Nyaagaaaaaaah... I arise from the swamps of NaNo to hand you this update, in which Joshua's character development gets stuck in reverse and Rhyme gets some depth. Or do they?

Duh nuh nuh NAAAA!

-0-

Chapter Fourteen

-0-

Rhyme was at the Miyashita Underpass, as miserable as a kitten in a thunderstorm. First of all, her big brother had run off after a fight with their parents (again) and wasn't answering his cell phone (once more, again).

Second of all, she was waiting for Neku and Shiki to arrive to help her look for him as she'd already checked everywhere between Udagawa and the before mentioned underpass, and her brother would probably spontaneously combust if she searched anywhere else by herself. Their residence wasn't far north of the skate park behind the mural, and up to Q City was considered safe ground for the Bitos.

Third of all, she was standing beside the very street she had been near fatally injured on two years prior, and the flash of headlights on graffiti stained walls unnerved her still. It didn't help that the almost accidental 'messaging' in the carefully sloppy letters were rather violent or depressing, whispering threats and crying out in anger and pain, with fresh images stacked on old ones like hogs trampling each other in their haste for food. In a few places, some had painted over the graffiti entirely with bland beige paint, an attempt to restore the look of the original concrete.

I wish I could paint over the pains of the past, Rhyme pondered, especially philosophic in her worry and stress, and erase the heartaches of the world.

But how could I change the world if I can't even change myself? I'm still just a weak, helpless little sister.

Seconds before she was pulled backwards into someone's chest, she had noticed familiar footsteps. And now, firmly pressed against his clothes, her nose filled with cologne, she could identify said person easily.

"J-Joshua," she murmured, as headlights flashed by and his fingers frisked through her hair.

"Neku called, so here I am. Dun dun dun daaaah!" He hummed a fanfare then released her to fix his Pegaso suit. "Had to skip out of something, too, so I didn't take the time to change. Hopefully our dear Mr. Bito hasn't decided to go down the sewer."

"I'm sorry to have brought you here on such a rush," the first year blushed, trying to fix her hair in vain. Joshua shrugged as two more figures hurried their way.

"I wouldn't have come unless I wanted too, all right? So don't worry about it."

"As glad as I am you actually showed up, Josh," snorted a faintly winded Neku, having run the whole way evidently and in better condition than Shiki, "I hope you aren't just using this as an excuse to screw with your parents."

The smug answering snicker did not raise anyone's hopes.

"All right," the orange haired boy sighed, ruffling his hair and taking charge. "Where haven't you looked, Rhyme? And are you sure you don't want Hanekoma in on this?"

She nodded. "I just covered from here to Udagawa, and I'm sure. Hanekoma has... enough to worry about as it is. He can't just close the cafe whenever he feels like it. He has an obligation to his customers."

"Objection," declared Joshua. "First of all, I want to be in charge as the oldest person here. Secondly, what customers?"

"If you were in charge, we'd never get anything done, you lazy ass," lashed back Neku. "And I'm taller than you, so suck it up. Rhyme, you and Josh should head southeast, like down by Towa and Shibu. Stalker and I'll go in southwest, and we can meet in the middle of the Scramble if we can't find him after that. Then we're calling Mr. H to help, no complaints. Got it?"

The two girls exchanged nods as the other boy wrapped his arm around Shiki's thin shoulders, toying with her hair. "Oh, what, you don't trust me with your private tutor?"

"I trust you with either girl about as far as I can throw a car, but Rhyme and I know him best. Sending you off with her, " he nodded to Shiki as he slapped Joshua's hands away from the blushing girl."Would be the mute leading the blind."

"Fair enough," the silver haired boy bowed, taking Rhyme's hand as he fairly skipped out of Neku's icy sight, the sounds of their mutual friend bickering with Shiki fading as they emerged into the sunshine of the street outside of Towa Records.

Rhyme considering asking Joshua why he insisted on winding up Neku every time they met, and then remembered who she was going to ask and let the question die.

"Joshua... where were you before you came here?"

The forth-year student raised an eyebrow as he slid on a pair of sunglasses that probably cost as much as a month's food budget for Rhyme. "Why do you ask?"

"Most people don't wear suits and cologne while doing homework or watching TV."

"And have I ever acted," he purred, tilting her chin up delicately, "like most people?"

Heat was rising in her cheeks as he leaned in even closer, but her voice stayed steady. "No," she admitted. "Why are you avoiding the question?"

Chuckling humorlessly, Joshua stepped away, his smirking turning bitter. "Because it's not your business."

Stung by his bite, Rhyme bit her lip. "I'm sorry. I just..." She buttoned her lips against fresh questions. No, he won't listen to me in this mood. I need to focus on finding my brother now. So she took in a breath and set off for Towa.

Of course, Joshua was already sliding his cell phone out and hitting a speed dial. Foreboding pricked the back of her neck. "Are you calling Mr. H?" she whispered.

His eyes slid over to regard her out of the corner of the sunglasses. "I hate working up a sweat, and I'd rather just see if Beat's there before I run all over Tokyo."

"But I don't want to worry him!" She reached for the phone, hearing it ringing faintly, as Joshua danced out of her grip.

"I doubt that old miser can worry, but what gives Beat a free pass to worry you?"

Before she could reply, she heard Hanekoma's indistinct greeting over the phone, and in her frozen state Joshua pressed her against his chest again. "Hey, Mr. H, is Beat over there?"

She struggled, but her yelp of protest was muffled against the fabric of her clothes, and he held her tighter still.

"No, I was just hoping the coast was clear of Idiot. Can I come over in, say, fifteen minutes?" Another pause. "Great. Start up the espresso machine, if you please." Then he released her.

His scent was intoxicating her still, overpowering her senses like a bucket of soothingly hot water, and it was all she could do to stare at him indignantly.

"You're welcome," he noted, flipping his phone shut and slipping it into a pocket inside his white suit coat. "Now, let's go."

A little flicker of frustration burned at her sides, but Rhyme refused to rise to his bait, instead forcing a smile and taking his hand. "Right, so, you and I should cover the store here, and then I guess the Scramble, maybe Mind and Body Foods on the way since he's getting into Tin Pin for some reason."

Joshua giggled. "Tin Pin, you said? It suits him."

Rhyme could pick up on the snide insult he had buried shallowly in the statement, but she ignored it again. "Thanks again for all your help," she smiled shyly; relieved to find herself meaning it once it was out. "I know you don't really like each other, but it means a lot to me."

"Even though I'm doing it for my own selfish reasons?" He smirked, but his eyes betrayed his keen interest.

"Yep."

He gave a lone chuckle in response that reminded her intensely of Hanekoma. A question had flared up in her mind again; as they walked, she bounced it around, testing its weight and waiting for a good time to spring it on him.

The time never came, for as they emerged into the sunlight of Cadoi City, Rhyme's eyes somehow caught the familiar swaying motion of someone on a skateboard.

"Beat!" she gasped, knowing he'd never hear her but shouting all the same, and she tore across the pavement for him, with all the speed that came with years of running after an older brother on a skateboard. She'd learned to ride but she'd also learned that there was only room for one skateboard in the family, so she's been content to sprint along beside him wherever he went.

Joshua lacked that skill, so by the time she'd caught him just outside Shibu Department Store, her companion was flushed, sweating and in a fine bad temper.

She noticed this all from the corner of her eye, moments before she wrapped her older brother in a hug, refusing to let the tears show.

"I've been looking for you," she started, once she'd gotten her voice under control and she knew she could speak without whining pitifully.

"Sorry, yo," he grumbled into her hat, and she knew he was still miserable from the fight that had caused him to flee in the first place.

"Oh, you are, are you?"

Releasing each other, the Bitos stared at their somewhat forgotten companion, as he shrugged out of his sport coat, tore off his tie to shove it in his pocket, and fairly tore open the top of his black buttoned shirt. His hair was sticking slightly to his forehead, which was drawn into a foreboding scowl that shifted into a sneer as Joshua regained his composure and confidence.

"It seems to me that if you were as sorry as you seemed, you wouldn't run off and worry your little sister. I mean, honestly," he added, flipping his hair as though he was worried he was sounding too emotionally invested in his discourse, "there's little sense in apologizing for something you're going to do again."

"Don't you try to act like you know me, punk," Beat snarled, pushing Joshua hard with one large hand, as Rhyme grabbed his other.

"Beat-" she started, but Joshua cut her off.

"Like you're going to change now, huh? It sounds to me like this is something you do often. How juvenile. How pathetic." Each adverb fell on Beat's shoulders like a whip, making his jaw tighten as he almost flinched. "What kind of an older brother are you, anyway?"

"Stop it!"

Her own voice surprised herself, and both boys seemed taken aback. "Stop it, Joshua," she repeated. "How can you say those things? You run away from home, too."

The silver haired boy's eyes narrowed, cold and hard and distant as the jewelry in the store windows behind him.

"I can say what I want, dearest Rhyme," he whispered, his voice layered with venom so thick it made her physically ill, "because I make no show of apology."

The sudden sense of a fragile rope breaking made her reach out desperately for his shirt as he spun on his heel and walked away, but her arm was just too short. Fingertips brushed black fabric for a moment, and then Joshua was gone.

"Want me to geddim?" Beat peered down at her from the corner of his eye, obviously feeling guilty for their quarrel. Rhyme swallowed hard, and then shook her head.

"No," she said, finishing the statement aloud. Wanting him to open up to me after I've known him for such a short time is selfish.

"Let's just go home," Rhyme whispered, feeling with every step that even though she'd found her brother, she'd lost her friend.

-0-

Ah ha ha ha, I'm neglecting my NaNo again. I'm terrible. So terrible. Ah ha ha ha ha...

*dies and resurrects partly, like a zombie phoenix*

Also. I send my love to Divine Wolfe for all that I make her go through. C: Be strong! It only gets worse from now on in school! *waves a foam #1 finger*