Blue
Chapter 4
Disclaimer: I don't own Gorillaz.
Hey guys, here's an update to prove I didn't forgot about this…
Rebecca led Hubert to the back alley of the building in question. She climbed the wood stairs to the apartment above the dojo. There was a soft red light coming from inside the windows due to the thin red curtains. She shivered as she set her bags down on the landing under the porch light. Hubert also put his bag down and looked at her expectantly.
Rebecca quickly knocked gently on the door. The wind chimes hanging from the light tinkled dolefully. She saw the light being blocked from the peephole in the door before hearing the various locks scrape open.
In front of her stood the thin, silk robe clad, barefoot Japanese woman. Noodle immediately swooped down upon her.
"Rebecca, what are you dong here? Does D know you're here? You aren't in some sort of trouble, are you? Come in." She moved aside and Rebecca quickly grabbed her things and walked into the warm apartment. She set her bags down and kicked off her shoes. Hubert set his belongings next to hers.
"Shoes off." She muttered at him.
"Oh. Alright." Becca looked around at the Japanese styled apartment.
"I will make some tea. Go sit." Noodle instructed.
"Yes Auntie."
Rebecca scurried over to a kotatsu set up in the middle of the living room. She was thankful to see that Noodle had the seats with backs on them.
"This. Is. Awesome." Hubert cleaned his glasses before practically bounding over to the table.
"May I ask who exactly you are?" Noodle asked as she set down the teapot and teacups.
"Auntie, this is Hubert. He is friends with James." She gave her a look that indicated she had no choice in him coming. Noodle returned the look with one that was very confused.
"So, what are you doing here?" Noodle settled in under the kotatsu.
"Well, you see-"
The cordless phone on the table rang..
"Hold on one second." Noodle picked it up. "Hai? D? Slow down. Yes, I know, she's sitting in front of me right now. Calm down, she's safe and brought a friend. No, she isn't hurt. Alright, alright, calm down. She can stay here for the night. No, I'm not bringing her up there with that recent zombie infestation at night! Fine. Yes, you can come get her in the morning. No. NO. NO! Watashi wa atode o yobidasu koto ni narimasu!" Noodle hung up.
"Um…"
"Yes, that was your father. Your mother called him a half hour ago to say you were missing."
"A half hour ago?" Hubert asked. "Seriously, it took them that long to figure out you were missing?"
"They probably thought I was at my grandparents." Rebecca looked down guiltily.
"Um, I don't want to be a bother, but may I use your bathroom?" Hubert asked.
"Yes. Down the hall to the left."
"Thanks." He stood up and hurried off.
"So," Noodle turned her attention to the blue haired girl. "What are you doing here?"
"I…um…well…I couldn't deal with it." Rebecca looked down, face red in embarrassment.
"With what?" Noodle asked. Rebecca looked up into her green eyes. Auntie had so much grace about her, from the way she walked to how she put her hair up. Oh how she envied the woman in front of her for that kind of natural grace.
"With everyone. My family. My teachers, my classmates. Everyone."
"Can you explain a little more? I mean, what is going on? It's not like you to suddenly run off and leave everyone worried."
Rebecca snorted slightly.
"Well, my step father thinks I'm a freak, my siblings are treated much better than I am by him and my step family, my teachers think I'm lying about my hair color, my classmates torment me, and I don't know." Rebecca played with the fabric of the kotatsu.
"Get up eight."
"What?"
"Fall down seven times. Get up eight."
"Huh?"
"Fall down seven times. Get up eight." Noodle repeated.
"I don't get it."
"Old Japanese proverb. Think about it." Noodle sipped her tea.
"But-"
"Just do it. Now, are you sure you're not over-exaggerating about how your siblings and family is treating you?" Noodle asked as she leaned forward on her elbows.
"They never forget the twins birthday while mine is often forgotten except by Mum, Dad, my grandparents, you and Uncle Russel. Frank makes a point of going to the pub that day and night. I often get barely in the edge of the Christmas photos when we go visit Frank's family. The only photo of me in the house is our latest family portrait and even then, Frank got wallets of just him, Mum and the twins when I went and used the loo at the studio and that's what he sent out for the Christmas photo."
Noodle muttered something in Japanese as she shook her head.
"I'm sorry you have to deal with this. Does D know? What does Kathy think?"
"Mum tries to get him to accept me. She really does. But he really just thinks I'm a freak that Mum happened to give birth to. Did you know, he never legally adopted me? I don't think Dad knows and I haven't really told him. I mean, I don't want to upset him with that. Hubert is really taking a long time in the bathroom…"
"He might be reading that novel I left in there."
"Probably."
"It's a Charles Dickens."
"Yeah, he's reading it then."
"Why is he here?"
"He found out I was coming and refused to let me come by myself. It's like he thinks he's my bodyguard or something."
"That's…odd. So, what are you going to do? You need to go back home sometime. Why didn't they just call your mobile phone?"
"I turned it off." Rebecca admitted.
"Rebecca…Not a smart move."
"I know. I don't know yet. I just needed to get away for a little bit."
"You can't stay with D forever you know. The residence laws…It's going to be a huge mess. Plus, life in Kong isn't that great Rebecca. You're on constant alert for demons, spirits and zombies. I slept with swords just in case some nights."
"I'm not looking to stay forever. I just…I just…I don't know." Rebecca began to tear up. "I just can't take it anymore Auntie."
Hubert leaned against the wall in the hallway. No, he wasn't going to go interrupt this.
"I tried everything. Hair dye, hats…Our new headmaster is threatening all of us with punishment if we don't conform to school dress code. But the problem is none of us girls can because our hair won't dye or bleach. It either turns lighter blue or darker blue. Lucas is taking to shaving his head, but the fuzz and eyebrows are still blue."
"Hmm…I have no idea what to tell you, Becca-chan. Look, it's late. You can take the spare room. Your friend can have the futon. I just cleaned it today. The room that is and washed all the sheets, just in case anyone came besides my fiancé's mother."
"When are you two getting married Auntie? You've been engaged as long as I can remember. Are you even getting married at this point?"
"Yes, soon-ish."
"Please don't say April-ish."
Noodle giggled.
"Go to bed. Tomorrow is a new day and I'm sure tomorrow, you and D will have much to discuss."
Rebecca nodded.
Hubert came back out of the hall to find Noodle and Rebecca moving the kotatsu.
"You're sleeping here tonight." Noodle nodded at him as she unfolded the futon couch. She gestured to the neatly folded blankets and pillow in the corner.
"Thank you." He nodded. "I might not need all those blankets though."
"My apartment gets cold in this room, I'm warning you."
"Okay. Thanks."
"You're welcome. Rebecca, you know where the spare room is."
"Yes Auntie." Rebecca picked up her bag and guitar case and walked back to the room.
The room was decorated in purple and black, a few framed vinyl records of Gorillaz hung in shadow boxes around the room. She gave a faint smile as she dropped her bag and shut and locked the door behind her.
"So why are you here?" Noodle looked Hubert in the eye as he set up camp.
"I wasn't letting her come alone. I mean, something could've happened to her on the way over here. James wouldn't have let me live if that happened and he found out I knew she was coming."
"Bzzzzt. Incorrect." Noodle gave thumbs down. "Tell me the other half of the real reason. You like her don't you?"
"Erm, um, I, er…"
"Exactly." Noodle finished her tea. "It's extremely obvious."
Hubert turned scarlet.
"I-I'm going back on the train after this weekend. Just making sure she got here alright. I tried to talk her out of it, but she wouldn't listen."
"Are you her boyfriend?"
"No."
"Then it really isn't your place to be escorting her around the country."
"I know."
"Then why are you?"
"Because I wanted to get out of town for a few days, go on a adventure?"
"This is a family matter, not an adventure." Noodle spoke in a very serious tone. "You should go home in the morning. She arrived here safely. Her father will be by in the morning to pick her up."
Hubert for once was silent.
"Now you might want to go to bed if you're getting up and catching the train. Goodnight." She walked back to the spare room and knocked gently on the door.
"Becca-chan…open up please?"
Rebecca got up and opened the door. Noodle walked in, shut the door behind her and sat on the bed. She patted the spot next to her. Rebecca sat down.
"Is there anything else I need to know about?" Noodle asked. "Anything I can help with?" The Asian woman played with the silver sakura pendant around her neck.
"I don't know Auntie. What time is it though?"
"About eleven thirty. You need some rest after today, yes?"
"Yeah."
"Goodnight."
"Night."
Noodle nodded and walked out.
As she walked back into her own room, she pulled out her cell phone and dialed.
"Hey D."
"How is she?" Stu demanded.
"She's…troubled."
"Troubled? 'Bout wot then?"
"Her step-family. School. She'd had enough I suppose, she's having a bit of a rough time. I'm sure she'll explain it to you tomorrow."
Stu was silent on the other end.
"Are you sure, I can't come by tonight?"
"Very. She's in bed now. She's sleeping in my spare room."
"Wot's this then about a friend?"
"Friend of one of the boys apparently. Found out she was coming and tried to talk her out of it and ended up making sure she was safe getting here."
"He-he-he ain't her boyfriend, is he?" Stu started to sound panicky.
"No. He likes her though. That much is obvious."
"Are you POSITIVE I can't-"
"Yes D."
"Awright, awright. I'll see you in the morning then darling. Night Noodle."
"Goodnight D." Noodle hung up and crawled into bed.