Kokoro no Kagami

Rana: Hi. I'm Rana Banana Thingamabob. Don't own POT or any of the Beatles' song titles. By the way, the titles will have something to do with the story...in some way. See ya. R&R ENJOY!

Chapter 1: Free as a bird

Sobbing, Alex McCarthy threw things into a suit case. She didn't know what these things were, but she didn't much care at the moment.

Just a brain numbingly slow three months before, she had received a high school raffle award. That was a shock enough as it was that she had won at all—and let me tell you she sucks at winning things—but even more because she hadn't even entered.

It was probably because of Jordan, her devious neighbor, who usually pulls things like that, though entering her in things like that almost never proved to be successful, but strangely it had.

"Jordan's just weird like that." she had murmured to herself in disbelief when it had been announced by means of the schools megaphone thing-y that was up on just about every wall.

Alex, of course, did not believe it herself, as I have mentioned before, she had never won anything.

And worst of all, Alex had just settled into her high school life with all of her life time friends. It was especially hard to settle, however, because she was practically the only Japanese girl there.

Okay well not the only Japanese person there...but there were definitely not a lot!

Soon finished packing her eyes went from blankness to slight panic, and with a sigh and a heavy heart, she headed towards her mother's car, her goodbyes already been said to all of her friends—those who would still talk to her, anyway—her pace slow and stiff.

It was obvious, at least to her mother, that she would miss America, and all of her friends of course, her mother observed from inside of her car, watching her daughter's slow pace, while her younger daughter at twelve, Rita, waited impatiently from the back seat, repeatedly kicking the cursed thing, as though that was why her sister was taking so long.

Rita had already been angry, since she couldn't go to Japan while her big sister, who snores, could? As if!

In what seemed like forever, Alex finally reached the car, placed her bag in the trunk, not without difficulty, heart heavier than ever, she slowly entered the car door, and lifted up her ponytail of long, blond hair, making sure not to sit on it, and sat down next to her sister of the same height, Rita, who resisted the urge to say 'Finally!'

Staring blankly outside of the window, Alex paid no attention to her mother's driving, and didn't even bother to use her trusty, but creepy orange cat I-pod with large headphones.

Not that her sister wasn't happy about that. In fact she was overjoyed.

Usually Alex would tease her about stupid things, but not anymore! After that day, Rita would be...free...

Rita had not thought about this, and felt a little lonely suddenly.

No one, not Alex and definitely not Rita, would have ever believed that she, Rita McCarthy of all people, would ever miss her older sister. Ever.

The rest of the way Rita sat in silence and disappointment, contemplating about how this could've happened.

Meanwhile Mrs. Mary McCarthy was contemplating something else.

She had never heard her children so quiet. Ever.

Her daughter was leaving. Her baby was leaving the nest! Mrs. McCarthy sobbed silently, swerving around, nearly hitting a car, or a small truck.

She couldn't tell while she wasn't wearing her glasses.

The drive there seemed long, and dangerous when every so often Lucy paid attention to the road, but she had been used to it, especially while it was so rainy out. Maybe the plane wouldn't launch, and Rita wouldn't feel that way anymore!

But to Rita's unthinkable disappointment, the rain had stopped, maybe half an hour into the ride.

With blank and emotionless faces, the McCarthy women slowly got out of the small blue echo, and with slight reluctance, began a brisk pace to the large airport, splashing through the water, straight to the electronic airport door, which opened automatically as they stepped on the black, and slightly soggy mat that lead to the large and cool airport.

Subconsciously, Alex pulled down her straw hat that had been given to her by her best friend and prankster, and continued to look around the airport, mostly at the foreign people, and the oddly colored luggage, while her cold hands were in the pockets of her bright yellow sun dress.

"I'm gonna miss America."