I've been wanting to write a Tadashi, Wasabi and GoGo as children story for a while (Fred will be in the next chapter) but I had one major problem, real names. GoGo has one, Leiko Tomago. But Wasabi wasn't as easy. So I finally caved and made up a name. Ginger is the commonly used last name, for the first name I settled on is Wesley. My reasoning is that his nickname might be similar to his real name.

2019 was a great year for my BH6 stories. I wrote 16 BH6 stories this year (including this one) and I intend to write so many more in 2020, as well as finish the multi-chaptered stories I wrote, including Moving Too Fast, Heroes' Journey, and this. Enjoy and feel free to suggest more BH6 stories I can write!

They're not coming. They're not coming, they're not coming, they're not coming. They forgot about you. They picked someone better. They're not coming. Give up. Those thoughts must have run through Wesley Ginger's head a thousand times before he saw the heads of his two best friends in the distance, racing toward him.

"I won!" Leiko Tomago pointed out as Tadashi Hamada caught his breath.

"You won," he agreed, offering a fist bump to Wesley.

"What's up, Wes?" Wes shifted from foot to foot, thinking about the answers. He wore a green sweater even though it wasn't that cold, and his dreadlocks were tied back in a ponytail. He was the tallest of the trio and the clumsiest. When they raced or skated, he came in last.

"I was worried that you wouldn't come," Wes admitted, looking down.

Tadashi laughed sadly, "You always think that, and we always come." Tadashi always wore a baseball cap and t-shirts and he was almost always smiling. If they didn't have something to do Tadashi was always the one to come up with ideas.

"You're worried for no reason," Leiko said, crossing her arms like she was about to scold Wes for being irrational again. It wouldn't be the first time. She kept her hair boyishly short and wore clothes that were a little too big for her so she could pass as a guy in her less than safe neighborhood. She wore a leather jacket that was too big for her now. She could handle herself in a fight but it was better to not take any chances when she was alone.

"Sorry," Wes squeaked, a little intimidated by his best friend. That's what they were. A trio of best friends, who had each other's backs despite the hardships that they each went through.

"How long do we have?" Tadashi asked, checking a watch his little brother had fixed up for him that had been left in the Cafe lost and found for years.

"I have an hour," Wes said apologetically, once more speaking to the concrete. His parents would want to know where he was and would call him in for family dinner. They got mad if he was late. They'd send his older brother Damon looking for him if they were late.

"I have all night," Leiko said, not knowing if her dad would be home tonight and not especially wanting him to be.

"I should probably go back to the cafe after a bit. Help close down," Tadashi said thoughtfully.

"Do you like, get paid for that?" Wes asked.

"Aunt Cass sometimes gives me spending money from the tip jar but that's about it."

"Do you think that she would hire me?" Wes asked, the wheels in his head turning.

"I'm pretty sure she can't legally hire 13-year-olds," Tadashi informed his friend. Wes sighed. He was a little bit older than his friends, but they were in the same grade.

"But you can talk to her about it! She's always happy to see you guys." Wes's face lit up again. There was something about the welcoming environment of the cafe that made him feel at home. They didn't go there often because Wes insisted on paying for his own food instead of accepting freebies from Tadashi, but sometimes they had money and got to indulge. Wes knew that money didn't grow on trees. His parents were always quick to remind him of that.

"Maybe someday soon."

"So what are we going to do today?" Leiko asked.

"Let's go to the park," Tadashi suggested with a grin, "we can sword fight."

"We don't have swords," Leiko pointed out even though she knew that wasn't a problem.

"There's always fallen tree branches."

"Yeah, a game I can win!" Wes cheered.

"Sorry that not everyone spends hours watching fencing tutorials," Leiko said with an eye roll, "If it were a real fight I'd destroy you." She sent some playful jabs in his direction, not even close to actually hitting him. He still flinched away.

"I'm not going to hurt you," Leiko said suddenly, seriously, frowning at her friend.

"Yeah, I know… I just get freaked out by stupid things. I'm sorry."

"Stop apologizing for crap that isn't your fault," Leiko ordered, arms crossed. Wes put on his best, everything is okay smile for her and nodded.

"Yes ma'am." Tadashi looked back at both of them, rolled his eyes good-naturedly, and grabbed them by the arm so they would hurry up and make the most of the hour that they had.

"I'm fixing up the old projector in my garage," Tadashi said with a grin, "you know what that means?"

"Means you need help on another project," Wes guessed, delighted. Tadashi had sparked his and Leiko's love of creating. Tadashi, after all, was the one who had the tools and the support of his family. Wes and Leiko only had Tadashi's tools, his garage work space, and his unwavering enthusiasm for their craft.

"No, well, yes, but it means we can have movie nights."

"I can't hang out at night," Wes reminded.

"That's just an expression. It doesn't have to be at night."

"That sounds good," Wes admitted, "if we ever agree on a movie."

"I'm not watching another stupid romance or mindless action flick or anything that's just a cash grab."

"What movies are left then?" Wes laughed, grabbing a tree branch and initiating the duel. Leiko grabbed her own branch quickly and fought back while Tadashi searched for his own weapon. The trio debated the pros and cons of different movies as they fought. Wes was trying to extol the virtues of Christmas movies, Leiko insisted that the only movies that were worth it were the ones that were saying something important in a way that hadn't been done before.

"Like what Slaughterhouse Five said about war," Leiko said.

"The title alone makes me not want to read that book," Wes said with a shudder.

"You need to read it it's eye opening."

"I'll read it if you read it, Wes," Tadashi said, "I bet we could get copies from the library.

"...Fine, I'll read it. But Leiko has to watch Christmas movies with us in December."

"One Christmas movie," Leiko bargained.

"Three. The Santa Clause trilogy."

"Fine."

"Yes! Aw man I should have picked a more romantic Christmas movie."

"You don't get to make me suffer more than you're already going to."

"I'm not trying to make you suffer, Holiday Inn and White Christmas are gorgeous, romantic Christmas movies."

"That sounds terrible. Romance isn't bad but why do movies need it if it doesn't say anything important?"

"Some things can just be mindless. I already overthink everything, sometimes I want to watch something safe that I already know the ending to and can turn my brain off while I watch." Their duel was getting pretty heated, with Tadashi switching sides on a whim.

"I guess I didn't think about that," Leiko admitted and Wes grinned before (accidentally) slamming his tree branch into her and hitting her in the arm.

"Ow," Leiko groaned, sinking to the ground and holding her arm.

"I'm so so sorry!" Wes yelped, sinking down next to her and looking her over in concern.

"It's fine you didn't mean it," Leiko sighed, eyes squeezed closed.

"Let me look at your arm," Tadashi suggested, having a bit of first aid experience from caring for his brother. Leiko rolled up the sleeve of her leather jacket and Tadashi looked it over, eyes widening at what he saw.

"Leiko, these bruises couldn't possibly be from Wes hitting you just now."

"It's okay, I can handle it."

"Are you sure you're okay?" Wes asked, feeling sympathetic. He put a hand on her shoulder. Then he glanced over at Tadashi and noticed his watch.

"Oh crap it's after 6 I have to go I'll see you tomorrow if I'm not grounded-" but he already heard Damon's voice, which meant his big brother had been sent to go get him. Which meant that he would definitely be grounded.

"WESLEY PAYTON GINGER!" Damon bellowed. Wes jumped up, head hung in shame.

"They're just worried about me," he mumbled, feeling a thousand eyes on him.

"Family time is important to them," he muttered.

"Hey, Leiko," Tadashi said after they watched Wesley leave sadly, "come back to the cafe with me and I'll get you some ice for your bruises. You can stay for dinner."

"No, it's okay, I don't want to interrupt your family time."

"Yeah, and I don't want you to go back to yours. I don't think you and Wes know what family time is."

"Don't worry Tadashi. We know what family time is. We have you."