The Other Takino
Not-as-Thrilling-as-Advertised
15. The Rhyming Box
Rated: M - English - Humor/Drama - Reviews: 77 - Updated: 11-02-10 - Published: 05-09-08 - id:4246838
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Torako was dimly aware of the chirping of birds outside the window and the light of the sun on the other side of her eyelids. She put an arm over her eyes and groaned softly. Oh right, the fight. God, she was sore. As she woke up the events of the previous day all came back to her. Her eyes opened. Last night. She moved her arm and she was looking at the bottom edge of Asagi's bed. Last night . . .
She sat up and looked around; she was alone in Asagi's bedroom. A glance at the clock told her it was almost noon.
Last night . . .
She put her hands to her head. Did that really happen? Did Asagi really kiss her under that overhang? Did Asagi really confess her feelings for her? Did she really say she felt the same way? The vividness of the memories and the fact that they weren't rapidly fading like most of her dreams told her that they were real, but she was having trouble believing it.
She heard the door opening and looked up. "Hey, sleepyhead!" Asagi said as she came into the room carrying a plate. "Did you sleep okay?"
Torako just looked at her and nodded dumbly.
Asagi set the plate on the bed and sat down at her desk. "I brought you some breakfast," she said. "Your clothes are out drying."
Torako got up and picked up the plate. Toast, with butter and grape jelly. Must be a bread day at their house. "Thanks," she said.
"Wondering about last night?" Asagi asked with a knowing smile. "Yes, all that really happened." She watched Torako take a bite. "I hope you're not having any second thoughts," she said, though she didn't sound very nervous.
Torako shook her head, then swallowed. "No, it's just . . . kinda hard to believe."
Asagi nodded. "I know what you mean." She fought the urge to go over and plant one on her lips to prove it was real. Can't take things too fast . . .
Torako finished the first piece of toast and picked up the second. "So . . . what now?"
"Well," Asagi made an act of pondering, "I was thinking I'd call everyone we knew and tell them the big news. First up would be your parents, obviously. Then we'd pack up and move somewhere we can get married."
Torako chewed and looked at her as if to say Yeah, okay in her usual sarcastic tone.
Asagi shrugged. "I don't know, just play it by ear like we agreed last night, I guess." She sat back in her chair. "As much as I hate to say it we'd probably better keep quiet about it."
Torako nodded. "I was thinking that too . . . though I doubt anyone at school would really be surprised."
Asagi nodded. "I don't think Yuko-chan would flip out." She looked at her then. "Do you want me to come with you when you go home?"
Torako paused chewing the last bite of toast. "Huh?" she said with her mouth full.
"Y'know, to help explain why you're all beat up."
"Oh, yeah, right." She shrugged. "Couldn't hurt, I suppose."
Asagi got up. "I'll go check on your clothes."
Torako looked at the crumbs on her plate. 'I don't think Yuko-chan would flip out.' Yeah, because Oikawa's reaction was really the one that worried her. She thought of her sister, and wondered how she would react. Tomo always jokingly accused her of being more interested in girls than she was in guys anyway, but saying something as a joke and actually meaning it were two very different things. She had no idea how Tomo would react if she found out her twin sister really had fallen for another girl. Torako doubted she'd do anything extreme like disown her as a sibling, but given her previous jealous behavior she doubted any reaction would be particularly good. She didn't even want to wonder how her parents would take it.
Suddenly she felt very scared.
As it turned out, Nao Takino's reaction to seeing her daughter bruised and in bandages wasn't seething rage so much as quiet disappointment. "You got in a fight again," was all she said.
"I didn't start it," Torako said quickly.
Nao shook her head. "Torako you always say that, every single time. I can only believe that everybody's out to get you for so long."
Asagi stood in the doorway, feeling uncomfortable.
Torako followed her mother into the living room. "I never said that, but-"
Nao turned and cut her off with a wave of her hand. "You know what, forget it. I'm done. Go off and get in as many fights as you want, I'm through worrying." She headed into the kitchen. "Just don't come crying to me when someone throws you under a subway train."
Asagi pushed past Torako as she stood staring at her mother. "They were coming after me," she said.
Nao turned. "Hmm?"
Asagi took a deep breath. Okay, bullshitting time. "They were coming after me, for that prank we pulled a couple months ago." She looked at her friend. "She was protecting me." Not a total lie, but still fudging it.
Torako looked at Asagi, wondering if she should play along. Finally she turned to her mother. "That's right," she said.
Nao shook her head and put her hands on her hips. "Whatever, I really don't care if you're telling the truth or not. Just . . . I don't wanna hear about it right now."
Torako sighed and went upstairs, followed by Asagi.
"She's really pissed," Asagi said.
Torako nodded. "My dad told me she knew a couple brothers who got into fights all the time when she was our age," she said. "One day one of 'em picked a fight with the wrong people and got thrown in front of a train. The other one got sent to prison for almost killing a guy."
"That's horrible," Asagi said quietly. "And I suppose she's afraid of the same thing happening to you, huh."
She nodded. "She's been threatening to write me off as a lost cause if I ever got in another fight."
Asagi put a hand on her shoulder. She was about to say something when the door to Tomo's room opened and she stepped out into the hall.
"Tora-chaWHOA what happened to you?"
"Guess," Torako said.
Tomo thought a moment. "You got in a fight! Did you win?"
Torako shrugged and opened her bedroom door. "I guess."
"She took on three," Asagi said proudly, holding up three fingers.
Tomo pumped her fist. "Awesome, go Tora-chan!" She followed them into her room. "I bet mom was pissed at you, huh."
Torako took her phone out of her pocket and plugged it into its wall charger. It was a miracle that hadn't gotten smashed in the fight. "Oh yeah," she said. "She's probably already wondering what to say at my funeral."
Tomo sat down in her desk chair and spun. "I wouldn't worry about it, you know what a drama queen she is. Remember when I cut your hair and she said I disfigured you?"
Torako had to laugh. "Well you kinda did, it looked like it was cut with a weed eater."
Asagi pictured that in her mind and had to giggle.
Tomo laughed with her and stopped spinning. "She'll probably forget all about it in a couple days like all those other times." She glanced out the window as she remembered. "I told her most of those fights in middle school you were just protecting me, but I don't think she believed me most of the time."
Torako paused and looked at her. "You . . . knew about that?"
Tomo just shrugged. "Of course, it didn't take long to figure it out." She looked annoyed. "I'm not that dumb, you know."
Torako looked at her in disbelief. "And . . . you just kept on pulling that shit? Even though you knew what would happen?"
Tomo shrugged again. "Well people learned to stay away after a while, right?"
Asagi felt like she shouldn't be there then, but didn't want to draw attention to herself by leaving either.
Torako made nonsensical angry gestures with her hands. "But . . . they didn't! They just started coming after me! And everyone else avoided me like I was some sort of thug!" She struggled for words as years of pent-up emotions began to bubble to the surface. "I . . . I couldn't . . . I couldn't make any friends at all because of you!"
Tomo looked at her sister with a mixture of pain and regret. She obviously hadn't expected this to come up so suddenly any more than Asagi had. "What about me and Yomi?" She sounded a little hurt.
Torako shook her head. "Siblings don't count. And Yomi was always your friend, not mine," Torako said painfully. "I was sick of always being the fifth wheel hanging around you two because I didn't have anyone else and getting in the way."
Asagi stood back by the nightstand and tried to will herself into invisibility. She had no idea where all this was coming from, and she didn't like it.
Tomo looked at her sister with a wounded expression, then got to her feet and socked her in the gut. As Torako sank to the floor moaning and coughing Tomo looked down at her. "You're not a fifth wheel, stupid!" Her voice became shrill. "You weren't in the way! You're my sister and you're Yomi's friend and she's yours! I always liked having you around and Yomi did too!" Then she was running out of the room and down the stairs. They heard the front door slam, and through the window Asagi saw her running out the gate and down the street.
"Where did that come from?" Asagi asked as she helped Torako onto the bed.
"I don't know," she said as she wiped at her eyes. "I just get upset with her sometimes and everything starts spilling out." Torako looked at her. "I'm sorry you had to see that."
Asagi shrugged. "Well, we all have fights with our siblings, so it's no big deal."
Torako looked at the floor. "I guess so," she said, then lay back and looked up at the sky through the window. "She's probably running to cry to Yomi," she said.
"Did you really not have any friends before high school?" Asagi asked, looking at Torako's partially exposed belly and fighting the urge to tickle it.
"Well I had some in grade school, but most of them went to different middle schools than I did. And then Tomo started pissing off ghetto kids." She sighed. "There was always Yomi, but I always got the impression she was more Tomo's friend than mine."
"Well you've got me and Yuko-chan now," Asagi said.
Torako looked up at her. "How come you haven't got more friends?" she asked. "You're pretty popular, aren't you?"
"Yeah, I am." Modesty seemed to be an alien concept to Asagi. "But apparently once people actually get to know me they kind of avoid me."
"Gee, I wonder why," Torako mumbled sarcastically.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Asagi asked, poking her bellybutton with a finger.
While Torako had slept that morning, Asagi had made a phone call. As they approached the Oikawa residence that afternoon, Torako shook her head. "I still say this is a bad idea."
"You say everything is a bad idea," Asagi said. "Anyway, you don't have to drink if you don't want to."
"I just don't see the point."
Asagi sighed. "Torako, Torako, Torako. Underage drinking is an essential part of the summer vacation experience."
She didn't bother mentioning that she'd never heard that. "But at four in the afternoon, alone in someone's bedroom?" She hadn't figured Oikawa to be the sort who would go for this sort of thing, but then she'd never have figured Yomi to be the sort who would have a stack of porno mags stashed in her closet, either.
"Oh, we'll wait till nightfall of course," Asagi said. "We'll watch some movies or something until then." She pushed the doorbell by the gate.
"Come on in," said a voice from the speaker.
"Nice place," Torako said as Asagi led the way into the living room. It reminded her of Asagi's house; the Oikawas clearly had money, but weren't frivolous with how they spent it.
"Hey, Asagi." They turned to see a young woman who looked to be college age on the sofa watching television. "Hey, whatever your name is." She waved to Torako.
"That's Yuko-chan's sister, Rei," Asagi explained into Torako's ear. "She's the one who got us the beer."
Torako nodded.
"Thanks again for the beer, Rei," Asagi said.
Rei nodded. "Yup. Just don't spew in my room again, okay?"
"Isn't she cool?" Asagi whispered to Torako.
Torako glanced over at Rei to see her looking at her. "What happened to you?" the older girl asked.
"She got in a fight with Ohzawa," Asagi said before Torako could answer.
"Ikue Ohzawa?" Rei asked.
Torako nodded. "Yeah."
"She won, too. Beat the crap out of her and two of her friends," Asagi told her proudly.
Rei turned back to the television. "Nice job. Had it comin', probably."
Asagi nodded and turned towards footsteps coming down the stairs.
"Hey guys," Yuko Oikawa said on her way down. "Sorry, I was just getting out of the bath when you showed up." Sure enough, her hair was wet.
"Not a problem," Torako said, glancing at the cigarette in Rei's hand. She reached into her bag and got out her own pack.
"Come on upstairs," she said, and led the way.
Oikawa's room was a lot nicer than Torako's, or even Asagi's. A bookcase occupied an entire wall, almost completely lined with non-fiction. Next to her dresser stood another set of shelves that was filled with DVDs and CDs, and next to her desk was a terrarium.
"Wow," Torako said, looking at all the books. "Have you read all of these?" There were so many subjects; biology, ornithology, entomology, history, archaeology, anthropology, astronomy, even paleontology.
Oikawa laughed. "I wish. I've read maybe a third of 'em. I keep getting new books even though I still haven't read most of the ones I've already got."
"I wish I had that problem," Torako muttered, then bent down to look into the terrarium. "Ball python?" she asked.
Oikawa nodded and went over to unlatch the lid and lift the snake out. "Yeah, his name's Thulsa Doom." She held the small python out as it coiled around her hand. "Do you want to hold him?"
Torako leaned back and shook her head. "Ah, no thanks."
Oikawa put Thulsa Doom back in the terrarium and latched the lid. "Nobody ever wants to hold him," she said.
"Ena held him," Asagi pointed out. "She loves snakes."
Oikawa nodded. "Yeah, Ena's cool. So what do you guys want to do? I've got plenty of movies if you want to watch something."
Not only was Asagi serious about getting drunk, but she was also apparently a lightweight. She was only on her third can and she was reeling. As she laughed at something that wasn't even funny Torako grimaced at the can in her hand. She was still on her first one. God this shit's nasty. Where do they brew it, in a train station toilet? She made a mental note to avoid this brand in the future.
"But serioushly, Yuko-shan . . . Yuko-shan. Yuuuuuuuuuuuko-shan. Listen. Listennamee."
"I'm listening," Oikawa giggled, already tipsy.
Asagi put an arm around her and pointed. "You . . . yer a true friend, Yuko-shan. Only a true friend would offer us free beer like this."
Oikawa nodded and laughed. "Asagi, you're annihilated."
"An' proud of it!" Asagi sat up straight. "So tell me, Yuko-shan," she slurred. "You like anybody? C'mon, you can tell poppa."
Oikawa blushed and shrugged. "I don't know," she said lamely.
"You do!" Asagi laughed. "C'mon, spill. I'll tell you who I like."
Torako looked up from pulling the tab off her can.
"Okay, who?" Oikawa asked.
"You first," Asagi said.
She sighed. "Fine, I like . . . Kawashima."
Asagi leaned back and laughed even harder. "Him?" she said incredulously when she'd caught her breath.
"Why, what's wrong with him?" Oikawa asked defensively.
"Nothing," Asagi said, "if you like quiet bookworms with a sarcastic sense of humor."
"Who exactly do you think you're talking to?" Torako asked her.
"Point taken," Asagi conceded, then patted Oikawa on the shoulder. "Yuko-shan, you have my blesshing."
"Okay then," Oikawa said, "what about you? Who do you like?"
Asagi took a swig from her can. "I like . . ." she raised a hand and pointed dramatically. "Torako!" When Oikawa just stared at her she elaborated. "Yasee, I confesshed my feelings to her last night. Or yeshterday. Whatever. And she reciprocated."
Torako shook her head. Of all the ways to break the news . . .
Oikawa looked back and forth between then. "Really?"
Torako nodded. "Yeah."
"I can safely say I'm not the least bit surprised," Oikawa said before taking a sip of beer. "Or at least I might be if I were more sober."
"You're not gonna freak out on us, are you?" Torako asked.
Oikawa shook her head. "Nah, nah, I can be open-minded." She took another sip. "It'll take some getting used to, though." She looked back and forth between them. "So are you two dating now, or what?"
"We don't really know yet," Torako said. "We're still trying to work out where to go from here."
Asagi cackled. "So far wivv jus' made out a couple times." She turned to Torako with a lecherous gleam in her eye. "Hey Tora-shan, le'ss givver a demonstration."
Torako set her beer up on Oikawa's nightstand. "Let's not."
"Yeah guys, I don't need to see that," Oikawa said. "I'm nowhere near drunk enough to wanna see my two best friends suck face."
Asagi ignored her and crawled forward on her hands and knees. "C'mere Tora-shaaaaan!" she slurred.
Torako crawled back away from her, but quickly hit the bookcase. "Asagi, no, wait!"
"Mmmmm Tora-shaaaaaan smell so goooooood!" Asagi cackled drunkenly as she crawled up Torako's legs and pinned her to the floor.
"Waaaugh! Oikawa, help!"
Tomo was watching TV in the living room when she heard a car come to a stop outside. She heard her sister's voice thanking someone, and then it sped off. Soon after the front door opened and Torako came inside, half-carrying Asagi. She reeked of booze.
"Ah, Tomo," Torako said when she saw her. "Can I get a hand here?"
"What's with her?" Tomo asked, though anyone with a working nose could figure it out.
"She's smashed," Torako said. "I brought her here because her parents would flip if she stumbled in the door drunk."
"I'm cool, I'm cool," Asagi insisted.
"No, you're wasted," Torako said. "Come on, let's get you upstairs."
Asagi stood up and pushed away from Torako. As the two sisters watched she stood straight and cleared her throat. Then, waving her hands as though conducting an invisible orchestra, she began to sing. "Ohhh I'MMM an old-time RHYME-ing BOX!" she belted out tunelessly. Then she was on the floor.
"Hey Tora-chan," Tomo asked, "can I ask you a question?"
"Probably," Torako said, exhaling smoke. They were outside her window on the roof, while Asagi was inside snoring in Torako's bed.
"Where'd you get the idea that you were in the way with me and Yomi?"
Torako rested her arms on her knees and shrugged. It was a few moments before she answered. "I don't know, I guess it was just the way Yomi would always come over and ask if you were in, not if we were in. Or how whenever she'd call she'd ask to speak with you and not me."
Tomo was quiet for a moment. "I always liked having you around," she said. "Sometimes when we're at school I miss having you there."
Torako took another drag. "I miss you at school too sometimes. As masochistic as that sounds."
"I'm sorry I punched you."
Torako smirked and looked over at her. "Don't worry about it. It probably wouldn't have hurt so bad if I hadn't been kicked there four times yesterday."
Tomo laughed. "So did you really take on three people?"
Torako nodded. "Well, sorta. Two of 'em didn't really put up much of a fight."
Tomo clenched her fists. "Well they're lucky I wasn't there."
Torako scoffed.
"What? You don't think I could've taken 'em?" Tomo asked incredulously.
Torako looked at her. "Tomo, all it takes to put you out is a single punch." She looked out at the neighborhood. "And besides, I've seen you lose fights with doors."
"Oh, one . . . three times!" Tomo crossed her arms. "I'd still take 'em on though. Nobody messes with my sister and gets away with it!"
"Funny," Torako said as she breathed smoke, "you didn't seem to have that attitude back in middle school."
"I've matured since then," Tomo said defensively. "I've grown as a person."
"That was last year," Torako said.
"Shut up, damn you!" Tomo said angrily. "Why do you gotta be so mean all the time?"
Torako put up a hand placatingly. "Fine, fine. I do appreciate the sentiment."
Tomo reached over and patted her shoulder. "It's okay Tora-chan, I forgive you."
"So are you two gonna make out, or what?"
They both looked at the mass of disheveled light brown hair sticking out the window between them. Below the hair was Asagi's smirking face.
"Oh good, you're awake," Torako said.
"I threw up in your bed."