Sen's new whip

That night I slept like a rock. Usually I’d get up early enough to grab whatever breakfast my mom had prepared and talk to her for awhile, but I was so drained from the previous day I slept in until the last minute. When my third and final ‘wake the hell up, you’re about to be late!’ alarm went off on my phone. I jolted out of bed and sprang right to my feet. I looked at the clock… I had all of 6 minutes to get to the train station.

“I am so screwed, I am so screwed, I am SO screwed!!!” I hopped on one leg as I tried to pull my pants on, scrambling across the room to find my blazer and tie. I pulled on a pair of socks and slid across the hardwood floor on them, grabbing my school bag off of my desk as I did so. I jumped down a whole flight of stairs and slid down the next, taking off down the hall to the kitchen. My mom was still sitting there sipping her morning coffee, but my dad had long since left for work.

“Sleeping in today, are we? here…I have it ready for you.” She held up a bento box in one hand and a cold piece of onigiri in the other. I rushed over and kissed her cheek, grabbing them both.

“Seriously mom, you’re the best. Can…we not tell dad I was late this morning?” I turned back to face her as I had already begun to leave.

“I won’t tell if you don’t. Oh, and Ren!” I was at the entryway pulling my shoes on already, slinging my jacket over each shoulder.

“Hmm?” I cooed, a mouth full of onigiri preventing me from properly answering. I looked up to see her at the end of the hall, smiling down at me as I tied my shoes.

“Bring Aiko back again sometime okay? I really liked that girl.” She winked at me, turning back into the kitchen. I glanced down at my phone, realizing the train would be leaving in three minutes. I opened the door, yelling goodbye to my mom as I took off across the garden, sliding down the stone wall of the staircase to the street.

“Sheesh. It must have been a rough night if even you slept in. You’re never gonna make it to the station in time you know, hop on.” Sitting there waiting for me was Sentaro, up bright and early. He was leaning on an old cherry red motorcycle, patting the seat.

“What the hell, where’d you get that?” I walked over to him, walking circles around both him and the bike, examining its nice chrome exhaust and gloss red paint. I didn’t know a lot about motorbikes, but I could tell this one was vintage. Even so, it looked brand new.

“Remember how all last summer vacation I worked my ass off at that noodle delivery restaurant ? Well they decided to retire their motorcycle fleet and replace them with some modern scooters. They gave me first dibs on buying the bike I usually rode and I got it for one hell of a deal…only 45,000 yen!” He straddled the bike and sat down as he spoke, sticking the key in the ignition and revving it up hard. The exhaust was thick, full and rumbly and sounded mean.

“You really think this thing is fast enough to get us to school on time?” I said, glancing over it.

“Is it fast enough? Is it fast enough?! Do you have any idea what this is?” I shook my head no. “THIS is a 1979 Suzuki GS400! An absolute technical marvel in the 70s and it's still a screaming beast!” He began to smirk and glide his hand back and forth over the shiny red tank.

“That’s great and all Sen, but…do you really know how to drive a motorcycle?”

“Um… well I never got into any serious accidents when I worked for the shop, and I got it here, didn’t I?” He did have a point, and I didn’t exactly have time to argue or I’d be late for sure. I decided to put my fate in Sen’s hands, hopping on the seat behind him, holding onto him tightly.

“J…Just don’t kill us okay?” I was already stuttering nervously, my hands clutching his jacket and shaking vigorously.

“No problemo, Ren. I’m a pro…” He said as he popped the bike into first gear without letting off the accelerator first, sending us off down the street like a shot. Sen bumped over my neighbor’s recycling bins as we curved down the next street, dropping it into second and then third gear. I watched the little yellow needle on the speedometer slowly raise.

(…./75kmh\/80kmh\|/85kmh/90kmh\....)

I wanted to be scared and yell for him to take it easy, but a weightless, whirling feeling in my gut made me involuntarily start to laugh as Sen took us down the snake-like road towards our school.

“THIS IS AWESOME!” I shouted, leaning in close to Sen’s ear as he weaved the bike back and forth.

“WHAT?!” he shouted back, the sound of the motor and the wind too loud for any words to really be understood. The winter air was cold and stung my hands, but I was so excited I hardly noticed. I leaned around Sen and squinted my eyes as I looked ahead at the school closing in. Just down the road I could see the back of a girl rolling down the hill on a skateboard, we closed the gap and passed her out like a flash.

“Hey Aiko!!! HAHAHAHA!” I turned back and waved to her as we sped down the road, I could see her eyes widen in surprise as she realized it was Sen and I on the bike, trying to kick her skateboard a little faster to catch up, but in no time at all we were at the end of the road pulling into the school parking area.

“Now was I right or was I right?! THAT was freakin’ awesome!” Sen put the kickstand down and jumped off, excitedly awaiting my reaction. I kind of wanted to lie, but the grin on my face threw away any chance of him believing me.

“Alright alright, you got me there.” I laughed, the light floaty feeling in my stomach still tingling throughout my abdomen.

“No no no, I wanna hear you say it. Say Sen, you were right. That was badass and this was a genius idea.” He was grinning at me nearly ear to ear. I had to admit, I had so much fun in that short time that I’d forgotten I was supposed to be depressed. I walked up to him and threw my arm around him, patting him on the back.

“Thanks Sen, you’re the best.” When I broke the hug I could tell he was a bit taken aback, looking at me with his soft eyes that could always see right through me.

“Yeah, anytime man…are you okay?” He crossed his arms and leaned back against the bike. Even in his winter Coat he was so buff I could see his biceps pressing tightly against the thick fabric.

“No..I’m not. Not at all. But I don’t even know where to sta-”

“YOOO SENTARO WHEN DID YOU GET THE KICK-ASS MOTORCYCLE...IT'S AMAZING” Aiko came rolling up to us from across the lot, immediately going over to the bike to crouch down and examine it like an excited child. How was she so happy after yesterday? The way she was acting you’d think everything went fine. I could tell Sen was confused, not sure of what to think. Looking back and forth between the two of us.

“Uh.. my boss at work sold it to me. I worked at a noodle shop over the last summer and I still deliver for them on Friday nights.” Sentaro looked at me intently as I stood back quietly. “Hey Aiko, did something happen last night?”

“Hmm, whatcha mean?” She said as she ran her fingers over the handlebars.

“Ren’s been acting weird. He never answered my text last night and if it wasn’t for me he would have been late for school this morning. Like when does that ever happen? Sentaro being the one on time to school…sheesh…” Aiko looked over at me, I tried to smile reassuringly but I couldn’t even muster up the strength to do so. Thinking about what my father had said again drained the life right out of me.

“Is it because I messed everything up at dinner with your mom and dad?” Aiko muttered, seeming a little more coy and embarrassed now.