Overseas
"…Overseas?"
"Right. Every year or so the location changes, but the test…ah…"
Suki; long hair twisting nervously in her hands, looked over her friend with hesitation as she saw the buds of thought begin to grow along her brow. Her blue eyes sparkled with uncertainty as sayuri suddenly stood from her seat, excitement in her rising tone: the louder, the more readily excited by interesting or otherwise news.
"Does it take care of housing?"
"Well, yeah. Usually the schools have on campus rooms,"
"Are you going to try for it?"
Suki; taking a seat on her desk as the rest of the class mingled carelessly, swung one leg over the other, fixing her skirt and tugging at her tie to loosen it. Maybe this girl did have a point about these ties and the schools heat problem…
"Well, it's against my better judgment,"
"So, it's a yes?"
Excited beyound the normal tone for an indoor place at midday, sayuri happily darted over to her sister, smile brimming with joy. Tugging lightly at her hair, she waited for yumi to finally turn and face her: several girls had been talking at all once around her in a closed circle, one which she just broken.
"Mi-Chan…try with me."
"…"try?" as in what, Yu-Chan?"
"For the overseas program, of course,"
Yumi stood slowly and met Sayuri's eyes. Her face was expectant, an excitement beyound the normal comprehension brimming there. after a moment, she returned to her seat and let out a sigh.
"What's this? Just the other day you were complaining about the currency rates in Europe, and now you're planning to go overseas?"
Sayuri nervously glanced back at the group of boys who were sitting not all that far away, just two rows down from where they conversed now. Some of whom had been involved in her 'love attack' just the other day.
"w-what are you saying? I've always wanted to travel, and besides—I want to see more of the world before I'm burdened with college debt."
"You've been thinking about college recently?"
"…a little bit, yeah. Ah—but before the little problem even crops up I'd like to travel a little."
"'Problem,' you say."
The other girls had now decided to vanish and went away, muttering just under their breaths. This went unnoticed by sayuri, who was more intent on her single-minded goal now, than anything.
"…anyway, can you just test with me? I have a feeling I really should do it…"
"Yumi, it is all expenses paid. And chances are you'll be in England, or maybe even France, so language really isn't really a problem, either."
Suki had emerged from her desktop and stood, glasses poised: one hand floating at her side, the other on her friends' desk, currently empty of all respective school papers. Because this class was being treated as a study hall by the teachers who had suddenly convened elsewhere (in an unspecified location), to study the problem of the current state of unguarded hallways, janitorial staff and senior students had been peeking in periodically.
"How long is the exchange?"
"Well, there have been special cases: like scholarship offers and so on…but generally it's only a year. And if you stay within the top bracket of test scores they're not too hard on you,"
"Well, even saying that…"
"There's also the test itself: if you score in the top five overall, you're accepted—but that test itself is…rather monstrous. Sarah still has flashbacks…"
Suki felt herself shudder at the thought of her sisters' own personal expiernce: she'd scored 6th overall; and had just barely missed the chance at a scholarship the year before that…the all-nighters pulled that year for the sake of studying were rather hazardous to Sarah's health, and had landed her in a mental state of solitary, for even a week after all had been said and done in regards to testing.
"Wasn't she the top in her class year?"
"Yeah, but she's got a lot going for her now…so it's fine. Oh-but I'm sure that yumi and sayuri can manage that test just fine: despite the odds of it all I'm still trying…"
"Then…me too,"
"Wait, sayuri—"
Sayuri looked quickly between her sister and suki; a close friend from this past year or two of attendance at this private, Boston-based high school. She directed her gaze not quite at the floor then, taking in a breath.
"I want to do it, yumi. I mean, I'll regret it if I don't at least try,"
"Alright then, have it your way."
"Do you really mean—?"
"Just lower your voice, already. Since you asked, I'll 'try' with you,"
The bell rang out its electric tone: so stern and severe. But this couldn't dampen her mood, as yumi watched sayuri bound off toward her next classroom, with suki at her side. They were chatting excitedly about all the things avaible to see in Europe: a topic that had actually been a rather popular one among themselves and a few of the others girls just a couple of years back.
"Are you coming, yumi?"
"Ah-yeah, right behind you Christy,"
The next period of class was the same: every student talking aloud over one another—the (now very present) teacher being utterly ignored by his or her students as they jabbered on about this and that—unfair school policies, great places to eat, etc. so, the day passed by rather quickly after this—and soon, the girls were heading home with leaflets in hand and one brown envelope each. When they arrived home the two almost immediately retreated to the study of their cousin, whom they were awaiting patiently when he arrived just an hour later.
"Oh, girls—something wrong? Mary said you've been in here alone for over an hour…"
"Oh, no. it's actually only been an hour, give or take some time for actually arriving home."
"Precise…as always, yumi."
"Oh-you won't believe this! Cousin, did you know our school offers an overseas program?!"
Cousin, who looked to be in his mid-twenties with still absolutely no sign of facial hair in sight, hung up his jacket along the straight, narrow chair back of his newly upholstered chair and sank heavily into the leather seat, expectant now of some evidently related news.
"And? Is there a point in all of this, sayuri?"
"Ah…the point is that we want to test for it. I know it's not easy and that it'll take a lot of hard work—"
"—but we've got teacher recommendations. And on top of that, it an all-expense paid year abroad, so…"
"And why do you girls need me?"
The girls chorused the next lines together, faces determined as they slammed down their palms on the surface of the long, polished cedar desk he held in his admittedly more closet-sized study space.
"We are still technically minors, so you need to sign for us."
"Well…that's—I'm not doubting your abilities, girls. But to do this for a whole year…not even knowing where you'd be until the month prior to leaving…"
"We're set on this, cousin."
Cousin looked thoroughly unnerved by the unison speaking as he glanced between their two alike faces; trying to make comparisons between the two: but both faces were serious and titled slightly downward toward the desk, palms flat and eyes somehow very determined. With no way out, he made a last-ditch attempt.
"Don't you think it will be hard to learn a new language? Almost anywhere you go it's still a proper courtesy…and you've already got other schoolwork to handle."
The girls each opened their envelopes and slid the papers forward, along with one of the two pamphlets. The papers they slid forward in sync, their stoic expressions unmatched t any legal client he had met, at least thus far. Their thoughts were unusually guarded, like steel caps were ensiling them from any clear view of the world's eyes.
"Sign here, please."
"…you two are just…impossible."
He slid the papers forward after signing the tail of each, letting out a sigh. The stoic expressions fell, revealing a wide grin on the face of sayuri, and an accomplished grin on the face of yumi. They spoke separately now, yumi speaking first.
"I'm sorry about our double-attack just now, cousin."
"…but we know you're helpless to it, so it's always a trump card."
"Yu-Chan, is it bad that I kind of enjoy that?"
"No…it's not bad, mi-chan. Although, I think it would be very cruel to continue that all of the time, right? I'd probably call it 'The Double-tap'"
The two girls each took a path around the side of his desk, and kissed him on the cheek: leaving the room in a friendly mood, chattering away with the papers held in yumi's hands. It was a long moment before he recovered from that sudden show of affection, but with a clearing of his throat and a cough, he was apparently revived to his former state of being: slumping down in the seat of his tall, leather chair.
"Where'd you think up that whole 'double-tap' bit with cousin?"
"Ah—that. I saw it in some kind of zombie movie a while back: it was a rule this guy had for survival…"
"…a-ah…and we need this to survive?"
"Probably not. Just sounds cool is all,"
Sayuri plopped unto her queen-size with a sigh and close her eyes. Yumi muttered quietly to herself a moment.
"'probably' she says…ah, how reassuring,"
Sayuri hugged a pillow close to her chest and buried her face there, already feeling sleeps pull on her eyelids.
"Tired yourself out today, huh?"
"…no…I'm…fine, mi-Chan…"
"Well, bed it is then. Here, give me the pillow."
Reluctantly, sayuri handed over the torso-length pillow to her sister, who then restored it to its position, and pointed toward one of the night-stand drawers on the opposite side of the bed.
"Think you can stand to at least change?"
It was only a brief few moments before sayuri was in bed: at 4:32 pm approximately. Sayuri adjusted the blankets around her, and wrapped the already falling covers up to her chin. She was hardly conscious now, futily fighting the sleep she knew that she did so badly need. Yumi knelt beside her, quiet. Listening to her breathing and listening to her own.
"…Mama…Come back…soon,"
"You don't know the half of it, yu sayuri…that woman, she…maybe it's better to let you dream, after all."
The girls had been with their cousin the past four, almost five years of their lives. They were sixteen: soon to be seventeen, soon to leave the little nest that they had built up for themselves in their little corner of Boston, Massachusetts. Soon to leave 'old things' and to embrace the new—new revelations, theories, and thoughts about who they were, and just who they might have become, had the things which had severed them from their happy future with a family of four not gone on, as some had planned; as some had known deep down, and dreaded with all of their heart.
"Sayuri—what are you doing for summer break?"
"I've actually gotta study quite a bit…it seems the test is rather lengthy and full of content we haven't learned yet, so…"
"Oh, I see…well, look me up if you have the time, sayu."
"Of course, Rach,"
It was May—that meant, that time had marched on since the 'double-tap' theory had been somewhat established. In Boston, they still had a bit longer to go until the exams for the 'study-abroad' program. But until then, spring fever was in full force across the little campus, and the wolves were out to play.
"Are you sure? Last time…"
"I'll be fine on my own, really."
The day was half-over. It was now lunch-break for the majority of the students—because of the fact that many had opted out in favor of classes for further school credit. A bright-haired pixy with true-blue eyes was staring worriedly at sayuri, uncertain of whether or not to believe her self-assured attitude.
"Then, you're going to have to take this,"
"…a whistle…? How is that—?"
The little pixie strung it around Sayuri's neck, standing on tip-toe. Once it reached, and fell into place mid-breast, she nodded to herself as if affirming something. It was brightly colored and shimmering purple in the bright sunlight from the above window shades.
"If you blow that, your attacker will be stunned for a full three minutes. Take that time to get yourself out of there and into a classroom—it's your safest bet."
"Ah…well, thank you."
The girls name was jasmine—she'd been a friend of hers from the start of her life here in Boston. She was short, sprightly; took several forms of self-defense classes and watched reality TV stars almost religiously. Her hair was long, and curled and bounced as she hopped along the hallway, humming to herself some kind of song, that unfortunately; she was now far too out of range to make out clearly. She was heading off to the lunchroom, while sayuri had chosen to get permission to check out some new releases in the school's library—that was one benefit that public schools never had—always having new things to take place of the old, beat up, or utterly neglected things of school life.
"That girl…whatever she is, I'm already impressed."
It was only speculation, but apparently this little girl had big goals for her life past high school.
"Someone's in the kitchen with Dina…"
"Someone's in the kitchen…"
Sayuri's single tune was echoed by another male voice, somewhere down the length of the hallway. Unfortunately, this was the only direct path the library. So, eerily as she might have felt in that moment, she continued on walking straight, ears peeled for movement, palms clutching the little whistle on her chest.
"Come on…next part, right?"
And there he was—the voice who had answered her little bit of song. The ringleader of the past 'love attack' gang up. However, he appeared to be alone—whether or not this was a good thing did appear however, remain to be seen. His bright hair and dark eyes were untouched by the sunlight now—suddenly a large cloud had darkened the light of the mostly naturally-lit halls.
"I don't have permission to be wandering the halls, you know. No one does,"
"Ah…shall I report you then?"
"Sorry, but I'm going somewhere at the moment. Could you please…?"
The sound of a gaggle of laughter broke the tension slightly—it was coming from the location of the classroom just a couple of feet behind this guy's obstructing back.
"Look, Andrew—you need to let me go now. I have something important to do,"
"I am not…on this great long list of yours, sayu?"
He encroached further upon her, and the sunlight fled from her own face, smothered by his shadow.
"That's sayuri to you, Andrew. Now please move."
Finally, the wall of his body fell back, breaking the clouds that had been collected just before the windows glass; allowing the sunlight, to more or less drench the area at their feet. Sayuri made a steady, walking pace toward the library; walking straight and without panic—although physically her body was screaming all the warning signs of 'run, you idiot!' and 'use the adrenaline now, dummy!' but more than physically, if she didn't remain calm, then the wolf would most probably attack.
"Sayuri, what took you so long? You do realize that our building is just north to south, right?"
Despite the obvious attempt at a joke, she found it very hard to laugh at the schools only minimally considered layout.
"Hey, you alright? Your face is pale…"
"Nothing to worry about,"
Sayuri opened up one of the largest of the reference books and started to read through a small passage on sea life: 'what lives and what dies at the bottom of the ocean.' A deep, concerned pair of eyes was watching as she unconsciously shook where she stood: her whole face and self-felt dirty: exposed to something dark and deep that shouldn't rightly exist in this world.
"Sayuri—"
"…it's like I…said. I'm fine,"
"Clearly you're not; now talk to me!"
Moki; eyes blazing, stepped in front of sayuri—ending her route to the continuation of the sidewalk that stretched on before them. She avoided his gaze but felt the inevitable tears of shock fall from her face.
"…just…talk to me."
"I can't walk alone anymore."
Still, she kept her eyes to the ground—but the words she'd been swallolling back, as painful as knives; heavy as lead, poured out now without much further help.
"I feel afraid…because of that…damn…animal. If not me; then someone else…I know that. But it still hurts,"
"Is that why you're trying for the program, then?"
"No…I have other…reasons for that. But…I won't say I'm not looking to not seeing him,"
Finally, she looked up towards him, gripping the inner flesh of her palm with her fingernails to draw back some of the anger that was funneling dangerously through her body.
"I'll do my part, as your friend. But as mine…keep away from that one, if you can."
Exactly one week later, Andrew was expelled. Granted, it had little to nothing to do with his stalking hobbies. The girls continued to study for the exam, and life went on as such: summer vacation came; the children played. The exam was nearing, and Moki was close on the twins' tail, as that time swiftly approached.