Author Note:Lol I should be doing my Homework but I just can't stop writing. Thanks for the reviews!
As we watched the one O'clock train pass us by I was getting very impatient and upset. Where the hell was Tysha? We decided to head to the city by train and catch a cab. Miyuki, Shizuma, Nagisa, Tamao, and myself were all here on time.
"Soooo we are going to be waiting here for at least another hour for the next train thanks to your friend." Miyuki said to me as she stood up from the bench the other three girls were sitting on and leaned against the railing on the opposite side.
"I am aware of that. Is she not your friend yet?" I asked Miyuki. "You should try not to be so hard on Tysha." I knew that Tysha had no real reason not to be on time. As I pulled my cell phone out I looked over to the other four girls to see their eyes widen.
"Where did you get that?" Tamao asked.
I didn't respond. I hit my first speed dial and the phone started ringing.
"Hey." Tysha answered.
"What the hell?" I said in English so I wouldn't contradict what I just said to Miyuki.
"My bad. I over slept. I'll be there in ten minutes."
"Ok but we missed the first train." I told her trying not to sound agitated.
"Yea I know I'm sorry. I'll see you in a few."
I hung up the phone and looked over at Miyuki. "She is on her way."
"How did you get all the stuff you have?" Tamao asked again.
"Oh don't worry about it Tamao. Let's just say we have friends back home who will go through the trouble for us."
"Are you popular back home?" Shizuma asked me.
"Uh kinda. A lot of people like me but, there are some people who don't like me at all either."
"Why wouldn't people like you?" Miyuki added in on the questions.
"Geez I don't know. The same reason why everybody has people that don't like them."
"You don't have to get defensive." Shizuma laughed.
"I am not getting defensive. I just wish that we didn't miss that last train. Tysha is never late like this."
An hour later the train had arrived, we loaded our luggage, and all six of us left the station.
"What were you doing?" I asked Tysha
"You ask to many questions at the wrong times." That was a hint to shut up and she will tell me later.
"So what are we going to do when we get there?" Tamao asked no one in general.
"I don't know actually. I know stuff to do in Tokyo but I don't know what you all want to do." Miyuki looked at Tysha. "What did you want to do?"
Tysha thought for a moment. "How is the night life?"
"What do you mean?"
"Uh the night life…Like at night what are people doing?" Tysha was already thinking of partying.
"I don't know. I don't go out when people should be sleeping."
I couldn't help laughing. Shizuma looked over and smiled at me. She looked damn sexy outside that ugly uniform. She looked good either way but with the tight blue jean capris and white spaghetti strap tank top she was wearing she looked so irresistible.
We all looked way better out of the uniform. It was obvious that Tysha thought Miyuki looked good too because she kept checking her out and didn't even try to be sneaky about it anymore. Miyuki was catching every time. It was like Tysha couldn't force herself to look away at the right moment. Nagisa and Tamao were cuddling in the back of the train talking to each other. It's nice to see that two out of the six of us could talk to each other and say how the other feels. I was amused that it was the youngest of us that didn't have a problem with expressing their feelings. But I guess they don't have as much baggage or burdens.
"Let's not do those things tonight." I told Tysha.
"Why?" Tysha said with a little hint of attitude.
"Don't get an attitude. We need to get situated first." I tried to explain to Tysha but I knew it wasn't working. "What do you think Miyuki?" I smiled at Tysha as she glared at me.
"Tysha I think Nadia has a good point. We have to catch a cab and check into the hotel then we are going to be hungry and tired from the trip." If Miyuki knew what night life Tysha was taking about I'm sure she would have more to say.
"Fine." Tysha reluctantly agreed as her eyebrow started twitching. "Tamao do you have money?"
"Yes of course. That's an odd question. Why would I come along without money?"
"If you only knew." Tysha replied and turned to look out the window.
I decided to sit down next to Shizuma. "So Shizuma what do you wanna do? Something relaxing and simple for our first day."
"It can be anything?" She smiled at me but it was a different smile. It looked like she was setting me up for something and the girl sucker I am I took the bait.
"Yea anything."
"I want to go shopping." Shizuma changed her smile to a cute frown with wide hopeful eyes as she pouted her lips. "Pleeeaaase."
I laughed at her. "I guess that's fine. I guess this is what Mommy and Daddy's little princess looks like when she's flat out broke." Shizuma faced forward still smiling but didn't say anything. " Miyuki do you wanna go shopping"
"I know I do!" Nagisa jumped up in excitement.
"Ok what about you Miyuki?"
Miyuki smiled at Tysha and edged closer to her. Tysha pretended to not notice her and keep looking out the window.
"Ty-sha."
"Yes Miyuki." Tysha already knew what was coming.
"You want to take me shopping?" Miyuki smiled as Tysha turned to face her.
Tysha smiled as she looked Miyuki over and whispered into her ear "What do I get outta this?"
"Perv." Miyuki leaned back away from Tysha.
"What?" Tysha shrugged her shoulders at Shizuma and I and looked back out the window adding. "Of course I'll take you shopping Miyuki."
Miyuki had a satisfied smile on her face and kept it their till we got to the station in Tokyo. Tysha managed to find a van size cab for all of us to fit in. Shizuma gave directions to a hotel in the heart of Tokyo to the driver. I guess the cab driver knew we were American or at least Tysha because he wanted to carry on a whole conversation with her in English. His English was ok but it got on Tysha's nerves so much that she said Japanese was fine. There was a lot of money talk in this conversation that involved rich Americans so it was no surprise when the insistent cab driver wanted a bigger tip from Tysha as we arrived at the hotel.
"Hell no. That is more than enough I aint one of those rich people from America."
Tysha's attitude was starting to come out again. The man didn't look like he was going to let this go and I was scared that he was going to drive off with our luggage before we could unload it. I went to the two and handed the man more cash. He seemed satisfied and sat back in his cab till we were done unloading and drove away.
"I can't believe you just did that. I wasn't going to give him what I did let alone more." Tysha said irritated.
"Geez I can't take you anywehere." I joked as I poked her in the side.
"Hey stop playing this bag is heavy."
The six of us got our room. It was a suite with two bedrooms on the top floor. We didn't buy this though. When we went to check in I recognized the man who was the owner of the hotel. He was a friend of my mother's and he apologized for missing the funeral and to make it up to us he hooked me up with the suite. I'm so happy he didn't say Kaori's name and that the whole conversation was in English.
"Wow this is nice." Nagisa said as she explored the suite.
"The youngest get the pull out sofa." Tysha said winking at Nagisa.
"There is even a kitchen and dinning room. It's like a house. The TV is huge." Tamao's eyes where very wide. "And there are no adults here either."
Miyuki almost choked on air. "Tamao what do you want to do that adults wouldn't approve of?"
"Aww leave the kid alone she is just excited." Tysha said smiling at Tamao.
"You're a bad influence." Miyuki told Tysha.
We agreed that Tysha and I would share a room and Miyuki and Shizuma would share the other.
"I do not plan on sleeping in this room with you by the end of this little vacation." Tysha told me as we were unpacking. "So you better step up your game with Shizuma and keep pace with me before I have to end up throwing you on the couch with Nagisa and Tamao."
"Tysha I have a better chance of getting with Shizuma than you do with Miyuki and I am not even trying. I'm letting things come naturally."
"Oh I will place money on that. How about a million dollars?"
"I don't have a million dollars idiot."
"Not yet. Oh yea the reason why I was late to the station was because I figured something out and I went to investigate it but you called me so I had to rush back. I think I figured out what Kaori's little P.S. in Shizuma's letter meant. You know about the voices and the painting the glass or whatever it was. Well I was turning the pictures I took of the Saintly Chorus in to the sister and I notice the stained windows behind the stage and you know voices and stuff It just made sense."
"The numbers?" I asked
"The pews starting from left to right."
"Well what did you find? Don't keep my waiting like this spill it already."
"I didn't find anything Nadi you called me remember?"
"You had an hour too after I called you. I would of told you if you would of told me what you were doing."
"I'm sure it'll be there when we get back."
"Yea I guess you're right. Lets go back to the living room area and wait."
Tysha, Nagisa, Tamao, and myself waited for the two other girls to finish unpacking while we relaxed on the couches in the living room.
"Tamao I see you are kind of excited about the fact that the oldest people here our sixth year students. What if I told you that I want to take advantage of this situation?"
Tysha was a bad influence. I can't defend the girl no more. Tamao had a smile on her face and looked over to Nagisa who smiled back.
"Damn Tysha you are a bad influence. What have you been plotting in your mind anyway?" I asked not really wanting to know the answer.
"You'll see. There is one small problem that's screwing my plan up."
"What is it?" Nagisa sounded a little worried. Tysha was even corrupting Nagisa.
"The legal age to buy alcohol here is twenty."
I couldn't help but laugh out loud at Tysha's look of defeat. "I'm sure we will have no problem getting around that." I told her.
Miyuki and Shizuma came out into the living room and sat on the couch choosing to sit next to Tysha and I. Sweet.
"Ok so where do you want to go shopping?" I asked
"Shibuya" Shizuma answered. "It's a district that has more young people in it and there are a lot of things to do there besides shop."
"Sounds good let's go." Tysha said while standing up. "I'm real anxious to do anything. Even let Miyuki blow all my money."
"Well then let's get going I am real anxious to blow Tysha's money too." Miyuki gave the first genuine smile I think I eve seen her give to anybody. It was a picture moment that went away to fast.
We took the train to Shibuya and when we exited the station I didn't think that I would be in awe at what I saw but I was. The buildings had Huge TVs on the sides of them and huge billboards that advertised not just Japanese things but English and other languages I wasn't sure of. The place was also crowded but it was a cool looking crowd, kind of the one you would expect to have a crazy time. I could just imagine what it would look like at night. As we started walking down the shopping strips and Tysha turned to Miyuki.
"Your limit is 100,000 yen is that clear?" Tysha held her bank card out as Miyuki went to grab it with a huge smile on her face but she pulled it away at the last second.
"Is that clear?" Tysha repeated as she raised her eyebrow.
"Yes yes crystal clear." Miyuki said as she took the card from Tysha and turned towards Shizuma and I.
I looked over to Shizuma as I pulled my card out. "150,000" was all I said. Shizuma smiled and took the card.
"You ass. That's ok I wonder what you do when you're all out of money by the third day of this trip." Tysha pointed at me as she spoke.
"Let's go in this store." Nagisa said as we looked to our right and saw a cool looking store with a lot of cloths in it. They looked like they would look great on the girls if they were to it to the club.
"Yea this is perfect. Miyuki make sure you buy a couple of outfits from here. You'll need them." Tysha told Miyuki as she led her into the store. "Good job Nagisa."
Nagisa and Tamao followed the two in. As I looked to Shizuma she grabbed my hand.
"Let's go I don't have anything like this either." She pulled me into the store as I tried to say ok but failed. I realized I hadn't touched her at all since the day we first met. I just want to grab her and hold her forever.
"Tamao does this look good?" Nagisa had just as she exited the changing room and was wearing a short blue jean skirt with a short sleeve jean jacket accompanied by a black tank top underneath and a black belt.
"Nagisa you look so good." Tamao said blushing while holding her own outfits in her hands.
Miyuki had already picked out three outfits and Shizuma had two.
"Tysha three should be good. I mean we don't want to go out the night before we have to go back to Astraea Hill." I recommended.
Tysha looked at Miyuki "You can spend the rest of the money on whatever else you want three is good."
"Ok." Miyuki said. She was obviously having a good time as she checked herself out in the full length mirror. Tysha was smiling at her.
"You have the high maintenance one." I laughed at Tysha.
"Is that what you think Nadi? I was just talking to Miyuki about Shizuma and her families and Shizuma's family has more money than Miyuki's, so my friend you have the one who is more high maintenance." Before I could respond Shizuma stepped out of the changing room.
"How does it look Nadia?" Shizuma asked me as I stared.
Shizuma had on a black mini dress. It was solid black everywhere except for the sides of her thighs where there was a black but see through material in the shape of an upside down V. The two different materials were held together by a black ribbon stitched through the materials and the top was V cut with no sleeves. She had the perfect body to fit that dress that most girls I knew could never pull off. I felt Tysha pull a strand of hair out of my head.
"It looks great you should definitely get that one." I said surprised I didn't stutter.
"Ok." She smiled as she turned around to change back into her cloths.
"Tysha can you think of something else to do when that happens that hurts." I turned around to see Tysha looking at a pair of panties.
"Nadi these are sooooo cute." They had two strawberries stitched into them and it read 'One for you and One for me'. "Hey Miyuki catch." She threw them at Miyuki who caught them and examined them before looking to Tysha.
"You wish." She threw them back at Tysha. Who smiled.
We left the store and spent 3 solid hours shopping at other stores in the district.
At one point we go separated into pairs. Big surprise. Shizuma and I walked into a jewelry store. Shizuma told me she had plenty of jewelry at home and that she didn't need anymore and just wanted to look. As we were browsing around I noticed that there was all kinds here ranging from gold and silver to diamonds and to different colored stone necklaces, bracelets, and earrings. There was a pair of silver earrings that caught my eye. The earrings were in the shape of a treble clef. They reminded me of Shizuma a lot because they matched her hair and I remember hearing her play the piano one day after she left the greenhouse.
"I'll take those." I told the woman at the counter.
"Those look really nice. You'd look good wearing them." Shizuma told me.
"Thanks." I told her as I paid for them and we both walked back out to the main strip.
Nagisa and Tamao were the first ones to say they were hungry. We decided check out what restaurants were around.
"Oh let's go there!" Tysha pointed to a Spanish restaurant. "It'll be good for everyone because I need some food that comes close to tasting like my moms cooking and I bet you all that were born here never even tried Spanish food."
"I kinda miss your mom's cooking too. Is everyone ok with eating here?" I asked . When no one had any objections we started walking to the restaurant.
"This will be interesting." Miyuki said walking side by side with Tysha.
"They are getting along." I said a little surprised.
"Well I'm sure it has something to do with Tysha spoiling her but also because they don't have anything to argue about. Tysha can act and do whatever she wants outside the school and it wont affect Miyuki." Shizuma told me as we walked stepped into the restaurant.
"Para seis" The hostess asked Tysha recognizing her Spanish decent.
"Si, la aria de no fumar por favor." Tysha asked as we followed the hostess to our table.
"How many languages do you know?" Miyuki asked Tysha.
"Oh just three. I was raised with English and Spanish so those came naturally."
The restaurant was a nice one that had decorations of every Hispanic country's flags draped everywhere. I looked over to the Mexican flag that was hanging over one of the tables and smiled thinking my dad would love that one.
"Nadia take a picture!" Tysha called to me as she wrapped a large Puerto Rican flag around her body.
I took the camera out of my pocket and took a picture of Tysha. Tysha called Miyuki over and draped her in the flag along with her. I took another picture of the two laughing.
"Here." I tossed the camera to Tysha and looked through the stack of large flags for sale. "Here is the best one." I said as I picked out a large Mexican flag.
"Wait give me the camera Tysha. You, Miyuki, Nadia, and Shizuma get in the picture with both flags." Nagisa said.
We did as Nagisa instructed and she took the picture. We finally sat down to look over our menus.
"Ha please we both know which flag is the better one." Tysha said rolling her eyes.
"I realized that I never asked where your family came from." Miyuki told Tysha. "I never thought beyond that you were American."
"Oh yea I'm Puerto Rican and Nadi over there is Half Mexican." Tysha realized that the other half was something I didn't want to let the two sixth years know.
"What's the other half?" Shizuma asked me.
"Japanese." I said reluctantly I should of said Chinese or something and they would of never known but it didn't feel right to lie to Shizuma. I feel like I'm keeping enough from her.
"That's why you can speak the language so well." Tamao figured.
"How do you know how to speak Japanese though Tysha?" Nagisa asked.
"Nadi taught me."
"You too are real good friends aren't you?" Nagisa awed.
"What are you talking about?" I asked. "I can't stand that loser."
"Hey you love me so shut the hell up." Tysha laughed.
After we ordered and ate our food it was dark outside. When we stepped out I was again in awe at what I saw. It looked better at night with all the lights and the people looked like they were about to have a great time. Tysha was spotting all the clubs left and right now that they were all about to be filled with younger people.
"Ahh I can't wait till tomorrow. OMG Nadi look at that." Tysha pointed to a huge poster displayed on the side of one of the building that had a name of a club and under it in English it had a bunch of familiar Hip-Hop artists. "That's tomorrow. I don't care if no one comes with me I'm going and there is nothing no one can do to stop me."
"Calm down Tysha we are definitely going to that." I laughed at Tysha's enthusiasm.
"I don't know how to dance to that type of music though." Nagisa said looking sad.
"Don't you worry Nagisa. We will definitely teach you ok." I said as I started to get excited. Tysha and I loved dancing. When we used to go to the clubs back home we would always be one of the best dancers there. "What about you two?" I looked towards Miyuki and Shizuma.
"Hey don't worry we'll definitely teach you both too. None of that waltzing stuff you all do in this place. I can't wa…" Tysha stopped and looked over to a man sitting on a curb with a big jacket and bag. He looked terrible as if he hadn't shaven in days and didn't eat regularly. "Nadi look a homeless guy." Tysha walked towards the man and knelt next to him as the other girls looked at them confused.
"What's going on? What is she doing? She doesn't know if that man is dangerous." Miyuki ranted.
"You sound like you care." I told her. I knew I was being harsh and that Miyuki had been treating Tysha a lot better but I was still a little upset with her.
"I do care." Miyuki looked down.
"Hey I'm sorry." I apologized to Miyuki she seemed really sincere I guess I should stop being so defensive. "Tysha isn't scared of much and a homeless guy is nothing to be concerned about and if he was Tysha knows how to take care of herself."
I had an idea of what Tysha was doing seeing as how we've done it a few times when we couldn't get alcohol by any other way. Tysha and the man got up and started walking across the street.
"We are going to follow them." I told the other girls and we did as we saw Tysha stop outside a store and the man entered leaving her to wait. When the man exited he was holding two bags one larger than the other. He handed Tysha the large bag and kept the small one. He waved good bye and said thank you to Tysha and went on his way. Tysha walked back towards us.
"Oh I get it." Tamao realized what had just happened.
"Let's go to the hotel." Tysha looked around paranoid.
"No one is going to steal it." I told her
"Yea I know but, I don't know what the age for possession of alcohol is in this country." Tysha said in English.
Miyuki would have a fit if she just heard that.
We safely made it to the hotel and tysha and I started loading up the fridge.
"What is all that stuff?" Tamao asked. "I know what alcohol is but there are so many different kinds you bought."
"I know isn't it great?" Tysha sat on the kitchen counter as she held the fridge open and pointed at the different types of bottles we had just organized. Shizuma and Miyuki were silent during all of this. "Ok first you see all these brown smaller bottles those are beer and over here this is vodka and over here is some more vodka and over here is some liquor and over here is some sissy girly drinks for those of you who can't take the gross taste of those other drinks. Beer is utterly disgusting but if you're playing a game with it you don't even think about the taste. Ok that's not true but it is better while you play."
"This is why you were buying all those shot glasses and cups today." Tamao smiled.
"Tamao I like you. You remind me of me when I was younger. There was this one older girl that introduced me to the world of alcohol and I remember being just like you. You are my new protégé." Tysha declared. "We should just have a little tonight." Tysha thought.
"No." I closed the fridge door "I'm tired and I'm sure everyone will be sleeping by twelve and that's to early for when we are drinking besides tomorrow is going to have a long night."
"Ok ok fine" Tysha said as she went over to the couch to help Nagisa who looked like she was having trouble pulling the pull out bed out.
I looked over to Miyuki who was rubbing her temples and Shizuma who was deep in thought. "Hey don't worry so much." I said to both of them. "I promise that Tysha and I wont do anything that will get you in trouble or cause you harm. Besides it would make us feel bad if we let you both down."
Miyuki sighed and Shizuma just smiled at me making me drop my gaze and look back up at her.
"Ok I guess I trust you for some reason." Miyuki sighed again. "I'm going to sleep I'm tired." Miyuki left the kitchen and went into living room with Tysha and the younger two girls.
"Well I guess I'll see you in the morning." Shizuma said smiling at me. "Thank you for today. It was fun."
"Your welcome it was my 'honor'." I teased.
Shizuma rolled her eyes as I said goodnight to her.
"I think you bought too much alcohol." I told Tysha as we were getting ready for bed.
"Nah." Tysha said as she laid down.
"Yah I think so. Those girls don't know how to drink. If we don't be careful they'll get sick and there is not enough of us to hold everybody's hair up."
"Nadi you worry to much."
I sighed as I went to lay down next to Tysha. "Good night Tysha."
"Good night Nadi."