Paradox

18: Expectations

18: Expectations

He shifted the gear into park, hesitating before he killed the ignition. He took a final look at the gifts sitting quietly on the passenger seat beside him.

This was it. He didn’t plan on backing out.

Although it did take him a full ten minutes getting out of his car and getting to Etsuo’s front door, and another ten minutes deliberating whether or not anyone was home. Should he call and ask, or just ring the bell?

After several more minutes of hesitation, he found his resolve and pressed the small button beside the door.

He flexed the fingers on his right hand while he stared at the box of chocolates on the other one.

“Izo!”

For a split second, he didn’t know what to do as he tried his best to pry his eyes away from the box in his hand. He wasn’t sure if Sonya caught it, but he flashed her a smile and extended his hand to her. “Brought these for you.”

Sonya took the small silver and pink box and returned the smile. “Thanks! Want to come in?”

“Yeah, of course,” Izo nodded.

“Great timing,” muttered Etsuo when he saw Izo come in the door. “What are you doing here?”

“You’ll find out soon enough,” Izo replied, almost sounding like he had brushed his friend off, thus earning him a pair of narrowed eyes from both Sonya and Etsuo.

Izo took a seat and cleared his throat.

“So? What is this all about, crashing the party and all?” Etsuo grunted at him the same time Sonya sat down.

Sonya sliced a piece of cake and placed a plate of it in front of Izo. “You should try this!”

“Hey!” Etsuo scowled. “How come he gets one?”

Sonya turned to him and put her tongue out. “It’s mine and I get to choose who gets it!” She put her tongue out again at Etsuo before licking off the frosting on her thumb. She then turned back to Izo and asked, “So, why are you here this time in the morning?”

Izo cleared his throat again. “I need to confess about something.”

“Oh my god you killed someone!” Sonya mocked. She paused and promptly corrected her statement. “No, it’s got to be something worse,” she closed her eyes for a quick moment and then gave Izo a pointed look and a fork aimed at him. “You cheated in school!”

“That’s a good one,” Etsuo chuckled. “Would work better with Hideki, though.”

Sonya let out a chuckle and nodded her head in agreement with Etsuo.

Izo lifted both his hands in a gesture for them to stop. “No, wait, come on… Just let me finish before I change my mind again?”

Silence fell almost immediately and Izo felt as though a spotlight was flashed right at his face he had to blink twice.

His friends waited for him with such attentive eyes and he could feel them boring into his very being. It was unnerving.

“Well?” Sonya asked impatiently.

It was strange that Izo couldn’t find the right words to say. He was so sure he had rehearsed his speech in his head over and over for several days. He focused his energy on untangling his knotted tongue and exhaled a small breath. “Sasako.”

Etsuo and Sonya exchanged glances, apparently not understanding what Izo was trying to convey. A closed fist connecting with the table snuffed out the threatening silence that had started choking Izo.