The blondes had just returned from the beach when Rin greeted them on the front stoop, handing the phone to Tidus.
"It's Lulu. She's worried about you." The man said.
Rin and Shuyin went inside while Tidus talked with Lulu.
"How are you feeling? Wakka said you looked like shit when he bumped into you."
"I feel much better now, thanks." Tidus replied. "I heard that you decked Gippal."
The teen chuckled softly. "I did, but not hard. He's fine."
"It really wasn't his fault you know. He gave me my first drink, but I was the one that went back for more…"
Tidus froze as soon as the words were out of his mouth. He half expected Rin to be standing behind him, but he wasn't. No windows were open either. Hopefully his guardian hadn't heard that…
On the other end of the phone Lulu snorted. "Still…he supplied you with the liquor to drunken yourself with."
"I can't win this debate can I?" The teen teased.
"No you cannot." Lulu laughed.
"I'll have to talk to you at school tomorrow, okay? Supper is ready."
"All right. See you tomorrow, Tidus."
"Bye Lulu."
The blonde hung the phone up and went inside. He hung it on its place on the wall then went to go sit with his family.
"You look better than you did when I came to pick you up." Rin observed. "Do you feel better?"
"Yeah. That rest and food really helped." Tidus replied.
"Good. I'm glad you're better."
"How'd you get to the school anyway?" Shuyin asked.
"How else? I took a cab."
"You know…if you need a vehicle I can leave my truck here…"
"No Shuyin, you bought that truck with your own savings. It's your truck so you should use it. I'm saving up for my own vehicle so don't you worry. I don't mind taking public transportation and cabs anyway. Makes my otherwise boring errands into an adventure."
Auron chuckled softly and kissed Rin on the cheek. "I think you'd better find a job soon, babe. It sounds like the housewife gig is making you want to implode."
The blonde grinned, "Yes…sometimes it drives me insane, but sometimes you gotta do things you aren't entirely crazy about."
"True enough." Auron nodded.
"Besides…I've been looking in the paper everyday. I'll find something eventually."
After they finished supper Rin passed out popsicles for dessert. Popsicles in hand Auron and Rin went to watch the news. Shuyin and Tidus went to their room to do their homework.
"I hate homework…" Shuyin grumbled around his mouthful of popsicle.
"That's because you have the attention span of a gnat." Tidus replied. "If you could focus then maybe you'd like homework more."
"Maybe I have ADD." The older blonde said, rolling his eyes.
"I doubt it. You're just lazy." Tidus answered with a grin.
"Screw you!" Shuyin laughed, chucking a balled-up paper at his brother's head.
The younger teen laughed and dodged the ball of paper. It bounced off their bookshelf and landed beside the wastebasket.
"Ohhh. So close…" Tidus chuckled.
"That reminds me…are you going to try out for any sports teams this year?"
"Nope."
"As usual…"
"And I bet you're going to try out for as many as your schedule will allow." The younger blonde said.
"Yup."
"As usual…"
Shuyin grimaced and chucked another paper ball at Tidus. This one bounced off the blonde's chest then rolled across the floor.
"Better pick those up before Rin sees 'em." Said Tidus.
-----------------------------------
It was sunny but windy the next morning. Tidus dressed himself in jeans with tears at the knees and a gaudy Hawaiian shirt.
"Your shirt…it's too loud…I can't sleep…" Shuyin teased, shoving his head under his pillow.
The younger blonde snorted and grabbed Shuyin's pillow off his head, whacking him with it a few times. Shuyin laughed and rolled out of bed. Once he dressed the siblings headed into the kitchen. As usual Rin was already up and making breakfast. However they were surprised to see that Auron wasn't at the table drinking coffee and reading the paper.
"Where's the old man? Still in bed?" Shuyin asked.
Rin smiled wryly at his oldest son. "No. He was called into work early. He was just leaving when I got up."
"Wow. That is amazingly early…" Tidus murmured, sitting at the table.
Rin served breakfast ten minutes later and the brothers ate hardily. They were both starving this morning.
"Glad to see you have your appetite back, Tidus." Rin said. "I guess this means you're feeling well enough to go to school?"
The blonde nodded, "My throat is a little sore, but I'll certainly live."
"That's good to hear, but if you feel worse as the day goes on don't be afraid to call me, okay?"
Tidus nodded and finished his breakfast off. Shuyin stood and carried his empty dish to the sink before turning back to Rin.
"You sure you don't want me to leave my truck?"
"I'm sure, Shuyin. You worked hard for that vehicle." Rin replied, opening the morning paper.
"Well…okay…"
Tidus stood and gathered his school things into his bag. The blondes bid good-bye to Rin and left for school.
Shuyin pulled into his regular parking spot and the brothers went their separate ways. Shuyin went to chat with Lenne, Dona, and the other popular kids. Tidus went to chat with Gippal and Baralai who were standing on the sidewalk sharing a cigarette.
"I heard Lulu smacked you around." Tidus said to Gippal.
The blonde chuckled. "Yeah, but that ain't nothin' new. It didn't hurt either. Lulu would never want to hurt someone, no matter how angry she was at them."
"Where is Lulu anyway?" Tidus asked.
"Chappu said he had to talk to her so they went for a walk around the school." Baralai answered. "They should be back soon."
"By the way, Tidus, do you want to come to a club with me 'n' Baralai tonight?" Gippal asked.
"I don't know…" The blonde replied. "I don't think I'm over my party experience yet."
"No booze this time I promise." Laughed Gippal. "Just dancing and chicks!"
"Well…okay…I guess."
"Great! Give me your address. I'll pick you up at eleven."
"I have to sneak out so you have to be really quiet…" The blonde said.
"Yeah, I know." Gippal replied.
Tidus dug his binder out of his backpack and tore a sheet of paper out of it. He wrote his address on the paper and gave it to Gippal. He sincerely hoped he wouldn't be regretting this tomorrow.
"You'll see. We'll have lots of fun!" Gippal exclaimed.
"That's what I'm afraid of." Tidus said.
Baralai laughed and Gippal rolled his eyes at his friends. Chappu and Lulu rounded the corner just as the morning bell rang. Lulu smiled and jogged up to Tidus, hugging him.
"How are you feeling?" She asked.
"Much better."
"He's going out with us tonight." Gippal grinned.
Lulu eyed Tidus slightly. "You sure that's wise?"
"I'm not going to drink even if a cute brunette offers to buy me one." Tidus vowed.
The girl chuckled and started heading inside. "Good boy."
"So what did Chappu want to talk to you about?" Tidus asked.
"He begged for forgiveness for not watching you like I asked." Lulu replied.
"And did you forgive him?"
"Eventually, yes."
"That's good, because, it wasn't really his fault you know…"
"I suppose not."
The two friends entered the school and headed for their classrooms.
The day was long and uneventful. It rained around lunch time but that was about it. Tidus was glad to be leaving school as he headed for Shuyin's truck. He stood patiently by his brother's vehicle and waited. Shuyin emerged from the school a few minutes later, talking to that girl he liked, Lenne. She was smiling and blushing as most girls did when Shuyin talked to them and Tidus smiled softly. He hoped Shuyin would get to know this girl before asking her on a date. Shuyin walked Lenne to her bus then jogged across the parking lot to Tidus.
"Hey T." He grinned.
"I know that grin…you asked her out, didn't you?"
"Nah. Well yah…but not out on a date. Just a friendly visit to get to know each other better. Apparently she likes to sing and is quite talented."
"Hmn." Tidus smiled and got into his brother's truck.
"Don't you 'hmn' me." Shuyin laughed, getting in and starting his vehicle.
"When is your 'friendly visit'?"
"This weekend. We're going surfing. You and CJ can come too if you like."
"So you won't be tempted to have a date instead of a friendly visit?" Tidus teased.
Shuyin gently punched his brother's shoulder and looked for other cars before backing out of his parking space.
"I need you to cover for me again…" Tidus said.
Shuyin drove off then looked over at his brother, smirking. "Aren't you the popular one…"
The blonde blushed, "I think my display of drinkery impressed them."
The older brother laughed. "Drinkery?"
"It's a word…" Tidus chuckled. "Even though I'm not going to do any of that tonight."
"Good." Shuyin said. "Two hangovers in two days might kill you. So where are you going?"
"Gippal invited me to a club."
"I'd watch yourself around him. I hear Gippal is quite the booze and pot fiend…"
"He's not so bad…" Tidus replied. "He can be kind of…loud at times but he's not that bad."
"Yeah well if he's three sheets to the wind you take his car keys no matter what. Even if you have to force him to hand them over."
"Yeah, I know…" Tidus murmured.
"That's my boy." Shuyin grinned, slapping Tidus on the back.
The blonde turned a corner onto their street. He pulled up onto the driveway and shut the truck off. The blondes scooped up their knapsacks and made their way inside.
"Rin! We're home!" Tidus called.
No answer. Shuyin went into the kitchen to see a note taped to the fridge:
Hello darlings! Welcome home from school. Auron is going to be putting in overtime so he's going to be home really late. I'm currently job hunting so I won't be home for supper. I'll probably be home around seven or eight. I made you supper. It's in the oven. Just turn it on to 350 degrees and let it bake for an hour. Ciao! Love: Rin.
Shuyin looked in the oven to find Rin's chicken casserole there. He turned the oven on and let it warm up.
"So what time is Gippal picking you up?" He asked.
Tidus sat at the kitchen table and dug his homework out. "Eleven."
"Auron and Rin should be home and in bed by then…"
Tidus nodded and started on his homework. The oven indicated that it was heated up and Shuyin set the timer for an hour.
"You know…even though Rin doesn't really like it he's a pretty good housewife."
The younger blonde laughed, "Don't let him hear you say that."
Shuyin grinned and sat at the table with his brother. He dug his homework out too and started in on it.
Both boys had just finished their homework when the timer rang. They ate half the casserole and put the rest in the fridge for their parents. Shuyin opened the freezer and helped himself to a popsicle for dessert.
"Want one, Tidus?"
"No thanks. "I'm going to have a nap until Rin gets home."
The blonde grabbed an apple from the fruit bowl on the counter then walked to his and Shuyin's room. Tidus sat on the bed to eat his apple then lay down. He was going to be smart this time and get some sleep before he went out so he wouldn't be so tired tomorrow. The overhead fan hummed quietly and eventually the sound soothed Tidus to sleep.
He awoke around 8:30 to the sound of Rin coming in the door. Shuyin was sitting on his bed reading comic books and listening to music.
"I'm home!" Rin called.
Tidus rolled out of bed and nudged his brother. Shuyin took his headphones off and set his comic down, following Tidus into the front hall.
"Find a job?" Shuyin asked.
"Four interviewers express interest, but none of them gave me a solid answer. It's all up in the air."
"Well I hope one of them gives you a positive answer." Tidus said.
"Thank-you." Rin smiled, kissing Tidus on the cheek. "How was your day at school, boys?"
"The usual." Shuyin replied.
"Very long but usual." Tidus added with a smile.
"No icky feelings?" Rin asked.
"Nope. None." Tidus answered.
"That's good." Rin set his portfolio down and stretched his arms over his head. "Phew. I had a long day as well."
"There's supper leftovers in the fridge." Shuyin said.
Rin nodded, "I'll wait until Auron gets home. He should be home soon."
The man didn't have to wait long. Auron was home fifteen minutes later. The couple warmed up the supper leftovers and had a nice little dinner for two. Rin was amazed at how much of the casserole Tidus and Shuyin had consumed. He'd forgotten how voracious the appetite of a teenage boy could be.
Meanwhile Shuyin was sitting on his bed and browsing through the want ads in the paper. Tidus was sitting at their computer desk, surfing the net.
"I'm thinking of getting an after school job." Shuyin said. "Y'know…for extra spending money."
"I'm lazy. I'm waiting until the summer to get a job." Tidus replied.
"You're no help." The older blonde joked.
"Sorry. What I meant was…go for it bro!"
Shuyin laughed and shot an elastic at Tidus' head.
------------------------------------
By the time eleven o'clock rolled around Tidus was quite nervous. Butterflies were flapping around in his stomach. Auron and Rin had gone to bed an hour ago and were fast asleep, but he was still worried about getting caught. Shuyin returned from his trip to the living room and nodded.
"There's a red car parked on the other side of the street with two people in it. I'm assuming they're your friends."
"Probably." Tidus nodded and hugged his brother. "Don't wait up for me."
The blonde snuck out their bedroom window and around to the front of the house. Sure enough it was Baralai and Gippal who were waiting in the parked red car. Tidus said hello to them and got in the back.
"Buckle up tight. Gippal drives like a maniac." Baralai said.
The blonde nodded, buckled up, then tightened his seatbelt. Gippal grimaced at his best friend.
"My driving isn't that bad…"
Gippal's car roared to life and he pulled a U-turn right in the middle of the street. Tidus winced. He hoped the noise didn't wake Auron and Rin up. Gippal's foot pressed down on the gas pedal and the car sped off. Tidus held onto the seat tightly. Baralai twisted around in his seat and smiled sympathetically at Tidus.
"This is why I only let him drive late at night…there's not as much traffic."
Tidus laughed somewhat and Gippal snorted indignantly. Baralai just laughed. After a fifteen minute drive Gippal turned into a parking lot and zoomed into a parking space. He slammed on the brakes so hard the tires squealed and Tidus' seatbelt locked.
If he drives like this when he's sober I can't even imagine how he would drive drunk…
Tidus shivered and exited the vehicle with his friends. Gippal turned his car alarm on and motioned for his friends to follow him to the front of the building. A large man was guarding the door and Gippal waved at him.
"Hi Gus. These two are with me."
Gus nodded, moved aside, and the trio went inside. Tidus was surprised. He expected a dark teen club with techno music and neon lights. But this…this was a high-end club with white, ivory, and silver everything. It had a dance floor where a bunch of couples were doing some kind of waltz and the bartender was decked out in a full tux.
"Don't worry, Tidus. I didn't bring you to some boring-ass club." Gippal said. "This is the parent's club."
"Oh." Tidus replied, blushing slightly.
Tidus followed Gippal and Baralai through a set of doors marked "employees only". The blonde found himself at the base of a long, winding staircase. He could hear music playing up above.
"The teen club is up here, c'mon." Gippal smirked.
The blonde nodded and followed the duo up the stairs. The music got louder and louder until he could feel the stairs vibrating beneath his feet from the noise. When they finally got to the top yet another large man was guarding the doors.
"Hello Nicholai. These two are with me."
Nicholai nodded and let them in. Tidus squinted and looked around the dark club. Now this is what he'd been expecting, booze, neon lights, and loud techno music.
"Ah! Sorry to ditch you but I see Andrea! I'll be back!" Gippal said, running off.
Baralai sighed heavily and watched Gippal run off. "He's going to be gone for a while."
"Uhm…okay…" Tidus replied. He wasn't really sure how to answer that.
The boy turned to Tidus, looked out at the dance floor, then looked back at Tidus. "So…you want to make out?"
My first cliffhanger on the new computer. Ahh…that feels good… lol! R&R Please .