of new beginnings and high school defense tactics
“And that’s my number. Don’t text me unless you’re dying, you got your girl pregnant, or you’re quitting the team,” Dante says, handing Rei’s phone back to him. “I’m heading out now. We’ll talk to Coach about your jersey, yeah?”
Rei takes his phone and tucks it into his hoodie’s pocket. “I don’t have a girl.”
“Yeah? Sweet. Only two things for me to expect from you, then,” Dante deadpans in response. He claps Rei’s shoulder before reaching down to throw his soccer bag over his shoulder. “G’night, kid.”
Rei huffs out a laugh as he watches the team captain leave the locker room. He turns to his own bag.
“Not dating anyone, Tanaka?” One of his teammate asks, clearly amused, as he rifles through his locker.
Rei snorts, not bothering to answer. He squints at the analog clock on the opposite side of the showers. The ice cream parlor closes up in about an hour.
“No?” The same teammate, Elijah, Rei barely remembers, prods. “Why not?”
Rei clicks his tongue, trying to ignore him. “Someone needs to clean the bleachers soon.”
“Taking anyone as a date to the dance?”
“Why?” Rei snips, finally turning to Elijah, who’s raising an eyebrow at him. “You planning on asking me out?”
Elijah raises his arms in mock surrender at that, grinning. “Hey, just asking, man. It’s all the girls are talking about nowadays.”
And then he starts droning on and on about high school words-down-the-grapevine chatter. Rei stares at the stain in his locker.
Rocky Road’s probably all out by now, he thinks, dejected.
“—and you don’t even care about that, huh?” Elijah scoffs, tossing a sweaty practice jersey at Rei’s head to get his attention. Rei glares at him. “You think you’re better than them, pretty boy?”
“Hey, knock it off,” James says, who hasn’t said a word since he started watching their exchange for entertainment. “The guy gets a thousand confessions and a thousand and one more proposals to dances, and he won’t say nothing. Not gonna open his mouth now.”
Elijah whistles mockingly at that. “Girls do love the brooding type, I guess.”
“I don’t brood,” Rei shoots back defensively. He just really wants ice cream about now. “I just don’t run my mouth twenty-four seven like you douchebags.”
James barks out a laugh at that. “My fragile heart, Tanaka.”
Rei rolls his eyes. “You guys need a ride home?”
“Nah,” Elijah responds, still eyeing him like he wants to press more. He gives a two fingered salute instead, shrugging. “Catch ya later, heartbreaker.”
///
“You know people find you intimidating, right?”
Rei happily nuzzles his face into the tiny samoyed’s fur.
“Like, by first impression and reputation, they think you’re a Metallica kind of guy,” Vivi continues, waving her sandwich around in her hand thoughtfully. “When really, you’re a Britney Spears type of guy.”
“There’s nothing wrong with Britney,” Elisa cuts in, monotone. “She’s one of the few celebrities not under the telepathic control of the Illuminati.”
“How’d you sneak him in?” Rei asks, moving the dog so he’s cradling it. “I thought the electric scooter was your magnum opus.”
“If it fits into a backpack, I can get it on campus,” Vivi shrugs, nonchalant. “You’re ignoring the subject topic.”
Rei sighs, turning to her. “And we will continue to ignore it. You have a pop quiz next period, by the way.”
Elisa tuts. “He’s using Rei Tanaka Defense Tactic 293, Vivi.”
“What,” Rei says.
“Of course!” Vivi narrows her eyes at him like they’ve caught a felon in the midst of a lie. He kind of wishes he was in jail right now rather than anywhere next to the two. “You deflect questions about your personal life with concern about our academic careers.”
Rei turns to Elisa, deadpan. “Stake me through the neck right now with one of your chopsticks.”
“Come on, Rei!” Vivi groans, shaking his shoulder. “Look, half the school wants to date you, and another one fifth at least wants, like, one kiss.”
“Easy sell from us,” Elisa adds, nodding seriously.
Rei stares down at the samoyed, trying to telepathically will it to suddenly go rabid and kill him instantly to get out of this conversation. It barks, tongue lolling out of its mouth innocently.
“You’ve got an image, hon!” Vivi elaborates. “Handsome, star soccer player, standoffish, sure, but it adds to the sexy, quiet vibe—”
Rei closes his eyes. “Christ.”
“Intellectual, hardworking, good bone structure,” Elisa hums thoughtfully, tapping her ringed finger against the cafeteria table. “Which is very important to the Underground Lizard Society, by the way.”
“And secure enough in your masculinity to be on the cheerleading team!” Vivi finishes cheerfully, clapping her hands together. “You’re the package, sweetie.”
Rei sighs, pushing his face into his hands, flushing slightly from the praise. “Please don’t describe me like an Amazon customer review.”
“All we’re asking is that you tell us if you’re ever seeing someone,” she continues. “Just that! Only this and nothing more.”
Rei opens his mouth to retort, but Elisa cuts in. “And we know you’re busy with National Honor Society and extracurriculars, but just in case you do hit it off with someone—”
“—we’re here as wingwomen,” Vivi continues proudly.
“I appreciate the thought, Tinder Twins,” Rei sighs.
“Well?” Elisa prods. “You should give us your thoughts now, by the way. There aren’t trees in here like there are on other parts of campus.”
Vivi slurps her slushy. “Why does that matter?”
“No government-installed listening devices in the trees to eavesdrop.”
“Ah.”
“Right,” Rei’s eyes flick to the clock. “I’ll…keep you guys posted. I have a meeting with a teacher now.”
///
“Your writing was immaculate, Rei,” Mr. Gbeho tells him as he hands papers back to him. “The essay was about each president’s contribution to the proliferation of the two party system, but you surprised me by going deeper into the glorification of the founding ones despite their misgivings.”
Truthfully, Rei’s been staring at the Pocky snack bag on the teacher’s desk. He blinks, vaguely registering that he’s being talked to. He bows his head politely. “Thank you, sir.”
Mr. Gbeho hums. “Rei—last week, I believe you told me that you’re free after school for about two to three days a week. Is that correct?”
“Unless my soccer games are rescheduled, yes, sir.”
“I’d like to offer you a part of our tutoring program,” the history teacher continues.
“There’s someone in this class I’d like you to work with—Linden, maybe you know him?”
Rei doesn’t…particularly pay attention to a wide circle of people besides the Tinder Twins, which he feels guilty for, sometimes, especially since he feels like he’s on so many people’s radar. But it’s not a conscious decision: he’s more of a conversation watcher than a starter, and he’s more focused on his studies and sports than social circles. That, and apparently having, as Vivi likes to call it, an intimidating resting b. face.
“We haven’t met yet,” Rei admits after a bit.
“I suppose he hasn’t made himself thus approachable,” Mr. Gbeho chuckles, which is, Rei thinks, not an exactly teacher-ly thing to observe, but whatever. The man nods his head towards a kid at the back of class.
He’s dark-skinned, longish black hair, headphones in. Seems like a typical loner.
“That’s Linden,” his teacher points out to him. “Help him out a bit with his history grades, yes?”
Rei nods: it’s another thing to add to his college resume, and it shouldn’t hurt too much. He turns his head to look at the boy, who stares out the hallway like he’s waiting for someone.
If all goes smoothly, and the school year runs well, they should get along easy enough. At least, Rei hopes.
(Later, he finds: some hopes are a bit too high.)