The sky is dark, cold, dismal. The crescent moon shines softly, eliminating parts of the clouds that slowly stroll by. Cars drive past us, blaring their music or laughing, having the greatest moments of their lives. People stand at every corner of the road, holding signs with flashlights pointing at them. They all said various things, refusing to be drafted to Vietnam for war. They protested the power shortages and the oil shortages and the bombs and the space race, literally everything you can imagine was being protested. It was common, it was nothing to me. It didn't matter.
What mattered was the soft sounds of the car driving on the mostly smooth road. What matters most to me right now was the empty passenger seat right in front of me and next to Takashi. Memories flash in my head of fun times I had with an angel, but memories flash of the devil as well.
The silence in the car only made the new void inside of me bigger and bigger by the second. No one wanted to speak and it's best if we didn't. Any word can tip us off the edge and cause us to break.
Takashi and I had something in common. We push away our feelings until we reach a breaking point. Takashi is more easily breakable since he's closer to the edge, but in all, he still does it. Especially now, especially when Adam died, but there comes a time where he will break. He has to.
I think about what happened only a couple of hours ago. Lance was there, unsure how to feel, unsure what to do. He sat and watched the scene unfold in fear. Takashi didn't believe us at first and thought it was all some sort of joke until I began to connect a couple of dots. The amount of money he takes from us, the number of times he's gone on "family vacations", the number of strange phone calls he receives. It's all a lie. It's all been to make money.
I remember when we dropped Lance off at his house and drove back to ours. The first thing I do when I get out of the car was storm inside and find that bastard. He was in the room, already packing his bags for a "family vacation."
Everything was a blur after this. I remember hitting him as hard as my body would let me. I remember the blood on my hands, not knowing if it was my own or Matthew's. Takashi and Matthew yelling. Takashi and Matthew crying. I remember I demanded the money back by this weekend or else I'd do something. I don't remember what, I wish I did. But, now I'm here. In a car, driving somewhere, in utter silence.
Sometimes I wonder how it is living a normal life. Having a mom who cooks you meals and packs your lunch, having a dad that comes home and teaches you how to shave or to drive a car or throw a ball. Possibly having siblings who care about you. Having friends who you can hang out with on the weekends or after school and falling into bad habits and getting caught by your dad and never doing them again. Those things.
Not a mom who never loved you or a dad who died before you can tell him you love him or a dad who adopts you out of pity, another dad six feet under the ground, no siblings, no friends, no one to cook you meals or pack your lunch, teaching yourself to shave or drive and getting into bad habits without being caught and knowing you'll end up addicted. Also having this really amazing guy in your life who is so positive and wonderful but you know that when a certain project is over, you will never make contact again.
My point is that life sucks. Nothing good happens unless you're rich, smart, or pretty. I'm neither of those things so life sucks.
"Hey, Keith..." Takashi finally speaks up.
"Yeah?" I look at him. His eyes were fixed to the road.
"How's your hand?" He asks me, glancing at me through his mirror.
"Um...I don't know. I can't tell. It hurts." I open and close my hand slightly as I spoke. He hums in reply, suddenly making it quiet again. The quiet is too painful, so I said: "So where are we going?" I ask.
"More so where you're going." Takashi fixes his posture. I narrow my eyes and stare at him.
"What do you mean?" I ask slowly.
"I'm dropping you off at a friend's place for a little while. I think you'll like it." Takashi flashes a smile at me and I just tilt my head.
"I don't have any of my things, how long am I staying?" I open my narrowed eyes and keep my eyebrows furrowed.
"I'll drop your things off tomorrow. You're staying until I can clear my head. I think this will be great for both of us." Takashi shrugs a little.
"So you're just going to drop me off a stranger's house and leave to God knows where for however long? Are you just not going to show up for work?" I pull myself up closer to the driver's seat, feeling outraged. He nods.
"Pretty much." He sighs before turning on his turn signal.
I lean back in the seat, my mouth slightly open. I thought I was dreaming for a moment but the pain in my hand told me otherwise. I lick my lips and look at Takashi.
"You are so stunned, Takashi. Like...what am I going to do for school? For money? For emotional support? What about homework or-"
"You're going to the same school, but taking a bus instead. You're still going to have support and you can always get a job." He replies to me, finally turning.
"I know I know but...it's going to be different." I sigh heavily and look down. I massage my temples.
"It's going to be okay," Takashi reassures me.
For the rest of the time, we sit in silence. I think about how big of a change this is and how I really wasn't expecting it. I never saw things leading up to this. Never in a million years.
It was only about ten minutes after our exchange before we arrived. The house was newer than ours and bigger. It was nice, clean, pretty fancy. It had beautiful bushes that lead up to the front door along with a beautiful tree whose leaves were already half gone.
We both exit the car at the same time. Takashi walks ahead of me and I take my time to look at my surroundings.
The neighborhood was decent, it was full of similar houses. Nice gardens and porches and nicely sized homes. They were all mostly made from a nice, dark brick color and probably are really really nice inside. My house isn't so big, it's old, creaky, wooden, and pretty gross.
Takashi knocks on the double doors, waiting for someone to answer. He glances at his watch as we wait, seeming as if he was late for something. I just stuff my hands in my pockets and glare at Takashi in disbelief. I felt my body heating up but my body was too tired to tense up or try to argue. I've been through too much in the last 24 hours.
The door opens up to reveal a sleepy looking girl. I look her up and down, feeling as if I've seen her somewhere...but where?
"Hey Allura," Takashi greets her.
Allura where have I heard that name?
"Hey, Shiro. Are you looking for who I think you're looking for?" She asks in her cool little accent and moves out of the way to let us in.
"Yeah." He steps inside and I follow behind him.
Inside the house was pretty cool. Fancy furniture, paintings, technology, chandeliers, things rich people have. You can look down at the living room from the hallway. The stairs went up in a narrow spiral. It all made me feel odd, knowing I'm staying here instead of my small bedroom.
"Oh, hello Shiro!" An excitable ginger pops out of nowhere. The man is older than Takashi by a nice amount of years. No grey hair was to be seen though, unlike Takashi. He must be stress-free.
One notable thing was his large mustache. It was the most prominent thing on him and it was almost surprised by the power it let out.
"When did everyone start calling you Shiro?" I ask under my breath. I look down and tap the top of my shoe on the wooden floor.
"Who's this little fellow?" The man walks up to me. I lift my head and look at him. His bright smile makes my stomach turn in its place.
"I'm Keith," I reply in a monotone tone.
"Nice to meet you, Keith. I'm Coran!" He puts out his hand but I refuse to shake it. I just glance at it before looking away. "Oh, a stubborn one. What can I help you gentlemen with?"
"I was wondering if you can take Keith for a bit. I just have a lot to think about..." Takashi rubs the back of his neck.
I glance up at the railing where Allura stood. Her long, white hair laid gracefully on her shoulders. Her piercing blue eyes stared right at me, reading me like a book. She knew me too, but she can pinpoint from where exactly. I wish I could say the same.
"Well, Keith, let Allura show you to the guest room. Allura!" He turns to face Allura, breaking her out of thought.
"See you later, Keith." Takashi ruffles my hair and I push him off.
"Whatever." I scoff before heading up the narrow stairs.
Allura sheepishly brings me to a room at the far end of the hall, the part of the hallway that wasn't visible from the railing. She opens the door to reveal a room twice the size of mine with a chestnut colored desk and a lamp on it. It was accompanied with a nice leather office chair. A large window with long, silk drapes were open slightly, giving the room a natural smell. A bed that was double the size of mine laid in the middle of the room, nicely made and full of the softest pillows I've ever seen.
"This is the guest room." She steps inside and looks around. "It's nothing special and pretty empty, actually." She adds.
"It's bigger than mine," I say as I also look around.
"You go to the same school as me, right?" She suddenly asks.
"Do we?" I raise my eyebrows in surprise. "I mean I remember you from somewhere, I just couldn't-"
"You're the person who jumped off the stadium!" She exclaims and points at me. "I saw you while I was in the middle of cheering and it gave me a heart attack!" She lets out a heavy breath.
"Oh, I didn't mean-"
"Is that how you got the bruise?" She points to my left eye.
"No." I shake my head.
Allura is very enthusiastic about things and that's alright I guess.
"Give me the skinny." She puts her hands on her hips.
"Well..." I begin.