Chapter 4

Tade sat on the bench as she heard the school bell ring. Students rushed to get to class, but today she didn't care if she was late. She had 5th period next, and already, she was ready to fall asleep. She felt her eyelids drooping as she turned her mind off, making sure her quick half-sleep wouldn't be disturbed.

"Mind if I join you?" Tade looked up to see a boy standing in front of her. She couldn't remember his name, but he defiantly was familiar. He wasn't exactly easy to miss. He had light brown skin, something not common in Tokyo, with almond shaped eyes. Dark lashes framed his face. He had long fingers too, longer than the rest of his hand. She looked back at his brown eyes and searched for a name.

"No problem, may I ask what your name is?" The boy sat himself down next to her on the bench.

"Yeah, my name's Issa." He smiled a brilliant white smile. Tade's heart skipped a beat. She blinked several times to try and clear her mind.

"You okay?" Issa looked genuinely worried.

"No I'm fine." Tade tried to think of something she could say to him. "Your smile is dazzling?"; "You're very attractive?"; "I think I'm in love with you???" no that wouldn't work.

"What's your favorite animal?" that's all Tade could think up.

"I kind of like birds, but monkeys are defiantly my favorite." Tade gasped. She was part monkey!

"That's my favorite animal too!" Tade squealed.

"Really?" Issa questioned in astonishment.

"Yeah! What's your favorite color?"

"I like most colors, but mostly yellow."

"This can't be possible. That's my favorite color."

"Whoa, that's weird." Issa said with a smile.

Tade smiled back at him. She had just met him, but she liked him. He was nice, and they had a lot in common. She tried to stiffen a yawn, but it failed and Issa raised an eyebrow.

"You seem tired." he stated.

"Yeah, at work yesterday there was some kid having a birthday party, and then I had to go home and baby-sit my brothers."

"Whoa, you have a lot on your plate, don't you?" he seemed truly concerned, which made Tade feel truly special. She blushed, looking down modestly.

"It's not that much. Usually I do a whole lot more… You should have seen my friend Yuki when she was around my age. Now she had a lot on her plate."

He tilted his head to the side, "How so?"

She froze, knowing she couldn't tell him half the stuff that had happened to Yuki because most of it was mew stuff. "Uh, well, it's kinda personal, and it, uh, wouldn't feel right telling other people…"

He held up his hands, "Yeah, its okay, I totally understand." he smiled that brilliant smile again, making the thirteen year old melt. The bell rang again, signaling that 5th period had started and they were officially tardy.

"Shoot." Issa said as he got to his feet. He looked at Tade again and smiled, "I'll see you around, okay?" Tade nodded and within seconds she was watching him walk away, leaving her there on the bench. Her heart was still beating fast, not yet settled from the wonderful encounter with that most perfect boy she had ever met.