Part 1
Quest for the Orbs
Chapter 2: New life
Zentora is out looking at the stars when her mother climbs out of the window and sits next to her. "So, what's up?"
A hand is gently raised up to the hair covering one of her eyes. "Nothing. Just star gazing."
"You've been doing this a lot lately."
"I know. It probably sounds weird, but I think, well, it's like something's out there."
Jalise looks at her daughter. The girl, now eighteen, flips a strand of hair behind her ear. "Really. Like what?"
"I don't know." The soft voice reaches her ears with a strange sound. "It's weird. It's like, well, I don't know."
Jalise nods, wondering what her child could possibly be worried about. "You probably don't remember, but star was your first word."
The girl's liquid brown eyes are turned on her mother, taking in the kind face and the flowing black hair surrounding it. "Really?"
"Yeah. Anyway, I came to say goodnight. Don't stay up too late."
"Okay. Goodnight." Her mother climbs inside through the window and Zentora stays outside a little longer eyes transfixed to the sky above. 'What could be out there?' Zentora goes inside for bed.
After waking the next morning, Zentora goes downstairs to breakfast. Her mother and father are sitting at the table with her little sister, born four years after her adoption. Her older brother is also with them. She stops in the door when she sees the looks on their faces. "What's going on?"
Jalise glances at Martin, who in turn looks at his oldest daughter. "Come on in and have a seat."
Caution is in her steps as she walks slowly over to the dining room table and takes a seat. "What is it daddy?"
"My job is taking me to Japan."
"So? You've gone away on business before."
"Well, it's permanent this time."
She looks at him blankly as Jalise reaches for her hand. "I'm sorry honey, but we're moving." In response, Zentora looks at the floor. "We at least thought you'd be excited. I mean, you've been studying Japanese language and culture for so long."
"I am, I guess. I just didn't want to leave my friends."
"Well, you're not finished with high school yet. We don't really want you staying here by yourself. Besides, it'll be fun."
"Yes, ma'am." She looks at her parents as they begin eating.
Zentora is in her room going through her drawers. Suitcases are on the bed and she does another check to make sure she hasn't forgotten anything. She is closing the last one. "Are you all packed?"
"Yes, mom."
"Good. We leave in the morning."
"What school am I transferring to?"
"Well, you'll get to go to a Japanese school. I thought it would be good for you, since you already know the language so well. Louise wanted to go to Tokyo International University. Nyumi's going to be in a Japanese elementary school. At first her classes will start out in English. The teachers there help students learn so that they can join the regular classes as soon as they're ready."
The next morning, the family is sitting on the plane. Zentora is next to her little sister peering out of the window. "Zentora?" She glances up to see her older brother's hazel eyes. "I know you're upset. This is hard for all of us." Waiting for a response, the only thing he receives from her is silence. "Look at it this way. You know a lot more about the language and the whole culture than the rest of us. I mean, we'll still be brushing up on simple stuff while you're out there making friends."
"It's not like we're going to Africa."
"We'll manage here. Besides, it's a chance for you to start over…" Zentora looks at him for a moment before turning to stare out of the window. After a few hours, The plane begins it's descent into Tokyo. Zentora glances at her sister, who is asleep in the chair next to her.
Martin goes to a desk to get the keys for the new car that was given to him and to the family's apartment. The five of them enter the car with their carry-on luggage, everything else, having either been sent or on the way. Zentora looks out of the window, and looks up at the sound of her father's deep voice. "We'll be there in about an hour and a half."
Within two hours, she gets out of the black Mitsubishi and walks to the main portion of the large apartment building with her family. The elevator stops on the twentieth floor. Opening the door, Martin walks in first, as he is holding Nyumi and some of the bags. Jalise enters after him, looking at the apartment. When Zentora enters, she walks over to a nearby window. She does not open the blinds to look out, but merely stands there.
"Zentora, are you alright?"
"Yeah, mom. I'm fine." As she turns around, the thick locks fall over her eyes.
"Good. I suggest you and your brother try to get to sleep at a reasonable hour. Trust me, jet lag is not something you want to experience."
"Yes, sir." Louise picks up his bag and goes to the room that was shown to be his. Zentora does the same.
Closing the door, she looks around. After hearing a gentle rapping on the door, she opens it to see her father. "How do you like it?"
"It reminds me of my room back home."
"That was the idea."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome. I was hoping that it would be easier for everyone to adjust if things felt a little familiar. Well, goodnight. You've got three days till Monday. That's when you're set to start school." It's hard for Zentora to sleep knowing that it was just a little before noon when she left, but she manages.
Jalise's rich and cheery voice lingers in the ears of the groggy teen. "Wake up sleepyhead."
"Already? What time is it?"
"Eight thirty."
"Isn't today Friday?"
"Yes, but we're going on a sort of tour. One of the men your father will be working with will be showing us around. We'll be meeting him by nine which is why you need to get ready."
"Okay, I'll be out in ten minutes."
The five of them are downstairs in the lobby when a man and a woman approach them. "Mr. Johnson?"
"Yes…hello."
"I am Nubiro Takahashi and this is my wife Narumi." The woman bows at the mention of her name.
Martin bows awkwardly. "This is my family, my wife Jalise and my son, Louise. And these are my daughters, Nyumi and Zentora. The family nods as each of them are introduced.
"Well, let's get started." He leads them to the minivan, men in front, the wives on the middle seat and the kids in the back. "We thought we would show you around the major areas first. This is the shopping district and over there is the Japanese branch of our company. Not far from here, is the site where festivals are held. There will be one in about two or three weeks from now.
"Really?" Jalise looks over at Nubiro.
"Yes…young people gather in traditional dress."
"It sounds nice."
"Yes, it is. It's not just for young people here. Youth from other nations have come as well."
"What other things are there for kids to do around here?"
"Well, there's kabuki, karaoke, and things like movie theaters and the shopping mall." Louise gives a satisfied nod.
A few minutes later, they pull into a restaurant where everyone sits down and begins to eat. Zentora picks at her food with her chopsticks in silence. The middle aged Japanese woman turns to Jalise. "Your daughter is very quiet."
"Yes, it's her way." 'We were hoping the move would be good for her.' Jalise enters the apartment to see her eldest daughter standing near the couch. "So, Zentora, You were quiet today. How did you like the tour?"
"It was nice mom, very…informative." Zentora sits down on the couch.
"I was thinking of going to that festival."
"That's nice, Louise. Zentora, you should go too."
"Um, no thanks. I think maybe I should get adjusted first."
"Come on, sweetheart. You never did anything back home. Do you really want to live here like you did back home?"
"Mom, I just don't-"
"Where are you going, honey?"
"For a walk. It is Saturday. I just wanted to be by myself for a while."
Jalise nods. "Alright, but don't stay out too long."
"I won't." Zentora walks around aimlessly, prisoner to her own thoughts. When she finally stops walking, she finds herself in the shopping district. Lingering among the stores, she watches the people as they walk past her. At the sound of laughter, she turns to see a group of girls her own age walking and eating ice cream. Without meaning to, she finds herself staring at them as they walk past, entranced by their gaiety. She turns away quickly, angry with herself for wanting to be like them, that…carefree. She thrusts her hands into the pockets of her army green cargo pants and walks on.
An hour later, she walks into a McDonald's. She goes to the counter to order a large fry and a soda and proceeds to sit in a corner booth. While sipping her soda, she looks around and enjoys the soothing familiarity. A group of girls captures her attention as they walk in. One of them, a blonde with her hair streaming from two round balls at the top of her head, laughs loudly. Her blonde companion laughs too and the others shake their heads. They take their seats at a table not far from Zentora and she watches them. After finishing, she leaves quietly, though the girls have paid little attention to their silent observer.
On Monday, Zentora gets up reluctantly upon the sound of the alarm. Louise is already outside when she gets downstairs. "So are you ready?"
"I guess so."
"Well, I'll see you later then."
"Bye, Louise." She walks by herself, dressed in the female school uniform that she received though she honestly would rather have donned the boys' outfit. Her mother had said that she wouldn't allow such a thing. Gradually she begins to see more and more students as she nears the school. She pauses when she sees the students pouring into the gates of the massive building like people trying to catch a bus.
"May I help you?"
Zentora looks at the man in the office. "I just transferred here. I came to get a copy of my schedule."
"Name?"
"Johnson Zentora."
The man raises an eyebrow at the dark-skinned girl when she tells him her first name. "Here's your schedule. Do you need any help with it?"
Zentora glances at the kanji. "No, but could you tell me where room 400 is?"
"Upstairs, first door on the right."
"Arigatou." She walks out of the office and upstairs to the classroom. A tall thin man with glasses answers the door. Zentora gives him a note, which he glances at before looking at her.
"So you speak Japanese?"
"Yes, sir."
"Alright then. Come in." Zentora walks in behind him. "Class, we have received a transfer student from the United States. This is Johnson Zentora. The class stares at the quiet girl. Zentora stands a bit sheepishly, though she does not show it, eyeing each one of them from behind the wall of hair covering her eyes.
Changing out of her uniform, Zentora sits down at her desk in a T-shirt and a pair of black overalls. She pulls her thick purple locks into a ponytail at the base of her neck and attempts to push her bangs out of her eyes as she starts on her homework. "Zentora?" She turns to see Jalise putting her head into the cracked door. "How was your first day?"
"Fine mom. Plenty of homework."
"Well, go ahead and finish it then. I just came to check on you. Dinner will be ready a little later." Zentora nods and goes back to concentrating on her algebra.
A couple of days later, Zentora comes home, trying to hide the solemn expression on her face. Jalise's light brown eyes are full of concern. "What's wrong?"
"Nothing." Later that night, the family sits down to dinner. 'Louise and Nyumi seem happy enough'
Martin looks at his two oldest children. "So how was school?"
"Some of the other kids I met were talking about going to the festival together."
"Sounds like fun, Louise. How about you, Zentora?"
"I guess I'm still getting adjusted. I haven't really met anyone yet."
Jalise is quick to encourage her daughter to mingle. "Well, it's only been three days. You'll make some nice friends soon."
Zentora stands on the balcony outside of her room after dinner. She sighs and looks down at the city below. When she goes back into her room, she sits down on the velvety chair and reads herself to sleep.