When She Saw Him

Emi whizzed by people on her scooter with sky blue wheels and handlebars. School had just let out for the summer and she was ready to jam at the arcade to play DDR. Humming the tune to 'Tell Me Tell Me', she hopped off the sidewalk into the street and safely crossed, dodging other people as they ran by. As soon as the front wheel touched the sidewalk again, she flipped the scooter up and folded it as she went inside.

Greeted by loud music, and other assorted noises, Emi smiled and headed over to the Dance Dance Revolution stage and watched some younger, inexperienced players give the game a try. Instead of jumping on the stage right after the girls when they failed, she went to the snack bar and bought a hot dog and just watched everyone play. A friend of hers, Ecks, who had a break from burger flipping, came over to Emi.

"Hey Ems" he said, taking a seat next her as she watched another few people step up. "Enjoy watching the newbies?" he asked. Emi smiled.

"Where are they from?" she asked, taking a sip from her water bottle. Ecks shrugged.

"All over. I hear some came from the Future Patrol Dome. Some from the Puppet Zone." he answered, taking a sip of soda.

"My pen pal Charmy is from the Future Zone, and I know Konsento and Zukin are from the Puppet Zone." she said, watching a really tall guy flip backwards over the bar. She winced. Ecks laughed.

"Remember the first time you did that?" he asked. Emi shuddered. Ecks laughed again, then groaned as he was called back to work. "You see that guy in the red vest? The spiky haired dude? He came last week and he's tearing the stage up! I bet you two would make a great team!" then Ecks left whistling some song.

After throwing out her garbage, she leaned against the side of a shooting game and watched the guy Ecks pointed out. He jumped over the bar just before the song started and did some free styling moves that drew a crowd. After his 3rd song, Emi realized that about 20 people came to watch. The boy turned around and noticed the crowd for the first time and smiled. He spotted Emi and winked, then got off as a 'team' stepped up to dance. Suddenly, Emi's cell phone rang. Moving from the crowd to answer it, she realized it was nearly 5 o'clock and she had to make dinner for her brother, who was home waiting.

"Be right there Walt, just leave the door open for me okay? Bye!" she ended the call and unfolded her scooter and rolled out of the arcade. The red vested guy watched her leave and went to the snack bar. As Ecks was taking the boy's order, he asked.

"You know that blue haired girl?" Ecks smiled.

"Why, that my friend Emi..."

~~~~

Emi sighed as she forced her scooter to go faster in the pouring rain. Just as she was a block away from her apartment home, the rain suddenly stopped. Emi sighed and shook her head as she pushed the door open and took the elevator to the 8th floor. Getting off on her floor, she smiled sheepishly. Her brother, Walt, was glaring at her.

"I've been here since 2:30 waiting for you to come home!" he said, eyeing his drenched sister. "You really need to get a hat Emi." he lectured, noticing his sister's wet, matted down hair. Emi shook her head, spraying water at her brother who scowled.

"Sorry," she said. "You are WAY too serious for an 11-year old." she complained, going into their apartment and finding canned ravioli. Walt watched as Emi opened the can.

"And your way too immature for a 16-year old." he scolded. Emi giggled. "You should have a boyfriend by now, but all you play is that Diet Diet Revolution thing." he said. Emi sighed.

"Its DANCE DANCE Revolution, and a lot of people travel to play it. As for a boyfriend, I'm not ready" she said, turning on the stove and placing the pot full of raviolis on the stove. Walt sighed and leaned against the counter as Emi got a bowl for Walt.

"It would be nice to hang around someone besides my sister...." he complained, shoving up his glasses. Emi, placed the bowl down on the table hard.

"Would you rather live with dad and have noone to hang with?" she asked, offended. Walt looked down guiltily. "Sure he sends us money, but he never visits or calls us and he lives all the was in the Future Zone!" she said loudly. Emi and Walt ate dinner silently. After, Walt watched TV while Emi fell asleep writing in her diary.

Dear Diary,

I saw this cute guy dancing today. Ecks says that the guy and I should be a team,

but I'm too shy to ask him or to even speak to him. What am I saying? I just saw

him today, then Walt called me home.

He's getting harder to connect to. I wish he would understand why dad is away.

I know it must be hard for him not to have a role model, but I think he could just

attempt to make friends. I think I'll take him out tomorrow....

Emi.

Walt walked into Emi's room around midnight, scared from a movie he saw. Spying her diary, he closed it, got a blanket and snuggled under the blanket with her until morning.