//:Authorly Notes:// First off, I used the word "fag" in this chapter. In case you haven't noticed, none of the views in this story reflect on my own views. I know my parents love me, I am very careful with my body, I respect others, and I don't think fag is a nice word in reference to a gay person. Oh, and I know what goth people are and don't think of them in the typical stereotypical way.

Untitled Until Further Notice

Chapter IV: "Impressions"

Kane knew that he wasn't the prized son the Kai and Popuri wanted. Even still, he didn't expect that the whole town didn't know him. He didn't even understand why his aunt and uncle didn't remember him, or why Ray was so excited to have a cousin, even though he's had one for seventeen years. The only explanation that was semi-apparent was the fact that his maternal family members had simply not know that Kane was their blood. Suddenly it became increasingly difficult not to break down and just cry. He saw Rae look at him, sympathy etched into her face like a battle scar. He didn't want her sympathy. He just wanted to get the hell out of there. And while Kai and Popuri were being stared down, looking more and more at a loss of words, Kane pulled on his shirt and turned around, feet bound to the bridge that went into the forest. It was the only part of Mineral Town that came to him with such familiarity. While his feet were pounding the soil of the fields, he felt Rae's eyes, boring into his back, curious and for some reason, angry.

The forest hadn't changed. It was the only thing in the town that seemed fresh in his mind, even though he had only been to the town once before. Rick and company almost always came to their house in the city to visit for the holidays, and even then they had only visited four times for maybe a day and stopped visiting after Ray was born. Kane shoved his hands in his pockets and felt the bandana there. For some reason, it was still a comfort; still a reminder that his loving parents had truly loved him at one point. He pulled it out of his pocket, passing a road that branched off to his left and another to his right. The fabric was faded from its deep, vibrant purple to a dustier, worn shade.

The sound of running water joined with bird song as he neared a lake. It was still sparkling in the sunlight, a silver shimmer that left him in awe, at least it did the first time he came to Mineral Town, but that was when he was, like, four, and everything awed him. Today, after coming to the conclusion that rain would complete his mood, Kane wasn't the least bit impressed. He wanted nothing more than to find a nice, dark place to just break down and cry, and then brood, and maybe tell himself men don't cry and get up and make Kai and Popuri feel like shit because he was facing them.

He passed the lake without so much as a glance. As he was walking toward the flower field, he remembered there being a mine or something next to the spring or whatever. "Whatever." Kane repeated out loud.

The flower field was deemed "dangerous" a couple decades back, but as far as Kane knew, nothing has happened there since the day Gatz or Gots or whoever said it was dangerous. Apparently no one really went there though, so what the hell? It wasn't dark, but it was private. Before he even reached the middle of the field, Kane had decided he wasn't the sensitive type and thought it better to revise his depression cycle. Instead of crying, he would skip straight to the brooding part. He plopped down into the grass, taking a small delight to the insects and bits of pollen and dandelion seed that fluttered up from the ground. He immediately squashed the joy, preferring to be sad. "I'm such a fag." He sighed to himself. "An effing drama queen." A squirrel fell out of a tree to his right and rocketed across the field, only for a flying squirrel to jump out and glide down, almost kamikaze like, onto the squirrel's back. He wrestled him to the ground in a mass of chaotic fur. The whole scene was pretty funny, and Kane couldn't suppress the laughter that came.

For a brief moment, Kane had forgotten all the things that happened, and for a brief moment he allowed for the enjoyment of the world around him to settle in, knowing full well that he hadn't felt this way in a long time. Sadly, as soon as he remembered why he doesn't feel this happy all the time, the feeling was immediately razed, and Kane was left with his mouth hanging open, just staring at the massive gray rain cloud that came floating in, and his melancholy life sank into his chest once again.

I, being my amazing self with mad ninja skills, was able to easily slink away from the situation, not that I would have wanted to hang anyway, I mean, Pop looked like she was going to cry and Kai was just frozen with his stupid neglectful mouth hanging down to his knees.

I think when I got to…Oh maybe the first square of corn, everyone started talking and asking questions at once. It was like a cacophony of crazy psycho nerds wanting to know about the newest Star Wars movie. Or something…Ah what the eff.

So anyway, I was pretty pissed because Kai and Popuri were totally suppose to be Kane's paternal units, but they didn't even tell the town about their own kid? I mean, what the effing hells bells, yo?! Shoot…So I can only imagine how completely heavyhearted the poor kid is. I mean, I know goth kids are suppose to be all sad and angry like, but this kid just found out that his 'rents totally don't talk about him. I mean even his grandparent and uncly-kin people didn't know who he was. Can you say ouch? I would be pitching a hissy fit.

So Kane was a goth kid, which means he would probably be looking for a nice, quiet, dark place to think about killing himself, right? So he's probably at the mine, right? Though I can't get why, I mean it smells like the locker room of a team of mud-wrestling sumos. And on top of that, it's just not the kinda place you'd sit and cry in. People go in there. Like Gray and Alan, or my mom? It would still be a pretty bright idea to check it out though, just in case. I broke into a trot and made my way up to the mine, but I didn't even have to go all the way up the hill to figure out that there was no one even there. "Well, where the hellsicle did he go, then?" I huffed and put my hands on my hips.

I walked around the woodsy area for a little bit. I really wasn't sure where exactly I was looking for Kane. I just was looking around. I didn't really look with all that much detail because I really didn't worry about whether or not I'd find the little emo kid. I guess I just knew that I would find him, so it really didn't surprise me when I saw a black spot lying in the DANGEROUS FLOWERS DUN DUN DUN.

"Kane!" I called out to him. I wasn't about to go into the DANGEROUS FLOWERS DUN DUN DUN because they're dangerous. I don't know why, and I've never questioned the authoriteh of the people giving caveat against the DANGEROUS FLOWERS DUN DUN DUN. Besides, I have allergies from Hades and didn't feel like effing around with pollen.

Kane himself was lying on his back all wistful-like with one leg crossed over the other and his hands behind his head. He pushed himself up with his elbows and looked over his shoulder at me, which, I will humbly admit, was adora-friggin'-ble. He sat up cross legged once he saw it was me and put on his best "eff off" face, but I mean come on, his eyes were all big and cute, there was no way I was just going to walk off.

"If you break your leg again, I'm leaving you here."

But, of course, he had to open his damn mouth.

"You smoking reefer, or something?" I raised my eyebrow at him, but before I could unleash some Rae Level Barbs, he dropped his bad-boy act and looked away from me. "Are you doing alright?" I asked gently.

"Peachy." He retorted.

"You know, if you're hungry you can come to our house and eat something." I offered. "We still haven't eaten yet."

He snorted. "I wonder why."

"Okay, now can't you think of any better come backs?"

"I find that people who ask if other people can think of better comebacks just don't know what to say to a classic."

Uh…Okay?

I cocked my head to the side. Did he just call me stupid? That bastard better hope I don't get my hands on him or he's going to wish his head was up a cow's—

"Do you always get hurt like that?"

The sudden sound of his voice shook me outta my Kane-Cow-Butt visual. "Wuddya mean?"

He sighed. "You're covered in bandages, what do you think I mean?" He turned to look at me. His eyes looked pained and whatnot, but not as devastated as I would have thought.

"You seem to be taking the parental issue better than I would have thought." I offered up some conversation, but he just turned back to the sky.

"Tch. Figures."

I put my hands on my hips. "What figures?" He kept silent. "Go ahead, say it." I dared.

"You're just another one of those kids who like to feel needed but they don't really—"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" I interrupted. "Don't ever say I'm like another one of 'those kids' and for your information, I was actually—"

"Concerned? Yeah, that's bullshit—"

"Just because you're all goth and wearing black you think you can storm around acting this way and that—"

"You sound stereotypical. Just like every other—"

"I'm not like everyone else—"

"If I had a fucking dollar—"

"But you just don't know when to shut the—"

"Hell up before I—"

"Kick your ever loving—"

By this point, I had crossed the barrier between road and grass and was well into the field. Kane had stood up, and the more we argued and finished each other's razor sharp insults, the closer we became to each other. It didn't take long before I saw that he towered over my miniscule 5 foot nothingness, but I was so wrapped up in the idea of wringing his smooth, sexy neck into a bendy straw, that I didn't care, and instead of getting all cautious and stuff, I just stared him straight in the eye. The way he looked back at me just lit a fire in my chest. Yes, yes, I know. It's a metaphor for he's so hot I want to tackle him into the grass. And I will be the first to admit that I did, but he also tweezed my whiskers.

We both stopped talking and just held each other's gazes, both daring the other to look away. The atmosphere felt like a storm was coming. A rain drop landed in my eye. Kane burst out with laughter, and whatever tension that was between us melted with the rain.

//:Authorly Afters:// I had a hard time getting into my Rae character this go around…Very disappointing. Rae, oh where hast thou gone?