Speed Racer Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Love, Life, and Reincarnations ❯ Spring Break ( Chapter 14 )

“Join us in a song - we shall rise and sing. Stand up and be counted - sing a song for liberty. Join us in this song - together we shall sing. Rise up and be counted - sing it loud, sing it proud.”

 

Speed glanced at the O'Connell house as he and Rex drove by. Since the kids were out for spring vacation, many of the younger students who didn't have jobs were really living it up. Some families had actually left for the week, heading for warmer climates. Apparently, the O'Connells were not among them, if the loudness of their stereo system was any indication. Letting out a sigh of irritation, he pulled over and killed the engine. His brother gave him a bit of a worried glance.

 

“You all right, Speed?”

 

“Yeah,” he grumbled. “I'm just getting really sick of this neighbourhood. That's all.”

 

“You mean you're getting sick of Ryan and Torie O'Connell and their son, Inuyasha,” Rex pointed out, grinning some. “It isn't the neighbourhood at large. Just them.”

 

“That would be an understatement,” Speed growled as he climbed out of his car. “Parents probably aren't even home and they've got the stereo up loud.”

 

“There are two cars missing,” Rex conceded, getting out as well.

 

“It isn't going to last . . . how's it going with the school? They still easing up on their decision to let Inuyasha skip English like that?” he inquired as they walked to the front door.

 

“I have no reason to complain, they keep telling me,” came the reply. “Because his mother has a degree in English and in education, they say she's allowed to home-school her kids as she sees fit, that she doesn't even have to send her kids to school. Torie and her husband are obviously very qualified to be teaching.”

 

“Keep trying,” Speed stated as they reached the front door. “They're bound to realize that it isn't right for Inuyasha to be skipping an important class like that.”

 

He knocked on the door and waited for someone to answer. From inside, the curtains moved to the side a little, and the volume of the music went down. Ready to chew out whichever child answered the door as the knob started to turn, Speed began to open his mouth then immediately shut it. Before him stood Torie.

 

“Mr. Racer,” she smiled, her tone sarcastically cheerful. “What brings you by on this lovely spring day?”

 

“I heard the music . . .”

 

“Ah, yes,” she chuckled. “Dropkick Murphys. Good Irish band. So is Flogging Molly.”

 

“You know these bands?” he blinked, his jaw dropping some.

 

“Of course,” came the glib reply. “My kids are old enough now that I feel somewhat safer playing it around them. Is that the only thing that caused you to stop by?”

 

“It was a bit loud,” he offered lamely. “You listen to this?”

 

“Yeah, I do. Have for years. Why? Did you think it was my kids listening to it behind my back?”

 

“Er, well . . .”

 

“Mr. Racer,” she shook her head, folding her arms in front of her, “you need to stop worrying about what my children are up to and worry about your own. You don't see me fretting about yours or telling you how to raise them. I'd appreciate it if you'd show me the same courtesy. Okay? Now, if that's all, I have work to do. Good day, gentlemen.”

 

She then turned her back and closed the door, leaving Speed gawking, stupefied, at it. Once more, the O'Connell matriarch had managed to completely blow him off.

 

“Let's go, Speed,” Rex murmured. “Before she decides we're harassing her and her family.”

 

“Yeah,” he muttered as they walked back to his car. As he climbed back in, he glanced back at the house. “Is it just me or did it look like she's been putting on weight?”

 

* * *

 

Trixie opened the door to see a woman with long, pink hair standing on the other side. A huge grin broke out across her face and she immediately hugged her.

 

“I can't believe!” she exclaimed. “You came!”

 

“Of course, I did,” the other woman chuckled as she stepped inside. “You sounded so frazzled that I got on the first flight. What's going on?”

 

“It's this neighbourhood,” Trixie sighed. “Jem, I don't know. Everything's starting to repeat itself all over again.”

 

“You mean the whole situation with Speed and the Goth kids?”

 

“Yeah . . . I mean, in Farmington Hills, it wasn't hard to see his point about them. And it still isn't. He just gets so obsessive, especially when there's one family that won't listen to him.”

 

“I can understand how he feels,” Jem nodded sympathetically. She shrugged out of her jacket, and Trixie hung it up. “But not all Goth kids are like that.”

 

“Don't let him hear you say that. Especially right now,” Trixie shook her head. They made their way into the kitchen and she began to make them some coffee.

 

“Do you know who he has singled out in this neighbourhood?” Jem inquired.

 

“Yeah. A kid by the name of Inuyasha O'Connell.”

 

“Inuyasha O'Connell?” the rock star blurted out, her eyes wide. “As in the son of author Torie Cronkhite and illustrator Ryan O'Connell? That Inuyasha O'Connell?”

 

“I guess,” Trixie frowned then her eyes narrowed. “You mean to tell me that they're both famous?”

 

“Not just famous,” Jem breathed. “But influential. Very influential, especially in this area. They own at least six houses and six businesses on top of their professional careers. Both are active in the community, especially with their kids' school. They're not a family you want to go up against unless you have everything you need to fight with. If you don't and there's a good chance that they can prove you wrong, they will do it. Ryan and Torie are not afraid to stand up to anyone.”

 

“You've encountered them?”

 

“You could say that,” came the nod. “Our road manager, Rio Pacheco, is related to Ryan. They're cousins. About six years ago, for a vacation, we stayed with them for a week.”

 

“And Inuyasha was a problem then?”

 

“No,” Jem shook her head. “Inuyasha's actually a very quiet kid. I felt bad for him, especially when he was hospitalized for the rest of the week we were there. His blood sugar had skyrocketed, and he'd passed out. He'd have hit the floor hard if it hadn't been for Roxy standing behind him and catching him.”

 

“Roxy? From the Misfits? And he really is a diabetic?”

 

“Yeah, Roxy from the Misfits, and, yes, Inuyasha is a diabetic. Has to check his blood sugar every hour on the hour, or at least he used to. Roxy had taken a liking to him because he'd helped her with her guitar one day . . . the O'Connell kids don't impress easily, thanks to their parents' celebrity status. But, as I said about our week there, Inuyasha wasn't the problem. It was Sesshomaru.”

 

“The oldest boy? But he's . . .”

 

“Such a good kid? So calm and collected?” Jem finished for her. “Yeah. That he is. He's also been told repeatedly that an insult to any of his brothers is an insult to him and to his family. And he can be just as opinionated and as stubborn as both of his parents. Those kids have perfect examples to follow if they want to dig their heels into the ground about something.”

 

“What exactly happened?” Trixie inquired. The coffee had finished so she poured them both a cup.

 

“Well, it started a few days after we'd arrived . . .”

 

* * *

 

“Man, this place is busy,” Speed whispered as they pulled into the parking lot. “I can't believe Sparky and Janine want to meet us here. I hope that their food is as good as people make it out to be.”

 

“Agreed,” Rex nodded as the car came to a stop, and they got out.

 

The restaurant in question was a Japanese steakhouse called Tsukiyo. On a whim, Sparky had taken Janine there for Valentine's Day. Both had declared that the food there was absolutely delicious, and had insisted on taking Speed and Rex there. It had taken some time but they'd managed to convince the two brothers to join them for lunch. The couple stood up as the brothers entered. Sparky immediately shook hands with Speed.

 

“So glad you could make it,” the red-haired man enthused. “You're going to love this place. Best Japanese food you'll ever eat . . . next to being in Japan, of course.”

 

“Of course,” Speed chuckled. “What's the name mean?”

 

“It means `moonlit night,'” a young voice stated. Wide-eyed, Speed looked at the young man who had spoken. Before him stood Inuyasha O'Connell.

 

* * *

 

Sparky shook his head then leaned next to Speed.

 

“Relax, will you? He's been here all day,” he stated quietly. “He works here part-time.”

 

“Who the hell would hire that kid?” Speed growled under his breath. Sparky fought back a sigh, grateful Janine had gone to use the ladies' room for this little exchange. His fiancé absolutely detested Speed's attitude towards kids who simply wanted to be different.

 

“Uh, the owner,” Sparky murmured. “His parents own this restaurant, one of many businesses throughout the community.”

 

“They what?”

 

“They own it,” he repeated. “I saw Mr. O'Connell in here earlier, checking in on his employees. And the kid has got that Oriental look to work here.”

 

“Because he's full Japanese,” Speed hissed. “Ryan and Torie adopted him fifteen years ago.”

 

“Speed,” he began when Rex refused to butt into the conversation, “you have got to relax. Going after this kid is only going to get you into trouble. Again. Do you really want that to happen?”

 

“No . . .”

 

“Then just relax. He's fifteen. He isn't doing anything wrong by being here and working for his parents. I don't want to get kicked out of here simply because you detest the kid.”

 

“Hey, guys!” Janine chirped as she approached, interrupting any further conversation. “Have I missed anything exciting?”

 

“Not at all,” Sparky beamed at her as she sat back down. “I placed your order for you. Same thing as you had last time.”

 

“Oh, thank you, sweetie,” she murmured, kissing him. “That's sweet of you.”

 

“You're welcome. You know I'd do anything for you, babe.”

 

* * *

 

Inuyasha fought back a sigh as he ducked out of a certain patron's sight. Except for at the community banquet in December, Speed Racer had never looked kindly at him. It had never bothered him but then the incident at the Homecoming Dance had happened. He'd heard everything that the Racer patriarch had said about him. Greg, who'd become a fast friend of his, told him, and it rattled him to think that someone could choose to be so dense about a medical condition. Not for the first time, Inuyasha thought that maybe, just maybe, Speed had had something to do with those three guys attacking him at the dance and nearly killing him.

 

`No,' he shook his head as he grabbed a bunch of menus. `That's ludicrous. Why would he want to do that? That wouldn't ruin just his kids' night but everyone else's night as well. It doesn't make any sense . . . but who would do that? And why? I just don't get it. I haven't done anything to anyone . . . Stop thinking about it! What's done is done!'

 

Inuyasha felt his hands trembling some then he took a deep breath. He had a job to do. His parents weren't paying him to do nothing. Smiling, he led the next group of customers to their table, and made a mental note to talk to his mother about the way he'd been feeling once he got home. He wanted to enjoy his spring vacation, after all.