Youth Unsupervised

Chapter 9-Saki's Games

"Come on, Saki. Please." I pressed my palms together and bowed my head. "I'm not saying you have to do all the homework, just some of it."

It was the last day of the first term. Saki had passed her exams, barely, all thanks to me and Hiromasa. My new struggle was trying to get Saki to do the homework they had assigned over summer break. I was sure if I didn't get her started on it, all hope was lost. She hung in through the term, but without the structure of a school day, I couldn't imagine what was going to happen. I don't think something like arson on a grand scale was too off the mark. She had gotten increasingly frustrated and foul mouthed over the weeks leading up to the break, and I shuddered to think of the atrocities that awaited Hiromasa and I over the summer.

Saki groaned and flopped back in her chair, letting her limbs and neck go limp like a ragdoll. "Why the hell would I do homework on the last day of school? It's called a break for a reason, you know?"

"I'll give you a bag of potato chips and a pack of milk candy," I said.

She tilted her head towards me. "Spicy chili flavored?"

I nodded. "Of course."

"Hmm." She sat up. "Two packs of candy and melon bread."

"Deal." I smiled.

"But, this is only for the one time. I make no promises for future homework sessions."

"Oh, really?" I folded my arms and grinned at her. "What if I promise to give you a strawberry based dessert every day until you finish?"

She gritted her teeth and drummed her fingers on the desk.

"I'm back," Hiromasa said, walking up behind me. "What did I miss? We're going outside, right? I'm starving."

"Fine," Saki growled. "But, I will only do a maximum of an hour a day."

"Agreed, but only if the hour starts when you actually start doing work, and not when you get to my house."

Saki rolled her eyes and grumbled. "Deal."

Over the past few months, Saki and I had developed a number of games. Game number one: food bargaining. The game was simple; I would request a favor, which usually involved something scholastic, then Saki and I would haggle until we reached an agreement. I used strawberries as my trump card, since she loved them so much. They had to be fresh strawberries, though. Strawberry flavored things wouldn't work. I discovered this when I tried to barter with strawberry milk and got laughed at. The game usually went largely in her favor. Honestly, she could ask for more than she did. I would probably have given her anything she wanted, and I think she knew that.

"Sure," I said, finally answering Hiromasa. "Let's go."

The three of us left the classroom and started down the hall.

"What were you guys talking about?" Hiromasa asked while we walked.

"Getting Saki to do homework over the break," I said. "Which reminds me, how about that cell phone situation?"

Saki sighed, exasperated. "Are we really going to do this again? You're not getting me a phone."

"How can I contact you on summer break?" I asked.

"Don't worry about it. I'll find you," she said.

"That's not very reassuring. Besides, how am I supposed to send you 'you up' texts without a phone?" I grinned at her.

She chuckled. "I suppose you're right. Phone sex using public phones is getting kind of awkward."

Hiromasa choked. Saki and I both laughed.