Tomoyo's happy ever after
"You should just walk on straight ahead. Don't let yourself come to a standstill in a place like this. Get yourself away from someone like me. Because all I'm doing is weighing you down."
"No."
"What?"
"No, I won't let you give up."
"Give up…?"
"On us, on yourself, on life."
"But…"
"I know what you are capable of, what you could be, if you allowed yourself to be happy, to try. Life has given you a raw deal, and nobody blames you for giving up on expecting anything good to ever happen to you. But I won't let you anymore."
"Why…?"
"Because I love you. And I believe in you. That's why I won't break up with you."
What could I say to that? I suspect that if I tried to leave her, she'd drag me along kicking and screaming all the way, although, I'm not totally sure who'd be doing the kicking.
"But how do you think this is going to work out?"
"We just have to show everyone else what I already know."
"And what is it that you already know?"
"That you are far more intelligent than people assume you are."
"how do you work that out?"
"You have really bad test scores, but you've never failed one, even though you sleep through or ignore your classes." Hard to argue with her on that point really.
"How do you propose to prove that?"
"I think that if we can get the teachers to set you some specific study material, that hasn't been covered yet, then they can test you on that material."
"Okay, so say we do prove how smart I supposedly am, then what?"
"We ask them to put you back a year."
"What!?"
"You need to retake your exams but fitting three years study into a bit less than one, just isn't going to work; but just under two years to cover the three years material is definitely achievable."
"I genuinely have no idea why you have so much faith in my abilities."
"It's simple really, I know you."
"You're going to have to give me a bit more than that."
"I've seen how fast your mind works; your problem-solving skills and how well you do under pressure are truly exceptional."
"If you say so… alright, what's the game plan?" I was resigned to my fate at this point, there's no way I hell she's going to back down.
"Firstly, I'd like you to take an IQ test, it may help us to persuade the teachers to help us. And I think it would help you to see the potential you really have."
"Then what?"
"We talk to the teachers, oh and you'll have to meet my family."
"Woah! That's really not an 'Oh by the way' comment, why do I need to meet them all of a sudden?"
"But you'll need somewhere to study."
"I'm not seeing a connection there."
"With the way things are at home for you, your place isn't going to work, Sunohara's room really isn't going to work, so where else could you go?"
"You have a point, when does this have to happen then."
"Right now."
"What! Why!?"
"The IQ test is on my brother's computer."
*sigh* "Fine, let's go."
"Dad, this is Okazaki Tomoya, my boyfriend."
"So, I finally get to meet him, do I?"
"I-It's a pleasure to meet you Sakagami-sama." Tomoyo's father seemed to be trying to work out if I was joking or not.
"Relax son, you'll strain something, and Fujita-san will do. To what do we owe the pleasure of this meeting?"
"We need to borrow Takafumi's computer, and would it be okay if Tomoya came here to study?"
"I don't see a problem with it, is there a reason he needs to come here rather than his own home?" Tomoyo gave me a questioning glance.
"My father and I don't get on and since I hurt my shoulder… it's difficult to be in the same house with him."
"Your shoulder? What happened?"
"We were arguing, and he shoved me, I fell badly and broke my shoulder, and well since then…" He studied my face closely and seemed to be waiting for me to finish.
"Tomoya got into school on a basketball scholarship, but he can't raise his arm enough, so he can't play." I could see anger boiling behind his eyes.
"Is that all true, did he break your shoulder?"
"I-I just fell badly."
"You'd have to do a lot more than fall badly to do that much damage. You swear to me that every word is true?"
"Yes sir." Really, really not how I saw this going. Even Tomoyo looked worried. His eyes bored into mine, unblinking, I did all I could think to do, I held his gaze.
"Alright son, you'd better come in and sit down, we're going to be here for a while." His face softened significantly. Until he drew his phone out of his pocket and dialled the police. "Yes, I'd like to report a severe case of child abuse… yes, broken bones…" He looked at me. "How long ago?"
"Umm, a little over two years…" I was at a loss, I reached out to stop him, but Tomoyo stopped me.
"I'm sure he knows what he's doing." My head began to spin, the shock of what was happening hit me like a ton of bricks, my knees began to buckle under me, Tomoyo caught me and guided me over to a chair.
"You alright son?" I couldn't manage a response. "Tomoyo, you'd better get him a glass of water and ask your mother to come and see me please." Tomoyo nodded and almost sprinted out of the room, she returned quickly with some water. Seconds behind her, came a woman around the same age as Tomoyo's father, with the same silver hair as Tomoyo. She stopped in front of me.
"So, this is the boyfriend I've heard so much about is it? he doesn't look too good, what happened?"
"Dad said he needs to see you; he's talking to the police."
"Okay, keep his head between his knees, and if he gets any worse come and get me immediately." Tomoyo nodded and her mother marched off to talk to her husband. Tomoyo knelt next to me, as I tried to calm myself down and reorganise my thoughts
'Was it child abuse?' I'd never really thought about it that way, but it fits the definition. I have no idea how long I sat like that before I felt a hand on the back of my head.
"It sounds like you've had it rough for a while, don't worry, we'll straighten it all out." The way she gently stroked my hair was remarkably comforting. "Presumably this isn't why you brought him here, so why did you decide to introduce us all of a sudden." Tomoyo gave her mother the whole story, right up to me trying to break up with her and her plan to get me back on track. "Well at least we know he's got his priorities right."
"Excuse me?"
"Back with us, are you? I'm Tomoyo's mother, you can call me Kadee-san, and what I mean is, you put Tomoyo's interests ahead of your own happiness. You still look a bit pale, when did you last eat?"
"Huh? Oh, umm, we had an ice-cream before we left school."
"Okay, you'd be best waiting to do the IQ test, I don't think it would do him much justice today. We'll have a talk with the school once we know what the police are doing. It should help to persuade them to fall in line with your plan once they know what's been going on."
Fujita-san walked back into the room as he slipped his phone back into his pocket.
"You alright son?"
"I think so, thank you."
"Any idea why it hit you so hard all of a sudden?"
"I guess it's just never occurred to me that it was child abuse, I just thought it was an argument but..."
"Argument or no argument it's abuse, where's your mother in all this?"
"She died when I was little."
"Sorry to hear that, what does your father do?"
"Drinks and gambles mostly, I think he used to do something in an office, but I'm not sure, I've been doing my best to avoid him for a few years."
"So, you've basically been left to raise yourself for some time now have you?"
"Yeah, something like that." Tomoyo told him what she had told her mother.
"Hmm, Well, we'll make it happen one way or another. The police are coming to get a statement off you, are you up to that, or do you need a bit more time to get your head straight?"
"No, I'm fine, it was just a bit of a shock I guess."
"Well, you're resilient, I'll give you that much." The police arrived about half an hour later, we ran through the incident with my shoulder and what life was actually like, Tomoyo look horrified as I gave the officer my statement.
"First, we need get you into foster care, we can't leave you in that situation…"
"We've got a spare room here." Kadee-san interrupted the officer's explanation.
"Okay, we'll need to file the paperwork to make it official, but that's satisfactory. Will your father be at home?"
"Err, yes I think so, but he may not be conscious." The officer frowned at my admission.
"Do you have a door key?"
"Yeah."
"If I can borrow your key, it saves us having to force entry. Your father will be charged with child abuse and neglect, if he's drunk, we'll have to hold him in a cell overnight. Once that's underway one of my colleagues will come and take you to get anything you're going to need for the next few days, schoolbooks, clothes and so on. You don't need to try and bring everything right away.
You'll be assigned a social worker, who'll keep an eye on you. They're there to help you, so if there's anything you need just ask them, they will need to have a meeting with your school pretty soon as well just to see if you need any help with your studies. I think that's everything for now, you're on my case load now so any dealings with the police will be through me. Depending on how cooperative your father is we'll pick you up in the next hour to get your stuff. Any questions?"
"No, not for now, thank you." He handed a business card to Fujita-san and left to go and arrest my father. As soon as the door shut behind him the head of a youngish boy poked into the room.
"Have they gone? Is this Onee-chan's boyfriend? Is he in trouble or something?"
"Yes, they have, yes he is and no, but he does need our help." He must ask questions all at once a lot. "Come here and say hello, he's going to be staying here for a while."
"Tomoya, this is my brother Takafumi. Takafumi this is Tomoya."
"Nice to meet you." He looked like he was about to ask what was going on but Tomoyo gave him a glare that would have blistered paint, so he thought better of it.
It was only about twenty minutes before the police came to take me to get my stuff, so my father was either cooperative or totally unconscious, Fujita-san had to come with us, because he's technically my guardian now and the police needed someone to be with me. He had a look of disgust on his face when he saw the mess in the living room where my father had been found; after that he maintained an angry scowl. Tomoyo appeared out of the front door as soon as the car pulled up at her house.
"Tomoyo, would you take Tomoya-san and get him settled in the spare room please? Your mother and I will be up in a bit." Tomoyo nodded and led me up the stairs to the spare room. Once we got there, she put down the bag she'd taken off me and hugged me.
"I'm sorry Tomoya, I didn't know it was that bad."
"You don't need to apologise; you can't be expected to know things like that unless I tell you." There was a knock on the door, we hadn't closed it, so I think they were trying to be considerate.
"Pardon the interruption, but we need to talk to the pair of you. Given what I have just seen, I believe that your father will be unlikely to be released any time soon." He paused for a moment to let it sink in that I was unlikely to be going back there to live again. "Don't worry what ever happens with your father you'll be welcome to stay here for as long as you need to, provided you can stick to a few ground rules of course." I couldn't quite wrap my head around what I had just been told, he'd only just met me; granted he'd just heard my life story, but still. "The first rule is, you two don't get up to anything you wouldn't want us to see you doing, I don't have a problem with kissing, but anything else is off the menu. Second, we'll make the arrangements to get you a chance to straighten out your studies, but you will have to study hard to make a go of it. Lastly, we will give you a few chores to do around the house, and in return we will give you an allowance. Any questions?"
"Just one, why? You only met me a few hours ago."
"I know I haven't been the best father in the world, but nobody should have to deal with what's been thrown your way, much less someone so young. And I've seen how happy you've made Tomoyo, she can be a handful granted, but I'd give my right arm to keep that smile on her face. Plus, I already know that you have your priorities right when it comes to her. Does that answer your question?"
"Yeah… Thank you."
"Keep my daughter happy and your studies on track and that'll be thanks enough."
The room was nice, and the bed was comfortable, but sleep didn't come easily that night. So, when the curtains were flung open in the morning, I was less than enthusiastic about getting up.
"I'm sorry Tomoya, but it's time to get up."
*Groan*
"I let you sleep as long as I could but, you'll be late if don't get up now."
"Alright, alright I'm moving, honest."
"Then you're moving very slowly."
"Yeah, that." The covers were removed from the bed.
"I'm really sorry but, you've got to get up."
*groan* "yeah, alright, thanks." With a great deal of effort, I managed to haul myself upright. I was rewarded by a kiss on the forehead.
"I've made you some coffee and some rice balls you can have on the way to school."
"Thanks, I'll be out in a minute."
We didn't talk much on the way to school, but that was partly because I was busy cramming rice balls and coffee down my throat.
"Dad said the police will be coming to talk to the school at lunch time today, I need to talk to the rest of the student council, I'll keep it a vague as I can, just that you, need a bit a compassion and understanding. But that means I won't be able to come and see you before the meeting."
"Okay, thanks, I'll see you later." With Tomoyo off to her own class I was left to stagger over to my desk.
"Okazaki-kun, are you okay? You don't look very well."
"Kind of a rough night, but I'll be alright, thanks for asking."
"I'm sorry to hear that, i-if there's anything I can do?"
"Thanks Fujibayashi but Tomoyo's pretty much got the situation covered, but if you could keep your sister off my back, I'd appreciate it."
"Oh, of course, I'll do my best."
'Did she sound disappointed or was it my imagination?'
Walking into the head's office with a police officer, in the middle of lunch break drew a lot of attention. The meeting sort of happened around me really, I was a little too out of it, but I did notice Tomoyo taking a lot of notes. However, I did manage to hear that my father had been charged with neglect and abuse and had admitted to the latter, but his defence on the former was "Tomoya-kun is, Tomoya-kun." Basically, I was my own man, so it didn't matter.
Once we left the office Tomoyo asked how much I was happy for people to hear about the situation, they had to be told something or they'd come up with something themselves. As far as I was concerned, they could be told everything, I didn't have anything to hide. She was a bit dubious but agreed. Gossip being what it is in school, I was watched very closely as I walked back into the classroom, unfortunately Kyou was in the room.
"What have you been up to? I hear the police where here."
"Onee-chan…" Fujibayashi's attempt to stop Kyou was both futile and late.
"I haven't done anything; my father was arrested last night." Everyone in the room was now silent and staring my direction.
"W-what for?" Even Kyou was flustered.
"Child abuse." Kyou's eyes just about popped out.
"H-He… you…"
"He broke my shoulder, that's why I stopped playing basketball, I can't lift my arm properly anymore." Everyone was stunned into silence. Nobody moved until the teacher entered the room.
"Alright everyone back to your desks, he's not a museum exhibit, Okazaki, could I have a word with you please?"
"Yeah, sure."
"I've just spoken to the Head teacher."
"I figured."
"On Friday afternoon, your social worker is going to come for a meeting, if you need anything before that, just ask."
"Yeah, thanks." I made my way back to my desk, but Kyou stopped me. "What?"
"Tomoya… I'm sorry… if… if I can do anything to help…"
"Yeah." Ten minutes after that Sunohara flopped down at his desk.
"I heard you got arrested."
"Nope." Sunohara was suddenly faced with a room full of death glares.
"Woah, what's going on?" Fujibayashi scampered over and whispered something to him. "What? Really?" Fujibayashi scuttled back to her desk after giving me an apologetic look. "So…"
"Yeah."
"Sorry man."
"I'm not." He shrugged, put his head on his arms and went to sleep.
At the end of the day, Tomoyo appeared at the door of the classroom.
"Tomoya, I'm sorry but I have a council meeting, it'll be about half an hour if you want to wait."
"Alright I'll wait for you at the gate."
"Okay."
As I headed, for the gate I was followed by a lot of staring eyes. While I waited for Tomoyo a pair of feet appeared in my eye line, it was the guy that, kept telling me I wasn't good enough for Tomoyo.
"What do you want?"
"I wanted to apologise; I didn't know about your situation."
"No, you just made assumptions and told me I wasn't good enough, didn't you?"
"To be fair…"
"To be fair I really don't care, I'm running on two hours sleep, coffee and a really crappy night, so really don't have the patience to deal with you right now."
"Of course." The feet went away, and I was left in peace again.
"What did he want with you?" Tomoyo stood next to me.
"He was making a piss poor attempt at an apology."
"What does he have to apologise for?"
"Telling me I wasn't good enough for you."
"He what?" Tomoyo was practically trembling with rage.
"Relax, he's not worth it."
"Well I know who's getting all the jobs nobody wants to do for the rest of the year. Come on, let's go home."
"Yeah."
"How was it in class this afternoon?"
"Quiet."
"Didn't anyone ask about the police visiting."
"Kyou did, but I told her why he was here, that shut them up pretty quick."
"It would be her wouldn't it."
"Yeah. She did apologise though."
"Really? Wow."
"Everyone was really nice actually, felt kind of creepy."
"Well I'm glad, not the creepy bit but you know what I mean."
"Yeah, I know what you mean. Oh, my teacher said the social worker is coming to the school on Friday afternoon."
"Did he say what time?"
"No, just afternoon."
"We'll get more detail beforehand I presume."
"Yeah, I got the impression that they'd come and see me before the meeting with the school, I'm sure your folks will have something to say on the subject."
"Yes, Mom was quite worried about you last night."
"Really?"
"Yes, why is that so surprising?"
"I only met them last night for one thing, I guess I've got so used to not having anything resembling a parent around, so it all feels a bit alien at the moment."
"I'm sure it does, from what you told the police, you pretty much had to raise yourself from about ten."
"More or less I guess, but I think it reached a head when we had that argument."
"If you don't mind my asking, what was the argument about? You don't have to answer if it's too personal or…"
"No, it's fine, I'm not sure I remember the detail that well, but I think it was something to do with playing basketball."
"You should probably tell Dad that."
"Why?"
"It makes it sound deliberate."
"I'm not sure I follow."
"You get into an argument about playing basketball and end up with an injury that stops you playing, it seems a little too convenient." For the second time in as many days, my understanding of what actually happened was flipped on it's head. Much like last time I suddenly felt lightheaded. "Tomoya, are you okay, you look really pale."
"I feel like I might throw up to be honest." I leaned against a wall as I tried to focus my reeling mind.
"I'm really sorry, I didn't think, I should have known it would affect you, after what happened last night. Do you want me to get Mom were almost home, so…"?
"No, no, just give me a minute… was it deliberate? Is he really that bad?" Tomoyo ducked under my arm and supported me as we walked the rest of the way to her house.
Tomoyo's mom appeared before we even got through the gate.
"Is he okay, what happened?"
"I… we, think it may have been deliberate." Her eyes widened in shock. "The argument was about Tomoya playing basketball. We were talking and it dawned on me, I shouldn't have said anything, I just wasn't thinking."
"Okay, let's get him inside."
Everything was just happening around me at this point. Before I really managed to process what was happening, I was in the same position as last night, with a very worried looking Tomoyo kneeling down next to me and holding my hand. I'm not sure how long I was like that, but the fog began to lift, and I became aware there was an extra person in the room. Still feeling a little queasy I looked up to see a row of concerned faces.
"You alright son?" Tomoyo's Dad had appeared at some point, along with someone I didn't recognise.
"Yeah, I think so, just a bit queasy. I'll be okay."
"Alright, this is Mitzaki-san she's your social worker."
"Hello Tomoya-kun, it's good to meet you, when you're ready, we need to go through what's going to happen from here."
"Can we not do the whole kun thing, that's what my dad keeps calling me so…"
"Of course, I hear you have had something of a realisation regarding your shoulder injury."
"Well, maybe… I'm not sure of the details but, the argument that lead to my shoulder being broken was about me playing basketball."
"I'll have t pass that on to officer Sato."
"Who?"
"The officer who took your statement last night."
"Oh, right, I didn't catch his name."
"Not surprising given the circumstances. The foster care paperwork has been filed, so you're officially under the care of the Sakagamis, so you don't have to worry about that, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks."
"I spoke with your father this afternoon, initially he seems quite affable."
"Yeah, everyone says that."
"What struck me the most about him is how calm he is, even though he's been arrested and is facing prison time, it was almost like I'd dropped in for tea. And anything to do with his lack of care toward you, he just says you're independent, so you didn't need his help. How he can be so oblivious is quite beyond me."
"Yeah, that's him alright. He's been that way since he broke my shoulder, even after we had just been told the limitations it put on my range of motion." Mitzaki-san made some notes in the file she was holding. "So, what happens now?"
"Sakagami-san told me about the idea Tomoyo-chan came up with to help you with your grades. Are you happy to go ahead with that plan?"
"Yeah, it sounded more or less ideal to me."
"I'll inform the school at our meeting on Friday. The meeting is at two pm so you'll be called out of class, officer Sato and Sakagami-san will be there as well."
"Umm, excuse me?"
"Yes, Tomoyo-chan?"
"Would it be okay if I was there as well?" Mitzaki-san glanced over at Tomoyo's Dad, who simply nodded.
"Very well, Tomoyo-chan, we will call you out of class as well then."
"Thank you."
"Tomoya-san, so you understand how things work with foster care, the Sakagamis will be paid monthly to cover any out of pocket expenses, this includes an allowance for yourself, if any larger expenses arise, they will be covered as well, Sakagami-san is now legally responsible for you, so anything related to your schooling will require their consent, as will any legal matters, your fathers court case for example. Do you have any questions?"
"Will I have to see my dad at any point?"
"No, given the nature of the charges filed against him, any communication in that regard will come through an intermediary, in practice this will be Sakagami-san, myself or officer Sato, and should you be required to give any evidence or testimony in court, it will be done remotely, so you'll never actually be in the same room."
"Great, thanks."
"You'll get all the support you need, so if anything comes up, let myself or Sakagami-san know. You will be referred to a therapist for an assessment, depending on the findings, you may have to attend therapy sessions for a while. Was there anything else you wanted to ask about?"
"No, that's it for now."
"Then I'll leave you in Tomoyo-chan's care while I speak with Sakagami-san. Unless anything else comes up, I will see you Friday afternoon." Everyone except Tomoyo went through to the lounge.
"This whole mess just keeps getting worse doesn't it."
"I know, but you don't ever have to see him again, and I'm here if you need me."
"I know; I appreciate it, I really do." Tomoyo smiled and squeezed my hand.
"Come on, let's find you some food."
"Tomoya… Tomoya." A familiar voice woke me as usual.
"What time is it?"
"It's six o'clock."
"Huh?"
"I've got council meetings before school, but I wanted to see if you were okay before I left."
"when do you have to leave?"
"In about twenty minutes."
"Alright, I'll come with you."
"You will? You can go back to sleep if you want."
"I know, but I'd rather walk with you than just, me and my thoughts." Tomoyo gave me a slightly concerned look. "Don't worry, I'll be alright."
"If you say so, I'll make you some coffee."
"Thanks." On the way to school we chatted like always, about anything but the situation with my dad. When we had parted ways, I slumped over my desk, and went back to sleep.
"Tomoya… Tomoya, you awake?"
"Tomoyo?" Bleary eyed I looked around but didn't see Tomoyo anywhere.
"No, it's me… Kyou."
"Right, sorry… I'm a little out of it."
"I'm not surprised, are you okay?"
"Not really… but I'm getting there, thanks for asking though."
"Well, if… if there's anything you need…" Kyou's voice trailed off.
"Thanks, but Tomoyo and her folks have pretty much got it covered for now."
"Oh… they're helping you, are they?"
"Yeah, they've taken me into foster care, so I'm living there from now on, they've been dealing with the police and the social worker, as well."
"Oh, that's good of them."
"Yeah, especially as they only met me the other day. Did you need me for anything?"
"No… We, I mean Ryou was worried about you so…" It was only then that I noticed that Fujibayashi was behind her sister.
"Sorry Fujibayashi, I didn't see you there."
"T-that's okay, I'm sure you have a lot on your mind."
"You can say that again. What time is it?"
"It's eight o'clock, what time did you get here?"
"Quarter to seven, something like that."
"What made you come so early?"
"Oh, Tomoyo had an early council thing, so it was the only way we could walk here together. Plus, it meant I didn't have to put up with all the staring on my way in."
"D-do you know what's going to happen to your…" Fujibayashi had moved a little closer, unusual for her but then again, the circumstances aren't what you'd call normal.
"He's looking at least six years, but apparently I won't ever have to see the bastard again, so that's a bonus."
"Good, just shout if you need anything, okay?"
"Yeah, thanks Kyou." She smiled and left the classroom, presumably she had to back to her own class.
"Umm, I… I b-brought y-you some coffee, I thought you would be tired so…" Fujibayashi, placed a thermos flask on the desk in front of me.
"Thanks, you're a life saver." She blushed and scampered off to her own desk. Most of the class had been watching our exchange for some reason, but most of them looked away again when I looked their way.
"Okazaki, could I see you for a moment." I hadn't registered that our teacher had even entered the room.
"Yeah, sure." We stepped out into the hallway.
"I wasn't sure I'd see you here today."
"Better to be here, than sitting around thinking."
"Alright, if you need a breather at all, just say so."
"There is one minor thing, Fujibayashi was kind enough the bring me some coffee, would it be alright if I drank it now rather than recess? I haven't really been sleeping too well."
"That was considerate of her, I'll allow it today, but don't make a habit of it."
"Thank you, sensei."
I doubt I would have made it as far as lunch time had it not been for Fujibayashi's coffee, I was about to go and find some more, when Tomoyo arrived.
"Oh, hey, I thought you'd be tied up with council stuff."
"I've got your friend dealing with that today."
"Friend…? You mean what's his name, from yesterday."
"Yeah, I thought he was going to wet himself when I 'had words' with him about his conduct."
"I'd have paid to see that."
"I can try and arrange it if you like." Tomoyo could always manage to cheer me up.
"Save it for a rainy day, I don't know about you, but I need some coffee."
"I hope you can get some proper sleep tonight; it isn't healthy living on coffee like this."
"Barring any more revelations, I'll probably be out the second my head hits the pillow tonight."
"I hope so, you're starting to look quite ill."
"I know, but my mind has just been running around in circles the last couple of nights."
"Well, after Friday hopefully things will settle down a bit, and you can feel a bit more settled, with everything as up in the air as it is at the moment, I'm amazed you're dealing with it as well as you are."
"I don't really know how much of it I'm really processing at the moment, but I was surprised at how much of a relief being told I wouldn't have to see him again was."
"Hmm, maybe seeing the therapist for a while would be a good idea."
"Maybe… I don't know, it'd feel a bit weird talking about stuff like that with a stranger."
"Well you've got to see them at least once anyway, so see how you feel about it then; and if you do need to talk, I'll always be here for you."
"I know, thanks."
Mercifully there weren't any more revelations that night, but I'm pretty sure Tomoyo was avoiding the subject just in case. So, for the first time, I got to experience a "Normal" evening in the Sakagami household. I did run the IQ test program on Takafumi's computer before dinner, the result produced a smug "I told you so" from Tomoyo, it came up with an IQ of 140; but I'm a bit sceptical, I don't know much about computers, so it's hard to put and faith in what it came up with. Tomoyo insisted that Mitzaki-san was informed, what good it'll do I don't know but once Tomoyo has an idea in her head, you aren't going to get her to drop it.
Friday rolled around, our judgement day. Mitzaki-san had said she'd make it happen, but as of yet I have no clue if she can do any of what she says she can.
"Okazaki, you'd better get going to your meeting."
"Right, thank you sensei."
"Meeting? What meeting?" Sunohara raised his head off his arms.
"I hadn't realised you were even here. It's stuff to do with my dad."
"Right, good luck."
"Thanks."
"Tomoya, are you ready?"
"Sakagami-chan, you're going to the meeting with him, are you?"
"Yes, sensei, I couldn't let him go through all of this alone."
"Your loyalty is quite commendable, but you must think about your own studies as well."
"I keep telling her that myself. We had best be going, we wouldn't want to be late." I could already see Tomoyo getting annoyed at my teacher, so I figured it was best to get her moving. "You probably shouldn't growl at the teachers."
"I know but it annoys me when they keep telling me I should think of myself first, and you second."
"It'll take time for them to come around and stop seeing me as the guy that's holding you back. If they ever do. That and you're much prettier without the scowl." Tomoyo has a real weak spot for being called pretty, cute or anything girly really, so she's really easy to cheer up.
"Thank you Tomoya." She looks really, really cute when she blushes like she is now.
"Tomoya-san, Tomoyo-chan, nice and punctual, that's what I like to see."
"Mitzaki-san I assumed you would already be in talking to the head."
"It's a team effort Tomoya-san." I'm not quite sure what she meant by that but, that's just the way she is.
"Let's get this over with."
"You aren't here because you've done something wrong Tomoya-san."
"I guess I'm just used to only being called here when I'm in trouble."
"Those days are behind you now Tomoya."
"Tomoyo-chan is right Tomoya-san, everyone that is going to be in that room is there to help you."
"Doesn't stop it feeling weird unfortunately. Do you really think they'll go for Tomoyo's plan?"
"They won't really have much option. Between your IQ, recent improvements in test scores and attendance, they'd have a hard time justifying a refusal."
"I'm not so sure the IQ thing is accurate to be honest."
"The program you used is the same one the school would use."
"Oh… so it's actually accurate?"
"I suspect your score will improve when you take it again."
"Why do I have to take it again if it's accurate?"
"For the schools records and so they can give you the most appropriate assistance."
"Makes sense I guess."
"Sorry I'm late, I got held up at the office."
"Don't worry Sakagami-san, the head teacher isn't ready yet either."
"Well that's a relief, you okay Tomoya-san, you're looking a bit less like a zombie at least."
"I'm fine, thanks, I managed to sleep a bit better last night so I'm a little more with it today."
"Well it's a start at least, do you have any questions before we go in?"
"No, Mitzaki-san has explained everything, thank you."
"Good, is officer Sato not here yet?"
"He's speaking to the head at the moment."
"Should we not be party to that conversation?"
"He's just bringing him up to speed on the legal situation, I don't feel that Tomoya-san would benefit from being reminded of everything he's already had to deal with."
"I see your point." Around ten minuets later the secretary opened the door and ushered us all into the head teacher's office.
"Okazaki, I'm very sorry to hear about your circumstances, I wish we had heard about it sooner."
"I appreciate the thought, but the only reason you're hearing about it now is because someone bothered to ask 'why' rather than writing me off as a delinquent."
"I'm not convinced it is that simple."
"I would have to disagree, my daughter asked if Tomoya-san could use our house to study, all I asked is why can't he do that at home, had your staff asked the same question, Tomoya-san could have been free from an abusive father two years earlier." Sakagami-san look more than a little annoyed at the head's evasive answer; the head looked a bit startled at being corrected so comprehensively.
"Officer Sato tells me that…"
"We are aware of officer Sato's findings, the reason he met with you separately to inform you was so that Tomoya-san was not forced to be reminded of such traumatic events." It was Mitzaki-san's turn to be annoyed.
"You are correct of course, shall we discus where we go from here?"
"Very well," Mitzaki-san looked far from satisfied with the head's response. "Tomoyo-chan has suggested a practical solution to correcting Tomoya-san's academic standing."
"Has she really? Well she is one of our most promising students."
"I'm glad we can agree on something, although Tomoya-san's IQ exceeds Tomoyo-chan's by fifteen points, and that was when he was still sleep deprived."
"Is that so? We will have to confirm that ourselves of course. What was the solution Tomoyo-san suggested?"
"Her recommendation, and mine as well, is to put Tomoya-san down a year now and allow him to retake his first-year exams during this year."
"I'm sure I don't have to tell you that such an action is highly irregular, and our second-year classes are all quite full already."
"There has been an empty desk in my class all year."
"I can get a court order if need be, but if that were the case, I would be compelled to carry out an audit of your child protection policies; you have already failed in your duty of care to Tomoya-san and I have no intention to allow you to fail any other students."
"I am merely trying to be mindful of any disruption to the other students in the respective classes."
"I fail to see what possible disruption his relocation is going to cause, Tomoya-san's record shows he has shown some aggression, but has never been proven to be violent, and a large proportion of that aggression can easily be explained as a sleep deprived, abused and marginalised young man's response to a teaching staff that has largely given up on him; this will be happening, whether it requires your removal from the position of head teacher or not is entirely up to you." The head paled as Mitzaki-san made her statement in a smooth but stern tone of voice. Personally, I was finding it difficult not to smile as the head teacher squirmed.
"That will not be necessary, I will make the arrangements, Tomoya-san you will start in your new class on Monday morning, and will consider you to be starting on a clean slate regarding your attendance; I will make arrangements with Komura-sensei for your resitting of the first-year exams he will apprise you of the details."
"Thank you, sensei."
"Is there anything else you wish to discuss Mitzaki-san?"
"Not at this time no, however some of my colleagues will be in touch to carry out a review of your school records, I would very much like to know how many more students have been allowed to slip through the cracks." With that Mitzaki-san stood up and motioned for us to leave. She gave him a particularly icy glare as we left.
"The nerve of the man, honestly I'll be surprised if he keeps his job." Mitzaki-san was still fuming as we stepped out into the courtyard.
"That was awesome, thank you Mitzaki-san." Unable to contain my mirth any longer I couldn't help but laugh at the face the head had made when Mitzaki-san chewed him out.
"You are quite welcome Tomoya-san, I had not expected to be quite so wrong when I told you that everyone in the meeting was there to help you."
"I'll admit he got under my skin a bit as well, I may take a look and see if he has anything like outstanding parking tickets or something." Officer Sato had been silent throughout the meeting, but most of it was outside his purview.
"I believe I'll bring up his attitude at the next parents association meeting, you two should get yourselves back to class for homeroom, I'll hang on here and give you a lift home." As instructed Tomoyo and I headed back to our classrooms.
"Okazaki, I was beginning to wonder if you'd make it back today, how did your meeting with the head go?"
"That depends of who you ask, the outcome was what we were hoping for, but we weren't expecting him to be quite so resistant."
"Sounds like an interesting meeting, I'll check in with him later. Take your seat, we won't be here too much longer." Sunohara leaned over to me as I sat down.
"So, what was all that about?"
"I'll tell you after. I'll just end up having to repeat myself." After homeroom finished Fujibayashi and Kyou walked over to my desk.
"Okazaki-kun, did everything go okay?"
"Yes, it did thanks for asking Fujibayashi, I got to watch the head getting chewed out, so it was worth it." Fujibayashi was at a loss for words.
"Seriously? The head got chewed out?"
"Yeah, he managed to piss off the social worker, so there's going to be a full review of the school records to see if anyone else should have been helped but wasn't. So, you'll probably get a visit from a social worker too."
"Me? Why would they want to talk to me?"
"Your school record isn't that different to mine, so figure they want to check the school isn't just doing the same as they did with me. Don't worry though, they'll soon work out you're just a moron and leave you alone."
"You trying to make out you're better than me or something?"
"Turns out my IQ is pretty high, so yeah pretty much."
"You, a high IQ yeah right, what is it then." Kyou was definitely not going to believe me.
"140 according to the test thing I did, but I'm told that it should be higher than that because I hadn't slept much when I took the test."
"I don't think those stupid test things on Facebook count." Told you she wouldn't believe me.
"It was the same program schools use, so I'm told it would be accurate."
"Okazaki-kun, that's wonderful news."
"Y-yeah, good for you." Kyou was stunned. "So, what's going to happen now, are you going to get extra lessons or something?"
"Sort of, I'm actually being moved down a year, and I will get extra homework and lessons so I can retake my first-year exams too."
"You're what!" Sunohara sprang to his feet, unfortunately for him it made Kyou jump and she elbowed him in the face, making him drop to the floor like a sack of potatoes.
"You're really being moved to a different class?" Fujibayashi looked a little teary eyed.
"Yeah, it's my best chance to undo all of the damage my dad did to my life."
"But we can still come and see you, can't we?" Even Kyou was looking a bit upset for some reason.
"I don't see why not."
"Do you know what class you're going to?" Kyou still look really uncomfortable.
"I'm going to be in 2-B with Tomoyo."
"Oh, so she will be there as well will she." That's weird response.
"Yeah, something wrong with that?"
"No, it's nothing."
"If you say so, anyway, tomorrow is going to be my last day in this class."
"But what about your friends?"
"But Kyou already said she'd come and visit."
"I meant me!"
"Sorry, but I've never thought of you as a friend."
"Gah! Fine!" Sunohara stomped off out of the classroom, he and Tomoyo arrived at the door at the same time from opposite directions. "It's all your fault!" Sunohara made the mistake of thrusting a finger at Tomoyo, a heartbeat later he was lying on the floor ten feet away, with a footprint on his forehead.
"What was my fault?"
*Groan*
"Tomoya, do you know what he was talking about?"
"Not sure, could be pms."
"So, I hear you're stealing Tomoya away from us." Kyou stood next to me with her arms folded across her chest, and an icy glare on her face.
"Saying I'm stealing him would suggest you are under the mistaken belief he was yours in the first place."
"Why you…"
"Onee-chan, it really is what's best for Okazaki-kun."
"Fine!" Kyou stomped off with her sister trailing behind.
"What was that all about?"
"You really don't know?"
"Not a clue."
"Tomoya, I love you dearly, but you really are oblivious sometimes."
"I love you too, but I still don't know what you're on about."
"They're in love with you."
"They who?" Tomoyo raised an eyebrow. "You mean…"
"Yes."
"Both of them?"
"Yes."
"Wow, I did not see that coming."
"So, you've never considered them romantically?"
"Good God no, Kyou's a psychopath and Fujibayashi's a hamster, her head would explode if you so much as laid a finger on her."
"But you're okay with me?"
"Yeah, of course, you're beautiful, smart, determined, feminine and really cute when you blush."
"You think I'm feminine?"
"Well yeah, the way you move is so graceful, and the way you brush your hair over your ear always makes my heart flutter."
"You really think that?"
"Yeah."
"Well thank you." Tomoyo's usually stoic expression, softened into a smile and she blushed slightly. "We should get going, Dad is waiting for us."
"You really are cute you know." Tomoyo went a bit pinker and took my hand, leading me out to the car park.
"Hello you two, you look happy."
"Just relieved to know what's happening from here."
"Good to know, but that doesn't explain why my daughter is blushing; but I suspect that I'm best leaving that one alone. I was talking to Mitzaki-san about this Komura-sensei, do you know him at all?"
"Yeah, he was my homeroom teacher in my first year, is there a problem?"
"Not as such no, Mitzaki-san speaks very highly of him."
"Yeah, I doubt I'd still be in school if it wasn't for him."
"Really? Well that's good to know, Mitzaki-san was hoping he'd mentor you, but he's retiring at the end of the year."
"That's a real shame, he's basically the only teacher here that ever gave a damn about me."
"Hmm, would you object if we went to see if we can talk to him before we go?"
"Fine with me." We headed back the way we came. We managed to get to the office just before Komura left.
"Komura-sensei, I've heard a great deal about you."
"Hmmm, nothing bad I hope."
"Quite the opposite; are you aware of Tomoya-san's situation?"
"I am indeed, I very much regret that we didn't catch it earlier."
"Would you have any opinions on why it wasn't?"
"I believe the reporting process is flawed, I made my concerns known, but once the report is made, further action is out of my hands."
"Did you suspect abuse in his first year?"
"No, there were none of the usual indicators, but I was concerned with his mental state."
"Alright, Tomoya-san's social worker was hoping that you would act as a mentor for Tomoya-san, but I understand you are retiring at the end of the year."
"That is my intention, yes."
"Could you be persuaded to reconsider? Tomoya-san tells me you are the only teacher at the school that ever made an effort to help him." Komura-sensei studied me closely.
"I do not believe Tomoya-san will require my help beyond this year."
"What makes you say that?"
"Now you are free of your father's influence, I believe you will be an exceptional student, but without the challenges that have held you back so far, you will not require exceptional guidance."
"I don't know… would you at least hold off on making a decision until we see how this year goes?"
"Hmmm….. very well, I will reserve judgment for a while."
"Thank you, sensei."
I was sceptical to begin with, but what he said does make a certain amount of sense; but this year was definitely going to be difficult, extra classes, extra exams and a heck of a lot of extra stress. But for now, all I could do was take one thing at a time.
Tomoyo and I spent most of the evening huddled up over the dinning room table, as I tried to get up to speed with the classes I would be taking on Monday; surprisingly I remembered more of the material from last year than I thought I had learned in the first place.
Living in the same house as Tomoyo definitely had its compensations, but then again, it had its down sides too.
"Are you sure you're okay to continue?"
"Yeah, I'm fine thank you."
"Really, you're not just saying that, so I don't worry?"
"Tomoyo, I'm fine, really."
"I really don't mind if you'd rather take a break."
"Tomoyo, I love you to bits, but you are being a bit overprotective right now. I need you to ease off a bit." Tomoyo looked despondent. "Look, I know you're doing it because you love me, and with everything that's happening you're really worried, but I'm honestly fine."
"Really? You are sure?"
"I'm free from my dad, I'm getting the chance to fix my exam scores and better still I get to live in the same house as you, what could possibly be wrong?"
"Well, as long as you're sure, but you'll tell me if that changes?"
"You'd be the first person I'd turn to; so, can we keep studying for a bit longer?"
"Okay."
With that settled, we returned to our books, I slept better that night than I think I have in years, although it did make getting out of bed that much harder, especially as Tomoyo had council business in the morning again, I decided I'd rather walk in with her again, I can always sleep on my desk again anyway.
I was woken up by a soft thunk on the desk and a whiff of coffee.
"I-I'm sorry Okazaki-kun I-I didn't mean to wake you, I just though you would like some coffee again so…" I stretched and blinked the sleep from my eyes.
"Thanks Fujibayashi, that's really thoughtful of you." She blushed, further reinforcing Tomoyo's assessment from the previous day.
"Oh, y-you are very welcome, y-you seem much better than yesterday."
"Yeah, I slept like a log last night, I think just knowing where I stand and what's happening next made all the difference. Knowing that I won't have to see my dad ever again helps too."
"I'm glad to hear you are doing better, we were very worried, you looked so ill." Fujibayashi blushed at her own admission. "It won't be the same when you move classes."
"I appreciate that, thank you, you can always come and say hello, any time you like."
"R-really?"
"Yeah, of course, you and Kyou were the only people other than Sunohara that would talk to me. You and your sister are basically the only friends I've had since I came to this school."
"R-Really, y-you think of me as a f-friend?"
"Yeah, I really do. And thanks again for the coffee." Fujibayashi smiled, turned bright red and trotted off to her own desk.
The rest of the morning went by uneventfully, until Sunohara stomped in just in time for home room to start at the end of the day.
"Why the hell are you even here for, isn't it a bit pointless turning up now?"
"I know, one of your social workers set up a meeting, they even called my parents."
"They're not my social workers, there's one that has been assigned to me, but the rest are investigating the school."
"Whatever… it's not like you care anyway, you're leaving after today anyway."
"Look for what it's worth, I am grateful, if you hadn't let me hang out in your dorm, I don't know where else I could have gone to avoid my dad. So, thank you." Sunohara stared at me as if waiting for the punch line.
"Yeah… sure…"
"A word of advice, don't just dismiss the social worker, they may actually be able to help you."
"Right… You alright man? You're talking weird."
"I feel better than I have in years." Sunohara eyed me suspiciously.
"Really…?"
"Really."
"So, what are you doing now, do you want to hit the arcade?"
"I've got to go see Komura about how my resit exams and extra lessons are going to work. Besides, don't you have an appointment anyway?"
"Yeah, but I was thinking of blowing it off."
"Good to know you really took on board my advice. Plus, they aren't going to just go away because you blow them off." Sunohara just grunted and slumped over his desk.
"Good afternoon Tomoya-san… you are looking much more rested today… "
"Yeah, I guess I was more affected by the situation than I thought. I didn't expect to be so relieved."
"indeed… I am pleased to hear it… shall we discuss your extra lessons."
"Right, so how are we going to work in the extra study?"
"I will be giving you additional lessons during club times three times a week, and Saturday afternoons… once I am content that you are capable of passing the exams… we will begin taking them during the Saturday sessions… "
"Sounds reasonable, when do we start?"
"I will allow you this afternoon off… we can commence our lessons on Monday… it will be a difficult time for you… if the schedule combined with the pressure of the court case prove too much, we may have to adjust the timetable… "
"Thank you, sensei, I'll do my best."
"I have no doubt you will, you have a reason to work hard this time."
"Yeah, I do." So that would be my fate for the coming year, study, study and more study.