No Destination
By Jessica
S.
----------------------------------------------------
Sitting across the table from Yukito, I tried to finish reading this damn novel. No good. I slam the book down in frustration. Yukito barely looks up.
“You
hungry?” I ask him.
“Aren’t
I always?” He’s still reading his novel. I shrug off the question and stand up,
walk over to the stove. “Popcorn, ok?” I hear a faint “m hm” from Yukito and
pour oil and seeds into the pot, setting the stove on high. I sit back over to
the table and try again to read.
“Touya…”
Yukito says.
“M?”
“Did
you leave the pot alone with no lid?”
“Uh…yes.”
“You’re not supposed to leave it alone!” he says, looking up.
I
look at him.
“Get
back over there. For once I’m gonna teach you
how to cook.”
I walk back over to the stove, put a lid on the pot, and start shaking it back
and forth. “I know how to cook
popcorn,” I grumble. I stare at my reflection in the lid. I remember a time,
three months ago, when Yukito thought he didn’t love me anymore. That was the
worst day of life. I could have worse days, I suppose. I direct my thoughts to
happier ones. About two months ago, Yukito and I found out how much fun
sleepovers can really be. I smile at the memory, and don’t hear Yukito come up
behind me.
“You’re
doing it wrong.” His voice shoots me right back into reality, and I scream. I
turn around and nearly die of a heart attack. “What are you doing? Are you trying to kill me?”
My
friend smiles at me innocently. “Maybe. You can never be to sure about people.”
I
turn back to the popcorn, heart still pounding. “What do you mean I’m doing it
wrong?”
He
wraps one arm around my waist, and the other he lays on top of my arm that I’m
using to cook the popcorn. He makes a circular motion, controlling my
hand.
“Hey
Touya,” he whispers in my ear. “You look good enough to eat.” I blush, and turn
around to face him, both of us letting go of the pot. With his free hand, he
shuts off the stove, then put his arm around my waist. I lean forward and touch
my lips to his. I wrap my arms around his waist. He pulls back after a few
moments and stares into my eyes. I know what he wants.
“Would
you like to stay for dinner, Yuki?” I ask sweetly. “Of course,” he replies. He
keeps staring into my eyes. I sigh, giving in. “Would you like to sleepover,
Yuki?” “Yes please, To-ya.” “What would you like for dinner?” “You.” He
replies, and kisses my neck. “Seriously.” “I am serious.” “Yuki!” “Shhh…let’s
get started on our sleepover, ok?” I take his hand and head upstairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’m
home!” Dad calls from downstairs, waking me up. Still half-asleep, I give Yukito,
who was asleep with his head on my chest, a shove, then grab my shirt. Putting
it on, I toss Yukito his, who is just barely awake. “Dad’s home!” I whisper
frantically. He doesn’t know about us. I yell, “Hi Dad! We’re upstairs!” I get
off my bed and lean casually against my desk as Yukito puts on his shirt. Dad’s
friendly face appears in the doorway.
“Hey,
Touya. Hello Yukito.”
“Hello
Mr. Kinomoto,” Yukito replies.
“Hey
Dad. We’re just taking a break from studying.”
“All-right.
What’s for dinner?”
“Chicken.
Why don’t you get washed up while we start dinner?”
“Fine.
See you downstairs.”
I
hear him walk down the steps. I know when he’s at the bottom; the last stair
creaks.
I
look at Yukito, leaning against the wall. He looks so innocent; nobody would
ever guess what we had been doing for the past hour.
I
hold out my hand to him. “Come on. Let’s go make dinner.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Dad pushed back his chair and leaned back.
:”Dinner was great, guys. Excellent chicken.” He smiles
at me.
“Thanks,” I say as I take one last bite.
“Where’s Sakura?”
“She’s sleeping over at Tomoyo’’s tonight.”
“Oh, right. Do you two have any homework?”
I carry my
dishes and Dad’s dishes to the sink. “We have to finish our book reports, and
some math.”
I sit back down at the table. “Yukito is going to spend
the night.”
“alright.” Dad stands up and pushes in his chair. “Well,
I brought some work home from the office, so I’ll be in my study.” He leaves
the room.
“Hurry up,” I urge Yukito.
“I’m done.” He grins up at me like the Cheshire cat as
he puts his dishes on the counter, then follows me up the stairs.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“You’re sure you can’t come over?” I ask.
“Well, I could but then Grammy might get worried. I
haven’t been home in thirty hours.”
I sigh, defeated. “Fine. Meet you at the park later?”
“7:30?”
“Fine.”
“TOOUUYYAAAAA!”
I turn and see Nakuru running towards me. “I should go.
Fast.” I turn and sprint towards the elementary school.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
I step inside the door and nearly shut it on Sakura,
who’s right behind me.
“Why did we have to come home so fast, Touya?”
“Uh…I’m expecting a phone call,” I reply as I peer
through the window by the door. She hasn’t followed me home today. Good.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“I’m home!” I hear the front door close.
Sakura runs down the steps. “Hi Dad!”
“Hey Sakura. How was school today?”
I block out their chatter as I figure out exactly what
I’m going to say. ‘First things first;
ask him when.’ I think. I get off my bed, walk downstairs, and into the
kitchen, where Dad and Sakura are sitting at the table, telling each other
about their day. I wait for a pause in the conversation. Finally, they seem to
have run out of words to say.
“Uh, Dad? Can we talk?” I ask nervously.
“Hm?” He stares at me, as does Sakura. Then he smiles
warmly. “Sure, Touya. But, can it wait? I’m starving.”
“Sure Dad.”
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
“Great dinner Touya.”
“Yeah Touya, you finally made something edible.”
“Me? It’s your
cooking that isn’t edible Squirt.”
“Hey you two…”
The phone rings.
“I’ll get it. Why don’t you two start your homework, and
Touya, when I’m off the phone, we’ll talk.”
Sakura and I leave. She goes upstairs, but for some
reason I want to hear the conversation.
Dad picks it up in the middle of the third ring.
“Hello? Speaking…oh, hi Sam.”
Sam works at the university with Dad.
“I’ve seen him around, what’s his name?”
He must be talking about John; he’s new at the
university. He’s an assistant.
“He’s what?! Are you sure? He’s gay?”
I
freeze. Maybe I shouldn’t have this talk with him after all. The tone in his
voice doesn’t sound to welcoming to John.
“I
don’t know…I’d feel too uncomfortable if he stayed…it’s not fair for him to be
fired Sam…Sam…I know how you feel…Just ask Michael to make sure he doesn’t work
around you.”
Michael
is Dad’s boss.
“M
hm…m hm…ok, bye Sam.”
He
hangs up the phone. I go as quietly as I can up the stairs; stepping over top
of the squeaky one.
“Touya?”
Dad calls. I wait a moment, then call, “did you call me Dad?”
“Yes.
Come on down.” I saunter slowly down the stairs and sit down in the kitchen. I
eye the clock; it says 7:17. I better leave for the park soon.
“What
did you want to talk to me about?”
Words
flash through my mind.
I
can’t let him know. He can’t know about me. He wouldn’t accept me I know it.
“I,
uh, I wanted to talk about…I was wondering…” I think quickly. “Could I get a
car?”
Dad
stares at me as if he expected me to say something else. He chuckles. “A car,
hm? We’ll talk about this when you’re sixteen.”
I
try to look disappointed. “Sure, Dad.” I look at the clock again. 7:20. “I’ve
got to go. I’m meeting Yukito at the park. I’ll be back before 10.” I get up
and put on my jacket and shoes. “See you later, Dad.”
“Bye
Touya.”
I
run to the park, to our bench. He’s not here yet. I sit down and try to catch
my breath. I’m alone for only a few minutes before he comes.
“Hey
To-ya.” He greets me with a kiss.
“Hey,
Yuki-kun,” I whisper and kiss him back.
Even
if Dad can’t, I have to accept this. Accept my forbidden destiny.