Disclaimer: no.

I'm not sure I actually fell asleep last night.

I know that I did sleep a little, but it was never steady. I'd wake up to that little lamppost lighting the vacant street one minute, then watch the sun rise the next. Whatever my sleep patterns are, I'm awake now.

I stretch my legs out from under the sheets and over the side of the bed, yawning as I do so. "I wish I hadn't slept in my clothes," I grumble, looking in the small mirror hanging on the closet door.

Thump, thump.

I stop changing into my clothes, a blue shirt and comfy sweats, to listen to the sounds. They're gone now. "Just hearing stuff, Maria."

I grab the hairbrush from my suitcase; how can so little sleep lead to such a knotty mess?

Thump, thump, thump.

My head whips to the direction of the door. With the least amount of noise possible, I walk next to it, hairbrush in hand, and press my ear against it.

"Can you see anything?" someone whispers.

"Not really," another says. "I only got the wall."

They must be looking through the keyhole.

"Well who do ya' think is in there?"

Three people total.

"How should I know? I just told ya' all I got is the wall!"

"We'll just have to take a peek then, won't we?" the first voice snickers.

You certainly will not.

"On three, okay? One, two—" I open the door before he can finish.

One on top of the other, they fall to the floor with a thud. They have to scramble off each other before gaining any semblance of balance. They're kids. Three boys, one tall and lanky, one short and pudgy, and the last is very average looking.

"Now," I smirk, "what exactly were you trying to get a peek at?"

They open their mouths to speak, but from the very bottom level of the house, Martha shouts, "Boys!"

I don't think I've ever seen anyone run so fast in my life.

Closing the door behind me, I walk down the stairs and eventually into the kitchen. There's no one around except for the three boys, who happen to be chowing down the rest of their breakfast, and Martha.

"I thought there would be more people," I say, taking a seat.

I knew Martha was in charge of an orphanage, though Mom had said it wasn't quite one when she was here.

"Most of the kids are already on their way to school," Martha says as she eyes the boys suspiciously. They shrink under her gaze and eat even faster. "You'll meet the rest of the family later."

"Done!" the boys yell simultaneously, dashing out the door. "See ya' Martha!"

She waves goodbye, and hands me a plate with a bagel and apple slices on it. It takes me quite a while to finish but for just a bagel and apple, it's really good.

"Do you have any plans for today?"

"Not really," I say, "but now that I think about it, I shouldn't just be sitting around the house with nothing to do."

She's silent for the moment, only the clanks of dishes against the sink make noise. "Why did you come here, Maria?" she says finally, looking the slightest bit over her shoulder.

My brow furrows. "To meet you, of course."

"Other than that. You don't have any dreams, any ambitions?"

I feel a sudden wave of stupidity, so much that I can't answer her question. Of course I have dreams. Or had as I should now say.

Dreams don't tend to do very well in reality.

"Nothing?"

"The plan was just to get out here, firstly. And then I'd…" Her eyes egg me on. "I honestly don't know."

"Mhmm."

"Maybe a job?"

"That would be a good start," she nods.

"I guess that settles it—"

"Martha!" someone yells from the door.

At this, Martha sighs. "He's almost twenty years old and still doesn't know how to knock."

In walks two boys, both around my age. The tall blonde one quickly turns to Martha, but the shorter, orange-haired one looks to me first. My eyes avert to my plate until he looks away.

"So what's up Martha?"

She pauses for a moment instead of answering right away. "Where's Yusei?"

"He had to work suddenly," the blonde one grumbles.

Martha nods her head. "Well I just called you over because I wanted to ask you a favor." She moves her hands toward me and says, "Maria these two trouble-makers are Crow and Jack."

I send them a wave, which only Crow responds to.

"Jack and Crow, this is Maria, my granddaughter."

For the smallest of seconds, it's silent. But then…

"YOU HAD KIDS?"

I try to imagine Martha's children, but they just look like little clones running around the house telling everyone to sit up straight and finish their food.

I'm this close to answering for her but Martha signals me not to. "That's really beside the matter, boys. The reason I called you both here is because I want you to take Maria around the town and show her some of your favorite places—you know, make her feel welcomed."

"That's really not necessary—"

She cuts me off. "You said yourself that you didn't have anything planned for today."

"I don't want to babysit some girl I don't even know," Jack says rather loudly. Does he just scream and say stuff at the same time, all the time? "I have better things to do than—"

Martha's quick on her feet, grabbing his ear in a one swift movement. "I'm sorry, I couldn't quite hear you."

"Smooth," Crow says as he sits next to me. "He does this a lot, by the way."

"Oh." I scratch my arm from being slightly discomfited. "That's not good."

"Okay, Martha. Okay!" Jack then rubs his ear and mumbles, "We'll take her wherever she wants."

—

"So where exactly do you want us to take you?" Crow asks. He presses a button on a stoplight and we wait to cross the street.

We had already been to this local sushi place that Crow recommended; he kept saying something about getting 'a bang for your buck'. After, we went to the card shop but as soon as we went in, we left. I don't think Jack likes being around too many people. The closest thing that we're next to is the carnival now.

"I didn't really have anything in mind." Jack grunts from behind us. I whisper, "Is he always like this?"

"Give or take a few emotions, pretty much."

"I can hear you," Jack says under is breath.

"Good, I wanted you to," Crow throws over his shoulder.

"I think," I say before they get into it again, "I just want to walk around a bit, you know get used to things and the scenery. Home was nothing like this."

"I hear you. The Satellite and New Domino were complete opposites for a good while there."

"The Satellite?" I say. "That's an odd name for a town."

Both Jack and Crow stop in their tracks. "You've never heard of the Satellite?" says Jack.

"No, not that I recall." But I feel like saying this isn't enough. "I'm sorry if I said something to offend you."

"It's just that—"

"Oh Jackie!"

"Ugh, not now, Carly," Jack grumbles.

Is he great at that or what?

A girl with chunky glasses and a traffic cone orange vest hops over to Jack. "C'mon Jack," she says, "you don't even know what I'm about to ask." He gives her something close to a glare and she sighs. "So it has to do with my next big scoop, you guessed right."

"If you haven't noticed, I'm busy, Carly!"

It seems as if she looks straight through Crow, who's standing in front of me, and directly at me. I don't know what to make of the look she gives me. But it's not a good one, I know that. It makes me feel like I've stolen one too many cookies from the cookie jar or something.

"Who are you?" she demands.

Before I can even answer, Jack says, "We're busy!"

"Who is she?" Carly directs the question at Jack like I'm not even here.

"I'm Maria," I say. She doesn't seem to hear me, though.

Her eyes don't look anywhere but Jack's.

"Carly!"

"Okay, I'm leaving!" Jeez, do they shout a lot. "I'll just see you later then, I guess."

She skulks away and I can't help but notice her smile change into a faint frown. So I say to Jack, "Maybe you should be nicer to her."

What a great choice that is. If looks could kill, if looks could kill.

"Why do you care?"

I can't meet him in the eye so I shrug, not quite sure what to say. "I don't all that much. But they say you can never have too many friends." I look down slightly. "Not to mention girls are really sensitive about that stuff."

"What do you know!"

"Well, I'm not exactly sure," I say with an eye roll, "but I think I just might be a girl."

He freezes like a block of ice and glares. And then growls, which just makes Crow insane with laughter. Abruptly, Jack turns and stomps away, making earthquakes with every step. This leaves a howling Crow and a bewildered me in the street.

—

When we finally catch up to Jack, he's at this place called Café la Green. He sits alone at an outside table, sipping on what I would guess to be coffee.

Crow inhales deeply and paces up to him. "I thought I told you we're on a tight budget this month! You can't waste money on one cup of coffee when we have perfectly fine instant coffee at home. And I know that we do because I was the one who bought some just yesterday!"

"Like I would drink that sad excuse for coffee. Only the best is good enough for me," Jack scoffs.

"Then you should at least get a job if you're going to throw money around like it's nothing," Crow sighs. "We could be using that for rent or food."

It sounds like they've got some really big problems. Like really gigantic "money could solve most of our problems" problems.

I think we had those too.

Mom would have never admitted it—never did in fact—but I sort of knew. I used to get sick a lot because of my asthma, and everyone knows hospitals are a fortune. I would be at the hospital most of the time and she'd always come visit me.

But she would always look so tired.

There would always be bags under her eyes and she would talk a bit slower, whispering and mumbling to herself from time to time. I wasn't older than eight, I believe, so I didn't say anything. Yet I was old enough to know that everything was taking its toll.

I think that was around the time I started straying away from people.

I didn't want to be a toll on anyone's wellbeing.

I didn't want to be the black cloud hanging over their head.

"Hey," someone says from behind us. "What's going on?"

I don't really pay much attention after this. I know that Crow, Jack, and this other man talk for a little bit, but I'm not sure what about. I'm over thinking again.

"Not now," I say to myself.

"—ia? Maria?"

I blink a few times, surprised. "Yes?"

"Hey, you okay?" Crow asks.

"I'm just," I speak slowly, "so tired from traveling. You know, I didn't get much sleep last night…so I think I'm just going to go back to Martha's."

"Yeah, it's getting late anyway," says Crow. Looking up, I can already spot the rosy reds and oranges of the sunset. "We'll take you."

"No!" I run a hand through my hair, maybe that'll seem nonchalant? "I'm sure I can manage by myself. And I even remember the way, so it's fine."

"You sure?" the raven-haired man says. Why didn't I listen for his name?

"Very, and thank you. It was nice spending time with you all."

I start to walk away before they can offer again. After some time, I look back at them and they're still standing around the table talking. They look so nice and so friendly. It feels like I'm missing out on something good, like a slice of cake or being able to smile.

And this is why I wish I wasn't who I am now.

I might not be a hovering cloud or a ticket on someone's car, but being a purse of the lips or a burnt cupcake sucks too.

So yay! Maria's met the guys, you got a bit of background, badda boom badda bam :)

TTFN