Chapter 3

Meg was looking around in class. She couldn't really concentrate because the only thing she could think about was her meeting with Jo after school. She anticipated it just as much as she feared it. In the break, Sei spoke to her about that.

"Look, I know she's scary, but it's no reason to get so excited."

W-what? I'm not excited."

"Oh, please. You're more hopped up than that time you drank Red Bull right after drinking coffee." Meg frowned.

"That was a dark day."

"Anyway, she did invite you. There's nothing to be afraid of."

"Except of what she has to tell me. I mean, I want to know what she has to say, but I'm also afraid that it'll be, I don't know, disturbing."

"I can see why you would think that, but you did bring this on yourself." Meg sighed.

"I know. I know." She looked at her watch. "Still more than five hours. Alright, let's do this." Sei smiled.

"Right."

Later, after school, Meg was waiting for Jo to come up. As she waited, she thought about what Jo might have to say. She really is tough, but when she's around her brother, she's completely tame. I really wonder what kind of a past the two of them have. I wonder where she is. She looked at the entrance to the roof, then down. There, in the school yard, stood Jo, with her brother. And it seemed as though they were arguing.

"Jo, think about this. It's mad."

"But Karl, I have to tell someone, I just have to. I can't carry this around with me any longer." She looked down. "I've been dragging this around with me for ten years, I have to let it go."

"Jo, it's your choice. But you'll have to face the consequences." She looked at him again. "Nobody's good at accepting these kind of things." She nodded.

"I-I'm sorry, brother. I just have to do this." Karl smiled and ran his hand over the eye-patch that covered his left eye.

"I gave a lot so that you could have the freedom to do talk. And I'm glad that you're starting to find your own way. But Jo, are you sure she's the right one to tell."

"Trust me, brother." She looked up at Meg, who quickly pulled her head back, and smiled. "She's the one." Karl looked up as well and started leaving.

"Just make sure you're not late for work."

"Will do." Jo then went up. Meg looked at her when she entered the roof.

"Hey, listen, just so you know, I didn't hear anything."

"Would have amazed me if you had, from that distance."

"Uhh, right." Meg face-palmed. She then looked at Jo, who just smiled at her. That's the first time I've ever seen her with a friendly expression. "So, umm, you wanted to talk to me?" The smile then disappeared off Jo's face.

"Yeah."

"And your brother wasn't happy about it."

"Yeah, I love him, but he's overly protective of me, though I can take care of myself."

"I suppose older brothers are like fathers a bit." Meg then got a burning look from Jo.

"God forbid, Karl were to ever become like THAT man."

"That man? That's how you call your father."

"That man wasn't a father." She then walked over to the railing and propped herself on her elbows. "That man was an animal." She then looked over to Meg and motioned her to come beside her. She went over and propped herself on her palms. Then Jo looked out into nothing. "I was born 18 years ago in one of the dirtiest parts of Tokyo. My father was a drinker, losing one job after the other. My mother was a woman for everything, and I mean EVERYTHING. She would often have Karl keep me quiet in the next room. And in the evening, our dad would come home, totally drunk, and go after us. He said he and mom would be better off if we weren't there. Karl always protected. After that man was finished with him, he would leave me alone, having let all of his rage out on Karl. Only on nights when he lost his job, which was like, every third day, he would also go for me. And our mother would just sit in a corner and wait for him to finish. Then the two of them would go into the next room. After taking that for a few years, we could barely feel anything. I think I would have died without Karl. And to think that he took it for five years before I showed up. It truly was hell. After my brother got a job with nine, that man calmed down a bit. But then, ten years ago, our apartment burned down. We couldn't afford another apartment, the way we were. My father went mad. My brother told me to go around the corner and wait for him. That's what I did. I waited. There was an argument between the three that got so loud that I covered my ears. But I could still hear noises. From what I heard, the argument had turned to an all-out fight between Karl and that man. I even closed my eyes and started singing a lullaby Karl taught me. I heard our mom scream. At first, it was worried screams, then high-pitched terror screams. A few seconds later, her screams became real loud, then silence. After a few moments, I stopped singing and opened my eyes. I looked around and saw Karl. I asked him where the two were, and he said they had abandoned us. I looked around the corner and saw the two walk away, my mother practically carrying that man. Karl then took my hand and we left. We lived our lives, working all kinds of jobs. Two years ago, my brother joined the army. That was the best. He was really happy with his job and we got paid well. But there was a problem: I was a troublemaker. I smoked, I played pranks on the teachers, I even got arrested. He had to come back and take care of me. Because of me, he has to slave away for 9 hours as a janitor during the day, and 9 hours as a warehouse watchman during the night. He only gets two times 3 hours to sleep. He's as good as dead, just so that I wouldn't make trouble. I even try helping him by working in the supermarket for 4 hours a day, but he sill works like crazy. He wants me to consider the money I make a college bonus." Jo heard a soft sob and looked over at Meg. She was crying.

"That's the s-saddest story I have ever h-heard."

"Hey, it's no reason to cry."

"You're one to talk."

"What?" Jo then noticed that tears were also running down her cheeks. "How long...?"

"The entire time, Jo." Jo then let the emotions she had built up overwhelm her. "I wish he would go back to the army. I can behave. I really think I can."

"I'm sure you can, Jo." Jo then sunk into Meg's arms and cried her eyes out. She's like a child. All this time of behaving like an adult has gotten to her. It's good she got it off her. "Don't worry, Jo." Meg said as she softly stroked Jo's hair. "I'm sure it's gonna be alright. You, of all people, deserve it."

R&R