Nine

The drive to Shibuya station seemed to take the same amount of time that it would take if I had gotten on the train, even though it was a straight shot to the station using Meiji Dori; one of the most important shopping streets in Tokyo. Meiji Dori passed through five sections of Tokyo; Ikebukero, Shinjuku, Harajuku, Shibuya and Ebisu. The cab was currently passing through Harajuku, giving me a good view of most of its famous shops like LaForet, Hysteric Glamour and Lazy Hazy Planet.

After the incident with the crazy dude, I had relaxed into the semi torn leather and closed my eyes, sighing with exhaustion and during the first half of the ride, which was mostly stopping at red lights, my phone buzzed on and off with text messages from the others. Mr. Pratt asked if I had caught a cab and was safely on my way. Yumi was constantly worrying about me being alone and Harrison was being a dumb a*s by reminding me of my 'heroic' action with Conner. I'd smiled to myself and texted them back that I was fine.

Now, I watched as the city lights of Harajuku passed the window, leaving behind streaks of glowing ribbons. I leaned my head against the glass and thought about my encounter with the weird guy and those thugs.

Many questions rose in my mind as I went through the memory. I frowned in mild horror when I remembered that they were carrying some serious heat. If the people in New York were free to roam around with whatever type of weapon they wanted, it would be total chaos. I shuddered at the thought of how many funerals there would be in one day.

There was definitely enough death in the world.

"So, did you know that guy?" The cab driver asked, glancing at me in the rear view mirror. Either my face gave away my thought process or he was thinking about that incident also. I looked at him before turning back to the window.

"No, I didn't know him." I answered with a small sigh. "I kind of feel bad for leaving him back there with those guys though."

"Nah," The driver said, navigating the cab with expertise around the other vehicles. "Young guys like him who don't want trouble, shouldn't look for it. Those men were after something he owed. It's his own fault for getting into that mess." I looked back at the mirror to see him looking right at me with a serious expression. A chill rose up my spine, but I made sure to hide my uneasiness. "Now his problems may be yours. Those thugs caught a good look at you. So if you plan on running, it should be further than Shibuya Station."

"Actually, I'm meeting up with my group there." I told him. He raised an eyebrow and nodded.

"I see," He said slowly in thought. "So you have friends waiting for you there?"

"Yeah," I shifted in the seat, moving closer to the door.

"What type of friends?" I felt the cab speed up little by little, setting off multiple alarms in my being. My hand reached for the door handle and gripped it.

"It's actually a school group." I explained carefully. "We got separated at the Shinjuku Train Station, so their waiting for me at the Shibuya station."

"Ah, so their expecting your arrival?" He asked.

"Yes." I replied without hesitation.

Gradually, the cab began to slow back down and the driver drove on as if nothing had happened. My heart, which I now noticed was racing, began to calm and my breathing went back to normal. I swallowed and sat still for a moment before shifting back into a comfortable position in the seat.

My share of weirdos for the day had just run out.

...

"Here we are." The driver said as he pulled up to the Hachiko Entrance of the Shibuya Station. Luckily, getting close to the entrance was easy enough thanks to the crossing keeping the thousands of people waiting on the side. As quickly as possible, I thanked the creepy cab driver and got out, slamming the door shut. With a few glances of my shoulder, I noticed that he didn't move away until I entered the station.

This just keeps getting better.

With a shake of my head, I texted to tell him that I was inside of Shibuya station and near the Hachiko Entrance. I had also let Yumi and Harrison know that I had made it safely. It wasn't a long wait before my phone buzzed three times.

Mr. Pratt: Good job with following instructions. Just wait by the lockers, we'll all be there in 5 minutes.

Yumi: I'm so glad you're okay! We'll be there soon! XOXO

Harrison: Awesome ginger. Hey, don't worry about your bag, I'll bring it with me...If I don't forget it. By the way, Erik is worried about his little boy toy.

I sent Harrison a censored message while replying in understanding to Mr. Pratt. And so, with a quick look around, I spotted a row of seats next to columns of lockers. I exhaled deeply before making my way over to them and taking a seat in one.

Five minutes.