And it came to pass (attn Izzy, Jett, Ben, Eden)

[fryn]

Finally it was lunch time and Takumi knew that meant also time for him to head home. This afternoon he'd been excused from classes due to the funeral. Izzy hadn't been in at all that morning... probably Jett too. Takumi was to meet Izzy at her house where they would go together to the funeral. Once there he wasn't at all sure if he would be with her or if they would be seperated. He could only do as Ben had suggested earlier that morning... Follow the lead of everyone else and at least try to fit in.

It would be hard for Yoshino Takumi but he was determined to make his very best attempt.

He rode his red Vespa home and quickly changed into Dare's suit. His father's thin black tie was added to the white shirt and while his socks were still garishly hot pink and lime green images of Hello Kitty the black lace-up shoes he also borrowed from his father covered them - for the most part. Even his hair had been left in a natural state. Well brushed but free from any usual embellishments. Today was a day for sobriety and not to make any fashion statements.

"Not sure what time I will be home," he said to his parents who both, of course, fully understood. Wakes in Japan tended to go on long into the night and as he hadn't a clue how things worked here in the US he'd already prepared himself for that possible eventuality.

A further scooter ride saw him arrive at the Chen house and he parked the Vespa well out of the way, knowing other cars would probably soon arrive. He walked up to the front door and rang the bell. Takumi just had time to straighten his shirt and check his tie before the door opened...

[Izzy Chen]

Oh Izzy had been at school. By third period the school was buzzing about rumors of Jett and some blond chick in the supply closet. Which was embarrassing until Izzy heard the weirdest, most wrong rumor...Jett and Eden. Yeah right. Never, would that ever happen. Yet something about it kept playing in Izzy's head. She did not want to believe it, but for some reason she could not shake it. Well now was not the time to think about it.

Jett and Izzy had both left school early. Jett was oblivious to the rumor. He had other things on his mind this afternoon. Like preparing for the service and then the wake, which would be held at their home after the ceremony. He had given Izzy a ride home and told Eden and Ben to meet at the house. He had no idea what Aly had told Ben or that there were rumors of him and Eden. Now was not the time, but some how things always had bad timing.

Izzy worse a simple black dress and black heels. Her hair was down and curled. She had on light make up and heard the door. She walked down the steps. Her father and the others were already at the funeral home to finish making arrangements Izzy and Jett had worked on. Which was a nice break. So it was just Jett and Izzy and now Taki. Izzy opened the door and smiled, "You look dashing." She said as she moved and placed a light kiss on his lips, then beckond for Taki to enter.

Just then Jett appeared. Now its a good bet that Taki heard the rumor of Jett and Eden making out in the closet. Now if he would say something was another story. "Taki, my man..." Jett held his hand out for a high five, "I am so glad you could make it man. it's good to have you around. Nice suit." jett commented.

[fryn]

Dashing? Like he'd been running all the way here from his home? Takumi glanced in the hallway mirror to make sure his face hadn't turned deep purple or something. He blinked, wondering if that word meant something completely different. "Ohayu, Jett-san," he replied with a bob of his head. "This is Dare's. He let me have it," he added. "For myself I don't own such an outfit so it was lucky that dare had one that fitted me." Both boys were of a very slender build so lucky indeed.

Takumi turned to look at Izzy. She was paler than normal - understandable - but still looked radiant. Even the sombre black she wore couldn't diminish her beauty. "I spoke with Ben this morning. He said he was also coming... and with Eden." He frowned slightly when Izzy's eyes narrowed and Jett mumbled something before vanishing into the kitchen. Had he said something wrong? Of course, Takumi had heard nothing of the rumour now circulating school. Not yet anyway.

He drew Izzy to one side. "Izzy... I am really not sure how funerals are handled here in the USA. Back home in Japan it is normal to give 'koden'... condolence money. And gifts to help the spirit ascend. Am I supposed to do that here or is that wrong?"

[Eden Patridge]

Eden was glad to be leaving school early. Apparently, that kid that had walked in on them had talked and now it seemed that everyone was talking about Jett and a blonde. Normally, she'd be in the clear, but it seemed that Aly Durand (who Eden fully intended to kill when she saw her on Monday) had decided that that girl was Eden. And all the school really needed was for a girl with Aly's social status to say so and everyone believed it.

At least Ben didn't believe it. He'd even warned her about it cause Aly had said something to him. But still, Ben kept pressing her about what she'd really had been doing since her lie had been someone thin. The whole thing was a disaster now, thus Eden being pleased to leave school, even given the circumstances.

It was one of the few times that the entire Patridge clan was together...Ben, Eden, and both of their parents, who publicly got along just fine, but hated each other behind closed doors. But even though the couple had been divorced for years they thought it was appropriate to arrive together as if they were still some sort of family. Ben didn't really care though. As long as they didn't fight in front of him, he didn't care.

They pulled up into the driveway, some paparazzi had shamelessly followed them, wanting to get a glimpse at it all, which Ben thought was sadistic. He grabbed on to Eden for the steps between the car and the front door, both siblings keeping their heads down and not looking at any cameras. It was times like this, that despite all of the privileges they'd gotten based on their famous parents, they hated it all and wished they could just be normal.

Once inside their parents said their condolences to Jett and Izzy quickly before moving on to the adults in the room. Ben and Eden stayed behind. "Hey," Ben managed to say, giving both Jett and Izzy hugs. He shook Taki's hand, not really knowing the other boy well enough to be comfortable hugging him. "Nice suit," he commented, knowing that Taki had been stressed about how to act at the funeral.

Eden went in and gave Izzy a hug after Ben before turning to Jett. She hesitated a moment and but went in to give him a hug. After all, as much as they fought, it would have been weirder not to hug him...more suspicious. "That kid talked..." she whispered, although she was sure he already knew. She pulled out of the hug and exchanged a look with him that she hoped no one noticed.

Ben did not notice the exchange but turned to Jett right after. "Okay, so maybe not the best time for this," he said, "but I gotta say...I'm kind of curious," he said in a low voice. Normally he didn't care who Jett hooked up with and didn't ask unless the other boy volunteered the information, but seeing how whoever it was had been mistaken for his sister, he was sort of curious to know who this look-a-like was. "So...who is? You know, the girl everyone thinks is Eden."

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy smiled at Taki, "You can give gifts if you want. That is fine. There will be a ceremony, where eulogies are said and the preacher says a few words. " Which was a laugh given her mother was not religious, but it had to be done, "She was cremated." Izzy and Jett had decided that together so that way the ceremony did not involve a burial. Izzy and Jett both knew their mother would want her ashes spread. "Then a reception is held here. You can see the caterers already setting up. You give the gifts for the family that is mourning then. There will be a table. Its not necessary, but if you want to then its fine." She said with a small smile. "You are so sweet ask."

Izzy smiled when Eden arrived and hugged her then Ben. She had briefly said Hi to their parents. "Everyone is out back mostly. We are spreading her ashed over the garden." Seemed like the best thing to do. She missed the exchange between Jett and Eden as well. "I hate to say black looks good on you under these circumstances." Izzy said trying to joke with Eden. "How have you been? I heard the weirdest rumor...you and Jett hooking up in the supply closet? I cannot believe how low some people to go. I mean even if you were you both would have told me so I know its not true. Right Taki..isn't a rumor about Eden and Jett the craziest thing you ever heard."

Jett hugged Eden and heard her words. He just gave her a look and did not say anything back. The words were confirmed when Ben asked Jett about it. Now Jett was a deer caught in headlights cause it came out of no where. "I was um...you know man i really should not say..." Jett had no idea what to say. So he said the first word out of his mouth, "Don't tell any one..it was Aly." Little did he know that was not the right answer.

[fryn]

Takumi nodded to Izzy when she answered his gift question. He was glad he'd brought something with him... just in case. It was locked safely inside the seat of his Vespa and he could collect it on their way back after the ceremony.

He shook hands with Ben and nodded to Eden, glancing down at the suit he wore when the former made a comment. Hopefully it would pass as ok. He still had his doubts.

Takumi slowly started to pick up on what felt to be a somewhat awkward situation. Jett had been caught with a girl. He understood that. A rumour had started that the girl was Eden. Rumours happened all the time so why worry about it? His eyes widened slightly when Izzy addressed him, asking him what he thought about the rumour.

"Does it matter?" he asked uncertainly. "I mean, matter what people think... You and Jett are friends, Eden-chan, so you can simply laugh about it, hai?

He glanced at Jett who looked cornered. Takumi frowned slightly. It apparently DID matter what people thought... But why? And who was Aly?

He gave up on trying to make sense where clearly none existed and instead dropped down to re-tie his right shoe lace, Kitty managing to peep out between his borrowed shoe and loaned pants' leg and in all her fluorescent pink and green glory.

He had to ask.

"Who is Aly?"

[Eden Patridge]

"Yeah...heard that one too," Eden said flatly to Izzy. As much as she was freaking out on the inside, she had to simply act annoyed. That's how she would have been if it wasn't true after all. She was about to mention how it was all Aly's fault when Ben went ahead and asked Jett just who the girl was.

Oh no! Jett had totally been caught off guard. He tried to play it cool, but Eden wasn't buying it...would Ben and Izzy? And then he perhaps said the worst thing of all...that the girl in question was Aly! Which simply did not make any sense. First off, Aly had started the rumor it was Eden...Ben knew that. And there was no way someone like Aly would lie to cover her tracks! After all, it wasn't like Jett was some uber nerd. He was on the football team...just as popular. If Aly had been making out with him, she wouldn't have cared if people knew or not, so she'd have no reason to lie and say it was Eden. This was a disaster!

Taki asked who Aly was and Ben, who was still baffled by Jett's initial response, looked over at the other boy. "Aly is the bitch who started the rumor it was Eden," he said, looking back at Jett. "When Eden was late for class...Aly connected some dots and decided it must be her...which we all know is crazy...right?" he asked, looking from Eden to Jett who both looked distraught. He glanced over at Izzy and gave her a look too, trying to see if she knew something he didn't, but she seemed to be just as clueless.

"Like Taki said...we're all friends...we should be laughing about this," Ben said, "why aren't we laughing?" he asked. He could see why Eden was upset...she always got upset about stuff like this. It was Jett's reaction that worried him really. He should have been teasing Eden...acting like it was true to make Eden uncomfortable. That's what he did. And the fact that he looked seriously guilty, made Ben wonder what was really going on.

[fryn]

There was more to this than either Jett - and Eden? - were pretending and definitely way more to it than Takumi understood. He couldn't help but feel that everyone else knew what was being discussed - and who - except for him. making him feel much like an observor on the outside of a close-knit group.

"May I use your washroom, Izzy?" he asked, polite as ever. She nodded and told him where it was located as Takumi hadn't needed to use it during his visit a couple of evenings ago.

He threw her a smile, knowing today wasn't really the right time to laugh about anything. Today was a sombre occassion but perhaps come tomorrow the others would be able to joke about the misunderstanding.

He washed his hands slowly under a cool tap, staring at his reflection in the mirror above the basin. Even to himself he looked tense and that in itself was most definitely unusual for the normally laid-back Japanese youth. The funeral - and his uncertain status within the group - was taking its toll but he'd get through it. Like he had any other choice!

Takumi ran his fingers through his hair and dredged up his characteristic good-humoured expression. For Izzy's sake he had no other choice.

"What time are we to leave?" he asked. Hopefully he wouldn't have to follow on his Vespa as he'd probably end up getting lost!

[Izzy Chen]

Aly...last time Izzy check Aly was not even the kind of girl Jett went for. "Bathroom yes, two doors down on the right." She pointed out to Taki. "Wait I am confused. Aly started the rumor about Jett and Eden, yet Jett says she was the one in the closet. Why would Aly lie?" Izzy wondered.

Jett sighed, "Look I don't know. This is Aly was all know she loves to stir things up. The fact that Eden and I do not exactly get along is not lost on the Gould student body, maybe Aly just wanted to mess with people." Jett said, but even that did not sound convincing.

Izzy's phone rang and she answered it and left the room. Jett watched her go. "We are laughing...but it almost sounds too ridiculous to laugh at. I am trying to figure out why?" Jett hoped that help. Yeah it really didn't.

As Izzy returned so did Taki. She wrapped her arms around him. "It's happening here. They want to do the ceremony in the back yard. The preacher is bringing the urn here. I just got off the phone with my parents." She said looking from Ben to Jett to Eden. "Listen something is going on that Ben and I are unaware of....so either start talking...or we need to go get settled, cause this is not the day...." Izzy said.

Jett agreed, "Yeah...look Ben...it's just a silly rumor. You don't really believe..that she and I could ever..." Jett said but the deer in headlights look was still on his face and this was not convincing at all.

Izzy sighed and leaned over to Taki. "See Jett and Eden have never been friendly. Jett likes to pick on her and that usually makes Eden very mad, so they have not been on friendly terms. So this rumor of them doing stuff is just...not right." She hoped that helped. "I am sorry you are being dragged into this." She whispered, hoping whatever was going on could be put on hold.

[fryn]

Takumi grinned. "I don't even understand what is being discussed so have hardly been dragged into anything," he pointed out. He patted her shoulder in what he hoped was a supportive manner. Maybe now wasn't the time to discuss the rumour as Izzy's mother's ashes were due to arrive at any given time. Later, perhaps...

"I have to get something from my Vespa," he added. In his pocket sat the specially made envelope and it had been tied with black and white ribbon. He hadn't known Izzy's mother - something that would bother him for a long time to come - and so the amount of 'koden' inside was on the low side. It wasn't like he could afford a great deal anyway. His name was on the outside of the envelope and the notes within were all well used ones. New notes were a definitely bad thing. Old notes were customary and to express 'suddeness' and 'unexpectedness'.

He was back within moments, the pack of osenko now in his hand. Osenko... Insense sticks. They were said to help a spirit pass on into the after life. And a small wreath made of tiny yellow crysanthemums. Japan's funeral flower. The wreath measure only 3 inches across. He placed both items - plus the envelope holding his condolence money - onto the side table that Izzy had mentioned earlier.

Hopefully his actions had been correct and he wouldn't further anger Kim-san.

He dropped down to perch on the edge of the couch hands loosely clasped over his knees as he leaned forwards. He felt sure Jett, Izzy, Ben and Eden had stuff to discuss and he would only be in the way.