Sweet Home Alabama was the movie of choice according to Sora since it was her credit card that purchased the movie and their concessions. Puzzled, Tai whispered to Matt on their watching a "chick flick." Matt pulled him aside to reason with the confused teen.
"Easy, boy. Sora promised me some play under her blouse if we picked the movie," He lowered his voice, wanting to be sure on my prying ears were interrupting their conversation. "Plus, she did pay for the movie."
Scratching his head, Tai didn't mind watching chick flicks. He watched them all of the time with his mother and his sister. It was odd that since it was a three to one, a male-female ratio that Sora won the toss. Unbelievable he thought, it was typical of Matt who thought with his groin and instead of his mind. Nevertheless, the brownie points were in the couple's favor for both were winning. As he and his friends were walking into the theatre, another person called out for them.
"Yoo-hoo! Guys, guys!" The teen turned, then widened their eyes were seeing a familiar stranger. The pinkette rushed to hug her longtime friends. She kissed Tai on the cheek, then embracing the others. "Oh, my God. I can't believe you guys are here."
"When did you just get into town," asked Izzy. "You didn't send us a text or anything."
"Still on my American phone," replied the pinkette known as Mimi. "I wanted to kinda surprise you." She winked at Matt. "Thanks for letting me know of your ETA."
Sora gripped her boyfriend's arm harshly. "Gee, Matt. Thanks for not telling us."
He released a nervous smile. "Surprise?" He let out a sigh for he knew that his chances of getting any action after the movie was lowered.
The group was about to turn until Mimi got a text from her cell phone. She let out a small yelp. The gang knew when she did that, some event was happening. "Guys! Guys! Japanese-Indonesian group Echo is throwing a small listening party at a venue in Aoyama. And guess who got you guys tickets!"
Echo wasn't a well-known band internationally but throughout East Asia and Oceania, the group reigned surprise. They were more of a nu-metal band that sampled hits from stars such as Sublime, Nirvana, Green Day, and James Iha. Tai had a few of their basement tapes. It served as great workout material or before soccer practice.
"My friend tells me that they are throwing it right now. We should go?" Mimi was very pumped. She was swaying her hips and holding on to her purse while humming some of their well-recognized hits. "This is so exciting!"
"Wait a minute." Sora's voice was definitive as the group turned to her. "You are telling me that we are going to drop my idea of seeing a movie to go to Mimi's? Damn, it's barely been five minutes and you act like my plans were minute."
Mimi lowered her face into a pout. "Sorry, Sora. I wasn't trying to rain on this. I mean, it isn't every day we can do something like this."
"Yeah," interjected Izzy. "Plus. Sweet Home Alabama is already out on DVD. Been out for quite some time."
"That isn't the point," interjected Sora. "I've planned a quiet evening with you guys at the movies followed by going to a drink bar. So, we are going to drop my plans."
Tai intervened. He stepped in the middle of the dueling girls. He let out his trademark smile, devising a plan to make peace, or at least a stalemate. "Let's do this. Let's go to Echo's listening party tonight and come to the movies tomorrow. Plus, Jun works here so we can get the tickets rainy day."
"Not bad, Kamiya." Matt bumped his fist on his best friend's shoulder. "A stalemate it is, old chap! Party today, movies tomorrow. Everybody wins!"
"Matt!" Sora interjected with frustration. Nevertheless, the sounds of attending a private listening party over a movie made Sora's resistance futile. She placed her hands on her hips. She scoffed. "Fine!" She reached for the tickets and pushed them onto Matt's chest. "Since you are up for this, then I suggest you go and get our credit then, loverboy." She pressed closer to his ear. Tai felt the disappointment on his friend's face when he knew that he wasn't going to get lucky tonight.
Tai, Matt, Sora, Izzy, and Mimi boarded the bus that was going to take them to Aoyama. The country club/venue wasn't far from the movie theatre. According to Mimi, the country club was very popular with the elite. Even she couldn't afford to throw an event and the now American pinkette came from money.
"It's a private party. The guy I dated is giving me the tickets. He thinks we will have a shot since we are back in town." Mimi sat on the seat boasting about how she met this guy at the party from God knows when at God knows what and she went with God knows who. He hoped that he could get an autograph from the drummer. The drummer was a cute brown-skinned girl. Her hair reminded Tai of bows. He had hoped to get that...and maybe a kiss.
T.K. told Kari that there was going to be alcohol at this party. Kari scanned her train card as she crossed the turnstile. Kari wasn't a drinker. She never had the desire to drink. Admittedly, she sipped the wine from the cup whenever she was in mass, but it was diluted. She always felt that she didn't need to have a drink to have a good time. Watching the drunken buffoonery and the music was enough to make Kari happy to the beat.
"I am going to get a sip," mentioned T.K. as he offered her a seat on the train. "A bit of liquid courage so I can get ready for the lady of the evening."
She giggled, slapping the back of her friend. "A lovely night with Mother Africa."
"And then a morning with the rising sun, Kari," replied T.K. with a wink. "I can only imagine how our kids would look like."
She slapped his back again. "You're delirious."
"No, in love."
It took the pair thirty minutes by train to arrive to the terminal in Aoyama. The door opened and the duo was ready to bring on the night. Kari was nervous. Wearing her unwashed Supreme jeans, she sprayed it with perfume to cover any scent, if any.
"Your Supreme jeans are still kind of dingy." T.K. stuck his tongue out as he slid down the railing to the bottom floor. Kari jumped the stairs to chase her insulting friend.
Kari returned to the living room with a cup of hot honey lemon tea. She added a hint of peppermint to freshen his breath. She made it to the temperature of his liking, including adding the extra lemon. Tai gratefully thanked his sister and took a sip. It followed by another sip. He tilted up to drain the honey lemon before it was empty. Kari remained with him. She took the cup and placed it down. She sat across from him. His eyes were reddened from the tears. He didn't look at Kari. Not that he was upset at Kari, but he didn't like displaying that side to her.
The last time he did that was when she returned home from the hospital. She apologized for the actions that he caused that put her there in the first place. Guilt consumed his mind. He felt selfish. He should've kept tabs on his sister that night. But instead, he focused on himself.
"Sorry." Tai belched. He sat up to position himself. Kari gave him a hot towel. "It's good for compressing your eyes," she told him.
"You're too good to me, sis." Tai applied the warm towel to his eye. "Sorry for interrupting you. Sorry for not being there."
Kari put her hands on his knee. "Don't worry yourself. The thought you were thinking of me makes me happy." She produced a smile.
She looked like an angel. A woman of grace and how she could smile knowing of the incident that happened to her. Maybe that was her way of hiding it, Tai thought. Depression and sadness can be easily hidden in smiles. Maybe she was compensating for the impact may not have hit her yet.
"So, you were at Yolei's party. Who were there with you?" Tai's voice was firm. He grabbed the towel to wipe his hands. His eyes directly locked at Kari. She had his full and undivided attention.
"T.K. and I were together. We were checked on the list, then we were let in," said Kari.
"So, it was a checklist."
"Yeah. Yolei's party was a closed party, so not anybody could get in."
"Who was part of the party? Anybody, I know?"
"You knew Ken, Yolei, Cody, the group I go to school with."
"So." He paused. A hard pill to swallow for the next part he knew was going to require digestion in his thoughts. What did Kari do to provoke the events that unfolded at school?
Kanye West's 808 & Heartbreak dominated the dancefloor. It was Ken's highly requested album from the amateur DJ T.K. Speaking of which, T.K. learned as he arrived that he was asked to DJ from Ken. He was an amateur but didn't mind a challenge. Especially when he learned there was a certain foreigner girl vying for his attention.
T.K. grabbed Kari's hand. "Do you want to come with me? I can use the support for a wing girl." T.K. began cawing, flapping his arms as wings.
She laughed, kissing his friend on the cheek. "No, man. Have fun. Go crazy and play your funky music white boy."
T.K. pointed at Kari. "Hey! I am a quarter white. The other three-fourths is being a trapper." T.K. bounced his shoulders as he beelined his way to the DJ booth.
Kari returned to the bar where Yolei and the others were located. Kari felt underdress as Yolei was wearing a sparkling white dress with a diamond encrusted headband. She briefly envied her for having a wonderful boyfriend.
She sat beside Cody who gave Kari a can soda. She thanked him as she partook. Davis made his way to Kari as he was rocking his head to the music.
"Stop it, Davis, you are going to get headaches with that," said Cody.
"Relax, kid. Jun already tells me I have half a brain anyway."
"I agree," interjected Yolei. She turned to Kari. "Having a great time?"
Kari nodded as she drank her soda. "And how? Music is bumping. T.K. is on the boards rocking on. This is amazing."
"Ken wanted nothing but the best. Glad you guys came. I am thankful for T.K. to bring the music," replied Yolei.
"Where is Ken anyway," asked Kari.
"Oh, Ken is in the back getting set up. He wanted to make a stunning ent…" She paused when she got a notice on her phone. "Speaking of Ken, he asked me to come and see him." She hugged Kari. "See you in a bit." She beelined her way from the bar and headed to Ken's direction.
When she turned around, she saw that Cody and Davis were gone. She scanned a bit to see them dancing on the dance floor. They were horrible, even making the crowd scattered. Nevertheless, those were her friends.
"Chase, two chasers and a shooter for this lovely madam." A scent of cologne entered her nostrils. It reminded her of a man of importance. She turned to the source of the cologne. He was a teenager. He had the face of a boy, but a body of a man. He was wearing a white polo shirt. His Oxford slacks were iron, creased at the ankle. He had a strong aura of confidence in the air. Even the bartender was amazed as he gave them his drinks not even a few seconds after his conversation.
"Evening, beauty." The stranger took Kari's hand. Kari was amazed, blushing at him. "Haven't seen you around these parts."
"Not from the Upper West Side," said Kari.
"Wouldn't matter. Heaven could have only produce you."
Kari, for some reason, loved when men come up with cheesy one-liners. It made him think of Tai whenever he tried to impress or flirt with the women.
"Natsume Kirihara. You, M'Lady."
"Hikari Kamiya. But everyone calls me Kari."
He released his smile. A handsome smile as her heart was fluttered by it. "Charmed."
To be continued….