When I Come Around
Track 2

Author's Note: Wow, 3 reviews...I am on my way! Thanks everyone who reviewed and to everyone who read. I hope you enjoy Track 2. Also, before I forget, there will be 13 chapters to this story, simply because there are 13 episodes in the series (which is major love!)

After that awkward first kiss between us, neither of us knew what to say. I was horribly embarrassed, because I had no idea that it was coming. Eiri, I donít know what he was thinking, to be honest I never know what heís thinking. It was just very sudden.

"Are you coming?" I randomly asked. I was trying to break up the awkward moment.

"Just go." he replied. This answer didn not exactly satisfy me, nor did it really answer my question, so I asked him again. I did not get anything.

My head was filled with so much things, I did not know what I was doing. I could barely walk after that kiss! Was I straight? Was I gay? And did I really have feelings for a guy who was so mean to me? The guy who just randomly kissed me?

Whatever it was, I knew that I had no idea of any of it.

I did not see Eiri for a couple of days. I needed some space, some clarity to cleanse my mind. And I had Bad Luck's first performance to think about.

Get this, our first performance was at a Ask! concert. Ask, the band that threatened to completely destroy us, and we were opening for them! A odd happening, but a true one. It was especially stressful on us because no one knew who we were and they didnít care. They wanted to see Ask, that was all.

So once we got on stage, in front of all those huge Ask! fans' completely clammed up.

Usually I have the confidence of a million raging bulls, but when faced with a situation like this...I felt trapped. We got booed, of course. I could see the sweat dripping off of Hiro's face. It felt like our future was going way downhill...until he appeared.

Ryuichi Sakuma. The former singer of Nittle Grasper, my idol since age 12. I adored his confidence and how he could belt out any note and get it just right. Nittle Grasper had to be my favorite band ever. Seeing this, I was devastated when the band broke up, as was the whole of Japan. I mean, why would such a good band just break up like that? Did they have issues, relationship problems? It frustrated me more than you can imagine! Since then, I have been dying to meet Ryuichi and ask him just why Nittle Grasper ended.

Although we were on stage in front of thousands, that was my chance.

Ryuichi hopped right onto the stage and shook my hand, instantly shocking the crap out of me. He eyed me down and gave me one of those cute smiles Nittle Grasper fans came to adore, just like in some of my dreams.

"So, you are Shuichi, right?"

RYUICHI SAKUMA KNEW MY NAME! I wanted to jump up and down ecstatically, but I had to restrain myself. After all, I was in the presence of a former rock star.

"Let me help you out there." he said. And the second his mouth closed, Hiro and Suguru started to play. This was my time, my time to prove Bad Luck deserved to be on that stage.

So I sang, pretty good if you asked me. With Ryuichi Sakuma by your side, who could not not sing wonderfully? I gave the best performance I could and hoped the audience enjoyed it as much as I did performing it.

The Ask! fans ended up giving us some decent applause, obviously stating that they enjoyed it. Our record company's owner, Tohma, said he did not like it however. It was odd for Tohma to say that, because he was the one who signed us even when we had not written a song.

But hey, people change...

Throughout the whole night, I was wondering where Eiri was. I doubted that he would come, after that kiss. It would be a little awkward. In a way, it kind of hurt me, thinking that Eiri would not come to my show. I know that he was not exactly the caring or committed type, but what was the big problem with coming to see our one dinky performance?

The next day, I felt inspired to write 2 more songs. I do not know what is was, maybe something in the air? Odd that both of the songs were about forbidden, strange love.

Eiri graced me with his presence a couple of hours later. Actually, I went to his house, in a odd attempt to break the ice. The feelings I were feeling inside were not sitting well with me. I wanted it to stop, and I thought going over his house would help.

Yeah, it definitely helped.

Half of the time with Eiri was spent talking, usually Eiri insulting me and me defending or just looking at him like a idiot. The other half was spent kissing, strangly enough. We pressed our lips together like there was no tomorrow! It was like a drug that I could not get enough of, vodka that I could not stop drinking. Kissing seemed to be our favorite activity.

Of course, it turns out that Eiri didn not come to the show. He said he had better things to do, better people to go see. It was a typical Eiri move, so I let it slide off my shoulders. For a couple of minutes until I realized just how hurtful it was!

We fought about this too, if you had not figured that out. Eiri claimed he knew the song sucked already, I claimed that it hurt that Eiri didnít care enough to make a appearance at my first show. After a couple of kisses both of us forgot about it.

Before I forget, I should mention my wonderful encounter with Mika, Eiri's older sister. It was a day or so after that night of our first kiss, the night I presumed that Mika was Eiri's girlfriend. She came up to me almost shockingly and pulled me aside quickly. I expected something bad.

"So, you are the one Eiri brought home. I have been meaning to talk to you." she said. She offered me a seat and brewed me a cup of coffee.

Once both of us were seated, Mika looked at me again. "Are you gay? Because Eiri's not, you know."

"I'm straight. I guess Eiri and I just happened." I replied. She lifted an eyebrow and took a sip of her coffee, thinking about what I just said.

"Well, if you are going to be with him, promise me one thing. Teach him some values. He has been a little cold ever since the accident happened." Mika said.

"What accident?" I asked, realizing that there was a possible story here.

"Well...Eiri would kill me for telling you this...but only a few years ago, Eiri had a tutor. He was not too good in math, and Mother figured a tutor would bring his grade up. His tutor was much older than him, at least 4 years. I always foung him suspicious but I never said anything. Anyways, Eiri and the tutor formed a close bond. They were unseparatable. So unseperatable, that the tutor tried to rape Eiri. I guess he was gay. Eiri felt very threatened and knew he had to do something, but what he did only made everything worse." Mika told me. She looked down, the memories obvously catching up with her.

"So...what did he do?" I asked, hoping Mika would continue.

"He shot him. Eiri is not exactly the type of person who thinks before he does. The effects of his action are ever-lasting, I will tell you that. He used to be just like you, fun-loving and full of energy. Now, he refuses to let anyone in, let alone show his feelings." Mika finished. She sighed.

It all made sense now. No wonder why Eiri was so distant! At least everything made more sense now.

"Thanks for telling me, I know it must of been hard!" I replied. I finished the coffee and got up.

"No problem. But remember, do not tell Eiri I told you. And keep your promise." Mika said. I nodded and waved goodbye to her.

Since that day, I always seemed to think about this whenever I saw Eiri. It obviously made it hard for me to connect with him, talk to him like a civilized human being.

The next time Hiro and I met, it was hard to not tell him. After all, he was my best friend. I told him everything. Holding something back was not really a option for me.

"So, how are things with Eiri?" Hiro asked me suddenly. We were back at the cafe, once again.

"Good, I suppose. We make out a lot." I replied, smiling. Hiro laughed.

"Well, that's always a good thing I guess!" Hiro replied. I knew that he was leading on to something.

"How is the music going for my song? Any progress?" I asked, trying to change the topic. I knew that if we talked about Eiri any longer, I would spill the details about Eiri's past. Definitely something I should try not to do.

I would continue, but the conversation was really boring after that. We just talked about Bad Luck, Ryuichi's sudden appearance at the Ask! concert, and such. I felt happy that I did not spell my guts about Eiri. I cared too much about Eiri to let it go like that.

Speaking of Eiri, things grew a little more intense when I next saw Eiri. We had the biggest arguement, much bigger and much more effective than our last.

"Why don't you shut up? Just because we kiss, you suddenly think we are going out? I do not date guys!" Eiri shouted, inraged.

"I don't either...I just..." I stammered.

"You just thought wrong. Now leave." Eiri replied. He almost pushed me outside, that was how surprised and shocked I was.

That moment almost broke our relationship. Eiri had never used so much force before, so much feeling. It seemed as if he really...hated me.

And that thought killed me.

Or would of, frankly.