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Chapter 3: Okay I Believe you, but my Tommy Gun Don't
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Jakotsu groaned, yawning then looking at his bedside clock, it read 1:00 PM. "Oh, yeah, its Saturday." He reminded himself groggily.
"Hey, you're awake finally." Bankotsu joked from the doorway. "I was starting to think you'd died."
He pushed the blankets off himself and stood up, the looked down. "Caught me in my boxers, eh, Bankotsu?"
Bankotsu shrugged before walking back out. "I sleep in them too."
"Haha, and I've seen you in them many a times." Jakotsu laughed.
Bankotsu rolled his eyes at his friend. "Are you going to get dressed and eat or what?"
"Aww...yeah sure, why not." He said shrugging and pulling on his pants, but in hopping around the room he fell flat on his face. "Ow...."
Bankotsu shook his head, trying not to laugh. "I'll see you downstairs."
Jakotsu reemerged fully dressed and nursing a sore nose. "Ow..." he whined again. "Do we have practice today?"
Bankotsu nodded. "But not until later."
"Ok, but I thought we had it at 1:30 every Saturday, something come up? Someone have a date or something or another?"
Bankotsu shrugged. "I was waiting on you so I pushed it to 2:00 instead."
"Oh."
"But I could always change it back again." He said with another shrug.
"No thanks, talked to Hiten today or is it his day to patrol the Laimei for signs of Naraku?" Jakotsu asked cryptically, referring to Hiten's district of the town the Laimei district.
Bankotsu thought for a moment, counting off the days. "It is his day, I'll have to call him later...thanks for reminding me."
"Yeah, I dunno why everyone made this town so complicated, we have Bankotsu's district, Hiten's district, Kouga's district, Sess's 'domain' and the Inuyasha group's section." Jakotsu pondered. "I think it's pointless."
Bankotsu shrugged again. "It's the only way we know, we can hardly change it...." He said, looking out the window thoughtfully.
"Yeah...I mean, they had to give them all funny names too, the Laimei district, the Ushitora district...the Western Domain, dunno why he says domain, Musashi's Domain...the Youroukozu's area...." He reeled off. "What's with the Japanese names I wonder."
Bankotsu shook his head thoughtfully. "No idea, it just sounded good I guess...."
Jakotsu shrugged. "I guess...."
Bankotsu looked about the room, searching for something to talk about. "Hey, call Renkotsu and Suikotsu, see if they're up for the Arcade after practice."
Bankotsu nodded and grabbed up the phone, dialing Suikotsu first. "Hullo?" Suikotsu's groggy voice came on the other end.
"Hey, it's Bankotsu. What's up?"
"Surprisingly, I just woke up." He said with a yawn. "And I got your message that we pushed practice back, thank for the warning." He added.
"No problem." Bankotsu said lightly. "Hey, are you up for the Arcade afterward?"
"Um...sure," he agreed yawning. "Though I doubt anyone can beat your highscores." He added with a light laugh. "God I'm tired." He groaned as an afterthought. "Jakotsu awake yet?"
"Yeah, he just woke up." Bankotsu said, glancing sideways at his friend. "You not get any sleep last night?"
"Went to sleep at one, I was up on the phone all night I guess."
Bankotsu made a face. "With who?" He asked curiously.
"Uhm..." he started.
Bankotsu smiled. "Never mind, well, we'll see you later, ok?"
"Yeah, see ya in half an hour man." He said hanging up.
Bankotsu laughed slightly before pressing in Renkotsu's number. "Hello?" A light female voice answered.
Bankotsu smirked widely and looked at Jakotsu with a strange twinkle in his eye. "Hey, is Renkotsu there?" He asked, covering the amusement in his voice.
"He's...still sleeping."
"Ah, I see." Bankotsu said. "Well, could you tell him that the guys wanna know if he's up for the Arcade after practice at 2:00?"
"Can do."
"Ok, see ya." He said before hanging up with a smirk.
"What's up?" Jakotsu asked him.
"Guess who was on the line when I called?" Bankotsu said, trying not to laugh as he spoke.
"Who?"
Bankotsu smiled. "It was his girlfriend."
"What'd she say?"
"He's still 'asleep'."
Jakotsu tried to hide his laughter, and failed. "I wonder...."
"You think...?" Bankotsu asked, bursting into laughter at the thought.
"What if...?"
"Well if she was there...."
"Do you think they...?"
"I do wonder if they did." Bankotsu said with a nod, though he was smiling.
"If they did...."
"Then we have something to knock Renkotsu around for."
"...What did Suikotsu say?"
"He was up all night talking on the phone...."
"With?"
"He wouldn't say, he seemed kinda nervous about it."
"Kikyou."
"That's what I thought too, but I didn't want to press him. It's not as fun with him as it is with Renkotsu." Bankotsu joked.
"Yeah, Suikotsu's nice." Jakotsu agreed. "C'mon, we should get going."
Bankotsu glanced at the clock and nodded, getting up swiftly and grabbing his stuff. Jakotsu slung his guitar over his shoulder and they started walking, meeting Suikotsu at the corner like they normally did, and walking to Renkotsu's place.
As they neared, Bankotsu and Jakotsu exchanged looks of delight. Suikotsu looked clueless, so they let him in on what had occurred earlier, and he looked very enlightened, if not a bit disturbed. Jakotsu let out a stifled laugh as Bankotsu knocked on the door loudly.
Yuka opened it, Jakotsu was really about to laugh, because she was just wearing one of Renkotsu's baggy shirts. "Oh, it's 2:00 already...."
"Yep." Bankotsu said with a friendly smile, pretending not to notice her attire.
"Uhm...I'll go get Renkotsu." She muttered with the tiny blush.
Bankotsu nodded, waiting patiently as she left the door slightly ajar. Renkotsu came to the door and Jakotsu immediately averted his eyes, still smirking. "Get dressed Renkotsu, we don't need to see your boxers."
Renkotsu glared. "What's going on?"
"Practice dipshit."
Renkotsu growled before slamming the door shut. "He's getting dressed...." Suikotsu rolled his eyes slightly with a shake of his head.
"I hope the girl is too." Jakotsu muttered blinking a few times.
Bankotsu laughed at his behavior. "She probably is, don't worry."
They door reopened and they all walked in. "I think my days been made." Jakotsu muttered. "Both of you only wearing certain articles of clothing answering the door. Just what I wanted to see." He remarked with a hint of sarcasm.
Yuka blushed immediately, Renkotsu narrowing his eyes dangerously at Jakotsu. "Shut up." He growled as he slammed the door behind them.
"He was just kidding Renkotsu." Bankotsu defended.
"I hardly find anything he says is a joke." Renkotsu retorted.
"He's a lot more sensitive than you!" Bankotsu argued. "You can't just be so mean to him."
Renkotsu shrugged. "I act how I want, and why in the hell does it matter to you?"
"Because Jakotsu is my friend." Bankotsu said flatly.
Renkotsu snorted as he set up his drums. "Whatever."
Bankotsu rolled his eyes as he tuned his guitar. Everyone got ready quickly, with Yuka watching curiously on the sidelines.
The tension was a bit thicker than usual between Jakotsu and Renkotsu. Though they had never really gotten along well. "What do you wanna practice today?" Jakotsu asked them lamely.
Renkotsu didn't answer, and Suikotsu just shrugged, both of them looking at Bankotsu for a suggestion. Bankotsu whispered something in Jakotsu's ear and he smiled a little. Renkotsu narrowed his eyes, wondering if the something that had been said was about him or Yuka.
"That song will do." Jakotsu told him.
"Guernica." Jakotsu told them, rolling his eyes. "Ever since I was young your word is the word that always won. Worry and wake the ones you love. A phone call I'd rather not receive. Please use my body while I sleep. My lungs are fresh and yours to keep, Kept clean and they will let you breathe. Is this the way a toy feels when its batteries run dry? I am the watch you always wear but you forget to wind. Nobody plans to be half a world away at times like these, so I sat alone and waited out the night. The best part of what has happened was the part I must have missed. So I'm asking you to shine it on and stick around. I'm not writing my good-byes. I submit no excuse. If this is what I have to do I owe you every day I wake. If I could I would shrink myself and sink through your skin to your blood cells and remove whatever makes you hurt but I am too weak to be your cure. Is this the way a toy feels when its batteries run dry? I am the watch you always wear but you forget to wind. Nobody plans to be half a world away at times like these, so I sat alone and waited out the night. The best part of what has happened was the part I must have missed. So I'm asking you to shine it on and stick around. I'm not writing my good-byes. I'm not letting you check out. You will beat this starting now and you will always be around. I'm there to monitor your breathing I will watch you while you're sleeping. I will keep you safe and sound. Does anybody remember back when you were very young? Did you ever think that you would be this blessed?"
Yuka smiled at the music, though she didn't understand fully the meaning behind the words. Jakotsu stopped and thought for a second. "Coulda been better." He mumbled.
"It's not one of our best." Bankotsu mumbled back with a shrug.
"Yeah, I don't even remember who wrote it...."
Bankotsu shrugged again. "Doesn't really matter...."
"I say we take a break- I'm tired."
Bankotsu nodded. "That's fine, we have all day to practice."
"Yeah I guess...." Jakotsu yawned, curling up on the couch.
Renkotsu sat down next to Yuka, looking a bit peeved. "So Suikotsu, you never did tell us who you were up all night on the phone with." Jakotsu asked, his eyes drooping.
Suikotsu became a bit uneasy, shifting his weight and looking around the room. "It wasn't anything."
"We're your friends, you can tell us." Bankotsu insisted from his spot on the floor.
"It was just Kikyou." He said with a shrug, acting as if it were no big deal to him.
"Now everyone here has a girlfriend...." Jakotsu mumbled sleepily. "Go you."
"She's not my girlfriend." Suikotsu defended. "We're just friends."
"And I'm fucking Yuka." Jakotsu remarked sarcastically. "Just don't go psycho on her."
Renkotsu looked about to kill at the comment, beside him, Yuka blushed furiously. "I won't." Suikotsu said sternly.
"Bah...why doesn't Bankotsu have a girlfriend? All the filth at school think he's cute." Jakotsu remarked sourly.
Bankotsu shrugged. "Because none of them interest me. Too noisy and stupid." He said thoughtfully.
"That's good."
"You sounded upset though." Bankotsu pointed out with a smile.
"Huh?"
"When you asked why I didn't have one. You sounded kind of upset, but maybe I was mistaken."
"No reason." He mumbled.
Bankotsu shrugged it off. "Fine."
"Uhm...what now?" he asked, quickly changing the subject.
"We rest until everyone feels good enough to play again."
"Okay." Jakotsu muttered. "Oh, its so hard to have someone to love...and keepin quiet is hard...cause you cant keep a secret if it never was a secret to start...at least pretend you didn't wanna get caught." He sang under his breath.
Bankotsu looked over at him, but didn't say anything for a few moments. "Well, everybody ready?" He asked, standing up and stretching.
"Sure." They chorused.
"Okay." Bankotsu said, picking up his instrument and strapping it around his shoulders again.
Jakotsu seemed a bit distanced from everyone. "Okay I believe you, but my Tommy Gun don't." He told them.
"That's fine." They agreed, only Bankotsu noticing Jakotsu's behavior.
"I am heaven sent. Don't you dare forget. I am all you've ever wanted. What all the other boys all promised. Sorry I told. I just needed you to know. I think in decimals and dollars. I am the cause to all your problems. Shelter from cold. We're never alone. Coordinate brain and mouth. Then ask me what it's like to have myself so figured out. I wish I knew. I hope this song starts a craze. The kind of song that ignites the airwaves. The kind of song that makes people glad to be where they are with who ever they're there with. This is war. Every line is about who I don't wanna write about anymore. I hope you come down with something they can't diagnose, don't have the cure for. Holding on to your grudge. Oh, it's so hard to have someone to love. And keeping quiet is hard. Cause you can't keep a secret if it never was a secret to start. At least pretend you didn't want to get caught. We're concentrating on falling apart. We were contenders, now throwing the fight. I just wanna believe...in us. Oh, were so c-c-c- controversial. We are entirely smooth. We admit to the truth. We are the best at what we do. And these are the words you wish you wrote down. This is the way you wish your voice sounds. Handsome and smart. Oh, my tongue's the only muscle in my body that works harder than my heart. And it's all from watching TV. And from speeding up my breathing. Wouldn't stop if I could. Oh, it hurts to be this good. You're holding on to your grudge. Oh, it hurts to always have to be honest with the one that you love. Oh, so let it go. We're concentrating on falling apart. We were contenders, now throwing the fight. I just wanna believe.... We're concentrating on falling apart. We were contenders, now throwing the fight. I just wanna believe...in us. This is the craze only we can bestow. This is the price you pay for loss of control. This is the break in the battle. This is the closest of calls. This is the reason you're alone. This is the reason you fall. We're concentrating on falling apart. We were contenders, now throwing the fight. I just wanna believe.... We're concentrating on falling apart. We were contenders, now throwing the fight. I just wanna believe...in us." He sang, only half-heartedly doing the parts he had to scream. [He had to scream 'This is the reason you're alone. This is the reason you fall.']
Yuka made a face as she noticed Jakotsu's lack-luster performance. 'I wonder what's wrong....' She thought, a bit concerned despite his earlier comments.
Jakotsu wandered away to get some water for his throat and Bankotsu furrowed his brows in thought. "I'll be right back...." He mumbled, following Jakotsu. Jakotsu was sitting on the counter sipping a glass of water. Bankotsu came in and looked him over briefly. "What's the matter?"
"Nothing."
"There's something wrong, I can tell. You've been acting weird since we got in the door."
"No I haven't."
Bankotsu sighed. "Yes you have. You seem down about something."
"It's stupid."
"No, tell me. I'm listening."
"I guess...its just that everyone has someone now. As weird as it sounds, I guess I just feel a little left out."
Bankotsu smiled, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't." He commanded his friend. "I don't care if they do, and you shouldn't either." He said, trying to find words with real meaning.
Jakotsu sighed a little. "Really." Bankotsu said, feeling a bit awkward now that he couldn't find anything to say. Jakotsu just shrugged and slipped off the counter to his feet. Bankotsu made a face, feeling a bit useless.
"Your right Bankotsu." Jakotsu finally spoke. Bankotsu smiled at him. "I mean, I'll find someone eventually, but for now I'll just keep myself with hopeless infatuations." He told him, still sounding a little distant.
"They're not hopeless, come on, loosen up." Bankotsu said, starting to get back into his old charm again.
"Of course they're hopeless Bankotsu, Inuyasha..." he started, getting a shadow of his old smile back.
Bankotsu seemed a bit miffed at the comment, but he smiled despite it. "Hahaha, but it's still fun, ne?"
"I guess."
"Really Jakotsu, it's nothing to worry about, you'll find someone, and it's not hopeless."
"Until then, Inuyasha it is!" Jakotsu exclaimed, bouncing on his heels.
Bankotsu laughed, trying not to let Jakotsu see that he didn't like the Inuyasha comments. "Go for it." He urged his friend with a smile. "Ready to rock again?"
"Sure as hell."
"Alright!" Bankotsu exclaimed happily before opening the door and walking out, Jakotsu right behind him. Jakotsu blinked as everyone's eyes were on him.
"What?" He asked them all, Bankotsu looking quite curious as well.
"We thought you maybe had an emotional breakdown or something." They chorused.
Jakotsu made a face. "Why would I do something stupid like that?"
"Cause you're usually very enthusiastic about your screaming parts." Suikotsu noted. "You looked like you were going to cry." Renkotsu added.
"I was NOT about to cry!" Jakotsu huffed at him. "I'm just tired still is all."
"Yeah, just one more song." Bankotsu added. "Then y'all can continue your futile attempts to beat all my highscores." He added.
"And we will beat one someday." Suikotsu proclaimed with a wink.
"The only one even close to beating me is Renkotsu." Bankotsu sneered. "He won't beat me. Let's get back to practicing."
Renkotsu snorted as he sat down at his drums. "If I'm close, that means I will eventually." He said as he prepared for the next song.
"Get used to second best Renkotsu." Bankotsu sneered looking back at him with a careless smile.
"You are the one who should get used to it, as I will soon be victorious."
"Failure By Design." Jakotsu said, breaking up the makings of an argument. "Now." He added. "Watch you, on the one's and two's. Through a window in a well lit room. Become a recluse. And I blame myself cause I make things hard and your just trying to help. And when I wake up, you're the first to call. This is one more late night basement song. And I'm so sore, my voice has gone to hell, and this is one more sleepless night, Because we don't believe in filler baby. If I could I'd sit this out. (This is over when I say it's over.) This is a lesson in procrastination. I kill myself because I'm so frustrated. And every single second that I put it off means another lonely night I got to race the clock. (I ignore it and it ignores me too.) What say we go and crash your car? And every time I leave you go and lock the door. So I walk myself picking at a chip on my shoulder, I'm another day late and one year older. It's failure by design. And we just want sleep, but this night is hell. I'm sick and sunk and I blame myself because I make things hard and you're just trying to help. I got no gas; I'm winding out my gears. This is one more day on the verge of tears. And now my head hurts and my health is a joke. And now I got to stop cause the headphones broke. And we don't believe in filler. Baby, if I could I'd sit this out. (This is over, when I say it's over.) This is a lesson in procrastination. I kill myself because I'm so frustrated. And every single second that I put it off, means another lonely night I gotta race the clock. (I ignore it and it ignores me too) What say we go and crash your car? And every time I leave you go and lock the door. And I walk myself picking at a chip on my shoulder. I'm another day late and one year older; it's failure by design. I'm out of everything. No one sleeps until we get this shit out on the shelves. It's late, I'm faltering. But this time I got nothing to say besides...DO DO DO, DO DO DO...." [Parenthesis is Bank's singing]
Yuka smiled as the song ended, happy that Jakotsu, though she didn't like him all that well yet, was at least back to his old self.
"Let's go!"
Yuka was stunned as she was grabbed by the wrist and pulled after the pack of boys that herded out of the room, slamming the door behind them. Jakotsu, being the theatric weirdo he was stopped and fell to his knees in the middle of the sidewalk. "I feel faint Bankotsu, carry me!"
Bankotsu and the others halted, staring at him. "What are you-?" Bankotsu asked but sighed and picked him up anyway, running as fast as he could toward Renkotsu's car.
They piled in as Bankotsu [unceremoniously] tossed Jakotsu in the back seat. Jakotsu whined as he hit the seat, but didn't protest at all. Bankotsu begrudgingly got in the back, seeing as Renkotsu made Yuka sit up front.
Suikotsu smiled as he saw Bankotsu make a face at having to sit in the back. "Not liking taking second place already?" He joked.
"Why am I second place to a girl?" He pouted to Renkotsu.
Renkotsu smirked. "Because she's my girl."
"But we're your friends."
"So?" He asked with a short laugh as he backed out.
"Friends come before girls."
"Says who?"
"Its like an unspoken rule."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah."
"Well too bad then, you know I don't listen to the rules."
"That's why you don't live with your mother anymore."
"Exactly." He said as he pulled up in front of the Arcade.
"Or maybe it was the fact she hated you." Bankotsu said as they got out of the car.
"I don't care which it was." Renkotsu said with a shrug.
"Of course you don't." They chorused as they walked in the Arcade.
"Which one first?"
"I dunno, I'll beat you all anyway." Bankotsu told them shrugging.
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