Not What You See
A/N: All right, last one in the little mini "Hero" trilogy of chapters. Guess what the lyrics for this one is?
DISCLAIMER: Doy. See Chapters 1 through 8. Take a look at my wallet. *takes out wallet, shakes* *wallet gives sad little cough as dust flies out* If I was owning all this and making money off this, my wallet would not have Moneyless-Syndrome.
LYRICS: Verse 3 and chorus of Hero, Superchic[k]
Chapter 9: Heroes - Leif's Dream
No one talks to him about how he lives
He thinks that the choices he makes are just his
Doesn't know he's the leader with the way he behaves
And others will follow the choices he's made
"Leif, where were you?" Wilhemina Kinomita asked harshly as her 14-year-old son came into the kitchen at midnight.
'Out," Leif answered indifferently, heading up the stairs.
"Leif, you can't keep doing this. You know Kenya has started staying out past her curfew too."
"So?"
"Leif, you're the older brother, they follow what you do."
He lives on the edge, he's old enough to decide
His brother who wants to be him is just nine
He can do what he wants because it's his right
The choices he makes change a nine-year-old's life
"Whoo!" 15-year-old Leif crowed as he entered the house late one evening. "Now that's what I call a rush!"
"What'd you do, Leif?" Blaze asked eagerly.
"Yes, Leif, what did you do?" his aunt Rebecca asked, entering the living room. "You were supposed to be back a few hours ago."
"Me and my friends went down to the old jailhouse, went exploring in it. Looking for the ghost of old Billy Bonsei," he added to his younger siblings: 14-year-old Kenya, 10-year-old China, 9-year-old Blaze. 3-year-old Starr and 7-month-old Jesse were too young to enjoy the sensation of terror at sneaking into the building that had been off-limits to the public for years.
"Wow.." Blaze said reverently. "You're really brave, Leif."
Heroes are made when you make a choice
March 5, 2003
"Leif, don't forget you've got the visitation with your aunt this afternoon." Regine reminded him as she went past his bedroom. "Get Kirk to lend you the Rav. Kai! Come on, you can't be late today!"
"Late for what?" Max asked, looking up from his homework.
"None of your business," Kai answered shortly as he left his room, backpack slung over his shoulder.
"Where're you going, Kai?" Rei called.
"None of your business." Kai repeated, disappearing down the staircase.
"What's with him?" Rei asked as he entered the other boys' bedroom and flopped down onto Leif's bed.
"Who knows anything about Kai?" Leif muttered. "Hey, Kirk!"
"Yeah, Leif?" Kirk asked, coming up the stairs.
"Can I borrow the Rav this afternoon for the visitation?"
"Sure, just don't get into a car accident."
"Of course I won't, I've got Starr and Jesse in the backseat."
"Hey, Leif!" Blaze called excitedly as Leif entered the room, Starr dashing along behind him and Jesse tottering beside his older brother.
"Heya, kid." Leif greeted cheerfully, as Kenya and China stood up.
"Nice to see you looking so cheerful, Leif," Rebecca said as she picked up Jesse and swung him around.
You could be a hero - heroes do what's right
You could be a hero - you might save a life
You could be a hero - you could join the fight
For what's right, for what's right, for what's right
"Hey, where's Kai?" Rei asked that evening at dinner, as everybody else was busy eating.
Saadii was unusually quiet and only picked at her dinner dismally. Regine and Kirk both seemed preoccupied about something.
"Good question," Leif commented. "I haven't seen him all day. Not since this morning."
"So?" Max asked.
Regine sighed. "Remember that middle school shooting about three or four years ago?"
"The one at Jumushi?" Rei asked. "Yeah, why? What does this have to do with Kai and his not being here?"
"Kai was at Jumushi when that happened," Kirk continued.
"So?" Leif asked skeptically.
"Kai was the shooter." Kirk finished. "He's still got four months and three weeks of a jail sentence to finish up. He's only done one month and one week."
"What?" Rei nearly choked on his food. Max paled and Leif's eyes widened. Saadii just continued to push her mashed potatoes around on her plate. She had obviously been told this beforehand.
"You heard me perfectly fine, Rei," Regine sighed. "He'll be back in late July."
"July 26th," Saadii said suddenly. "He's out on July 26th."
"So why didn't they get him the last fifty times he's gone to the police station?" Max asked sensibly.
"They decided they couldn't 'conveniently forget' anymore," Kirk answered curtly. "Now keep eating, all of you."