Call It Whatever

Chapter 15

The rain lets up. It's time for Zac's party. Sadly, I have to go now. Why? I don't feel like going anywhere. I'd rather just stay in the dojo. I have a feeling that I'm not the only one who thinks that way.

Xander keeps telling us it will be fun. I know. You don't have to convince us. That doesn't change the fact that I don't feel like going.

I just want to spar with Yugo.

I just want to hang out with Quon.

I just want to hide in the shadows and relax.

I don't want to go to a party.

But, I told Zac I would be there. I don't have a choice now. Xander and Quon and Yugo and Ren Wu and I all get ready. Once we look decent, we're off. We're heading down the mountain toward the monorail station to take us to the WBBA.

We all sit on the train and take out our phones. That's just how it works. We're all silent until we hear Yugo say:

"I think I just got the best wrong number text ever." He'll chuckle, and then stop, and then look at his screen and laugh some more. I move across the aisle to sit next to him. I want to see who sent him what.

The text reads: Suki, my love! I'm so sorry for the way I've treated you! Is there any way I can win your heart back again, my beautiful sunrise, my precious cinnamon roll, my cherry blossom! I promise, I will do anything!

I start laughing, too. Quon comes over to see. Then he starts laughing. Xander is standing in the aisle holding onto the pole. He leans over to see. He starts laughing so hard that he nearly falls over. Ren Wu comes over. He's tired of being left out. It takes him the longest to read it. Japanese isn't his native language. Once he does finish reading it, he starts laughing like crazy.

"Who sent that? Zac?" I ask.

"Who is Suki?" Quon asks.

"I wonder what he did to Suki," Xander says, "to warrant that kind of text."

"What should I send back?" Yugo asks us.

"Well, obviously, tell him you're not Suki," Xander answers.

"Tell him you hope he wins her back," I suggest.

Ren Wu speaks quietly, but we all hear him. "Tell him to tone it down a little."

Yugo does all of the above. He then goes back to whatever he was doing before. I move back to my seat. So does Quon. We're sitting next to each other. Why would we sit anywhere else? He's going through Snapchat. I'm playing a random game. I have nothing better to do.

The way Quon is swiping the screen. I can see his finger shaking. I wonder why he's so nervous. I decide to not say anything about it. The last thing I want is to make him more anxious than he already appears to be.

We eventually arrive in town. We head to the karaoke place. Zac said that's where the party is being held. There's already quite a few people there. Zac himself greets us at the door less than a second after we walk in.

"Sword Flames!" He says. He strikes a pose and gives us all a huge grin. "And Quon! And let's not forget the fourth best Blader in the world!"

Ren Wu shows no reaction, but I can see in his eyes that he's ever so slightly flustered. He gives a bow. "Pleasure to meet you."

Zac bows back. "The pleasure is all mine!" He looks over at Quon. "Hey, Orochi's looking for you."

Quon looks like he's about to explode. "Is he really?"

"Well, I wouldn't tell you if he wasn't! He's backstage. He told me to tell you to go there the second you show up, so you might want to go see him."