The Orphan

101 Dalmation x

Sumari was casually sitting on a bench under neath an oak tree swinging her legs back and forth as she waited for Mikan. While she was waiting she looked at all the flowers that were dying, due to it being autumn nothing was in bloom but it was still a pretty sight to see the once green leaves change into fiery reds and yellows then to soft browns. What was also fun, was when the leaves fell and were crunchy. That is the time when you walk over the leaves to make them crunch under your feet.

Sumari smiled at the thought of what feels like a long ago childhood for her, but she never dwells on it, for at least she had a childhood, where she could experience things like crunch the leaves in the autumn time and watch flowers bloom in the spring. She always wanted Mikan to play with her during those times when she was little but unfortunately Mikan was always stuck inside cleaning. It was the same year that Mikan left when Sumari realised that Mikan never got a childhood.

Right now, Sumari was deep in thought mindlessly humming the tune she had always heard Mikan sing. Every now and again she would kick a pebble waiting for Mikan. She was so lost that she didn't hear Mikan as she sang the lyrics of the song she was singing.

Aren't any floors, for me to sweep

Not in my castle on a cloud

Sumari looked up to see a smiling Mikan. Sumari noticed how much she had matured and elegant she looked, she also had much more life in her than Sumari could remember

"I see you heard me sing, all those years ago then?" said Mikan as she sat down next to Sumari. Sumari smiled

"It gets me through the days" both girls were silent for a while when Mikan broke it

"So what's happened in the seven years I have been gone?" Sumari sighed but still replied

"Well we upgraded from the wooden shack we called an inn, to a pub" Mikan smiled

"Congratulations" Sumari just gave her an are-you-serious look and Mikan just replied with "What! A pub is better than the inn!" Sumari shook her head a let it go as she continued

"You would think it would be" At that Sumari looked over into the distance remembering the day they left the inn, the day she was made to clean the place from top to bottom while Luna sat on her backside and her parents finalised the paperwork. Mikan noticed Sumari was in thought and she brought her back

"Okay, something is up! You can tell me Sumari! I'm here for you!" Mikan turned to face Sumari and took Sumari's hands in her own. Sumari looked at Mikan and the tears she was holding in burst. In her mind it was like a re-construction of the dambusters, the only difference was the bouncing bomb was Mikan's words, and just like that the mental dam she had built to stop herself from crying crumbled, just like the dam in Germany did.

Sumari leaned into Mikan and sobbed "How did you put up with it! The shouting, Luna's harsh words and deliberate messes, the people, everything!" Mikan rubbed the younger girls back and let her cry into her the girls stayed like that for a while. When Sumari had let everything out she sat back up and wiped her eyes with her hand and got her breathing back under control.

"What happened?" Asked Mikan and Sumari confessed everything to Mikan. From her having to clean after Mikan leaving, to buying the pub, right up to today. Mikan was sitting next to Sumari and her fists were clenching and unclenching. Mikan always knew that Luna was a nightmare, to pick on Mikan was one thing, after all none of the three girls had any blood relation, but to Shizune and Luna Mikan was always the maid, but Mikan always knew that Sumari saw her as a sister.

"Luna deserves a slap, around the face, into a wall!" Sumari looked at Mikan with wide eyes

"Wow! Never knew you had it in you to think like that!" Mikan looked at Sumari and they both laughed braking the gloomy mood around them. After a while the girls calmed down and the serious atmosphere returned

"You know, my offer still stand Sumari. You can move in with me" Sumari looked away

"I would Mikan, but I can't"

"But why? Luna is being a bitch to you, just like she was to me! Your parents may not be as hard on you as they were on me but they still favour Luna over you. YOU! Their own flesh and blood!" Sumari looked Mikan dead in the eye as she replied

"Family stick together Mikan! And yes you to me are family, but I feel like I can't leave them, the place would fall apart!" Sumari calmed down and continued "I don't want to be the reason all their work goes down the drain! I know they will blame me, I can see the outcome now" Mikan turned to Sumari and gave her a hug which Sumari truly needed at that point.

"It's okay, but my offer still stands and will continue to stand okay!" Sumari pulled back and nodded, Mikan wiped Sumari's eyes before standing up and offering her hand out to Sumari "Come on, I bet you're hungry?" Sumari looked down as her stomach growled and her cheeks turned red from embarrassment, Mikan giggled as her stomach did the same, then both girls were laughing.

Sumari took Mikan's hand and stood up from the bench and the two girls walked off with their arms around each other talking and giggling as they made their way to the cafe. Little did they know that their whole conversation was overheard by a boy with crimson eyes who was hiding in the branches of a tree the whole time.

He never took notice of Sumari until Mikan came along, and in all honesty he felt sorry towards the girl, as well as Mikan. He doesn't know everything about the two, but he knows his school life has just been made more interesting.

Mikan and Sumari entered the cafe and straight away Mikan spotted Anna, Nonoko and Hotaru right away. Mikan smiled and pulled Sumari with her and Sumari stumbled along behind for a little bit before setting herself straight and walking properly. When Sumari looked at where they were going she tensed.

She knew that the three people they were walking over too were all heiresses to major companies and industries, especially Imia. Sumari still followed behind Mikan. Mikan stopped at the table and greeted the girls

"Hey, so what's happened over lunch then?" Mikan casually asked

"Not much apart from the place has been quiet as Natsume hasn't come in yet" replied Nonoko while Anna had her mouth full of food and Hotaru was working on some invention. Anna looked up and noticed Sumari was standing behind Mikan. She finished her mouth full and spoke

"Hello Sumari" Sumari fidgeted and waved and mumbled a greeting while Anna continued "Sit down both of you, your making me feel uncomfortable!" Mikan smiled and sat down and Sumari sat down next to Mikan. Hotaru looked at them both and noticed how uncomfortable Sumari was. Hotaru was about to say something when Mikan beat her to it

"Sumari calm down, nothing is going to happen. I promise" Sumari weakly smiled at Mikan and she relaxed a little. Until Hotaru asked the question she was hoping wouldn't be asked for another couple of days

"So Shouda, how come your so close to Mikan?" Sumari looked at Mikan who simply replied with the truth, or as close to the truth as possible.

"Well, we are step sisters in a way" The three looked at them and simultaneously asked

"How!" and Mikan explained about growing up with Sumari and Luna. The three girls stopped what they were doing and listened with intent. They developed a new found respect for Sumari. They will admit, they thought she was just taking her subjects lightly but after hearing what Sumari is going through the girls had a change of heart and realised, she is not deliberately late all the time.

Not only that but the fact she had to live with the biggest bitch in the school, made the three pity both of them, Sumari more than Mikan due to circumstances. After the story had been told, the cafe went quiet and Nonoko turned and looked at the entrance of the cafe.

"Speak of the devil, and the devil shall appear" all four of the girls turned to the entrance to see Luna with two girls standing behind her.