I’m My Own High School Rival: Nakamura’s Arc: Heritage

  I pressed my ear against the room’s brown wooden door. All the doors seemed to be brown, but I wanted to hear what they were saying since I knew it was about me.

  Was Nakamura’s mom defending me because we projected the same pyful energy, or was she siding with her dad and tearing me to ribbons?

  Not knowing is killing me.

  This is stupid. However, what I did was equally stupid, but it was fun while it sted. Besides, I wouldn’t have done it if Tiff hadn’t talked down about that silly test.

  I tried listening at different locations, like it would make a difference, but I couldn’t hear anything.

  Frustrated, I decided to look around the room, which was painfully pin. There was a small bed with green sheets, a single white pillow, a closet, and a dresser. However, there was no television, desk, gaming system, or computer.

  Who lives like this, and can you call it life?

  Inaudible sounds were clearer now. Nakamura and her family were talking about…something about grandchildren.

  How weird. I was certain they would talk about how I ruined their night, even though I didn’t mean to.

  But why grandkids—whose grandkids?

  I never had kids in my previous life.

  Tiffany’s? But neither of us was old enough to have our own grandchildren.

  Oh no. Whose room am I in?

  I slid one of the dresser drawers open, half expecting to find old photos of the deceased occupant: it was ced with bras and seemingly young female undergarments.

  This must be Tiffany’s room. And these were hers.

  I dropped the bra and closed the drawer.

  I can’t believe I just held… should I check the size? No, because that would be wrong. Besides, what’s wrong with a bit of mystery?

  If this were my world, and women tricked my parents into believing we were in a serious retionship, I would be pissed. But this isn’t my world, and I’ve never been in a situation like this.

  Sakura wouldn’t have allowed me to get this far, but isn’t Sakura the reason I’m here?

  I pulled at the colr of my shirt, realizing the folly of my actions.

  Does this mean I have to… sleep with her?

  I mean… I’m not against the idea, but what’s it like here?

  Will she lead?

  I thought about the social implications and commitment that followed profound moments like… that.

  Did I want it to happen… like this—before marriage?

  I was so busy learning how to navigate the world's power dynamics that I never looked into it. Now, I’m in someone's house, eavesdropping on a conversation I was intentionally excluded from.

  I know I have myself to bme, but bming Sakura feels right because she refused to walk me home... in Kokiri.

  I sat on Nakamura's bed because I was tired and hungry. Her bed was… just a bed, and I was just a boy. The perfect pair for the wrong reasons.

  Would she be okay with me lounging on her bed after deepening the lie about our fake retionship?

  I yawned and covered my mouth from no one. I was tired due to overperforming today.

  I encouraged Abby to practice self-love and good exercise, fought back against Christina Tetsusen on two fronts, found the genie in a human form, got rejected by Sakura, and embarrassed Nakamura.

  But I didn’t… hurt anyone.

  However, I felt bad for giving her a bento box made for someone else. Tomorrow, I’ll make one for her since Sakura wants me to stop.

  I y my head down on a pillow, and the scent of old books and sweet wine enveloped my face, leaving me longing for more, but another fragrance was hidden in its intoxicating fumes.

  I turned, facing away from the door, and buried my face into the pillow, inhaling deeply.

  But I couldn’t envision what it was, so I closed my eyes and continued investigating the smell.

  Every inhale brought me closer to recognition of my feelings. I wanted to own this smell.

  God! It’s wonderful, but something's missing.

  My eyes grew heavy, and my thoughts weary. I wrapped myself tighter around bliss.

  I’m not supposed to…

  ***

  I slowly pushed the door to my room and to Antwon's open. The weight of my parents’ words, their hopes and dreams for a grandchild, could manifest right here, right now if I were willing to sacrifice my moral compass.

  I entered my room, not knowing what I wanted to say.

  “Antwon I…”

  He was asleep. Perhaps the conversation took longer than I thought. He was like a cherub wrapped in warmth as he hugged… my pillow.

  My face was set abze as I watched him, hearing his moans of comfort or joy.

  What should I do? Dinner’s ready, and we need to talk about… He’s on my bed, and his face is nestled into my pillow… The pillow I y my head on.

  I stepped closer, trying to find a resolution but not wanting to at the same time. But what if he’s dreaming about me because in his mind, we were in a retionship…

  He did say that I didn’t see him that way. Well, I can’t because I’m older than I appear.

  I was certain that I had stopped moving, but I found myself sitting on the bed next to him. He was my student whose parents had long passed, and I watched him bravely stand next to Christine Tsukikage against the Crimson Veil. You were shattered then, but are you whole now?

  I brushed his hair out of his face.

  Now, he’s the boy in my history css in danger of falling again.

  I leaned in to check his breathing and make sure his dreams were sweet.

  I failed to protect you in my future, but maybe I could keep you safe now.

  I wanted to… I.

  The creak of a floorboard startled me.

  “You see, Emiko. I told you they were pretending they weren’t dating,” Dad whispered too loudly.

  The door. I never closed the damn door.

  “We aren’t dating!”

  “I never doubted you, Tiff—”

  “Why are you both back here?”

  “The food’s getting cold, hon,” Dad said. Dad touched Mom’s shoulder, signaling for her to retreat. “Please hurry up, hon. Soggy noodles aren’t as tasty.” He said, dragging Mom out of the room.

  I wish they weren't as loud. What if they woke up Antwon…

  Antwon's eyes were open, but he still looked sleepy. He slowly sat up, looked around the room, passing me as if I were invisible. He seemed confused.

  “This… isn’t my room or house.”

  He finally noticed me, but he still seemed out of it.

  He leaned in close… close enough to taste the air around me and gently inhaled.

  “That’s what was missing.”

  I was missing? What did he mean? Was he dreaming about me, and I was missing from his dream?

  "A-Antwon—what do you mean by missing…”

  His eyes slowly widened to the sound of my voice. I’m unsure if he was looking at a person or a figment of his imagination.

  “Nakamura… I’m… hungry… and sorry for tricking your family.”

  That was a loaded apology.

  “Antwon… It’s alright. I… forgive you, Just don’t do it again, okay?”

  He sat up and stretched, fully extending his arms and legs, releasing sounds of long-awaited pleasure.

  “Are you ready?”

  He nodded, and we headed to the kitchen together.

  ***

  “I said, Don’t worry about it, Sakura!” I screamed at the top of my lungs.

  She’s been harassing me since I got home. Where did you go after school? Who dropped you off? Why don’t you want to talk to me? I took a shower because she didn’t like how I smelled.

  “Mom, Dad, say something! He came home around 7:30, without telling us where he was, and who brought him home.”

  “Damn it, Sakura, I told you I was with a friend!”

  She marched up to me and held her hand over my mouth, like she was my parent. I grabbed her wrist and turned toward my stepmom, waiting for her to do something.

  She stared, not moving or helping, so I bit Sakura.

  “Ouch, you little shit!”

  She raised her arm and made a fist, like she was going to hit me, so I stood still in a show of defiance, silently screaming, “Hit me!”

  Sakura’s mom jumped in between us.

  “H-He bit me!”

  “Well, you were holding him too roughly.”

  Great job, Yuriko. Although I could have used help earlier, my mouth feels sore now.

  “Be a parent, Mom.”

  What a snitch! She’s just going to call Dad over, and he’s going to make things worse.

  “Stop it, Sakura!”

  “I can’t do this right now. Dante! I could use your help!”

  NO!

  And as if he were waiting, Dad came around the corner. I wouldn’t believe he was actually Antwon’s dad if we didn’t look alike, just a lot older.

  “Antwon,” Dad said while smiling in an eerie way.

  Chills ran down my spine. He wasn’t always like this. Just when he wanted information, like how we would squeeze rats who talked to the wrong people.

  “W-what? I’ll tell you what I told them. I ate at a friend's house.”

  Dad walked over to me, each step feeling like someone's taking a hammer to my toes. He stopped in front of me and ran his fingers through my untied hair.

  “It’s almost time to redo your dreadlocks, Antwon.

  I swallowed, feeling the lump in my throat.

  “Now, I know how to make the process painless, but I need to know where you were to ensure that.”

  I loved hair. Loved. But once I underwent the painful process at eight, I never looked at my dreadlocks the same.

  “So, what will it be, son?”

  On queue, my eyes started to water from thinking about sitting in a chair, enduring his menacing fingers, tugging and twisting without remorse.

  “Fine! I… went to a girl's house and had dinner with her family.”

  I could feel Sakura’s rage emanating from her body, but why should I care?

  “Garr. Who is she? Did she touch you? You'd better be pure!" Sakura screamed.

  Okay, Mom.

  I moved behind Yuriko because it was the only safe pce in the living room.

  “Shut up. If you had walked me home, none of this would have happened, jerk.”

  Sakura gritted her teeth, red-faced, and started walking towards me.

  “I don’t know what’s gotten into you two. Look, Antwon, did you do anything… inappropriate at your female friend's house?”

  I’m not telling her that I slept in her bed because it’s none of her damn business.

  “I ate, I came home, and now I’m being interrogated by the cause of all my issues.”

  If she turns any redder, she’ll blow steam out of her ears.

  “I looked for you for a full hour after practice. I thought someone kidnapped you or something.”

  Her words would have moved me to tears if she hadn’t rejected me earlier.

  “You weren’t too worried when you told me to stay away from you and rejected my bento box. Why!”

  Yuriko sighed, and given the length of this argument, I would have, too.

  “That’s enough. Just sleep it off and try again tomorrow. I've got work in the morning, and I need all my energy, so please.”

  I wanted to argue more, but Mom was the financial rock to our stability, and if she wanted us to stop, I would. However, I wouldn’t let it go.

  “I’m sleeping in my room tonight. I think we need the space.”

  Sakura’s eyes found the white carpet beneath our feet. Sleeping alone or no cuddling has her on the emotional ropes now. Good.

  I walked down the hallway, which I once did before the second wish, as echoes of my footsteps sounded throughout the house.

  I walked into my room, vender walls, purple bed sheets, and no stuffed animals. I decided against them this time around.

  I plopped into bed, knowing what I had done was wrong, but I had no desire to apologize for my actions. But I didn’t sleep because I didn’t feel safe enough.

  After a few hours in the dark, I thought about crawling into Sakura’s bed. Sleeping next to her felt safe, but… I fell asleep in Tiffany’s bed. I guess… she makes me feel safe, too.

  I could hear the sound of my door opening, so I pretended to be asleep. I felt the bed give way under the weight of another person before leveling itself. Finally, I felt familiar arms wrap around me, but I wouldn’t give in to her.

  “Antwon, I know you’re still awake, and… you don’t have to say anything if you don’t want to.”

  I stared at the window that first welcomed me into this world, now void of the sun’s warm radiance.

  “I’m sorry for the way I acted today in the cafeteria. I shouldn’t have said those things or pushed you away.”

  Her arms tightened around me, not hurting me, but securing me.

  “I lost it when you started feeding that girl… the food you made for me. I’ll never do that again. I’m just afraid of the way you love, Antwon.”

  What’s wrong with the way I love?

  My eyes started to water because I didn’t want to lose her affection. Every night, I navigate through a sea of blue memory shards, with few pink and almost no yellow.

  And the pink shards are always of her. She’s the only thing that gives me the strength to fix Antwon, and I’m losing her.

  I turned over, facing her with wet eyes. I bet my bottom lip to hold back the sobs, but I’m weak.

  She embraced me, like she first did when I woke up in this world, and the smell of cherry blossoms filled me once again.

  You’ll get your damn bento box, but you won’t be the only one this time.

  KnoxCross116