"Hey! You made it!" Kiku was shouting, standing on the patio of his house, with flushed cheeks. Arthur nodded and smiled back at his friend. "Come inside!" A little bit of disapointment could be read on Arthur's face, when he saw a normal home, just like his. He was expecting sakura trees in the yard, kotatsu and paper doors. Kiku and his family weren't that type of traditional japanese family, after all they lived in USA.
Suddenly, from the kitchen appeared a beautiful dark haired woman with big brown eyes. She was wearing a white napron and with a wide smile she aproached the british boy.
"You must be Arthur! It's a pleasure to meet you! Kiku told me so much about you!" She said enthusiastic.
"Hello!...Well...I don't know how many things could he have told you." Arthur replied a little embarassed.
"Oh...so modest. Lunch will be ready in 5 minutes. Kiku, please take Arthur in the dinning room." Kiku grabbed Arthur's arm, gently stroking his wrist, and took him into a room with a big wooden table and on one of the walls a huge armoir full of dishes. At the top of the table was standing a man with brown hair and glasses, reading Lev Tolstoi. The man raised his look and faced Arthur with a serious expression.
"Hello Arthur! I'm Kiku's father Yuusuke Honda." He raised from his chair and shaked Arthur's hand firmly."Please, have a seat." He continued.
"Thank you." Arthur said bashful. Kiku's dad closed his book and went out of the room, but not before excusing himself. Arthur and Kiku were sitting next to eachother, and in the moment they remained alone, Kiku turned to face his friend.
"My dad can be a little awkward sometimes."
"He's not that awkward...you should meet my father." He giggled. Kiku's cheeks were flushed again, while looking at the british boy who was so relaxed now. "What?" Arthur asked Kiku with a wolfish smile on his face. Kiku looked away, avoiding to look him in the eyes.
"Not...nothing. You want something to drink?" He tried changing the subject.
"Sure." Kiku's father entered back in the room and seated at his place.
"Lunch is ready!" Mrs. Honda said over-excited while caring a big bowl."Please, help yourself Arthur."
"Wow...it looks delicious." And it really looked: there were baby vegetables with roasted chicken, beans, and for dessert a big chocolate cake.
"Do you like apple juice?" Kiku asked serving his friend.
"Apple juice will be fine. Thank you." He said observing again Kiku's red face. "What is wrong with him today?". Everybody served themselves, and an awkward silence fell above them.
"So..." Kiku's father broke the silence: "Arthur, you moved here from London, with your family?"
"Yes, sir...actually with my father." Arthur said looking at his half empty plate. Yuusuke was now looking at the british boy a little confused.
"How come?" He insisted. Kiku's eyes widened, while Arthur raised his eyebrows.
"My father used to write a column every week for a british newspaper, but he got a very good job offer from a publishing company here in USA. So...we moved here."
"Your father is a columnist?" Mrs. Honda asked enthusiastic.
"Was...now he works as a publisher."
"And what do you think about USA?" Kiku's father started asking again.
"Well it's much more different than UK...actually it's like this country wasn't even founded by the british people. I don't know...but I was expecting a little more maturity from the americans...after all America is a super power, and all I've seen until now are obsessed people: obsessed with food, obsessed with games, obsessed with superhero movies...where is that nation who bravely fought in the revolutionary war, in WW1 and WW2, in Vietnam. Instead of a great evolution, we're witnessing an involution. And just to be clear, I am not talking about the rulers of this country...I'm talking about the real people...people like me and you...It's just sad... they went so far in 200 years and now it's like they're stuck in their own stupidity." Yuusuke's mouth dropped open, Kiku's eyes were even bigger than before, and Mrs. Honda was looking confused at the british boy with a shy smile on her lips. Arthur inhaled deeply. He realised that this is the first time anyone asked him what he thinks about this country, new for him. "Shit...word vomit!" He thought to himself and then continued:
YOU ARE READING
Somewhere only we know
FanfictionDescription: Arthur is 16 and gay. He moved away from London, UK with his family in the city of Greenville, South Carolina, US. He just hopes that after 3 years of being constantly bullied because of his sexual orientation, the fact that he moved aw...
