Death Note: The Next Kira (Part One)

Chapter 88: Getting off for a Two-Week Spring Break

MARCH 3, 2006

TOKYO, JAPAN

AT NOON 

                                                                                    MARIE

I was eating lunch with Ms. Matsuda. As I sat there with her, I started to think about her appearance. She looked too young to be Chief Matsuda's mother. Maybe Chief Matsuda had a younger sister. I didn't know much about Chief Matsuda's family, but I knew that this woman's last name was Matsuda. And to be fair, this woman looked like she was related to Chief Matsuda. "So, Marie," Ms. Matsuda began. "Tell me more about yourself." I looked at her as I continued to chow down on my salad. "Tell me about yourself first," I told Ms. Matsuda. "Are you related to Chief Matsuda?"  Ms. Matsuda nodded. "I am," she answered. "I'm his older sister." My eyes sparkled when I heard that. I didn't know that he would have an older sister. To be honest, Ms. Matsuda looked younger than Chief Matsuda. "I was born on January 14, 1974, and my brother was born on December 14, 1975," Ms. Matsuda continued. "We were very close growing up." Ms. Matsuda sighed. "We're still very close to this day," she added. "We spent a few years apart back in the late '80s or early '90s. Touta was part of an exchange student program." 

I got curious after she said that. "Where did he go?" I asked. "Texas," Ms. Matsuda. "Waco, TX, that is. He spent four grades down there and returned to Japan for his senior year." "Did he like it down there?" I asked. "Yes," Ms. Matsuda answered. "He was both happy and sad to leave Waco. He loved the autumn but hated how the summer got so hot. He said that it was unbearable." Ms. Matsuda looked at me. "Why do you ask?" she asked. "Well, I grew up in Waco," I answered. "No way," she said out loud. "Yes way," I replied. "I was born in Waco, learned how to drive in Waco, and did everything in Waco." Ms. Matsuda nodded. "Cool," she commented. "Anyway, I lived in America for a while, but I didn't live in Waco. I went up in Philadelphia, found an American guy, got married, and had two beautiful children." "Are you still married?" I asked Ms. Matsuda. Her smile slowly faded. "No," she answered. "We split in 2003." I felt bad for Ms. Matsuda. "Oh," I let out. "I'm sorry." 

"It's alright," Ms. Matsuda. "We were going through a rough patch. I wanted to continue teaching in Japan and we wanted to continue living in America. Things didn't get any better, so we decided to split. My ex-husband has custody over the kids and I visit them every holiday. Sometimes they spend about a month with me here in Japan."  I sighed. "I'm not trying to be mean, but after watching Supernanny, I don't think I wanna have kids," I told Ms. Matsuda. "You sound just like my brother," she commented. "He loves his niece and nephew, but he sure doesn't wanna have kids." I didn't know how to respond to that. I didn't know much about Chief Matsuda, but I knew that we loved Waco. I love Waco and to be honest, I do miss it, but I can't go back. Not now. I still have to wait until I've graduated high school or until John moves out of Waco. Knowing that his dad was a criminal on the run, I'm sure he would take John anywhere he could. Thankfully, John was old enough to live on his own, but he felt like his father owed him. Stewart may have been his only father and only family left, but he didn't treat him the way a father should treat his son. 

He was a vile and pathetic human being. John, on the other hand, was the most handsome man I've ever met, but nothing we could do could bring us together. My parents hated him and his dad hated me. I tried convincing my parents that John wasn't a bad guy and that they should get to know him, but they said that they didn't want to. They acted like King Triton before he knew how much Ariel loved Prince Eric. I was hoping that they'd be like Maurice when Belle told him that the Beast was no longer the horrible beast and that he's changed somehow. (Even though John was never horrible to begin with.) I wanted to run away with John. We talked about it for quite some time, but on the day that we broke up, he said that we shouldn't because his parents would think that he kidnapped me. I was heartbroken to hear that. I didn't want things to end up like this. I wanted to live with John forever. I wanted to be there for him, comfort him, bake him a cake for his birthday, get married to him, and have children with him.