Red Lilies

Chapter 14

We are into the good parts! Finally!

Please let me know any questions, comments or concerns about the story or writing. I don't want to miss anything or mess up the storylines for the readers.

Chapter 14

Summer had started and her nerves spiked every day. She did not see Chad, Orihime, Ichigo or even Ishida since school ended.

It was weird, not even a phone call or answer to all of her own. No messages and nothing to go by. What's worse, things began to get weird when Kuchiki left.

As if she never even existed.

She asked the principal and the teachers who shrugged it off and assured her she must be mistaken the name with another student and therefore should stop worrying and go back to class.

There were no answers, there were no place to look for.

Only one person who offered themselves if she ever had a troubled mind.

So, here she was. Hands rubbing at her chest where her mother's pendant always stayed, the small chill of the metal giving her comfort whenever she needed.

Recently, she started to hold on to it more often than not, as if her body searched for it before her mind did.

The sun was up, and the morning had just ended. If she stayed staring at the shop any longer, she might melt from the summer heat. Her red running joggers and white tank top would only do so much to calm the heat.

With a big gulf of air filling her lungs, she finally took the steps to reach the double sliding doors and just as she was about to knock, it opened.

- "Ha! Mis Sakura, so good to see you. How may I be of service. The Owner is not here." - answered the tall, tanned man, politely as ever.

- "Oh. I'm sorry." - she hesitated. Looking around for an excuse. - "I was just..." - her palms began to sweat, could she talk to him? - "um." -

He seemed to have noticed her apprehension and smiled brightly. - "Why don't you come in while we wait? I made some tea." - he offered, stepping aside for her to enter.

With a thankful smile, she slipped in and followed him after leaving her sneakers at the entrance of the home. It was such a spacious building in the inside.

- "The Owner won't be gone for long. Please, take a seat." - he walked her to a spacious room with only a table in the middle and some cushions to sit on each side. The window brought enough light to shine over.

While she waited, Sakura pondered on how exactly she would be talking to the man. She already knew he was quick with words that confused and flustered her, but then he was sharp and direct when he needed to.

She can't just go "Hey, I see ghost and I've been dealing with some issues..." and then...

What kind of issues can she really talk about? Not much that she can expect from a man running a shop in the middle of a small housing district at a huge city.

He knew something.

What exactly, she would hope to pry.

- "Ah! Miss Sakura. What a pleasure to see our angel again." - said man barged in with a huge closed-eyes-smile. - "I see there seems to be a tea party." - he commented as he sat in front of her.

Suddenly 2 cups of steamy tea appeared on the table. - "Apologies for the tardiness. Please, enjoy." - Tessai spoke before closing the sliding doors and leaving both of them in silence.