"Ken-chan

"Ken-chan!" My brother Osamu yelled. "Are you ready to go yet?"

"Uh huh." I ran into the living room, pulling on my sneakers.

"Come on Ken, we gotta go."

"I can't tie these shoes…" I looked down at my shoes.

"Yes you can. You tied your old shoes."

"I can't!"
"Just do it, and lets go."

I tried over and over to tie them, but I couldn't. "Osamu! Tie them for me!"
Osamu walked over to me. "Do it yourself!" Unfortunately, Osamu was in charge today, because Mommy and Daddy had to go visit Gramma in the retirement home. Osamu had to get us to school, and home. He was a big kid. He was ten years old, he could handle everything.

"But I can't…!" I started to cry. I pro'bly coulda tied my shoes, but I was hysterical because Osamu was being mean about it.

"Fine. Gimme your foot." I stuck my foot into the air, and Osamu tied my shoes. "Little baka brat…" He muttered.

I hopped up and grabbed my backpack. "I'm ready to go Osamu!" Osamu grabbed his own backpack, grabbed my hand, and went out the door.

"C'mon, we're late." We lived real close to the school, so we are going to walk. We ran all the way to school, and I thought we were racing. So I ran to the end of the block, and said I won. "You won what?" Osamu said nastily. "You never win anything. You're a loser. So what are you imagining you won?"
"The race."
"What race? Were we racing, I don't think so."

"I thought we we're."
"Well we weren't! You didn't win because no one else was playing!"

"Your just a big meanie!"
"A meanie, huh?"

"That's right, a meanie. All your good for is winning stuff and being a smarty-pants. Nobody likes you 'cept Mommy and Daddy."

"Well…" I'd got him there. He never had time for friends; he was always doing something more important. "No one likes you either!"

"That's 'cause I don't know anyone yet. You do." I smiled evilly at him. For once I got him! He's the one with nothin' to say this time!
We walked to the school building. I looked at Osamu and asked him where I should go now. But he didn't answer. He was making funny sounds, and his face was all wet. I don't think he was crying though. Osamu never cries.

"Osamu?" I said, tugging on his sleeve.

"Go t-to the third floor. On your way up, someone'll give you a piece of paper with your teachers name."
I walked into the building and up the stairs. Osamu went up to, but he went down the hall, and I didn't see him again. A lady came up to me, and gave me a piece of paper that said, 'Mrs. Tachini.'

I walked into the building that said Mrs. Tachini. I sat down in a plastic chair. I was kind of late, so I got in when everyone was shouting 'konichiwa.'

"Since this is the first day, when I call your name, say something about yourself, okay?" Mrs. Tachini said.

"Okay!" Everyone shouted.

"Ichijouji Ken?" I stood up. I didn't want to talk. Was I in trouble?

"Ken?" Mrs. Tachini said. "Why don't you tell us something about yourself?"

"I…" I trailed off. I couldn't think of what to say. "I li-"

Mrs. Tachini smiled. "It's okay Ken, you don't have to. Sit down." I sat down, smiling gratefully. "Okay, Cha Sioberi?"

A girl with blond stringy hair stood up and said, "I love to play outside!" She cartwheeled back to her seat.

"Sioberi, next time, lets try walking." Mrs. Tachini said smiling. "Fujisan Ashley?" A little girl with pink hair stood up.

"I like to draw…" She said.

"That's lovely." Mrs. Tachini said. She smiles too much, and her voice is all syrupy. "Motamiya Daisuke?" A boy with goggles on his head stood up.

"I like to run around really fast for no good reason!" He shouted, and jumped back into his seat.

Mrs. Tachini had everyone else come up and talk. Afterwards, she gave us a piece of paper, and a crayon. "Draw whatever you like."
My crayon was black. Black is a cool color, at least I think so. A lot of people didn't like their crayon though. They were taking them to the stringy-head-girl, and paying her to eat them! I didn't want her to eat mine. That was good. I could spend my quarters on candy!

I drew a picture of a dog. I kept drawing and drawing, and I didn't notice that Daisuke and Sioberi had run out of the classroom. But when everyone said, 'Oooo…' I found out. "I hope none of you children are as badly behaved as those two." Mrs. Tachini said.

"We aren't…" Everyone chorused.

We had free time the rest of the morning. I kept working on my doggy, until I thought it was perfect. I showed it to Mrs. Tachini. "It's lovely dear." She said.

I couldn't wait to show it to Mommy! I put it in my folder, so it wouldn't get wrinkled. Then I put the folder in my backpack.

Soon, it was lunchtime. Osamu had put some stuff in my lunchbox. When I got to the cafeteria, I saw what it was. A Twinkie, a can of 'Daddy's special soda.' The can said Budweiser on it. Osamu had also packed a lemon Italian ice. I don't like lemon! It's too puckery!

"I'll trade'ja my cookie for that icie." Ashley, a girl from my class said.

"Sure." I gave her the icie, and she gave me the cookie. I tried Daddy's special soda.' I spit it out instantly. "Eew! This is icky!" I threw it across the room. Luck'ly, it landed in the garbage, so I wasn't in trouble.

So my lunch consisted of a cookie and a Twinkie.

By the time I finished, lunch was over, and I had to go back to class. I walked up the stairs, and waited for Mrs. Tachini to tell us what to do. "Class, I'm going to read you a story. My daughter, Jessy wrote it. She's a famous children's book author." I knew who she was talking about. Mommy read me books by Jessy Tachini all the time. Mrs. Tachini read us one that was dedicated to her. I didn't like it very much, because it had a sad ending. I don't like sad endings. One kid even started to cry. Mrs. Tachini put the book away, and didn't finish it. "Okay, so…everyone, heres a worksheet for you to do." She handed out ditto sheets with math problems on them.

I did mine, and handed it in.

That was pretty much how the rest of the day went. Free time, worksheets, and a more appropriate story.

Mrs. Tachini let us out into the yard at the end of the day. I stood there, waiting for Osamu. He was supposed to get me when he got out. Maybe he hadn't got out yet.

But an hour later, I was getting scared. I didn't know where he was, and he wouldn't have detention or anything.

A pretty lady teacher walked up to me. "Hi. What's your name?"
"Ichijouji Ken."
"Well Ken, shouldn't your mommy or daddy have picked you up by now?"

"I'm waiting for my brother."
"Okay. Well, maybe you should wait over here." She led me to a narrow alley. "This is where kids wait if they don't get picked up right away."

"Okay. Arigato." The teacher walked away, leaving me to wait. I saw a figure in the shadows of the alley. He had something pointed to his head. Suddenly, there was a big noise. And the guy fell to the ground.

I could now see who it was. It was…Osamu! "'Samu!" I screamed, running towards him. "Get up!"
But he didn't get up. He just stayed there, lying on the ground. It wasn't until Mommy found us, and told me, that I realized he was dead. When she asked me how it happened, I couldn't tell her. I was crying to hard.