In My Life

Thanks to my friend for telling me to upload this.

And now, onto the next part!

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The puddles had finally dried underneath the warm sunlight. The air became warmer, and nature was in bloom. Springtime had officially come, and the Goddess Festival was there to show appreciation for the most beautiful time in Mineral Town, currently, of course. It was a great time in the town, the people jauntily chattered and gave their "oohs" and "ahhs" over the five girls, adorned in their traditional Goddess Festival dresses and flowery tiaras. Everyone was having a grand old time in Rose Square.

Makoto, of course, sulked in the corner. A combination of a lack of sleep and intensive barn cleaning since three-thirty in the morning left him looking more wasted than any heavy drinking could. Still, he stood his ground, glaring at the rest of the townies as they chattered on. Duke and his wife passed by Makoto, Duke and Makoto exchanging glares. They walked off, Duke overtly exchanging a cruel comment with his wife as he turned to look at Makoto again. Makoto groaned, and shoved his hands into the pockets of his broken-in navy blue jacket. The warm sunlight fell on his face, casting a creepy shadow underneath his frosty eyes.

The Mayor jumped up to his soap box stand, grabbing a microphone from the podium and adjusting it to his vertically challenged stature. A few rude taps of the mike got the attention of the townsfolk, as they hushed and turned to Mayor Thomas.

"Good morning, everyone! I'm glad everybody came today to usher in Springtime! Now well, before we start the festival, I want to introduce everyone to the newest resident of Mineral Town." Thomas looked in Makoto's direction just as Makoto cocked his head at Thomas, arching an eyebrow. "Come on up here, Makoto!"

With a sigh, Makoto left his corner and proceeded to the podium. He moved the soap box and adjusted the mike as high as it could go, hunching over it to be heard. He stared at the people before him, each groan discernable on the faces of most of the adults. Duke's wife whispered something to Sasha, Sasha rolling her eyes and the comment. Makoto looked away for a moment, turning back to the crowd. His peers watched him muddle, whispering his name under their breath. He sighed, and went on.

"I'm Makoto Ogawa. I'm seventeen…" He paused. "Nice to… meet you…"

Stares and glares.

"I want to do my best on the farm… so… I hope that happens," he blurted out quickly. Backing away from the podium, he nudged the soapbox back in place and headed back for his corner. The townspeople who had decided to dislike him already were making comments to each other.

"What a winner…" Duke muttered. "He'll never be like the old man!"

"Look at him. Doesn't he look kind of guilty of something when you look at him! Seriously! He does!" his wife piped up.

"What do you mean?" another woman with her dark, 80s perm asked. Between her ritzy attire and her upturned nose, she gave the impression of being snooty.

"I say he looks like he killed someone before!" Duke's wife was practically having a hernia.

"That's crazy talk, Manna! Just because he was…" the snooty woman's husband began.

"I don't think it's crazy talk," Duke butt in. "I think it's true. Look at him."

They took a gaze at Makoto. He had hidden in his corner once again, his back to the world.

"See! He's guilty!!" Manna squawked. "And he doesn't have a date for the Festival! That anti-social WIERDO!"

"Leave Makoto alone."

They all turned to see Doug looming over them, his huge arms folded across his broad chest.

"Makoto may be a lot of things, but he deserves a second chance. Now no one in this town is a saint, so you either let Makoto try to live decently, or you can go find a town where everyone is perfect."

Before anyone could pry open a mouth to reply, Doug left.

Mayor Thomas proceeded to take his stand once again on his soapbox, readjusting the mike once more. He cleared his throat, and began.

"And now is the moment you've all been waiting for! It's time for the girls to dance! As you know, this is an old-time tradition that has been dying in many other small towns in the past decades. But, we here have sought to uphold it!"

Every year, Spring was ushered in when the five town girls did their ritual dance. The rest of the townsfolk hushed as all five of the girls lined up to begin their dance. Makoto even turned to watch, still sulking as he turned everything that happened with them in the past few days over in his mind.

Bah. People suck.

The music began, strolling and taking its pretty time as the girls began to dance. A gentle melody began to grow out of the piano playing.

Maybe it was something for Makoto to play later on. He thought about what to play for a moment.

Then again, he would rather forget this.

The recording grew to its climax, ultimate bliss for the best Springtime ever. The girls finished their dance, and everyone applauded. Even Makoto gave his praise.

The traditional dance was done. Next up was the social dancing. Makoto headed back to his corner, wondering if he could sneak out without anyone noticing. Maybe he could come up with some kind of excuse… forgot to water the crops, left the kitchen sink on, hated the town and the vast majority of the shithead residents.

He hung around for a little while longer, watching as the dance started and everyone went about their social business. Everyone had to dance with somebody now, no matter who it was. It was getting old now.

Over on the other side of the square, Thomas watched Makoto stand by himself in his trademark sulk mode. Sighing a bit, he sought to think of something to say to cheer Makoto up. It seemed best to go with a simple "Don't worry, you'll get used to living here soon. It'll just take some time."

Then again, Thomas had no idea what Makoto went through in the past few days. Thankfully, he had the ever pleasant Manna to fill him in, who on cue walked clear up to him. Thomas politely smiled, tipping his red top hat in Manna's presence.

"Hello Manna, and how are you doing today?" he asked, looking up at her. Manna turned in to him, half covering her lips and flexing her pointer finger as the sewage began to spew from her mouth.

"That Makoto just got here a week ago, and already he's causing trouble!" she hissed, the accusing finger overtly pointed in Makoto's direction. Makoto looked over briefly, glaring at Manna as she took a shocked step back.

Makoto just turned back to his brooding. Manna sighed and continued.

"Look at him! I don't like how he just sits there and sulks all the time, and especially on a day like today!" She looked over at the Mayor with the accompanying convincing eyes to compliment her opinions. "I don't think he'll fit in here! He didn't even have a date to the festival!"

Thomas came up with a reply.

"Not everyone has a date. He doesn't really know anybody either…"

Manna shook her head.

"No, Mayor, that's not the point."

Thomas cocked his head, rather befuddled at her comeback.

"Lots of people are complaining about him, and especially how he's so anti-social!"

"Some of the townsfolk are rather introverted as well," Thomas interjected. "No one complains about Gotz or the Doctor."

"That's because they don't attack other townspeople in drunken rages!"

Thomas' eyes shot open as his lower lip hung at the edge of his jaw.

"He did WHAT??"

Manna nodded, adding on in a convincing tone.

"It was terrible!"

 Thomas was floored. He sort of staggered from the shock, wiping his face with his clawed hand before bringing himself to look back at Manna. Manna stood there, and jumped right back onto it.

"What are we going to do about him now??" she demanded.

Thomas shook his head, waving his hand to emphasize his point.           

"What do you mean?? We gave him three years, and he'll get three years, end of story!" he told Manna firmly with the shake of his finger. "Now go back to partying and leave Makoto his space to fit in." He stopped for a moment to give Manna a final glare. "Now, if every time someone petitioned to throw out someone else because of some dispute, how many residents would we have left?"

Enough was enough. Makoto took off for the exit, but just as he was about to leave, he felt someone grab his wrist. Trapped.

"Makoto… don't leave yet."

He turned around, and saw Karen standing there with a sympathetic eye. She let go of his wrist, and they stood there for a moment.

"You want to dance, Makoto?"

Makoto arched an incredulous eyebrow.

"What about Rick?"

Karen nodded a bit, and gave Makoto a direct look.

"This isn't entirely a couple thing, just tradition. Besides, he knows I don't go in for younger guys. He's dancing with his mom right now, anyway." She chuckled a bit. "What a guy."

He stood there for a moment, nodding.

"Sure."

They joined in a bond, rather awkward and stumbling. Makoto looked helplessly at her.

"I can't dance."

Karen hushed him with a quick stare.

"I know, I know. I'll teach you to dance one day. Just shut up and dance now."

Makoto nodded.

So they danced on for the rest of the song. Makoto did not want to talk at all, and Karen was just fine with that.

"You don't have to fit in right away and open up to the people here. Just take your time, Makoto."

Makoto understood.

"I'll do that."

Thomas and Manna continued their dispute, Thomas beginning to turn a tomato red, and Manna scoffing and placing her hands on her hips. Duke, big man in town, stepped in on conversation on cue. He immediately took his stance, and jumped on the bashing bandwagon.

"Mayor, I heard everything you said, and you make everything sound so nice and flowery!" he started. "That was not some little dispute! Makoto assaulted me! I want him out, and I want him out NOW!!"

A furious red tone flooded Thomas's face as the little man reached up and grabbed Duke by the torso section of his shirt, pulling him down to meet the gentle eyes, full of rage. The music had stopped short with an obtrusive screech, and everyone turned to watch this spectacle. Makoto and Karen broke off, staring on in shock.

"Makoto will get his three years, fair and square!" he stated through gritted teeth. "If you don't like it, then move out." He loosened his grip and let Duke assume his posture again.

The town turned their eyes to Makoto, a chaotic sea of emotions crashing onto the newcomer. Duke's glare shot through Makoto's eyes as his hands formed fists. Makoto glared right back, his emotionless, gray eyes sending a shock to everyone else.

Rather than to start another fight, Makoto simply nodded and said:

"I left the kitchen sink on."

And he turned and left them all behind.

I heard every damn word those bastards were saying about me. Jeez. Barely hit a week in this place, and these people are already handing it to me. I'm grateful to have Karen on my side, that's for sure. And yeah, not everyone here is a total mental defect. But still, the vast majority of them are. Oh, how I'd love to be in a coma right now.

I must be going completely mad. Or these people must be mad. They all look happy on the outside, but they're all a bunch of lunatics. Duke thinks he's the biggest shit in the world, that Doc loves rubbing the title "Sergeant" in my face, Doug tried auctioning his daughter off to me, Popuri is just plain strange, and holy shit, I haven't even met all of them yet.

Maybe I fit in here because I'm a total lunatic too. Huzzah for paranoia.

            -From Makoto's Journal

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To Starlight The Wanderer- Well, what do you think might happen? I'd like to know what you're thinking as you read this. Hell, anyone who'd like to take a pitch at some speculation is welcome to! I guess I won't do anymore teasers in that case… I'd rather hear the speculation from the readers!