Chapter 15

“Tom, I can’t thank you enough for what you did. You helped us so, so much. If you weren’t there, it looked like they could have backed up and gotten away from Roger. The car they were in is much more powerful than our little import,” Cynthia said as they drove off.

“Glad I was able to help, Cindy. Hell, the way you took that guy! You just flipped him like he weighed nothing! He tried to grab around your shoulders and the next thing I saw was him flying into the other one.”

“Shit. I was so pissed at them! I think I really wanted to kill them and then it happened for real. That’s what scared me. I thought I did it on purpose, my god...” she trailed off.

“Well, what your dad said. The guy with the gun was the killer, not you. You do see that, right?” Tom said.

“Yeah, I do now. Thanks. Hey, I’m gonna call home—if my mom agrees, can you come for dinner tonight? I know my family will want to thank you in a quiet place and not like the turmoil before,” Cynthia asked.

“Really? Sure, I’d like that.”

Cynthia called home, breaking into her dad’s phone call with her mom, and made quick dinner arrangements. Then they arrived at school.

Tom chuckled wryly. “Well, coming back took a lot longer going at legal speeds. Gotta get naked again, I guess,” he said as he pulled off his poncho and put it in the trunk.

Roger pulled up and parked and Ayame got out. She ran over to Tom.

“Tom, I didn’t have a chance to thank you,” she said, and hugged him, then pulled back. “Oh, oh my, I just hugged a naked boy and didn’t even think about it. Oh my...”

Everyone laughed.

Roger said to her, “So, did you like doing that? We can arrange more of that if you want,” he grinned.

Ayame blushed. “Well, he’s cute, but I think you’re much cuter,” and flung herself into Roger’s arms. “Thank you again, for saving me from those ... those...”

Cynthia interrupted, “Don’t even say it. They’re just evil people. I want to hug a naked boy, too. Come here, Tom,” she ordered, and gave him a bear hug and kiss. “Thanks, buddy, you were great.”

He blushed and glanced down and Cynthia followed his gaze.

“Ooops,” he murmured, “sorry, that’s so rude of me...”

“No, I’m honored,” Cynthia said, her eyes twinkling. “I can tell you like me. Hey, we need to get into school, right?” and she grabbed Tom’s hand and led him toward the doors.

Roger, walking alongside Tom and holding Ayame’s hand, looked at him and grinned. “You’re in trouble now, guy. She likes you.”

“Shut up, little br ... uhm, Roger,” she tossed her head. “I’ll say who I like, okay?” but Roger could tell that she was trying to keep from smiling.

At the office, the four teens were told that Mr Davis wanted to see them. They walked into his office.

“All right, relax,” he told them when they stopped at his doorway. “Come in and sit. I’ve already had visits from your Marines, the sheriff, state police, and the local cops too. I know what happened, mostly, I think. Ayame was the only one who was taken off of school grounds; they got away because they used a side door. It was supposed to be locked from the outside. Anyway, I wanted to tell you—first, Tom, your leaving the school won’t affect your Program week...”

“Thanks, sir.”

“ ... and Denisons, your dramatic exits from your class will be overlooked; you were protecting your cousin.”

“Thank you, sir.” they responded.

“Ayame, all I can say is that I’m sorry for your experience. Are you sure you’re okay coming back to school today? If you need to, you can take a day—or more—off if you need it. I just want to be sure you’re feeling all right; sometimes people having your experience may feel the onset of shock some time after the event, so if you begin to feel different, like anxiety or panic, please get help. You’re in class with your cousins; they can watch out for you.”

She dipped her head.

“And also, Ayame, you were definitely not listed among the students who were to be selected to participate and law enforcement is calling your forcible removal a kidnapping. I sincerely regret that it happened. I’m not making any excuses; whatever happened is the school’s fault, my fault, and I intend to find out how and why something like this could have happened. I still want you to know that I fully support the ideas of the Program, though, and see that there’s a fundamental cultural clash between the military families and the federal curriculum we’re supposed to implement.

“Cynthia, are you okay yourself? I know that you saw two people die in front of you and that can be terribly traumatic. So what I said to Ayame applies to you, too. If either of you should need help, even later in the week, please let the nurse know and she’ll set you up with the school psychologist if she thinks that you need to see her.

“Okay, please pick up your passes and get to class, okay? And it’s good to see that you’re all relatively unscathed. Damn, I can’t even tell you students to stay out of trouble—it seems to come to you, doesn’t it?” he finished, shaking his head.

They left Davis’ office and got their passes. It was now 11:40 a.m. and only ten minutes remained in the fourth period but Tom had a computer class and needed to check with his project partner, so he left for his classroom.

“Rog, Ayame and I need to take care of something; just go to the lunchroom and we’ll see you there in a few, okay?” Cynthia said.

He agreed and the two girls walked off.

“Where are we going?” Ayame asked. “Oh, I have to say that you and Tom were cute together.”

“I’ll tell you; wait one sec. Yeah,” Cynthia grinned and blushed. “Remember last night I mentioned I was waiting for my Prince Valiant?”

“Yes. That was so funny, last night.”

“What do you think of Tom, Ayame?”

“He’s, eeeh, you say here in America ‘a hunk’? You can tell he’s a swimmer and—oh! You said last night want friend like Roger! Yes, he looks like Roger in some way. Tall, wide shoulders—his eyes are so ah, expressive, so warm when he looks at you. He’s nice, too, very polite.”

“Yeah ... hmmm ... The way he just took in my predicament and without any hesitation, ran with me after you, Ayame. And while naked, too! He really cares, like Roger cares, cares about others. I’ve seen him during swim meets, how he treats others. And how others like him, too. And he has an awesome body, wow, even nicer naked. Fabulous tan. Ayame, I think I’m falling for him.”

“Yes, he is handsome.”

“Not just handsome, sweetie. It’s something inside him that’s attracting me, like an inner strength. Such self-assurance, confidence. Like Roger’s confidence; mine too, and I sense it in him. Oh, yeah, I invited him to dinner tonight! I arranged it with Mom.”

“Oh, that’s nice! That will be an interesting dinner. I think your dad seemed to like Tom when they met out there,” Ayame said with a little shudder. “Oooh, I’m so glad it’s over—oh, how did you even know they grab me?”

“Michelle saw you struggling in the hall and came to Econ to get us.”

“Oh, I have to really thank her—oh, my! She doesn’t know what happened to me yet!”

When the girls met Roger in the lunchroom later, they found out that everyone in the entire school actually did know something of what had happened, because a crowd was surrounding him, calling out questions. When the students saw the two girls approach, they made a path allowing them to get to Roger.

“Yes, she was kidnapped and yes, she’s okay now! The MPs and cops arrived and everything got squared away,” Roger called in response to a question.

Another voice: “I heard that they were killed!”

“One guy had a pistol and it went off and hit the other. Then he fell and fractured his skull.”

“Wow,” came a chorus.

“They tried to grab a bunch of kids,” called another.

“I heard about that happening, but don’t know anything else,” Roger responded.

“Oh, there’s the girl who was kidnapped,” another voice shouted as Ayame slid next to Roger. “Did they hurt you? What happened?”

Ayame answered, “Not hurt, scared. Then rescued by my heroes,” she said, pulling Cynthia closer.

The crowd fell silent, then broke into applause.

Cynthia called out, “Those guys came here to take away some students who refused to do the Program. We heard it was to ‘re-educate’ them somehow. I think they were all arrested and maybe will face kidnapping charges.”

Applause and whistles rang out.

“Okay, guys, please give us a chance to eat. Now you know pretty much everything we know—thanks, and keep protecting those Program kids. They really appreciate what you’re all doing, for sure,” Roger said as he turned to Ayame. “Hi, gorgeous. I swear, I don’t want to let you out of my sight. When you went with Cyn I had to restrain myself from following you. But then I realized she could protect you better than I could.”

Cynthia and Ayame laughed at his comment.

“Only if I’m attacked by two, maybe three of them,” Cynthia joked. “Four or more you could handle easy.”

“Sure. Don’t suggest that at the dojo, though. I want to be able to do our swim meets and that’d be tough with a couple of broken bones,” Roger grinned at her.

“Oh, Cindy invited Tom to dinner tonight,” Ayame blurted out.

“Oh, really? Cool. See, I knew you were sweet on him, Cyn. Tom’s a neat guy; very steady and reliable. And a key team member; he’s got a great backstroke.”

Ayame giggled, “That not only thing about his back that is great.”

“What? What do you mean ... OH! Very funny, Ayame.”

Ayame began laughing into her hands. “Oh, yes. He has such a lovely rear ... so nice ... ooooh...” she giggled and broke up again as she and Cynthia held onto each other, laughing.

“Okay, okay, guys. Yeah, I guess he’s got a nice body; nothing to be ashamed of there. So I got you gals your lunch, hope you like what I picked.”

“Oh, yes, thanks! Perfect, bro.”

“Thank you, Roger, you’re so thoughtful,” Ayame said gratefully.