skate_mate
08-15-2005, 08:44 AM
Stars Closest Shine the Brightest
I’m such a dick.
I can’t believe I did that to her… But what else was I to do? Four wheels are spinning next to my head as I gaze up at the speckled sky regretting the past few minutes of my life. The grass is itchy and I feel some blood trickling from my knee from the fall. As I slowly rise I pick up the overturned skateboard. I have to make plans, and quick. The words run through my mind again: “Zutto sobani ite”. They are electrifying!
I guess I should backtrack.
I am sixteen years of age and sixteen minutes late. I ollie over the gutter and make it to my locker in world record time. I stash my well-used skateboard next to a pile of manga and, after a brief footwear change, race up the stairs to my classroom.
“Gomen!” I shout as I slide the door open, accidentally forcing it to slam.
“Michael, late again?! That’s the third time this week!” Sensei merely shakes her head in dismay.
I mumble some form of apology, bow and go to my seat. As I do so the girls across the room giggle at me and I feel my cheeks colour. You think I’d be used to being laughed at; after all I’m an Aussie living in Japan. It’s not like you can stick out any more.
“You’re so cute when you’re late,” says Yumi. This girl is hot. Before I leave this country I have to try my luck with her.
Hikari, Yumi’s best friend, timidly laughs while I wipe the sweat from my forehead. All the teachers think this girl is absolutely adorable; thus she is class rep and can do whatever she wants throughout the school.
I reach my destination and my body lets out a sigh as I lie back in the chair. Sensei resumes the lesson and at first glance it seems be another uneventful day. Nobuhito is drawing pictures of his favourite animé (Neon Genesis Evangelion), as always. The three stooges are planning their activities for the weekend and Sasuke is whispering to Lee – no doubt about Karate Club practice - while the rest of the class listen to the teacher.
However, something feels different. My eyes flicker downwards and I immediately notice it. Inside my desk is a white note fastened shut with an usagi-san sticker.
Inconspicuously I lean forwards… my mind is racing, “A love confession? Who could it be? No one should have access to this classroom before class.”
Before I can stop them my eyes have already crossed the room, searching for Yumi. But she is talking to a friend. Nervously I open the envelope:
Michael-kun…suki desu. Higashiyama Park, 8:00pm ♥
“’Michael… I like you.’ Pfft, yeah right. ‘Higashiyama Park’? Where the heck is that?” I think. In all probability this is just a joke from the three stooges: they’d be just the people to pull a stunt like this. Yet, I know I can’t leave it at this. I decide to check it out.
The lunchtime bell reminds me of what a rush I was in this morning.
“Ano…Michael. Did you forget your lunch again? You, um, can have some of mine if you want.”
Although Hikari is really sweet, she can be a bit weird sometimes. She is staring at her feet almost the entire time she is speaking to me.
“Ah, really? I can have some of your home-made obento? Arigatou ne!”
Nevertheless she’s really good value. She’s a friend I can depend on.
“Say, Hikari. Do you know where Higashiyama Park is? I’m still a bit lost.”
“Yeah… I, um, I live close to Higashiyama Park.”
“Ah, really? That’s awesome. Do you mind showing me the way?”
“Yes. That would be nice, hehe.”
As I go to my locker after school Hikari is already there talking to Gun Bhang; a dark, mysterious Korean exchange student and a quiet, Japanese school girl? It’s a fairy tale match.
“So, what’s going on with you and Gun-goes-bang?”
“What? Never!” she innocently claims. “Gun-kun is not the one I like…”
“Yeah right Hikari. C’mon, let’s go already.”
I pull out my skateboard, get my shoes from the getabako and she leads the way.
. . .
It was one of those rare nights when things almost seemed calm. Higashiyama is a big park, but it doesn’t escape the noise pollution of the main road just outside. It also doesn’t escape the smog barrier – the sky is forever dimmed because of it. Even so, as I sat there on that park bench with Hikari next to me and my skateboard on my lap civilisation seemed a million miles away. I hadn’t told her why I wanted to sit in a cold park late at night and, in typical humble Japanese fashion, she hadn’t asked.
“I guess it must have been the three stooges who wrote that note after all,” I thought to myself. It was well past eight o’clock.
“Hey, Hikari I think I’d better get going. My host parents won’t be too happy if I’m late. Thanks for putting up with me today.” Yumi or whoever didn’t show up and I just wanted to go home.
“Wait, Michael…”
I was already standing, getting on my skateboard. She grabbed my hand and I sat back down.
“Michael-kun… zutto sobani ite,” she whispered in my ear…
I barely heard her; I was so caught up about Yumi. I could try to explain it to her, but with the cultural differences she wouldn’t understand.
“Sorry, I’ll talk to you tomorrow; I really need to get home.” I mumbled as I stood up quickly and started to skate away. I know it was rude, but I just wanted to be alone. The words she said… “Be by my side forever.” What was she talking about anyway?
I skated faster and faster. It was dark. I was speeding. A small rock hit my wheel. The ground zoomed for my head. Then it hit me. The note! Sprawled on the grass I rolled over with my head throbbing, throbbing in time with my heart.
I’m such a dick…
Note: I originally wrote this in Word, when I copied it over to here a lot of my formatting was lost, such as the indents and italics throughout. Sorry ^^
C&C much appreciated.
I’m such a dick.
I can’t believe I did that to her… But what else was I to do? Four wheels are spinning next to my head as I gaze up at the speckled sky regretting the past few minutes of my life. The grass is itchy and I feel some blood trickling from my knee from the fall. As I slowly rise I pick up the overturned skateboard. I have to make plans, and quick. The words run through my mind again: “Zutto sobani ite”. They are electrifying!
I guess I should backtrack.
I am sixteen years of age and sixteen minutes late. I ollie over the gutter and make it to my locker in world record time. I stash my well-used skateboard next to a pile of manga and, after a brief footwear change, race up the stairs to my classroom.
“Gomen!” I shout as I slide the door open, accidentally forcing it to slam.
“Michael, late again?! That’s the third time this week!” Sensei merely shakes her head in dismay.
I mumble some form of apology, bow and go to my seat. As I do so the girls across the room giggle at me and I feel my cheeks colour. You think I’d be used to being laughed at; after all I’m an Aussie living in Japan. It’s not like you can stick out any more.
“You’re so cute when you’re late,” says Yumi. This girl is hot. Before I leave this country I have to try my luck with her.
Hikari, Yumi’s best friend, timidly laughs while I wipe the sweat from my forehead. All the teachers think this girl is absolutely adorable; thus she is class rep and can do whatever she wants throughout the school.
I reach my destination and my body lets out a sigh as I lie back in the chair. Sensei resumes the lesson and at first glance it seems be another uneventful day. Nobuhito is drawing pictures of his favourite animé (Neon Genesis Evangelion), as always. The three stooges are planning their activities for the weekend and Sasuke is whispering to Lee – no doubt about Karate Club practice - while the rest of the class listen to the teacher.
However, something feels different. My eyes flicker downwards and I immediately notice it. Inside my desk is a white note fastened shut with an usagi-san sticker.
Inconspicuously I lean forwards… my mind is racing, “A love confession? Who could it be? No one should have access to this classroom before class.”
Before I can stop them my eyes have already crossed the room, searching for Yumi. But she is talking to a friend. Nervously I open the envelope:
Michael-kun…suki desu. Higashiyama Park, 8:00pm ♥
“’Michael… I like you.’ Pfft, yeah right. ‘Higashiyama Park’? Where the heck is that?” I think. In all probability this is just a joke from the three stooges: they’d be just the people to pull a stunt like this. Yet, I know I can’t leave it at this. I decide to check it out.
The lunchtime bell reminds me of what a rush I was in this morning.
“Ano…Michael. Did you forget your lunch again? You, um, can have some of mine if you want.”
Although Hikari is really sweet, she can be a bit weird sometimes. She is staring at her feet almost the entire time she is speaking to me.
“Ah, really? I can have some of your home-made obento? Arigatou ne!”
Nevertheless she’s really good value. She’s a friend I can depend on.
“Say, Hikari. Do you know where Higashiyama Park is? I’m still a bit lost.”
“Yeah… I, um, I live close to Higashiyama Park.”
“Ah, really? That’s awesome. Do you mind showing me the way?”
“Yes. That would be nice, hehe.”
As I go to my locker after school Hikari is already there talking to Gun Bhang; a dark, mysterious Korean exchange student and a quiet, Japanese school girl? It’s a fairy tale match.
“So, what’s going on with you and Gun-goes-bang?”
“What? Never!” she innocently claims. “Gun-kun is not the one I like…”
“Yeah right Hikari. C’mon, let’s go already.”
I pull out my skateboard, get my shoes from the getabako and she leads the way.
. . .
It was one of those rare nights when things almost seemed calm. Higashiyama is a big park, but it doesn’t escape the noise pollution of the main road just outside. It also doesn’t escape the smog barrier – the sky is forever dimmed because of it. Even so, as I sat there on that park bench with Hikari next to me and my skateboard on my lap civilisation seemed a million miles away. I hadn’t told her why I wanted to sit in a cold park late at night and, in typical humble Japanese fashion, she hadn’t asked.
“I guess it must have been the three stooges who wrote that note after all,” I thought to myself. It was well past eight o’clock.
“Hey, Hikari I think I’d better get going. My host parents won’t be too happy if I’m late. Thanks for putting up with me today.” Yumi or whoever didn’t show up and I just wanted to go home.
“Wait, Michael…”
I was already standing, getting on my skateboard. She grabbed my hand and I sat back down.
“Michael-kun… zutto sobani ite,” she whispered in my ear…
I barely heard her; I was so caught up about Yumi. I could try to explain it to her, but with the cultural differences she wouldn’t understand.
“Sorry, I’ll talk to you tomorrow; I really need to get home.” I mumbled as I stood up quickly and started to skate away. I know it was rude, but I just wanted to be alone. The words she said… “Be by my side forever.” What was she talking about anyway?
I skated faster and faster. It was dark. I was speeding. A small rock hit my wheel. The ground zoomed for my head. Then it hit me. The note! Sprawled on the grass I rolled over with my head throbbing, throbbing in time with my heart.
I’m such a dick…
Note: I originally wrote this in Word, when I copied it over to here a lot of my formatting was lost, such as the indents and italics throughout. Sorry ^^
C&C much appreciated.