~A/N: Okay, no Coming of Swann Pines today, but I am uploading the heck out of this story. I just felt like I needed to upload all the chapters I've written so far. I don't want to go too far ahead with you in the dark~

  I got up after Grian and Sam were asleep. I walked quietly out of the apartment and the building. I walked to the park. I know I told Sam it said you-know-where, but I was kinda lying. I stood under the tree at the park, waiting. Then I saw him.

"Hello Taurtis," he said. "Good to see you came."

"Yeah, I-" I stopped. I wasn't sure what to say. Was I doing out of anger at Sam? Was I wanting to get information? Or did a part of me truly want to join this guy?

"No need to explain," the guy said. "I don't think I've ever introduced myself. Yakuza Karu. Yes, that is my name." He stuck out his hand. I walked over and shook it nervously.

"Here," Karu said. He took something out of his pocket. It was a hat. A Yakuza hat. One of those cool hats all his men wear. I took it. On the front, stitched in, it said, "Taurtis." I looked inside. It had the same thing.

Maybe he isn't so bad after all, I thought. I put the hat on.

"You already look like a Yakuza," Karu said.

"What exactly do I do?" I asked.

"We can't work out the details now, but all you need to know is that's there is a meeting Thursday after dark. Be there, and we'll explain everything." He backed into the shadows. "Take care, my dear son."

"Wait what-?" I started, but by the time I had blinked, he was gone.

~

I didn't pay much attention in school that day. By the time the bell rang, I had went to another world. Sam 'woke me up.'

"Taurtis," he said, shaking my shoulder. "The bell rang."

"Oh," I said, getting up. We walked out of the classroom and to the cafeteria. I didn't eat at lunch. I was thinking about last night.

"Taurtis?" Sam said my name.

"Oh, yes?"

"What's up with you? You're usually never this quiet."

"Well, I'm just tired."

"Like I believe that."

"I'm just not in the mood okay?"

"Okay."

I kept thinking about what Karu said. Son? What? Was he talking to me? If I'm his son, than me and Chrissy are...okay, I'm not going there.

I thought that he couldn't have been talking about me. There is no possibly way that could happen. We literally have nothing in common. He has brown hair, pale skin, and he's from Japan, but I have black hair and eyes, very tan skin, and I'm from America. Or am I?

The bell rang before I could think anymore. We got up and walked to the gym. We lined up, but I wasn't paying attention. I heard Rowan yelling, but it sounded distant. I didn't notice anything until I felt a face in front of mine.

"I SAID STRETCH TAURTIS," Rowan was the one in my face. I looked at him.

"DID YOU NOT HEAR ME? STRETCH!" I started stretching. Rowan stood there for a bit, then went back to the stage.

Rowan yelled, "I KNOW IT'S NOVEMBER, BUT WE'RE SWIMMING. IT'S 92 DEGREES OUTSIDE!" He lead us out the door and to the pool.

"TO THE LOCKERS!" he yelled.

"Hey Taurtis, can you spray me?" Grian asked. He had a white tank top on with red swim trunks. He passed me a spray tan bottle. He probably wanted to be sprayed because he was really pale since he lives in England, where there's literally no sunshine. (A/N: or so I've heard...)

"Sure," I said, shacking the bottle. I sprayed his arms and legs. "Is that good?"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Dude, you look orange," Sam said.

After we all had gotten our swimsuits on, Rowan had us line up behind a high dive. A really high dive. It was so high, you could barely see the top (A/N: that's most likely an overstatement).

I lined up around the middle with Grian, while Sam and Chrissy got in the very back. By the looks on their faces, I could tell they were dreading the dive.

It was my turn. I climbed up the ladder with all the confidence in the world, Grian behind me. As I reached the top I thought, This was a mistake. It was higher than I thought it was. I looked over the edge.

"Oh no," I mumbled.

"You got it Taurtis!" Sam cheered. I walked to the edge of the board. I took a deep breath. Then I jumped.

I hit the water with a smack. It hurt a little bit, but not a whole lot. I climbed out of the pool.

I looked up and saw Sam about to jump. Chrissy was behind him, but other people were pushing her out of the way to get to the jump. She managed to stay on though.

Sam was on the edge of the board like I was. He looked like he was too scared to jump. Then, a hand out of the mass of people behind him push him off the board. He fell, screaming, and hit the water on his back.

Sam landed at the bottom of the pool, struggling to get back up. It was very deep, and one: Sam hurt his back from the smack on the water, which would not allow him to get up; and two: Sam isn't the best swimmer, so that would also be a problem.

Me and Grian tried to rush into the pool, but someone was there before us.