Hello! I am back with chapter three. Matt has some silly moments later in this chapter, and in the next chapter he starts school again! Enjoy! Reviews would be lovely. Thank you for all that have favorite/subscribed (=
Edit, 2013: Re-vamped chapter.
Yamato
"What nothing." I say to Taichi, before turning from them and walking away. I spent the rest of the evening in my bedroom. I didn't want to deal with loud mouth Taichi Yagami, and I most certainly did not want to explain why I had never had a Christmas before. My past was not his business, and no one in this house was going to find out what my life was really like. I had no faith in people, ever. I never have. And I most certainly didn't believe in fairy tales. They just don't work in my life. Taichi had only reminded me of how much I hated people. A gentle knock on my door made me look up. Hikari was standing there.
"Hi," She said softly. I ignored her, and looked back down.
"I'm sorry if my brother upset you, he doesn't think sometimes." I still say silent.
"Well, it was good meeting you, Yamato, I hope you stay." Then she was gone. No one else came to bug me until Takeru decided to wake me up. Takeru had awoken me sometime close to midnight in his excitement. I was angry with him, but seeing as how it was officially Christmas, I played nice. And knowing that Vincent would be here in 10 hours, I didn't want him angry at me. We had spoken for awhile. He asked me what I thought of Taichi and Hikari Yagami. I was unsure, and was silent for nearly ten minutes before I voiced anything to him.
"Hikari is alright. I'd like to strangle her brother." All through the three hours of Taichi and Hikari being with us, I had used a toneless voice, hoping it would stop Taichi from trying to become friends with me. He had neither not noticed, or chose to ignore it. He was excited when he found out that, if I did, in fact, stay, I would be starting school in January. He was going on about how we'd probably be in the same classes as him. It's shame I'd be in Takeru's school instead. Not. I'd rather spend the rest of my life with Takeru. He was calm, for the most part, and happy. It kind of spread. Not enough to make me smile, but enough to not make me hate everyone.
"Taichi's alright, he's just overly friendly." He had defended his friend. I just shrugged. It's now closer to ten. I'm sitting at the front window, waiting for Vincent's black car to come into view. When it finally does, and involuntary smile spreads across my face. I'm out the front door in socks before he even gets to the drive way. When the car finally stops, he takes along time to get out.
"Happy to see me, Matt?" He asks with a smile. I glare at him, eyeing the blue bag in his hand.
"No, I just want my stuff." He doesn't need to know I was dying to be near someone familiar.
"Have you op-"
"I don't do Christmas," I cut him off. He nodded, and as he walked past, handed me the bag. I peeked inside. My notebook, my song book, and...a bottle whiskey. God, I knew I wanted him around for a reason. Being sober was starting to make me cranky. Maybe, I'd even be able to get through Christmas, if I was drunk.
"Yamato?" Natsuko calls. Vincent and I appear in the front room. They're waiting for me. Vincent smiles at both of my parents.
"Hello, it's nice to see you again." The small start talks. I interrupt.
"I'm going to go put this in my room." I hold up the bag. My mother nods, and continues to speak to Vincent. I rushed to my room once I'm out of eye sight. The door almost slams behind me in my rush to get to the alcohol my system is so badly craving. I drink enough to give me a buzz before I saunter back down the steps, in a much better mood.
"I've returned." I announce, as I plop myself down next to my baby brother. I suppress a giggle as three eyes turn to stare at me.
"Hi," I say, shyly.
"Hello! Can we open presents now?" Takeru is almost begging. Vincent gives the best presents, ever. I watch as Takeru opens present, after present. Even Hiroaki and Natsuko got three or four, each.
"Do you want yours?" Takeru asks, looking at me from underneath a new hat. I shrug, and hold out my hand towards him. He laughs, and dives under the tree, searching for a present to give me. He resurfaces with two. A small one, and a larger one. He gives me the small one.
"This one is two parts. This parts from me."
I open it, unsure of how this is supposed to work. The only present I've ever had before was unwrapped. And it was my iPod. I feel awkward with eyes on me. A blue, studded collar. I raise my eyebrow at it. I place it on my head. Takeru laughs.
"Now, I am a king." I watch Vincent roll his eyes, and it gains more giggles from Takeru. I vowed to myself in the bedroom, that I would at least make this day good. My first Christmas with a real family.
"The other part is from mom, but you can't have it yet, so you gotta open dads first, okay?" Takeru explains to me. I nod. A bigger present is placed in my lap. I open it. A laptop. I am actually very impressed. These people don't even know me, and they've just spend at least 700$ on me. I read the box in silence. I know they're waiting for something, but they can wait a little while longer. The laptop is blue as well, so I guess when I stated my favorite color, they were listening.
"Thank you," I mumble. I am truly grateful. I glance up, and everyone is smiling that I've been pleased. Takeru tugs on my arm, and I almost dropped the laptop. My crown falls, I catch both.
"You have to see mom's now, come on!" He pulls again, and I place the laptop to the side, and let him lead me down a hallway. He opens the back door, and leads me, both of us in socks, again, to the shed. He opens the door and peeks inside. I look back, and see that the adults have followed us, but stay indoors. I whip around at clicking noises against the wood floor. There's a small yip, and I am knocked backwards in surprise. I stare up, and into the face, of a husky puppy. I blink, and the puppy yips again. I sit up, and the puppy jumps up, paws on my shoulder. I look at Takeru, completely..out of place. I look back at Vincent for help, and he laughs at me face. I am bewildered. A dog? But..Takeru picks up the collar and puts it on the little puppy. It prances around us. I pull myself up. A dog means they want me to stay. I don't know if I'm ready for that. Takeru and I head back to the house. The puppy follows behind us. As I reach Vincent, he studies me. My face is blank.
"What's the matter, Yamato?"
"A dog means a commitment." I say before slipping past them, back to my retreat, and my whiskey.
Still Yamato
It's the first week of January. Vincent has convinced me to stay until the end of month, just to give it a try. I agreed, for him. But now, the puppy's growing on me, too. She follows me around everywhere. I don't want to name her, though, in case I leave. I started calling her Baby, and that's what she listens to, so I guess I named her by accident. I'm sitting at the kitchen table with Takeru. He's eating a ham sandwich, I'm eating crackers. Natsuko's been trying to cook so that I can eat, too, but she's having difficulties with it. I started cooking for myself three days ago, she seems relived.
"Are you excited for tomorrow?" Takeru asks me. I don't even glance at him.
"Should I be?"
"You start school tomorrow..." He says. I don't say anything. I had forgotten. I would be in Takeru's class. Junior high, even though I should be in my last grade at high school. I'm not too worried, though, because I'm smart. They're only testing me to see what level I'm at. I see the way Natsuko looks at me, but she doesn't say anything. I over heard her and Vincent talking about my rocky past on Christmas. He had said 'I don't even know everything, so..he's tough to deal with. It took me almost four years to gain even some of his trust.' Something warm bounds into the room and crashes into my legs. Baby yips up at me. I look down at her, and she starts barking even more.
"Baby, shh!" Takeru says at the same time Natsuko does. Baby just barks louder. I touch her head.
"Shush, I'm eating." I inform her. She falls silent and just looks up at me. Her tail wags.
"I can't believe how well you are with animals, Yamato." Natsuko praises me. I shrug off her compliment. I finish eating my crackers and stand.
"I'm gonna take Baby for a walk.." I announce to no one. I grab her leash, and slide my shoes on. She wags her tail and jumps up on my leg to try and get the leash faster. I hook it onto her collar, and we leave the house. I walk with my head down. My thoughts are everywhere. We end up at the high school field. A ball lands at my feet.
"Hey, pass it back!" Someone shouts. They are running towards me. I look up into chocolate brown eyes. Tan skin, wild brown hair, and I groan in annoyance. Of course. Taichi Yagami. Just my luck.
