Title: All You Need to Know (About Friendship)
Chapter: Brainless Banter (2/?)
Author: Lycthem
Disclaimer: See Part One.
Warnings: Liberal use of foul language. Mutilated words. Abundance of fragments. Teenage crap.
All You Need to Know (About Friendship)
02. -Brainless Banter-
I have this dictionary, very awesome dictionary by the way, and one of the first things I did after I had Epi was look for certain words in it. Friendship, for one. Yeah, I know, obvious. It's incredible, it shows the different possible roots of the word, brief history, synonyms, antonyms, and about a million and one different things I don't even need. It's so huge they couldn't fit it into one book so they had to make three tomes of it. Imagine each tome is about three inches thick!
Anyway, lazy as I am about school, I love that dictionary. I think it was my mother who bought it one day; I'm not sure. What I do know is that it's a pretty amazing book and I try to hear for new words sometimes just to look for them up here.
One time, some of the guys were here watching movies and whatever, and Koushirou told me he had one like it for his computer. Anyway, in those days I was obsessed with the dictionary and I asked him to give me the CD. He installed it in my computer and all, and so when I got home that afternoon after Yamato threw me out, I went directly to the dictionary.
I typed different words, (sometimes when I have nothing to do I write the word that I'm supposedly feeling at the moment to read about it, stupid since I really don't like to read) and started spending time. The only down side is that most 'bad words' didn't come up on it. Some did those, and those were hilarious. The definitions were so technical and the roots part said the most stupid things. I mean, do you know where the word "fuck" comes from? Hilarious, I say.
Sora wasn't at her place, she had gone out with her mom to visit someone, and I didn't stay long enough to ask whom, so I went back home. It sucks when someone you hoped to spend the day with throws you out like that, I'm sure it doesn't happen to just anyone, I mean, come on, but it sucks. I mean, you're supposed to be a good friend and spend time, hang out. Besides, it wasn't like I had done something wrong to him.
I had left a message on Sora's answering machine and was waiting for her call. I called her again at about 8pm (Sora's the type of person who always forgets to call back); I was watching this really horrible black and white movie and was starting to get bored. It was a disappointment since I love old movies, but I stayed watching it in hopes it would get better as it went by.
Anyway, she had gone shopping as well and she told me about a few things she had bought and I was listening and watching the TV at the same time. I don't know what it is about girls that they like to tell other people what they bought and whatever. Not that all girls are like that, Sora isn't most of the time, but I don't know, most are.
Guys don't call other people to talk about clothes they bought or what they did in the day. Maybe if it was something like a game or about a girl, but most of the time no. I just chalk it up to being a girl thing and don't try to think too much about it. Besides, Sora doesn't have an annoying voice. Maybe if she did I'd tell her I wasn't really interested in what she was saying, but she doesn't so I don't.
So, we were taking about things, she was a bit more hyper than usual so I wasn't talking much, but I managed to tell her (slip in, actually) that Yamato had thrown me out earlier today. She then said, "You're not at Yamato's place?"
I was puzzled, I mean, of course I wasn't there. And I told her so. Heh, sheesh, why did I say that? That woman started rambling about something or other. Her voice had gone into this ultrasonic tone, the one I'm used to categorizing as her upset voice, and I had to take the telephone off my ear. It's hurtful, you know? Feels like your brain's about to melt.
"Okay, Sora! Stop!" I yelled at her to bring her back. She really goes sometimes, man. She stopped talking, I have this very dominating voice apparently, or so I'm told. "What's the big deal?"
"Tai." she said, and it was in this very patronizing voice. I remember cause it irked me at the moment that she was using that tone on me. I hate it because it's like people think they're superior to you. That they know more than you, and it just irks me. "You always spend today with Yamato."
Now, if the emphasis were placed on always, that would've made more sense to me at the time. I was always at Yamato's, so it made sense. But the keyword was today, except I had no idea what today was. It's something about summer vacation, I just completely forget the days, I have to be reminded all the time, because even if only a day goes by it seems it's always Saturday until that fateful Sunday (which can in actuality be a Monday or Tuesday or whatever...) that gives in to that weekday when school starts.
When I didn't answer, since I was busy thinking, she told me. Impatient girl she is, that one.
"Taichi! Today's the day --"
And I remembered.
"Fuck!" I meant that fuck with every fiber of my being. I continued to curse at my stupidity (I have a very extended 'foul language' database in my brain). When I calmed down enough not to curse with every other word, I spent enough time telling Sora I'd talk to her later before hanging up.
I immediately dialed Yamato's number. He didn't pick up.
Fuck.
***
Once upon a time there was a little boy who had this incredible life. His family got along well; there were the usual disputes, but nothing that could sever their ties as a family. He had many wonderful friends, he knew he was loved and he enjoyed a sport that became, not only his obsession but also his pride. He had a sister he could torment, and a cat that tormented him. He also had two best friends. One, a girl he could talk about football and life with. Another, a boy he could talk about everything with.
That other boy's life was not so perfect. His family had split. His mother had left with his younger brother, and he was left with his father. His always-working father. The little boy with the incredible life -we'll call him T- saw that his friend -in this case, Y- always looked sad at the beginning of summer. It was odd; you were supposed to be happy that school ended. And then he learned why.
Y's mother and brother had left during that time.
And so T said they should make a pact. A promise. They would always be best friends, and that day would be spent together and it would be for them. There would be no bad thoughts that day. Y didn't like the idea at first, but T insisted. Y could never resist T for long, and he saw that they could have fun that day. And so a promise was born. A pact was made.
A pact that I so stupidly had forgotten because, ha, I can't keep track of days during summer.
You know how in most sci-fi movies and whatever there are times people move so fast it seems everything else goes so slow in comparison? Well, I don't know what came over me, but I made my way to the blonde guy's house in record time. Hell, if I'd've had a stopwatch or something and had the sense to time myself you would've been amazed. I swear it was surreal.
I went up the stairs up to his apartment (the elevator took too long to reach the lobby), and by the time I reached the door I was panting, and my thoughts were all in a jumble. Even though I'm physically fit, and train like hell, that was a hell of a long run. Imagine a smoker, would've died right then and there. But I don't smoke, makes it hard to be a good football player if you can't even keep your wind, huh?
So, I knocked on the door like a mad man, and I think that Yamato was a bit scared when he opened the door. Okay, his expression was blank, he tends to be like that when he's mad or annoyed or blank or many other things, but I'm his best friend and I know he'd get a bit scared if someone started pounding on your door like a mad man as I did. Hell, I'd be scared and I'm no pansy.
Then again, he could've not been because he might've known it was only me.
I needed to apologize. Heavens, I'd forgotten something so important, and friends don't do that. So much for trying to show him all he needed to know about the damn subject.
At the beginning it was kind of stupid, he wasn't talking and I couldn't talk because I knew I'd only say a few words then be interrupted by gasps and it's annoying, so I didn't want to do it. He also didn't let me in, stayed in the door as if I were some kind of stranger.
When I finally opened my mouth to severely apologize, the bastard moved aside to let me in. I looked at him and started to form the words and he shook his head. 'Let it go' that meant. So I did.
As I entered the house I couldn't help but turn around and smile at the guy. And you know what he did; he smiled back.
Man, I love that bastard.
***
There are some things friends just know.
Sometimes it's irritating because they know stuff you never said, and you didn't want them to know. But they know you and they can read you, therefore they know. But it's cool as well because; say one's in one corner of the class and the other's all the way to the other side. You can actually talk without talking. Now, if that isn't cool to you, well then I feel sorry for you. Cause it's pretty cool to me.
I pride myself in my grand ability to most of the time correctly interpret what my friends are trying to tell me. Still, that ability's nothing compared to Yamato's but that guy's weird in his own way. Anyway, Mimi's pretty good at it too. Except that girl really knows when you're lying. Man, you change the smallest detail, say the vase you broke was blue instead of pink and that girl's already looking at you with that 'don't lie to me' look. That gal's one of the cleverest people I know, and knowing people like Jyou, Koushirou, Ken, Miyako, that's saying something.
Kari also knows. It's freaky sometimes, she just looks at you and she knows. Anything. Everything. Hell, if she weren't my sister that'd freak me out, but when you see (and know) someone since they were in diapers you can't really take that childish image from your head. That aside, friends are cool like that. They know and everyone, I guess, knows that friends know. You following me, or did I lose you?
Okay, enough of the blabber-dabber shit. Yamato and I spent the rest of the day doing whatever we felt like doing. You know how some friends get together to do one special thing? Like, come to my house to watch a movie. Or, I got this new video game, wanna come play? Well, we don't do stuff like that anymore. I mean, sometimes if I don't want to do what Yamato is doing I get up and do whatever I want to do. That's the kind of trust I have in this house.
Also in Sora's house. And I probably go as far to say that I could be that liberal at all of my close friend's houses, and it's true I could. But sometimes I think that'd feel weird. I mean, I know Yamato and Sora in ways that I'm sorry to say I don't know the others. But they have their best friends that know them, so all's cool.
We were watching this old show; it was a Christmas special, what the hell it was doing in normal programming is beyond me. It was a singing contest and talent contest all in one and we were both starting to get bored, so I told Yamato about the fair that was coming in three days. You probably don't know the story, but there's this fair that comes yearly here to Odaiba. Well, not actually to the city, but there's this huge spot just in the outers that's just big enough for the fair. It's more of a fair/carnival, now that I think about it, and it had the coolest games and entertainments.
Once there was this freak show thing where a woman was supposed to have two heads. But I have this friend, actually he was first Kari's friend but whatever, anyway, his name's Daisuke and we'd all gone together as a group to the fair. He was really excited about seeing the two-headed woman, and after making that horribly long line we got in. He was so fucking jumpy he ran to her to touch her and the head fell out of the freaking neck! You can imagine the embarrassment that woman must've felt at being discovered she was just a fraud.
Anyway, Yamato and I have this tradition (we have like a billion of them) and every time we can we go to the fair and spend the day there. Last year we went every single day. It left us broke for so long and I couldn't buy that new soccer ball I wanted, but it was so cool. We rode the one that spins you around, the one you're standing in a wall and the thing just spins and spins, we rode that one so much we both ended up puking our food. It was so disgusting, but after a few minutes and another drink to take away the taste, we were back on it again.
He got all excited for a moment, and then shut down again. He's weird like that, constantly changing emotions, but I called him up on it.
"You remember back when I went to visit my aunt in Kyoto a few summers back?"
Did I remember? Damn, that was the most boring month ever! I was literally on the verge of taking all my hair out. In fact, I shaved off half of each my eyebrows because I was so bored. Thank god for caps and that hair grows so fast because I looked so ridiculous.
He knew I remembered and continued; "Well I met this girl over there, she's the one I told you about that has that weird dog? The thing is, she's coming to visit Odaiba this week, in two days actually, she wants to come study here or something. And I'm her designated tour man. Because she wants to get a feel of the place before she decides it its here or some college or other in America."
"So what?"
Really, what was the problem?
"We're not going to be able to go to the fair, then." He said.
Now, I can read Yamato and all that shit, but I was lost. I had no idea what the guy was talking about. Where did he come up with that reasoning? It wasn't as if the girl couldn't come as well. But Yamato was determined that it couldn't be and that made the next few minutes suck.
"Hand me the chips." I said to break the silence, and started eating the sour cream and onion chips. I hate sour cream and onion, but I ate it anyway. Things then went back to relative normality, and I shoved the pissed off me back into a deep spot in my brain.
Later that night I called my mother to tell her I would be sleeping at Yamato's. She agreed and I stayed. He wouldn't get off the hook so easily. I wanted to go to the fair and I would be going to the fair. And he was going with me. I would make him; that damn girl in the city or not.
And everyone knows I'm stubborn as hell.
You don't need friendship to figure that out.
***
A/N: This story has me so excited and happy, that's so weird. I also like this deadline thing (I'm trying to stop being such a big procrastinator) and this helps if only a bit. I know the chapter is really not that exciting, it's just that it seems so much more interesting in my head. I just hope I didn't bore you all to death.
Thanks to those of you who took the time to review, The La/=/er, HMPH, Luna Wolf aka Matt4ever, I'm glad y'all liked it. :D
~Charlie