Ultra Violet Black

Old Fiat

Chapter 7- California With-Out Reins but With a Glare

Ding-Dong…

Shusuke took his finger off the doorbell and waited for one of the Tezukas to answer it. Kunimitsu opened the door.

This was not Kunimitsu Tezuka he remembered. The Tezuka he remembered had neatly combed hair, a closed expression (but if you tried hard enough he would crack a smile or give a laugh), cleanly pressed clothes and thin, perfectly placed, wire-rimmed glasses.

The Kunimitsu Tezuka before him wore a rumpled polo, his glasses were slightly smeared and placed in a lop-sided way. His hair stuck out in different directions as though he had been running his fingers though it. His face wore not only the smeary glasses but an expression which crossed between confused, surprised and worried.

"Fuji," he straightened his glasses. "Do you want to come in?"

"Yes I would," Shusuke tried his best to grin. Kunimitsu was still so turned around and dizzied by his mother's death that it made it extremely hard to smile.

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I'm just a kid! And life is a nightmare!

I'm just a kid! And I know it's not fair!

Ryoma listened to Simple Plan play one of their songs on his CD player. He was lying on his checkered duvet cover and staring at the ceiling. It was eleven in the morning but he was totally ready to just crawl back under the blankets.

"Ryoma?" Rinko came in and pressed the pause button. "I have something to talk to you about."

A month had passed since Nanjiro getting hit by the truck. Things were starting to go back into order again. Ryoma had avoided his own house at all costs in fear of seeing… that again. He usually went over to Momo's house whenever he could, but Momo wasn't acting like himself. Ryoma wasn't surprised. If his dad had gone out with— and married— half a dozen women he would pretty upset to find out he was going out with another.

"Ryoma, you haven't been spending a lot of time at home and," she paused, searching for words. "We need you here. I know you need to spend time with your friends and everything, but we need you at home as well.

"Also about that man I was… well— I really like him. His name is Kenichi Momoshiro. I think you two could be great friends."

Ryoma rolled on his side away from his mother so he didn't have to look at her. Suddenly something clicked inside his head.

Kenichi Momoshiro…

1.75 months ago:

"Have you ever heard of him?" asked Momo, slumping on the armchair in his room.

"I think I saw one of his movies…" said Ryoma, shrugging.

"Yeah, that bloke's my dad. And a bloody rotten one at that."

Present:

"Kenichi Momoshiro!" Ryoma shouted, sitting up and turning to look at him mom. "What are you thinking? You can't go out with my friend's dad! He's a jerk! He's been married to, like, four different women in the past decade! You just can't do that!"

The silence in the room was as sharp as the noise a glow stick makes when you snap it so it'll glow properly.

"Ryoma," his mother rested her hand on her stomach. Yes, it was bigger, but only by a bit. "I don't believe you are of the age where you can tell me what I can and can't do but—"

Ryoma cut her off. "You started going out with him after you had only been in mourning one week!"

"Ryoma!" she stood up. "I refuse to be bossed around by you. I am your mother and you shall treat me with respect!" She turned and left the room.

Ryoma's face crumpled. He remembered being in fights with his mother before that had involved shouting for much longer than this one, but this fight had some strange feeling to it. He buried his face into his pillow, his shoulders jerking from held back sobs. It felt like the world was collapsing around his ankles and there was… nothing he could do.

Nothing you can do.

He had always been in control. Always had the feeling that he could do anything and everything and get away with it. Now he felt small and defeated. The reins had been pulled off the house and he didn't know how to ride with out them… with-out them.

With-out you.

He had been out of control since Nanjiro had died and he never stopped to think about it. Maybe he could try and regain control again. Learn to ride the horse with out the reins. He hadn't been at home a lot and Nanako was always trying to help both her and Grandma. She must have been lonely.

Ride the house with-out the reins.

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Eiji stood across the court from Momo. Hatred pounded through every one of his veins. The usually happy, bouncy acrobat had become hard and colder than ice. His eyes were outlined with dark circles, he had taken off the little sticker on his face and his smile was replaced by a tight frown. He looked pointedly at the umpire.

"G-game and match Kikumaru. 6-3."

"Damn straight," he spun around and walked off the courts with-out shaking Momo's hand.

Momo frowned. Ryoma hadn't been speaking to him that day and Eiji hadn't even glanced his way.

Ryoma watched the sun settle behind creamy clouds. The sky was bright blue, almost blinding. Almost everyone had gone to head home. Momo grabbed on to Eiji's arm.

"Eiji-sempai what was that about?" his face was hard. His violet eyes practically threw daggers at Eiji.

"What do you mean Momo?" asked Eiji. His dark blue eyes practically took out a machine gun.

Ryoma watched them glare at each other. They've forgotten I'm here.

"Refusing to shake my hand, glaring at me for weeks on end. I just want to know what I did. WHAT DID I DO?" He gripped harder as Eiji tried to push off his hand. "Tell me Eiji-sempai! What did I do?"

"Let me go Momoshiro," Eiji tried to pull his arm out of Momo's tight grip. The grip tightened. "I said let go!"

"Tell me!"

"Maybe it's because of what you did to my sister!"

Momo stared blankly at him. "Wh-what?"

"Yeah! You and your stupid little friends mugging her! What the hell do you think you are doing? I can't allow you to do that to her with out getting mad you- you—" Eiji struggled to finish the sentence.

"Your sister…?" he let go of his arm, his hands shaking.

"Yes you—!" Eiji suddenly felt his hands clench into a fist. Then he felt himself draw his arm back and then push it forward.

BAM!

Momo fell on to the ground, completely unprepared for the punch. Eiji was surprisingly strong, considering his wiry frame. He felt something dribble down his cheek. He touched lightly his cheek, which was still delicate after the punch, and looked at his finger tips.

Eiji just stood there shaking, his arm still out stretched as though he had forgotten to pull it back. He let it drop and it swung back by his side. "What are you gonna do now Momo?" his tried to keep his voice steady. "Run home to mother?"

Mother?

Do I have a mother?

No, I don't. My mother is in California somewhere.

Momo tried to push himself up but fell back to the ground. His tears falling on to the court.

Eiji knows.

It's over.

Give it up.

Momo suddenly just jumped up. "Heh. Funny Eiji-sempai." He left as quickly as he could. His heart beating a million times a minute. He wiped his eyes on his sleeves.

"You idiot."

He looked up to see Alfonso, the head of the gang he belonged to, with several other members.

"Alfonso-san," he bowed. "I'm quitting."

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So! Momo quits! I thought that might be good. I won't update for a while because we have guests over and so I really need to spend time with them after being lonely most of the summer.

Oops! In my last authors note I said sorry about the Simple Plan reference. I really meant to say 'About the Simple Plan reference…' Also that must've been confusing for everyone 'cause it's in this chapter not the other one. So I have to explain that.

I had started writing this chapter right after finishing the other one and thought, 'oh yeah I should explain that' with-out rereading the chapter to see if it's in there like I normally do.

Review!

-Old Fiat s. Italy