Gen walked into the house later that afternoon, tired and ready to hide away from the world once more. After lunch with Mika, he had gone directly to his final class and did his best to remain invisible. He was not about to get into another conversation with anyone after forcing himself to maintain a conversation without shutting down midway or running off to puke. For someone as socially disconnected as he was, it was extremely difficult. He had to keep clenching his fists to prevent himself from pulling up a manhwa and focusing on that rather than Mika.

Now, as he silently made his way through the house to the stairs, he prayed Kana wouldn’t notice him and he could slink away to his loft and hide for the rest of the night.

He once again had proof there was no god.

“Gen, that you?” she called from the kitchen.

He paused at the bottom of the stairs, debating whether or not to respond. He went with the typical little brother response: “No, it’s Joe Cody.”

Joe Cody was the ghost they blamed when things disappeared around the house. The same way other people would blame Casper.

Kana walked around the entryway, a towel in her hands. “Very funny. Come here and talk with me.” For being only twenty-three, she sure enjoyed pretending she was his mother.

He swung around with a groan and followed her into the kitchen. He plopped down heavily on one of the stools at the island counter and laid his chin down on the cool marble, hands in his hoodie pocket. She snapped the back of his head with the hand towel.

“Head off the counter,” she said after he cussed her out, hand to head. “How was school?” She went back to the stove to stir whatever sauce she was making on the stove.

He shrugged and sighed. “Fine, Mom, how was work?”

She spun around, holding the spoon up in front of her. “Don’t call me that, Eugene.”

“Don’t call me Eugene, Kana.”

They stuck out their tongues and Kana turned back to the stove. “It was fine,” she said with a sigh. “All my clients actually showed up today, if you can believe that.” She was a hairdresser at a locally owned and operated salon in the city. “I may actually have finally built up a following!”

“It only took two years,” Gen said, chancing to put his chin down on the counter. He decided to rest his forehead upon it instead.

Kana looked back to see his thick black mohawk with red tips staring up at her. She frowned. “Something happen?”

His mohawk flopped from side to side as he shook his head.

“Liar.” She walked over and rested her arms on the counter. She tapped him twice on the head. “Something happened.” 

“Nothing happened,” his muffled voice responded. “Just…talked too much.”

Kana stood bolt upright. Gen didn’t “talk too much”. If anything, he didn’t talk enough. She gasped and put her hands to her mouth. “You made a friend.”

“No,” he said, folding his arms around his head and raising it to rest his chin on them. “I didn’t make anything.”

She jumped up and down with a squeal, her large breasts bouncing along in her tight tank top and her long blonde hair swaying on her tanned shoulders. Cold weather be damned, the girl would maintain a tanned and fit appearance until her dying day. “You did, you did! Tell me all about ‘em!” She squeezed his top arm, eyes shining. For years she had been encouraging him to make at least one friend. It had been so hard for him after middle school and he had become so isolated…one friend, that’s all she asked of him.

He furrowed his brow, one ring glinting in the overhead light. “Kana, I didn’t make a damn friend, okay? Just talked to someone because I had to for class, that’s it.”

“It’s a start!” she exclaimed. “I’ll take it!” she struck a pose, spun around and returned to her sauce, her hips swaying in a small victory dance. Gen groaned and lay his head sideways in his arms, closing his eyes, waiting for the inevitable questions.

“So, was it like a class assignment or something?” she asked. Question One.

“Yeah, we had to partner up during the second half.”

“Who was it?” Question Two.

“Just some guy in class.” Shit…the tone was off. He could feel the slow turn instead of see it.

“Oh?” Follow up to Question Two.

He buried his face in his elbow. “Kana, I swear to god…”

“Oh, come on, Gen!”

“No! He just walked me through some math problems, that’s it!” Dammit, Gen, wording!!

“Why would he need to do that?” Question Three. “If it’s a paired assignment, shouldn’t you both be helping each other?”

“Well, yeah, I guess…” I’m so fucked now…

A heavy pause. The sound of the spoon being placed upon a dish to keep the sauce from puddling on the counter. Two steps to the counter. Her hands landing and sliding outward on the smooth marble. Goddamnit… He tensed, trying to bury his face deeper in his arm. 

“Eugene, look at me.”

He slowly turned his head until one eye appeared, his hair falling in his face. Even then, it couldn’t shield him from the glare of death.

“Explain in clear and simple terms why another classmate had to walk you through Algebra.”

He didn’t move or say anything. Just kept one dark eye fixed on her irritated face. She stood up straight and folded her arms under her breasts. He didn’t have to say anything and she knew everything.

“How bad is it?”

“I have a month to bring it up.”

“Dammit, Gen!” She threw her hands up in the air and shook her head. “Are you serious? This is Algebra! Basic math for people like us. How are you failing such an easy subject?!”

Again, he said nothing, just turned his eyes away. She was right, this class should be easy as hell for him.

“So, what’s the plan?” she asked after another heavy moment of silence. 

Now he blushed. He tried to hide his face again but she stopped him. 

“Oh, no you don’t. Spill it.” Her eyes became way too bright and excited. Her interest in his life, whether it had to do with friends or guys, was way too intense sometimes. 

“I’m getting a tutor,” he mumbled. She stared at him, waiting. He rolled his eyes to the ceiling then back down at the counter. “The guy I was partnered with today.”

She paused. “Is he cute?”

He just looked away, his ears beet red. She shrieked and bounced up and down again, clapping her hands. 

“Can you not?” he yelled, getting up from the stool and putting the hood over his head. “He’s just tutoring me, okay? I’m not gonna waste my time trying to make friends, much less anything more than that.”

“I’m just thrilled that you’ll be spending time with someone that isn’t me,” she said, pulling out her phone. “It’ll be good for you!”

“Just don’t tell Dad, okay?” he pleaded as he shouldered his backpack and headed for the stairs.

“Dad is in the dark,” Kana promised. “I do have to tell him that you’re getting tutored, though.” She looked back at him, suddenly serious. “When does it start?”

“Next Wednesday.” He gave her all the details he and Mika had worked out. She nodded and started tapping on her phone.

“As far as Dad knows, you picked up some extra tutoring to help boost the scholarship.” 

“Thanks,” he said and headed to the stairs. “Call me when dinner’s ready.” He ran up to the loft as fast as his long legs could carry him before she could say or ask him anything else. He ducked through his door, slammed it behind him, and tossed his bag across the room before walking over to his low king-sized bed and falling upon it, face first.

He talked way too much today. He turned over on his back and stared at the ceiling, arms outstretched. It’s just for a month, he thought. I can go back to being completely invisible again after that.