Chapter One
"In Which Jo Becomes a Cat."
From Jo's Playlist: Dancing With Nobody by Surfaces
This is a story of accepting flaws. Your own, and others. And though you may love someone deeply, you cannot love away the mental illness.
This story will contain mentions of self harm in later chapters.
High school. A prison for the majority of the teenage populace or a social club for the lucky few who were blessed with beautiful smiles and lovely exteriors. Either you hate it or adore it, there was no place for indifference. At least, that's what Jo originally thought.
But when her father came into her tiny room in their flat in Rome saying it was time to move to the embassy in Japan (a detail she had been aware of since their move to Italy the year prior), Jo had a choice to make. One she never had the authority to choose until now.
Either she could finish up her last year of high school in America where her older brother lived in some small town in some no-name state, or go with her father and mother and continue her life of cracked foundations, hard goodbyes, empty promises to keep up with new friends, and headache worthy transcripts.
After several phone calls to her brother and sister-in-law, difficult lunch dates with her boyfriend, and tear filled evenings with her friends, she grit her teeth and decided.
Tokyo didn't sound too bad, she told herself on the plane as it took off the runway in early April. She had spent elementary and middle school in Spain and the majority of high school in America, save for junior year in Italy. She could continue her life of being a pebble in the river of life, being pushed along the current.
This would be like any other time her life had been uprooted and replanted. She would adjust and begin again.
So, that was how Jo found herself sitting in a bright classroom in Nekoma High with one earbud in and her knees bouncing under her desk. Her hazel eyes darted across each student in the room, unconsciously sizing them up. She was aware of her uncertain gaze and tried to steady it on her phone when the door slid open and a pair of laughing boys filed in.
One in particular, a boy with blond hair and green eyes, saw her hunched form and a wide grin spread across his face. "Jo Olsen?" he asked in English, coming to stand beside her desk with a hand on his hip as his friends found their seats on the opposite side of the room. A knowing glint sparkled in his bright eyes.
Jo took out her earbud and rose a dark brow. "Titus Williams?" Perhaps it wouldn't be such a lonely senior year after all.
"Holy shit, I haven't seen you since sophomore year back home. You went to Rome, right?" he said, grin widening somehow.
Something in Jo's gut twisted. Home. She didn't really know where home was anymore. An epiphany she had yet to puzzle out. One she didn't have the energy for.
Jo laughed politely. "Yeah, I did. Dad got assigned here for a while, though. I had no idea you moved. Just your mom works for the embassy, right?"
Titus's smile slipped a fraction before he hurriedly fixed it. "Yeah, well, Dad needed to travel for work too. So I decided to come with Mom," he rubbed the back of his neck.
Jo lowered her brows but didn't pry. Complicated family relations was one thing she was all too familiar with. "Well, I'm glad I know you here, at least. Mind if I follow you around for the day?" Her fingers tapped on her desk, nails ticking lightly.
Titus's grin softened. "Of course. Hey, I'll give you a good rundown on how things work during lunch, okay? Come to my desk to eat." He lifted a hand in a goodbye and made his way for a desk near the windows behind a raven haired boy with a lanky frame. The two exchanged a few words and two more boys that sat on either side of the black haired one joined the conversation. Titus pointed to her and the three boys' heads swiveled to her direction.
She narrowed her eyes at Titus who smiled innocently and nodded to them, turning back to her phone. It would be about two in the morning in Rome right now. She scrolled through her last texts she sent her girl friends last night.
When she flipped to her home screen, the photo of Leo and her smiled right back. His deep blue eyes were on her as he had his nose pressed into her cheek, lips spread in a laugh and her own laugh just as evident. She had yet to change the picture.
Jo's chest ached as her thumb hovered over the photos app. She couldn't do it. Not yet. However, she didn't have time to dig herself in a pity party as the teacher strolled in and her first class at Nekoma High began.
The soft chime of the bell signaled the end of the first round of classes. Despite the whisper of doubt trying to cloud her mind Jo forced herself to make a B-line for Titus's desk.
Four pairs of eyes snapped to her as she plopped down in the seat across from the American boy, crossing her legs at the ankle. All she wanted to do was curl her legs in her seat, but no, skirts were a part of her uniform. Of course.
"I'm going to fail the literature class," she said in halfway decent Japanese.
Titus blinked. "Classic literature?" he asked.
Jo nodded, ignoring the wide eyed looks she was getting from the other boys. She spared them a glance and squinted a fraction at their shifting glances to one another before zeroing in on Titus.
He nodded thoughtfully as he pulled out his lunch box. "Don't worry, one of us will get you through it," he dug his chopsticks into the meal.
"Us?"
He nodded to the three boys in front of them. "Meet the upperclassmen of the volleyball club. What they lack in skill they make up for in brains," he said the last sentence in English with a mischievous grin.
Jo gave them a clipped smile as Titus introduced them, too uncertain to laugh at his quip.
The raven haired boy was named Tetsuro Kuroo. Apparently he was the captain of their club. He gave her a cheeky grin that reminded her painfully of Leo.
The other was Nobuyuki Kai. His brown hair was clipped short, almost the length of a crew cut. He was their vice-captain and he studied her as though she were a specimen.
And lastly, was Morsisuke Yaku. He gave her a polite smile and nervously pushed his sandy brown hair out of his dark eyes. He was smaller than the other two and apparently the libero, whatever the heck that was.
Jo nodded politely as Titus finished the introductions. "And I just help where they need it. I'm not an official manager, but I help when I have time,"
The captain, Kuroo (Jo was still learning how to address others in this language) rested his forearm on Titus's desk and tilted his head, causing a few locks of long hair to fall in his lashes. "We do have a position that needs to be filled if willing," he said, that wide grin lighting his face.
Before he was finished talking, Jo was shaking her head. "I'm afraid I'm not ready to get involved in a club right now." She wasn't sure if she ever would be. She only had a year left.
"Oh, come on, Jo," Titus said, knocking his right foot against hers, mouth full of food. "It's hard to meet people without being involved in something. And sadly, they don't have any sort of health science club here and I know you suck at math, so that club is out the window. Unless something changed since being in Rome?" He raised a skeptical eyebrow.
Jo knew he was right but it didn't mean she liked it. She pulled a face at him, solidifying his suspicion. He laughed in response.
It was comforting on how easily the two fell into conversation, as though they had always been friends. The last time she had seen him, Titus had been a scrawny little blond boy with braces and acne that never shut up in chemistry class. Now, he had a straight toothed smile with a clear face (save for a few scars on his dimpled cheeks), and while he was still scrawny, it was a controlled type. Lanky, she decided. Even his chattiness seemed controlled. It made her wonder how much she had changed as well.
Kai made a humming noise beside her. "You lived in Rome?" he asked around a mouth full of food.
Jo nodded. "For a year,"
"Do you know Italian?" Yaku asked this time.
Again, Jo nodded, a bit uncertain. "A little bit," If she was asked to say something in Italian one more time she was going to chuck something out the window. Most likely the person in question.
Before Yaku could ask her to speak Italian, Kuroo interjected. "So you'll come watch practice after school today?" He took a slow sip of some bottled drink, a glint that Jo could only describe as mischief in his dark eyes.
Jo opened her mouth then closed it again. Titus widened his eyes and drew his lips together a fraction in a minimal puppy-dog plea. She didn't have to go. But she also didn't want to be completely alone for senior year. Her right foot started bouncing.
She didn't want to be alone, yet she didn't want to make new bonds that were going to be severed once again. A contradiction that made her teeth bite the soft inside of her cheek.
Her desperation pulled through.
Accepting defeat, she sighed and pulled out her phone. "Fine. Let me text my dad to tell him he'll pick me up later. How long does practice last?" She looked through her lashes at Kuroo.
"Til around five. You dad picks you up?" He leaned his chin into his palm, fully in Titus's space, though he didn't seem to mind.
Jo hummed, texting her father quickly. He would be disappointed she would be home later but happier than anything. "I don't trust myself with public transportation yet. My Japanese is rough at best, so that would be a nightmare,"
Kai mumbled something beside her and Kuroo barked out a sharp laugh that made Jo jump. She gave Titus a bewildered look and he just shook his head, nuging Kuroo's head with his arm. "Want to join us for lunch?" He waved his chopsticks at her.
That made the three boys pause and their eyes shift to one another and piqued Jo's cultural curiosity. She leaned her chin in her palm and shrugged her shoulder lazily. "I would love that," she said slowly after a moment, watching Kai's shoulders stiffen, "but I'm going to call a few friends. I'll catch you guys after lunch." And with that, she stood and grabbed her things from her desk, stuffing her earbuds in and dialing one of her friends in the hopes she could keep the seeds of friendship she left behind alive.
As much as she wanted some friends here, she was more desperate to nurture the ones she had already planted. The volleyball boys would have their chance to win her green thumb at three fifteen. But for now, her Italian garden had her full attention.
Physics was going to be a challenge. Calculus was going to beat her up and throw her mangled body out the window. Heck, the only thing that wasn't going to be the end of her existence was chemistry, and that was only because she took it sophmore year with Titus.
But even that class was moving at a breakneck pace.
Jo sighed and slumped in her chair, shutting her eyes. She would kill for a decent cup of coffee and a nap. But that would have to wait until after watching the volleyball practice. Perhaps she could back out, blaming it on still being tired from the move, which wasn't a lie.
When Titus made his way to her desk and rapped his knuckles to get her attention, she shot him a sharp look. Unbothered, he said, "Ready to go?" His trio of friends were talking amongst themselves at the door. At the sight of his expecting grin, she knew she couldn't ditch him.
Jo thinned her lips. Coffee. She needed coffee if she was going to deal with a team of boys. "There wouldn't happen to be any coffee in this place, would there?"
He gave her an apologetic smile. His green eyes softened. "I'm afraid not,"
Jo pulled her arms above her head, satisfied at the sharp pop they gave. "Figured as much. Alright, let's go."
The boys lead the way down the hall and stairs to where they kept their street shoes. They spoke loudly and swiftly, too quickly for Jo to pick up on what was being said. Instead of being frustrated, she resigned to scrolling through the new texts from her friends. They were preparing to go on a nice holiday to get out of Rome while the tourists crowded the city. She was originally supposed to go with them, the plans had been cleared by her parents and rooms booked. But her dad's assignment at the embassy in Tokyo was sped up and the plans fell through.
Her throat tightened and her eyes began to sting as she read the excited texts her friend group was sending back and forth. She finally put it on silent and tucked it away before a frustrated tear could fall.
As Jo slipped her feet in her black running shoes, Kuroo came up beside her. Jo felt the air around them shift as the girls around took notice. "So what do you think so far?" he asked slowly.
Jo shut the tiny locker and pulled her bag on her shoulder, curious of the glances being shot their way. "Of classes?" He nodded. "They're different," she said carefully. She followed him into the afternoon sun and down a sidewalk. The others were not far ahead of them but their pace was leasure.
"But I'm used to different. I'm not happy about starting school as soon as my last year ended, though," she smiled ruefully at him.
He stuffed his hands in his pockets as they walked side by side. "What do you mean?"
"School in Italy ends in March. I didn't get much of a holiday." A fact she was very bitter about and was planning on reminding her parents as often as she could.
He hummed in understanding. "What brought you here?"
They passed by some beautiful trees with pink blossoms budding. Jo's eyes lingered on them as she answered. "My mom and dad work for the US embassy. We have to move around a lot ,"
He made more of an ah sound this time. They lapsed into an odd silence that was neither tense nor relaxed. It was timid. Like he wanted to ask her questions but was refraining from doing so. Jo didn't mind, she understood his curiosity, she had her own as well. But she was still recovering from the jetlag and was about to strangle the next person they passed by if she didn't get a decent cup of coffee. She was grateful for his silence.
The sound of shoes squeaking against synthetic wood signaled their arrival to the gyms. Several gyms were not something Jo was accustomed to. Even at her small school in America, they only had one and gyms in general were not common in Italian schools.
Following Kuroo's lead of slipping off her shoes, she hooked them around her fingers and followed after him. The distinct smell of cleaner and gym hit her nose and the feeling of being in an American gym struck her bones.
Kuroo glanced at her school uniform as he slipped on his gym shoes. "If you want to change into gym clothes, the girl's locker room is just down that hall," he nodded to the left of the gym.
Jo hesitated. "I didn't pack my gym clothes today, I was told I wouldn't need them. Could I get by with wearing my street clothes?" She would do anything to get out of this appalling uniform. Stiff pleated skirts and tacky sailor collars were not her ideal item of clothing.
He thinned his lips in a tight smile. "I'm afraid not, school policy," he said apologetically.
Jo refrained from letting her face fall. However, her chest sank and her throat swell in frustration. "I understand. Very different from what I'm used to," she said lightly, turning from him so he didn't see the aggravated narrowing of her eyes. She spied Titus on the opposite side of the gym talking to an elderly man in red and turned back to Kuroo, a forced smile pulling her lips up. "Thank you for walking me over here. Good luck practicing," she lightly stepped away from him, waiving politely.
He returned the gesture, his grin on full display, making her heart ache in memory of the Italian boy she left behind. "I'll catch you later, Jo." Her name fell awkwardly from his mouth, but she liked it. It sounded nice.
Titus turned from the older man while they spoke as Jo made her way to them, wary of the flying volleyballs. Some were straying far too close for her liking.
He gestured to her when he caught sight of her slight form and she quickened her pace. As she drew near, he said, "Coach, I want you to meet Jo Olsen. She's from the United States but has been in Italy for the past year."
Bow to elders, Jo reminded herself, bowing slightly to the man. He gave her a smile that Jo couldn't help but think was feline. "Our new manager?" He asked hopefully.
Jo kept her back stiff and arms straight by her side. "I'm not quite too sure, I don't want to overwhelm myself yet. Titus convinced me to come this afternoon to check it out,"
The man studied her with intelligent eyes lined with wrinkles. He stood just below her, despite his spine being completely straight and folded his arms behind his back. "I hope he convinces you to stay. We need someone who can handle these boys well," he nodded to the court behind her.
Jo turned. She studied the team quickly. A tall, muscular boy with wide shoulders and oddly bleached mohawk was barking orders at a much smaller boy, whose hair was in bad need of being re-dyed. The lithe boy didn't seem to mind the loud words the other boy was throwing at him, replying with a slow blink and nod.
Definitely a handful, she thought. One of the boys made his way to the line on her side of the court, spinning the red and grin volleyball in his hand. The gym fell silent.
She spied the three boys in her class on the opposite side of the net. They were crouched low as the server bounced the ball three times, threw it up in the air and hit it with an open palm.
The court erupted in quick calls and shoes squeaking sharply as they moved in a seemingly unchorent fashion. As Jo watched, she turned her body to face the game without realizing it, her free hand coming to hold her opposite elbow.
After several plays, she said, more to herself, "The blond setter is good."
The coach had come up behind her, allowing her to watch. "What makes you say that?" He seemed pleased by her observation.
"He's quick to adjust to the other team's patterns," she said as he gave a set for Kuroo. He spiked the ball in the small gap the defense had left. "They're very talented." She was keen to praise the man's team. Her team, she corrected. She went here now.
"But some of their footwork is a bit messy," she muttered as one of the players jolted for the ball, diving at the last second with his fist up. The ball glanced off his knuckles to the wall and his team groaned.
She felt the coach's eyes cut to her but she refused to appear embarrassed. It was true, afterall. However, she should have kept that part to herself.
After Kai served, the coach spoke. "Do you play?"
"Not much. I know the basics. When I was in Italy, my friends and I would play when the boys weren't kicking the football around. I did track in America." And ballet in Spain, but she left that part out. It hadn't been much, but she practiced what little she remembered.
They lapsed into thought. Occasionally one of the boys would give her a glance as if to say who's this foreigner? But she met their stares with her own. If there was one thing her brother drilled into her skull, it was to meet hard challenges with resolve and mettle. To not waver, no matter how tired or beaten down you were.
Suddenly aware of an absence beside her, Jo tore her eyes from the game, hunting for Titus. After a quick sweep of the gym, she found him slipping through the door with towels draped on the crook of his arm and water bottles clutched to his chest. He placed them along the wall neatly.
Without thinking, Jo asked, "What does a manager do?" She shut her mouth quickly, regretting the question. She was just here to observe, not get involved. Not yet.
But the man didn't seem to notice her sudden rigid posture, or didn't care. "Gather towels, hand out water bottles, and make observations to improve the team. In the past I've had some be in charge of weekend practice. Nothing someone like you couldn't handle," he gave her a particular look.
Jo raised a brow glancing at him. "Sir?"
He turned back to the game as the mohawk boy landed a powerful spike, yelling as he did so. "Tell me, is your father a police officer?"
She narrowed her eyes at him. He calmly watched his team play, ignoring her heavy gaze completely. "He works at the US embassy."
"Military?"
"Of sorts." A cautious wall began to build, shutting herself from the man.
He glanced at her. When she met his gaze with her own guarded one, she saw no malice in his dark eyes. No judgement or curiosity. Just keen observation. Her guard didn't falter, however.
"I ask because you don't balk at them." He huffed out a sigh as one of the boys tripped over his feet. "You hold yourself with confidence only a parent with high occupational stature can instil. You look all of them in the eye."
While Jo didn't find that true, she had plenty of strong willed friends whose parents were of lower stature in occupation, she took it as an ignorant compliment. She nailed her confidence to the fact that she was forced to be if she wanted to make any friends with the consistent moving around the world.
But that confidence was slowly being worn down, like the pebble she was in the river of life. She didn't have much reason to make such close bonds this year, not if she was leaving right after graduation.
However, that didn't make the constant craving inside her bones stop tugging at her. Moving her along the riverbed as it always has.
The mohawk boy jumped for a spike, declaring their team the, champions of the set, before promptly having his attack deflected. "I would say that I don't have much tolerance for people that boast and have nothing to back it up with," she said blandly, raising her voice to be heard over the cheers of both defeat and victory.
The coach blinked at her slowly, as though unsure of her sharp words. Then, she tilted her chin, looking down her straight nose at him. A coy smile ghosted her lips. "I don't know if I could take Titus's position from him, but I wouldn't mind pointing out weak areas,"
Something akin to sly victory pulled at the old man's cheeks and the corners of his eyes. "Welcome to the team." His eyes gleamed.
Sly old man, Jo thought, though not unkindly.
And so, at three-thirty in the afternoon on a cool Monday in early April afternoon, Jo became a cat.
AN: I went through and changed Aresen's name to Titus. I prefer the change! Let me know what you think! Chapter three will be up by either later tonight or tomorrow :)