Chapter Thirty-Six: Women Talking:

December 18th, 2010.

10:00 p.m.

April looked at her phone. She had just woken up with a pounding headache. The English woman opened her eyes and looked around. Two bottles of water sat on the side table. She blinked at the aspirin sitting next to them. The memories of lunch filled her head. April cringed.

That idiot.

Kyosuke sounded so genuine too. That wasn’t something you blurt out. How does she feel about him? He was nice, she guessed. But he’s just so…. Awkward. April picked up a bottle of water.

Why did he have to say that? She hadn’t been looking for that level yet. In fact, she wasn’t looking for anything at all. April frowned over the bottle.

Idiot!

She jumped when her phone rang. “Yike!” The English woman breathed and answered her phone.

“Hello?” she asked.

“April?” Charlotte asked on the other line. “Where are you now?”

“Home. Why?”

“You didn’t go to work today?”

“No, I had the day off. Why, what’s wrong?”

“Takashi’s not home. I think he’s with Watari. Taka-kun doesn’t have a phone and Watari-san isn’t picking up his.”

“Did you try Kyosuke-san’s phone?”

“I don’t have his number.”

“Ah.” April’s eyes shifted back and forth. “Hey Charlotte.”

“Yes?”

“Kyosuke said he loved me.”

“What?!”

April pressed her lips together. “Yeah.”

“Well, what did you say?”

“I didn’t. I freaked out. I ended drinking most of lunch. He had to carry me home.” April pressed her hand to her forehead.

“Do you love him?” Charlotte asked. The English shinigami frowned.

“I don’t know.”

“What do you think of him?”

April dug in her brain for the right answer. “Well… he’s nice, I guess.”

“You guess?”

“Well… Oh. This is hard to explain. He’s just so…”

“Awkward?”

“Yes!” April sighed and rubbed her forehead. “It’s so confusing.” She heard giggling on the other line.

“What?” April asked.

“Sounds like you might have your answer,” Charlotte said.

“Huh?”

“Does he do nice things for you?”

“Yes.” April looked at the water and aspirin on the side table.

“Do you really mean he’s nice or are you just saying that?”

“Both. I’m mostly honest.”

“Do you enjoy spending time with Kyosuke-san?”

“Yes, I do actually.” April’s cheeks became flushed. “Not counting this afternoon, of course.”

“Then you have a little bit of your answer?”

April wrinkled her nose. “Huh?”

“You can work out. I have faith in you. I think you and Kyosuke-san can work it out.”

The English shinigami frowned. “Let me get you Kyosuke-kun’s number.”

“Thank you,” the other woman said. April dug up her contact list and scrolled through while on speaker phone.

“Ready?” April asked.

“Yeah,” Charlotte said. Once she got it, she said, “Thanks.”

“Sure.” The English woman hung up more confused than when the phone call started. She puffed up her cheeks. That idiot!