Chapter 2: Social Etiquette

AN: Thanks to y'all who reviewed and who put me on alert! Reviews are love! and a huge motivation! XD

AN2: I'm having a bit of writers issues. I didn't really like how that first chapter came out, I'm going to blame it on writers rust and I've come to a solution. Unexplored emotions will be the "go with the flow" fanfic. No real planning, just writing and not rereading 10 times before submitting. So hopefully updating won't take too long. I'm also planning another fanfic, called "Wake Up". But I'm trying to give the story a real backbone, so it might take some time. ^^

Anyway, Keeping the story in Gen's POV. Enjoy

~~~Shalalalala~~~

I tiredly rubd the sleep from my eyes. Why am I so tired? Sure it got a bit late last night because I had to bring Sumimura home, but we also went home earlier so it wasn't that late...
Maybe I just had a bad night, I remember that I was dreaming about something, but can't recall what it was about. Something about floating? ...
I decide to skip some classes to catch up on some sleep I apparently need, however when I arrived at the roof I noticed something amiss... Sumimura wasn't there.
And yes, I realize that's very logical, but it just hit me.
Pluss if he's not here, then where?
I shake my head as I lay down, it doesn't really concern me now, does it? I close my eyes and enjoy the warmth of the sunlight. I'm half suspecting Yoshimori to drag himself up unto the roof because I'm hogging all the sunlight. That is, if he's here at all... I sit back up again. Strangely I'm not so tired anymore and what I am is very curious to the whereabouts of my... well, friend.
As I make my way to his class I'm once again puzzled on the" friend" concept. This is what a friend is supposed to do right? Check up on them? I'm still new at this, so it shouldn't bother me that I hadn't considered it before I noticed his absence up on the roof.

His seat is empty.
I stand there and stare a bit. Maybe he just left for a minute, it's between classes so people are wondering about. A part of me wants to just leave it alone, he's here, or he's not, who cares? I don't need him here, it won't affect me in any way. Another part, unfamiliar as it may be, wants... ...needs? No, I'm just curious. I'll just ask someone, no effort.
I don't even need to look for someone because the teacher approaches me. "You here for Sumimura?" I nod. "Well he didn't come in this day."
I turn to leave as his teacher asks me: "You happen to know where he is?"
Apparently my lack of surprise must have made him suspect that I knew something more, and... oh... right, I do. "He sprained his ankle real bad yesterday."
I once again try to leave, but he's still not done."Oh, well I need someone to hand him his homework then, could you maybe?"
My face falls. He already has out a small stack of papers. What am I? Delivery boy? Oh... wait... I'm his friend. I almost snarl as I snatch the papers from his hands and leave before he can stop me again.
This whole friend thing is getting old real fast.

I find myself once again in front of the Sumimura Household, that's twice in 12 hours. And it's not doing any favors for my sleep deprived mind. It's okay though, I can just hand these off and get back home, it'll be a small detour, hardly a dent in my schedule.
Shuji once again opens. And is seemingly pleasantly surprised so I politely try to give him the papers, but...
I don't know what it is with the adults today, but they just can't leave me alone. I'm being dragged to the living room so I can hand the assignments in person. As soon as I'm wholly inside my last escape, aka the door is closed, and I'm trapped inside another social convention. Old. Real. Fast.

"GEN!" Yoshimori is sitting at the table. Big smile appears instantly. I frown, he seems a bit too eager looking. He's probably tired of being cooped up. I drop the papers on the table. "Your teacher asked me if I could drop these off, so here."
"Ah, thanks!" He picks them up immediately before he realizes what it is and his smile falters into a look of distaste as he quickly ignores them again. Right, ungrateful brat. Why did I go through all this trouble? I turn to leave before Shuji traps me again, probably with snacks and drinks, but my sleeve catches something. Apparently a Yoshimori. "What?" I ask him annoyed, but it falters as I meet his eyes, compassion , understanding and sadness?
He smiles, and throws me completely off. "Please stay for a bit!"
And I do.

Sumimura has a lot to say and complain and apparently I'm the perfect sound board. He complains about his shoe dying when they had to cut it open, he complains about his older brother and his grandfather. He brags about Toshimori and worries about his dad's new book. We get snacks and drinks and Sumimura is utterly content. Apparently they were very good, but I'm not one for snacks, much too sweet. I eat a lot though so I have something other to do other then listening to his babbling. Apparently this give him the idea that I can do more than talking and he spends the rest of the day trying to make me do his homework. Which I'm sad to say is quite effective. He asks and I answer, he writes it down. Some small talk in between. I never seem to find a good moment to leave and before I know it Shuji bullies me into staying for dinner.
I'm not even going to try anymore…

Wish I had though. Because after diner Yoshi hops away on one leg and returns with something horrific. I didn't know it was horrific, it seemed innocent enough. A skateboard with a rope attached. But the look on Yoshimori's told a whole different story.

Which is how I ended up like this, pulling the poor sob through the streets on his skateboard. It's already time to go to Karasumori, but I need to get to my apartment first to change. Yoshimori is worrying about Tokine, how she will wonder where he is and maybe even wonder if he's even coming or not. I shake my head and continue to pull.

Then I spot a missing stone in the road and… I don't know why, but I steer straight for it. The board takes a tiny dive and Yoshi yelps and almost falls off, then starts to loudly complain about me.

I can't help but smile the rest of the way while I try my best to ignore him.

~~~ Minareta machi... ~~~ Yukkuri fuki nukero kaze ~~~ endingsong etc. ~~~

Next time chapter 3: A burden too heavy.
In the meanwhile please review or check out my kekkaishi fanart at deviantart under the name Chepri. "Carry on" & "Catch" are both drawn with this story in mind. ^^