Chapter 1: I am a Rock
In the halls of a school nobody had ever heard of, everyone was going about their day like they typically would during lunch. Teachers and students alike were receiving a much needed respite from the morning. Some people were sitting around eating and conversing with their friends. Others ate alone, but then there was another, just sitting in the solitude of an empty room that nobody seemed to ever visit.
He came here whenever he could, just to get away from the noise. There was only so much human interaction he could take before privacy became a much needed commodity. In this room, he could eat in peace, work on assignments, listen to his music and let his mind wander to a destination that could never be reached. And with Dobie Gray in his ears, he truly could just drift away.
The sound of the bell announcing the end of lunch snapped the lanky boy out of his fantasy and back to the real world. The bell announced the resuming of classes at the same time as always, too soon. Benjiro lugged himself off the floor and stretched out his long, but bunched up legs. Traveling back to class, he felt that familiar sense of dread that most people feel when going to a math lesson. As he went inside the door with the rest of his class, and meandered to his desk, he couldn't help but notice the girl sitting two spaces to the right and up from him.
'As usual", Benjiro thought, "Hiromi is looking like the prettiest girl in the world. Maybe, I could try asking her out. HA! Like that'll happen. Besides, what would I even do if she said yes?'
The usual round of unrealistic romantic thoughts bounced through his head, until the lesson started. From there on, his brain was focused on trying to make sense of the monster that is trigonometry and maybe trying to find a rhyme or jingle to memorize when to use the equations for Cosine or Tangent. An agonizing forty minutes later, the time had finally come for his preferred and final class of the day: language arts. It was one of the only classes that didn't feel like a class to him, at least sometimes.
He noticed that as the former students were leaving, many of them looked excited or determined. The lesson was about the different forms that poetry could take: Haikus, ballads, narratives or whatever. They could be used to describe a person, the contents of one's mind, or most commonly a scene in nature The class was about five minutes from ending when the teacher cleared his throat.
"OK everyone", the teacher announced, "for today's homework, I'm sending you off with an assignment to create a poem of your own."
Most of the class took a collective groan, as this was what they considered to be a waste of time and mental energy. But in Benjiro's brain cells were firing off creative signals like crazy. Ideas came as quickly and naturally as blinking.
"But", the teacher continued, "since I know most of you aren't excited about that, I decided to spice things up a little. We're going to turn this into a competition."
That statement quickly piqued the interest of the class. The teacher smiled knowing that even the most boring subject could become interesting with some friendly rivalry.
"You can do your poem on anything that comes to mind. You will be graded on creativity of the subject, use figurative language and vocabulary. And for the prize--", the teacher paused for dramatic effect. He could see that they were getting a little anxious, hanging off his every word. "You will be awarded ten bonus points on your next midterm."
With that statement, Benjiro understood why the last class looked so revved up and how everybody would be gunning for that prize. An extra ten points could mean the difference between passing and failing for some. Or at the very least a chance to not study until their brains were ready to break. However they knew that the competition would be fierce with Hiromi in the class. But with an extra ten points on the line, the class wasn't going to give in so easily. The tension in the air was almost palpable, everyone with a hungry look in their eyes.
"OK, that's the type of energy I like to see in my students." he said enthusiastically, "Just so you know, I'm not handing these points out lightly. This competition is between all my language arts classes. They will be due when you arrive in class next Friday and each of you will present in front of the class. "
That final statement brought Benjiro's train of thought to a grinding halt. His nerves began to kick in as fearful thoughts of standing in front of everyone began to creep in. Writing had never been an issue, but public speaking was a whole other animal. The idea of standing in front of everyone and his voice cracking, stumbling over a difficult sentence or worst of all, being so scared that he threw up. All these worst-case scenarios ran through his head as the bell rang.
Everyone got into their usual groups and either went home or stayed for an elective. Benjiro rarely intentionally eavesdropped, but sometimes, listening to other people's conversations proved minorly entertaining or informative. The two guys in front of him were doing just that. He didn't know their names, but rather by physical traits. He called one 'Tall and Sporty' and the other 'Bedhead'
"Hey, what are you going to write about?", Sporty asked
"Well, stuff about nature is usually standard for this kind of stuff, isn't it?", Bedhead responded
"I dunno, Mr. Watanaba said it could be about anything we wanted it to be", Sporty advised.
"True, but do you honestly think we'd have a chance against Hiromi? That girl is crazy smart", Bedhead warned
"Well, you don't get to be known as the smartest person in the grade without having the skills to back that title up," Sporty affirmed, "But compared to what she can do in chemistry, creative writing doesn't seem to be her strong suit."
"Yeah, but she really should learn to relax a little. She always looks rigid as a steel cable."
Benjiro plugged his ears in and started wandering home with the rest, lost in the thoughts of what Monday morning would be like. As he walked out he noticed the girl everyone would be competing the hardest against, Hiromi. She was surrounded by a gaggle of fans, all of them most likely hoping to glean what amazing ideas she would produce.
It wasn't like he thought he'd get papers thrown at him or anything, but people didn't really notice him. They only talked with him when required and the rest of the time his existence was either treated as nonexistent or with indifference. Although, compared to his former middle school, the anonymity was a welcome adjustment. He made his way down the street, walking with the rhythm.
'Being noticed for my words sounds nice", he thought, "But being the invisible man is better than being known as a loser. Heh, yeah right. Why should I be worthy of such recognition in the first place? Staying hidden has been my greatest tool for a while now. With any luck, someone like me will probably just say his piece and be forgotten as soon as he sat down. The only way anybody would ever give me more than ten seconds of attention is if I ra-' "WHOA!"
Benjiro had been so lost in thought that he didn't notice literally bumping into someone. The impact had been so sudden that he lost balance and landed on his butt. He just sat there a moment running through a list of Spanish curses.
"Ugh, so this is what Vasquez meant by 'getting knocked flat on your ass'" he mumbled, checking his hands for cuts.
He was standing up when he looked up and experienced his first incident. While he brushed his mop of muddy hair from his blue-green speckled eyes. He never exactly tried to sneak a peek before, but right in front of him was the unknown world that he had only ever seen in movies.
"Look away you fool," his mind was screaming, "She's looking up. Turn your head or something. OHNONONONONO!"
The girl traced his gaze, quickly stood up and adjusted her skirt. She looked at him with a mixture of revulsion and shame. Benjiro tried to choke out an apology.
"S-s-sor-s-sorry a-a-about th-that." he stammered, "I-I w-wasn't looking w-where I w-"
Benjiro didn't even finish his sentence before he received a slap in the face. He just sat slumped against a tree massaging his stinging cheek for a minute. He was debating in his head whether or not he deserved the slap that was just received, but there was no time to dwell on his thoughts.
"Where do you think you were staring just now?!
"I-I was t-trying to s-s-say I-I'm sorry but you int-t-terrupted."
"You looked up my skirt just now! You're some sort of creep aren't you? You ran into me on purpose, didn't you? Is that your game?"
"W-what? Don't m-make b-b-baseb, baseless as-ssumpt-tions. I w-was just w-wa-walking and not p-paying at-t-ention-n."
Benjiro could feel his face start to get hot as the girl continued her verbal attack.
"Whatever, just get away from me you creepy perv. Come near me again and I'll teach you a lesson you won't ever forget."
With that ultimatum laid down the girl left Benjiro where he stood. He watched her walk in the direction he just came, but did his best to give it no extra thought. He knew better than to get involved with the crazy ones. Nothing good could come from being with a short-tempered woman. He shook the annoyance from his head and decided to just forget it. He figured the chances of him running into her should be minor. The town was a decent size and with any luck, this would just be another encounter that would never happen again.
Benjiro wandered back down the road towards his house and stepped in front of a drug store. His makeup supplies were running low, and it was probably about time to restock. A store clerk called out a greeting as he opened the door.
"Hello, young man. Is there anything you need help with? Anything you aren't sure you need, or a certain product?"
"N-no, I know w-what I'm l-looking for."
"OK, but if you need some help in your search, just holler and I'll assist you."
As the lady walked off, Benjiro made his way to the cosmetics aisle. Maybe with Halloween coming up in a few weeks, he could really show how handy he was with a makeup brush. The thought made him smirk as he picked up some concealer and foundation. There was a pop song playing a bit obnoxiously over the intercom.
"What should I do for color?", he wondered looking at the different shades of eyeshadow, "Basic black is always a safe bet, but maybe some blue. Or some red could really give the eyes some flare. Ah, Halloween, a time where you can become something different and people wouldn't think twice about it."
He settled on a shade of scarlet and black and went to go pay for his things.
"Did you find everything you were looking for?"
He nodded as he took things out of the basket. He attracted a few cursory glances from the cashier. Seeing a teenage boy buy makeup was probably something she didn't see everyday. The fact that he didn't have a shopping list made it even more unusual. Benjiro stepped outside and plugged his ears back in, and let Mr. Fahrenheit just work his magic on his troubled mind. What he failed to notice was that the same girl he knocked over before was a short distance in front of him once again.
The girl couldn't decide if she was in a better mood now. As she strolled down the street, she couldn't help but wonder if she made the right decision. After a few moments, the girl got a bit of an uneasy feeling. She took out her phone as if to take a selfie, but she was scanning behind her. Sure enough there was someone behind her, and she was a little freaked out when she saw who it was.
"What! Don't tell me I have a stalker. Easy now", she thought, "Just take a different route, and if you can't shake him, dialing up the police should be enough to scare him off. Okay, time to execute the plan."
Quickly she crossed the street and started taking a very scenic route towards home. She started a mild jog for a while until her limited stamina reached its limit. She slowed her pace to take a few breaths and slow her heart rate. She mentally kicked herself for not keeping more in shape. But she felt relief when she saw how close she was to her home. Taking a minute to check her surroundings, she could neither see nor hear anyone following. She continued on with a more leisurely pace, confident that she lost her supposed stalker.
"Ha, I showed him. Now I can just walk the rest of the way home without a care in the world."
She just had to round one last corner and her house was just a mercifully short distance further. The girl turned the corner but quickly backed up behind a tree. The guy she thought she had lost was walking up her street. The girl began running through possibilities of how he knew where she would arrive here. Maybe he already had her address and decided he should just wait. But it was clear to herself that she needed to summon her courage. She steeled herself as she decided it would be better to just nip an issue in the bud rather than run away. Taking a deep breath and walking tall towards the boy, she called out to him.
"Hey, you! What are you doing here, and why are you following me?"
Benjiro on the other hand, had spent his walk in total unawareness of the girl and didn't notice her at first. But when she marched straight up to him, he had a sudden sense of apprehension. She didn't look too happy to see him, and he remembered the threat she laid down before she stormed off just a few short minutes ago.. He could see her mouth moving, but missed the first sentence. He unplugged his ears as the lyrics "Find me somebody to love" trailed from his ear.
"S-sorry, what w-were you saying?"
With that question, the girl seemed to get angrier. Her lips became a thin line and her eyes narrowed ever so slightly. Human interaction had never exactly been his strong suit, but it had been a while since he had seen someone get this angry at him.
"I was saying that I don't appreciate being stalked by some sort of creep."
"W-what are y-you talking ab-bout. I-I'm not f-following-g anyb-body. A-and I m-may be a l-little obl-livious but I d-didn't see you w-walking in f-front of me the ent-tire time I w-was w-alk-king. S-stop ac-ccusing m-me."
"If you aren't guilty of anything, why are you getting so nervous and stumbling over so many sentences? That doesn't exactly speak to your innocence."
"Th-that was n-not a good p-pun. And thi-is is just h-how I spe-eak. It-s anno-oying as hell, b-but that's the tr-truth."
Benjiro could feel his face getting hot once more. He had been called certain things in the past, but "creep" was never one of them. He wasn't sure where this girl was pulling her accusations from, but he was quickly growing more and more annoyed.
"That still doesn't answer my original question. Who are you and why are you following me? Give me an answer I don't like and the police will be involved"
Benjiro sighed in frustration, as this was an introduction he didn't want to make. But better clear up an innocent misunderstanding before it spiraled out of control.
"Alr-right, if you in-nsist. My n-name is Benjiro Nojiri "he introduced and pointed a finger", and I'm j-just trying to g-get into my home s-so that I can unw-wind a little and process-s the day that just h-happened. But in-nstead I'm t-talking to a woman that i-insists on making f-false c-claims-s."
A look of realization passed across the girl's face. The house he was pointing at was just across the street from her own, and she recalled seeing a moving trailer in front of the house a few months ago. But she didn't know anything about who was moving in, until now.
"Wait, you're the one who moved in a few months ago?"
"Y-yes, I sup-ppose th-that I am."
"You're the one that's been making all that noise?"
"L-look, I-I'm sor-ry if I sp-spooked you, b-but I should-d g-get going."
Benjiro left so quickly that the girl didn't even have time to call out. She just saw him dart off, unlock his front door and shut it, leaving her on the sidewalk. She started to feel a little guilty about the accusations she just uttered. But the damage had been dealt, and with nothing more to be said or done, the girl just went inside.
"I'm home, Mom."
A woman of in her mid thirties poked her head out of the living room arch.
"Oh, welcome back Akiko. So, how was your day today? Did you sign up for the drama club like you said you were going to?"
"Yeah, I did, but I almost forgot. I got about halfway home before I realized that I forgot to write my name down. I had to run all the way back."
"Well, that's good."
"And I actually finally met the elusive, new neighbor boy."
"Is that right? Aaand, "Akiko's mother smirked, "Did you give a good first impression? What's his name, is he nice, what are his hobbies, is he cute?"
"Mom!"
"Sorry, but in all seriousness. Tell me about him."
"Well, I think I may have scared him away."
"What does that mean? I know you can be kind of abrasive, but I didn't think you were scary."
"Mom! I can't explain myself if you keep playing 'Twenty Questions.'"
Akiko recounted her unfortunate first meeting with their new neighbor. Her mother couldn't help but cringe as the story continued.
"Oh, Akiko, how could you threaten a stranger like that? It sounds like he genuinely tried to apologize. Did you at least try to apologize to him?"
"It's kind of hard to apologize to someone when they run away and shut themselves inside their house. So, no I didn't"
Akiko's mother sighed and crossed her arms. She looked at her daughter with a slightly disappointed expression.
"You do know you're going to have to find a way to make things right."
The way she said it was not a request and Akiko knew it. The girl nodded, slowly feeling more guilty for making her mother upset. She still thought she was in the right over what happened when she was knocked down, but disobeying her mother wasn't an option.
"But, how am I supposed to make amends?", she said lowering her head, "The guy was such a nervous, stuttering mess when I confronted him, that I doubt I can get close. He'd probably either ignore me or try to run away. And besides, what can I do?"
"Well, as you pointed out, he is our neighbor. With our houses so close together, running into him is inevitable. And, simply saying something along the lines of 'I'm sorry' should be enough to let him know that you aren't hostile. But, if you want to go the extra mile, you could maybe invite him over for dinner?"
Akiko snapped her head up with her face going from guilty to hot and bothered in the span of just a few seconds.
Akiko looked at her mom as if she had suddenly lost a few brain cells
"Invite him over! Mom, are you crazy? If my friends found out about that, they'd tease me until I died of embarrassment."
"Well, I'd like you to at least try to ask. If he accepts the apology but refuses the invitation, then you've done all you can."
"But why are you insisting on going this far for a stranger? We aren't obligated."
Akiko's mother folded her arms and gave the "Mom look."
"Maybe not, but I wouldn't feel right, starting a feud for no reason with someone who just arrived. I'm not asking you to kiss his feet. It's just common courtesy to apologize and offer some recompense when you're in the wrong."
"But, he was peeking up my skirt. I'm not in the wrong for laying down the law."
"Did he appear to be doing it on purpose, or was that just an accident caused by both of you falling down at the same time?"
Akiko was about to open her mouth to protest, but stopped when she thought back to the incident. Knowing her mother was right but too prideful to admit it, she merely offered a minor grunt of defeat.
'Besides", the woman thought, "When I passed by that moving trailer I didn't see any signs of a mother present.'
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