Star Crossed

Weird, is just the beginning

Reki couldn’t stop staring at the handsome boy who sat facing them. Miya had forced the newcomer to sit across from them. After the attack hug, he was feeling a little insecure. He pressed his shoulder into Reki. For now, they were muttering between themselves.
“He is the dream guy, right?” Miya asked for about the fifth time. Reki nodded, once more.
“How is he out of your head?” Miya’s green eyes flashed up to meet Reki’s amber ones.
“I don’t have a clue.” Reki said.
“Does he skate?” Miya asked. Reki eyed the blue haired teen. The boy sat with his knees bent, arms wrapped around them. He was smiling happily at Reki as he waited for them to discuss whatever it was, they needed too.
“He doesn’t have one. You can’t skateboard in snow.” Reki thought out loud. Miya was staring between the two boys.
“He’s better looking than I thought.” The small boy commented. Reki exploded up off of his seat.
“That’s what you’re thinking about!” He cried. Langa had stood when the other did.
“Is everything ok?” He asked holding a hand out as if he wanted to touch Reki.
“No!” Reki cried. He spun to look at Langa. How? Just how was this boy here, in the flesh, before him. Reki knew he was flesh because he felt him when they hugged.  
With a tormented sigh, the ginger flopped back down beside his friend. Once more they turned to stare at the offending boy. A beeping sound came from Reki’s pocket. He pulled his phone out.
“Oka, has some deliveries for me.” He told Miya. “You..” He stated standing up, pointing a finger at the blue haired teen. “Where are you staying?” Reki asked. Langa smiled. Happily, he told the other his address.
“Here.” He snatched Reki’s phone from his hand, quickly unlocking it.
“How did you know my code?” Reki gasped. Langa snickered.
“It’s the twin’s birthday, you told me it.” He said, typing something in. He held out Reki’s phone just as his own made a sound. He pulled it out, showing Reki.
“Now we have each others phone numbers.” He grinned. Reki snorted.
“OK, talk to you both, uh, later.” He hurried away. Miya quickly catching up to him. He grabbed onto Reki’s sleeve. Both boys turned to see Langa watching them roll away from him. When he saw them looking, he waved. On reflex, Reki waved back.
“This is weird.” Miya muttered. “You decided to tell me about him and poof…” he made a gesture with his hands as if a genie came out of a lamp. “… here he is.”  Then he smacked Reki’s arm. “And you were just going to leave me with him!” He cried. Reki gave him a bashful grin.
“Yeah, sorry about that. He’s nice…” Miya gave him a death glare.
“Text when you’re done working.” He ordered. They fist bumped and Miya turned to head off to the local skate park. Reki went to Dope Sketch where he worked.
Reki did odd jobs for the manager of the skateboard and surf shop. He delivered packages, built or painted skateboards and occasionally manned the store. Mostly this entailed restocking the shelves or cleaning and dusting.
Oka, the store manager was working with a customer. He was taking an order that Reki would have to work on over the weekend. The ginger waved a greeting before heading into the back room. A pile of packaged boxes greeted him. On top was the clipboard and addresses of where he needed to go. Since he didn’t have his license, Reki delivered everything on his skateboard. He selected several small packages that fit perfectly into a large bag he slung across his slender body. A larger package he hefted into his hands. This should take him about two hours to deliver. Six more packages waited. Tallying the times in his head he sent his mom a text stating he wouldn’t be home for dinner.
Heading out, Reki let his world unfold around him. Skating gave him freedom. He loved it. The more people he saw skateboarding the happier he was. He delivered the surfboard to a bungalow down by the beach. Several smaller packages were close by. One hour down and he was heading to the other side of town. Once all of these packages had been signed for, he went back to Dope Sketch.
He was loading up a small wagon like cart he could pull behind his skateboard, when an address caught his attention. He could hear the blue haired boy reciting it as he read it. This was Langa’s address. The package was addressed to Hasegawa. Was that Langa’s last name? Reki racked his brain trying to force anything out. He couldn’t recall. With a sigh he tucked this one on the bottom. He decided he would make it his last stop of the night.
It was nearing seven o’clock when he stood on the porch of a nicely painted gingerbread looking house. The sold sign swung gently in a light breeze. Reki hadn’t pressed the doorbell yet. He toyed with the package. He screamed when a voice spoke from behind.
“Is that my skateboard?” Reki spun brandishing the box as a shield. Langa stood at the bottom of the steps. He smiled up at him. Leaning against the pole he asked.
“You don’t recall what we talked about in the dream realm, do you?” He asked. Slowly Reki shook his head.
“Not any more or less than other dreams.” Reki confirmed. Langa smile softened.
“Then I am very sorry for terrorizing you this afternoon. Let me introduce myself properly.” He moved closer. “I am Langa Hasegawa, Alpha male to the Hasegawa clan.” He smirked. “I guess, I have to explain it all over again. This is weird.” He ran a hand through his hair as he smiled shyly up at the boy.
“You think this is weird? The guy I have been dreaming about over half my life literally walked out of my dreams!” Reki cried. Langa gestured to the house.
“Care to come in?” He asked. Reki sighed.
“I can’t, not yet. You have to sign for this. Then open it, I want to see which board it is. Then I have to take this stuff back to Dope sketch.” Langa dutifully signed for the parcel. He smiled.
“You designed this for me, in your dream. I never ordered it.” He grinned. “You told me you would have it ready for me the day I arrived.”
“I, uh I did?”
“I can’t wait to see it.” Langa grinned. “You wouldn’t show me the design at all. I tried for weeks to just get a peek.” He took the package from the other. “You even wrote the address.” He pointed to it. Reki felt his face heat up as he recognized his own handwriting.
With a delighted chuckle, Langa tore the wrapping off. He gasped. “Reki, this is amazing!” He flipped the board over. It was like his snowboard, but with wheels. A snowboarder was painted on the bottom.
“How about I follow you to work?”
“You can skateboard?” Reki looked perplexed.
“Well, I never tried it in the real world, but you taught me in our dreams.” Langa went to step on the board it shot out from under his feet. Reki’s laugh had him looking up amazed.
Langa smiled. “I guess it is trickier in real life.” He muttered.  Reki walked down the steps. Kicking his board up he caught it.
“Come on, I can walk, and you can talk.”
“I can’t tell you anything, not out in the open like this.” Langa looked away.
“How about I ask questions and you either answer them now, or tell me later, deal?” Reki asked. Langa thought about this for a minute. It made sense. He was going to have to tell the other boy everything eventually.
“Ok.” He agreed.
“Where are you from?” Reki asked.
“I was born here. But then my parents moved back to Canada when I was eighteen days old.” He explained. “My dad was Canadian.” He offered.
“Why did you come back?”
“Mmm, dad died. The rest I can’t tell you until later.” Langa waited for the other to get upset. Instead Reki simply stated ok.
“I am assuming this alpha male thing needs to wait until later?” Reki smirked. Langa told him yes. Like this they made their way along the streets.
Reki learned Langa was six months older than himself. This was the first time they were ever in the same country together. Langa’s mother lived here all her life until she met his father, who was here on holiday. They became friends, talked and wrote to each other strengthening that friendship. Then he came here to court her. Eventually they married and Langa was born.
His father, Oliver had to return to Canada due to his job. The family followed. They were on holiday two years ago, when a freak avalanche caught the father and son duo by surprise. Oliver gave up his life, to ensure his son survived. There had been only enough time to force the confused teenager out of the way of the advancing snow.
They found Oliver’s body the following spring when the snow melted. Langa had been unable to look at snow ever since, let alone tempt to ride it.
“That’s the beginning of my story.” Langa whispered as they reached the lights of the shop.