Disclaimer: I own none of the characters used within.
This chapter's kinda short. It'll give you some more insight on some of the characters' family lives. I like to do that. I also really like creating backgrounds and stuff for characters that aren't really given one in their canon.
By the way, if you ever can't remember what items are what in the "menu", you can always look it up again in chapter 4, or I might try to fudge my way into plugging it in again in a future chapter in case you're caught with a menu item (like this chapter) that you don't remember and you don't feel like going to look it up (sounds exactly like what would happen to me).
MIYAZAKI HIGH SCHOOL
Vending Machines near the Gym
Thursday, October 10th
12:07 P.M.
Tomo stood like a bodyguard, her back to the crowd, next to Eddy and Jimmy, who faced each other. Eddy tapped the small reporter's notebook he had traded the post-it pad in for. Jimmy Neutron was a boy mostly from Double D's classes, which Eddy took to mean he was a nerd – and he was right. "Let me read this back to you to make sure I got it right…" Eddy leaned against the side of a Poop Cola vending machine. It was the only vending machine people very rarely used. The machine was also in the only cemented part of the courtyard that was relatively unpopulated, but not empty enough that they would be noticeable. His voice was somewhat hushed, a real switch for him. "Cindy Vortex. One order of Tossed Salad. Crime: a constant teasing of you and your nerdiness due to jealousy. Retribution to take place during the fourth hour AP Psychology class you share with her tomorrow."
"That's correct," Jimmy was being very professional about it, but was not alone. Eddy was thankful that Double D and Tomo insisted they make their business more professional and rehearsed over the past couple of days so they would be ready for any new customers (Double D insisted they be more professional, Tomo insisted they do it immediately). Eddy never would have predicted that he would have two customers within a week of each other, let alone so early on.
"Sign this," Eddy presented Jimmy with a Xerox.
Jimmy made sure to read it. It was a document that made Jimmy responsible for two things: one, that he give them the second half of their payment after the prank (ever since Double D decided they should do half up front and half afterwards) and two, that he does not reveal the specific identities of those he is doing business with, taking special care not to do so to those stereotypically perceived as "causes". Failure to follow these terms would result in leaving them open to attacks on their reputation by the very corporation they were trying to do business with – and that was their job.
Jimmy was taking a little too long for Tomo. "Sign it, punk!"
Jimmy didn't even look her way. He finished up reading it and signed it.
Eddy gave him a toothy grin. "Thanks for doing business with us."
"No, thank you," And on that note, their second customer was gone.
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5443 PEACH CREEK CIRCLE
Eddy's Room
Thursday, October 10th
4:32 P.M.
Ever the impatient boy, Eddy tapped his foot as he waited for Kagura to answer. Third ring was the charm – "Hello?"
"Kagura! It's Eddy."
"Oh! You're calling ME? I thought you were supposed to call Yomi, then Chiyo, then Tomo, THEN me! At least I'm before Osaka, right?" She sounded pleasantly surprised, and a little winded, as if she had been doing some exercises before she answered. Not that the spiky-haired girl needed any more exercise, Eddy knew, but jocks would be jocks.
"Yeah, but I need you for something. Your dad is a business man, right?" Eddy sat on his circular purple bed, hoping everything in the conversation, and in life, would go his way. "Does he work at home or in an office?"
"He's got his own little office. He thinks it's important to work at home. Ever since my mom's been trying to get sole custody, even though I never see her, my dad keeps doing things like that to 'bond'-" There was a smack, then Kagura came back on. "Sorry. I tried to do air quotes and dropped the phone. Heh… anyways, yeah, he's always home for work, except when he's picking up women at the bar when he thinks I'm not home." A beat, then, "Why?"
Eddy's mouth was open in preparation to say something, but all that came out was "…Uh." Eddy knew how to plow his way out of awkward moments in conversations, but not on the phone as much. Something in his mind said that if he were Double D, he would feel sorry for everything Kagura said, and say it. Good thing he wasn't Double D – at least he didn't have to say so. "Right. So, your dad has paper shredders and stuff?"
"Yeah."
Eddy gave the binder he had stolen from Cindy Vortex a good pat. "I need to come over to your house soon for a favor. It's for a customer."
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BONKURA APARTMENTS
Suite 9
Thursday, October 10th
4:50 P.M.
It didn't take Eddy long to find Kagura's apartment. It was a fairly nice place but was probably less spacious than it seemed just due to the absence of décor and furniture – only essentials, nothing frivolous, save for some shiny swimming trophies of Kagura's, taking up an entire shelf on the bookcase.
"Welcome to mi casa!" Kagura said. She had let Eddy close the door behind him.
Eddy clutched the binder, which was very neatly organized. Such a shame, really. "Where's the office?"
"Follow me!" wasn't much of an order, since Kagura led Eddy all of the four feet to a small hallway, with one door on one side and two on the other. She opened one of the doors, leading way into a tiny office making the most of its space. It smelled like hot paper. "That's the shredder. Don't touch the computer."
Eddy gave a quiet evil laugh, relishing putting Cindy's A+ papers, one by one, through the shredder. "Where's your dad anyway?"
Kagura was swiveling around, doing small stretches just because she had nothing else to do but twitch around and watch Eddy. "Bar. Women. You know the drill."
"Only with my brother."
"How old's your brother?"
"He independent. For a couple years now I guess."
Eddy didn't see Kagura's mouth drop. "Huh! And your parents just let him go to bars?!"
Eddy snorted. "Sure didn't."
Kagura stopped moving and comprehended this with the speed of a drunkard. "Oh." Pause. "So he would sneak out and drink." She shrugged. "Well, so do I. So do a lot of people. That's normal. Do you?"
Eddy hesitated before admitting, "Nah. I mean, I took one of my dad's beers once. It sucked. And he noticed." All the paper was gone. He opened the top of the machine's waste bin.
"Then what?"
"I blamed my brother."
"Oh! Then what?!"
Eddy laughed, but it came out more bitter than he intended. "They believed it."
Kagura looked down, thought it over, then laughed. But she stopped. "What are you doing there?" She bent over slightly, so she was Eddy's height.
Eddy had put the bits of paper neatly back into the binder. It didn't look different from the outside. "Now we just return this to its rightful owner."
Kagura laughed again. "Ouch! We gonna get paid for this?"
"That's the first thing I always think of," Eddy smiled and made his way to the door. "Thank you for use of your shredder." Kagura was going to say something, but Eddy slammed the door and darted down the hall. His parents were probably expecting him home, not that he gave a shit, and that afternoon he had heard more about Kagura – and himself - than he ever wanted know.