Perfectly Imperfect

Chapter 24

    A week passed with the days blurring together in routine fashion. School was the same every day -- David spent most of his time with Ian, and the rest of his time with Josh. Ever since the show on Saturday, Anthony and Kalel became a welcomed part of their lunch table and the group seemed complete. Kalel, however, was not so complete. She was a neurotic mess, focused and driven on the upcoming recital, and the stress began to show. She lost her patience with Anthony easily, she would leave the cafeteria shortly after eating a few bites of her food to go rehearse in the practice room, which she booked every afternoon as well and stayed to play until the school closed. Dinners were much the same. She would either take a few bites and leave the table, or she would take the plate with her to lock herself away in her room and play.

    Sometimes when David woke up in the middle of the night to go to the bathroom, he would see her light on and hear the faintest sounds of her keyboard. He wondered if she ever slept. The refrigerator was stocked with rapidly disappearing Red Bulls, and he tried not to think about the Ativan -- reminding himself it was only one more week. She promised him she would be off of it after the recital, and he intended to make sure she was.

    But on a lighter note, things with Ian were going well. Their insane sex drive hadn't faltered in the least, but there were times when they would smoke some weed and just cuddle for hours -- letting the world roll by while enjoying the presence of one another. They were becoming less sexually driven, and more driven by each other -- if that made sense. David was just as content to be with Ian as he was to sleep with him, and sex became a secondary need -- amplifying their relationship but not being the sole basis for it.

    His friendship with Josh had also deepened. David thought maybe the kiss might make things awkward, but if it did, Josh didn't let on. What he did do, though, was have more confidence in himself. It took a day for him to talk himself into calling Erin, and when he did, he realized he had so much in common with her. He wasn't getting his hopes up because he knew she had a boyfriend, but the fact that he even called a girl and talked to her for more than five minutes was a personal accomplishment. David was just as proud of Josh as Josh was of himself. So as a reward for Josh's newfound self-confidence, David casually invited him over to play some video games on that upcoming Sunday and stay for dinner. He also not-so-casually told him Mari was coming home that day and staying for a week while her ballet troupe was in town. Joshua absolutely couldn't wait to meet the object of his deepest, dirtiest fantasies.

    So eventually they made it to the weekend. David spent Saturday morning driving, and it went infinitely better than it had the week before. He began to realize he could do it. He could drive. Not well, but that would come in time. His Mom was proud of him, and afterward David went out to dinner with Ian, talking all about his accomplishments and how he might actually pass his road test. Ian assured him he would, and then they drove to the park and fucked in the back of Ian's car. A romantic and classy end to a good day.

    Sunday rolled around, and his mother was in the process of a cleaning marathon. Kenichi locked himself in his office with his coffee and his laptop, the sound of Kalel's music swelled throughout the house -- and David was just there, the only one without a mission or a goal for the day. So he got up and trailed after his mother as she carried the laundry basket from room to room, "Mom, I want a phone."

    "We have a phone, David," she answered simply, wandering up the stairs and stopping at his room. She pulled open his underwear drawer and began tucking the clean ones in there.

    He moved up in order to help her, cramming them in unceremoniously, "But it's not the same as actually having a phone. Do you know how embarrassing it is to have to ask to use someone's phone whenever I need to call home?"

    She looked at him blandly, "You never call home."

    "Exactly! Because it's embarrassing!" David continued to help out until she shooed him away.

    "It's not exactly up to me. Phones are expensive. They're a monthly bill and a responsibility," she redid the section he had put away.

    "It's not like Kenichi's hurting for money," David pointed out.

    "You can't just expect handouts like that from your father--" she said, but when he glared at her, she corrected. "Your stepfather. If you want a phone, you're going to have to work for it. Maybe doing some chores or getting an after school job."

    "Isn't the fact that I go to school enough of a job?" David smiled sweetly.

    "Hardly," she tossed a T-shirt at his face. "And if you're going to harass me, hang this up."

    "Can you at least just think about it? Maybe as an early Christmas present?" David walked to his closet and grabbed a hanger, shoving the shirt on it and putting it away.

    "I can't promise you anything other than we'll see."

    David hated that term. We'll see. It was the easy way out of giving a definite answer, and it seemed to be the default go-to for parents. He sighed in irritation, "Alright. And while you're seeing, see about getting a smartphone, too."

    She rolled her eyes fondly, "A smartphone to go along with my smartass son? Of course."

    David cracked a smile. "So when's Mari getting in, anyway?"

    "Kenichi said around four."

    "And we're still cool for Josh coming over for dinner, right?"

    "As long as he likes veggie stir fry. Apparently Mari is vegan, which I suppose was why my pancakes weren't a very big hit with her that time. You would think Kenichi would have let me know," she set the laundry basket on the floor in order to access David's bottom drawer and tuck a few pairs of jeans inside.

    David really doubted being vegan had anything to do with her lack of eating, but he didn't say anything, "Josh'll eat it without complaint."

    "There might actually be quite a bit to complain about. It's my first time making it. Who knows how it's going to turn out. To be honest, I think we should all go out to dinner, but Kenichi frowned at the idea and said it would be best to welcome his daughter home by eating at home. I still don't see why we couldn't have ordered something and brought it here if he was so intent on eating home..."

    "I don't even try to figure him out," David said with a shrug.

    "You know, I'm proud of you for getting along with him, though. I know it's not easy. And I know you two have come to blows, but you've been doing a wonderful job of setting your differences aside and being mature about things, David," she dusted her hands off before placing them on her hips.

    "Is it worthy of getting a reward? Namely a phone?" David asked cheekily.

    "Nice try," she laughed. "Can't you teenagers just accept praise without expecting anything in return?"

    "We live in a capitalist society. Nothing comes for free."

    "Good to see you're paying attention in school, smartass," She rolled her eyes fondly, and then adopted a serious tone. "Your whole attitude is changing. You've been so much happier these days. You joke more. You talk more. You're becoming the son I always knew existed, but was locked away on the inside."

    David frowned. It was true, he was happier here. It was true that this place was one of the best places he could have gone. So much good came from his friendships and from Ian. But did she have to say it like that? It nailed home what Matt often said -- he was playing into her hands and becoming what she wanted. But Matt had been happy for him and Ian, too. So was it necessarily a bad thing? David didn't know, but he suddenly wanted to see his brother. He still hadn't thanked him for his help the last time he saw him, after all.

    "It could've easily gone either way," David offered, shrugging. "I'm just lucky I met some great friends."

    "You know speaking of friends, I still haven't met that girlfriend of yours," his mother finished putting away his clothes, her arms hugging the basket as she made her way to the door. "I better get to at least see a picture before Christmas."

    Flashing him a smile, she left the room which was good because David didn't want to explain the burning on his cheeks. Unbeknownst to her, she had already met his significant other. David just wasn't sure how she would react to knowing her son had a boyfriend -- if that fit into any of her ideals about what she wanted for a son versus what he kept locked inside.

    He sighed, grabbing his laptop and heading to his bed. Logging onto his e-mail, David wrote up a message for Matt, telling him to come by that evening if he wasn't busy. And right when he was about to send it, David paused and added as an extra incentive: PS: Mari's gonna be here.


 ***


    Joshua arrived at about two in the afternoon, and they filled their time with videogames. David was triumphant more times than not, celebrating his victories by stuffing his face with chips and washing them down with cola. It was fun, but despite having fun, Josh couldn't hide that he was anxious. He confessed he found Kalel to be the hottest girl he knew, even hotter than Erin -- so he could only imagine what seeing Mari in the flesh would be like. Of course, he asked again for David to describe in detail what her naked body looked like, and David shook his head with a laugh. Joshua could be such a creep at times. ....but then again, if he looked back at his past, he realized he was the same way once. So really, what Josh needed was to get laid. And who knew? Maybe Mari would be the one to make that happen.

    Four O'clock eventually rolled around with Joshua announcing it the second the clock displayed the time. He threw down his controller mid-game, getting up and making his way to David's window, allowing David to easily defeat his avatar. But Josh didn't seem to care, pressing his face against the glass to get a better look at the driveway and frowning. For a few minutes, there was no sign of Mari. The longer this went on, the more disappointed Joshua became until, finally, they heard the sound of the door opening and voices in the main entrance.

    "Oh god, ohgodohgodohgod. She's here," Joshua flapped his hands, trying to calm himself down. "Do I look okay? Do I look mature enough? Do you think she'll even like me? Crap! I got the sweats. Do I have any pit stains?" He lifted his arms, checking each sleeve as best as he could.

    David laughed, "First of all....breathe. Of course she's gonna like you. She likes everyone. So just be the lovable idiot we're all fond of, and you're gold." He wandered over to his dresser and pulled out a unopened and sealed stick of deodorant, handing it to Josh.

    Joshua accepted it gratefully, "I just hope I don't pop a boner in the middle of dinner. I mean, both of them are gonna be there -- Mari and Kalel. It's like two for the price of one."

    "If you do, I'll just tell my Mom it's because of her cooking. I'm pretty sure she'll take it as a compliment."

    "Yeah, and then maybe she can help rub it out," he finished applying the deodorant under each arm, only to find himself pegged with a pillow.

    David made a face, "Aw, dude! Gross. Keep your MILF fantasies to yourself."

    "Help me lose my V-card and I will," Josh grinned, tossing the pillow back.

    He caught it mid-air, "I can only pave the way. Traveling that path is up to you and you alone. Now let's go meet Mari."

    "Alright," he drew in a deep breath. "I think I'm ready. How's my breath?"

    "I'm not smelling your breath," David planted his arm around Joshua's shoulder, guiding him out of the protective confines of the bedroom and into the hall.

    Once there, it was clear Kalel hadn't left her room yet to greet her sister from the  continuous music that filtered out. David was torn between dragging her out and leaving her be. The only reason the latter choice won was because he was afraid she would bite his head off if he dared enter her room. So he walked toward the stairs only to realize Josh wasn't with him. David turned and saw him frozen in place which caused him to roll his eyes, grab Josh by the wrist and drag him toward the staircase.

    Even from up there, Mari was visible. She stood in the foyer, talking to her father and David's mother, a bag on the floor at both of her sides. She was dressed casually, jean shorts and a sweatshirt with her hair braided over her shoulder. When David laid eyes on her again, he still found her attractive -- but the attraction didn't equate instant boner. He wondered if being with Ian was making his desire for girls wan, and he wasn't sure how he felt about that. On one hand, it meant he wasn't going to stray. On the other hand, if things went bad with Ian, did it mean he was only going to seek out relationships with men to be satisfied? Was he turning gay? David shook away his thoughts, looking over at Joshua.

    There was no questioning Joshua's sexuality. He would fuck anything that moved, but he was particularly antsy about seeing Mari -- shifting awkwardly to hide the evidence of his attraction. He probably felt like running, but it was too late. Mari spotted them and her smile brightened.

    "David! So good to see you," she stepped forward, drawing him into a hug. After she pulled back, her eyes veered toward Joshua. "Who's this?"

    "Good to see you, too," David answered, gesturing his hand to the side. "This is my best friend from school--"

    "Joshua Ovenshire," he blurted out, extending his hand hyper enthusiastically -- apparently his OCD didn't matter when it came to touching Mari.

    "Joshua Ovenshire, huh?" Mari smiled, slipping her hand into his. "Does anyone ever call you Jovenshire?"

    "Well...his bo--" Joshua began, but when he got a glare from David, he corrected himself. "His best friend Ian calls me Joven, but not Jovenshire."

    "Well you can say I started the trend, Jovenshire," they shook hands. "I'm Mariko. Mari's just fine."

    "Yeah, I know," Joshua said without thinking and upon realizing what he said, he added. "I mean -- David told me. So I knew who you were. I'm not like a weird stalker or anything. Not like that Carly Rae Jepsen song....hey, I just met you and this is crazy, so here's my number...so call me maybe, ya know?"

    David mentally facepalmed, wishing Josh would stop talking about halfway through, but Mari got a kick out of it, branching off into a laugh, "Suuuure. That's what a stalker would try to say." She turned toward Kenichi, saying something in Japanese to which her father responded.

    Joshua moved closer to David, biting on the top of his thumb as he muttered, "You didn't tell me she spoke Japanese! I might just jizz my pants."

    David hissed back, "Your grandmother..." A pause for emphasis. "Naked."

    He appeared disgusted, but gratefully so. "Thanks. I needed that."

    "What are best friends for?" David half-smirked, patting Joshua on the back before approaching Mari. "You need help carrying your things?"

    Mari had just finished her conversation, and Kenichi smiled, bowing his head slightly toward the rest of them as he dismissed himself. She turned her full attention to the pair, "Yeah, that'd be great. I wanted to get upstairs anyway and see Kalel."

    David grabbed a bag and motioned for Josh to take the other one, "Good luck. We have a hard time seeing her lately what with all her rehearsing."

    Joshua grabbed the other bag and then struggled to lift it, letting out a grunt and straining. He blew out a breath and tried again, just barely managing to heft it off the ground. Mari turned to him, "You need some help with that?"

    He shook his head, even though the strain was clear on his face, "No. I'm good."

    Mari seemed unsure of whether or not to accept the answer, but she started up the stairs regardless, glancing at David, "How have you been settling in?"

    "It's been a lot easier than I thought it'd be. I guess Sacramento has a lot of awesome people, so that helps," David flashed a smile over at Joshua, who was exerting all of his strength to drag the bag up the hurdle of steps.

    "Well, duh! I told you it did, didn't I? But I'm glad to hear it. You were so shy and unsure of yourself when I met you, I had no doubt the cool people of Sacramento would drag you out of your shell," Mari paused when she reached the top, turning around to face the two who were lagging behind her. Upon seeing Joshua's state, she shook her head in amusement. "You poor thing. You got the heavy bag. Here, let me help you."

    Joshua finally gave in, defeated. "What did you pack in here? Rocks?"

    "My jewelry, my makeup, my costume pieces -- everything heavy I own, but no rocks. I swear." Mari grabbed one end of the bag and together, they made their way up the steps.

    When they reached the top, David noticed Kalel had stopped playing. Maybe she was ready to come out and greet them now. But more than anything, David was sure she resigned to the inevitable of having to face Mari. First thing was first, though. They had to get Mari's things to her room. So with her and Joshua leading the way, David trailed along behind them until they reached their destination and could drop the bags on the floor.

    "Thanks for your help, guys. It's good to have some muscle around," Mari grinned over at Josh.

    Joshua rubbed the back of his neck, "Anytime, anytime. I am but your humble servant."

    "My own personal servant. How I've risen in the ranks," she rubbed her hands together deviously. "Let's go grab Kalel and do something fun. Maybe go bowling or something. I'm sure Dad won't mind if I borrow his car for a bit."

    "Mom's making dinner, though. Something about Kenichi wanting a special dinner for you..." David pointed out, not because he really wanted to stick around, but because he felt bad for his mom if she went to all the effort only to have no one eat it.

    "Oh..." Mari shifted awkwardly. "Well...I'm sure it'd taste just as good leftover, right?"

    Before anymore protests could be made, she sauntered out of her room leaving them no choice but to follow her. Josh stayed a few steps behind, and looked over at David, "So....how do you think it's going? Could there possibly be a thing between me and her?"

    "Miracles happen sometimes," David answered.

    Joshua's face fell, "Thanks for the vote of confidence. You're a great friend. Truly."

    "At least I'm not crushing your dreams. If I were Ian, I'd--"

    "Oh my god, guys!! Come quick!" Mari's voice rose up in alarm.

    David and Joshua exchanged glances before darting down the rest of the hall and into the doorway of Kalel's room. David's heart sank with dread at the sight that awaited him. Kalel was sprawled out on the floor, unconscious. Mari was leaning by her side, checking her pulse. But there was blood. Blood on the side of her head and on the floor. From her position, she must have hit her head on the corner of her dresser when she fell.

    Joshua surprisingly took on the role of the calm one, bolting out of the room and going downstairs to get their parents, and David took the opportunity to slip inside further -- looking at the scene with sickened fascination. It was as though he was watching someone else and his brain couldn't fathom this was Kalel. He pried his eyes away from her for a moment, seeing the culprit sitting innocently on her keyboard in the form of a little plastic pill bottle. David could kick himself for being so stupid and thinking no harm would come from offering her medication that was supposed to ease anxiety. Before anyone else came in the room, and while Mari was preoccupied, he took the Ativan and crammed it in his pocket. If he hid the evidence, maybe he would feel less responsible or less guilty. Or maybe he would feel both of those things.

    David only knew he wanted to feel something at the moment, that he should feel something. But his shock had taken over and numbed everything else away.