He spent his lunch hour at the table under the tree, his food already consumed, and a pile of papers were spread out before him. Today was Tuesday, and there was only half a day left before tomorrow would come. The day he had much hope for, but wasn’t exactly sure what to do about it. It was already too much trouble, he thought, but Jack had insisted. Kaz sighed as he brushed his hand from his unkempt hair. There was a map of the city in front of him, as well as a notebook full of details. Even though he was considered lazy, and his only hobbies included things that took close to no physical effort, he did have the kind of mind to turn this entire thing into his own little game. That was his strong suit he thought, and even though he wasn’t the fastest at solving puzzles, he at least credited himself with the ability to think outside the box.
Thursday: I was placed in this mess when those robbers decided to ‘test’ me. Or, that is what they claim anyway, that was confirmed when that blonde woman handed me that business card. An invitation to a meeting at the twin domes on the outskirts of town, marked here on the map. The only roads that lead to it aren’t very busy, so it wouldn't be too hard to get there unnoticed. I spent the weekend surveying the area, but I couldn’t get to close without having to walk a hell of a long ways. Oh yeah, almost forgot, it was on Friday that Jack told me to investigate further. Though what’s bothering me now more than ever is the fact that I can’t seem to get in contact with him. He said he wouldn’t be driving to school this week, and him and his sister wouldn’t be going to class. That’s a bit odd in my opinion. Still, I was asked to do this, I owe my best friend something now don’t I?
It was on Friday that I hung outside of Norie’s class...trying to identify just who the hell I'm supposed to talk to. It was difficult for me to even know which one was her. It doesn’t help that I’m girl shy, and if I just walk in all casual like, and say I want to speak with her, it might be a little strange, not to mention embarrassing.
He put his head down on the papers, and sighed. It doesn’t help that yesterday I figured out which one Norie.was..my god…she’s too cute! How the hell am I supposed to approach a popular girl like that? I can’t even think about it without getting all flustered. He slammed his fist on the table. Don’t give up Kaz! You have to do this…but then again, I may have missed my chance. Time is running out, I may have to approach her after school, but what if I can’t do that? I have my own classes to attend, and as soon as that bell rings it’s not like I can catch her alone. What should I do? Maybe ask one of her friends? I’m not too sure about that. She seems to get along well with the students in her class…I suppose I could follow her home, but what if her parents answer? I could have a backup plan, like, I was returning a lost item for her or something. God damn it Jack, when this is all over I swear I’ll make you pay. In cash.
He was at least thankful for his temporary leave from work, despite the fact that he wasn’t being paid. It wasn’t like he was going to spend any of that money anyway. He continued to look over the papers, which mainly had little notes, and a time line of events sketched on it. He was glad he was a senior, his lunch period was extra long due to his minimal course load. He was thankful that he had worked hard enough in his previous years to be given some time to think over what really matteedr. This really did matter…didn’t it? A favor for a friend. Even though it was a pain in the ass, he felt good inside, like he was repaying a long overdue debt to his friend, who had watched his back countless times. He was earnestly worried about Jack, and Kylie too. Where had they gone? He couldn’t tell for sure. But there was more to his investigation…it had made him suspicious of almost everyone.
Sunday
As early as the city bus came he was there, waiting anxiously. The closest he could get to the domes was the hotel plaza, and even then it would be a few blocks, at least from there he could at least get a glimpse of the lot that had been vacant for many years, where the domes supposedly were. Originally they were planning on building a giant mall there, but because of a complication in the funding and contracts, the mall was never built, and the lot remained empty. Everyone assumed that eventually something would go there.As he ventured out to survey the area he kept a close watch on anyone around him. He wanted to take his time, just in case someone was in fact following him around without him knowing. He took the time to venture into a coffee shop, hoping to make it look like a simple outing that any teenager would take on a Sunday morning. He ordered a simple glazed pastry and a regular black coffee and took a seat in the far corner where he could see everyone and anyone who came into the cafe. They were all ordinary, many were church goers, some were just writers, opening up their glowing laptops, and others still just wanted a somewhat quiet place to work on the crossword puzzle that was printed in the newspaper. It seemed like everyone in there was a cliche: folding their legs and enjoying the occasional whir of the coffee maker, and the faint hum of classical music playing in the background. He spent a half hour there nibbling away at his pastry, and sipping on his hot coffee, in till finally he cleaned up, and began towards the domes again. It seemed like nobody was particularly following him, or taking notice of him, so he shrugged off his suspicions as best he could.
A few blocks down he came to the end of the city, or so it seemed. The isolated Stadweld didn't have any suburbs. Almost everyone who worked in Stadweld was a resident of the city. That is why when he reached the edge of the sidewalk, and looked across the back road, he had little trouble seeing the two white tops in the distance. The domes were truly there, a confirmation that made his experience last Thursday all the more real. He wasn't sure what to do. Was it a public place? Or were there guards to tell people it was off limits? He didn't feel like getting in trouble, so he just simply stopped to look at it. It was here that a young man came strolling up to him and placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Hey buddy, what are you doing out here?" He asked somewhat cheerfully, and Kaz looked slightly annoyed as he turned to face his coworker. "I could ask you the same thing, Trey." He mumbled and the other took his hand away and shrugged. "I've been walking around the perimeter of those domes ever since they were built. Everyone who gets close to them either disappears or leaves and doesn't say anything about it. Pretty strange don't ya think?" He asked quietly, as if mystified by the aspect. "Not willing to go there and see for yourself?" Kaz asked, a slight smile crossing his face before it faded. "Ha-ah, I don't think so. It's not like I have a reason to go in there. I just like to see what kind of people go in and out." He stated coolly. "So, you never did say why you're out here." He added and Kaz turned away for a moment. "Not collecting rumors that's for sure. I heard that some kids were gonna be going there for a field trip. Thought I'd see what they were like. Huh, I doubt what you say is true if the city is allowing children to go there." He kept his back to Trey, who's eyes narrowed for a moment and the older man stepped directly behind him. "Hey now, you aren't holding out on me are you? How did you find out a piece of information like that?" He asked darkly, and for a moment Kaz felt a tinge of fear, but he shrugged it off as he turned. Explaining to him what had all happened doesn't seem like a good idea. He's just some coworker, and that means he could be anyone. Ah hell, like he's dangerous...but I should be careful right? It's like Jack's secret not mine. "A friend told me." He was vague on purpose and Trey sighed shaking his head. "Damn, that's no good. So you aren't going in there are you?" Kaz looked at the domes for a while, and then thought of what Trey had said. The conversation was making him uncomfortable. "No, I'll get a chance some other day to..." he paused for a moment to consider the possibility that Trey had something to do with the robbery. He was known to have a lot of information, and it was uncanny how his conversation that day seemed to come to light. A lot of things are happening. If I wasn't so damn curious I'd be just as ignorant as the next guy...A lot of things are happening...
"Do you know something about these domes?" He asked and Trey smiled. "I know a lot of things Kaz. I know those domes are dangerous. I know that everyone who has tried to find something about them, has ended up dead or simply mindless." The tone that Trey was using was really starting to bother Kaz. As if his sixth sense had just kicked in, and it was screaming for him to stop this silly chase and return to a normal life. He turned around, facing back towards the hotel plaza where he had come from. "What about you? You're still alive." He pointed out. There was a long silence as Trey peered up towards the sky. "I'm good at what I do." Was all he had to say. Like hell, you've done a good job of scaring me that's what you're good at. Just how do you plan on using that skill anyway? Going to put 'rumor collector' on your resume? He began to walk back to the bus stop. "Yeah well, I just wanted to take a look." He waved his hand. "Don't get too close yourself then yea?" There was no reply, but Kaz didn't even bother to look back to see if Trey was there. It was better to just let him do whatever he wanted.As he walked he began to think about the suddenly 'mysterious' coworker. It was odd, when he first met Trey he thought the young man was just as lazy as he was, always slacking off, and he hardly had any motivation or hopes for the future. It was probably best to just wait for the police to take care of this...or something.
His phone buzzed in his pocket. He flipped it open. A message from Jack? He thought to himself as he read the message. "Hey, sorry man, but I wont be able to drive this week to school you know. Me and Kylie are both taking some time off, my dad is really sick I think so we're gonna be at home for a while. Alright, take it easy." It was rather formal for a text message but it brought about a number of questions. If this text message was related to the events of the past week then, it could mean that Jack's family is under some kind of duress. What if the police were being manipulated? After all the mayor was in command of the city, in a sense, and if Jack's father was being compromised somehow, a lot of the power would then fall into the hands of the mafia or Senba.Though it seems to already be in there hands despite what the government does. Though corruption can only go so far...maybe it wouldn't hurt to do something? Ah hell, I can at least tell this Norie chick right? If I can figure out who she is. But not today. He had to take baby steps in till Wednesday. He'd get a free ticket into those domes, despite what Trey was trying to scare him with. In fact, they were probably full of wonderful treasures, right? There had to be a reason why Trey didn't want to go, or want anyone else to go there...in fact.
!
"He probably was following me to see if I'd go to them!" He exclaimed out loud, and in his mental backtrack he didn't even notice a young Asian girl standing next to him. He suddenly turned as she had made a very strange sound after his sudden declaration. "Ah, um..." he began. "I'm sorry..." he stated after regaining his composure. "Ah-no, it's my fault, I was just...well..." she seemed uncertain of what she wanted to say, but it seemed like there was something she wanted to talk to him about. "Is something the matter?" He asked, sounding more polite than he normally would. "Y-yes, you see...I think, or well...the girls were wondering what you were doing outside of our class during the past few days..." She began, stating quietly, and he looked embarrassed for a moment. Ah hell...this can't be good can it? He looked down at the ground, unable to face her eye to eye. "I-..I guess I should just say it huh." He tried to think of what to say. She wasn't too bad looking herself, and it was always harder when they had some good look about them. "Yeah, a lot of them were worried, I think Norie was going to do it, but...she left so I got sent out here instead..." Yeah why didn't they just send a boy from their class? He thought to himself for a moment, but he was glad. This girl seemed understanding, as opposed to the usual stereotype: a lurking male outside of a mixed classroom is clearly a pervert. I should stop reading manga before bed... "I was trying to get a chance to talk to Norie." He stated and then he felt really hot inside. It just sounds like...I'm trying to date her or something. Wow, get it together Kaz. What the hell is wrong with me? "Norie? Why do you want to talk to Norie?" She asked, sounding a bit concerned, and that oddness seemed to calm him down for a moment. Is this girl related to this mess as well? "Well you see...a lot of crazy things have been happening around here...it's kind of a personal thing..." He wasn't sure if he could entrust this information to this girl. It could end up being like Trey, who was still marked as unknown in his book at this time; but he couldn't take any risks. The girl looked at the notebook and map on the table, and then back at him. "Crazy things?" She repeated, and her serious face made him think that somehow she was related to this entire mess, and he stood up. "If you know any rumors...or, er--things, I'd really appreciate it...I'm just doing a friend a favor ya?" He tried to keep his cool, but talking to girls was never his strong suit.
"Can I trust you?" She asked suddenly stepping closer to him, her eyes looking right at his face and he could tell that his face was probably turning red and he was hating himself for it now. Why do I feel like she is peering into my very soul, it's as if her eyes, are super intense. He was impressed, and a little taken aback."Huh, you're face looks...are you blushing or something?" She asked, and he turned away. "Ah no...I'm...not very good at talking with girls." He admitted, and there was a pause. "Oh, I think I understand, you're shy!" She exclaimed sitting at the other end of the table. "Yeah I guess so...ah, anyway, you can trust me...erm, oh right, my name is Kaz...a-ha..." He was kicking himself in the butt. Stupid, this isn't some kind of romance, just focus on the task at hand! God I sound like a retard "Uh, just relax...you know I'm not very good at this kinda thing either..." she admitted. Like hell, you seem to be doing just fine! He kept his eyes away, occasionally glancing back at her. "Are you sure? You don't seem to be shy like me." He felt weird talking about it like this, but the girl was overly understanding, and he couldn't say he had met anyone quite like that before. "Well I've had a lot of practice, you know I've been to so many schools, some in Japan, and some in America..." She trailed off eying the notebooks. "J-Japan! That's cool!" He couldn't help but blurt out. He chuckled to himself a bit. "Ah, you know...I'm one of those people who...really likes games and things..." he said and she nodded. "It's okay...I know how it is...to be shy, that's what I'm saying I guess. Oh I almost forgot! My name is Michi...it's nice to meet you Kaz...but, what exactly do you mean...crazy things?" She asked. "H-hey now, you asked me if you could trust me...wouldn't that mean you have some kind of idea?" He asked not wanting to be the first to admit it. "I'm Norie's friend...new friend I guess. I have somewhat of an idea about what's been going on with her. You said you wanted to talk to her right?" He nodded, "Y-yeah, I missed my chance huh...did you say she went home?" Don't I sound polite? He felt better though. "Yeah, that's been happening a lot recently. She's been missing class, and has been going out on her own..." She seemed very concerned and the solemnness of the topic calmed Kaz down quite a bit. "Ah, I would advise against doing that..." he said taking out the card that the blonde woman had given him. He had kept it with him ever since he began investigating. Like a real secret agent he slid the card across the table.
"Tomorrow, around 1 Pm, the middle school near Patterson high is going on a field trip to those dome structures listed there. I've been told I should inform Norie because her sister seems to have some kind of information." He stated darkly, and Michi couldn't help but smile at herself as she looked at the card. "Ha-...ha, you know you sound like one of those secret agents." She laughed then despite herself. "H-hey, you gotta play the part...I guess..." he felt embarrassed all over again. "Well this confirms a lot of things I think--" She began, but then the bell rang. "Ah, sorry...class starts now..." She stood up. "Hey, why don't you come over to my house after school?" She asked and he thought about it for a moment. "We can talk more about this..." she was walking away. "A-alright...Michi...I'll stand over by the entrance then." He said as she walked away. He began to pack up his things and put them away inside of his bag. What are the chances of me meeting someone like that huh? Well...things might be looking up, but this sure is becoming one hell of a story. He began to walk back towards class, but for some reason he couldn't help but smile. Not only do I get to repay you Jack, I get to have a new friend...
Michi returned to class and smiled to herself. Who would have thought that her intuition was spot on? Of course she had thought of it, and that is why she acted upon it. Despite Norie's friendly and outgoing demeanor, she wasn't telling her everything, and it was starting to bother her. After her meeting with Dare, it had become clear that something was pulling her new friend. Something that must be happening behind the scenes. Ever since that time, she hadn't been given a chance to hang around Norie's house, and aside from one weekend they spent together downtown, there was very little after school communication. Was this how it usually went for Norie? She was definitely good friends with a lot of people, and Michi had noticed over time just how many people she knew. Of course it wasn't like they had drifted apart, or, that Michi had been pushed into the background, it was more like something was bothering Norie, ever so faintly. It was her eye for detail that had first caught onto the young senior who was prowling outside of their class before homeroom, during lunch break and even after school. For a few days she had noticed it, and today was the day she felt it was time to confront him. Her intuition told her that he was somehow looking for Norie. It was surprising to find out that he really was. It was an odd coincidence she thought. But she was thankful for it now. He seemed like a really nice guy, after all he did sound very polite. It would give her a chance to bring someone to her house for a change. Maybe her Mom stayed home again, as it was growing increasingly dangerous to go to work for her, now that her dad was out of the country. Things were finally starting to look up weren't they? Well, tomorrow seemed to be the day...
I'll definitely help you Norie! I'll find a way. I promise.
~Part Two will be posted on Sunday~
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