By the time she got around to remembering exactly where she stashed the paper Inaki gave her, she nearly washed it with the rest of her laundry and lost the address entirely.

'I am so stupid! I can't believe I forgot it in the fifth pocket!' She sighed and pulled out the scrap, scowling at herself as she stared at the address. 'I can be such an IDIOT sometimes...'

It wasn't as if she did it on purpose. By the time she got home, she stuffed the scrap in her jeans while trying to carry everything up to her room to be put away. By that time, she was already thinking of homework and what to start on first. Classes came after that...and then her and Sam's traditional movie time. She changed clothes and tossed them on her bed to leave for classes before she could stop herself.

Still...it was no excuse. Inaki gave her that paper two weeks ago! But it was NOT good timing with finals that same week... Final projects were due, and a few days studying in class by a few generous teachers. For the two weeks since, she'd been cramming her brains out over that time for classes. It was a wonder she even wanted to LOOK at a piece of paper!

'I wonder if he's mad at me for not writing him for so long...' She pondered, staring at empty, lined sheet. Teeth lightly nibbled on the inside of her lip. 'I wonder if he even remembers me.' Her eyes tightly closed while a hand gripped her mechanical pencil. Whether or not he'd forgotten her was irrelevant! And besides...what did that matter?

Exhaling a small sigh, her eyes opened and stared at the paper. What EXACTLY was she supposed to say? It wasn't like she did this all the time. Heck...she figured this to be her first time! 'It's not like I'm a FAN of doing the pen pal system with people I meet off the street...' Dark green darted to the clock on her nightstand. The afternoon was waning... She had to start cooking lunch soon, so she might as well stop procrastinating and start.

The eraser absently tapped against her cheek as she slouched in the chair and stared at the lines. So what did she start WITH?

Part of her mouth scrunched up. Her eyes went to the neatly stacked textbooks at the corner, notebooks sitting next to them stacked just as neatly. She was so glad the summer semester was over! Her fall schedule was set up and ready to go...now she just had to wait the remaining two weeks out and pack for home. A small smile tipped her lips. It was hard, but she managed to secure the whole next week for her mother.

Just for her mother...

A small bit of loneliness hit. She missed the woman. There was no time to drive, always using Sam's car to be transported over. She had no car, just her bike... She had no free time either. Part of her made it that way and wanted it like that. Time passed faster with a lot to do...but at the same time it drove her nuts half the time. She was looking forward to going home again.

Her head harshly shook, hand fisting the pencil again. Enough! If she kept up this trail of thought to WHEREVER it was going, she wasn't going to get a damn thing accomplished - what she set out to do - and then she'd have Sam's stomach to deal with.

She gave a wry grin and sat up. Like she wanted THAT mass amount of whining to listen to.

Resolve hardened, she hunched over the desk and propped her head up. How to start?

She didn't want to be too formal, as he didn't want that during their few meetings...but she didn't want to act like they'd been buddies forever and ever. Finally, it came to her. She smirked. Simple...yet witty.

~*~*~

Hello Yamoi Inaki (last name first, first name last),

I'm very sorry for not having written before now, but the whole thing came at a bad time. Classes just got out today and I've been dealing with finals the past two weeks. Then add my two jobs and all the other stuff I do with Sam - the girl you met before - onto that and I've barely had time to breathe!

But enough of that... How have you been doing? Well I hope. I'm...not too sure what to write... I had a time trying to figure out how to even start this. This is the first long-distanced pen pal bit I've ever done. The ignorance over misplacing your address is proof of that. Sorry again. Suppose I should get on with this... As I said before, I really don't know what to say. I guess...I can start off with saying that...thank you for apologizing. No guy has ever done that before for me and safe to say, you shocked me! I take back what I said before - you're NOT like other guys.

But anyway - again... As you can see, I'm not really articulate when it comes to impromptu words. If I knew what to say, I'd have no problem. I'm mostly a planner at heart. But I know stuff like this comes with a background check at least, so I hope you won't mind it if I refrain from most of it. Nothing personal...I'd rather not discuss it.

I don't mind talking about my life where I live now. I live with Samantha Merth, who is also my best friend, and have since I started college. We've lived together for nearly two years now. I found an ad she placed for a roommate and checked it out. I was thankful enough to have such a great location...and to've met such a wonderful girl. Sam's a little older than me by eleven months, but she acts so immature! But that's the kind of person she is and I wouldn't have her any other way. We're kind of opposites. I'm sure you could tell by how we act around each other. She's a lot more...bubbly I guess you'd call it. She's more open than I am and has a wide variety of tastes in all sorts of things. She's a great person and I'm fortunate to be around her...if I said that already, I'm stressing it again.

I guess I should talk about myself, shouldn't I? This is actually a lot harder than it looks, so I hope you're not laughing at this. I know I should be erasing the whole thing, or getting a fresh sheet...but words on paper is the only communication we've got. So I guess I should let everything go as is and let you be the judge...

Oh god...I just read what I wrote...but I still won't get a new sheet!

Myself...yea. I was born in Florida, but my hometown is Westchester - eleven miles away or so. I was born in September on the fifteenth, 2077. So my twentieth birthday is right around the corner. One would think I'd be celebrating the turn of a new decade, but I have a feeling I'll be either working or in class. That's the price I pay for buckling down.

Anyway...so when were you born? You live in Andytown...you live there all your life like I did in mine until I started FSU? Westchester is my hometown, even though Miami technically is now.

Sam's family lives here and we go over whenever we can to visit. Mostly on holidays, but whenever we can squeeze time in to do laundry. Now THAT'S a rather sad fact...neither of us have enough time to do laundry! But I DO wear clean clothes, thank you!!

Digressing again...I'll try to stay on track. Ah...what else... Oh yea, I've been going to FSU for basically two years. I started the fall I graduated high school...so I'm a sophomore now. I'll be a junior starting in the fall. But I've got a lot more time to put in before I get my major. I've got multiple actually. I know a lot of people only work for one, but what good is a single major if you can't get a job with it? That's why I've decided on a sub major. A major in history - general history - with a sub in Anthropology. I'm a big history buff. I don't know why, but things of the past just fascinate me.

I work at the Coffee Works Monday through Friday on late night hours. My boss leaves it open until midnight for any stragglers and I don't mind. The place is dead and I get studying done. There's always three nice elderly guys that come in like clockwork every night. You saw them, if you remember them. They're the nicest people! They keep me company, even if I can't study the rest of the night. But it's worth it to hang with them.

The weekends I work at the Hyatt in the morning to noon shift. I WOULD'VE liked to had weekends free for myself and any studying or projects that come up, but income outweighs free time. It's all good...it builds character and I don't mind hard work. Really I don't. I help Sammy out with half the bills to make up for it. I put a few dollars here and there into a savings account she doesn't know about for either a rainy day, an emergency, or to help pay off some of my financial aid after I graduate. Bless financial aid!

I bet I'm boring you. Sorry if I am...I'm a boring person. I'm a total bookworm. If I'm not studying or working or going to school, I'm spending my free time sleeping or hanging out with Sam. So really...if you wanted to keep in contact, this was the best - and only - way to go.

I don't expect you to write back if you don't want to. I assume you might have forgotten about me by now and are wondering who sent you this. I won't be offended if you don't want to keep in contact with such a boring person. Like I said, I don't really hold grudges. It takes too much energy for me to be angry that long. And it's better to make friends than enemies...

Well I suppose I should close it at two pages. I hope you don't mind that I used the back of the same paper instead of another...being a broke college student and all.

I guess I'll...talk to you sometime.

Kalie - CALL ME K! - Himmen

July 25, 2097

He smiled and set the paper on his bed, reclining against the pillows.

What a character.

Hands folded behind his head as he silently stared at the ceiling and pondered her letter.

No, character wasn't right... A piece of work.

She didn't seem all that boring when he met her face to face. She was actually quite spirited and he liked that.

...I really don't know what to say. If I knew what to say, I'd have no problem.

His eyes closed. He could feel the teensiest of emotional tides wind down after being sucked into the personality that shone through her writing.

She had a sense of humor at least. He could picture her smiling at points when she wrote. Having met her gave him a nice mental picture of her to remember. After what seemed a while, he sat back up and gathered the piece. Time to respond before the post office closed and he couldn't get his letter out. He snatched the envelope as he slid off the bed and went to the desk he and Jayden shared. One side of his nose wrinkled at finding some of her things strewn about.

Damn onna didn't even know how to clean up after herself!

Heaving a sigh, he gathered her things and dumped them on her bed instead of putting them where they belonged. Let her pick up her OWN mess!

He pulled the wood chair out and plopped down on the cushion put there for padding. In mere seconds, he fished through his side of the desk drawers and grabbed his stationary. It wasn't anything grand. His okaasan gave it to him for his last birthday in case he wanted to use it. He hadn't yet, though now was the prime opportunity.

He didn't understand why she gave him stationary, complete with an expensive-looking pen and pencil set. When he asked, she said that she saw the Japanese kanji decoratively littering the paper and thought of him.

He pulled out the pen and scooted the chair closer. Time to get to work...

Dear Kalie - CALL ME K - Himmen,

Nice, sarcastic intro...thought I'd start with one of my own. Don't stress the timeframe, I understand. You SOUND like a very busy girl! I couldn't imagine having to juggle two jobs AND school! I did the school bit for a semester or two when I got done with high school and it was too much for me. Haven't been back, but haven't sweated it.

I'm doing the same as when you and I parted. Life got back to its dull, boring routine, so I'm happy to get your letter. Gives me something to do.

There's nothing to be sorry about. Geez you apologize too much! I find that funny because you never apologized to me in those few times I was around you. Kidding, kidding! Don't get angry, that was meant as a sarcastic retort. You know me - or you will anyway - I'm full of dry humor and massive sarcasm.

I'm glad you wrote without trying to go back and make it sound better. That would cut your personality from me, so don't in the future. And if you need guidelines on what to write - geez, I can't believe you said that in the first place - just write what you want. I'M not making rules here, and I'll read whatever you send. Don't go back and proof anything...leave it as you first put it. That way it's like I'm talking to you face to face. It's more fun that way.

It was nice to see your change about my status. Like I said, I don't like being grouped with all those other guys and I'm glad you admitted that. Thanks for that.

So that blonde chick is your roomy and co-worker huh? She SEEMS bubbly...though that immature crack you made also fits. To me, she was rather outgoing, but it's nice to see people like that. I'm not, so I can't really imagine what it's like to be shy.

I don't really mind if you don't want to say anything about your background. I'll want to know something eventually...but now is just to get to know you and visa versa. I personally have nothing to hide, so I'll spill my guts if you don't mind.

I was born and still live in this hickville of a town. Andytown is so small I swear...you probably couldn't find it on a map! But I can't complain...the city is pretty oriental based, so I'm right at home. It's spread out and that means where I live has a good chunk of land around it. Not much...but our yard is HUGE!

I also met the three guys you saw here as well. They live on the outskirts of town, though Kelar is somewhere in the middle. It's kind of hard to write without pictures or me being a tourist guide. But Chass, Kelar, Rob, and I are all best buddies...though I'm sure you saw us bickering a lot at each other. That's just us, and I'm assuming that's guys in general. That's how we show the love.

If you haven't noticed by now, I am nearly 100% Japanese...proud to say. My family owns a grocery store-like business and everyone in my family works there. Even me. It's quite the setup and it's been in my family since my great grandparents and my great-great grandparents came from Japan when my great grandfather was two, I think. When my great grandfather was twenty-four - if I'm right - he started it and because of the ethnic backgrounds, hit it off. He was lucky as far as entrepreneurs went.

My family background is pretty cool. My great grandparents met when they were younger than you. It couldn't have been easy, but they got married before they were considered legal by the courts. I think they were so close to eighteen that it passed. Not like they could do much with Japanese rules and influence in this city.

Anyway...my grandfather met my grandmother as she worked in the store and that was the end of that. My father was born before they were married. I don't know ALL the details, but I think it was a family dispute until my great grandparents gave in. Traditional marriages and all...it's always a shock when the kids break tradition. Thankfully, that stupid rule is in the past where it belongs and I don't have to worry about it! Big relief for ME.

While they're fully Japanese, my mother isn't. She's totally American and I think she's back from Yankee blood. My father met her on a business trip he made for the store in a larger city. They were married at nineteen, a year older than my grandparents, and another year later than my great grandparents. Is it just me, or did people marry really young back then?

Narrowing it down...I have a sister who's twenty-five, and I'm twenty-two. I turn twenty-three in a few weeks. The beginning of August. I can't wait...you can picture me jumping with joy can't you? ...More to the point of twirling my finger and whoop-de-do'ing the whole thing.

I live in a house with three other generations and my current. Quite packed you'd think, but the space works out. This house has been in my family for a while. My grandparents lived here and bought the house soon after they were married. My parents were invited to live with theirs, and I was born here. My great grandparents lived here even before I was born - that's how tight-knit my family is.

A little bit more about me before I cut this off... Like I said, I work at the family business. I do the so-called grunt work, lifting and moving stuff. I also do a little cleaning of the place. I'm part of a system that keeps it going. We're a family business and there's enough to keep that place well stocked. There's me, my sister Jayden, my mother Kristine, my father Omo, my grandfather Kekoy, my grandmother Mamorah, my great grandfather Setsumo, and my great grandmother Mira. We have our part, and eight is definitely enough! The best thing is...I get to make my own hours, as long as I help out. Score huh?

I suppose I'll cut this off before the post office closes and I miss my chance to get this sent out. Write me when you feel you have time...don't think you HAVE to. I don't wanna be an obligation or anything, just cause I said I wanted to keep in contact. I'd have to give you a talking if you thought that. ...More of my humor - bear with it.

Awaiting your second letter,

Inaki...just call me that, okay?

July 26, 2097