What's Left?

Chapter Five

By: Luna 86

Proofread By: maixwolfblossom

Recap:

"Ok, see you then, and don't tell a soul!" I turned around to face her when she just nodded her head. I started to run so that I could make it on time; my job was forty min. away from Ukyo's shop. RANMA, TONIGHT YOU WILL HAVE THOUGHT TWICE ABOUT CROSSING MY PATH!...

End

I ran as fast as I could to work, luckily I became a fast runner in the past year or so. When I arrived to work there was a lot to do. I thought that it was going to be a typical day but I was wrong. The shop was packed for some reason. I end up getting more tips when the cafe has a bundle of clients. It's even better when the minorities of the clients are men they tend to give me better tips. But today I was not in the mood to stand the pack of dogs staring at me, but what was I to do? They were the ones that kept food on the table for Soun and I. I was trying so hard not to say something that would make the costumers go away but most of the men were throwing stupid punch lines at me that it made it impossible for me not to say something stupid or kick them out to the next city.

We closed the shop later than I had expected us to; apparently the customers asked my Boss if we could let them celebrate the victory they had won that evening. My Boss could not refuse when he saw the green flash in front of his face, so I had to stay overtime.

The sky was dark by the time I left work. Just as I was putting on my headphones I remembered that Ranma was coming over tonight. I was too busy at work that I had forgotten about Ranma and did not have time to formulate a plan to get back at him. Thinking of him made my stomach do flips and I felt so disgusted. As I was walking to my house, I remembered what Ukyo said about Ramna. She said that I should just let it go, but I was as stubborn as ever and I know that she had a point about Ranma and not trying to get back at him but I wasn't about to let her know that.

It made so much sense what she said earlier that day that I was starting to have doubts of getting back at him. She did have a point…

All my thoughts were interrupted when my cell phone rang, it was Jack. I ignored his call because I was to busy thinking if what to do with Ranma. It seems that half of my day was spent of the subject of Ranma, yes I do despise him but deep down I do care about him. I went over and over about what Ukyo said to me at her restaurant earlier that day.

Flashback

She had become soft; she looked like she was on the verge of crying, "Yes Akane, but I was hurt back then and I learned how to forget. I don't want anything to do with them because it still hurts that he left me. I would do myself greater damage just by doing what your intending on doing to him and her."

End of Flashback

I sighed, she was right. I didn't even know what I was thinking about. Come on! Getting back at him? That's the lowest I could go. If I did try to get back at him it would look like I still cared for him, which I did but I didn't want him to know that! Yet on the other hand, what was I thinking that asshole did deserve to go through what I went through. But Ukyo did have a point, if I put myself in that position I was going to do more damage to myself than to him. I was not about to let myself go through that torment again. By the time that I was done debating with myself I was already in front of the house.

Even though this house belonged to me, I did not feel wanted today. It felt like the house itself would rather have Ranma as its owner than me! I don't know how to explain what I'm feeling at the moment. All I can say is that I wish I did not have to go in but I didn't have a choice. The neighbor's dog started barking as I was in front of the house debating on whether going in or crashing it at Ukyo's tonight. It would have looked like I was a coward if I did not show up so I got all of my courage and opened the door.

As I opened the door, I heard his voice for the second time that day but this time his voice sounded calmer and gentler like when he would try to say something sweet to me. He was asking my father a question; I don't think they heard me come in so I just stayed at the enterance to hear exactly what Ranma was asking my father. However Ranma didn't recieve a response because my father left to the kitchen for some reason.

The house phone started to ring, my stupid father asked Ranma to answer the phone. Ranma had an extremely funny looking face when he answered the phone.

"Tendo residents, Ranma speaking." He said when he heard the voice of the person speaking he became serious. It kind of looked like if he was disappointed to hear the person on the other end of the line.

"Did you say you were looking for Akane…" he asked the person on the phone. "Her boyfriend…" he said. Just then I knew who he was speaking to, it was Jack.

I don't know what came over me I rushed into the hallway and took the phone from his hand. I tried not to look at him so I just moved to the opposite direction of him.

"What do you think your doing calling my house this late at night!" I barked at Jack on the phone.

"Well you see you said that we were going to do something tonight and you didn't pick up your phone…so… I just… thought that something happened to you." He said to me on the phone.

I was going to yell at him again but just then I noticed that Ranma was staring at me. I was so mad at Jack for calling my house that I had forgotten that Ranma was right next to me.

"You know what, sweetie. It's just that I'm so tired and sleepy from work that I don't think we can go out tonight. How about we do something tomorrow night?" I asked him ever so sweetly. He was just about to respond when I hung up on him.

Apparently I left Ranma stunned by my behavior that he did not notice when I walked right past him. Once I got up stairs I ran to my room, I did not want to go down stairs again but I had to. I had to show him that his presence did not intimidate me. At that moment I decided not go through with my plan and just get it over with so I wouldn't have to deal with him later.

After closing the door, I turned on my music and threw my book bag next to my closet. I turned around to look for some sweats but somehow my attention went back to the bag on the floor. I can't stand it when things aren't were they belonged so I grabbed the bag and hanged it on the door. You could say that I have become a neat freak. After I was done with my ordeal I opened my dresser and took out a white tank top and some black sweats. As I was changing in to my house clothes I could hear my father yelling at me to turn off my ruckus and come down stairs because we had company over.

I normally didn't listen to my father but I wanted to get this thing over with as soon as possible. I looked at myself in the mirror and grabbed my hair into a ponytail so it would not get in the way if I did end up fighting with Ranma.

As I was walking down the stairs, I heard Ranma talking with my father but he stopped for some reason when he saw me. It was too awkward for my own good so I felt the need to break the ice.

"Well, well, well if it isn't Ranma Saotome honoring us with his presence long time no see!" I said with my cocky attitude and a touch of hatred in my voice.

Instead of Ranma responding to my question, my father intervened "Akane don't you speak to your gests like that! Have more respect when we have company." as he was saying this he looked to his right and there stood Genma and his wife Nodako.

"It's ok Mr. Tendo you don't have to get in an argument with Akane just because of me" after he said that his attention was focused on me "Nice to see you too, Akane, how have you been? You look different, do you still work out?' He asked me with a small smile on his face.

"Cut the bullshit Ranma, just get to the point of why you're here in the first place. I'm very tired from work as you heard me tell my boyfriend earlier on the phone and what's up with you being all polite and shit? Last I remembered, you were an asshole with everybody." His smile faded when he heard me say 'boyfriend' and then he got mad when I said the last comment.

"Well what happened to your manners were did they go!" was his response.

"Ranma remember you are a guest at this house. Be nicer to Akane, and Akane you should not be that rude to your company you should be acting like a lady and not a tomboy." Nodaka said. I swear that that comment would have hurt me in the past but now I didn't care what others thought of me now. But I was not going to keep my mouth shut even if it was Nodaka. She had to know who was in charge in this house.

"Now I see where your son gets the name-calling from and you claim to be a lady yourself!" I informed her. She got really red when I said that. "Not to mention that you are not my guests. You're Soun's guests. So therefore I don't give a rat's ass what you expect from me."

After insulting Nodako, Ranma got pissed off more than I got him with having manners.

"Don't speak to my mother like that, you have no right." When he said that I just laughed at him and said "I could say whatever I want. This is my house to begin with and if you don't like it there is the door!" My face became as serious as ever.

"You know Akane you have become such a…" I know that he was going to say bitch but he stopped himself from saying it and responded by saying "Didn't I see you earlier today like in the morning?"

"Yes you did but you're as stupid as ever. You didn't even recognize me, unlike me I knew at that moment that you were going to be one of my father's special guests, the ones that he had no courtesy in telling me about until this morning, even then he didn't tell me that it was going to be you coming to my house. I guess he knew that if he did tell me I wouldn't allow him to let trash come into my house." I let him know with a big grin on my face.

It looked like if all I was saying to him was affecting him and that is exactly what I wanted to do. "Yes Ranma this is my house not Soun's, but mine. I pay for the bills so therefore this house belongs to me according to the paperwork. So don't think that you are welcome to stay here as you normally like to freeload off of other people's hard work." Ranma was becoming more and more aggravated with what I was saying.

He was about to say something when Genma intervened "Can we all take a deep breath and talk about what we came here for before the rest of the other people come and interrupt us!"

"Yes Ranma, your father has a point. Can we stop arguing and do what we come here to do?" Ranma's mother said.

"Well...what are you here for!" I asked with a bored expression on my face.

"Akane I have something to tell you, could we please talk in private?" he asked me, he looked more calm and serious.

"To tell you the truth, I don't think that I can be in the same room with you by ourselves without trying to hurt you Ranma, but if you're willing to take that chance then maybe it will get rid of you sooner... then by all means let us go to the kitchen where I have access to plates that I can throw at you." I said with a grin on my face.

He took a big gulp and said "How about we go in to the dojo"

I shook my head in disappointment and said "Suit yourself. I think that we could have had more fun in the kitchen, though."