Book Four
Volume 11
Ch. 168 Cana's Shopping Spree
Pov.
-Kara-
-
I could feel my flesh gradually healing
My insides burning, eyes melting out of my sockets
My wrist nailed to the beam behind me and the flames crawling up my back as I stood here and…
Burned.
Indefinitely.
My body gradually replenishing itself
I learned a lot, experiencing death and torment in every aspect.
But why?
Why am I here?
To conquer the heavens…
I raise my head
Or could it be…
To inherit the stars?
-
I open my eyes
…
Cana was preparing breakfast by the time I woke up…
I watch her run around in her short white silk robe as I eased myself out of bed and joined her in the kitchen
…
"Where's Mira?"
And… Erza.
"Th-their dorms…"
That's right…
"What's up with you? Why haven't you moved in?"
"It's too small. With the uh… baby… and all." She shrugs
"Right…"
"Mr. Aizawa did say he was going to try and work things out with the school."
…
"In the meantime, I've been fixing this room, you want to see?!" She skips excitedly over to Erza's old room. "Look!"
She jumps inside as I join her at the door
The walls were painted very sloppily
There was a cradle in the corner along with a ton of diapers and baby formula beside an expensive looking stroller
"Yaomomo bought most of the stuff." She smiles widely… "she's been a real help…" her smile fades away after remembering this secret she was harboring from her
"Why paint the walls if you're moving out?"
…
"Oh… Oh shoot-shoot-shoot, you're right. I totally forgot!" She scratches her hair. "man what a waste of money" she snaps her fingers like she doesn't have quite literally all the money in the world
I head back to the kitchen where Cana finished breakfast. We eat and got ready for school
"M-Mind if I catch a ride with you?" She asks as she locks the door behind herself
…
"Sure."
She hurries behind and jumps off the last few steps
She pulls my arm into her chest and follows me down the street to my H2.
She puts on my helmet and I take us straight to school.
Nothing too big happened for the rest of the month, Cana's belly began swelling more and more so the school had to put out a statement regarding her in particular since she was in the Hero Course.
"She's so cute, look at her." Mirko giggles as Cana clenches her pencil and draws for her arts class during lunch. "Such an inspiration." she smiles
"Whatever." I grumble before getting back to feeling her up
"You're grumpy." she pulls her head back. "Why is that?"
"Nothing, it's just…"
She's about to pop. Not entirely sure how I feel about that.
"Getting baby fever?" she raises an eyebrow "I've gotta say. I'm flattered, still I'm far from ready for a commitment like that, Kara." she smirks
"Yeah right." I scoff
"The rumors about her not having a clue on who the father is must be eating her alive. Have you tried talking to her?"
"What? Me? What should I care?"
"Umm… you're in her class? Or maybe… you already know." she nudges. "Wait…" she moves aside to get a better look at me "you're totally the father aren't you?!"
"What? No way." I cross my arms
"Oh, c'mon. Don't lie to me!" she jumps
"Keep it down."
"That would totally explain your obsession"
"I'm not obsessed!" I growl
"And those inside jokes Midnight is always giggling about." she snaps her fingers "damn it how did I not see it before?"
I grab her throat and I slam her back into her locker
"Look, just cause you're rolling with us doesn't mean you get to be in my business."
"Kehehe. You got it." she winks
"Are we doing that thing later, or what?"
"Oh yeah."
"Right. I'll pick you up then." I leave her and join Momo for lunch.
"C'mon, Cana. Time is running out, you have to tell us who it is!" Yaomomo whines
"Yeah, it isn't fair." Ochako grumbles
"Yeah. C'mon, Cana." Froppy croaks
Cana and I exchange a quick little glance
…
"Mmm, tasty!" Cana jumps and pumps her sandwich in the air.
"Hmm." Yaomomo frowns
We eat together before I join Momo after school
"I'm serious. I want what we have, to be something special" she nudges my arm
"I see… you want to hook up." I smirk
"That's not what I said!" she jumps
"But?"
"Can't you be serious for one minute?" She crosses her arms
"Relax. Don't we have something special going on already? We always have lunch together, I've already met your parents, and everyone talks about us."
"It's not special if you're going around sleeping with every hog you see." She grumbles
"Hog, huh? That's crude, especially coming from you." I smirk
"Yeah? Well it's the truth." She pouts
"Yeah, right. Look, I'll swing by after my gig with Mirko, Kay?"
"Whatever." She rolls her eyes
…
Pov.
-Cana-
"Oh, cute!" I jump
I'm totally taking this! I raise the little cow onesie for the baby
"Oh My God, Yes!" I take the matching one for me
This is so awesome!
"Cana!"
My stomach sinks after I hear Himiko
"Hi!"
She hurries over
"Himiko!" I shove the cart full of baby stuff aside
"What are you doing in the baby aisle?" She looks around
"Hahaha. I get it, it's because you're short!" She laughs
"Hahah." I laugh awkwardly. "You got me." I shrug
"No, seriously why are you-..." she takes another good look at me
I shy away.
"You're pregnant?!"
"What!? No way!" I jump
"You totally are! Look at you! You're fat!"
"Hey!" I squeal
…
"I'm kidding." she pats my back after I bursted into tears "You look fine."
"R-Really?" I sniff
"Yeah" she smiles, "just a little… bumpy… that's all"
"Whua!" I burst into tears again
"Hey, Hey! Its just your belly! It'll go back to normal once you pop that baby out!" she smacks my back
"Yeah… I guess you're right." I sniff
"So, whos the daddy?" she smiles widely
…
"Whouldn't you like to know?" I cross my arms
"C'mon." she teases. "Is it perhaps… Kara?"
"What?! N-No way!"
"Kehehe. It is, isn't it?"
"What makes you think that?!"
"Well… I've seen you and Kara sneaking around plenty."
"What?! How?!"
"Aha! So it is him!"
"Wh-what?" I felt my face quickly get beat red "No fair, you cheated!"
Jeeze-o-jeeze, is it that obvious?
"Relax, It's a lucky guess. He's like the only guy I know from your class." she shrugs
"Oh man!" I scratch my head "You better not tell anyone. Or else he'll kill me!"
"You got it, your secret is safe with me!" she winks
"Whew." I sigh
"So, how are the two of you doing? He must be very excited."
"Yeah, right." I grumble as I lead the shopping cart around
"What? Why?"
"Well, I feel like he barely pays me any mind. Especially with the baby."
"What? That's not what I see."
"Hmm." I frown
Everyone says that but I never see it.
Its always Momo that he's looking at or flirting with Midnight or some senior
"I figured you two were a pair of love birds. Your typical highschool sweethearts." she smirks
"Yeah…" I sigh "well, he did save my life once." I snap my fingers
"Really? That's interesting."
"Oh yeah. And then, after that, that's when… well… this happened, keheheh." I rub my belly
"Oh, wow. That's so cute." she jumps
"Yup. but since then he's given me the cold shoulder." I quiver
"Awe man, that's not going to work." she frowns
"You can say that again."
"You should totally make him fall super in L-O-V-E with you." she bounces her eyebrows
"That's the plan." I nod
We giggle around before I went on to pay for the foods.
"Really? No way."
"Yup, my big brother lives in your apartment complex that's why I happen to see you two often."
"Why don't you ever drop by to say hi?"
"Well I wouldn't want to bother you all the time."
"Oh please, seriously I wouldn't mind having some company."
"Ooh be careful what you wish for, I can be quite the handful." she giggles
…
We shop around for another while before I join her to get the shoes she came here to buy
After that we had lunch together until her big brother had to pick her up
I take another meal and eat it as I wait for my turn with the doctor
"Mm, armf" I chow down on the bus ride.
"Fwies?" I ask the little boy with a mouthful
"He grabs a tiny handful."
"How far along are you?" his mother asks
"Oh… seven m-months?"
"Really? That's quite a little bump you got there.."
"Oh… um… th-thanks…" I smile
"How old are you, darling?"
"Oh…"
She smiles
"I was seventeen when I had this little one. What are you? Fourteen?"
I nod
"There's nothing to be ashamed of. And deciding to keep the baby? That takes great courage."
"Thank you. Umm.. d-does it hurt?"
"You dont have to worry about that right now, baby. But what I will say is that it is one-hundred percent worth it." she pinches her little boys cheek.
"R-right." I sigh
"Do you live near by?"
I shake my head
"I live in the apartments on 73rd."
"By UA, Right?"
"Yup."
"I see, then you must be Cana Alberona." she smiles
"Oh… y-yeah…"
"I remember seeing you during the festival. You were so cute, jumping on your chair and rooting for your classmates."
"Oh, yeahh.. that was me."
"How did you.. make it work? With his father?"
"Oh… actually… he passed away last year." she sighs
"Oh… Man."
She gets a little teary
"I was lucky enough to have my mother. He… He had no one." she shakes her head
It will be tough, very tough, Cana. Don't be afraid to look for someone that you can lean on"
"R-Right" I smile
"Cana Alberona?"
"Oh. That's me." I smile
…
"How are we feeling today, Cana?" Mr. Doc asks as he gathered a stack of papers form the door
"Better." I sit by his desk
"No more nausea?"
I shake my head
"That's good"
"Yeah, I'm eating a lot more this time."
"That's great, Cana. Roughly how many calories did you track this time around?"
"S-Seven…"
…
"Hundred?" He tilts his head
I shake my head
"Thousand? Cana, thats-"
"I know-I know! But I can't help myself!"
He sighs
"I understand, but-"
"I only eat salad and chicken, you know?!"
He gives me that look
"A-and fast food. But only when I'm out with friends, you know?!"
"That's a lot of food for a body as small as yours."
"I know-I know" I grumble
"It goes without saying that you're very young, so you have to take that into account as well."
"Yeah-yeah." I twiddle with my thumbs
"Alright, tell me." he pulls out a clipboard "any pain or discomfort?"
I shake my head
"Soreness, shortness of breath?"
"No, sir."
"Have you been sleeping well?" He asks as I step onto the scale
I nod
"Constipation? Any problems there?"
"Actually… umm… I don't-" I shake my head
"What? It's alright that's why you're here today, Cana. There's nothing to be embarrassed or ashamed"
"W-Well I had an accident some time ago. Since then I haven't had to use the… you know." I shrug
…
"Really?"
I nod..
"I see… that might explain why you haven't gained an ounce of weight." He writes 84.4 pounds into his notebook
"Really?"
"Yes, Cana. There are some species out there, humans even, that contain these acids and enzymes in their stomachs that dissolve anything that isn't nutrients or protein."
"The few calories the body does absorb heightens regenerative capabilities."
"R-regenerative?"
"Indeed, Cana. Have you noticed you heal rather quickly? More so than before, of course."
"Yes, actually."
"I see… quick regeneration isn't unheard of, there's only a very few species of humans that have these capabilities." He opens his notebook "are there any other side affects that you have noticed? Increase of strength. Your appetite could be one."
"Oh, n-no I don't think so." I shake my head
"I see, do you know to what extent you were injured?"
"I-I lost a hand and my stomach. It was very bad. I'm sure I would've died, Doc."
"Hmm…" he thinks for a moment. "If you received an organ transplant, particularly your stomach, then that'll surely explain your appetite."
"Do you know of your donor?"
I nod
"H-he's my.. my friend, sir"
"It may be insensitive or even dangerous to ask what species they are. You can learn a lot from their diet."
"Diet."
"Yes, Cana." He nods. "See to what he or she eats on the daily or something strange they may eat every once in a while. I'm sure you'll find your answer there."
"Hmm…" I try thinking of what he eats most
"You can also buy various meats and vegetables, try a safe portion of them raw and see what tastes best and what fills your appetite."
"Right!" Thats a great idea
"Okay, I expect to hear from you again within the month."
"You bet. I gather my things. "Bye Mr. Doc!"
"Goodbye, Cana." He smiles
I go on my way, skipping down the street and taking the a bus downtown
Buy various foods, how exciting! I kick my feet
I took myself to Restaurant Depot, which was basically a Food version of Home Depot where they sell only food. Like Costco, actually, except it is only food and Restaurant stuff
I bought a membership and shopped around, tossing various foods, candy, breads candy, meats, candy, vegetables, and also candy
I left with a grand total of 34 thousand dollars worth of food.
"Hoe man, how was I supposed to know those fishies were so expensive?" I whimper
Luckily for me I got all the money in the world!! I raise Kara's debit card into the sky like a trophy as my combi finally arrives.
Also known as a pesero, a combi is like a micro baby bus, except I pretty much filled it up to the brim with meat and food and candy and bread
I got home where Himiko and her very tall and brother helped me carry my things to my apartment where we put a movie on the tv with Himiko.
"Hmm-nom." I shove a chocorol into my mouth and snack on a gansito, a chocolatized, Mexicanized version of a twinkie as I check on the carnitas
"So your doctor said to stuff your cheeks?" Himiko snacks on her lays chips
"Mhmm" I nod with my cheeks stuffed
"I don't get how all of that fits inside you." She raises an eyebrow as I rinse my mouth on the sink
"My neither, but I'm glad it does" I giggle
After a while the food was ready.
I smack my hands together
"Thank you God for the meal."
Himiko and I dug into our dinner. After that it was time for her to get going
I was tossing cards at all the trash laying around before sweeping and mopping the floor.
Then I put all the various meats and vegetables into cards as well and organized them inside the fridge.
Can't believe I didn't think to do this before. It would've totally made it easier to carry all the food up here.
Plus, I totally didn't think about getting the meat to fit in the fridge.
"Hmm?" I notice the left pork butt cheek that I didn't cook for the carnitas
Hmm. Let's see…
I pull it up before taking a huge freaking bite, just like the doctor recommended.
…
"Oh, Yummy!"
…
-to be continued