The Nail That Sticks Out

Chapter Fourteen: Ants

Please read Author's Note at the end!

Kai Fukuda

I don't know why in the hell I brought Olivia up here. Could be because she said she liked the way the lights looked from Tokyo Tower. But still. Why?

I've taken girls to places before, albeit most of these places were places for drinks or sex. I could've easily taken Olivia to a bar or someplace else. Or wait, is she even legal to drink? Fuck.

Still, I look over at her and I can't help but feel glad that I brought her here. Her usual walls of indignation and stubbornness are nowhere to be found and in its place is a look of...wonder. She's completely unguarded. Why does that make me feel proud of myself?

The more I think, the more my head throbs. I reach into my pocket to pull out a cig but for some reason I hesitate. 

Olivia scans the horizon and if I focus on her enough, I notice the small specks of light reflecting off her dark irises. 

I retract my hand from my pocket and opt to walk towards the edge of the rooftop instead.

"Kai!"

I feel a death grip on my upper arm and turn to see Olivia's eyes blown into saucers. 

"Wh-what the hell do you think you're doing?" she stammers.

I knit my brows. "Taking a seat?"

"You mean at the edge?"

"Yeah?"

She looks away uncomfortably and opens and closes her mouth as she looks for words. 

"Are you...were you thinking..."

"Of jumping?" I smirk, realizing her train of thought.

She scowls. "It's not funny."

I sober up quickly and shake my head. "No. Come sit with me."

With her small hand still gripping my arm, I walk towards the edge and she shuffles behind me. 

"Thought you weren't scared of heights," I challenge. 

"I'm not," she snaps. "I just wasn't expecting..."

Her sentence trails off as our feet reach a meter away from the very edge. I step ahead and sit myself down, letting the lower half of my legs swing over the edge. 

I pat the spot next to me and look behind me to see Olivia looking uncertain. She slowly lowers herself and sits cross-legged, still a meter away. 

"Scoot closer." I pat the spot next to me again and she looks at me. I can tell she's conflicted between ensuring her safety and taking up my challenge.

She does as she's told and scoots inch by inch until she's beside me. 

"Here, swing your legs over the edge."

"I think I'm good here," she says shakily. 

I shrug and lower myself to my back, stretching my arms above me to support my head.