Last Dance with Shinobu-Chan
By Project Pegasus
Chapter II: Vanity's Err
The table was set for two as Shinobu sat miserably munching an apple, waiting for Keitaro to arrive. In her mind, she ruminated painfully over her previous day's lunch in the school cafeteria. Shinobu had never been one who made friends easily, or more specifically, she was not one who was cunning enough to master the art of playground alliances. Even though the inhabitants of Hinata Sou could only speak of Shinobu in the most endearing and affectionate terms, to her classmates, Shinobu was at best a recluse to those who regarded her with sympathy, and at worst an unsightly pariah by the movers and shakers of her eight grade class.
From her dining table in the Hinata Sou, Shinobu evoked her cafeteria table from the other day, at which she had been quietly enjoying lunch with her school friend, Hotaru, another student who also felt out of place in any and all of the traditional circles that defined their middle school life.
"So Hotaru how was your day?" Shinobu asked cordially.
"Does it matter?" replied Hotaru.
To this Shinobu had no answer, and so continued to eat in silence.
After a while Shinobu attempted to strike up another conversation, "Did you see that new film, "Liddo-kun and His Friends: Who's the Cannibal?" It was so moving I cried at the end."
"Your tears mean nothing," Hotaru informed Shinobu in a detached voice.
"Oh, ok," Shinobu accepted as she unwrapped another rice ball.
From behind Shinobu, two girls approached her table.
"Why hello ladies," the first said with a feigned cheerfulness.
Shinobu turned. "Ikuko, hi," Shinobu said, doing her best to keep fear from overtaking her voice.
Ikuko continued, "I just came to see how you all were doing in terms of finding dates for the dance."
Shinobu looked at Ikuko for a moment. Ikuko had elegant hair that seemed to shine with the radiance of a desolate winter landscape and flow with the effortlessness of a stream. She was tall, and could almost be described as lanky had she not been able to hold herself as well as she did. Most of all her chest, almost like a status symbol, never ceased to reinforce every inadequacy Shinobu felt about her own body.
Hotaru did not even acknowledge Ikuko or her companion Moto's presence and by her body language suggested that Shinobu do the same. But Shinobu, whose good nature left her vulnerable to all the absurdities of adolescent abuse, spoke on both their behalves.
"Well, we've been studying hard for finals so we really haven't had time to look for . . ."
Ikuko cut her off, "Why don't you just cheat? Just give the teachers a little of what they want, and they'll leave you alone."
Shinobu stammered out a response, "What they want? Oh, I'm not crafty or pretty enough to make something like that work, not like you in any case."
Her attempt to flatter Ikuko failed. To show that she was not appeased, Ikuko persisted, "Well, why chase after boys when they all come flocking to you, eh Shinobu?"
Shinobu smiled nervously not wanting to let Ikuko see how much it hurt inside.
Ikuko went on, "Well, I must say that I wish I could be like you. You know, left alone by the boys. Consider yourself lucky. You can spend all the time you want by yourself and nobody would notice." She stopped for a moment and stared at the unpronounced curves in Shinobu's uniform. "Don't worry, you'll grow up some day," she scoffed.
With that Shinobu had had enough. She clenched her fists and unrepentantly set upon a course of action. "I have a date!" Shinobu said with an insistence that shocked everyone, especially Shinobu, "And for your information, he is a Todai student!"
The whole cafeteria had refrained from speech at the mention of the word of 'Todai'.
Ikuko tried to pass this off as trivial, "What, is he your cousin or something?"
At that moment, Shinobu wished that she could restrain herself from any further conversation, but she had already conceded that right. She calmed her voice, lowered her head, not managing to look Ikuko in the eye, "I don't communicate with my family."
"Well," Ikuko inquired, pursuing another line of argument, "I bet he's a pimply nerd."
"Ikuko, don't be jealous," somebody in the cafeteria blurted out before laughing.
"Well, he's not really strong, or tall, or even manly, but he's rather handsome," she paused, probing for the right word, "and very sensitive in a generous way."
Ikuko, exhausting her options, exclaimed, "Fine, good for you," and left the table with Moto in tow.
The cafeteria reassumed its usual soft shuffling whisper. Hotaru, perhaps a little ashamed for not standing up to Ikuko in the name of Shinobu's honor, arose from her seat. She went behind Shinobu and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I must go now. Shinobu, are you all right?" she inquired with a voice that almost ran with emotion.
Shinobu placed her hand over Hotaru's. "I'll be ok. I have a date, remember?"
The memory of Hotaru's slender hand resting on her shoulder drifted through Shinobu's memory as another hand was placed there. This time, it was Keitaro.
"Shinobu, are you all right?" Keitaro asked.
End of Chapter II (sorry, no Pedigree in this one, but stay tuned)
Disclaimer: All concepts, characters, and other copyrighted materials used in the fan fiction, "Last Dance with Shinobu-Chan" are property of their respective owners. This is to be used for non-lucrative purposes only.