Too Close to See
It was nearly 10:00 p.m., so Kitsune was surprised indeed to see
Kaolla enter the living room. “What’re you watching, Kitsune?” the
energetic girl chirped as she plopped down on the couch with a large
bowl on her lap.
“Um, it’s an American movie called…Lady Hawke. It’s pretty
good,” the short-haired girl replied.
“Mind if I join you?” Su grabbed a handful of cheddar popcorn
from the bowl and began munching.
“No, not at all, Kaolla-chan. But it’s pretty late, you know.”
“Oh, I’m not tired.”
“Ha! You’re never tired. But won’t you wake Motoko-chan when
you do go to bed?”
“I’m sleeping in my own room tonight.” The blonde girl’s voice
was tinged with hurt. “Motoko says she needs some time to herself.”
“She does?” That was not believable to Kitsune. Motoko was a
proud swordswoman who rarely showed emotion or admitted to needing
anything. Asking for time alone was completely out of character for
her. And Kitsune was very curious. True, it was Motoko’s first day
back at Hinata after a week of training, but something else was going
on. “So…did she say anything else?” Kitsune prodded.
“No, she was in a big hurry to go to the bath.”
Now Kitsune was sure that something was up with her samurai
friend. Motoko had just been in the bath with all of them not an hour
ago. There had to be a reason she was going back so soon. Kitsune
searched her wicked mind. Maybe Motoko had met someone during her
training. Kitsune shook her head. Motoko with a man-that didn’t
sound right. But what other explanation was there? Or a better
question: how had Motoko managed to sneak him into Hinata?
Kitsune quickly thought of a way to check her theory. She ran
her hand through her short, light brown hair, trying to look casual.
“Hey, Kaolla, do you still have those IX goggles you invented a few
months ago?”
“Yeah, they’re on my nightstand.”
“Can I borrow them right quick?”
“Sure, Kitsune.”
“Thanks! I’ll be back in a minute, okay?”
“Okay. But if you don’t hurry, all my popcorn will be gone,” Su
warned. Kitsune was already out the door.
“Finally, some fun! Some excitement!’ Kitsune rejoiced aloud as
she jogged to Su’s room. She opened the door and stepped into
Kaolla’s private jungle. After some hunting, she found the mattress
that the nimble girl never used.
“-Nightstand is usually near a person’s bed…” Kitsune muttered.
She looked around but didn’t find anything that resembled a
nightstand.
Wait a minute, she thought. Why am I looking near her mattress?
Su never uses it. I should look near where she sleeps. Hmm. When
she doesn’t sleep in Motoko’s room, she’s usually…in a tree! Kitsune
began looking around at the larger trees. After a few minutes, she
found a tree that seemed to have a boll with one or two strangely
straight edges. She scrambled up the tree. Sure enough, there was a
vine-covered nightstand. “Oh, Kaolla-chan,” Kitsune chuckled, “you
have such a bizarre way of doing things.” She grabbed the powerful
goggles and shimmied back down the tree.
Now how to approach Motoko’s room? After a moment’s
consideration, the mischievous girl decided to try outside the
building. It was a warm, clear night, with an almost-full silver moon
making the early dew sparkle. Kitsune walked quietly around the
building. There was a light on in Motoko’s room. The shutters were
closed.
Kitsune fumbled with Kaolla’s goggles until she located the “on”
switch. She raised the device to her eyes. She saw only the night
sky.
The goggles were set too high. Kitsune found a dial marked,
“lumen intensity.” She turned the knob slowly. The stars were
replaced with vague, fuzzy shapes. Two of them were moving slightly.
I was right, Kitsune’s brain shouted triumphantly. Now how do I focus
these things? She located another dial, this one marked, “image
sharpen.” She carefully turned the dial.
Yes, they were two people. She turned some more.
The people seemed to be kissing! She adjusted further. Who was
Motoko’s new flame?
Ah, sharp enough at last. That was definitely Motoko. And she
was locking lips with…
…Shinobu!
The goggles dropped from Kitsune’s nerveless fingers. And onto
her big toe. “Ow!” she exclaimed, keeping her voice as low as
possible. She picked the heavy glasses up from the ground. These
weren’t ordinary binoculars; it would take more than a short fall to
break them. When Su built something, she built it to last. Still not
believing what she’d just seen, the brunette’s trembling hands put the
goggles up to her eyes. She readjusted the focal control.
Motoko was unbuttoning Shinobu’s nightgown. The girls were
kissing passionately. Shinobu eased away and spoke a few short
syllables into Motoko’s ear. Those syllables might well have been,
“Aishiteru.”
Kitsune lowered the glasses quickly. Though normally
unflappable, she was embarrassed and a little ashamed of her snooping.
Shinobu and Motoko were two of her closest friends. She had no right
to invade their privacy this way. She’d spied on Naru and Keitaro
once, but that was different. Keitaro and Naru shared a crush.
Shinobu and Motoko…even from this distance, even though she’d only
watched for a few seconds…Kitsune could see that they were deeply in
love.
Envy flashed through Kitsune’s brain, but guilt quickly squashed
it. Her relationships had been many and brief. She’d never actually
felt love. She shouldn’t be jealous of her friends, she should be
happy for them. Still, she felt a dull ache in her heart when she
thought of what she’d seen. When would it be her turn?
She figured she ought to finish watching the movie. With some
effort, she climbed the tree and replaced Su’s goggles on the
nightstand. She sighed and walked back to the living room.
“What did I miss, Kaolla-chan?”
She was answered only with deep, even breathing. Kitsune strode
softly over to the couch and looked down at Su. She’d fallen asleep
in front of the TV, her hand still in the popcorn bowl. She looked a
little worried.
I can’t leave her to sleep here, Kitsune realized. Her neck
will ache all day tomorrow if she does. I can’t bring her to Motoko,
she’s-Kitsune giggled to herself-occupied. I guess I’d better get Su
back to her room and let her sleep in one of her trees. Kitsune
walked to the front of the couch and bent to wake the smaller girl.
But Kitsune found that she hadn’t the heart to wake her. The
older girl pondered the dilemma. She could carry Su to her room, but
she’d never be able to climb a tree with her. “Can’t leave her here
to get all sore and stiff,” she mused.
On impulse, Kitsune gently gathered Kaolla into her arms. “You
can sleep on my mattress, Kaolla-chan,” she whispered. She carried
the smaller girl to her room and laid her on the sheets. Heavy
sleeper, light body, Kitsune thought. She removed Su’s shoes and
socks and covered her with a blanket. She stood looking at her
younger friend. Su’s face had been serene while she was in Kitsune’s
arms, but now she appeared troubled again.
“Kaolla is so bright and enthusiastic during the daytime; why
does she look sad now?” Kitsune wondered. As carefully as she could,
she untied the sky blue ribbon in Kaolla’s hair. Her shimmering, ash
blonde locks rolled across the mattress and pillow. The girl sighed
and shifted under the blanket.
“Don’t leave me,” Kaolla mumbled through her dreams.
Kitsune’s heart transformed into a growing puddle of melting
ice. She knelt next to her young friend and stoked her hair softly.
The dark-skinned girl’s face sprouted a smile. “I won’t leave, little
angel,” Kitsune said in a hushed voice. The smile widened slightly.
Kitsune kicked her sandals off her feet. She changed into her
nightshirt in record time and lay down next to Su on the mattress.
She brushed Su’s bangs from her forehead.
She’s so brave, Kitsune thought, out on her own in a foreign
country. She makes everyone around her happy. She’s so smart, too.
Not to mention beautiful. The way she talks is so endearing…
I’ve never thought about a girl this way, Kitsune realized. It
must be an effect of what I observed tonight. And my previous lack of
satisfaction in a relationship. Plus, I’m very tired. And I’m lying
next to a beautiful young lady.
Kaolla snuggled up closer to Kitsune while she dreamed. Kitsune
felt an incredibly strong emotion grip her. Was it love? I wouldn’t
know, the older girl thought bitterly. But I do know how much she
means to me. I know that I like spending time with her. I know that
she would rather sleep with someone than by herself. I will be that
someone.
Maybe I do love her, Kitsune admitted silently. I wish I knew
for sure. But if I can help it, she’ll never feel sad while she
sleeps-never again.
Kitsune leaned forward and tenderly kissed Kaolla’s tan cheek.
“You’ll never be alone, my angel,” she whispered.
Kaolla cuddled gently nearer to Kitsune. The brown-haired girl
yawned and closed her eyes.
She fell asleep in moments, with a smile on her face.
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