DISCLAIMER: I own my characters, and my story line, other than that, I own nothing.
Please read and review, otherwise I'll cry and cry. :D
The sun was just starting to rise, spreading red-gold fingers across the town. A young woman stepped out the front door of her family's large home. Her auburn hair was pulled back. Her skin was pale and dusted with freckles. Her slender body was clothed in running gear. She sighed as she inserted the ear buds, tuned the world out, and started on her daily run. It helped her feel free, allowed her to work her frustrations out as well as approach the rest of the day with a clear mind. She ran through the town, making her way back to the house only after her sides had been hurting for twenty minutes. She walked inside and made her way to the bathroom attached to her bedroom, leaving a trail of clothes behind her.
After her shower she got dressed in her cheer uniform before picking up the still sweat damp clothes and tossed them alongside the other dirty clothes in her room. She grabbed a granola bar, her school bag, and the keys to her car.
"I'm off to school! I'll see you guys tonight, have a good day, I love you!!!" She called to her parents.
"Have a good day at school, sweetheart!" Her mother called back. She closed the door and walked down the sidewalk to her blue Wrangler. She hopped in, started the car, and drove off to school.
"Coty!" A blonde girl called, smiling and waving.
"Good morning, Emily." Coty smiled back as she grabbed her bag and got out of the Jeep.
"I'm so glad you're here! I forgot to do the math homework and…" Emily pounced as soon as Coty was at her side.
"Did you forget or did you blow it off to go on a date with David?" Coty giggled as her blonde friend blushed. "Anyways, I'm not going to let you copy it…"
"But I won't be able to cheer in tonight's game if I don't turn it in!" Emily pleaded.
"You didn't even let me finish! I was going to say I'll help you with it at lunch. It isn't too hard and then you'll still be able to be there for tonight's game." Coty shrugged.
"You are the absolute best! I love you!" The blonde wrapped her arms around Coty's thin shoulders and the two girls laughed.
"I love you too, but if you don't let me go, I'll be late for class!" Coty replied, winding her way out of her friend's grasp. "I'll see you lunch."
"Okay! See you soon!" Emily trilled, bouncing off in the opposite direction.
Blah…I don't want to listen to this history lecture…Coty thought to herself as she walked into the classroom, sat down, and got her stuff ready to take notes. The teacher came in a few moments later, smiling at the class like he knew half of them were going to fall asleep during his lecture.
"Good morning, class." He sat his coffee on the desk and pulled out the AP History book. "I know that it's the last day before spring break starts, but please bear with me. If we get this done, I'll let the class out early." Everyone sat up straight in their chairs and focus swept over the room. Forty-five minutes later, the class was packing up their notes and filing out of the classroom.
"Have a nice spring break, Mr. Callahan." Coty called from the doorway, but was gone before he could answer. She was walking down the hall to the library to wait for her next class to start when she heard her name on the loud speaker.
"Coty Setsuna, please come to the office. Coty Setsuna." The voice crackled and went dead.
The office? But I haven't done anything…Coty thought, furrowing her brow as she turned on her heel and walked back towards the office.
"The principal is in his office, dear. Go right in." The office assistant said, offering up a sympathetic look. Coty walked to the door and knocked on the jamb.
"You wanted to see me Mr. Bohdan?" Coty asked, staring at the man with pure confusion.
"Yes, Miss Setsuna, please come in." The balding man motioned to a deep green vinyl chair in front of the lacquered plywood desk.
"Have I done something wrong?" The young woman asked, sitting down in the chair, her backpack in her lap.
"No. Not at all, Miss Setsuna." A pained look fluttered across his face. "However, there is something that you need to know. Coty, your parents were in an accident. They are on their way to the hospital…"
"No! What are you talking about?" Coty cried shock and fear laced every word.
"Miss Setsuna, you are free to leave. You should be with your parents." The teacher bowed his head, dismissing the young woman from his office and his school.
Coty hugged her bag to her chest as she ran to her car, tears streaming down her face. How is this possible? Why? What happened!? Thoughts ran through her head, sowing new and horrible images into her imagination. She threw her bag into the back of the Jeep, stuffed the key into the ignition and tore out of the parking lot. She sped through the town, racing towards the hospital. When she finally made it to the hospital, she fumbled with her keys as she dashed through the emergency room doors, towards the front desk.
"My parents! Where are they?" She wheezed at the gray-haired woman before her.
"What are their names, dear?" The woman asked as she prepped her fingers to type in the names.
"Kaia and Akira Setsuna. Where are my mother and father!?" Coty exclaimed, tears still streaming down her face.
"Come with me." The elder woman said, as she got up and started to walk away from the crowded waiting room. Coty followed her, fear and dread welling up from the pit of her stomach.
"What? What is it?" Coty shrieked as they walked into an empty room.
"When your parents came in, they were both in very bad shape. They are in surgery right now, but I don't know anything other than that. Sit down here and I'll go find a doctor that will be able to tell you more about what's going on." The gray-haired woman murmured kindly before hurrying away, closing the door behind her.
Coty slumped down in one of the chairs, sobbing. Several minutes later there was a knock on the door, and a man in blue scrubs entered. He had blonde hair, blue eyes, and pale skin. He had bags under his eyes and he looked worn out.
"Miss Setsuna? My name is Dr. Grigoriy." He spoke with a mild Russian accent; his voice was filled with forced sympathy. He held his hand out, but Coty merely stared at his through red and swollen eyes.
"Why don't you just tell me what you came here to tell me?" Her voice was strained and angry. She made no move to accept the doctor's outstretched hand. The doctor simply sighed.
"Your parents, they didn't make. I'm sorry…" The young doctor watched as a fresh wave of tears started to flow down the pale, freckled face of the redheaded girl once again. "Is there anything I can get you?"
"My mother, she wore a necklace with a dolphin on it. May I have that, please?" Coty questioned, hanging her head.
"Sure. I'll take care of it." Dr. Grigoriy said as he got up and made his way out of the room. Coty sat in silence once again, but the thoughts of 'what if' had now turned to 'what now'? She nearly jumped out of her skin when her cell phone started to ring. It was Emily.
"Hey. I can't do lunch. Sorry." She answered the phone, said what she needed, and hung up. The phone started to ring again. Coty turned the phone off. She was in no mood to talk to anybody.
"Miss Setsuna?" The door opened. It was the young Russian doctor. Coty looked up from her phone and stared him in the eye. "Here's this." He held his hand out once again, but this time Coty made a move for it. He placed the silver chain, with its dolphin pendant, into Coty's hand.
"Thank you, doctor. They wanted to be cremated, if you could have their bodies transported to Craig and Dougal Funeral Home. I'll take care of everything from there." Coty smiled tearfully at him, and then walked past with the necklace clutched to her chest. She made her way to her car, and before she knew it, she was in the driveway of her home.
She walked into her empty home, only to find the phone ringing. You've got to fucking kidding me! Stupid phone! She thought before walking over to turn the ringer off. The name on the caller id caused her to pause. Grandma Genkai?
"Hello?"
"Grandma. I'm sorry if you called to talk to dad, he isn't here…" Coty's voice broke as a new wave of sorrow forced its way through her body.
"Coty. Pull yourself together and tell me what's going on." Genkai's voiced snapped over the phone.
"Their dead. Both of them. Car accident." Coty muttered between sobs. Her hand moved to the pendant at her chest. "Grandma, I don't know what to do…"
"Calm down, Coty, I'll find a way to get there soon." Genkai said, her voice less cold than it had been a moment ago. "Will you be all right until I get there?"
"Yes…I think so…"
"Good. I should be there tomorrow." There was a click, and the line went dead.
How are you going to be here that fast, Grandma?Coty thought to herself as she put the phone down again. She shrugged to herself, realizing that she didn't care how it happened, just that she was grateful that she would have family with her very soon. She made her way up the stairs and into her room, collapsing on her bed.
