By Japanime Goddess
"Razina, I'm so happy we're going on a road trip!" "Shiori, Nolo wants to come with us." "Your ex-boyfriend?" "Well, we're going to give it another chance." "That's great!" "Well, he wants to bring a friend." "Who?" "Some guy named Shirako."
Chapter 1: Preparations
"I can't believe my mom agreed!" Shiori couldn't sit still. She bounced up and down in the leather booth of the breakfast joint, Asian-straight black, waist length hair flying, and amber, Japanese eyes twinkling.
Razina smiled weakly. "Yeah, it's great."
Shiori stopped her bouncing. "Okay, Razina, what's wrong! We've just finished one more year of school, and we're going on a road trip! Life is perfect!"
" There's one small problem." Razina said meekly, flicking a piece of her flaming red hair back in place, her glass blue eyes moved nervously.
Shiori's eyes widened. "Problem? Oh no, we cannot have a problem. I mean, we're leaving in three days! Right?"
Razina sighed. "Shiori, I'm going to tell you something, but you have to promise that you won't interrupt until I'm done."
" Of course." Instantly concerned, Shiori studied her best friend carefully. "Is your family alright? Did something happen to your brother?"
" No, he's fine. They're all fine. Okay," Razina took a deep breath. "We can't use my car."
Shiori's mouth dropped open. "But-"
Razina glared, and Shiori's mouth promptly snapped shut again.
" Thank you." Razina continued. "I know we can't use your mom's or your grandpa's, so I was thinking... Nolo offered to let us use his new one with four seats."
" That's great! I-"
"I'm not done!"
" Sorry."
"Okay, there is one condition though. He wants to come."
"Well, that's okay." Shiori said, slightly doubtful. "I mean, he is your boyfriend and all.."
"Ex-boyfriend." Razina corrected. "And will you please let me finish!"
"Sorry, sorry! Go ahead."
"Okay. I wasn't done. The condition was... that we let him and his friend come."
Silence.
"I'm done now. You can talk."
"Oh! Okay. First of all, why would Nolo want to come with us? Isn't it weird with you two... After breaking up and all? And is this friend of his a girl? Because that would be really awkward. And doesn't Nolo have anything better to do? I mean, he's this Teku leader… can't he go racing with those… sigh unbelievably hot guys?"
Razina bit her lip. "Okay, there's maybe one thing I left out."
"What?"
"Um... Nolo and I might get back together."
Shiori gaped. "You're kidding."
Razina winced. "You think it's a bad idea, huh?"
"Razina, this is great!" Shiori exclaimed. "I don't even know why you two broke up in the first place! I mean, my two best friends, in love... that's the best thing in the world!"
"Who says we're in love?"
"So I'm guessing that this friend he's bringing is a guy?"
"Yeah... I never met him before. Apparently he was someone who Nolo's known before the Teku... he talked to this dude after…I didn't know he took it so hard."
"Of course he did! The boy adored you, Razina. It was so obvious."
Razina blushed. "Well, anyway, we're thinking about getting back together, and I guess Nolo thinks that a road trip is a good way to get away from his parents and our friends... Well, except for you, of course."
"Well," Shiori offered. "You know, I can always find something else to do if you and Nolo want some time alone."
Razina glared. "Don't even think about not coming!" she said. "I mean, Nolo's great and all, but his hands are really...wandering. You are definitely coming." Razina began warming up for an argument.
"Okay!" Shiori agreed. "Which reminds me, I have to finish packing soon."
"Okay?" Razina looked at Shiori. "Just like that?"
"Well, yeah!" Shiori rolled her eyes. "I mean, I've been looking forward to this trip ever since winter! Good thing you're letting me go, or else I would have spent the whole summer moping and dating losers."
"Oh. Well, you're welcome."
12:00 PM
Ring! Ring! Shiori groaned and rolled over. Why wasn't anyone picking up the phone? Ring!
"Okay, okay." A hand reached out of the covers and groped for the phone.
"Hello?"
"Shiori? It's Razina"
"Razina Why are you calling? It's so early!"
A slight pause. Then, "Shiori, it's twelve noon."
Kagome shot up in bed, and looked at her alarm clock. She sighed. "So it is. Well, what's so important that you called me at twelve noon on a Sunday?"
"Um… Nolo wants us to meet his friend. You know, so we're all acquainted when we go on the trip."
"Now?"
"For a late lunch. Like, around one, maybe?"
"Yeah fine. That means I get a half hour more of sleep."
"You're impossible, Shiori."
"Good night."
12:26 PM
"Shirako! Shirako!" Nolo banged on the front door of the apartment. "C'mon, man, we're going to be late!"
An elderly lady peered out from the door across of Shirako's.
"What's all the fuss?" she wanted to know. "You woke my poor Bubbles."
"Bubbles?"
The lady held up a tabby cat, which hissed at Nolo. "See? Bubbles hates being woken."
"Uh...sorry." Deciding this was one argument he couldn't win- and didn't want to try, Nolo beamed an apologizing smile at her. This seemed to placate the woman. "The boy's probably still sleeping." she said, peering over the top of her reading glasses. "Awful life, that boy. Never says a word to the neighbours, gets in at all hours, and hates my poor Bubbles! And still! The boy can't keep that horrible music down!" Nolo smiled weakly. There really didn't seem like a appropriate response. "No good hanging out with the likes of him." the women advised, and then slammed the door as an exclamation to her declaration. Nolo rolled his eyes, and then glanced around to make sure no one was looking. Taking out what Razina had aptly named "his burglar tools", Nolo got to work.
12:31 PM
Shiori dragged herself out of bed and into the shower.
12:32 PM
Nolo slipped into Shirako's darkened apartment. "Shirako!" he called loudly. Or perhaps softly, for Nolo could hear that Techno music up way too loud… who knew if he heard. Besides… after, his sister's death, he wasn't the nicest guy to have around.
"Get up!" Nolo demanded. Shirako growled. Nolo pulled the blanket off. "Get up, Shirako! We'll be late! You know how girls hate guys who are late."
"What the hell do I care?"
"Come on!" Nolo pleaded. "Get over it, I know it sounds mean but come on!"
Shirako rolled off the bed and growled. "You're more trouble than you're worth, Nolo."
"Just get dressed."
1:00 PM
Shiori ran up, out of breath, and pushed through the glass doors into the restaurant. She spotted Razina sitting at a nearby booth, and dropped in the seat across from her. "Hey, Razina! The guys aren't here yet?"
Razina shook her head. "Nolo just called me. He said they'll be right here."
"See? Improvement!" Shiori waved a menu in the air, gesturing. "He never used to be so thoughtful, right?"
Razina blushed. "Come on, Shiori. We're just giving it another try. No guarantees."
Shiori sighed. "Yeah, I know. It's just that I've known you two since forever, and I want you to be happy!"
"You're not the only one." Razina murmured. Even though she was speaking to Shiori, her attention was on the far entrance of the airy restaurant. "Huh?" Shiori twisted around to see what Razina was staring at. "Hey, they're here!"
"Shiori, I don't think I can do this."
"What do you mean?" Shiori turned back to her friend, eyes wide. "This is Nolo, Razina! Nothing to be nervous about."
"I know... but still."
"Well, no time to be nervous, anyway. Here they are! Nolo!" Shiori stood up as he enveloped her into a warm hug.
"Hey, congrats on the finals."
"Thanks." Shiori beamed. "You're the reason I passed the math test! How did you get to be so good with numbers?"
Nolo shrugged, his eyes already on Razina. "Well?" Shiori hissed. "Go say hi to her!"
Casting one last uncertain glance, back, Nolo slid into the booth next to Razina. Shiori turned her attention to the stranger that had come with Nolo. "Hi." she greeted. "I guess you're the friend Nolo was talking about, huh?"
An eyebrow lifted above the dark sunglasses. "What'd he say?"
Shiori searched through her memory, and then realized that Nolo hadn't said anything much about the stranger. Heck... she didn't even know his name!
"Um." she said lamely. "I forgot."
"I thought so."
Shiori studied the boy idly during the silence. It was obvious the person was a boy, even though his face had a slightly feminine look to it, the spiked up blue-black hair gave him away. He was lanky, Shiori decided. Not too tall, not too short, not too muscle-y, and not too weak. 'If I didn't make snap judgements, I'd think he was perfect.' Shiori thought to herself. 'Well, his body, anyway.' She sighed, 'I love sexy Asians… at least I think he is…'
The boy had a almost pretty face; and even though his eyes were hidden behind the tinted lens, Shiori thought he had good bone structure. 'Great,' she thought. 'Good bone structure? God, I'm shallow... I'm half in love with him just by looking!' Then she shrugged it off. Hey, it was summer... she was allowed to check out cute guys, wasn't she? Especially cute guys who dressed in black shirts and white vests with ear phones turned on WAY too loud… and looked good doing it.
"Come sit down, you guys!" Nolo called. Grateful for the break in silence, Shiori slid across the shiny vinyl across from Razina. "Looks like you two broke the ice." she teased. "Enough for him to put his hand on my knee." Razina glanced at Nolo, who just grinned. "Just like old times." he said. "So you guys want to order?"
After the waitress was gone and the menus collected, Nolo suddenly remembered the stranger among them. "Oh!" he exclaimed. "Stupid me. You guys this is Shirako Takamoto. Shirako, meet Razina Lombard and Shiori Kashino."
"Nice to meet you." Razina said politely. Shiori nodded. Shirako shrugged. Nolo frowned at him. "He's going through some stuff… that's why I thought he'd like the break." Nolo explained. "But he's got his reasons."
"Nolo, you can stop telling them my life story like I'm not even here."
"Excuse me, sir." A young lady wearing the restaurant staffs' white and red colours approached them. "Excuse me, sir?"
Shirako glanced up impatiently. "What?"
"Um..." the curt tone of Shirako's voice had her nervous, and almost stuttering. "The manager requests for you to remove your sunglasses... because some of our customers are disturbed by a man wearing sunglasses indoors." She swallowed, as if waiting for Shirako to snap her neck. To the surprise of everybody, except perhaps Nolo, Shirako simply shrugged. "Fine." He pulled off the sunglasses, revealing startling amber eyes that were most certainly Asian. What had Shiori raising her eyebrows, though, was the swelling of a bruise on his left eye. "What happened?" she asked, and before she could stop herself, her hand reached out to trace the edge of his eyes. Shirako stilled, as if startled by the contact of her skin on his. Then he jerked away so suddenly that Shiori almost toppled over onto him. "Nothing." he replied, voice suddenly rough.
"It's a pretty bad nothing if it got you that." Shiori said, undisturbed by his tone. "How'd you get it?"
Silence.
"Tell me?"
"No."
"Please?"
"No."
"Please?"
"I think we're going to get along." Nolo said to Razina Just as they were about to order dessert, the young waitress approached them again. "Excuse me, sir?"
"What?" Shirako asked, exasperated. "I took off the damn glasses!"
"Um... the manager requests that you put them back on... because some of our customers are disturbed by a young man with a black eye...apparently they're afraid you'll get into another fight again."
Shirako stood up, a gleam in his eyes. "Oh, that's it. Where's your manager? I'll request him a-"
"Sit!" Shiori said sharply, pulling Shirako by the back of his black shirt.
"Sorry." she said to the waitress. "But seriously, you should tell the manager to take some therapy classes. Or medicine. I think he's a little too uptight. I don't even see anyone looking at us."
The waitress worked up a smile and rolled her eyes. "If I do that he'll fire me on the spot."
"I know." Shiori said cheerfully. "Felt good to say it though
End Ch.1What do you think? Review!