Generations Part Three
Chapter Three
Shinichi ran around the school track, the school councilor insisted on him joining a sports group along with an academic study group, to embellish his high school transcript: he chose track and music history. Neither interested him, running was boring and he liked playing music not learning about its history. He hated all the other groups more. He hated everything at the moment.
He couldn't see Kessuke for a month. And his dad would be picking him up after school everyday until the punishment period ended.
"Of course I could take Toya up on his offer—I might get him to invite Kess if I play in his band." He slowed down, slowing until he stopped. "Yeah right. Toya hates Kessuke. He forgave him, but jealousy runs deep." He said through gasps, trying to catch his breath. Next he stretched and remembered Toya's words:
"I need you to play the synthesizer, you're excellent and with you playing with us I bet my dad will sign the band to N-G."
Shinichi jogged to the locker-room, lips upturning. Approaching his locker he peeled off his shirt and stuffed it in his bag, next were his shorts; he took his towel and wiped off his sweat, tossing that into his bag
"I'll take a shower at home. Dad should be here soon—when he says he'll pick me up he should come on time not twenty minutes late." He glanced at his watch—everyone else left fifteen minutes ago, only he had stood, running around the track to pass time. "Toya…me in a band? Just wait until I tell papa, he'll force dad to let me play. Of course dad won't have to worry about Kess coming to visit during practice—Toya hates him, and Kess avoids Toya."
Shinichi pulled his uniform pants on, fastened them, then proceeded with his shirt, humming as he buttoned up.
"Shi-san, your dad's here for you." A head with chocolate brown eyes, and vibrant red hair surrounding an effeminate face leaned on his shoulder.
"Yumi-chan, you stood after today?"
"Ryoko had drama club today. I don't go home by myself."
"Will your mom pick you up? Or is Ryoko-san taking you home?"
"Ryoko, once she's ready." Yumi sat on the bench, looking up at Shinichi. "You should hurry, your dad looked mean."
"I'm grounded, that's why he's picking me up, that's why he's mad." Shinichi finished dressing and packing, he walked passed Yumi and exited into the deserted hall. He made if five feet down the corridor before Yumi tackled him knocking him to his face.
"Shi-san, Ryoko said she's going out with her friends! Can I go home with you?"
"I'll have to ask my dad." Shini stood up, a difficult feat with the 110lb attachment strangling him. "Yumi, I'll ask him, let go."
"Ok." Yumi skipped ahead after releasing Shini, stopping only at the doorway with the shoe cupboards. He practically jumped out of his shoes, and dived into his outdoor sneakers. He hopped and fidgeted at the door as Shini placed down his bag and normally slipped off his shoes and put his outdoor sneakers on.
Next he picked up his bag and headed out the door, stopping to see where his dad waited.
"Shinichi, come on." Yuki called from the gate, cigarette in hand.
-
"Who are you?" Kessuke asked the woman, his heart aching, his stomach curling.
"I'm your mother, Kessie. If you don't believe me we can meet."
Kessuke's mouth flapped open and shut, his words trapped in his throat. He shook his head, then looked at his wrist—he squeezed his fingers into a fist, the pain of each movement distracting.
"Kessuke? Are you there? Kessie?"
"Yes." He felt reality slip through his fingers, his mind heading into the past—this voice; this voice he remembered, its tone unchanged for thirteen years. He could almost hear it singing a lullaby to him, wishing him sweet dreams; the voice that used to wake him in the mornings so long ago. "What do you want?"
"I just want to see you, to explain…."
"Explain what? Why you abandoned me when I was two?"
"Yes, please just hear me out. Don't sound so angry."
"Sorry, I wasn't in a good mood to begin with." Kessuke froze his body, blocking out all senses besides hearing; his face stone. He quietly listened while the woman told him where to meet her and when; he kept the cell to his ear until he heard the call end, after that he flipped it closed and tossed it on his desk.
A slow breath in, a slow breath out, he stared into his desk lamplight, images of the past busting the dam blocking the past from the present.
'A woman in blue jeans and a light brown shirt swooped down on him, lifting him up and resting him against her shoulder.
"Kessie, my seraph, you had your party yesterday—today's your sister's."
He whimpered and snuggled deeper against the woman's shoulder, looking around only when the woman knelt down, picking up another infant: a girl—his sister.
"Suzi, my cherib, your brother's jealous, what should we do?"
The girl reached over to Kess, and stroked his hair, a smile on her lips and Kess' anger lifted.'
Reality flooded back to Kess with the buzzing doorbell, he shook his head to toss the blurry memories away. He pushed his chair away from his desk, to his room door and opened it, that moment the door to the apartment opened. He paused, the opened door blocking his view of the visitor.
"Tohma?" He called down the hall, his heart thumping against his ribs.
"No, it's me."
"Tatsuha-san, why are you here?" Kessuke watched as Tatsuha shut the door and approached his room, the man dressed in a white long sleeved shirt and black pants.
"I came to see Ryuu, but he's not here, is he?" Tatsuha stopped three feet from Kessuke's door, and leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
"He just left. He has a doctor's appointment."
"Doctor?"
"Psychiatrist. Tohma thought it was best for him." Kess leaned back on his chair, his hair falling into his eyes—he used his left hand to brush the strands away. When he saw Tatsuha staring at his arm, he dropped it to his lap, then backed away in his chair. He moved to shut the door when Tatsuha reached him, grabbing his arm to view his wrist in the light.
"How did you get this?" Tats indicated the bruise, holding to Kess' arm even when the teen tried pulling away.
"My dad knows."
"Then why are you pulling away? I see the cuts were bandaged, but why are they now not bandaged? They're still bleeding."
"I hit my wrist on the chair, okay?" Kess pried his arm from Tats' grip, and cradled the limb against his chest. "I cut myself, he bandaged it, he left, I undid the bandage then hit my wrist against the chair arm."
"Cutting wasn't enough?"
"Dad took away my box-cutter, and all the knives are locked up."
"I won't tell, Kess, just let me look at your arm. And bring you to your therapist."
"Not now." Kess shook his head, gazing straight into Tatsuha's eyes. "You can take care of my arm, but I have to meet someone in fifteen minutes."
"Meet who? Shinichi?" Tats stood in front of Kess, expecting an answer in the affirmative.
"No, my mother."
-
"Shinichi, quiet your friend down." Yuki growled, staring at the red light, hands squeezed on the wheel. His head pounding from the incessant chattering of the redheaded teen.
"Yumi-chan, quiet, my dad will kick you out of the car if you anger him." Shini shushed his fellow classmate, quickly placing his hand over Yumi's mouth when the teen began speaking again.
"I can't believe I agreed to drive your friend home. I should've left him for his own parents to get." Yuki sighed and pressed the accelerator the moment the light turned green. "Who are his parents anyway?"
"Nakano-san."
Yuki glanced in his rearview mirror at Shinichi, then at Yumi, his right hand pausing in reaching for his lit cigarette in the car ashtray.
"Hiroshi Nakano? Your papa's bandmate?"
"Yes."
"Great. Your papa's band has a gig tonight, and Ayaka is visiting family in Kyoto." Yuki brought his cigarette to his lips and took a puff, placing it back in the ashtray when he exhaled. "I'm stuck watching you both tonight."
"You could always give us money for the movies or karaoke, that way we can't bother you."
"No, you'll just end up seeing Kessuke." Yuki changed lanes and turned onto the street heading home.
"How about dropping us off at uncle Tohma's?"
"Why do you want to go there?"
"Toya wants me to join his band."
"Not until you graduate." Yuki flicked the ashes off his cigarette into the ashtray, then brought it back to his lips; he exhaled as he turned into the driveway.
"But uncle Tohma is letting Toya…"
"I'm not Tohma, he let's Toya do whatever he wants now, he hasn't even talked to Toya about his drug use." Yuki parked his Mercedes, took the key from the ignition, and leaned back taking another puff from his cigarette. "Until he catches Toya with drugs, Tohma refuses to do or say anything."
Shinichi chewed on his tongue remembering earlier that day when Toya left him to think about the offer; Shinichi saw one of his fellow students, one he knew was into drugs approach Toya—the two chatted as though they knew each other. Shinichi walked away after a moment of hesitation.
Shinichi avoided his dad's gaze, opening his door and exiting the car; he made it to the locked front door before his dad called out to him.
"Shini, you know something about Toya, don't you?"
"…." Shinichi fidgeted and glanced away from Yuki until his dad stepped right in front of him.
"Shini…."