Chapter 2: Unfamiliar Territory
The first thing I noticed as I woke up was the sound of a soft melody playing in my ears.
I hadn't opened my eyes yet as I still clung to sleep, the fact that I could even hear music not fully registering in my brain.
I only became aware that I wasn't in the clearing when I moved to tuck my hands under my head as a cushion, feeling smooth leather instead of the pliant blades of grass I was expecting.
The last thing I remembered was falling asleep by the pond, as I couldn't recall anything else, and as I opened my eyes they frantically examined my surroundings, looking for any clue as to where I may be or perhaps spur my memory.
I gathered that I was laying across the backseat of a car, with two people occupying both the driver and passenger seats, which explained why I felt vibrations as I rested on my side.
I tried not to panic as I had no recollection as to why I was where I was, and I had no idea who was in the car with me.
My mind was completely awake but it seemed my body was still half asleep, my movements sluggish as I shifted the right side of my body to get a better look around me.
I lifted and craned my neck slowly so as to not alert to my consciousness, and saw that the occupant in the driver's seat—No, my mind corrected, the passenger seat—was female. I didn't get a good look at her profile but I saw that she had long, dark hair and was sitting in what was supposed to be the driver's seat, even though she wasn't driving.
I rested my head back down against the seat and could make out a conversation being made between her and the driver—who, from the voice, I guessed was male—though I didn't care enough to focus on what was being said because I quickly recognized that they were speaking Japanese, and my mind went into overdrive.
Was I kidnapped?! My thoughts were running a mile a minute. I can't be in New York anymore; the passenger seat is on the left while the driver's side is on the right. But could I be in Japan? Is that possible? I admit I'm a deep sleeper, but I'm not that deep of a sleeper. And who are these people? I looked from the front and down at my body, noting that I was wearing the same exact outfit I had on before I fell asleep: the same hoodie, jeans, and white Vans.
If these people are my kidnappers, then shouldn't I be tied up or something? I continued to speculate as I formed an escape plan, trying to quell the fear that surfaced along with my confusion and anxiety.
Making the effort to prevent my breathing from matching my erratic heartbeat, I took a moment to calm myself down. As I did so, I was able to concentrate on what was being said between the two other occupants of the vehicle.
"Do you think she'll like it there?" the woman asked.
"I'm sure she will," the man answered. "That school has an enormous amount of praise and prestige surrounding it, and that Kaien Cross is a well-known and well-respected man. If anyone knows how to run a school, it's him."
The woman sighed. "I sure hope so. It's just that it's such a big change for her, with the move and all. I just hope that she'll adjust with no problems."
"I'm sure she'll settle in just fine. There's nothing to worry about."
They continued on like that as I tried to figure out what they were talking about, until I realized that I could understand what they were talking about. I understood everything they were saying.
This revelation was the reason why I lost my pretense of unconsciousness—that along with a particularly large bump in the road that caused me to jump and give out a short gasp, grasping the edge of the seat so as to not fall over onto the floor of the car.
This caught the others' attention, causing the woman in the passenger seat to look back at me. "Cassidy, are you okay?"
What stopped me from totally freaking out was the not entirely unfamiliar face that was staring at me with concern.
"Rachel?" I breathed out. My confusion only heightened as I gazed at my family friend, deducing that the man driving the car was her husband. Explains why they were speaking Japanese, I thought. But still doesn't explain how I was able to understand them, or how or why I'm here with them at all…Wherever here is.
It seemed like my confusion was contagious, as her worried expression changed to match my own bemused countenance.
"Are you all right, Cass? Did you have a bad dream?" Rachel asked. "Your father and I decided to let you rest on the ride from the airport because we knew how tired you were from the long flight over here. We should be arriving soon though."
"F-father?" I stuttered as I tried to digest everything she was saying. However, with each word she uttered, my number of questions only increased. Father? Flight? Where is here? Arriving where? Am I still dreaming? What the hell is going on?!
I sat up and looked from Rachel to Mr. Kimura, who glanced back at me to give me a small smile.
"Cassidy, be careful of your phone. It's about to fall off the edge of the seat," Rachel said before looking back at the windshield, and when I looked down, there indeed was a phone tipping over to touch the floor; however, it surely wasn't mine.
The iPhone looked smaller than my own and didn't even have a case, and when I picked it up to inspect it, I guessed that it was a first-generation iPhone, which was strange because I didn't think many people owned those anymore.
After pressing on the home button, the screen lit up and I furrowed my eyebrows. It said that today was Monday, December 24, which I knew was wrong since it was only the middle of July. I slid my thumb across the bottom of the screen to unlock as instructed, and tapped to open up the calendar.
To say I was floored would be an understatement. According to the phone, it was Christmas Eve of 2007, over ten and a half years than when it was supposed to be. I knew that the correct date was really July 13, 2018, but then why was this phone saying otherwise?
As if a lightbulb went off in my head, I reached for the back pocket of my jeans to grab my actual phone, since that was where I usually kept it, and was happy to find that (one) it was there and (two) it read the date I knew it to be.
I tucked my phone back in my pocket and looked up to gain the attention of the others in the car once again.
I had too many questions that I couldn't keep to myself anymore, and it seemed like they were the ones who held all the answers.
I grabbed a towel resting on the bathroom countertop as I stepped out of the shower, patting myself dry before wrapping it around my torso and grabbing another towel to wrap around my hair.
Tomorrow would mark two weeks since my arrival in Japan.
As I moisturized my face and neck, I admired the shine the polish of my nails provided even from the dim light within the bathroom.
I had spent the majority of my day out shopping with Rachel for last minute items, and I even went to the nail salon with her. She was very attentive of me the whole day and kept asking if I needed anything, to which I replied, "No, but thank you," every time.
I didn't want her to keep fretting over me, so when she offered to get our nails done together, I accepted and even waxed the hair off my upper lip. I commented that baby pink suited her, and she adored the dark cherry red of my own nails.
I walked out of the bathroom and into the adjoining room, passed the bed to reach my open suitcase, and tried to ignore the outfit that was laying across the end of the bed to grab a pair of pajamas.
One of today's errands consisted of picking up my new school uniform along with my brown, school-specified shoes. It was very "last minute" in my opinion, considering the fact that I was starting the new school tomorrow.
I had tried on the uniform in the store, and I was lucky that all the pre-ordered items fit me perfectly. Rachel complimented me on my appearance, and I had to admit that the uniform looked better than I thought it would.
It was predominately black, with an intricate white lining design on the jacket that matched the pure white dress shirt meant to be worn underneath, accessorized with a cardinal red ribbon and customized rose insignia silver buttons and cufflinks. The black skirt reached the middle of my thighs, allowing a bit of skin to be seen between that and the knee-high black socks.
I hadn't touched the uniform since, as Rachel was the one who laid it out for me to pack, because I couldn't bring myself to hold and place it within the confines my suitcase just yet.
I had no problems with the uniform itself. I was used to wearing a uniform, as Brooklyn and I had attended private school for most of our lives, and was familiar with a dress code. To me, however, the uniform represented my new life here, since it was the outfit I would wear for most of my days as a new student at Cross Academy.
Cross Academy. I was hesitant and unsure, apprehensive even, of what my time there would be like.
Since my arrival, I'd come to the conclusion that Brooke must be here, too, somehow, specifically at that school.
I put on my pajamas and let my hair loose from the towel, smoothening my damp curls with a hair serum to keep the frizz at bay, and recalled my first day in this foreign land.
I had first questioned Rachel and her husband how I was with them and asked of our whereabouts, and they had answered with perplexed looks, stating that we had landed in Japan after a long flight from New York as if it were obvious.
I was pretty sure my face conveyed my disbelief, my thoughts running along the lines of What the [insert expletive here]?! However, I had kept those thoughts to myself. I held much respect for Rachel and her husband; I had known them for most of my life. We were neighbors and close family friends, Rachel even working alongside my mother at the hospital for years.
It wasn't surprising that they would fly to Japan. Mr. Kimura was from Japan, having met his wife when he moved to America, and they both had family here that they would visit almost annually. I still had wondered why I was here, or more likely how I was here, if what they were saying was true.
My unbelieving and baffled expression only prompted more of their concern, and Rachel had asked me what the last thing I remembered was.
I hadn't answered right away, as I was looking back on the events of the previous night. I had remembered visiting the clearing, looking up at the stars, and wishing to be with Brooklyn again before falling asleep and waking up in that unexplainable situation. It was then that it all seemed to click into place.
At first I thought it was crazy, impossible. But after a moment's deliberation, it seemed to be the only thing that made sense. Could I have really been brought here because of my wish? I couldn't come up with any other explanation, and then I thought myself to be the crazy one.
I had decided to play along, blaming my confusion and odd behavior on a nightmare, and said I just needed a good night's sleep. That had appeased them for the time being, but I was determined to figure out more regarding my circumstances while playing the hand I was dealt.
We had moved into a new house, and at first I was skeptical of my theory, but as the days passed it proved to be more valid than not. Their interactions with me were more intimate than I was used to, and I learned they thought I was their daughter. I obviously knew that wasn't true, but it was only on the third day that I addressed it when I found a pink iPod nano in one of the pockets of the suitcase I was living out of.
It looked exactly like the one Brooke and I used to share as kids. It was a gift from our parents, and I didn't think it a coincidence that the one I found within my luggage held some of the same songs as the one from my childhood.
I had addressed the topic of my parentage carefully during dinner that night. I had guessed that I was "adopted," as it was obvious I didn't share any physical traits with either of them. Their features were representative of their Japanese heritage, while I was a mixture of my father's pale tone and my mother's warmer, bronze complexion.
I was nervous, picking at the chicken and rice on my plate as I asked what happened to my parents, my real parents. It was strange. I'd regarded Rachel and her husband as a cool aunt and taciturn uncle for most of my life, but now I was playing the role of (adoptive) daughter with them.
They were hesitant at first, but it seemed like my pleading look pushed them to explain. Apparently they were good friends with my parents, and with their sudden and unfortunate passing when I was a baby, they were the ones chosen to be my new caretakers, which they willingly accepted.
From what I knew, they never had kids, and while they were close with my parents, I knew that if anything were to happen to them I would've most likely been placed in the custody of extended family, which I knew I had plenty of on both sides. Despite knowing this wasn't the case here, it was still uncanny seeing family photos of the three of us hung up along the walls and in picture frames atop furniture. There were photos of us in different stages of my life, from my first day of school to trips to Disney World.
I had realized that the impression that I was their daughter explained why I was able to understand Japanese the way I did. If I lived with them my whole life, then it made sense for me to speak the household language. However, I still opted to initiate conversations in English with them. It felt unusual for me to speak a language so fluently only days ago I barely knew. I knew I would have to get used to it, but for now I only answered in Japanese if spoken to so.
In the beginning I toyed with the idea that this was all just a lucid dream. However, I knew the difference between fantasy and reality, and this all just seemed too real to be otherwise, despite how bizarre the whole situation was.
I decided to keep my actual phone hidden from my new "parents." Since my arrival, the date on it hadn't changed, while the date on my new phone did change in tune with the passing of each day. I had celebrated Christmas and New Year's these past two weeks, entering 2008 with my new family. Knowing that I was over a decade into the past troubled me, more so when, as the days passed, I noticed that Rachel and her husband looked younger than I remembered. I surmised that they must look ten years younger if we were really ten years behind, though I was still the outlier as I looked the same.
I prided myself on keeping a cool head this whole time, knowing no progress would have been made if I freaked out. Each day I thought of my family back home, even tried calling their numbers, but all I reached were dead ends. I was stuck here until I found a way out.
On the night I told Brooklyn about the myth of supermoons, that was what I thought they were: a myth. Although, the position I currently found myself in proved otherwise. I had wished to be with my sister again on the night of a supermoon—a new moon supermoon at that—and now I was here, in Japan, about to go to some esteemed private school.
High school, I huffed. And just when I thought I was moving on from that hellhole.
What I couldn't wrap my head around the most was why here? Of all places, why this school? I walked toward the end of my bed and looked at the uniform that I would soon become closely acquainted with, musing over the question that had plagued me and will probably continue to plague me for the duration of my time here.
Why did Brooklyn choose this place?
I had wished to be with her again, and when I made that wish all I meant was I wanted her to wake up from her coma. I wanted my sister back. I didn't think making that wish would result in me being sent here. However, after I had all this time to think it over, I realized that when I told Brooke to make a wish that first night, hers must have come true just as mine did. But also like mine, it resulted in a skewed version that neither of us was expecting. She laid in a coma while I…I wasn't sure what became of me when I left home. Was I in a coma too?
Ever since I came here I was set up to attend Cross Academy. I moved here with my "family" after the company my "dad" worked for relocated him, uprooting our lives in America to create new ones here. Rachel had to transfer to a new hospital while I had to transfer to a new school, and from all the preparation put into my impending attendance, it seemed like I was going to be here a while.
I had long since given up on the idea that this wasn't real. This was happening, and by my guess, Brooklyn was at that school. For whatever reason, she must've wished to come here, ten years in the past, and I wished to follow her and bring her back, most likely leaving the same way we came.
I picked up each garment that was laid out on my bed and moved to place them among all the other items within my suitcase, fiddling with a strand of hair as I turned off the lights and snuggled into bed.
I knew that sleep would not come easy for me. My stomach was in a bunch of knots as my ruminations turned foul. What if I couldn't find Brooke? What if my plans went awry? What if we got stuck here? Would I ever see my family again?
Thoughts like those eddied around my brain as I tried to ease the tightness in my stomach, allowing sleep to claim me sooner.
Tomorrow would mark my first day at Cross Academy, and I was uneasy about what I would (or wouldn't) find during my stay there.
Zero reached his arm over the rice to fill his bowl with more ramen as Kaien and Yuki contributed to most of the dinner conversation, as per usual.
She had just finished talking about her day, mostly filled with her and Zero monitoring the students returning to the dorms from the end of winter vacation, and was just as excited as Zero to be going back to classes tomorrow—meaning they weren't excited at all.
Zero frowned at the thought of resuming his prefect duties. Today had not been that bad and he considered himself lucky that everyone settled back in with no problems. However, he didn't look forward to the dreaded switchover. He could already hear the Day Class girls going crazy over those in the Night Class, their irritating "Kya! Kya! Kya!" ringing in his ears. He enjoyed the break and was glad he would pick up night patrol again tomorrow, having tonight to himself before the responsibilities of a Guardian were thrown at him once again.
He would try and get as much sleep as possible before making sure the vampires stayed in check. Kaname Kuran even came by earlier this evening to inform Kaien that everyone in the Night Class had returned safely, and Zero's frown unintentionally deepened, turning into a scowl at the thought of their Dorm President.
He paused mid-chew of his noodles when Kaien addressed him, "Zero, I have an assignment for you tomorrow. A new student is entering the Day Class and I need you to greet her and her parents at the main gate, then escort them to my office. When I'm done briefing them you can show her to her room then give her a tour of the school and dorm grounds. Don't be late! It'd be rude to keep them waiting."
Zero swallowed and was about to answer when Yuki beat him to it. "What about me? Should I escort them as well?" she asked.
Kaien adjusted his glasses before answering her. "Normally I would have assigned this task to you, Yuki, however they are arriving in the middle of the day while class is still in session. I'd rather you stay in class while Zero shows the new student around. I want to prevent you from missing lessons as much as I can. Anyway, Zero should be done long before you two go over to monitor the crossover, so don't worry about having to do it alone," he finished before turning his attention back to his adopted son. "Zero, I'll give you a note that you can show to the teacher during class that'll excuse you from the rest of the day, okay?"
Zero nodded his affirmation. "Alright." At least he'd be getting out of lecture.
"Good," Kaien said then moved to stand up. He went to the kitchen and came back holding a fruit pie he had made from earlier. "Now, anyone care for dessert?"
A/N: Hello, lovely people. I've done my best to chronicle the events of VK, as I prefer to work with a timeline, and decided to have this story take place in 2008 because that was the year the anime originally aired. From now on we'll be seeing more of the main cast regularly. See you next chapter!