Chapter Nine
"You were awesome out there, Shizu!" I am enveloped in a hug and the familiar scent of bubblegum and strawberries fills my nose and I know instantly who it is. Wrapping my arms around the shorter girl, I easily lift her up which has her letting out a loud gasp of surprise.
"I didn't know you could act like that, Akira." My voice isn't as loud as hers, but I'm sure persons close enough could make out my words. Which I didn't mind because at that moment, I was still grinning like an idiot. The high of getting to dance on a stage in front of an audience again really did affect me to an extent - even if it has already been awhile after my performance.
"I do try," The girl says with a sniff, holding her head high. Her black hair are set into curls and she wears a red headband that matches her white and red ruffled short dress, a little lip gloss on her lips. "My English has come far way thanks to all that practicing."
Which I wholeheartedly agree with after watching the girl's performance of the small skit she was in. Having to act as an American, I bet it was hard for her but she pulled through and did well. Akira really is a master of many talents - Kisuke Iori from the drama club said so himself - and I wouldn't be surprised if she said she could play the trumpet with little practice.
The concert had just finished and everyone was gathering around to talk with their families in the auditorium. I hadn't spotted my parents or Kasuka, and Akira had just appeared making me give up on my search.
I'm sure they're here somewhere.
"Enough about that though," Akira waves her hand in a dismissive manner, leaning in so I can hear her over the many voices of the people who surround us. "Why didn't you tell me you could have danced like that?"
"You never asked," I shrug my shoulders and the girl gives me a glare which I ignore. "I've only gotten into when I was about ten, no big deal."
"Don't try to write off the fact that you basically taught yourself." My head is shoved into a hold and my hair is being viciously ruffled.
"Not because you're taller means you can do this to me, Tanaka." Successfully releasing myself from him, I shove my elbow into his side that has the taller boy grunting from the little force I had put behind the hit.
"Sometimes I forget you're stronger than me." Shrugging my shoulders, I give him a 'what-can-you' look before finally turning back to Akira.
"You were great out there too, Matsu-san." Tom has Akira once again puffing out her chest and her face expression becoming quite smug, which has me rolling my eyes and it is at that time I spot my mother whose eyes connect with mine.
"There you are!" I'm pulled into a hug and I laugh into her arms as she begins to mutter how much she is proud of me while I feel a hand once again resting on top my head. Peeking up, I spot my dad with a small smile on his face and I return it with a larger one.
"You did great, Shizu-chan!" Shinra appears beside Kasuka who has yet to say anything and is just giving me a smile. He's much like dad in that sense, but I can make out the meaning in his expression and I bump my shoulders with his. A smile quirks up his lips, but he doesn't say anything and so I turn my attention to a grinning Shinra.
"Thank you." I answer the bespectacled boy who wraps his hand around my shoulder, bringing me close.
"You made me such a proud best friend, Shizu-chan."
"I never remembered calling you my best friend, Shinata."
"So cold." He lets go of me and shivers theatrically while rubbing his arms. "What's with the fake remembrance of my name?!"
"She does that all the time." Chirps Akira and she holds out her to Shinra. "A pleasure to meet the guy who has driven Shizuka crazy ever since first grade. Trade secrets?"
"The fellow tormentor that got Shizuka to complain to me of all people?" Shinra shakes her hand firmly. "I liked you before I even met you."
"You flatter me, Kishitani-san."
"Please, call me Shinra!"
"Call me Akira, then!"
"What have I done?" I watch on in horror as the two begin to converse, ignoring the chuckles that come from my parents and brother at the scene.
"Now I see why you were reluctant for those to meet," notes Tom, coming to stand beside me. "They're like two peas in a pod."
"I'm going to regret this later. I can just feel it." I mutter, eyes attracted to the person that comes into my view from beside Shinra. My eyes widen as I recognize just who it is. Moving closer, his eyes meet mine and a smile comes to his face. "Orihara-san."
"It's nice to meet you again, Heiwajima-san." He bows a slight bow and I find myself doing the same. "Thank you for inviting me."
"I-it was nothing. You're Shinra's friend, so I wanted to meet you again." Waving my hand in a dissuading manner, I lean closer and motion for him to come near. HHe looks amused but humors me upon leaning in."Shinra actually having a friend is too hard to believe, so I'm a bit curious and wanted to get to know you."
"I heard that!"
Introducing Tom to Shinra and Izaya while getting him reacquainted with my parents and younger brother was a bit embarrassing seeing as my brother eyes become mirth filled by the time I'm finished with introductions. My mother's laugh and the firm hand dad puts on my shoulder while giving me a thumbs up has me hiding my face in mortification as my face burned red.
Tom keeps his promise of finally introducing me to his father along with his mother and younger sister.
"I've heard a lot about you, Shizuka-chan." Eric Tanaka smiles down at me and all I can do is stare. He looks so much like Tom - or Tom looks so much like him. His dreadlocks are black instead of his son's brown, which Tom must have inherited from his mother, Inori. He also doesn't wear glasses and his round hazel eyes are so much different from the Asian almond shape of everyone else around him.
"I-it's nice to meet you, Tanaka-san."
"Lovely to meet you as well, Shizuka." Smiles the short woman beside Eric. She has a firm hand on the young child that can not be older than seven, who squirms a bit with a pout.
It only takes my interest in hearing his tales of growing up in Jamaica that has Tom's dad making me promise to visit their home at least once. Of course I eagerly take him up on the offer, elbowing Tom when he chuckles at my enthusiasm.
We linger a bit more with Tom and his family before they decide that it is time to go.
"Bye Shizu-chan, Aki-chan and Shin-chan!" Six year old Kari waves wildly back at us.
Waving good bye to Tom and his family, I look to Akira who has been eyeing her mother that had come to stand and speak to us. They are next to leave with Shinra and Akira having a tearful goodbye while exchanging numbers which I roll my eyes at, and finally my family waits for Shinra and Izaya to get their ride home.
Izaya himself had been a little quiet, but I wrote that off as either him being a normally quiet person or he was just being polite. We had managed to talk a little together in which I found that he was an intelligent person that had somehow become roped in with Shinra by chance.
"He's not as bad as one would think." The dark haired boy commented to which I snorted at. His lip had twitched before a small smile came to his lips. "Okay, maybe he is a bit annoying when he gets going."
"That's an understatement."
"Would you two stop talking about me behind my back?"
Watching the two leave in the sleek black car, I wave at the enthusiastic wave of Shinra and the more subdued one of Izaya before turning to look at my family.
"That was lovely." Mom says, pulling me under her arm. I do not resist and let my hand wrap around her waist, my steps becoming a bit slow.
"It was." Comes dad voice from the other side, walking in tune with us. Kasuka has taken refuge beside myself, and somehow I find our hands linked and I tug at his hand, giving him a smile.
"I didn't know you and Tom-kun were that close." I withhold a groan and remove myself from under mom's grip, ignoring the attempts to keep me there.
"Not talking about this!"
"Come now, Shizuka. Humor your parents with your love life." Dad's voice holds so much laughter, I'm surprised he's not stuttering over it. The heat on my face increases, and I begin to walk at a faster rate.
"Tanaka Shizuka," Kasuka says loud enough for mom and dad to hear from behind us. "That has a nice ring to it."
"Leave me alone!"
Events after the concert pass in a blur with school once again settling in as we all prepare for our end of term tests. With this, my popularity once again pops up as almost everyone suddenly decides to hover around me to try and persuade me to tutor them. Of course I turn them down seeing as I myself need time to study and I ignore the stab of guilt of turning them down.
November month ends with myself going to dinner with Shinra, his dad and Izaya. It truly is a blessing to leave my home that night with how mom just hovers around me trying to fix my already perfect hair and reminding me constantly to be on my best behavior. Surprisingly, it is dad that walks me to the car that Shinra along with his father stand in front of.
Seeing Shingen Kishitani for the first time, I can immediately spot the similarities between himself and his son. From the florescent light of the street light just above them, I can tell their hair has the similar shade although Shingen hair is longer and parted to the front with some slicked back.
Greetings are exchanged with myself saying goodbye to dad and him helping me into the car where Izaya sits.
"We match." He says as greeting and I laugh upon noticing his turquoise dress shirt that matches the short pleated dress peaking out of my coat.
"It seems we do." Giving him a smile, I settle into my seat as Shingen pulls off the curb.
"I finally meet the famous Heiwajima Shizuka," Shingen says after a while, dark eyes looking to the back from the rear view mirror. "Shinra speaks of you often."
"I would hope so," I give the seat in front of me a meaningful look, but Shinra makes no move to look around or even say anything. "He's tormented me for all of my elementary days. The least he can do is mention his tormenting ways once in a while."
"That's so not true!" Denies the young boy, finally looking back with an aghast expression. Giving him my best unimpressed look, I am startled by the loud laughter of the only adult in the car.
"I'm glad Shinra has some friends outside of Celty." Shingen comments, and I look to the man giving him my attention. "That woman can only do so much and Shinra needs ordinary company."
Sharing a look with Izaya, I turn to see Shinra has turned to the front cutting our conversation short. Most of the car ride continues in that fashion, but dinner with the Kishitani males and Izaya wasn't as awkward and I even laughed at the eccentricity that is Shingen Kishitani.
According to Shinra, the man is even known for wearing a gas mask because he thinks it is more alluring which has me laughing aloud at. It really was the most fun I can say I have ever had in the company of Shinra, and I find myself enjoying talking with Izaya. He might have been a little stand-offish during our first meeting at Shinra's, but now as I sit next to him watching as he engages Shinra in a conversation, I find myself liking him.
I would hope we could become friends.
The rest of the year is filled with passing grades - Akira had grumbled over her barely passable grades while Tom had shrugged at his pretty good ones -, Christmas celebrations and finally the New Year cleaning with the promises of good fortunes for the last year of the 20th century.
Who would've thought I would be given the opportunity to see something like this? In my past life, I had been born two years after this and now not only am I getting to experience this but I got to live through the eighties and nineties.
I had barely lived to see my fourteenth birthday in my past life, and now I had been given a second chance to experience it - maybe live far past the short time I had the first time around. It truly is something to be thankful for and I guess I am a bit annoyed it had taken me almost four years before I even realized that.
Namiko and Kichirou are amazing parents, and Kasuka truly is an amazing brother. I really am lucky to have them and the friends that I have made in this new life. Sitting with all of them right now as we stare up at the fire works that scatter across the dark sky, I find that I do in fact love each and everyone of them.
The warm feeling in my chest, the burning in my eyes and the wispy smile I catch while looking down at the spoon held tightly in grasp; I would hope that this was enough to show them how I felt.
By the way dad hugs me close to his chest, and mom's lingering kiss on my forehead, even Kasuka's flick to my right ear conveys that they did know and that they felt the same.
"One, two, three..." Mom looks to us, grey eyes holding her excitement as she signals that we should join in on her shout-
"HAPPY NEW YEAR!"
I really do love these people. I really do.
Ten chapters! AHHHHHH! xD Although to be precise - this is chapter nine with the first being a prologue but who gives a shit? Lmao
Anyway, this is just the last chapter before we take a little time skip and yes people we will have a bit of a plot somewhere... Not saying anything.
Thanks to all the reviews you guys! It's really fun to hear from you all and all that.
Gonna promote my tumblr page now: One shots and almost everything with Shizuka is being posted on there so you guys go over and check it out. Leave questions and all that and I'll be sure to answer :D
Can find me at retardsareadorable.
Anyway... Do review and tell me what you think ^_^
Until next time~!