Timeless

A different worled

It was bad enough that they were here together, what made it so much worse, was when Cherry asked to be seated in my section. I turned away, marching back into the kitchen. My entire body was shaking. A cute brunette waitress came in.
“Kojiro, that pink haired friend of yours just came in. He wanted to sit at a table you were serving tonight.” She informed me.
“Switch with me, please?” I begged in a quiet whisper.
“Um, well, I have the two scammer table?” She looked shocked.
“I’ll take it, if you take Kaoru!” I stated she agreed. The two scammer table were these two couples that came in once every other month or so. They would give the waitress a hard time. Act like they mixed up dinners, forgot parts of meals, things like that. Then demand to see the manager. While you were off getting them, one by one, the group would sneak out on the check. I had yet to have the pleasure of dealing with them since they liked the girls.
I walked out. My eye went to Kaoru out of habit. He sat up, giving me a small smile. I walked past their table, with at least three empty ones in between, to go up to the scammer table.
“Good evening, I am Kojiro, I will be your server tonight….” I went over the specials. They ordered in a mixed-up fashion.  Adding and taking off various items as I tried to write it all down. I kept a pleasant smile on my face offering suggestions. When they stated they were done, I pointed to each one in turn, read off what they ordered before moving to the next one. Each time waiting for them to confirm the order. A few times they changed it. I left handing in the order.
“He asked me to give you this.” Kylie handed me a note. On the front was Kaoru’s neat elegant writing.
“Thanks.” I stuffed it in my pocket. It wasn’t often I served, but they were short staffed tonight so I had offered. I grabbed the desserts for another table. As I walked out, I groaned to myself. This table was right beside Kaoru’s. Gritting my teeth, I walked up to the couple.
“How was everything?” I asked with a beaming smile.
“Oh, just great. Can I ask you something?” The man looked quizzically up at me.
“Sure?” I offered placing their cheesecake in front of them.
“Are you Joe? Like Cherry and Joe, Joe?” He asked. I glanced around mischievously, not in Cherry's direction either.
“SHH, can’t say that here!” I winked at the girl. She giggled. Well, that sealed my tip, I thought. I turned away. A hand caught my wrist.
“Joe, wait a minute.” I glared down at “Adam" before yanking my hand out of his tight grasp. I nearly punched a passing bus boy to do it.
“Please Kojiro?” Cherry begged. He was half laying on the table, reaching his hand out to me. The look on his face shattered my heart.
“I just can't, Kaoru.” I whispered. I turned away. The anger was gone. I had nothing to keep the pain at bay any longer. Depression was my only friend. As I walked away, it felt like my feet were made of lead. Another hand caught mine just before I made it to the safety of the kitchen. Eyes wide, I looked back at him.
“We're still friends, right?” He asked me. His long thin fingers holding my wrist.
“Were we ever friend, Kaoru?” I asked. “I tried to be your friend, tried with everything I had, but it just wasn’t enough. I’m tired, Kaoru.”
“Don’t call me that, Joe!” his voice choked up with tears. Carefully I extracted my hand from his. “Names Kojiro, but then again, you never did learn that.” I pushed the swinging door open. Just before it closed, I called back.
“See you on Monday.” I didn’t wait to see his reaction. I guess I just loved to hurt myself. As I picked up the order for the scammer table, the manager came out with me. She greeted them, made sure everything was right, and stayed visible on the floor. When it came time for their check, she took it to them. They tried their usual stunt, but she shut them down. They paid, then she told them they were to never come back again. The staff cheered as they walked out the door.
  I worked all weekend. Monday morning, I went to our meeting place. As I was coming down to the spot, a strand of pink hair was blown out from around the pole. Had he come to meet me? I wondered. I came around d the pole, only to see him kissing Adam. I didn’t stop.
“Kojiro!” Cherry was fast. He caught me quickly. He didn’t try to touch me, instead he skated even with me, watching. I said nothing, not unlike all the million other times we were like this. But then, Adam came up behind Cherry. One hand went to the teen’s waist. A darkness settled in the others eyes. A flash of sun and I could swear they had gone from pink to blood red. I blinked. He was smiling peacefully at me, eyes back to pink. The hairs on the back of my neck stood up. Something was very, very wrong.
The only way I was going to figure out just what, was to be beside him. Someone had to protect him. “I learned to make a great filet Ming Yong, come by Thursday. I will make it.” I said. Cherry flashed me a smile before rolling his eyes.
“Sure, dopey gorilla.” He growled, annoyed as usual. Was I budding in? Who knew with him. We stored our boards in our lockers. His was right beside mine. Ainosuke’s was down a different corridor.  I expected Kaoru to rush off to meet Adam. As I closed my door he stood on the other side leaning against his locker. He was biting on his lip piercing.
“Kojiro?” He asked breathlessly.
“Kaoru?” I teased back.
“I really am sorry. You know how I get when I get flustered. I didn’t even think about my phone, or …” now his voice dropped even lower. “…you.” I had to read his lips to catch the last word. I sighed.
“Forget it, Pinky!” I sighed adding a note of frustration into my tone. “It’s not like it was a date or anything.” I had to look away in order for him to not see the lie in my words.
“Am I forgiven?” He asked. I shoved off of the locker. Before I could answer, a voice called out my name.
“Kojiro!” Glancing up I saw one of the waitresses from work.
“Hey.” I called forgetting her name. She laughed.
“Cami.” She giggled then held out the note Kaoru had given me on Friday. “This must have fallen out of your pocket in the break room. I saw it there Saturday, but you were already gone for the day. I kept it safe.” She smiled it was still sealed.
“Thanks.” I muttered taking it.
“The girl who wrote that must be pretty into you, no one takes that much time with their handwriting unless they are trying to impress someone.” She waved as she hurried off to class.
“You didn’t read it?” Kaoru asked. I glanced at him. His cheeks were flushed. Quickly I looked away.
“I, uh, didn’t have time.” I muttered slipping it into my pocket. “Come on, we are going to be late.” We hurried down the hall to our class. Ainosuke was sitting with his arm around an open chair. He was glaring at the door as we rushed in. Without looking back I headed toward the seats Kaoru and I usual sat at. As I dropped into mine, the sound of someone sitting down in his had me glancing that way. I smirked. Kaoru sat primly watching the front, his lips twitched. I wasn’t sure if he was fighting a smile, or trying not to tell me off for starring. Ainosuke looked thunderous.
Two classes later, I had the only class of the day without Kaoru. I pulled the note out. “Please forgive me. Adam and I were skating. Some others showed up. They were good, really good. Adam tried to take them all on, one at a time. He failed on the third one lost his footing and fell. He was out cold. I didn’t know what to do. I took him to the ER. I was so worried. It was while he was getting treated that he told me how much he liked me. He asked me out that night. That was when I remembered our standing dinner date. Kojiro, you are my best friend. Please forgive me?” I could hear the pleading in his words. Pain stabbed my heart. That bastard stole my friend, stole my date and my confession. Why? I looked out the window trying to sort out my thoughts. I shook my head when a hand jostled my arm.
“Hey, Kojiro, the bell rang.” The girl who sat beside me stated. I thanked her. She walked out beside me.
“You want to borrow this?” she asked holding out her notebook. I sighed, taking it. Flashing her a smile, I thanked her. “You looked troubled.” She hinted. “Something going wrong between you and Kaoru?” she asked.
“Why do you ask that?” I snorted.
“Because you guys are like joined at the hip. Lately you are hardly seen together.”
“He's dating someone.” I muttered.
“So, that would mean you have more free time?” She asked. She spun around to block me going into my next class. “Care to grab coffee or something Friday night?” She asked. I saw pink hair fly around out of the corner of my eye.
“I have to work, but luckily it is at a restaurant. Why don’t you stop by, say six? I typically take my break then.” I offered. She smiled.
“Great, see you then.” She flounced her strawberry blond hair as she bobbed down the hall. I smirked. Ok, maybe I could for….
“Did you just make a date?”  Kaoru demanded coming to stand angrily before me.
“On a Friday, that’s serious, Joe.” Adam stated as he put his arm around Cherry's waist.
“Yeah.” I smirked. So much for forgetting about him.
“How can you be so naïve, stupid, idiotic…” Cherry ranted. The bell cut him off and I walked into the room. He followed me. We sat together. He was in his usual mood, being angry at Joe. I laughed.
“Lighten up, four eyes, its only coffee. Didn’t know this would bother you so much. Can’t wait to see what you will do when I offer to make her dinner…”  His eyes flashed angrily at me, but the teacher had called class to order.
Friday came quickly. Adam spent the school days ignoring Cherry. It appeared he was only hanging on him Monday for “moral support” or at least that’s what pinky told me. I avoided our study sessions. Instead, I made up a group of my own. All females. We met at the library. Cherry and Adam were there with some of Adam's other “friends". Cherry had been delighted to see me, until I walked away from them to another table.
Wednesday, I did skate with them. As always Adam hogged the half pipe, insisted no one was better than him, and pretty much belittled Cherry as often as he could. His friends would laugh. Cherry would blush stammering about doing better. I spent the night trying not to murder my best friend’s boyfriend.
Finally, Friday came around. Kia, the girls I had a coffee date with, showed up right on time. My manager grinned. She made me the coffees and told me she would personally watch my tables for me.
“You have thirty minutes.” She smirked giving me the hot travel cups. I thanked her. We went out the back. There was a small table there. As we took our seats, I heard the sound of skateboards coming down the street.
“How were the notes?” She asked drawing my attention away from the noise.
“Very helpful, you really saved me on that test!” I sipped the coffee, just as I saw a flash of pink hair, then blue, fly by. We had a pleasant talk. When my time was almost up I asked her to the movies the next night.
“That would be great.” She smiled. We exchanged phone numbers and she left.
“What? No goodbye kiss?” Adam's alluring voice came out of the darkness. He appeared with his arm around Cherry's neck. Cherry had both his arms around Adam's waist. Four other boys surrounded them, they were chuckling.
“No, I like to make them wait for it.” I smirked. “Why give up the goods too early. It’s the chase that’s always the fun part.” I laughed.
“Stupid gorilla, don’t you know not to play with a girls heart?” Cherry snorted.
“Kojiro.” I looked up. My manager was standing there. She was holding a phone. “Something happened to one of your moms. They are at the hospital.” She looked pale. “Do you need a ride?”.
“I, uh, no I have my board.” I pointed towards where I kept it. She picked it up, holding it out to me.
“Go. I will cover for you.” She took my apron and for a second, I just stood there not sure what to do. A hand touched my wrist.
“Come on, I will go with you.” Cherry whispered.
“Cherry, we are going to the park!” Adam’s tone was light, but his eyes were dangerous.
“Go, there’s nothing you can do for me.” I put the board down and kicked off.
“JOE!” Cherry cried. My last glimpse of him was Adam grabbing his neck to pull him back to his side. That was your choice? I seethed. The worry over my mom filled me. I shoved the anger aside for later.