Tokyo ghoul

chapter 132

I was walking to anteiku cafe when a ghoul attacked me. I was starving and weak. My kagune was no use. I lay on the ground holding my shoulder. Looking up as this hungry ghoul just wanted me gone. A flash of red took the cannibal. I sat up, confused when my eyes met a boy with a mask. My eyes changed to the ghoul form. "Leave me alone" I called, holding my shoulder. He walked closer. "You're hurt" he said looking at my shoulder. I nodded.
"Come with us and we'll help you" he said holding his hand out. I looked up and took his hand. "Us?" I repeated.
A girl jumped in front of me. "Touka and I will help you" he said.
My eyes shifted back to normal."okay" I said nodding.my legs began shaking and I couldn't stand up properly so the boy put me on his back. he began carrying me. "I'm kaneki. What's your name"
"Taiga." I answered bluntly.
.....That's when I first met kaneki. He was shy, cute and intelligent. He didn't have a short temper or a psychotic side or white grandad hair for that matter, he was just a normal self loathing teenager. When I say normal I don't actually mean it. I mean the poor boy snagged a date with a hot girl only for her to almost kill him and taking a chunk out of his shoulder. I don't think that's what he had in mind when people talked about love bites.
After the date he looked so forward to, he nearly died. Along with Rize, who actually did die at the hands of the clowns. The doctors put his offenders organs inside of him, changing his life forever. Apparently he's always had a hard time. I wish I knew him before he turned into a ghoul. I also wish he knew me before I ruined my life... what if?
I opened my eyes and sat up.
"Taiga!" Ryouko shouted. "Come on. I'm taking you to visit some friends!" She shouted.
"I'm coming!" I shouted climbing out of bed. I threw in some clothes and tied my fire coloured hair up into a ponytail. I walked out of my bedroom and smiled.
"You ready?" She asked sitting there with Hinami.
"Where's asaki?" I asked yawning.
"Work." Ryouko sighed.
"Come on then girls. I have some friends I'd like you to meet."
I grabbed Hinamis hand and walked out to the car.
Ryouko pulled up at a small café called anteiku. "Right. Let's get out girls." She said getting out.
We all got out and walked inside.
"Ryouko." Someone said walking over. He hugged her and she smiled.
"Yoshimaura." She moved away.
"This is Taiga, my fifteen year old sister. This his Hinami. My eleven year old daughter."
"They are both very beautiful."
I turned around and looked outside.
"One minute." I said smiling.
"Okay. Don't wander. You don't know this place well enough."
"Yeah whatever." I said walking out. As I walked towards the squirrel on the bench something walked into me, knocking me over. The bang startled the squirrel away.
I sat up angrily and looked at the scared boy in front of me. He had longish black hair and he was in a school uniform. He held his hand and helped me up.
"I'm so sorry." He muttered blushing. I began dusting myself off. I looked up and sighed.
"It's fine. I should have looked where I was going. I'm sorry too." I bent down to pick to pick up the book he dropped. "It's ripped." I said showing him a page that teared slightly.
"It's fine. Are you hurt?"
"No. I'm not." I said smiling.
He looked at me awkwardly before someone ran over shouting 'kaneki.'
I took a step to the side to see a boy with yellow hair frantically waving his arms about.
"There you are." He said panting.
"Yes hide." He smiled slightly.
"Let's go then. What are you waiting for." Hide said. He looked at me and smiled. "You have other friends?" He asked happily.
"Actually we just met. Kaneki, walked into me and knocked me over."
"Kaneki!" Hide shouted pretending to be angry. "You can't take your head out if those books for two seconds. Not even to look at a beautiful girl."
"It's fine. I wanted to see the squirrel he wanted to read his book. We were both at fault." I said smiling.
"What's your name?" Hide asked.
"It's taiga."
"Like the animal?"
"No." I said smiling. "Tie ga."
"Oh. T a i g a." He spelt out my name and smiled afterward.
"Well, taiga, wanna come to the park?" He asked. I looked at kaneki who was looking down embarrassed.
"I'm not from here. I won't be able to find my way back."
"We can walk you back can't we kaneki." Hide said elbowing him.
Kaneki grumbled and hide smiled up at me. I nodded and ran inside.
"Ryo. I'm going to the park with two people. They're gonna walk me back."
"That doesn't sound safe." She said sighing.
"Theyre humans. I'll be fine."
"Okay just don't take too long." She said rubbing my head. I ran out over to hide and kaneki.
"Let's go." I said smiling.
We got to the park and me and Hide sat on the swings whilst kaneki sat at the bench reading.
"Don't get offended by it. He loves his books."
"How old is he?"
"Fifteen. Sixteen soon." Hide smiled. "Just like me. Why, how old are you?"
"Same age." I smiled.
"I think he likes you." Hide said smiling. "Ive never seen him go so red before."
"Maybe he's never knocked a girl over." I said smiling.
I stood up and walked over to kaneki.
"Am I making this awkward? Would you like me to leave?" He looked up and closed his book, putting it in his bag.
"No." He smiled. "Come on. I'll race you to the swing." He said running off. I smiled and chased after him, tripping over my own foot and landing on it funny. Being a ghoul, it hurt but only for a second, but I had to remember I was with humans. "Ouch." I said limping.
"Are you okay?" Kaneki asked standing up.
"Yeah. I think I've twisted my ankle."
"You should take her back." Hide said smiling. "I'm gonna go home and see you later." He said winking. He practically ran off.
"Can you walk?" Kaneki asked making sure his back was securely over his shoulder.
"I should be fine."
"That's not good enough." He bent down in front of me. "Get on."
"A piggy back?" I asked smiling.
"Yep. Come on. Hop on." He said. I smiled and got on. He carried me all the way to the café talking about his favourite book and it wasn't actually boring, surprisingly enough. I got down and limped in front of him.
"Sorry I cut your day short." I said sighing.
"I-it's f-fine." He stuttered.
"Have you ever been alone with a girl like this?" I asked smiling.
"Eh Uhm."
"You haven't?" I asked in shock. "But you're cute."
"You think I'm cute?"
I smiled and cupped his cheek before placing a small kiss on his lips.
"What do you think." I said smiling.
His face turned bright red. I giggled and ruffled his hair.
"Kaneki, you are very cute. The shyness increases that value too." I winked and went to walk out when he stuttered something. I turned around and smiled. "What?"
"Am I going to see you again?"
"Sure." I smiled. "Thank you for carrying me back."
"It's fine." He said waving.
I limped back into the café and stood at the window watching him walk away. If this actually happened, Rize and would never have met but even if she did, kaneki wouldn't have gone on a date with her. I would have been able to save Ryouko and asaki and Jason would have been too busy with Rize to come after any of us. I would have ended up working at anteiku with Mr Yoshimaura as he helped me and kaneki look after our one eyed ghoul baby. Hide wouldn't have died either and there would have been no anteiku raid. Everything would be perfect except I wouldn't have met Ayato, or raiden. I would have met kaito because nishiki works at the café and kimi and kaito would drop in. I wouldn't have any relationship with him because I would have been with kaneki. And I most certainly would not have been left sitting at the tree next to Takasu and Annoura's graves for two whole days.
"Taiga?" Someone asked getting out of their car in the pouring rain. It was Ayato. "It's been two days!" He shouted.
I didn't answer but he pulled me up. "You're soaked." He said getting me into the car. "We all presumed you were with kaneki."
"He was a no show." I muttered. Ayato sighed and closed the door. He drove me home all the while I was thinking...what if? What if I met kaneki sooner? What if I saved my sister. What if I did everything differently? Then my mind shifted. No longer was I thinking what if, but what now? What's going to happen now? Will kaneki come back, will I forgive him? Would I ever get over everyone that has died. Will I ever escape the ghosts of my past. I said I was brave, that I wouldn't give up but I did. The sorrow haunts me and I let it. We can only let it hurt us if we let it in, and I let it in. I just want someone to hold me while the fear is leaving, but will they? What now.....