Anywhere But Here

Longest chapter yet. You people gotta thank Keirajoy for pretty much everything, she practically wrote half of the story. It took her a almost week but it's worth it!

We've been busy—yes, we—and I was thinking if I should stop writing for a while. Either hiatus or completely drop this story along with ATY (Addicted To You). Another thing, I didn't get to edited the last part thoroughly. Keira was having trouble with 1PoV, she kept on doing 3Pov out of habit. It's 1am here and I'm beat so, expect some errors.

"Hey," Nadeshiko almost growled. She then took a step forward, her hands raised and placed against the wall on either side of my head. "Fancy meeting you here."

I opened my mouth to say something but was too flustered to find my voice. I tried again but still nothing. I swear I must look like a fish out of the water, gulping in air. Truly, being pinned against the wall—by someone as intimidating as Sakurako's older sister—can give you that effect. Speaking of Sakurako, I guess she gave up on her search, bought a couple bags of chips and then went home. She probably even forgot to buy the milk Hanako requested, too.

Wait- why must I think of Sakurako at a time like this? Oh, the irony. Maybe I should call her for help? In my mind, I can almost imagine myself saying, "Hey there, Sakurako. Nadeshiko-nee doesn't seem to like it when I found her in a very intimate moment with her girlfriend so she pinned me against the wall. Be a good friend and help me out in my time of need, please?"

I almost gagged at the last word. Begging is the last thing I would do, though. Besides, I don't think Nadeshiko would like that. I could sense that Nadeshiko's patience is growing thin by the second. And with Sakurako around, she would probably just snap. All right, I've read somewhere that at times like this it's better to delay the inevitable. Start with small talk and when the person gets distracted, that's the chance to escape. It sounds so simple but the problem is… what should I say?

"Uhh, Sakurako was looking for you earlier," I suddenly blurted out and saw the corner of her mouth twitch slightly.

'Oh shi—'I stopped myself from cursing mentally but right now—fuck if I care! I made a mental note not to speak Sakurako's name in situations such as this. It will only make things worse than it already is.

While I was preoccupied with my thoughts, Nadeshiko suddenly leaned towards me; her face is only a few centimeters from mine. What is she doing? I panicked, a blush tinting my cheeks but she didn't seem to notice and continued to invade my personal space. She stared at me with her honey-colored eyes—the same shade as Sakurako's eyes—at that, I became more and more self-conscious.

"How much did you hear?" she whispered into my ear in a very low tone.

How much did I hear?I thought back on the recent events that happened. "Nothing much," I said bravely. "You just asked her if you could take her home and that you'll miss her and then, and then—" I stopped as I my recollections hit me sharply. Even in such a cold night, my face is warm as mental images flashed inside my mind. Again. Even without a mirror, I could tell that my blush can rival a tomato or any other fruit I can think of that's deep red.

While I blush into bright shades of red, Nadeshiko's face blanched. I looked up and saw her face is as white as a sheet. "Nadeshiko-nee?" I called, my hand reaching out to touch her face but before I knew it, she was down on the floor, prostrating herself. "Himako, I beg you! Please, don't tell anyone what you saw! Promise me!" she begged.

"W-What are you doing? Get up now!" I said, flustered. But no matter how I try to pull her up, she wouldn't budge. "Nadeshiko-nee!" I called again.

"Didn't you hear what I said? I want you to promise not to tell anyone!" she said again, without lifting her head from the ground.

"All right! I promise! You have my word so get up now!" I said in desperation.

With that, almost immediately, Nadeshiko was up again. "Good. Don't ever forget those words." She said, dusting off the dirt from her skirt as if nothing serious happened. I stared at her in disbelief. 'W-What is it with these sisters? They drive me crazy!' I thought wildly.

"Let's go, Himako." Nadeshiko said, extending her hand. "We need to talk." Gently, she held my hand and I let myself be led to the direction of the park. As we walked, her face turned back to its natural color while I was having trouble doing the same.

While we sat on the bench eating the chips I bought, I told Nadeshiko what happened from the beginning—from the reason why I was there up until that intimate scene. I didn't describe that last part in detail, though. When I was done, at first, I thought she was going to shout and scold me ceaselessly while pointing an accusing finger at me but she didn't. She simply took it calmly with a thoughtful expression on her face.

"I see. I guess I'll have to come clean now." Nadeshiko sighed. Then she started to tell me about her girlfriend. Her name is Ai Miwa and they started going out since high school. She even shared a bit about how they met. I'm supposed to be embarrassed hearing her talk about her relationship with a girl but as she told her tale, her face glowed with pride and happiness. Nadeshiko also confessed that she often sneaks out of the house to meet up with her, just like tonight. I smiled. Without a doubt, Nadeshiko loves her girlfriend very much.

"You're really bad at hiding, Himako." Nadeshiko said suddenly.

I blinked at her. "Eh? What made you say that?" I asked, confused.

Nadeshiko smirked. "Well, even though, you tried to hide behind that wall, I could clearly see your double-Ds from the corner." She chuckled, covering her face with her hands. "Seriously, how old are you again?" she said, peeking from between her fingers.

I blushed again, unconsciously covering my chest with my arms. "I'm fifteen." I said proudly. "And they're not actually 'double-Ds'… anymore." I added quietly. Ugh, I know how supple they are, too, and luckily, nobody has been rude enough to comment on that. And to think, it's the reason I was discovered… I frowned at the thought.

The older Oomuro took notice of how distressed I became. "Sorry, I forgot you have a complex with them." She said, looking apologetic.

I quickly shook my head. "It's okay. I just can't seem to get used to it. Not with Sakurako reminding me each and every day, like it's her job to make me feel uncomfortable with my own body." I flared. Ah, I did it again. Just the mention of Sakurako frustrates me so much to the point of madness. We exchanged looks and Nadeshiko gave me a reassuring smile. She understood how annoying that girl can be and I felt relieved somehow.

Later, we talked mostly about school and then she asked me about Sakurako's performance. Without further ado, I started to tell her about my frustrations about her sister. Her grades weren't that bad, I said, but Sakurako keeps on having problems on understanding some subjects. She even asked me to tutor her and help her with homework and projects. But she has to learn how to stand on her own now, right? "We're going to be in high school next semester," I said in distress.

"I'm really worried if she'll be alright but that idiot doesn't seem to care," I fumed. Nadeshiko simply smiled as I tried to calm down again.

High school, huh? I thought. Speaking of which, didn't they say that high school is the highlight of one's life? Like, it's the period where sparks fly, you fall in love, make stupid decisions and the cycle repeats. I wonder if I'll ever fall in love with someone. Out of the blue, a quote came to my mind.

'Love is just a word until someone comes along and gives it meaning!'

I remember reading that somewhere from before. Cheesy, I know. But love quotes are meant to be like that anyway. I glanced at Nadeshiko curiously. I wonder, from the moment Ai stepped into Nadeshiko's life, did she gave meaning to the word love for Nadeshiko? How about me? Will something like that happen to me in the near future? Am I even ready for it?

It bothers me for some reason and I think I need some advice. As I gazed at Nadeshiko, I thought she's the perfect to confide to. Hesitantly, I broached the subject with Nadeshiko. For the first time in my life, with a trembling voice, I asked about love. She looked at me as if I have something on my face. "You mean, you haven't realized?" she said.

Now it's my turn to look at her funny. Realize what exactly?

"Sakurako…" her voice trailed off.

I stared at her blankly as she mentioned of her name. "What's my question got to do with her?" I asked. 'What does she have to do with everything?' I thought frantically.

Nadeshiko took a good look at me and sighed at the sight of my defiant face. "You're a smart girl, Himako. I'm sure you can figure it all out." She said, patting my back reassuringly.

"Figure out what?" I asked again, more confused than ever. "Nadeshiko-nee…"

But she simply placed a finger over my lips to silence me. "It's getting late. We should head home now." she said, smiling. I wanted to protest but the look in her eyes told me that she wouldn't discuss it any further. Resignedly, I nodded and together, we walked out of the park towards the direction of my apartment.

Upon arriving home, I went straight to my room and decided to hit the books again and start where I left off. However, I can't concentrate because the last part of my conversation with Nadeshiko still bothered me. Why did she mention Sakurako? The question continued to plague my mind, I tried to look at the problem before me but it didn't make any sense. Soon, I placed my books aside. 'It's no use,' I thought.

I plopped down on my bed tiredly and brooded some more. Suddenly, my train of thought was cut off when I heard small footsteps coming from outside the room.

"Onee-chan, you can use the bath now~" Kaede said, as she popped into our room. She's wearing light blue pajamas and she's trying to dry her hair with a towel. I smiled at how adorable she looked.

"Come here, Kaede-chan." I said, patting the place beside me.

As Kaede sat on her bed, I took the blow dryer from the drawer, plugged it and turned it on. With careful strokes, drying Kaede's hair with the towel as the warm breeze made a buzzing sound inside the room.

"Ehehe… it tickles, Himawari-neechan~" Kaede giggled as the warm air passed her ear.

Himawari smiled. "Oh, really?" I said in a teasing voice, "Was it like this?" I pointed the blow dryer behind her ear again. Kaede laughed again. "Kyaa! Stop! Onee-chan, it tickles!" she said, her face flushed. Our friendly tussle continued until Kaede's hair has dried.

After a while, Kaede settled comfortably between my crossed legs as I combed her hair. I felt so peaceful just being with my little sister like this. Kaede, even at such a young age, can sure give some advice. She's smart, matured and sensible; and I'm really proud of her. Not only that, even Sakurako acknowledges it for she often talks to Kaede about her problems. Hmm, maybe I should ask for some advice, too?

That gave me a pause. I mean, it's perfectly normal to talk to your six year-old sister about your problems, right?

Sensing my mood, Kaede looked up at me with her big, innocent rosey eyes. "Is something wrong, Himawari-neechan?" she asked. I blushed at being found out so easily. "Well, I—" I gulped, at a loss for words. Asking a six year-old about love is a bit unusual, isn't it?

Kaede turned to face me and placed her hands over mine. "It's okay, onee-chan. I'm right here, see?" she said with a smile.

I felt touched. Why am I hesitating for? Who else will help us in our time of need than our family, right?

"Well, you see I asked someone about love. But that person only mentioned Sakurako's name. I mean—what's that got to do with my question right? I'm so confused!" I confessed. She stared at me some more before smiling widely.

"I think she means you like Sakurako-neechan!" she beamed.

I looked at her in shock and mortification. "Me? Like Sakurako? Seriously?" I asked, pointing at myself.

Kaede nodded her head vigorously. "Yes! Didn't you notice it, Himawari-neechan? It's obvious!" She giggled.

Unable to sense my inner struggle with that revelation, Kaede started to ask, me a lot of questions like what I like about Sakurako, when we will get married, etc. But all her words fell on deaf ears as my mind became preoccupied with denial.

BETA: Keirajoy, Hans KBC

About the hiatus/drop thing, I'm still considering it. We don't have much time to write with all the responsibilities on our shoulders (as you can see, I can only update once a month). If I officially drop this, everyone is free to pick this story up if your interested enough.

—Nhame