Jay's Fantastical Sleepover Extravaganza

With Jay gone, Kenji found the shoe coverings and began distributing them to the others.

“Wonder if he has a jacuzzi?” Maxy couldn’t take his eyes off the ceiling.

“Huh. Like he’ll let you use it.” Higgy folded his arms. “We’re lucky he invited us in.”

“Jay’s a nice kid. I doubt he’d have the heart to send us away in this weather.” assured Stanley.

Having passed out the shoe covers, Kenji got the feeling he missed someone. He finally saw who, his younger brother, who had moved closer to one of the paintings. A little too close for comfort.

“Nicho–Nik Nok?” Kenji remembered his goal of being less stern with Nicky.

“Who’s there?” He responded without a beat.

“Could you move back a little from that painting please? We need to be careful.”

“Careful of what?” asked Toni.

“He doesn’t want us to go around breaking stuff.” Higgy answered for Kenji.

Maxy stretched. “C’mooon, Sensei. You can trust us.”

Kenji had to, as much as he didn’t.

“We’re not kids anymore… ‘cept Toni.”

That was hard to remember. In some ways, Kenji could see how much his students had grown, but in others, they were no different than when he first met them. Had it really been 8 years?

“I’m back!” Jay came out from the mysterious doorway, locking its padlock.

“Hi back, I’m Nicky!” Nicky delivered the punchline before Kenji could act on the urge to intervene.

“Heh?” Jay seemed confused. “Aha! Oh, I get it! Hahahaha!” He began to clap.“‘Ow cleva!”

Growing up in the family he did, Kenji could not imagine being that old and hearing that joke for the first time. Nicky blinked, shocked it had that much of an impression. He might be emboldened. This could be bad news.

Jay’s expression sobered. “Again, apologies for the inconvenience,” the umbrella stand caught his attention, “I only meant to pick somefing up real quick, but the weather had other plans, I suppose.” He began repositioning the umbrella handles as well as the coats. “Maybe by the time I show you around the ‘ouse, the storm’ll subside. Right this way, please.”

The group followed Jay to the right down another hall. On one side, rain pounded against the many windows, and the other hosted little more than a painting, a door, and a table with a phone.

“You have a lot of pictures of log cabins.” Nicky noted. “They’re very nice.”

“Aren’t they?” Jay hurriedly flung each window curtain shut as he passed by. “It’s my dream ‘ome.”

“Really?” Maxy’s eyebrows shot up. “Shoot, if you get your hands on one, I’ll take this off your hands.”

“I’d be glad to let you ‘ave it, Marky!”

“Maxy.”

Jay’s shoulders tensed up. “Oh dear, sincerest apologies, Maxy.” His fingers began to intertwine and unwind. “I’ve probably mentioned this already, but for some reason this wonky noggin of mine can’t seem to soak up names all that well. If any of you are in the market for a new brain, I’ll gladly trade, hahaha. Ha…”

He fumbled with one of the curtains for a bit.

“It’s no big deal.” Maxy reassured. “You prolly have tons of names to remember anyway.”

“Hoohoo~ You’re right about that. I’d like to remember as many as I can though.” Jay gave Maxy a bright smile. He briskly walked over to the door. “ Let’s go in ‘ere, shall we?”

He opened the door for everyone, leading them into a room. An empty room. Four walls, no windows, and two doors, not counting the one they came in from. Everyone stared at each other, equally as bewildered, except for Nicky.

“Very spacious.” Nicky remarked.

“You uh,” Benji looked around, “you didn’t get robbed, did’ja?”

“R-robbas?” Jay briefly panicked. “Oh, you’re talking about ‘ow empty the room is. No, no, it’s always like this.”

“Any reason in particular?” Even Stanley was confused. “Have you not found a use for it yet, or…?”

“Oh, it gets its use!” Jay opened the back door to reveal assorted cleaning supplies. “Me ‘ousekeepers use it to store things.”

“That’s pretty convenient.” Kenji admired. “I’d love to have a spare room in my apartment…”

“You could fill it with more plants!” suggested Toni.

“I wasn’t thinking of that, but,” the teacher smiled in defeat, “you’re probably right.”

“That sounds positively splendid!” Jay pulled something out of the closet to check behind it. “I’d ‘ave more plants ‘ere, but part of the joy is taking care of ‘em, innit?”

“Yes. Though it is nice to have a couple extra hands, provided they don’t knock them over or overwater any.”

Nicky looked away. Maxy shrugged.

“There’s also a bafroom on the right.” He entered the bathroom, checking behind the shower. The tub was filled with rolls of toilet tissue and paper towels, but he didn’t seem to care.

“How many bathrooms do you have?” asked Maxy, unphased by Higgy’s disapproval.

“I don’t know off the top of me ‘ead. Six? Eight? somefing like that. More than enough!”

“Huh.” He did a quick count of heads. “Eight’d be one for each of us. I wonder… What would happen if all of them flushed at the same time?”

Higgy mouthed words better left unsaid.

Jay giggled. “I can’t say I’ve eva’ tried it before.”

“It’s probably best not to find out.” Kenji knew not to give Maxy any room to cause a plumbing disaster.

“There’s not much else to see, so if you will, follow me?” Jay exited the room, leaving everyone in the dust as he practically ran to the end of the hall.

When the others caught up, they found him closing more curtains in a room with a large, ornate table. Higgy and Toni entered first.

“Ah! Could you stand back for a moment?” Jay waved them back with one hand. “I just need to make a few adjustments, and then it should be good to enter.”

Higgy outstretched a hand in front of Toni as they stepped back.

“I don’t know how many windows they thought one room would need, haha!” Jay finished closing all the curtains, then pulled out a chair from the table and checked underneath. He set it back where it was and started adjusting the others. “You can come in, now, heheh.”

Kenji and his group filed into the dining room as Jay continued moving chairs around. They were all already pushed in before he started, which would’ve been fine enough for Kenji, but he did remember Stanley mentioning how particular Jay was. He thought that only applied to music, though.

In the corners opposite of the window were a large vase and embroidered lettering that read, ‘Home is where you eat with the ones you love.’

Stanley took special interest in it. “Nice picture.”

“Thank you.” Jay stopped mid-rearrangement. He grew quiet. “It… It does make for a nice sentiment, doennit? I ‘ope me staff finds the room pleasant.”

“Don’t you eat here?” asked Toni.

“No, ‘ere’s where I leave snacks for the ‘ousekeepers from time to time.” Jay looked down with a sheepish grin. “If I knew I’d be ‘aving guests, I’d’ve gotten some for you all.”

“That’s okay.”

He nodded slightly, his smile turning to a more genuine one.

Kenji noticed a hole on the ceiling. “Is that for a chandelier?”

“...Was.” Jay tapped his fingers on the chairback. “It was for the chandelier, but I ‘ad it removed. I worried myself into a tizzy thinking that it might fall on someone. Told ‘em I didn’t care if they pawned it, pilfered it, or put it in a bin, as long as it was gone.”

“I can understand that.” As stressed as Kenji on this trip, he wished alleviating it was as simple as uninstalling the bad parts of US culture.

Jay placed a hand on his chest. “Well, I feel quite relieved I’m not alone, haha.” He moved to the door. “Next up, we ‘ave the kitchen.”

The host led everyone into a state-of-the-art kitchen that looked straight out of a magazine. Black tiles lined the walls, matching the granite countertops, contrasting with the minimalist white cabinets, and doing both with the checkered flooring. The modern monochromatic masterpiece was at least twice the size of Kenji’s kitchen, filled to the brim with chrome appliances beyond his wildest dreams. It even had a microwave with a built-in clock! A pink towel here and bowl there provided some of the few splashes of color. Some spider plants could really liven the place up, but that was his only critique.

“How beautiful…” The words left Kenji’s lips.

Jay made a beeline for the kitchen window and shut its blinds. “Oh, you like?” He craned his head over the island and around the bar area, looking for something. “I added a few personal touches in ‘ere, so ‘opefully they’re not too intrusive.”

“Huh?” Benji tilted his head at the refrigerator, filled with pictures of people in various parts of the house. “I thought you said you never had guests over.”

“Oh, those are me staff! It’d be a bit strange of me to call them guests when this is their job.”

Jay walked up and pointed out a picture of a middle-aged woman.

“That’s Sheila. She’s a very lovely cook. Makes the meanest rice pilaf next to me mum!” He pointed at a picture of a man posing with hedge clippers. “And that’s Monty, I think? Fine chap. You can thank ‘im for the bushes out front.” His finger hovered over a guy leaning on a lawnmower. “And that’s… Honestly, I don’t remember taking this one, but he seems to ‘elp out with the lawn.”

“You don’t remember?” That would’ve weirded Kenji out a bit.

“Unfortunately, no.” Jay began moving the pictures around, aligning them with one another. “Me staff works part-time, usually out by the time I get back.” Suddenly, he pointed out a woman in a group picture. “Oh, that’s Darlene! Or is that Sheila? She’s the one that sparked the ‘ole idear of these pictures. It’s funny, I came ‘ome early one day and ran into ‘er. Nearly jumped out of me skin, ahaha!” That laugh sounded more nervous than anything. “And that’s when I realized I wouldn’t be able to tell me own staff from intruders. So I ‘ave these pictures. But for the most part, I communicate wiv ‘em through notes.”

“Interesting.”

“Besides, it makes the place feel more ‘omey.”

Upon Jay saying that, Kenji realized this was the first room so far that made him feel like someone lived here. Near the stove were opened cartons of tea. A drop of water fell from the sink. On the counter nearest to Kenji, was an unscrewed pen and a notepad that read, “Headed to London. Enjoy your time off! ~Jay” The handwriting looked familiar.

“Imagine what you could cook with all of this.” Nicky stood by the stove with Higgy.

“Oh, you cook?”

Higgy forgot how to speak for a moment. “Uh, yeah.”

“Oh yeeeah. You were a little chef, weren’t you?” Stanley reminisced. “I remember the other boys would always bug you ‘cause they wanted your food.”

“I wouldn’t call myself a chef.” A rare showcase of Higgy’s humility. “I cook for me.”

“Awh!” Jay snapped his fingers. Or tried to. The gloves muffled any sound. “I was gonna say ‘ow much I’d love to try your cooking someday.”

Higgy crossed his arms, turning his face away. “Sometimes I make exceptions.”

“That’s okay, I’d ‘ate for you to inconvenience yourself on my behalf.” Jay was too busy trying to center a bowl on his island to notice Higgy mentally kicking himself.

“If you want someone less stingy, Toni’s pretty good too.” Maxy shook the shoulder of his brother, who was too busy admiring a spice rack with containers shaped like little houses.

“Oh how delightful!” Jay clasped his hands together.

Toni looked down, barely able to contain a huge smile behind his fists. Kenji couldn’t help smiling either. What a sweet gesture from Maxy, though the more he thought about it, the more likely it seemed that Maxy did this to steal Higgy’s thunder. But Maxy’s fanged smile expressed more pride in Toni than glee at Higgy’s expense. How far he’d come.

The host walked toward the next room, but stopped to check inside a door off to the side.

Stanley blinked in surprise seeing what was inside. “Wow, I, uh, didn’t know you were a wine guy!”

“No, alcohol and me don’t really agree, eheheh.” Jay tugged at his bowtie. “But people seem to think wine’s a nice gift, so I ‘ave some on ‘and. If any of you fancy a bottle, remind me on our way out.”

“That’s okay. I’m not that big of a drinker.” Kenji declined, to Jay’s gap-toothed joy. “Also,” he looked to the two American-born men, “drinking’s 21 here, right?”

“Yep.” answered Stanley.

“Goodness gracious, I never thought to ask your ages!” Jay clutched his chest, looking at the younger half of the group.

“No need.” Higgy flipped his bangs. “I prefer to stay at the top of my game.” Maxy rolled his eyes at him.

“How–’ow old are you all, just out of curiosity?”

“I’ll be 19 the end of this month.” Maxy answered.

“Oh, ‘appy birthday, then!”

“Heh, thanks.”

“19.” Nicky smiled as if that was the most pleasant number he could think of.

“20 in November.” answered Higgy.

“So the four of us are pretty close in age, then. Feels a little weird not being the youngest, I’ll admit.” Jay turned to Toni. “What about you?”

“I’m 17!”

“17?” repeated Stanley. “Older than I would’ve guessed.”

“Me too, and I’ve been with the kid!” Benji adjusted his glasses. “Yeesh kid, almost 18 already?”

Toni nodded politely, only to be interrupted by the meaty hand of his brother clamping down on his head.

“Yeah, he may act like a baby, but in a year,” Maxy jabbed a finger in Toni’s cheek, “he’ll be a man like the rest of us.”

The younger Konno grimaced, but Kenji got the feeling it wasn’t the baby comment that bothered him as much.

Stanley shook his head. “When did you all get so old?”

“I remember when you were all this big!” Benji held a hand just below his eyeline. “I mean, Higgy hasn’t changed much, thankfully, but then there’s Mr. Skyscraper over there…” He pointed to Nicky, smiling thoughtlessly at the ceiling.

“Yeah…” Kenji thought back to first meeting everyone, even being in the hospital room with his parents after Nicky’s birth.

“Don’t think we’re not talking about you, Mr. 31.” Stanley cracked a teasing smile at Kenji. “I remember you prancing around stage in ruffles like it was yesterday.”

He wished he didn’t.

“Pshhh, we go back with him waaaay farther than that.” Benji chuckled. “Back when his parents were Nicky’s age.”

Stanley rested his hand on Kenji’s shoulder, smiling warmly. Benji lightly elbowed him. He could never fully express how grateful he was to have them by his side all these years.

“What delightful memories.” In the dim light of the cellar, Jay’s voice could barely be heard. Even less so with the sounds of bottles clinking as he pushed them in. “You must feel very lucky to ‘ave all known each other for so long. I can’t ‘elp but feel–ahaha, nevermind.”

“You’ve grown a lot.” Stanley gazed fondly at his longtime client. “In just a few years, too. You have your own place, you make a lot more of your own creative decisions, overall, you’ve gotten to be way more independent.”

“Heheh, is that really saying much?”

“Now, now, don’t be like that.” That familiar stern sweetness was a telltale sign that Jay had made a mistake. “Let’s leave all that putting yourself down in the past, alright? You’ve got too many reasons to be proud of yourself to be going around like that.”

Jay ducked his head into his shoulders very similar to the time Nicky had been caught trying to pilfer oatmeal cookies, both smiling sheepishly. He closed the door behind him as he exited the wine cellar. This opened him up to a pat on the back from Stanley. If kindness could kill, he’d be an expert assassin.

“Thank you, Stanley.” The homeowner continued into the next room, a gym. “I feel so behind everyone else, it’s sometimes ‘ard for me to realize me successes.”

“Me too!” Toni spoke up, a little louder than he intended. “Sorry, me too.”

“Aw. That makes me feel a little less lonely about it.”

Stanley sighed, looking down at Toni. “Do I need to give you a pep talk, too?”

“I’ve got that covered.” Kenji gave a thumbs up.

“Lookit you bein’ all supportive.” Stanley didn’t pinch his cheek, but he might as well have.

Jay continued closing blinds. “As you can probably tell by all the equipment, this ‘ere’s me gym. It’s a tad redundant since I do most training in the dance studio upstairs, but I could probably stand to work on upper body strength. Never know when I might be inclined to lift someone.”

“We’ve got a gym back at our place,” Maxy reached out to touch a flex machine before being met with Kenji’s stare, “but not all of this fancy equipment.”

“If it wasn’t such an ‘assle, I’d fly some of this over to you.”

All the equipment in the room was either low to the ground or easy to see through, which saved Jay the trouble of looking around for… whatever he was looking around for. He paced around anyway, adjusting equipment to his liking. Kenji didn’t know if he was the only one who noticed these behaviors or if the others were also hesitant to point it out. Though if they knew what he was looking for, maybe they could help him find it.

Next, Jay opened a door, leading the group into a room with blocky windows. There were no curtains or blinds for cover, but the thick glass made it hard to see anything in or outside. But the main feature of the room lay just below it.

“I knew he had a jacuzzi!” gloated Maxy.

“You knew?” Jay’s fingers danced all over his hands. A polite smile barely hid the presence of fear. “Ahehe, may I ask how?”

“Just a hunch.” Maxy didn’t read the room. “What’s living it up in a mansion if you don’t have a jacuzzi or two, right?”

“Hahaaaaa, you’re definitely right about that!” Jay wagged a very shaky hand.

Interestingly enough, the room didn’t have anything that suggested he used the jacuzzi regularly, or anything at all. No rugs, no towels, just tiles, wall, and windows. Unless Jay was the type to chance slipping on the floor, Kenji had a hard time believing this room had ever been used.

“P-Pardon me coming through.” Jay politely made his way through the others to look inside the jacuzzi itself.

Kenji decided now was a good time to ask as any. “Excuse me, but I couldn’t help but notice… Are you trying to find anything in particular? We could help look.”

“Huh?” Jay lifted his head up. “No, I’m not looking for anything.”

Despite all the evidence to the contrary, he wasn’t lying, at least as far as Kenji could tell. What he could tell was that he wasn’t alone. Stanley, Higgy, and Benji shared brief glances of confusion with him. They knew. In fact, Benji nearly said something, but Stanley motioned for him to hold it.

“There’s not much to see ‘ere, so why don’t we ‘ead to the next room?” Jay opened a door to the left… into a narrow room with a back wall made 90% of windows. He made eye-contact with Higgy. “I’d ‘ate to be a bovver, but can you ‘old this open for me?”

“Wooooow!” Nicky noticed. “Your backyard is so big. You could roll for ages and not have to worry about falling in a lake!”

“It’s a beautiful view!” Benji chimed in, followed by the others’ various words of approval.

Kenji had to agree with them. Even with the storm, the window opened up the room to a view of lush green grass and a forest in the distance. Besides, there was hardly anything else to look at, only two vases, two chairs, and a wall clock. Still, the host quickly made work shutting the view behind vertical blinds.

“Eheheh, yes, I suppose. It’s very… open.” The way he said it did not sound like a compliment.

‘He doesn’t fool around when it comes to privacy.’ Stanley’s words came to mind. Could that be it? That would explain his aversion to windows for sure, but what about the lack of furniture? Having closed the windows, Jay became preoccupied with angling one of the chairs. Something was off, and it wasn’t the furniture arrangement.