Chapter 1: The Boy with White Hair

His eyes weakly opened up. Again, like every morning, he pulled himself out of bed around six, and got to his feet. Rubbing his tired eyes, he moved into his bathroom and started a shower, quickly tossing away his worn down pajama pants and looking at himself in the mirror. His white locks were a mess, and eyes held heavy bags under them. Lucky for him, it was a Saturday, and he had neither work nor school.

The first words from his mouth were, "Being sixteen sucks ass.."

After his shower, and throwing on another pair of dark shorts, he slid down his staircase railing and moved past the unfolded clothes in the living room. Opening the door to his backyard, Takabi let the last of the summer air rush through him, enjoying the cool yet muggy feeling.

The scent of freshly cut grass rushed into his nose, and relaxed his body. "Saturday morning. The last one before I go back… Time sure flies, doesn't it?" He strolled down the porch steps into the backyard and sat in the grass, closing his eyes and trying to think back.

His memories were still in a thick fog.

The furthest he could think back to was waking up alone in a burnt down wasteland. He couldn't see anyone for miles, and the soil nearby him was so intense with smoke and fire none of the firemen or police could get close to him. Yet he could walk through it as if it was a simple stroll through the park.

Everything since then has felt like a dream. He went into foster care until he turned fifteen, though he was mostly alone until he managed to score a decent job that paid him enough to live by himself. Not that he hated the orphanage, but being around kids who would be so excited to gain a new family, only to end up not leaving was heartbreaking to him, as well as the distant stares.

Sometimes it was because families couldn't afford a child, but came to see who they would choose if they could. Other times, the rich would adopt one then abandon them all over again.

And then there was him. His temper in certain situations was short and often he lost control. His mind flashed back to a single day, and Takabi gripped the space over his heart. A sense of guilt settled inside.

The eyes of the children and adults around him were too much to bear. He needed his own standing, and he knew that.

His stomach roared at him, signalling it was time to eat. Takabi didn't argue. He jumped to his feet and rushed into his kitchen, rummaging through his fridge before kicking it shut and biting into the second half of the foot long he had the night before.

Was he living like a slob? He didn't think so. He left clothes around in a messy but controlled chaos. He was exhausted from working to pick them up. He was impatient to wait until noon to eat his sandwich so he decided to make it breakfast. Not the ideal lifestyle, and an outside eye would think he was lazy, but it was one he was comfortable with.

His home was a two story house. Brown carpets in the living room and up the stairs. Three bedrooms on the second floor, one being his. A bathroom in each bedroom and one in the kitchen. A simple oak-wood table was in front of the back door, the black fridge was next to the sink, which was next to the counter and stove. All in all, it was an okay home for his yearly pay.

"Let's see…" Takabi said, opening his front door and grabbing the newspaper from his front porch. He quickly skimmed through it, seeing if there were any better jobs or any actual information he could use, but finding none, he crumpled it up and tossed it into the trash. When it missed, he groaned and walked over, picking it up and placing it in the bin by the first step. "Basketball.. Sports. Definitely not my thing."

A voice entered his ear drums. Looking up from the trash bin, he spotted his neighbors entering their home. Mrs. Martinez smiled and waved at him from across the cul de sac. Her husband was already inside, and her daughter was just getting out of the car, looking at him with disgust before she entered the house next. Nervously, he waved back until she yelled, "No! Come say hi!"

Not one to be rude, he looked around to make sure no cars were hurrying in, and quickly jogged over. His eyes couldn't help but admire how beautiful Mrs. Martinez was. From her long chocolate hair that was curled and rested on, from what he guessed, her double D cup bust. Her brown eyes that glistened with the sunlight, and her flawless light milk chocolate colored skin. Her wide hips and practically perfect curves were no secret to be discovered. It was discovered, and the entire neighborhood knew it. She was in a league all her own when it came to looks.

Takabi actually was a bit envious of her husband.

"Hey, Mrs. Martinez. Where are you just coming back from?" Somehow, he managed to keep his blood from rushing, and stopped himself from stumbling over his words. It was difficult for him to constantly keep eye contact with her, thanks to her blouse buttons struggling to stay together.

She touched her cheek and smiled at him. "Oh, I told you, just call me Rose. No need to be formal." Her smile flashed with an elegance that would melt most hearts. "We just came back from church actually. We're going on vacation tomorrow, so we thought we should go today and not exactly worry about missing any days tomorrow."

"Ah, right, I forgot about that. You're heading to Hawaii, aren't you? I hope you have fun." He coughed into his fist, sneaking a glance at her chest before meeting her eyes again. "How's Mr. Martinez?"

"As stiff as ever," She huffed, leaning against the Toyota. "I don't know what's gotten into that man lately. Between you and me, he's been a bit unreasonably strict lately, and keeps muttering to himself that the time is coming."

"The time is coming," Takabi repeated, tilting his head and raising an eyebrow. "And that means?"

"Beats me," She shrugged. "I figured it'd be best not to bother him about things like that." She sighed, looking into her purse and pulling out her phone to check for messages before saying, "Thanks for being an ear for me to unwind. It's really kind of you, Takabi."

"Oh, it's no problem. You've helped me grow since I came to this neighborhood, nothing I do for you ever needs a thanks." He replied, sticking his hands in his pockets. "By the way.. How is uh…"

"Jewel?" Her smile wilted. "Would it be bad to say I'm not sure? She won't talk to me ever since you two broke up. A shame really, you would've had such cute babies." She closed her eyes and smiled, as if daydreaming of a wedding between the two.

Takabi blushed faintly, looking at his feet. "It's a little early to be saying things like that.. Anyway, tell her I said hi? Even though she may not want to hear it." He laughed.

Rose nodded as Jewel came into the doorway. Her brown eyes sent daggers through Takabi, and he could tell she wished looks could kill.

He wasn't sure why she was the one who was angry though. She was the one who had feelings for another guy.

Her hair was in a ponytail that hung off her right shoulder, light freckles trailing across her face. She took after her mother body wise, but had a bit of extra weight to her stomach. "Mom, why are you still out here? Dad and I are hungry."

"You both are perfectly capable of making yourselves sandwiches until I make breakfast." Rose looked at her daughter with an irritated glare. "Alright, I'll be in in a minute." She glanced back at Takabi, who was watching Jewel with an expressionless gaze. Flicking her eyes between the two, Rose asked, "Jewel, don't you want to invite Takabi in?"

"No, I don't." She spat, turning on her heel and disappearing up the stairs of the home. Rose exhaled and looked at him, patting his shoulder. "Sorry about that."

Shaking his head, he smiled, "It's okay. I ate already anyway." He turned his head to avoid the threat of onion breath gracing her nose. "It was nice seeing you though, have fun on your vacation."

Rose hugged Takabi tightly, before moving into the home and closing the door as he turned and moved back towards his own house. "They're such a nice family."