Chapter 10: A Day At The Park
"Probably gonna have to be quiet when I walk in." I mutter to myself as I pull up to the front of our apartment to park my car and lock it.
I walk up the stairs and open the door...only to find a very much awake Frank sitting on the barstool with an attempt at an annoyed tone of voice.
"Took your ass long enough to get here." Frank spins around on the barstool to face me, but fails miserably and overshoots the spin causing him to face the same direction that he started.
I try my absolute hardest not to laugh, which was probably the biggest challenge in my life right now, save for the other things that happened tonight. "Pff...nice job you jackass."
"Heh...whatever dick. But hey...seriously, what took you dude? You left the manor over an hour ago bro." Frank folded his arms and stood up, awaiting on some sort of clarification.
"Wait...an hour? Have I really been gone that long? There's no way that I was talking to Hotie that long."
"Earth to douchebag?" Frank begun waving his hand in front of my face.
"Oh shit dude, I'm sorry. Did...did you say an hour? I was gone for literally an hour?"
"Yes, literally an hour, if not more. I passed the hell out not long after I got home at ten. Next thing you know, I wake up at like 11 cause I had to piss and get something to drink...and you still weren't home man. I mean you're grown and shit...duh, but you're still my best friend dude. So when I called you seven times and you didn't answer...yeah, not gonna lie, I got a little worried."
"Dang...who knew you actually cared about me huh?" I chuckled a bit, giving him a little slap to the back to reassure him a bit.
"Yeah yeah, whatever you say. But hey seriously...what happened? Don't tell me 'nothing' either, cause I'm not stupid." Frank lets out a cocky chuckle. "Something happened with Hotaru eh?"
My face began getting very hot. He may be my best friend, but could I seriously just up and tell him? I mean...he kinda already knows that SOMETHING definitely happened...but he doesn't know what. But...I can't really lie to my best friend...guess there's only one way out of this.
TRUTH.
"Uh...yeah dude. Actually, she uh...she kissed me man...like...on the lips and everything." I can feel myself beginning to get all weird once more when I recall the feeling of Hotaru's lips pressing against mine. I begun mentally noting every feeling that I had felt earlier.
Face hot...check. Palms sweaty...check. Butterflies...check. Flustered...absolutely. Nervous as shit...Jesus Christ yes, check.
Frank...oh God Frank. He was absolutely dumbfounded. I've never seen his jaw drop so low. "Uh...you wanna run that by me one more time?"
"Yeah man. She told me to close my eyes and then...well...like I said, she kissed me." I shrugged my shoulders, trying my hardest to play off the way I was feeling.
"You...holy shit...you're actually serious aren't you?"
I nod and sigh.
"What...dude...I'll be honest, this was all an act. I was never really annoyed at you, I was just totally joking when I said that something happened man...but...she seriously kissed you? Like on the entire mouth of your actual face?!"
I can't help but to laugh at his remark. "Heh...yeah man. She really did."
"...Hell yeah bro! Sweet, so you two are totally going out now right?"
Well, that wasn't what I had expected. Can't say that I was prepared for a talk like this.
"Uh...n-no, actually we aren't. She said that she did it because I didn't finish the dare, so she wasn't letting me walk away without finishing it I guess. That's what she told me after she kissed me." Yet again I just shrug the thought off.
"Oh shit dude...that...kinda sucks." Frank puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Pff. Naw man, why would that suck?"
"Oh don't even dude. Not with me." Frank smirks.
"Don't...what?" I ask.
"Don't lie to me. I'm your best friend, you think that I can't tell when you like someone? I know how you really feel about her dude."
Usuallly, this would be the part where I'd just play the whole ordeal off, but in this case, he was totally right. Like, nailed it dead on the mark.
"Well, shit...that obvious huh?"
"Yep, that obvious...well to me at least. I was actually having a little convo with Aoi as I was leaving earlier about you and her. He sees it too in the way that you act around her." Frank walks into the kitchen, opening the fridge for a drink. "Sprite?"
"Yeah, toss me one." I catch the can of soda swiftly, popping it open and chugging down half of the contents within a few seconds. I let out an 'Ahhhh' when I had finally stopped drinking.
"You know...the shitty part, is that I can't say that her feelings are returned. I'm pretty sure that she still just sees me as like...that older brother figure just like back when we were kids."
"I dunno man, it's hard to tell to be honest. I mean, yes she did kiss you but...I dunno. Heh...women." Frank shakes his head, taking a sip of his soda shortly after.
"Yeah man, women...jeez." I chug the rest of my soda down, toss it into the trash and stand up, stretching a bit and letting out a little yawn. "Ohhh...man...see my biggest thing now is like...how the hell am I going to face her tomorrow when I see her? Or like...will she even remember it at all? She WAS pretty hammered."
"Meh...I dunno. Only one way to find out. Guess we'll just have to see what happens tomorrow. C'mon let's hit the sheets, I'm tired as hell."
I nod furiously, opening my eyes wide. "Absolutely, I'm surprised I'm still standing up honestly."
Frank and I head upstairs to our room to get what remaining sleep that we can before we have to get up in the morning. Who knows, maybe I'm just overthinking tomorrow's situation.
At least, that's what I was hoping for.
[The Next Day]
We've been here over two hours now and I've said...what...maybe two sentences to Hotaru? I believe those would be 'Hey girl, sleep well?' when I first saw her, and 'Want a soda?' when we passed by the vending machines; both times she just either nodded or shook her head and smiled. It isn't her fault though, she's been pretty talkative the entire time honestly, especially with Kanako. Those two seem to be getting along better and better lately.
Me on the other hand, I can barely even come to look at her; she just blushes and turns away every time that I do. I swear I don't understand her sometimes.
Does she even remember last night? I feel like she just always blushes because I like...embarrass her since she looks up to me cause I'm older? I guess? Jesus, I wish I could just figure this girl out.
"Yo Hayden, you know those guys or something?" Aoi points over across to the other side of the walking trail.
There were two guys standing under the shade of one of the trees; sure enough they were both looking this way and waving.
I put my hand over my eyes to shade them from the beating rays of the sun. "Uhh...shit. I can't really tell from here who that is. Uhhhhhhh..."
"Hey, that's Motou and Hamada!" Ageha shouts, after squinting her eyes frantically.
"Oh yeah, sure enough that is...wait, how do you know them?" I asked.
"I've talked to them a few times when they both first started here, plus they know my Dad a little. Wait...how do YOU know them?" She asked, folding her arms.
"Uh, they're in the music club with us? Duh. Thought you told me that you're always talking to people there?" I roll my eyes playfully, causing Ageha to click her tongue at me.
"Oh whatever, I forgot okay! Brain fart, that's all!"
"More like brain dead." I try my hardest to stifle a laugh, which proves to be a little hard once Aoi, Kotori and Frank all start busting out laughing.
I only get to laugh for a split second though, since she decides to force her elbow directly towards my genitals. I quickly spring into action, grab her elbow, lift it upwards and get behind her. Both of her arms are locked into my hands now, preventing her from any escape.
"Ah ah ah..." Once again, just like I had done at the mall a while back, I bring my face close to her ear. "Let's play nice now, right Ageha?"
"Mmnh..."
And once again, that wierd ass noise, just like last time.
"Why do you always do that?" I shake my head and laugh. She was so wierd sometimes.
Hotaru makes a pretty annoyed face at me for whatever reason. I can feel this sort of tension build up between us all of a sudden.
"The hell, you cold or something Ageha?" Aoi asked.
"Wait...huh..oh." She had finally caught attention to where Aoi was focusing on.
Her arms were full of goosebumps.
Apparently that was all it took to snap her out of her wierdness. She quickly regains her composure and clears her throat.
"...No-I mean yes! Uh, I guess it is a little chilly...I guess?"
"You guess? Dude, it's 67 degrees outside with like no wind whatsoever. It feels perfect. You on crack?" Frank folds his arms playfully.
Kanako giggles a little louder than I would have expected, causing Frank to turn around at the sound. She instantly stops and turns away.
We ended up walking over to Motou and Hamada finally after our few little brief moments of idiocy.
Frank and I both walk up to the two of them and shake their hands.
"What up guys? What're y'all doing here?" I ask.
"Nothing really, we were catching up on a bit of schoolwork at first...but then we uh, kinda bailed on that heh.." Motou nervously rubbed the back of his head.
"Hah...why am I not surprised." I shake my head a bit and chuckle.
"Oh hey, you never got to see my new guitar yet huh? I tried to show you Friday before school let out but I kinda got caught up." Hamada begins to pull out his cell phone as soon as he started to tell me.
"Nope I haven't, let me peep it." He places the phone in my hands, and my eyes grow wide as ever. "Dude...you got an ESP? Bro...what kind of music do you guys actually play?"
Motou begins counting upon his fingers as he names off the list. "Well, we litsen to all kinds of varieties. Old school rock, Hard rock, some post-hardcore, and-"
"Wait, post-hardcore? You...guys actually know what like...screamo and stuff is?" I was pretty much completely dumbfounded now.
"Uh...there is Japanese metal and post-hardcore bands you know..." Hamada raises his eyebrow like he's shocked that I hadn't known.
"Uh...n-no I didn't actually. Uhh...whoops?" I shrug my shoulders with a cheeky smile.
"Pff. Idiot." Motou shakes his head and laughs.
"Wait wait...that stuff that you guys play...that's what screamo is?" Ageha turned towards the guys.
Motou thinks for only a second, then nods. "Uhh yeah. That's what we were playing that one time that you and your sister came and watched us a while back."
Ageha turns her attention back towards me. "THAT...is the stuff you guys play that you told my sister and I about?"
"Yes? Is that so hard to believe?" I tried my best to look a little serious.
She shakes her head, frantically waving her arms. "It's not that, it's just that...well...Motou and Hamada both took singing lessons for like two or three years. They've always sung pretty good and they kind of have the voice for it but-"
"You're totally about to say that you don't think that Frank and I can sing well huh? Or at all? Weren't you?" I fold my arms and give her a bit of a scornful look.
She jumps back a bit at my sudden change of tone. "No not that! It's just well...uh...you guys both kinda have a deep voice and..."
"And? That means we can't sing?" Even though I'm not actually being serious with her, I can't help but to drag the tough guy act out a little longer.
"No! I mean...I-I dunno..."
"Dude, I'm just messing around. Heh...we can't sing all that great, but we sing and scream nonetheless. It's fun." I shrug my shoulders once again.
"You guys up for a little 'fun' competition then?" Hamada looks at Frank and I with a smirk.
I look over to Frank who just shrugs and nods. "And what do I partake that may be, good sir?"
"How about we have a little jam-out battle? We each play a song and have someone else judge on it. Whaddaya say guys?" Hamada holds his fist out, overlooking Frank and I.
I glance at Frank once more from the corner of my eye and nod, before the both of us fist bump him. "Safe to say that we're in I believe."
"Wanna just do it at our apartment? Our garage is pretty friggin huge." Frank suggested.
Surprisingly Kanako was the next one to say something a bit out of the blue. "Wait, I thought you guys lived in a hotel?"
"Oh..Well, it's more like a condo actually. It's pretty nice!" Said Frank.
"Oh...o-okay." And just like that. Back to square one with her being shy and all.
"Uhh...Yyyyyeaaahhh..." Frank just slowly turns away and back to the guys. "So, do you guys drive?"
"Yeah we do." Motou nods.
I give the both of them a thumbs up. "Awesome. You guys can go grab all of your stuff now if you want, we're gonna go ahead and head out as well and you can meet us there after. I'll text you the address."
They both nod and walk away after shaking all of our hands and whatnot, saying their brief goodbyes.
"Well, I guess that's settled then. You guys coming along too right?" I scan everyones faces and await my answer.
"Psh, duh. Who else is gonna judge? Plus, I really wanna see you guys sing!" Ageha turns her attention towards me suddenly. "Especially you. I've known you too long not to see something like this..."
I just shrug my shoulders and stretch a bit. Those few laps that Frank and I had jogged around the track had left my muscles a little sore surprisingly. "Well, I mean I do sing, but I mostly just handle the screaming. Just like Frank screams too, but mostly handles the singing."
"So...Frank can do both too?" Kanako asks shyly.
"Yeah, I can." He turns his attention to me and smiles. "How about we just do a little of both in whatever song we pick man?"
"Meh...I dunno, you know how I am about singing."
"Oh come on don't be a baby. Please?" Ahega puts her hands together and begs, and I know she's only doing it to try and be cute.
Aaaaaaannnnd unfortunately it worked. "Alright alright. Anything for you Aggie." I rub my fingers through her hair playfully and smile.
"Mmn..." Yet again she just makes one of her...wierd noises.
And yet again, Hotaru looks like she's getting pretty annoyed for whatever the reason, though she still hasn't said a single word to me.
"Man I need to stop doing that. That's starting to get kinda wierd."
We all end up walking the track one more time just for the hell of it, before hopping into the cars and heading back to the apartment to wait for the others.