Before I start the next chapter of everyone's favorite story, I'm going to
talk a minute. This would have been up last night, but it just didn't
happen. The reason, you wonder? It had to be something earth-shatteringly
important to keep energy from writing, right? Oh yeah. It was.
I was preoccupied watching baseball. Little League baseball to be more
specific. My boys, Valley Sports, right down the road from me in the great
city of Louisville, KY, playing against Texas to get to the US finals, and
play they did. It took 11 innings, but they finally did it. For those of
you who aren't really familiar with LL, they only play 6 innings normally,
so that was almost two games.
In the top of the 11th, in a scoreless game (that ended with a combined 49 SO's, I might add) they hit back to back home runs, one by Zach Osborne and the second by Aaron Alvey. In a nearly three and a half hour game, they won 2-1. It was absolutely fantastic. Go Louisville!!!! Two more wins and they are the champs of the world! If they win on Saturday against Harlem/Massachusetts, they are in the finals on Sunday. Needless to say, I likely won't be writing on those two nights like I usually do. Tune in and give my boys some support if you don't mind. Saturday's game is at 7:30 on ESPN and the final is 6:30 on ABC. Go Valley Sports!!
Now, on with the show..
Mara sat back and watched as Tai did everything that Koushirou needed and a few things that he really didn't during the week. Tai would arrive religiously at 3:15 and explain everything that Koushirou had missed that day including all the gossip and the social faux pas that occurred. The two of them would then break out the books and get to work, Koushirou being the more studious of the two of them would often end up explaining the lesson to Tai, even though Tai had been in the class.
After schoolwork was over they would always take a snack break, preferably with Oreos and a glass of milk between them, and watch some television. Mara always suppressed the urge to laugh at the two of them when she would walk through the room. They would be sitting on the couch together, a little closer than you might expect two boys to sit, but when they would hear her coming they would jump apart and attempt to play it off as if nothing was going on. As she rounded the corner into wherever she was going she would cover her face and laugh herself silly. It likely wouldn't be all that funny to a normal person, but after being married to Luke for so long now she was far from normal. He'd warped her in many ways.
So it was now Thursday afternoon, the day before school let out for the winter break and Mara was reading at the kitchen table. She glanced at the clock on the wall and was expecting Tai in about five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One. Knock knock knock.. "Speak of the devil," she said to herself and started getting out of the chair to let him in. She had no sooner than taken her third step toward the door when Koushirou rocketed off the couch and was already opening the door.
"You know, for someone who got hit by a car not even a week ago, you sure are peppy, Koushirou," she said as he let Tai in. "Hello, Tai. How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just fine Mrs. Izumi. Just cold. It's so cold out there right now that I think my nose hairs started freezing up."
"It sure is cold. I took the garbage out a little while ago and my leg hairs froze," Mara said as she started into the kitchen to put on some hot chocolate.
"She's kidding right?" Tai whispered to Koushirou once she'd disappeared around the corner.
"Um, I uh, think so," was all Koushirou could say. Mara half listened as Tai told Koushirou all that he'd missed in school that day. As she was finishing the hot chocolate up, she overheard Tai mentioning that Matt had bet him that he wouldn't wear a dress on the last day of class tomorrow. Tai said he would, but was lacking in the dress department.
"Oh, Tai, definitely something in black," Mara said as she came out of the kitchen carrying three steaming mugs, making his jaw hand open like the lid of a bashed in mailbox. "Seriously Tai, a long black skirt, maybe a slit up the side. What do you think?"
Tai looked at her and decided that she might just be serious. "Um, sure. I guess," he said. He looked at Koushirou and Koushirou only a head shrug in reply.
"Great. Don't go anywhere. I have just the thing." The two boys watched as she hopped out of the room and on down the hallway.
"What sort of drugs is your mother on, Koushirou? Just out of curiosity."
"None as far as I know. She is a coffee junkie, so I guess just caffeine."
"Never, ever, ever let me drink a coke again, alright?" Koushirou nodded. The two of them sat together on the couch and went over what Tai considered 'notes' while they listened to the sounds of boxes moving and drawers being slammed open and shut, as well as the occasional 'dammit'. Koushirou was explaining an algebra formula to Tai when they heard a shout of joy from down the hall.
"Protect me, Koushirou," Tai turned to Koushirou and said.
"Protect you? You're the one with all the bravery, you protect me." They giggled and waited as footsteps made their way back down the hall. Mara returned with a dress quite similar to the one she had described a moment ago and presented it to Tai as if it were the Holy Grail.
"Go on, take it. It won't bite." Mara held the dress to him and Tai tentatively took it. "I've had that dress for years now and I just can't seem to fit into it anymore, so go on and take it. You can wear it tomorrow."
"Okay, thanks Mrs. Izumi," he said as he realized that she actually was serious. Koushirou was laughing hysterically at this point.
"Go try it on, Tai," he said between fits of laughter, "you look good in black." Koushirou started pushing Tai off the couch. "Go on, change." He grinned at Tai and Tai relented.
"Alright. I'll be back," he said as he went into the bathroom to change. Things were quiet for a minute or two, in which Mara and Koushirou sipped on their hot chocolate and waited for the show. "Hey, Koushirou! Come here and zip me up!" Tai yelled from behind the door. Both Mara and Koushirou broke up laughing again as Koushirou pulled himself to his feet. Tai let him in and shut the door behind him.
Koushirou looked at Tai and wasn't quite sure what to think. On one hand he wanted point at Tai and laugh, but on the other he wanted stare at him all day. As hard as it may seem to believe, Tai looked rather nice in that dress. It fit him great in all the right places, thanks to Mara's figure before she put on all of her marriage weight.
"Holy crap, Tai! You look good," Koushirou said after a few seconds of silence.
"Really?" Tai asked, incredulous. "You think so?"
"Oh heck yeah," Koushirou said. "Definitely."
"Thanks, Koushirou. Now maybe you can model that hospital gown again for me later?"
"I said you looked good, Tai, not incredible," Koushirou joked. "Now about that zipper."
"It's stuck, I think. I can't get it to budge any further than halfway."
"Let me have a go at it then," Koushirou said as Tai turned away from him.
Meanwhile, back in the living room, Mara waited on the couch for the return of the two boys. Not five seconds after the door to the bathroom closed there was a knocking on the door. Mara set her mug down and got up and opened the door.
"Hello Mrs. Izumi," Iori said to her.
"Well hello yourself, Iori. And to you, TK," she said to the older boy at his side.
"Thank you, Mrs. Izumi. We thought we'd stop by and see Koushirou, if that's okay with you?"
Mrs. Izumi almost snorted with laughter as she thought of the scene that Tai and Koushirou would walk into. "Oh, oh sure. Come on in. He and Tai will be along in a minute or so." She let them in and quietly closed the door behind them and gestured to the couch. "Have a seat," she said, "and I'll fetch you two some hot chocolate."
"Gee, thanks Mrs. Izumi," TK said as she left the room. She returned a few seconds later with the mugs and set herself down in a comfy chair and waited for the fireworks. She wasn't kept waiting long.
"May I present to you," Koushirou pronounced from the bathroom doorway, "the final contestant in the evening gown competition tonight." he started clapping and headed out into the room with Tai close behind him. He stepped to the side to allow Tai to pass and as he did so, he saw the other two boys, previously out of his line of sight. His eyes got as big as pie plates then he grinned fiercely.
Tai stepped into the room and was greeted with a round of cat calls. Too many, for his quick count. There should only be two, but he heard more. He looked to his right and saw TK and Iori sitting on the sofa whistling and cheering madly. His face took on the color of a fire engine, which actually made him look even more fetching in his black evening dress.
"Hey guys, I didn't expect to find you here," Tai said, sweating just a little.
"Oh, we just stopped by to see how Koushirou was doing and maybe see if he wanted to go and have an early dinner."
"That would be nice," Koushirou said, "I've not left the house in almost a week. Can I go, mum? Would that be okay?"
"I guess you can. You're not bad off in anyway, so I don't see why not. Just remember to call me if you start to feel bad."
"I will, don't worry." Koushirou looked over at Tai with a big grin on his face. "So, may I have the honor of escorting such a beauty to dinner?" everyone in the room found that deliciously funny and laughed accordingly.
"I think I'll change first," Tai told the group and headed back down the hallway to change again.
"I think he looked rather good," Mara said and got nods of approval in reply. Koushirou might have nodded a bit more vigorously than he meant to and that wasn't unnoticed on Mara.
This chapter was originally going to be a little more serious than normal, but the whole dress idea wouldn't get out of my head during my classes today. I was trying to take notes in one of my education classes and all I could think about was Tai parading around in a black dress. I have no idea why, but it wouldn't go away. So, in order to exorcise the demon, I was forced to write this pointless chapter. Hopefully you guys aren't too mad, but I find the concept bloody hilarious. There will be more to do with the dress I can promise you that. It's too crazy an idea to let fall away. Anyway, next chapter will get a little more serious. Watch my boys on Saturday and I'll get the next chap up quick.
energy
In the top of the 11th, in a scoreless game (that ended with a combined 49 SO's, I might add) they hit back to back home runs, one by Zach Osborne and the second by Aaron Alvey. In a nearly three and a half hour game, they won 2-1. It was absolutely fantastic. Go Louisville!!!! Two more wins and they are the champs of the world! If they win on Saturday against Harlem/Massachusetts, they are in the finals on Sunday. Needless to say, I likely won't be writing on those two nights like I usually do. Tune in and give my boys some support if you don't mind. Saturday's game is at 7:30 on ESPN and the final is 6:30 on ABC. Go Valley Sports!!
Now, on with the show..
Mara sat back and watched as Tai did everything that Koushirou needed and a few things that he really didn't during the week. Tai would arrive religiously at 3:15 and explain everything that Koushirou had missed that day including all the gossip and the social faux pas that occurred. The two of them would then break out the books and get to work, Koushirou being the more studious of the two of them would often end up explaining the lesson to Tai, even though Tai had been in the class.
After schoolwork was over they would always take a snack break, preferably with Oreos and a glass of milk between them, and watch some television. Mara always suppressed the urge to laugh at the two of them when she would walk through the room. They would be sitting on the couch together, a little closer than you might expect two boys to sit, but when they would hear her coming they would jump apart and attempt to play it off as if nothing was going on. As she rounded the corner into wherever she was going she would cover her face and laugh herself silly. It likely wouldn't be all that funny to a normal person, but after being married to Luke for so long now she was far from normal. He'd warped her in many ways.
So it was now Thursday afternoon, the day before school let out for the winter break and Mara was reading at the kitchen table. She glanced at the clock on the wall and was expecting Tai in about five seconds. Four. Three. Two. One. Knock knock knock.. "Speak of the devil," she said to herself and started getting out of the chair to let him in. She had no sooner than taken her third step toward the door when Koushirou rocketed off the couch and was already opening the door.
"You know, for someone who got hit by a car not even a week ago, you sure are peppy, Koushirou," she said as he let Tai in. "Hello, Tai. How are you doing?"
"Oh, I'm just fine Mrs. Izumi. Just cold. It's so cold out there right now that I think my nose hairs started freezing up."
"It sure is cold. I took the garbage out a little while ago and my leg hairs froze," Mara said as she started into the kitchen to put on some hot chocolate.
"She's kidding right?" Tai whispered to Koushirou once she'd disappeared around the corner.
"Um, I uh, think so," was all Koushirou could say. Mara half listened as Tai told Koushirou all that he'd missed in school that day. As she was finishing the hot chocolate up, she overheard Tai mentioning that Matt had bet him that he wouldn't wear a dress on the last day of class tomorrow. Tai said he would, but was lacking in the dress department.
"Oh, Tai, definitely something in black," Mara said as she came out of the kitchen carrying three steaming mugs, making his jaw hand open like the lid of a bashed in mailbox. "Seriously Tai, a long black skirt, maybe a slit up the side. What do you think?"
Tai looked at her and decided that she might just be serious. "Um, sure. I guess," he said. He looked at Koushirou and Koushirou only a head shrug in reply.
"Great. Don't go anywhere. I have just the thing." The two boys watched as she hopped out of the room and on down the hallway.
"What sort of drugs is your mother on, Koushirou? Just out of curiosity."
"None as far as I know. She is a coffee junkie, so I guess just caffeine."
"Never, ever, ever let me drink a coke again, alright?" Koushirou nodded. The two of them sat together on the couch and went over what Tai considered 'notes' while they listened to the sounds of boxes moving and drawers being slammed open and shut, as well as the occasional 'dammit'. Koushirou was explaining an algebra formula to Tai when they heard a shout of joy from down the hall.
"Protect me, Koushirou," Tai turned to Koushirou and said.
"Protect you? You're the one with all the bravery, you protect me." They giggled and waited as footsteps made their way back down the hall. Mara returned with a dress quite similar to the one she had described a moment ago and presented it to Tai as if it were the Holy Grail.
"Go on, take it. It won't bite." Mara held the dress to him and Tai tentatively took it. "I've had that dress for years now and I just can't seem to fit into it anymore, so go on and take it. You can wear it tomorrow."
"Okay, thanks Mrs. Izumi," he said as he realized that she actually was serious. Koushirou was laughing hysterically at this point.
"Go try it on, Tai," he said between fits of laughter, "you look good in black." Koushirou started pushing Tai off the couch. "Go on, change." He grinned at Tai and Tai relented.
"Alright. I'll be back," he said as he went into the bathroom to change. Things were quiet for a minute or two, in which Mara and Koushirou sipped on their hot chocolate and waited for the show. "Hey, Koushirou! Come here and zip me up!" Tai yelled from behind the door. Both Mara and Koushirou broke up laughing again as Koushirou pulled himself to his feet. Tai let him in and shut the door behind him.
Koushirou looked at Tai and wasn't quite sure what to think. On one hand he wanted point at Tai and laugh, but on the other he wanted stare at him all day. As hard as it may seem to believe, Tai looked rather nice in that dress. It fit him great in all the right places, thanks to Mara's figure before she put on all of her marriage weight.
"Holy crap, Tai! You look good," Koushirou said after a few seconds of silence.
"Really?" Tai asked, incredulous. "You think so?"
"Oh heck yeah," Koushirou said. "Definitely."
"Thanks, Koushirou. Now maybe you can model that hospital gown again for me later?"
"I said you looked good, Tai, not incredible," Koushirou joked. "Now about that zipper."
"It's stuck, I think. I can't get it to budge any further than halfway."
"Let me have a go at it then," Koushirou said as Tai turned away from him.
Meanwhile, back in the living room, Mara waited on the couch for the return of the two boys. Not five seconds after the door to the bathroom closed there was a knocking on the door. Mara set her mug down and got up and opened the door.
"Hello Mrs. Izumi," Iori said to her.
"Well hello yourself, Iori. And to you, TK," she said to the older boy at his side.
"Thank you, Mrs. Izumi. We thought we'd stop by and see Koushirou, if that's okay with you?"
Mrs. Izumi almost snorted with laughter as she thought of the scene that Tai and Koushirou would walk into. "Oh, oh sure. Come on in. He and Tai will be along in a minute or so." She let them in and quietly closed the door behind them and gestured to the couch. "Have a seat," she said, "and I'll fetch you two some hot chocolate."
"Gee, thanks Mrs. Izumi," TK said as she left the room. She returned a few seconds later with the mugs and set herself down in a comfy chair and waited for the fireworks. She wasn't kept waiting long.
"May I present to you," Koushirou pronounced from the bathroom doorway, "the final contestant in the evening gown competition tonight." he started clapping and headed out into the room with Tai close behind him. He stepped to the side to allow Tai to pass and as he did so, he saw the other two boys, previously out of his line of sight. His eyes got as big as pie plates then he grinned fiercely.
Tai stepped into the room and was greeted with a round of cat calls. Too many, for his quick count. There should only be two, but he heard more. He looked to his right and saw TK and Iori sitting on the sofa whistling and cheering madly. His face took on the color of a fire engine, which actually made him look even more fetching in his black evening dress.
"Hey guys, I didn't expect to find you here," Tai said, sweating just a little.
"Oh, we just stopped by to see how Koushirou was doing and maybe see if he wanted to go and have an early dinner."
"That would be nice," Koushirou said, "I've not left the house in almost a week. Can I go, mum? Would that be okay?"
"I guess you can. You're not bad off in anyway, so I don't see why not. Just remember to call me if you start to feel bad."
"I will, don't worry." Koushirou looked over at Tai with a big grin on his face. "So, may I have the honor of escorting such a beauty to dinner?" everyone in the room found that deliciously funny and laughed accordingly.
"I think I'll change first," Tai told the group and headed back down the hallway to change again.
"I think he looked rather good," Mara said and got nods of approval in reply. Koushirou might have nodded a bit more vigorously than he meant to and that wasn't unnoticed on Mara.
This chapter was originally going to be a little more serious than normal, but the whole dress idea wouldn't get out of my head during my classes today. I was trying to take notes in one of my education classes and all I could think about was Tai parading around in a black dress. I have no idea why, but it wouldn't go away. So, in order to exorcise the demon, I was forced to write this pointless chapter. Hopefully you guys aren't too mad, but I find the concept bloody hilarious. There will be more to do with the dress I can promise you that. It's too crazy an idea to let fall away. Anyway, next chapter will get a little more serious. Watch my boys on Saturday and I'll get the next chap up quick.
energy