Page 98A final drive

I woke up next to the two of them chatting. The soft scent of deodorant and different clothes betrayed they were no longer in their pyjamas. I wondered what they had done during the day, while I slept. To be honest, it felt really weird being part of a normal household again. Things moving while I wasn't awake.

I opened my eyes. "What time is it?"

Anka turned. "About nine thirty, you can take a shower first if you like."

I sat up a little. "He'll arrive at ten, right?"

Grace smiled. "He'll be late, so don't rush too much.

I got up and stretched. "Thanks. Wow, I slept a lot better than I thought. I hope I won't see weird drawings on my face when I look in the mirror?"

The both of them giggled. Anka replied. "Drat, we should have thought of that."

They both gave me a hug and allowed me to stand up. I also smelled some more incense, a slightly different one than yesterday, but still subtle and pleasant. The girls had, however, cleaned up somewhat, as well as move my things around a little. In fact, it looked like all my clothes had been washed and folded nicely. That was so nice of them.

I took the same clothes as yesterday upstairs with me, noticing they had been washed as well. I wondered what else they had done. Hopefully not too much, as I didn't like it that much when people touch my stuff. Anka told me where the shower was and said she had already put down a towel for me.

The shower was a lot bigger than I expected. Most notable for me was the shower head which appeared to have like four different settings, with various degrees of freedom between them. Especially the massage setting felt great on my back. But the best was the 'highest' setting where the water came from a higher and wider shower-head near the ceiling. It almost like warm rain. There was almost nothing as pleasant as the feeling of dancing naked in the rain with complete abandon.

There was almost enough room for it here.

After the shower, I got dressed and found out the guy had already arrived. Apparently I'd enjoyed the running warm water for almost forty minutes and Max had been early, for him. He was a nice guy, not too shy around women, which I found slightly surprising for some reason. But there was an honest geekiness to him that I wasn't all too sure I'd be able to handle for hours.

It was then Anka surprised me with something fun.

"Oh, and I'm going with you."

I blinked. "Why?"

She giggled. "I haven't seen Hitori in a few months, Grace doesn't mind and I think you'd prefer me as company as opposed to Max."

Max acted insulted. "Hey!"

Grace gave him a little peck on his cheek. "Don't worry, we still like you, even if you like comics more."

He grinned back. "Well I can't help it that no one compares with Hawkgirl."

Anka just looked at me. "Do you mind?"

I smiled back. "Not at all."

Grace handed me my bags. "Well, hurry along, it's not like time will wait for you."

Dawn waited for no woman.

As we left the house, Anka and Grace said their personal goodbyes. I'd only given her a hug, but they were whispering some things that I couldn't quite follow. Well I could hear them perfectly, but the context of them was lost on me.

"You will tell her, right?" "I will, just hold the fort for me?" "Okay, see you sweety."

On the road again. This time being driven. The guy had some music on I didn't recognize. It wasn't unpleasant, but I hoped it wouldn't be the same for the whole trip. My bags were in the back, it felt a little weird to be 'moving' without my backpack on for the first time in a long time.

The conversations didn't really include Max, and most of them were just being silly. But soon she started talking about what she had to tell me.

"Eh, while you were asleep, me and Grace read it."

I tried to think. "It? You mean my Diary?"

"Yes."

What did I feel? Anger, betrayal, curiosity? They already knew what I was, especially Anka had been very close to be before. And I think she did read the things I'd written over a year ago. Well, she could have. I hadn't exactly pointed it out to anyone. Maybe Kai had put it on-line somewhere, but I wasn't sure. However, the first question I wanted to ask her was easy.

"Why?"

Anka looked guilty, felt guilty too. "We were cleaning up and going through your stuff. It started out with Graces idea to wash your clothes as you probably didn't have much chance for that. Then we opened the small bag and found your diary and the tools. Cool tools though, I wonder where you got those."

"Not the point, why did you read it?"

"Well, when I found your diary, Grace stopped me from reading it."

"But you still did."

She nodded. "I did when she went upstairs to fill the machine up. Your words... The way you see the world. Part of me wants to feel that so much, but..."

"I won't Anka."

She smiled and nodded. "I know, and I won't ask, I wanted it before, but thanks to you I know better now."

"So, why did you want to tell me."

She blushed a little. "I want to make it available to read."

I frowned. "Like a book?"

She shook her head. "I'm not that powerful, no like a blog or something. Maybe you'd allow me to transcribe it for you."

This came as a bit of a shock. I'd never really thought about putting the things I had on-line anywhere. I kind of knew it happened, and didn't mind, but to blatantly hear someone ask me like this was just weird. Was the world even interested in my thoughts, my weird world?

"I don't know."

"Think about it, okay?"

The rest of the trip was silent for a while, but then picked up on random things again. For some reason it felt a lot faster to go back than it was to come to Mareana. But such was life, when you're not alone, things go by a lot easier. It was just a matter of time until we were parked in the street where Hitori lived. Anka asked Max if he was going back soon, which he was, in about a day. Visiting friends or something. She asked him to pick him up tomorrow.

We walked the last bit, less than a minute, to Hitori's door. I was excited, terrified, hopelessly longing to see him again. And I would. Then Anka wanted to be silly, she placed me against the wall so that Hitori wouldn't see me when he opened the door. She rang.

And rang again.

Only after the third time came someone down the stairs. It was very early in the morning, an hour or two before sunrise. Even though someone was coming down, Anka pressed the bell another time.

Hitori opened the door. "Who? Anka?"

"Hi!" She cheerfully greeted him with a smile.

"Wait, that must mean." He looked around, didn't see me yet and moved a step forwards. Only a glance was enough to make him see me. He looked confused, hurt, happy, warm and shocked to see me.

"Amy."

Poor Hitori. Rich Hitori.