With it being Saturday, Wasabi decided to call up Fred and go to the cafe like they had planned. He knew he was probably in for a world of trouble, but Fred was, well, Fred- once he wanted to do something there was no way to back out of it.
"Awesome man!" Wasabi winced as Fred's voice nearly blasted out of the receiver, "Meet you there in five- I'll bring the girls!" Dial tone filled the void before Wasabi could answer, and he placed the phone neatly back on the receiver, sighing with a heavy shrug of his shoulders.
It seemed he would be doomed for the afternoon. But, he thought, suddenly perking up, he said he'd bring the girls…. Thoughts trailing, he opened the door to his closet and went through the different sweaters he owned, trying to remember their names.
"Lacy and Jo Jo?" he wondered aloud, then shook his head as he held a sweater gingery between his fingers, the cotton feeling slightly worn between his fingertips. He folded it up carefully, placing it on a nearby nightstand. He'd have to give that one away to goodwill tomorrow if he had time. Ambling over to his nightstand, he reached for a white radio clock on his dresser, flicking the switch.
"Yes! This is my JAM!" he cried aloud to no one as the thumping bass wafted through the speakers, underlying tones of sharp drums and a twanging guitar. Shimmying his shoulders along with the beat, he mumbled the lyrics to himself as best he could, his throat vibrating as he sang.
"Dun-dun -Imooooo-mortals…" Wasabi sang in a half whisper as he shook his hips, fighting the urge to just belt out the lyrics. It was hard, seeing as the band's vocalist, Patrick Stump, was so energetic. As he sang he pulled a green sweater over his head, a pair of jeans scratching their way up his legs at the same moment.
As the song reached the end, Wasabi couldn't help but nearly scream the last word, his voice cracking as he attempted to hit that oh so very high note:
"IM-MOOORTALS! IMOOOOOOOO-IMMORTALS!"
"WASABI!" Wasabi froze as his mother yelled at him through the wall, "KEEP IT DOWN!"
Cringing, Wasabi grinned to himself, "Sorry, Ma!" He didn't have the heart to tell her she had used his nickname instead of his actual name. People used the nickname from Fred so much that sometimes he thought it was his actual name.
He didn't let it bother him though. Even if Fred was insanely annoying he could be a pretty cool dude. And besides, Wasabi thought, he's introducing me to a few girls! That'll be fun! For some reason he had always wanted to be able to ask a girl out, but he never had the charisma to do so. His mother teased him with the possibility of him being gay, but he wasn't sure that was him. Not that there was anything wrong with that- he just didn't swing that way. And besides, a few of his old family friends were gay, and they were very respectable people.
Brushing away the thought, he made sure to flick the lights to his rom off as he left, closing the door softly behind him. The plush carpet in the hallway left footprints wherever he walked, and he grinned to himself as he heard the song- Fall Out Boy's Immortals, to be precise- softly playing in his room, muffled through the wood of the closed door. Sneaking a quick glance at his mother's door (her room was right next door to his own), he crept carefully down the stairs. His mother liked to sleep in on Saturdays, and if she was woken up by so much as a creak, there would be hell to pay.
Once he made it safely down the steps he waltzed his way into the kitchen. Every surface was tinged with a pink color, but Wasabi knew it was obviously salmon. In fact, whenever a friend came over and they commented that he was quite the fan of pink, he'd say just that:
"Salmon! It's obviously salmon!"
Going to the drawers, he opened each one until he found where his mother kept the writing utensils. Despite being very clean, the kitchen drawers were not. Pens and markers were jumbled up amongst rubber bands and can openers. It skewed him to think that a member of his own family was so messy, but he knew he couldn't force everyone to be clean and tidy. Plucking a sticky- note off the counter, he scribbled messily before grabbing his satchel and bounding out the screen door, jumping as it banged on the hinges behind him.
As he walked his way down the street, his phone began ringing, and Wasabi expertly flipped it open, rolling his eyes at the screen name:
'Fredzilla' appeared in flashing block letters, blinking like a stoplight.
Groaning, he hit 'Accept', "Hey Fred! I just left my house-"
"Awesome dude!" Fred's voice was cackling through the receiver, "Yeah, my friend is just dropping me off at the cafe now; hold on a sec, 'kay?" Wasabi raised an eyebrow as he heard Fred on the other end:
"Yeah, right here, Heathcliff. Thanks buddy- hey, anything you want me to bring home? Alright, see ya later my man!" Wasabi heard the slam o a car door and the engine faintly driving away before Fred decided to return to the call, "Sorry, that was Heathcliff. Anyway, where were we?"
It took Wasabi a minute to reply, "Oh! Uh, so you're at the cafe now? What was the name of it again?"
Laughter. "Oh, it's called The Lucky Cat Cafe. You can't miss it, there's a giant cat on the front of the building." There was a pause, Fred adding, "Oh, I see the girls coming down the block now. See you soon, man!"
Click.
Wasabi sighed, flipping the phone closed and slipping it back in his pocket. As he continued down the street, entering the main square of San Fransokyo, he regretted not having worn a lighter shirt. Sure, sweaters were great, but when it felt like you were taking a bath with Satan, that's when it was time to change wardrobes. Sweat beaded on his skin, and Wasabi wiped it away roughly with the back of his hand.
Dodging a young woman who was riding a bicycle, Wasabi managed to cross the street, fairy lights and red paper lanterns hanging from telephone wires. Small planes flew overhead in the bright blue sky, fluffy clouds dotting the clear surface. The blacktop of the street was scorching, heat waves radiating from underneath passerby shoes as he ambled down the block, passing dainty boutiques and quaint tea shops. If the meet-up place was a cafe, then it had to be nestle amongst one of the stores.
"Lucky Cat…." Wasabi murmured, glancing around as he searched for the venue. There was the Jumping Bean, but at this hour it was probably too late for a cup of coffee. Next to that was a hat store, and next to that?
The Lucky Cat Cafe, a rather large cat sitting on the awning, coming to of the triangular roof to wave hello. Wasabi squinted across the street and he could see Fred lounging lazily in front of the restaurant, chatting casually with the girls he met yesterday. Honey and Go Go! he remembered, mustering up all his courage to stroll nonchalantly down the street and wave to them like any normal person would.
"H-Hey!" Wasabi managed to stammer out once he saw the trio, all smiles and warm welcomes, "What's up?" Smiling, he listened politely as Honey Lemon- That was her name, Wasabi remembered finally- filled him in, spouting things about chemical mixtures and the after-effects of formaldehyde. Her green eyes shone as she went on, brushing her blond hair behind her ears and smoothing the skirt of her pale yellow sundress, paired with tall pink sandal wedges.
"So, how are you this afternoon?" her question broke through his thoughts, and Wasabi felt his face getting hot as he played absentmindedly with one of his dreads. Go Go rolled her eyes at him, blowing a rather large bubble before it popped in her face, making her jump in surprise.
"Nice blowing, Go Go!" Fred joked, sticking his tongue out at her as she snapped her gum.
"Whatever, Gator Boy," she teased back, playfully punching his arm. Wasabi was surprised. Fred was usually very, well, nerdy and annoying. Seeing him hanging out casually with two girls (very pretty girls, he had to admit) was very surprising, and kind of…. nice. Wasabi thought it showed a nice side to him, one that Wasabi would be very okay with seeing more often.
"Well, shall we go inside?" Fred grabbed the door just as it swung open, a little girl and her father walking out, "Honey and Go Go said they were hungry."
Wasabi shrugged, "Why else would we be here if we weren't hungry?" Fred just laughed and they waltzed inside, a blast of cool air hitting them in the faces from an unseen air conditioner. It felt as if he were being wrapped in a blanket compared to the heat outside. That, and he noticed that cats were everywhere.
Not actual cats, but little figurines and things like that. Small cats, big cats, medium sized cats. Cats made of glass, cats made of clay- they were everywhere! Tugging at his collar, he followed Honey, Fred, and Go Go to a table over by the large window, chairs scraping the floor loudly. The gold paint on the window that displayed the cafe's name was peeling, and Wasabi fought the urge to pick off the little gold flecks that threatened to beak free from the glass. The walls, he noticed were painted a pale green, matching his sweater perfectly (he was thankful no one had pointed it out yet, or the fact that he was wearing a sweater in such distressing heat.)
"Honey! Go Go!"
The four of them turned to find a woman run up to them excitedly, clenching and unclenching her fingers as she wrapped each girl in a bear hug, ruffling Fred's hiar- although, since he was wearing the same beanie from yesterday's orientation, she ended up rubbing the wool with her palm, skewering it out of place on his head. Wasabi scanned the woman up and down as she began to chat with the girls:
She was very pretty for an older woman, with kind brown eyes and a wide smile. Her brown hair was short, and she wore a black t-shirt over a pair of capris, ballet flats on her feet. A white apron covered her clothes and she was covered with flour, the white powder rising and falling as she moved.
"So, who are these handsome fellas, huh?" she joked, jabbing Honey with her elbow. Go Go rolled her eyes as Honey blushed.
"Oh, this is Fred," she pointed tot eh fanboy, who was grinning broadly, then to Wasabi, "And this is Wasabi." The woman clapped her hands excitedly.
"Oh, you two must know my nephew!" she blurted, pushing her hair out of her face, as she added quickly, "I should tell him you guys are here you can all hang out-"
"Miss Hamada, it's okay," Go Go cut her off bluntly, leaning back in her chair.
"Go Go I told you- call me Aunt Cass!" she replied, "And besides, Tadashi's been holed up in his room all day- Hiro is so busy with him these days I do not know what those two even do with their lives anymore, I swear-"
Aunt Cass? Wasabi thought as she walked away mumbling to herself. She didn't look that old. There was a possibility that she was Tadashi's mother, but they didn't look at all related. And who's Hiro? Letting his eyes dart around, his gaze brushed many other patrons as they read newspapers or sipped from steaming bowls of soup. An old man was quietly humming to himself as he adjusted a pair of headphones on his ears.
"Wasabi?" Cass Hamada's voice broke through his daydreaming, and he turned to her, startled to see her standing there patiently, pencil poised above her notepad.
"Oh, yeah?" Wasabi ran a hand awkwardly through his hair.
"What would you like to have, sweetheart?" she asked politely, gesturing to the menus sitting on the table. Quickly he skimmed the items on the menu, rattling off some random oder before she walked away, leaving the four teens in peace.
"So, Wasabi," Go go said through her gum, "What do you plan on working on at the lab?"
Wasabi was caught off guard- Go Go was asking him about his plans? Coughing into his fist, he said plainly, "Oh, uh, something involving plasma, hopefully. Nothing major." Go Go didn't answer, instead nodded silently as she stuck out her tongue, a wad of pink hanging on the end. Without missing a beat, she plucked it off her tongue and smacked it onto the table, crossing her arms defiantly. She smirked as she watched him try not to shiver.
Gross, he thought, a voice calling for their attention:
"Go Go, we have rules about gum. Either wrap it up and throw it away or swallow."
"Whatever, Tadashi," Go Go gave him an exasperated sigh as she peeled the nasty goop off the table, leaving pink strings on the formica and tossed it into a nearby garbage can. Fred whooped loudly as it went in, imitating a score manager at a basketball game.
"And the crowd goes wild!" he laughed, Honey laughing along with him. Wasabi thought it sounded almost like bells, light and soft.
"Very funny, Fred," Tadashi admonished, plates clinking on the tray that he held. With shaking hands, Wasabi watched as Tadashi slow placed eat plate on the table, sighing with relief once his trembling fingers released the ceramic dining ware. "Okay, who ordered the octopus miso soup?" There was a strained silence as everyone looked over their meals. Was abi noticed the others already had plates in front of them, fried dishes of chicken and hot bowls of long noodles.
So that meant the dish was his.
"Uh, that'd be me," Wasabi said sheepishly. Tadashi raised an eyebrow at him, glaring at the bowl he was holding.
"Are you sure?" he asked, "Because even though miso soup is commonly a Japanese dish, my Aunt decided to mix it up with octopus. I don't know if you'd like it."
Wasabi tugged at his collar- was it getting hotter in the restaurant? Or was it just him? Tadashi waited patiently, and Wasabi could feel his eyes boring into him for a response.
"Y-yeah!" Wasabi declared nervously, "I love octopus!" Grinning, Tadashi placed the dish in front of him, the smell making Wasabi want to hurl.
"If you insist," he sighed, tucking the tray under his arm, "Enjoy, okay? I'll be at the bar if you ned anything."
A Tadashi waled away, Honey Lemon and Go Go filled the two boys in on Tadashis background:
"The woman you guys met? That's his aunt, "said Honey, "she's so sweet, right?"
"Hiro is apparently his little brother," Go Go chimed in lazily inspecting her nails with a deadpan expression, "I heard the kid graduated high school at thirteen."
Wow, Wasabi thought, gulping as he stole a glance at his dish.
To make a long story short, it did not look at all appetizing.
"Oh!" Honey's exclamation distracted him from his doom, "And they have a darling little cat named Mochi-"
"Like the food?" Fred asked, smiling when Honey nodded.
"Also, Wasabi, they're half Caucasian, half Japanese" Go Go said, chomping on her fries, "Since you looked a tad confused when Tadashi's Aunt Cass introduced herself." Wasabi nodded. That explained that then.
"What about their parents?" Fred piped up between mouthfuls of meat. He was eating a burger- very sloppily, mustard and ketchup and bread spewing from his mouth, stuck between his teeth. There was a pause as Honey opened her mouth to answer, only to reply with a simple "I don't know, actually. We never asked, but I'm sure he'll tell us sometime."
As Wasabi tried to listen and pick politely at the octopus legs lounging in his soup, the tinkling of a bell caught his attention and he looked up to see Professor Callaghan stride into the cafe, hands jammed into the pockets of his brown trousers. He was wearing a white button down shirt under a red sweater vest, sending a nod their way when he noticed the students.
"Hey, what's Professor Callaghan doing here?" Go Go asked, her brown eyes narrowed in suspicion.
"It's a restaurant, silly!" Honey giggled, "Everyone is allowed to eat here- besides, why is it weird to see a teacher outside of school?" Go Go shrugged, the leather of her jacket creaking and squealing.
"I dunno," Go Go said, "I always assumed they lived in some sort of burrow underneath the building like a bunch of sewer rats or something." Wasabi laughed along with Fred and Honey, watching their teacher out of the corner of his eye. The older man sat himself down at a table, patiently waiting for someone to take his order as he flipped through the menu.
A few minutes later, he saw Tadashi stride over, with a blue apron tied around his waist, and he was wearing a plan white t-shirt paired with blue jeans and green sneakers. Wasabi recognized the shoes as the ones Tadashi had worn at orientation, then to class the next day once school had officially started. As they began to chat, wasabi thought he noticed Professor Callaghan fidget in his chair, as if he was trying to scotch closer to the twenty-one year old student.
"Weird…" Wasabi muttered to himself, as Tadashi was obviously oblivious to the action- he probably did notice it, but Wasabi knew the guy wasn't stupid-
"What's weird?" Honey asked, regaining his attention.
"Oh, uh, nothing!" Wasabi said, his voice squeaking as he tried sounding chipper. Thankfully Honey accepted this answer and went back to discussing whatever it was she was talking about with Fred and Go Go.
His octopus miso soup was now old, but Wasabi didn't care, as he watched Tadashi walk away from Callaghan's table, to come back later with a platter of fried fish. Amongst the din, he strained to hear their conversation, but to no avail.
However, it seemed that Tadashi had froze in his place as Professor Callaghan beckoned him to bend over so he could whisper in his ear, and he thought he could see the young man's face turn beet red with embarrassment.
Wasabi watched as Tadashi managed to slink away back to the bar after a few minutes, disappearing behind the silver double doors that he presumed lead to the kitchen.