Disclaimer: Not mine
Author's Note: Well, I really just had to set stuff up, y'know, so now- just keep going..
Chapter two: A New Arrival
Jennifer stepped into the reception area of the airport looking around uncertainly. She could see family members running to greet each other, buissiness men in suits hurrying over to baggage claim, but no sign of anyone waiting for an American Exchange Student. She glanced at the clock on the wall- it was seven thirty in the morning.
Yawning, she sat on one of the plastic chairs by the window, and waited. Slowly, everyone else in the room left or got picked up. Maybe I'm supposed to go to their house…I hope I haven't kept them waiting! Quickly, she went over to the information desk, and asked if there was a way she could get her luggage delivered to her house. The man merely gave a curt nod, and shoved a form for her to fill out across the counter. She filled it out, handed it back, and strode to the exit, slinging her book bag over her shoulder.
Jenny stood by the curb, waiting for a taxi, and noticed that a group of girls a bit younger than her were whispering and pointing, obviously trying not to giggle. Jen turned away, pretending not to notice, but giving her purple hippie blouse an uncomfortable tug. What's with them? She thought angrily. However, she listened hard, to see if she was doing something wrong, or if she had sat in gum…
"She doesn't make a good boy…"
"No- her breasts are too big…"
"But she's wearing pants! She must want to look like one.."
"If the girls wear pants where she's from, do you think the boys wear skirts?…"
Looking over in the guise of tossing some hair from her face, she noticed that they were all wearing skirts. She glanced at the other girls and women in the crowd- everywhere, all she saw were dresses and skirts. Jennifer blushed deeply, finally getting a cab. She climbed in, gave the driver the address, and they pulled away from the curb.
A boy! She thought, mortified, They thought I was a tranny! I can't believe it- what am I going to do? Maybe they were just being mean…That's it- they knew I wasn't from here, so they played a trick on me…
The cab pulled up in front of a very nice looking house. She paid the driver, and he took off down the road. Jenny looked at it for a bit. It seemed like a nice house- the sort of house a nice family would live in. Taking a deep breath, Jennifer walked up to the front porch, and rang the doorbell….
No answer.
Dash it all…How do I get in?… Maybe they aren't home…
Jennifer waited a moment longer, then walked around to the back of the house. One of the screen doors was open a bit. Hoisting herself up onto the back porch, she grabbed the handle of the door and slid it open the rest of the way….
A man with black hair and black eyes looked up from his desk and gave a small smile.
"Hello, there," the man said in perfect Japanese, "How may I help you?"
Remembering what she had learned from her book of Japanese manners and ettiquite, Jennifer bowed quickly and introduced herself. "I am sorry to intrude. My name is Jennifer. I am the exchange student from America that is supposed to be living here. This is the Sohma house, isn't it?"
The black-haired man looked puzzled and stood up from his pillow on the floor. He was wearing a kimono, Jenny could see, and he took off his glasses to see her more clearly. "Yes," he answered, bowing, "this is the Sohma residence. I am Shigure Sohma. Pleased to meet you. However, I was not aware of an exchange student coming to live with us….Please, come inside, and I will introduce the others."
Slipping off her sandles by the door, Jennifer went in, and followed Shigure down the hall way. He didn't know? Am I at the wrong Sohma house? Did I get the dates wrong? I can't believe this has happened…
Shigure opened a door to the left, and ushered her inside. It was a dining room, with a low table in the middle, and large screen doors open wide, giving a beautiful view of a well-kept garden. However, Jennifer's eyes were not on the view, but on the people sitting around the table, obviously in the middle of breakfast.
They all looked like they were her age- two boys and a girl. One boy had bright orange hair, and burning orange eyes that were focused on her with a small scowl. The other boy had silver hair, with gray eyes encircled with long lashes, and his expression seemed mixed between surprise and confusion. The girl sat on the other side of the table, across from the boys. When Jenny looked at her, she gave a warm smile, which Jen did her best to return.
"Now, then," Shigure spoke up, "It seems we have a bit of a dillema. This girl says she is a foreign exchange student from America who has come to live with us. Do you know anything about this?"
Jennifer blushed from embarrassment, feeling as though she were being put on trial.
"An exchange student? Really? That sounds so exciting! I didn't know anything about it, though, or I would have cooked more!" the girl exclaimed.
The boy with the orange hair only scowled deeper, "No need- she's not staying. That's a stupid question anyway, Shigure! You know we can't have any more girls here, so she'll just have to turn right around and go back where she came from!"
Jenny looked at the ground, tears beginning to well up in her eyes. I don't even know him, but he already hates me! I didn't know I would be so unwelcome, but what can I do? Where can I go?
Shigure turned to Jennifer and asked kindly, "Do you know the name of the student you're supposed to be staying with? There is more than one Sohma house in this area- perhaps you just arrived at the wrong one."
Reaching into her pocket, Jenny took out the form and read, "Student Host: Yuki Sohma' The form says he is Student Body President of Kaibara High School. Do you know him?"
Shigure, the girl, and the orange-haired boy did not answer, but all stared pointedly at the silver-haired boy. Finally, Shigure said, "I'm pretty sure she means you, Yuki."
Yuki sighed and said, "Yes, I know she does…I was the one who signed up for the exchange program, to host a foreign exchange student. It's mandatory for all Student Body Officers to sign up, but since Kaibara hasn't actually used its foreign exchange program in over eight years, I didn't think much of it..."
The orange-haired boy scoffed, "Huh- and look where that's gotten us. We have another girl in the house for who knows how long, and it's all because you had to run for president. Nice going, rat-boy-"
"That's enough, Kyo!" Shigure cut him off, " Jennifer is our guest now, and you will be polite to her, understand?"
"Whatever," was the response, and Kyo turned away, looking out onto the garden.
"And because you are so polite, you will give her your room until we can find somewhere to put her, isn't that right, Kyo?"
Kyo's eyes flashed open- "What?"
Jennifer looked up and said, "I don't want to put anyone out. Please- I don't want to burden you. I'll just sleep on the couch, if that's all right."
Shigure smiled, "If that's the way you feel, I won't stop you. Now, then, children, I've still got work to do, so I'll let you get to know each other." And with that, he was gone.
For a few moments, silence reigned, and Jennifer stood uncomfortably in front of the door, trying to look anywhere but at the pairs of eyes staring at her. Finally, the girl stood up, bowed, and introduced herself. "Hello. I'm Tohru Honda. Pleased to meet you."
Jenny bowed back, "I'm Jennifer Maiso. Pleased to meet you."
Then Tohru turned and gestured towards the orange-haired boy, "This is Kyo Sohma," –then to the silver-haired one-"and this is Yuki Sohma"
Jennifer bowed again, "Pleasure to meet you both,"
Kyo said nothing, but Yuki stood up and gave a polite smile. "I'm very sorry if we caused you any worry," he said, "but we are glad to have you stay with us. Please- sit down. I will go into the kitchen, and fix you some breakfast." So before Jen could refuse, Yuki turned away, and went into a different room, which Jenny supposed was the kitchen. Then, a harsh voice interrupted her thoughts.
"Well, sit down!"
It was Kyo who had spoken, and Jenny, thinking it best not to refuse, settled herself quickly on a cushion at the table. "Sorry!" she apologized quickly, looking at her hands in her lap.
"It's wonderful to have you here, Jennifer-san!" Tohru exclaimed, taking a seat next to her, "Do you like Japan so far? Was your flight okay?"
Jennifer smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "Please," she asked, "Just call me Jenny. Japan is wonderful, at least what I've seen so far. And the trip was nice too."
Yuki opened the door of the kitchen, and set down a bowl of sliced fruit in front of Jenny, and handed her a pair of chopsticks.
"Where are you from, anyway?" Kyo demanded, still looking out into the yard.
Jenny was startled, but answered quickly, "Oh- um, America. The United States."
Kyo turned back, looked her up and down and asked, "Do all Americans dress as weird as you?"
Suddenly, Yuki's hand struck out, and he slapped Kyo across the face. Both Tohru and Jenny gasped, but then Yuki looked back at Jenny and gave a small smile. "I apologize for my cousin's rudeness, Maiso-san. Unfortunately, he is less than sociable, but completely harmless."
Kyo stood, a red patch appearing on his cheek, and he screamed at Yuki, "Shut up! How do you know how much damage I can do? One day I'll beat you, do you hear me!"
Yuki's eyes flashed, and he said quickly, "Not in front of our guest, Kyo-"
"You shut up!" Kyo interrupted, looking very angry, "She's not a guest- and it's your fault she's even here in a first place! She doesn't belong here- she's an outsider!"
"The only outsider I see here is you," Yuki replied coldly. Gritting his teeth and clenching his fists, Kyo turned away, and ran outside, disappearing into the garden.
My Two Cents: Well, I know that in real japanese culture, girls and women wear pants and jeans all the time. I'm just poking a little fun at the fact that you almost NEVER see a girl in pants in a manga. I was the first one to notice that, and I even asked all my friends, "Hey you guys- have you noticed that you always see girls in skirts in anime and manga? Never pants!" They even went so far as to go through and check al of their manga, and I was right! Only, like, twice did we find a girl in any type of pants! Just to let you know!