Procrastination

Chapter 3

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The Cherry Oak Café

Renée placed the food onto their table, gave a small smile, and turned to leave.

“Um, Renée, do you have a few minutes? We’d like to ask you a few questions,” Quatre said. ‘Oh man! I don’t wanna sit here and explain anything to them.’ She turned around and met two serious expressions. ‘Me and my big mouth.’ She grabbed a single chair from one of the tables that were at a round table, not too far from them, and placed it at the end of their booth. She placed the chair backwards (the backrest facing her) and sat down.

“What is it that you want to know?”

“How did you know my last name? Better yet, how did you know our name? I don’t remember either of us telling you,” Duo asked.

‘How the hell am I going to explain this.’

“Well, you guys are gundam pilots, right?”

“Not everyone knows how we pilots look,” Duo replied, folding his hands on the table.

“Or our names. Maybe our gundam’s, but the knowledge of our names are a bit questionable.”

“Especially from a woman that seems to be enjoying her job…this is a bit questionable.”

‘Oh boy.’

“…”

Quatre looked at Renée as she just stared at the cherry wood table.

‘Please open up and swallow me.’

“Renée, you didn’t answer the question,” Quatre replied, knowing that she was hiding something.

Renée let out a heavy sigh. “ Well…A few years back…about fours years ago, I was at a friends house baby-sitting his baby sister. I was playing hide-and-seek with her in a big house…and it was very hard to find her. So, anyway she ran into her older brother’s room, and hid. It took me a while to trace her to that room, but I found where she was hiding.”

She took a pause and looked at both of them. Duo had an ‘I’m waiting’ expression on his face, and Quatre sat there patiently. She took another breath and continued.

“Anyway, before I found her, he had files and a lap-top on his desk, which was not too far from the door. I walked passed it, not paying any attention to the contents, walking towards the closet…hoping Mel would be in there.”

“Mel,” Duo asked.

“Short for Melody. Anyway, the bed is directly across from the desk, and she happened to be crouched behind the bed. As I walked past it, she got up and ran. I turned around to grab her, but missed. She ran by the desk and knocked all of his files onto the floor to slow me down. And it did. I bent down to pick them up, but it was a small profile of Trowa that caught my eyes. I looked at the picture and read what ever else was included.”

“So you read all of them,” Duo asked.

“Yes I did. And so that’s how I know your name, Duo Maxwell and Quatre Raberba Winner.”

“Whom did those files belong to,” Quatre asked, now a bit concerned.

“They belong either to Trent or Mr. Brown. They both are Preventers…if that answers your question.”

“Oh I see,” Quatre replied glancing over towards Duo, who still had a stern expression.

“What’s the matter Duo?”

“Is that all you know,” Duo asked Renée, ignoring Quatre.

Renée looked at Duo.

‘I’m not saying anything else. Then I’d Really go nuts.’

“Yes it is. Why?”

“Duo, she told us how she knows our names, and that she knows the others. What else is there that you want to know?”

Duo leaned back and placed his hands behind his head.

“Hmph. Just making sure.”

Renée raised an eyebrow.

“Making sure of what,” she asked a bit irritated.

Duo looked at her.

“Never mind.”

“Okay, then I guess I’m finished. Good day, gentlemen.”

Renée picked herself up, returned its chair to its former place, and walked towards the back of the store.

‘Quatre suspects something…I can feel it’

They watched her until she disappeared to the back.

“I don’t know Quatre. There’s something strange about Renée. But I can’t figure out what it is.”

“I know what you mean.”

‘She knows something…something more. But what?’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Renée walked into her shared apartment and dropped her bag in a chair that sat at a small table not to far from the door. She then checked the answering machine.

“No new messages.”

“Aww, nobody loves me anymore?”

Renée gave a playful pout at the answering machine, then smiled and walked off to the bathroom.

“I need a nice hot shower, despite that fact that it’s 75˚ at the moment…I must be crazy.”

She closed the bathroom door and started the shower. As the water ran, she got undressed and braided her hair into a loose French braid, then stuffed it into a shower cap. Grabbed her rag and stepped into the welcoming water.

“Mmmmm, like getting in-between warm sheets in the winter.”

As she washed herself, her thoughts began to wonder. ‘I wonder if my mother was like me? Or even my father…’cause I really don’t know.’ She leaned forward and let the water run down her face. ‘I remember when my sister got me so mad that I broke all of her room windows…and I didn’t even touch them. I let all of my anger out in a scream…and they all broke.’

She turned the water off and leaned against the wall. ‘She ended up in the hospital because of me. All of the glass, every single piece embedded itself into her body, as if an earthworm tried to get away from its attacker…and succeeding.’ The door to the bathtub/shower opened as she turned to step out of the bathtub.

‘I watched the double doors to the ER and waited. And waited. And waited, until the surgeon finally emerged with and expression that told you that words weren’t necessary. ‘She won’t make it. The glass ripped through everything, except for her heart, which seemed very strange. But we can’t stop the eternal bleeding.’

I got up and ran passed the surgeon and stood at her bedside. “LaTarra…” I watched her sleeping form. Motionless. Her chest didn’t move. She wasn’t even breathing on her own.’

Renée grabbed her towel and wrapped it around her. She took off the shower cap and tossed it onto the sink. She walked out of the bathroom and took in the cool air that met her in the living room. ‘No, it’s cold…too cold.’

‘LaTarra…wake up. Please. I’m sorry. Just wake up.’ Nothing. Nothing but the steady beep of her heart. ‘Her heart is still beating. But why?’

Renée walked in-between the couch and the coffee table…and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and waited. It got even colder.

She jumped onto the bed and placed her head onto her sister’s chest and listened to her heartbeat. ‘A melody to my ears, LaTarra. I remember you told me that when I was a baby, and I would always cry and drive you guys crazy, you would place me on your chest. I would stop fussing and listen…listen to my lullaby…and sleep.’ And now her lullaby plays for the last time cause there was only one thing that Renée heard…and that was the beep from the monitor. “LaTarra…”

Renée shivered. It was early summer, but it felt like thirty below. “LaTarra…”

She stood at her grave, holding her mother’s hand. She stood next to her coffin and stared. ‘I’m sorry LaTarra…please forgive me. I’m so sorry. I love you so much…always’ She looked up at her mother. Her mother looked down at her and smiled. ‘It wasn’t your fault sweety…’ is what her mother said in her mind. “Yes it was mommy. I killed her…” “Honey don’t say that. It wasn’t your fault. Promise me that you won’t blame yourself anymore.” “I promise.”

Promises were meant to be broken mom.

Renée opened her eyes. There she stood…in her beautiful blue dress. “Don’t blame yourself Renée. I knew better to get you mad, but I couldn’t help it. I was angry as well. I’ll say that’s just another form of sisterly love.”

“How can you say that. I killed you.”

“You were young. You were only three. I don’t blame you. I blame myself. I shouldn’t have gotten you angry. And over what?”

“I broke your cell-phone.”

“You put the thing in the toilet. Then you bring it into my room and take it apart with your intellectual powers. Curious to see what’s inside.”

“Curiosity killed the cat.”

“I didn’t consider myself the cat…but I was curious to know how you found the phone. It wasn’t even in your reach. How’d you find it anyway?”

“I don’t know…I don’t remember…”

“It doesn’t matter anyway. That was seventeen years ago. I miss you Renée. I miss talking to you.”

A tear rolled down her face. “You’re talking now.”

“Not like this. Being there with you, for you. I miss all of that.”

“I miss you too.”

Another tear.

“I was at your graduation and cried…because I wasn’t there.”

“In spirit…”

“No. I wanted to be there. But I wasn’t.”

“Don’t blame yourself, LaTarra. You were being a big sister.”

LaTarra smiled at her little sister.

‘Little no more.’

“You’ve grown Renée.”

She began to cry. Renée walked up to her sister and reached out to touch her. Her hand went right through LaTarra’s face. “I can’t even touch you.”

“But I can feel you. I will always love you, Renée. And so will mom and dad.”

“Ditto.”

LaTarra smiled, then vanished.

Renée watched as they lowered her sister’s coffin into the ground. “I will always love you ‘Tarra.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~The Circus~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Applause.

Laughter. Children’s laughter.

Trowa and Catherine bowed then waved at the audience. Then the rest of the crew joined hands and gave a final bow before the lights on them faded and the lights on the audience came on.

“Meet the ring master on the floor to sign up for Saturday acrobatic classes.”

“Wow, did ya hear that Renée, they’re giving acrobat classes on Saturday’s.”

“Yes I heard them, Melody. Your point?”

‘I know damn well what she wants…’

“Can I sign up? Please?”

‘Knew it.’

“Who’s going to bring you hear? Your brother won’t have the time to? And you’d have to ask him first.”

“You know he agrees with your choices most-of-the time Renée. So whatever you say, he’ll agree to it.”

“Sometimes Mel, not all the time.”

“Please?”

Renée looked down at Melody, then at the crowd in the middle of the ring.

“If you want to join, then I’d suggest you hurry up before that line gets extremely long.”

“Yay!” Cheered Melody as she ran to the isle, and skipped steps on her way down to the center.

‘Trent’s gonna kill me for this.’

******

“Okay ladies and gentlemen, form one line please. Thank you.”

Renée made her way down to the bottom and looked amongst the loud children in the line with their either annoyed or excited parents.

‘Now why would they be excited?’

She spotted Melody towards the front of the line.

“How’d she get all the way up there?”

She walked up to Melody and placed a hand on her shoulder. “What did you do?”

“Nothing, I just walked in front of him, and he didn’t even say a thing to me.”

“Oh.”

Renée looked at the man behind her. He gave her a smile and complimented her on her daughter.

‘No wonder. He’s old.’

She only smiled back at him.

Fifteen minutes passed until they finally reached the desk.

“Hi there. My name’s Catherine Bloom. Are you signing up for the Saturday classes?”

‘Trowa’s sister.’

“Yes she is. How old does she have to be?”

“At least five years of age.”

‘Damn.’

“Okay, then let’s sign her up.”

“How old is she?”

Melody answered with a lot of excitement.

“I’m EEEEIIIGGGHT years old!”

“Okay. Let your mother sign you up, and then we’ll see you next Saturday, k?”

“I’m not her mother, more like her guardian.”

“Oh? And where’s her mother?” Catherine asked.

“She’s in outer space. She’s a Preventer so she couldn’t make it.”

“Oh okay. That’ll be fine. Just fill out this form and I’ll give you a list of what you need to buy.”

Renée took the form and sat at the adjacent table to fill it out.

“I hate filling out forms.”

Melody sat next to her and looked around. ‘I wonder where that clown is?”

She continued to look until she finally spotted him towards the front row of benches. A few children were seated in front of him while he made balloon animals and two older boys stood by him and watched. Melody turned her attention to Renée and found that she was still filling out the form. She quietly got up and ran over to Trowa.

She stood behind the group and watched as he made a dog for a little girl that sat right in front of him. “Thank you Mister Clown!” The little girl got up and ran towards her parents.

‘Wow. He’s amazing.’ “I want one…” Melody hadn’t realize that she said it out loud. Trowa looked up at her and she froze. “What would you like?”

She was speechless. “I don’t know?”

Trowa gave the little boy his balloon and watched him run away happily.

Melody then walked up to him and looked into his face. “Can I take your mask off?”

Trowa looked at her.

“Why?”

“So I can see your face.”

He reached up to do it, but she stopped him.

“No, I want to do it. Please?”

Trowa put his hand down

She reached up and took it off his face. She placed it on the bench next to him and looked as his eye. She then moved his hair out of the way and looked at both of his eyes.

“I like your eyes, umm…what’s your name?”

“Trowa.”

“I like your eyes, Trowa.”

“Thank you.”

She climbed onto his left knee and looked at him.

“Can you make me an angel?”

“Sure.”

Duo and Quatre watched this in amazement.

“He’s actually gonna let her sit on is lap while he does that?” Duo replied.

“I guess so. He doesn’t seem to mind at all.”

****

Renée sighed.

“There. All done Mel…”

She looked down at an empty spot. ‘Where the hell could she be?”

She gave the form to Catherine and took what she needed from her before looking around for Melody.

After a good ten minutes she finally spotted where she was…and gasped.

‘Trowa…Duo and Quatre?’

She just stood there and watched. Melody sat on his knee while he had and an arm around her, so she wouldn’t fall, and made something out of the balloon at the same time. One would’ve guessed that she was in some way related or they knew each other. Just picture it as Santa talking to a little girl in his lap.

‘Should I go over there, or leave?’

She decided to wait until it was less crowded…’Or until Melody decides to come back…which I doubt’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Quatre and Duo watched as Trowa was in deep conversation with the eight-year-old.

“Oh, and my name’s Melody.”

‘Melody. That name sounds familiar,’ Duo thought as he listened to their conversation.

“Where’s your mother?” Trowa asked.

“She’s in outer space. I’m here with my friend.”

“Your mom’s in outer space,” Quatre asked, knowing that somebody should be here with her and not just a friend.

“Yeah. She’s a Preventer. I’m here with my best friend.”

“A Preventer?” Trowa asked, a bit interested.

“Yup. My mom, my dad, and my oldest brother are Preventers.”

“The whole family?” Duo stated.

“No. Jake isn’t a Preventer. Well not yet. But I don’t want to be a Preventer. I want to be an actress.”

Renée listened to their little conversation. ‘Mel…don’t say too much.’

She looked around and saw the crowd was nearly gone. “I thing I should interfere. I don’t need another encounter.”

Trowa looked around and saw that there was no huge crowd. “Where’s your friend?”

“Hm? Oh she’s…” Melody looked around and spotted Renée looking around at the tent. “She’s right over there. I’ll tell here to come here. Renée!”

Renée stopped looking around and just stared at the high wire.

‘Oh god I know she just didn’t shout me out!’

She turned her head towards the exit, pretending to be looking for the voice.

“Renée, I’m over hear, silly. Not over there!”

Melody giggled as Renée turned her attention to the small group.

“Renée’s your friend,” Quatre asked.

Melody turned her head and looked up at him.

“Yup. The best one in the whole wide world. You know her?”

Before he could answer…

“Mel, you didn’t even tell me where you were going. Did you expect me to find you in this big tent?”

“Um, no Ash. I’m sorry.” She answered with such serenity in her voice; Renée couldn’t do anything but just smile.

“Well, let’s get going. I have things to do.”

“But you said that you didn’t have anything to do for the rest of the day, Ash,” Mel said as she straightened herself on Trowa’s leg.

‘Damn brat. Blew up my spot…’

“It’s nice to see you again Renée,” Quatre said, trying to get her to stay a little while longer. ‘I want to find out what she knows…’

“Didn’t expect to run into such an item twice a weak, knowing just how busy we do get,” Duo commented.

Renée looked in their direction.

“You met Mr. Winner and Maxwell before Ash? And you didn’t tell me?” Melody exclaimed.

She gave them a small smile. “Ditto. And what brings you guys here to the circus? Aren’t you just a bit too big to be involved in kiddy activities?”

“I think you know the answer to that question, Renée,” Quatre replied in a matter-of-fact tone.

Renée stared hard at Quatre. Then focused in on his eyes. ‘Nice eyes. But what the hell do you want to know? Shit, what I know, he just wouldn’t believe.’

‘Try me, Renée.’

Renée blinked her eyes as if she had to double-check something amazing. ‘Oh my god. He heard me.’ She then gave a small laugh and turned her attention to Melody.

“Melody, let’s go, now.”

“But I don’t want to leave yet. Please let me stay just a little while longer?”

“No.”

“Oh come on, please? Then let Trowa take me home. Please?”

“Look a here missy, he doesn’t even know who you are and you want a stranger to drive you home? I don’t even know who he is.” Renée stopped and held her breath, hoping they wouldn’t notice.

“If I do remember, you did mention your knowledge of Trowa when we first met,” Duo commented, as he crossed his arms. ‘Busted.’

‘Great. There goes the roof.’ “Okay Mel, let’s go right now.” Renée grabbed for her arm but she held on tighter to Trowa’s neck. That stopped Renée.

‘What exactly did she tell them? What exactly did they talk about?’

Renée straightened up, then sighed. “If you wanna stay, so be it. Gentlemen…”

She turned heels and started to walk away.

Quatre spoke up. “You’re not going to leave her, are you?”

“Watch me,” she called back as she continued her way towards the exit.

“You wouldn’t leave me Ash. You love me too much,” Mel teased.

‘Oh just watch me kiddo. I know too much about them…and in a way I don’t want to get involved with them. Fear of being a target.’

She didn’t realize that Quatre was listening to her little convo with herself as she disappeared out of the exit. Trowa then looked down at the calm girl on his leg. “Are you sure she’s not going to leave you?”

Melody looked up from her balloon. “Yup.”

Duo looked towards the entrance then back at Mel. “I don’t know, Mel. It looks like she’s gone for sure.” Melody looked towards the exit. ‘I’ll count to five. One…two…three…four…five…’

She jumped off of Trowa’s lap and yelled Renée’s name. No answer.

“Renée, don’t leave me. I’m sorry, again. I was just joking.”

Again…no answer. She began to pout. “She never left me before. Then that means she wasn’t joking.” Trowa turned his attention from the exit to the little girl that had tears in her eyes. “If the house wasn’t so far from the circus, then I’d walk home. But…” She stopped when a tear rolled down her face. Seeing this, Trowa offered to take her home.

“Really?”

“Do you know the address to your house,” he asked, as he got up. “Yes I do. Thanks a lot Mr. Clown,” Melody exclaimed as she threw her arms around his waist.

“Your welcome.”

“Hey Trowa. You don’t mind if we tag along do ya,” Duo asked as they began to follow him. “No I don’t,” Trowa answered without turning around.

“Good, then we can’t take my car,” Quatre offered.

“Then meet me in the car, while I go tell Catherine.”

“No problem,” Quatre responded.

“Yay! I made new friends,” Melody exclaimed. Then she grabbed Quatre’s hand.

“My hero.” Sighed then rested her head on his hand. He looked own at her a bit puzzled then smiled. “Looks like you have a fan there Quatre,” Duo commented as they exited the tent.