Me and Osaka sat on the front steps of the school waiting for the other girls to come out so we could walk home.As we were sitting Osaka spoke,
"Me an Tomo are gonna hafta play rock,paypa,scissaaz again to see which one of us ya go home with tonight"
"Ya make it sound like a dating show.",I said.
"Ahh..all those pretty girls on those shows gotta go on em to get boyfriends.Ya think with the way they look they wud have guys hangin' all over em.I dun have a boyfriend eitha',but that's cuz I ain't that good lookin'.",Osaka stated.
"Oh,I think you're pretty Osaka.You just haven't found the right guy yet...or he hasn't found you.",I said and ruffled her hair with my hand.Don't make fun of me,I had to do it.
"Aww..Mr.Prior..thank ya..",she said with a smile and encircled my waist with her arms as she pulled me close for a hug.This took me by surprise,but I calmed and hugged back.No,don't even start.I am NOT interested in younger chicks!Sickos.
As she released me from the hug she returned to staring off at some indistinct point that seemed to float before her eyes.
Due to the surprise left behind on me by the hug I didn't hear the other girls approaching.
"HEY GUYS!",called Tomo.
I turned to look back at the girls approaching.Osaka simply kept gazing at nothing.Tomo led the pack in that commanding,upright way she is.
"Hi guys.",I called to them and waved.
"I'm gonna beat Osaka and get to hang with an angel tonight!",Tomo yelled and thrust her fist into the air with no style or grace whatsoever.
"Ah..Tomo..we gonna play rock,paypa,scissaaz right?",Osaka said,turning her head.
"YEA!",Tomo screamed enthusiastically,"And I'm gonna kick your ass"
"If ya say so...",Osaka said standing and turning her back on Tomo.
Seconds passed slow as Karkels.Oh,by the way for all those amatuer zoologists out there a Karkel is lucky if it moves 100 yards in a year.
Anyhow,Yomi spoke after a few moments.
"Osaka,...is something wrong?",she asked.
"I thought Tomo was gonna kick me in tha ass.",Osaka responded.
Insert comedic drum roll here.
"No,Osaka! I meant I was gonna kick your ass in rock,paper,scissors!",Tomo corrected.
"Yer gonna kick my ass with rock,paper,and scissors?Yer crazy!",Osaka said with a worried look on her face.
Tomo let out an exasperated grunt.
"I meant the game,Osaka"
"Ohhhhhh! Tha game!Letz go then"
The two girls stared at one another,eyes squinted.They each slammed their fist into their respective hands three times.
"Rock,paper scissors!Shoot"
Osaka's hand came up flat,fingers extended.Tomo's hand came up representative of 'scissors.
"SCORE!",Tomo yelled,pumping her fist.
"Ah shoot!",Osaka said somewhat disappointed.
"HAHAH!Yomi told me that Mr.Prior was gonna be staying with me tonight anyhow!I just wanted to kick someone's ass before we left!",Tomo laughed.
"Aww..Tomo made me look stupid...",Osaka said sadly.I patted her arm.
"Well tomorrow I get to stay with you,Osaka.",I said.
"Ahh..Yea,and tomorrow is Sataday.We shood all hang out.",Osaka suggested.
"Good idea!",answered Tomo,"For now though,c'mon Prior!",she yelled and ran past me,my arm in her hand.I was forced to trot to keep up with her fast movements.
"See ya guys!",Tomo called over her shoulder.
I didn't even get to say goodbye as I was dragged bodily away.I had been pulled far,far down the road before Tomo decided to let go of my arm.
"Having a good day,Tomo?",I asked sarcastically.
"Your damn right I am!",she responded directly.
She certainly was one to be excited over absolutely nothing.
"That's great to hear.",I said back as we continued our walk.
"Prior seems like a really wierd name...Is it one of those 'spirit names'",Tomo asked.
"Oh,hell.",I thought.If I told her my name wasn't really Prior she may get suspicious..or she might not.I hate my real name so I decided not to tell her.
"Sorta.",I said,"A name is a name right?I could say Tomo was a wierd name"
"It is not!Tomo is a name given only to beautiful goddesses like myself.",she said overemphasizing her looks.She wasn't ugly,but she wasn't a goddess either.Energetically splendid is more of a way to describe her.She certainly had ways to destroy a bad mood.I can see why Yomi liked her.With Yomi's tendency towards mood swings and all.
"If you say so.",I said,letting a grin split my face.
"I do say so!",she said with a grin to accompany mine.
We had turned onto one of the roads that contained row after row of suburban housing.
"Hey,Tomo.What was that Sataday Osaka was talking about?Is it a holiday?",I asked.I really had no idea what it was except to guess it was a sort of holiday.
"It's pronounced SatURday and it's the weekend.Weekends are when we don't have school and we get to hang out and do stuff!",Tomo answered.
"Oh.",I said simply.Where I come from a week is 8 days and not one is called Saturday.
"Is being an angel any fun?If all ya do is hang with high school girls the whole time that doesn't seem like much fun.",Tomo asked.
If there was an award for question asking,she would win.I can see it now:
"..and the winner is..Tomo Takino!Congratulations!",the announcer would say as the band plays the salutory song.She would be wearing a gown,all dolled up with jewelry and make-up.She would take the award,shaped like a '?' in her hand and step up to the microphone.As the cheer from the crowd dies down she would begin to give her speech.
"It's about damn time!",she would simply yell and walk off stage as the band plays once more.
No such award exists as far as I know so it shall only exist in my mind.
Anyway,I decided to answer Tomo's question somewhat truthfully.
"Being an angel is strange.I've been many,many places in my time.I remember the time with the Barrak Cabal on Sayyth.That was dangerous and exciting.Umm..",I rubbed my jaw as I walked,thinking of other examples to give Tomo."Then there was my fight with the Kaymen Legion.That almost made me wet myself.Then there was...",I noticed Tomo's eyes wide as saucers and staring at me.
"That sounds SOOOO COOL!",she said,jumping up and down."You gotta tell me all about where you've been"
I confirmed her statement with a smile.Maybe she wasn't as bad as I had made her out to be.She certainly was a wild nut,but she was cool.
As we approached one of the cookie-cutter houses Tomo announced,
"Welcome to Castle Takino!",and made a sweeping movement with her arm as if to show off the house.Only thing that was different from her neighbor's house was this one had GREEN curtains.Whippie-dee.
"Looks spectacular.",I said with sarcasm flitting on every word.
Tomo noticed this sarcasm and grinned.
"C'mon inside ya piece of crap!",she said with her own sense of sarcasm.
We entered,removed our shoes and plopped ourselves on the living room couch in front of the T.V.
"Turn on the T.V. or something while I go put real clothes on.",Tomo said,picking at the front of her school outfit before getting up and walking around the corner at the end of the room.
I picked up the remote and clicked the T.V. on.The television buzzed to life and I began to flip through the stations.A soap opera,an infomercial about hair products,a gratuitously violent movie.I made a mental note to flip back to that in a moment.I settled upon the news,simply to learn more about where the hell I was.
The reporter was the same one I had seen earlier in the morning at Yomi's house.She was standing on a street corner,her long black hair blowing with the wind.
"Another double murder around one this afternoon.Witnesses described the suspect as 'gigantic'.",the reporter said.Crazy psychos.Can't escape them anywhere in the universe.
"Crazy bastards.Killin' people.Might as well have a good reason to first!",Tomo giggled as she sat back down on the couch now wearing a green shirt and blue pants.
"Yea,might as well have a reason.",I echoed as I flipped the station back to the incredibly violent movie.Ironic,I know.The film just happened to be called 'Double Homicide XVII:Demons of the Nether'.I've always adored that film title since that day.
Tomo and I shared laughter and enjoyment at watching a man get his eyes ripped out through his nose.It didn't feel sadistic simply because it was all in good humour.I'd never ACTUALLY rip anyones eyes out through their nose.
As me and Tomo's laughter died to a slight ripple I executed step one in my plan.
"Me and Yomi watched part sixteen on this movie last night.",I said.
"Yomi managed to watch this!",she asked incredulously,"SHe was probably like,'AHH!BLOOD!NOO!'",she laughed.
"Yea,pretty much.",I lied.If you have payed any attention thus far you will realize that me and Yomi never watched the film much less did she whine about blood.Anyhow,Tomo laughed.
"That's what a love 'bout her.She's NOTHING like me"
Bingo.Score one for Mr.Prior,the angel.
"She said the same thing about you.",I said,settling into my 'interrogate in a friendly manner' mode.
"Heh.",I chuckled,"She said the same thing about you"
"Really?Well,she HAS known me for a long,long time.",Tomo said,crossing her arms.
"Yea,people tend to get attatched to each other if they spend long periods of time together.",I said.
We were no longer paying any attention to the gratuitous violence on the screen.
"Oh,are you saying I'm attatched to Yomi?",she asked haughtily.
I nodded.
"I guess you could say that"
"I am not!She's my best friend,but we're not 'attatched"
"She certainly seems attatched to you"
"She yells at me when I act out"
I shook my head.
"Why do you think she does that"
"Cuz she's annoying"
"Like hell.Don't you think she cares about ya?",I said,amazed at her ability to resist questioning.
"Yea,she does...",Tomo said,suddenly becoming morose.
"I know you like to be around her.",I said.
"Yea,but...",she let out a sigh that was totally unlike her.I could have stopped the questioning here.Her feeling for her best friend practically dripped off her.
"But what?",I asked.This had worked out better than I ever thought it would.
"But does she like me?",Too asked.
"What?",I asked,incredulous.
"You said she's attatched to me,but that could be just out of concern.Does she actually like me being around"
"Hell,she loves you.",my mind came to a screeching halt as I realized what I just said.
"Loves me?How so?",Tomo asked in a mocking voice,moving across the couch to stare even harder at me.
"Um...",I didn't know what I should say.I had already fucked up once.I couldn't risk another mess.
"Ahh..c'mon! Does she love me love me or does she just love me?",she said grinning directly into my face that was contorted with worry.
"Um...I..",I still couldn't think straight.I couldn't really escape either without looking like a convict.
"Well then.",Tomo said and sat back,to my relief."I'll just tell you that I love her.There.Problem solved"
She sat there with a accomplished grin on her cherubic face.
"Really?How so?",I echoed her question from earlier.Pressing my face towards her like she had done to me.
"Like a girl would like a boy.Except she's a girl.",she answered quickly and truthfully.She seemed to be back to her normal carefree state.
"Well that was fast.",I thought."Wow.Quite a thing for someone to admit.You're not the least bit embarassed.",I said.
"Nah.It isn't worth it.Except you're the only one who knows about it.",she said while thrusting her finger repeatedly in my direction.
"Really?",I grinned.The word 'really' gets the award for Most Overused Word In This Conversation."You should tell Yomi.",I said.
"Pfft!What would she think?",Tomo stated more than asked.
"Why don't ya find out?",I asked with a smile full of teeth.
"Maybe someday.",she said."Anyways,I'm hungry"
"Yea,me too"
"I think I still got half a steak in the fridge from last night.Wanna eat that?",she asked as she stood up,full of energy.
"Sure.",I considered this to be a congratulatory meal on my part.I did well after almost messing it up big time.I couldn't wait to give Yomi the good news.
Tomo walked out to the kitchen to heat up the meal.
"Sleep on the couch tonight.I can't have ya sleeping in my room cuz ya might be a pervert.",she said in a mocking tone.
"Yea,I'm a perv.All those adventures I told you about were all lies.All I do is travel around the universe having sex with young girls.",I yelled back in the same tone.
"Sick.",is all she said.
Multiple beeps were heard from the direction of the kitchen followed by Tomo's yell of,"Come and get it"
We ate like starved beasts.That was some of the best meat I have ever eaten.It certainly tasted better than Hargo meat.That stuff tastes like foot fungus.No,foot fungus is not on my list of things to eat on a daily basis.Hell,not even on a lifetime basis.
Tomo leaned back in her chair and burped.
"Wanna go bother Yomi?",she grinned.
"Are you sure she doesn't mind you coming over late like this?",I asked,fully being aware that Yomi didn't mind at all.
"Nahhh.Besides,it's more fun than being cooped up here"
"If you say so.",I said as I put my plate into the sink.
"I do say so.",she said as I followed her out the back door and into the humid night.
"Me an Tomo are gonna hafta play rock,paypa,scissaaz again to see which one of us ya go home with tonight"
"Ya make it sound like a dating show.",I said.
"Ahh..all those pretty girls on those shows gotta go on em to get boyfriends.Ya think with the way they look they wud have guys hangin' all over em.I dun have a boyfriend eitha',but that's cuz I ain't that good lookin'.",Osaka stated.
"Oh,I think you're pretty Osaka.You just haven't found the right guy yet...or he hasn't found you.",I said and ruffled her hair with my hand.Don't make fun of me,I had to do it.
"Aww..Mr.Prior..thank ya..",she said with a smile and encircled my waist with her arms as she pulled me close for a hug.This took me by surprise,but I calmed and hugged back.No,don't even start.I am NOT interested in younger chicks!Sickos.
As she released me from the hug she returned to staring off at some indistinct point that seemed to float before her eyes.
Due to the surprise left behind on me by the hug I didn't hear the other girls approaching.
"HEY GUYS!",called Tomo.
I turned to look back at the girls approaching.Osaka simply kept gazing at nothing.Tomo led the pack in that commanding,upright way she is.
"Hi guys.",I called to them and waved.
"I'm gonna beat Osaka and get to hang with an angel tonight!",Tomo yelled and thrust her fist into the air with no style or grace whatsoever.
"Ah..Tomo..we gonna play rock,paypa,scissaaz right?",Osaka said,turning her head.
"YEA!",Tomo screamed enthusiastically,"And I'm gonna kick your ass"
"If ya say so...",Osaka said standing and turning her back on Tomo.
Seconds passed slow as Karkels.Oh,by the way for all those amatuer zoologists out there a Karkel is lucky if it moves 100 yards in a year.
Anyhow,Yomi spoke after a few moments.
"Osaka,...is something wrong?",she asked.
"I thought Tomo was gonna kick me in tha ass.",Osaka responded.
Insert comedic drum roll here.
"No,Osaka! I meant I was gonna kick your ass in rock,paper,scissors!",Tomo corrected.
"Yer gonna kick my ass with rock,paper,and scissors?Yer crazy!",Osaka said with a worried look on her face.
Tomo let out an exasperated grunt.
"I meant the game,Osaka"
"Ohhhhhh! Tha game!Letz go then"
The two girls stared at one another,eyes squinted.They each slammed their fist into their respective hands three times.
"Rock,paper scissors!Shoot"
Osaka's hand came up flat,fingers extended.Tomo's hand came up representative of 'scissors.
"SCORE!",Tomo yelled,pumping her fist.
"Ah shoot!",Osaka said somewhat disappointed.
"HAHAH!Yomi told me that Mr.Prior was gonna be staying with me tonight anyhow!I just wanted to kick someone's ass before we left!",Tomo laughed.
"Aww..Tomo made me look stupid...",Osaka said sadly.I patted her arm.
"Well tomorrow I get to stay with you,Osaka.",I said.
"Ahh..Yea,and tomorrow is Sataday.We shood all hang out.",Osaka suggested.
"Good idea!",answered Tomo,"For now though,c'mon Prior!",she yelled and ran past me,my arm in her hand.I was forced to trot to keep up with her fast movements.
"See ya guys!",Tomo called over her shoulder.
I didn't even get to say goodbye as I was dragged bodily away.I had been pulled far,far down the road before Tomo decided to let go of my arm.
"Having a good day,Tomo?",I asked sarcastically.
"Your damn right I am!",she responded directly.
She certainly was one to be excited over absolutely nothing.
"That's great to hear.",I said back as we continued our walk.
"Prior seems like a really wierd name...Is it one of those 'spirit names'",Tomo asked.
"Oh,hell.",I thought.If I told her my name wasn't really Prior she may get suspicious..or she might not.I hate my real name so I decided not to tell her.
"Sorta.",I said,"A name is a name right?I could say Tomo was a wierd name"
"It is not!Tomo is a name given only to beautiful goddesses like myself.",she said overemphasizing her looks.She wasn't ugly,but she wasn't a goddess either.Energetically splendid is more of a way to describe her.She certainly had ways to destroy a bad mood.I can see why Yomi liked her.With Yomi's tendency towards mood swings and all.
"If you say so.",I said,letting a grin split my face.
"I do say so!",she said with a grin to accompany mine.
We had turned onto one of the roads that contained row after row of suburban housing.
"Hey,Tomo.What was that Sataday Osaka was talking about?Is it a holiday?",I asked.I really had no idea what it was except to guess it was a sort of holiday.
"It's pronounced SatURday and it's the weekend.Weekends are when we don't have school and we get to hang out and do stuff!",Tomo answered.
"Oh.",I said simply.Where I come from a week is 8 days and not one is called Saturday.
"Is being an angel any fun?If all ya do is hang with high school girls the whole time that doesn't seem like much fun.",Tomo asked.
If there was an award for question asking,she would win.I can see it now:
"..and the winner is..Tomo Takino!Congratulations!",the announcer would say as the band plays the salutory song.She would be wearing a gown,all dolled up with jewelry and make-up.She would take the award,shaped like a '?' in her hand and step up to the microphone.As the cheer from the crowd dies down she would begin to give her speech.
"It's about damn time!",she would simply yell and walk off stage as the band plays once more.
No such award exists as far as I know so it shall only exist in my mind.
Anyway,I decided to answer Tomo's question somewhat truthfully.
"Being an angel is strange.I've been many,many places in my time.I remember the time with the Barrak Cabal on Sayyth.That was dangerous and exciting.Umm..",I rubbed my jaw as I walked,thinking of other examples to give Tomo."Then there was my fight with the Kaymen Legion.That almost made me wet myself.Then there was...",I noticed Tomo's eyes wide as saucers and staring at me.
"That sounds SOOOO COOL!",she said,jumping up and down."You gotta tell me all about where you've been"
I confirmed her statement with a smile.Maybe she wasn't as bad as I had made her out to be.She certainly was a wild nut,but she was cool.
As we approached one of the cookie-cutter houses Tomo announced,
"Welcome to Castle Takino!",and made a sweeping movement with her arm as if to show off the house.Only thing that was different from her neighbor's house was this one had GREEN curtains.Whippie-dee.
"Looks spectacular.",I said with sarcasm flitting on every word.
Tomo noticed this sarcasm and grinned.
"C'mon inside ya piece of crap!",she said with her own sense of sarcasm.
We entered,removed our shoes and plopped ourselves on the living room couch in front of the T.V.
"Turn on the T.V. or something while I go put real clothes on.",Tomo said,picking at the front of her school outfit before getting up and walking around the corner at the end of the room.
I picked up the remote and clicked the T.V. on.The television buzzed to life and I began to flip through the stations.A soap opera,an infomercial about hair products,a gratuitously violent movie.I made a mental note to flip back to that in a moment.I settled upon the news,simply to learn more about where the hell I was.
The reporter was the same one I had seen earlier in the morning at Yomi's house.She was standing on a street corner,her long black hair blowing with the wind.
"Another double murder around one this afternoon.Witnesses described the suspect as 'gigantic'.",the reporter said.Crazy psychos.Can't escape them anywhere in the universe.
"Crazy bastards.Killin' people.Might as well have a good reason to first!",Tomo giggled as she sat back down on the couch now wearing a green shirt and blue pants.
"Yea,might as well have a reason.",I echoed as I flipped the station back to the incredibly violent movie.Ironic,I know.The film just happened to be called 'Double Homicide XVII:Demons of the Nether'.I've always adored that film title since that day.
Tomo and I shared laughter and enjoyment at watching a man get his eyes ripped out through his nose.It didn't feel sadistic simply because it was all in good humour.I'd never ACTUALLY rip anyones eyes out through their nose.
As me and Tomo's laughter died to a slight ripple I executed step one in my plan.
"Me and Yomi watched part sixteen on this movie last night.",I said.
"Yomi managed to watch this!",she asked incredulously,"SHe was probably like,'AHH!BLOOD!NOO!'",she laughed.
"Yea,pretty much.",I lied.If you have payed any attention thus far you will realize that me and Yomi never watched the film much less did she whine about blood.Anyhow,Tomo laughed.
"That's what a love 'bout her.She's NOTHING like me"
Bingo.Score one for Mr.Prior,the angel.
"She said the same thing about you.",I said,settling into my 'interrogate in a friendly manner' mode.
"Heh.",I chuckled,"She said the same thing about you"
"Really?Well,she HAS known me for a long,long time.",Tomo said,crossing her arms.
"Yea,people tend to get attatched to each other if they spend long periods of time together.",I said.
We were no longer paying any attention to the gratuitous violence on the screen.
"Oh,are you saying I'm attatched to Yomi?",she asked haughtily.
I nodded.
"I guess you could say that"
"I am not!She's my best friend,but we're not 'attatched"
"She certainly seems attatched to you"
"She yells at me when I act out"
I shook my head.
"Why do you think she does that"
"Cuz she's annoying"
"Like hell.Don't you think she cares about ya?",I said,amazed at her ability to resist questioning.
"Yea,she does...",Tomo said,suddenly becoming morose.
"I know you like to be around her.",I said.
"Yea,but...",she let out a sigh that was totally unlike her.I could have stopped the questioning here.Her feeling for her best friend practically dripped off her.
"But what?",I asked.This had worked out better than I ever thought it would.
"But does she like me?",Too asked.
"What?",I asked,incredulous.
"You said she's attatched to me,but that could be just out of concern.Does she actually like me being around"
"Hell,she loves you.",my mind came to a screeching halt as I realized what I just said.
"Loves me?How so?",Tomo asked in a mocking voice,moving across the couch to stare even harder at me.
"Um...",I didn't know what I should say.I had already fucked up once.I couldn't risk another mess.
"Ahh..c'mon! Does she love me love me or does she just love me?",she said grinning directly into my face that was contorted with worry.
"Um...I..",I still couldn't think straight.I couldn't really escape either without looking like a convict.
"Well then.",Tomo said and sat back,to my relief."I'll just tell you that I love her.There.Problem solved"
She sat there with a accomplished grin on her cherubic face.
"Really?How so?",I echoed her question from earlier.Pressing my face towards her like she had done to me.
"Like a girl would like a boy.Except she's a girl.",she answered quickly and truthfully.She seemed to be back to her normal carefree state.
"Well that was fast.",I thought."Wow.Quite a thing for someone to admit.You're not the least bit embarassed.",I said.
"Nah.It isn't worth it.Except you're the only one who knows about it.",she said while thrusting her finger repeatedly in my direction.
"Really?",I grinned.The word 'really' gets the award for Most Overused Word In This Conversation."You should tell Yomi.",I said.
"Pfft!What would she think?",Tomo stated more than asked.
"Why don't ya find out?",I asked with a smile full of teeth.
"Maybe someday.",she said."Anyways,I'm hungry"
"Yea,me too"
"I think I still got half a steak in the fridge from last night.Wanna eat that?",she asked as she stood up,full of energy.
"Sure.",I considered this to be a congratulatory meal on my part.I did well after almost messing it up big time.I couldn't wait to give Yomi the good news.
Tomo walked out to the kitchen to heat up the meal.
"Sleep on the couch tonight.I can't have ya sleeping in my room cuz ya might be a pervert.",she said in a mocking tone.
"Yea,I'm a perv.All those adventures I told you about were all lies.All I do is travel around the universe having sex with young girls.",I yelled back in the same tone.
"Sick.",is all she said.
Multiple beeps were heard from the direction of the kitchen followed by Tomo's yell of,"Come and get it"
We ate like starved beasts.That was some of the best meat I have ever eaten.It certainly tasted better than Hargo meat.That stuff tastes like foot fungus.No,foot fungus is not on my list of things to eat on a daily basis.Hell,not even on a lifetime basis.
Tomo leaned back in her chair and burped.
"Wanna go bother Yomi?",she grinned.
"Are you sure she doesn't mind you coming over late like this?",I asked,fully being aware that Yomi didn't mind at all.
"Nahhh.Besides,it's more fun than being cooped up here"
"If you say so.",I said as I put my plate into the sink.
"I do say so.",she said as I followed her out the back door and into the humid night.