“So, you felt obligated to stick around and deal with it instead of walking away.”
“Because I was lucky. I had plenty of friends and siblings who looked out for me when I wasn’t ready to stand up for myself, and I wanted to pay it forward,” Kekoa explained.
“What made you a target?” Lani asked. “I-I mean, I know why I got bullied. Human kids were bad enough, but shifter kidswere honestly worse because they’d pick on not only me but also my turtle, and he’s got a shy side.”
“What didn’t?” Kekoa said. “Some days I’d go to school, and I swear some of my classmates had sat up all night coming up with ways to ridicule me. Forget that I always slid easily between my masculine and feminine sides, but in case you missed it, I’m not the most coordinated jellyfish when the seas are rough. It kind of translated into almost every sport that involves a ball. Plus, my hair really stood out, so comments like 'Kool-Aid head' were among many of the taunts thrown my way even back in elementary school. Then there was gym class and which locker room I should change in. That was fun. It was a shock to realize that not everyone had two sets of sexual organs, though I’ve always considered mine more like one and a half. There was definitely not equal growth. You’ve seen what I look like down there, plus the whole not even a small handful of boobs thing. My cock is more like an enlarged clit, but I’ve got balls, so I wound up in the boys room. It was hard enough to accept that I was different, but when the guys in the locker room started whipping out their junk and waving it everywhere, it just sucked.”
“Locker rooms are the absolute worst creations ever. They are literally a breeding ground of competition and insecurities,” Lani said. “That’s where I got the most crap too.”
“I just got sick of taking it,” Kekoa said.
“Something tells me there was a catalyst,” I prodded.
“There was. Maybe one day I’ll share it, but not right now. Right now I just want to finish eating and introduce myself to the couch while my food digests. This whole day had been a lot, and I’m really hoping we can find some time for ocean therapy tomorrow.”
“I think that can be arranged, as long as you don’t mind if it’s just me and you,” I said. “I doubt Lani will be able to get away and join us with the baby shower looming and all.”
“I’ll be lucky to have time to come home and grab a shower before collapsing face-first on the bed,” Lani admitted. “It’s going to be all hands on deck to get the decorations done before ten since we have to wait to start until after the event before ours is finished with their teardown. I’m just grateful the venue will let us work that late.”
“Is there anything we can do to help?” Kekoa asked. “Maybe bring you supper or something. From a restaurant. I promise. I won’t try to cook. Your place is way too nice for me to try and pull off one of my culinary disasters, and besides, you’ve already banned me from the stove. I already feel like I brought a water buffalo-sized dose of upheaval into your lives; almost burning down your kitchen would just be the rose on the coffin.”
“At least you got it out of the way now,” I quipped. “I doubt I’d be up for a day like today when I was gray and wandering up the block pushing my walker.”
“Yeah, you’d better remember that you’re talking to two almost middle-aged sea turtles,” Lani pointed out. “So respect your elders and don’t go setting fire to the lawn, you little whippersnapper.”
“I don’t think that will be an issue,” Kekoa said. “The fire part, anyways. I’m actually really good at landscaping. As for you two being middle-aged, that’s bullshit, since turtles live, like, what, a hundred and fifty years or something?”
“Those are tortoises,” I explained. “We generally have the same life span as the average human.”
“Oh,” Kekoa muttered, flushing a little. “Sorry, I probably know that, but right now the only thing my mind is certain of is that it’s reached its maximum processing capacity for the day and is in desperate need of a reboot.”
“Here, here,” Lani concurred. “As for your offer, as sweet as it is, I’m going to order in a meal for my crew, so you two just enjoy your day together and try to stay out of trouble. Maybe after the beach, you can go explore the market and take our grocery list. They might be able to add to their wardrobe and replace anything that got wrecked from being wet all day.”
“Sounds good,” I said. “I’m sure we’ll be able to feed ourselves too and have something in the fridge for you when you get home.”
“If they have fried pickles and crab-stuffed mushrooms, please grab me a double helping of each,” Lani said.
“Will do.”
“Think they’ll have mangas?” Kekoa asked.
“I know I should probably be more worried about replacing my boots and shoes first, but I’d just gotten hooked on their series, Sayuki, before Nuno trashed my books, and I hadn’t finished reading the third book yet. It looked like there were some pages missing when I pulled that half a book out from under the bed back at the motel, so I’d like to replace it and maybe snag number four. It will give me something to read to keep my mind off all the things I wish I’d done differently.”
“Better to look at them as life lessons,” Lani said. “Dwelling just leads to brooding; that won’t help you work out your future plans.”
“I’m going to do it,” Kekoa said. “What you suggested about creating business cards and flyers to advertise the services I offer. And if there's anyone you know who needs work done around their place, I'm offering one hell of a holiday discount, considering my whole life needs to be replaced.
“There’s at least one bright side to it all,” Lani offered.
“Yeah, meeting you two, that’s the one part I don’t regret.
“Oh, I was going to say that you pack light,” Lani replied, startling a bark of laughter out of Kekoa with his blunt and slightly snarky comment.
Laughing along with them, I mentally cheered Lani for figuring out how to break the tension. I just hoped I could do my part tomorrow when I was one-on-one with them. The quicker our mate settled in here, the better off we’d all be.
Chapter 10
Kekoa
