Well, here I am. Another attempt at a story. Hehhehheh. I wanna keep this short and sweet. This is about Samantha (for some odd reason), but I am attempting to keep the story serious, for the topic is rather... well...serious (not in a bad way- just death). I tried to write this earlier in the summer, but my computer crashed. It gave me time to think about how I wanted to write this. So here goes nothin'. You know the disclaimer rules already, so why bother?
PG for minor swearing and dark topic.
BTW- I am making up last names for some of the characters- the ones that don't have them anyways. And ' ' means thinking- EX- 'how now brown cow?'
~~~
1.) Melody...
She opened the door for the first time in almost a week. Everything had happened so fast, that she just needed some time off from school to adjust. As much as the faces staring back at her (now showing concern and care, compared to the usual dislike) seemed to offer acknowledgement in sympathy, she knew that few of the faces were showing truthfulness as well. Four of them to be exact- the usually energetic eyes of the spiky-haired youth to her right and the squinted ones of the stout boy behind; along with the two sets of eyes closer to the front, dark blue owned by the boy, and warm brown of the girl's.
But they had seen it happen as well. Had it really already been a week?...
~~~Two weeks ago~~~
Samantha sighed loudly as she finished reading her E-mail, and then mumbled under her breath, "Ah crap."
Interested In his Boss' outcry of utter disappointment, Spyke questioned, "Is something wrong, boss?" He thought that maybe she had been caught checking her E-mail. It had been made illegal within the school, due to fear of contracting some computer virus. Yet many people still did, although people had been caught...
"Nah, my sis' is coming home for a visit."
"What's wrong with that?" Whispered Sloan.
"You have no idea..." she started, before being interrupted by an angry Mr. Kato, the computer lab instructor.
"Mr. Musashi, Miss Wantabe and Mr. Akimouji, please refrain from conversation or you will be sent to see Mr. Principal and your computer privileges will be suspended."
"Sorry Mr. Kato" 'The Screws' replied in almost unison. When Mr. Kato turned away, she quickly shot out "Meet me after school, same time and place as usual."
"Right."
"Got it!"
Sam reread the E-mail four more times. 'Why is she coming home? She's got no business over here. All that she needs is in Boston. She left Mom and me to fend for ourselves. So why is Melody returning to Japan, especially now...?'
Melody Akiyama was her older sister from their mother's first marriage. Samantha's mother, Naruka Shibashi, was originally married to one Yue Akiyama. Both were very happy together, and their union soon yielded the birth of Melody. The couple loved their daughter very much, and always dreamed that the happy little Akiyama family would always be together.
But times would change. Melody herself would become well known for not only her special talent in the field of the arts, but was also renowned for her skills as a Robattle Champion. Yet, just as Melody's life was reaching a great high point, the earth was pulled out from under her feet.
Yue became desperately ill. Doctors said that he had a rare disease- a strain of the now nearly eradicated HIV/AIDS virus. A vaccine had been created about 30 years ago, but a small few of the world population had developed a genetic resistance to it, and leaving the person open for risk.
Yue soon succumbed to the disease. Apon further testing, doctors discoveredthat the now 12-year-old Melody too had the resistance gene, along with the virus. Yet, doctors figured that Melody had a long time to go before she would be in such a state as her father. So life somewhat went on.
Samantha was somewhat blurry at the details of the next few years. Apparently, Melody was so good at Robattling, that she had received the honor of entering the World Robattling Championship as the second-best Robattler in Japan with her partner, Wyndangel, an NGL (angel) type Medabot.
She did fairly well; that was, until all heck broke loose. In the middle of a semifinal match against a German kid with a Cyandog, she collapsed and could not be revived by normal means. Luckily, the Championships were being held in Nagano that year, and Naruka ran out to meet her daughter in a nearby hospital. Apparently, the condition that Melody was in was because the virus had unexpectedly flared up. Doctors concluded that she had only about two years to live, but maybe up to five- if she was lucky.
But, as Naruka was waiting for her daughter to be revived, in the waiting room she met a man by the name of Hiroki Wantabe whose mother had become terminally ill and by the name of Hiroki Wantabe. He was single. The two found comfort in each other from the pain and sadness, and would soon date.
After a year, Hiroki proposed to Naruka, and they soon wed. This resulted in the birth of Samantha. By this time, Melody had somewhat recovered, but not before giving up Robattling. Wyndangel would still be a companion, but never fight. By then, Melody was 14.
Life went on. Soon, two years passed... and then four. Melody seemed almost as strong as ever. Young Sam was about six when Melody decided that she had to do something besides waiting for death to finally catch up with her; it didn't seem to be coming any time soon. Against Naruka's wishes, Melody would soon apply for school abroad at Boston University, in the United States, hoping to get adegree in either Art or Literature. And, as to the dismay of her mother, father, and her half-sister, Melody was accepted.
To the amazement of her doctors (by all accounts- she should have been long dead), five years later, at age 25, Melody was a Literature scholar; teaching classes locally near her apartment in Boston during the week (and a part-time job at a coffee house when needed on the weekends).
Back home, Samantha was eleven and facing an almost opposite life than her sister's had been. She had issues at school; she wasn't dumb, it was more like she had a hard time finding interest in any of what she was being taught. Robattling was one of her few real joys in life, but she couldn't even to seem to do that so well. But that could have been just those two idiots she hung out with. It wasn't out-of-the-question that she might make it to a few Robattle championships though. With enough focus, she maybe someday could join her classmate Ikki Tenryo in glory- and relive what her sister once felt.
Melody had come to be resented by Sam. The younger felt that she blatantly disobeyed Mother and abandoned her just when it pained them the most. Sure, she had lived much longer than anyone expected. But who cared? And now she wanted to come back home to welcome arms and be a happy family all over again? Yeah right.
Samantha sighed. This was going to be a long next couple of weeks...
~~~A few hours have passed~~~
"Peppercat!" Samantha cried out, pressing the button on her medawatch. The Screws Gang were meeting after school, as "Boss" had proclaimed during Computer Lab earlier in the day.
"Krosserdog, you too." Called Spyke, continuing what Sam had started. Sloan then called out Totalizer, and the discussion of Boss' E-Mail began, much to her dismay.
"So, what's it about again?" Asked the stout boy.
"Her sister's coming home for a visit," replied the other, "And what's so bad about that?"
"You'd know when five years ago she selfishly moved half-way across the world, against the wishes of her family, just because she wanted to..."
"Woah, hold on. Sounds like Boss has some hidden family issues." Interrupted Spyke, his usually vacant mind slowly pulling together some form of conclusion.
There was a short pause, and then Sloan added, "I didn't even know that she had a sister."
Samantha, Spyke, and all three Medabots (to the extent that they could) blinked.
"You know, neither did I" returned the other boy. Sam and the 'bots all fell backwards, followed by Sam screaming "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
She was pissed. It took all her strength to keep herself from just casually getting up and running home, leaving the two boys to contemplate their leader's hidden secret. Instead, she took a deep breath and continued,
"Yes I have a half-sister, 14 years my senior. Her name is Melody, and she lives in Boston, on the east cost of America. She moved there five years ago. That's how long she's been dead to me." Peppercat patted Sam's back, trying to help.
"And now she's coming home." Spyke concluded.
"Poor boss..." said the cat behind her.
A new voice entered the fray from behind the group, "Is everything alright?" The trio turned to meet not one face, but two, each with a Medabot.
"Spying again, Erika?" Muttered Sam.
"No, she heard yelling from this general direction, and she dragged the rest of us along to see" came the other. 'Ikki Tenryo. Just who needed to show up. Where's Red, Mini-me, and Mr. Universe to bring up the rear?' She thought to herself.
"So, what's the scoop?" Asked Erika.
"Nothin' to concern yourself with." She shot back.
"What's her problem? Did she fall out of the wrong side of the bed this morning or somethin'?" Asked the golden Medabot behind Ikki.
"Metabee, let's just say boss' having a rough day." Returned Peppercat.
"Yeah, her estranged half-sis is returning home for the first time in over five years!" Spyke shouted. Samantha stood up, anger radiating towards the boy like invisible daggers.
"Dammit, Spyke, learn to keep your big mouth shut. And mind your own lousy business, the rest of you. Let's go, Peppercat." The red feline shook her head and followed her partner as Sam hurried off (nearly running) away from the group. "Coming, boss."
Everyone else was completely motionless and soundless for a few moments. It ended with Metabee adding "It's just like a soap opera.... that I watch between commercials, I mean...."
'What did I say...?' Spyke questioned to himself..
~~~
Okay- brief break. I'm going on to the next chapter immediately. I'm not going to talk at the beginning- but may briefly at the end of each. I hope I can keep this to a minimum of chapters. And I humbly apologize for any random text errors, like messed up spacing or random... other shit that may cause havoc to the reader.
~Skay~
PG for minor swearing and dark topic.
BTW- I am making up last names for some of the characters- the ones that don't have them anyways. And ' ' means thinking- EX- 'how now brown cow?'
~~~
1.) Melody...
She opened the door for the first time in almost a week. Everything had happened so fast, that she just needed some time off from school to adjust. As much as the faces staring back at her (now showing concern and care, compared to the usual dislike) seemed to offer acknowledgement in sympathy, she knew that few of the faces were showing truthfulness as well. Four of them to be exact- the usually energetic eyes of the spiky-haired youth to her right and the squinted ones of the stout boy behind; along with the two sets of eyes closer to the front, dark blue owned by the boy, and warm brown of the girl's.
But they had seen it happen as well. Had it really already been a week?...
~~~Two weeks ago~~~
Samantha sighed loudly as she finished reading her E-mail, and then mumbled under her breath, "Ah crap."
Interested In his Boss' outcry of utter disappointment, Spyke questioned, "Is something wrong, boss?" He thought that maybe she had been caught checking her E-mail. It had been made illegal within the school, due to fear of contracting some computer virus. Yet many people still did, although people had been caught...
"Nah, my sis' is coming home for a visit."
"What's wrong with that?" Whispered Sloan.
"You have no idea..." she started, before being interrupted by an angry Mr. Kato, the computer lab instructor.
"Mr. Musashi, Miss Wantabe and Mr. Akimouji, please refrain from conversation or you will be sent to see Mr. Principal and your computer privileges will be suspended."
"Sorry Mr. Kato" 'The Screws' replied in almost unison. When Mr. Kato turned away, she quickly shot out "Meet me after school, same time and place as usual."
"Right."
"Got it!"
Sam reread the E-mail four more times. 'Why is she coming home? She's got no business over here. All that she needs is in Boston. She left Mom and me to fend for ourselves. So why is Melody returning to Japan, especially now...?'
Melody Akiyama was her older sister from their mother's first marriage. Samantha's mother, Naruka Shibashi, was originally married to one Yue Akiyama. Both were very happy together, and their union soon yielded the birth of Melody. The couple loved their daughter very much, and always dreamed that the happy little Akiyama family would always be together.
But times would change. Melody herself would become well known for not only her special talent in the field of the arts, but was also renowned for her skills as a Robattle Champion. Yet, just as Melody's life was reaching a great high point, the earth was pulled out from under her feet.
Yue became desperately ill. Doctors said that he had a rare disease- a strain of the now nearly eradicated HIV/AIDS virus. A vaccine had been created about 30 years ago, but a small few of the world population had developed a genetic resistance to it, and leaving the person open for risk.
Yue soon succumbed to the disease. Apon further testing, doctors discoveredthat the now 12-year-old Melody too had the resistance gene, along with the virus. Yet, doctors figured that Melody had a long time to go before she would be in such a state as her father. So life somewhat went on.
Samantha was somewhat blurry at the details of the next few years. Apparently, Melody was so good at Robattling, that she had received the honor of entering the World Robattling Championship as the second-best Robattler in Japan with her partner, Wyndangel, an NGL (angel) type Medabot.
She did fairly well; that was, until all heck broke loose. In the middle of a semifinal match against a German kid with a Cyandog, she collapsed and could not be revived by normal means. Luckily, the Championships were being held in Nagano that year, and Naruka ran out to meet her daughter in a nearby hospital. Apparently, the condition that Melody was in was because the virus had unexpectedly flared up. Doctors concluded that she had only about two years to live, but maybe up to five- if she was lucky.
But, as Naruka was waiting for her daughter to be revived, in the waiting room she met a man by the name of Hiroki Wantabe whose mother had become terminally ill and by the name of Hiroki Wantabe. He was single. The two found comfort in each other from the pain and sadness, and would soon date.
After a year, Hiroki proposed to Naruka, and they soon wed. This resulted in the birth of Samantha. By this time, Melody had somewhat recovered, but not before giving up Robattling. Wyndangel would still be a companion, but never fight. By then, Melody was 14.
Life went on. Soon, two years passed... and then four. Melody seemed almost as strong as ever. Young Sam was about six when Melody decided that she had to do something besides waiting for death to finally catch up with her; it didn't seem to be coming any time soon. Against Naruka's wishes, Melody would soon apply for school abroad at Boston University, in the United States, hoping to get adegree in either Art or Literature. And, as to the dismay of her mother, father, and her half-sister, Melody was accepted.
To the amazement of her doctors (by all accounts- she should have been long dead), five years later, at age 25, Melody was a Literature scholar; teaching classes locally near her apartment in Boston during the week (and a part-time job at a coffee house when needed on the weekends).
Back home, Samantha was eleven and facing an almost opposite life than her sister's had been. She had issues at school; she wasn't dumb, it was more like she had a hard time finding interest in any of what she was being taught. Robattling was one of her few real joys in life, but she couldn't even to seem to do that so well. But that could have been just those two idiots she hung out with. It wasn't out-of-the-question that she might make it to a few Robattle championships though. With enough focus, she maybe someday could join her classmate Ikki Tenryo in glory- and relive what her sister once felt.
Melody had come to be resented by Sam. The younger felt that she blatantly disobeyed Mother and abandoned her just when it pained them the most. Sure, she had lived much longer than anyone expected. But who cared? And now she wanted to come back home to welcome arms and be a happy family all over again? Yeah right.
Samantha sighed. This was going to be a long next couple of weeks...
~~~A few hours have passed~~~
"Peppercat!" Samantha cried out, pressing the button on her medawatch. The Screws Gang were meeting after school, as "Boss" had proclaimed during Computer Lab earlier in the day.
"Krosserdog, you too." Called Spyke, continuing what Sam had started. Sloan then called out Totalizer, and the discussion of Boss' E-Mail began, much to her dismay.
"So, what's it about again?" Asked the stout boy.
"Her sister's coming home for a visit," replied the other, "And what's so bad about that?"
"You'd know when five years ago she selfishly moved half-way across the world, against the wishes of her family, just because she wanted to..."
"Woah, hold on. Sounds like Boss has some hidden family issues." Interrupted Spyke, his usually vacant mind slowly pulling together some form of conclusion.
There was a short pause, and then Sloan added, "I didn't even know that she had a sister."
Samantha, Spyke, and all three Medabots (to the extent that they could) blinked.
"You know, neither did I" returned the other boy. Sam and the 'bots all fell backwards, followed by Sam screaming "THAT'S NOT THE POINT!"
She was pissed. It took all her strength to keep herself from just casually getting up and running home, leaving the two boys to contemplate their leader's hidden secret. Instead, she took a deep breath and continued,
"Yes I have a half-sister, 14 years my senior. Her name is Melody, and she lives in Boston, on the east cost of America. She moved there five years ago. That's how long she's been dead to me." Peppercat patted Sam's back, trying to help.
"And now she's coming home." Spyke concluded.
"Poor boss..." said the cat behind her.
A new voice entered the fray from behind the group, "Is everything alright?" The trio turned to meet not one face, but two, each with a Medabot.
"Spying again, Erika?" Muttered Sam.
"No, she heard yelling from this general direction, and she dragged the rest of us along to see" came the other. 'Ikki Tenryo. Just who needed to show up. Where's Red, Mini-me, and Mr. Universe to bring up the rear?' She thought to herself.
"So, what's the scoop?" Asked Erika.
"Nothin' to concern yourself with." She shot back.
"What's her problem? Did she fall out of the wrong side of the bed this morning or somethin'?" Asked the golden Medabot behind Ikki.
"Metabee, let's just say boss' having a rough day." Returned Peppercat.
"Yeah, her estranged half-sis is returning home for the first time in over five years!" Spyke shouted. Samantha stood up, anger radiating towards the boy like invisible daggers.
"Dammit, Spyke, learn to keep your big mouth shut. And mind your own lousy business, the rest of you. Let's go, Peppercat." The red feline shook her head and followed her partner as Sam hurried off (nearly running) away from the group. "Coming, boss."
Everyone else was completely motionless and soundless for a few moments. It ended with Metabee adding "It's just like a soap opera.... that I watch between commercials, I mean...."
'What did I say...?' Spyke questioned to himself..
~~~
Okay- brief break. I'm going on to the next chapter immediately. I'm not going to talk at the beginning- but may briefly at the end of each. I hope I can keep this to a minimum of chapters. And I humbly apologize for any random text errors, like messed up spacing or random... other shit that may cause havoc to the reader.
~Skay~