Chapter One
The school bell rang, signaling the end of the school day. From within the school, door after door slid open, students rushing from their classes. With book bags in hand, the clusters of students made their way towards the school gate. Mindless conversations could be heard all about the school yard.
Inside of an empty classroom, a lone figure sat, gaze focused on the blank sheets atop her desk. Black hair draped across her face, hiding the young girl's features. Across the room, a voiced cleared, snapping the girl from her thoughts. With her gaze finally broken from the seemingly captivating white sheets, the student lifted her head. Blinking once, twice, even a third time, the girl attempted to clear her somewhat blurry vision. Ahead of her, at the front of the row, stood a rather short man. Gray hair and wrinkles gave indication that the man had seen many summers, much more then she had. Once again clearing his throat, the elderly man leaned forward, resting his arms gently on the desk before him, "Miss Yuumura?"
"H….hai!" The black haired girl stammered, nearly jumping to her feet, her chair slamming back into the desk behind her.
Letting out a long sigh, the old man withdrew his hands from the desk, resting one atop his hip, and the other across his forehead, gently rubbing his left temple with his thumb, "It is almost seven o'clock, shouldn't you be at home right now?"
"Home…" For a moment, the young girl seemed confused. Finally taking note of the time, she almost toppled over. Grabbing her books hastily and stuffing them within her book bag, she rushed out the door, leaving behind the elderly man, who couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
An impatient strumming sound resounded throughout the small apartment. Beside an open window, a woman with soft blonde hair waited anxiously. It was her fingers that strummed on the small ledge before the window. As a breeze past through the small place, the woman's blonde locks wafted across her face, impeding her vision. Frustrated, she raised her hand, shoving her hair back behind her ears. "Where is she!?" She knew the young girl to sometimes lose track of time, but never once had she been this late. It had been well over four hours since school had been let out. Pacing back and forth in front of the window, the blonde couldn't help but worry. Perhaps she was in an accident. Yet she quickly dismissed the notion. Her roommate was indeed very quiet and reserved, but her senses were always alert and more fine tuned then any she had met before. No, an accident was out of the question. Unable to wait about any longer, the blonde soon found herself, coat in hand, standing before the door. For a moment, time seemed to stand still, her hand lingering just above the doorknob as it was slowly drawn open from the other side.
Heart pounding, she bounded down the street, ignoring the shouts of those around her as she bumped into them. She was late. Mirielle was going to be furious. Amber. Red. 'Damn it,' She thought to herself, coming to a halt just inches from the street. A red light, of all the possible moments, 'I don't have time for this!' Tightening her grip about the handle of her book bag, the young girl spun hard on her heels, racing down the street and through a nearby alleyway. Twisting and turning, street after street, she drew ever closer to her final destination, until finally, before her stood the complex, home. Temporarily pausing to straighten her hair and the creases in her skirt, the youth slowly made her way up the stairs, stopping just before the door on the top floor. It took her a moment to muster just enough nerve to open the door.
When she opened the door, Kirika was greeted by a woman taller then herself, her blonde locks capturing in the glow of the light. "M…irielle…" Stunned, the dark haired youth let go of the door handle, her mouth hanging ever so slightly ajar.
"Kirika…" came the blonde's only response.
Both of the women stood silent, the seconds feeling like years. Coming to her senses first, Mirielle leapt forward, her right hand raised, fingers tightening to form a fist, "Do you have any idea just what time it is!?" Screamed the blonde, a bit more aggressively then intended.
At the sound of Mirielle's voice, Kirika cringed, taking a step back, her gaze falling to the floor. Voice soft, barely above a whisper, the small girl spoke, "Gomen Mirielle…. gomen."
Whenever Mirielle saw the young girl like this she couldn't help but want to hug her; wrap her arms about her and tell her everything would be alright. It was almost as if her anger merely washed away when she gazed upon Kirika in such a saddened state, and in its place, a feeling of mixed emotions washed over her. Slowly, Mirielle let her hand fall down, her own eyes falling victim to the seemingly mesmerizing floor. Several moments passed, neither spoke a word. Finally, Mirielle broke the deafening silence, her gaze moving from the floor to the clock hanging on the wall to her left. "Supper is on the table." Her voice was soft, but Kirika caught every word. "It is most likely cold by now so we shall have to reheat it."
One word out of that small bit stuck out to Kirika, who had at last found the courage to look upon the blonde. We'll? She hadn't eaten yet? Mirielle hadn't eaten yet? A puzzled expression hung about the young girl's face, "Mirielle… you… haven't eaten yet?" Sure it may have sounded stupid, but Kirika didn't care. How could Mirielle not have eaten? Kirika knew how hungry she got between their meals. Why had she waited? Why?
A rosy hint crept onto Mirielle's cheeks as she felt the girl's impeding stare. Clearing her throat, she turned about, pulling her coat off and tossing it onto the already overflowing pool table. "I… I'll go and reheat it for us." She said, rushing off to the kitchen before Kirika could say another word.
Left on her own, Kirika let out a sigh. Walking into the small apartment the two shared, pulling off her shoes and hurling her bag into the nearby closet before heading off to the bathroom to wash up. In the kitchen the beeping of the microwave sounded, indicating that the food was ready. Usually Mirielle sang softly to herself whenever it was her turn to cook. Yet this evening not a note resounded from the small kitchen, only the clanking of silverware could be heard.
Supper was eaten in silence. Eye contact was avoided, leaving even the quiet munching to be heard. Both of the women ate little, having no real appetite. After they finished, neither of the women bothered to do the dishes, placing the few plates and cutlery into the nearby sink. Kirika began her homework, and Mirielle preparing herself for bed.
That night was just as silent as supper, the ticking of the clock echoing through the open space. Not another word was spoken that night as the two women crawled into the bed they shared. Backs turned, neither could bring themselves to confront the other, even in their sleep.
Author Note: I am not the best at writing, I know that, however writing fanfiction is something that I have wished to try for quite some time now.
The next chapter should be up within a week or two, depending on how work goes. So please, submit a review, tell me what you think and perhaps even what you might like to see in an upcoming chapter.