Another short chapter. This story's getting kind of pathetic, but please
continue to read. Thank you.
Subaru in America
Chapter 10
"Broken water pipe my butt!" Hokuto exclaimed at home. "I can't believe he said that. Who would be so gullible as to think a water pipe would make a figure (that shouts, no less) like that?"
"Apparently the whole student body," Seishiro retorted. "Otherwise they wouldn't have filed in so neatly."
Hokuto shrugged. "Idiots," she murmured under her breath.
Subaru blushed. He was still quite embarrassed that his exorcism had gone so awry. Even his toughest exorcisms didn't attract so many panicked citizens. He was just glad no one knew it was his failed attempt to calm the ghost that had made such a ruckus.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Subaru walked over to the door, answered it, and there stood Alicia with a sheepish grin across her face.
"Alicia!" Subaru said with surprise. "Um, how are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you," she answered. "How is Seishiro?"
By now, Seishiro had come to the door. "I'm just dandy, thank you," he said with a smile, though rather sarcastically.
Without warning, Alicia burst into tears. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!" she cried, hiding her face in her hands. "If I hadn't brought you guys to the Johnson Place, this all wouldn't have happened."
"It's not your fault!" Subaru explained, leading her inside. "And Seishiro really is fine. He…"
"You're right, this wouldn't have happened," Seishiro interrupted. He was speaking to Alicia. "Your grandfather wouldn't have been caught and he'd still be living his solitary, but happy life in his house. If we hadn't come along, everything would have been just like it always has been." He paused. "It seems to me like you're apologizing to your grandfather more than us."
Alicia ceased her crying to look up at Seishiro as he spoke. "You're right," she agreed, taking a tissue out of her coat pocket. "I am sorry you were a part of this mess, but I'm also sorry my grandfather is in jail." She wiped her eyes and sat on the coach with Subaru.
"He had to be brought to justice," Seishiro stated, still standing. "It doesn't matter that he's your grandfather or an old man; all that matters is that he hurt people and used terror and fear to keep people away from that house."
Alicia simply nodded.
Subaru stood and walked up to Seishiro. He whispered, "Seishiro, you shouldn't be so brutally honest. She…"
"Sometimes you must be," Seishiro replied softly with a smile. And then, so Alicia could hear, "Miss Alicia, can I get you some tea?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered, staring at the floor miserably.
Seishiro left for the kitchen.
"Gee, I'm sorry about your grandfather, Alicia," Hokuto said after awhile. She sounded sarcastic, so Subaru scowled at her as a warning to keep her mouth shut. Hokuto smiled, ignoring Subaru. "I mean, what a pity that such an old man must go to jail."
"Hokuto!" Subaru blurted out. "Go help Seishiro with the tea."
She rolled her eyes, stood, and went to the kitchen. "But I got my eye on you!" she shouted back at Subaru.
"I'm sorry," Subaru said after his sister was out of sight. "She can be a menace sometimes."
Alicia smiled. "It's no problem. My little sister's the same way."
"You have a sister?" Subaru asked, making conversation.
She nodded. "You should meet her. She's eleven now and a real pistol." She laughed. "She wants to be an actress or a circus performer. Can you believe it?"
With a smile, Subaru said, "Oh really? That's very original."
"Hey," Alicia suddenly said, her eyes wide and brightening, "would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow and meet my family?"
"Isn't it too soon…"
Alicia laughed. "Oh, no. You see, my parents haven't been in contact with my grandfather. I'm the only one in my family who has spoken to him for, I'd say, three years."
"Really?" Subaru questioned, quite surprised. His grandmother called him at least once a week. Not speaking to her for three years seemed like bliss, though he knew that would never happen.
Alicia nodded. "So, would you like to come over?"
"I don't want to intrude," Subaru said politely, even though he was eager to spend some leisure time with her.
She shook her head. "You wouldn't intrude at all. My dad will fire up the grill, we'll make some hamburgers and hot dogs, some corn on the cob…"
"Cob?" Subaru questioned, not familiar with the word.
She laughed and patted him on the arm. "You'll see."
He smiled. "Ok. What time?"
"Seven will be good," Alicia told him. "I'm sure my parents will love you."
Subaru blushed, not quite sure what that meant. "I can't wait to meet them."
To be continued…
Subaru in America
Chapter 10
"Broken water pipe my butt!" Hokuto exclaimed at home. "I can't believe he said that. Who would be so gullible as to think a water pipe would make a figure (that shouts, no less) like that?"
"Apparently the whole student body," Seishiro retorted. "Otherwise they wouldn't have filed in so neatly."
Hokuto shrugged. "Idiots," she murmured under her breath.
Subaru blushed. He was still quite embarrassed that his exorcism had gone so awry. Even his toughest exorcisms didn't attract so many panicked citizens. He was just glad no one knew it was his failed attempt to calm the ghost that had made such a ruckus.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang. Subaru walked over to the door, answered it, and there stood Alicia with a sheepish grin across her face.
"Alicia!" Subaru said with surprise. "Um, how are you?"
"I'm fine, thank you," she answered. "How is Seishiro?"
By now, Seishiro had come to the door. "I'm just dandy, thank you," he said with a smile, though rather sarcastically.
Without warning, Alicia burst into tears. "I'm so sorry! It's all my fault!" she cried, hiding her face in her hands. "If I hadn't brought you guys to the Johnson Place, this all wouldn't have happened."
"It's not your fault!" Subaru explained, leading her inside. "And Seishiro really is fine. He…"
"You're right, this wouldn't have happened," Seishiro interrupted. He was speaking to Alicia. "Your grandfather wouldn't have been caught and he'd still be living his solitary, but happy life in his house. If we hadn't come along, everything would have been just like it always has been." He paused. "It seems to me like you're apologizing to your grandfather more than us."
Alicia ceased her crying to look up at Seishiro as he spoke. "You're right," she agreed, taking a tissue out of her coat pocket. "I am sorry you were a part of this mess, but I'm also sorry my grandfather is in jail." She wiped her eyes and sat on the coach with Subaru.
"He had to be brought to justice," Seishiro stated, still standing. "It doesn't matter that he's your grandfather or an old man; all that matters is that he hurt people and used terror and fear to keep people away from that house."
Alicia simply nodded.
Subaru stood and walked up to Seishiro. He whispered, "Seishiro, you shouldn't be so brutally honest. She…"
"Sometimes you must be," Seishiro replied softly with a smile. And then, so Alicia could hear, "Miss Alicia, can I get you some tea?"
"Yes, thank you," she answered, staring at the floor miserably.
Seishiro left for the kitchen.
"Gee, I'm sorry about your grandfather, Alicia," Hokuto said after awhile. She sounded sarcastic, so Subaru scowled at her as a warning to keep her mouth shut. Hokuto smiled, ignoring Subaru. "I mean, what a pity that such an old man must go to jail."
"Hokuto!" Subaru blurted out. "Go help Seishiro with the tea."
She rolled her eyes, stood, and went to the kitchen. "But I got my eye on you!" she shouted back at Subaru.
"I'm sorry," Subaru said after his sister was out of sight. "She can be a menace sometimes."
Alicia smiled. "It's no problem. My little sister's the same way."
"You have a sister?" Subaru asked, making conversation.
She nodded. "You should meet her. She's eleven now and a real pistol." She laughed. "She wants to be an actress or a circus performer. Can you believe it?"
With a smile, Subaru said, "Oh really? That's very original."
"Hey," Alicia suddenly said, her eyes wide and brightening, "would you like to come over for dinner tomorrow and meet my family?"
"Isn't it too soon…"
Alicia laughed. "Oh, no. You see, my parents haven't been in contact with my grandfather. I'm the only one in my family who has spoken to him for, I'd say, three years."
"Really?" Subaru questioned, quite surprised. His grandmother called him at least once a week. Not speaking to her for three years seemed like bliss, though he knew that would never happen.
Alicia nodded. "So, would you like to come over?"
"I don't want to intrude," Subaru said politely, even though he was eager to spend some leisure time with her.
She shook her head. "You wouldn't intrude at all. My dad will fire up the grill, we'll make some hamburgers and hot dogs, some corn on the cob…"
"Cob?" Subaru questioned, not familiar with the word.
She laughed and patted him on the arm. "You'll see."
He smiled. "Ok. What time?"
"Seven will be good," Alicia told him. "I'm sure my parents will love you."
Subaru blushed, not quite sure what that meant. "I can't wait to meet them."
To be continued…