Beyblade Fan Fiction ❯ The Truth Behind Demons ❯ If I Were A Celebrity ( Chapter 3 )

Chapter 3.

"Hi Miki." Greets Rei, closing the door to the woman's office. He had promised to get on with his story about his boyfriend Tyson today, and truthfully he was feeling kind of nervous. He had spent most of the night awake wondering just how he would tell his therapist that he's gay, and that he and Tyson have been seeing each other for a couple months now. But he knew he could do it, mostly, with the story he thought up. Truth or not, it would explain everything without just jumping right into it.

"Good afternoon, Rei." The woman greets in return. "How was school?"

"Great. Just the same as any other day."

"High school isn't giving you any problems anymore?" She was dancing around her curiosity about Tyson, he could tell, but he fed into her stalling.

"Yeah, everything is fine over there too. I can't wait to tell you about how my first day there went, but today I think we'll just focus on the happiness in my life."

Miki laughed, her mound of curls shaking a bit with her shoulders. "Very well then, tell me about Tyson."

Taking a seat on the long chair, he sighs. "Our friendship started out as game of silent eye talk..... I'd see him around or he'd see me but we wouldn't say anything to each other. It was like we were just wondering how much of the other person we wanted to get to know. Do you know what I mean?"

Miki nods.

"Our first real conversation happened on a Saturday over the summer."

........................

Rei is walking steadily through the neighborhood, headphones covering his ears to block out the sounds of Japan wavering past him occasionally. He loved taking walks now adays, it was a good way to refresh himself from being stuck in his uncles house with all those expensive things and a butler. Rei didn't think he'd ever get used to having a butler asking him what he wanted to eat or asking him, if he needed the man to drive him someplace. The answer, from his young master, was always 'No thanks, I can do it myself'.

Today was no exception and Rei wasn't sure but he could swear that Junpei had gotten in the car and was following him. Pausing in his steady pace, he turns his head so that he can see over his shoulder. There wasn't a car in sight, but Rei is sure that someone is back there. Turning down his music so that he can be aware of everything around him, he begins to walk again. Sometime along his walk a kid he's never seen before waved to him, and he replied with a curt little nod.

The people here sure are friendly. Thinks the Chinese boy. I wonder if-....

"So I've been thinking,"

Rei jumped out of his skin, body shaking from start of the unexpected voice beside him; he knew somebody was following him. Well, whoever it was is about to get the thrashing of a lifetime for scaring him out of his wits like that. Who just walks up on somebody, unannounced, then just starts talking?

Turning around, ready to tell the person off, Rei's words are silenced when seeing whom it is he's about to snap at, and "Uh..." was his only response.

Tyson smiles at him, arms behind his head while he casually fell into step with the new boy in the neighborhood. "I've been thinking that maybe you and me could go out sometime. Maybe lunch or something, I know this great place."

Rei was still silent, mostly because he was shocked that the boy whose been facially stalking him for weeks was now talking to him directly. Then he was silent for a bit longer when he realized what he'd just asked him. "Uh," was, again, the only thing he could think of.

Tyson laughed at the popular little phrase his new friend seemed to have. "Not much for conversation, are ya?"

Shaking off his nerves so that he wasn't further humiliated, Rei stopped his Cd player and slipped his headphones down. "Sorry, I couldn't really hear you, but, did you just ask me out?"

"Something like that, you're not gonna be the only one there." He drops his arms. "I'm bringing some of my other friends too- mooostly because they said they'd pay for themselves."

"Haha, a cheapskate, huh?"

The other boy blinked as though he'd never heard of such a word before, then replied with a wave of his hand. "I'm not 'stingy', I'm just not as wealthy as I should be."

"Good way to put it."

"But, I'm willing to make an exception for you, because you're new here." He slaps Rei on the back. "You can't afford to say no."

"Actually, I can." He moves himself from the grip Tyson has on his shoulder. "I have a job at my uncles restaurant, I set up plates in the kitchen."

"No fooling? Cool." He looked impressed. "Wish I had an uncle to get me a job."

"Why don't you lie about your age," he looks across the street. Rei hadn't realized he was heading home. He must have, subconsciously, turned in that direction when he thought he was being followed. "I'm sure you could pass for 16."

"And put age on my youthful stature. No way."

"How old are you?"

"14."

"See. I'd believe you were sixteen."

Tyson shrugged it off. "Naah, work isn't really my thing."

The dark haired boy nods to that; after all, he isn't really sure what to say since he comes from a long history of workers: his family, for starters, they are the people responsible for Rei's work ethnic in the first place. They have always taught him that with hard work anything can be accomplished, whether it be for strength or simply to increase the persons knowledge of the world in understanding what its like to work with other people. Something along the lines of that. Then there is the village: The whole village was filled with countless helpers to the farm lands and when it came to shopping in town, harvesting the land and things like that. So Rei doesn't know much about being the kind of person to sit around a lot. Which reminds him, he needs to find something to do with himself after school.

"So what's your name, newbie?" The boy asks. "I'm, Tyson Granger." He bows politely.

"Rei Kon." He bows right back.

It takes Tyson a minute before his eyes nearly fall out of his head from realization. "Oh shit! You mean, from the Kon family that lives in Japan?!"

"No, from the Kon family that lives in China."

"Oh." He seemed a bit heart broken.

"What's that about?" He says mostly to himself.

"Well, do you have a brother named, Lee?" He questions, assuming that Rei had been asking a question. Fist clenched from curiosity as he walked sideways to check Rei's face for lying.

"Yeah, so?"

"So!?" Rei jumps from the sudden elevation of the boys voice. "He's only the coolest guy in the whole city!" Tyson shakes his head as though he can't believe someone as great as Lee has an even cuter younger brother. "Oh man, Rei."

Rei wasn't sure what that meant, but he didn't hate it. It sounded like some type of compliment. "You wanna meet him? He's probably still at home right now. He just got off from work."

"I remember the first time I met him," Tyson went on in his own little world. "I didn't have any cash to see this new movie that came out, and the guy totally spotted me some, we even sat together."

"You don't say,"

Going on, again, ignoring the other males words. "He gave me a ride to school like- twice! And never once treated me like a middle class kid because he went to high school."

Rei was almost stunned to hear that. What difference did grade level matter? What kind of school year was he going to have, especially, since his older brother was as good as out of school since this summer began. He wondered if Lee would go out of his way just to drive Rei to school even though the college building was down town. He didn't seem to mind driving Tyson around.

"You're probably the luckiest guy in the whole city."

"Okay, okay. Calm down." He, sarcastically, humored the boy; hands held up to silence his new friend. Opening the white gate that fenced the large house within it, he made a gesture to the boy to enter.

"Wow!" He looked it up and down. "And your old man must be the dude who owns Neko-kin. That famous restaurant uptown?"

Smiling, Rei walked up the path to the house. "I guess as far as impressing you, my work is done."

Tyson laughed it off, calming himself down a bit. "Sorry Rei, it's just... you're like a celebrity with the family you have."

"Not really. But Stan Kon is my uncle, not my father."

"Oh. So what does your dad do?" Asks the curious boy. "Is he famous too?"

Rei swallowed at that. He hadn't exactly come to grips with what happened to his parents and the last thing he wanted was to sound like a cry baby. Bad enough, his uncle thought therapy was needed for him to talk through his sadness. Whatever happened to good old family talk, bonding through the people who are lost to you. Guess things work differently with a man of the world. "My Dad owned a Dojo back home."

"Back home?"

"Yeah, my family originated from China." The boy could guess that his hyperactive friend hasn't been listening to a word he's said past 'I'm- Kon'. "Or did Lee never tell you that?"

"I kind of guessed from your last name, but, Lee seemed like he was born here rather than just migrated." Tyson shrugged an apology. Rei was actually flattered; it was the first time he and his family had ever come into context with an animal other than a cat. Not that he couldn't see the reason. "But that's cool, because my Grandpa owns a dojo too."

"Does he teach karate?" Rei asked eagerly. He's been dying to continue training since... well, since his father can't teach him anymore.

"Nope. Kendo." He struck a pose like he held a sword in his hand.

"What's Kendo?"

Sticking a knowing finger into the air, he smirks with pride. "That's the art of fighting with a wooden sword, it's a whole 'Defend rather than fight' kind of deal." Closing his eyes with a boastful air about him, he ended by saying. "My Grandpa's the best in Japan."

That got through to Rei more than the fact that he thought Tyson was kind of cute. The boy has a sense of family. "He sounds great."

"He is great. Wanna meet him? I'll bet he'd teach you in a heart beat-.." he paused. "That is, if you wanna learn."

"Sure. We've got some time left in the summer, I can take classes until school starts."

"Choice." He slaps his friend on the shoulder. "Then you can join the Kendo club at school with me this year."

Hm. Looks like I found a way to fill my trophy case. The door swung open after Rei extracted his keys from the keyhole. "I'm home!" He calls.

"Woow!" Tyson’s mahogany eyes dart from here to there as he takes in the place. "Check out the pad. And you get to live here?"

"For the rest of my life-.." mutters the somber teen. "Lee?" He thought it pointless to call for his uncle since he had work right now.

They always, the employees, start kitchen duties before the place opens: Cleaning the dishes again, checking reservations and turning the chairs over onto the floor, things like that. Rei usually attended these duties, but his uncle told him to sit this one out. Apparently the boy seemed stressed out this morning, which is why he had enough time today to take his usual walk.

"Rei." Lee appeared out of nowhere as though he were hiding behind the door. "Have you seen my... what's with him?"

Looking at, the brother ogling, Tyson, Rei shakes his head. "You're famous, go figure."

Smiling fondly at his brothers rolled eyes and his strange choice of friends, Lee pats the smaller boy on the head. "Hey squirt. Haven't we met before?"

"Uh.... Uh..."

"Now whose run out of conversation." Placing his hands on Tyson's shoulders, he ushers the boy to the stairs. "We can hang out in my bedroom. Come on."

Lee watched their departure, then heading to the foot of the stairs he calls up after them. "I'm having a get together tonight at seven,"

Rei glanced over his shoulder to show that he was listening, though, he didn't slow his pace.

"Me and some of the guys are gonna order some pizza's and watch a couple horror flicks if you wanna get in on it."

"Okay."

"Nice. Let me know what you want by six thirty."

Nodding, Rei continued down the long hallway and into his bedroom. Once inside, he closes the door and walks over to the bed. Tyson joins him, face still set in 'awe' of getting to see Lee again. Rei paid him no mind and busied his self by raising the tv from the floor. Can you believe his uncle even included that. Either these people have no other restaurants in town or the man really does know what he's doing in the kitchen. Rei assumed it was the latter.

"Wanna watch some tv?" He asked his dumb founded guest.

"Huh? Yeah sure, what time is it?" He heads over to where Rei is seated on the bed. Looking at his new surroundings while wondering how the heck he got there, he flops down and smiles. "Cool room."

"Thanks. It's sort of a present to me, I think." He glances around. "I guess it's supposed to remind me of home."

Tyson frowned upon hearing that. Cocking his head, he looked the Kon boy over then asks. "That reminds me; you say you live with your uncle but.... I've never seen you in the area until last week."

"Hm?" He was unsure of what the, inquisitive, boy was getting at.

"Are you like the black sheep of the family, locked away in your room until just now when you passed the test of normality."

Rei shakes his head, not at all offended. "I've been living at home with my parents until... recently...." His words dropped a bit, but he held his composure enough to check what channel he had stopped on last during his, unconscious, flicking frenzy. "How 'bout Barney?" He blurts out unaware because he's paying more attention to the weird look Tyson is giving him.

"It's okay bro. I understand.... you lost your parents so now you've gotta live with your uncle. No big deal."

Rei's cream colored cheeks turned a bright shade of red. "You could tell, huh?"

"Yeah.... I mean... I know the signs because I lost my parents too."

"You did?"

"Yup.... It was when I was a younger kid, about seven...." Tyson looked far away for a moment; Rei was beginning to regret not keeping his emotions in check. Tyson seemed pretty together when they were talking on the streets but now..... he looked just as fragile as he is.

"My parents are.... archeologist." He started slowly, it was as though he could see the whole picture playing out before him and with each word he said, his voice would drag lower into an almost teary mess of non-speech. "I always looked up to them and what they did.... But.... one day, my Grandpa told me that they were coming back and that... we had to meet them at the airport... but...." Tears welled in the boys large brown eyes.

Rei watched him with the fascination of a kid watching his first magnified ant go up in flames.... He was curious but by no means planning on stopping the scene that was playing out before him. To Rei, Tyson had that type of bravery.... that type of comfort with himself to cry in front of people he barely knew... Hell, Rei wished he could cry in front of people he knew really well.

On odd instinct, he reached out and pulled the sad boy into his arms. He held him there for what felt like forever, then he heard Tyson speaking again, his tone flat and even as though his sadness were passing.

"They... didn't exactly come back, though... all the other expeditionary people that were out there with them- they made it back. They were fine but..... not them.... something happened on the way to the plane and...."

"You mean they never found them?!"

Tyson shook his head. "They had people search as far and deep as they could but..." he shrugs. "Anyway," his voice was becoming a bit more normal. "I've managed, you know, because I've got Grandpa and he loves me and so do all of my friends."

"Yeah."

"Speaking of friends, you should meet the guys." Yeah, he was back to normal, as far as Rei could guess by what he knew of the boy. "My best friend is Ozuma, but I have other friends."

"I can tell."

He looks at the door with curiosity. "Your brother invited us to a party right?"

"It's not much of a party, he's just getting some friends together so they can watch DVD's and junk."

"I can sit through some boring horror movies for a while." He shrugs it off. "When is it?"

"Seven. Do you wanna ask your Grandpa if you can come? There's a phone out in the hall."

"Oh! I forgot about Grandpa!" Hoping to his feet, he hurries to the door. "I've gotta go. Thanks for inviting me over, Rei. You're totally worth being friends with."

Rei made a face at that. "Uuhh, thanks."

With a thumbs up and smile, Tyson exits the house. Rei listens to his departure as far as it goes and once it had vanished, he could pretty much guess that the spunky Japanese kid said a loud goodbye to his brother before leaving. Turning off the television, Rei lay back on his bed; raising his head a bit he moves his pony tail to the side so he wasn't crushing his hair and pressing an unwanted lump into his back.

Tyson seems pretty normal- albeit- he's got a bit of A.D.D, but that's common in teenagers. Closing his eyes, Rei tried to relax his nerves all the while noticing a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. Heh, I can't believe I have a friend. My first friend and I made him all by myself. Maybe I won't need therapy after all. Tyson seems like he went without it and he turned out ok. So why can't I?

"Hey bro!" Called Lee from the foot of the stairs. "It's uncle Stan, he wants you at the restaurant. Get changed, I'll drive you over there!"

"I'm coming!" He stretched his arms out, sitting up. "Thank God. Now I've got something to do."

..........................

"I'm beginning to see how he plays a role as someone important to you. You see him as someone that's coped without the aid of someone else."

"Yeah."

"And that to you makes him strong."

"Yeah.... Plus I really like him. He's nice and kind.... at least, I thought that until my first day of school."

Miki dropped her pencil at this. "What happened at school? I thought that you and Tyson were friends?"

"We are... now... but, before he kind of ignored me for a while. Like the things that happened over the summer never did."

The woman nods her head in understanding. "I guess I'll have to hear about that another time because I have another appointment in five minutes."

"Okay." Rei stood just as his watch began to beep.

"Haha, I can't help but like how punctual you are."

Rei smiled at that. "Thanks. See you later."

"Good bye, Rei."