Chapter 8

THE NEXT DAY brought good news and bad news. The good news was that Bea was absent that day (thank you God), but then the bad news was that Justin was gone again. I thought I hated him, but I felt like I was just a little more happier when I knew he was at school and feeling OK. At lunch Mason, Issac, and I joined Nick who was sitting alone at our usual table.

“I guess people only care when Bea is around.” Issac said as we sat down.

“Yeah, she’s the real leader. When she’s gone no one dares think about the rest of us; or me.” Nick sighed. Then he eyed me. “So Justin isn’t here again, huh?”

I looked down.

“Yeah, I guess not.” Mason said. We kept eating. I noticed that Nick constantly kept looking at me. I wondered what was up. Finally he said, “Aika. I want to talk to you.”

            Both of us got up and we walked over to the corner of the lunch room. I wondered what he wanted to talk about.

“Alright, I’m just going to come out and say this… Should I break up with Bea?”

That was the most shocking thing I’ve ever heard in my life. I thought those two wanted to ‘Get married’. I guess not.

“Wh-what? Why?” I really wanted them to break up, but I had to know why.

“There’s a lot of reasons why, but mostly because I can’t handle her anymore. I’m tired of her jerky attitude and controlling everything I say and do. People aren’t speaking to me anymore because of her and I’m not going to let her drag me down because of her stupidity.”

That was also pretty shocking. Nick called her “controlling”, and “jerky”, and even “stupid”!

“Then break up with her.”

“Aika… You’re my best gal friend, but you’re the one who got me and Bea together so now I want you to end it!”

He did not just say that.

“WHAT?! NO WAY! SHE’LL KILL ME BEFORE I CAN EVEN BLINK!!!” Soon the whole cafeteria was watching us.

“Shhh!! Keep your voice down!!” Nick said and covered my mouth. Soon the other students went back to what they were previously doing and he continued.

“Listen, I want to do it myself, but she’s not speaking to me. I’ve really been thinking about it, for weeks now even! But I just cant do it. I know she has some things against you. But please.”

He looked really desperate, I didn’t want to say no. Ever since Nick started dating Bea, he had dropped from my best guy friend status and Mason took his place, but what he was saying right now was making me want to put him back on the number 1 spot.

“I… I guess so.” I said reluctantly.

“Yes!! Aika I love you!” He picked me up in a hug and went back to the table. (NOTE: “I love you” said to a friend is different than an “I love you” said to a girlfriend or other close relationship.)

            When school was over I walked home with Nick. He didn’t have to walk me home, but he said that he owed me for all the mean things he did to me in the past due to Bea’s controlling power.  About half-way home I saw Mason. He was probably walking to his uncle’s house, which is along the way I live.

“Hey, you can go back home now, Mason is just up ahead, I’ll catch up with him!”

“Uh, ok then. See you later Rena!”

Rena… I haven’t heard that since he and Bea started dating.

“Yeah, see you later Keiichi!”

            People used to mistake Nick and I for brother and sister, and in this TV show there’s these siblings named Keiichi and Rena. Nick and I LOVE that show, so we started calling each other Keiichi and Rena. But Bea started to get jealous because she thought they were ‘couple nicknames’ so we had to stop. But wait, they’re not dating anymore! Overruled!

            I caught up to Mason, he sure does walk slow.

“Hey Mason!”

“Oh, hey Aika.”

“So you’re going to your uncle’s house?”

“Yeah. I have to help around the house since auntie isn’t feeling so good.”

“Aw. Tell her I hope she gets well!”

“Sure thing.”

            Soon we just started talking. I had no idea what we were talking about though! It started out about how hard the test in math class was then somehow went into talking about magazines! Sometimes I have the most engaging conversations when I’m with Mason. We can go on for hours and never get bored. Unless he starts talking about his kpop music, then I start to get bored. But I’m sure he gets bored when I start talking about anime so I guess it all evens out.

            Then came the corner. Oh how I despised that corner. That’s where I would always depart from my friends; I’d turn to walk home while the rest kept walking. Why do I have to live in the neighborhood were none of my friends lived near (or in)?

            It’s always so ordinary, I’ll turn the corner, walk 2 blocks, then turn another corner, pass 4 houses and my house will be the 5^th one on Hendricks Street on the left. Simple routine right? But that day was different. As I turned the last corner onto my street that’s when I saw him. Justin! He was sitting right there on the corner, but he was beat bruised!

“J-JUSTIN!!” I dropped to my knees, and oh boy did that hurt.

“Hm?” He tried to lift his head but it looked like he was having trouble.

“Justin, Justin! It’s me Aika! Hey, open your eyes!” I was seriously freaking out. I’ve never seen anything like that before. His pants were torn at the knees, his hair all messed up, his faced bruised, his hand bloodied, and his backpack was all worn out. And his eyes…… brown.

“Uh, hey…”

“Huh?”

“Y-your eyes. They are"” Then he gasped and dropped his head. “JUSTIN!!” It wasn’t good. As weak as I was, I managed to throw his arm over my shoulder and helped him get up. I walked him to my house.

“OH MY GOD!” My mom screamed when she opened the door. “What" What happened?!”

“I don’t know, but mom he needs to lay down!”

“Oh, right right!” She picked up Alice off the couch so Justin could lay there.

“Just uh, just lay there ok. I’ll go get an ice pack.” My mom said.

I sat on the rocking chair beside the couch and watched him lay there. He shivered and was in pain. Is this why he wasn’t at school today? Maybe he was walking to school and got lost again and some people jumped him! That’s what I thought, but it was too horrible to picture. And besides, if it happened that morning I’m sure someone would have found him by then. And the day before he acted so tough! He should have been able to fight them off, unless…. That wasn’t him!

Yes, it didn’t occur to me until then. What if that was someone else, impersonating Justin? He’s just too nice to turn into a guy like that jerk was the day before! But how? Does he have a twin? Or maybe that was a close family relative that looked like him. It couldn’t have been Justin, that guy’s eyes where blue and Justin’s eyes are brown! Yeah, I thought so, and Mason called me crazy. I finally had my proof!  But then again, there’s always a hint of doubt in me. I guess I just have to wait until he wakes up and I’ll ask him…

‘Justin, do you have a twin?’