"Alright everybody, turn in your math tests! Just for today you get an HOUR of lunch and playtime!" Mr. Johnson bellows, the stopwatch on his wrist beeping from the timed assignment. Most of the class heaves sighs of reliefs, most jumping up to hand their tests into a pile and run to the bathroom.
"Can't take it! Gotta rush!" Eddie screams to himself, holding his pants tightly and hustled out of the bathroom. Nate stretches his arms over his hair, reaching high into the skies. Or the ceiling if you may. He twists his wrists feeling a slight crunch and gets up to put his test onto Johnsons desk.
Jibanyan was busy looking for the best spot to nap, and get a good toasty setting from the sun. He never found it due to the class having such a high indifference with having heating on or off. How no one else picks up on the unwrapped chocobars on the floor is beyond Whisper, and he's the one to casually scoop them up when the others were too focused.
"Did you really have to come and spy on us while taking a test Fidgephant? Only 3 kids could go!" He lightly scolds the paciderm just up to his knees. The tough elephant shrugged, pitter-patting his feet following his friend out to the hallways to grab a breather.
"I can't help it! You humans fill yourself with stress, and before I know it you all gotta let it out eventually!" He hopped up and down like Eddie was when he ran off to the bathroom. The others take their time coming out, to wash their face or drink water. Andy, Mark, Maya and Katie are tasked to gather the filled pots and pans for today's lunch.
"Oh boy, I can't wait for lunch! Today's a seafood special!" His eyes sparkled along with a drooling mouth.
"Nate are you sure you studied for that math test? I don't believe you even tried." Whisper rummages out from the classroom through the crack in the door. "If you ask me, math is over rated." Jibanyan plops out reading a NEXT Harmeowny magazine. Thus, their daily arguments of it being a yokai's fault Nate couldn't concentrate well and Whispers unpleasant badgering comes to a start.
Unaware to the trio, a dark haired boy watches from a far, along with Lina and her other semi-psychic friend. He feels his heart steady then faster the second he sees him flaunting to, what the others see, the air. His ears perk up as Lina opens her mouth and adds a comment on his actions.
"Wonder why he does that a lot? Alas, he doesn't know that ghosts don't exist."
This upset Lucas. He lightly shakes his head at the ignorant comment, as the other 2 walk away to the bathroom. He sighs with his nose, going back into the classroom. Venoct awaits outside hiding atop the roof, waiting for the heir to finish his day of school. Life as a person that can see and talk to yokai is frustrating.
He sits down, and grabs one of his books from his bag awaiting for the morsels to make their way into the classroom. He had no one to talk to about what he sees or how the yokai act, because he would only be turned down as just fantasy. All his life, the ability left him albeit lonely even with the other kids being his friend.
Half yokai, half human, but doesn't talk so much. He wonders just how the others can go about their day as if nothing happened. Even he himself must go on with his day, so no one thought he was crazy or a weirdo. That wasn't the same with…
Nate.
For some reason, ever since he received that watch of his, he spied on them only from a corner to witness himself using the item, and watched as the flying cloud would scold him about bad ideas and his constant unwanted behavior when it came to wanting or needing something. Lucas admits, the red cat his more comedic than helpful.
Just like a yokai's fault, people go on with their day after witnessing Nate have his distinguishable moments being inspirited by a handful of yokai as the day goes by. Blazion was never an issue, Wazzat was annoying and dazzabelle was a nuisance in picking out clothes.
Regardless, he too befriended them without a watch. Seeing him as the key heir to the yokai realm they treated him with utmost respect, and the usual playtime they had with the other humans.
But this average boy in his class made his mind go nuts. Sometimes he worried for Nate when he was getting into trouble, considered joining him in conversations so it didn't look like he was talking to himself. Nate gave everybody his undivided attention, but Lucas could only do so much.
Nate was always in a hurry to play with Eddie and Bear, and cooing over Katie to ever actually spend time with him. The only other kid within the school, who could see and befriend yokai and he barely mustered the courage to start talking to him. Lucas needs at least someone in this world to talk to him about yokai and their various escapades.
"Who's ready to eat!?" Andy yells coming in through the door, and Lucas places his unopened book back into his bag. His mind goes back to the one song he always feels so tuned when watching the stop motion musical.
I sense there's something in the wind
That feels like tragedy's at hand
Although I'd like to stand by him, can't shake this feeling that I have
The worst is just around the bend
And does he notice? My feelings for him? And will he see
How much he means to me, it's simply not to be
He gets up and grabs a tray for his bowl, plate and cup. He gets in line first rather earlier, hoping Venoct has anything good he's seen through the day or what games and assignments he may need help with.
The bowl was filled with steaming hot clam chowder. The plate was smacked with slices of baked salmon, receiving a brown bread roll, a tray of fruit and a carton of cranberry juice. He gives his thank you's to Andy and the rest of the lunch crew. Before he returned to his seat, Johnson rewarded him a giant cookie.
"For all your hard work!" Johnson smiles. Lucas laughs and sits back down.
What will become of my dear friend? Where will his actions lead us then.
Although I'd like to join the crowd
In their enthusiastic cloud. Try as I may it doesn't last
And will we ever, end up together? No I think not
It's never to become… For I am not the one
"AWWW MAN!" a familiar voice piped, snapping him from his thoughts and music. Nate comes in, and by the looks of it his usual seat was taken by other friends. "Why not try sitting somewhere else Nyate? Cats always prefer privacy." Jibanyan nibbles his paw.
From the looks of it, only two seats were taken in Lucas' group. Kenny is absent, but he hardly believes Nate would want to sit next to him. Being quiet all the time, Lucas might just have spooked some friends away. Eric and Shelly come back from their small outings and begin to take their lunch trays.
He takes in the aroma of the cooked chowder, and blows on his spoon to cool the soup down and takes a bite. He could taste the tangy flavor of salt in his mouth, delighted by the soup.
"Hey Lucas, can I sit next you?" He coughs up a little bit, realizing that it also went the other way. Lucas makes out Nate standing right next to him, now concerned that the black-haired boy was choking on something. Nate grabs one of his water bottles from his bookbag and hands over to him, lightly patting his back.
His throat hurt, eyes starting to water and nose running and now he has Nate right next to him. About 2 minutes pass by when his coughing fit finally dies down, wiping away his tears with a napkin.
"I-I'm sorry for-for worrying you." He coughs a little more from the ordeal.
"No, no it's ok! That's happened to me lots of times! Are you alright now?" He puts a hand to his shoulder. Lucas looks at Nate's eyes, blush apparent from the event. It darkened a teeny weanie bit more, as his crush was there to console him.
"Y-Yes. I'm fine now." To his dismay, but relief Eric and Shelley haven't come back to sit with them. Just now did he remember that they have the option of eating outside, so they must be doing just that. The second they finish, they can go to the playground and rough house. To him, his amusement and peace was with Nate.
"Goodness Nate, you be careful too! Who knows if chunks of the chowder could choke another child." Whisper notes, gently cooling down the chowder also. "I hope you're going to share that, if you're eating it right nyext to me." Jibanyan adds poking at the salmon on Nates tray. He shoos them away and gets settled in next to Lucas.
"It's not that hot."
A giant drum slams itself, only to be heard in the ears of the four beings at said tables.
His blush becomes a little more apparent looking away from Nate, trying to disregard the comment he made clearly for Whisper. In Nate's mind, he was sure running away would be the only option for Lucas to hear this AND respond. Besides his minor shock, he sees that Lucas is a little disturbed.
Making sure everyone else was minding their business, he taps his shoulder, trying to grab his attention once more.
"Did you… Can you… see yokai Lucas?" He asked his stuttering friend. All Lucas could do was look back at his lap, frown apparent. He nods, just waiting for the boy to scream that he was a weirdo. But why was this his fear? It wasn't. It was the fact he could see yokai too but didn't mention it one bit to Nate who BEARS a yokai watch.
"That's amazing!" His eyes (well eye) shoot back up, and looks at Nate directly unsure if he was joking or not.
"I didn't think anyone else here did! No one would believe me if I told em!" Just like Lucas, Nate has a blush and looks the other way, with Whisper and Jibanyan Lying on the floor just waiting for him to made fun of.
"I have been all my life." Lucas says, trying to regroup Nate's behavior.
Nate looks to him now, realizing that he doesn't have a yokai watch. "You ever talk to them?" He asks casually trying to get his voice back to its regular tone. Lucas smiles, and takes a hold of a fillet of salmon on his tray and starts to eat again.
"I have. Some-Some are good and others are bad but they don't do things as often as they want to." He explains.
"Wow! Whisper how come you nyever caught on to him?"
"Wh-What do you mean!? I make sure everything is neat and tidy and responsible of my master ever needs help on yokai, not with his friends!" The two squabble. Lucas… laughs at them. Not just a laugh that it was funny, but a genuine one. "Yeah these two can't get along even if you paid them to." Nate commented rubbing the back of his head.
"To tell you the truth… I-I wanted to tell you I can but… I just thought you'd think I was crazy. You have the watch and all but others spread rumors." Lucas says playing with his thumbs.
"No I know what you mean. I don't know if our friends in here think we're a tad bit crazy." He sweat drops just thinking back to all the times yokai have inspirited his classmates, and it was up to him to get things back to normal then be thought of as weird.
"I agree with you." They were left in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Nate pops up once more, scaring Lucas' pants off. Being next to his significant other is one thing, but these constant outbursts might just be another.
"It's ok though. Just because others don't believe us, doesn't mean they're right, huh?"
Like shrugging off his problems were a breeze, Lucas looks at his friend in awe. This average titled boy could just go about the rest of the day like nothing happened, and they JUST told each other they both could see yokai. Befriend them too!
If Lucas had the powers of invisibility (and yet he and Venoct just aren't sure about yet) he could leave the room without being seen. His blush became a deep scarlet, and Nate was getting flustered again. "Lucas what's wrong? Did you eat something you're allergic to?! Was it something I-"
Nate puts the last of the puzzle together. He silences his mouth once more, looking at Lucas with sympathetic eyes. His face reddens like a raddish, but he takes a hold of Lucas' hand, startling the other but not wanting to take his hand away. He looks at those brown eyes, holding more than the term average.
"I-It's ok. I wasn't sure anyone was interested in me…"
"You're more than just a boy in Elementary school Nate. I just wanted someone to talk more to." Lucas shrugs.
Nate takes an arm around Lucas' shoulders and brings him in close. "If you want to talk to anybody about yokai or general things… You can always come to me." Lucas sheds a tear, his arm winding around Nate's waist. No one was paying attention but Whisper and Jiba at this moment.
"Hey where did you get that cookie?"
"Johnson gave it to me. You wanna share?"
Nate smiles, nods and Lucas breaks off half the giant morsel and gives it to his friend.
My dearest friend,
if you don't mind
I'd like to join you by your side
Where we could gaze into the stars and sit together, now and forever
for it is plain, as anyone can see,
We're simply meant to be