A Tale of Two Torrents

By Dixxy

Chapter One: It Was An Accident!

(Cye)

After I left Mike's house, I started to walk back to my apartment. I didn't care how far or close it might've been to the group's usual hangout. THERE I was welcome. Apparently I wasn't one hundred percent welcome back with the others. Especially with HER.

It honestly was an accident. I had been 'It', and I had decided to chase after Sara. So I chased her around for a little while. When I closed in on her, she suddenly sprinted ahead of me and instead of tagging her, I grabbed the strap on her bikini top. In response, it came undone and suddenly she was topless and I was holding her bra. I didn't MEAN to pull it off. I knew she must've been embarrassed, but I mean, come on. We're all friends and we should've just laughed it off, given her a shirt, and continued on. I made a joke about it. I figured it I could get her to smile she'd just laugh it off.

But NO. She had to slap me and call me a pervert. Naturally, I was insulted, so I called back at her before we glared at each and left. My cheek still stung from the incident. Just who did she think she was? It was just a joke. A stupid joke. Like I really expected her to run around topless?

I smoldered all the way back home. When I got to the apartment building where Anubis and I shared an apartment, I fumbled with the key to get inside, and continued to keep my pissed-off attitude all the way to the flat I share with my "brother". At the very least he would understand me.

I walked inside and slammed the door shut. Anubis was sitting on the couch, a bowl of popcorn on one side and an Orange Julius in his hand. Images from what I assumed to be some sort of a comedy flashed across the screen of our television. "Hello, Cye," he said nonchalantly. He was lost in movie-induced stupor

"Hello, Anubis," I said in a somewhat depressed tone.

"Something wrong?" My mood had pulled my father out of his trance.

I told him about what had happened during the game. Anubis nodded every so often, continuing to slurp up the smoothie type drink he'd grown to love as he kept his attention focused on me. He offered me some popcorn, but I shook my head and continued to ramble on.

"You know, Cye, it sound to me like you both overreacted."

"No, SHE overreacted. I tried to make a joke to calm the atmosphere and she hit me! Then she went and called me a bloody pervert," I said. "I'm not a pervert. I've seen the others do it. They make a joke when something embarrassing happens, every ones laughs, and we all forget about it."

Anubis shook his head. "Did you say anything to her in return?"

"Yes, I called her a little bitch," I said.

Anubis shook his head. He then folded his arms and looked at me sternly. "Cye, while it doesn't seem like it, you do have a temper. Hell, you somehow inherited my temper despite the fact I never even met you until you were fifteen. It's a dangerous temper that concentrates itself on one thing and here we see it's concentrated on Sara. But aside from that, you should never say that to a lady."

"Who said I was talking to a lady?"

My father raised an eyebrow at me with a sort of disappointed look on his face I hadn't seen before. "I think the two of you just need some time to cool off, then I'm sure you'll be back to normal. Then you can apologize to her about what happened and the two of you can move on."

"What the hell should I do that for!" I said. "SHE was the-"

"Would you stop blaming her for one second!" said Anubis. He put down his drink and walked over to me, putting his hands on his shoulders. "From what I know about women in this part of the world, they don't like to show off their bare breasts unless they're in private company, pornography, or in strip clubs. Cye, she was probably humiliated and whatever joke it was that you used probably upset her."

"But she hit me," I said, rubbing the still somewhat sore cheek.

"Well, you did humiliate her. Put it in this perspective- how would you fell if the roles were reversed? You were wearing a pair of swimming trunks, she was chasing you, and she grabbed your swimming trunks, fell down, and brought the shorts with her so the whole world could see what makes you a male. Would YOU say some harsh words?" he asked.

"Yes, yes I would, but I wouldn't hit her and call her a pervert! More than likely I'd just run into a bush and hide for a few hours while Kento and Sage tried to coax me out," I said. Heh, that actually is a pretty accurate description of what would happen in that scenario.

"See? You both embarrass easily."

"But I don't HIT people for a reason like THAT!" I said, throwing my hands up. I sighed heavily. "Just, leave me alone, Anubis. I need some time by myself to think this through." I picked my keys back up and started for the door. Anubis looked at me in mild shock. I normally didn't behave like this.

I normally wasn't this upset.

"Cye, where are you-" he started.

"Out."

I loitered around Boston Common for a while, watching the swan boats go by on the pond. Boston was a nice city. Different from what I was used to in England and Japan, but I liked it. I was still homesick like crazy, but I had to let those feelings pass. We'd sent the letter to Ryo and Rowen, after all. Soon, they'd receive the letter and know we were still amongst the living.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the dike's friend."

I sighed heavily. "Go away, you vulture."

Sheila didn't like my nickname. Sheila McConner was a bully who liked to harass the Senshi. You know, those popular girls every school has. The ones who tease anyone who they feel is inferior to them, wears a ton of make-up, has crap for brains, and has done drugs and/or been with five plus guys. Sheila gives me the creeps for some reason, though Kento and the others seem to use her as the butt of their jokes ("Sheila took a stick off a potato because she thought it was a neat name tag for herself." "Why?" "It said 'Idaho'.").

Sheila sat next to me and crossed her legs, making sure that she and I were making as much body contact as it was legal to do in public, leaving me squished between her and the park bench. She turned to me, her heavily done-up eyelids batting at me. I wanted to gag. Obviously, she could see the disgust in my face and pouted. "What did I ever do to you, Cye?"

"Nothing, yet, but it's obvious you're cruel to my friends," I said. I stood up and folded my arms, looking at the redhead straight on. "Where do you get off calling Ria a lesbian?" A few weeks earlier, we'd found the Wildfire of the Senshi feeling sorry for herself surrounded by a few cartons of various food items from the Quincy Market food court. She'd gotten that way because of something that the slut had said.

"Because she IS! She dresses, acts, and talks like a dike, so she IS a dike! She hasn't gone out with a guy yet, so I'm just waiting for her and Thomas to hook up," said Sheila. She flicked some of her hair back, sending some of her hair spray my way. I gagged on it. "I think it's obvious."

"Thomas? I thought you thought she was a lesbian," I said, confused.

"I mean Samantha Thomas. You know, the dumb oaf with the Australian accent?" she said. "You KNOW that SHE'S probably a lesbian because she flat out HATES men with a burning passion. Has no attraction to them what so ever. I'm telling you, Santana, Lewis, and Narrlobi are probably all going to get hit on because of their choice in friends."

I narrowed my eyes and glared at Sheila. "Sam is NOT a lesbian, either. In fact, she went out with Sage a few days ago and she wants to start pursuing normal teenage relationships," I said. I clenched my fist. "What the hell makes you think that just because you're part of the popular crowd you get to boss everyone around!"

Sheila blinked, then grinned. "Gee, Cye, I didn't know you felt that way. I was-"

"Don't even try to sweet talk me, Sheila, so go away. Everything Kento said to you the day that we met I back up one hundred percent. I've seen you tromping around Boston like you own the city. Guess what? You don't. And don't think you'll EVER get a piece of me- I have no idea what diseases you're carrying," I said, turning away from the much hated female.

Sheila growled. She was obviously still not used to being turned down and this proved it. The town bicycle slammed her foot into the ground and stomped away in a huff. I grinned, pleased with myself. Maybe Kento wasn't the only one with a talent for blowing Sheila off.

I went home shortly afterward, finding my father gone. Fine by me- I still kind of felt like being alone anyways. Somehow, the idea of hanging out with anyone else seemed to distress me. So I opted to grab a bag of Doritos and headed into my room to read for a while.

I sat on my bed, kicked my shoes and socks off, and curled up on the bed, opening up a book. For the next few hours, I was quietly reading my book. I moved only to turn a page or shift slightly if I started to feel a cramp. But other than that, I was completely absorbed by my reading material.

Just as I finished the book, I heard a knock on the door. "Hello?"

Anubis cursed outside the door. "How long have you been in there?" he asked.

I looked at the clock and estimated the time in my head. I was surprised to see how late it was, but the moon outside of my window confirmed the late time. "I dunno, three or four hours?"

Anubis opened the door and stepped inside. "Doing what for three of four hours?"

"Reading," I said. I sat up as my father sat down. "Why are you asking?"

"I didn't hear you. I thought you were still out or something had happened and. . . oh, never mind, you were safe at home," he said, giving me a hug. I only slightly returned the hug, still upset over what had happened between me and my partner in arms. "You know I worry about you."
"Anubis, I'm the Child of Destiny," I said. "I can take just about anything."

"That won't stop me from worrying about you," said Anubis, crossing his legs and folding his arms. "You're still my son, and as your father I will be concerned about you. I missed out on almost seventeen years of your life and I sure as hell plan on making up for that."

I laughed. "You should've knocked earlier," I said. "You know I'm quiet."

"You do have a point. Must've inherited the quietness from your mother since I'm not quiet," he said. He lightly punched my shoulder, giving me a wide, fatherly smile. Something I had spent my whole life wanting to see. "So, do you want to order pizza or do you want to cook? If you say the former, I'll pay."

"Pizza," I said dryly. "I don't feel like cooking."

Anubis frowned, putting the back on his hand against my forehead. I pulled myself away, which only caused my father's worry to increase. "Now, I'm not asking this because I want you to cook, but, are you all right? Normally you don't get this. . . sulky when you say that you don't feel like cooking."

"No," I said. I sighed heavily, frowning. "I went to the park and ran into Sheila McConner."

"The one that Kento calls the two-dollar slut and calls Ria a lesbian?" asked Anubis.

"Yup. Same one," I said. "After trashing out Ria and Sam, I think she tried hitting on me. While if it were any other girl I might be flattered, but. . . Sheila gives me the creeps. She seems like she'd do ANYTHING for a cheap lay. She's probably got herpes or AIDS or something."

"Ah, so that's why she's the two-dollar-slut," said Anubis.

I blinked. "Do you have something with the phrase 'two-dollar-slut'?" I asked.

Anubis laughed at the comment. "No, just thinking aloud that last time. I apologize. Now, aside from your run-in with little Miss I-Did-Every-Man-In-Boston-And-The-Surrounding-Towns, did you get a chance to think about what happened this afternoon with Sara?"

I growled. "You mean with HER?"
"Don't blame me for trying-"

"IT WAS A BLOODY ACCIDENT!" I said.

"Calm down!" said Anubis. Then he settled back down. "Now, I want you to go up to Sara tomorrow and tell her that you're very sorry about what happened. If that doesn't work, beg for forgiveness. But don't you forgive her- that's putting the blame on her. Women hate that."

"I'm not sacrificing my dignity for so SHE can FORGIVE me!" I said. I stood up. "It was SARA who wigged out. IT was SARA who couldn't take a joke! It was SARA who shouldn't have slapped me. It was SARA who got carried away with the whole damned thing!"

"I'd say you're getting pretty darn carried away!" said Anubis.

"Well, that's just fine, now isn't it?" I said. I stormed out of my room and locked myself in the bathroom. Anubis yelled at me to come out for a few minutes, but I didn't answer him. He told me I was grounded if I didn't come out, but did I move? No. I didn't care if I was grounded! I was pissed off and I didn't feel like talking. He couldn't make me, so he could ground me all he wanted. I didn't care.