AN: Yo! Semester's over and I'm back at it again with another chapter! Also I've been summoned for jury duty and have to leave very early on Monday so there's that too! First time for everything right?
WARNINGS: Mentions of abortions, mentions of death, lots of lyrics to songs you probably already know (I have no originality YAY), list of weird songs from the 90s (Srsly look it up. 90s kids be ready for nostalgia), and lastly, swearing.
DISCLAIMER: I only own OCs
Chapter 11: Good Riddance
Years Ago…
"Jeez Mopey, why do you always let those kids pick on you huh?" the twelve year old boy mutters, taking his eight-year-old cousin by the hand and leading her out the elementary school campus.
His father asked him to pick her up today. He didn't argue. The past couple days had been hell and the tension within the house was so thick, he was relived to be out.
'Mopey' says nothing, her hand loose in his as she allows him to drag her wherever he takes her. Her long dark brown, almost black, hair hid her dirty face from the world. The rest of her, clothes and pale skin, were also covered in mud and dirt. Scott arrived just in time to witness the kids try to force mud down her throat. Of course he wasn't gonna let it happen and thanks to his height and status as a middle schooler, he easily sent those kids running.
Still, Harriet had to wait a while afterschool for someone to show. Were everyone not so busy, had Scott not been informed sooner… His jaw clenched. He's well aware of her bullies and though he's teased her about her weakness making her a target, if this was the extent she always has to go through…
"It's usually not this bad…" He barely caught her murmur and realized his hand was gripping hers a little too tightly. He loosens it. "And plus I tried to run away…"
That didn't make him feel better.
"We should tell your mom-"
"NO!" She wrenches her hand away with a strength Scott knew she possesses, but only uses it on rare occasions. Those rare occasions being when he challenges her to certain things, like who can climb a tree the fastest or who can eat grandmother's chili peppers and be the last person to fetch the milk. He would always taunt about how she won't be able to beat him even if she tries, that he'll always be better than her. In these silly matches, his little cousin strives to prove she's not all that fragile and weak, and each time Scott believes her.
Harriet shakes her muddy head frantically, fists clench onto her dress while failing to fight back tears.
"D-Don't tell Mom! Please! S-S-She's upset enough! I don't want to upset her more…"
Scott can understand that but…
"My dad then?"
She shakes her head again. "He'll tell her. Please don't tell! Please!"
"Okay okay! I won't say a word about it!" He complies quickly in hopes for her to stop crying.
She sniffs. "Promise?"
"Yes. Cross my heart and hope to die and all that." He drew an invisible x above where his heart would be for good measure. Seeing that, Harriet gives a faint nod.
"Still," the boy continues. "How are you going to explain the muddy mess?"
"I'll tell them I fell."
Scott snorts. "Yeah, like they'll believe that. They'll automatically assume you've been bullied. Again."
Seeing Scott's point, Harriet begins to panic again, eyes wide and trembling, her tears threatening to come back. Scott mentally curses to himself and thinks fast. He eyes a rather huge puddle in the distance and was struck with an idea. Harriet watches, confused as her cousin leaves her, going towards the wet puddle in a grassy area by the walkway.
And like some trapeze artist, but with less grace, he falls on his back, onto the damp gooey surface. Harriet stares, mouth agape.
"Why did you-aah!" A ball of mud aimed at her stomach.
"Mudball Fight!" Scott hollers with a manic grin, globs of wet dirt in each hand. "It's like a Snowball Fight but with mud instead! So what do you say Mopey? Think you can get me as dirty as possible or will you run away like a widdle wimp?"
And there came the fire in the girl's eyes that were timid only seconds ago. Scott knew she was dead set to make him eat those words.
Good.
…
"Uncle Alix?"
"Daddy you're back!"
At the door stood Alix Thompson, ready to surprise his nephew and daughter by greeting them inside. Only to be surprised at the two coming home looking like they just left the pig pen as little Harriet runs to give him a hug.
His clothes weren't that expensive anyway.
…
After the two were ushered to the baths, Alix informs them that he and Adrian are taking Lily out to relax and unwind for the night. She'll be surrounded by close friends as well. Their grandmother would be watching them while they were gone. Scott and Harriet understood, nodding their heads.
Being so young, neither of them knew the full details of what happened. All they know is that something went wrong and the doctors had to take the baby out of Lilly's stomach or else she'll suffer the same way Claudia, Scott's mother, did. Needless to say, Harriet no longer has a little brother to look forward to and for Scott, a younger cousin.
"You think Mommy will be okay?"
After a spicy meal made by their grandmother, the two lay on the ground in Harriet's room, eyeing the glow stickers attached to the ceiling.
"Of course she will. Like Granny said, she just needs time."
Silence hangs in the air for a moment or two before Harriet speaks again.
"Is… Is it my fault?"
"Huh?" Scott had to turn his head, but couldn't see her as he was lying on the opposite side. "What do you mean?"
"What if the baby didn't want me as a sister?"
The boy furrows his brows and sits up, legs crossed underneath. "I don't think that's how it works..."
Harriet changes her position too. She curled on her side, hugging her legs. "They told me that any kid would be ashamed to have me as their sibling."
Someone said that? Who? As he pondered, something clicked.
"Did those kids say that?" He probably should've done more than scare them off.
"Other kids too."
Scott sighs heavily and rubs his face with both hands. He wants to call out on his cousin's naivety and stupidity as well as bust noses on the kids who made her believe that.
"I take back what I said. You're not a wimp, you're an idiot." He settles with the first option.
She rolls and blinks up at Scott in surprise. "Huh? Why?"
"Because you're talking to someone who's related to you. We may not be siblings but our parents always say we act like it. And you don't see me going anywhere, do you?"
Harriet slowly shakes her head. Scott grins.
"And that's why you're an idiot."
He stands, ignoring the girl's angry pout, and fetches the acoustic guitar propped by Harriet's closet door.
"I think I've gotten one of Green Day's songs down right. Wanna listen?"
The girl's anger dissipates and gives an eager nod. Scott sits and tunes the strings until the tones were right to him. He tests the notes until he's ready to play. By the first few strums from the pick, Harriet recognizes the song immediately.
Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test and don't ask why
It's not a question, but a lesson learned in time
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
Scott sees Harriet's eyes begin to droop and he can tell she's trying to fight off sleep. He inwardly chuckles and continues to sing.
So take the photographs and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it's worth, it was worth all the while
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
The longer instrumental verse was melodic and, in a way, soothing, even if there was no violin to add to peacefulness of the piece. The acoustic can do just as good on its own, especially if it's lulling Harriet to sleep.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
Scott slows to the end, just as Harriet begins breathing evenly, having lost to the Sandman.
It's something unpredictable, but in the end is right
I hope you had the time of your life
Just as he was beginning to think he'd have to lift the sleeping girl off the floor and carry her to her mattress, Grandma comes in to save him the trouble. She compliments his little performance as she gently tucks Harriet in. Scott just shrugs and after saying goodnight, he places the instrument back in its spot and heads for his guest room.
Inwardly though, he just hopes all the drama and tension will die down so things can return back to normal.
XXXXX
Scott will admit he's lucky to still be standing with all his limbs attached, bruised but still functioning and usable. Though heartbroken to find his wallet empty (all the money he actually earned gone), at least he still has his cards, and things could've been worse…
But it's not like any of it was his fault! Sure he slipped some things to Aunt Lily, but it's not like he anticipated her to call at all in the first place, and he definitely didn't expect her to want to talk to Tsukishima.
Oh well, it happens.
Like he said, it could've been worse and Scott isn't really the type to hold a grudge. His injuries will heal and he'll make more money.
His cousin? If his assumptions are correct, she'll breathe fire for a few days (longer if she's in her PMSing stage), then she'll get over it. In the meantime, he'll just steer clear from her presence, which isn't hard to do since she's holing herself up in her room again and will probably stay there for the rest of her suspension. Even better, he's going on a trip first thing tonight. Business as always, and it's with one of his favorite clients!
It's gonna be awesome and nothing, absolutely nothing, shall destroy this moment to rubble.
Minutes Later…
"WHAT?!" Scott gapes at his fathers in disbelief, wanting to believe he misheard them in some way. He chuckles. "You're kidding right? Please tell me you're kidding."
"Does it look like we're kidding?" Kunio says, arms crossed.
"B-B-But-" Scott calms, clears his throat, and tries again. "Look, I get that you're worried, but you can't expect me to do my job and babysit at the same time-"
"You say that now, wait until you're a parent. It's basically the same thing."
The young man sighs. "Also, you've known the two of us to have squabbles for years. Hell, she's still mad at me for yesterday! What makes you think we'll be okay on our own without a potential mishap? She might ruin my business!"
"Of course we've thought about that," Adrian speaks. "But son please, Harriet needs a break. Her first week here hasn't really been the best. A bit of time away from this town while she's suspended could put her at ease."
"And as long as you don't give her a reason to ruin your business," Kunio adds with a grin. "Then I'm sure you two will get along just fine by yourselves. It's only two days."
XXXXX
She hadn't realized people had been calling her, mostly because she had her phone on silent. It could also be because the whole time, she had her headphones on full blast while she laying face-down on her mattress, trying to drown out the world around her. Eventually, she'd fall asleep, waking up about an hour later to check the time on her device.
She cringes at the number of missed calls from her mother, followed by a text which read:
[HONEY IF YOU READ THIS PLEASE TEXT ME BACK I'M REALLY SORRY FOR INTRUDING LIKE THAT BUT I PROMISE I DIDN'T TELL YOUR FRIEND ANYTHING EMBARRASING I JUST WANTED TO ASK A SMALL FAVOR FROM HIM PLEASE FORGIVE MEEEEE!]
"Jeez mom…" Harriet forces a chuckle and quickly replies with a short text message.
[Sorry, fell asleep. It's cool. I'm not mad so don't worry. Love you.]
Having time to cool down, Harriet doesn't feel as upset as she was yesterday. She's still pissed at Scott but he got what he deserved. He'll have to think twice before pulling a stunt like that again. Then again, Scott is an idiot. He'll find other ways to grind on her nerves.
As for the discussion between her mom and Tsukishima, Harriet feels she'd rather not know what it was about. Her mother said she asked him to do her a favor. Just what could that be?
Harriet tenses in surprise to see another incoming call.
It was Alix, her father. She answers immediately before the next ring.
"Dad?"
"Hey Starshine!" came her father's voice. "Doing okay I hope?"
"Well, more or less."
"Hey, your mother and I heard about the suspension and the injustices that lead to it. Your mother wanted to talk to you about it yesterday, but since you didn't answer her calls, she was left to call your uncles, and then Scott. And well, she got sidetracked along the way so to speak." He laughs. "Now she feels bad about it."
"I texted her just now. I'm not mad at her."
"That's good to know. Anyway, the whole point for calling in the first place was so say we're sorry you had to go through that and though you're suspended, you're not in trouble. Now having said that, word around the street says you're playing again."
Harriet blushes. "O-Only a little! I haven't done much and I've gotten sloppy so-"
"Then just pick yourself up little by little. You'll get your groove back in no time. Don't stress and don't rush."
"I know."
"And hey, I know it's been hard, but I'm proud of you. No matter what path you take, as long as it's something you really want, I'll always be proud of you. You just need to give yourself more credit."
Her gaze lands on her two guitars laying in their stands from across the room and Harriet thinks back to the times she's practiced with Takeo, Jun, and the other club members. She sighs.
"Thanks Dad. I'll work harder. You'll see."
"You'll do great, trust me."
The two talk for bit after that. Alix updated her on the band's music video releasing soon, followed by the release of their next album. Meanwhile, Lily is to attend a fashion show to showcase her new designs. Also good news, Tia and her dance crew are to compete for the semi-finals in the USA Hip-Hop Dance Championship. That made Harriet elate in ways that made her previous troubles wash away.
"Tell Tia I wish her and the guys good luck," she says with a fond smile, recalling the times she used to dance along with them before she moved. The members of the crew were all pretty cool and it was Harriet's first experience in working as a team compared to always playing solo on her guitar.
"I'll be sure to pass the message. They miss you by the way."
She snorts. "Yeah, miss me bringing hell upon them."
"Of course! Things just aren't the same without their hell-raiser."
They laugh and eventually they had to end the conversation. Harriet rests her chin on her knees as she stares at her phone. It's times like this she wishes she were back home. She misses her parents. She misses Tia. And even though she doesn't consider them close enough to be friends, she misses everyone in the dance crew.
Lost in her memories, she nearly falls off her bed when her door slams open.
"Sup my wicked little cousin!" Scott shouts from the doorway. "Hope you haven't killed yourself out of boredom yet!"
The violet-head blinks, one eye twitching.
"Dunno, but I think one of us might die in a few seconds if they don't explain what the hell they're doing here."
Scott waves off her threat with a chuckle. "I just came to tell you that you got till seven to pack up for the next two days."
Harriet tilts her head. "Why?"
He grins. "Because you and me are going to Tokyo! And I know what you're thinking, but this decision is out of my hands and you'll have to talk to your uncles about it if you want out. Though, I guarantee you'll be unsuccessful."
Harriet just blinks.
And blinks again.
It took a while for the message to sink in and when it did, a look of horror struck her face.
"WHAT?!"
"I know. That's exactly what I said."
XXXXX
In the end, she was unable to talk her way out of it and finds herself loading her stuff into Scott's van.
"Don't look so bummed. Tokyo is a great place, one of the most popular cities in Japan." Junichi was there to see them off along with Miki. Harriet sighs dramatically.
"I know Jun, and I would be absolutely thrilled to spend my suspension there, if it weren't for the fact that I have to spend it with him…"
"Would you rather spend it with Tsukishima?"
Harriet hits her head against the car door. Rubbing a sore spot, she whips her head to her step-cousin, giving him wide eyes similar to an owl.
"You've been talking with Tia, haven't you?"
Junichi gives a smile too disturbingly similar to that of her dear friend. "She made some very interesting points."
"Great. Two special people in my life are conspiring against me. You know what, I'm almost glad I'm leaving with Scott. Good riddance traitor."
"You two will have a great time."
Harriet rolls her eyes and shoves one of Scott's bags aside for more room. She's surprised to find a guitar case in there.
"Scott still plays guitar?"
"Not always," says Jun. "He rarely plays that for his clients, preferring to use turntables instead. I guess you can say he only plays guitars to pass the time."
"Hm." Funny. And here she thought he no longer held interest in them.
"OKAY! We're ready to go!" Speak of the devil, Scott barges out the family shop with the last of his technical equipment. His fathers right behind him.
"You two have everything right?" Kunio says to the two youngsters. "You have enough essentials, money for the hotel, and extra money in case something goes wrong?"
"Yup! Got everything plus a map if Harriet wanders off on her own and gets lost."
"I'll know my way around just fine thank you…" Her voice fades at Kunio's stern glare. "But I guess a map will come in handy!"
Adrian shakes his head and moves forward to ruffle the girl's head. "Just remember to be back in time for school on Wednesday. Have fun and stay out of trouble."
"Don't worry Uncle. I will." She grins up at him.
"And send pictures too!" Junichi adds and Miki barks with equal enthusiasm.
"You got it!"
At a little past seven in the night, the biological cousins began their journey to Tokyo, the travel estimated to be hours long by car.
Minutes into the drive, going on the freeway, silence already fell heavily between them, enough to feel the need to distract themselves. At least if felt that way to Harriet and she's come to realize that for the next two days it'll be just her and Scott living together alone, a situation they've never been in before.
Neither of them said a word so far, Scott paying attention to traffic and Harriet playing games on her phone. She was tempted to play music too, reaching for her headphones before she paused, noticing Scott connect his phone to the car's stereo.
Powerpuff! Powerpuff!
The song he chose in his playlist blasted through the speakers and Harriet could only stare in disbelief as Scott rocks his shoulders to it.
Blossom! Commander and the leader
Bubbles! She is the joy and the laughter
Buttercup! And she's the toughest fighter
Powerpuffs save the day!
He then sings along, voice high pitched to match the chorus.
Fighting crime, trying to save the world!
Here they come just in time:
The Powerpuff Girls!
Fighting crime, trying to save the world!
Here they come just in time:
The Powerpuff Girls!
His voice made Harriet double over in her seat, hands clasped to her mouth while her shoulders shook.
"Hey! Don't be making fun of my singing!" He yells over the tunes, but there was no malice. Only humor. "I dedicate my life to perfecting the theme of my favorite childhood cartoon show!"
She tries to talk without bursting out laughing.
"I thought your favorite childhood cartoon show was Freakazoid!"
"True, but it didn't have a cute and catchy theme!"
"You're such a dufus!"
"You're laughing tho!"
"Fuck off!"
"Nah!"
Buttercup's theme played next and Harriet remembered liking it when she first heard it. When she was smaller, she dreamed of becoming someone as strong and courageous as Buttercup. She was her favorite out of the three girls.
For the rest of the trip, the cousins sang to songs they remember hearing as kids back in the US. There were even some outright ridiculous ones Harriet wonders to this day if the artists who created them took some high euphoric drug before the idea sprung forth. Songs like "Peaches", "C'mon And Ride It (The Train)", and even the infamous "Barbie Girl", but once Scott sang and even memorized the dance moves from "C'est La Vie" by B*Witched, Harriet thought she busted her kidneys from laughing too hard.
Remembering her cousin is the type of person who always seems to know how to 'break the ice' in any given situation, the violet-head is convinced that this trip will turn out just fine with just the two of them.
XXXXX
The following morning, after getting some rest in their hotel room they booked, Harriet woke to find Scott had left early. She found it odd, but then again he said he's only here to do business. That's probably it.
She eventually finds a note on the nightstand which basically says the same thing. Errands and prep work. What kind of errands, she didn't know. At the bottom, it also said to meet him at a local food place at four-thirty, along with an address coupled with a crudely drawn map of its location.
Follow this exactly or else you'll easily miss it! The place is pretty hidden so not many people know about it. Don't get lost~ Peace!
Harriet blew a strand of hair from her face irritably. As if this chicken scratch drawing could help her any. He was never good at art.
At least she has free reign to explore the city of Tokyo, mall shopping being the first and upmost important on the to-do-list. Oh yeah.
But first, food. So she orders breakfast, gets dressed, and then leaves the hotel in search for outlet malls, while stopping every now and then to appreciate the many sights and historical landmarks the city has to offer. By the afternoon, she'd come back to drop off the stuff she's bought. Among them were some gifts she planned to later send to her parents and Tia. Scott still wasn't here, which meant he hadn't showed up since he left.
Again, odd.
She found some calm relaxing spots during her self-tour and decides to take Amour with her for the trip. Practicing sounds good right about now.
Don't stress…
Pick yourself up little by little.
I'm proud of you.
Determination sets through the girl's eyes.
Practice definitely sounds good right now.
XXXXX
"Lev. It's been over five minutes. You still have another mile to run. Get up."
Receiving no response from the tall first-year, Kenma nudges him with his foot, eyes not once leaving his phone.
"Keeenmaaaaa," Lev wails on the ground, soaked in sweat. And maybe tears. "Can't we just tell Kuroo-san I did the extra laps?"
"He'll find out. And then he'll have you do more laps."
Lev wails again and Kenma sighs. Seems the younger has failed to remember that even though Kenma's supervising his runs, that also means having to run along with him. And he would rather not supervise again if Lev does get punished for ditching his exercises.
He was about to consider kicking his ribs when Lev suddenly springs back to life, revitalized. It was almost frightening. And he lost the level he was trying to beat.
"You hear that?"
"Hear what?"
"Guitar strings. Oh, and someone is singing in English!"
No longer distracted by his game, Kenma too was able to pick the sounds of a guitar and a person singing close by.
"Let's go see!"
"Wait! Lev-" But he was already off when seconds ago, he complained about not feeling his muscles. Kenma sighs. Sometimes being with Lev is like babysitting a five-year-old.
He follows after him through the park, the music growing louder as the two draw closer to its source.
The worst is over now and we can breathe again
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain away
There's so much left to learn, and no one left to fight
I wanna hold you high and steal your pain
They find a girl, looking young and around their age with short purple hair. She wears no school uniform, adorning a cream colored graphic t-shirt, black bondage pants, sneakers, an assortment of bracelets around her wrists and a choker necklace around her neck. Though the angle is not clear enough to see, her features seem foreign. Black nails hold the pick, strumming a bright blue colored guitar resting on her lap.
'Cause I'm broken when I'm open
And I don't feel like I am strong enough
'Cause I'm broken when I'm lonesome
And I don't feel right when you're gone away
She sings under a thick shady tree. No one seems to be around this area of the park, leaving her by herself. Her only audience seems to be a smoky grey cat lounging near her on the grass.
You've gone away
You don't feel me here anymore…
The cat meows, bringing the girl back to reality. She eyes the tiny creature, seemingly unaware it had been there for some time. She then slowly reaches out to playfully tap its button nose. Black painted lips turn upwards as the cat's nose and ears twitch.
"How long have you been here little guy? I'm not used to having an audience you know."
The cat meows again and she scratches its ears.
"Okay. I'll let it slide this time."
Unknowingly for her, two Nekoma students have listened to her from behind the bushes.
"Wow. That punk chick was awesome!" Lev's eyes glistened. "I have no idea what the lyrics mean but it sounded nice, and yet sorrowful!"
"We should go Lev."
Lev eyes the team's setter and noticed the second-year looking unusually tense.
"You okay? I mean sure, she looks kinda scary and I can understand you wouldn't like to get involved with types like her, but she doesn't seem so bad."
Kenma shakes his head. "That's not it. We've been out too long and the others will notice-"
"Meoowr…"
The boys jump and before them, sitting just in front of their hiding spot was that same cat, gazing up at them with wide sapphire blue eyes.
The girl was nowhere to be found, but her stuff and her guitar were left under the tree. This is probably a bad sign, if their instincts are telling them anything.
"M-Maybe she's gone to a vending machine," Lev breaks the ominous silence. "But yeah, we should go-"
"Well lookie here~ More strays!"
The hairs on their skin rise in alarm. They feel her presence behind them. Still, they slowly turn their heads from their crouched positions. The two were met with a sweet black smile that didn't match the dark fury in those strangely coal black eyes. Despite Lev's enormous height, he felt immensely small under her gaze.
"You poor things wouldn't happen to be lost would you?" Despite her foreign features, her voice, masked in sugar, spoke in flawless Japanese. "So tell me, how long have you two been here…"
If she had a knife, this would play for a scary film. The area was empty, dark thanks to the tall trees, and though dressed casually, the girl could closely resemble evil female creatures that would kidnap children and turn them into soup.
"Not gonna talk huh? You know, spying on a girl while she sings with passion is like peeking at her while she's bathing. That said, this will not go unpunished."
"S-SUMIMASEN!" Both Kenma and the scary girl were caught off guard by Lev's yell, his hands clasped together combined with tears and snot. He was shaking like a leaf and Kenma has never seen him like this, not even when facing Kuroo.
And Lev wasn't done. "Please don't chop us into itty bitty pieces to turn us into soup and eat us!" he says in one breath.
…
…
The violet-headed girl blinked, masked anger faded and her expression blank. Kenma wore a similar look, he himself wondering where that thought even came from.
The silence dragged on for what felt like minutes until the girl began laughing. Hard, like it's the best joke she's heard in years. Lev and Kenma watch, stunned, as she fell on her back, unable to hold herself up. Neither knew what to do, so they stayed still and quiet until her laughs died down.
Once she calmed and got her breathing back, she spoke.
"Hey. You." She pointed to Lev, not bothering to sit up. The tall spiker jumped. "I'll have to admit, I've been called for lots of made-up shit, but that's the first I've heard that one. Congrats Colossus, you've earned my respect!"
"Eh… Really?" Lev didn't know what to think. Do people take stuff like that as a compliment? Maybe where she's from? He silently turns to Kenma for help, but the pudding blonde just blinked, probably just as clueless as he is.
"Oh good. Looks like I don't have to intervene."
A completely new voice enters the group and the boys were ever so grateful to see their captain come to their rescue. The girl sits up and regards his presence with mild interest. Kuroo however, gives her his sly grin.
"Yo Harriet. Enjoying Tokyo?"
The violet and Lev do a double-take in shock.
"Hold on!"
"You know her Kuroo-san?!"
"I've never seen you before so how the fuck do you know me?"
"Quite the mouth you got there huh kiddo?" Kuroo snickers, enjoying himself, and Kenma had to roll his eyes.
"Cut the shit and tell me who you are and how you know my name!" The girl, Harriet, looked ready to pounce so the captain raises his hands as a sign of peace.
"Relax kid. I'm Tetsurō Kuroo, captain of the Nekoma High volleyball team. The colossal one over there is Haiba Lev, and the quite one is Kozume Kenma."
"Volleyball team? Why do I keep running into volleyball players lately?" she asks no one in particular. She stands and while dusting the dirt off her clothes, she pauses.
"Wait… Kozume Kenma…" she studies the dyed blonde, who's avoiding her gaze and making himself smaller for some reason. "I swear I've heard that name before..."
"Really? From where?" Kuroo asks innocently. He feels the heated stare from his best friend, discreetly trying to burn holes into his skull.
"I don't remember." Only Kuroo caught Kenma's relieved sigh. "Anyway Ondori-san, you still haven't told me how you know my name."
"Ondori-san?" He didn't fail to catch Lev's giggle and Kenma's cough. So that's how it is huh?
He smiles. "Well, you can thank your cousin for that Medusa-chan. He talks about you a lot and has warned me of your arrival earlier."
Medusa huh? Good one, but she still gives higher props to the tall guy, who's name she learns is Lev.
Wait. Scott talks about her? A lot? If it's her father she'd understand but…
"So you know Scott? Does that mean you're his client?" She decides to ignore that fact for now.
"Not this time, but I am invited as well as my team."
"I see. Then who is his client?"
There's that grin again, like he knows something she doesn't, and it's grinding her nerves.
"You'll find out soon enough. Party starts at four-thirty so it's not like we have to wait much longer."
Wait four-thirty? "You mean it's held at the restaurant that's apparently unknown to people?"
"It hides well, but sticks out like a sore thumb if you know where to look. It's also foreign, which makes the place a hidden gem to us locals."
A foreign restaurant? From what country? Scott really hadn't told her much about what he's doing here. In fact, he hasn't told her anything at all! It doesn't help that she hasn't seen him all day since morning, leaving without her knowing. The hell is he up to?
"Say, since we'll be heading to the same place, why don't you stick with us for the rest of practice?" Kuroo suggests. He ignores Kenma's perplexed look aimed his way. "It's for the best, since you might need help finding it."
He does have a point, Harriet thought to herself. It's better than following Scott's stupid directions, plus Kuroo seems to know a lot and she plans to get answers out of him.
"Alright fine. Let me get my stuff."
The boys leave her to it and when she gone back to her spot, Kenma zeros in on his friend, in a stride that surprises Lev.
"You didn't tell me she'd be here."
Kuroo isn't as affected at the sharp tone. He shrugs his shoulders. "Got the news just now from him. I planned to tell you once I did, but I hadn't anticipated this."
Kenma noticed the hint of apology in his speech and calms down. The setter bowed his head in guilt. "Oh. Sorry Kuro."
"It's cool."
"Um…" Lev speaks up, feeling out of place like he wasn't in on something. He looked to both his upperclassmen. "So what's up? You two seem to know her… but is something wrong?"
"Don't worry about it Lev!" Kuroo claps his back. "Scott had to bring his little cousin with him. Apparently stuff went down at Karasuno so she's out of school for a couple days."
"She got suspended? Why?" That would explain why she's not in school.
"He didn't give me the full story, but she got wrongly accused. So she's here to unwind and I think tonight's party will help greatly with that."
"Hm, I wonder what she got wrongly accused for?" Lev thought.
"You should ask her, since she seems to like you already," Kuroo teases.
Lev shivers a bit, remembering her haunting gaze when he and Kenma were caught. "I'll pass…"
There was definitely something Kuroo and Kenma weren't telling him. From the moment they saw her, the small second-year reacted badly, tried to avoid her when she faced him. It's odd since the girl didn't know him, but recognized his name. Maybe she doesn't remember meeting him? If they did meet, did something happen between them? It left the tall spiker confused and wondered if he should ask Kenma about it later.
Harriet returns minutes later, hands in her pockets while her guitar, secured in its case, hangs over her shoulder.
"Alright Ondori-san, lead the way."
AN: So yeah. Didn't expect the appearance of Nekoma? Planned that from the start. What I didn't plan though is for Scott to have plot. Oh well~
Back at it again with the nicknames too! Ondori means Rooster LOL. I don't remember if Hinata ever said the nickname Rooster Head to Kuroo's face, did he? Also it's been a while since I'm back on the Haikyuu wagon so I hope the Nekoma students aren't out of character...
Again, search up weird songs from the 90s on google. The songs I mentioned are on the list. Dude, I haven't listened to some of these in FOREVER and some I forgot they even existed! But the music videos! My. GOD. You have to see for yourself because they're hard to describe. I laughed hard at some of them.
Anyway, stay tuned for more soon and if there are any mistakes, then I sincerely apologize.
Lyrics are from:
"Good Riddance" by Green Day
"The Powerpuff Girls (End Theme)" by Bis
"Broken" by Seether ft. Amy Lee