Shyba—

Before long, the party winds down and the parents are saying good-bye to their daughters who will be staying the night. Throughout the day I have stayed away from the crowd as much as possible, having been outside most of the time. Now I am standing near Jeremiah’s truck, waiting to leave.

As Jeremiah and Nicky get in, Reba stops me. “If you need anything at all, have Jeremiah call me. Don’t be afraid to ask, alright?” she says.

I nod my head before getting in. This vehicle only has one big seat, so with the three of us it is a bit cramped. I grip the bag Reba had given me to put a change of clothes and other overnight items in. She even put in some snacks for us.

During the ride not much is said, and I can feel my stomach tightening more as the silence drags on. I had never gone over to someone’s place to spend the night like this. What should I do? I do not know what to expect. Why do people like to do this anyway? I do not understand the appeal.

We arrive at a small apartment complex with two floors and some small balconies. The lack of laundry hanging out on a line stuns me a bit, only planters or a chair here and there to be seen. The area is clean and there is a fenced off area with a pool as well as a little play area for children. I follow them into the hallway and into one of the doors on the ground floor.

As I stand at the doorway, I find myself once again surprised by my surroundings. The apartment is so much bigger than what I am used to. It has a living room with a big TV and a couch, not to mention a full kitchen with enough space for a small table and a hallway which I assume leads to a bedroom and bathroom. On the walls are several weird posters of what look to be cats in outer space and one of dogs sitting at a table eating as if they are human. Then there is a flag with blue, pink, and white stripes above the couch.

“What is it?” Jeremiah asks, noticing my eyes darting back and forth across the room.

“It is so big,” I mutter, still looking around.

“Really?” he asks and looks around. “It’s kinda average for one person. Are apartments small where you’re from?”

“Ah… The one I lived in was only a room with a small kitchen and a place for a bed,” I say. I did not realize just how small it was until now.

“Sounds cramped,” he says. “So, you just lived by yourself then?”

I find myself staring at the floor. “Yes.”

There is a long pause and Nicky smacks his lips. “Anyway, um… Make yourself at home,” he tells me, averting his eyes. “I set out some blankets and stuff to make you a bed on the couch later.”

I nod and habitually remove my shoes before going further into the room. I set the bag on the couch before sitting and continue to glance around the room, reflexively looking for anything off or weaponizable. Jeremiah plops in front of the television and starts rummaging through his bag.

“Okay, so I brought Call of War to play and a couple movies. What should we do first?” he asks, pulling out a few DVD cases.

Nicky returns from the kitchen with a few cans of soda, setting them on the table. “Call of War. We can watch a movie later while we eat nachos.”

“Oh, good idea,” Jeremiah says, his brows rising in excitement. He pulls out a controller from his bag and hands it to me.

I take it, staring at the controls. Things like this were common in Japan, but I had never gotten my hands on one before. “How does it work?”

“You’ve never played before?” Nicky asks, his brow rising, and I shake my head.

They exchange a glance and Jeremiah pops open a soda. “We’ll show you. This game is basically a war game. We can play on teams or an all-out death match,” he says. “Since you’re new we’ll just do teams. The goal is to kill the players on the other team.”

“You kill people in the game?” I mutter.

He and Nicky exchange a glance almost too quickly for me to see. “Yeah,” Nicky says. “It’s just a game, but some people like the idea of it.”

I stare down at the controller and suddenly I am back in Japan, holding the cobalt-black gun that had been bestowed to me years ago. Quickly, I set it down on the table, my heart racing. “I do not want to play,” I say, staring at the floor.

They are silent for a few seconds. “Oh…okay,” Jeremiah says. “Well, we have a racing game instead if you would rather play that. Wanna try?”

For a moment I ponder. Truthfully, I do not care either way, but would it be strange if I declined? They must already think I am weird for not wanting to play the other game. I should humor them while I am here. Perhaps this plays a part in the ‘getting to know them’ thing that Reba had said.

I pick up the controller and nod. Jeremiah then teaches me the controls and once I pick a racer and vehicle, he lets me play a couple rounds to get the hang of it. After that, the three of us race against each other. Nicky stays in the lead most of the race until a well-timed missile from me catapults him into Jeremiah’s player and off the track. I finish the race as they both stare at the screen in shock.

“Dude, that was awesome!” Jeremiah says, laughing.

“Beginner’s luck,” Nicky grumbles. “Let’s go again.”

We race several more times, each of us winning and losing. Strangely, I find myself really focusing on the game and before I realize it a couple hours have passed. I glance out the window to find the sun has already disappeared. Nicky gets up, going into the kitchen while Jeremiah sets up a new race.

“Um… So I have some bad news Jer,” we hear from the kitchen.

“What bad news? I don’t like bad news,” Jeremiah says, still looking at the screen.

“I can’t make nachos,” Nicky says.

Jeremiah stiffens before whipping around. “What do you mean you can’t make nachos?” he shrieks.

“I forgot that I’m out of cheese,” he tells him, an apologetic smile on his face as he returns to the living room.

With a thud Jeremiah then drops his controller, placing his hands on the sides of his head with wide eyes and a gaping mouth. “B-but… Nachos bro…”

“What is nachos?” I ask. It seems important to him.

Jeremiah turns to me and stares for a moment with wide eyes. “They’re amazing!” he says and then shuffles over to Nicky, grabbing his legs and shaking him. “We have to have them, Nick! We’ve never had a sleepover without your famous nachos!”

Nicky rolls his eyes. “If you’ll quit being an idiot I’ll go down to the store and get cheese.”

Then like flipping a switch Jeremiah drops his arms and smiles. “Sweet.”

Nicky then quickly gets ready to leave. “I’ll pick up some more chips too.”

“Want me to go with you?” Jeremiah asks him.

“It’s just a couple blocks over. I’ll be right back,” he says before he shuts the door, leaving the two of us.

For a moment everything is silent. “I do not know what are nachos,” I mutter.

Jeremiah chuckles. “Oh, don’t worry. You will.”

Is he purposely not answering my question? I stand, setting the controller down.

“Need something?” he asks.

“Ah… The bathroom,” I mutter, turning toward the hall.

“Got’cha. I’ll set up a different race while you’re gone,” he says.

I go into the hallway to find two identical doors on opposite sides. Which would it be? I turn to ask Jeremiah, but then again, I should not bother him with such a stupid question. I take a wild guess and check the door on the right, quietly pushing it open. It’s a bedroom. I quietly scoff at myself. I could locate a target from anywhere in Japan and yet I could not locate a bathroom.

Before I close the door, something catches my eye. The light from a computer screen blares amidst the dark room. Laying on the desk below the monitor is a picture of me, or rather, a wanted poster of Red Dragon. My heart falls to the floor and I feel my breath leave me. I quickly and as quietly as possible grab it, before shutting the door. Then I go into the bathroom.

I lock the door and turn to lean against the sink, my breath short as I stare at the paper. This is bad. This is very, very bad. I must find out who all knows of this and fast. How long has Nicky known about this? Not to mention, if he knows then surely Jeremiah knows. Suddenly, something strikes me.

That day Jeremiah had rushed over here to Nicky’s place. It was right after that they started acting strange around me. How did they find out though? If they could learn of my secret so easily, surely others could also. I feel my stomach churning and my palms become sweaty. If that happens, it would not be long before they come for me, which would also spell trouble for this family.

I must not let this spread. How though? Should I threaten them? That could only make it worse though. Why have they not acted upon this information yet? What is it they are waiting for? Either way, I do not see this ending well.