The next day, Monday, starts like one from the front of a postcard. The sun rises and burns the skyline a magnificent orange, a setting the few clouds in the sky beautiful shades of pink and purple. The air on this early April morning is refreshingly crisp, but not cold. Kari left the bathroom of her apartment, her hair still wet from the shower. She, her brother Tai, and their mother shared this small two-bedroom apartment. It would cause problems in most situations, because Tai and Kari share a room, but this sibling pair lacks the rivalry that almost all have. Kari sat at the table and poured herself some cereal, just as Tai got up to leave. His school started an hour before hers.
"So what are you up to today?" Tai asked.
"We got our project done for science class, so TK, Davis and I are going down to the mall to check out some of the new computer games." Kari replied cheerfully. She, unlike her brother, loved mornings.
"How come Davis is going?" Tai knew she found Davis rather annoying, and that she liked TK, even if she didn't realize the latter herself.
"Oh he always goes. It was kind of neat at first, TK and I, or Yolei and I would go somewhere, and Davis would be able to find me. But he's getting too annoying. I like him but I don't want to see him all the time. I don't know how to tell him I want to be with friends other than him without him thinking I just told him I hate him. For some reason I just want to hang out with TK today," she said, rather gloomily.
"You'll figure something out, you're a smart girl." Tai picked up his book bag, and gave her a reassuring pat on the back. Kari looked up expecting to see Sora at the door. Tai opened it to leave just as Sora was about the ring the bell. They both lit up upon seeing each other. "Hey you," Tai said, and kissed Sora quickly, as the both left for school.
Until recently, her brother, and her female role model kissing made Kari feel queasy. Lately, the sight or thought of it caused her heart to skip a beat, and her mind to loose track of whatever it was working on, and show an image of TK. She knew why it was happening, even if she wouldn't admit it to herself.
Kari poured herself a some cereal. But since her bowl was already full from earlier, little coloured rings of the stuff went all over the table and floor. Kari shook her head back to reality, cleaned it up, and resumed the lengthy preparations females do at the beginning of each day.