TWENTY-FIVE
Morning finds her still curled up in bed. The sunlight streaming in, however, disturbs her just enough that she gives up sleeping in longer.
Her roommates have already left, except for Hazuki, who somehow stays asleep despite the light hitting her right in the face.
She trips over Mr. Penguin on her way to the bathroom; she must have tossed him in her sleep. She rests him against the head board. She imagines he says thank you.
When she returns, she takes her time dressing. It's warm in here, but outside there fall weather provides a noticeable chill, so she pulls on her favorite fluffy sweater.
It's kind of funny, how she didn't like the sweater at first, but it's grown on her.
She thinks that Mrs. Tsubasa and Mrs. Maria will also grow on her—well, from the little she saw a few days ago.
But tomorrow she's going to have the chance to really get to know them, to observe and analyze them. She'll hold off on making conclusions until she's gathered as much data as possible.
"Mornin', Elfnein. Sleep well?" the matron greets her in the grand hall.
She nods, drawing an empty plate towards her. There are a lot of choices, some more healthy than others, but considering that she's still so short, she decides on whole grain toast, a variety of fruits, and oatmeal. She's not going to stay short forever, not if she can help it.
No one else at the table tries to talk to her—the adults, because they know she's quiet, and the children because they've pretty much given up on her.
It's a plus side to tomorrow: she's never talked to Mrs. Tsubasa and Mrs. Maria, so her usual subjects of conversation are enough to tide her over for a while. It's easy talking about plants and bugs and all sorts of stuff—and she talked to Mrs. Tsubasa about history and A Series of Unfortunate Events, too!
Before she knows it, she's smiling. She stuffs her mouth full of oatmeal to hide it, but inside she can feel giddy flutters.
So much so that as soon as she finishes breakfast, she dashes out to the back yard at the first opportunity; her hands shake with all the energy she suddenly has.
Of course, being of a practical mind (or so she likes to think), she uses her newfound energy to weed the garden.
Mr. Ren usually takes care of it, but the cold makes his arthritis act up. Personally, she suspects some of his war injuries give him trouble, too. But, anyway, she likes to volunteer to help him with the garden year-round and especially in the winter. Gardens are great places to observe the effects of changing variables.
Her fingers dig through dirt as she tugs up stubborn weeds. Pretty soon, she has a decent-sized pile on the side.
Something bright glints beneath some soil.
It's a quarter. She knows because the library has a complete collection; they're worth twenty-five cents in the United States.
Slipping it into her pocket, she decides it'll be her good luck charm.
a/n: Please review!