Act 2, Scene 3: Truancy

The sun creeps into my room, rays of light peeking their way through my open curtains. I crawl out of bed, dragging my feet across the carpet floor and rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. Clenching one of the long sheets of fabric, I shut out the light. A faint sound of birds chirping manages to weasel its way through the glass panes.

Somehow, I think to check the clock before laying back down. The panes flash '10:57.'

Wait...

My eyes shoot open, realizing that I'm late to class. Shit, I don't even have time to shower or get ready or anything. It's almost 11... might be better to just take my time and sneak in after lunch. Mutou will ask where I've been, but he has to understand me oversleeping, right? He was a teenager once, he'll see where I'm coming from.

I throw on the nearest uniform I can, not caring if it's perfectly clean. My hair is long enough to just shake it around a few times and it'll fall into place, so I don't bother running a comb through it. I take a quick glance in the mirror, verifying that I look at least something close to presentable. The skin beneath my eyes is still a darker tone, but that's only going to be fixed with time.

After making sure my backpack has all my stuff still inside from yesterday, I decide I could use a bit of fresh air to calm my nerves before walking in late to class. I don't know what the reaction will be, so I'd rather be as easy-going as possible about it. Breathe, Hisao, breathe. It's your first time being late, at worst you'll get away with a warning. Still... I'm worried. Call me paranoid.

I turn my mind to other thoughts while walking down the stairs to the lobby. Another way to cope, I suppose. I still haven't really found an extracurricular, and running with Miki and Rika after school doesn't really count. At least, I'm assuming medical necessities don't count. It would be like saying that popping pills or seeing a shrink is an extracurricular activity. Though the first one probably could be....

Unsurprisingly, no one is downstairs. I don't know why anyone would be, given that class is in session. I trudge through the barren common rooms and lobby. Thankfully, the desk clerk doesn't seem to notice me. One less embarrassment I have to go through today.

At least it's nice outside. A pale blue sky, dotted with puffy clouds, a nice breeze... one perk to being late is that I get to enjoy the scenery while everyone else is stuck inside. Maybe this isn't such a bad thing after all. My eyes wander, treated to the lush greenery of my new school's grounds. I don't know why I never noticed just how beautiful the campus is, littered with trees and flowerbeds. I guess the only time I ever really focused on it was in my catatonic state when I first arrived.

“Beautiful, isn't it?” A familiar voice rings out from the tree branches overhead. I look up, greeted by a ghastly figure seated amongst the swaying leaves. If the white hair didn't give it away, the striking red eyes certainly do. “You should see it in the spring,” Rika continues. “Flowers everywhere. Cherry blossoms. New beginnings.”

Is she talking nonsense? Hard to tell, honestly. “Far be it from me to interrupt your musing, but... just what are you doing up there?”

With a quick readiness check and a single sway back and forth, Rika leaps from the branch and down onto the ground, landing with a short grunt. “I like climbing trees,” she answers after rising to her feet.

Well, obviously. “I meant what are you doing out here, not in class?”

“Same thing you're doing.” Which is...? The arch in my brow seems to relay that question. “Skipping.”

My expression turns cold, stern. “I'm not skipping,” I retort. “I just overslept.”

“Riiiiiight,” she coos, walking past me with hands behind her head. “And that's exactly why you're out here, talking to me, and not rushing to class.” I open my mouth to protest, but the words don't come. She chuckles lightly. “Yeah, that's what I thought.”

“And why are you skipping?”

She shrugs her shoulders. “Just something I do every now and then when class gets boring.” She turns her head back to me, crimson irises boring into my soul. “I'm going into town. You should join me.”

I blink my eyes rapidly, trying to pick apart what she just said. “So, let me get this straight. I'm already behind, and you're suggesting that I just not go to class today?” She nods, a gentle smile on her lips. “And why on earth would I do that?”

“You're already counted absent for the day, might as well take advantage of it.” Rika holds her hands behind her back, gripping them together at the small of her back. “What's life without a little adventure?”

I shake my head, disgusted with her suggestion. “Look,” I say, “that's all fine and dandy, but we have a responsibility as students.”

She scoffs. “Responsibility is overrated. All I'm asking for is a friend to go on a walk with me.”

I'm not going to convince her, am I? Not to mention that I'm far too weak-willed to go back to school when given an alternative this late in the day. I look back at my dorm, then toward the main building, making sure no one is around. It can't be past 11:30, there's no way anyone would be outside right now. “Alright,” I say quickly, so I can't convince myself otherwise. “I'll go.”

She spins around on her heel, suddenly bursting with much more energy. “That's the spirit.” Her legs move in a strut, prancing about toward the school gates. I wonder where she's taking us. She talked about going into town, but that's vague enough to mean anything. Clearly, we won't be coming back until tonight, possibly after dark. Just what will we do for all those hours?

“Hey,” I interrupt as we plod along the concrete. “What did you have in mind for our little... excursion?”

She shrugs. “Bus stop first. We'll decide when we get there.”

“You're not exactly one to plan ahead, are you?”

She smiles with a hint of mischief. “Good to see you're observant.”

From the looks of the times for the inner-city bus, we won't have to wait long, perhaps ten minutes at most. Rika doesn't speak, taking a seat on the cold bench, hands clasped between her legs. I'm not one for awkward silence, but she doesn't seem the type for small-talk, anyways. Her tendency toward curt responses at least implies that.

“You seem to have taken a liking to her.” Or maybe I'm completely wrong. “Miki, I mean.”

“Her?” I reply, taking the spot beside her and slumping forward. “Yeah, she's nice. Definitely the friendly type. Seems to care a lot about others' well-being.”

That elicits a condescending chuckle from Rika. “Only toward us, really.” She keeps her gaze aimed straight ahead, but she must be able to read my confused state through her peripheral. “She's partially responsible, if anything were to ever happen. Even if we just didn't take our medicine or something stupid like that. Maybe she worked us too hard or too little... at least, that's how she sees it.”

“And she doesn't feel that way about anyone else?” I'm genuinely curious now. It seems odd that she would be so receptive to only two individuals, especially considering how she acted when we first met. Different type of loyalty, perhaps? Only more questions.

Rika sighs, bobbing her leg against her knee. “Probably Suzu. Maybe Molly. Definitely not any of the boys.” How positively grim.  She glances down the road. “Bus is here.”

“Oh, awesome,” I say. The bus pulls up to our stop, its doors opening wide. We rise from our seats on the bench. “Still, I like her. I don't think that changes what I think of her.”

As we move to step inside, I hear her whisper, “You're a stronger man than most.” That... doesn't bode well. Still, maybe Rika isn't the best person to ask about this. Maybe it's better to get it straight from the horse's mouth. Or maybe dueling perspectives? I'm not sure. Let's... let's just not worry about it right now.

I take a window seat. I spend most of our bus ride just staring past the pane, into the rushing scenery around us. Being unable to focus on anything specific makes it perfect for thinking. Rika's earlier comments ring particularly loudly. In but a moment, I was reminded just how little I know about Miki. Understandable, considering I've known her for the sum total of a few days. Still, it resonates. I want to know more about her, but not just because I don't know anything. Rather, I just... want to. It's hard to explain.

“Hey.” Rika's crackling voice pulls me away from my trance yet again. “You thought about what to do on our day off?” A cold reminder that I'm basically going on a hooky date with this girl.

“Not really, no.” Too busy with other things on my mind. “You have an idea?”

She turns straight ahead, biting her lower lip. “Maybe. Why don't we go by the theater and see what's on?”

“Sure, I'm game.” It's as good of an idea as any, I suppose.

I turn back to my window, and she leaves me to my thoughts. One that plagues me is just how much Miki has been hiding from me, if she's been hiding anything at all. I'm starting to think that... maybe she is. Is that such a bad thing, though? We've only known each other for a few days, I can't expect her to be read like a book. It's a picture that needs to be painted in its own time, a symphony to be conducted at its own pace, with our venerable track star at the helm.

Rika speaks again. “We're here. Let's go.”

We climb off the bus, finding ourselves in the heart of the inner city. This feels much more like my element: crowds of people, a din of murmurs and words as they trudge through the streets. I love everything about this, just being able to blend in and feel like part of something bigger. A deep breath fills my nostrils, escaping through my mouth. “This...,” I say, “this feels like home.”

“Like home?” my companion inquires.

“Yeah. I grew up in the city.” I look around through the mobs of people, trying to see if I recognize any landmarks. Nothing tips me off. “Hey, which way is the theater?”

Rolling her eyes, she replies, “Just follow me.” She heads off in a direction, and I do my best to keep up. She's much smaller than I am, so weaving in and out between people proves much easier for her than me. Nevertheless, I'm somehow able to keep up with her. We stagger through a few intersections, unwillingly bump into a few pedestrians, and almost get run over by an inattentive driver before finally arriving on the theater's block.

The theater rests in a large shopping center, surrounded by various specialty stores and restaurants. The theater itself isn't very big, maybe eight screens at the most. We pace in front of the banners adorning the front wall. None of them look particularly interesting. “Anything look good?” I ask.

She shakes her head. “Nope. Doesn't matter to me, just here to not be at school. Um...” She elongates the syllable, covering her eyes and aiming her finger randomly. “That one.” Her finger points at the poster for 'Knocked Up.' Interesting... an American-style comedy? Oh, God help us. “You have money?” she asks.

I rummage around in my pockets, finally producing my wallet. It looks like I have at least a little. “Yeah, why?”

“Good, because I don't.” Wait... seriously? “Guess you can consider this a date, then.” She laughs at her own joke, waltzing up to the ticket register. We order our tickets, I pay the woman, and we head inside. Thankfully, she's not in the mood for concessions; I'm honestly surprised, considering how close we are to lunchtime.

The screen-room we're slated for is barren. It actually looks like we might be the only ones here. Yeah, definitely the only ones here. With an entire theater to ourselves, we claim a pair of seats in the middle row. We have a fair amount of time before the movie starts, actually.

Rika throws her feet up onto the railing in front of our seats. “You're thinking about her, aren't you?” I swear, it's like she can read minds.

“Well... I was on the bus, does that count?” She glares at me, and I take that as a 'yes.' “Why do you ask?”

She shrugs, humming along with the movement. “Just curious. Means you actually like her.”

Is this some veiled attempt at teasing? “Yeah, she's a good friend.”

“Is she now?” She slouches into her seat, more of her back than her rear resting on the cushion. “Is that all she is?”

“Rika, please. I've known the girl for less than a week.” I smile at my newest thought. “If you're trying to play matchmaker, at least give me some time to get to know her first. You know, learn the ropes and stuff.”

She chuckles. “Fair enough.” Please tell me she didn't take that as some kind of challenge. That's the last thing I need to worry about right now.

The movie is about what I expect from your average American comedy: lots of crude humor, some actually forcing a few laughs out of us. The plot was pretty basic, just about some guy who found out his one-night-stand lover ended up pregnant. Nothing to shake a stick at, but worth the investment for an afternoon's entertainment, I guess.

We walk out of the theater, discussing our thoughts about the movie. We re-enact a few of our favorite scenes, complete with quotes and laughter. As we head toward the bus stop, Rika tugs on my sleeve. An odd gesture, coming from her; she's usually one to just speak and be listened to, not ask for attention. “Thanks for tagging along,” she says. “I mostly wanted to just talk. So... thanks for that, too.”

“No problem,” I reply. “We have to stick together, right? Watch each others' backs?”

She rolls her eyes. “If you say so.”

The bus arrives not long after. I glance at my watch: around half-past two. It'll be well past three by the time we get back to the school grounds, so it looks like a full day of hooky. A good number of people step on-board before we rise to our feet. Standing right in front of the open doorway, Rika comments, “By the way, Hisao....” She boards the bus, looking back at me with a glint in her eye. “Be careful what you wish for.”