No Place But Home
Chapter 1
After Haruko set out, I didn't know what to do.
A month later, a yellow Vespa appeared at the doorstep.
It had a note in Haruko's handwriting on it. "Keep it, I don't need it anymore." Is that true? Is that how she feels? About me as well? That she doesn't need me?
So every day since she left, I haven't done anything. I've went to and from school on that Vespa, never giving anyone a ride home when they asked, sometimes taking detours that would take me hours to find my way home. I would speed up, but time seemed to slow down.
"Naota, Naota." My teacher would call upon me to answer a question. I would just sit there, in my seat, staring at her face, wondering "Why, Haruko, why. This time you said goodbye, with different words than I expected." Those words hurt. I felt like a broken toy being tossed aside for a new one, and I still do. I wonder. can that Vespa fly?
A girl sat across the street, staring at me. She wore a Barrage jacket, short, white course fur around the neck and at the hands. The rest was either black or dark gray. She looked at me with interest, chewing on her candy cig, guitar case open on the ground in front of her, playing a small tune.
I stared back into her face. Very pale. Her eyes were cat-like, like Haruko's. Dark red hair, almost the color of dried blood, gleamed from the afternoon sun.
A whisper left my mouth. "Who are you?" Her lips moved. I turned to leave, but something whispered in my ear. "I am special."
She was there the next day, climbing the alphabet, and the next day, singing songs woven with jokes that made the kids laugh.
It was my birthday. I left for school. She wasn't at the street corner anymore. Good!
My slow progress on the yellow Vespa disturbed some leaves on the sidewalk. As I left that area, more crinkling followed behind me. My head turned, and a figure slunk back into the shadows. Must be Canti.
I made it to school, though the Spiderman senses hadn't worn off.
I was on my way home that same day. There were many people coming or going home, so I slowed down. People looked at me, and whispering "oi, is that the young man that works at the bakery? The one down the street with the girl on the doorstep?" Girl. on the doorstep? Could it be. could it really be
My heart leapt, and I sped up, running over the man that was whispering. I ran over many people on my way to the bakery. I was still far away from home, but I couldn't help but cry out "Haruko. I'm coming!! Don't go anywhere, I'm coming!!"
When I got there though, it was too late. She had left and replaced herself with the girl on the corner. Her hair fell over her face. She slept on the doormat, curled up like a cat.
~ ~ ~
And so, my first story posted. It's not much, but hopefully there'll be more.
~OniHime
Chapter 1
After Haruko set out, I didn't know what to do.
A month later, a yellow Vespa appeared at the doorstep.
It had a note in Haruko's handwriting on it. "Keep it, I don't need it anymore." Is that true? Is that how she feels? About me as well? That she doesn't need me?
So every day since she left, I haven't done anything. I've went to and from school on that Vespa, never giving anyone a ride home when they asked, sometimes taking detours that would take me hours to find my way home. I would speed up, but time seemed to slow down.
"Naota, Naota." My teacher would call upon me to answer a question. I would just sit there, in my seat, staring at her face, wondering "Why, Haruko, why. This time you said goodbye, with different words than I expected." Those words hurt. I felt like a broken toy being tossed aside for a new one, and I still do. I wonder. can that Vespa fly?
A girl sat across the street, staring at me. She wore a Barrage jacket, short, white course fur around the neck and at the hands. The rest was either black or dark gray. She looked at me with interest, chewing on her candy cig, guitar case open on the ground in front of her, playing a small tune.
I stared back into her face. Very pale. Her eyes were cat-like, like Haruko's. Dark red hair, almost the color of dried blood, gleamed from the afternoon sun.
A whisper left my mouth. "Who are you?" Her lips moved. I turned to leave, but something whispered in my ear. "I am special."
She was there the next day, climbing the alphabet, and the next day, singing songs woven with jokes that made the kids laugh.
It was my birthday. I left for school. She wasn't at the street corner anymore. Good!
My slow progress on the yellow Vespa disturbed some leaves on the sidewalk. As I left that area, more crinkling followed behind me. My head turned, and a figure slunk back into the shadows. Must be Canti.
I made it to school, though the Spiderman senses hadn't worn off.
I was on my way home that same day. There were many people coming or going home, so I slowed down. People looked at me, and whispering "oi, is that the young man that works at the bakery? The one down the street with the girl on the doorstep?" Girl. on the doorstep? Could it be. could it really be
My heart leapt, and I sped up, running over the man that was whispering. I ran over many people on my way to the bakery. I was still far away from home, but I couldn't help but cry out "Haruko. I'm coming!! Don't go anywhere, I'm coming!!"
When I got there though, it was too late. She had left and replaced herself with the girl on the corner. Her hair fell over her face. She slept on the doormat, curled up like a cat.
~ ~ ~
And so, my first story posted. It's not much, but hopefully there'll be more.
~OniHime