Note: Tomadashi Week Prompt 2 – Memory
Not only is this part of Tomadashi Week, it will also serve as a prequel to my other story, Take on Me. K+ rating solely for occasional college-age dialogue.
This is by far one of the more difficult things I've tried to do, writing-wise. Why? Disney gods demand musical numbers. It's weird, it doesn't always work that well, but that's why we write, right? This was extremely experimental for me. I suggest reading it with a Youtube window open.
Also, in case you're wondering where Honey Lemon is, she hasn't been admitted yet. I just like the idea that she's actually the youngest despite being the second tallest.
oooo
Don't you forget about me;
I'll be alone, dancing you know it baby.
oooo
Tadashi's Sophomore Year – End of Fall Quarter
Gogo lay back on the steps outside the Seburo Building with Tadashi and Fred, popping bubbles idly as they waited for Wasabi to finish his last exam before winter break. The three were wrapped up for the weather, but aside from the cool wet air, it wasn't terribly uncomfortable. Wasabi had been testing for a solid hour already, and the group was starting to get a little bored.
Fred had already lapsed into his own fantasy realm, and when he realized it was cold enough to see his breath he had started demonstrating his various kaiju imitations to various passers-by. He roared and screeched, blowing foggy breath everywhere. If she was honest, the impressions were really pretty accurate based on the movies she had seen. Then again, she didn't want to encourage him – it was embarrassing enough as it is. Still, with her and Tadashi sitting there, nobody was really going to say anything.
Things had been going well over the past few months. After a bumpy start, Tadashi had managed to smooth things over as he always did. The four of them had started to hang out quite a bit to the point that some of the students had taken to nicknaming them the Ninja Turtles, as they contained a leader, a technical stickler, a cool but rude girl, and a party dude. Fred had insisted that Gogo would actually be Venus de Milo, but everyone overruled him on the grounds that nobody knew (or cared) who that was.
Tadashi was busy tearing notebook paper out of his now useless spiral bound notebook. Despite the gloves on his hands, he was able to fold fairly pretty paper animals which he was then placing on Gogo. Between her utterly indifferent attitude and the fact that she had been laying there for the better part of an hour, she looked like a tiny Noah's ark if you squinted and were willing to believe that the ark was shaped like an attractive, occasionally hostile Korean girl.
The doors of the building opened, and students began filing out. Gogo sat up, spilling all the paper animals to the ground. She caught Tadashi's silly pout out of the corner of her eye and smiled at him. What a doofus. "So who wants to bet he's still going to be in there agonizing over whether his penmanship is adequate?'
"Not taking that one," Tadashi said, his faux pout disappearing as he cleaned up the animal shaped litter with a smirk. "I have more respect for my money. You still going with us to Shenanigan's tonight?"
Okay food, terrible service, and a staff that thought carding was more of a friendly suggestion rather than the law. Gogo nodded, standing to her full height and stretching, hearing her back pop. "Yeah. For a bit anyway." The transition had been easier, and she had calmed down quite a bit since just a few months ago.
It was about that time when Wasabi came stepping out of the building, with a smile on his face. "Aced it!" He announced before anyone could ask. "And no, Gogo, I didn't finish in twenty minutes and then go through and check whether or not my i's were dotted or my t's crossed. I was able to double check my work, and so: last exam's in the can. Where're we going?"
Gogo smirked, shaking her head. "Shenanigan's apparently. Because any victory in college should be celebrated with heart disease."
"Hey, any place that dumps double fudge on desserts that already include double fudge is okay by me," Fred interjected as he patted Wasabi on the back. "Good job, man! It's also totally cool that you're conquering that OCD thing. Remember when you spent forty five minutes on that last midterm over a semi colon?"
"Gee, thanks Fred," Wasabi said, still smiling but with a veneer of irritation. "Thanks for putting my achievements into perspective."
"Hey, we've all done a little growing this past quarter," Tadashi said, returning from his trip to the recycling bin. "At the risk of sounding like a middle school educational video on emotional health, I guess."
"Speak for yourself, Tadashi." She shoulder bumped him playfully before turning away to head down the stairs. "C'mon. Let's go before my conscience decides that I should abandon you all for healthier life choices, like eating Crisco straight from the container."
Wasabi laughed as he stepped down after her. He was in surprisingly good cheer, but smoking an exam in your core classes was nothing to sneeze at. "Actually, Gogo, I think out of anyone, you're the one that's changed the most."
"Really." Hard eyes were suspicious of the man as he stood in front of her, a grin on his face as Fred sidled up nearby.
"Yes, really."
"…where's that music coming from?" Tadashi asked absently as a hipster kid walked by with an old fashioned 80's ghetto blaster.
o/~ o/~ o/~
We Remember The Fear
(Sung to the tune of "September" by Earth, Wind & Fire)
Wasabi:
Do you remember when you first got here in September?
You scared all the kids and the professors,
You made everyone here afraid!
We were all fearin'
Beggin', prayin', hopin' and cheerin'
As we hid by our desks
Tadashi could just sort it for us, okay?
[Gogo stared at Wasabi blankly. Tadashi buried his face in his hand as Fred swayed and danced by like a fool. Several students followed suit because that's how musicals work.]
Fred:
Ba de ya, inflicting lots of trauma,
Ba de ya, causing all that drama,
Ba de ya, made us want to run away!
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!
[The dancing crowd grew larger. Gogo tried to hustle faster as Tadashi kept pace. Wasabi grooved by them, impossibly unimpeded by the shuffling throng.]
Wasabi:
You were so angry,
And socially deranged, quite frankly
So sarcastic and mean
Remember how we wished you'd go away!
Now December, and you're much nicer than September.
At last a little less rude,
Now we are all glad you're here to stay!
[Gogo tossed up her hands out of frustration.]
['Why is he singing?' Tadashi asked in a stage whisper.]
['I dunno. Is it sad that I'm less confused that Fred is?' Gogo whispered back.]
Fred:
Ba de ya, scared some of the teachers,
Ba de ya, almost called a preacher,
Ba de ya, thought you might be possessed, okay?
Ba de ya, say do you remember?
Ba de ya, glad it's not September!
Ba de ya, glad that we're all friends today!
[Fred did a pirouette, fell off the stairs, and was caught by Wasabi.]
['This is so weird,' Gogo said, subconsciously grabbing a hold of Tadashi's arm.]
['Might as well go with it, I guess,' the boy replied, swaying slightly to the early R&B beat with a smile.]
Fred & Wasabi:
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!
[She shrugged. When in Rome. She swayed along with Tadashi.]
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya
Ba de ya de ya de ya de ya!
o/~ o/~ o/~
"Thank you for that upsetting, mildly insulting musical interlude," Gogo said flatly as she mounted her bike on the rack attached to the hatch of Wasabi's car.
"No problem. I find it's just best to go with it when the urge hits," Fred chirped as the group made its way to Wasabi's lunchbox-shaped car.
"I'm sure it'll get better when we get to Shenanigan's," Tadashi supplied helpfully, and Gogo rolled her eyes.
"Whatever. Just sit in the back with me so I don't shove Fred out of the door if he starts singing again."
Tadashi grinned. "That why you're still holding on to my arm?" She looked down. So she was. She let go of the arm like it was a dead trout, face tinging a slightly deeper pink than the cold air would allow as she slid into the backseat.
oo00oo
Shenanigan's was a popular college hangout, located in the 'Goldilocks' zone between the tech school, the rest of the town, and the sketchier areas. That meant a wayward student could get all of the fun with limited risk of getting caught. Once upon a time, it had been part of a larger chain or restaurants that spanned most of the United States. However, hard economic times and the gradual focus on health food had eventually whittled the once mighty lard and red meat empire down to a few stores in Arizona, New Mexico, and the one lone holdout in California right in the heart of San Fransokyo.
The last day of finals week meant the joint was ridiculously crowded, filled with frat boys and nerd groups. For this one day of the year smack dab between the quarter's end and Christmas, everyone was unified in the understanding that differences could be put aside for the euphoria that came with the idea of going home and not having to study.
The group sat at a booth, taking in the sights, sounds (and occasionally the odd smell) to different degrees. Wasabi's good mood had sobered slightly due to the deplorable state of the place. It was loud, filled with drunkards and spilled food. Fred was as mellow as he ever was, and Tadashi and Gogo were fairly relaxed. Gogo was used to this kind of crowd, having spent the last few years of high school sneaking into places she wasn't allowed, and Tadashi… well, she had yet to see a place where he didn't find a way to fit in.
They had ordered from a woman that looked like she'd have been more at home at the Mudka's Meat Hut truck stop down the road. After an unenthusiastic exchange, they found themselves waiting for their entrees. The group knew that a response could take a while. Shenanigan's wasn't known for its awesome service even when it was empty, much less when it was packed wall to wall with rowdy kids.
"I think I need some air. Or a paper bag to breathe in," Wasabi announced, sliding out of the booth. "Come get me when the food gets here."
"Don't be such a wuss," Gogo said almost cheerfully as she moved her head, ducking a wayward fork that clattered off of the plate glass by their seat onto the table. "This isn't half as bad as the Phuc Mi Long Noodle House in Sacto."
"That sounds horrible," Wasabi said as he pushed past a guy in a panda bear hat waving around a beer mug trying to proposition a pretty coed into helping out a 'sad panda'. "Why are you only happy when there are horrible things everywhere?"
"Don't answer that," Tadashi said, laughing, "I'm pretty sure it's a rhetorical question, although there's an Irish pub named Ri'Ra' we can go to if you're really interested in being surrounded by rowdy drunks."
"Speaking of," Fred said, a sly grin on his face, "I think I see my hookup for drinks over there." A hand raised in the back, waving at the laid back teen. Tadashi turned his head to see a girl with a shaved head covered entirely in tattoos waving Fred over.
"Wow," Gogo said, peering at the woman as Fred sunk down below the booth, only to emerge on the other side. "Do we wanna know?"
"We volunteered together last arbor day," Fred explained, before sidewinding his way through the crowd. "Heeey! Jackie!"
Tadashi watched the boy head the opposite way of Wasabi and looked back at the girl across the table who was clearly enjoying the ambiance. "You know, the sad thing is I don't think he's joking about that in the slightest."
"I remember thinking that he had this hidden dark side after I met him," Gogo said, a small smile playing on her lips as she picked up the formerly ballistic utensil, tapping it along the side of the table absently. "Doesn't look like he really even bothers to hide it… more like we don't like looking directly at it."
"Oh yeah?" Tadashi leaned forward. "And what about me?"
The aluminum fork let out a 'ting' as she struck a small jukebox at the end of the table. "Hm? What about you, Hamada? You're pretty much my best friend at this point. Does it matter?"
A smile. "Humor me."
Almost as if by instinct alone, she palmed a quarter out of her pocket, popping it into the machine. The punk guitar music filled the booth as he raised an eyebrow at her. "Hey, you said just go with it, right?"
"By all means."
o/~ o/~ o/~
Memories (This Year)
(Sung to the tune of "Memory Lane" by McFly)
Gogo:
When I met you
I never knew
That you'd be someone that I'd want around
Refused all your hellos; you didn't go... Just who the hell were you supposed to be?
['Fair enough.']
Mem'ries this year…
(I cringe inside)
To persevere, forget the times you weren't here
You help me steer.
Now I know that while I'm here, you'll be near.
['That's… almost sweet," Tadashi said, amused.]
['Don't read into it, but you're sort of an emotional rock, you know?' She gave him a grin, kicking his foot under the table.]
['Guess it's my turn, then?']
['By all means.']
Tadashi:
You made folks frown when you hit ground
But that only made me more curious
I knew after a while, if I could make you smile
I'd have a friend that also understands that:
Mem'ries this year…
(There right with you)
Should be sincere; our eyes and heads will remain clear
I'm glad you're here,
It's so good to know that you won't disappear.
['Got that right. I'm like a vampire – you invited me in and now you're stuck with me.']
['I can think of worse fates, Marceline," Tadashi replied.]
['You're not flirting with me, are you? We're already stuck in a musical – I refuse to flirt, too," she teased, eyelids dropping to half-mast.]
['Wouldn't dream of it.']
Gogo & Tadashi:
So far this year
(One quarter ends)
So far this year
(More round the bend)
So far this year
(We're best of friends...)
[The two traded glances, sharing the look a bit too long. He broke away first, glancing up as if to look for the server.]
Tadashi:
Mem'ries ahead…
Our hearts and heads,
Best left unsaid, 'cause I don't want to be misread
So careful now, it's a place where maybe we shouldn't tread.
[She found herself looking at her hands suddenly. Despite how ridiculous she felt, she couldn't stop what came next.]
Gogo:
So far this year
(One night before)
So far this year
(We'll cram 'til four)
So far this year
(Did you want more?)
Mem'ries this year…
o/~ o/~ o/~
They found each other's eyes again. She looked at him questioningly, as if posing an unspoken question that she knew he had the answer to. There was no answer given – just a sad smile in response.
The food came, breaking them out of their reverie. Tadashi excused himself to go find Wasabi while Fred soon returned with some beers. While Tadashi and Wasabi weren't really drinkers, Tadashi took his graciously and Gogo had been more than willing to finish off the spare. It was easy enough to forget what happened with food, drink, and enough fudge covered fudge to give a rhino diabetes.
oo00oo
"So you're not going with us to the midnight showing of Plan 9? You never miss movie night." Tadashi stood by her as she detached her bike from the back of Wasabi's car, placing it on the ground and inspecting it before slinging her leg over.
She shook her head. "Sorry, Tad. Told you I was only out for a bit. Promised Doug to go with him to that techno juice joint thing."
"Doug Ramsey?" Tadashi looked a little surprised. He ran his fingers through his hair, adjusting his baseball cap.
"Yeah. Don't you have a programming class with him?"
"He's kind of a nerd's nerd. Surprised you'd go out with him."
"You're one to talk," she said with a grin. "Whatever. He's not ugly and he's paying." A pause. She looked up, peering at his face coolly. "Why? Got a better offer than Plan 9?"
"Ah. No, not really, just… try not to break him. We all actually kinda like him. Besides, he's helping me run diagnostics on A-max's scanning algorithm protocols." He tried to make the joke, but his heart wasn't in it.
"Mn," was the response as she turned away from him. "Okay, well. See you after break I guess."
"Gogo, wait."
The wheel stopped mid turn as she stopped, sneakers grinding into concrete as she turned her head. Sharp eyes peered at him under the street lamps.
"…you forgot your helmet," he said lamely. She gave him a curt nod, taking a deep breath as she slipped it on her head. Her signature salute and she was gone, pedaling off into the night. Tadashi turned to the car, sliding into the back seat. Fred was already out, but Wasabi adjusted the rear view mirror to look at his friend stewing in the back.
"Didn't know you could even choke like that," Wasabi said as he turned the key. "Feel like talking about it?"
Tadashi opened his mouth.
"If it's the 'we're just friends' thing, I don't wanna hear it. I've seen you do the 'just friends thing' and mean it, and I'm not seeing a guy that wants to be 'just friends' out there," Wasabi said sternly.
Tadashi's mouth closed with a click. "I have my reasons."
"Mmhm. Well, when you figure out what those are, you tell me about them. "
oo00oo
He was finally dropped off in front of his home. The movie had been skipped. Between Tadashi's quiet mood and Fred's lack of consciousness, they had decided to call it a night. "Drive safe," Tadashi called to Wasabi as he left the car.
"Yeah – Fred said his crash pad with his buddies is near here, so I'm taking him there since… well, I don't actually know where he lives. You gonna be okay, man?" Wasabi was a good friend, always paying attention and one of the few guys that could see when something was really, truly bothering him. Tadashi plastered a half-smile to his face.
"I'll be fine. Just gotta clear my head. I knew I shouldn't have had that last drink."
"You had a beer and a half. I know you can take down more than that," Wasabi said skeptically. "Anyway, we're burning night here. See you after the break."
"Yeah," Tadashi replied, and the car rolled off into the night, leaving Tadashi with little more than the street lamps, cold, and his thoughts.
He began to walk. Thoughts shook loose.
He wanted more than anything to be with her. Something about her circumnavigated everything he ever put in place to keep the world at arm's distance after his parents had passed. Gogo's armor was just as thick as his, but she seemed to just slip past all the defenses he put up. It always started innocently – joking or playing around, then there'd be the moment. She'd let a real smile slip, or he'd say something that suggested how he truly felt about her and there'd be a record-scratch stop and an uncomfortable moment when this heart would seize.
But that was part of the problem. She seemed to know how to trigger those events on occasion. If he got too close, he could get seriously hurt again. Gogo lived her life in the fast lane – it would be inevitable that she'd leave him on the wayside no matter how he really felt. Tadashi couldn't take any more sudden departures.
Still, in those too infrequent moments when the connection was made, Tadashi almost felt it would be worth it. When he was alone, he found himself thinking about those quiet moments they sometimes shared. Shoes took him down the street, heading nowhere in particular as the city's cold glow forced the confession from unwilling lips.
o/~ o/~ o/~
Painful Reminders
(Sung to the tune of "Always Something There to Remind Me" by Naked Eyes)
Tadashi:
When we're alone together it's much better than when we're apart
With you next to me you're my friend and not the pain
that's in my heart.
Well how can we remain best friends
When there's always something there to remind me?
Always something there to remind me.
The music plays, just like your life - a hard, fast, pounding, driving style
And it's not fair to ask you
To slow down and stay with me a while
But how can we remain best friends
When there's always something there to remind me?
Always something there to remind me.
I'm the one to blame here
For the way you see me
Gave up things that shouldn't be.
Oh woah, woah, woah
The city lights, the sight of motorcycles fill the midnight air
Make me regret the choices that I've had to make
But I'll be there.
Because you know, I'm you best friend…
Though there's always something there to remind me.
Always something there to remind me.
I'm the one to blame here
Just happy that you're okay,
Keep tabs on things I shouldn't say.
But there is always something there to remind me.
Always something there to remind me…
o/~ o/~ o/~
Gogo left the club early, excusing herself with claims of a headache and an unsettled stomach due to the poor interaction between beer and a double layer chocolate fudge cake. Something about the discordant screech of the music had robbed the night of whatever magic had been in the air. The music was gone, stripped away by militant electronica and noise.
Her bike took off down the street, heading home, or maybe just heading someplace that felt less wrong and more right. It was unusual for her to let her mind wander while riding – the speed was her usual mode of problem solving. Tonight, though, there were only fragments of thoughts. She grabbed at one of them, a half remembered lyric from the radio playing during her childhood.
"And even as I wander
I'm keeping you in sight
You're a candle in the window
On a cold, dark winter's night
And I'm getting closer than I ever thought I might…"
And then it was gone. The last of it used up as she skid to a halt by her stairs. Her bus ride home was tomorrow, and the thought of it alone made her tired. Gogo soon found herself in bed, unable to remember the rest of the song, or what it meant, or why it made her feel so empty.