As soon as the bus stopped in front of the hotel, both got off and headed for the wide white granite steps. In fifteen short years, they lived in a lot of hotels. Some less luxurious than this, some a little more so. In the beginning, she wondered what possessed builders and owners to put down WHITE steps on the outside. Didn't they have the brains to know nature and man would dirty and end up defacing them? She thought that in the beginning and was given quite an explanation from Kevin about taking off one's shoes that seemed odd, but made more sense technically.
Her eyes gravitated down as they passed the bellman that opened the inside doors. She didn't intend on being anything more than polite to everyone in this hotel...as it was with all the others. The hand gripping the strap over her shoulder tightened as she finally looked up once they entered past the glass.
Though she told herself not to get attached, it was always hard not to admire the lobbies and front desk areas of the 'glamorous' hotels she stayed in. This was so beautiful with its off-white and blue specked marble floors, white pillars upholding high ceilings. Light blue whicker chairs with big, fluffy off-white cushions spotted the large area around the desk and gift shop.
The place was more than just a check in area...people could sit down and actually do something in places such as these. End tables rested next to some chairs, lamps for readers and those that wanted to get some work done. She often came down to look around the gift shop, play with the pool table surrounded by glass walls at the other end, read a book with the quiet hum as a catalyst, or take her sister down to walk around. With a quick inhale at the open café a little ways away to tempt her stomach into hunger, she walked across the area to the elevators.
She leaned against the wall as Kevin did and pressed for the eighth floor. It'd been a day from hell...THAT was truthful enough. She halted a sigh, not wanting Kevin anymore concerned than he already was. She knew he worried about her. Today the students and some teachers were unforgiving and she was too nervous and embarrassed to actually eat. Nothing looked appetizing, but by the end of the day, seeing the tip of the hotel's structure over the trees, her stomach started growling. The only thing that swayed it was the thought that she had to return tomorrow and go through the entire process again. That thought wasn't very encouraging for supper tonight...
She quickly deposited the hotel key in the lock and put it back in the small pocket to her pack before walking in. The only pleasant thing about being on the move practically all the time were the elaborate hotels like this one. There was a small linoleum hallway for shoes leading into a sunk-in living room. She set the light jacket her mother told her to grab on the coat rack before heading into the living room. On the opposite side of the living room was a set of sliding doors leading to a granite balcony and a GREAT view. A plus of being so high up. On the right was the bedroom her parents used...hers, Willow's, and Kevin's shared across the other. A small, open kitchen area lead in from the living room, a cute little kitchenette jutting from the wall.
Home.
Her lips quirked as she kicked off the stiff shoes and wiggled her toes on plush white carpeting in the front of the living room. It wasn't smart to have white carpet in a hotel room...but suites such as these weren't rented to sloppy families, they were for respected business associates. And the linoleum was supposed to catch anything tracked in, if at all.
Turning her gaze to each bedroom door, she walked to the cushy couch and set her bag down, heading for the refrigerator. Knowing her mother, if they were gone, they would only be gone a short while and have a note for her. She smiled when a small post-it note caught her eye. As Kevin went into their room to change, she pulled the magnet off.
Hija...Necesitamos comestibles, y arrastre su padre conmigo. Estamos de vuelta tarde o temprano. No olvida andar con su hermana. Ella está dormiendo en nuestros cuarto. ¡SE PORTAN BIEN! ...C.M.
She smirked and fisted the note before throwing it in the trash under the sink. Behave? Of COURSE she would. No wild parties in hotels such as these. Her eyes rolled. Not to mention she didn't HAVE any friends to throw a party with.
Stopping in the doorway, she leaned against it with crossed arms and looked at Willow...right where her mother said she'd be.
A small, tender smile touched her mouth. Her baby sister...how she loved her. Willow couldn't do things by herself due to her...mental condition...they were sisters and she was responsible when her parents were away. She was just glad Willow hadn't woken up yet!
Turning, she crossed the living room and knocked on her room. Kevin closed it as soon as he entered and she wondered if he was done changing yet. "¿Kevin?" She called, lightly grinning. "Está vestido?" You dressed?
"Yes." She opened the door and smirked, knowing what was coming next. "And you can stop speaking in Spanish when I VERY well know you know English." He quipped, shutting the dresser drawer.
She grinned and sat on the made bed, laying back against the thick comforter. She shared the queen-sized bed with Willow at night and thought it was mildly unfair that Kevin get the other all to himself. Her eyes craned as far back as they would go as she watched him sit on the other made bed and pull his backpack to it. She wished he'd wear the khakis and white collared shirt that he currently wore to school today...and every OTHER day. He'd stand out less! "What did aunt C say?" He absently asked, pulling homework out.
'Aunt C' was his name for her mother. The woman was a very friendly person toward all her kids and she seemed more friend than mother to her and Willow anymore. She'd been that way ever since they moved out of Spain after her father's career kicked up a notch, and she knew her mother did it to comfort her. Willow didn't really notice the difference.
"She drug dad to get groceries...Willow's still sleeping in their room...and for me to take her around the area for a walk." She absently reported, propping her head up on the bed. Walking with Willow was a ritual ever since they figured the youngest Marzellos was diagnosed with D.S. It was hard to tell...since the condition thankfully wasn't very severe...but it kept Willow from concentrating a lot in life. She could speak Spanish and English very well for being ten, but there were some words she didn't know in either language. The 'disease' also gave her an attention span comparable to an A.D.D. child. The only physical trait that showed was the slight slack-jawed appearance, and the slur to her words.
"Kay." He muttered, eyes on a piece of paper. "You wanna do that now or do homework and wake her later?" It was tempting to get homework done and let Willow sleep. Being a D.S. child, she didn't get much because she was such a light sleeper. It was hard to get the normal seven hours because Willow often woke up at night, confused and disoriented. But it was a little after four and she knew a trip around the lobby and general vicinity would allow her to catch the sunset. She loved sunsets, and rarely missed them.
Her lips pursed in thought, torn between two simple decisions. Her eyes gravitated to the clock on the nightstand in between the beds, then the shaded window. "How bout we do a little homework and wake Willow up in half an hour?"
'Unless SHE wakes up in that time.' She mused, slowly sitting.
"Works for me." He answered, reclining on the bed, eyes still on the work. She stood and went back for her bag in the living room. "We can work on translating your essay to Japanese!" He called out, a smile in his voice.
"More like YOU will!" She mused back, grabbing a strap. Hoisting it over her shoulder, she strode back in and cracked the bedroom door to keep noise down, but also alert them in case Willow woke up.
~*~*~
True to their word, both Epiphany and Kevin put their books away half an hour later and she shooed Kevin out so she could change. There wasn't anything overly wrong about being in school clothes at 'home', but she didn't want to wear them ALL day...
Ten minutes later, after a quick root through a dresser and an armoire, she opened the door to find Kevin next to a sleepy blinking Willow. After tying the ends to her button up shirt, she stopped in front of Willow and gave her a quick hug. "Hey Will." She greeted, a quick pat to extremely short brown hair. It was almost pixy-like the way it curled under her ears and the bangs dusted over her eyebrows. "Ready to walk?"
The young girl gave an exuberant smile. "WALK!" She loudly proclaimed, nearly rocketing it to the door. The two elder teens gave a knowing, smile and followed at a more casual pace.
After checking to make sure the key was in the back pocket of her jeans, she clamped a light hand on Willow's shoulder when the girl started to take off. "THIS time Will...make sure you don't shout to ALL the passer-bys'." A vigorous nod only answered her, and she gave a skeptical sideways look. She knew Willow would forget all about her question as soon as they saw the first hotel resident. She just hoped none of them would give that 'look' or say something patronizing to Willow, as others in different hotels had done in the past. It wasn't Willow's fault she was like this!
They rode the elevator to the lobby - walking around and checking everything out, smelling the enticing café food - before finally heading toward the glass doors. She fought an embarrassed grin and blush when Willow, in her own oh so 'joyous' way, called out a loud hi to the doorman. Kevin grinned at his younger cousin's behavior, thinking it was funny. She looked away with the urge to walk right back upstairs...where they were the only two who fully understood Willow's behavior. But the sunset beckoned, and it was a few blocks to the rise she liked to use.
Willow, in that short time, kept asking loud questions about what that was, and that, and that, and what was the deal with THAT...
It took the normal long amount of time, dragging Willow to keep her from running to everything she thought was fascinating - and getting run over in the process - to reach the hill. It was the top of the street, a small park next to it. She loved the park...it was nothing but grass and flowers...a few benches sitting around. With a serene smile, she walked to a bench, knowing the two would follow. If not, then Kevin could grab Willow's hand and drag her over. It was hard to get the child to sit still for too long, unless something grabbed her attention... She mentally sighed and got situated. Such was the attention span of a D.S. victim.
The sky splashed a multitude of brilliant colors. It was so beautiful, the way red mixed with the blue at the top of the sky, incorporating with the yellow and orange toward the setting sun. He loved coming out here, having grown up in the middle of nowhere and being 'one' with nature. He would never grow tired of it.
Too bad the OTHERS seemed to.
"Hey Ryo...can we go get some food now?"
Sigh...there was Kento, right on cue. AGAIN.
"Yea Ryo...you of all people know how much I love the upcoming of night and stuff...but I'm with Kento."
And there was Rowen to back him up. In response, a stomach growled. He wondered which one it was.
"ALRIGHT guys. Sheesh, you've been whining about dinner since the sunset BEGAN." Ryo answered, leaning up to look at his friends. The three were currently lounging on the grass in one of Toyama's many parks. Ryo was wondering if it was a mistake to bring his friends to witness such beauty. But they were his friends - he knew Rowen wouldn't miss a chance to stay out late - and both were at Kento's house in the meantime, doing much dreaded homework. He resumed his previous position and moved his hands from over his sweatshirt and propped his head up. "But give it a little later."
"Any later and the street lights are gonna be on." Kento continued, stating a good point. "You think ma wants me out past dark?"
Ryo smirked, but his eyes were longing as they rested on the colors of the sky. Tiger blue landed on the red and locked; it reminded him of Wildfire so much. He sighed and gave up, though it was hard to. Nature be damned if he kept Kento out after dark! Though Rowen was a different matter, you didn't get in the way of a Rei Faun parent!
"Yea, yea. I know ALL about your mom Kento. And you raise a good point." He muttered, deeply inhaling the cool air. He sat up, feeling both sets of blue eyes, two sets of IMPATIENT blue eyes. "Okay, okay...let's head out." He conceded, idly getting to his feet. After a quick stretch, the three went for their bikes not too far away and headed from the park.
They crossed through downtown, heading for the more residential parts of the city. The sun seemed to set quicker than it had before they sat down. The looming threat of Kento's mother seemed closer as the sun's setting rays gave away less and less light as they went down into inclined streets. As they crossed the small valley and reached the tip, another park coming up, a loud voice nearly startled Ryo off his bike.
"¡Hermana! ¡Mira, bicicletas!" Sister! Look, bicycles!
All three sets of blue jerked to their left as they spotted a youth running their way. She almost ran right into the bike wheels...if a very familiar person wasn't on her tracks and yanked her back. Being in the lead, Ryo quickly slammed on the brakes and stopped before he hit the girl. With a wildly beating heart, he eyed the youth in small concern. "Are you okay?" He asked, looking the youth over for possible injuries. She seemed fine...
"Hi. My name is Willow." Willow slightly slurred. Ryo's brow immediately tilted at the strange tone to her voice. As if she weren't perturbed by his presence in the least, she walked up and gripped the metal skeleton. "OOO this's pretty. Me gusta bicicletas." Willow rambled. I like bicycles.
A brow shot up at her easily switched languages, also remembering the accent of one in particular. The child looked mildly familiar too... His guess was correct upon taking note of the girl - who's dark jeans, shirt, tanned skin, and hair started blending in with the dusk - leaned in front of the girl with a stern look.
"Willow...HOW many times have I told you not to run OFF like that?" She gave a small glare at the chastised girl, giving her shoulders a small shake. "'Suela TOLD me to look after you! That means you staying SAFE!" She admonished.
It was Epiphany...Epiphany Marzellos if he remembered rightly. He was, easy to say, shocked to see such mothering instincts compared against the silent girl that blatantly ignored him and his friends at lunch this afternoon. And - the biggest shocker of all - that she spoke fluent ENGLISH.
Willow looked to the ground and scrubbed her toe against the concrete. "Lo siento hermana..." I'm sorry sister...
She knew Willow was, but seeing her nearly bowled down by bicyclists scared her worse than anything! Her heart was still pounding in fear, and the receding adrenaline shook her arms yet.
The chastisement soon passed her face and it brightened with the look of a two-year-old with a new toy. "But...ah see! Look how SHINY their bikes are!" Those chubby hands went to Ryo's bike again, going over it as if he weren't still sitting on the seat.
She froze and looked up with wide eyes at the owner of that bike. Oh god in heaven...this was SO not happening... And, stupid her...she just spoke ENGLISH! Though she hadn't asked, and it only was a possibility, she figured many Japanese spoke at least SOME English due to the large tourist trade each year.
"Hey...weren't you that girl we sat with at lunch today?" Yup...fluent English alright... "The one that IGNORED us?"
Eyes sharpened and shot up, wondering who just said that. Was that an insult just now? Her eyes narrowed on dark blue hair, nearly black in the deepening dusk, and locked eyes with blue. Something in those eyes said he was the one that stupidly shot his mouth off. She slowly stood and kept eye contact with him, as if challenging him to say something else. Her chin rose in a prideful way, but she kept silent. "¿Kevín? ¿Wíllow? Estamos saliendo." She tensely answered, finally breaking eye contact. We're leaving.
"Oh come ON Epiphany! Ellos no estuvieron doliendo alguien." Kevin answered, walking up. They weren't hurting anything... He knew she wasn't mad at the fact that Willow was almost run over. It was the same people who tried to communicate with her at school. She wasn't going to let ANYONE in. Even during their private, casual time away from school, she wasn't going to let anyone get close, save for the family.
She turned to Kevin and nearly glared at him. He KNEW her reasoning behind keeping everyone spaced from her...why did he still QUESTION her?? "Estamos SALIENDO." She slowly repeated, pointedly staring.
"Aye Epi...why?" Willow piped up. Her attention was drawn away, a hand pulling on her jeans. "I wanna look at the bikes some more..."
"Actually...we need to get home before it gets dark..." Ryo uncomfortably muttered, trying not to stare at the child below him. There was something about her he couldn't put his finger on...and the way she was talking was slightly odd. She looked too old to be talking with a childlike slur to her words.
"Where you three headed?" Kento piped up, leaning back to stretch. The kid amused him, as though two arguing teenagers didn't faze her. She seemed totally focused on Ryo's bike. Granted it was a nice design and all, but all three were basically the same. He wondered if the kid liked red, but there was something about those deep brown eyes that told him she wasn't normal. Not all there...
Seeing as Epiphany wasn't going to say anything in response, Kevin knew he had to say something. HE wasn't going to be so crass to such nice people! Even if it granted a rant by his cousin later. It would end up in another defensive lecture, if the rest of the family wasn't back by now.
He could see it now...Epiphany would send Willow to their room, since Will was more comfortable in their room, and go to her parents to start a quiet yelling match, pacing a hole in the carpet all the way. "To the-" Kevin caught her fierce stare, silently telling him to drop it, but didn't concede, "-Royal Hotel Toyama." He could practically see Epiphany seething, even as she tried to hide it. It was her eyes that gave her away.
She was, for lack of a better word, enraged. Her fists were clenched so tightly, fingernails were digging into her palms to the point of breaking skin. How COULD he?! She was going to KILL him! If the three weren't sitting right next to them, and Willow wasn't nearby, she would've taken off after him with the intent of beating his head into the ground!
Kento whistled and the other two gazed with wide eyes. Being a mildly rich kid himself from his parent's business, he knew the hotel, but couldn't picture three normally dressed teens staying there. That was high class! He wondered what their story was. Shaking off the stunned look on his face, he gave a grin. "Well, we're headed past that way, want us to ride with you? For safety's sake, you know. It's getting dark pretty quick."
Rowen looked behind him on the bike, giving his friend an odd look. Was Kento SERIOUS? Here was the girl, despite her male companion, who openly avoided them like they were snobs! Why did Kento not see that? True, he had a big heart and didn't like arguments due to his family situation, but even HE said he was perturbed by this newcomer's attitude!
Her eyes landed with blue, the one who tried to break the ice earlier today, and snootily looked away, chin raising. The hotel was a few mere blocks away! Did this guy think she was a BABY or something? She would be FINE...as long as she kept a firm grip on Willow's hand to keep the girl from running off into the night.
"No gracias." She coolly answered. No thanks. "Willow...dame su mano." She ordered, extending her hand. Give me your hand. When Willow just gave a blank stare, as if she didn't understand, she reached down and entwined their fingers. Without saying goodbye, or looking to Kevin, she pulled Willow in the direction of the hotel.
Heaving an embarrassed, mildly frustrated sigh, Kevin looked to the others, feeling like fidgeting under their gazes. Those eyes were powerful, if nothing short of confused and offended. Why, oh lord, did he have to keep picking up his cousin's messes?
Opening his mouth to say something, it awkwardly clamped shut as a he wondered what to say. He was getting quite tired of apologizing for Epiphany's behavior... After a quick look at how far away the two were rapidly getting, he gave another sigh. "See you at school tomorrow." He muttered, waving as he jogged away.
The two behind Ryo pulled up beside and stared down the incline as Kevin caught up with the two girls. He grasped the youth's hand before they started in on a loud argument in their own language. Though none of them could tell what was being said, the tones were clear enough. Kevin's heated gaze was directed to Epiphany, but hers stared straight ahead with tense shoulders. He was yelling, and she was ignoring him.
Finally, Ryo shook his head...a little confused, and slightly irked. "Weird people." He muttered, leaning forward on his handlebars.
"And snobbish." Rowen darkly muttered, starting to glare at the Hispanic's back. He felt his friend's eyes, and leaned back on the bike seat. "What IS it with her?? We were being quite friendly at lunch, despite the language barrier, and she STILL ignored us." A finger pointed their way, as if stating a fact. "And we found out she speaks fluent English, like we do!" He looked to both friends on his right. "So what's her problem??"
Kento looked over to Rowen, a little surprised at the outburst. Sure he knew Rowen could be prone to fits of anger, as they all could, but Rowen wasn't as open about it as he or Ryo were. Probably from spending too much time with Sage...
"She's NEW Rowen." He defended, as if it weren't that obvious. "She's gotta be from overseas...and going to a school with people who don't even speak her language. And there aren't many teachers here that teach in English." He gripped the handlebars and stared at their retreat in a thoughtful manner. Though he didn't take her brush-off lightly either, he saw there was something about her. "If she didn't have that guy with her to translate, I wouldn't doubt that she'd quit." He muttered.
"Well...it wouldn't kill her to be SOCIAL once in a while..." Rowen grumbled, stubbornly crossing his arms. He could wholeheartedly see Kento's position on the whole thing, but his was still right as well.
"Just DROP it Rowen!" Kento shot out, quickly glaring at his friend. "Cut her some slack!"
"Hey, cool it you two." Ryo placated, hands in between them as if they were going to come to blows. His eyes shot to the quickly darkening sky, widening at how much time was wasted by sitting here. The streetlights now held more light than the sun did! "Kento, let's get you home before I get grounded by YOUR mom for not returning you on time." He joked, pushing on the pedals, knowing the two would follow.
Ryo knew both sides that his friends were saying; it made sense. He almost felt like he was the appeaser on two sides, technically being in the middle of it. He knew none of them liked the way their offer to see her home - albeit awkward and unsure when it concerned her nationality - was overturned, but couldn't hold a grudge when he heard Kento's side. Kento was right, but that still didn't give her the right to be mean.
~*~*~
"I can't believe you DID that!" She repeated again, pacing the floor in the living room. Instead of going to her parent's room, she told Willow to go to their room and take a nap before dinner, seeing as how her parents weren't gone that long. They must've just left before she and Kevin got home. She stopped and glared down at her companion on the couch, fists clenching even tighter. "You had no RIGHT!"
"To what?" He shot back. "Open my mouth and SPEAK?" He gave a solemn, angry look, grinding his jaw at her attitude. It left a LOT to be desired... "I have EVERY right to say what's on my mind, or to answer a simple question, just as YOU do!"
The muscles in her arms clenched when her fists wouldn't go any tighter. They started trembling with the urge to hit something. "We've gone through this before Kevin! I'm sick and tired of having to repeat myself!"
"So am I!!" He shouted, shooting to his feet. His half a foot height easily allowed him to tower over her.
The two glared at each other as they tried to keep their voices down and not wake Willow. Having Willow tell the adults they were fighting was the last thing they needed. The Marzellos would only lecture them again...each parent telling Kevin that he needed to understand the pressure Epiphany was going through and to be a little more tolerable...and Epiphany to give school a chance and open up.
"We go through this with EVERY school you get transferred to! I've listened to aunt C's lectures since the third school we left! And I'm getting sick and tired of you never following her advice!"
She glared back. The hypocrite! "Oh, like you DO?" She tossed back. "Every time mother talks to the BOTH of us, she always tells you to be more patient and understanding." Her arms crossed. "Sounds like sound advice to ME."
He looked at her like she lost her mind. Was she actually serious?! "I AM understanding! I AM patient!" He shouted. "I put up with your crap every time we go to each school. I can almost anticipate how you act with each transfer by now!" He turned away and started pacing, hands gripping his head. By god he was so mad he wanted to HIT something...
She looked at him with those angry, hurt-laced eyes. Since the first time they argued, there was a thought that stuck in her head, and she always thought about it to vindicate her behavior. "No espero que está comprendiendo." I don't expect that you're understanding. When her father 'hired' Kevin to help her - since he already planned on majoring in language and was already well versed in English and some Italian - he was mostly a bookworm and didn't have many friends. He was closer to family than the world, since they supported his decision in such an odd field.
She on the other hand, was quite popular with everyone in her junior high school...a cheerleader inspiring to be a famous flamenco dancer. It was what she lived for, ever since she was old enough to know what one as. She took cheerleading, dance, a little bit of modern dance... All dashed the day her father announced they were selling the house...all for HIS career.
What about HERS?
Dropping nearly teary eyes to the carpet, she turned around and tried to keep from crying. Her father wasn't going to move back home just because she wanted to be famous. She knew...she already ASKED.
Kevin sighed from that distinguishable look. He heard her, knowing full well what went on in her mind. She was self-pitying herself again...and he was a sucker for it every time. Though he could rant and rave and lecture all he wanted, she wasn't going to change until she accepted the fact that this family would be mobile for a long time to come. Probably under her father's dream was accomplished; having enough money to start his own computer programming business. But that would be years down the road and by then, she would be old enough to live on her own. And most likely not NEED him anymore.
He sighed again, feeling a little depressed. They were close when they were kids...and even closer now that she came to depend on his language expertise. He didn't have any friends EITHER, and she was all he had. Epiphany and Willow. His two baby cousins.
The anger died like a candle in a tornado and he walked up behind her, tentatively putting hands on her shoulders. In a small supportive gesture, trying to tell her he ALSO understood and was trying, his forehead rested on the back of her head, arms slowly circling her shoulders. "I KNOW this's hard for you Epi," He murmured, "It's hard for ME. I hate arguing with you as well when we never accomplish ANYTHING." A small tilt appeared on his lips. "Heh...you'd think we'd actually grow up with as much as we discuss this..."
"It'll never happen..." She minutely joked back, lips tilting through her sad haze. "At least it gives us something to do in the afternoon."
He snorted and loosened his hold when she stepped away and turned around. "Like we need more to do..." He wryly retorted, reminding her of the homework they'd yet to finish.
Her lips rose a little more and, just to show him she wasn't mad, arms encircle his waist in a loose hug. She knew she should apologize, since she did start the whole matter. But it was a little awkward, as it normally was, to apologize for something that went back YEARS. So, she turned away and headed for the balcony, leaning against the thick railing and wistfully staring at the lights dotting the night sky. So many broken dreams rested in her heart...and here she was, unable to do a thing about it.
He looked at her a little sadly, knowing what she wanted out of life. She was just a normal girl with an abnormal situation. It was totally unfair her father dragged the three of them into the middle of his dream, just because he was still so exuberant and caught up in it to notice just how unhappy they were. Aunt Consuela knew, but was glad they had enough money for the things they weren't able to afford before her father went back to college.
YES it was unfair...but a selfish part of his mind said that he was doing things and seeing things that NO other kid back in his hometown would probably EVER get to see. The sights, the countries he visited...and the practice it'd get for his major. When he got to it...
Slowly rubbing a hand over his face, he went to their room to continue on with his homework. He wanted it finished and understood before his aunt and uncle came home to make dinner.