Because Sawyer had somehow taken the General Pee, Zach had walked from the junkyard to the strip mall, leaving him in a distinctly bad mood, especially as the bridge was still out. Adding to his less than stellar mood was the fact he found the car in question parked outside the video store.

The car was parked sideways, taking up three spaces, and still lacking the right rear view mirror. Sophie, Sawyer’s girlfriend, sat on the hood, blowing bubbles with her gum, apparently trying to get the pink candy bigger than her brown hair. She was having little success.

“Zach!” she called, dropping her gum from her mouth in the process, “You looking for your brother?”

“Maybe to kill him,” he called, meandering over to the girl to continue his conversation.

Much like her boyfriend, Sophie was a big fan of trying too hard. She wore a short leather skirt she continuously had to pull down to keep her underwear hidden from several leering truckers, a matching jacket and a red tube that seemed to have been made for somebody with a larger chest. She had royally caked her makeup on and, even as the sun was sinking behind the fields, still wore her a pair of large aviator sunglasses.

“Dick left me to walk here,” he muttered when he was close enough.

“My bad,” Sophie giggled, a sound so high that Tara had once suggested the girl could communicate with dolphins, “My car broke down and I needed him to drive me home.”

Zach sighed and shrugged, slowly formulating how to get back at Sawyer in the back of his mind.

“It’s fine,” he said, “Got my exercise at least.”

There was a moment of silence and Sophie pulled a pink wrapper from her inner pocket, “Want some gum?”

“No thanks,” he mumbled, pointing to the video store, “Just gonna go uhhh. Get a movie.”

Sophie smiled, took a piece of gum out for herself and popped it in her mouth.

With nothing left to say, Zach headed for the store after a mumbled goodbye.

“Say happy birthday to your sister for me!” she called after.

Zach put a hand up to show he’d heard and understood her, then passed by his brother, who didn’t know as he was busy waving a copy of ‘Streets of Fire’ to Sophie and calling he finally got it.

The video store itself was empty, save for the girl manning the register.

“We’re closing in a minute!” the girl warned him, the firmly fixed her attention back to the in-store television that normally played trailers for the latest movies.

“I’ll be quick,” Zach called back, rushing to the adventure movie section, “Real quick.”

The girl shrugged and kept her attention on her show, resigning herself to another customer staying past closing.

Zach browsed the aisle, trying to find a movie that Tara would like, but was continuously distracted by whatever the store clerk was watching. It was some foreign movie or show, which currently involved a group of bikers fighting a girl who appeared to be armed with a yo-yo and even seemed to have a fighting chance.

Preoccupied with the television, he picked a movie called Excalibur. He wasn’t sure if Tara had seen it, but she, like both her siblings, was in the habit of watching the same movie five times if she enjoyed it anyway.

On the way to the register, he spotted a copy of Henry V, starring Laurence Olivier. A movie older than his parents, which he decided to take along nonetheless.

“She did say, ‘no kid’s stuff’,” he chuckled to himself.

The girl behind the counter shushed him, apparently oblivious to the fact she was at work.

Meanwhile, the girl in the movie that had been keeping the clerk’s attention was being cornered by a group of motorcyclists, while yet another girl maniacally laughed.

Some talking, which Zach could not understand followed, but it did click that the shop clerk was probably the Chinese exchange student from Mitchell’s petition.

On the television, the laughing girl shot the main character, whose lifeless body spilled into the river below her.

“Saki!” the clerk yelled, clearly shocked at the development.

Zach leaned against the wall, unsure if he should bother the girl when her show was coming to a thrilling climax. It went on for a minute or so, then suddenly cut to an upbeat pop song. The ending credits.

The girl softly sang along to it, until she remembered she had a customer.

The customer service smile went on and she turned to him, “Good evening. These two and I assume you’ll want to extend the Karate Kid again?”

“Actually, what’s that Chinese show?” Zach asked, pointing to the television.

“Japanese,” the girl corrected, a soft bristle in her words, “And we don’t rent it out, so it doesn’t matter.”

Zach looked at the TV again, “It doesn’t come with subtitles?”

“It does not,” she said, shaking her head, “You would have to learn Japanese.”

“So, you’re not Chinese?”

The girl stared levelly at her customer, “I am not.”

Zach couldn’t help but snicker to himself as he recalled Mitchell’s plea to sign his petition.

“That is funny?” the girl asked, “I thought I understood American jokes…”

“Sorry,” Zach said, recovering his composure, then explained about the Anti-communist petition his classmate had shown him the week before.

“He must’ve thought you’re Chinese…”

“He must be stupid,” the girl bit back, “My name is Yuki.”

“Zach,” was the counter, sticking out his hand to properly introduce himself.

Yuki took it and smirked, “I know. Your name is on your card.”

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

“So,” Zach said when he was unsure how to continue the conversation, glancing at the television. The video had been ejected automatically and it now displayed nothing but black and white static.

“So?” Yuki echoed.

“You’re the new exchange student?”

“Yes.”

“Then I’m curious…”

Yuki’s face fell, suggesting she was prepared for the worst.

“Why didn’t you choose somewhere more interesting?”

Yuki laughed before answering, “Mother knows Mister O'Donnell. He stayed with her when he studied birds in Japan.”

“Ah…” Zach responded. He felt he wanted to continue the conversation, but wasn’t sure how.

“Are you sure you can’t rent me that show?”

“You do not want to watch the Karate Kid again?” she said, a soft hint of teasing to her words.

“I think I’ve seen It by now… I’m getting proper instructions soon.”

“Oh, you found a karate sensei here?”

“I...I bought some videos,” Zach stammered. It felt a silly answer.

“Well, good luck,” she replied, clearly unimpressed, “But about that video…”

“Yes?”

“I can not rent it out to you, because they are mine. Mother records them from the TV and mails them to me. But they are repeats. She always forgets to tape the new season.”

“Mails them to you? That must take forever.”

Yuki shrugged, “It is nice to hear my own language.”

“You know,” Zach replied, “Speaking of language.”

“If you are going to tell me I do not sound like Mister Miyagi, I will hit you.”

“You’d hit a customer?” Zach replied, deflecting the question.

The girl’s watch beeped and she looked, then offered Zach another smile. It wasn’t the polite customer service face, but a predatory half smirk, “Store is closed. You are no longer a customer. Thief maybe.”

“Fine fine,” Zach laughed nervously, “I’ll get going.”

“Wait a minute,” Yuki said, heading towards the in-store television.

“Going to call the cops?” Zach tried to joke.

Yuki stuck her tongue out over her shoulder and pulled the tape out of the machine without looking.

“You want to see my show, right?”

“You’d lend it to me?”

“Sure,” she said, picking the slipcover from the counter and returning the video neatly, “I have to get along with my new classmates.”

Zach smiled and gratefully took the video that had been labeled, ‘スケバン刑事　9－11’.

“What’s that say?” he wanted to know.

“Sukeban deka. It’s the name of the show.”

Zach stared blankly at the title.

“It means… I am not sure how to translate.”

“You don’t speak your own language?”

“I speak mine fine,” she said, giving him a patronizing glance, “But you never have words in a strange language that you can not translate to yours?”

Zach thought for a moment, then thought of one, “Like Schadenfreude?”

Yuki cocked her head at the word, “I do not know that one, but yes. Sukeban is like that. No English word for it.”

“Then what…”

“You will understand when you watch it. For you the show is called Schoolgirl Detective. Just go with schoolgirl.”

She folded her arms, and gave Zach a cursory glance, “I know you come here often, but I want Colla…”

She stopped in the middle of the word, as if she was afraid of pronouncing it wrong.

“Collateral?” Zach finished for her.

“Yes! Give me your watch!”

Zach looked at the timepiece. It was a simple black model that hadn’t worked in ages and he only wore out of habit.

“That’s a gift from my grandpa,” he replied, “And it’s broken.”

He held the face up to her, “Look, it says it’s still six.”

Yuki took Zach’s wrist firmly in her hands, which were surprisingly cold, and lifted the timepiece from him as if she were a professional pickpocket. Before Zach even realized what had happened, the girl had two watches on.

“If your grandfather gave it to you, you will definitely want it back,” she grinned and folded her arms so the timepieces were hidden from sight.

“When do you want your video back then?”

“Whenever you’re done with them. If I am out, you can give it to mister O'Donnell.”

“But if I do that, you’ll still have my watch…”

“Your town is small. If you bring it when I’m not here, I will find where you live.”

“Oh, sweet,” Zach muttered, “My own stalker.”

She winked, “You wish.”

“Yuki!”

A new voice joined the conversation, coming from the back room. The door opened and mister O'Donnell appeared.

Mister O'Donnell very much looked like a living scare crow. He had a mop of wild blonde hair, that was often hidden by a bucket hat, wore too big clothes in varying shades of green that hang loosely around his body and had the leather skin of somebody who had spent a lot of time in the sun without sunscreen. In short, he only missed the stick to hang on.

“It’s past eight,” he informed the girl, “Did you close up? Oh, the Brooks boy… Sawyer?”

“Zach.”

“The other Brooks boy,” the man said, “Say hello to your father. If you’re done keeping Yuki from her work that is.”

“I was just leaving,” Zach assured the man, “Sorry to keep her busy.”

“I’m sure you kids have important things to talk about, but I’d like to go home.”

“Sure, sir,” Zach muttered and made for the door.

“Your videos!” Yuki called going after him to put the two he had picked out on top of the one she lent him, “Enjoy.”

“Thanks,” Zach muttered, mumbled another apology to mister O'Donnell and finally pushed out into the cool evening air.

He looked over his shoulder one last time and saw Yuki wiggle her fingers at him in a friendly goodbye

The door fell shut behind him.

Zach saw that the General Pee was still parked in front of the store and he was about to ask his brother for a ride, then saw he was intensely engaged with Sophie.

He shrugged, deciding to leave him alone and put the videos under his arm. It was only a short walk home anyway.