?”

“Nope.” She snatched it away. When she saw the disbelief on my features, she continued, “Her brand name will be everywhere in the article, she's very proud of me for making her famous, I suppose.”

“Right, like she made the dress. You'll be the one getting all the attention.”

 

She inhaled. “You're right... We should celebrate!” She stood up.

“Eh-” She grabbed my arm and pulled me up.

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

That night we would end up going to a theater, seeing a romance/horror/comedy movie, ridiculous, but Tsukiko dragged me.

 

I think it worked out in my favor, in the end. While sitting in the dark room, she eventually rested her head on my shoulder, and her hand found it's way on mine, tracing the visible blue veins.

 

-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-

 

my apologies on the emo prologue (haha)

and, for those of you who caught it, for uploading this story, deleting it, and now re-uploading it, sorry bout that