"Morning [Y/N]!" I was greeted bright and early my my youngest brother, Dannie, as he latched his gangly arms around my waist, once again attempting a bear hug. And, once again as always, I played along. He was five for heavens sake.
"OOOOH! Good...morning....Dannie......" I hugged him back, planting a kiss on the top of his head. "You're getting so strong. But you gotta let me go now." "What's the magic word?" I peaked an eyebrow at the preschool child who was a lot smarter and mischievous than one would anticipate. "Oh alright! Pop!" He released my waist with a giggle and ran off to the kitchen.
His antics were always so sweet and pure. At five, he was the epitome of kindness, and craziness, all at the same time. He didn't have to worry about responsibilities. They were a foreign concept to him. He was free.
I missed that feeling.
However, watching him enjoy his Saturday, and seeing the others smiling faces as they enjoyed the toaster waffles that they enjoyed every Saturday as a treat, it brought me a semblance of that feeling that I missed.
"Here you go!" Dannie reached up and slid a plate off the counter before handing it up to me. "We got up early so I could make you waffles. Nicole helped me." "Did she? That's very nice of her. And very nice of you to make me breakfast."
The once frozen waffles were completely soaked in syrup, but I would grin and bear it. He worked so hard, and I wouldn't discourage his kindness.
I sat down to eat, trying not to let the thick sugar make an absolute mess.
"So Alex, do you have anything planned for next Friday?" He held up a finger, chewing his food before he spoke. " Not that I can think of. Why? You finally letting me get a job?" I shook my head. "No. I just need you to be in charge after I bring you guys home. You can have nuggets for dinner or I'll pre-make something you can heat up."
It pained me to ask so much of him. He already helped so much every evening, cleaning up a little and making sure everyone got into bed. I had almost told Lloyd no just so that Alexander didn't have any more to do.
But I needed this. I needed a friend; someone to just spend time with me as is. No work or responsibility involved.
I needed my own freedom.
"Sure I guess. What's up? Something happen at work?" I immediately realized how little I had informed him and gritted my teeth, trying to emphasize that was not right. "Oh nonono. Nothing like that." Once I was confident he'd gotten the gist, I relaxed, unaware of the soft smile that followed my awkward realization. "I'm actually hanging out with a friend next Friday."
His eyes widened and Nicole, the only one old enough besides Alex to understand how much I was doing and all my responsibilities, donned the same expression, stopping mid waffle. "Yourf not goming no worfmk?" "No talking with your mouth full Nicole." I reprimanded softly.
"But no. I'm not working. Mr. Tsuki gave me the night off. I was against it but... " Alex reached across the table and sat his hand on mine. "Don't be sis." He let go, and even though I knew what was coming next, it still caused me to cry. "You've taken care of us every day since....well. You know. Have fun. You've earned it."
I didn't want too think too highly of myself, but for a change I believed Alex to be right. I HAD earned a night off.
WHY. DOES. THE. UNIVERSE. HATE. ME.SO!?
For once in a long time I finally got a chance to hang out with someone my age and what happened? I had the absolute shittiest week possible. Some asshole started a fight at the bar Sunday night and I nearly got hit with a shot glass while security got rid of him. Monday there was a rally for a local sports team at the college, so I was nearly late in dropping the kids off to school because it took so long to clean it. And then on Tuesday, my stomach was so upset I thought I was going to cry.
Not to mention that on top of all the nightmare, it felt like time crept by so slowly. I was used to everything passing in the blink of an eye that, now that I had something to look forward to, the week that should've been nothing took a month to pass.
Friday was so far away...but it eventually arrived.
My room was still an absolute mess, but I got all my laundry done during the day so I had my pick of what to wear. We had agreed to not plan out what we were doing, so that complicated things a little...
I did know I was going to be riding his motorcycle. I'd never ridden one before, but I knew a little about what to wear. Basically, just make sure you're covered in case of an accident.
I hoped to god that didn't happen, but it was better safe than sorry.
I didn't want to wear full on long sleeves, as it was still pretty warm outside, but it WAS October, so depending on how late we were out, I might want it then.
So, before I picked up the kids, I settled on a pair of Jeans, a simple but nice [F/C] top, and my dads old black leather jacket. I was sad as I pulled it over my shoulders, but in a way, the coat also comforted me. Like a piece of him was still watching over me.
It was definitely too big, but it would do the trick.
I made sure Alex was still comfortable with me going, but as soon as they locked the door behind me, I took off to the grocery market where Lloyd and I met. Better to be early right?
I arrived a few minutes early, maybe ten or fifteen, and leaned on the hood of my car until I heard the distinct sound of a motorcycle.
I lifted my eyes from my phone, and fought really hard to keep my jaw from hitting the asphalt. That was not a motorcycle. Lloyd rose up in a whole ass work of art.
It was slender, clearly designed for speed, but every angle was absolutely seamlessly blended with the next. Just as much care in the design of the bike had been taken into the paint job, utilizing a bright green, black, and a sooty grey. It was gorgeous.
Lloyd noticed that I was completely enamored with the bike. He slipped off his helmet and stopped the bike, not even turning if off, but greeted me with a smirk.
"I take it you see something you like?" There was no hiding the shades of pink and red that bleed across my cheeks. I knew he knew that I was looking at the bike, but the way he spoke had me convinced that he meant something entirely different. I wasn't about to play into it. It was fare more amusing if I didn't.
"I'll say. That bike's gorgeous." It took a moment to peel myself off the car, and walked over to him. "I could look at it all day." He took off his helmet, shaking his messy hair to alleviate the helmet hair a little bit, thought it didn't really help.
"You're no fun." His chuckle contradicted his words, and he shut off the bike and kicked out the stand. "And you're an idiot." "I've been called worse things."
He stepped off the bike and stood to the side, offering a better look at it. "It was a gift from a friend." "A friend?!" He chucked at my surprise. "I need to get in good with this friend of yours."
We bother laughed whole heartedly, completely at peace with each other's presence. I had never made a friend so fast, or enjoyed someone's company so much so quickly before.
"I'm glad you appreciate it though. Most people look at it and think it's a little much." I shook my head, rising from my close inspection of the paint job. "I think it's perfect."
"Wait till you ride it."
He reached around the other side and revealed a black helmet with grey and blue stripes on the side. "I borrowed a helmet from a friend. She's working tonight so she lent it to me." I gingerly took the mask, not wanting to drop it or cause any damage to it. "She also lent me a jacket, but it seems you've got one."
I looked at the coat as I prepared to slip the helmet over my ponytail. "Yeah. I figured I might need one, so I dug this old thing out of the closet." The helmet was a nice fit, only slightly snug over my ponytail.
"Helmet suits you. We'll get you into riding bikes yet." He replaced his helmet and straddled the bike, cranking it back up and kicking the stand back. "Hop on."
I assumed it was like riding a bicycle, so I stepped over with one leg and sat down. It was a sport bike, so the seat for a passenger barely had enough room. "Look down on either side and you'll see a short bar. that's where you'll wanna set your feet." It took me a moment to find them, but after he pointed back, I realized what I was looking for and pulled my feet towards my chest and sat them down on the rests.
"You good?" I nodded, taking a deep breath as he turned from me to look ahead. "Alright. Now, you're new to this, so you're gonna want to hold on pretty tight. I promise it's not weird. It's just safe."
Not weird my ass. Yeah we were friends, but we still had only known each other for a few weeks. It was weird. Still, I didn't have much of a choice, so I leaned forward and wrapped my arms around his abdomen, though admittedly not very tightly.
I wish I had seen his smirk. I might have clung more closely, as I was not at all prepared for what he was about to put me through.
"Here we go." He knocked down the visor on his helmet and pulled his feet up as we took off, zooming through the parking lot and onto the highway that lead into the heart of Ninjago city.
The man drove like a trained stunt man as he merged, the back tire drifting ever so slightly. I realized how dead serious he had been, and my somewhat loose hold soon rivaled that of a vise. His chest thundered with laughter as he approached the speed limit, matching the cars around us.
"I TOLD YOU YOU NEEDED TO HANG ON!"
"I REALIZE THAT NOW!"
His laughter at my expense continued for a solid minute, and I just did my best not to panic. After a while though, it wasn't so bad. The initial crazy merging onto the road shocked me a little, but riding was actually quite enjoyable. The wind billowed through my dads large jacket so I didn't get overheated, and watching the buildings around us come and go in the blink of an eye was mesmerizing.
I allowed my breathing to relax and I actually enjoyed the rest of the ride into town.
Lloyd simply allowed me to relax in peace after his laughter ceased, quite conscious of the fact that both my breathing and heart rate had returned to a normal rate and rhythm, something that even I was unaware of.
He didn't speak again until we reached a spot light near our first destination.
"The taco truck is two lights up. I hope you're hungry." "Absolutely starving."
I didn't get a chance to add anything else before the light turned green and we took off again. I still didn't care for the takeoff of the bike, so my grip tightened up on his abdomen again, but he didn't seem to mind. In fact, I could have sworn he glanced back at me in understanding. It WAS my first time riding a motorcycle, and he had been the one to tell me to hold on tightly.
It didn't take long to reach a small square with a number of food trucks set up. It was a little early in the evening, so it wasn't that busy, but they would soon. He parked the bike and hopped off, offering a hand to assist me, which I took gratefully. "Thanks." "No problem [Y/N]...So, what do you think?" I removed my helmet and shook out my ponytail, grateful for the release of pressure on the back of my head. "I think that was actually a lot of fun. Even if you did show off a little and startle me at the beginning."
The mischievous grin he bore earlier returned and he just shrugged. "You got me. But your reaction was priceless." ANd then he laughed. He was laughing at me because I freaked out. "Laugh it up you jerk." I smacked his shoulder with the back of my hand. "HEY!" "Don't HEY me. You did that on purpose to freak me out!" "Okay fine. I did."
I never noticed it in that moment as we raced to the taco truck to get food. It wasn't possible to notice everything, so I couldn't blame myself. But there was something different in the air. Something unnatural. Not evil or wrong, but unnatural none the less. Neither of us noticed. But it was quite present.
I wouldn't notice until it was much too late.
"OHMFGOMSH!" I exclaimed as I sunk my teeth into the last bite what was easily the mot glorious burrito that I had ever tasted. He hadn't been kidding when he said it was the best.
"I told you. These people really know how to make an awesome buritto." Lloyd seemed amused at my response to a simple food, but not in an insulting way. He seemed to be enjoying the conversation as much as I was. I just happened to be a little more excited. Who could blame me though? Tacos and burritos were probably my favorite thing to eat. I could eat them literally every day. Thought not really. That would SO not be good for me. "I'll definitely have to remember this place." I rose to my feet, crumpling the aluminum foil that had housed my dinner into a tight ball as I left the picnic table and made my way to a trash can.
Lloyd followed, grabbing my drink before I could so I didn't have to carry it as we threw our garbage away and sauntered back to the bike. "Just be careful." He slipped his green helmet back offer his wavy blonde hair, which couldn't exactly get much messier than it was already. "The truck is located at a different food truck the rest of the week. They're only here on Fridays and Saturdays." I nodded, grateful that he told me ahead of time. I would HATE to come for tacos before work on night only to find them gone. "Good to know."
I slipped the borrowed helmet over my own hair, still a little small for my ponytail, and sat behind him. I was a little less nervous this time, but sincerely hoped he didn't just take of at lightning speeds. He didn't, and I could have cried from sheer joy.
"SO!" He shouted, knowing he'd have to for me to hear him as we drove. "WHERE WE HEADED NEXT?" I paused for a moment. "YOU MEAN YOU STARTED DRIVING WITHOUT KNOWING WHERE WE'RE GOING?!" "YUP!" His sheer positivity was infectious, and I could feel myself succumbing to the sheer lack of responsibility that he felt.
"YOU KNOW WHAT?! FUCK IT! THIS IS MY FIRST DAY OFF WORK IN 2 YEARS! SURPRISE ME!"
"I can do that." He leaned forward just a little bit, and of course I had to follow suit. While I was a little bit more comfortable that I had been when we initially started out from the grocery store, I was not about to relinquish my hold on him. I had no desire to fall off the back of a motorcycle going nearly 60 mph. There was no way that would end well for me.
I would love to say that I recognized where we were going. I should be more familiar with the city that I had called home for most of my life. But that wasn't the case.
In fact, the city was completely alien to me. Aside from where I took my siblings to school; my jobs, and where I purchased things we needed, I had barely stepped foot in the city. We were on the opposite end of all these, so I had no idea where we were. However, it seemed as though Lloyd did, judging by how he leaned us into each turn. It seemed at he decided what we were doing for the evening. I wasn't gonna object. I hadn't a single idea in mind.
"Where are we going?!" I called through my helmet and over the howling wind. "I don't know this part of town!!" "I thought you said you lived in Ninjago City!?" "I did!" I couldn't hear it over the wind in my ears, but I could feel the laughter that rumbled through his chest. "When you said you didn't get out, you really meant it!" I squeezed really tightly and very quick. "You jerk!" I was laughing though. He was right, but it was better to make light of it. So we laughed about it.
This was a wonderful change of pace. I had felt at peace with Lloyd before, but this was something entirely different. He was friendly, kind, and treated me as one would a life long friend. He didn't pull his punches on the jokes, and I really liked that.
I relaxed and smiled, loosening up my grip just a bit as my helmet rested on his shoulder. I trusted him.
As we coasted to a stop, I looked to each side of me, and realized where we were at. The Big W. An arcade, laser tag park, movie theater, and mini golf course. In other words, a place where people went to have fun.
My siblings had begged me to take them, but I simply didn't have the time. I almost get bad that I was going to be going without them.
Almost.
"This is..." I tried to comprehend what to say, and it seemed Lloyd took it the wrong way. "I know it's kinda silly but I" I have him a puzzled look. "Silly?! Are you kidding? This is a great idea!" I had to admit. I was excited. I'm 20 years old, and excited about going to an arcade.
Sue me.
"You really think so?" "Absolutely! I've never gotten to do anything like this before." A grin quickly stretched across his face, and he smirked as he held his bike helmet firmly in his hands. "Race ya to the door!" He bolted and I stood stunned until I could process what was going on. I took off after him, blood and adrenaline pumping through my arteries as I chased after him- I lost. Epically. Not only did have a head start on me, he could MOVE. I wasn't a slow runner by any means, but I was out of practice with my sprints. Lloyd clearly wasn't.
"I win." "You cheated" "Did not" "Did so." We argued jovially back and forth until we reached the ticket counter. The attendant didn't seemed fazed. They probably dealt with hooligans like us quite a lot. "I got your ticket." He tried to argue, but I quickly passed my card up. "You bought burritos, I get tickets." The attendant didn't even speak, letting us have our chat as they got us rung up. "Here you go." I smiled, taking the wrist bands that signified we had paid. "Thanks a million!"
We slipped past and put them on. I say we, what I really mean is that I put mine on and watched him struggle and epically fail.
"Need a hand there?" He looked focused, green eyes seemingly trying to pierce the paper band. "I can do it." I wasn't convinced, but let him struggle until he got it attached, thought not without getting some of the sticky side stuck to his arm. "Good luck getting that off without taking some arm hair with it."
Yeah that wasn't gonna happen.
He ignored my jab and instead all but dragged me toward the laser tag kiosk. That's no surprise. He seemed like a laser tag guy.
"I CAN't BELIEVE YOU BEAT ME!?!" Lloyd and I spend most of the time at the Big W playing Laser tag, though we did stop to play a few arcade games after I got tired before we went right back to it.
Anyhow, Lloyd has the great idea to make our last game versus match between the two of us, since we didn't feel like waiting for anyone else to show up, and I'd absolutely kicked his ass. "What can I say? I'm good like that."
I lightly punched his shoulder and he returned the favor. "I just....I can't believe you managed to sneak up in me...and then you shot me in the back!" "Hey. All is fair in war Lloyd, and you lost." "That I did."
Lloyd was, for all intents and purposes, one of the best, if not the best, at sneaking around. He also had to be really good and knowing when other people were sneaking around. Unless he was SEVERELY distracted, even Wu had a hard time sneaking up in him these days.
So how did she manage it, if with accounting for the noise and flashing lights in the dark laser tag room?
It was an absolute wonderful night out, especially once he suggested to grab ice cream, which he insisted he paid for, but all good things must come to an end. I still had to watch over my siblings, and I needed to make sure they hadn't destroyed the apartment in my absence. So, for now, it was time to part.
We rode back in silence, just enjoying the wind as it blew around us. It was a little chilly, but my fathers old jacket kept me warm enough.
"Thanks for inviting me out. It was nice to get away from work. " I handed the helmet back to him, and he seemed almost hesitant to take it back. "Here here." He strapped it to the side of the bike and rose back up, cheeky smile back once more. "I definitely needed a break myself. Work is stressful." He didn't know the half of it, or at least I didn't believe so. "Text me so I know you made it back safe!"
Not gonna lie, the following silence as he drove away was hard. It was also a sobering reminder that once again, I have more important things going on. This was nice, but I felt so guilty for not being home. I refused to allow Alex and the others to fee abandoned, even for a night.
I slipped inside the front seat of the van, but nothing happened when I went to crank it. Not even a clicking of the starter. "What the hell...." I tried for another minute to get it to crank. Nothing. I didn't think I'd left the light on or anything, and I was right. Must have been something wrong.
I didn't know much about cars, but I knew enough to take a gander. I stepped out after popping the hood, and lifted it up. It was then I turned on my phone flashlight, and I realized I'd made a huge mistake.
There was a reason there had been no noise at all. My entire battery was gone. I turned so that I could rush back into the seat of my car and call for help, but when I turned around, I was met with several gang members, all sporting a very familiar tattoo.
"Found you." The last thing I remembered was a very large fist rapidly approaching my face before everything snapped to a halt and the world went dark.
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4098 words! And it's finally done. I'm so so sorry it took so long.
Next one should be out later this months or beginning of next. I have a very large exam on the 16th so it has to wait till after then.