They walked toward the car. Mika saw that the driver was a youngish man, probably twenty-seven or twenty-eight. He had black hair and was smoking a cigarette. He raised an eyebrow at her strange attire, but didn't comment.
"Who is this, Yuki?" he asked.
"Um, a friend from school who needs a ride; can we give her one?"
He sighed.
"Where does she live?"
He asked, slightly annoyed.
Mika was about to tell him, but Yuki cut her off.
"No, she needs a ride to the hospital, Hatori." He said.
"No I don't, you can just take me home." Mika said, glaring at Yuki.
"No, to the hospital. Don't think we can't see your injuries."
"No take me Home!" She said,
"No, Yuki's right, you should see a doctor, that arm looks pretty bad." The driver said.
Mika looked down at her arm, now slightly purple.
"No!" she shouted, louder then she meant. "I can't... I can't afford it."
(She hated to admit that)
"Well let me pay for it then." Said Yuki.
"No! I couldn't do that! I don't need your charity!" She shouted-- again too loud.
There were a few seconds of silence after her outburst.
"Really," she finally said, calmly. "My arm isn't broken, so I don't have to go to the hospital, and plus, I can just put it in a sling when I get home,"
"Well if you're sure…" Yuki said.
"I am," Mika replied quickly. She then gave Hatori directions to her apartment.
As soon as Mika got to school the next day, Yuki came and sat next to her.
"Where's your father, Mikatora?"
Damn.
Mika had hoped that due to yesterdays… adventure… he would have let the subject drop.
"He's at work." Mika replied.
"If you really don't want to tell me, I'll stop bugging you." Yuki replied. "But I really wish you would trust me."
"Not here." Mika whispered.
Satisfied, Yuki walked away. Mika managed to avoid Yuki for the rest of the day, and all the girls seemed to think that shunning her was a way to make her mad. They didn't speak to her, or acknowledge her existence. What they didn't realize was that Mika wanted that from the beginning.
After school she set out to work after school as usual.
She got to work and put on her uniform, and went to the janitor's closet to get a mop. On her way, however, her boss intercepted her.
"I told you what would happen if you were late again." He said, his voice disheartening. "And yesterday you didn't come at all. You didn't even phone in your absence."
"I had a very good reason for not coming sir." Mika truthfully said.
"What was it?" He questioned.
Mika hesitated. Somehow 'I was locked naked on a rooftop' didn't seem like the right thing to say. Her boss, however, took the silence as her reply.
"You were a hard worker, Mika, but you aren't the only person looking for a job. In fact, we've already found your replacement so turn in your uniform at Reception. Your last paycheck will arrive in the mail."
Then he walked away.
Mika was in shock. It happened so quickly, she couldn't even come up with a retort.
She walked home that day in a daze. Rent, food, clothes… were all that were running through her head. Because the girls had torn up her uniform --that she never found. -- She was down to only one uniform, too.
She walked into her building.
"Well I'll have to give up my heater fund then." She said.
"Heater fund? Why did you need that?" Someone asked. It was her nosy landlord. She had thought the answer was obvious.
"For winter of course." She irritably replied. She was in no mood for stupid questions—this day had sucked and she was in a very bad mood.
"Why, your new place doesn't have heating either?" He asked.
"New place? Why would I need a new place? I've paid my rent…" she asked, her mind scrambling as to why she would be kicked out.
"Well, this whole place is being torn down before winter, didn't you know?"
"No I didn't know!" Mika shouted.
Yeah, the demolition notice was put in your mail slot—didn't you get it?
"No, I didn't get it." Mika said, livid.
"Oh, well I guess I didn't put it in yours then. Well. Now you know why the rent here was so cheap. Better start looking for a new place."
Mika turned around and walked right back outside.
He's right. I'd better start looking for a new apartment. She thought.
Could this day Possibly get any worse?
When she stepped outside, someone was blocking her path. It was Yuki.
