Birthdays were very important days not just for the person who's birthday it was but for their friends, too.
Well friends and family but Shimazaki got kicked out of his family so his friends were kind of like his family. Friends could be like family, Mob decided, because friends were people who were always there for you. No matter what happened your friends would be there to help you and to be there for you. For the good times and the bad, for the happy times and the sad, and all of the times in between too. Friends could even be better than family, in some ways, because you picked your friends. Family was just people who you were born into.
Not that she didn't love her family, because she did, but…well sometimes she wished that they were more like her friends…because no matter her friends would always be there…not like her family…not like her mom….
"Sho, try and have some fruit on your pancakes, ok?" asked Mob. She didn't need to be thinking about mom right now. Instead she would think about Sho. He was sitting at the table and he and Shimazaki were playing some game where they tried to hit each other. She didn't think that it looked fun but…well she wasn't going to stop them. She was glad that they were friends again, she was glad that Sho was hanging out with someone he loved…even though she didn't really understand it, and she was glad that Shimazaki was happy on his birthday.
She was happy too.
She was happy and she didn't need to think about how it would be Sho's birthday soon and he'd be the one getting the giant stack of birthday pancakes soon…and then how she would get her own stack…Sho would get eleven and she would get twelve…and then the year after that Sho would get twelve and she would get thirteen….and how it would keep on going like that for the rest of time. Birthdays would always come with pancakes and…and they would come without mom and…and that didn't matter. She was sad but…but she didn't have to be. Birthdays would always come without mom but they would also always come with her friends…
And friends could be like family.
"Fine….but if I don't like it I'm spitting it out." Said Sho. Mob knew that this was the best that she could do. She was lucky that she even got him to try it and…well mom could have done better…but that didn't matter. She was mom now…well not really because they weren't doing a Freaky Friday….but she took care of Sho like mom had…she took care of everyone like mom had…and she didn't really mind.
"Well that's just charming." Said Minegishi not looking up from their book. They were tired, that was why they were grumpier than normal, and also why they had been a little bit grumpy at Mob lately. They were just tired because they hadn't been able to sleep and they hadn't been able to sleep because Serizawa got upset at night sometimes…and during the day too…but that was ok. He'd get better. He just needed more love or something. More love and more friendship, that was all, and she could do that.
That was what friends were for after all.
"Well nobody asked-" said Sho. Mob shook her head. Sho was going to be mean to Minegishi…and Mob knew why. Minegishi was Shimazaki's theyfriend. They were his theyfriend and he was their boyfriend and they were going to get married and have babies and stuff…and Mob knew that it must have hurt Sho. She had never been in love with someone who already had a boyfriend but she knew that it had hurt when Hatori had confessed to Minegishi…and they hadn't even felt the same way. Sho…he was being really good. He hadn't tried to hit Minegishi not once since they had started their relationship with Shimazaki and that…was good…
But still, poor Sho.
Poor Sho for being in love with someone who could never love him back, she knew that feeling, and poor Sho for getting punched in the arm. Not hard enough to hurt him. Shimazaki was a nice person and she couldn't ever imagine him hurting anyone…even though he always told stories where he hurt people….but he was nice. He was nice enough not to hit Sho for real even though Sho had been about to hurt his theyfriend and he was nice enough that he was still friends with Sho even though Sho was in love with his theyfriend…well if he knew…Minegishi said that he knew…and that everyone knew…and if they did know then….well…
Poor Sho….poor little brother…..
"That was for leaving yourself open…and for being mean to Toshi. I told you before not to do that." Said Shimazaki
"I wasn't being mean." Said Sho crossing his arms
"You were about to be. Don't try and lie, you're bad at it." Said Minegishi as they turned the page of their book. They didn't even look up…and they didn't have to, Sho knew what they had said, and so did Mob. Technically they hadn't said anything mean, they had just been telling the truth, but the truth…well it had come out kind of meanly. They were just tired, in a bad mood, because they hadn't been getting a lot of sleep…but they'd be back to normal eventually…everything would be back to normal eventually. Once Serizawa got settled…and he was getting more and more settled…he wasn't crying as much at night…and that was…progress.
Mob knew what she was doing.
She was being a good friend. She was going to be such a good friend that she was going to make Serizawa all better and then she was going to fix things with her friends so they could sleep and then be in better moods and…and she was going to make this a good birthday too…and that was the easiest thing on her to do list. She just had to give Shimazaki his present and he would be happy…it was always easy to make him happy…
She wished that everything could be that easy.
"Hey, how about we-" said Mob. She had been about to suggest that they all start eating. There was a big pile of pancakes already, one so big that it was in danger of tipping over, and she knew that all of those could not be for Shimazaki. He was thirty one years old today, and tradition said that you got a pancake for every year that you'd been alive for, but thirty one…that was a lot. There was no way that he could eat that many and he would end up sick if he tried to…but if he got sick then Mob could take care of him. That was what friends were for after all.
"Well you-" said Sho. He was ignoring her. That was….well he was ignoring her and she could either try and get his attention, which could end up putting him in a bad mood, or she could change the subject before the fight happened. She knew that a fight was happening soon, she knew her little brother and she knew her best friend, and she knew that the last thing that they needed right now was a fight. Birthdays were happy days and happy days did not end in fights. They were all friends here and friends were not meant to fight.
"Hey Minegishi, what's your book about?" asked Mob. Sometimes you had to change the subject…and this was one of those times. She knew Sho and she knew Minegishi and she knew that Minegishi was a lot less likely to get mad if she changed the subject. Not that they were happy right now, they weren't, but they weren't mad. The space where their eyebrows should have been was coming together and the plants on the windowsill were trying to run away….Minegishi wasn't in a good mood…but maybe they weren't mad at her…at least Mob hoped that they weren't mad at her.
"The tenacity of the human spirit." Said Minegishi not looking up. Mob had no idea what that was but…well she would like to know. It felt like it had been a million years, a billion years, a zillion years since she and Minegishi had talked to each other and stuff. Really talked. They had been…tired…and they were still tired…but maybe they were less tired now because they had just gotten up and Serizawa hadn't been that upset last night…he had been sleeping a lot better since she'd started sleeping in his room with him.
"Oh…is it good?" asked Mob. Minegishi loved to talk about books. It didn't seem like they did, it was hard to tell when they loved things, but she knew that they loved to talk about books. They'd be in a better mood once she got them talking about their book. Sho wasn't being mean to them now, he was back to playing hitting games with Shimazaki, and Shimazaki was there…and they loved him and…and this would be ok. They weren't mad at all, no, they were just tired.
"I'm reading it aren't I?" asked Minegishi. Mob waited for them to say something else…but they didn't. They just went back to reading…well they were pretending to read. She watched their eyes. She could see that their eyes were stuck in one place, not moving along the page, and that meant that they were just staring down at their book…like they didn't want to talk to her…
She didn't know what she would do if Minegishi didn't want to talk to her.
She knew that sometimes people just were not in the mood to talk. She knew that sometimes people just…weren't in good moods…and she knew that Minegishi wasn't in a good mood a lot of the time. Especially when they were tired. Especially when they hadn't been getting enough sleep. Especially when Sho was mean to them. They were in a bad mood and…and even when they were in a bad mood, when they had been before, they had still talked to her…and she didn't know what she would do if Minegishi stopped talking to her. She didn't know what she would do if Minegishi decided to stop being her friend….because friends were like family and…and family could leave…so that meant that friends could leave too….
And Mob couldn't let that happen.
"You are…um…are you…ok? You just seem grumpier than normal and…and if I did something or if there's something that I can do then…then I'll do it…to make you feel better." Said Mob. She didn't know what she had done, or hadn't done, or could have done to make mom stay…not that this was the same thing….but also it was and…and she could at least fix this. That was how she knew that this was different. She had to fix this. She had to fix this because….because she was a good friend. She was a good friend and she would do whatever it took to keep Minegishi as a friend and….and she didn't know what that was but….
But she would do anything.
"Mob…you have enough to do." Said Minegishi. They looked up when they said that…and she didn't know what they had meant. She didn't know what that look was. She didn't know why their aura was being like that. She didn't know…well she did sort of know…they were upset that she had decided that Serizawa was going to live with everyone but….but they had been upset about that all the way back when he had joined the house and…and well they hadn't gotten to know him…but maybe if they got to know him then they would like him…and then everyone would be friends…
That was all she wanted, really, was for everyone to be friends.
"No I don't, I can do a lot of things. I like to help. Are you….are you hungry maybe? I can help Shibata cook if you want me to. I'm good at it. My dad said so." Said Mob. Her eyes had danced around the room until they settled on something that she could help with. Something that she could do. Something that was easy. Helping to make pancakes was a lot easier than helping someone stop being scared of people, and leave his room, and make friends….pancakes. She could do that right now….and she knew that she was being sort of lazy but…
But she wanted to do something….easy.
Which made her a terrible friend, of course. She should have been doing more to bring her friends together. She would have done more…if she knew what she could have done. Serizawa was still scared of people, he could barely even make it to the bathroom without her leading him, but…well she couldn't give up. Friends never gave up on friends just like family never…almost never….gave up on family. But she wasn't his family, she was his friend, and she would never just leave him to wake up one morning and she would be gone. She wasn't that sort of person.
She was a better friend…person…than that….but she could also be sort of tired too…just a little bit.
"No, I don't need help, but thanks. I'm almost done here…but if you want to get Hatori for me then that'd be great." Said Shibata. Mob took a deep breath. Hatori….he was her friend and…and he hadn't said anything about what had happened so…so this would be ok and…and she could do this. Friends did not avoid friends even when they made idiots out of themselves to those friends…and stuff.
"S-sure…and I'll get Serizawa too. He might come out this morning." Said Mob. She didn't know why everyone was looking at each other for…and she didn't know what everyone's aura was being all…like that…for. She didn't get it at all. Maybe they just didn't believe that she was going to be able to get Serizawa to come out…because she had been trying and trying and trying for a while now….but she could try some more. That was what they said, right? If at first you don't succeed then try and try again?
That was a thing that people said.
Because it was the truth. When she had first started learning how to braid her hair she had made all kinds of knots but mom had let her try and try and try again, with her hair too, and then Mob had gotten it. The same went for tying her shoes and brushing Sho's hair and making dinner and doing laundry and all of the things that she took for granted. All of the things that she could do now, that came easy, she'd had to practice at. Friendship…was also something that she had to try at. Her other friends had just…been people that she had met and made friends with. It was more like they sort of dropped right there in front of her and stuff…and friendship had come so fast and….well not everything in life came fast and easy. There were things in life that you had to work at.
And that was alright.
"Hatori! Please come to the kitchen! There are pancakes!" said Mob. She knocked on his door and said what she had to say. Then she kept going. She knew that she had to work harder at not being embarrassed, at not worrying about what she had done, but she had a lot of things to worry about. She had to…well she had a lot of things to do….like getting Serizawa out of his room!
Yes, that was something very important.
Like Minegishi had said, before, he had a lot of problems. Not that he was crazy, like Minegishi had meant it, but just…being scared of people was a big problem. Mob used to be shy…and she kind of was when she was out in the world and stuff…but Serizawa was more than shy. He was actually scared and…well his powers didn't help matters. Actually they made it even worse because he exploded a lot….like she had done when she had been little…and that was something that she had to help him with. She had a lot to help him with.
She had so much to help him with that she didn't have time to fix what she had done…how she had messed up with Hatori.
She had to think about Serizawa. She had to figure out how to get him to become friends with everyone. They were all so nice, really, when you got to know them….and she had to figure out how to get Serizawa to come out of his room and just…get to know everyone. There had to be some way. There had to be some day. Maybe today was that day. Maybe today would be the day that he came out of his room…maybe.
She wouldn't know until she tried.
"Serizawa? I'm outside your door now…are you awake?" asked Mob. She knew that he was awake, she knew because of his aura. It didn't just feel awake, no, it was trying to stick to hers too. He always stuck to her like glue when he was awake. She didn't mind. Serizawa needed a friend and she was the first friend that he'd ever made, he'd said, so it made sense that he stuck to her.
"Miss Suzuki….good…good morning!" said Serizawa after a little bit. That was good. He was responding faster and he was speaking with more confidence too…well she hoped that it had been confidence….she would go with confidence.
"Good morning. Do you want to come out for breakfast? It's Shimazaki's birthday and we're having birthday pancakes….so do you want some?" asked Mob. She waited…and waited…and waited. His aura was bright and it was stuck to hers and…and maybe that hadn't been confidence he had been speaking with. Maybe he had just been scared again…probably….but…but she could help him! She had to!
"Do you…even like pancakes? I mean I can make you something if you don't like pancakes…um…well I mostly just know about making eggs…and I'll make you some if you want to come out today." Said Mob. That was how she got Sho to do things, with food, and also sometimes she got dad to do things by promising him food….but Serizawa her friend, not her family, so it might not work on him….but she had to try. That was what you did for your friends, you tried.
"I….don't think that it would be a good idea but…but thank you for inviting me." Said Serizawa. He was nice, at least, and….that was progress. He wasn't just saying 'no' and freaking out…so that was good. That was progress. Mob was making progress and…and that was good.
"You're welcome…and I'll come back to hang out after pancakes…and I'll save you some pancakes too. Also my little brother is here and you can meet him if you want. He likes games too and-" said Mob
"No! I mean…no thank you. I just…no thank you." Said Serizawa. Mob felt the house shake. She knew that she had to go now, She'd come back later but…but now she had to go. Well the best thing to do would have been to stay but…well her other friends needed her. Her other friends and her little brother. She just…she'd come back. She was a good friend and good friends came back. Good friends never stopped trying and good friends came back.
Good friends also celebrated their friend's birthdays with them.
So that was what she did. She didn't want to leave Serizawa but she also didn't want to leave Shimazaki all alone on his birthday….not that he would be all alone. No, he wouldn't be alone at all. He had his friends and his theyfriend but…well she was his friend too. She would hang out with Serizawa later but now…
Well now she had to give Shimazaki his birthday present.
"…seriously? Come on, it's my birthday." Said Shimazaki. Mob wondered what could have happened in the ten seconds that had passed since she had left. Shimazaki was sitting at the table with a massive stack of pancakes in front of him. It was so big that he had to use the big serving tray for when they had fancy meals. Not that they had a lot of fancy meals…and not that any meal that Shibata made wasn't fancy. That was just a lot of pancakes, that was all.
Mob hadn't counted them or anything, she didn't really want to since they weren't hers, but she assumed that there were thirty one there for Shimazaki.
She had thought that eleven was a lot…but thirty one was even more than eleven. That was…she counted on her fingers as she sat down….twenty more. That was twenty more than eleven and that was a lot. She wondered if he could even eat that many. There were other pancakes on a plate in the middle of the table. Mob put some on a plate with her powers as she sat down. Minegishi already had theirs and they passed her the fruit…which was good. That might have meant that they weren't mad at her anymore…if they had even been mad at her. She didn't know. She just wanted…well she wanted fruit…but she also wanted everyone to get along.
Especially on Shimazaki's birthday.
"Mob, back me up here. Isn't this my birthday?" asked Shimazaki. That was a weird question. Of course it was. What else would they have been celebrating today.
"Yes, it's October Twenty Fifth. It's easy to remember since my birthday is May Twenty Fifth and that's six months before yours." Said Mob. Spring to fall was half a year and half a year was six months so that was how she knew that she was right…even though based on Minegishi's aura she might have been wrong.
"Five months." Said Minegishi not looking up. Mob counted on her fingers and…right. May was five and October was ten….and she should have known that. Math was kind of hard. She hated working in her math book…which was why she hadn't in…she didn't know how long…or even where her math book was. Well she'd look for it later…but when dad wasn't around. She didn't want to sit through another one of his math lessons….because he was REALLY into math.
"Nobody asked you." Said Sho. No. Way too mean…and even a little bit mean was too mean…but he had been WAY too mean there.
"Sho, be nice." Said Mob. Bossy. She was being bossy and she knew it…and she knew that it hurt her little brother when she bossed him around…but she also knew that she couldn't just let him be mean to people. He wasn't a mean person, it was just the love that was making him like this. Love could make a person do the craziest things.
"Nobody asked me but I thought that, you know, maybe it was a good idea to make sure that you two could do some basic math." Said Minegishi. That also came out sort of mean but…well Minegishi was just that sort of person. The sort of person who could make stuff sound mean even when they weren't trying to be. They were just sleepy and stressed, that was all.
"You're right, Minegishi. Sorry….I'm not that good at math." Said Mob. It was hard to keep so many numbers in her head at once. Sometimes it felt like her head was slippery, even, just a little bit. Like if she wasn't thinking about stuff thoughts just sort of…slipped around and got lost and stuff. She wondered if everyone was like that…or if it was just her.
"Forget math, it's not important. Who needs math?" said Shimazaki. She was glad that dad wasn't around to here that. Sometimes, very rarely, he had breakfast here with Hatori. Shimazaki…well she hoped that he knew better than to say stuff like that around dad. He took math very seriously. He took everything very seriously but math especially. He had gone to university for it, which was like school but even harder, and also he loved math…and it was never a good idea to say bad things about the stuff that dad loved.
"People?" asked Mob. Dad had always said that math was the most important thing in the world. He said that once you understood math you could understand all the secrets of the universe. She wished that he would explain some of those secrets to her because there was no way that she could understand math. It was just too hard to keep all of those numbers and rules in her head. She could be kind of forgetful sometimes but dad said that it was her whole generation that was like that so she was ok. His generation was better at remembering things because they didn't have phones and computers had been much more complicated to use back then.
"Nobody!" said Sho. He banged his hands on the table as he said that and stood up in his chair. She stabilized the table so that he didn't make a mess. He wasn't supposed to do that at home and he wasn't supposed to do that here, either.
"Sho, stop it." Said Mob. She knew that she had been bossy but he had almost made a mess and she had to teach him good table manners. That was one of her many jobs and she had to do them right. Who else was going to teach Sho to eat at the table? Shibata let him put his feet up while he ate sometimes, Shimazaki liked to lick syrup off of his hands, Hatori was too scared to ever say anything, and Minegishi had a lot to be stressed about as it was.
"These are wonderful things you're teaching the children, Ryou." Said Minegishi with a shake of their head. They seemed upset but…well they were tired and stressed. They weren't upset with Shimazaki because today was his birthday and you couldn't be upset with someone on their birthday.
"What's going on? Why are we mad at math?" asked Mob. She could understand being mad at math. It was really hard without a calculator. She wished that she could have been as good at math as dad was, his math had letters and stuff, but she hadn't gotten that from him. Mom hadn't been good at math either, she had said, so Mob must have gotten it from her.
"We're not mad at math we're mad at all of our friends…and Hatori's hiding under the sink, by the way." said Sho as he pointed to the space under the sink…and that was what all the cleaning products were doing on top of the counter. She'd have to put those away later. Shimazaki couldn't tell what was in bottles and stuff and he wasn't always careful when he was drunk or high, that was how he ended up putting orange juice in his cereal the other day, and she didn't know if he was drunk or high or just being weird today…but she didn't want him to poison himself on accident. She'd have to find a new place for those products, though, because she just…wasn't going to drag Hatori out from his latest hiding place.
"Can I have some pancakes? With warm syrup and butter?" asked Hatori. His voice came out from under the sink…and that was where he had been. She looked away from the sink. Now that she was aware of him she could feel his aura and…well things were just…still very awkward.
"No way! Pancakes are for people who want to celebrate my birthday and that's not you. Seriously. The only people who got me presents are Mob and Sho. These two kids have more-" said Shimazaki. She felt Hatori's aura jump. It jumped in the walls and the phone in her pocket and everywhere else that there was electricity…and she needed to tell Shimazaki to stop it…even though this was his birthday and on his birthday he should have been able to do whatever he wanted….but then again it did scare Hatori and…well they were friends. They were friends who were just a little bit…awkward right now. That was all.
"Ryou, shut up. You know what you're getting for your birthday." Said Minegishi looking down at their pancakes. They spread their fruit around and didn't look up even though Shimazaki's aura was focused on them.
"That thing I like?" asked Shimazaki with a tone that Mob hadn't heard him use before. She didn't know what it was but it made her whole back feel sort of shivery…and she didn't get it so she decided to leave it alone.
"Yes." said Minegishi not looking up from their pancakes.
"All the things I like?" asked Shimazaki. He raised his eyebrows so high that she worried that they would end up getting stuck like that….which was a thing that happened. Dad had said so and mom agreed so it must have been true.
"Don't push it." Said Minegishi. They frowned but Shimazaki smiled. He smiled and then Sho frowned. He frowned at Shimazaki and Minegishi…and she didn't get it. He knew that they were a couple and she knew that it must have hurt him but…well there was nothing that either of them could do about that…not that there was even anything to do.
"What things? I can get things." said Sho. Mob didn't know what he said wrong, and he had said something wrong. She could tell by the looks Shibata and Minegishi gave him and also by their auras…but she had no idea what he could have said wrong. Sho was his best friend, and in love with him, so of course he would get Shimazaki all the things that he liked.
"ANYWAY, Shimazaki, I just made you thirty one pancakes. That's presents enough for you." Said Shibata. Mob…well that was a lot of pancakes but…well she and Sho got presents from everyone but…they were kids. Shimazaki was an adult…well he was an adult that acted like a kid…but everyone loved presents. Even dad and he didn't love anything but her…well her and taking over the world…and breakfast…and videogames even though he would never admit to that last one.
"But I want a sweater with love in the stitches." Said Shimazaki. Mob nodded. She understood that. Shibata's sweaters were the best sweaters in the world. They may have been itchy, and way too big, and also the sleeves were uneven but…well they were still the best sweaters in the entire world.
"You get pancakes." Said Shibata with a tone that she didn't usually hear from him. She got the feeling that he was mad…and she didn't understand why. Shimazaki was being way less annoying than normal. Minegishi hadn't cursed at him once.
"Fine…but what did Hatori get me, then?" asked Shimazaki. Mob looked around the table. Hers was the only gift there….and that was sort of sad…but Shibata had a point. All of those pancakes was presents enough and Sho had done a tattoo for him, and it was a good one too, so…well he was older too….but that was a mean way to think about her friend.
"I didn't-" said Hatori. Mob wanted to tell him to come out of the cabinet under the sink so she could understand him better…but also he would be out of the cabinet and she didn't know if she could sit at a table with him….but also it couldn't be good for him to have folded himself into such a small space. She wanted to tell him…something…but she didn't know what and she didn't have the chance to even figure out what.
"His presence is presence enough." Said Shibata. He had a tone there, and a look, and he was pointing the spatula he had been washing at Shimazaki. She understood the tone and the pointing but she didn't understand why he would give Shimazaki looks. He didn't noticed looks unless he was really focused on you and he wasn't focused on Shibata, how could he be? Minegishi was in the room and they were in love. They were in love and whenever they were in the same room Shimazaki's aura was always stuck to Minegishi's. Mob hoped that when she got a boyfriend he kept his aura stuck to hers and her aura got stuck to his.
"Ryou, shut up and eat your pancakes, you man child." Said Minegishi. Mob didn't know exactly what a man child was but if it was what it sounded like, an adult who acted like a kid, then that was Shimazaki. He was licking syrup off of his fingers now like Sho did…and he acted like a kid most of the time…and she didn't know why Minegishi complained about him acting like a kid. They loved him and when you loved people you accepted every single part of them. Like how she accepted Hatori even if he was a cannibal…well wanted to be one.
"Hey, it's my birthday. If I want to be a man child today then I can be…and I am not being a man child. Notice how I didn't mention the new guy once." Said Shimazaki. Mob was glad for that. Serizawa wasn't ready for birthdays yet. Maybe he would be ready by the time it came to being Sho's birthday…or maybe she could invite him to dad's birthday…well Fukuda had a birthday before dad's but…well Fukuda didn't want her to throw him a birthday party…and she was probably going to be very busy that day as she was most days.
"Lovely. Now eat your pancakes." Said Minegishi. They rolled their eyes, there, and Mob worried. It looked like it had hurt from how hard they were rolling them…and also she didn't get what they had been rolling their eyes for. She didn't really understand eye rolling. Maybe Minori could explain it to her, she did it a lot, but she would of course run anything that Minori had told her by Minegishi…when they were in a better mood.
"Shimazaki can eat when he feels like it." Said Sho. He gave Minegishi a look and they gave him one right back…and Mob had no idea what those looks were about but she assumed that it was something mean. She knew that Sho was in love with Shimazaki, and she knew that Minegishi knew that Sho was in love with Shimazaki, and she knew that jealousy could make people do bad things but…well she should not have been letting him talk to her best friend like that.
"Sho, be nice." Said Mob. She didn't like talking to her little brother like that, he felt like he had been calling her bossy for their entire lives, but she couldn't just let him sit there and be mean to Minegishi. They were stressed and tired and stuff….and also…well also she was supposed to be teaching him how to be a good person and good people were nice to one another.
"No, he's ok…and he's right. I'll eat when I feel like eating…and I feel like eating after I open Mob's gift. Mob, pass it over." Said Shimazaki doing the 'gimme gimme' gesture with his hands. Sho was giving her a look and…well she didn't get it…but then again she didn't get a lot of things about Sho.
"Here…I hope you like it." Said Mob as she used her powers to pass him his gift bag. She moved his plate to the side but was careful not to drag the fancy serving platter against the table because he hated the sound that plates made when they dragged across tables and this was his birthday and on his birthday he shouldn't have had to hear things that he didn't like.
"It's a…bag…a glossy one." said Shimazaki as he dragged his fingers across the bag. Sho was giving her a look and his aura was focused on her…and she hoped that he wasn't mad or thinking thoughts that weren't true…like she liked Shimazaki. She would never like him like that, first of all, and second of all she would never like the same boy, well man, that her little brother liked. That just wasn't a good thing for siblings to do. She would have done the same if Sho had been her sister instead of her brother. You didn't do that to siblings.
"You have to look inside." Said Mob as Shimazaki dragged his hands on the outside of the bag. It was blue and it said 'happy birthday' even though he couldn't read it. He liked the words, though, they were glittery and the bag was glossy….and maybe she should have gotten him something else. He really into touching that bag and…well maybe she should have gotten him something else that he liked…like maybe an economy size box of chocolate pudding…or maybe a bottle of cologne to replace the one that broke…or a blanket made out of the clothes that Minegishi didn't like so much but wore anyway and enough times so that they smelled like them. Something that he liked.
"Shimazaki can do whatever he wants." Said Sho. Mob frowned. She needed to talk to Sho later. About his attitude and about the tattoo that Shimazaki had on the underside of his arm. Sho had done that. It wasn't as nice as his other ones. Also it was a dog and Shimazaki didn't have any dogs on him. She was glad that Shimazaki trusted Sho that much…but also she didn't want Sho to do stuff like that.
"No, no, she's right…and let me see….I feel…well I smell…did you grow this?" asked Shimazaki as he pulled out the gallon bag full of flower. That was what the green stuff was called. It didn't look like flower until you ground it up but she didn't name things. She didn't care what it was called, she just wanted Shimazaki to like it.
"No…but there's more in the bag if you don't like that. Coke and mushrooms and cartridges and stuff…and if you don't like any of that then there's still the big party that I'm throwing you…well dad made me take a lot of stuff out but…well it's still your party." Said Mob. She was being stared at. Sho was staring at her…and his aura was all pointy and mad. Minegishi was staring at her…and their aura was all pulled into the ceiling plants behind them…and their mouth was wide opened too. Shibata was staring at her, the dishes he had been doing were abandoned, and he was opened and closing his eyes a lot. Even Hatori had stuck his head out from under the sink…but Mob wasn't paying attention to what he was doing.
"Big sis…why'd you have to do this?" asked Sho. There was something in his voice…that sounded like hurt…and something in his aura too…that felt like hurt…and she had no idea what all of this hurt was about. She hadn't done that bad a job at getting Shimazaki his birthday presents…right?
"Yeah…how did you even do this?" asked Shibata. He was staring at Shimazaki now. Shimazaki didn't seem to know or care that he was being stared at. He felt the bag with the coke in it, she hoped that this was the right kind it was more beige than white, and then opened it and stuck his finger in it. Hatori made the yelping sound he did when he was scared and slammed the cabinet door shut behind him. Sho had his head down on the table and he was hiding his face…and she'd have to see what he was so upset about later….and Minegishi…well now they were…mad?
Yes. That was what it felt like when they were mad.
They got madder, still, when Shimazaki stuck his finger in his mouth after it had been in the bag of coke. She didn't get it, he had said that this wasn't for eating, but she didn't question him. Either this was a Shimazaki thing that made no sense or this was a coke thing that she didn't know about. She hoped that this was the right kind, and that she had gotten him enough, and also…maybe…that Minegishi would let him share. She'd been on top of the world, it felt like, when he had let her do that after the big party last year. Her powers had listened to her and the world was…well it had ben fast and slow at the same time…and then it had been good until it wasn't…and it was fun…
For her, not Sho.
Nope. Not for Sho. He was too little, he didn't need to control his powers like that, and he didn't need the energy that coke gave you. He didn't even need the energy that coke the soda gave you. Nope. Sho had more than enough control and energy…even now. He had his head down on the table, and he was getting syrup in his hair, and he seemed so sad and tired…and she had no idea why. Sho had a lot of feeling in him, like dad did, only unlike dad Sho didn't try to hide them. Sho felt what he felt and when he felt something very strongly he had to act on it…and she just wished that he would explain himself before he did stuff like this. She knew that she had done something wrong by him but…well she had no idea what…
And she got the feeling that he wouldn't tell her even if she asked.
"Yes Mob, please tell me how you even managed to…Ryou, stop that! You're going to make yourself sick and then I'm going to have to deal with it." Said Minegishi. Mob…had no idea what they were so mad about. They loved coke, Shimazaki had said so, and they loved to do…more than kissing stuff…on coke too. Shimazaki had also told her that…and he could be very talkative sometimes…and that was ok because he was her friend but…she could have lived a long time without knowing that sort of stuff about Minegishi. Still, though, they liked coke and they liked smoking and Mob had no idea what the mushrooms were for but she knew that they liked mushrooms on pizza so, of course, they would like those.
"Toshi, taste this and tell me if it tastes like talc…because it kind of smells like talc…and also give me a credit card or a library card or a playing card or a key or something." Said Shimazaki. He was spreading some of that on the table…and Mob got the feeling that Shibata wanted to kill him. Yes, she was struck by the feeling, as Shibata's muscles started to get all bulgy, that he wanted to kill Shimazaki…and she didn't get why. She knew that Shibata hated it when he made a mess but it wasn't like Shimazaki wasn't going to clean up after himself, it would all be up his nose in a minute, and he would share with everyone…minus Sho…too. He was a good sharer like that.
"Ryou….if you taste talcum powder then why in the hell are you going to snort it?" asked Minegishi with their head in their hands. They laughed a little bit, there, but not a ha-ha laugh. More like a…well Mob had never heard them laugh like that before….but she didn't much like that sound at all.
"Because I like coke." Said Shimazaki. Mob had no idea what talcum powder was but if Shimazaki liked it then…well she had no idea what Minegishi was getting all upset about and stuff…and she also had no idea why Shibata looked like he was trying to stop himself from beating Shimazaki up…or at least strangling him like the yellow people did on that weird TV show.
"No! Not in front of the kids! Go do that…somewhere else! Not in front of the kids!" said Shibata. He didn't beat Shimazaki up or even strangle him. He did, however, throw a frying pan at him. Mob caught it, and the dirty water it flung around too, and put it all back in the sink where it belonged.
"What? It's better they learn about this stuff when they're young…or do you want them to overdo it and end up dead when they grow up?" asked Shimazaki. Mob didn't know if he could tell but what he just said seemed to make Shibata even madder…and maybe, since they had so much flower, they could start a circle so everyone calmed down. She felt her pockets…she had her pipe with her. That was good…well not her good pipe…but a pipe was a pipe and right now that was what they needed…if she could ever get a word in edgewise.
"Hey, why don't we-" said Mob. She was ignored. Sho looked up to give her a look but that was it…and if anyone at that table needed circle time it was him.
"I want you to not snort coke at the table…and what about your breakfast? I just made you thirty one pancakes and you said that you were going to eat thirty one pancakes so get to it…and don't give me some bullshit, sorry kids, about how you'll still be able to eat. You won't be able to." Said Shibata. Mob nodded. That was all the more reason to start a circle. Good. Shibata was on her side. That was two votes for circle…well three because Sho loved circle time even though she was supposed to be teaching him moderation…but Minegishi might have been too mad. They were still so mad…and she had no idea how to make this any better…well besides saying sorry…even though she had no idea what she had done wrong.
"Wow, you know I am learning new shit about you every day." Said Shimazaki leaning back in his chair…which may not have been the best idea because he was closer to Shibata and he still looked like he wanted to kill Shimazaki with his own two hands. Mob tipped Shimazaki's chair back to normal. She didn't want his birthday to end in a fight. Then he would have to see Fukuda and they didn't get along at all.
"I had a life before this, that's all that I'm going to say…and what did I just say about doing that in front of the kids!?" said Shibata. He banged his hand on the counter there. The water in the sink jumped out but Mob caught it and put it back. She wished that she had done something to protect the counter…now there was a big dent in it…and also maybe she should have done something to protect Hatori too. As soon as Shibata did that he ran out really fast…and now she would have to fix that too….or maybe not. One thing at a time…but he was scared…but she had this to deal with. At least Serizawa wasn't any more scared than normal…though she would have to deal with that too.
"Oh come on, stop babying them. I was about twelve or thirteen when I first started-" said Shimazaki. Minegishi gave him a look that Mob was sure that even he could see. Sho…he was so sad that he had nothing to say to that…and she had no idea what he was so sad about in the first place!
"And Mob is eleven. She's eleven and she went to your dealer to get…how much is even….and how much did this even cost and just…why?" asked Minegishi. That question, well all of them, must have been directed at her…and she didn't know why Minegishi was getting like this. It wasn't like she had done any of the coke or anything. She had just done something nice for one of her very best friends. Why was that being treated like such a bad thing?
"It costed all the money in my purse…and I just sort of remembered where Shimazaki took me the last time we bought stuff together when we did coke after the party…and also I did this because it's his birthday. That's all there is, there isn't anymore…and I don't know what everyone is so upset about." Said Mob. She wished that there was some kind of instruction manual or something when it came to this….because she was more lost now than she could ever remember being in her entire life. This was just…everyone needed to explain themselves…and she wished that she was dad. He just asked people, well ordered people, to explain themselves and then they did…but she was not bossy like dad…she was just…Mob…
She was Mob and she felt like she had royally f-worded up.
"Wait…you bought stuff with Shimazaki…and you went somewhere with him?" asked Sho. There was something in his voice like he was choking and…oh! She got it! He thought that she liked Shimazaki…well he had thought that for a while….and she didn't know why he even cared. He had a girlfriend and Shimazaki had a theyfriend and also Sho knew that he was way too young to be with Shimazaki and….this whole thing was just way too much!
"Yes but just as friends so don't get upset…well you can but remember that me and Shimazaki are just friends, ok?" asked Mob. She may have said something wrong there….but she didn't know what…but that was normal for her. She knew that she had said something wrong because Sho's whole face had turned white, like he had turned into a ghost, and his aura was so bright and it flared so hard that Shimazaki covered his ears.
And then he ran away.
"I'm going home!" said Sho as he ran from the table.
"Wait, come back! You're the most fun person here right now!" said Shimazaki before he teleported away. Now it was just her and Shibata and Minegishi in the kitchen. Shibata looked at the table, and then at the sink, and then down at his apron before he took it off. He took it off and tossed it over the chair and sighed.
"Guys…I love you both….but I need a personal day. Mob…tell your dad that I'm using one of my personal days." Said Shibata before he walked out of the kitchen…and she had no idea what that was about. Now it was just her and Minegishi…and even as mad as they were they would still explain all of this to her. They were her best friend, that was what the bracelets were for, and also the years of friendship. They had told her a million times before that they got mad sometimes but not at her, never at her, even though sometimes it felt like they were mad at her.
Like now.
"Minegishi…what did I do? Everyone just got all…mad…all of a sudden." Said Mob. She looked over at them and held her bracelet in her hand. They looked at her, touched their bracelet, and sighed. It was like a big heaviness had come off of them. They got all relaxed and even their aura seemed less mad…and that…that was good. At least something was going right.
"Mob….don't buy drugs. That's what you did. You bought a lot of drugs….don't be a hypocrite Toshiki….you just…alright. I am upset because you put yourself in a lot of danger buying all of those drugs and holding onto them. We do a lot of illegal shit in Claw and, yeah, let's not break too many laws at once. Shibata is upset because Ryou can be kind of an asshole sometimes. Your brother is upset because you not only gave the guy he has a crush on a very extravagant gift but…well you just sort of outed him to the entire house…I mean he's pretty much in a glass closet but…yeah. Just…let everyone calm down, ok? You meant well but…maybe run things by me first, alright?" asked Minegishi. Mob nodded. She…well she didn't see what was wrong with giving extravagant gifts…and that didn't seem so extravagant. Extravagant was like getting someone a basket of puppies or something. Still, in the future she would ask Minegishi about presents….and also she had to say sorry to Sho because now that she thought about it she had been sort of clueless…and also she had to explain to Serizawa, too, what happened because his aura was all upset like usual….
After breakfast.
Because she was hungry. She was hungry and she was tired, even though it was early, and she just…wanted to eat some of these cold pancakes. Then she could deal with everyone and everything. Then she could just…figure out what to do and…well Serizawa would come first because he was closest…and then Sho….and then…well breakfast first. That was a lot to do on an empty stomach….and it would have been a shame to let all thirty of those pancakes, maybe more she wasn't counting, go to waste.
Someone had to eat them and she was there so….
"Ok…um…do you want to have breakfast with me?" asked Mob. She didn't want to eat alone. She wanted to eat with her best friend and she wanted…well she wanted at least one thing to be ok…and this was that thing. She knew that it was dumb to feel like this but she just…felt like maybe if she ate breakfast with Minegishi then at least things would be ok with one of her friends…not that things weren't ok between them already but…well things could always stand to be more ok.
"Sure thing Mob, whatever you want." Said Minegishi. They cut into their pancakes, then, and Mob waited for them to take a bite before she went ahead with hers…and these were very god. Of course they were good, they were birthday pancakes and those were the best pancakes….and it was a shame that Shimazaki had left but…well he'd come back…maybe…because it was his birthday and birthdays were important.
And also he had thirty one pancakes waiting for him.