School Girls' Stories - New Generation

Chapter 40 – California

“This is an awful punishment.”

“The worst.”

Shu stood on the edge of the sidewalk and looked out at the beach with the girls dressed in short shorts that were unacceptable in Illinois in the dead of winter, but were bearable on a day that was unusually warm in California so close to Hollywood and right down the street from Beverly Hills.

The third rollerblading girl with streaked hair and a perfect body rolled by and winked at them, again. Shu and Waza both waved and smiled and had to keep themselves from dancing like school girls as she rolled away, turning her head to give them a wide smile before disappearing.

“I think our mother’s had to be thinking we would just be spending time with our father,” Waza said, watching the girl until she disappeared.

“Somewhere in their heads they believed he would act like a real father and punish us,” Shu nearly laughed. “That is kind of funny considering in the last nineteen years of my life he hasn’t acted like a father once.”

“I hear that was untrue,” Waza said, “but this is coming from my mom, so who knows how truthful it is. Apparently our father fought to try to keep you in joint custody, but Shai fought hard to keep you away from him.”

“If this is his idea of parenting, Mom should have let me hang with him more often,” Shu laughed. He could barely take whatever Noriko had to say seriously. The woman has lied to her own daughter to get things she wanted, why be any different with the son she has only learned to resent? Fuji was always the better child, and Waza hated that about her, and wanted nothing to do with his only family most of the time.

“I wonder what happened to that girl’s sister he was supposedly with,” Waza said as the two began to head back towards the apartment they were staying in with Teiyoku Tennison until it was time for them to return home. “I haven’t seen him with a girl yet, and I’m a bit surprised. He seems like he’s not doing too bad for himself out here by himself.”

“He’s got to be with some chick,” Shu insisted. “He’s like, the player of all players. We are talking about some old man who is now in his, what, sixties? And he had a young girl up until about a year ago. He has to have someone.”

“Maybe it’s some Hollywood babe,” Waza laughed as they walked up the steps of the apartment building. They were answered quite quickly. Walking out of the apartment building, holdings hands, was Teiyoku with a woman who looked young, but was obviously older than she appeared. She was gorgeous in a way that looked almost identical to Bliss. She had long black hair, long legs, too much chest, and curves that looked like they had been sculpted in a hospital room one day when the cellulite began to appear. Teiyoku, noticing Shu and Waza, had the decency to look embarrassed, but the woman, having never seen Shu or Waza, remained oblivious.

“You guys are home early,” Teiyoku pointed out.

“We need food,” Waza insisted.

“Who’s this?” Shu said with a sly smile on his face, holding out his hand towards the woman.

Teiyoku, looking like he wanted to do anything but introduce the woman, was at a loss for word. It was the woman who took Shu’s hand and shook it thoroughly. “My name is Kaori Grant, who are you?”

“Kaori?” Shu ripped his hand away from the woman’s and stepped back, glaring at her as he pulled away. Waza glared up at Shu before stepping in.

“I’m Waza, Teiyoku’s son, and this is Shu, Teiyoku’s other son,” Waza introduced.

“Oh, Shukufuku, Shai’s son,” Kaori smiled. “I’ve heard so much about you.”

“And I you,” Shu said bitterly. “Waza, this is Kaori, Bliss’s real mom.”

Waza’s mouth fell open, then he properly closed it, then it opened again. Finally, remembering who he was (he is Teiyoku’s son after all) he snarled and said, “Wow, Dad, you get around. First Shai, now her friend. Shai did everything for you, and you sleep with the woman whose child she is raising. Scum.”

“Now, Waza, don’t talk to me like that,” Teiyoku reprimanded.

Waza scoffed. “You are the one who taught me to talk like that.” Without waiting for a response Waza shouldered his way through Kaori and Teiyoku, snarling and glaring. “What a waste of a trip, I now feel nauseous.”

Shu hurried to follow his younger half-brother up the stairs and slapped the other boy on the back when they were safely inside and away from prying eyes. “I’ve never heard you stick up for someone before.”

“Yeah, well, don’t tell Bliss I’m human,” Waza said grumpily. “Besides, after what I’m going to do when we return home, you won’t think I’m so human anymore.”

“Why?” Shu asked cautiously.

Waza looked up at his older brother and winked. “Oh, you’ll see.”