My Everything

Chapter 2

Even though I sat behind her, I could see the fiery shade of scarlet that burned through her whole face. The way she fidgeted and quietly grumbled to herself told me that she would be wanting to continue the argument later. I could imagine her huffed facial expression as she leant over her books and gathered her many worksheets, and organised them on her too small desk. Like some ferocious kitten she would attack the mountains of paper that created walls around her desk. Furiously studying, her face will relax to that of some balance between determination and happiness. Determined again to beat me in the next midterms. Of course I won’t let her win. I can’t let her win. It is the fragile string that connects both of us. That we are both aware of that is...

It was a warm summer morning the first time I saw her. I was feeling annoyed. Grandfather was in Japan again. That morning he was dissatisfied with yet another petty thing and like always he decided to take it out on me. Was there anything in the world that he was content about? My mother wouldn’t be home again for a long I thought. As soon as she heard that grandfather was coming she fled to her villa in Australia. Sighing I walked the path to school. The sun glared brightly high in the sky, not helping my mood one bit. My white cotton shirt was already sticking to my back and school had not even started yet. The heat, grandfather, this purgatory like school; when would it all end. Everyday felt like fighting against a suffocating force. Suddenly breaking my sinking thoughts, a single cool wisp of air with the sweetest scent. Time slowed down as streak of dark hair flew past me. She seemed to be in a hurry as she didn’t even notice when she slightly bumped into me. A stream of hot blue electricity travelled up my arm where she lightly touched. I looked after her fading figure with an expression of shock. Then I saw her in class...

I think it was from then that I was drawn to her. I found myself subconsciously looking in her direction, walking to where she was and thinking about her without realizing.

But the connection we shared was in our competitiveness, well actually her competitiveness and my compliance.

I was surprised when I found out that her father and mine were close friends. Contrasting to his baby face, my father is actually a pro wrestling fanatic. Hikari and I had both grown up with these wrestling loving freaks and as a result we were both very competent fighters. That day I learnt her love for challenges. No matter how many times she lost to me, she always get up and enthusiastically re-challenged me. Of course I beat her easily every time. But I was surprised. I wasn’t used to this. People usually didn’t approach me and whispered behind my back. They called me the genius, the brilliant child. They saw me but never approached me. Life was so boring. And then this breath of fresh air had interrupted the purgatory. Again like an idiot I looked wistfully at her shrinking back image.

Tick Tick Tick,

Glancing up at the clock, it was already the end of class. Another class wasted reminiscing in the few short memories I had with Hikari. I have already learned everything that would be taught this year anyway. Everyone was leaving already; my eyes automatically scanned the room for the small black haired girl that i had been thinking about. It wasn’t surprising to see her oblivious that the people around her had already left and the class had already ended. She was still writing at a furious pace. I wonder how many pencils she goes through in a day. I slowly step towards her,

“Ni – san , class ended already. Didn’t you notice?”

She turned, face full of annoyance.

“Don’t call me ni-san!”