Every Rose Has Its Thorns by Kurai Kyusobin

Commencement

Every Rose Has Its Thorns

Commencement

She lay awake staring up at her ceiling, wondering why her best friend had yet to call her. She glanced over at the digital alarm clock on her night table. She had known her best friend since they were in Pre-school and now in college they shared an apartment. It was average in size, nothing too grand, they couldn't afford anything else. They lived in close proximity of Waseda Daigaku, the college they both attended although for different reasons. Whereas she was majoring in history her best friend majored in drama. Her ebony hair was fanned out on the pillow her head was on. Slowly she arose from the bed. In the process she picked up the cell phone that lay next to the digital clock. Putting on her jacket and slipping into her sneakers she grabbed her keys from the hook and proceeded out the apartment door.

Turning around she locked the door. In her pocket were her keys, her cellular device, her Swiss Army Knife, and her pack of cigarettes. She picked the habit up in her first year at Waseda. Her best friend would never miss a moment to admonish her for it, nor would her best friend's boyfriend. Which is were she currently was. In his apartment some six odd blocks from theirs. Although she herself had no one, her best friend did and she was happy for her since her previous boyfriend was abusive. The bastard had hit her best friend so hard that the internal bleeding he had caused put her into the hospital for a few days. Kaido, how she loathed the name, every time she thought of the suffering her best friend went through because of the man who held that name a fury arose in her. Her right hand clenched at the thought, arm shaking slightly. She reached into her pocket pulling out her cigarettes and lighter, she pulled out a Lucky Strike and lit the end. Inhaling the corrosive smoke she smiled to no one in particular. She continued down the path that led to communal gardens. There was a bench there calling out to her.

Under the massive willow tree she took her seat and then commenced to lie back onto the bench. Stretching out her legs and propping up her head with her arm looking out to the sky. She couldn't see the stars clearly because of all the fumes created by such a busy city, that and light pollution. She pulled out her cell phone hitting speed dial number one. The device rang several times and out popped a voicemail. She quickly hung up, how she hated those damn things. She then went to speed dial number two, after three rings she was about to hang up but instead was greeted by the voice she sought after.

"Hello?"

"Hey, can you tell your girlfriend that I've been laying awake on my bed for the past three hours worrying about her?"

"Absolutely, why don't you just go to sleep?"

"And why pray tell should I do that?"

"Well she's staying tonight."

"Oh, ha, alright, yell at her for me."

"What do you want me to say?"

"Next time call."

"Alright, night."

"Night."

She flipped it shut, a slight grimace on her face.

Why didn't she just tell me that she was going to stay with him?

She puffed on the cigarette; she had known her best friend's boyfriend for awhile now. They had all been friends in high school and since sophomore year he had pined after her best friend. Her best friend though was too blind to realize that he loved her. But after Kaido and him rescuing her from his attempt, her vision was no longer blurry. She smiled yet again to no one in particular. She did a lot of that. She never really did have a boyfriend. Sure she made out with some guy at a party after graduation, but she was drunk and her judgement was not at its best. Luckily her best friend's boyfriend who was technically also her best male friend, appeared just in time before she did something really stupid. Like sleep with the asshole who obviously knew that she was drunk but didn't care enough to try to not take advantage of a drunken girl. Come to think about it. He was kind of both of their saviors. He had saved her from a stupid drunken decision and her friend from her sadistic boyfriend. He was something else. Definitely not the average man, this made her even happier for her best friend.

Suddenly she heard soft footsteps coming in her direction. Her hand whipped into her pocket pulling out the little knife switching it open. She didn't trust people. The knife she carried everywhere was proof. A silhouetted figure appeared ten feet from her.

"What are you doing out her so late woman?"

"Smoking, isn't it obvious?"

"You shouldn't smoke." He stated as he sat down next to her in the previously occupied by her legs space.

"Well, you shouldn't sneak up on girls."

"Who said I sneaked up on you?"

"Me, and I know everything."

"No you don't."

"I am a self proclaimed genius."

"Therefore you are a moron in the eyes of society."

"You are such an ass."

"Thank you Miss I like to go out at strange hours of the night."

"What was that?"

"You don't like do you?"

"No, I don't. What about you? Shouldn't you be sleeping since you do have an important final coming up?"

"I say the same to you."

"Touché, you won this time buddy."

"Where's your pack?"

"In my pocket."

He reached into her pocket and pulled it out taking one out for himself and lighting it.

"You are such a hypocrite."

"No, I said that you shouldn't smoke."

"So it's okay for you, Mr. Soon to be doctor."

"Yes it is."

"And why is that?"

"Because a beautiful girl such as yourself should not harm herself in the manner you have taken so fondly of."

"Huh?"

"Are you deaf?"

"Just repeat what you said."

"I said that a beautiful woman such as youself should not kill herself in the manner that you have chosen."

"Oh so you complimented me and admonished me in one sentence."

"Precisely."

"How's your brother?"

"He's doing better, that fall really did a number on him."

He leaned back taking a pull as he did.

"Didn't he manage to break his arm, leg, and several ribs?"

"Yes he did."

"How did he fall?"

"How should I know? I just found him on the ground, sprawled out on the backyard."

"Do you think he jumped?"

"It is possible. It was shortly after the funeral."

"What an idiotic thing to do."

"I agree."

"So what brings you out here by the way?"

"I just wanted to clear my head."

"Too many letters, words, and complex phrases for your mind to handle?"

"Such a sophisticated method of calling me an idiot, I applaud you."

"Thank you. Well I'm going in, looks like my roomie has decided to stay with her hubby."

"Do you want me to stay with you?"

"You don't have to."

"I know you don't like being alone. It's not a problem if that is what you think."

"I wasn't thinking that."

"Yes you were, don't lie to me. I have known you far too long to not know when you are lying to me."

"Fine, I give, you win."

Both snuffed out their cigarettes, she lead the way back into the apartment. Up the stairs, down the hall to the left, she unlocked the door and allowed him to pass first she followed him closing the door. She took off her jacket and hung it on its hook when she turned around she noticed that he was in her fridge.

"What the hell are you looking for?"

"Wine."

"It's not in there. It's under the sink."

"Thank you."

He found the white chardonnay bottle, grabbed two glasses and went to the couch she followed him. He poured two glasses, handing one to her.

"What are we celebrating?"

"Do we need to celebrate anything?"

"Yes because if we are not celebrating something then we are just drunkards."

"Fine, we are celebrating the close of another successful semester."

"And how do you know it has been a success?"

"Because neither of us have yet to fail an exam and if we bomb on the final we still pass the course."

"You are right, yet again Monsieur."

"So Madame, let us toast to the close of a successful semester."

"I second that Monsieur."

Both began to consume the substance.

"Do you want to watch a movie?"

"Sure, what do you have?"

"Umm, crap... hey have you seen Constantine?"

"No I have not."

"Keanu Reeves is in it."

"And this should make me want to see it because?"

"Oh shut up, we're watching it."

"Very well, as you wish."

She put the DVD into the player and turned the television on. She then skipped forward to the actual movie.

"Why is it that you have an ashtray here and yet go outside?"

"Because it gets stuffy being in here all my spare time besides the garden outside is nice."

She went to the window and opened it letting the late spring breeze float in. She grabbed her cigarettes and lit another one.

"So now you chain smoke."

"What?"

"You heard me."

"No I don't." She said taking a swig from her wine. She finished it off and filled her glass again. He noticed.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing."

"There is something wrong."

"Watch the movie."

They then sat in silence. The movie ended and the credits began to roll when she stood and turned it off. It was now four twenty two in the morning she was tipsy and tired. She looked over to the man on her couch and smiled at him a drunken silly smile. Between them both they had finished off six bottles of wine.

"You are drunk."

"No... tipsy yes but drunk no."

"Go to bed."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"Here."

"No don't, sleep with me. I know my bed is small but hey it can fit two people hence it having the name twin."

"You want me to sleep on your bed with you?"

"Yes, come on we're adults here, it's not like we're going to do it."

"Fine, if it will make you shut up."

"I WIN!"

"Yes you win."

She led him to her room where she immediately turned around, picked up her pajamas and went to the bathroom to change. A loud crash was heard. The sound of shower curtain being ripped as well. She tripped over her own feet and landed in the bathtub front first. Jumping up quickly she bellowed:

"HOLY CRAP, I'M OKAY I PROMISE! THE TUB POPPED OUT OF NOWHERE!"

Straightening herself and staggering forward she yet again made contact with something very hard and very much a toilet.

"OH KAMI-SAMA, THE TOLIET IS OUT TO GET ME!"

She emerged from the bathroom, ten minutes later dressed in a pair of Badtz Maru pajama pants and a white tank top that was on inside out. She rustled through her drawers looking for sweat pants. Finding them she turned around too quickly for her own good and made peace with the floor, looking up to the man on her bed.

"Here weab these."

"I am fine in my boxers."

"Ugg suit yourself."

"Thank you and now that you have finished can we go to sleep?"

"Yea yea... quit whining."

He stood up from his sitting position and leaned forward to help her up. Bad move, they both ended up on the floor in a heap. Painstaking moments of accidental groping and "DON'T TOUCH THAT!" later she managed to stand up where she then proceeded to pull down the sheets climbed in and patted the space next to her. He complied and laid down next to her. They were laying on their sides facing each other, her eyes traveled down from his angelic fact to his chiseled chest. A blush crept onto her face as her mind traveled to uncharted thoughts.

"Has anyone told you that you're beautiful when you blush?"

"For some im-explicable reason I'm ung-realistically horny when I'm drunk."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"No reason, just thought you might like to know the four one one, ya kno?"

"I am not going to take advantage of a drunk girl."

"As if you're not drunk."

"I am but that is not an excuse."

"Have it your way, you know most men would jump at this chance. 'sides it won't be like you're the only one... Technically I'd be taking advantage of you too... ya kno?"

"I am not most men and no because I am not as inebriated as you."

"I know... I know everything."

"Go to sleep."

She couldn't help looking at his face. Her hand lifted up and fell onto it, sloppily trailing down his form.

"You're soo purdy... Kinda like a girl... No better 'cause you gots the penis."

She broke out into a fit of laughter.

"GO TO SLEEP!"

"Okay... wait wait I gotta know how long have we known each other?"

"Why?"

"If you don't tell me about it then we might lose the precious and the precious holds the key to all that is wonderful and then the world would blow up into smithereens eens... you don't want that do you? Oh no you do you want us all to die because you just wouldn't answer my widdle question, you sick bastard... I knew you were gonna be the cause of my death one day..."

"I'll answer your damn question, just let me think about it."

"Haha you have to think about you old geezer."

"Shut up and let me think!"

His mind traveled back to when he had first run into the woman across from him. She must have been a junior in high school at the time. Yes she was, she came onto campus to get a feel for it.

"Four years."

"It's been that long? Oh god, four years man, that's like a lifetime."

"Four years since I ruined your campus map and what lifetime are you talking about?"

"I forgot about that... you looked so angry!" She began to laugh.

"Oh shut up, I was trying to finish Hamlet for my literature class."

"That's what they all say."

"Goodnight."

"Oh fine Mr. Sensitive, goodnight to you too."

His eyelids slid shut and hers soon enough afterwards. They both fell asleep soon enough.

.To be Continued