War of the Crests
Part 1: Light
-Chapter 3: Secrets-
Tai knocked three times. Unlike Matt's knock, his own was very cliché, one-two-three, just like you might hear in a movie or on a crappy TV show. It was a salesman's knock, friendly and familiar.
"One minute!" Sora's voice barely made it through the door, but Tai had heard her enough times, had visited enough times since she got the apartment that he knew her automatic response. Tai knew that she would, in fact, take about a minute. She was probably painting something, or getting her hair to do just what she wanted, or…no, Sora wasn't one for makeup. She had a pretty enough face without it. He looked down at himself and checked his appearance while he waited. He was wearing an old pilot's jacket that belonged to his grandfather during World War II. The Rising Sun flag's colors on his shoulder were faded to a pinkish-red and an off white, and he'd had to stitch it back on after it began to peel off. Likewise, the wool in the collar was a bit rough these days. But he liked the coat. It was a little warm in this weather (bright and shiny, in opposition to yesterday's downpour), but it was something special to him, given to him when his grandfather died a couple years ago. Even if Japan was villainized for their actions in during World War II, he felt proud to wear it, like he was carrying a piece of history with him. He was also wearing some old jeans (with real tears in the knees) and a white tee under the jacket. Over the shirt, his crest hung loose around his neck, completing the ensemble.
About a minute after her announcement, Tai heard the lock click open and the door swung inward. Sora's hair was pulled back in a pony tail. She wore a white tank-top with paint spots all over it from years of use, her sports-bra's straps thicker than those on the top. A pair of gray, paint-spattered sweat-pants joined the top. She was barefoot, and her hands were dark from working with charcoal. A few black smudges on her face marked where she'd gripped her chin in thought while working, or rubbed her temple in frustration.
She smiled as she saw Tai, and her eyes lit up a bit, "Tai! What brings you here?"
"Matt," Tai said. Short, concise. He looked away for a second before bringing his gaze back up to her eyes. The light faded.
"Oh," she said, looking away as well, and bringing a hand up to scratch at the back of her head, a nervous tic.
"He left his guitar," Tai said. Matt had asked him to come, said it would make things easier. Easier for who? Tai thought.
Sora looked back, dropping her arm, "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Right. Um, it's…over there." She pointed across the room. Indeed, Matt's bass was sitting in the corner, inside an open case.
"Can I come in?" Tai asked. "You know, to get it."
"Oh. Yeah, sure." She said, stepping out of the way and itching the back of her neck again. This was more awkward than Tai had thought it would be. "I'd grab it, but…" she wiggled her charcoal-blackened fingers.
"Yeah. He wouldn't want that," Tai entered and walked toward the guitar. Sora closed the door behind him. Sora's apartment wasn't big, and wasn't particularly nice, but there was something very…Sora about it. The only furniture in the living room was a couch, under which, Tai knew, rested Sora's laptop. A small TV sat atop a table large enough to hold it and a DVD player. Beneath the table, a stack of DVDs awaited use, half of them pirated by Izzy. The rest of the living room was dedicated to Sora's art supplies. Two easels stood tall, each calibrated for a different-sized canvas. A pile of sketch books larger than the pile of DVDs rested beside Matt's bass. Boxes of paints and old coffee cans filled with brushes, pencils and charcoal scattered a bare floor. They'd ripped up the carpet so that she wouldn't stain it. The kitchen was in much better condition, as it was Matt's domain while he was here. Each type of cooking utensil was sorted into its own container on the countertops, and each spice, Tai knew, was either in the cupboards above the stove, or sitting on the ledge just behind it. They had a fairly-stocked refrigerator, and a collection of pots and pans ranging in size and consistency, from cast iron to teflon-coated stainless steel. Let it never be said that Matt never took anything seriously. Tai glanced toward the door that led to the master bedroom. Inside, he knew he'd find a dresser, a closet, and a pair of mattresses on the floor. Sora bought them off craig's list immediately after she moved out. She couldn't afford a frame, and didn't think she needed one anyway. Beside the bed, he'd find Matt's laptop. He'd have to grab that, too.
He knew Sora's home so well, knew her so well, yet this situation still felt awkward.
He reached the guitar, closed the case, locking it up tight, and picked it up by the suitcase-like handle. He turned around and saw Sora standing right in front of him. She must have snuck up on him with her bare feet. Before he even finished turning around, she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him down, planting her lips against his. She slipped her tongue into his mouth, and he reciprocated the action, dropping the guitar and wrapping his own arms around her, pulling her up onto her toes. She tasted like charcoal from licking her fingers to shade whatever she was drawing. How he'd come to love that taste.
They parted and she whispered in his ear, "I locked the door."
He slipped off the jacket and let it fall on Matt's guitar, and the two of them stumbled across the living room together toward the bedroom, their lips parting only long enough to remove articles of clothing along the way.
Yeah…sleeping with your best friend's girlfriend was awkward, even after they broke up.
"You sure you don't want to come with us?" TK asked, straightening his hat. Matt simply put up a hand and waved him away, staring at the TV screen.
"Gotta wait for Tai to get back," he said, his voice monotone and distracted.
"All right," TK said. "You want us to pick you anything up on our way back?"
"No. I'm fine," Matt replied. Kari looked over at TK and shrugged. He nodded back.
"Talk to you when we get back, then," Kari said. "Keep the place safe."
Matt waved goodbye, but didn't look at them, "No worries."
Kari locked the door as they exited anyway. Matt was…distracted. This whole thing with Sora was hitting him hard. She and TK started down the hall toward the elevators.
"So how's your paper for history coming?" Kari asked. They had the same history class, and had been given an essay to write over the break.
"I had to re-write it," TK replied. "It was in my bag yesterday, and it got wet in the rain."
"Ouch," Kari winced, "that sucks. What was with that storm, anyway? It's not even fall yet."
They reached the elevator, and TK almost walked past it, but Kari caught his arm. She knew his apartment building had issues with its elevator, and he usually just skipped to the stairs. Hers, however, was functioning just fine, and she hit the button to head down. He stopped, smiling at his mistake, and they waited a few seconds for the elevator to arrive. They entered, she pushed the button for the main floor, and TK's hand found hers, almost by instinct. He wasn't great in enclosed spaces. Not necessarily claustrophobic, but uncomfortable. It was okay. She liked the feel of his hand against hers. He had sports-hands, not quite calloused like those of someone who did farm or metal-work for a living, but thick-skinned. They were the same hands that Davis, Tai and Ken had.
"So…Matt…" TK said. When he found out about the whole Matt situation, he was…surprised, to say the least. Sora lived two floors below him in the same building. The idea of having Matt around had been a comfort, Kari thought.
The elevator stopped and the doors opened. TK loosened his grip on Kari's hand, but she kept hers and their hands stayed connected as they entered the lobby.
"Yeah…Matt," Kari responded.
"Is he going to be…living with you guys?"
"Sounds like. He doesn't want to go back to hi…your dad's place because…I don't know," Kari said. "Tai said it has something to do with his personal honor."
TK nodded as they exited the building through the front doors and the sun washed over them, warm and bright, "he doesn't want to go back to Dad a failure."
"What do you mean?"
"When he left to live with Sora, that was it. He was on his own. It's not like he abandoned Dad or anything, or there's any bad blood between them. But leaving home…that's a big deal, you know? That's like…a be your own man type thing. If he crawls back home, he'll just prove that he's still a kid." TK explained as they headed across the parking lot for his car.
"What is he, Samurai? This isn't the Edo period, anymore," Kari replied, her own essay having, apparently, taken root in her brain.
"It doesn't matter," TK said. "I mean, Dad would probably agree with you. But Matt's always been his own guy, you know? Never a follower." They found his car and he released her hand to unlock the door. He got in, unlocked Kari's side, and she joined him.
The doors shut, Kari said, "I just don't get it. It's not…rational, I guess."
They buckled up and TK replied, "you're right. It's not rational. But that's just the way it is."
"I guess," Kari said. It didn't really make sense to her, but such was life. TK started the car, and something across street caught her eye. Something glass flashed in the sunlight, and she looked up to see someone walking along the sidewalk. She immediately recognized the figure. Dark gray sweatshirt, red hair, goggles around the neck, it was Davis.
"Hey, it's Davis," she pointed him out.
TK looked up from checking his mirrors and saw him. "Oh yeah, it is. You want to invite him along?"
Kari thought about it for a second. They were going to go to a movie yesterday alone before the whole Matt incident. They'd rescheduled for today, and made it a double date with Ken and Yolei. Bringing Davis couldn't hurt. After all, it'd be nice to get everyone back together again.
"Do you mind?" She asked TK.
"Nah," TK said, waving a hand at the walking boy across the street, "I was in the mood to have a good argument, anyway."
He was joking, of course. She could practically smell it on him, but she made sure, just to be safe. "Is that a 'yes, let's bring him' or a 'no, I'd rather not?'"
"Call him over. It'll be nice to get the gang together again," he smiled at her, and she smiled back. She unbuckled, opened the door, and stepped out.
Cupping her hands around her mouth to project her voice, she shouted, "Davis!"
He turned to see who was calling him. She waved her hands in the air, and he waved back.
"Want to see a movie?" She shouted. Davis checked oncoming traffic, and in the span of a breath he was across the street. God was he fast. He hopped over the short hedges surrounding the parking lot and approached the car. TK was standing outside his own door, now, his arms crossed over the roof of the car.
Davis looked at each of them in turn and said, "a movie?"
"Yeah," Kari replied. "We were going to meet Ken and Yolei at the theater. You want to come?"
Davis felt his pocket, then said, "I don't have much money. I was saving it for tomorrow."
Why tomorrow?
"It's cool," TK said. "Ken will pay for you, rich boy that he is."
"You sure?" Davis asked, shoving his hands into his pockets.
"Yeah," TK said, spreading his arms out toward the sky. "A nice day like this? Who'd want to be outside in the sunshine when you can sit in a cold theater?" Davis blinked a couple times, not quite understanding.
"He's being sarcastic," Kari said, shooting a 'you know better than that' glance at TK, who smiled and replaced his arms on the car. "We'd love for you to come."
Davis glanced again at each of them, unsure, and hesitantly agreed. Kari scooted her seat up and let him in the back. He hopped in and she scooted the seat back again. As they buckled in for the second time, Davis's knees bumped into her back through the seat. She didn't complain, though, and they were off.
For the most part, they rode in awkward silence, and Kari noted that, other than the occasional soccer game and when he came to visit Tai, she hadn't seen Davis in a long time, much less held a conversation with him. She tried to think of a conversation starter, but nothing interesting came to mind, so she glanced at the rear-view mirror to see if he was as nervous as she. He was staring out the back window, eyes thoughtful and dreamy. It was a strange look on his face. Everything she remembered about him was loud and raucous and intense. She'd never seen solace on his face before.
He wore it well.
About halfway there, Kari spotted a Starbucks along the side of the road. Coffee sounded good right now, and she had some money in her checking account to spare. She pointed toward it and asked TK to pull in. He did.
"Anybody else want anything?" She asked as TK parked.
"My wallet's bone-dry except for gas money and cash for the movie," TK said.
"Yeah. Saving my money for tomorrow," Davis said from the back seat.
"Come on, guys. I'm buying," Kari told them.
"In that case—" TK began, but Davis's order interrupted him.
"Grandé caramel double-shot macchiato, low foam, not too hot."
TK and Kari both turned around in their seats to look at Davis, dumb-founded.
"Come again?" Kari asked.
He just looked back at them, rolled his eyes, and said, "just give them my name."
"So you're a regular, then," TK said.
"You think?" Davis asked, folding his arms.
TK smiled, looked over to Kari, and said, "grandé iced green tea."
"Okay," Kari said, "be right back." She hopped out of the car, and entered the Starbucks. There were only a couple people here. Not surprising. In Kari's experience, Starbucks was kind of a 'rainy day' place for people. Somewhere they could get something warm to drink in a nice atmosphere.
She knew the girl standing behind the counter from school, though couldn't recall her name. She was in Kari's language arts class. She approached the counter and saw Kimiko emblazoned on a pin on the girl's chest.
"Hey, Kari," Kimiko said. She was known in the class for being…creative was probably the best word. Whenever they had a presentation, she would always do something different than the rest of the class, like an acted skit or a song. Similarly, she was one of the only people to dye her hair, though Kari did admit the pink-red streaks were cute.
"Hey. I didn't know you worked here," Kari said.
"Yeah. It's a living. What can I get started for you?" Kimiko asked.
"A grandé iced black coffee, same size iced green tea and…Davis just said to give you his name," Kari said. She knew there was a special word they had for straight coffee, but Kari never bothered to learn it. They knew what she meant.
"Oh! Davis is out there?" Kimiko glanced outside. Kari followed her gaze. Davis was stretching his legs outside the car, probably not used to being cooped up in the back seat. It looked like he was talking, probably to TK.
"Yeah. He's a regular?" Kari asked. Kimiko got three cups down and wrote down the orders on each of them, passing it back to another girl working the many mechanisms that went into making a cup of coffee.
"Yeah. He usually comes here after school, right when I go 'on duty,'" she used air quotes on the last two words, and rang Kari up. She paid with her debit card. Kimiko swiped it, continuing, "he doesn't always have money to get something to drink, but he's a good guy. Always tries to scrounge change together so he doesn't feel like he's cheating this place, you know? As if Starbucks needs more money," she handed Kari her card back, along with a receipt.
"Yeah. He is a good guy," she watched as he clambered into the back seat again. He was taller than she remembered, his legs longer. "You want me to say 'hi' for you?"
"Nah. I'll see him soon enough," Kimiko smiled, and Kari smiled back, moving out of the way for the next customer. She waited, and the girl working at the brewing station presented her with three cups in a little holding tray, told her to have a good day, and started to make the next drink.
Kari took the drinks, and something caught her eye about Davis's cup. She exited the building and twisted his cup to read it. Instead of his order, it read, Davis, See you tomorrow! Something caught in her throat. What did that mean? Did she mean that she knew Davis would be back? Or…did Davis have a date? Something about that didn't sit right with Kari, but she shrugged the feeling off and walked to the car, opening the door and passing out the drinks. TK and Davis thanked her, and they pulled out of the parking lot. Kari spotted Davis's face in the rear-view mirror again. He was looking at his cup, smiling as he read the side. Kari knew that smile. It was the way he used to smile when he had a crush on her, back when they were still kids finding their way in the digital world.
He does have a date, Kari thought. Again, that unsettling feeling fell down on her. She took a sip of her coffee, but the caffeine didn't help.
Tai let out a deep breath as he sank into what he truly thought of as his side of the bed. Sora's pressed her naked body up against him, one hand tracing the lines in his chest, the other running through his hair. He wrapped his arm around her and looked over into her beautiful auburn eyes, just darker than her hair.
"I think I might love you," he said, planting a small kiss on her rosy lips. She cupped his cheek with one hand and kissed him back.
"I think I might love you, too," she replied.
He wanted to lay there, staring into her eyes, forever. Or do other things with her forever. Either would work, really. He turned onto his side and ran a finger from her shoulder to her thigh, and back again. Next, he ran his hand down, allowing the slight curvature of her body to slide like silk beneath his fingers. She raised her leg up and over his hip, pushing on his chest with a single hand to get him on his back. His hand immediately went for his pants beside the bed, where he kept an extra condom in his wallet. He gripped the pants, and searched with his fingers for the pocket that contained the wallet as she climbed on top of him and kissed him.
His phone rang. The chorus from a Rise Against song.
"Let it go," Sora almost moaned. Tai almost did, but he found his phone pocket before his wallet. He gripped the rectangular device, glanced at it, and said,
"Oh shit. It's Matt."
Sora stopped, "Oh shit."
"Quick, turn on the radio," Tai said. She crawled off him and switched her clock-radio over to the 'radio' function. Some indie rock filled the air, and Tai sat up, answering the phone.
"Hey, Matt," he said in the most nonchalant tone he could muster.
"Hey, Tai. Where are you? It's been almost two hours, man," Matt asked. "There's nothing on TV."
"Sora's giving me a ride. We stopped for lunch,"
"What are you having?" Matt asked.
"Pizza," Tai lied.
"Bring me some breadsticks, will you?" Matt replied. "My guitar doing okay?"
Tai glanced out the open door into the living room at the guitar case and his jacket, regretting that he'd dropped it earlier, "the case might have a ding—some asshole pulled out in front of us and we had to swerve to miss him—but I think She's fine." Lies were easy when you were practically caught in the act.
"All right. Thanks, man," Matt said.
"No problem," Tai said.
"Seriously. I don't know that I could have faced her like that, you know?"
"That's why I'm here. I'll see you in less than an hour," Tai hung up after that and let out another deep sigh.
"Shit," he said, then looked over at Sora and smiled, "Pizza?"
She laughed and climbed out of bed, slipping out of the bed and putting on her panties, "You're buying."
"So long as you drive," he said, looking down at his body. Everywhere Sora touched him while they made love, black charcoal smears coated his skin. "I've gotta grab a shower."
"Maybe I should join you," Sora held her sports bra in one hand and gave him a lewd smile.
"Normally," he said, gathering his clothes and his phone, "I'd say yes in a heartbeat. But we've already been here for almost two hours. I don't to make him any more suspicious of me."
"All right, James Bond," she said, slipping on and adjusting the bra. "No more secret 'activities.'"
Tai hopped into the bathroom and checked himself in the mirror. The charcoal was all over his face, so he washed that, too, after flushing the used condom and taking a shower, careful not to get his hair wet. That was a sure way to raise questions. "Why is your hair wet? It's sunny outside," Matt would ask. And then Tai would have to lie again, only adding to the long list of things he'd said to cover up his affair with Sora. He dried himself off and put on his clothes. He made sure to slip into the bedroom and grab Matt's laptop before heading out. Sora was washing herself off with the kitchen sink and a wash cloth, as she'd spread charcoal all over herself as well during their passions. He threw on his jacket and sat down on the couch while he waited for Sora to be ready.
You've got to tell Matt some time, he told himself.
But not now, he thought, groaning and rubbing his temple in frustration. Sora finished cleaning up, and threw on the paint-spattered shirt and some tight blue jeans (also naturally ripped). A pair of sandals joined the outfit, and together they headed out. Sora gave him one last kiss before they exited the apartment, changing from lovers to friends, delivering a guitar and a computer to another friend.
"I met Davis," Tommy said, taking a shot at the eleven ball. A quick jerk of his arm, one loud clack later, and it sank into the corner pocket. He was ahead. Very ahead. Of course, that's how their games usually went. Jake stood across the table, leaning against an ornate bar with his eyes closed. Neither of them smoked, yet the ambience of the room—beautiful oak pool tables lined with forest-green felt, dark, polished cedar pillars, the carved and polished bar lined with crystal glasses, the smoky back-mirror behind the bar, and the low-hanging lights—couldn't help but give the impression of a 30's pool hall, full of cigar-smoking gangsters. Of course, Tommy supposed that this probably was once a 30's pool hall. The entirety of Jake's home was filled with pieces of history, ranging from Mayan artifacts and crusades-era Arabian blades to his 30's pool hall and what Tommy thought was one of Jimmy Hendrix's guitars.
"And what do you think of him?" Jake asked. Tommy examined him for a moment. His eyes were open, examining the pool table. His face was particularly expressionless, and there was no sign of a real question in him.
"You don't care," Tommy said, picking out his next shot—the thirteen—and sinking it.
The faintest smile twitched on Jake's lips, "You see too well."
"Well, that's your doing," Tommy sank the fifteen.
"You are correct. I have already chosen the first," Jake stood straight and moved across the room, replacing his pool cue in its place on the rack. Tommy knocked the eight ball in to finish the game, and tossed his own cue over to Jake, who caught it.
"Do the rest of us get to know who the lucky target is? Or is it a surprise?" Tommy asked.
Jake racked the cue and stood silent for a moment, his eyes closed. Tommy waited. He was used to waiting, and was quite content to do so. Jake gave him a new life when he threw his old one away. Tommy would wait as long as it took.
Finally, Jake looked up at him. His green eyes, often dim, usually deep in thought, shone like emeralds in the gloom of the billiard room.
"No," he said. "Continue your work, Tommy, and soon enough our paths will cross."
Tommy nodded. It was a bit of a let-down, not knowing exactly what Jake had planned. But, against his better judgment, he had faith in his friend.
Whatever Jake's secrets, Tommy would find out eventually.