The Orphan
101 Dalmation x
"Ready one, two, three, up we go!" Mikan had gone with the nice man and he really was a character. At the moment Mikan was clinging on to one of his arms while he carried the pale full of water in the other hand. The arm she was clinging onto the man was lifting her up slightly off the ground and then placing her down again.
Mikan looked around at her surroundings to see the other children playing too, she realised she was in the town square where Sumari and Luna had been playing before they came in. Mikan looked behind her and saw the same doll she had looked at many a time. Narumi looked at the girl beside him and followed her direction. He too noticed she was looking at the doll.
The two made it back to the Inn where Shizune was waiting at the door.
"It's about time you brat, the customers are complaining!" Mikan hid behind Narumi and Shizune looked at the man sceptically
"And who are you? A pervert? A kidnapper? Well sorry mate but this girl belongs to us at the Inn!" Narumi looked at the woman in slight shock but as soon as the look crossed his face it was gone
"You must be the family that took her in then, I am Narumi and I have been sent by Mikan's parents to bring her home!" Shizune looked wide eyed and yelled
"ROBERT! I NEED YOU HERE! NOW!" At that the man that answered the door all those years ago ran up beside his wife yelling
"WHERE'S THE FIRE!" Shizune clipped his ear
"This man is here to take away the girl!" Robert looked at his wife and thought for a second before replying with
"What girl? The only girls we have are Sumari and Luna!" Narumi looked at the man with wide eyes then looked at the child beside him. There was an upset look on her face and Narumi was not happy with what this gentleman had just said
"Do you mean to tell me in the nine years that you have had this child, who is hiding behind me, you have neglected her!" Narumi narrowed his eyes "Because if you have Master Izumi and Mistress Yuka will not be best pleased!" Robert widened his eyes and suddenly remembered
"Oh that girl! Yes little Mika she was always a good little girl, come on in out of the cold where we can talk some more" at that Narumi and Mikan were ushered in and Shizune and Robert followed behind. Shizune leaned to her husband and whispered harshly
"The child's name is Mikan, not Mika!" Robert looked at his wife with an indifferent look on his face as he replied in a hushed tone
"What's the difference? One letter!" Shizune rolled her eyes and walked over to a table where she offered the man a drink. Narumi declined and began to discuss details about Mikan, while Mikan sat next to him listening quietly
"I am here to bring Mikan back to her parents, I believe the deal they made with you was you were to treat her like your own until it was time for her to return to where she belongs" Shizune nodded and continued to listen to what the man had to say.
Out the back were Luna and Sumari. Luna had propped the door open slightly so she could hear the conversation. Sumari was behind her sister and didn't like the fact that they were eavesdropping on what should be a private conversation
"Luna we shouldn't be doing this! It is a private conversation between mum, dad and that man over Mikan!" Luna brushed her younger sister off and hushed her
"Shut it will you, I'm trying to listen!" Sumari balled her fists and closed her eyes trying t calm herself, but she lost it
"No I won't! You're not even related to us! Mum and dad took pity on you and brought you home but after I came along their own flesh and blood you were pushed to the side!" Luna glared at her younger sister and Sumari knew she had crossed the line. It was a line Sumari very rarely crossed now as it is such a sensitive subject. Sumari cowered away and mumbled an apology. Luna didn't accept and slapped Sumari around the face .
The nine year old was flung to the floor from the impact. Sumari curled up not wanting Luna to hurt her any more, but she knew she would. Luna had flames in her eyes as she continued her abuse on her sister, slowly Luna slowed and stopped due to tears welling up in her eyes
"I have tried to be nice for nine years Sumari, but you always like to push me don't you! You always have to bring up that I'm an orphan just like the brat outside..." Sumari stood up, a red mark on her face, battered and bruised from the other attacks but she had determination in her eyes as she interrupted Luna
"Mikan is not an orphan!" Luna smirked, her voice shaky as the ten year old tried to hold back her tears
"Yes she is Sumari! Why else would her parents drop her off here when she was a new born, and now some strange man comes waltzing in declaring that he will take her back and she will live the life of luxury! You just wait her parents will bring her back within a week, she is unwanted both here and at home, deal with it!" and with that Luna pushed Sumari out of the back door and into the mud outside the door then ran upstairs with tears streaming down her face.
Sumari stood up or attempted to before her palm slipped in the mud and she fell again. Sumari decided to stay there and cry instead. She felt like Mikan was the only one she could talk to, when she could anyway. Unfortunately that was very rarely as her mother was always watching Mikan like a hawk, just to make sure she wasn't slaking off so she would never be far away from the girls if they were together.
Since they were little Luna and Sumari had been told to isolate Mikan, but Sumari never could. As far as Sumari knew Mikan was another sister, and sisters look out for each other and help each other when they need help. Sumari continued crying until a ball came flying at her face and hit her right where Luna had slapped her.
"Ouch!" She yelled and held her throbbing cheek. A small boy about the same age as her ran over to her. He had mousy brown hair and doe eyes and a big smile on his face. He was wrapped up warm and was pink in the cheeks from running.
"Sorry, my friend has bad aim!" Sumari looked up to the boy and said
"It's fine, I understand that it was an accident!" Sumari attempted to get up again but once again she failed. The boy put the ball under one arm and offered his other hand to Sumari. Sumari looked at the hand then looked at the boy
"We can't have you sitting in the mud all night now can we!" he said with a laugh which made Sumari smile a little too. She took his hand and for a nine year old he was quite strong to be able to pull her up. She smiled
"Thank you" the boy looked at her and smiled, then he saw how red her cheek was
"Did the ball hit you that hard?" Sumari looked at him as he reached out a hand to inspect the suspected damage him and his friends caused. Sumari politely pushed the boys hand away as she answered
"Oh no, it wasn't that bad, I got hit by someone before the ball hit me in the face, so I'm alright" the boy nodded and the two children stood there for a while in awkward silence. Sumari was taking in the surroundings when she noticed the boys friends "I think your friends are waiting, you should go!" The boy looked at his friends who were winding him up by pulling faces and making love hearts in the air, he felt his cheeks heat up from embarrassment but covered the embarrassment with a smile and replied
"I guess I should huh! I shall see you around miss err..." Sumari held out her hand and with a smile on her face and a new determination proudly introduced herself
"Shouda, Sumari Shouda" The boy took her hand in his as he had a great big smile on his face seeing the girl in front of him smile and look much happier than she did when she was in the mud and in pain
"Yome, Kokoro Yome but you can call me Koko for short, see ya around Sumari" with that the boy ran off back to his friends. Sumari watched him disappear and smiled before going back into the house. 'That boy's smile is contagious' she thought as she walked through to the part where her mum and dad were. Once she was in the room she saw Mikan collecting a few things.
She could hear her mum and dad haggling with the man that brought Mikan back, but she ignored the adults and went over to Mikan and helped her.
"Here" Mikan looked at Sumari and smiled a big smile like she always does
"Thank you Sumari" Mikan took in her attire and noticed that she was a mess "Sumari what happened?" the concern that was laced in her voice made Sumari's heart skip a beat as her parents never gave her that tone, well maybe sometimes when she comes home late but not when she is messy and hurt like she is now.
"It's nothing just stood outside for some air and got hit in the face by a ball before falling in mud, don't worry about me" Mikan gave Sumari a sceptical look
"Luna hurt you didn't she" Sumari hung her head and nodded it in confirmation. Mikan placed a hand on her shoulder and leaned in close to her sister to give her a hug as she whispered in Sumari's ear
"Come with me"
