Push Forever: Chapter Five

Jikan pouted slightly at Maruki, repetitive nodding replied to his mature comment. Maruki nodded back, calling Jikan silently to leave. Holding the door after running passed Maruki to get to it, Jikan looked to the floor, searching for something to say.
“Ne, Maruki.” Following him out like a puppy with his tail between his legs. Jikan was slouched forward, scuttling towards Maruki with his hands between his thighs tightly.

Having almost darted out the door as if it were some portal of mental escapes, Maruki remained ahead of Jikan until he heard his name called out.

“Yes Jikan?” Though friends for a year, being on a first name bases with Jikan felt awkward, this was the first time he ever called him by his first name. he turned and looked over his shoulder at the human puppy that followed him, his soft coffee eyes looked to the side on the ground. On his full pink lips, there was a sense of worry, they pressed together more than usual, and Jikan could sense that.

There was a moment of silence as he thought of what to say back to Maruki. To see him so mysterious and serious was nothing new, but something was on his mind and he wanted to find out what it was.

“Are you all right? You got quiet.” With his attempt of not prying, Jikan spoke cautiously.

The dark light around made deep shadows over Maruki’s subtle baby features, outlines beamed in the small light of the overhead streetlights. There was something on his mind, it was something Maruki wasn't even sure of. A small gap between his puffy, full lips allowed a small sound to pass, yet nothing more. Suddenly the sidewalk decided to disappear out from under Maruki’s feet causing him to trip up, almost falling to the ground.

Not liking physical contact from others, his mother was the only one allowed to hug him these days, Maruki couldn't stop a bright rose blush from growing on his chubby cheeks. Frozen with Jikan’s arms tightly around his waist on the side of the street, he had a reason to be quiet.

“I was fine, until now.” Awkwardly frozen, Maruki looked over his shoulder, moving as little as possible to prevent any unwanted touching. Seeing Jikan cling to him for dear life, Maruki finally pushed him off him.

Jikan almost fell to his knees when he was forced off of Maruki. A small ‘ah’ passed his lips when he regained his footing. Jikan looked up at Maruki, almost scared.

“I’m sorry, I just didn't want you to hurt yourself.” Honest and scarce, Jikan stepped back up onto the sidewalk away from Maruki, giving him some space.

To the scared boy’s surprise, Maruki grabbed his arm and pulled him back onto the road and continued their journey home.

“You are an odd one Jii.” Said the shorter boy over his shoulder, his full smooth lips barely moved as he spoke. The next step back up onto the opposite curb had a little hop in it. Awkward moments usually made Maruki gitty.

Jikan froze on the road again before following Maruki quickly. Darting after him to catch up, he slowed down once he was beside him.

“J, Jii?’ having just clicked that Maruki finally called him by a nickname, Jikan finally felt complete in this friendship. “Um, isn’t being odd what makes me normal?” philosophical answers never worked with Maruki.

Spinning on his heels, he chuckled softly.

“Doesn't make you normal, it makes you unique.” Maruki smiled warmly, he spun on his heels again, almost too far this time. People who couldn't tell the difference between unique and different made Maruki laugh. The small silence that came with a defeated smile confirmed that Maruki was right over Jikan.

Having said nothing, Jikan was proven defeated in his statement, giving Maruki that victory. Following the flows of Maruki’s clothes rather then paying attention to anything else, he finally thought of something to say.

“Unique or not, I’m still cooler than you.” He teased playfully. Maruki could tell by his tone that it was not originally what he was going to say, causing him to laugh a little. Catching him in the chuckle, Jikan hopped forward, and hit his shoulder playfully.

Though it was Maruki who was the one that was insulted, he was to the one that got hit. He laughed even more now, his scrawny friend may have been smaller, but his hit had actually hurt.

“You only think you are Jikan, you really aren’t though.” Of course he was only joking, but that still made Jikan pout cutely. Maruki sighed and dropped his shoulders forward. Jikan was really like a child. He walked ahead of the big baby, ensuring his safety from getting hit again for laughing.

Even though the last bus that drove out to Jikan’s area passed them, he still walked Maruki all the way home. Maruki offered Jikan a one time offer of him being able to sleep at him house, but he kindly denied. He saw Maruki enough at school and times like this when they got a slush, he didn't want to become a bigger burden to him. Standing outside his door, Maruki finally said good bye to Jikan, at least for the night.

The shorter black haired boy slipped into the deep brown wood door and closed it softly. The locked clicked just as softly, the foyer light was dimmed to a gentle glow and then all went silent. Jikan hopped back down to the walk way making his way down to the sidewalk again, looking over his shoulder, back at the house.

The quiet streets called for loud echoes. The normally quiet thumping of rubber against concrete was greatly amplified in the empty suburban streets. The dark, speckled sky, free of clouds and the warm breeze made the eerie walk calming. A silhouette of dancing leafs was created a kaleidoscope of shapes on the ground from the light of the orange bulbs that hung above.

Along with his own footsteps, there was a quiet distant echo, mimicking his own echo. Looking back over his shoulder, across the street and even up ahead, no one or nothing was to be seen. The mystery of the sound was making Jikan’s nerves tremble scarcely. Though no one was in sight, the clapping against the concrete gradually rang louder.

Almost in a panic now, Jikan started in a light jog. The quicker his pace became, the quicker the echo became, it was obvious to him that the predator was following him. A scarce whimper emitted quietly though his parted lips when he started in a full run away from the area.

Passed all the houses on the block, and running though the local playground, Jikan handicapped himself by muffling the sound of the footsteps with the grass. In the middle of the park, half way to the adjacent block, Jikan bolted it and gave the run his all. In a blink of an eye, Jikan could have sworn his life flashed before his eyes. Knocking the wind out of him, the predator tackled him to the ground in a familiar manner. Not yet confirmed as to who the attacker was, Jikan screamed at the top of his lungs, hoping someone would hear him.

Quickly a hand from atop him covered his mouth, muffling Jikan’s scream. Suddenly the predator laughed loudly, their voice sounded very familiar.

“Tanaka! Calm down! Its just me!” recognizing the voice, ‘’just me’ was not reassuring to the victim. The younger sounding male crawled off Jikan and sat on the cool grass next to him, waiting for him to sit up.

Jikan’s blurred vision pulled back from the millions of blades of green grass, and turned over to his attacker.
“Shiya you asshole!” Rolling on his side and flailing at Shiya, fluttering arms thrashed at his crossed legs over and over. “I hate you! I hate you! I hate you!” Jikan couldn't scream it enough. It may have been a joke, but he was genuinely scared to death.

“I was really scared!” Almost brought to tears, the scared boy took a deep breath to hold his composure.

Shiya held his arms up in defense from the flailing boy, laughing hysterically as he did. Jikan may have been flailing like a rag doll, attacking him, but he wasn't causing him pain at all.

“Dude, calm down. It was just a joke.” Shiya rolled back, out of Jikan’s reach. “Nerds are weird.” It was a rude comment, but it was his jock nature to say such things.

Jikan rolled on his back, tossed his legs up for balance to sit. His dark eyes narrowed over at the nerd’s worst enemy, a jock.

“Why are you here anyways?” Jikan asked with a small sniffle, Shiya was normally bullying him, never joking with him.

Sitting cross-legged again on the cool, moist feeling grass, Shiya dropped his arms down on his lap.

“Well I was in the area and I saw you. Thought it would be fun to scare you.” A quizzical look appeared on Jikan’s face, wondering what he was doing in Maruki’s neighborhood.  “Fumi and Kira live by, and I was going to the corner store for grilled Tako before I left for home.” Shiya gave Jikan a quizzical look in return “What are you doing here?” finally realizing that he wasn't near his home either.

He had been caught. Jikan muttered, no real words came out. Knowing Maruki well enough, he didn't like peers knowing much about him, especially his address. He knew he was taking too long to answer, any longer his lie would be caught in a lie.

“I’m starting to work out, I was out jogging for a while.” It was convincing enough, saying it made him want to start.

Shiya looked at his watch, furrowing his brows soon after.

“This late?” he lazily dropped his arm again, glaring over at Jikan coldly. “Nerds don't stay out late. What are you up to?” suspicious of him now, Shiya was determined to get the answer out of him at any cost.

Jikan was getting nervous, he had never conversed with his enemy for so long, and now he was being interrogated.

“Yes this late. Nerds don't always have their nose in a book you know.” He never actually considered himself a nerd nerds were at least intelligent. He was just different, unique even. “We do things too.”

Shiya was getting bored, bugging Jikan was fun nut now actually talking to him felt strange.
“So are you going home now? Its almost midnight.” Shiya played with the thin blades of grass, pulling them out one by one.

Jikan was getting awkward himself, it wasn't normal for the two of them to converse. As his mother told him though, a new school meant new beginnings.

“Uh, yeah. Yeah I was. So…” Jikan’s dark eyes looked off to the side, he was getting uncomfortable. “I should probably go, ne?” planting his feet firmly on the ground, the boy zombie himself up. Those narrow dark eyes glanced down at his enemy “well, thanks for scaring me to death.”

Shiya laughed, pushing himself to his feet as well. He dusted off his hands from the moist broken blades of grass onto his pants.
“We should do it again sometime.” There was a small chuckle in his voice as he waved off Jikan.

A look of clenched teeth and stressed lips pulled back, bearing his teeth plastered itself on Jikan’s smooth features.
“Oh I don't think so.” Waving him off as well, Jikan took his leave down the road again. His worried eyes glanced back now and then, looking for Shiya. He was scared once tonight, he wasn't going to allow it to happen again.

Finally home, Jikan immediately darted to bed, exhausted. As an only spoiled child, it was rare to hear that he stayed out passed midnight. That was the life of a good boy as he looked at it. Dropping heavily to his futon on the floor, Jikan let out a loud broken groan as he tumbled and rolled into his blankets. Alone in his own room, he couldn't help but still take off his clothes under his blankets, as well as slip on his pajamas under them. Soon after, with nothing to think about, nothing to do, Jikan fell asleep.