Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Flawless ❯ Flower ( Chapter 1 )

Chapter One: Flower

 

“Okaa-san, I don't want to go in there,” I whispered, acutely aware of the silence around me as the lone violinist played on the stage. Sure, he was just a year older than me, but I thought he was amazing. I clutched at my own violin, sweat sliding against the hard wood. “I don't want to play.”

 

My mother looked down at me with a stern glance. “You were the one who signed up for this, Sachi, so you have to play.” I sighed, looking once more at the boy on the stage. He bowed shyly to polite applause as he finished his piece, and walked off the stage. His eyes scanned the small crowd in our school hall and blushed as they met mine. Sure, I was only eight, but he was still a boy. I didn't expect much attention from him, but I tried smiling anyway as he passed me on the way out of the door.

 

“Are you Anda-chan?” he asked quietly. “'Cause if you are, you're up next.”

 

I nodded and stared determinedly at the empty stage. “Hai,” I muttered, but he was long gone. I stepped up there, hanging onto my own violin with cold hands, as if it would break if I held it any looser. The piano introduction started and I trained my eyes onto the sheet of music in front of me. “Yeah, no problem.”

 

--

 

His name, I discovered, was Mari Isamu. He was a year older than me. My name is Anda Sachi and I am a normal Japanese school girl. I go to Shizuka High School and I am fifteen years old. I first met Isamu-kun when we were in primary school, at a musical recital our school hosted. That was the first time I spoke to him. I moved schools a few years later and we didn't see each other again until we both came to Shizuka. This is our story.

 

--

 

My hands gripped the straps of my bag tightly. My teeth were gritted together and my heart was trying to escape my ribcage by thrashing its way out. A new school. A new year. A new life. I had been dreading high school from the day I got the acceptance letter from Shizuka. I moaned slightly and shivered in the cool September breeze. My feet felt like lead as I dragged myself slowly in the direction of school. My bag felt like it weighed a ton, even though I had no books yet. Needless to say, I kept my head down, letting my hair do the hiding.

 

“Ano, do you need any help? You sound lost.”

 

Gasping, I whirled around at the strange voice. I was met with a face I didn't recognise. “Arigato, but I'm not lost. I'm just new.” I smiled at the boy and continued on my way until I felt a large hand wrap around my wrist. I started panicking. This boy wasn't going to attack me was he? I didn't even know him! Just as I was about to yell at him, he spoke.

 

“Sachi-chan? Is that you?” He peered at my face curiously and I felt myself go red. It's not usual that someone stares at your face from ten centimetres away.

 

Despite my embarrassment, I frowned. “Ano, who are you? And how do you know me? Kami, you're not a stalker or something, are you?” He laughed and shook his head, messing up his dark hair.

 

“You don't remember me, Sachi? Aww, I'm hurt. It's me, Isamu!” I tore my arm out of his grasp and began running down the road. We were going to be late if we kept talking! And on my first day, too! He shouted after me, but I just turned my head and laughed, beckoning with the hand that he had held just a few moments ago. It surprised me that it didn't bother me a bit that a boy just practically held my hand. After all, I did sort of know him. I heard him growl in frustration behind me and I laughed even harder. He was trying to catch up with her! No chance, I thought. So I ran faster. I skidded into the school gates just as the bell rang for registration. The students in the courtyard stopped milling around and filed towards the doors to school. I felt a hand on my shoulder and I smiled mischievously.

 

“Had enough, Isamu-kun?” I teased as we went into the building together. He was panting, doubled over from the exertion. I laughed again.

 

He held up his hands in defeat. “Hai, hime-sama, I give up! But you're getting it at break.”

 

Still chuckling, I walked into what I knew was my homeroom. He left to go to his own. One step in and all I could hear was screams. My friends from my old school were dancing around me in excitement, practically screaming my name out.

 

“Sachi, I saw you, don't deny it!” yelled Mine, a short girl with curly black hair.

 

I frowned. “What are you talking about?”

 

“I'm so jealous of you!” Yume dragged me into a corner where the two other girls leaned into me. “Our first day and you've already got a boyfriend. A cute older one as well.” She sighed and looked into the distance, probably daydreaming.

 

My eyes widened as I realised what they were talking about. They must have seen me with Isamu and jumped to conclusions. “Ano, he's not my boyfriend! He's just a friend from primary school, I swear!” I waved my hands weakly as they both stood in front of me, arms folded and eyebrows raised. “I'm serious! Anyway, why would someone like him want to go out with me anyway?” There, putting myself down was a sure way to distract them. I was right.

 

“Oh no!” yelled Yume. “No, no, no! You are too good for him! Sure, he's older, but you … You are way better then him!”

 

“Yeah!” chimed in Mine, her eyes practically glittering. “We'll find someone who likes you for who you are, not some prissy bishounen who thinks he's all that!”

 

I almost cried with relief when our teacher came in. I don't know why I put up with them sometimes. But I guess, friends are friends, so there goes a chance for a peaceful school life.

 

Breaktime came all too soon for me. The girl dragged me off to the courtyard again, where we sat in a corner. They insisted on spying out the `hot' boys and I was reluctant at first, but it was actually quite fun. After staring a particularly good-looking male for quite a long amount of time, I decided that I was hungry and bent down to get some food from my bag. That was when a dark shadow passed over head and the girls stopped giggling abruptly. I frowned, still bent double. What could have caused them to stop? That was when I spotted a pair of shoes. They were attached to a pair of legs which were wearing black trousers. My eyes met (eventually) with a similar brown pair which were alive with amusement.

 

Forgetting completely about my stomach, I stood up. “Oh crap,” I muttered, but Isamu heard me and tutted mockingly.

 

“Little girls aren't allowed to swear. Did you remember what I said this morning?” He was enjoying watching her squirm, the bastard.

 

I glared at him and then at my friends. Why do they enjoy torturing me so much?! “Ano, konnichiwa, Isamu-kun. How are you today?” I continued feebly. It only earned another laugh. I could really do with a baseball bat right now. “Okay fine. Do whatever you want with me.” I clapped a hand over my mouth as I realised what it could have meant. “NO! I didn't mean … I mean, that didn't come out right … I was just … Oh fuck it.” My so called friends were laughing their heads of and Isamu was looking close to it. “Just get it over with.”

 

I let out a gasp as he pinned my arms to the wall with his hands. “Whatever I want?” he said. I knew he didn't mean it, but immediately my friends started whispering and giggling. I just hoped he didn't do anything stupid. But it seemed he had different ideas. I slapped myself mentally as he leaned in, his face now inches from mine. “You said I could do whatever I wanted, Sachi-chan.”

 

I closed my eyes tightly, wondering what sick joke he had planned and hoping that my friends wouldn't blow it all out of proportion. He let go of my arms and I felt something in my hair. Of course, my natural instinct was to remove it so I reached up. My eyes snapped open as his hand took hold of mine and moved it away.

 

“You have to keep it there, okay? Well … until it dies. Then you can throw it away.” He grinned at me and walked away. I just stood there like some idiot until Mine spoke up.

 

“Are you absolutely sure he doesn't like you?”

 

I just stared and touched my hair lightly. It was soft, whatever it was. It also had a faint scent. I growled. Just what the hell was it?

 

Yume looked just as shocked as me. “He … he …” she managed to choke out. “He put a flower in your hair and told you to keep it there?! How could he not be your boyfriend?!”

 

Kami, why are they so obsessed about this anyway? Wait, did she say a flower? Oh, this cannot be good.