The Stars Are Too Far Away

Chapter 2 - Alpha

Kei and his brother, Akitaru, had a good relationship once. They used to play volleyball every day before dinner. Akiteru teased his brother about never catching up to him. The Ace of his middle school volleyball team. He spent nights teaching a younger Kei the basics of the game. Kei was proud if his older brother and that he was learning from the best. He thought the world of his brother. Akiteru was his hero. That was until Akiteru got on the Kurosuno High Volleyball team. He didn't know it would turn out like this. He didn't think the world would become so dim after he saw his brother sitting in the stands that day.

So lame...

...

Tsukishima pressed his hand to his temple, feeling a wave of irritation and stress overcoming him. Voices of his abrasive mother and a frazzled doctor swirled around his ears. Tsukishima's grimaced and rubbed his temple, not paying particular attention to what was being said. He knew his mother was probably asking a lot of questions. She was the type of woman who needed to know every detail before moving on. Tsukishima couldn't blame her. This was big news. She would be squeezing every bit of information out of this figity doctor until she was satisfied. He also had to admit, he was just as shocked as she was.

"Will he start getting more of an attitude? This kid doesn't need a bigger chip on his shoulder." Mrs. Tsukishima was ranting to the doctor at this point. The poor old man seemed scared of her, sinking uncomfortably into his seat, trying his best to give her answers. Tsukishima looked at the paper in his mother's hand. She pointed at a box labeled secondary gender. "I can't believe this. Of all the things..." she muttered, not even talking to the doctor anymore.

Next to the ballpoint check mark, in bold black letters, the word ALPHA printed so solidly on the page.

Yamaguchi was right, Tsukishima thought.

Tsukishima grunted to himself. Frustrated at everything that had happened the last few days. His brother, Akitaru, had come back home to visit for the weekend. Luckily, he had finally gone back to Tokyo today. It wasn't like he hated his brother or anything. It was just that there was an awkwardness between them that hadn't been resolved over the years. He also hadn't seen Yamaguchi the last few days. Tsukishima usually sequestered himself to his bedroom while his brother was home. He signed and thought of Yamaguchi's face from that day at school. He looked so distraught that day. Just then, he felt a pat on his back. He turned to see his mom looking directly at him.

"Kei, are you listening?" His mother flusterely asked.

Tsukishima blinked a couple of times before responding, "Oh. No." In his usual monotone speech.

Her face contorted into a sour expression. It was the face she made when she didn't like her sons behavior for whatever reason. He had seen this face hundreds of times by this point. Sighing, she ruffled his hair, causing him to let out another annoyed grunt.

"I'll have the receptionist give you a resource packet before you leave." The doctor said while dabbing a handkerchief to his sweaty brow.

Tsukishima's mom bowed to the doctor saying thank you as she made her way to the door. The young Tsukishima stood up from the exam chair and began following her.

"Excuse me?" She gave Kei a look he was all too familiar with. "Bow."

Clicking his tongue, he bowed and then exited the examination room with his mother right behind him. His mother had placed her hand on his back, leading them both down the busy hallway to another door. Tsukishima opened the door and entered the lobby.

"Go wait by the entrance while I talk to the lady." She said in a hurried manner.
Tsukishima gripped his headphones from around his neck and pulled them up over his ears. He turned toward the exit and started making his way toward the exit. The lobby was busy, full of other soon to be high schoolers getting ready for their first day of school. He recognized a few of them from his old school. Two girls in particular that he definitely knew were whispering to each other and looking at him. He clicked his tongue in annoyance. Of all the people to see today, he thought to himself.