Melancholy grey eyes stared out the window of the cab as it rolled along
through the thunderstorm. The girl the sad eyes belonged to sat with her
arm along the inside ledge of the closed window of the car door, her cheek
resting on it. Her light grey hair draped like a curtain in front of half
of her face, hiding her from the view of the cab driver's rear-view-mirror-
vision. She watched the scenery fly by through a mask of water-flecked
glass, and her thoughts turned inward.
This would be the first time that she would be separated from her family for more than a week. Not that it was much of a family. Her father would probably only remember that she was gone when the dishes piled up to the ceiling. She could hardly believe she was leaving him all alone…He'd work himself to death for sure.
Even more saddening to her was the thought of all the books she'd had to leave behind. She simply couldn't take them all with her to this new school, so she'd packed what she couldn't possibly live without and left her heart with all of her beloved books.
She wouldn't fit in here. She never fit in anywhere.
/I just hope they don't pick on me too much…If I could be totally invisible/…She sighed softly, her eyes not seeing the world anymore…/If I could be totally invisible…That would be heaven…/
* * *
She aimlessly stirred the pot of broth on the stove, sighing softly. She'd be leaving today, and her father had forgotten to take the day off to drive her to the airport. It was just like him to forget to see her off. Getting transportation there was no problem, she could call a cab, but…It hurt that he'd totally forgotten about her and this day. She shook her head softly and poured the warm broth into a thermos, capping it and slipping it into her tote bag, the one that would be her carry on. It had a spare change of clothes, a few snacks, her sketchbook and a few pencils, two books, her laptop, and a bit of money.
The rest of her worldly possessions were either staying here in Okinawa, or going to the school with her. Most were staying here. She looked around once more, walking from room to room, saying goodbye to the kami that had shared the house with her and her father since they'd moved here. She paused at the room next to her library. The door was locked. It had been since that day…
She pressed her face against the cool wood, willing herself not to cry.
"I won't be gone forever, I promise…I'll come back…And you'll be proud of me, onii-sama…You and ka-san…I promise I'll do well."
* * *
"Miss…Miss? Miss Tsukino?"
She came to, idly rubbing the back of her right hand against her mouth. She'd fallen asleep. Blinking blearily, she looked to the cab driver and coughed.
"Yes sir?"
"We're here, Miss."
"Oh…" Two clicks and she was rising from the seat of the cab, painfully stretching herself out of the vehicle to a standing position. Momentarily blinded by the sun, she shaded her eyes with her left hand, glancing around at the grounds. Very green. Very sunny.
/I think I preferred the rain today…/ She sighed again and turned to where the driver had removed her belongings from the trunk, bowing to him.
"Thank you sir…" She reached into her back pocket and came up with her billfold, thumbing out the pre-determined amount of bills and handing them to the driver, who counted them again and bowed to her, then returned to his godforsaken car and drove away without so much as a "thank you."
Her eyes were once again pulled to the grounds. She sighed, something that was becoming a rather predictable action on her part, and looked down at her bags…
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step, Hikari…" She shook her head at herself and bent to gather her bags…The duffel went over her shoulder on its strap, and the backpack next. The tote bag strap went around the back of her neck to hang in front of her. The garment bag she hung from the loop on the backpack…She sighed softly and looked at the two rather large suitcases and the three medium-sized boxes, wondering how it had all fit into the trunk of the cab…
"Why did I bring so much?" Another sigh, and she brought her hands to her face, rubbing her temples, then looked around, wondering which was her dorm…
This would be the first time that she would be separated from her family for more than a week. Not that it was much of a family. Her father would probably only remember that she was gone when the dishes piled up to the ceiling. She could hardly believe she was leaving him all alone…He'd work himself to death for sure.
Even more saddening to her was the thought of all the books she'd had to leave behind. She simply couldn't take them all with her to this new school, so she'd packed what she couldn't possibly live without and left her heart with all of her beloved books.
She wouldn't fit in here. She never fit in anywhere.
/I just hope they don't pick on me too much…If I could be totally invisible/…She sighed softly, her eyes not seeing the world anymore…/If I could be totally invisible…That would be heaven…/
* * *
She aimlessly stirred the pot of broth on the stove, sighing softly. She'd be leaving today, and her father had forgotten to take the day off to drive her to the airport. It was just like him to forget to see her off. Getting transportation there was no problem, she could call a cab, but…It hurt that he'd totally forgotten about her and this day. She shook her head softly and poured the warm broth into a thermos, capping it and slipping it into her tote bag, the one that would be her carry on. It had a spare change of clothes, a few snacks, her sketchbook and a few pencils, two books, her laptop, and a bit of money.
The rest of her worldly possessions were either staying here in Okinawa, or going to the school with her. Most were staying here. She looked around once more, walking from room to room, saying goodbye to the kami that had shared the house with her and her father since they'd moved here. She paused at the room next to her library. The door was locked. It had been since that day…
She pressed her face against the cool wood, willing herself not to cry.
"I won't be gone forever, I promise…I'll come back…And you'll be proud of me, onii-sama…You and ka-san…I promise I'll do well."
* * *
"Miss…Miss? Miss Tsukino?"
She came to, idly rubbing the back of her right hand against her mouth. She'd fallen asleep. Blinking blearily, she looked to the cab driver and coughed.
"Yes sir?"
"We're here, Miss."
"Oh…" Two clicks and she was rising from the seat of the cab, painfully stretching herself out of the vehicle to a standing position. Momentarily blinded by the sun, she shaded her eyes with her left hand, glancing around at the grounds. Very green. Very sunny.
/I think I preferred the rain today…/ She sighed again and turned to where the driver had removed her belongings from the trunk, bowing to him.
"Thank you sir…" She reached into her back pocket and came up with her billfold, thumbing out the pre-determined amount of bills and handing them to the driver, who counted them again and bowed to her, then returned to his godforsaken car and drove away without so much as a "thank you."
Her eyes were once again pulled to the grounds. She sighed, something that was becoming a rather predictable action on her part, and looked down at her bags…
"A journey of a thousand miles begins with just one step, Hikari…" She shook her head at herself and bent to gather her bags…The duffel went over her shoulder on its strap, and the backpack next. The tote bag strap went around the back of her neck to hang in front of her. The garment bag she hung from the loop on the backpack…She sighed softly and looked at the two rather large suitcases and the three medium-sized boxes, wondering how it had all fit into the trunk of the cab…
"Why did I bring so much?" Another sigh, and she brought her hands to her face, rubbing her temples, then looked around, wondering which was her dorm…