Harvest Moon: High School Parade

Chapter 4: Red is the color of Sports

That night, in my dorm room, I wrote down a few notes on how to go about talking to the members of the School Board. I had no idea who they were, or how to approach them. Looking down at my notes, I promptly tore the sheet from its binding, and proceeded to crumple up my plan for the 20th time, and threw it against the wall into the wastebasket. I slumped my head against the desk. I'm soooo tired. I will think about this tomorrow. Maybe I'll talk to Finn more about what to do.

I stretched out my arms above my head, and took a deep yawn. At that moment, a quiet knock was heard at my door. I wonder who that could be. I sat up and opened the door slightly to see who it was.

A girl about my age stood at the doorway with a neatly folded uniform in her arms. Her blue hair was in two braids that went past her waist. She clutched the folded clothes tightly against her chest as if it was holding her heart in. Her bangs slightly covered her deep blue eyes that had a look of nervousness and curiosity in them. Her little voice spoke up, "Um…e…excuse me. My name is Candace. I am here to bring you your uniform for school tomorrow."

I opened my door, and smiled at her in welcome. I motioned for her to come in. She tentatively stepped forward into my room and looked around at the blank walls.

"Hey Candace, it is very nice to meet you. My name is Hikari, and I'm new here. Thank you very much for bringing my uniform."

She turned to look at me, and blushed, "Y…you're welcome. I heard about you, and decided to come bring by the uniform in person so I could say hi. On my spare time, I like to sew, so I embroidered your name onto your clothes. I hope you don't mind."

I looked down at the sweater, and my name was neatly written in thread. I brushed my fingers over the letters. It looked professionally done. "Wow! Thank you Candace! You have a real talent!" Her blush became deeper, and she placed her hands on her cheeks to hide her reaction. I tried to smile to make her feel more at ease, and it seemed to help. She backed up a few steps, "Well, it was very nice to meet you, Hikari. Let me know if you need anything else. My room is just down the hall. See you in class tomorrow." She made a slight bow, waved, and quietly left the room.

She seemed like a very nice girl. A bit shy, but nice. I wonder what I could do to make it up to her.

Grabbing the uniform off my bed, I placed each garment against my body to see how it would fit and look. Not bad. I was never against uniforms. It seemed so much simpler not having to worry about what to wear the next day.

Now, my mindset was excited for the first day of school. For just a time, I forgot completely about my duty to speak to the School Board members.

I awoke to my alarm at 6:00am. Arrgh… I sat up and shifted my feet over the edge of the bed. Stretching and yawning, I blinked from the morning sun seeping through my windows. After realization hit, I immediately jumped up and smiled, "My first day of school as a Castanet Academy Senior!" This new thought gave me energy to start off my day with a positive outlook.

After getting ready, I stepped out of the dorm, and saw Candace standing next to a tree with her books in her arms. I ran up to greet her, "Hey Candace! It's nice to see you again. Could I walk with you?" She smiled, and nodded her head. She looked briefly past my shoulder as another girl joined us. She also had a soft, and sweet demeanor like Candace. She was a bit taller with long brown hair, and deep auburn eyes. She nodded to me, "Hello, you must be Hikari. It is very nice to finally meet you. My name is Anissa. Candace and I are friends." She then handed Candace a smoldering coffee mug, as she sipped her own. "If I would have known that you'd be joining us, I would have brought you some tea as well. I will bring you some tomorrow morning."

I smiled, "No thank you. I'll be fine. I'm more of a coffee drinker myself."

With that, she nodded, and the three of us proceeded to Harmonica Hall. As we were walking, I had an opportunity to really take a look at the scenery of the school. There were many trees, and grassy areas. This time of year was always the best because of the changing leaves. I saw students walking to and fro, waving hi to old friends, and saw others like me, new, and a bit overwhelmed. I turned to the other girls, "So, what's this Welcome Assembly all about?"

Anissa spoke up, "It's pretty much the same every year. There are a few speeches made about coming events and that sort of thing. The principal speaks, the ASB Director speaks, along with the ASB president and vice president." Anissa looked at Candace when she spoke about the last person, and smiled. Candace, like always, blushed from the attention.

"Are you the vice president Candace?" I asked.

She placed her hands on her face, "Oh, no. I could never…"

"Her sister is," Anissa said.

"You're sister?"

Candace nodded, "Yes, my younger sister Luna. She's a junior here."

"Yes and very popular!" Anissa added, giggling.

"Well, if she's your sister, I would definitely like to meet her sometime." Candace smiled at my remark, as we neared the hall.

Inside, we sat together towards the front as students began to file in. I looked back behind to see how many people were here. I shook my head at how little the student body was. I was reminded of the President's words about the school's future.

I have to find Finn so we could talk about what I need to do. Just before I stood up to find him, the lights turned off to indicate the start of the assembly. I quickly turned around in my seat to face the stage.

Mr. Hamilton walked out and approached the podium. A few people clapped.

"Welcome! Welcome! It is always wonderful to see your shining faces. I hope that all of you are excited to begin this school year. There are many different events coming up this fall. Be sure to listen to our daily announcements for dates and times. And now, I would like to welcome your ASB Director, Ms. Shelly!"

"Thank you Principal Hamilton. The ASB is very thrilled for this school year. Next week will be our spirit week to welcome all of our new students. I hope many of you participate in the fun games and activities. We are also looking forward to our Homecoming game against our rivals Waffle Town High School. And after our homecoming game, will be the Homecoming dance where we will pick a king and queen! So, without further ado, here is your ASB President and Vice President to say a few words."

Two students walked out. One was a girl. Even with her uniform on, she looked very stylish. Her hair was in two neat curly pigtails, with flowers arranged in them. Her deep blue eyes reminded me of Candace. She waved enthusiastically to the crowd, loving the attention, with an adorable smile across her face. So this is Luna. She seems very different from Candace's personality.

The other student was a very sharp looking young man. He wore the uniform perfectly, with everything in its place. He walked with an air of pride, and in front of Luna as if she wasn't even there. His light blonde hair was neatly combed. He never once smiled, or waved, and seemed a bit annoyed at Luna's exuberance.

I leaned over to Anissa, "Who's that?"

She whispered, "That's Gill, Principal Hamilton's son. He's been part of ASB since freshman year, and is the only student ever to be president two years in a row."

"What's he like?"

She was silent for a while. "From what others say, he's a bit arrogant at times. But I don't really know him that well."

Hmmm….He did seem that way. Yet, he was kind of cute. I was hoping I had a class with him to really see if he was what other people say he was.

I didn't quite pay attention to what was said, because I was too engulfed in my thoughts. By the time I realized I should be listening, it was over. The students began to bustle to and fro, and I craned my neck to see if I could find Finn. I really needed to talk to him.

Candace asked me, "Hikari, what class are you going to?"

I looked down at my schedule, "Um…my first class is…ah…P.E."

"Oh, well, I'm going to Math. We'll meet you at lunch. Bye!"

I waved goodbye to her, and Anissa, and weaved my way to find my green-haired friend.

It was 7:57am, and my first class started at 8:00am. I didn't find Finn. Ah screw it. I'll find him later. I can't be late to my first class.

After changing in the locker rooms, we had to meet in weight room since the gymn was being torn down from the assembly.

In the locker rooms I heard the voices of two girls talking.

"So, Selena, what happened the other day? How come you couldn't go out with us?"

"Ugh. You have no i-d-e-a. Mrs. Sue, is always punishing me for dancing in the dorms. I can't help that I have a talent. ARGH! I hate these P.E. clothes and uniforms. I can't get used to these things!"

"But you still look good in them."

"Oh please, Kathy! You know you look better than me."

They continued to chatter and argue about the dress code, and which girl looked better. I rounded the corner and uttered a slight "Hey," hoping to meet new friends.

They stood for a moment in silence looking at me. One of them was blonde, with her hair pulled back in a ponytail. She had a smile on her face, and her green eyes shown kindness. She was rather pretty, but didn't seem to flaunt it. The other girl was slightly taller, and had an island look to her. Her hair was a deep reddish-maroon, tied up in a stylish bun on the top of her head. Her long bangs cascaded around her face to accentuate her alluring eyes. Her skin was tan, much more tan than the blonde, and it was obvious she wanted her curves to stand out. The frown on her face conveyed a judgmental feel as if she felt threatened by me.

The blonde girl came up to me and stuck her hand out in greeting, "Hey, my name is Kathy. You must be the new girl. It's nice to meet you." I smiled and shook her hand. "This is my friend Selena. She came to this school just last year."

I looked at Selena, "It's nice to meet you. My name is Hikari." Selena just nodded then looked away in boredom. I knew I had to say something good in order for me to be accepted by her. I thought about it for a second, and said, "So Selena, I hear you like to dance. I'm not a very good dancer myself. Maybe you could teach me sometime. I would love to learn from someone as good as you." Bingo! With that ego boost, she turned to me and smiled. She began to chatter away about different moves and techniques, swaying this way and that, to demonstrate. I was an instant friend now.

When we walked to the weight room, I almost fainted from the stuffiness. I couldn't quite understand why it felt so suffocating when it was so large. I walked down the isles looking at the different equipment. I didn't know how to use half the stuff there.

As I was walking, I notice a guy using one of the weight machines. He was lying on his back, bench pressing what seemed like 300 pounds. I couldn't help but look at the size of his arms. I blushed, realizing that I was staring at his muscles, and immediately averted my gaze to a random machine opposite from him. Upon noticing my presence, he placed the weight down, and stood up. "Hey, you must be new here. I've never seen you around before." I looked over at him. He wore a tight black tank top, which had become quite damp from working out, and it showed off his solid build. His hair was in short spikes and the color of copper. I bit my lip to keep me from smiling like a giddy fool.

"Uh…y…yeah…" I stammered. Come on Hikari, pull yourself together. It's not like you've never seen a cute guy before.

He continued, "My name is Owen. What's yours?"

"I'm Hikari."

"Well it's nice to meet you Hikari. Are you a big athlete? Because I love weight lifting, and wrestling. My goal is to become as strong as I can be."

"Well, you seem pretty strong now." What? What kind of saying is that? I kicked myself in the head for saying something so dumb.

He laughed, "Haha! Thanks! Try not to work yourself too hard here. Things will get stressful for you fast if you're not organized and ready."

I smiled, "Thanks."

At that moment a flash of blue pounced on him, bringing him to the ground. I jumped back in surprise, wondering what just happened. The blue blur said, "Oi! Owen! Showing off your muscles to the new girl are we? How typical." Owen got up and brushed himself off. "It's nice to see you too Luke." Owen rolled his eyes and went to go grab his water.

The blue-haired boy turned to me and said, "Hey there! I'm Luke. I am a friend of Owen's. What's your name?" I was taken aback by his friendly and positive demeanor. He had straight, messy blue hair that was covered a bit by his blue-flame bandana he wore. He had firey hazel eyes that sparkled with a playful spirit.

"I'm Hikari."

"Hikari? That's a nice name. You know, life here at Castanet can be tough some times, but I'm a tough guy, so if you ever need help with anything, let me know."

I blushed, "Thank you."

He then swung his arms in the air like he was holding an invisible bat, and just hit a home run.

He said, "Hey, you should really come by and play baseball with us. I love playing baseball."

Owen came back saying, "Hmph, it's more like you love swinging a bat. This guy here, swings his bat pretty much every morning to practice. It's like he's obsessed."

That fueled a teasing argument between the two. As their voices grew louder, one of our P.E. teachers called out, "Hey! Boys! Quite your arguin', and Luke, you know better than to wear a bandana to school."

Like a little boy, Luke whined, "But Mr. Ra-mseeeey, Mr. Cain lets me wear it to P.E. You know I get sweaty."

Mr. Ramsey sighed, "Alright, you can wear it in this class, but don't let me catch you wearin' it in the hallways or I'll let Mr. Dale know."

Luke shuddered at the sound of Mr. Dale's name. That dean was always getting on Luke's case about things.

We ended up walking to Flute Field to do some warm-up exercises around the track. I liked to run. Running allowed me to organize my thoughts in peace. As I ran around the bend, I saw a familiar face and called out, "Hey! Finn! Hey!" I slowed down to greet him.

"Hikari! I was looking for you. We need to talk."

"Why? What happened?" My voice was filled with concern and a little mix of excitement.

"One of the School Board members is here."

"Like right now?"

"Like here at this field now! He likes to walk around the athletic field sometimes."

I looked around me to see if I could find him.

"Where? What do I say? What am I supposed to do if I see him?"

"He's sitting on top of the bleachers. Don't worry about what to say. He will let you know what to do."

"What does that mean?"

"You'll see. Go talk to him."

"But what about class?"

"It won't take long, you'll be back before class lets out."

I rolled my eyes, and took off towards the bleachers, praying that I didn't get in trouble. I saw a figure at the top, and ran up the stairs. There, a young man sat contently, observing the runners. I hesitantly approached him, "Ah…excuse me. Hi…I'm Hikari. I need to talk to you about keeping the school open?"

He didn't look at me, but said, "Yes. Sephia told me that you would come." He wore a sharp business suit, with a solid red tie, the only color in his outfit. He stood up and walked over to me. "My name is Alan. I am the head of the School Board. I am all for the idea of keeping this school. It really is a nice school. I just need to be convinced that this school is worth keeping."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've heard all about the progress recently. I am just concerned that the people may not be willing to put forth the effort anymore."

"I could help. Let me know what I can do to convince you that this school is worth it."

"Hmm…you're a very determined girl. I like that. The only way that you can convince me to keep this school, is if the sports program is thriving. That means, winning some trophies. You see, I am energetic, and earnest guy. I like to see a school where students put forth their full effort into using their own energy. Sports is a big aspect of a school. Get the sports program running, and a crowd to see the games, and I'll help you convince the Superintendent."

I made a fist pump, "Yes! That's great! Thank you!"

"Yeah sure. I will be going to the games to see your progress, you have until Homecoming to convince me."

I nodded my head, and ran back to Finn. I was beaming with accomplishment. It didn't seem too hard to boost the sports program a bit. I'm sure I'll figure something out!

Finn looked at me in nervous anticipation, "Well, well, what did he say?"

I relayed the conversation to him.

Finn looked down and placed his hand on his chin, "Hmm…that seems simple enough. But he's only one part of the puzzle. Even though he's the leader, each board member plays a key role in convincing the Superintendent."

Sigh. That's right, who knows what the other four would want me to do.

I was still confident in myself, "Well, I must work one step at a time. I will deal with the other members later. Right now I need to get back to class so I don't fail on the first day of school."

Finn nodded, and I ran off back to P.E. Boy! I hope the rest of my classes aren't this tiresome! My first day is turning out to be complicated.

END chapter 4

**Next chapter will be the next classes. What will it be? Who will she meet? Tune in next time for Chapter 5!