Your Loss, My Gain

First Friend...First Love?

AN:  There is a more mature scene here between the *****.  Nothing over the top, but maybe more than just kissing.  BTW. I have never written anything quite like this before, so I hope it lives up to your expectations (or at least is on the way there).

SANG POV:

The automatic light blazes to life as we swing into Kota's wide driveway, illuminating the side yard and the huge, barren tree that is standing as a sentry protecting the house.  I hear the faint barking of Max, who is inside the garage waiting to be let out.  The chilly air invades the snug interior of the car as Kota opens his door.  He hurries around and opens mine as well and I step out into the brisk night.  According to the boys, this cold spell is unusual for South Carolina.  While the nights may be chilly, even near freezing, temperatures in the day are usually in the the high 50s.  To have a solid week of temperatures between 20 and 40 degrees is pretty much unheard of, yet here it is.  

We hurry into the garage.  Max greets us with a thumping of his tail and a small whine to be let out of his crate.  I go over to open the crate while Kota turns on some more lights in the garage area.  Max sniffs my hand and barges through the door to the house, making his rounds and reporting back to Kota that all is well.  He then goes to the door to be let outside to do his business.  

"You head on up to my room and I will take care of Max.  You know where everything is, so make yourself at home. I won't be long." Kota gives my had a squeeze as I raise up on my tip toes to kiss him on the cheek before I silently pad up the stairs to his room.  

While the room is warmer than the garage, it is still cool.  I make my way over to Kota's dresser and open the bottom drawer that contains some clothes for me and several other boys.  I pick out a warm pair of black yoga pants, a mint green t-shirt, and a white and green, long sleeved fleece shirt that may or may not have belonged to me.  I head to the bathroom to take care of business and get changed.

When I emerge from the bathroom, the room is still empty.  I place my folded things in the laundry and go to my backpack that contains a book on Imperial Japan that I am reading with Victor.  Curling up on the window seat I look out the window at the two-story gray house that I used to call home.  There are no lights on and the house seems lonely, desolate even.  Sighing, I crack open my book and pick up reading where I left off earlier today. The story is engrossing, and I am just getting into it when I feel the air shift as the door to Kota's room is opened.  Kota and Max enter with Kota carrying two mugs that are steaming.

"Hope you like marshmallows," he says with a grin.

"Who doesn't like marshmallows," I respond continuing the conversation that we had what seems like a lifetime ago.  We both giggle as Kota sits with me on the window seat just like we did then.  He hands me the hot mug with it's wisps of steam reaching up out of it.  I hold it carefully and blow on it to cool it to drinking temperature.

Kota looks at me and smiles, "Crazy day, huh?"

"Just a bit, but I am getting used to it.  I do like your new car though." I look at him over the top of the mug that I am resting on my knees.

"I think I do too, but I am still worried about how my mom is going to react." Kota looks out the window and falls silent.

"Like I said before, I think that telling the truth is the best way to go.  Your mom will understand.  You said yourself that North takes care of her car too.  She knows that he is good at what he does.  It is a plausible conclusion that he would be given a used vehicle as payment for services rendered."  Kota remains silent with a Luke-like expression on his face. "What else are you thinking about?"