And In Another Life

Chapter Eight: I Know You

"Call me when you get home." Yukari says from her front door as the two boys stroll toward Baji's bike. "I mean it."

Chifuyu grins like the kid who's just gotten exactly what he wanted. Gift with all the bells and whistles. He turns and throws up a hand. "I'll be sure he does!"

Baji glares at the back of his head before taking his hand and smacking it against Chifuyu's neck. "Will you calm down? You don't even know what the hell you're saying."

Chifuyu, undeterred, gives Yukari the thumbs up. "I'll text you!"

Laughing she blew a kiss at the younger boy, who caught it and held it to his chest. Having Chifuyu for a friend was kinda like having a younger brother, eager and easy to please. She did hate sometimes how observant he could be though, but that seemed to only apply to herself…and Baji, of course.

"Baji!" She called and he paused, turning toward her with his brow raised, "I'm sorry…about before. I really am."

Instead of scolding her like she expects, his expression brightens into a smirk, and his prominent canines show her just how much he is absolutely unbothered. "Don't sweat it."

She pulled her sweater close as they got on his motorcycle propped up in the drive. She watched them as they accelerated away and disappeared from view, leaving the black gate that enclosed her home and her, wishing they'd stayed a moment longer.

When she makes it back to her bedroom, her kittens were busy exploring, poking their heads under her bed and playing with the dangling petal pink tassels on her duvet.

Her phone buzzes, and she's not surprised to see Kiki's name.

Kiki: Hina's tomorrow.

Hina: She means if you don't mind.

Kiki: No, I don't. Hina's tomorrow or we'll kill you.

Hina: She'll kill you.

Kiki: Fine. I'll kill you, but don't think for one second Hina's going to step in. She's an accessory! A guilty onlooker. She'll let me do it and not blink.

Yukari smiles at the two of them across from her at the table. Hina's eyes are bright and shiny, smiling like mom hungry for drama. Kiki comes off a little more reserved as she sips her tea, a single brow raised, a knowing glint to her gaze.

"Well…" Kiki begins, motioning toward Yukari who takes this moment to savor her own piping cup. The lacy sleeves of her dress obscure her fingers, but she can feel the heat through the thin fabric.

"Hmm," she hummed, only to tease her eager friend. "you did a great job Hina—"

"You dork," Kiki exclaims, stretching herself across the small round table. "You forgot, didn't you?"

"Could you blame her?" Hina cuts in, forgetting her own full cup, not caring as it splashes. "Mikey has a lot of charisma."

"Charisma or not, she should've called. She left us hanging almost until 9. We've been waiting since noon!"

"She's not wrong." Hina says, losing her diplomatic turn. "So…did you see anything?"

Did she? Yes. She did.

And, despite the possible angsty and madness balanced precariously in her future, she had some levity. She had her friends, and they made this all so much more fun. "So, apparently, I'm crazy."

"Yeah, what gave it away?" Kiki asked, losing her luster after Yukari's apparently anticlimactic reveal. "I thought we knew that."

"I didn't." Hina actually sounded surprised, but she ignored the indignant gasp from Yukari. They both did.

"I…wouldn't say that." Yukari hedges, falling back from them to lean onto one hand.

Kiki snorted, "You used to be real crazy before we started hanging out with Hina. She makes you less crazy, but you think I'm actually crazy when I'm usually just joking so you can ignore me when I say you're crazy. You always have."

Hina gives their friend a look before returning to Yukari, "So, what made you realize you're crazy?"

She didn't necessarily appreciate the relative ease of which her friends had decided that, yes, she was a problem, but she appreciated that they didn't immediately shoot it down. That was something at the very least. And, so she tells them the vision she'd had back at the restaurant. Every detail, down to the word and touch.

Hina's cheeks bloomed with pink. Kiki's grin broadened.

"Nice." The girl dark haired girl said, "You guys haven't even kissed yet and he's already number one in my book. Well, he is if you ignore all that other crazy."

Hina pressed her cheek into her hand, "By the way, why are you two so crazy? Like…what kicks off this crazy? You've yet to tell us one thing that makes us think that how you guys speak now leads up to what happens later. Who is Shuji? And why would he hurt Draken? Why would anyone hurt Draken?"

"He is in a gang, Hina. Which is just asking for crazy. I bet loads of people want to hurt him. I doubt this Shoji bastard needs a reason."

"Shuji." Hina corrects, "We don't want to pin the wrong guy. That would just add to the crazy."

"Right." Kiki nodded, "You're right. So, now what? Are you going forward with this guy even knowing you two act absolutely batshit crazy—

"Can we stop saying the word crazy?" Yukari blurted out, suddenly feeling overwhelmed and pinned down. And guilty for something she hadn't done. Handcuffed and imprisoned without a warrant or trial. "it's not like I want this stuff to happen."

"But you do. At least, part of you does, because otherwise, it wouldn't have happened." Kiki told her. "If you want to fix this you have to accept that."

"I think she hates the word crazy." Hina supplies, looking Yukari over. "Let's use a different word."

"Which one?"

"What about odd? Or wild." Hina says, "Then it's less of a negative connotation."

Kiki took in Yukari's expression, which remained impasse even as she felt like the room was shrinking around her to swallow her up. "How do you feel about that?"

"Um…wild is fine I guess."

"You guess? If you don't like it we can use another one."

"No," Yukari says, "Wild is good. It's true and less…damning I think."

"So wild it is!" Hina says, and then pats Kiki's shoulder, "Continue from the top."

Kiki sighs but does as she's asked, her nose wrinkled. " So, are you going forward even knowing when you're together you're wild or will you friendzone him until he moves on? What's your move?"

Yukari falls back onto both hands and holds her head toward the ceiling. "I don't know."

Hina reaches across the space to place a hand on her shoulder. "It has only been a day."

"It feels like longer," Kiki snorts. Not that Yukari can agree, it felt like forever. Hell, she felt she knew Mikey more than Kiki or Hina at this point, or Baji at the very least. Moments felt like years in the making. Decades of history.

"What do you want to do?" Hina asks, her voice sweetened with understanding.

Yukari shook her head. She couldn't say. Common sense dictated that she cut her losses at this point. She didn't need to see him. Hell, she didn't even need to know him. She didn't know him. None of them did. Everything she sees can be avoided just as easily as choosing not to engage. Not to move. Not to tie them together. That was an option.

However, every time she reached for it, she felt a tug, a sinking swirling in her gut. She felt sick with it. Sad. Like getting cut a thousand little times. She felt this even with her feelings for some else at the forefront of her brain. that was fucked up. But it would be a lot easier to let go than her body was letting her believe.

It was an option.

But it wasn't. She knew that. But she just wouldn't say it. Not aloud. Not even to them. She couldn't make the words come out, and, worse yet, she was half afraid of what they'd think of her when she did. They'd be right. She would be crazy.

"Kari?"

Yukari lifted her head to the sound of Kiki's voice. Amber brown met hazel. Her eyes bore into Yukari, seeped into her skin. Kiki had an answer. She had one whether or not Yukari cared to hear it.

Kiki's sober eyes hardened to steal. "Want to hear my plan?"

"Baji was over," her father began as he began unbuttoning his shirt and loosening his tie. He didn't really understand her mother's thoughts about meditating, but respected them anyway, even when he felt ignored. Mr. Tamura was nothing if not a talker. He could talk for minutes and stretch those minutes into hours even without a culpable partner. When that happened, more often than not, he'd go and find her. Yukari was always happy to hear him talk. One thing she and her mother did not have in common. "Yesterday, right?"

"And Chifuyu," Yukari added as she sat on the floor in front of her fireplace, all of her little kittens sleeping heavily on her lap. She had to cran her neck to smile at her father standing just over her shoulder.

He nodded, stepping further into the room to squat down beside her. he watched their little bodies rise and fall for a while, his dark eyes content just to watch them sleep. When he spoke, his words were barely over a whisper. "Did you tell him how you felt?"

Yukari had paused mid petting, her stomach lurching as she remembered. "In a way…"

"What did he say?"

She pressed her lips together and spoke with much more enthusiasm than she believed. "He said he cared about me in his way. I think he felt bad about not feeling the same."

"Hmm…"

Yukari resumed her petting, matching eyes with mini Mikey as he yawned and roughly rubbed her knee with his face, his claws extending to grip the skin and keep her in place.

"You know my partner's son…."

She let her head drop back and groaned, "Ugh…"

"What's ugh? What's wrong with that?"

"I don't need a boyfriend so bad that I want my dad trying to set me up with someone." She closed her eyes, even as she smiled and he kissed her cheek. His arm dropped around her shoulder and she relaxed against him. He was a little musky still from the hours of sitting on the plane and the lay overs and lay overs he had to take to get here. His glasses were pushed atop his head and his usually slicked back black hair was tousled and falling into his eyes. His beard was starting to come back in.

He was exhausted. Missed home. Even if it wasn't always so heavenly.

"But, you do want one." He countered. She could hear the grin in his voice.

She snorted with laughter. "I have a problem."

"Your only problem is that ballet is giving you way too much time. Do you want to try that cram school? Or maybe a tutor? You used to be fair at piano. Would you consider that again?" He scratched his chin with his free hand, before reaching over to scratch Pah's bulging belly. "You still like those violin lessons? How is Mr. Iwata? I'd heard he was quite stern."

"Oh, he is." She said lifting her head to kiss her father's prickly cheek. "But I don't mind. I don't think I need the cram school just yet, and the one you suggested—"

"The one your mother suggested." He corrected.

She simply gave him a look before continuing. "Isn't offering enough flexibility. Maybe I'll consider the tutor?"

"You don't have to," He said slowly, squeezing her closer, before adding, "But you know your therapist—"

"Dad." Yukari pulled away from him to hold his tired eyes. "I'm fine. Really."

"…Okay." He relented, deciding to sit down next to her in the silence for at least a little while.

After a while, she looked over to him and smiled, "I missed you."

"I missed you too, Princess."

Bzzz. Bzzz. Bzzz.

Her phone had a penchant for saving her, she was quickly finding out.

"Dad, can you—"

"Got it," he laughed, hopping to his feet, he strode over to her canopy bed and retrieved her cellphone. He pulled his glasses down over his eyes, like a messy librarian. "It's my best friend. Should I answer it?"

She rolled her eyes, "If you must."

He practically skipped back to her as he pressed answer, "Hello, Best friend," her father cooed, giving her a wink, which she rolled her eyes to. He laughed at the answer on the other line, "Of course, of course. I had to get back to my princess. How's your mom? Great, that's good to hear. You and her should have dinner with us this Wednesday. I'm back home for a week and a half and—what? Why not Wednesday?"

Baji and his big mouth, Yukari thought. She didn't know what it was, but whenever Baji spoke to her father, she swore he became the biggest tattle tale in the world. Giving up all her information just to have something to discuss. This relationship of theirs had only just began days ago, when her father happened to call when they were together. Mr. Tamura asked to speak with him and Baji was able to consume a whole thirty minutes of his time, making her father laugh and kid the way he wanted.

He was an informant now, whether he knew it or not. Yukari shook her head as her father raised an eyebrow.

"Mikey? Who is this guy? American? Manjiro. Oh! That makes sense. No, I didn't know about that. Is it a date? Uh-huh. Kinda sorta? Okay, so he wants it to be a date? And she…okay, she thinks he's cute. Okay….what do you think?" her father laughed, "Of course I'm asking you. You're basically my son, Keisuke. You know I respect your opinion and if you like him then, what am I to say? Hm. He's your friend? Okay. And you think he and my little girl would be good together? You don't know. But he's your friend—"

"Dad!" Yukari thrust her hand towards him, "you're going to scare your 'son', okay? Let me talk to Baji, please. Thank you."

"Sorry, Keisuke. Yukari wants a turn. We'll have to catch up soon. What about tomorrow? Does that work? I got a surprise for you, I just bought this—you know what, you'll see. Just wait for it! It's going to be something—"

"Dad!"

"Sorry, Princess. Anyway, have fun. I need a shower anyway, I smell like a sewer. Oh, thank you very much, Keisuke. Well, I don't believe it but thank you anyway….right. Here she is—"

Yukari snatched her phone out of his hands before he could get a word more out and watched as he cackled all the way out of the room, head thrown back. "Just take him, why don't you?" she hissed, with a hard roll of her eyes. "I swear he talks to you more than he talks to me."

Baji laughed, "Don't be jealous."

"Too late," she said, smiling. "Anyway, what's up? You know, besides you spilling my business to my father."

He had the decency to sound ashamed of that, "I thought you would tell him anyway."

"I don't tell my dad, everything. God. Baji."

"Sorry."

"No you're not!" she laughed, falling back so quickly into that rhythm of theirs. "Well, what's up?"

"I need you help with something for my mom." He explained, "You know her birthday is coming up."

"What are you going to do?"

"I'm thinking of cooking her something. It can't be expensive though, I don't have a lot of cash on me."

"If you need cash, I know my dad wouldn't mind giving you something if you help him restore this old bike."

Baji immediately perked up. "Bike? What's the model?"

"Uh…hunter green? Baji, I don't know! I just know you ride it."

"You're real helpful."

"Look! How am I supposed to remember? He got it so long ago and it's been stuck in the back of our garage for so long he's practically forgotten about it. But, if you offer to help, I'm sure he'd pay you. My dad doesn't believe in free labor." Not to mention, he adored Baji.

"That would be so cool! I'd love that. Thanks, Yukari. You're the best, you know that?"

She smiled, living for the praise and dying too…but just a little. "That's what you tell me."

"Can I come over tomorrow?"

"You are coming over tomorrow." She said, dropping her hand once she'd found herself twirling her hair like a nutcase.

"Oh, right." He leans from the phone as he yells, "Yeah—I'm mean! YES, MOM? IT'S YUKARI—YUKARI! YEAH, SHE'S ON THE PHONE! WHAT? OKAY! Hey, Yukari, my mom says hi."

"Tell her 'hello' for me." Yukari giggled.

"SHE SAYS HELLO—HEL-LO!" Baji turned back to her, "anyway, I can't wait to get started on that bike. I bet it's a vintage model."

"Hunter green, Baji? It's probably not."

"You never know. Kazutora had this canary yellow ride that—"

Yukari waited for him to finish, but there was a sudden silence, like he'd just…hung up. "Baji? Baji, if you hung up I swear I—"

"oh, sorry. I just…forgot what I was saying. Anyway, I'll talk to you tomorrow."

"Okay," she said, his tone had dramatically dropped. He went from 100 to 0 in a matter of moments. "I guess."

"Oh, and I'm happy for you, by the way."

"Why?"

"Because your dad's back, duh. You've been missing him since he left. Don't tell me I just imagined all that whining and complaining."

"Hey! I don't whine or complain!' she refuted.

"Sure you don't. Anyway, try to spend some time with him. He loves you."

Her eyes prickled, her throat itched, but she didn't try and fight the undeniable warmth in her chest. "I know. But, thanks, Baji. For telling me."

"No problem. Anyway, I gotta go. My mom has Chifuyu getting her some milk and he hasn't gotten back yet. He's probably still at the store wondering which one he should get. Little idiot."

"That's your idiot." She tells him, "and you're not exactly Einstein."

"…who?"

"Baji."

"Chill, that was a joke. You really think I'm an idiot, don't you?"

"Yes." She says, "But you're my idiot. So it's okay."

"I'm real thankful."

"You should be." She says, and then decides she should end the conversation because if she didn't, he'd never get to Chifuyu. " Talk to you tomorrow. Goodnight."

"'Night."

She laid back against her carpet, and smiled to her ceiling. Content. Then, after a while, she called Kiki.

Kiki, she could feel glaring through the phone, "Why do you keep doing this to yourself? Do you know what a masochist is?"

When Yukari was little, and she meant little-little, like five, she thought she would be a singer. Or, at the very least, famous. People were always telling her how great she sounded when she sang. She thought she could do it. But, she knew eventually that that just couldn't be, not with her brother, the way he is and her mother's company. Someone would have to take over the way she took over for Yukari's grandfather.

Her dad was a different story. He made his own fortune working with banks and traveling all over the world. He was happy. But she couldn't say the same for her mother.

I don't think my mom ever was happy. But I think that's why she liked Dad's freedom. She liked that he could be anyone he wanted to be. She liked that for a long time…until she didn't.

Yukari thought that maybe she would think that way one day too, that one day she would love some guy, fall in love and then just…not. Whether there be kids, school or whatever, she would just…stop. She would just not be in love anymore. But, more than anything, she didn't want that to happen. She wanted to be happy in her future. Craved it even. Needed it. Like no one else.

Because, the way she saw it, if she wasn't in love or being loved, she would be unhappy like her mother. And, whatever it took, she would not want to be her mother.

"Honey, I went shopping." Her mother announced as she took a long sip from her red wine. She was in her lounging robe now, hair down her shoulders damp from her shower. To her left and right, folders from work sat like bookends to keep her grounded.

"Again?" her dad asked, digging into his steak.

Yukari felt the familiar tension rise in her spine. She took a deep breath…and willed it away. Ignored it.

"I picked up some things for that friend of yours," Her mom continued on as if her father hadn't spoken. And, Yukari didn't blame her, her dad's tone wasn't exactly excited.

"Kiki?" Yukari asked.

"No, well, yes—I did get something for Kiyomi, but I mean Keisuke. I grabbed him a few things as a thank you for moving that trunk for me the other day." Her mom had come home early to find her and Chifuyu and Baji playing with the cats. She welcomed them, before putting the boys to work. Baji mostly, and dotted on him as well. "Not even your father could pick it up. Not that he tried very hard, of course."

"Oh I tried. I almost broke my back trying to lift that thing." he cut in, defending himself.

She shoots him a look over her glass, "It couldn't have been that heavy. Keisuke isn't' even fifteen yet and he only needed one hand. When was his birthday again? I'll have to get something for him."

"It's in November." She supplied, smiling, "but Baji's a martial artist. I've seen him fracture a wall with his fist and take on ten guys at once. He's used to it."

"Why was he fighting again?"

"Didn't you hear her just say he's a martial artist?" Her dad said.

Her mother continued to look at her.

Yukari blinked, "Some guys catcalled me as we were walking to the park."

Her mother ever the mover, switched lanes. "Didn't you say he wanted to be a vet?"

At this, Yukari laughs, "He wants to own a pet shop." Probably so he could play with the animals.

"You should talk to him about being a vet. I know of an internship I can get him when he graduates. It'll even be paid."

"I will."

Her mother mused, "He's such a gentleman and so handsome. I like him for you."

Yukari felt the steel rise up again and fasten around her neck and shoulders. "He doesn't like me like that, Mom."

"Why not?" Although calm, her tone was pure outrage. She couldn't imagine it. Wouldn't fathom it. If Yukari said the wrong thing, she could probably ruin his life without even trying.

Yukari sighs, shrugging, "I don't think I'm his type."

She considered this and then simply waved it away, "He probably just needs time."

"I don't even like him like that anymore," she said sharply, "I decided to like someone else."

A lie, but, she needed to lie. She probably needed it more than her mom.

"Who?"

"A friend of Baji's, Manjiro Sano."

"Mikey?"

He stood still, eyes narrowed as he eyed the swing set being occupied in the park. It was a pair of kids, about his age (six or seven), playing or arguing, it was hard to tell.

"Why do I have to cut it?" the girl with long brown hair asked, "I wish my hair was as pretty as yours. It's so red…and shiny—"

"I'm sick of it, " the boy spat, trying to snatch the scissors away from the girl, "If you won't do it, Kari—"

The girl, Kari, stepped back from him, her lips pressed, her long hair decorated with ribbon and ornaments. She looked like a doll to Mikey. In fact the two of them were both well dressed. The boy wore a silver suit and maroon vest with caramel leather shoes. The girl's dress was pale blue and billowing out around her in lace and pearls.

Mikey smirked. The two looked like they'd climbed out of a fairytale or, at the very least, left an extravagant rich people party.

"I'll do it," This Kari sighed, as she pulled a lock of his crimson hair into her fingers. "But don't complain about what you get. I cut my doll's hair, not mine."

"Whatever you do would be better than this!" he growled, clenching his fists. "I look like a girl!"

"No, you don't, Akatsuki. You look like you." She urged, her voice pleading.

"Like that helps." He snapped.

Her voice was low, almost sad and incredulous, "You're beautiful."

He whined, "You don't get it. You don't know what it's like to be a guy and look so helpless. Like a damsel. Guys are supposed to be strong—"

"Akatsuki, you are strong. And smart and—"

"You don't get it," This Akatsuki grumbled. "you're a girl. You can afford to be weak. I can't. My dad said weak men get taken advantage of. If I'm going to take over the family business, I can't be a weak man. I've got to get stronger."

She put her hands on her hips, "Having long hair doesn't make you a weak man. You know as well as I do."

He glared off into the trees, turning his nose up into the air. "Of course you wouldn't understand. You never—Hey! Wait! Where are you going?"

Mikey took a step back. The girl seemed to be striding toward him. Did she see him?

Shinichiro, placed a hand on his shoulder and held up a finger to his lips. "I know these kids. They come here all the time. They're in their own world."

Mikey relaxed again, giving his brother a weird look. His face was one of complete serenity, like he'd seen this movie a million times and was just waiting for them to get to the good part.

"They're a cute little couple. You'll see." Shinichiro assured him. Mikey didn't point out that they were his age, and that they were not, at all, what he'd consider cute. The girl was pretty, for sure. And the guy was whatever, but he'd hardly call this cute. It was like watching two kids play house. Just cringey and annoying.

"I'm going home!" Kari shouted, spinning back around to thrust the scissors at the boy. "If you don't want to be friends, you could just say that."

"Who said that?" Akatsuki called back, rising from the swing, not noticing the sand dusting his crisp pants. "I just said you don't get it—"

"Because I'm a girl? That's basically the same thing. If you had any guy friends, you probably wouldn't even be here, would you? You wouldn't have even come to my party." She scoffed, her voice rising. "You're only here because your parents force you to be friends with me. Admit it."

"That's not it!"

"Then why do you always treat me like what I say doesn't matter?"

"I don't mean to. It's…" he dropped his head back. "You don't get it."

The girl threw hands up. "Then explain it!"

He put his hands in his pockets, and proceeded to look away from her.

"I'm waiting!" her voice really carried. Mikey frowned, it was piercing his brain. he looked to Shinichiro, but his brother was fixed on the show. And, Mikey, not having much else to do, continued to watch.

"I don't want to be some…pretty princess you can take care of Kari. I'm strong on my own. I don't want you to think you need to save me all the time."

"I.." the girl reached toward him, "I don't think you look like a princess."

"Then who the hell is Ariel?"

Ariel? Mikey could've asked the same question.

The girl flushed scarlet and then turned her head to the left, "Oh…well, that's not really a bad thing, Akatsuki. I love Ariel. She has beautiful red hair like you. That's why I love her to begin with. She…reminds me of you."

"And I hate that." He shouts, his voice rising, hair seeming to stand up in his rage. "That's all. I'm sick of hearing it. That and I'm sick of your obsession with princesses and knights and—it's just so stupid! How do you think it makes me feel when my dad walks in on us playing pirates or pretending to be princes and princesses. What do you think he says to me when you take the blame for something he knows I did? He still yells at me, just because you think you live in a fairy tale where everyone's happy all the time and you get to be the hero, doesn't mean everyone else is! I'm a man I can't have some stupid girl take the blame for me just because she killed her only friend and feels guilty!"

The girl was silent. Her arms dropped down to her sides as the boy screamed at her. her face fell, going from enraged to empty in a second. Her body shook, she sucked in a breath. Her breaths came to her ragged as she struggled to keep her tears down. Then, she dropped the scissors and made a beeline for the boy. She struck him hard across the face and he fell. She jumped on him and began to tear at his face and hair. He didn't take it. He struggled against her, and they rolled around, clawing and swatting at each other like animals.

"Take it back!" she screamed.

"No!" he yelled. "I hate you!"

"Take IT BACK!"

"NO!"

Mikey's eyes widened. Man did this little movie take a turn.

"Shit!" Shinichiro started forward, and began to call out—

"What do we have here?"

A middle school kid beat him to it. He was tall and ugly as a pug. His two friends were beside him. the two of them wasted no time, pulling the two of them apart and pushing them into the ground.

One took Kari by the wrist and the other snatched up her friend by his long red hair and pulled his head back. The boy clawed at his captor but was obviously still weak from his fight with Kari. His hands were red, the skin torn and ripped. She was no better, her eyes swollen with tears. Still, she shouted, "Let go of him!"

"You didn't seem to care when you were trying to kill him, Missy." The older boy sneered. It was obvious they had been watching along with Mikey and Shinichiro.

"That's our business! Stay out of it, let him go! Or else!"

"We won't hurt him," he says, "We're just going to give him a little trim. We can't have him fighting with all that pretty hair of his."

It was like an animal had escaped from prison; a cry ripped through her throat. She turned and bit down on her captor's arm. He snatched his arm out of her mouth as he screamed. Freed, she ran at the other friend and kicked him in the nuts. He bent over and she took her elbow and rammed it into his face. he dropped Akatsuki, along with the scissors. Kari was quick to pick them up. Instead of turning the scissors on the boys, she grabbed a handful of her own hair and pulled it taunt. With her other hand, she positioned the scissors wide enough to cleave her hair in two.

"If you want to cut someone's hair so badly, cut mine. I don't care!"

The boy that started it all seemed too stunned to respond, almost shocked at what he'd just gotten himself into. But it only lasted a moment. After he'd gathered himself, he let out a battle cry of his own and ran at the girl with his fist raised.

Mikey burst through the bushes. And, kicked him in the face with both feet. He landed with a thump. His friend tore toward Mikey, but he had already taken to air. Mikey jumped again and delivered a kick to the other one's temple and watched as his face smacked into the other one, felling them both at the same time.

Removing his lollipop from his mouth, Mikey turned to the girl. Even with her hair all over the place and scuffed with dirt, she looked so pretty. Her eyes looked like hard liquor. The expensive kind Takeomi liked. They shined in the light and sparkled like moonlight on water. Rippled.

Mikey bent down and ripped up the middle schooler's shirt. Luckily, it was pretty clean. He walked up the girl and offered her the white cotton fabric. "I like you." He told her, watching as she hesitantly began to reach for the fabric, the red fading from her cheeks. He smiled at her and just like that, without him really even trying, she began to smile back. "I can be your princess, if you want."

She giggled, a soft sweet sound, that made his face warm and his stomach flip. She took the fabric, her fingers brushing his. "What's—" she cleared her throat, her voice was still raw from all her yelling and screaming. "What's your name?"

Mikey stepped closer, just so she could hear him correctly. "Mi—"

"Let's go, Kari!"

The red haired boy gripped her wrist and hauled her toward the exit. She struggled for a bit, but the boy had said something to her that made her stop fighting. She looked back over her shoulder as she was yanked away. "I gotta go, but come back tomorrow! I'll be here all day! Let's be friends!"

He came back the next day. She didn't. They weren't friends.

"Mikey?"

Mikey blinked as he looked on at the park swings. He turned his head toward Draken.

"What's up with you?" Draken's brow pushed together. "You've been staring at that swing for the last ten minutes.

"I was just remembering something." He said, his voice sounded faraway, quiet. But he knew Draken heard. He heard most things.

Draken gave him a look before sighing, "I said, do you want to go over there?"

"I wonder what Kari's up to?" He mused, as he stood with his hands in his pockets.

Draken chuckled, not at all surprised by the topic change. "Why don't you call her and find out?"

"Good call." He said, and pulled out his phone. "You think she's busy?"

"Probably, but it can't hurt to call."

Mikey nodded along, waiting for her to answer.

"Hello?" Kari started, surprise written in her tone. "Mikey, is something—"

"This is an emergency! I need your help!"

Draken's face shifted from cool to crazy in a second. As used to him as Draken was, he sure did get surprised a lot.

"Emergency?" her tone shifted immediately, it sounded like she'd just shattered something, but didn't even react to it falling. "Where are you? What's wrong? Where's Draken? Mikey—"

"I'm at the park near seventh elementary school. Hurry!"

"Mikey—"

He hung up, and turned to Draken with a smile. "She's on her way here."

Draken just stared at him with an utterly dumbfounded look. Then, he slapped the back of Mikey's head. "You idiot! She's going to be pissed when she gets here."

Emma strolled toward them licking an ice cream cone, "What's going on?"

"Kari's on her way." He said chipperly.

"Why?"

"Because this idiot said he needed her help." Draken said. "What am I going to do with you, Mikey?"

"I think she'll be happy to see us!"

Draken shook his head, walking away.

"What?" Mikey asked as Emma followed after him, "Am I wrong?"

"And do you know the crazy part?" Draken tells Emma who keeps in step with him.

"Yep." Emma says with a dreamy sigh, "She's probably on her way right now."

"Exactly." He grumbled. "I don't know how he does it."

Author's Note: I know it's been a while, but I am back! I am excited to get into the nitty gritty of things now. Hopefully I can update within the next few days. I've written the next chapter, but it just needs editing. Let me know how you like this one.