I devoted the next day to rolling around and being useless, before I finally decided to start being a functional human being. So on the second day after finishing exercise and breakfast I was on my bed fiddling with my laptop, setting up folders all to start preparing for my summer homework. Whoever had invented the idea of summer homework, I wanted to track them down and give them a swift kick in the balls.
I finished setting up my laptop and threw myself at math for a while, then I raided the kitchen, before I settled down again. It was difficult to regain my focus though, not just because of the heat, but also because of how little I wanted to do it. Admittedly, the notion of having the internet at my fingertips didn't help my concentration either.
After another hour of hammering my head against it I gave up. I sent a text to Jun asking what he was doing, and after confirming that he was home I packed up my things in a bag, made sure I was presentable enough, and went downstairs.
"Honey? Are you going out?" mom called out to me.
"Yeah, I'm heading to Jun's place to do homework," I called back.
"Can you come in here for a moment?"
I left my bag by the entrance hall and went to the kitchen.
"Do you want to go with us to the movies tonight?" she asked me as soon as I showed up.
"Movie? Sure, that sounds great," I smiled.
"Are you sure? You don't have to if you don't want to. If you'd rather spend time with your friends it's okay."
She seemed a bit insecure, so I gave her a quick hug before I responded.
"No mom, that sounds good. I'll be back home in a few hours?"
"That's fine dear. Enjoy yourself," she gave me a small wave.
I left the kitchen and picked up my bag, then slipped on a pair of sandals and left.
It wasn't that I didn't understand her, it was just that she really didn't have anything to worry about. Perhaps most other people my age would rather spend time with friends than with their parents, but I was quite happy to do so. It was only really the summer where I would have plenty of free time, and we had already spent our vacation apart. More importantly, I also had to consider my age. I would likely move out not long after high school ended, and how often would I get to see them then? I didn't know. So I might as well make the most of it now.
With a skip in my step I made my way to Jun's house. One of his many good qualities is that he lives only five minutes away, so I didn't have to endure the sun for too long.
I knocked rapidly a few times on the door to his house, then opened it and went inside.
"Hello!" I shouted out as I slipped off my sandals.
"Akane dear! So good to see my favorite child," a short, matronly woman bulldozed into me almost as soon as I left the entrance hall and wrapped me in a hug.
"It's good to see you too," I returned her gesture.
"Will you be staying for dinner?" she asked me as soon as she had let me out of her bone crushing hug.
"I'm sorry, I have plans with my parents. I'm only here for a few hours to do homework."
"Thank goodness you're here to kick some sense into that lazy boy. He really does know how to make a mother despair, you know," she shook her head theatrically, before continuing in a similar vein.
Jun was a lot like his mother, he had even inherited her blue hair, and I couldn't help but smile as she turned her act up to eleven as we slowly made our way to the staircase together.
"Don't worry, now that I'm here I'll make him see some sense," I reassured her as she paused.
"You're a good one," she patted my arm, "I'll bring some juice and cookies up soon."
"Thank you," I called out after her as she turned and made her way towards the kitchen.
I quietly made my way up the stairs. It's not a sneak attack if the enemy knows you are coming after all. With a mischievous smile I threw open the door to his room.
"Jun, you little bitch! Judgment day is here!"
He squawked like a bird, flailed his arms, and fell off the bed. My smugness must have radiated too harshly because he was glaring at me in a rather unfriendly way.
"You demented squirrel, you scared me!"
"Here your best friend is coming to visit you, and you insult them?" I crossed my arms, "I feel hurt."
"Oh well, it's nothing I haven't seen before," I teased him.
He buried his face in his hands with a groan as I rubbed his dark secret in his face.
"I still can't believe you convinced my mother to show you my baby pictures."
"It's because I'm so sweet and charming," I informed him.
He wasn't buying it. At all. Instead he just stared at me with a flat look. Oh well.
"So how's homework going?" I pivoted.
"It's going?" he said awkwardly.
"You didn't even start, did you?"
"I thought about it!"
He should know by now that his outrage only encouraged me.
"Your mother is so right. You are useless."
"She did not say that!"
"You know your mother and you know me. Do you really think I'm lying?"
"Well, you didn't start either," he tried to turn it around.
"Unlike you I actually have credible excuses. And I have started a little."
While I had hoped to copy some of his stuff, my primary reason for visiting him was that misery loves company, so this was fine.
Jun's room was about as big as mine, and also had a window that looked out over the garden. The walls were white, and the bedding was gray, which matched quite well together. He had several shelves stuffed with magazines, books and manga, and in the center of the room was a table, placed on a soft carpet so we wouldn't sit directly on the floor.
The most attention grabbing thing of his room was without a doubt the pictures and posters of models that covered the walls almost entirely. Not for the sake of the models, they were there more as a necessity, but instead for what they wore, completely unlike what you might expect of a teenage boy.
That did bring up the question in my mind on whether teenage boys usually had posters of women in bikinis up on their walls. I'd have to investigate Noburo's room one day. Maybe he had a porn collection?
I managed to cajole Jun into getting his homework out, and we settled down around the table together. I was even gracious enough to let him copy my math work. Jun's mom came, and with the power of something cold to drink and cookies we managed to get a good amount done before I had to return home.
I made it home with an hour to go before usual dinner time, so I was in good time. I made my way through the door and started slipping out of my shoes.
"I'm back!" I shouted
"Living room!"
Understanding the implicit summon I made my way to my room, dropped my bag and quickly unpacked it, then made my way downstairs and entered the living room.
Mom and dad were on the couch with his arm around her, so I found some place I wouldn't get in the way and sat down. They were watching some documentary and seemed to actually be engaged so I stayed quiet. After half an hour it was finished and dad flicked the TV off.
"We're going out to eat. Anything special you want, princess?" dad turned to me and asked.
"No, I'm fine with anything," I shook my head.
"We'll just go to a family restaurant then," he decided, and seeing my nod he continued, "what about a movie?"
"Not romance," I immediately said.
"I have failed in raising you," mom stuck out her tongue, and I returned the gesture.
"There's an action movie?" dad broke in before we could argue, "though it isn't particularly good from what I've heard."
"Do people get blown up?" I asked.
"I believe so," he nodded.
"Good enough for me."
"I've heard the hero has a lady friend and they even kiss," he turned to mom to placate her, and she seemed sufficiently mollified. This story is hosted at g.com.
"Now I don't want to see it," I couldn't help but taunt mom a little.
Dad just rolled his eyes with a sigh, and mom didn't bite either. It seemed I couldn't start a fight, oh well.
"Oh, can we go to the zoo one of these days?" I suddenly remembered to ask.
"Why do you suddenly want to go to a zoo?" mom asked while giving me a confused look.
"I saw pictures of camels on my laptop! They are really cute and I want to pet one."
Mom and dad shared a look that I couldn't decipher.
"Honey, even if we go to a zoo you might not get to pet a camel," dad cautiously explained.
"I'll admire them from a distance then! Intently."
"We should be able to make it before I have to return to work," he conceded.
"Thank you," I smiled brightly and gave him a hug.
"Pushover," mom muttered, which I studiously ignored.
"You should go and get ready, we leave as soon as you are dressed," he told me.
I hurried upstairs. I probably didn't need to dress up to my date standard? Or maybe I did? Usually I used these outings as an excuse to dress up, but I was actually going on dates now. If I dressed up to a similar degree as a date, then clearly I would need to put more effort into date outfits, right?
I wasn't really sure, but in the end I settled for a little worse than a date. After half an hour of agonizing I was finally dressed. Dressing in the summer always took longer because I loved summer clothes so much. They were perfect for showcasing my stomach which in my opinion was my best feature.
Once dressed I went downstairs and we packed ourselves in the family car and drove off.
Now that I had decided to get back on track it was a little awkward to go out like this. Family restaurants did have the advantage of a wide selection of items though, so it wasn't too difficult to pick something out that wouldn't clash with my diet. I found some comfort in reminding myself that summer wasn't over yet, and as long as I exercised properly it wouldn't be too bad to not be entirely on top of things with my diet.
As we ate me and dad talked about the baseball season while mom did her best not to snore or roll her eyes too hard. I commend her efforts. We skipped on dessert since only dad had slight interest, and since we were going to the cinema he could get something there instead.
Popcorn is something I hate with a passionate fury because the kernels will always get stuck in your teeth, so I got a small piece of chocolate and a diet coke. I pretended not to notice it as mom and dad held hands in the darkness, and settled back to watch people get blown up.
After the movie we stepped out onto the street.
"Well, that was something," dad said diplomatically.
As promised people did get blown up, but the movie itself was painfully mediocre at best.
"At least they did kiss, so you won't have to sleep on the couch," I helpfully pointed out.
Dad turned to mom with a proud look on his face, and mom leaned forwards to plant a gentle kiss on his lips. I pretended to gag, and mom gave me a playful smack.
"And where do you think you came from?"
"Santa?"
Dad laughed, and mom turned her glare unto him, so he decided to quickly shut up.
"You best be careful, young lady. Else I might share a thing or two with your father," she turned back and threatened me.
That quickly wiped the grin off my face. She wouldn't. Would she?
"What things?" dad asked, a mix of curiosity and confusion in his voice.
"Nothing at all, darling," mom singsonged, "now let's go home."
I was very obedient and quiet the entire way. Mothers are scary.
It was a good day though, and I fell asleep with a smile on my face.