6. For a Pessimist, I’m Pretty Optimistic
For a Pessimist, I'm Pretty Optimistic
It seemed like Monday rolled around again before Dustin even had time to process the fact that the weekend had arrived.
He’d spent the majority of Sunday trying to wrap his head around meeting Sima Yao, keeping his parents distracted long enough for Chris to get the speedboat to and from the mechanic, and still squeezing in time to prepare himself for his third period science test.
Needless to say, he was fucking exhausted, but he’d still managed to drag himself out of bed early so he could get to school and practice his diving some more.
However, he was currently just standing outside the shower as the water ran, trying to work up the courage to step inside.
On any normal day, it would’ve just been water, but after talking with Sima Yao, nothing was the same.
As the water rained down from the showerhead, Dustin swore he could sense every individual droplet, every bit of vapor filling the air, every bit of spray on the tile wall.
It all echoed in his bones, like it was resonating with his spirit.
He wasn’t exactly afraid to step into the water, it just seemed like…
a lot. Where he normally found peace in the shower, this time it felt like it was calling out to him; like he was standing on the precipice of something major, and if he got into that shower, he’d be pushed over the edge.
Still, he had no choice but to step inside…
He reached for the shower curtain with a trembling hand, pulled it back and stepped into the water.
The moment it hit his bare skin, he recoiled like he’d been shot, even though it didn’t hurt at all.
Instead of pain, he felt incredibly energized; like he’d just chugged an entire mug of espresso.
His skin buzzed, his pulse quickened, and as he focused on the feeling, the veins in his forearms turned as black as tar- just like the Black Tortoise constellation.
The water stopped hitting his skin, and for a moment, Dustin thought the shower shut itself off or something. But as he looked up he realized something far stranger had happened…
The water was… floating around him. Forming an orb like a force field around his entire body.
His first instinct was to scream, but he had no idea what the hell would happen if he did that; the shower might literally explode.
So instead, he closed his eyes and tried his best to slow his breathing and the rapid beating of his heart.
It took a while, but eventually his heart rate returned to normal, his veins lightened to their normal pale blue, scarcely visible beneath his skin, and with that, the orb fell fruitlessly into the bathtub before disappearing down the drain.
He exhaled, quietly relieved that he didn’t accidentally flood the house, but still buzzing with the residual adrenaline. Somehow it felt real now, as if being magically transported to a ghost palace (twice) wasn’t enough to do the trick.
Now it wasn’t abstract constellations, or cryptic omens… now it was tangible. It was liberating. It was fucking terrifying.
It took a while for Dustin to finally calm down and get his shit together enough to head out of the house; he was running a bit late, but if he ran for it, he could still make it to school early enough for a few laps and practice dives.
As he headed into the kitchen, slinging his backpack over his shoulder, he stopped at the sight of someone he wasn’t expecting to see…
His mom.
As a curator at a huge museum in Seattle, Charlotte Fujiwara-Ying was like… never home by the time her sons woke up for school. Ever.
Yet there she was, sitting at the kitchen table in her maroon pantsuit, sipping a cup of coffee and looking over a spread of papers and photos of artifacts. She glanced up at him, and nodded as if she already knew what question was coming.
“I know, I’m a bit late getting on the road,” she said in her smooth, somewhat deep voice, “I just needed to organize this portfolio before I head out,”
“Hey, I’m not complaining,” Dustin replied with a shrug, “it’s nice to see you in professional mode,”
She chuckled.
“Yeah? Well then you and Christian should come to the opening of the exhibit I’m working on in a few months. It’s all about Qin Dynasty artifacts; a new chamber was recently discovered in Qin Shi Huang’s tomb, and I’ve managed to secure some of the new findings for one weekend only,”
Dustin’s throat went uncomfortably dry.
Qin Dynasty artifacts. Qin Shi Huang.
The same era Sima Yao was from… the same emperor he’d once served…
“Y-yeah, that sounds… really cool. I doubt Chris will be into it, but if he won’t let me take the car, I’ll hop on a bus and make sure I’m there for your big night,”
“Nonsense, you’ll ride with me,” she waved him off, “just like you will right now if you want to get to school at your regular time,”
Dustin almost couldn’t believe his ears; she rarely offered him a ride anywhere these days, assured that her 18-year-old boys could handle themselves. But she was right; if he wanted to have time for practice, he couldn’t refuse the offer.
“T-thanks, I really appreciate it,”
“Just be glad I’m not chastising you for leaving the house without eating anything… again,” she shot him an ice-cold look that thawed just as quickly as it hit him, “swimming on an empty stomach can’t be good for you,”
“I’ll grab breakfast at the cafeteria after, I promise,”
His mother nodded, quickly filed all of her paperwork into her briefcase, and grabbed her keys.
“Time to transform and roll out,” she called as she clacked her way across the kitchen tile in her heels.
“Did you just… quote Transformers?” Dustin giggled as he followed her outside. She simply gave a sly wink and hopped into her minivan; a holdover from the era where she was playing taxi for Chris and all his basketball teammates. That felt like a lifetime ago, though it was only Freshman year.
As they rode in silence, Dustin felt something bubbling in his chest. That feeling; the one that was still foolish enough to want his parents’ approval.
It always dredged its way up from the depths whenever he was in his mom’s company, but never with his dad; maybe it was some part of him hoping that the bits of warmth she showed him would burst into an open flame of affection someday…
So, against his better judgement, he posed the question.
“Hey, okaasan” he began, as if calling her ‘mom’ in Japanese would somehow soften her up…
though it never really worked, “you know that the Regional Swim Meet is this Friday? You should totally come out and watch, if you can get off work I mean. Bailey will be there, and she told me she made a huge sign. Maybe you could make those yummy manju buns for the team?”
Charlotte’s mouth tensed into a thin line, and her gaze remained focused on the road ahead; distorted as it was through the mist-slick windshield.
“I… already promised your brother I’d take him out for a celebration dinner that night. Since he made the basketball team again this year,”
And just like that, those bubbles in Dustin’s chest froze into cement blocks that pulled his spirit into the abyss.
There was no “celebration dinner” when he made the swim roster again, but then again… why would there be? No one “celebrated” another minute passing, or the dawn of another day. Chris was special, Dustin was expected.
“Right, yeah, of course. Don’t sweat it. I’m sure coach will record it and burn DVDs for anyone who couldn’t make it,”
The ride continued in relative silence; with only the distant hum of the morning news on the radio filling the space. As they pulled up in front of Kochiyama High, Charlotte sighed and unlocked the doors… but she didn’t make eye contact.
“Next time Dustin, I promise,”
Dustin just curtly nodded, and headed into the building.
He wouldn’t let himself believe in those words. Not again.
…
The first couple of periods passed by in a daze of fluorescent lights and half-remembered lectures.
Chris hadn’t been in first period, but Dustin just chalked it up to him probably hooking up with some girl behind the bleachers or in a locker room; wouldn’t be the first time.
Everything else faded out like static as he drifted through the day, just ready to get it the fuck over with and head home.
He mindlessly shuffled into the cafeteria along with the rest of the rush, made his way through the lunch line without even paying attention to the options on offer, and started dragging his feet to his usual lunch table without a thought in his head.
That was of course, until a voice got his attention.
“Hey, Dustin!”
Dustin turned his head to see Leo Chang; former equipment manager turned freestyle swim pro.
Ever since he went from a dorky short kid in freshman year to a 6 '2 chiseled god with broad shoulders and a jawline sharper than a samurai sword, he constantly had the attention of half the girls in school, though he never seemed to pay them much mind.
In truth, the only person he ever really spoke to was Dustin. Chris was convinced he was crushing, but Dustin was pretty sure he was just a nice guy that knew what it felt like to be bullied and forgotten.
“Oh hey, what’s up Leo?”
“Just wondering if you wanted to sit with the rest of the team? We were gonna talk about regionals and stuff,”
Dustin’s gut twisted; sure, Coach Carter always preached about the swim team being “one big family”, but in reality they barely acknowledged Dustin’s existence outside of his athletic skill. He was very useful when they needed to hit the leaderboard, not so much when it was time to hang out.
However, Dustin didn’t even have a chance to answer before Chris appeared out of nowhere; like Nightcrawler but with less self-awareness.
“Yo, sorry to interject big guy, but I’ve gotta borrow my brother for a sec,” he said, flashing that signature manipulative grin as he slung his arm over Dustin’s shoulder, “we’ve got business,”
“Oh… uh, okay. Well, I’ll see you at practice later then,” Leo replied, just as Chris spun Dustin around and started pulling him to a table halfway across the cafeteria.
It was the one right near the bathrooms that no one ever wanted to use due to its proximity to piss-stench.
However, Bailey, Chloe, and James were already there, clearly waiting for him like Voltron waiting for its head.
“We’ve got maybe ten minutes before people start wondering why the fuck we’re all at the same table,” Chloe said as soon as Dustin and Chris sat down, “the Ying Yang Twins eating together isn’t shocking, but Chris is my ex, and the last thing I need is people thinking we’re back together,”
“Don’t count me out just yet baby girl,” Chris winked, “I might win you back yet,”
“Doubtful,”
“Don’t even sweat it Chloe,” James cut in, with his feet propped up on the table.
He looked fucking amazing; so much so that Dustin temporarily forgot that he was supposed to be brooding.
He looked like a demigod in a sleeveless grey shirt and skinny jeans as he leaned back and chomped into an Oatmeal Crème Pie before continuing with his mouth full, “I’ve already started floating the story that the five of us are working on starting a new club for college credits,”
“Niiice man,” Chris leaned in and fist-bumped him, “well, let’s bring this… as of yet unnamed club meeting to order. Any new business?”
“Cut the shit Christian,” Bailey rolled her eyes, “we need to talk about what the fuck’s been happening to us,”
“Right, right, okay,” Chris replied, “this morning some wild shit happened on my way to school. I was driving in, getting all hype listening to 50 Cent, you know, the usual. But then… I guess I got too fucking fired up because I started sweating. And then, my veins started glowing red! And then… well,”
He made an explosion gesture with his hands, accompanied with a cartoonish “poof”.
“Wait, what?!” Dustin’s eyes went wide, “you saying you set the car on fire?”
“Nah!” Chris quickly clarified, “but I did go all Human Torch on my favorite leather jacket, a real American fucking tragedy. I missed first period because I had to turn around and pick out a whole new outfit,”
“You think that’s insane? When I was leaving the house this morning I was making a mental list of all the shit I have to do today, and then my veins started glowing too, but white instead of red.
The next thing I knew every piece of metal in my living room was sticking to me like fucking fridge magnets.
It took fifteen minutes to get them unstuck,” Chloe groaned.
“Something similar happened to me in the shower,” Dustin admitted, “glad to know I’m not the only one losing my shit,”
“I’m kinda jealous,” James said, sounding mildly annoyed but with a deeper disappointment lurking beneath, “I’ve got nothing yet,”
“Me either, but we need to get a handle on this before something ends up on fire… or worse, on the news,” Bailey said, “we should meet up somewhere after school to work out the kinks. I’ll call my manager and tell her I’m sick; Dollar General will survive a single shift without its most glamorous cashier,”
“I smell a training montage and I’m fucking in,” Chris grinned widely, that familiar chaotic glint in his eye, “I can ditch basketball practice for one day. Not like I need it much anyway,”
“I was supposed to go to a gala with my mom tonight; she styled Mayor Hampton’s wife. But it’s probably better for everyone involved if I blow it off,” Chloe said, clearly holding back an elaboration that seemed almost… painful, “just let me know when and where we’re meeting and I’ll be there,”
“My place will work if everyone’s cool with it. My parents are off on a nature retreat with their camping buddies. I’ll have the place to myself all week,” James offered, “we live way up on Berry Mountain Rd, so it’s nice and secluded,”
“Sounds like as good a place as any. I’ll let my coach know I’m taking today off, and we’ll all meet up at James’s place after school, deal?” Dustin said, looking around at everyone to confirm. They all nodded, and thus the plan was set in motion.
Sima Yao said something about their powers deepening being tied to his ability to maintain a physical form, so maybe getting things under control would also lead to more answers sooner than later.
And for the first time in years, Dustin wasn’t sure how to endure whatever was coming next.