Greetings: This would have been out sooner, but I’ve been busy. By busy, I mean watching Black Butler. I desperately want a butler now. Anywho, on with the story…
Warnings: Just a little foul language.
Last Time…Blah blah blah…war…blah blah blah…gang rebellion…blah blah blah…gang protection…blah blah blah…more gangs…blah blah blah…movin’ on!
02: Learn My Name And Don’t You Dare Forget It!
January 2308
Visoreds Territory
My throat vibrated quietly as I hummed, and my fingers tapped restlessly against my thighs. It felt like my body was itching all over, and I had the insane urge to go for a run. I hate sitting still, but I don’t have anything else to do. Despite my agitated state, the hum echoing deep in my throat sounds almost serene. The sound is at odds with my rigid posture, but this is a fairly normal occurrence. I’m always fidgety, unless I’m actually doing something. Right now, I’m just sitting on a low wall across the street from the school. I kept the hum going and looked down at my bare toes as I lightly swung my legs. Huh, the blue polish still hasn’t faded. I rolled my neck back and listened to the quiet pops traveling down my spine and across my shoulders. I kept my head tipped back and looked up at the blue sky.
“Hey, Harlow! How’s the suspension going?!” a male voice yelled. Huh, the little fucker must’ve snuck out early.
“Better than Lyle’s hospital stay!” I yelled back. I looked up just in time to see the guy hurrying off; he’s probably scared that I’ll rip him a new one. It’s tempting, but…I’m in enough trouble as it is.
So, my name is Harlow Meadows. No middle name. Now, to explain the above mentioned situation…I didn’t necessarily mean to put Lyle, a fellow classmate, in the hospital. Did I mean to hurt him? Hell yeah! By putting him in the hospital, I guaranteed that I would get caught though. Let’s just say that my family is definitely not happy with me at the moment. Apparently, being suspended from school for an entire week is something to be frowned upon. Whatever. I’m calling it a vacation. As for why I felt it necessary to harm lil’ Lyle, well, the little fucker shouldn’t have put his hands on me. I mean, I get it. We’re sophomores in highschool, we’re sixteen, and our hormones are raging. My hormones are kept firmly in check, and restraint isn’t something that comes naturally to me. If I can control myself, then so can he! So, when Lyle thought it would be a good idea to lay his hands on personal areas of my body, I showed him why it was a bad idea. Is it really my fault that the weak little bastard wound up with a broken arm and a concussion? I think he deserves it. Dad says I should just be thankful that his parents were nice enough not to sue me. Heh. Whatever.
A loud groan cut off my gentle humming, and I slumped forward to rest my elbows on my knees. My chin length hair fell in front of my face, and I half-heartedly blew at the dark brown strands. They fluttered and then went right back to hanging in my eyes. I know why Lyle touched me; I’m not completely stupid. It’s my body…this stupid changing body of mine. Everything was fine up until last year. I’ve always been a tomboy, and I’ve always looked like one. With my short hair and not overly feminine features, I was mistaken for a little boy when I was younger. Then I had to go and mature or some shit like that. Now, my face still isn’t overly feminine. Normal eyelashes frame my light hazel eyes, I’ve got a small nose, and my lips aren’t really full or anything like that. I spend a lot of time outside, so my tanned skin is lightly freckled. I used to be thin and as flat as a board, but that isn’t true anymore. My body filled out around my fifteenth birthday, I just recently turned sixteen, and I can’t stand it. I’m not exactly fat, despite my obsessive love of chocolate, but I’m not thin either. I’ve got full cheeks, my breasts are bigger than what’s average, my hips are a little wide, and my arms and legs aren’t thin and willowy. The worst part is that I’m only five feet tall. If I could just grow a little, I might not look like this. Unfortunately, I think I’m stuck at my short height.
I straightened up as a ringing bell sounded, and I watched as students started pouring out of the schoolhouse. It’s Friday, so everyone’s on a mad dash to just get away and start the weekend. A tinkling laugh brushed my ears, and I strained a little to look through the crowd. Ah, there she is. Dark hazel eyes flashed to mine, and a thin finger raised to ask me to wait for a moment. I nodded my head and watched as she turned back to the circle of girls surrounding her. Samantha Meadows, no middle name, my little sister. Sam was born three days after my first birthday, and I can honestly say that she’s my best friend. I love my Sam, no matter how different we are. Sam is a few inches shorter than me, but I know she’ll catch up soon. Unlike me though, Sam hasn’t started filling out yet. I don’t think she will, actually. It doesn’t surprise me, not really. We’ve always looked different.
Sam isn’t much for the outdoors, she prefers being inside or under some shade, so she’s quite a bit paler than me. My eyes are a light hazel, and they shift between green and brown. Sam’s eyes are a darker hazel, and they shift between blue and gray. My hair is always cut short and is a deep brown; Sam’s hair is never shorter than her shoulder blades and is a soft black. Right now, the straight black mass is swinging by her waist. My hair hangs around my head in annoying bouncing curls. Sam doesn’t have any freckles or any other kinds of markings; my body is dotted with freckles and small scars. Sam has always been slender and somewhat graceful, unlike me. She can sit still for hours and not be bothered a bit, but I can’t stand holding still for more than a minute. So, we’re different, but we’re alike in some ways. We both walk on our toes, we both talk with our hands, we both have a habit of smelling food before eating, and so on. So, alike but different.
“Hey! Are you awake in there?” I blinked and batted away the hand that was continuously poking the side of my head. I glared over at the guy now sitting beside me and resisted the urge to smack him one good time.
“Remind me again, Vega, why haven’t I killed ya?” I asked and turned to really look at him. He was dressed in our usual uniform; black shoes, black slacks, white shirt, black vest, and today he was wearing a purple tie. We’re allowed to wear whatever color ties that we want, as long as there’s nothing inappropriate on it. Bright golden eyes met my own, and the tanned face was framed by thick black hair. With a smile, I reached behind him and grabbed the single braid that led from his short hair. I wrapped the length of hair around my fist and gave a small tug.
“You haven’t killed me because I’m the only one that will put up with you on a regular basis. So, tell me, Harlow, beat up any old ladies today?”
“Ya know, if ya disappeared, Ggio, there ain’t a single soul that would miss ya,” I said and tugged on the braid one last time. Ggio let out a quiet yelp, and I know that my smile was smug.
“You would miss me. Go ahead and admit it. I’ll wait.”
“Don’t hold yer breath, a’right?” Ggio looped his arm through mine and looked across to where students were still milling about. His gold eyes landed on Sam, who was now enthusiastically waving her arms around as she talked. A group of guys from her grade were standing behind the small group of girls, and I did not like the look in their beady eyes. I really am gonna have to start killing people.
“Your little sister sure is turning into quite the beauty. I guess it’s clear who got all the good genes,” Ggio said and laid his head on my shoulder.
“Has my sister turned ya straight?” I asked and reached up to pet his hair.
“I don’t have to be straight to appreciate beauty.” As far as we know, Ggio is the only gay guy in the entire school. He isn’t ashamed of who he is, which he shouldn’t be, but some assholes get this idea in their head every once in a while that it’s okay to bully him about it. Close-minded assholes…The idea never lasts long. Ggio might be kinda slender, only five-four, and a touch feminine looking (the guy has amazing bone structure…if I were more girly, I just might be jealous), but he can kick ass with the best of them. Between the two of us, bullies never stand a chance. I might pick on the guy from time to time, but never for being gay. I could care less who the guy’s attracted to. Ggio is the closest thing I’ve ever had to a true friend, and no one messes with my friends. Except for me, of course.
“The worst part is that Sam doesn’t even realize it. Some guy hit on her at the grocery store last week, and she couldn’t even tell! I’m telling ya, I’m gonna have to kill someone before she graduates,” I said and kept running my fingers through Ggio’s hair. What can I say? I love playing with people’s hair, and Ggio loves being pet.
“I’m sorry I won’t be here to see it.” My fingers stilled for a moment, and Ggio nudged my hand. I started petting him again and asked a question that I didn’t want an answer to.
“So, your aunt made up her mind then?” Ggio nodded his head and kept silent. When Ggio was three, his parents were killed by some gang crossfire. He’s been living with his Aunt Beulah ever since, and she’s been threatening to move in with her brother for years. It seems like she’s finally making it official. Ggio’s uncle lives in the North, a good four days worth of driving from here.
“I don’t want to live in the North. The Visoreds just keep the peace and stay out of everyone’s hair. I’ve heard that the Espada control everything,” Ggio mumbled. He had a point…Our ruling/protecting gang pretty much keep to themselves. We don’t even know what they look like, because they all wear masks when they’re on official duty.
“It can’t be all that bad. I’ve heard the North is pretty mellow.” Ggio snorted quietly and nuzzled against my shoulder. He’s a strange one, but he’s the only person outside of family that I’ll let get this close to me.
“We’re not leaving until this summer. Aunt Beulah wants me to finish out the school year.”
“Good.” We were quiet as we watched the rest of the students wander away, and Sam eventually made her way over to us. A pink flush was spread across her high cheekbones, and the color looked good against her pale skin. Yep, I’m definitely killing someone.
“Hi, Ggio!” Sam said and stretched up to ruffle his hair. Ggio smiled down at her and lightly pulled on a lock of black hair.
“How was school, Sam?” Dark hazel eyes cut over at me, and I smiled right on.
“You would know if you hadn’t been suspended,” Sam snapped. Her voice was light, but the tone was meant to cut.
“I’m workin’ on it,” I drawled out.
“Well, let’s get going,” Sam said and snapped her fingers. Like a well trained dog, I jumped from the low wall to stand beside my sister. Ggio followed me down, and I used his shoulder to balance myself as I slipped my feet into my flipflops.
“Bye, Sam! See you Monday, Harlow!” Ggio called as he started on his way home.
“Goodbye, Ggio!”
“Later, Vega!”
Sam and I started walking in the opposite direction, towards our own home. We kept to the middle of the street and a good distance away from the buildings. The Visoreds may be the ruling gang, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t smaller gangs out there. They don’t come out much during the day, but it pays to be cautious at all times. Vehicles are only used for long distances, so there’s not much to worry about. Some people like to babble about what the world used to be like, but I don’t see it. Yeah, we have tall buildings, businesses, stores, clubs…Yeah, we have technology like computers, cell phones, vehicles…But it’s different from what it apparently used to be. Every family is allowed one vehicle, but it can only be driven over long distances. Everything is electric and runs off artificial energy, not fossil fuels. Guns, bombs, and other types of weapons are expressly forbidden. Not even the four ruling gangs are allowed to own any of that. If you want to fight, you better have a knife or sword handy. The world was nearly destroyed because of weapons like those, and everyone wants to avoid destroying what last little bit of the world we have left. It’s hard to imagine that the world used to be bigger…that there used to be other countries on the other side of the ocean. It’s hard to imagine that cities and towns once covered everything. Now, forests and wildlife dominate everything. There’s a major city in each of the four territories, named after the gang that both protects and rules it. Other smaller towns exist on the roads that connect the four territories, but that’s about it.
“Hey, Harlow?”
“Yeah?” I glanced over to see Sam biting on her bottom lip. Huh. She wants to ask something, but she’s nervous about my reaction. I steeled my nerves and waited.
“Do you ever…um…”
“Spit it out.”
“Do you ever think about Mom?”
“Hell no! What would I want to think about her for?!” I asked quickly. Sam’s eyes darkened further, and she tucked a piece of hair behind her ear.
“You never think about her?”
“She doesn’t deserve our thoughts, Samantha.” Sam blinked at the use of her full name, and she turned her face away from me. I wish I could keep the anger out of my voice, but I can’t. Just the mere thought of the woman that’s our biological mother can send me into a rage. My blunt fingernails dug into my palms, and I rolled my shoulders to ease the sudden tension.
“We’re doing a family collage project, and everyone was talking about their family. You know, a father and a mother.” Sam’s voice was quiet, far quieter than usual, and I cursed my angry nature once again. I know Sam thinks about our mother, and I know she sometimes wishes for a feminine influence in her life.
“She left us, Sam. You were only three weeks old when she snuck out of the house and disappeared. She didn’t want children. She didn’t want
us.”
Dad has always been very honest with us. Sometimes he might have been a little too honest, but he never holds back when we really want to know something. So when we asked why we didn’t have a mother like everyone else, he told us. It was simple when we were younger,
“Mama went away.” When we got older, he told us the full truth. Our mother never wanted children. She got knocked up during a one night stand with our father, and she refused to marry him. She did, however, move in with him. Apparently, the two tried to play house for the sake of their child, yours truly. Sam was born a year later, and Mari Meadows suddenly woke up and decided she didn’t want kids. She packed up all of her things in the middle of the night and disappeared. Dad found a note on the kitchen table that said how sorry she was and that was it.
Dad did a good job of raising us. Hell, I’m just glad that he didn’t bail too. Nope, Shunsui Kyoraku is not the type to bail on his own children. Remember the brutally honest thing? Dad was one of the founding members of the Shinigami, the original ruling gang. They split up years ago to have four ruling gangs instead of just one, but the Shinigami still exist. We even get a visit from Grandpa Yama once a year; the original leader of the Shinigami who still oversees the gangs even though someone else has stepped up to take over the everyday ruling of the gang. Yeah, Dad joined the gang when he was only twelve years old and helped overthrow the idiot who used to run the country. Dad gave up on the gang life when I was born, and it is kinda hard imagining my goofy father as a scary gangster. Yeah, I wouldn’t believe it, but Dad can kick my ass with one hand tied behind his back. It’s a little scary.
Thankfully, we have someone to balance out Dad’s extremely laidback and playful personality. When I was three and Sam was one, one of Dad’s oldest friends came to visit us. He joined the Shinigami when he was twelve too, along with the woman that we know as Aunt Retsu. He said he was ready to retire, and he wanted to see Dad. Somehow, Dad convinced him to just move in with us and help him take care of two little girls. That’s how Jushiro Ukitake came to reside in our home. Sam and I took to calling him “Papa,” because he is like a second father to us. Papa and Sam are so alike that it’s easy to believe that Papa is her biological father instead of Dad. I’m not really sure when, they probably don’t know either, but the two old friends one day realized that they were more than friends. Papa wasn’t
like a father; he
was our father. By the time that Sam started kindergarten, Dad and Papa were sleeping in the same bedroom. Like I said, it’s not a conventional family, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. I just hope Sam isn’t too mad at me…
“Harlow?” I tried not to wince at her cold tone, and I peeked over at her from the corner of my eye.
“Yeah?”
“Where are your shoes?” I glanced down and wiggled my bare toes.
“I’m wearin’ ‘em, Sammy.”
“You are wearing flipflops.”
“Yes. Yes, I am.”
“It’s January.”
“I’m aware.”
“Harlow, I am wearing a long sleeved shirt and a jacket. It’s freezing.” I smiled over at her and slung my arm around her shoulders. If Sam is lecturing me, then she isn’t mad. Well, not too mad anyway.
“I hate socks; they suffocate me. It’ll be a cold day in Hell before I put a pair on. It just ain’t gonna happen.”
“Don’t say anything when you get sick.”
“I don’t get sick.” Which was true. Sam was always the one that caught a cold or the flu. I listened as Sam huffed quietly, but she did burrow against my side. The rest of our walk was quiet, and it wasn’t long before we were walking into the house. Sam called out a greeting, and I heard thumping footsteps as someone raced our way. Dad burst into the living room, and he instantly snatched Sam into his arms. Sam squealed, and I slapped my hand against the wall to keep from falling over.
“Harlow! I see you made it home without getting arrested!”
“Been savin’ all my anger for you, old man.” Just as I was about to launch at the crazy old man, iron arms locked around my middle and kept my arms pinned to my sides. Some people may think that Papa is all sweet and delicate looking, but they couldn’t be more wrong. The man is nothing but lean muscle under that soft white hair and those big brown eyes.
“Shunsui, I thought we agreed that you would stop antagonizing Harlow?”
“Antagonizing? I was only inquiring…” A sly grin spread over Dad’s lips, but I didn’t want to fight against Papa. If I can’t beat Dad yet, then I definitely can’t beat Papa.
“How about we take these inquiries outside?”
“Such a lovely idea. Call us in, Jushiro?”
“Of course. Sam, would you like to help me?”
“Coming, Papa!”
Okay, so maybe fighting my dad in the backyard while my sister cooks supper with my father’s lover isn’t exactly the most normal routine. It is our routine though. Dad and I are going to spar until I’m exhausted, Sam is going to cook something so delicious that we’re all going to be a little brain-dead, and Papa is going to do the dishes while singing in that oh-so-comfortable voice of his. Tomorrow is Saturday, so Dad is going to rub his whiskered face against my cheek to wake me up. I’m going to hit him, get tickled, and eventually fall out of the bed. By the time we make it to the kitchen, breakfast is going to be on the table and the other two members of our family will more than likely have their heads bent over the morning paper so they can work out the crossword puzzle. Then we’re going to go into town, pick up whatever we need (Papa will have a list), and we’ll eat lunch in a nearby park. We’ll argue, we’ll laugh, and we’ll be together. So what if a few of our habits are out of the norm? What in the hell is normal anyway? Whatever it is, I have a feeling that I wouldn’t like it anyway. Our family is perfect, just the way it is.
Farewell: Usually I apologize for slightly boring and filler chapters, but I just don’t feel like it. Filler chapters are important! Like I said, I enjoy fully developing my characters. Writing this, I tried to remember what it was like being sixteen, which was only four years ago for me. Anger, check. Murderous intent, check. Hatred of changing body and raging hormones, check.
In The Next Chapter: Harlow goes for a little stroll in the moonlight…
