Ironies of life

Chapter 7: Delator.

“Please don’t hurt me.” Naoki pleaded from the ground, as if that could stop the other guy.

Dante leaned over him, making Naoki close his eyes tightly and shrink into a ball. He covered his head with hands and began to cry.

He wanted to hit himself for crying, internally telling himself that he shouldn’t be crying in front of Dante. He shouldn’t show such weakness...but his body wasn’t responding, not listening to his internal desire to stay strong.

Dante slid his hands over Naoki’s pants and jacket, slipping his hand into the left pocket and pulling out Naoki’s phone. He removed his hands and tried to turn on the cell.

‘Is he stealing things from me? Is that why he wanted me to come to the party? Because of my old, useless phone? I doubt it, so there must be something else.’

“Tell me your password.” Dante demanded.

Naoki slightly relaxed once he realized Dante was not going to beat him, but his body continued shaking in his pitiful position, legs still curled up as he peeked through his arms to look at Dante’s still blurry form. He was tempted to give a sarcastic response, but in his less than ideal state, he didn’t think it wise.

“One…” Naoki started weakly.

“Come on, I don’t have all night.” Dante voiced impatiently.

“One, one, one, one.” Naoki finished, his voice trembling with effort.

“Stop saying the first number, I already know that one.”

“You have to...put that number in...four times.” Naoki hoarsely whispered. He was too tired for this.

“That’s the most useless password I’ve ever heard.” Dante seemed angry.

He typed in the password and started using the phone.

“A-are you...going to keep it…?” Naoki questioned softly.

“Shut up.” Dante commanded. He pressed a number and brought the phone close to his ear. Naoki had no idea who he was calling, but the person seemed to be asleep. Dante called again and again until someone answered the phone.

“Mrs. Hiro? I’m sorry for calling so late. My name is Dante Hartell, I used to go to class with your son Naoki. Right now we’re at a party and I’m struggling to keep him under control. Could you please come and pick him up? He’s not feeling well right now, he can barely talk.”

Naoki wanted to complain. ‘What the heck is he doing? If my mom sees me like this I’m going to be locked at home forever!’

The blond male told her the directions and ended the call, then tucked the phone into Naoki’s pants pocket.

“Is this your…” His throat closed up, cutting him off as he struggled to calm the nausea he felt. He fought down the urge to vomit for the second time that evening. “-new strategy to make my life miserable?” He finished tiredly.

Dante didn’t answer. He shut the door of the local, preventing anyone from seeing them from inside. He waited next to Naoki’s exhausted form until a grey car showed up in the street and Naoki’s mother parked next to them.

She was dressed presentably, only her house slippers standing out.

“Thank you very much for coming, Mrs. Hiro.” Dante approached her and shook her hand politely.

Naoki would have loved to do anything to stop Dante, but he couldn’t even move.

“I’m Dante Hartell. I’m a really good friend of Nao’s and I’ve always taken care of him at parties, but I don’t have my car this time. I feel horrible betraying him like this after taking care of him all those other times, but...I’m concerned about his health.”

Naoki felt like he was going to explode. ‘What is talking about?! This is my first party!’

“I was looking after him but then another friend hurt himself, so I had to leave Naoki to go help, but when I found Naoki he was in this state. I’m so sorry about it.” Dante inclined his head, the perfect picture of remorse. He deserved an Oscar for that performance.

“I should have been faster.”

“Please, don’t be sorry. I’m so thankful you took care of Naoki all this time. And I’m so glad you called me today.” Naoki’s mother reassured.

“He started throwing up and I was so worried. I’ve never let him go that far before. I was thinking of calling an ambulance but then I realized that you would probably want to know first.” Explained Dante. The worried woman put her hand on Dante’s shoulder and spoke with sincerity.

“I’m eternally grateful for you.”

Dante smiled shyly at her.

“I’m glad I did the right thing. All these past years I’ve been taking care of him because we were in the same class since elementary school, but from now on we’re not going to see each other so I decided someone needed to know in order to care for him.”

Naoki felt powerless. He wanted to answer and deny those lies, but he couldn’t. The whole situation seemed impossible. His mother looked nearly in love with Dante, captivated by his gentle words. She looked ready to kneel at his feet and worship the liar.

Naoki felt his body lurch and he couldn’t prevent the need to puke. He began to throw up again, and the attention was brought back to him. Once he managed to control himself again, he looked up at his mother who’s voice rang much sharper than the tone she used with Dante.

“Stand up, we’re going home right this instant.”

Naoki tried to stand, but everything was spinning around him to the point that he couldn’t even sit. Dante approached him and knelt beside him, facing away with his back towards him.

“Get on my back, I’ll carry you to the car.”

Naoki had no time to reject the offer before the blond took his arm with his full-of-freckles hand and heaved him up so he was draped over his back. ‘Why is he being so nice? Is this to impress my mother?’ He questioned internally.

Dante carried him to the car, and once he was settled in the passenger seat Dante wiped the vomit off of Naoki’s mouth with the sleeve of his nice suit, staining it without hesitation.

Dante buckled Naoki in and looked at him with such concern that Naoki almost believed it to be real.

“I’m sorry, bro.” He bumped his fist against Naoki’s shoulder lightly before closing the door.

‘I hate you Dante Hartell.’ Thought Naoki as he threw up once again in his mother’s car on the way home.

...

Dante, meanwhile, went back to the party. Everyone quieted down and looked at him expectantly.

“That guy couldn’t even hold his vomit in until after his beating.” Dante spoke loudly so everyone could hear him. He raised the arm with the vomit stain so everyone could see, and the local filled with laughter. Dante went back to his date and pulled out his usual act.

“I think I’m going to head home, I don’t want to smell like vomit all night.” His date didn’t like the idea, but he was convincing-as always- and he escaped from the party.