Chapter Nineteen - Accusations

“…and that’s why there’s no coffee in the world anymore,” the cat which hung out at work, Sora, explained patiently. I glanced over at the animal and was only mildly surprised it was utterly square except for tiny paws sticking out of the bottom giving some semblance of locomotion.

“I never existed so there isn’t any coffee in the world?” I asked with some surprise. Plainly this was some sort of strange dream. I knew it was a dream, but also seemed helpless to get out. “That seems kind of…unlikely.”

“Butterfly effect,” Sora said by way of explanation. The world shifted from the inside of the tea-serving coffee house to the high path I walked every day to school. “Do you see that tree?”

“Yes?” I blinked at the grey, watery tree the square cat was gesturing to.

“Since you never existed the tree is 3 meters taller than it would have otherwise been,” Sora quivered, and I understood the cat was trying to shake its head. “You used to smack the tree with a stick you pretended was a katana each morning for nearly two months. Since you weren’t there to hit it, the tree grew to be like this.”

“So there’s no coffee in the world and a tree grew 3 meters taller?” I scratched my head, ignoring the long, flowing lime green princess dress I was wearing. “I figured my non-existence would have a greater impact.”

“Well, every human’s presence leaves an indelible mark on the world and people around them,” The cat explained, blowing bubbles from the bubble pipe which had magically appeared in its mouth. “Since you never existed it changed the future of everything. It’s impossible to estimate the extent of something which never happened. These are simply the most visible differences I’ve extrapolated on.”

“For a cat, you’re very insightful into the human condition,” I complimented it.

“Indubitably,” Sora quivered again, once more I imagined it was nodding sagely. There was suddenly a light tapping sound which echoed through my dream world.

“What’s that sound?” I asked. Sora chuckled and the images around me shifted once more and I found myself back at Emi’s house, standing perfectly perched atop a purple lily flower. I stared with mild interest as Emi, dressed in a Japanese green woodpecker costume smacked her head repeatedly against the giant maple tree in her back yard. “Why is she doing hitting her head?”

“Well, since you never existed, Emi turned into a woodpecker and spends all day in the garden,” Sora replied, blowing more bubbles.

“But isn’t she just dressed like a woodpecker, and not actually a woodpecker?” I cocked my head in confusion. Emi continued to tap irritatingly on the tree and the dream began to splinter around the edges.

“Well, she thinks she’s a woodpecker,” Sora explained. “Thus she is. The power of positive thinking in action. She’s trying to send you a message, I think.”

“What message? It sounds like tapping to me.”

“I think she’s trying to say, ‘wake up K-chan,’” Sora said by way of interpretation.

“It doesn’t sound like that at all,” I mumbled.

“Wake up, k-chan,” Sora grinned at me, whiskers twitching slightly. “Wake up!”

“Huh?” I jumped upright as the dream shattered and I found myself in the room I’d fallen asleep in at Emi’s house. I tried to focus through my disorientation and confusion as the world gradually coalesced around me.

The room was dark still with no indication of how long I’d slept as I rubbed the sleep from my eyes. That’s odd, I thought through the haze of still being half-asleep. I still hear the weird tapping. I looked around the room again but couldn’t find the source. I turned toward the window and quickly jumped back in surprise at the face staring in at me.

“What the fuck?!” I yelped, scrabbling backward in confusion and fright.

“K-chan! Let me in!” Aria called out to me.

“Oh, hell, no!” A part of me thought. I’d seen this movie. Aria was a vampire, now, and just wanted me to open the window so she could kill me or turn me into one of her legion of undead slaves! I nearly chuckled at my sudden, irrational fear. It was like the time I convinced myself I was being followed home by aliens when I was nine. I ended up running the entire way back from school positive I’d be vaporized by some kind of alien death ray at any moment.

“It’s cold out here! Open up!” I shook the last of the cobwebs free from my brain and opened the window with a scowl.

“What the hell are you doing out there?” I demanded, secretly relieved she didn’t turn into a swarm of bats and attack me. Pfft, I chastised myself. Like vampires were real. Might as well be thinking about giant blue demons or cat girls or something stupid. Although…cat girls… even if you are weird as hell, electric car guy, please invent cat girls.

“I-Its cold out here! Help me in!” Aria replied, teeth chattering. I glared at her.

“I thought you were going to go ‘hang out with people who know how to have fun’?” I snarled. “Better get back to them, since we obviously don’t know how to have the type of fun you seem to want.” I began to close the window.

“You were supposed to come after me!” Aria exclaimed, putting her hand on the window to stop me from closing it. “Please! Let me come in! I want to talk, but it’s freezing!” I felt a headache coming on behind my eyes and sighed. Relenting, I helped Aria into the room with my good hand and closed the window behind her.

“Why would I go after someone who spent the whole evening acting like we were a bunch of children? What the hell was tonight, anyway?” I demanded, scowling as the scent of booze wafted off her. She’d been doing far more than forlornly waiting outside for me to come retrieve her from her self-imposed exile.

“Yeah,” Aria glanced down and shrugged. “Not my finest night. I don’t know, I mean, you were naked and so gorgeous, and I wanted to have fun and be sexy with you. I guess I got a little carried away.”

“’A little?’” I shook my head, secretly swelling with pride she thought I was gorgeous. Now was not the time to be taken in by compliments, I chided myself. “You basically started a war between Mizuki and Emi! That’s not a ‘little carried away’! Not to mention what was that even? Trying to have Emi do that to you? Not ok at all!”

“Well, to be fair, I had no idea things would escalate between them,” Aria defended herself.

“Doesn’t change what you tried to have Emi do!” I snapped back. “Why would you dare someone else to something like that in front of your girlfriend? And what was the shit about it not being cheating if it’s with a girl?”

“Isn’t that the general consensus here in Japan?” Aria asked, cocking her head to the side. “I’ve read a bunch of times that it’s not cheating if it’s with another girl.”

“Who gives a fuck what you read? I’m your girlfriend! You won’t let me hug one of my friends, and then you try to get another friend to lick you? What the hell is with the double standard? Is it cheating if a guy does it to you? Or some guy does it to me? Is that cheating?” I did my best to ignore my guilt over my abortive attempt at hugging Saki. I didn’t feel the two were even close to an equitable comparison, however.

“That’s not fair at- “Aria began with a scowl.

“No! What’s not fair is the way you acted the whole night! That’s what’s not fair! You started shit where none needed to be started, you pushed things you had no need to push, and you acted like a fucking bitch and walked the hell out. That’s what’s not fair.” I bristled at her trying to tell me what was and wasn’t fair after the way she acted most of the night.

“I know! Ok? I know!” Aria threw her hands up in surrender. “I started out wanting to tease you. You were naked and I wanted to get you all hot and bothered and maybe make you a little jealous, too, since you didn’t even ogle me when I went to the bath. I wanted to feel wanted, you know? But you didn’t say anything. You just sat there like a goddamn rock. I wanted some reaction. Even if it was just a flicker of interest when I was naked. Is that so wrong?”

“I was perving on you the whole time!” I shot back, trying to keep my voice low so as to not disturb anyone else.

“You were?” Aria seemed surprised.

“Then you started treating Saki like shit and manipulating Emi and Mizuki and then you fucking bail? Seriously? Where did you even go?” I ignored her and continued on.

“I didn’t treat Saki like anything!” Aria snapped. “She fucking bothers me, ok? I know she’s drooling over you, and I know you totally buy into that whole innocent good girl bullshit she’s playing at. She’s just trying to get her claws into you. I’m your girlfriend but you constantly take her side against me! I was just having some fun with her, and you jump in like Sir Galahad or whatever.”

“I don’t care if its Saki or anyone else, I won’t stand there and let people be bullied,” I growled. “If you recall I did the same for you. Twice.” I held my arm up as proof.

“I wasn’t bullying her!” Aria protested.

“Don’t give me that,” I sighed with disgust.

“Fine,” Aria shook her head after a moment. “I guess I was. Like I said, she just drives me crazy with her angling for you all the time. I’m allowed to be jealous, right? Or are you the only one who can get jealous?”

Ugh, I thought. She had a good career as a lawyer ahead of her if that was the route she chose, I decided. Though, honestly, I guess I couldn’t expect my admission of being jealous to not be used against me at some point. Still, I didn’t feel the two were even remotely similar to the problems she had with Saki.

“The difference is I’m not pretending to date Saki,” I pointed out.

“Wow,” Aria shook her head. “Low blow.”

“You never did explain where you went tonight,” I ignored what she’d said again. Admittedly, it was a low blow. After the way she acted the whole night, I didn’t find it unjustified, though.

“I waited for you to come after me,” Aria replied defensively.

“Then why do you smell like you just drank? It’s been hours.” I peered at her. I had no real hope of figuring out whether she was lying or not as her eyes and body never seemed to betray anything, but I wanted to at least let her know in no uncertain terms I was watching.

“I went to a friend of my cousin’s house after it was obvious you weren’t coming and we had a couple of drinks while she listened to me cry about you, if you must know,” Aria replied.

“Ah, I see. A friend of your cousin’s. Well, I met your cousin yesterday,” I said. For the first time Aria showed a hint of surprise, her eyes widening slightly.

“Huh?” She asked.

“Your cousin, aunt and uncle were at the temple with some kids while I was at work,” I scowled at her suspiciously.

“Oh,” Aria chuckled, waving her hand. “Yeah, my uncle does the big brother thing for disadvantaged kids. I slept in and my cousin was a little pissed, I imagine.”

“Your cousin said you’re rarely home,” I pointed out. “That you were out all night on Friday. Should I be jealous of that? Were you over at your cousin’s friend’s house then, too?”

“What are you trying to say?” Aria’s eyes narrowed. “If you’ve got something you’re accusing me of, just do it. Games like this don’t look good on you.”

“I’m not accusing you of anything. Should I be? Do you know of a reason, other than the obvious, I should be jealous or suspicious?” Aria stepped toward me and held me with her eyes. Honestly, I had no idea what she would say or do.

A moment later she undid the buttons on her blouse and pulled the fabric away, revealing her perfect breasts outlined by the silvery moonlight glinting through the window. I felt myself blush as she took my hand in hers and brought it to her left breast. The feeling of her soft, warm skin on my hand sent an electric shock down my body. Her nipple grew harder and pressed against my palm and I gasped, warmth spreading through me, my own nipples hardening in response.

“This,” Aria whispered, blue eyes never leaving mine, drawing me into their depths, “is all yours. My body and my heart.” She leaned forward, dipping her head toward mine and brushing her lips tantalizingly against mine. “Let me show you how much I love you, K-chan, and prove you have nothing to be jealous of.”