[Jo_Kittie]

(Part 2)

When I finally got home the time was already half past four and my favorite TV show had just started. Well, TV show here and TV show there, what would you call The Simpsons? After nearly watching half of it, however, it I decided that this episode was rather boring. It was about Maggie, who had supernatural powers and could make pancakes. »Cute, but boring.«
I sat in the couch just thinking for a while, as I heard my flat and white tummy making it’s voice heard.
»Lets see what the refridgerator has to offer« I thought and got up from the fluffy sofa, just as Mrs. Koyou entered the room. “Hi Taki, dear. How was school?” she asked me and started to make the dishes. She was always very strict when it was about hygiene. She wanted the house to be shining clean, and the kitchen was her favorite area to polish.
“Fine” I mumbled and stuffed my mouth full of left over candies from the day before. My mother looked up at me and smiled. “Don’t eat too much sweets now,honey. Your father will be here in less than an hour, and we will most likely have dinner by then”, she said and left the kitchen. “And Taki?” she called from the laundry room, “Could you empty the trash for me?”. I took one more caramel before I went to the trashcan and pulled out the full bag. My family had always been experts on collecting garbage. As my mother was as she was, she emptied our rooms everyday during her cleaning-tour.
As I jumped down the stairs outside our apartment I felt the taste of the sweet in my mouth. »Yum, strawberry« I thought as I went on the sidewalk. When I threw the plastic bag in the garbage can I saw that new guy, from the bakery. “Hi”, I said as he passed. “Uh… Hi…” He greeted back and then rushed past me.

“I tried your guitar before. It sounds awful!” Tomiko, one of my older sisters said when I came back. “I told you you’re not allowed to enter my room!” She never listened to what I told her. It was so annoying.
“And you really thought she would follow her little brother’s order, Taki-chan?”, I heard Tamako say and turned around to see my oldest sister. “How have you been, darling? She said and kissed my forehead.” “Fine. I bought some buns from Takahashi’s today, I guess there are some of them left. “How is the old man doing now adays?” Tamako asked as she sneaked her hand inside the paper bag on the kitchen bench. “He seemed ok,” I answered, “he has gotten himself a new employee. Someone from the Kanagawa area.” “Mhm…?” Tamako had mashed in a bun in her mouth and mumbled something I couldn’t hear.
“I met him on the street when I threw the trash anyway,” I continued, “he didn’t seem that social though. He just greeted me very hush and then rushed down the sidewalk.” None of my sisters listened, though. They were both busy having a wild discussion about if boys from Kanagawa or from Osaka were the most interesting.

I didn’t see anything of that Akira guy the following days. I thought I saw him at lunch one day, but when the person turned around, it showed up to be someone else. I don’t know why I worried so much, but I didn’t like what I saw. Or what I didn’t see. Naoya kept asking me what the problem was, but I just said I had a bad day. I don’t think he really cared though, because he was more interested in the game-boy he had in his hand.
“Look! I made it!” he cheered and made a happy dance around his desk. I just nodded and
continued to ponder about Akira, and where he could be.

“Shukudai, shukudai, shukudai! Damn all teachers and their homework!” It was the Monday after I had met Mr. Takahashi, and we were on our way home from school.
“They really want to torture us”, Nao continued, “Three essays until Friday. THREE!”
He kept complaining about the tremendous amount of homework we had gotten, and he
also tried to start a discussion about the teachers’ possible plan to take over the world and make everyone do homework.
When we entered my apartment he was still discussing with himself, as he had given up trying to talk about the evil teachers with me.
“I think Sensei Genki will be hard to beat. She has that look in her eyes when she’s mad…”
“Naoya…”
“Mr. Shanshu must be the leader. It will be a hard fight, but if I just get that right angle, think I can manage to strike him…”
“NAOYA!” Nao stopped talking and looked at me. “What?” he exclaimed. “Enough allready! You’ve talked about the Teacher Conspiracy for forty five minutes!”
“Ok, chill…” Naoya said and shrugged. “I just tried to cheer you up a little, you seem so… I don’t know.” “Well, as you might have noticed, it does not work”, I snapped and glared at the telephone that had started ringing. Nao looked at the phone, then on me, and then back at the phone. “Are you going to answer that, or will you just continue to glare?” I aimed my glare at him instead, and continued glaring until the phone had stopped ringing. Naoya shrugged again and stepped into the living room.
“So, what is your problem anyway?” he said as he threw himself on top of the sofa. “I told you, I’m having a bad week,” I answered and made myself comfy beside him. He wouldn’t understand my problems anyhow. Maybe if they were my problems, but right then the whole thing was about another persons issues. I hugged a pillow and thought that maybe Nao could help me if I told him. After all, we were best friends, and he wouldn’t let me down that easy.
“Nao…” I started and turned to face him. “Yuuh..?” clearly, he was more interested in the show of the television. “There’s something I want to tell you”, I continued after I had reached for the remote control. “What?” Nao had turned to me as I shut of the TV, with a fairly indignant look on his face.
“Well…” I started, and then I told him everything that had happened since the week before, about the skinny guy I had met, and that he had not shown up. Naoya listened carefully. I didn’t think he would be that engaged in my thoughts, but when I had finished my story he scratched his head and poked a button on the sofa.
“I wonder what could have happened to this guy… Akira, you said?” I was shocked by his sudden involvement of the question, but of course I was happy that he cared.
“Uh… yeah, Akira. I think he was supposed to go to our school…” Nao still listened. “Of course it’s not like I’m dying because he doesn’t show up, but I feel worried, because.. Well, he’s new in town and… What if he’s got enemies? They might go after Mr. Takashi…” Nao tilted his head looking at me, and I think I could see a little smile in the corner of his mouth.
“Are you sure?” A grin spread over his face.
“Sure of what?” I answered, trying not to sound rubbed. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that, though, because Naoya now smiled from ear to ear.
“You know exactly what I mean. You like him, don’t you?” I waved sarcastiacally with my hand.
“How could I possibly like him, when I have just met him once, and only said ‘Hi’, dear Nao-chan?” Naoya’s lips vibrated and sooner or later he would loose. I still stood tall though, and kept the cocky look on my face. He put himself together and cleared his throat, before saying with a serious tone:
“You’re turning blue.”
That was it. We both collapsed with laughter and I had to hold my poor tummy in cramps. Of course, this was an important matter of fact that Akira had dissapeared, but we had not been together like this for a very long time. The fact that we could still goof around like this was a total plus from my side, and I was happy that we still vere so close.

“Are you sure?”
I sat infront of Naoya. He was still looking at me, and grinned. I guess I sometimes drifted away in my thoughts.
As I didn’t give him any answer, he continued. ”I’m pretty sure he’s fine, Taki, and I find this discussion pretty… Unneccessary.” I couldn’t believe what I heard. Was this really Naoya speaking? My one and only friend, turning his back on me?
“Can’t we talk about anything else than your stupid »friend«?” he continued and put a lot of sarcasm into the last word. After a short pause I opened my mouth.
“Naoya…”
“For the record,” he interrupted, “I think I’m leaving. I was going to M anyway.”
Traitor. “Fine then. GET OUT!” He stood up and made a harsh bow before he went to the door. With a loud “FAG!” he slammed the door behind him. I threw a pillow after him, which hit the door with a silent »poof«.

End of chapter one.