“I’m sorry,” he quickly apologized, “I didn’t mean it. I feel hurt too after hurting you, I’m so sorry.”

Jiro watched as Selina stared at him lost. She seemed surprised and he feared she’d really pity him.

“Please come back to me,” Fluke begged.

“How do I know you’re not lying?” questioned Selina.

“She seems hurt,” Jiro thought. “She must still love him.”

“I’m not lying,” Fluke began, “my love for you is not a lie.”

Jiro thought he saw tears of regret in her eyes.

“I…I…” Selina began.

Jiro’s heart thumped. He knew for sure she’d say yes, after he’d been so mean to her and ignored her of course she’d go back to Fluke.

“I can’t,” Selina said at last, “I…I still love you but you’re my past.”

Jiro felt a tint of happiness grow in him.

Fluke’s hands loosened on her arms, “Is it because of him?”

Selina fell silent, “I…I don’t love him yet but I want to. Right now I want to make him happy, I want to give him all I can. I know it’s going to be hard to make our relationship work out but I don’t want to give up. I don’t want it to end so soon.”

Fluke smiled as he let her go, “So we’ll be friends?”

Selina smiled back expressing that she agreed. Jiro watched silently as Fluke gave her a gentle pat on the arm and urged her to go back in. Fluke stumbled against the wall trying to hold himself up and before he knew it a hand was helping to steady him. He looked up to find Jiro.

“I didn’t know you were following me,” Fluke said, “you won.”  

******************************************

As I stepped back inside the restaurant I took a deep sigh. I hoped I was making a right decision.

A few days later everything was still the same. That day school ended and I looked around to see if Jiro was at that same tree. He wasn’t there so I hurried to go back home. Along the way I didn’t noticed that I’d walked passed Danson.

“Selina,” Danson called.

I turned around surprised. He knew my name.

“Would you like to accompany me somewhere?” he asked. “I got two tickets for an amusement park and my sister couldn’t make it.”

I thought for a minute then nodded, “Sure.” I could use some air and maybe going somewhere would help.

Minutes later I found myself sitting in a chair falling from the sky. I screamed as I waved my arms up in the air. Danson beside me seemed to crouch in his chair holding onto the handles tightly.

I laughed as I handed a cup of water to Danson. He’d thrown up just after the ride. I’d never thought that guys would be afraid of roller coasters. I sipped my cup of coke while I sat down next to him.

“So how old is your sister?” I questioned.

“She’s still in high school studying in the states,” Danson said.

I nodded then caught on, “Then you just came back?”

Danson nodded, “I haven’t been here for over 7 years.”

“Whoa!” I said. “Wow! That must be awesome!”

“Not when you stay away from your country so long that you feel like a complete foreigner when you come back,” he said.

“But you aren’t a foreigner,” I pointed out.

“I feel like one. I guess I’m just more accustomed to the states than I am here,” Danson admitted.

“I wish I could go out of the country,” I told.

“Maybe you will…sometime,” Danson told. “So have you and Jiro stopped arguing?”

I turned to him surprised, “No.”

“I envy that guy,” Danson said.

“You do?” I asked.

“In a way. He does anything he wants,” Danson pointed out.

I thought about it for a while, “Well maybe sometimes but he’s not always like that.”

“I guess you should know him better than I do,” Danson told.

“You’re talking a lot,” I said. “You’re always so quiet at school I always think something’s wrong with you.”

Danson gave a funny laugh and I followed.

The next day at school Jiro ignored me again. Everything went as usual except Danson and I talked to each other a little more. When school ended we split up and I went to work. There everything was fine as usual. I ended work early and decided to go check up on mom. To my surprise I found Jiro helping her out.

“What are you doing here?” I questioned as I walked up to the stall. Jiro stopped suddenly when he saw me. He glanced at my mom and led me by the wrist outback.

“I was just helping her out,” Jiro said quietly. He was acting weird, I could tell right away by just looking at him.

“What’s wrong?” I asked.

Jiro scratched his head as if he was annoyed by something, “I…”

I waited for him to go on.

“Sorry,” he said.

“You finally say that now? Do you know how long I’ve waited?” I questioned.

“I…I couldn’t bring myself to do it,” Jiro explained.

“Uh-huh,” I didn't believe him, “and do you know what you’re sorry for?”

Jiro made a face, “Hey! I know you saw Fluke the other day!”

I stared at him and suddenly realized something, “You beat him up!”

“I didn’t mean it! He threatened me!” Jiro said.

“And you hit him!” I laughed.

As I laughed again he pulled me into a kiss. I pulled away to look at him and gently hit him on the side of the head.

“You’re so childish,” I teased and kissed him again.

After we sent mom home we walked around in the dark. I was glad he was back and we were able to spend some time together at last. I thought everything would have been ok that night, but I didn’t know that fate was plotting something else. If I knew I would have gone home without him.

I had my arm linked around his and we were laughing happily that we did not notice anyone coming our way. We stopped and paused when a bottle of beer came rolling toward us. Jiro looked around wondering who could’ve done that.

“Who’s there?” Jiro questioned to the darkness.

No answer.

“I said who’s there,” Jiro repeated.

Someone stepped out. It seemed like there was more than one person and Jiro pushed me behind him.

“Always in the dark,” a voice said.

“Who are you?” Jiro questioned.

“You never knew my name, but I know your girl,” he said.
 
My heart beat fast. What was he planning to do? I hope he wasn't that guy from last time...

“We had some pretty nice contact last time,” he told. Even through the dark I knew he must be smiling.

I clutched onto the back of Jiro’s shirt recalling the struggle of running away the last time.

“Shut up,” Jiro calmly demanded.