Cherry Blossoms & Bubble Gum

Crazy, Man.

"Tadashi!" Gogo shouted from her workstation as she felt around her black toolbox, years after they had both graduated from their elementry school. "Where's my wrench?" 

"Here." He said, handing her a wrench that was slightly smaller than the one she was looking for but was adjustable so it would work. "What exactly are you working on?"

"My dad's old bike, duh." She said, sliding under the ancient yellow motorcycle which was being held up by two of Tadashi's mechanical hands which she had 'borrowed' from his home lab and forgotten to give back. "What about you?"

"Our history project." He deadpanned, typing away on a computer from her recliner. It was black and had  purple patches scattered across it from all the times one of her tools went flying when she was frustrated with herslef for whatever reason.

"Oh, yeah." She sat up to look at him, the light of the setting sun shone through the open garage door and bounced off of his black hair.  "How's that going?"

"You're so lucky to have me as a friend." He smirked and turned the screen of the computer to show her a map of somewhere she didn't recognize. "I just finished the last touches on the history of Tokyo." So that's where the map was showing. Gogo had never been one for history. Or geography.

"And San Francisco?" She asked, remembering the other half of the project that needed to be covered in order to get a full grade.

"Finished that yesterday." He turned the screen back to face him took a sip from a soda bottle sitting on a small table next to the chair. "You're welcome."

"My hero." She rolled her eyes and reached over to grab the soda from him, taking a drink from it herself. It had the syrupy flavor of artifical grape. Her favorite. She felt the fizzle of the bubbles slide down her throught and placed the glass bottle back onto the table.

"Tadashi!" A voice screeched and Fred came sprinting into the garage. "Oh. Hey Gogo."

"Fred." She scowled and went back to work on the bike. This time using a can of yellow spray paint to refurbish the paint job. Fred and her had never gotten along very well. He was far to laid back and careless. 

"Bro, you'll never guess what!" Fred continued as if she'd never spoken. He didn't give Tadashi any time to guess and just launched into the next part of his story. "So I was watching the news -I know. Crazy, man.- and they were talking about your parents."

Gogo stopped her painting and looked up to Fred. Why would Tadashi's parents be on telivision? Sure they worked for Alistair Krei and had two genius sons but their spectacularness ended there. "What did they say about them?"

A solemn look fell across his face which got Gogo worried. Fred didn't get solemn. He was always the happy one of their trio. "There was a plain crash that came from New London earlier today . . ."

That was all Tadashi and Leiko needed to hear. His parents had been flying home from an interview with a school in New London to send Tadashi's little brother, Hiro, to. Hiro was an advanced scientist at four years old and was already in the third grade.

Gogo had a theory that Hiro was dropped on the head one to many times as a baby and that's how his brain managed to work three times as fast as anyone she knew. She'd explained it once to Tadashi and they had laughed about it but in the end he had dissmissed the idea that anyhting was wrong with his little brother. In his mind Hiro was simply an angel sent from heavens above.

Gogo dissagreed with that, however. The last time she'd watched him with Tadashi while his parents worked late she was working on a prototype for a new levitation field to give to her mom when Hiro had thrown a ball and destroyed it, setting her back by weeks.

"Um . . ." Fred said, breaking the stiff silence. "I just wanted you to hear it from a friend before a cop or detective or whoever they send. I'll . . . I'll leave then." He grabbed his orange and green hoverboard and quickly flew down the streets.

"Tadashi." Gogo whispered after a minute, standing up and alking over to him. He hadn't moved since Fred had finished talking. Gogo was worried that he wasn't even breathing. She racked her brain for anything she could think of to help make the situation easier for him. "You and Hiro can stay here if you want. We have enough room."

Surely he couldn't go back to his home now that there was noone to go home to. And even if the police did let him for whatever reason it's not like he would want to. Gogo knew Tadashi to well to think otherwise.

She gently lay a hand on top of his, snapping him from his trance and his brown eyes searched hers. What were they looking for? Something they obviously didn't find because he looked away coldly after a minute.

"No." He shook his head, sliding his hand away. He shut down his computer and stuffed it in his bag which he then slung across his back. She watched after him as he left the garage and began walking down the street, probably to catch a trolly to pick up Hiro. "We have an Aunt who lives in the area. We'll stay with her. Thanks, though."

"Tadashi." She called as he went on down the sidewalk. She stepped out of the garage to stare intently at him. 

"Gogo." He turned to her she watched tears brew in his eyes, "I can't talk right now, Leiko. I'll e-mail you the presentation."