Chapter
Thirty-Eight: Drink Run:
“Hoto-chan!”
Mike shouted. “We’re out of drinks!” Hotaru looked up.
“What?” she
asked. The American man held up his cup.
“We’re out of
drinks,” he said again.
“Really?” she
asked.
“Yeah,” he said.
The loli demon frowned.
“Oh darn it,”
she said. “Looks like I’ll have to go get more.” Mike raised his hand.
“I’ll go,” he
said. Vivian didn’t even look at him.
“You sure?”
Hotaru asked. Mike looked over at Vivian.
“Yeah,” he said.
“It’s fine.” He set down his cup.
“I’ll go with
you,” Tai said, turning around.
“Oh no, it’s
fine,” Mike said.
“No,” Hotaru
said. “Let him go with you. It’s fine.” The American man rolled his eyes.
“Whatever,” he
muttered. Mike got up and walked to the door.
“Mike, wait!”
she shouted. Her roommate turned his head. Hotaru raced down the hall. She came
back with her wallet.
“Here,” the loli
demon said. Hotaru handed him the money.
“This should be
enough,” she said. Mike stuffed the yen in his pocket.
“So what am I
getting?” he asked. “Soda? Booze? Juice?”
“Get it all,”
the loli demon said.
“Alright,” Mike
said. He headed out the door.
“Hey, wait up!”
Tai yelled. He jogged to catch up to the demon.
--------
The men didn’t
speak as they walked. People were still looking for a party to crash. Mike
turned to his companion.
“You seeing
anyone?” he asked. Tai glanced up.
“Excuse me?” he
asked.
“No, no,” the
American demon said. “I want to pick your brain for something.”
“For what?”
“I might have…”
Mike paused and shook his head. “No. I definitely hurt her. Yeah.”
“In what way?”
“All ways. Last
month, I…” He motioned his hands in a choking motion.
Tai raised his
eyebrow. “It wasn’t consensual, was it?”
“No.”
“Yikes.”
“Yeah.”
“Why would you
do that?”
Mike sighed and
shook his head. “I don’t know. It just happened. I was in a dark place.” The men
stopped at the cross light. Taichi turned to him.
“So… What do you
want?” he asked. Mike shrugged.
“I don’t know,”
he said. “I apologized but I don’t think it’s enough.”
“Do you want her
back?”
“Yes, but…”
“But?”
The light
changed to walk. The men headed to the 7-11 a few blocks away. Mike sighed.
“I don’t think
it will be possible,” he admitted. Tai shrugged.
“I don’t know
what to tell you,” he said. “What does she want?”
“I don’t know,”
Mike said. “I can barely speak to her.”
“Well, ask her
what she wants,” the other man said. “Then honor it. But don’t push her. You’ll
drive her away further. Let her be in control.”
“Just like
that?” the demon asked.
“Just like
that,” Tai said. Mike thought about that for a minute before nodding.
“I guess that could work,” he said. The boys arrived at the 7-11. Moments later, they came out with bags and cases of drinks.