Chapter two
"We'll leave in the morning, really early, in order not to run into any of the other girls." Gloria whispered to Erin before they went to bed that night. Erin agreed. She didn't want Chloe to know she was weak inside and that she sometimes cried. Both girls lay in their beds, thinking about everything that had gone on during the weekend.
Gloria had asked her father if she was allowed to go over to Annika's house, but Asai said he didn't trust Gloria to go out by herself anymore, and that Annika wasn't allowed over here either. Erin was attempting to do some math homework Saturday night, while her parents argued in the kitchen. They threw cups and plastic bowls at each other. Erin began to wonder how come no one else around their quarters heard what was going on in here. Perhaps they just ignored it? Erin closed her math book and went to her own bedroom, and took out her journal and began writing in it.
Erin and Gloria realized that their parents weren't fighting about Gloria all the time, they were arguing about every little thing. Who left the towel in their bedroom floor? Who ate this, who ate that? Why was the TV left on last night? And when they ran out of little things to argue about they'd bring up Erin or Gloria. Asai even accused Erin of having failing grades. Erin had a C in her English class. He accused Erin of not paying attention in school, being a horrible student, and that he was upset that she was his daughter. Erin would just give him a confused look and try not to act bothered by it. Gloria had stood there watching her father accuse Erin of everything that was wrong in this family. When he was through with her he'd accuse Gloria as well. Of course he never did this when Minako was home. And she didn't think he would.
Finally, Sunday night had come. Minako told Asai he just needed to leave for a little while. The girls heard something crash and break. They heard slur words coming from their father's mouth and then doors slamming. Erin and Gloria agreed leaving early for school the next morning; both cried their selves to sleep.
Eventually, Monday morning arrived. Erin and Gloria quietly got ready for school; it was only an hour earlier then what they normally leave at. Erin wore her skirt and long dress shirt, with the little tie that went along with it. She wrapped herself up as best she could in other things, but failed miserably at this, she knew she should have washed her pants during the weekend, but with everything going on she forgot. Gloria was dressed warmly, in the school's uniform pants, and long sleeved dress shirt, and her sweater. Erin only had her long socks to keep her legs warm. She sighed and grabbed her book bag. Gloria made sure everything was in place, and when it was, she wrote her mom a note, just in case, then the two snuck out of the house.
It was still dark as Erin and Gloria trudged through the layer of snow. Luckily, since it was still snowing, their foot tracks would be covered up. When they arrived at the gate the guards asked where they were going. Gloria made up a lie and said that they had a school project, and they had to turn it in early. They didn't bother questioning it farther, they opened they gates and allowed them out. Erin and Gloria didn't really talk to one another; they just walked toward the school, as slowly as possible. It would seem strange if they got there too early.
Erin started to think of the future without a father. What would her mother do? What would the others say? They couldn't hide it for ever, it was impossible. Sure they had hid the arguing for six years, but Erin knew she couldn't remain locked up like this, especially since her dad left. Erin imagined going to a dinner without her father and everyone asking her where her father is, she having to make up excuses. But she couldn't make excuses up all the time. They'd start to catch on. All this thinking started to make Erin's head throb, and if it wasn't the thinking it'd be the cold weather.
Finally, the two arrived at school, just as the sun was making its appearance. Gloria wondered if the school would be opened at this time. She scarcely put her hand on the door, and then pulled it opened. She sighed a sigh of relief, now her and her sister could go into some place nice and warm. Erin went in first. They looked around to see who was here at this time. They spotted the principle, and she spotted them too. She smiled, waved, and went back to work, skimming through documents. Gloria's teacher ends up spotting them, on their walks through the halls. She asks Gloria if she'd like some help with her math homework. Gloria looks at her sister and Erin nods. They decide to follow Gloria's teacher into her classroom. The two begin on Gloria's homework.
Erin seems to be pleased that Gloria is beginning to understand her homework. She watches as Gloria struggles and understands the math problem. Erin wonders if her teacher would help her in English. But she thinks better of it, as she remembers clearly being called a failure and that she was following in Gloria's tracks. Gloria had, had Erin's teacher.
"You should start coming early everyday, so I can help you out with your math homework, Gloria. I know you're a bright child." She says. This makes Gloria smile. Students are soon pouring in and out of the school. Gloria's teacher tells Erin that she may want to get to her class. Erin agrees, she hugs her older sister, and she leaves. Erin runs her hand over the lockers in the hall, she had her head bent down low, not paying any attention to her surroundings.
Julia and Lydia stood outside their classroom watching as Erin made her way down the hall. Julia turned to Lydia as if asking for an answer to something she didn't ask. Julia finally decided to ask.
"Were they at our meeting place this morning?" Julia questioned.
"No, they left early." Lydia replied.
"How do you know? Perhaps they were late?" Julia suggested.
"No, I watched them this morning, they left really early." Lydia said going into their classroom, not wanting to prolong this conversation.
'Well, that's odd. That isn't like them at all. Perhaps their mom wanted them to come early.' Julia decided to shrug it off, and went into her classroom as well.
Erin made it to her class without being asked any questions. She took her seat in her assigned seat and waited for the class to begin. Chloe came into the classroom and was about to say hi to her friend, but was told to take a seat. Chloe and Erin use to sit together at the beginning of the year, but the two girls talked too much, so their teacher split them up. The class started shortly after the morning announcements.
Erin was called on three times before the teacher hit her desk with her ruler. "The answer to number one Erin."
Erin looked at her blankly. She didn't know what subject they were in. Her teacher taught Math and English in the morning. Erin glanced up at the clock and then at the board looking for an answer, but didn't find any.
"I don't know Mrs. Kumara." Erin replied.
"Fine." Mrs. Kumara replied and then called on another student. Finally, the bell rung and Erin was free from her class, she didn't stick around to wait for Chloe she just went into the bathroom and put her books down in one of the stalls. She climbed up on the toilet seat, and cried.
A girl from Erin's current class walked into the bathroom, the bell had rung by now, so she must have gotten a pass to come out of Mr. Saatchi's class.
"Erin is that you?" the girl asked, she must have recognized her bag from under the stall, it was sticking out some.
"Maybe" Erin said.
"Are you okay?" the girl asked.
"Yea, but please don't tell anyone I was crying." Erin comes out of the stall. "If you do tell anyone I was crying I'll tell my older sister."
"Okay. I wasn't going to tell anyone, but you're late for class. Mr. Saatchi was asking for you." The girl said.
"Okay, I'm going to class now." Erin picked up her things, washed her face off, and walked out of the bathroom. She came into Mr. Saatchi's class, without him or anyone else asking questions. Lydia just stared at her, confused. She could tell she had been crying. She did wonder why, but didn't bother to question it.
Mr. Saatchi teachers the class, he didn't call on Erin, as seeing she appeared to be in distress of some kind. When the bell rung for lunch Erin was the first one out, she quickly escaped to the bathroom again, only this time she made sure her stuff was out of sight, so no one would bother her. Lydia looked around for Erin, but gave up and went to lunch.
Hope, Faith, Julia, Annika, Chloe, and Ariel were sitting at the table, already eating. Most brought their own lunch. Madelyn came in last, carrying her lunch box. She sat down next to Hope. Lydia sat down next to Julia, and the table shared what grades they had made on test, who they've encountered this morning, and so forth.
Faith happened to glance over to where Gloria was sitting. She was sitting all by herself, which Faith found odd. Faith noticed that Gloria was just looking out the window, not touching her food. Julia brought up the subject on how Erin didn't seem to be herself. Annika said it was probably just the argument between Gloria and Daisy.
Chloe asked if anyone had seen Erin. Lydia says she disappeared after second period.
"You know for this thing to really be about Gloria and Daisy's argument it would seem a little odd for Gloria to be affected by it." Faith said.
"Gloria doesn't get affected by anything." Hope replied confused. She looked over toward where her sister was looking, but saw nothing. Gloria had already left the cafeteria.
"Erin started crying when the king made us apologize last night." Chloe spoke up.
"That's really odd. Erin rarely cries, and when she does it's never something as stupid as that." Madelyn said.
"It does seem a little odd. Why would she cry because she had to apologize?" Faith questioned.
Julia glanced over at Lydia; she was playing around with her food. "It's probably nothing, the Aino sisters will come around." She was now trying to get everyone away from that topic.
"Yea, that's true. Erin and especially Gloria would never really take anything to heart." Faith replied.
"And that's slightly the problem." Madelyn sighed.
Everyone agreed upon this. If Gloria would take some things to heart, then maybe she'd understand what it meant to be hurt, humiliated, and any other emotion that Gloria had caused the children, because of her pranks.
By the end of the day Gloria and Erin were hiding up on the third floor of the building watching their friends down bellow. They were trying to defend Annika. Faith was doing a good job at it. Gloria turned away from the window and suck down to the ground. Gloria felt like she had betrayed her friend. Erin tapped Gloria on the shoulder.
"They are gone." Erin informed her.
The two girls walked out of the school and into the palace. They thought about where to go and finally decided on the strength room, no one went there too much. Especially in the winter times. Don't know why, it seemed to be the perfect time to go. You wouldn't heat to death.
Erin played around on the treadmill for a few minutes and then turned to Gloria, who was fidgeting around with a necklace. Erin deiced to continue running. She sped up the treadmill and ran faster. Gloria shut it off.
"You're going to over work it." And I don't think running on a treadmill is going to make things change. We can't run from what's happened." Gloria explained.
Erin stared at her sister, tears forming in her eyes.. "You were more joyable when you played pranks."
"I thought you hated that?" Gloria questioned, astonished.
"I do. And I always will, but it just made me mad. Now I'm sad, lonely , and really confused." Erin stated.
"Oh, Erin you'll always have me. And Chloe's your best friend." Gloria embraced her little sister.
"I thought you hated her." Erin said.
"Naw, her sister just makes me mad." Gloria explained.
"Oh." Erin frowned. "Do you think daddy will come back?"
"He has to. He wouldn't leave us forever." Gloria answered weakly. "Let's get started on our homework."
Erin didn't object, nor did she bother to continue this conversation with Gloria. Both girls sat against the will and worked on their subjects. Gloria was getting frustrated with her math. She threw her pencil across the room several times.
As the day wore on Erin finished her homework and laid her head on her backpack; falling fast asleep. Gloria on the other hand had a pile full of papers where she had tried several times to understand her homework. She finally gave up after an hour of her sister being asleep. She put her things away and laid next to her sister and before to long she was fast asleep.
Sestuna, who had been watching the sisters, turned and left. She had to get Maggie and Lydia from Makoto's house. She was deeply concerned, the time gate wouldn't allow Sestuna to see the Aino's future, and it had been that way since Erin had been born.
Minako made her way out of her bedroom, she had been in there all day, ignoring phone calls and her surroundings. She looked around for her children, when they were no where to be found she listened to her answering machine, she looked for a note, when she didn't find any answers she sat on the couch and begin to think. She needed to find them, but not without Asai, if he wasn't helping her the others would ask questions. Minako finally decided to contact him; she took her communicator out and pushed 'Asai'
"What?" he asked grumpily.
"The children are missing and I need you here so others won't notice." Minako explained.
"You know Minako you sure are one demanding confused women. First you tell me to leave; now you want me to find your kids." Asai replied. "I'm coming." He hung up.
Minako sighed and started calling around. She contacted Rei to see if maybe Gloria had been there. Neither Annika nor Rei had seen Gloria. They both said to call back if she needed help or if they had found them. Minako said she would and then contacted Makoto.
"Have you seen Erin or Gloria today?" Minako asks frantically.
"No, why what's wrong? You can't find them? Did they ever come home after school?" Makoto asked worriedly.
"No." Minako replied. "They haven't been home all day. The only thing I've gotten from them is a note saying they left early to school."
"Daisy and Chloe have either of you seen Erin or Daisy?" Makoto questions her children.
"No ma'am. I haven't seen Erin since.. well.. I'm not sure, she kept disappearing today." Chloe replied and continued on her homework.
"Yea, those two have acted funny." Maggie adds in.
Daisy very coldly replies with "It doesn't matter where they are. They aren't here, that's for sure. And if I have to see that girls face one more time I'm going to smother her."
Maggie looked at her best friend shocked. "What is up with you two? This is stupid."
"I agree." Sestuna commented as she walked in.
"Minako, Sestuna's here, maybe she's seen them?" Makoto suggested.
"The last time I saw the two girls they were down in the strength room." Sestuna replied.
"Thank you!" Minako hollered through the communicator.
Asai walked into Minako's house, as soon as she shut off the communicator. "Let's go." He demanded. Minako and Asai walked down to the strength room, Maggie, Lydia, and Sestuna ended up being there too. Sestuna had walked down there just to see if there was anything different about Minako and Asai, she had her suspicions, but they were proven wrong. Asai and Minako smiled when they saw their daughters cuddled up to next either.
"You know, for the other day at the dinner the two sure have made up quickly." Asai chuckled.
"Yes that they have." Minako picked up Erin and her belongings and carried her out of the room. "Thank you Sestuna."
Asai picked up Gloria and did the same as Minako. The two went home, with their daughters in their arms.
"Momma…" Maggie started to say something, but then quit.
"Yes darling?" Sestuna asked, moving a lock of hair away from Maggie's face.
"Oh never mind." Maggie replied.
Minako and Asai returned home and put their daughters in bed. Minako and Asai immediately get into another argument.
"I'm not going to be able to come around each time the girls go missing. You're just going to have to start learning to deal with it on your own Minako." Asai insisted.
"Where are you staying? " asked Minako in a weak voice.
"At a hotel just outside of the Palace, I go to work and then go home." Asai replied.
"Oh." Minako says a little hurt that she called it his home.
"They are your children; you take care of the little brats." Asai stated and then slammed the door leaving once again. Minako stands there stunned; tears began to fall from her eyes once again. Gloria and Erin were lying in their beds wide awake.