Star and Hotaru headed toward town, both smiling and enjoying their time
together.
Especially Star, since all her friends were left behind in the States.
"Here we are!" Hotaru shouted.
Star walked up the steps to the porch and doorway as Hotaru opened it, and walked in, yelling: "I'm home!"
Hotaru brought Star into the living room, where her 'Family' was discussing some things. "This is my Family, Amara, Michelle, and Trista. Everyone, meet Starlight," Hotaru introduced her with a smile.
Amara, Michelle, and Trista stood up to meet the young woman that their 'Daughter' had introduced. But when they turned around, they were shocked at the sight...it was Star from the park!
Star was equally surprised. Her eyes widened at the sight of the three women she had met in the park. She looked at Hotaru, her eyes still wide. Hotaru just smiled and giggled at the sight of Star's expression Star gave Hotaru an annoyed look and walked up to Amara, Michelle, and Trista. "Nice to meet you...Again," Star looked a little embarrassed.
Amara stepped up; "Come and sit down."
Star nodded her head and followed the three into the living room, with Hotaru following. Star sat down on a loveseat, and Hotaru came and sat down beside her.
"Star, we know you're new here, and I'm sure you really enjoyed what you first saw of us, huh?" Amara started.
Star giggled slightly.
"And we're VERY sorry about that, and we wanted to apologize," Michelle finished.
Star looked at them all; "No, it's ok, it's not like that's the first time this has ever happened ever since I've been here..." Star looked down again.
"No, Star, what Serena said about you was totally unacceptable, and she owes you an apology," Trista said sternly.
"Her ditz got the best of her, but doesn't it always?" Amara joked, then was elbowed in the ribs by Michelle, which started a playful little catfight. Trista yelled at Amara and Michelle telling them to stop, but they paid no attention to her.
Soon everyone was in on it, Hotaru trying her best not to get tickled by Amara, who was trying not to get 'sat on' by Michelle who was avoiding Trista's demands with Star just watching in surprise.
Star laughed hysterically at the sight, she knew that she could trust them, so she felt comfortable. For the first time in Japan, Star was honestly and completely enjoying herself.
Amara, Michelle, and Trista heard Star laughing and then they all stopped. They all looked at each other, and then started laughing with her.
Michelle stood up, straitened her dress, and walked over to Star. She held out her hand, and said: "This is for you...Kind of a welcoming gift. It's not much, but hopefully it will be enough for a couple of ice cream cones." Michelle opened her hand and there sat a 5$ bill.
Star stood up, "Thank you Michelle," she said smiling.
Star walked over to where Trista and Amara stood, and thanked them. Then she reached out her hand to Hotaru, who was still on the floor, and pulled her up.
Star turned to the three women who'd been so kind to her, "Can Hotaru go for some Ice cream with me?"
"Sure," all three women said in unison as Hotaru stood quietly rejoicing, "Just be sure she's home by 5:00."
"I will," Star replied, walking to the doorway of the living room, and opening the front door. Star received four curious stares, but ignored the reaction and said: "Thanks again for the wonderful time, it was great!" She signaled to Hotaru for her to come over next to her. "Want to race me to the Ice cream parlor?" Star asked, innocently.
"Sure!" Hotaru replied, totally forgetting what she had told her earlier.
"Okay, you can have a head start, Ready...GO!" Star watched Hotaru run out of the house as fast as she could. She turned around to the other three, and winked. Then she ran out the door, slamming it behind her, making Amara, Michelle, and Trista jump.
"Well, nobody's perfect..." Amara commented.
Michelle and Trista giggled a bit.
***
Star and Hotaru had stopped racing, and were now walking down the sidewalk. Star checked her watch, "3:45" she said to Hotaru as they walked up to the dessert filled building.
She reviewed the menu for a minute, then said: "I'd like a Double-Scoop Strawberry Ice Cream Cone," Star said to the young man at the counter.
"Umm..." Hotaru glanced over at Star as she was looking at the list of flavors. "How about this one?"
"Okay, that sounds good." Star turned from Hotaru back to the young man at the ice cream stand: "And she wants a Double-Scoop Peach Ice Cream Cone," Star ordered for her, then handed in the 5$ bill that Michelle had given her.
***
Star held one ice cream cone in each hand as Hotaru sat down in an outdoor picnic area. Star handed Hotaru her cone, then sat down on the table. Hotaru began to devoir her ice cream, when she looked over at Star, whose tongue was perfecting the shape of her ice cream. "What are you doing?" Hotaru curiously.
Star stopped, looked at herself, then at Hotaru: "What was I doing?"
Hotaru pointed at Star's two perfectly round scoops of ice cream sitting on top of a brown waffle cone.
"Oh," she started giggling. "My Melancholy likes to take over when I eat."
"Mel..an..choly?" Hotaru tried to repeat the strange word.
Star laughed, "That's my temperament."
"O...K." Hotaru decided to leave it at that.
***
"This lake is beautiful, don't you think so?" Hotaru started a conversation with Star. They had both finished their ice cream, and had walked to the dock overlooking the lake.
No Reply...
Hotaru looked over at Star who was leaning on the rail, staring out at the lake. Her hair flowing in the wind, with her below-knee skirt doing the same.
Star's thoughts were all crammed together. She managed to shut them out, as she looked at the lake...How beautiful it was...
"Star, are you in there?" Hotaru wondered what was filling Star's mind at that very moment.
"...Oh...Yes, I'm still here." Star realized that Hotaru had spoken to her.
"...Are you ok?" Hotaru looked at Star with a concerned expression.
"...Yes...I'm fine...I've just been thinking about my family and friends back in the U.S." Star looked longingly at the lake. "I've been so lonely here."
Hotaru looked lovingly at Star. They had so much in common... "I know how you feel."
Star checked her watch, "4:55!" She screamed. "You have to be home in FIVE MINUTES!"
Immediately, Hotaru grabbed Star's arm and started running in the direction of her home.
***
"Did we make it?" asked a panting Hotaru.
"5:01, I think so," replied Star, who was breathing a little heavier than usual.
"Looks like it, " The door opened and out walked Amara.
Star smiled at her, then said: "Well, I need to go," Star walked down the stairs on the patio.
"See you at school tomorrow?" Hotaru asked.
"Yeah, you will!" Star replied.
Michelle and Trista walked out of the house and looked at Hotaru with a "You forgot something" type of look.
"Oh..." Hotaru turned towards the imprint of Star's slender body heading toward town. "Thanks for the ice cream Star!" she called out.
Star heard her, and turned around. She waved to all three, then walked out of sight.
***
Star carried some bags from school that she had left there until she could get an apartment. She swung open the door of her new apartment, and set down the bags. Suddenly a cat jumped out of one.
Star jumped, "Athena! Don't scare me like that!"
"...Sorry, Star."
"Here we are!" Hotaru shouted.
Star walked up the steps to the porch and doorway as Hotaru opened it, and walked in, yelling: "I'm home!"
Hotaru brought Star into the living room, where her 'Family' was discussing some things. "This is my Family, Amara, Michelle, and Trista. Everyone, meet Starlight," Hotaru introduced her with a smile.
Amara, Michelle, and Trista stood up to meet the young woman that their 'Daughter' had introduced. But when they turned around, they were shocked at the sight...it was Star from the park!
Star was equally surprised. Her eyes widened at the sight of the three women she had met in the park. She looked at Hotaru, her eyes still wide. Hotaru just smiled and giggled at the sight of Star's expression Star gave Hotaru an annoyed look and walked up to Amara, Michelle, and Trista. "Nice to meet you...Again," Star looked a little embarrassed.
Amara stepped up; "Come and sit down."
Star nodded her head and followed the three into the living room, with Hotaru following. Star sat down on a loveseat, and Hotaru came and sat down beside her.
"Star, we know you're new here, and I'm sure you really enjoyed what you first saw of us, huh?" Amara started.
Star giggled slightly.
"And we're VERY sorry about that, and we wanted to apologize," Michelle finished.
Star looked at them all; "No, it's ok, it's not like that's the first time this has ever happened ever since I've been here..." Star looked down again.
"No, Star, what Serena said about you was totally unacceptable, and she owes you an apology," Trista said sternly.
"Her ditz got the best of her, but doesn't it always?" Amara joked, then was elbowed in the ribs by Michelle, which started a playful little catfight. Trista yelled at Amara and Michelle telling them to stop, but they paid no attention to her.
Soon everyone was in on it, Hotaru trying her best not to get tickled by Amara, who was trying not to get 'sat on' by Michelle who was avoiding Trista's demands with Star just watching in surprise.
Star laughed hysterically at the sight, she knew that she could trust them, so she felt comfortable. For the first time in Japan, Star was honestly and completely enjoying herself.
Amara, Michelle, and Trista heard Star laughing and then they all stopped. They all looked at each other, and then started laughing with her.
Michelle stood up, straitened her dress, and walked over to Star. She held out her hand, and said: "This is for you...Kind of a welcoming gift. It's not much, but hopefully it will be enough for a couple of ice cream cones." Michelle opened her hand and there sat a 5$ bill.
Star stood up, "Thank you Michelle," she said smiling.
Star walked over to where Trista and Amara stood, and thanked them. Then she reached out her hand to Hotaru, who was still on the floor, and pulled her up.
Star turned to the three women who'd been so kind to her, "Can Hotaru go for some Ice cream with me?"
"Sure," all three women said in unison as Hotaru stood quietly rejoicing, "Just be sure she's home by 5:00."
"I will," Star replied, walking to the doorway of the living room, and opening the front door. Star received four curious stares, but ignored the reaction and said: "Thanks again for the wonderful time, it was great!" She signaled to Hotaru for her to come over next to her. "Want to race me to the Ice cream parlor?" Star asked, innocently.
"Sure!" Hotaru replied, totally forgetting what she had told her earlier.
"Okay, you can have a head start, Ready...GO!" Star watched Hotaru run out of the house as fast as she could. She turned around to the other three, and winked. Then she ran out the door, slamming it behind her, making Amara, Michelle, and Trista jump.
"Well, nobody's perfect..." Amara commented.
Michelle and Trista giggled a bit.
***
Star and Hotaru had stopped racing, and were now walking down the sidewalk. Star checked her watch, "3:45" she said to Hotaru as they walked up to the dessert filled building.
She reviewed the menu for a minute, then said: "I'd like a Double-Scoop Strawberry Ice Cream Cone," Star said to the young man at the counter.
"Umm..." Hotaru glanced over at Star as she was looking at the list of flavors. "How about this one?"
"Okay, that sounds good." Star turned from Hotaru back to the young man at the ice cream stand: "And she wants a Double-Scoop Peach Ice Cream Cone," Star ordered for her, then handed in the 5$ bill that Michelle had given her.
***
Star held one ice cream cone in each hand as Hotaru sat down in an outdoor picnic area. Star handed Hotaru her cone, then sat down on the table. Hotaru began to devoir her ice cream, when she looked over at Star, whose tongue was perfecting the shape of her ice cream. "What are you doing?" Hotaru curiously.
Star stopped, looked at herself, then at Hotaru: "What was I doing?"
Hotaru pointed at Star's two perfectly round scoops of ice cream sitting on top of a brown waffle cone.
"Oh," she started giggling. "My Melancholy likes to take over when I eat."
"Mel..an..choly?" Hotaru tried to repeat the strange word.
Star laughed, "That's my temperament."
"O...K." Hotaru decided to leave it at that.
***
"This lake is beautiful, don't you think so?" Hotaru started a conversation with Star. They had both finished their ice cream, and had walked to the dock overlooking the lake.
No Reply...
Hotaru looked over at Star who was leaning on the rail, staring out at the lake. Her hair flowing in the wind, with her below-knee skirt doing the same.
Star's thoughts were all crammed together. She managed to shut them out, as she looked at the lake...How beautiful it was...
"Star, are you in there?" Hotaru wondered what was filling Star's mind at that very moment.
"...Oh...Yes, I'm still here." Star realized that Hotaru had spoken to her.
"...Are you ok?" Hotaru looked at Star with a concerned expression.
"...Yes...I'm fine...I've just been thinking about my family and friends back in the U.S." Star looked longingly at the lake. "I've been so lonely here."
Hotaru looked lovingly at Star. They had so much in common... "I know how you feel."
Star checked her watch, "4:55!" She screamed. "You have to be home in FIVE MINUTES!"
Immediately, Hotaru grabbed Star's arm and started running in the direction of her home.
***
"Did we make it?" asked a panting Hotaru.
"5:01, I think so," replied Star, who was breathing a little heavier than usual.
"Looks like it, " The door opened and out walked Amara.
Star smiled at her, then said: "Well, I need to go," Star walked down the stairs on the patio.
"See you at school tomorrow?" Hotaru asked.
"Yeah, you will!" Star replied.
Michelle and Trista walked out of the house and looked at Hotaru with a "You forgot something" type of look.
"Oh..." Hotaru turned towards the imprint of Star's slender body heading toward town. "Thanks for the ice cream Star!" she called out.
Star heard her, and turned around. She waved to all three, then walked out of sight.
***
Star carried some bags from school that she had left there until she could get an apartment. She swung open the door of her new apartment, and set down the bags. Suddenly a cat jumped out of one.
Star jumped, "Athena! Don't scare me like that!"
"...Sorry, Star."