BEST CASE SCENARIO - PROLOGUE PART II - SHIFT
And here's part two.
Ring ring ring
Son of a-
Ring ring ring
I rise, my dreary and weighing eyes throbbing as hard as my near-split head. I feel like hell, but that's what I get for letting myself doze off in the car. I'm dizzy. It seems, for right now, that nothing's going to change. That, for right now, I'm not going to leave, and that for right now, everything's going to be alright.
Ring ring ring
Oh for fuck's sake, I have a phone don't I..
Click.
"Y'ello."
"Kat?"
"Yes?" I murmur almost inaudible, trying to let it be known that I'm feeling rather froggy.
"What's going on? Your mom said she was visiting you today. She was only supposed to come Saturday this week."
"I'm fine, Kana. Actually better than fine. I'm in the car right now."
Silence, for a moment, as though it's a total bolt from the blue for her. Then I hear a near silent giggle. She's happy.
"You're coming home?" she says, delighted into a near whisper.
And it is this that gives me pause. It is this that gives me slight recoil inside, through yearning and sorrow. It is this that allows me to stop and think for a moment about what is to become.
"It's... complicated. I miss you, Kana. It sucks that you ain't been able to come see me in so long."
"I'm sorry, okay!? That asshole wouldn't let me-"
"Hey, hey." I interject in a stern tone, "I'm not gonna argue with you about whose fault it is. I told you to leave him before I got put in the hospital. You should've dumped him by now. He's not good for you."
"You think I don't know that? He can beat the hell out of me if I leave him!"
Compelled solely by frustration, I give the car door a firm slap, getting chastised by my mother in the process, "He does anything, I'll kill him. I may be epileptic, but that don't mean I still can't kick asses for you."
"Hey, watch your mouth!" Mom spouts as she smacks me.
"Pfft. Anyways," Kanazukai mutters, "I'm only breaking up with him if you help me."
Sigh.
"What did you have in mind, Stuffy?"
She didn't speak after that. A door creaked open in the background and she hung up the phone.
"Oh, hell."
"What?" comes the slightly annoying pitch of my mother.
"Could we make a brief stop at Kana's?"
"Why?"
A disgruntled sigh later, and, "You know why."
She nods, then pulls her trademark Vin Diesel U-Turn to the other side of the freeway. I wonder who taught her that, Dad or Yuki. Maybe Grandpa, I dunno.
"Stay here."
Mom sighs, acting as though this situation may not be as dire as I think.
I shake my head, walking to the front door of her house. It's so... eerie. The entire street is quiet. This is outer Tokyo. Not normal.
I knock, no answer. Another knock, still nothing. Her parents aren't home. Their car isn't here.
I throw open the door, only to be overwhelmed by the shouts of those around me. "SURPRISE!" they shout.
I rub my eyes. The suddeness of the lights turning on paired with all of the colors flying around stabs them.
I stand frozen in place, body stiff as an oak tree. I feel myself tearing up, all the emotions I'd kept hidden for the past few months are beginning to pour out, bit by bit. But... not here. It's not happening; not here, nor now. But the words.. they're lumping up in my throat. I let my body relax, and I begin nodding, plastering a smile upon my face so that it may wash away my feelings for the moment. I let it immerse me in the here, and in the now.
I cough for a minute, vainly trying to loosen my muscles so that I might speak. It works, sort of. But now I can feel the elation sweeping over my body like a high tide. I can feel my lips form into a more sincere smile as I nod happily. My heart, though in pieces, is starting to regenerate, for the time being. And, I spot the two people I needed most for the past two weeks.
"Ey, yo, Kenshi! Kana!" I wave across the room. Kana's childish grin falls upon her, even though she put all her energy into fighting it. Her frail body zips across the room towards me, her black and silver-woven silk locks fly along behind her. Kenshi follows suit, but more calmly and collectedly than the girl babbling in my arms.
"ImissedyouImissedyouImissedyou!" comes the muffled voice of the weasel girl that's squeezing me half to death.
A chuckle from me. "I missed you, too," I murmur, running my fingers through her silky-night hair. A fleck of it catches my eye, and I focus there. A long, orange streak to contrast the lack of the color throughout the rest of her hair.
"Is that orange I detect there?" I mock.
She lets go to look up to me with a wider grin, "Sí, señor. I got it after I dumped the jerk!"
My turn to smile. "Oh really?"
"Yes, really."
I turn my attention to the slower of the two, who just decided to join us. "Kenshi, what's up?" I greet with a larger grin.
"Nothin' much, just hanging around waiting for your faggoty ass to pack up and leave."
I laugh, "Gee, thanks."
His unbreakable poker face breaks, and he matches my grin. "I'm kidding," he says, pulling me into a bro hug. "Guess what?" he mumbles as we pull out of the hug.
"What?"
"I got the Skyline done," he says, masking his little girl excitement. "I can't drive it, though."
I raise a brow, startled in a sense. It's a little scary, I mean, he's jacked a car before, and he suddenly can't drive his prized possession?
...
"Did you get it impounded?"
He laughs, "If only... but, no. Worse."
I raise my other brow, "Worse how?"
"It doesn't belong to me."
"What do you-"
He pulls out the keys, and tosses them to me, "I figured you wouldn't want to take a transit all the way to Sendai."
...What. "Huh-uh, no," I shake my head, handing the keys back. "This is your prized possession! You've been working on it for two YEARS!"
"And?" he pushes my hand away.
"This isn't mine. I didn't do the work. All I've done the past few months have been sit and lay in a hospital. I can't-"
He sighs. "I've already packed your stuff into it. And plus... I got a job offer in America. Pit-crewman. Nascar."
"Really? Nascar?" I utter, disbelief filling the sentence. "I disapprove."
He laughs, "Well, out there, it's not about the sport. It's about having fun. And in an ironic twist, that Skyline isn't street legal. So I gave it to the best guy for it."
I nod, a smile reforming on my mug. "Okay. Thank you. So much."
"Hey, don't get all gay, now. It's a car, not a wedding ring."
"I'll keep that in mind."
A brief silence, then comes what I expected.
"...so you gonna test it or nah."
I look to Kana, and grin devilishly, "Yes. You drive, Kenshi. Then we switch."
Kana's face fills with fear.
After we drove (by drove I mean skidded, sped, outran the cops, the lot), we went back to the party proper. The party itself was nice, there were a lot of people who I'd never thought would care about that that were there. It made me happy to think that, deep down, they cared. Somebody cared.
Kana decided it was in her best interest never to ride with us again, a decision she has made many times, all of which she has never stuck to. Deep down, I know she loves it. Speed has been my life my entire life. That, then music. That was Dad. The musician. It sucks that it's been almost four years now... I'm starting to forget his voice. The worst thing I could lose about him other than his wisdom...
I'll never talk to him again. That's even scarier. I'll never be able to tell him that I'm focusing on my guitarwork, or that mom's doing great, or that I love him and miss him, or that I'll never forget his lessons and I'll try to be like him when I become a father and... and that I'm crying. I'm leaving them. All of them. I'm halfway out of Greater Tokyo by now... I've pulled in at a gas station. And I'm crying in the fucking bathroom of a gas station. I'm pathetic. This isn't worth it. This school.. this retarded school better be worth leaving everything I've ever known for. I can't stand to be away from them. A hug from them all wasn't damn near enough. I didn't even get to see Natsume. My own girlfriend. Makes sense, I guess. She was in a wreck anyways. Maybe they lied when they told me she was okay..
But enough of that. I need to get back on the road. I need to clear my mind. I can't afford to be risky, though. I'm not supposed to be driving, I'm epileptic. It's even more dangerous driving at night. All the lights popping over the hill could set me off. Maybe I could pull into a motel, or something... no, I've got to make it on time. I can't take a nap, I've got to drive. Sendai's some hours away, then I've got to find this little town that I'm supposed to be in.
Sigh.
If only it were simple.
BEST CASE SCENARIO - PROLOGUE PART II - SHIFT - END
AUTHOR'S NOTE - My apologies! Got caught up in some things, mostly my new band that I'm in, but I'll figure out a schedule! Don't worry!
Anyways, I was a little sad by the lack of support this got. Guess nobody thought I'd pull through, right? Or maybe it's karma throwing a punch at me, who knows. I'd appreciate support and suggestions for future chapters. I understand where I'm going, but not quite sure how to get there. Ideas would be great!
Onto replies!
Praegressus: gthanxbro
WarbirdHD out!
