Well after a long long long time I'm here again... but this time... guess what? I HAVE A BETA!
Yes... A lot of thanks to my Beta Audrey... you are awsome!
Puzzel
Chapter 2: Into the Spotlight
He carries his brother all over the avenue until they reach their house. He tries to rest a little bit, not that Ryoma was too heavy it was that he was not aware to carry kids to home, just his own things like books and racket… sometimes bags full of who knows what his mother brought from the market, they were heavy but he has to carry them for a short distance that was between the car and the kitchen..
He lay Ryoma in one of the benches that were in the street as he tries to regain force,. Ryoma in other side was totally asleep, his checks were in a shade of pink and his hair was a mess… he looks like and angel while he sleeps. But when he opens his eyes things were very different. He was like his dad has describe him, a silly little boy, annoying one that believes he could do everything by his own… but he doesn't understand that he was too little to make it by himself.
But what Ryoga keeps on mind was what was he doing in that place? How did he get there? He doesn't even know if he should tell this to his dad… this was a serious problem but if he tells it to somebody maybe Ryoma would be angry with him. It was very difficult being a big brother… nobody have taught him how to be and what to do. He was scratching his head when a little hand grabs him by the wrist…
-"…" – He was looking at him with his big cat eyes… he was looking at him trying to choose his words. – "A..ri… arigatou"
-"Don't worry, it was nothing… so… what were you doing at this hours?" – Ryoga dares to ask while Ryoma remains silence as he tries to be more comfortable hugging his knees.
-"I don't know…"
-"That's not an answer! How could you don't know? What were you doing then?" – Ryoga sounds alarm with that kind of answers.
-"I told you that I don't know, I don't remember it!" – Ryoga couldn't accept this answer but if he explodes he wouldn't get any so he tries to stay calm and ask again.
-"Then where did you went alter school?" – Maybe that should have been the first question because I have asked him to stay and wait for me.
-"That's not your business" – After all he keeps his freshness… what a jerk.
-"Is this not my business? I ask you to wait for me and you go! Now I came here and got you in that place where anything could have happen to you!" – He was beginning to sound like his mother.
-"Oh… don't tell me you didn't know how to return to the house alone? What kind of big brother you are?" – Dad was right, this kid could drive crazy anyone, he was saying a loto f things but none of them was the answer of he was looking for… how was he going to get an answer?
-"Ok… another question… why was he pushing you?"
-"I don't know that answer either?" – He was stubborn.
-"You don't know anything don't you? You didn't know that you where in danger? Something bad could have happen to you if I didn't get there on time?"
-"I think that it is not your problem, you don't have to act like dad only because you are a little bit older than me! I want to forget this now because I'm tired and I want to sleep" – He was getting annoyed as always now. Why couldn't he stay sleep for a little longer? With his eyes close everything was more easy even to understand him.
-"But is not like that! I'm bigger and I have to take care of you and prevent anything wrong happens and that bruise in you cheek is something wrong!" – Ryoma touch his own cheek… for his face he was trying to forget the pain.
-"be happy then because you have done your 'big brother' job. Now if you don't like my answers go and tell everything to dad… I don't care! – Ryoma looses his entire clam, he was yelling now.
-"You are an ungrateful evil dwarf just like dad told me… maybe I'm going to follow your advice and tell dad everything. Maybe I should have let your friend hit you a little bit more. Nobody can understand you, you don't want to understand and even less to hear, that's why you always fight with him… you are just a kid who believes you can do everything" – Ryoga was sick about this now so he left him there, in the bench that looks loner than ever.
Otherwise Ryoma stays there a little longer. Why does everyone try to bother him? They have a live… don't they? The boy doesn't return to his home in a while. He stays outside waiting for them to go to sleep or get busy with something because he doesn't want anymore questions. When he finally gets in he grabs a bag and put inside some ices and run into his room.
Once there he lies in his bed and puts the ice in the bruise… It really hurts him… maybe he should go to his father and tell him everything before Ryoga goes. But now he was hungry and he needs to eat something… a little visit to the kitchen would solve the problem.
He stands up and gets out of his room trying to make no noise. He runs when he was in front of Ryoga's door who was listening to music… his dad was also sleeping in one of the living room sofas while his mom was reading a magazine. The kitchen was clean as always… his mom was a cleaning freak and when she founds something dirty or out of place she gets really angry. He takes out a milk bottle and to bread slides… he made an effort and climbs one of the five high banks that were in the kitchen, he sits and began to eat in silence… silence, without a bothering dad and his new brother who seems more bothering than his own dad.
He likes to be there alone chewing slowly his bread or toasts… looking the table… looking the refrigerator he could see the Ponta cans that his mother hides there.
He was relax thinking in who knows what when he heard footsteps that little by little were coming closer. By the noise of the footsteps he could guess it was his mom… it was going to be difficult to trick her as easier as his father… if she see him she was going to ask about the bruise… he has to hide his face.
Without a second thought he made two holes in one of the slides of the bread and the he puts it on his face… he could see trough the holes.
-"Ryoma? Darling, what are you doing with that bread on your face? You know that you can't play with the food" – his mom wasn't angry but he doesn't take the bread out of his face… he wasn't going to take it out. – "Take that out of your face and eat it now or through into the trash" – but her son was not doing what she orders… he couldn't do it…
-"I'm going to eat it at my room…" – he jumps out of the bank and began to run…
-"Stop there!" – The boy couldn't escape – "You couldn't go without clearing… and you know you can't eat at your room… you are going to get everything dirt" – Rink has her hands at her waist waiting to Ryoma come back and clean the kitchen.
Ryoma turn himself around to clean the kitchen… he was walking slowly while he tries to think a plan to get out of there. Rinko in other hand sit down in one of the banks waiting for his son to clean up his little mess while she drinks a cup of tea. She knows already that his son was trying to hide something because he would never leave the kitchen in a mess, even less in front of her.
-"Hey… you need your both hands to clean… that jeans that you have to left tha bread in the table while you clean" – Ryoma look at her with his huge eyes that look smaller through the holes, his hands doesn't want to leave the bread in the table as his brain works hard to find a way to escape.
But Rinko wasn't going to wait for him all the night so she sits him in the table to look directly into his eyes… her sight wants to melt that bread so she could see his face. With her own hands she removes the bread from his face… taking his little hands from his face… the bread doesn't stay a lot of time there and fell obeying the gravity and revealing the bruised cheek.
-"What happen to you, to your cheek?"
-"Where?" – He tries to act innocence and not to anguish her mom.
-"Does it hurt?"
-"No…" – But that was a big lie. Rinko tries touching with careful his check but he whimpers with that simple touch. – "Auuuuu… Itaii"
-"But you told me that it doesn't hurt!" – He avoids her eyes so she couldn't ask for explanations – "How did you do that?" – And that was the golden question… does a golden answer exists?
-"I got hit by a tennis ball… I promise I'll be more careful next time but please… don't tell this to dad… he is going to mock me!"
-"Why did I'm going to mock? What did you do now?" – His dad enters into the kitchen scratching his head and moving his neck side to side as he walks toward them. Nanjiroh reacts just as Ryoma has expected… as soon as he saws him he began to laugh.– "How did you do that? What a clumsy son do I have?"
-"Shut up and stop laughing! This is a serious problem and you are here laughing like a jerk! Stop mocking him" - Rinko tries to save his son but as they began arguing Ryoma tries not to listen them putting his hands in his ears… he hates this kind of fights especially when they did it in front of him. All those yelling make him feel awful because in a way or other it was his fault… he was to clumsy sometimes and as Ryoga says he really was to little to make things in the right way.
He jumps out of the table where he was sit and runaway of the house. His favorite place to hide in this case was sit under a little tree near the tennis court and makes himself as tiny as an ant. He could hear them argue from here… even if he doesn't remove his hands from his ears.
He stays there until he heard the fight was over. He gets into the house by the kitchen and run into his room. His mother was sitting in his bed waiting for him to show again.
-"Where do you were hiding now?" – But he doesn't say a word. His mom seams angry but not with him. Ryoma lay in his bed putting his head on the pillow while she puts him an ice bag on his face. They remain in silence while the ices melts cause the heat of the bruise. After a while his mother became herself again and put away the ice bag of his face and put some cream on the bruise before turning of the lights of the room and return to argue with his father in their own room.
Days were almost the same… he must be used to it but sometimes it was hard to handle with it. Sometimes he was scared that something bad could happen and they could leave him behind for all the problems he made.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Sleep was hard thing to make but he finally did it. It doesn't was that he wasn't used to fights, no, by the other side he was used to hear the neighbor's yelling all the day calling for his sons by the window. It was awful thing to hear early mornings especially because of that yelling he woke up and he found things that he never expect. The fight that his dad have yesterday with Rinko, his wife, was very intense, he never believe that they could fight like that especially because they look so happy at dinner time… the problem was Ryoma as he had heard… maybe it was his bruise face… what kina of explanation have they heard?
That was not his problem now because he had promise himself to stay apart from his little brother… after all he was going to stay there only for a couple of months… after that he doesn't have to see him again…
He gets ready to go to school but when he go into the first floor the atmosphere was hard. Nanjiroh and Rinko were drinking their coffee looking right into their eyes while Ryoma tries to stays awake without felling into his own cereal… it looks like he couldn't sleep too cause his eyes were dull and red.
Ryoga sits in one of the chairs and grab a toast, some jam and orange juice. When he finish he stands ups, wash his cup just like Nanjiroh suggested about his wife's cleaning mania.
-"I'm going to school… see you later…"
-"Take your brother with you… and hurry up because you are late" – Nanjiroh bark from his chair.
It looks like to stay apart form him was an impossible task now… to take him to school was going to be pick in the ass.
-"Hurry up, I don't want to be late" – Ryoga barks to Ryoma who jumps out of the tall chair, grabs his backpack and run alter his brother. Ryoga in other side walks very fast trying to make a distance between them and keep out the fight term of his mind.
-"Could you please stop running? I still have short legs!" – But Ryoga was not listening to him – " Don't leave me behind…" – Ryoma tries to run as fast as he can… he knows the way he has to take but Ryoga was taking him by a route he doesn't know. There were a lot of people in the street walking faster than him and as they pass at his side pulls him back… he has the impression that he would get lost.
When he looks again after a while of running he was alone… Ryoga was nowhere… the people were still pulling him back…
If he doesn't want him near he understands perfectly… he World never follow him again. He was going to go by his own way at his own time… he never need anyone before, he doesn't need him now.
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
When he finally gets into school he saw all the cars park at the front door leaving their kids there. All the families here look in a hurry and out of time, no one stops to take a breath. He turns back to see if the bothering dwarf was there but he wasn't. Maybe he was already in his classroom… he could see him later at lunch time at the cafeteria. Now he has to run into his locker and get his things for classes.
During class he has no mayor problem just to think about what he had done earlier. He, as the older one has the responsibility… he never check if Ryoma went into classes… but maybe he get into classes, he was responsible, he doesn't need him… they were half brothers after all.
-"what do you think Ryoga?'
-"Nothing important… I just want to sleep a little, that's all" – He yawn trying to sound real.
During the rises he decides to match him… Ryoma doesn't want him near and he too. But he doesn't see him get in the cafeteria… he was beginning to scared about him until he saw him. Lots of kids were laughing about him, at first he doesn't get it but then he figured why all this hysteria. Ryoma's t-shirt was dirt and his bruised face looks angry.
He walks forcing his feet toward the loneliest chair at the corner of that place. His food for today was a bottle of milk, smashed potatoes and a piece of meat. Every bite was a hurtful triumph because every bite was as slowly as he could make it… like if it hurts to eat. The question here was what had happen to him and why was he this dirt?
-"Wow… what happen to your brother? It smells like a bad day for me!"
-"Maybe he fell somewhere" – Ryoma say it louder than he thinks… he feels like something was pulling to him… he knows that he didn't have to ask because Ryoma was not going to answer but this time he had to ask. He grabs his tray and once again he walks toward him and seats at his side. But Ryoma tries to ignore him when he sits by his side. - "Are you going to speak to me again? Would you dare to told me how did you get that dirt… chibisuke?" .
Ryoma remain silence playing with his smashed potatoes… tears fell into the food and drowns the already smashed potato that looks awful. Automatically Ryoma raise again his protection wall against all the kids that were looking at him now hiding behind his messy hair and his bruised hands.
-"Do you want me to take you to the bathroom so no one could see you chibisuke?" – Ryoga whispers. Ryoma agrees this time as his brother tries to get him out of there without notice but he couldn't… he was popular and he has all the attention and Ryoma was the opposite: been seen together was weird.
Forgetting the fact that he has to be act invisible to not get any attention he pick him up and run toward the door. Once in the bathroom he put him down so he can see him better – "What happen to you chibisuke?" – But a little fist hit him in his shoulder…
-"Not your business…" – He was resentful. How much bitterness does he have inside? – "Never leave me behind … I could have lost…" - his hit has some force but if his grief could hurt then he would be dead. – "I fell in the street running alter you… I fell and they step on me… you are meant for left me behind… Do you want me to get lost?" – He was beginning to act like a drama kid when Ryoga remember something.
Ryoga remember that they were used to be the only sons of the house and none of them know how to be and that was because they didn't know each other.
-"Sorry… I think I was still upset about yesterday… on the way back we can walk slowly if you want… want it?" – Ryoma doesn't believe that… if he had done that for one time then he can do it again whenever he wants… - "What about if I help you to wash that wounds and then I can carry you to the nurses to put you some bandages?" – being the proud kid he was it wasn't easy to clean him; he doesn't want to be help and doesn't like to visit the nurse.
He has some bloody wounds and others were the skin was a little up. To see the nurse coming with alcohol was something scary for him. He bite his own lips and close his eyes as hard as he can for not to cry. Ryoga has to admit that it hurts but it was funny seen others in pain.
Both of them get out of the nurses room alter a while. Ryoma has a lot of colorful bandages and his face as red as a tomato… he hate those kina of things. But now all the kids like his new look and by the end of the day everyone have try for accidents just to visit the nurses room.
Ryoga went to his classroom to look for him but he wasn't there. His first thought was that he had done what he did yesterday. Resign by the moment he walks out of the school trying to think in something different like how to make Ryoma wait for him tomorrow. He was crossing the door when he saw him lying in the garden. He looks like a cat under the sun with only his hands protecting his golden eyes.
-"You wait for me chibisuke!" – Ryoma tries to look at him while he sits in the garden.
-"I hope you don't left me this time… I hat these colorful bandages" – his angry face was there again but he knows already it was a façade. Once again Ryoga couldn't stop himself to mess his hair: he grabs his hand and began to walk.
At first Ryoma feels good about this. To have a big brother was something new to him, he feels a little more important but what he doesn't like was all the whispers that plague all the school outside.
They walk around one of the corners of the school where a group of girls were looking them very closely. They were whispering things to each others ears like 'What a cute dog Ryoga gets', 'Does he have a brother?', 'Is that his brother?". Ryoga ignore them by a simple smile and keep pulling Ryoma out of their sight. But Ryoma doesn't like those comments… he automatically drop his hand and return to his bubble.
-"What happen chibisuke? Did I grab your hand to tight?"
-"…"
-"Don't you want to walk?" – The girls keep looking at them - "You don't like that girls don't you? Ignore them" – But Ryoma never think in give her hand again, at least not in public and Ryoga wasn't going to accept that after all, he carry him in his back and began to run.
-"Don't!"
-"No!" – He was not going to, and he never stops even when he began with the screams, not until they were two blocks ahead. Ryoma was tired for all the screaming he has done, he just put his arms around Ryoga's neck to not fell.
-"Do you like the ride chibisuke? You don't weight a lot, it was easy for me to run" – Ryoga put him on his feet just to look his tries to not fell. His hair was in a mess and his face was still scared – "Are you alright? You look a little pale…" – a little hand once again hit him with not force.
-"I hate that! Don't do it again!"
-"I think you World like it… my friends did that to their brothers…"
-"Tell me something… was their brothers… potato sacks?"
-"No… what a grumpy mood you are today! You should be more fun chibisuke?" – Ryoga keeps walking down street in a close distance from him. Ryoma was still trying to catch his breath and trying to get some distance from him, he didn't want to be carry again… by him.
Now in his home, he went into his room to get ready and go down to eat something. Nanjroh was waiting for him in the kitchen while he reads the newspaper with his eyes stick in the sports section.
-"If you are going to see those things that mom doesn't like then at least pretend you are reading, pretend you know how to read the newspaper!" - Ryoma was the first one in the kitchen; he climbs one of the chairs to get the glasses.
-"Is that the love you have for your father? You don't love me… if you then don't tell anything of this magazine to your mother… What about a little match?" – Ryoma lift an eyebrow like trying to understand him something that he was not use to because usually he prefers to tell everything to his mother.
-"Give one reason why should I have to remain silence… Because I know mom doesn't like what you do with that magazine…"
-"Since when did you dare to menace me?"
-"That's not your business!"
-"Well I don't care so bring your raquet now… I can't wait to make you eat your words!" – Nanjiroh's face couldn't hide his emotion and his will to play; it looks like he was serious about this.
-"Ehhh… oyaji… Let's go to play?" – Ryoga came just in the right moment to stop the catastrophe but Nanjiroh's brain has something better in his mind. The worst thing for Ryoma wasn't to eat his words or dust, the worst thing was to leave him behind, change him for someone that he considers better than him… that was his brother… Ryoga.
-"Ok… I prefer to play with you than with that little monster… It is funnier with you…" - Nanjiroh was very careful in pronounce the Word "funnier" and he was joyful when he see Ryoma's face turn green of envy.
-"Ah? Did I miss something?" - Ryoga didn't understand what was happening at first but when he saw Ryoma runaway from the kitchen without eat his sandwich he got it – "What have you done Oyaji?".
-"Nothing… I was having a little fun with him… well what do you say?... Let's go play before Rinko gets home and send us to do anything else…" – His father has give him a good offer, he can't resist it.
Both of them went to play in the garden and didn't come in until it was dark. They were tired but Ryoga was more because he had to do his homework. The homework wasn't complicated but it was bored to realize. The better was to take a soda or something to drink before start with homework, he was always thirsty.
He take his soda into his room… he has to talk later with his father to ask him to buy orange Ponta instead of the grape one or both of them. He pass by his room but didn't get in… he wants to see what was Ryoma doing in his room, he hasn't see him since he went to play his father.
Ryoma was lying in the middle of his room surrender by books, sheets of paper, workbooks, pencils and colors. If he was sleeping in the middle of his room then he has already finished with his homework and now he was resting. He was going to leave him there but maybe it was better to carry him into his bedroom…
He takes the second option. Maybe it would be better if he never came into that room but his curiosity was always bigger. Ryoma sure was finished al his homework at time but he also had found a way to distract himself making a lot of drawings in thousands of papers. His hobby was nice but it would be better if he hasn't draw awful things like a rock hitting him while he, Ryoma was playing with dad or other drawings like he suffocating with soda or with to crosses in his eyes… so If he dare to think that things were fine between them he was wrong… or maybe there were fine until oyaji gets in and destroy what he had done.
Alter seeing those drawings he wasn't in mood to stay there. Maybe it would be better to stay a little apart from him until he came again looking for help, or let time solve the problem. People sometimes needs time to fix the problems in their heads and sure Ryoma was not an exception.
Ryoma keeps sleeping and don't wakes up until his mother get home with work to do. For experience he knows that it was better not to bother her… so accused dad has to wait until next day.
Innocently he tries to see her and sits in one of the chairs of the kitchen. Rinko began to warm the food but she was been fallowed by a big pair of golden eyes. Day at work was hard and it was harder to feel his boss eyes following her everywhere.
-"What do you want now?"
-"Me… nothing, I just want to see you… that's all".
-"Don't relieve that I has forgotten about yesterday. Speak now; what did your father do today?" – Her voice sounds dull like a robot.
-"If you have a bad day at work you don't have the right to yell here. I just want to spend time with you… but if you don't want them I'm going" - Ryoma jumps from the chair and walk out of the kitchen. His mother always guesses his real intentions but he had already decided not to tell her because she was in bad mood. If she was grumpy it would be better not to eat dinner just to not get in anymore problems. But if he tries to stay apart from the problems then the problems follow him because his mother decides to go after him.
-"Ok… maybe that World work with your father but with me not and you know that. You want me to ask you again or you are going to tell me what happen yesterday?"
-"I just get hit by a ball…"
-"I don't relieve that Esther but my question was where were you yesterday. You know you don't have permission to get out that late".
-"I was in the garden…"
-"And you want me to guess? I didn't find you at your room and you weren't at home… what do you want me to think! I don't want to see you again out of the house that late. You are grounded for a week!"
-"What! Why?"
-"Because you were out late at night. You don't have permission to get out of this house except to go to school. You are going to come here as soon as your classes finish: you eat, make your homework and go to bed early. Now go to the kitchen and set the table to eat, then you come here and clean your room and you are not going to sleep until this is clean!" – His face was burning of rage. He couldn't get any fun, he was going to stay at his house boring with his father – "Hurry up… the dinner is getting cold…"
-"I'm not going, I'm not going to eat" – it was strange for him to fight this way with his mother; she never gets mad with him. She usually gets angry only with dad.
His mother didn't make him go to dinner but he forces him to set the table and clean his room that was a mess. His dad doesn't dare to say anything, at least not in front of her. Ryoga was mute looking this entire situation at home and for moments it looks like he wants to give his opinion to relax her a bit but never dare to.
When they finally finish eating they offer to clean the kitchen as Rinko went to his room to sleep. Nanjiroh and Ryoga went upstairs after a while but before they went different ways they decide to see what Ryoma was doing.
The kid was in the floor again trying to make peace with his brain: every time he cleans something he messes with it again throwing it against the floor. He was so choleric that none of them dare to enter o say something to him.
Ryoga once in his room gets ready to sleep. Before he lay in his bed through the window… he could smell humidity… it was going to rain very soon…
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He finishes to clean is room very late. He was never up this late doing something. He feels tired and to angry to go to sleep but he knows he had to because he had to go to school in the morning.
He lays in his bed still thinking in his punishment. His mom must have a bad day at office because she never has punished him before. He could have expected that from his father but his mom? She wasn't going to forget it by tomorrow morning… wasn't she?
Little by little he began to relax… he takes out his clothes, fold them and put them in his wardrobe as he gets his pajamas from under the pillow. He gets into his bed and close his eyes waiting to sleep… one, two, three seconds… nothing… tour, five lambs jumping the fence… nothing… six, seven, eight, nine tennis balls hitting his dad right in his eye… Now he feels better… he was beginning to dream… but then a thunder wakes him up completely.
He gets out of his bed, he was going to run into his parents bedroom, at his mother's side… but she was sleep now and if he wakes her up she World be angrier with him… his father was not an option… he was going to mock again… His last option was Ryoga… but could he go with him? He hates him after all… but Ryoga doesn't know that… but…
He jumps again with a new thunder that lights his room: he tries to hide under his covers and under the pillow. He likes the rain but when there were thunders it was other thing. The best thing now was to find a refuge somewhere…
He gets out of his room and walked across the hallway with his blanket in his hand… first to his parents' room but they were asleep as he has expected and none of them wakes up with the thunders… Ryoga was asleep too very comfortable in his bed… he was laying at one side of his bed… the other side was lonely… he could sleep peacefully without been noticed…
Ryoma takes the decision and slowly without doing any kind of sound he laid at his side… he close his eyes and finally could sleep…
o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o-o
Ryoga hasn't heard noises in all the night, rare thing because he was a Light sleeper but alter a bad night he used to sleep like a rock. Nights as freezing as this he used to sleep hugging his pillow… of course before the pillow he used to hug his bear but that was when he was a kid. He had never been scared of a thunder and the rays were his favorites especially when they lights all the sky.
But he felt when someone pick him in dreams and that was not normal… he opens his eyes with laziness and was surprise with something that was moving at his side. He gets a little closer just to see what it was… Ryoma? What was he doing in his bed? Was he scared about the thunders?
-"Ryoma… what are you doing here?" – He tries to wakes him up but Ryoma never open his eyes. He just grab his blanket with force and so his arm… - "Ok, you can stay with me… but with one condition…" – Ryoga look at him again, he knows Ryoma World never answer him but he keep doing what he was doing… - "Don't get mad so often… just try to look like an angel as you do when you sleep…" – he covers him with the blanket and hug him to continue sleeping.
TBC
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