Key Lime Pie: Part One

BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP

"Ugh...."

Nooooo...it can't already be nine...

BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP

God dammit...

BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP

Maybe if I just ignore it...it'll turn off.

BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP BEEEEP

OK, I don't think I can wait that long.

I fumble around, stubbornly refusing to open my eyes until I feel out my shoe and grab it roughly as I proceed in throwing it across the room.

BEE-

Thank God.

The sweet silence is promptly followed by my alarm clock from HELL falling onto various things I've carefully unpacked and sending them crashing to the floor . Shit, there goes my CD's...I seriously need to find a power outlet by the bed.

I can't believe those jerks have me working at the flower shop the day after I move into this damn place. I think I got a whopping two hours of sleep after moving my bed in BY MYSELF...the little blonde one too busy with his computer and the tall one God knows where.

You know I don't think I'd be that upset if today wasn't that one single day where everyone is supposed to be a little nicer to me. Where I'm supposed to be a special person.

It's my birthday...and nobody cares.

I guess there's no way they can care if they don't know...But now there's nobody in this whole world who knows...except the ones who think I'm dead. Dead people don't have birthdays. So...I guess this is how it's gonna be from now on.

I slither out of bed and stumble towards one of my boxes marked "bathroom" and dig out a toothbrush. This time last year, the whole soccer team would have snuck into my apartment and carried me to a pancake house in my boxers as I screamed at them to at least grab me a pair of pants. Then, they'd take me to the park where they had the best thing in the world waiting for me. Key lime pie.

Yes, I am in love with a pie. For my birthday since the day I could speak, I've always had key lime pie. Not cake like the other kids, cake doesn't even COMPARE to key lime pie. Kase would always buy me some when I was feeling down.

Kase.

I miss him so much...There's nothing I wouldn't give to see his face again. But he's dead and gone...like me.

I hear a soft knock at my door and jerk my head up from the sink.

"YEF??" I cry, my mouth filled with toothpaste.

"Ken kun? Can I come in?"

Omi.

I spit in the sink and snake my way between mountains of brown cardboard towards the front door.

"Hey Omi...what's up?" I say as I push another box out of the way to fully open the door. Large blue eyes beam up at me. I guess he's forgiven me for mistaking him as a girl last night....

"I just wanted to remind you that you and Yohji kun need to be at the flower shop in ten minutes..." he scowls slightly. "But Yohji kun will probably be late....and he probably won't know what he's doing...and he'll probably be hung over..."

Oh, this guy sounds greeeeeeat.

"And he probably isn't even up right now....So I'm going to have to ask you to wake him up."

"NANI?!" What am I?! The new nanny?

Sapphire orbs look at me pleadingly. "Ken kuuuuun!!! Onegai? I'd do it if I wasn't already seriously late for school! Manx had me up all night hacking into a cooperation! Pleeeeeease Ken kun?" his voice becomes extremely high pitched. "I know you've only known us for a day but I'd really appreciate it!" His eyes grown inhumanly large and wobbly and I find myself feeling guilty for no reason.

"Well...HEY!" I look to see him already running down the stairs.

"Arigato!! He's apartment 406! Good Luck!!"

Oh Joy, I get to wake up crabby drunk man. What a birthday this is going to be... I head back into my apartment to throw some clothes on.

***

I wake up to hear pounding on my front door.

"OOOOOOOIIIIIIII! GET UP!! WE HAVE FIVE MINUTES TO OPEN SHOP!"

Omi?

"COME ON!! I DON'T WANNA SCREW UP MY FIRST DAY!"

Ahh...the new guy. Pfft, screw him, I need sleep. My eyes begin to flutter shut when the pounding starts again.

"YOOOOOOOOOHJIIIIIIIII!"

Grrr....

"OK!! OK!!! CHRIST!!!"

The pounding abruptly stops and I can tell I've hurt his feelings.

Dammit...why do people have to be so touchy?!

I drag myself to the door and swing it open, gracing the boy with my killer smile. "Sorry kid, I didn't mean to yell."

"UH!!" His eyes widen and his face turns a bright crimson.

"Hmm?" I look down at myself.

Oops....

"I-I'll come back a-another time.." he stammers, studying the wall across the hallway.

"Wait!!" I see my pair of boxers from last night crumpled up against the wall a few feet away and quickly yank them on. Chocolate eyes slowly look over in post shock. Looks like I traumatized the guy.

"Sorry about that....uh..." Shit, I can't believe I forgot his name already...

"....Ken."

"Ken! Yes! I was going to say that!" I say grinning. He rolls his eyes and crosses his arms in front of his chest, obviously annoyed. "Omi sent me to wake you up, we're late to work."

"Eh.." I shrug. "I'm always late anyway, the rabid fan girls can wait a little longer."

"Hmm?" he says with an adorably confused expression on his face..this guy's pretty cute..for a guy I mean...well not to the extreme of Omi cute...That kid's sweetness scares me.

"Yeah...." I say as I pull on a pair of pants from my closet. "A bunch of screaming teenage girls are our number one customers...they'll be REAL happy to see another guy joined the crew." I look to see Ken still standing outside of the doorway.

"You can come inside you know." I call as I head into the bathroom. I hear him plod in and softly close the door.

"Great place..." he lies. My place looks like crap. I haven't cleaned it since God knows when and I can't even remember what the carpet looks like.

I snicker when I hear him trip over something and fall with a crash. Looking in the mirror I can see him face down in a pile of dirty clothes and empty beer cans.

"Etai..." he groans and slowly gets back up, slipping on one of my magazines.

"You OK in there?" I call as I pull my hair back into a ponytail.

"Uh, ye-AGH!" he falls over again. I guess this guy isn't going to be the most graceful of us all...

"I guess we better get out of here before you kill yourself." I say laughing.

***

He reaches out a hand toward me and I gratefully accept it, I don't think I'll be able to escape from this pit by myself. How the hell can anyone live like this!? I mean...

Oh shit...

My foot lands on a stack ancient pizza boxes and I feel myself falling once again. I swear I need to take walking lessons.

Instead of hitting the floor I feel myself falling smack into Yohji. He grabs my back and yelps in surprise as he tries to keep his footing.

Oh, this is just peachy.

His head slams against the bathroom door and we both crumple down to the floor.

"Ugh..." he mutters softly. I can hear his heart pounding in his chest being as I have my head pressed up against it. Realizing the kind of position we're in I jerk away.

"Gomen!!!" I cry, feeling another blush crawling up my cheeks.

Excuse me while I go claw myself to death.

"Did you get the number of the truck that hit me?" he says as he slowly stands up, brushing thick golden bangs out of his eyes.

"What?" Maybe I hit him too hard....

He snorts and rolls his jade eyes. "It's a joke Ken, you know....those things that people laugh at?"

"Oh..." I look at my feet. I'm such a dork. "I get it now."

"Good for you!!" Damn, this guys a little sarcastic ne? He's mysteriously able to locate his keys under a random pile of crap and shoves them in his pocket. He looks down at his watch.

"Damn! Only fifteen minutes late!!" he exclaims, grabbing a coat that was draped over a lampshade. "I've never been to work this early!" He pats me on the back . "Let's go!" I watch in awe as he gracefully strides across the room. How the hell he does it I have no idea.

"You coming or not?" he stares at me expectantly. Oh God I hope I can make it across alive.

I stumble over, tripping every other step on who knows what, but I finally manage to reach my new team mate.

"Glad you decided to come over."

***

This guy is a riot. I don't think I've met a bigger klutz . He grins sheepishly and blushes at my comment as we head out the door. It'll be nice to have someone besides Omi to relate to now...someone closer to my age.

"So uh..hows the apartment?" I say as we head down the stairs. It's not like I care...it's just too damn quiet.

"Why would you care?" he says smirking. Damn, the guy's got me pegged already. I laugh at him and throw my arm around his shoulder.

"You know, I think you and I are going to get along just fine!" I say smiling.

A few minutes later we come in the back entrance of the flower shop. "Oi, Yohji..." Ken starts as I turn on the lights. "What's that noise?"

I can't contain my grin. "Pull up the blinds."

He blinks at me and heads over to the windows.

"HOLY....!!" He squeaks out when he's met with dozens of teenage girls faces pressed up against the glass.

"WHO'S THAT?!?!" one screeches, pointing directly at Ken. "What a babe!"

"Oh my gosh he's ADORABLE!"

"Not as cute as Omi though!! Omi's a hoooooottie!"

"No way! Yohji is the hottest!!"

"Eep..." Ken quickly lowers the blinds again, much to the protests of the girls outside. He looks slowly over at me with eyes like a deer about to be run over by an eighteen wheeler. "I thought you were joking."

"Nooooope..." I say as I let the wave of fan girls crash through the front door.

I hope he survives.

***

"Oh. My. GOD." I mutter as I close the door to the shop. Omi had been right, Yohji didn't have a damn CLUE what he was doing so it took us an hour to figure out how to work the damn register. Not that the girls minded....oh God the girls...just kill me now. You'd think I was in one of those horrible boy bands in the States.

"So...enjoy your first day?" Yohji says casually as he takes off his apron.

"I don't know how you guys survive this..." I say in wonder. "So what now?"

"Well...Omi usually cleans up..." he looks around quickly. "But screw that, it looks good enough."

"You know, I think you're about the laziest guy I've met in my life." I accidentally say out loud. I cringe and wait for a smack on the back of the head but instead hear a soft laugh.

"Yeah, and I'm proud of it." He lowers the blinds and shuts off all the lights.

"So...what are you doing tonight?" I suddenly hear myself say. There's something about this guy that just cheers me up, and I don't want to be left alone. Not today. Not on my birthday.

He grins and waves a slip of paper at me. "Gotta date."

"Oh..." Why do I suddenly feel so angry? "...Have fun."

"I'll close up...you can go on ahead."

"Sure you can handle that?" I say, hiding the painful feeling in the pit of my stomach as I hang my apron next to Yohji's.

"Being the nice and generous person I am...I guess so.." he says dramatically.

I laugh and walk up to him with an outstreched hand.

"It was nice meeting you Yohji!"

"You too!" he says, firmly shaking my hand and smiling. "See you tomorrow!"

"Yeah..." I walk out of the shop and into the cold evening air. I stand there for a moment, watching my breath turn into little white clouds and then quickly fading away in the lights of the city. Finally realizing I must look like an idiot standing in front of a closed flower shop I head down the sidewalk, not caring where I go, I just don't want to be in my apartment alone.

Look at everyone, smiling and with their friends, whoa, that girl just winked at me. I bet it isn't even their birthday, but they're still happier than me. But they're alive...and I'm dead...Dead people don't need to be happy.

I find myself wandering into a busy grocery store filled with screaming babies and mothers picking up last minute items for their families at home.

Then I see it.

Over in the bakery I can see it sitting there behind the fingerprint marked glass.

Key lime pie.

I run over to it, pushing several people out of my way. I can't believe it's here. I put my hands against the cool glass and stare at it. I have to have this pie. I don't think I'll be able to make it through this birthday without it.

"Erm...can I help you?" I look up to see a middle aged man starting down curiously at me. Can't blame him, I'm acting like I'm about seven years old.

"Hi! I need that pie!" Wow that was corny sounding....

He laughs at me. "That'll be ten bucks kid."

"Okay..." I dig into the deep pocket of my khakis.

Oh shit....OH SHIT!

"My wallet!!! I left it in the shop!!" I wail. Of all things to screw up my day. God! I just need my pie!!

The baker watches me with an arched eyebrow as I search my pockets again and again.

"Nooooooo....well...nevermind.." I mutter as I turn to leave.

"Kid!!"

Eh?

I turn around and see him cutting through the pale green pie. I watch silently as he places the newly cut slice into a small white box. He smiles and places it on the counter.

"There ya go. I think you really need this pie...who's it for anyway?"

I feel a blush creeping up my cheeks.

"Me..it's my birthday." I say softly.

"Well happy birthday!" he cries, handing the box to me.

"Arigato...you're the only person who's said that to me all day...." Oh God, here I am venting to a baker...How sad has my life become?

"That's awful!!!" he says genuinely, gray eyes staring at me in pity. "Well you go home and enjoy that pie OK?"

I hug the box to my chest. "I will, you have no idea how happy this makes me."

He smiles and opens his mouth to say something but another customer walks up demanding to know where her cake is. I silently back away and return to the night air.

Minutes later I reach my small apartment and run over to my bed, tearing open the box excitedly. I don't even bother to shut the door behind me.

Shit. No fork.

I stare down at the perfect key lime pie.

Screw it, what are hands for anyway?

I shove my hand into the pie and bend over to catch most of it my mouth, the other parts of it falling onto my pants.

God it's so good. Sweet and tart at the same moment. With it's taste, memories come flooding back into my mind. My friends circled around me holding a huge key lime pie as they sing (at least they were trying to sing) loudly. Kase making a pie just for me...

I don't know when I started crying, but I feel the hot tears streaming down my face. I shove another piece of pie in my mouth.

"Happy birthday to me.."

***

Shit!! I forgot my keys!!!

I leap up the stairs, knowing I'm already a half hour late. She's gonna kill me! When I get up to the third floor I abruptly stop.

What's that sound?

I pause and listen for a moment.

Singing?

I walk down the hallway, following the soft sound, until I see a door slightly ajar. Making sure to be as quiet as humanly possible, I slowly nudge the door open.

I try not to gasp at the strange sight.

Ken's sitting cross-legged on his bed, his hands and face covered in a pale green goo. A strange tart aroma hits my nose and I realize he's eating pie.

I look closer to see that tears are streaming down his face as he stares blankly down at the half-eaten piece of green pie. He continues singing softly until I finally understand the words.

"Happy birthday to me.."

It's his birthday?! I feel my own eyes filling up with tears as I watch the boy I barely know, but suddenly feel so close to. He seemed so happy and carefree today, but I guess he really is just as lonely and sad as I am, why else would he be in Weiß? But Hell, even I haven't had to celebrate my birthday alone. Seeing him like this breaks my heart. No one deserves this. Right then and right there I make a promise to myself.

"Next year Ken...Next year I won't let you be like this...I swear."

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