By Your Side – Chapter 3: Boys of Summer, Rated: PG, By Akilah
Note: I want to point out before I get any flames that I know the story is very American and it does not reflect the Japanese culture in anyway, but I'm American and I don't really know much about Japanese culture to able to make it realistic. So ignore the fact that the characterslive in an Americanized town and have American type of summers at the shore.
Disclaimor: I do not own Sailormoon or any of its characters. Every original character belongs to me. The song 'Boys Of Summer' is performed and written by Don Henley. I do not own it.
Nobody on the road
Nobody on the beach
I feel it in the air
The summer's out of reach
Empty lake, empty streets
The sun goes down alone
I'm drivin' by your house
Though I know you're not home
But I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
You got your hair combed back and your sunglasses on, baby
And I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
I never will forget those nights
I wonder if it was a dream
Remember how you made me crazy?
Remember how I made you scream
Now I don't understand what happened to our love
But babe, I'm gonna get you back I'm gonna show you what I'm made of...
Makoto opened her eyes and found herself surrounded by darkness and cold water. She realized she was under the sea and slowly sinking to the bottom of it. When she tried to scream no sound came out and water flooded her lungs instead. She began to panic as she kicked and threw her arms frantically, trying to swim or float to the top. After much effort she gave up and accepted her fate of drowning alone. She closed her eyes and felt her body slowly sinking to the bottom of the ocean.
Out of nowhere she felt a hand grab her own. When she opened her eyes she saw that it was Ken who had come to her rescue. She never felt so happy to see anyone in her life. He held onto her as they swam to the top and she could see the light peaking through the dark waters.
Suddenly the waters shook and Makoto felt herself being pulled apart from him. Her hand slipped out of his as she felt herself being pulled towards the bottom while Ken was being pulled to the top. Ken tried to grab for her hand again but his effort was in vain. She continued to fall deeper into the black ocean. Finally, when she could no longer see him, her heart ached and she realized that there was no hope left for her. That's when she felt a cold splash hit her body.
Makoto opened her eyes and quickly sat up. She had been sleeping on a beach chair. Ken stood over her with an empty bucket in his hand and a wide smirk on his face.
"Wake up, sleepy head. We're at the beach! This is no time for sleeping." Ken said.
For a moment, Makoto was in shock. She had forgotten where she was but realized that she was no longer in the world of her dream. It took her another moment before she realized she was at the beach with Ken, sitting on dry land. Through strands of dripping wet hair, that covered her face, she looked up at her best friend.
"Ken…" She began, but stopped mid-sentence as the memories of the dream flooded back to her. The feelings of loneliness and hopelessness had returned but only for a second. She wiped her hair back and looked out into the ocean as she curled her legs to her chest and tightly wrapped her arms around them.
"Makoto, what's wrong with you?" Ken asked. He felt a little confused. This was unlike her; she never missed an opportunity to retaliate for one of his pranks.
Makoto looked at him and smirked.
"It's just that your pranks don't have the same effect any more. It's the same old thing. I know all your tricks. And… I'm being honest here, that one was a little childish." She said as she tried to repress a smirk.
Ken's face turned a shade of pink. He didn't know whether to take what she said seriously or not. He realized it was a joke and played along.
"Oh really," he said as he inched closer to her face. "Well, if that's so then I guess I can't get you with this." Ken grabbed Makoto's arm and pulled her off the chair, throwing her to the ground before she could realize what happened.
She screamed when her body hit the sand. "Ken, what are you doing!" She protested as she tried to get up, but he pushed her back to the ground. He straddled her as he pinned her arms down.
"If my bag of tricks doesn't work on you anymore then I guess this oldie but goodie won't work either"
She screamed as she realized what he was about to do to her.
"Please… please don't. Forgive me." She said as she struggled to gain her breath.
He smirked at his friend's weakness in this position.
"Too late." He took his hands and assaulted her body with tickles. She screamed loudly between her uncontrollable laughs. Her biggest weakness was being tickled and only three people alive knew how ticklish she was. They were her Father, Mother, and of course Ken.
He continued to tickle her until her body could take no more. Makoto sighed with relief and breathed deeply as she tried to recuperate and regain strength. Ken lay next to her on the sand and they both laughed and looked up at the orange sky. The sun was setting, making the sky a deep shade of gold. There were few clouds and the warmth from the orange sun covered Makoto's long body. She closed her eyes and felt relaxed and comforted by the warmth she felt over her and the soft sand beneath her. Her long brown hair glistened and it was spread out across the sand above her head.
"So, I still got it?" Ken asked coyly. Makoto chuckled.
"Yeah. You still got it papa." She said, as she continued to rest in the sand with her eyes closed. "But you forgot one thing."
"Yeah, and what's that"
She turned towards him and rested her cheek on her hand. "That no one gets away with tickling Mako. So unless you want both of your legs broken, I suggest you run. Now!"
Ken's eyes fluttered open and he saw Makoto's smiling face staring down at him. He sat up quickly and tried to stand but she grabbed his arms and tried to pull him back down.
"Ahh! Get off me you mad woman." He said as he struggled to escape from her. Makoto smirked evilly as she grabbed him and held him tightly from the chest. He tried to push her away but she was too strong. She grabbed his arms and pulled him down every time he tried to push her off.
Ken finally broke free of Makoto but he had pushed her back so hard she fell into the sand and hit her head. Ken was unaware of this and continued to run down the beach as Makoto rubbed her throbbing head. The pain was a sharp reminder that her childhood friend was now a young man and that rough housing with him wasn't much fun anymore, especially when he would forget that his playmate was in fact a young woman. Makoto shook the sand out of her hair and shook the pain from her head and ran after him. The two teenagers chased each other across the beach as they ran past Makoto's parents, Hikari and Taichi. "They've grown up so much haven't they." Hikari said as she looked at the two kids.
Makoto was now fifteen and about to enter 10th grade, also known as the first year of high school. She grew to a towering five feet ten inches and had super model good looks but she tried very hard to downplay them. Her long brown hair fell past the small of her back, though she mostly wore it in a high ponytail. Her sea green eyes were now a deeper shade and offset her bronze skin beautifully. She was often teased for how very thin she was. Her waistline was tiny and she had a small chest, which looked flat, since she wore sports bras everyday. Her legs were super long and incredibly toned, but she usually hid them under baggy jeans and loose fitting pants. The girl was gorgeous but you could never tell her that. She would look at anyone who even hinted at the notion that she was pretty as if they were crazy, and then deny it. She felt that looking good was a waste of time and all she wanted to do was ride her skateboard, play sports, and hang with her friends.
Ken was now sixteen and about to enter 11th grade. He grew up to become quite handsome. He was six feet two inches tall with a medium muscular build. He traded his glasses in for contacts, which allowed many girls to appreciate his amazing blue eyes. His blond hair was thick, shiny and always perfectly trimmed. Ken was gorgeous! He came a long way from the skinny geek who hit Makoto with a basketball four years ago.
Not only had his look's changed but his personality had as well. He was confident and finally comfortable in his own skin. No longer shy but friendly and outgoing. He wanted to make everyone happy and believed he could put a smile on anyone's face by just smiling at them first. Although everyone believed he had undergone a drastic transformation, Makoto thought he was the same Ken she had always known, and she was right. To her, his "transformation" was due to the fact that he finally discovered the person she always knew him to be.
Taichi stared at the two kids as they ran past. He sighed deeply and turned towards his wife.
"They sure have. They really have."
They were running besides the ocean as they chased each other down the beach. Makoto's long brown hair blew in the wind as she ran. Both wore matching outfits, a white wife beater and male swim trunks. They were both barefoot as well.
"Watch out, Ken! I'm catching up to you!" Makoto said as she inched toward him. He turned around and winked at her before speeding up and creating a few yards between them. Makoto turned red with frustration.
'When did he become so fast! I miss the days when he had asthma and I could trample all over him.' She thought to herself. Ken turned around and saw his friend way behind him. He decided to slow down to let her catch up to him.
'She is just a girl. I forget sometimes.' He chuckled to himself.
When Makoto caught up to him, she jumped on his back. "I caught you. Your not so fast after all, huh."
'Yeah, sure.' He thought to himself. He began to spin around causing her to scream.
"Stop! Put me down! I think I'm going to puke!" Makoto said.
"Don't get on if you can't handle the ride." Ken joked. He carried her into the ocean and the cold waves hit his legs as he walked deeper into it. Makoto held tightly onto his back from fear of falling. She urged him to take her back to dry land but he refused. When the ocean was waist high, he dropped her into it. She splashed hard and quickly pulled Ken down with her.
"When I fall you're going down with me." Makoto smiled sweetly at Ken as he gagged the salty seawater from his lungs. He turned and looked at her with blood shot eyes and strands of blond hair in his face.
"I'll remember that."
For the past four years the Kino's rented out a shore house and each year Ken joined them. Ken always enjoyed the few weeks they spent together because it made him feel that they were all one happy family. He loved the fact that Makoto had two loving parents who loved each other (and had no problem with public displays of affection) and loved their daughter just as much. It was a stark contrast to the way his parents reacted to each other the few years they were married.
Ken especially liked having a father figure in the home, something he missed out on while growing up. He admired Taichi and Taichi returned the affection.
Every evening the family would have dinner together in the yard of the shore house, which was just off the beach and overlooked the ocean. The family usually dined on Taichi's barbecue as they discussed their plans for the evening and made jokes at each other's expense.
"Summer is almost over and school starts in less than a week. You guys ready for that?" Taichi asked as he sat at the dinner table.
Makoto rolled her eyes and moaned. "Don't remind me, dad." She said as she bit into a barbecue rib.
Ken looked over at his friend and smirked as he wiped the Mayo from the potato salad off his mouth.
"That's right. Mako's going to be a high school freshman this year." Ken hit Mako on the shoulder hard, startling her and causing her to drop her rib. "She's probably afraid of all the hazing I'm going to put her through." Ken said with a wink. Mako lifted her hand, as if she were about to smack him but didn't. Instead she stuck out her tongue and rolled her eyes.
Taichi and Hikari laughed. "Oh, don't haze her too hard, Ken. I think dropping a bucket of cows blood over her head might be enough." Taichi said.
"Yeah, yeah, yeah! High school… whoopee doo. What's the big deal? Its not like it'll be any different from junior high or even elementary school. There's still the same stuck up popular kids who look down on everyone who doesn't reach their impossible superficial standards." Makoto said.
"When did my daughter become so cynical? Anyway, high school is a big deal. It will probably be the time when you'll meet your first boyfriend, have your first kiss, go on your first date…" Hikari said.
"Oh, gosh." Makoto interrupted her mother and covered her face from embarrassment. Ken snickered and made kissing noises at her.
"… And maybe meet the love of your life." Hikari said as she looked over at Taichi who was stuffing his barbecue sauce covered face with potato salad. Hikari patted Taichi's head.
"That is if you haven't met him already." Hikari said with a smirk as she looked over at Ken. Both kids were dumbfounded and taken off guard for a moment. Makoto felt uncomfortable and embarrassed before becoming angry with her mother for making such a suggestion. Ken quickly shook off the uneasiness he felt and laughed nervously. Makoto followed his lead and laughed as well.
"I'm just joking, guys! Please lighten up." Hikari said.
"Yeah, whatever mom." Makoto scowled at the food on her plate as she picked at it.
Taichi cleared his throat and tried to think of something to say to cut the tension at the table. "So what kind of trouble are you guys planning to get into tonight"
Makoto's head popped up and she and Ken looked at each other nervously.
"Why do you have to assume that were up to some sort of mischief. Can't Ken and I go out and have a normal evening without getting into any kind of trouble"
Taichi looked over at Ken suspiciously. Ken had turned a pale shade of pink and looked down at his plate.
"Yeah, sure." Taichi didn't remove his gaze from Ken.
"How about this one?" Makoto pointed to a picture of a small red Chinese dragon that lay on the page of a tattoo catalogue.
Ken shook his head in frustration. "No. That's too cliché. Nothing edgy about it." Mako and Ken were sitting in a tattoo parlor trying to pick out the perfect tattoo to commemorate their summer together. Makoto was the one who came up with the idea of getting matching tattoos. Ken protested, concerned that it would upset their parents too much. Mako convinced him that it would be a symbol of their everlasting friendship and a way to look back at the best summer they ever shared. Ken reluctantly agreed and thought the idea was spontaneous and exciting.
There was only one flaw to Makoto's great idea; she didn't plan to really go through with it. She thought it would be a great prank to pull on Ken. She'll get him into the tattoo parlor, torture him with anxiety, volunteer to sit first in the chair, and just when the needle was about to touch her skin she would back out of it. 'Classic!' she thought. Makoto chuckled to herself. She looked up at Ken with a condescending smirk.
"Yeah, you're probably right."
Ken looked away from the book and surveyed the parlor. The walls were filled with tattoo designs and photographs of actual tattoos on human skin. Most tattoos looked frighteningly demonic. He looked directly across from him. Two young men sat suspiciously close to each other. The thinner one had bleached hair with long bright red bangs, shaved eyebrows, three silver rings coming out of his nose and both of his arms were filled with tattoos. The other young man who sat next to him wore a tall black Mohawk and also had several piercings and tattoos. Ken stared at the two young men, not realizing what he was doing. The thinner one caught his gaze and glared back at him. Ken felt awkward but quickly nodded his head in acknowledgement. The young stranger gave him an assessing look before licking his lips and winking at him. Ken sat back, off guard, and leaned into Makoto. The young man with the Mohawk noticed his lover flirting with Ken and quickly grabbed the other boy's hand before glaring at Ken. Ken felt extremely uncomfortable and realized he was turning a deep shade of red. He quickly wrapped his arm around Makoto in an effort to show that he was clearly straight.
Makoto had noticed what was happening and tried hard to hold back laughter. She pushed Ken's arm away from her shoulder in mock disgust.
"What are you doing! Don't try to act straight now!" She hollered for the entire parlor to hear. Several people stared at them.
Ken laughed nervously. "Mako! What are you doing." He mumbled under his breath. Makoto released her laughter at her friend's expense. He was extremely annoyed.
"Ken, your such a homophobe. Surprising since you and Shinji are practically a couple." Makoto teased.
"Yeah, yeah, don't be so jealous." Ken joked. He looked around the room again and spotted the tattoo artist. He was a big guy with long black hair pulled back into a ponytail. He also had scores of tattoos on his arms and wore a black leather vest over his greasy black wife beater. He sat at a desk as he changed a needle and cleaned his instrument. Ken gulped when he saw the needle. 'What are you doing Ken? You don't even like getting a flu shot.' He thought to himself. He began to feel a bit queasy and his eyes shifted towards the door.
"How about this one." Makoto shoved the tattoo catalogue into Ken's face. She pointed to a picture of a large tiger tattoo that covered someone's entire back. Ken almost thought he was going to pass out.
Makoto smirked. 'Its working. This is going to be the best punk ever.' She thought to herself. "What's wrong, Ken? You look a little pale."
Ken shook his head and stood up. "I can't do this. This has got to be the dumbest ideal we ever came up with. We're not crazy enough to do something like getting a permanent tattoo that we'll have to live with for the rest of our lives. I'm out!" Ken began to walk towards the door.
Makoto's jaw dropped in surprise. 'No way am I letting him mess this up! This is just too classic to give up on.' She quickly stood and grabbed Ken's arm.
"Come on, Ken. It'll be fun. Remember what we talked about? How it would be the ultimate symbol of our friendship."
Ken turned towards Makoto and laughed. "No. The ultimate symbol of our friendship is this." Ken lifted his middle finger to Makoto. Her face turned red out of both frustration and anger. She quickly shoved Ken's hand away.
"What's that suppose to mean!" Makoto asked sounding both confused and hurt. For a moment she had forgotten about the punk.
"It's a joke Makoto, relax!" Ken said feeling a little peeved. "Can we just leave now."
Makoto felt unusually sensitive today. "That's not just a joke! That must be how you really feel about us."
Ken looked completely irritated now. "What's wrong with you! Of course it's just a joke! You know you're my best friend." Ken didn't understand why Makoto was questioning him like this. Didn't she understand that she meant more to him then anyone else in the world? Did she not understand that she was his rock and that most of his confidence lied within her? Didn't she understand that he would lie, cheat, steal and probably kill for her? She was as much a part of him as he was himself and without her he would be lost. But she couldn't possibly know or understand those things because he didn't quite understand it himself. "Don't be stupid, Mako." Those were the only words he could manage to say.
"If its only a joke then why don't you show how you really feel and get the tattoo!" Makoto wasn't sure if she was serious now or if she was still trying to get Ken to fall for the prank. All she knew is that she was incredibly angry.
Ken rolled his eyes and headed for the door. "This is ridiculous. You're acting like a complete weirdo. Let's just go."
Makoto was even angrier now and she felt her breath get deeper and her chest heave up and down. "You're just a punk bitch! Don't be a pussy and back out of this because you're afraid of what my parents might think and your afraid of offending your precious mommy." Makoto said angrily. She quickly stepped back and covered her mouth when she had realized what she said.
Ken stopped dead in his tracks. He didn't dare turn around and face Makoto or he may do something he'd regret. Makoto had called him a punk and a few other words he rather not repeat in his mind. Being called a punk was Ken's ultimate button to push, but to have the words come out of his best friend, the one whom he put the most confidence in and the one who he believed knew him better than anyone else, was catastrophic to him. Especially when she knew how much those words hurt. He went through most of his childhood being tormented by those words… no, by those accusations. He felt as if the world around him had shaken.
He slowly turned and faced her. The look on her face was one of regret and sadness but it suddenly hardened when her eyes met his raging blue ones. If looks could kill she knew she would be dead on the spot. His gaze didn't leave hers for what seemed like a few minutes. His face was cold but his eyes were full of anger and rage. He walked past her towards the back of the parlor and sat in the chair.
"I'm ready." He told the tattoo artist but his eyes were still locked with Makoto's. Makoto began to feel panic as she realized what he was about to do. This was only meant to be a joke. He really wasn't supposed to get tattooed. She wanted to say something, anything but couldn't. She could only walk closer toward him. The artist prepared the needle and the ink. Ken pulled his hooded sweatshirt off along with his wife beater, exposing his muscular bear chest. His eyes remained locked with Makoto's as they continued their intense stare.
"I need to know what you're getting." The tattoo artist asked. Ken had forgotten about picking a tattoo. He was so determined to get one now that it didn't matter what it was anymore. He looked over at the designs on the nearest wall. A circular tattoo with wispy waves coming out from around it, looked like an Indian design for sun. "That one." He said nonchalantly before returning an angry gaze back at Makoto.
"Good choice." The artist said as he rubbed Ken's back with alcohol. Makoto realized that he was really going to go through with it. 'Ken don't.' She wanted to say something or to scream at least. But his gaze threatened her into silence.
"Here we go." The tattoo artist pressed the needle against Ken's skin. The sharp sensation of pain shot right through his body. It felt like a hundred bee stings. He wanted to wench and moan but he sat still, his eyes glaring at Makoto's. The anger he felt towards her almost overshadowed the physical pain he was enduring.
Although he tried hard not to show it, she could see that he was in pain because his eyes said it all. They were hard and almost lifeless. A glaze covered them as he tried to control his body from trembling.
Ken wouldn't remove his gaze from her eyes; he wanted to make sure that she knew he wasn't a punk. She looked away from him. She couldn't handle seeing him like this.
'You're so stupid, Ken.' She thought as she returned her gaze at him. 'You always have to be so damn sensitive and now look at what you've done. You got a stupid tattoo! A stupid tattoo that you'll have to live with for the rest of your life because my big mouth said something without asking my brain first.' A teardrop escaped her eye and she quickly turned and wiped it away. Tears continued to stream down her face, although she tried hard to will them to stop.
Ken saw her crying and looked down. His rage subsided and he felt as if a big delirious bubble had popped from around him. The realization that he was being tattooed hit him hard, but it was too late for regrets.
"All done." The tattoo artist rubbed Ken's skin with cooling liquid. He then gave him a mirror to hold up as he reflected his tattoo off a mirror he held behind him. He glared at it and felt faint. The black circular tattoo laid on his right shoulder blade and was no more than three inches in diameter.
"Not bad. You know it's a Tibetan symbol for life. It's supposed to have mystical powers, whoever wears it is guaranteed good luck and success." The tattoo artist said as he placed a bandage over it.
Ken felt like his stomach was going to jump out of his throat. "Right." He threw his wife beater and hooded sweatshirt back on and walked towards Mako. Her eyes were red and her face was still wet from all the tears she had wiped away. Ken felt his heart hit the ground and wished the floor would just open up and swallow him. 'I'm such an idiot.' He thought.
"Come on. Let's just go home." He said as he pulled the hood over his head.
Makoto glared at him before punching him in the shoulder. She then turned around and walked back to the chair. "Give me the same thing." She said to the tattoo artist.
"What are you doing!" Ken yelled at her when he realized she was going to get a tattoo as well.
She glared at him as she pulled her tennis shoe off. "I want it right here, above my ankle. But make it a lot smaller."
Ken stormed towards her and pulled her out of the chair. "I'm not letting you do this."
She shoved him away and hit at his chest. "No! I'm getting it." She sat back down and glared up at him. "It was my stupid ideal in the first place."
"Do what you want." Ken turned his back towards her and stared at the ground. 'I can't stop her. She's too stubborn.'
Makoto felt her heart beating faster as the needle approached her skin. She let out a moan of pain as it touched her. Ken quickly turned towards her and she quieted when she saw the look of concern on his face. She wanted to look as strong as he did so she closed her eyes and willed her body to sit still. Her efforts were in vain because the expressions on her face revealed it all.
When it was over she released her breath and opened her eyes. She looked up and found Ken smirking at her.
Darkness surrounded them as they walked home, silent, in the night. Makoto glanced at Ken who was staring straight ahead. The hood from his sweatshirt covered his head and his hands were buried in his pockets. His face was cold and emotionless as he slowly chewed his gum.
She glanced down and saw the bandage right above her ankle. 'Stupid, stupid.' She shook her head and took a deep breath. The realization of what just occurred hit her hard, especially when she thought of the way she blew up at Ken. She knew that those feelings had been buried inside her for quite awhile, and that they were feelings of insecurity.
So much had changed over the past year, especially Ken starting high school. With his good looks and friendly demeanor he quickly became one of the most popular students at Cheery Grove High, and joining the basketball team didn't hurt either. Makoto on the other hand was stuck in Junior High for another year and life for her hadn't changed a bit. Being in separate schools for an entire year was hard for her, especially when her best friend had a whole new life that she wasn't apart of.
Ken didn't feel a change in his relationship with Makoto. In fact, he made an extra effort to spend time with her outside of school. Anyway, he was completely oblivious to his newfound popularity and his good looks. But that didn't put Makoto at ease, she was afraid that one day he would wake up and realize what a loser he had been wasting time with and leave her behind for good. She told herself that it was irrational thinking but she couldn't help the way that she felt. Already she had to share him with Shinji and the thought of someone new coming into the picture scared her with the thought of being left out in the cold. 'That wouldn't really be a bad thing would it?' She thought. 'I just verbally abused him and pulled a prank gone wrong that caused him to make a huge mistake. Yeah… who needs a friend like me?' Makoto sighed.
She glanced at him again and took a deep breath as she dug her hands into the pockets of her hoody. "Ken… I'm…" she started.
"Sorry?" Ken looked at her and his lips formed a tiny smile.
She nodded. "Yeah." They stared for a moment before she gave him a timid smile in return.
Ken wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her in close.
"I know. So am I."
"I guess we should get use to saying that because our parents are going to kill us when they find out."
"Well, at least we'll die together."
Hikari and Taichi Kino played Monopoly as they set in the living room. Taichi was deep in thought and hadn't realized that it was now his turn to go.
"Hello! Earth to Taichi. It's your turn, Hun." Hikari said while waving a hand in front of her husband's face.
"Huh… oh sorry." He came back to consciousness. Hikari rolled her eyes and giggled.
"What were you thinking about?" She raised her left eyebrow and looked at him suspiciously. "Were you day dreaming about your Mistress again." She joked.
"What… no I called her this morning." He said with a devilish grin. Hikari threw a pillow in his face.
"Ha ha, very funny." She said before taking a sip from her coke. "But seriously, what's on your mind?"
Taichi sighed and looked down, feeling embarrassed. "It's about the kids. I've been thinking lately… about what you said, you know… about the kids growing up. And I know its stupid but I just can't help but to think… what I mean is that Makoto is a beautiful girl and… and Ken, well he's a teenaged guy and I know how teenaged boys are because I was once one."
Hikari smirked. "Yes, I remember."
"But what I'm trying to say is… do you think that they're… you know."
"Huh?"
"You know!"
"What?" Hikari was now holding back laughter.
Taichi's face was red from embarrassment. "You know what I mean…" He lowered his voice and shifted his eyes from one corner to the next, sure that no one was around to listen. He bent forward towards his wife. "Are they doing it?" He whispered.
"Who!" Hikari fell back into the chair laughing. Taichi was annoyed with his wife's antics.
"This is not a joke, Hikari. For all we know Ken could be impregnating Makoto at this moment under the boardwalk!"
Hikari composed herself and sat up. "Oh gosh, Taichi. When did you turn into my father?"
He was startled by her words. "What! I am nothing like your father."
Hikari raised her eyebrows and looked him in the eye. "Sure, sure. You really should hear yourself right now." She smirked and shook her head. "Really, Taichi. There's no need to worry."
Taichi's face became hopeful. "Really? You think so."
She nodded her head in confidence. "I'm sure. They're definitely not doing anything. I doubt the thought has ever crossed either one of their minds. They're like brother and sister and that's how they see each other."
Taichi sighed from relief. "But how can you be so sure?"
"Woman's intuition." She grinned. Taichi sat back into the chair relieved.
"I completely trust you."
"Yeah, just give them another year and they'll be all over each other like rabbits."
Taichi jumped out his chair. "What!"
Hikari laughed. "I'm just kidding, relax."
He sat back and gave his wife an evil glare.
"Sort of." She laughed.
The doorknob turned and the front door opened. Makoto and Ken stepped into the room quietly. Taichi and Hikari snapped their heads towards the intruders. They stopped in their tracks and stood like statues. They were shocked to see the two adults sitting in the living room. They had hoped that the parents would be upstairs in bed or out in the back yard when they came in. That way they could have one more night of rest before being killed off.
Taichi and Hikari stared at them. The look of surprise in their eyes was suspicious. "What did you kids do tonight?" He asked.
Makoto and Ken looked at each other nervously. They weren't sure if they wanted to tell the truth and get it over with or if they wanted to have one last peaceful night of sleep.
"Nothing." Makoto said before walking towards the steps. Taichi surveyed his daughter again and spotted the bandage above her ankle. He quickly marched towards her.
"What's that?" He asked while pointing to the bandage. Makoto glanced at it and felt her stomach jump.
"A bandage." She said while stepping up the stairs.
"Stop." Makoto stopped in her tracks and turned to face her dad. "Let me see it." He demanded.
"No! For what?" She turned around and continued to walk up the steps. Taichi, angry, grabbed his daughter's arm and pulled her towards him.
"Show it to me right now!" Makoto saw the rage in her father's eyes, something she had rarely ever seen. She reluctantly bent down and pulled the bandage off, revealing the tattoo.
Her mother gasped and walked towards her to get a closer look. Her father was speechless and all the blood had left his face.
"How could you do this to yourself. You have such beautiful skin, how could you mark your body like this?" Her mother shook her head in disbelief.
"You have a tattoo!" Makoto reminded her.
"Yeah, but I didn't get one when I was fifteen. I don't believe this. You've really done it now Makoto, you've really done it."
Taichi turned towards Ken, his face pale from shock. He looked Ken in the eyes and shook his head. "Ken, I know you're too smart to do something this stupid. Please tell me you didn't get one too." Taichi's deep brown eyes seemed to be pleading with him. Ken felt as if he was choking. He admired and respected Taichi so much. He was the only father figure in his life. He didn't want to lose him by disappointing him this way but he knew he could not lie to him. Ken looked down at his shoes.
"Yeah. I got one too."
Taichi sighed and shook his head. Hikari felt faint.
"Your mother is going to kill us, Ken." She said as she placed a hand on her forehead.
"Just go to your rooms, both of you. We'll talk about this in the morning." Taichi said exhausted.
Makoto stormed up the stairs. As Ken made his way towards the steps Taichi stopped him by placing a warm hand on his shoulder.
"Ken, I know it wasn't your idea." Taichi said as he squeezed Ken's shoulder. "I have a crazy daughter. Watch out for her. She'll get you into a world of trouble."
Ken smirked and went to his room.
Makoto was awakened by the sound of screams, moans and banging against her bedroom wall. She tossed and turned in bed before placing a pillow over her head.
'They're up to it again.' She thought as she tried to tune them out. 'Why do they have to be so loud!'
The room fell silent for a moment and Makoto removed the pillow from her head. 'They're done. Thank goodness, now maybe I can get some sleep.' Makoto rested the pillow underneath her and felt herself slipping into a dream.
"Hikariiiii!" Makoto jumped up, startled by her father's scream. She felt her bed tremble as a loud bang was heard against her wall.
'That's it. This is so sick.' She jumped out of bed and slipped her matching pink linen pajama pants on and grabbed her pillow. She walked out of her room and down the hall before knocking on the backroom door. She waited a minute before turning the knob to let her self in. After finding the door locked, she banged against it hard.
The door flew open and a topless handsome blond with messy hair and black rimmed glasses stood before her in his long green pajama pants.
"Let me guess, they're at it again, huh?" Ken said as he stood in the doorway.
Makoto shoved past him and headed to the bed. "Do you have to ask." She said irritably. "And why the hell was your door locked. Were you playing with little Ken again?" Makoto said as she flopped into the bed. Ken blushed and scratched the back of his head. Makoto smiled at him. "Which one was the lucky hand tonight? Righty or Lefty?"
Ken glared at her as he closed the bedroom door. "Yeah, keep up with it and you'll be sleeping on the couch tonight."
"Sorry." Makoto said as Ken climbed into bed.
"Umm hmm." Ken closed his eyes and pulled the covers tightly around his shoulders.
"No, I mean about what happened today." She said in a soft voice.
Ken turned around to face her. Her emerald eyes glistened in the darkness.
"We already apologized, remember." Ken said as his head laid only inches away from hers. "You don't have to do it again."
Makoto nodded, her face rubbing against the pillow. "I know but this whole thing was all my fault." She said before gulping. "I really didn't want to get any tattoos in the first place I was just trying to…"
"Freak me out?" Ken interrupted.
Makoto's eyes widened. "Yeah, how did you know?"
Ken chuckled. "How long have I've known you?"
She smirked before glancing down. "I also wanted to apologize for going off on you like that. I know how much I offended you…" Ken stared at the blanket and gulped hard as well.
"I really didn't mean to hurt you, it just… came out, you know." She finished. Ken looked up and sighed.
"I know. But I overreacted." The two stared at each other in silence.
"I was really mad at you. For a long time." Makoto said.
Ken looked confused. "Why?"
Makoto turned toward the ceiling and flapped her arms unto the bed. "I know it's really stupid. But ever since you started high school I've felt like you were leaving me behind. I mean, you were off having the greatest year of your life while I was stuck in another year of mundane junior high… alone." She turned back, facing him again. He looked at her attentively.
"You turned into the most popular kid in school who everyone wanted to hang out with or hook up with…"
"What." Ken said.
"…or … Ken you're so oblivious. Anyway, your life changed while my boring life remained the same. I'm just afraid that you're going to wake up one day and realize what a loser you have been wasting your time with and cut me from your life completely."
Ken stared at her quietly before laughing. Makoto sat up and punched him in the chest. "What are you laughing at."
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Ken asked. Makoto rested her head on her knees.
"Nothing."
"You've said some dumb stuff before, but this takes the cake. ME drop YOU! Are you crazy! You have no idea." Ken said in an angry voice. He was shaking his head in disbelief and put his hands over his face.
His comments were brief but they resonated with her. She laid herself back onto the bed and stared at the ceiling.
"If it makes you feel any better than you should know that there's no one I would rather share a permanent tattoo with than you." Ken said. They stared at each other.
"Me too."
"Good night, Makoto." Ken said as he turned his back towards her.
"Good night, Ken."
Makoto lay in bed thinking about the day's events. She then thought about what Ken had just said to her and sighed. Her insecurities were calmed and she realized how ridiculous she had been. Ken was her best friend and always would be. That she was sure of.
She sat up and her long brown hair fell over her shoulders. She stared at Ken. He was sound asleep, his hair messy and glasses still on. The moonlight through the window reflected on his skin, illuminating it. For that moment he looked like the twelve-year-old boy who hit her in the face with a basketball four years ago. 'You're not that same little boy anymore, are you?' Makoto thought. She leaned over, pulled his glasses off and placed them on the nightstand. She then tucked herself back under the sheet before falling asleep.
The next morning at breakfast, Makoto and Ken nervously picked at their blueberry pancakes as Taichi blissfully hummed and whistled while he flipped pancakes at the stove. Taichi almost seemed to be unaware of the kids as he made breakfast. It was apparent that he had a good night and a refreshing sleep since he was in such an intoxicated mood.
'I know why you're so happy.' Makoto cringed at the thought of her mother and father's "activities" from the previous night.
She and Ken expected to have their heads bite off that morning by her parents since they were to discuss the kids' punishment. Instead, Makoto's father didn't mention a word about the tattoos and her mother wasn't out of bed yet.
'Maybe they forgot.' She thought, but dismissed that notion when she remembered how angry they had been.
Suddenly, the kitchen door swung open and a ray of sunshine entered the room. Makoto's mother stood in the doorway in her peach silk robe that matched the pink in her cheeks. Her long brown hair shined in the sunlight and her emerald eyes twinkled. Her face looked relaxed and her body language did as well. Hikari was glowing as she gave them a huge smile.
"Good morning, kids." She said as she made her way towards her husband. She pulled her fingers through Taichi's long black hair.
"Good morning, beautiful." Taichi turned towards his wife and gave her a soft kiss before kissing her again. The two of them still looked like they were in their early thirties but they were both in their early forties. They had been married for over eighteen years but they still resembled the high school sweethearts they once were.
Their kiss was long and passionate causing Makoto to feel both embarrassed and uncomfortable. Ken blushed and looked away as the two adults displayed their affection for each other in front of them.
"Hello! Do you not care that we're setting right here in the very same room with you." Makoto said annoyed.
The two adults quickly parted from each other and wiped their mouths.
"Oh! Sorry Makoto… we forgot." Hikari said.
"Yeah and I'll be lucky if I ever forget that image in my life." Makoto said indignantly as she rolled her eyes. Ken kicked her under the table and glared at her. Reminding her that they wanted to stay on their good side.
"Well, I only hope that you'll meet and love someone enough that you wouldn't mind kissing him, even if that meant embarrassing your kids." Hikari said cheerfully.
"Yeah, well I'm never getting married and I'm never having kids so you don't have to worry about that."
Taichi and Hikari glanced at each other and smirked. Taichi cleared his throat and looked over at the two kids sitting at the table.
"About the tattoo incident…"
Makoto and Ken sat up in their chairs anticipating their punishment.
"… We were thinking about it and realized that we did a lot of dumb stuff at your age and it is a tattoo, something you're going to have to live with for the rest of your lives…"
Makoto and Ken both groaned at the thought of being stuck with the tattoos forever.
"… And that's punishment enough so we're not going to further punish you ourselves."
Makoto and Ken glanced at each other, surprised by how lenient her parents were.
"Thank you Mr. and Mrs. Kino." Ken said relieved.
"Well, you still have to worry about your mother Ken, and I don't think she'll be too happy about it." Taichi said.
Ken looked down and sighed. "Yeah, I forgot about that."
Makoto snickered at her friend who then kicked her under the table.
"Not so fast Makoto. Only to make it fair to Ken we decided to give you whatever punishment Kathy decides to give him."
"That's so unfair." Makoto protested as Ken laughed at her.
"Well that's life. Now get the heck out of here before we change our minds." Taichi said.
"You don't have to tell me twice." Makoto and Ken ran out the back door of the house.
Taichi turned toward his wife and she wrapped her arms around his neck as he wrapped his arms around her waist.
"Now, where were we?" Taichi said as the two leaned in for a kiss.
That day, Makoto entered a skateboarding contest and performed impressively as Ken cheered on. She came in third place and was the only girl to end in the top ten. Immediately after, Ken treated the two to burgers and milkshakes at their favorite restaurant and dared Makoto to ride a horse along the beach that evening. Makoto was terrified of horses but never one to turn down a dare she accepted the challenge.
Later that evening they went to the stables. The horse tamer instructed them to wear riding boots and lent both of them a pair. Makoto put hers on and found them hard to walk in and tripped a few times. Ken laughed before taking a good look at her.
She wore a white wife beater with tiny denim cutoff shorts and wore her hair up in a lose bun. Her long tan legs were accentuated by the leather cowboy boots. Ken thought she looked incredibly cute. He realized he was blushing and felt a little embarrassed.
"Having a hard time already and didn't even get on the horse yet." Ken joked at Makoto's expense.
"Shut up, Ken!" She said as she reluctantly mounted the horse. As the two left the stables and made their way down the beach, Makoto held onto the horse tightly. She nervously stared at the sand at each step it took, afraid that it might go haywire and knock her off. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath before resuming her gaze at each step the horse took.
The sun peaked over the ocean and as it was setting. The ocean reflected the sun's image like a mirror and the sky was shades of dark orange, blue and purple all at once. It was a beautiful sight, Ken thought. He looked over at Makoto and was taken aback. She was nervously riding the horse as she had been before, hands tightly clenching the strap and eyes fixed on the sand before her. But this time she looked so different. Her brown hair was lightened from the sun's rays and was illuminated as individual strands blew in the cool breeze. Her tanned skin was almost golden and accentuated her nicely toned body, especially her slightly muscular arms. Her long golden legs held tightly to the horse, the muscles in her thighs were flexed from squeezing the horse so hard. A light sweat covered her skin causing the golden girl to glisten. Her calf muscles were clearly in use as her boot covered feet braced safely in the foot holders. Her face was as tanned as the rest of her body, but her cheeks were rosy. Her emerald eyes sparkled as she looked up and faced the boy who was starring at her. Ken forgot to breathe for a moment, never in his life had he seen someone so beautiful. It was Makoto he was looking at, the same girl he knew for years, his best friend, but never had he seen her the way he saw her now. She was beautiful.
"What!" Makoto exclaimed, worried by the boy's intense stare. He looked slightly unconscious, or high.
Ken, realizing he had been staring, quickly looked away and faced forward. His face turned a deep shade of red from embarrassment. He was silent for a few moments, unable to find words to say.
"I was just worried about you, you looked a little scared that's all." Ken said defensively.
Makoto rolled her eyes. "Yeah, well I was worried about you. You looked a little lost."
Ken stared straight ahead, afraid to glance at the girl to his side. He worried that if he looked at her again it would confirm that she really was as gorgeous as he had just seen her, and that maybe he wouldn't be able to take his eyes off her again. Ken had a weird feeling in his tummy and didn't want to look at her the way that he had ever again. She was practically his sister for goodness sake. Besides, she was just a skinny tomboy who needed to take some serious lessons in the art of being a girl.
Ken decided to peak back at her, this time he was sure that she would go back to looking like the same old Makoto, and he would realize that he had just been hallucinating a moment before. He took a deep breath and slowly turned his head towards her. When his eyes were finally fixed on her, he saw that she was still glowing and as beautiful as before. She turned towards him and lifted a suspicious eyebrow and he quickly looked away again.
'Damn! She really is gorgeous.' He thought angrily to himself. 'Since when did you become beautiful.' Could it be that she had been gorgeous all along but Ken never noticed before? He glanced at her again just for confirmation purposes, and yep, she was still beautiful. Ken shook his head. 'This isn't right, you really shouldn't look so good.' Ken didn't know what this meant, did it change things between them, and will he never look at her the same way again?
Suddenly, as if it specifically happened to ease his fears, Makoto let out the loudest burp that Ken ever heard.
"Excuse me." Makoto said in a sugary sweet voice as she mockingly covered her mouth. She then laughed. "That was a good one."
Ken was disgusted, the rotten smell of the belch reached his nose and he immediately felt his stomach churn. He covered his nose and glanced at her sternly. "That was so disgusting. I can't believe you just did that."
Makoto laughed. "You ought to be thankful that it didn't come out the other end."
Ken laughed with her before pausing. She was still as beautiful as she had been a moment ago, but she was back to being the same old Makoto. He let out a sigh of relief. He no longer felt attracted to her and his normal brotherly affection returned. 'I guess I'm just realizing that my best friend is a hottie.' He smirked to himself.
"Speaking of gross, how about my parents this morning. All of that PDA in the kitchen made me want to gag." Makoto made a retching sound.
"I actually think it's pretty funny… and hopeful. I mean they've been married for eighteen years and they're still in love. It kind of gives me hope for the future."
Makoto hissed. "Whatever. You would think they would be bored of each other by now, instead they're still going at it like rabbits."
Ken laughed. "That's what I mean. To be in love like that after all this time is unbelievable. It's like a one in a million chance that you'll meet someone and be in love with that person forever. Your parents are lucky people." Ken glanced over at Makoto. "You're lucky to have them. When my parents were married there was constant arguing in our house. They were both so miserable that they made me miserable along with them. When my parents finally decided to split my dad ran off to America and I haven't seen him since. So when I say that you're lucky you should really listen because it's true." Ken said in an almost angry tone.
Makoto stared at him for a moment before looking down. She never realized how blessed she was to have her parents. Especially compared to Ken who had a horrible childhood because of what his parents went through around him. He even had an awful relationship with his father, if you could even call it a relationship. She felt guilty for having complained about them.
"I guess I am."
"I just hope that my marriage will be more like theirs and not resemble my parents'."
"Thinking about marriage already, Ken." Makoto laughed. "You're such a girl. I already know that I'm never getting married and never having kids. I want to live my life only for myself and be able to pick up and go whenever I please. I'll never get lonely because I'll leave a trail of lovers behind in every place that I visit."
"Oh, so you'll have hoes in different area codes, right."
Makoto smirked. "You've been listening to too much rap music, but yeah something like that."
Ken shook his head. "Yeah, alright. You'll meet someone someday who will make you change your mind and you'll want to do the family thing. Love can do that to you, you know."
"Oh! Since when did you become such an expert on love, Ken?"
"I know a thing or two about it." Ken's cheeks turned red.
"Really, so are you saying that you've been in love before… or you're in love with someone right now."
"Umm… maybe."
"Well, let me guess. Could the lucky girl be a red head by the name of … Miaka Kawa."
Ken's face turned red.
"Oh gosh Ken, you get wood just thinking about her."
"I do not!" Ken protested.
"Well you were calling her name last night in your sleep."
Ken's face turned an even deeper shade of red. "No I wasn't! You're lying." Ken's voice cracked and squeaked, revealing that he wasn't sure if she was lying or not.
Makoto laughed.
"Sure you weren't. But seriously Ken, you haven't even asked the girl out and you've been in like or 'in love' with her since forever, since before I've known you."
"I know that, you don't have to keep reminding me. Besides I plan on asking her out this year."
Makoto rolled her eyes. "Yeah, that's what you said last year, the year before that, the year before that year and…"
"But this time is different. Last year she was still a junior high school kid while I was a high school freshman. She'll be entering high school this year along with you, remember? You're in the same class."
"How can I forget. That little prick."
"Don't talk about her like that! She's a sweetheart. She would never hurt a fly. Besides she's super smart, incredibly beautiful, friendly…"
"Pure as the driven snow, a real saint, yeah Ken I've heard it all before. Spare me." Makoto was annoyed.
"Don't be so mean. I don't know why you dislike her so much. I really…" Ken hesitated. "Care about her."
Makoto stared at him, then faced forward. The two rode in silence for a few minutes. It was getting dark and their ride was almost over, the stables could be seen at a close distance.
"So… do you love her?" Makoto asked hesitantly, almost afraid to hear the answer.
"I don't know. All I know is that she's the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning and the last thing I think about before I go to bed. I know that when I think about her it makes me happy, and when I see her I don't feel like myself. I know that she makes me feel things that I can't really explain. I don't know if that's love, but all I know is that I need to be with her."
Makoto was taken aback by his words, she wasn't sure what she was feeling inside. She just stared at him silently.
Later that evening, Ken, Makoto and her parents enjoyed the amusement park on the boardwalk. They played games, ate pizza and ice cream and enjoyed the cool breeze from the ocean. To end the evening they decided to ride the Ferris Wheel.
All four of them squeezed into one compartment. Hikari and Taichi sat next to each other as Ken and Makoto sat across from them. The wheel turned and Makoto felt her stomach jump as the compartment left the platform and dangled in the air. As they were lifted up they took in the view of the lights of the amusement park as well as the ocean. Taichi wrapped his arm around Hikari and she leaned into him. The two looked warm and content in each other's arms. Ken and Makoto smirked at each other before Ken turned and stared out the window. He seemed to be longing for something or for someone.
'How can he look so lonely.' She thought. She realized that he was thinking of a particular someone and how he wished that that someone were here with him now. Makoto felt her heart beat faster and a feeling of sadness crept in as she stared at him. She wasn't sure if she was feeling his loneliness or if she felt lonely since her best friend was so close yet so distant in thought. Instinctively, without realizing what she was doing, she wrapped her arm around his and leaned her head on his shoulder and closed her eyes. For that moment she felt warm, safe and… content. Ken glanced down at her and wrapped his arm tightly around her, pulling her in closer. He then returned his gaze out the window, without noticing the smile that Taichi and Hikari gave each other.
The next morning seemed to come so quickly. It was their last morning at the shore and the family had packed everything up and was ready to move out of their summer home. As Taichi, Hikari and Ken loaded the car, they realized that Makoto was missing. Ken looked for her in the house but found her out in the back sitting in the sand and looking at the ocean. He quietly sat next to her.
They starred at the ocean for a few minutes before Ken reminded her that it was time to go.
"I want to stay here forever." Makoto said, not moving an inch.
"Well, you can't. So come on before your parents decide to leave us behind."
"Ken, I feel like if we leave now were never going to come back here. I don't know but something feels different, like it will never be the same for us. If we go back home we can never come back here again. Am I making any sense." She said.
Ken sighed as he stood. "No. But when do you ever." He held out a hand for her and she smiled as she grabbed it and he helped her up. As Ken walked through the house, Makoto turned and took one last look out onto the ocean before heading to the car.
Out on the road today, I saw a DeadHead sticker on a Cadillac
A little voice inside my head said,
"Don't look back. You can never look back"
I thought I knew what love was
What did I know?
Those days are gone forever
I should just let them go but-
I can see you-
Your brown skin shinin' in the sun
I see you walkin' real slow; smilin' at everyone
I can tell you my love for you will still be strong
After the boys of summer have gone
Akilah's note:
Whew, I finally got that chapter done. It only took me two years to do it. (lol) No, I wrote this over a period of a few weeks, abandoning it and then coming back to it when I felt like it. Now that it's finished I feel good about it. I really wanted to write a chapter that centered on our two favorite characters and their relationship with each other. It has been four years since we left off in chapter two and they have grown a lot. I thought it would be a gag or missed opportunity if I just threw them into the first day of high school, getting them involved in situations and interacting with other characters without explaining where they've been and how they've changed over the past few years. I think this chapter did the trick.
I used the song 'Boys of Summer' by Don Henley because I thought it fit this chapter so well. In fact, I got the ideal for this chapter from listening to that song. Thanks Don Henley.
Anyway, check back for Chapter 4: 'Knocks Me Off My Feet'. Makoto starts her first day of High School and things get... umm... interesting. Will Ken finally ask Miaka out, or will he chicken out? Hmm… you'll have to wait and see, plus the return of our favorite bad boy Shinji along with princess Miaka, Yuki, Touji and who can forget Hitomi. Whew, I can't wait. Don't worry, its already finished and will be posted in two more weeks.
God Bless,
Akilah