trapped by fire

i. just ask me to save you

I watch from the safe shadows of the club room. I can see the two of you. You are flailing your arms around madly that it looked like you were about to fly, pleading mercy from Inui who was holding an empty mug. Hn. Interesting.

"I-nu-iiiii! I didn't mean to spill your mug of Aozu! It shouldn't even be there on that table that people could easily knock it over!" you try to reason.

But to Inui, your reasons were invalid. "But with proper control, Eiji, that power volley of yours would have landed within the court area and not outside of it where my Aozu was. And I was supposed to test it today. To make up for it, you will be my first test subject for the Super Grand Revitalizing Inui Juice Remix 2.5."

"But, I-nu-iiiii! I don't want to! I'm really sorry and everything but please don't let me drink your Super Grand Inui Juice of Doom!" you plead.

"It's Super Grand Revi-"

Time for my entrance. "Hello, Eiji, Inui. What a wonderful morning, ne?"

"Yes. Good morning, Fuji," Inui greeted while you stood there at the same spot completely looking hopeless.

Hmm, I wonder. What to do, what to do. It'd be fun to see what this new juice of Inui could do. But then –

"Fujiiii, Inui is making me drink his new juice," you say, looking at me, tugging on the sleeve of my jacket.

Much as I love to see people suffer, I couldn't resist the look you were giving me.

I smile. At you.

"Is that so? Inui," I said after a pause, sure that the team's data man was listening "I would like to try your new juice first."

"Of course. I'll just go get it inside." After saying this, Inui disappeared into the club room then returned a few seconds later carrying the same mug – only this time it was filled with greenish-brownish liquid. He hands the mug to me.

I feel you squeeze my arm gently.

You return my smile. Your eyes had a certain glint in them as if they were saying, 'thank you.'

"Okay, Inui! Now you have Fuji to test this new juice of yours, I'm going back to practice, nya!" You say while running back to the courts.

And I am left with Inui and a mug full of unknown liquid content. I force a smile while drinking the bitter concoction.

"How is it, Fuji? Feeling revitalized?" he asks, opening his trademark green notebook.

"A little too bitter." I think I'm going to throw up later.

"Ii data."

I could hear you voice from the distance yelling, "Don't hit too hard, Ochibi! It's only practice, nya!"

For you, I would drink as much juice as Inui could make. Anytime. Just ask me to save you.

ii. so i am a cat too

It doesn't seem like you, but your favorite subject is World History. For you, it' just a series of stories happening one after the other. You could just imagine them happening in your head as if the memories of history were yours. You say you find it fascinating.

But today is just… different. It's just plain boring. And the substitute teacher's droning voice wasn't helping at all.

From where I sit behind you, I can see you scribbling something on your notebook. (I seriously think that the two of us are the only people actually awake aside from those whose minds are floating in other solar systems.)

"Psst… What are you doing, Eiji?"

"Ah, nothing."

I straighten my posture so that the teacher would think I'm listening to his boring lecture – and to see your scribbles better.

I could see the chibi drawings you were doing. There was a tree (or was that broccoli?) wearing glasses. Beside it was a big rock also wearing glasses. On the grass, a snake wearing a bandana was trying to eat an egg (with bangs that look tad too familiar). Then there were two cats sharing a can of grape Ponta, sushi and burgers. (All of the edible things in the drawing had these happy little faces on them.) You drew the Regulars.

Your tilt your head a little to face me and say, "You can sleep if you like, Fuji. I could cover you if I sit like…" You move a little to the left and sat straighter. "…this."

I, in turn, rest my head in the comfort of my folded arms on the table.

"I'll take you up on that offer, Eiji. Thank you." I close my eyes to nap.

I could feel you look at me. "I'll wake you up when class is over."

The teacher's voice drones on.

"So I'm a cat, too?"

"Un," you reply.

iii. we are best friends, right?

Lunch time. Our desks are facing each other. I am pretending to look at what's outside the window – it'd be too awkward if I was just sitting and looking at you, ne?

"What's wrong, Fuji? Aren't you hungry?"

"Nothing, Eiji," I say, sitting properly, now facing you. "Have you seen a Himalayan cat before?"

"I don't think so… No. Why do you ask?"

I open the bento box neesan fixed for me. "I think I just saw one up in the tree."

"You're just hungry, nya. Eat up already!" You point your chopsticks at me. It held a piece of futomaki.

…

Wait. You're not pointing the chopsticks at me. You're trying to feed me the futomaki.

Hmm, what should I do?

Should I refuse? (Then you'd go all pouty at me.)

Should I eat it? (It's your chopsticks! It would just seem… wrong.)

Chew, chew, chew. Swallow. "It's very delicious, Eiji. Who made it?"

I couldn't help it. I was about to refuse but you moved your chopsticks closer to my mouth… and my mouth opened on its own accord. And that's how the futomaki met its fate.

"I did! Pretty good, huh? Taka-san taught me how, nya," you say before taking another roll of futomaki.

Three years. It's been three years since we started eating lunch together like this. Three years worth of mornings and afternoons of walking from home to school and from school to home. Three years already seems like a long time, don't you think?

And… it makes me wonder, what am I to you, Eiji?

Someone who's conveniently been in all your classes? Just a boy who's on the same tennis team? Someone who's been sitting behind you for three years?

"Yo, Fu-jiiiii. Fu-jiiii!"

"Hai. What is it, Eiji?"

"Maa… You've been spacing out again." Oh. Was I just been staring out the window? "I was just asking you if I could have some of your mochi there."

"Sure." I push my bento box towards you.

"Hey. You're not taking this, like, in a bad way, right? I mean I'm always trying out your lunch even though I have my own. You can always ask for some of mine, okay?" You say with a worried face. Am I really this transparent for you to worry over? You continue,"I mean, we're best friends, right?"

I get a hold of my own chopsticks and start eating with appetite.

I smile.

"Right."

I'm glad to be your best friend, Eiji.

Fire and Ice
Prince of Tennis
published 05-31-07
edited 07-22-11