I've never been good at overcoming first impressions, which is a shame because the first time I met Shiro, he was at our door asking if we had a moment for Jesus Christ.
I remember I nearly pissed myself. My parents are SCIENTISTS. For the first half of my life I thought "God" was just a curse word and not something people actually believed in. And on the occasions that I DO meet people who believe in God, they're usually well-meaning holyrollers offering to pray for "your child's condition." My parents politely decline.
So when this guy came to our door with a suit and a Bible, I knew I was in for a great show. I was hoping my parents would give him an earful of the latest in evolutionary research, but they just kinda smiled and nodded through a few passages of whatever holy bullshit he was giving them.
Yeah, a bit less funny than I'd hoped.
But it's a damn good thing I didn't leave.
Before he left, he loaded my parents up with brochures and bookmarks and probably a sticker or something. And then he looked at me and gave me something too.
Strangers don't usually smile at me that way. It's usually just a generic (or mildly pitying) kind of thing, but I swear Shiro looked at me like he'd known me for years. Like I was more than just someone's weird kid who wasn't the same anymore.
Admittedly my first reaction was that it was a shame someone so great was the one handing out "Ticket to Heaven" leaflets. I'm generally not one to associate with Christians, since at some point or another I usually end up upsetting them. And a few more reasons than that. But no one who talked about Jesus had ever made me feel that way before.
It's as embarrassing as it sounds; I was excited to open this thing he had given me.
So, it turns out, some person out there has made a career of drawing creepy cartoons about sinners going to Hell and stuff. And it turns out that's what Shiro decided was the best thing to give me. I flicked through the booklet and felt some combination of amusement and disappointment.
But then, wedged between the pages where the cat gets sacrificed to Satan, was a handwritten note.
Katie.
I almost dropped it.
You don't know me but I consider you a friend. I understand you feel different from the people around you. If you want to talk to me, I can help you find some answers.
Signed by one Takashi "Shiro" Shirogane, with a phone number.
Damn. Sketchy.
But I wasn't my parents' sweet little Matt. I called the fuck out of that number.