Chapter Thirty-Six: Uwabaki

"I almost didnt reconize you without your slippers on" "Dont you mean Uabaki?"

Katie Clings to Twinkie as the underground train zips along. It was her first day of school and she was Terrified, a language she didn't understand, new students who would look down upon her, she had begged Shawn to home school her but he just laughed and told her if he could do it so could she. Twinkie had felt bad for her and offered to take her on her first day, since the school she was going to was where he and Shawn had graduated. All around them were teenagers Around her age, looking at her with curiosity, a few smiled at her and a few others tried to talk to her but when they realized she didn't speak the language they all left her along. Twinkie wrapped a protective arm around her and let her curl up into his side. He looked at her in shock when he realized she was trembling badly, her anxiety skyrocketing.

"Hey you OK?" he whispers to her moving so he could face her. She looks at him and smiles, almost struck by the genuine concern she saw in his black eyes. Today he was wearing a red and white doo rag that matched his red jersey and dark blue jeans, his style so different from the muscle shirts and cotton polo's she was use to in the states, it was refreshing. She sticks her tongue out at him making him laugh, "Alright Alright you're OK. Can I ask you something?" He says growing serious, something she was already learning was a rare thing for him. She sits up and gives him a wary look before nodding. He blushes and looks down. "don't be offended, but how bad is that anxiety of yours? I'm just curious." He asks looking up at her. She blushes a deep red and looks anywhere but him.

"It's pretty bad, especially when I am surrounded by people, mostly men that I don't know, When I don't feel safe it gets bad." She whispers. She feels his arms wrap around her and she jumps, looking at him in shock. He looks back at her with genuine kindness.

"Here," he says pushing her phone at her, "I programmed my number in it, in case you have an anxiety attack at school, just call me and I'll come get you OK? I know Shawn would tell you to suck it up, that's just him, but I understand how Anxiety attacks can leave someone upset afterwards." He explains, she opens her mouth to ask him if he had them but he shakes his head, knowing what she was going to say. "I don't have them but our friend... Han, he use to have them about his life in the states, I saw one once and it was Bad." He says his words like a slap in her face. No matter where she went Han's memory followed her. She smiles kindly at Twinkie, The kindness he was showing her she had only ever seen with Melina and the family. She suprises him as well as herself when she flings her arms around him in a huge hug, his arms circling around her and tightening. Snickers from the other kids has her breaking away, her blush reappearing. The kids snicker, some cat call as a man says something in Japanese to Twinkie and laughs, The only word she caught was 'Gaijin. Twinkies face reddens in anger,he snaps at the kids, his voice like a whip making Katie jump and yelp in fright. He stops and turns toward her his face written with apologies. "Sorry, you're lucking you don't understand, what they just said would have made you want to punch them." He says his voice still angry.

"What does Gaijin mean? It's the only word I caught." She asks him. His face reddens with anger again before leaning back in his seat, moving his arms so she could curl back up.

"It's an insult, a derogatory word for outsiders. Trust me you don't want to be called it, If Shawn had been here or even Neela, they would have beaten the s**t out of them." He says, taking his free hand and running it over his rag covered head. "Oh Good we're here." He says jumping out of his seat, grabbing her hand and pulling her to hers. He keeps her hand in his and weaves in and out of the massive crowds in the station, finding the stairs leading them above ground, the icy smoke filled air a welcomed relief to her as she gulps in huge mouthfulls. Twinkie slows down and lets her get her bearings before holding out his hand again for her to hold. She looks at his hand for a few minutes before placing hers into it, her stomach fluttering when he closes his around hers and guides her to the school. It was a clean Cut white building four stories tall, neatly trimmed shrubbery along the outside of the building, just under the windows of the main offices. She stares up at the building feeling small and inadequate, here she was outside a very serious school that took pride in its academics and she was the type of student who passed her classes by the skin of her teeth. Twinkie looks at it in disgust and turns back to Katie, Her eyes wide as she looks at him. "Hey so remember, IF anything happens just give me a call OK?" He says sticking his hands in his pockets, giving her a smile.

"from now on can we just take your car? please?" She asks.

"S**t year, I fixed it last night, I'll test it tonight and we can use it tomorrow." He says nods. She smiles again at him and hugs him, making him laugh before letting go and facing the School again. With a deep breath, and an adjust to her back-pack she marches up to the school and pushes her way in, heading toward what she assumed was the main office. Pushing through the metal door she finds herself in a white washed room, with four doors in the back leading to small offices. A beautiful secretary was busy typing away at a computer, a phone sandwiched between her head and her shoulder as she spoke rapidly into it. Katie walks over to her and taps lightly on the desk getting a "One Minute" Gesture as well as a wave of the head pointing to the two desk in front. Katie eases herself into one of the chairs and waits patiently to be helped. A vibration form her pocket makes her jump and quickly retrieve her cell phone, showing she had a text message.

Oh you can text me through the day too if that helps any ~Twink~

She smiles at the text and shoots off a reply

Thanks Twinkie, for everything.

"Can I help You?" A sharp voice says in English, Thick with a Japanese accent. Katie jumps, startled to hear English and looks up to see the Secretary Look up from her computer at her. She smiles at Katie that crinkles around her eyes. " Surprised I know English no?" She says her voice light and happy. Katie gulps and guiltily nods her head. The secretary smiles again and shakes her head. "Don't be guilty you do nothing wrong. We get many English speaking students, its requirement to learn." She explains in broken English standing up and holding her hand out for Katie to shake. Katie gets up and shakes the women's hand. "My name Ms Eto, Principal Hamada is through that door, she expecting you." She says pointing to the middle door. Katie grabs her back pack off the floor and flashes her another smile before heading to the door, opening it when she hears a 'come in," from within. A women in her early fourties sat at a sleek pine desk, typing at a computer, looks up when Katie enters, her glasses perched hallway down her nose, a motherly smile on her lips. Katie walks in and sits in the chair that was in front of her desk. Mrs. Hamada stands up and walks over to her.

" You must be Katie Hendricks, welcome to our school .My Names is Mrs Hamada I will be your princepal this year ." She says in perfect English. Something about her made Katie instantly like her. She turns to her desk and gathers a few sheets of paper before turning around to face her again. "Here is your class schedule and Locker number and the key to it, don't lose this key it's five dollars to replace it. Now if you follow me I can show you to your locker." She says handing Katie the papers and small key and heading to the door. Scrambling to her feet she quickly follows Mrs Hamada out of the main office and down the first corridor. "This hall is where all the seniors lockers are as well as most of their classes, Ah here's your locker, number 2S." She explains stopping in front of a powder blue locker at the end of the hall. A girl about Katie's age, who was standing next to it, sees them and smiles at the princepal. " Ah Ms Seoul-Oh thank you," She says smiling down at the girl before turning back to Katie, " This is Chiyo Seoul-Oh, she is one of our top honor students in our English classes, She will be your guide for your first week until you are feeling comfortable. Chiyo this is Katie Hendricks, Please make her feel welcomed here," She introduces the girls before excuses herself back to her office. As her heels click down the hall Katie takes a peak at Chiyo. She was beautiful with long raven black hair, two streaks of green framing her face, a friendly smile on her lips.

"Hi Katie, I love your hair." She says pointing to the vibrant streak of Pink that she had clipped back with a barrette, "Anyway did she give you the Key to your locker?" She chatters on as Katie nods, producing the small key and turning to her locker to find a small complicated lock dangling from it. Jamming it key into it she easily pops it and removes it, opening it to find that it was deeper the it looked, able to hold her back-pack without scrunching it up. After she relocks it she turns to Chiyo and smiles a timid smile at her, slipping her key into her front pocket, making her laugh and shake her head. "Oh gosh no don't put it in your pocket you'll lose it for sure. Here take this," She says producing a black rope like necklace from her purse and hands it to her, "You can wear it around your neck like this see," She explains taking a similar necklace from under her shirt and showing a small silver key with a black skull on it. Katie takes a closer look and points to the key asking if she could touch it, Chiyo nods and takes it off her neck, placing it in her palm. Looking closer she sees that the skull was actually a day of the dead mask, intricate designs swirling inside the small skull.

It's beautiful how'd you get it?" She asks looking up from it. Chiyo smiles

"My twin brother Hiroshi Designed it and we just went to the local hardware store and they made a replica key. You can do that as long as you give the original key back to Mrs Hamada, my other friends have their own replicas. You can get anything on it." She explains in one breath. Just then a loud bell rings making Katie Jump, almost dropping the key. She hands it back and slips her own on the necklace she was given. "That's the bell for second period what do you have let me see?" Chiyo asks holding out her hand for her schedule. Katie grins at her and hands it over, Knowing she would get along just fine with her. Studying the piece of paper She looks up at her with a wide grin. "You have chemistry with Mr Murano, You're in luck, So do I come on." She says excitedly and grabs Katie's hand just as students started pouring out of class rooms as they switched classrooms. Chiyo weaves in and out of the students saying hi to everyone who spoke to her, and leads Katie up the stairs, explaining that all the science based classes were upstairs. She pushes Katie into a room, long tables in the center with five stools to each table. The classroom was already filling up and Chiyo leads her to the back table were three other girls were clustered together talking and giggling. When the tallest one spies Chiyo she smiles wide and calls out a greeting in Japanese which Chiyo returns, Clearly the four girls were friends and Katie stands off to the side as the girls hug and catch up, after five minutes Chiyo turns toward her and drags her over. "Katie I'd like you to meet my best friends, Azami Kita," The tall girl waves, "Hiroko Goda," A girl with neon yellow glasses smiles and gives her a little salute making her laugh, "And Tamiko Machi." The last girl steps up and takes Katie by surprise when she gives her a giant hug.

"We five be great friends I can tell." She says, her English very broken but there was a kindness in it that pricked at Katie's eyes. Suddenly She gasps and lets her go. "Chiyo you no show her Uwabaki's!" She exclaims pointing at Katie's sneakers. "she need uwabakis! Mr. Murana get mad very mad!" She hisses making Chiyo swear in Japanese.

"chikushō", a word she later finds out means S**t. Chiyo grabs Katie's hands and pushes her out the door, pointing at the little show rack that was outside the door., SSquattingdown and grabbing black and white slippers "Here take these and put them on quickly before the teacher gets here!" She says shoving the slippers in her hands. Katie quickly takes off her sneakers and watches as her new friend shoves them into the rack where the slippers just were. She slips them on and is pleasantly surprised when they were silky yet sturdy. Just then a stout balding man comes toward them, a lesson planner under one arm. Chiyo cusses again and the two girls quickly slip in and run to their seats. And so Katie's first day of school begins.

************************

"Hell yeah you survived" Twinkie's voice says above the dull roar of students milling outside the school. Katie looks up from her group and smiles when she sees him leaning against his monster green SUV a smirk on his face. Azami looks up at her eyes widen at the sight of him, a deep blush spreading across her beautiful face as she ducks her head.

"Katie who that?" She whispers sneaking peaks at him, then quickly looking away. Katie looks a Chiyo and grins. Someone had a crush

"His name's Twinkie..... well his nickname. Want to meet him?" She asks her eyebrow raised. At that moments a man pulls up in a Toyota and shouts in Japanese making Azami jump.

"Chiyo-chan let go, papi is here." she says tugging on Chiyo and turning to Katie with a smile on her face. "See you tomorrow Katie" Chiyo waves at her before heading over to the car and getting in. Katie waves until the car pulls away before heading over to Twinkie. He grins at her slides back into the car waiting for her to get in.

"You made friends I see?" He says starting the car up, Katie nods and puts her back pack on her lap, opening it up to pull out her History homework, frowning. Twinkie looks over at it and Groans. " I see you got Mr. Eto for history." She looks up at him.

"Let me guess, you had him too when you went here?" She asks opening the book and frowning as the Japanese words stare up at her. "Yeah I'm going to need help, I don't understand anything." She sighs snapping the book shut making Twinkie laugh.

"Relax I was good at History, and if you have Mrs. Koda for lit Neela can help you Ace that class" He says flicking on his blinker and taking a sharp left, barely missing a green Subaru

"Holy S**t, Twinkie watch where you are going!" She hisses gripping the book. Twinkie just flashes her a smile as he speeds toward the garage turned house. She opens the book again and takes the worksheet from the back of the book, digging in her bag for a pen. "Alright if you're so good at this then help me with my homework." She says and starts firing off questions, that thankfully were written in Japanese as well as English for her benefit Twinkie surprises her and answers every one correctly. By the time they got home her History was complete, all that was left was her Chemistry and English.

"Hey Sis! how was your first day!" Shawn calls down to her from the landing. Katie looks up to see him leaning against the railing, oil staining his shirt as he smiles down at his sister. She smiles wide at him and rushes up the stairs, flinging herself into his arms making him laugh. "Missed you too kiddo. now tell me all about your day." He says letting her go and plopping down on the worn leather couch. She drops her back pack and tells him everything, Shawn groaning when she mentions Mr Eto, apparently he wasn't a very nice teacher when it came to students from America, but he hid it well in front of others. Neela drives in and with a quick argument with the couple Katie had seen the other day she stomps up the stairs and without so much as a hello she pushes past the doors and into the back toward her and Shawn's room. Katie just looks at him with a raised eyebrow. He shrugs, a smile tugging at his lips. "They must have told her that she still isn't driving her car right. They are constantly fighting about that." He says getting up "I'll go check on her."He says patting her knee and getting up, before he leaves he turns around and looks at her. "You think you can make it in the big bag Japanese school?" He says teasing her. She just sticks her tongue out at him and gets off the couch.

"Yeah Yeah I'll be fine." She says swatting him on the shoulder before heading to her room. Once in the safety of her room she looks around, spying her Still unpacked massive suitcase. Shawn had told her she could pack away Han's things and use the wardrobe as well as the dresser but for some reason she felt like she would be intruding if she did, she was already sleeping in his bed. Sighing she goes over to it and hauls it up on the bed, unzipping it and dumping all the clothing out, she doesn't notice two envelopes falling under the bed as she finally gets up the courage to unpack. After all this was suppose to be her New beginning

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