II
I had always gone to school to Motoki as Azuba was the best high school in the city. Motoki lived in Juuban's border with the following suburb, but I had always lived in the opposite direction, towards within the inner city itself. I found myself changing that. For if I was to go to Azuba Private High, and then hang out with Motoki at his arcade before class for a drink as he did the morning run down before heading to class, and then go afterwards too, to study with him, rather than at one of our places, and force each other to make the trek, then I might as well make it more simple, more rational and reasonable.
So I packed up my meager amount of things, said goodbye to my landlord, breaking the contract and moved into Azuba Towers in Azuba, one of the best known apartments in the city and surrounding areas. It was so located that the suburb almost wrapped around a majority of Juuban, allowing me to walk past Juuban Public High and Middle School, and make a short jaunt to the Arcade, then past it, back into Azuba, with Motoki in tow, and go to our own high school.
I had not realized precisely what time I needed to get moving in the morning to complete that actually rather short walk to the interlude, then the equally short walk to school, so I had timed it all wrong, and actually had to skip my planned first morning activities in my new city.
As I walked by the two Juuban schools, I realized that they had already been in session for a full twenty minutes, and that my own school would be starting within a half-hour or so. Had I been twenty minutes earlier, perhaps more, I might have been able to have that fifteen minute break with Motoki before we would make to our own classes with five minutes to spare, if not more. As it was, I hurried to Motoki's family's arcade and met him as he struggled with the door to his sister's cafe, offering lighter foods in texture but maybe not in calories than his own section of food choices. She was already in the private school for grades eight, nine and ten, a middle between junior high and the high school that they attended. She would be joining their ranks next year but until then, her classes started earlier and got out at the same time.
There were employees that could handle the day shift at the arcade as college students often times enjoyed spending time there as well, and the employees often were those same ones as well. Motoki smiled gratefully as he noticed my approach, pulling firmly on the door, and the locks clicked into place. His parents owned this place as well, but preferred to empower their children in their desires and learning abilities, so let them have practically free range over most of the overseeing, stepping in when asked, but often times leaving it in their children's smart, capable hands.
I had learned all this from the years of interacting with him and sometimes his family as well. He explained on our walk to classes that he had finished setting up with for Lizzy because she had been running late and didn't want to run late opening after school. She had a smaller establishment and hired younger students to help out, to give them a leg up, and as everyone was in school at the time, no one was there to watch over it and she hadn't wanted it to be open when she wasn't there either. At first I had thought it nonsense for him to explain all of this to me, as it had no barring on my life or held any interest to me, but as a friend, I could see the value, and now, I could understand the hours which I was allowed to visit and which they would be closed. I also understood the pressures on his free time so much more as well, understanding why when he did have any, he chose to pick the most idiotic and random things to do, and dragging me unwillingly along with him.
Like this Friday's upcoming party. I had refused until he somehow had managed to maneuver me into going, and in the end I relented, because I liked parties, in a way. I got to learn what student's parents did for a living, and use that knowledge to manipulate them into giving me a meeting with them, and giving me into my true aspirations. Most though had lawyers or government officials for parents, and while that was all well and good, it was not my life's goal to be in charge of the masses. The masses could go to hell for all I cared.
No, my plans in life were much simpler, I would be in control of other people's bodies, I would placate the role of intervener, not allowing the power that wanted the person, and keeping them instead with those who truly needed them on Earth. I would be able to fix the errors that previous doctors had done with my own parents, and save another child's, another hundred children's, and I would do it all without a single emotion or thought slip out that wasn't necessary, for I would not have to break bad news to the family, and none of it would effect me in anyway. I would be in control of the fates of many, by keeping the bodies alive, what they did after that was none of my concern.
On the way to Motoki's arcade, I had deviated from the plan, as a new one cropped up, there was a seminar on a semester abroad in the Americas for any thirteenth year student, as that was ideally the age for freshmen in America, and you would gain first hand knowledge of the medical industry there, and then be able to come back and compare it here. As I was a twelfth year, I was too early for it. However, there was a course after school for those interested in the following year's roster to prepare them for the culture changes, language barrier and medical know-how that could prepare them for the selection process and give them a leg up.
I quickly signed up for it, I would not miss my opportunity to get away and into the field I always dreamed of. I had no doubt the following year, that the last semester before graduation I would be on a plane to the Americas and be there for six months before returning home. I was a prize student and that would only add to my value, giving me an easy way into the most prestigious Med school in all of Japan, Prince Rupert Academy. The dean of all affairs, which the school was named after, but partially tongue in cheek, had full veto power, but also could strongly make suggestions. If I could impress him enough, I would be made, but first I had to find a child in the school I belonged to, that was his decedent so I could worm my way into those same graces if my transcripts weren't enough. Which was, after all, highly doubtful, but I would take no chances, as they never gave to a second time applicant, ever.
It was on my way from my after school special, I would no longer be sharing the walk back with Motoki, when I felt a quiet thud land against the back of my head. I turned and picked up the offending object and discovered a crumpled up paper. I looked around, trying to find the culprit and found the girl from the other day walking away, shoulder's slumped, having no worries that she had just impeded my day. "What do I look like? A trash can you nit wit?" I opened the balled paper and my eyes widened, the score was disastrous. "I was right, a complete idiot."
The blond girl's shoulders tensed for all of a minute before she turned on the ball of her foot, somewhat ungracefully and stared at me in shock. Then she realized I had her test in hand and she snatched it away as soon as she marched close enough to me.
"How dare you!" She began, shoving the test into her school bag, I could see just a slight puffiness under a slighter red ring around her eyes, but I didn't care. She had hit me with the test, after all.
"Me? You flee-brain, you obviously didn't even look to see if anyone was sharing your space. How inconsiderate can you be?" Ah, but it felt good to hash into her, no matter how unlike it was for me to do so, I saw the growing fire in her eyes, pleased there was no more indicator of her tears from earlier, instead, she was getting riled by my words, and cold demeanor.
"I'm sorry I didn't look." She ground out.
"Ah, it's ok Odango Atama, I can understand that there's not enough space between these balls to allow much thought." I tapped one of the said balls on top of her head, a strange feeling washing over me as I encountered the pint sized girl in front of me. "As your test proved just moments ago." Really, how dumb could people get? I bet her life's aspirations were to be a model, she had the same brain power they did, and no doubt the same test scores. There was nothing more or unique or individual to this blond haired, blue eyed girl than the rest of them. Cause her eyes were blue, just not the pale icy blue I had imagined, rather they were deep and cerulean, a color so intense it almost hurt to look at them, almost.
She flashed those eyes up at me out of anger and she stomped her foot. "Jerk!" She huffed and turned away, disappearing into the crowd heading in the opposite direction I was previously going. Ah, so I didn't have to worry about her at the Crown today then, obviously already having been there, or at least being wise enough to know that her time there only wasted precious hours of study.
I continued on my path and enjoyed the company of my good friend, coffee and Motoki threw in some entertaining commentary as well.
That night however, was completely devoid of sleep and it had nothing to do with the nightmares that I suffered through in the beginning. Rather it had much more to do with the almost comical throw your own words in your face nightmares starting a small skirted sailor uniformed girl, the only difference was the color of the uniform.