Actually, I did remember the last time I saw him cry. On the plane ride over here. He’d sniffed quietly, turning his head toward the window so that Dad wouldn't catch him. And I’d held his hand and promised everything would be all right.
Everything had been alright. Up until this term of his second year. What happened wasn't my fault, but still…
As I walked to the subway station, it felt like I had failed my brother. Now his life was the opposite of all right, and I didn't know how to fix it.
But Byron was right. I was late for my tutoring session with Victor. Re-shouldering my backpack—which in hindsight could've been used as a shield for Byron as opposed to my face—I headed off to the train station alone.
Winter had come in like a lion a few weeks ago. And the cold wind blew so hard that my knitted hat flew off and disappeared into the dark before I could run after it.
Ugh! Well, that felt like one of those metaphors that were always coming in our English classes. And that would definitely be another lecture from my mom.
I could already see her signing about how I was “too irresponsible” and how I would have to use my “Chinese boy” money to buy another one. I sighed. Thank God I’d been able to hide what I was really using the money I made tutoring Victor to buy. I didn’t even want to imagine that freak-out.
Thanks to missing the express train, I didn’t get into Roppongi station until a good forty minutes after my usual time. Donny always met me at the top of the stairs to escort me into Victor's super-secure building, but his regular spot, where I usually found him leaned up against the wall, was vacant. He had probably assumed I wasn’t coming and had left. And when I went to get on the escalator, I found a placard apologizing for it being broken.
This day would not let up!
I ran up the station steps, but I realized I was in trouble as soon as I got to the top. It had been hard enough to find Victor's building in the tangle of Roppongi high-rises when I still had daylight on my side. I’m pretty sure Victor started sending Donny to the station to get me because a couple of times I got a little lost and had to apologize for being tardy.
But looking up at the glittering district, I knew there was a zero percent chance I wouldn’t get lost tonight. And I was already so late—
My thoughts cut off when, out of nowhere, a hand clapped over my mouth, and somebody grabbed me from behind.
5
I screamed into my attacker’s gloved hand. But even I couldn’t hear the muffled sound over the street traffic. I tried to struggle, but the attacker’s arms were like steel bands around me. I couldn't jab him with my elbow or even kick my feet back because he was holding onto me so tight.
Oh God, why was this happening? What did he want? A sickening fear washed over me. Was he going to hurt me? Or worse?
Just as my mind began to unravel with panic, my attacker yanked the leather glove off the hand that wasn't clamped over my mouth. And he raised it into my eye line to sign one word in ASL: no.
“Victor?” I asked against his hand, my panic morphing into confusion.
The steel arm bands eased. And just like that, I was free.
I turned around, and sure enough, there was Victor. He looked like the human embodiment of a raven with both his hair and his long black coat whipping in the wind.
“What the hell, Victor?” I demanded, too upset to sign.
He took off his other glove to answer, “I didn't want you to scream. And I knew that if I tapped you on your shoulder, you would scream.”
“So you decided to scare me half to death instead?” I signed along with my words this time. Just yelling at him wouldn’t fully convey how pissed off I was. Like my mom, I needed the sign language back up.
Victor answered in a rush, his strong hands pale against the black backdrop of his coat. “I was worried when Donny said you didn’t arrive at the station. And you didn’t answer my calls. I was going to take the train to Adachi-ku. Make sure you are okay. I thought that would be faster than having Donny drive me since it’s rush hour. I saw you come out of the station, but you didn’t see me. You walked right past me. I followed you, but I didn't know how to get your attention without scaring you and making you scream. I didn’t want you to scream.”
Guilt instantly replaced my anger.
“My phone doesn’t work underground,” I explained. “And I was in such a hurry to get to our appointment. I didn’t even think to check it. Sorry.”
