Misery Loves Company

I realized we had pulled over when the gentle rock of the car had come to a stop. I slowly opened one eye and then the other.

"C'mon kids, we're here!" My dad said as he grabbed a box and left the car as though we should follow his example.

I took a box and followed him up a long set of stairs.

I managed to get the time from the dashboard before I left the car, it was four O' clock in the morning and we'd been traveling for seven hours straight.

I looked up at the vast sky above and still the sky was bare, not one star twinkled.

With every step I took it seemed to get colder and darker. The only light, coming from a small wall lamp, where my dad had stopped to fumble with a set of keys for the apartment.

The outside of the apartment looked like a palace compared to some of the places we were forced to live in.

The first thing I noticed was how clean everything was. There weren't any bits of paper or plastic blowing freely in the wind nor were there any cigarette stumps lying loosely on the ground.

One thing I was used to was large walls covered in graffiti but here the walls looked as though they were painted just yesterday.

As soon as we all stepped into the apartment we were all rushing past each other to see what the rooms had to offer.

Eventually we all met in the lounge. A look of shock on everyone's face but my fathers, who was grinning with his own pride.

My mother was the first to say anything.

"Honey, you never said this place came fully furnished too!"

The place had every luxury that Kari and I could only dream of, all accept one. We still had to share bedrooms but at least it was a bunk bed.

Suddenly it hit me. "Dad, you didn't get a job as a mailroom clerk did you?"

At that my fathers face lit up with the excitement of a child on Christmas morning.

"Nope, I'm now Odaiba's only image consultant. Most the business men in the area have already tried contacting me."

My mother's face grew furious. She threw a quick fist toward my dads shoulder.

"Owwww, What was that for?"

"Are you telling me I fought with you for nothing?" She pointed out the front door obviously referring to their 'fight' they had a few hours ago.

He smiled smugly letting us all know that he'd been planning for this to be a surprise up until the last minute.

She threw her arms around him and hugged him tightly while tears of joy streamed down her face.

"Don't you ever do that again, Yagami!" She chastised then stood back to eye the surroundings that we weren't used to.

"So how'd you get the job dad?" It didn't make sense that my dad suddenly found a high paying job without any degrees in anything.

"Well," He began. "I've been taking night classes for it these last couple months."

Kari took a step forward. "But how'd you pay for it, daddy?"

"That's the best part, I didn't."

The puzzled look on our faces told him to go on.

"Well, I'd just finished fixing the air con on this guys car, when he comes up to me and hands me a hand full of papers."

"What were they?" The suspension was killing Kari.

" A map, timetable and a receipt for the coarse. Naturally I refused but he insisted that I take it. When he explained that he suddenly had to move over seas because of a business proposition, I accepted it hesitantly. Besides he told me that it was just a refresher coarse for him but it would be a waste if no one took it up since it was expensive. He was a very nice man, not from the mafia or anything like that I can assure you."

I was surprised that you could get a job like that just by taking a short three or four month coarse, but then again my dad did say it was expensive. He must have seen the cost on the receipt.

I was happy for him, for all of us but there was just something inside me that didn't want any part in my happiness. I smiled and headed towards our new bedroom.

Kari followed me in after a few minutes carrying her battered old case.

"So which side of the wardrobe do you wanna use?" I thought she should have first choice of where to put her stuff. And anyway I was tired; I hadn't slept much the whole trip here. I just wanted to dive into the new mattress and with the blankets held tightly to my face I would fall quickly into a deep sleep.

My father popped his head around the corner of the bedroom door.

"When you've got all your stuff unpacked I want the two of you to get ready."

"Get ready for what?" I asked dropping back into a soft pillow, almost sighing as I did so.

"I'm taking you both to see your new headmaster at Odaiba Yasutoko High. So be ready in an hour."

If I weren't lying down I would have stumbled over in disbelief.

"W-what school did you say?" I was sure I had heard wrong.

"Odaiba Yasutoko High. Now don't be late." He disappeared around the corner leaving me speechless with my mouth wide open.

There was no way that I had just been told we were going to that school.

I thought we would be going to some public school that most of the other rich kids in the area went to; that would have been bad enough! But this was worse, much much worse.

It was the most expensive school in the whole Japan; well that's what I heard anyway.

That school was full of spoiled rich kids who had everything but mercy for those kids they picked on cruelly.

If you didn't do what they told you to do, you'd suffer in a big way and they would make sure of it.

I could see Kari and me falling into that category easily, considering our poor background.

Just imagining how the girls might treat Kari on the first day would be enough to send my fist flying through each and every one of their pretty pampered little faces.

But I knew she wouldn't let me do that. She was growing up and wanted to deal with her own problems by herself. I understood and respected that but I still wanted to protect her like a big brother should.

If I brought up the subject she'd only argue with me until I gave up.

So much was going through my head. How many more surprises could I take?

I took a towel from the linen closet and decided to take a shower.

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"C'mon, Tai, it's not gonna be that bad." Kari could see how the idea of going to that school bothered me.

I sat on the bed; Kari was brushing her hair and had her best clothes on. I was ready and waiting. I didn't bother putting on my good clothes because no matter how we looked, I knew those spoiled brats would find some way to look down on us.

"At least try to make a new friend....?" "...for me?" She added when I didn't say anything.

"Why? What's the point? Dad's only going to make us move again."

"I don't think he will....not this time. We've got a lot of good things going for us now."

"Kari, I'm not going to get my hopes up only to have them crushed when dad tells us we're moving again."

"Tai." She sighed deeply.

I guess I wanted her to side with me and tell me that I was probably right.

But I realized I was being selfish while trying to drag her down with me.

I could see she was trying really hard to forget our family's bad times and look on to brighter days. She was stronger than me. I used to see the world the way she did but I suppose that, that part of me died a long time ago.

"I'm sorry, maybe you're right, and maybe this is the last time we move."

Her face lit up at the sound of my optimism.

"See, now that's the Tai I can call my brother."

I smiled and shook my head. This was going to be a long day.

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Yes it's short because it's boring but it gets more interesting and longer in the next chapter. So hang on okay? Let me know what you think. Any way I am updating aren't I?

Kale.