Chapter 3- Asked Out
Later at lunch, there was a crowd around Inojin's table. I walked right past it and sat next to Mitsuki, where I usually did. He didn't say a word to me until I smiled and said "hello" and he reciprocated.
This was the beauty of our friendship. If we were irritated over anything, we could give each other space and then resume as normal after a short time apart. We rarely got upset at each other in the first place. But, to be honest, the elephant in the room was still near us, even if I couldn't see it past the crowd or hear what he was saying to the moving mass of humanity around him.
I could only hear Sumire loud and clear above everyone else. Her wailing and complaining was way more distinct than the other girls and I didn't know how much more I could endure. I was wrong. Not only was she not my cup of tea, but I couldn't stand her or anyone else in the room except for Mitsuki, who was sadly still skeptical of the validity of my suspicions.
Whatever.
"Want to head outside?" I asked.
"You sure? We always eat here."
I nodded.
"I want some fresh air today."
"It annoys you how all those girls and even some of the dudes are pining after him, doesn't it? All the girls want to go out with him-"
"Save me."
"Save you. And all the guys want to be let in his personal circle. Though, I'm pretty sure he doesn't have close friends."
"He's a private guy."
"He's a private person like you."
Why was he comparing Inojin to me?
"But, I have you."
At this, Mitsuki smiles and picks up his lunch bag. "Let's go to the right side of the veranda."
"Right." I say.
I follow Mitsuki out the door and we sit at an empty table under the shade. After a few minutes of light-hearted chit-chat mainly consisting of our plans for homecoming and how we were each going as two singles and have a blast, our class schedules for the upcoming spring semester and the newest album for our favorite band, Kizer, and how it was a little underwhelming, I decided to get rid of my anxiety by facing it head on.
"Mitsuki, it's still on my mind."
"Inojin attempting murder?"
"Geez, don't say it so loud."
He shakes his head and laughs. "Fine. But you mean that, right?" I nod and he snickers, mocking me.
"I take it all back." Mitsuki gives me an incredulous look.
"What's in your drink, is that alcohol? Vodka instead of water?" He playfully swipes at my bottle but my face doesn't falter.
"I mean it. I really am over it. There's not a shred of evidence to pin Inojin as a bad guy. I was totally off yesterday."
What I'm saying is a complete and utter lie, but it seems to have worked, because Mitsuki grins and says "Glad to hear it" before taking a bite out of his sub sandwich. He wads up his wrapper and I do the same with the aluminum foil from a tasty burrito I ate earlier.
I take the wrapper from him.
"I'll go throw away our trash" I say.
"Sounds good."
I head over to the trash can inside the cafeteria because the trash cans outside are completely full. The janitors haven't been doing their jobs. If I were a janitor, I guess I wouldn't be too productive either. They don't get paid enough to deal with the wasteful and nonchalant way students conduct themselves. They usually empty the outside trash cans later in the day, when it's cooler and the ones inside the air-conditioned cafeteria a few times throughout the day.
I make it to the garbage can that's near the door inside, and throw the sub sandwich wrapper in the trash and my aluminum in the recycling bin. Then, I look at the sign above the containers and see that the aluminum bag should have gone in the recycling bin. But being the careless inconsiderate student I am, I leave it where it is instead of picking it off from the top and neatly placing it in the blue bin. Ah well.
"It's a fascinating set of guidelines on the wall, is it not?" a calm voice echoes behind me. Then, a hand reaches past me, plucks the shiny sphere of silver neatly out of the trash and deposits it into the recycling. It's Inojin Yamanaka.
"Yeah, super informative and worth a read." I internally cringed after saying that.
I wanted to bite off my tongue and then excuse myself to go to the nurse for the injury but then I wouldn't be able to talk in order to excuse myself, now would I?
He laughed. There was no way to tell if it was because he thought I was funny or if he did it to put me at ease. I think it was the latter, because he looked away immediately after and gave me a chance to breathe. I was thankful, even if by chance he was a guy with an interest in murder. But, he didn't return to his seat right away and I could see Sumire trying to stab me with a gaze of daggers. Why keep his girlfriend waiting? He wasn't acting like the perfect boyfriend.
"Is there something you-"
"Do you remember what you said back in the classroom this morning?" he asked.
"My mind rewinded back to this morning in class where I didn't really say much of anything at all and Mitsuki was the one who truly shined, not me. Even Sumire managed to knock me down a peg by bringing up the fact visitation was mandatory. In this moment, I felt like an awful human being, maybe not even a human being but a pure waste of space.
"I didn't say anything too important. Really. And I really do hope that your mother gets better. If you need anything, let me know and I'll do the best I can."
It was a relief to get those words off my chest and into the open.
"I know that's what you meant from the start. It's cool."
"Oh, great. And about what Sumire said, yeah it was required and to be honest, I might not have gone if it wasn't, but that's because I think my words have more meaning than if I were to pester you… when you were mourning. If I were you, I'd want alone time. I'd appreciate condolences but not for people to come visit my mother when she can't even speak to them. It's just-"
"I agree."
"You what?"
"I agree." he reaffirms. He chuckles and moves his hand through his hair. "Would you mind coming with me somewhere more private?"
I looked around. Most weren't paying attention to us, mainly because Inojin had just gotten up to throw away his trash and there were plenty of people walking back and forth that from his table, anyone sitting there would have a strained view. Save for Sumire who was craning her neck so much that she'd surely need a chiropractor next morning. It even looked like she wished she could read the words on our lips- that she was trying to and loathing herself for not being able to decipher our conversation. Poor airhead.
It was the least I could do to put the irksome girl out of her misery by getting out of her line of sight. "Where to?"
"Follow me."
He grabs onto my hand, and we leave the cafetorium from the left side, the one opposite to Mitsuki, and we walk all the way to a door within the hallway before the classes are reached. It's the supply room. This isn't normal.
"Why here? Some of the classrooms are empty. We could go to the library where it's more quiet. Or-"
"There are other people at the library and-"
"It's quiet there, we could have a table next to any of the back bookshelves and we could whisper."
"Like a classroom, it doesn't matter how quiet it is because at any moment, people could walk by and overhear."
He wasn't exactly wrong. His friends or rather groupies would definitely peruse the school for him. They probably were at that very moment. But, what on earth did he want that no one could hear? Was he going to confess to committing arson? To not giving a care about his own parent? Did he know I was on to him? Was I in danger? Was he going to kill me, hide me behind the massive stack of easel paper rolls, and lock the door so someone could find the corpse of the girl who knew too much?
"You look a little flushed. Listen, I know closets have some crazy connotations from all the times they're showed in scary novels, but I assure you that nothing too bad is going to happen to you."
He reads minds. What the heck is this? I'm speechless. No, he doesn't. He can't. "How did you know-"
"That you're nervous?"
"Yeah."
"It's plastered all over your face. I wouldn't be surprised if you're imagining a scene from one of those books you read-"
"You've read them?"
"I checked them out after I saw you reading them. That one with the witty teen murderer who was using everyone's sympathy, the one with that backstabbing best friend who had a crazy plan all along, the one-"
"Okay, okay. So you know the main character died in those. That's-"
"A story. This is real life."
"So?"
"The reason I want to be in an undoubtedly private place with you is because I'm afraid of your reaction. You might get embarrassed in public or even get angry and that wouldn't do either of us any favors. Besides, I don't want your answer to be affected by the opinions of anyone else around you. Got it?"
No. I don't understand at all. Why does a popular guy want to talk, especially to me?
But, I concede and walk into the supply room first. He follows and shuts the door behind us. We're standing face to face and the supply shelves keep us company, stationed on two walls. His confidence made me uneasy. He reaches into his back pocket. Does a guy like this carry knives? There's a box cutter near the edge of a shelf. I reach out to grab it but then relent when Inojin's gaze returns to me. No point in going for a type of defense he'd already see coming. His hand is behind his back. "Really funny, you look just as nervous as I am."
Oh please. There's not a drop of sweat on his forehead and not even a faint blush tainting his face. I grab onto the box cutter, not caring if he sees at this point and hold it in front of me, facing him, just as he manages to pull out a tiny little box that fits in his palm.
"What's that?" "We don't need a box cutter for this kind of box. You're hilarious." With that he flips the tiny box open and it's at that moment I realize it's a jewelry box, made undeniable by the cool ring inside that has the Kizer logo on it.
"No way."
"What is-"
"Let me explain."
"Why is-"
"Give me a second."
"How do you-"
"See, this is why we're here, in the supply room."
"I guess, but I still don't get what the heck is going on?"
"Let me ask you this before I explain. Is there a guy you like?"
What a question!
For a moment, a boy's face flashes in my mind. It's Mitsuki. But, I don't love him enough in that way to say his name in front of Inojin.
"No, I don't."
"So, that's the truth? Honestly?" He's focusing on my eyes, probably trying to decide if I'm lying or not.
I shrug exaggeratedly.
"There's a pretty personal question. I don't know why you'd ask when you're dating Sumire. Give her that ring. Not me."
"You're very standoffish, you know."
"I've heard far worse. But, I didn't know you were the type to joke like this. Want to stop messing with me?"
"Wait what?"
As if it was his turn to ask questions.
"Do you believe every little rumor you hear? I didn't know you were one for gossip?"
"I'm not. What I am interested in is why you're waving Sumire's ring in front of me. I don't need to see the gift you got her for homecoming. Ask another girl for an opinion. I am a little surprised she likes Kizer too, though."
At this, he let out a ginormous guffaw until his face turned red. Then, he got down on one knee and held out the box. I started to turn away, but he grabbed my wrist with one of his hands.
"This may not have been the way you pictured it, but, Sarada Uchiha, will you go to the dance with me, Inojin Yamanaka?"
"I- I … have you considered the chance that I may refuse this out of the blue offer?"
"I'm a man who is ready to take risks when it's called for. I am not afraid of sustaining a little damage if the questions of 'what if' are gone. If I were the type to hesitate, I wouldn't get nearly as far as I have. And, to tell you the truth, telling a girl how I feel is hardly a hit on my self-esteem."
"You have exceptional confidence, I must say. But, I'll stand by what you know what you were going to hear. Which is why you asked me in the supply room. No."
He stood up and closed the tiny box. He frowned and his features grew more intense and not as welcoming.
"My intention was not to make fun of you. It was to have you as a date. I'm not with Sumire. We're friends."
"Does she know that?"
"She does. I've told her before that I'm not the type of guy to whisk a girl off her feet. I mean, you saw how miserably this failed just now, didn't you?"
"But why me?"
He wasn't making any sense. One moment, he said he wasn't a romantic type. The other, he's not giving up on asking me out. Is his head screwed on the right way?
"Because I find you interesting. And you don't look half-bad, either. Is more needed to date someone? It's not like I asked for your hand in marriage. You look mortified right about now."
"That's because I am." I turn to face the door. "I'm leaving."
"I won't stop you. I can't even blame you."
I swung the door open and in front of me was Sumire, the cheer captain in all her glory red-faced, aggravated, ready to stab my heart out and devour it, probably.
"What are you doing with him?" she screeched.
"Don't ask me. Ask him. He's the one who brought me here."
"Is that- t- true?" She was short circuiting.
"Don't worry about it, Sumire. We wanted a quiet place to chat. Nothing more and nothing less. Nothing too out there or interesting about it."
If those words came out of anyone else's mouth, they would hold no weight. But, because it was Inojin Yamanaka, Sumire held her peace.
"Well … all right. Are you done talking, or-?"
"The conversation is nearly over. Just give me a minute." Sumire nodded and reluctantly shut the door, like a small child listening to their parent.
"Why do you dance around the major issue?" I whispered.
"Hm?"
"That girl loves you. Ask her instead. Or any other girl, and they'll be thrilled." Anything to end this conversation.
"You don't understand. I want you. You'd be the perfect date if you weren't so stubborn."
"And you're a tad too perfect for my liking."
"They do say that opposites attract."
As we continued going around in circles, my heartbeat started to slow down and I turned my back to him. It was starting to feel very embarrassing to suspect him of a violent, senseless act. Even if he had any ill will towards his mother, surely he would have talked away any malice felt between them because of how persistent yet lenient he was and his insistence with verbal communication. Or, cut her off without physically hurting her. There was no way to see someone like Inojin who didn't have an inkling of evil or darkness to them to commit murder. Mitsuki was right. Mitsuki? I left him waiting when throwing away the trash. He's going to be so annoyed that-
I realize that Inojin is leaning close to me and moving his hand across the back of my head ever so slightly.
"I don't want to bother you, but you have very soft hair. It's beautiful. I just had to touch it." Then, he lit up the dinky little dim room with his grim.
A chill ran through my spine.
The guy was far odder than the typical sixteen year old boy. "Carefully think over the offer." Inojin said and opened the closet door. As he walked past me, away with Sumire, I caught the scent of his evergreen cologne just like in those lame romantic movies and he smiled. Sumire thought he smiled for her, but he smiled for me. This was the most I had ever spoken to Inojin Yamanaka and now I knew him less than ever before. Then, the memory of Harumi and Ayumi's car comparison resurfaced. They were right. Possibly.
A motorcycle might be a better ride than a bike.
End Chapter Three