Fruits Basket Fan Fiction ❯ Learning to Stand ❯ Foolish Expectations ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter 1: Foolish Expectations

"Isuzu-san?" I leaned in to the girl who sat hunched in the university's library. Her brow was scrunched up in concentration; it did nothing to mar the stunning features of her face. "Isuzu-san?" She jerked her head in my direction.

"Yes? What can I do for you?" she said coldly. The look on her face now said `leave me alone!'

I took a step backwards without even realizing it. "Gomen, Isuzu-san. I was wondering if you had the notes from philosophy class? I wasn't able to attend…" my voice trailed off as she became even colder.

"No, I don't." she replied bluntly. "I didn't go." She hunched back over the desk, shutting me out. I sighed. This wasn't going well. No time like the present, I said to myself. I screwed up my courage and sat down next to her. She glared at my presumption and I felt my heart rate triple. She was incredibly beautiful-almost obscenely so. She didn't hide it; she flaunted it in people's faces, daring them to comment. I never had.

"Gomen, Isuzu-san. I lied. It's true I didn't go to philosophy class, but I don't need the notes from you. I was curious about you, that's all. I'd like to get to know you better." I smiled nervously.

"So you lied and now you expect me to dance with joy because you `want to get to know me'?" She snorted derisively. My eyes fell on what she had been concentrating on all this time: a scroll. It looked very old.

"What's your name?" I blinked.

"Um, it's Mikage Tamae." I tried not to stutter as my nervousness increased. She glared at me even more intensely.

"Go away." It was not an offer. I felt my cheeks flame. Shakily I stood up and turned to go, when I saw faint writing on the scroll.

"You know if it's that old you shouldn't be carrying it around like that." I gestured to the scroll. "It needs to be preserved. The ink's barely legible it's so faded. And the kanji is strange…it's very old isn't it?" She blinked at me. Then her face once again resumed its stubborn expression, mouth set in a mulish line. I felt disappointment sour my stomach and turned to go. "I guess I'll see you in philosophy class. Sayonara."

Two days later I had recovered from my mortification enough to go to class without blushing. Why had I approached her like that? It wasn't that she was beautiful; I knew I wasn't attracted to girls. She just seemed to have a wall between her and the rest of the world. She smiled mysteriously, laughed loudly, and hid behind both. She seemed…lonely. Since I was lonely myself, that didn't seem all that unusual. First-years in university were the most likely to drop out due to depression. But sometimes I would glance across the lecture hall and she would be looking at her hands, an expression on her face that was close to despair. She didn't talk to anyone; I had never seen her with friends. She was more than lonely. She was alone.

I got to class just in time and glanced about the room. The only empty seat in the class was right next to-Isuzu-san? My heart beat a tattoo against my sternum. Of all the luck! I settled into the seat and tried to put as much mental distance from her as I could. She didn't even look at me. I managed to put her out of my mind as I concentrated on taking notes until the instructor announced the end of class. Breathing a sigh of relief I gathered my things and stood to leave.

"Your writing is very…precise." She said. I jumped, startled.

"Huh?"

"I noticed it while you were taking notes. It's very neat." She looked at me intensely.

"Oh, um, arigatou."

"What are you majoring in?" I blinked stupidly at her. "Here in university? What are you studying to be?" she explained more slowly. She began to look irritated at my slowness.

"Oh, gomen! I'm actually double-majoring in archeology and languages. I want to become an archivist."

"An archivist?"

"Um, yes. Someone who restores, preserves and translates old documents. My father's an archeologist so he kind of inspired me." I knew I was talking too fast. Her stare became even more piercing.

"You are…Mikage-san, correct?"

"Please, just call me Tamae."

She nodded. "All right, Tamae-san. I will speak with you later. Have a good afternoon." And she just turned and left! I registered the sweep of her long, unbound hair as it brushed across my hands, which were clutching my notebook and text to my chest. I stood there for a minute, trying to regain my composure, before I too turned and made my way back to my dorm room to prepare for my next class.

Later turned out to be three days later, on Saturday. I was doing my laundry when I realized there was someone behind me. It was Isuzu-san.

"Hello, Isuzu-san. How have you been?" Had she been that pale before?

"I'm just fine. And you?"

"I'm all right." She took a deep breath and let it out in a rush.

"Now that that's over with, I want to ask you something." I blinked. Would I ever get used to her bluntness?

"Okay…"

She pulled a handful of change out of her pocket and fed coins into several washing machines. Then, glancing around her, she leaned in towards me and spoke in a low tone.

"I need your help. You know that scroll you saw me with? I found it, but I don't know what it says. Will you help me with it?" I could barely hear her over the noise the appliances were making. I was surprised. I had never expected this. I didn't know what to expect, but it certainly hadn't been anything like this.

"But I don't know anything about that yet! I'm only a first-year!"

"But you'll know where to look so we can figure out what it says. I have to know what it says!" her voice grew louder as she spoke and for the first time I saw a crack in her façade. I saw-desperation? What could that scroll contain that was so important to her?

"Um, can I ask why?" The moment I asked, I knew it was a mistake. The wall came slamming back down in her eyes and her face became set and cold.

"I just do. Will you help me? I'll be more than happy to pay you."

"Oh, no! I don't need any money!" I shook my head. "This is happening so fast…I'd love to help Isuzu-san. After all, I did say I wanted to get to know Isuzu-san better!" I smiled in relief.

"Don't get the wrong idea, Tamae-san. We're not friends. After you're done helping me, you may not want to be my friend at all. But I need your help if I'm going to figure out what this thing says. That's the only reason I'm still talking to you after the fool you made of yourself in the library." She smiled meanly at me as I looked down at the floor. My face felt like it was on fire. "Like I said, I'll pay you for your trouble. You could use some new clothes anyway." Her eyes raked my body scornfully.

"Meet me tomorrow in the library. 11 o'clock. Sayonara." Once again, she turned and left.

After she was gone my anger rose. What the hell did she mean I could use some new clothes? My clothes were fine. What a bitch. Then I stopped myself. She had been acting pretty paranoid. She didn't want anyone to hear our conversation, and she seemed genuinely afraid of something. Had that been the expression I interpreted as desperation? Fear? Maybe it was both. I shook my head as I pulled my laundry out of the washer and put it into the dryer. A mystery…