Take Flight

Ducks out of Water

2 weeks later

Spring sunlight warms the sidewalk, where people are friendly enough to wave to their neighbors. In a nearby tree, a startled branch shakes as eight talons crash into it. The accompanying legs squat, cushioning the landing. Bright red wings with golden tips rapidly flap and retract. The boy stands and puffs his chest. A clean, smooth garukan hugs his body. He closes his eyes and listens to the voices. The wind flutters through his golden locks, exposing hidden and scattered brown streaks beneath.

The tween smiles to himself.

"I can hear them," he whispers. Then he squats, outstretches his wings and leaps forth! With one swift thrust he soars above the sea of cement and green. He opens his triangular eyes. Do it slowly. A fatherly voice echoes in his head. Right now your eyes are still young so be careful. You don't want bad eyesight like your Papa Keigo! Haha! As the golden irises reflect the sunlight, the hills expand. The boy's cheeks simultaneously pull a wide smile and push his bushy brows up. They both decline as he witnesses...buildings. Low-lying ones, but buildings nonetheless.

A sudden noise echoes in his ear. He cranks his neck to look for the source. A trio of students are talking and pointing at the tween. In an instant he changes direction and glides down. As he approaches them, he outstretches his talons in front of him. Moments later, they dig into the dirt while his body instinctively squats. The tween rises up and turns around. All three are about his age. The boys are in garukans and the girl wears sailor uniforms. He lifts a hand and grins.

"Hello! I'm Taka! It's a pleasure to meet you all!" he calls. The girl starts whispering to the boys. Taka blinks.

'Uh-oh. Did I give the wrong greeting? ' he wonders.

Suddenly one of the boys steps forward. A menacing smile stretches his dry, dirt-patched skin, revealing yellowish teeth. His nose-length brown hair oozes dust bits with every millimeter of movement. His dull, dirt eyes are locked onto the blond. Despite being Taka's height, his garukan looks ready to burst.

"Yer new here, arenthca?" he growls.

Taka scratches his neck.

'He's got a higher-pitched voice. Well, as Papa told me in 'The Talk' some boys start at twelve while others start later like thirteen or fourteen.'

"Ah, yes! I am new, actually! Completely new to this, in fact. I've been homeschooled up until now. In a forest actually. So, this is eh heh my first time in any uh societal...setting I guess you could call it?" he explains.

The large boy creates a fist. Instead of pops and cracks, they emit sounds of stone grinding. Sweat trickles down Taka's back.

'Oh no! He already wants to fight? Why? Did I stare at him wrong? Was it my flying? '

"Oh come on now, Kotta don't threaten the new kid," a higher voice chimes.

'Kotta? As in...cottage? Is he living in a small house? I don't think he would fit.'

Taka looks around at the challenger at the other two. The girl struts forward with her eyes shut. She flips her frizzy, smokey hair. An unpleasant shiver runs down his spine as her mouth corners stretch out.

'Okay. I think that's a girl. Since she has small honey sacks and long hair. Plus a rounder face than the other two. I remember Papa telling me the honey sacks only start to grow around this age. And that I should never ever ever touch them until I'm eighteen and even then I have to have explicit verbal consent from the woman. But...why would I touch them in the first place? Why are they so fascinating? I don't get it.'