Chapter 2: The O'Sama family

[Scene: Umino is showing Zoi around campus shortly before lunch. It's drizzling and only 65 degrees out but Zoi is huddled in his jacket and his teeth chatter slightly]

Umino: So this is a lot different from Phoenix, huh?

Zoi: Very.

Umino: It doesn't rain there much does it?

Zoi: About three or four times a year.

Umino: Wow, what's that like?

Zoi: Sunny.

Umino: You don't look very tan.

Zoi: My mother is part albino.

Umino: Actually, that's not possible since albinism is a condition while only occurs when one of several genetic defects makes the body unable to produce or distribute melanin - oh that was a joke wasn't it?

Zoi: Yes, just not a very good one it seems. [sighs and looks up at the lead gray sky]

Umino: I take it you miss life in Phoenix?

Zoi: I miss it a lot.

Umino: Then why are you living here in Hen Tie, the cloudiest city in the northern hemisphere?

Zoi: Because I'm fifteen. I don't get a whole lot of say in these matters.

Umino: Oh…well, it's always nice to have another resident genius to talk to.

Zoi: I'm not a genius. I'm not smart at all. I've just taken a lot of science classes.

Umino: If you insist… but in case you're curious, the smartest kids here are me and Ami. She's a little smarter than me, but she's a bit of a snob. I have more friends and I still get all A+'s. [Steals a glance at Zoi to see if he's impressed] In fact I could skip a few grades if I wanted, but most of the senior kids here are bullies and I don't want to get beat up.

Zoi: Oh, no. [Stares at Umino with big frightened eyes] I have senior biology right after lunch. If they bully you, I'll get beat up for sure.

Umino: Huh? [Looks Zoi up and down] Why would anyone want to beat you up?

Zoi: Because I'm a homosexual.

Umino: [Taken aback] You're… gay?

Zoi: Yes, I'm gay. Is that a problem for you?

Umino: No… it's just I've never met anyone so open about it.

Zoi: Yeah, well I'm not very subtle so I find it's better to let people know right off the bat. I was hoping you wouldn't have a problem with it. I'm not good at making friends.

Umino: You…want to be my friend?

Zoi: Sure. Why wouldn't I?

Umino: [Smiles because Zoi wants to be friends] Say, you want to come over to my place to study? I've got the new Sailor V game. We can play that afterwards.

Zoi: Sounds like fun. I can't do it tonight, though. I have to make dinner for my dad.

Umino: You have to make dinner for your dad?

Zoi: While, I don't have to. I want to. My dad is a terrible cook, and I do like a homecooked meal without the risk of setting the house on fire.

Umino: So, I take it your parents are divorced?

Zoi: Yeah. I used to live with my mom, but she's just remarried so I have to live here.

Umino: Why? Your new stepdad doesn't like you?

Zoi: My stepdad likes me a lot. But for some reason my mom's not happy about that, so she banished me here.

[They enter the cafeteria. Umino buys a cappuccino from a machine]

Umino: Can I buy you something to drink?

Zoi: Ice tea, if they have it.

[Umino buys a can of ice tea from the machine and they sit at an empty table and open their lunchbags.]

Zoi: I hope my dad packed something good. I'm starving. [ Umino pulls out a peanut butter and bologna sandwich while Zoi pulls out some rolls made out of rice flour.] Please be roasted pork and not sweet bean paste. Please be roasted pork and not sweet bean paste. [Tears one open and shoves it away to sulk] Not again. I keep telling Dad I hate sweet bean paste, but he buys these anyway.

Umino: Hmm… tough break. Want half of my sandwich?

Zoi: No thanks.

[A table for four seniors are giving them haughty stares from across the room. All of them are well-built and angelically beautiful: a boy with short blond hair, a boy with flowing reddish-brown hair, a buxom redheaded girl, and a boy with white hair and dark skin with mesmerizing light blue eyes.]

Zoi: Who are they? [His heart skipping a beat at the sight of the one with the white hair]

Umino: That's the O'Sama family. Jeddy, Neffy, Beryl, and Kunzite.

Zoi: Osama, like in Bin Ladin? [Locks glances with the white haired boy, who is openly staring at him with his narrowed blue eyes]

Umino: No, they're Irish.

Zoi: They don't look Irish. In fact they don't even look related [under his breath] other than being tall and incredibly good looking.

Umino: They were all adopted. By the town's chief surgeon, Dr. Metalia O'Sama. She's regarded as the greatest doctor in Hen Tie, even though most of her patients die in horrible agony.

Zoi: Hmmm… [Sips on his ice tea and breaking off eyecontact with Kunzite] Why is he staring at me like that?

Umino: Because you're hot?

Zoi: [Sips on his ice tea] No, seriously. Why is he staring at me like that?

Umino: [Baffled] Because you're hot?

Zoi: I don't think so. Just look at him. [Kunzite is still glowering at Zoi, with his nostrils pinched shut and his head tilted back] He acts like he can smell me from all the way over there.

[Usagi plops down next to Zoi, she's clutching a Hello Kitty lunch box]

Usagi: That's Kunzite. He's gorgeous of course, but don't waste your time. He doesn't date. Apparently, none of the girls in this school are good-looking enough for him.

Naru: [Sit next to Usagi and sips her weight loss shake] Just keep away from the one with brown hair. That's Neffy. He's mine. [Umino makes a sour face]

Zoi: You're dating?

Naru: No. He doesn't even know I'm alive. But I called dibs.

Usagi: [Eying Zoi's lunch] Is that sweet bean paste?

Zoi: You like it?

Usagi: Like it? I love it! Want to trade? All I have is a couple slices of left over pizza and a big ole chocolate chip cookie.

Zoi: [Smiles] Yes, please.

Usagi: [Wastes no time in grabbing Zoi's rolls and eating them with both hands] Umm… these buns are the best [Sees Zoi staring at her expectantly and opens her lunch box and peeks inside] Oh, no, I forgot. I ate the pizza and the cookie at my locker since I'd only had a slice of toast for breakfast.

Umino: Oh, great. Now Zoi doesn't have anything to eat.

Usagi: I still have a banana. Want that?

Zoi: Sure.

[Usagi pulls a green banana from her lunchbox]

Zoi: That's not ripe.

Usagi: [defensive as she holds it out to him] It's still good.

Zoi: [Tries to bend it then bangs it on the table] It's as hard as a rock. [Lifts it to his nose and sniffs it and makes a face.] And it smells like pepperoni.

Usagi: Oh, don't be such a chicken. How do you know you won't like it if you haven't even tried it yet?

[Zoisite peels the banana and gives it another sniff. There is a loud gasp across the room. Kunzite has clamped his hand over his nose and mouth.]

Zoi: He looks like he's going to be sick.

Usagi: Just ignore him.

Zoi: [Nibbles just the tip then spits into a napkin, while Kunzite watches over a wadded up black handkerchief with his eyes as big as saucers. The other seniors are staring at Kunzite and shooting Zoi angry looks.] Yuck. It tastes like wood.

Usagi: That's probably just the end. I'm sure it's better further down.

Zoi: [licks the underside of it then turns it to lick back up all the way to the tip] No, it's uniformly bad.

Naru: [Looks at Kunzite, who is sweating profusely and trying to loosen the collar of his black turtleneck.] What's his problem?

Usagi: Who knows. That whole family is weird.

Zoi: Too bad I'm starving. Oh well, I'd guess I'd just better finish it off as fast as I can. [Crams half the banana in his mouth]

Naru: Careful or you'll choke on it!

[A chair clatters in the distance and they look just in time to see Kunzite fleeing the cafeteria]

Zoi: [Pulls the banana from his mouth and smiles at Umino] Ha. And you thought he liked me.