Chapter 1: Jasper High
I woke up to my alarm and I cracked an eye open. My phone was flashing and making a lot of noise. I hear a groan across from me. I sit up and I see Matt holding his head between his pillows. I shut off my phone and I pull myself out of bed.
I grab my clothes, not trusting Matt to look away while I get dressed, and I head off to the bathroom. I sluggishly dress myself and I apply my makeup.
I drag myself out of the bathroom and to the kitchen to make some tea. I found Joe already up and getting ready for work.
"You sleep well?" He asks.
"Yes." I lie. Matt had been up all night playing his video games. The little noises coming from the device wouldn't allow me to sleep. I was so used to city noises in Tokyo, but I had ways of blocking them out. I had Chi Chi and Ding Dong. Mine and Miko's cats. I would always fall asleep stroking their soft fur.
"That's good. I'm heading off to work. Kim'll probably be up soon. Morning sickness usually hits her about seven." He smiled. "She'll drive you and Matt to school." He said.
"Okay. Thank you." I say. He waved goodbye and headed out the door.
I sneak back into the shared room and I retrieve my backpack and my other school supplies. I had studied extensively how to function in American society. I studied their language, culture, etc. I was ready to make some friends today.
I sat at the table, reading my book, and then I hear a door swing open and I see Kim slamming the door shut behind her as she went into the bathroom. I smile to myself and I continue with the book.
When she finally emerged from the bathroom, she looked tired and pale, her bare feet padding through the living room and into the kitchen.
"Good morning." I greet. She smiles at me, running a hand over her bed head.
"Mornin'." She said groggily.
"If you don't mind my asking, how far along are you?" I ask.
"Almost three months." She sighed. "Is Matt still asleep?" She asks. I respond with a nod.
"Damn it. Matt! Get your butt out of bed! School's starting in an hour!" She screams. I wince at the noise and high pitch scream. I hear a groan out of the bedroom and I return to the book, trying to block out the noise.
When we finally pull up at the school, I hop out, grateful to be out of there. I was nearly late because of Matt. He wouldn't get out of bed. I have never been so disrespectful to my parents as he was this morning.
He whined incessantly at his mother that he was too tired for school, which resulted in her cracking down and taking his gaming device away. He has been pouting for the duration of the car ride and I was glad that I was the first to get dropped off.
My first thought when I entered the school was to find my sister. I reached into my back pocket and pulled out my red phone, dialing her number.
"Ya'know there's this thing called texting..." She started.
"Where are you? I want you to come with me to the office to get my schedule." I say, ignoring her statement.
"Fine. Where are you?" She asks.
After lots of misdirection, we finally found each other. She was carrying a brightly colored pack and a sketchbook in her hands. She was dressed as her usual punk self, which contrasted to me.
We went to the office and I received my schedule and locker, which I doubt I'd ever use. Miko showed me to our classes and I found that we shared History. I was a little surprised at that. We were in different grades. She was in tenth and I was in eleventh. But, I guess that they put me there because it was necessary.
"Okay, this school is an open campus, so that means-"
"I know what it means," I interject.
"Fine then Miss Smartypants. Meet me by the front doors. Me and a couple of friends go to the K.O. drive in a few blocks away." She said. I nod and we chat before the first bell rings.
By the time lunch came around, I had acclimated to the noise and constant chatter of the school. My stomach was growling and I was in need of caffeine. I met up with Miko by the front doors and I see that she was accompanied by two boys.
"Hey, Ren! These are some of my best buds." She smiled. "Jack and Raf." She says.
"It is nice to meet you both. I'm Ren." I say.
"Hey." The short boy, Raf, adjusted his glasses.
"Wow. You're Miko's sister? That's hard to believe. You guys seem kinda different." Jack observed. We looked like opposites. She was dressed in dark, punk clothes and I was just dressed in a skirt and a cute top.
"I have manners." I tease. Miko stuck her finger in her mouth and then came at me with it. I grab her wrist and I hold her back.
"Miko no!" I cry, but she overcame me, shoving her finger in my ear.
"Ew..." I use my sleeve to clean her saliva out of my ear.
"Such a baby. Are we going or what? I'm hungry." She stated, adjusting the strap of her backpack.
We went to lunch at the fast food restaurant, which was crowded with other students from the school. It was noisy and hot in there, but it was all worth it for the food. We finished our meal and made it back before lunch break was over.
We only had two periods left in the day, one of them being History. I was introduced to the class and sat behind Miko, thankfully. I noticed halfway through the period that she was going through pictures on her phone and I lean forward, being a snoopy sister. I caught a glimpse of something green right before she snapped it shut.
"Could you not breathe down my neck?" She hissed.
"Just trying to see what page we're on." I lie, giving her a small glare. "You don't need to snap at me," I say irritably. She rolled her eyes at me and told me the page number.
Once classes were out, I met up with Miko in front of the school, along with Jack and Rafael. All the students were dispersing to go to their parents or cars.
"Hey, gotta go sis! See you tomorrow." Miko says, quickly hugging my neck before bouncing down the steps and to a green SUV.
"Bye." I wave as it pulled off in a hurry.
I noticed that Jack and Raf were getting picked up too. Jack was getting on a blue and pink motorcycle and Raf was getting into a black and yellow sports car. I sigh, sitting on the steps and pulling out a book. Kim wouldn't be able to pick me up for another thirty minutes until she got off work at the market. Her shift ended at three, but it'd be a twenty-minute drive. It was only two-fifty.
I could hardly focus on my book with all the noise going on around me and I resulted to watching for Kim and just watching the people. I always enjoined watching people do the simplest of things. Like talking with friends, laying out on the grass, or fussing over a failed test. It makes our lives seem incredibly small and mundane.