It's raining outside. Clouds are merged in one big cloud. Is it the king of the clouds ? My nose touches the window. I like rain. It makes everything less real. Blurry, like my thoughts.
I turn back. This is my room, unless something happens. For now, it is. I should put painting on the walls. Or... why not paint the walls ? Could be good. Mom and Dad unpacked my things and left this morning. Told me "good luck". I don't know if I need any luck, or am lucky anyway. Is being here a lucky thing ? I just chose it randomly, don't know why. Maybe the people here will be more interesting than the others.
I look at the window again. Knock knock. King of the clouds... Knock knock. Guess I have a visitor. It's a loud knock. I walk to the door and open it.
"Hi!"
A person with a skirt. Probably a girl, even if she's flat. She is short and her voice a bit too loud.
I don't like skirts much. I can't do anything without getting stared at, so I wear trousers. Mom and Dad told the owners of the school to give me a boy's uniform. It's a bit tight, but better than a skirt, I think.
"Hello? Someone there?" She giggles.
She's grinning widely, wonder why. I never thought I was a funny person. She has long hair with a ponytail. I look behind me.
"No. Unless I'm the someone you're asking about, but in that case, I'm here."
She raises an eyebrow. "… Sorry?" She giggles again. "Silly, I asked that because you weren't HERE, you know? You were dazing off and everything!"
I look at her for a bit, then looks at the wall. Should paint it...
"So uh... I noticed we were in the same class, and neighbors, so I thought I could introduce myself! That's normal, isn't it ?"
I shrug. "I'm not very good with normality. But okay."
I let her in. She enters and looks around curiously. Her legs are doing a weird noise. They look weird, actually.
"Your room looks nice! Not much decoration, but mine is the same! Can't do much on our first day."
She seems stuck on smile mode. Creepy. Or nice. Not sure.
"My name is Emi Ibarazaki. Nice to meet you!"
"Why are your legs making a funny noise?"
Her smile drops. "Well, uh... Okay (she sighs), I have the same... problem as you."
I am surprised. "You mean you can't peel oranges?"
"No, dummy : I have no legs. Like you have... no arms."
Oh.
"But you are standing."
She smiles and removes one of her socks. There is a metal thing under it. Interesting.
"Oh, fake legs."
"Yes ! And may I know your name? You aren't very polite, aren't you?" She giggles again.
I shrug. Finding words is hard enough, trying the politeness is too much for me to handle.
"I'm Rin. Rin Tezuka."
She beams. "Rin! That's a nice name. I wonder if they made us neighbors because of our disabilities..."
I look at her, semi-interested. She keeps talking, fast.
"I mean, put us together and we form a complete human being!"
"No. We would have two heads. It would be a mess."
She frowns. "You got the idea, Rin ! Don't play stupid."
I don't like games, I am not playing.
"And we'd have four boobs too. Although..."
I look at her chest. More like two and a half boobs... She seems to get it, given the face she makes. I smile.
"Hey!" She pouts for a second. She really looks like a child when she does this. She's not tall either. I wonder if she does a thing she can't do, like me. Then she smiles again.
"Say, Rin..."
"Rin."
"… Damn, you are silly. I saw you in classes today. You weren't listening at all!"
I wasn't? Classes bore me. The teachers keep talking and talking, like this girl. Buzzing like insects.
"There was a cloud. Teacher was boring."
"That's no good!"
She then gets closer and winks. "I wasn't listening much either!"
And giggles again.
"I mean, come on, it's our first day! Excitation takes over studying!"
"I am not excited, Emi."
I feel like last names are useless now.
"You should be. Bad Rin!"
She frowns and glares at me. I don't see the problem. I look at the window, watching the rain falling. Emi pauses and looks in the same way.
"Hmph. Stupid weather for a first day!"
"Is rain stupid?"
"Uh? Eh, no… I mean, rain isn't alive. But the fact that it's raining is stupid!"
She seems confused. She is the one saying confusing things though.
I shrug. "I like rain, even if it's stupid. Maybe I'm stupid."
I've been told that a few times, after all.
She frowns. "But because of it, I couldn't check the track!"
"Why?"
"Because it's raining, and I don't have an umbrella. Do you… oh, sorry…" She looks at my arms with embarassment. I have an umbrella, though. Everyone can have one.
"Just imagine you have one."
She looks at me funnily. "But that won't stop it!"
"Just imagine harder."
She pauses, then smiles, giggling. "I may try someday. So you like walking in the rain with your imaginary umbrella?"
"Yes."
"Hmm?"
"Yes, I do."
She seems curious. "Why, Rin?"
"Because it feels like walking in a painting. Everything fades away. Everything seems from another world. Maybe a world I know better." I shrug again.
She smiles widely. "Oh, Rin! That's so pretty! Never considered rain like that… Hey, finally you talk! I was afraid I was disturbing you." She pauses. "I'm not, am I?"
She is my first visitor, and she doesn't seem hurtful, like most people. "You aren't."
"Great! So, painting uh? Do you… paint, Rin?" She looks at my arms again.
"It's a thing I can do, yes." Maybe the only one.
"But how…" She interrupts herself.
"Ask. It's okay."
"How do you paint? With your mouth?"
"Sometimes. But more with my feet."
Her eyes widen. "Ooooh, that's amazing! You'll have to show me."
I look at the walls again. I wonder if the king of clouds is still there… Wait, did she talk about the track?
"Why did you want to see the track?" I hope her reasons are interesting. Or scandalous. Or both.
She jumps a couple of times and grins. "I'm a runner!"
Okay, interesting. "How do you run with no legs?"
"My prosthetics are made especially for it! Well not these ones (she points at them), I have another pair!"
I never wanted any prosthetics because I don't need them, but obviously she couldn't run on her hands.
"So, you run." I look at her.
"Yes! Wanna join? You must have some good muscles since you do everything with your legs!"
"I never run. It would hurt my feet and I prefer to paint."
She grins. "I see! As long as you have something, that's cool, uh?"
Cool? I don't think anyone has called something I did cool in a long time. I shrug. She talks too loudly…
"I have something." Yes, something. She thinks for a moment and talks again.
"So, I guess I'll see you around, Rin! I'm glad to be your neighbor."
"You shouldn't try to predict the future, Emi." I close my eyes. I need sleep.
"I'm sure I can try! I'm not afraid of the future! Later!"
She exits, closing the door with energy. What a strange person…
Morning. I don't remember my dreams much, but I think I was running at some point.
Dressing myself is hard. Panty and socks are okay, trouser is a bit more complicated to close, but bra and shirt are a pain. Mom used to help me with them, but she isn't here now… Stupid bra… Oh, I'm calling dead things stupid, like she did. Is that stupid?
Knock knock.
A few seconds after the last knock, the door opens, revealing an energetic, still as flat Emi.
"Hiiii Rin! I thought we could… uh?"
She stops and stares at me, struggling with my bra in my mouth. She seems to be about to laugh, but she doesn't.
"Ow, you should have called me!"
She immediately comes nearby and helps me putting my bra on. I look at her face. She is focused and serious while doing it.
I give an explanation. "I'm bad with shirts and bras."
She grins and grabs my shirt. "Then I'll help you!"
We walk in the corridor together. I have to paint today, find an art room, chamber, something. I heard there was one. Emi seems happy.
"I ran before coming to your room! It felt good."
I could paint a cloud king.
"We should go to classes together every morning, since I'm gonna help you getting dressed!" She adds.
"Why?"
She jabs my shoulder. "That's what friends are for, Rin!" And she laughs.
What is… Why am I smiling? Friends? She sees me and smiles more.
Maybe I was lucky, after all.
