Why did mornings like this always feel so much like death? Yasu thought as he gazed out the classroom window at the overcast sky. It felt like at any moment the sky was going to fall or some other terrible catastrophe would occur.

Of course it didn't help that his grandmother had passed away a month ago.

Moving to his grandmother's now vacant house had been a pain, too. Not that he wasn't grateful to her for leaving it to his mother. He was. It was just the thought of the extra work he had to do when he got home, on top of his already numerous list of things to do, made him feel tired. Still with his single mother working two jobs who else was going to be able to watch out for his little brother? Sometimes he wished his father had never left, all this work on a fourteen year old's shoulders was completely unfair.

He turned his attention back to the teacher for a moment. From the way he was talking it seemed like he was wrapping up the lesson. At just that second the bell rang. While the teacher began giving out instructions for the next morning, Yasu gathered his things and started for the door when the man had finished speaking. As he stepped out into the hallway he heard someone call his name, "Ah, Yasu, wait up for a sec!"

He turned to see a dark haired girl his own age running up to him, "Hanako? What's up?"

Hanako Yamada was his new next door neighbor, he'd known her for much longer though. Since she'd lived on that street her whole life and Yasu had spent almost every summer at his grandmother's, the pair were already good friends.

She skidded to a stop next to him and said, "Hayato skipped school, again, mind if I walk home with you?"

"Sure, why not," Yasu smiled, "It'd be a shame if I got to walk home alone after spending two weeks listening to the pair of you bicker."

Hanako laughed, "Sorry, but he's such an idiot and-."

"'And you're just trying to keep him in line', right?"

"Well, . . . yeah. Stop doing that! How'd you always know what I'm going to say?" She poked him in the side.

"Years of practice reading people."

"'Reading People'? Like those psychics do?"

"Ha, not exactly, I just understand how people think."

"For someone who's only fourteen you sure talk like an adult, Yasu."

Yasu's smile faded a little, he hated to think about it but she was right, he shook his head, "Well, yeah, guess that's what happens when you're left to take care of your little brother all the time."

Hanako patted his shoulder, "Hey, let my mom take a load off your shoulders, come over and have supper with us tonight. Your mom will be at work, right? So, I'll call my mom and ask her if you guys can come over, she always cooks way too much anyway."

"Uh, hold on."

It was far too late, the girl had already made up her mind, and if there was one thing Yasu had learned it was that no one stood in Hanako's way when she wanted something. He surrendered.

Walking home was an experience, it usually was with Hanako around. It was fun, certainly, still Yasu was glad to get a momentary respite when he went inside to get his little brother.

"Phew," he leaned against the door for a minute, and composed himself before calling, "Akio, come on, where are you?"

The blond ten year old came down the stairs at a run catapulting from the bottom step right into his older brother, "Yasu!"

"Oof!" Yasu fell over laughing, "Whoa, little bro, you're getting way to big for that."

"Sorry, Yasu."

"Hey, no big deal," the elder brother picked himself up off the floor, "Come on, we've been invited over for dinner next door."

"Really? Awesome!" Akio grinned, "Mrs. Yamada makes awesome food!"

"Yeah, I know, the cookies she gave us last week were delicious."

"You think Hayato will play some video games with us?"

"He might, if he survives the beating Hanako's gonna give him for skipping school again."

"What are we waiting for! Come on, come on! Let's go!"

He grabbed Yasu's arm and pulled him towards the door. Yasu laughed, "Okay, okay, I'm coming!"

Akio continued to tug on his brother's arm until they were standing with Hanako in front of her house.

Hanako grinned, "Alright, I hope you guys are ready to feast!"

They were greeted, as they entered, by Mrs Yamada's voice from the kitchen, "Good afternoon, Yasu, Akio! Make yourselves at home!"

"Thank you, Mrs Yamada," Yasu and Akio responded in unison.

The brothers examined their surroundings as they stood by the door. The entry way was a small hall leading into the livingroom, where the television sat in the middle of a square formed by two couches and two reclining chairs. Photos in elegant frames adorned the blue-gray walls and the mantle above the small brick fireplace on the east wall.

While the boys admired the decor Hanako walked forward and was leaning against the back of the closest couch, staring down with an unimpressed expression. Then with a lightening fast motion she drove her right fist downwards and there was a loud yelp.

"Nrah! Who! What? . . . Hanako?"

"Wake up, School Skipper, we've got guests."

"Mrph, leave me alone."

"Up, Hayato!"

"Alright, alright, sheesh," the head and shoulders of sixteen year old Hayato Kurosawa appeared above the back of the couch, "What'd I ever do to deserve a bratty, little annoyance like you?"

"Where should I start?" Hanako ruffled her friend's black hair and stuck out her tongue, "You've got a ton of bad karma stored up."

"None of it bad enough," grumbled Hayato, but he didn't really seem irritated.

The young man pushed Hanako's hand away from his head and turned to Yasu and Akio, "Ah, it's you guys! Hey, what's up, Yasu, Akio?"

"Yo, not much, how 'bout with you?" Yasu responded.

Hayato grimaced, "Boredom's killing me but otherwise I'm good."

"Yeah?" Yasu walked up and sat in one of the reclining chairs, "So, did your parents lock you out again?"

Hayato laughed, laying back against the arm of the couch, "Yeah, it's just become one big competition to see if I can make it home before they lock up when they head out on a business trip, ya know?"

Yasu frowned. Hayato may have laughed it off but Yasu still didn't like it. Sure Hayato wasn't exactly a model kid and he was known for getting himself in trouble every so often but Yasu just couldn't understand why his parents were always so cruel to him. Well, maybe not outright cruel but they certainly didn't seem to care about him. It was only because of Hanako's family that the older boy wasn't living on the streets. Yasu sighed and changed the subject, "Come on, guys, lets play some Herald of Darkness."

There was a unanimous chorus of agreement and the group was deeply involved in the multiplayer fantasy rpg by the time Hanako's mother called them all into the diningroom for supper.

The meal was fantastic as Mrs Yamada's cooking usually was and the kids spent another hour after supper playing their video game. Then, finally, Yasu decided it was time for him and Akio to get back home so they could rest up for school in the morning.

Hanako was a little disappointed, "Oh, alright, . . . but, hey, Yasu, tomorrow, I got a couple friends I want you to meet, 'kay? They've been absent for few days, since they both caught a cold, but they said they'd be at school tomorrow."

"Uh, alright," Yasu agreed, tentatively.

Mrs Yamada handed Yasu a plate of food wrapped in plastic wrap, "Here, take this home for your mother, she'll probably be hungry when she gets home right?"
"Thanks," Yasu responded.

Mr Yamada ruffled Yasu's hair, "Why don't the pair of you come over for supper again tomorrow? We'd be happy to have you. Right, dear?"

Mrs Yamada laughed a little, "I always cook too much anyway."

Yasu smiled, "Thanks but tomorrow is Mom's day off, she likes to cook supper herself whenever she can."

"I see, well, our doors are always open, you know, so you can come over again anytime!"

"Of course," Yasu nodded, and he and Akio said goodbye, but not before Mrs Yamada requested that Hayato see them to their house.

The sixteen year old obliged without argument.

Once outside Yasu sighed, "Wow, they're really awesome people."

"Yeah," said Akio, "They're great."

"Better believe it," said Hayato with a soft smile.

They soon reached the Himuras' doorstep. Akio went inside immediately but Yasu hesitated for a moment and looked up at Hayato.

"Hey, Hayato, is something wrong?"

Hayato paused for a minute then sighed, "Yeah, kinda, it's weird though."

"Weird?"

"I've kinda had a weird feeling that something big is gonna happen all day."

Yasu frowned, "I . . . I think I know what you mean. I kept expecting the sky to crash down on top of us all day long."

"Yeah, that's it exactly!" exclaimed Hayato, "Weird, I thought it was just me."

"Apparently not," Yasu looked up at the cloudy sky, "I hate to be dismissive, but . . . it's probably just the big storm that the weather channel's saying is coming."

Hayato nodded, slowly, "Y-yeah . . . you're probably right," he looked away, "Still . . ."

". . . Well, if you feel like something dangerous is gonna happen just keep your eyes open and I'll do the same."

Hayato nodded again, "Right, see ya after school tomorrow."

"What you're actually gonna be there?"

"Maybe, I make no promises," the older boy turned to head back to Yamada's and waved a hand.

"Right, see ya," Yasu responded.

He turned and looked back at the horizon before heading inside.

A flash of lightening scoured the sky, ripping the clouds asunder for a fraction of a second then disappearing as though it had never been there to begin with. The rumble of thunder that followed sent a shiver of apprehension down Yasu's spine. He knew better then what he'd told Hayato, the feeling of dread he felt at this moment could never be caused by just a storm.

Author's Notes

Long chapter and not much happening, I know. Just an introduction chapter.

To be continued . . .