Chapter Thirty-Five: What's With You Kenji?

(I do not own Romeo and Juliet)
-Kuori-

I walked around the house a bit because I just couldn’t sit down after Miyuki left. It seemed that she enjoyed dinner even though she was still mad at me for not letting her help. But come on it was more of an apology for erasing her memory I think twice now. I know that I haven’t hung out at her house in a while and I haven’t hung out with Taisuke in a while either. Maybe we could get together and hang out this weekend hopefully unless mom makes me go and steal something else. I called up Taisuke first because I hadn’t seen him in a while.

The phone rang three times but there was no answer and I got the answering machine. “Hey it’s Kuori I was just calling to see if Taisuke wanted to hang out with my and Miyuki this weekend. Well give me a call back when you get the message. Bye.” I hung up the phone and I went out to the kitchen and sat down at the table. I did the dishes already I looked out the window and the wind had really picked up today. The leaves scattered across the lawn lifted up and blew all around when the wind had a gust.

It was late November and there still wasn’t any snow. I’m not complaining or anything but it would be nice to have some snow for Christmas when it comes rolling around. Miyuki and I had practice tomorrow for drama club. It wasn’t going to be too bad. We haven’t meet any of the other cast yet because the advisor of the drama club has been sick for the last few days so we’ve had to keep pushing practice back. I looked at the clock and it was around nine in the evening so I just decided to go to bed instead of wait for mom and dad to get back to the house. It didn’t take long for me to get to sleep.

~*~

When I got up I noticed that there was no sound coming from out of my room. So I got up and took a look around the house. Mom and dad didn’t even come home last night. So I went over to the answering machine and checked to see if there were any messages.

“No new messages.” Was its answer when I pressed the button.

I shrugged and got dressed then left the house. I walked to school alone and got there earlier then usual. I caught Kenji at his locker.

“Morning.” I waved walking up to him.

“Oh, morning Kuori was it?” He smiled at me.

“Yea, so are you starting on your normal schedule today?” I asked.

“Yes, I am actually my first period is with Miyuki.” He mentioned.

“I kind of figured by the way she was showing you around.” I stated.

“Where is she anyways? She told me you two were best friends, but I thought that you two walked to school together.” He commented.

“I didn’t want to wake her up it’s still a bit early. And we don’t have to walk to school together every day.” I said.

“So you two dating?” He asked.

“What?!” I felt my face head up, “N-no, we’re not dating.” I shook my head.

“Oh, by the way she acts around you I thought that you two would be dating. How long have you been friends?” He asked.

“ Since we were little kids. What’s with all the questions?” I replied.

“No real reason I was just curious because Miyuki really didn’t tell me all that much about you yesterday.” He rubbed the back of his head and looked up at the ceiling. “Of course I probably should have asked her a bit more now that I think of it.” He smiled.

“Then ask her.” I said.

“Ask me what?” Miyuki said and I turned.

“Morning.” I smiled.

“Morning. So what was it that you wanted to ask Kenji?” She asked.

“I know I’m new here but did you want to go to the winter ball with me?” He asked and I stood there not knowing what to do really. I completely for got that that was coming up.

“Um…I’ll think about it.” She smiled at him.

“Awesome, so um…did you need to go to your locker?” He asked and motioned towards her bag.

“Yeah, I do.” She said and they started walking together. Miyuki stopped and turned around “Are you coming?” She asked.

“No I have to get to class considering that we’re doing water color I want to get a bit more done on it then usual today.” I lied and started backing away “I’ll see you in lunch.” I waved and then walked off.

‘I don’t know why, why did my heart pound when he asked me that? I can’t fall in love with my best friend, it’s just…I can’t she’s trying to capture me, well the other me but still…so what if Kenji asked her to the ball, I wasn’t going to go anyways.’ I shook my head and pulled my Ipod out of my pock and listened to skillet as I worked on my painting. It wasn’t turning out that bad from what I thought. Of course for being a thief I wasn’t that bad with art myself. I had the highest grad in this class and I think it was because I always get my work done and she doesn’t have to yell at me because of how quiet I am.

The rest of the day went by quickly except for lunch I was going to sit up on the roof and relax but it was pouring outside so I stayed in the cafeteria with Kenji and Miyuki. They really didn’t notice that I was there. It was all right though because I wasn’t really in the talking mood today even though we had practice. He asked her questions about the grounds and when the track team usually started with tryouts and how big the team usually was. The random things I really didn’t care too much about. I went through most of my high school life with just soccer but I didn’t try out this year. I had no idea why no that I thought about it. Anyways I went to my locker and grabbed my playbook and tossed everything else in my locker then went to the auditorium. No one else was in there so I started stretching on the stage after I took off my shoes. I was very flexible for a guy. I stretched my arms and legs then I did a back bend and came back up without using a wall. That’s what dodging laser systems can do for you after a few times of having tricked a system.

I went towards the legs and then took a couple of large strides and started in a back hand spring then did a few back flips and landed close to the other leg on the opposite side of the stage. I heard clapping and I jumped and looked to see who was in the room. Kenji came with Miyuki and they were clapping. I smiled and rubbed the back of my head.

“That was cool I didn’t know you could do that.” Mi stated and I felt my face heat up a bit and I looked away from her.

“What else can you do?” Kenji asked.

“Well I can pop a few joints out of their sockets and get out of things.” I commented.

“Don’t do it, just thinking about it makes my skin crawl.” Miyuki shivered.

“Alright then.” I shrugged and walked over to the edge of the stage and squatted down. “What are you doing here Kenji?” I asked.

“I wanted to see you guys practice.” He answered.

“Oh alright then.” I stood back up and grabbed my playbook and tossed it to him. “Play Benvolio for me flip to act one scene one where Romeo and Benvolio come in.” I told him.

“Ok…” He got up on the stage and flipped to the page where the conversation started.
“Good-morrow, cousin.” He started off.

“Is the day so young.” I repeated. I didn’t do to bad for memorizing my lines.

“But new struck nine.” He looked up from the book.

“Ay me! Sad hours seem long. Was that my father that went hence so fast?” I started pacing a bit in front of him.

“It was. What sadness lengthens Romeo's hours?” He said.

“Not having that, which, having, makes them short.” I sighed.

“In love?” He questioned.

“Out-“ I paced a bit slower.

“Of love?” he responded.

“Out of her favor, where I am in love.” I asked as I stopped pacing.

“Alas, that love, so gentle in his view, Should be so tyrannous and rough in proof!” I looked over at him then went back to pacing.

“Alas, that love, whose view is muffled still, Should, without eyes, see pathways to his will! Where shall we dine? O me! What fray was here? Yet tell me not, for I have heard it all. Here's much to do with hate, but more with love. Why, then, O brawling love! O loving hate! O any thing, of nothing first create! O heavy lightness! Serious vanity! Misshapen chaos of well-seeming forms! Feather of lead, bright smoke, cold fire, sick health! Still-waking sleep, that is not what it is! This love feel I, that feel no love in this. Dost thou not laugh?” I recited stopping in front of him.

“No, coz, I rather weep.” He answered simply looking back down at the book.

“Good heart, at what?” I sighed and put my hands behind my back.

“At thy good heart's oppression.” I looked over at him.

“Why, such is love's transgression. Grief’s of mine own lie heavy in my breast, which thou wilt propagate, to have it prest with more of thine: this love that thou hast shown doth add more grief to too much of mine own. Love is a smoke raised with the fume of sighs; being purged, a fire sparkling in lovers' eyes; being vex'd a sea nourish'd with lovers' tears: What is it else? A madness most discreet, a choking gall and a preserving sweet. Farewell, my coz.”

“Soft! I will go along; an if you leave me so, you do me wrong.” I walked up to him.

“Tut, I have lost myself; I am not here; this is not Romeo, he's some other where.” I laughed a little.

“Tell me in sadness, who is that you love.” He looked up at me and I turned away from him and walked over to the stairs and leaned against the railing.

“What, shall I groan and tell thee?” I asked looking over at him.

“Groan! Why, no. But sadly tell me who.” He took some steps towards me.

“Bid a sick man in sadness make his will: ah, word ill urged to one that is so ill! In sadness, cousin, I do love a woman.” I sighed closing my eyes. Remembering my next line.

“I aim'd so near, when I supposed you loved.”

“A right good mark-man! And she's fair I love.”

“A right fair mark, fair coz, is soonest hit.”

I took a deep breath “Well, in that hit you miss: she'll not be hit with Cupid's arrow; she hath Dian's wit; and, in strong proof of chastity well arm'd, from love's weak childish bow she lives unharm'd. She will not stay the siege of loving terms, Nor bide the encounter of assailing eyes, nor ope her lap to saint-seducing gold: O, she is rich in beauty, only poor, that when she dies with beauty dies her store.” I moved from my spot on the railing and walked back towards Kenji he looked like he was enjoying himself.

“Then she hath sworn that she will still live chaste?”

“She hath, and in that sparing makes huge waste, for beauty starved with her severity cuts beauty off from all posterity. She is too fair, too wise, wisely too fair, to merit bliss by making me despair: she hath forsworn to love, and in that vow do I live dead that live to tell it now.”

“Be ruled by me, forget to think of her.”

“O, teach me how I should forget to think.” I begged.

“By giving liberty unto thine eyes; examine other beauties.”

“'Tis the way to call hers exquisite, in question more: these happy masks that kiss fair ladies' brows being black put us in mind they hide the fair; he that is strucken blind cannot forget the precious treasure of his eyesight lost: show me a mistress that is passing fair, what doth her beauty serve, but as a note where I may read who pass'd that passing fair? Farewell: thou canst not teach me to forget.” I waved him off and took a few steps away from him.

“I'll pay that doctrine, or else die in debt.” He bowed then we both left the stage.

There was a loud applause in the auditorium. And Kenji and I both walked back out to see the rest of the cast there with some of the crew along with the advisors. We bowed and then I laughed a little and rubbed the back of my head.

“Now that was amazing.” Mrs. Tana said standing up from her seat.

“Who is your friend that played Benvolio?” Mrs. Minakie questioned.

“I’m Kenji, Kenji Hinatari.” He answered.

“Well I think that we found our understudy for Benvolio.” Mrs. Minakie chirped.

“N-no it’s alright I was just trying to help out my friend was all, I’m sure that you can find someone else to be the understudy.” He said waving his hands in front of him.

“Come on Kenji,” I said putting an arm over his shoulders “You’ll be able to hang out with Miyuki more.” I told him and his face got red and he looked away.

Practice went pretty smooth after that we slowly went through our lines in a few of the acts and we’re going to be doing the entire play. It wasn’t that bad I knew that I still had a lot more that I had to memorize but it wasn’t that bad at all. It took me two days to memorize that part of the first act.

“See you guys tomorrow.” Kenji waved and started walking in the opposite direction as us.

“What did you tell him up on the stage today when you put your arm around his shoulders?” Miyuki asked.

“It was nothing.” I stated.

“It wasn’t nothing, his face got red.” She retorted.

“I promise it wasn’t anything stupid.” I replied.

“Uaha…” She eyed me suspiciously.

“You did pretty well with your lines today.” I commented.

“Not as good as you, how did you memorize your lines so fast?” She asked.

“It’s a secret.” I put my pointer finger to my lips and winked at her.

She pushed me “You’re no fun, you wont even tell your best friend.” She huffed and crossed her arms.

“Jumper cables.” I poked her sides and she jumped.

“You jerk!” She shouted and I started jogging ahead of her just fast enough so she couldn’t reach me.

“You love me, and you know it.” I laughed and stopped in front of her house. She went to punch me and I caught her wrist and pulled her in and wrapped my other arm around her waist and got close to her face “See you tomorrow Juliet.” I whispered to her then let go of her and walked away and back to my house.

“Mom, dad, I’m home.” I yelled but I didn’t get a response again. “This is so strange. What the hell is going on?” I muttered going to the phone and checking the answering machine again. This time there was a new message.

“One new message.” The computerize voice said “First message.”

“Hey Kuori sweetie, it’s mom I figured that you would be at school by now, your father surprised me with two tickets to Paris for the week. I’m sorry I didn’t have a chance to call you yesterday. We both love you and do you think that you could ask Miyuki’s or Taisuke’s parents if you can spend the week over there or one of them come and spend the week with you? Love you and talk to you later. Bye.”

“End of message.” The computerized voice said then the answering machine turned off.

“Well that would have been nice to know last night.” I muttered then sighed and walked into the kitchen and took out my homework and did the take home test that we were given in Economics. It wasn’t that hard but it would have been nice to have my parents here so I could ask them a couple of questions on it. But I got it done that I heard the phone ring. I got to it on the second ring and picked it up.

“Hello.”

“Hey, Kuori it’s mom.”

“What’s up?”

“I’m sorry but we found a new object that is here in Paris.’

“How am I supposed to get out there then?” I asked.

“Check in the basement I’m sure that you can find a spell book or some object that can be unsealed so you can use it.”

“Alright…” I sighed and leaned against the wall.

“I’m sorry hunny, I know we were hoping that this could be a relaxing week for you. But we didn’t expect these object to be scattered all over the world.” she apologized.

“It’s alright, I’ll start looking for that spell book or object.”

“Ok, we will send out a message tonight saying that you will be stealing the item tomorrow.”

‘Tomorrow…’ “Okay then what time do I need to be there?”

“I would say around 4 there. That should get you here in a good amount of time.”

“Alright…”

“I’m sorry sweetie.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“We love you.”

“I know, I love you too.”

“Bye.”

“Bye mom, tell dad I said hi.”

“I will.”

“Bye.” I heard the phone hang up then I hug up the phone and slid down the wall. “This sucks.” I groaned.

“I’m guessing that I’ll figure out what I’m stealing tomorrow morning if mom or dad calls before I go to school.” I rubbed my face then took a deep breath. “Well I better start looking for that book or whatever I have to find.” I stood up and walked over to the basement door and when down in the basement.

End