Chapter Thirty-Nine: A New Chapter In This Book Called Life

Farewell

Katie sits in her literature class, staring out the window as Mrs Koda droned on in her native language something that might have been Hamlet, a few words here and there filtering to her brain. She stared out the window as sheets upon sheets of rain beat against it, in time with her pounding headache. Her mind wonders to the conversation she had had this morning with Twinkie. She had woken up to the crash of thunder, the previous nights storm still raging on. When she had sat up her headache began throbbing, reminding her just how much she had drank the night before, then the memories hit. She remembered kissing Twinkie and him with gentleman politeness declining her because he didn't want to take advantage of her while drunk. Heat rises to her cheeks as she brings her fingers to her lips, as his words filter back to her, I like you Katie, I really like you, and if you still want to kiss me in the morning when the liquor is gone then Trust me, I wont stop you. Her blush deepens as she falls back onto her bed with a groan. Did she like Twinkie in that sense? She didn't think so but if she didn't then why did she kiss him? could it have just been the drinks or was it real feelings? She smacks herself in the head. She was never EVER drinking again. She rolls over and scrambles out of bed, hurrying to put n her uniform, opting out of a shower. When she emerges from her room she runs down the hall and pushes out of the metal doors to find Twinkie outcold on the couch, when she turns to the tube beds she finds that all of them were empty. She tiptoes over to him and peers down at him as he slept. In his sleep his features looks so much younger, closer to her age then the five years older that he was. His mouth was slightly opened as soft snores sneak their way out, one arm flung above his head as the other rested on his chest, one leg kicked onto the back of the couch, the other dangling off the couch the top of his shoe hitting the floor. He was handsome in a way Katie never noticed, a flutter in her stomach making her gasp.

"Good Morning." A sleep riddled voice says making her eyes fly to his, that were now wide open and starring intently at her. Her cheeks redden as she moves out of the way for him to sit up , giving her just enough room to sit down next to him. She sat down and draw her legs up close to her body, the silence falling around them like a suffocating blanket. " How's the head?" He whispers softly. She peeks at him from the corner of her eye and sees that he was still lounging on the chair, his back against the armrest and his feet just inches from her thigh. She looks over at him and gives him a shy smile, one he returns just as shy.

"To be honest it hurts like hell." She said making him laugh. "Twink?" She said as his laughter stopped. "About last night I-" He waved it off.

" Don't worry about it, you were drunk and out of your mind right?" He said nonchalantly, but not before she could see a flash of pain cross his face. She shakes her head, wincing at the stabbing pain of the hang over.

"That's not what i was going to say at all." She says turning her body to face him. " I Love Han," she says seeing his body sag, "I'll always love Han, he has a part of me and I don't think that will ever change." She said watching his body sag as he nods his head, "Hey let me finish, I like you too Twinkie, But Right now I need to focus on getting better, and finishing school. I don't want to lead you on or hurt you because i can't give you all of my heart. Does that make sense?" She says her voice fading to a whisper. Twinkie just smiles and pats her leg.

"Yeah It makes perfect sense, and I respect that, In a way you are already taken, plus I don't want to try and steal my man Han's girl." He says in total understanding. She smiles and Leans over to hug him. Letting go he eyes go to her hand and he points at it. "Did he give you that?" He asks. She looks down and sees the calada ring, the ALexandrite glittering in the florescent light. She holds out her hand so he can look at it as she nods. "It's nice, he must really love you, that's a real Alexandrite, they're rare." He says letting her hand go, the fluttering in her stomach quieting as his touch fades. "Hey you need to get to school, just let me get dressed and I'll take you OK?" He says and jumps u p, heading over to his Tube bunk and grabbing clothes out of it, heading to the back rooms to take a shower. Katie leans her head back and closes her eyes, dozing off until Twinkie comes back to bring her to school.

"Katie-Chan, Hey snap out of it." Chiyo's voice shatters her thoughts, making her suck in her breath and jump. Blinking she looks around and sees that everyone had left the room, class was over and she was the only one left in the room. "Katie you OK?" Chiyo says peering at her with concern. Katie looks up at her friend and smiles, nodding as she gets out of her chair, gathering her things while Chiyo waited. The two girls leave the classroom and head to their lockers. When they get to Katie's locker Hiroshi and Azami were talking quietly together, their heads bent close together. Hiroshi looks up and smiles wide when he spies Katie, Her face freezes in a grimace as they approach, Azami smiles wide and bounces up and down.

"Katie! Hiroshi finished You're key! he was just showing it to me!" She says her eyes all excited as Hiroshi blushes and hands her over the key. She looks down and gasps, It was a drawing of Han's Mazda. She had asked him to draw a picture of it and see if he could get it onto he key, The details were amazing for such a small drawing.

"Oh Wow thank you Hiroshi, its amazing!" She says giving the boy a hug. When she lets go she sees him blushing. The bell rings and he quickly excuses himself, making the others giggle.

"OOOOOH Katie I think My twin likes you, Its so obvious!" Chiyo teases wiggling her eyesbrows making Katie laugh. The three girls open their lockers and quickly grab their chemistry books. With their stuff the three girls head upstairs to their class, where Tamiko and Hiroko were waiting. Seeing Hiroko Their confrontation flares up in Her memory, her warning Katie away from Hiroshi. When Hiroko sees her a smile spreads on her face, a pleasent smile that didn't reach her eyes. They five head back to their usual back seats, Hiroko instantly taking over the conversation and subtly edged Katie out of the conversation, by talking in rapid Japanese. Katie sits in her seat quietly, writing a letter to Dom that she planned to have Shawn mail out when she got home. Words from Hiroko's conversation floats over to her, words like party and Saturday. Chiyo explains and turns to Katie. "Katie, Hiroko's parents are leaving for the weekend and she's throwing a party Saturday, please say you'll come!" She says, unaware of the glare Hiroko gives her. Katie plasters a smile on her face and opens her mouth to decline.

"Katie don't want go the party, Sel be out of place. wouldn't be fair." Hiroko says in her very broken English a small smile on her lips as she pushes up her neon yellow glasses, " Right Katie?" Katie swallows and nods

"She's right Chiyo, plus parties aren't really in my best intrest right now." She whispers, looking down. Before Chiyo can say anything Mr. Murana walks in and the class begins. Chiyo huffs and turns to the front of the classroom. Katie stares straight ahead, though she can feel Hiroko's eyes on her, a piece of paper lands on her open notebook making her start. looking up she sees the cruel girl smiling and nodding at the paper, mouthing open it. Katie opens the note under the desk and reads.

Stupid Gaijin, Hiroshi mine I told you, now I make life bad.

Katie looks up sharply to see the other girl giggle quietly before turning her attention to the teacher who was rattling along about the days lesson. Katie stuffs the paper in her pocket and leans over to Chiyo,

"Chiyo-chan can you tell Mr Murana that I don't feel good and if I could please go to the nurses?" She whispers. Chiyo looks at her with concern and nods, her hand shooting up int he air as she waist to be called on. In Fluent Japanese she asks the teacher who just looks at Katie and nods. Katie thanks him and gathering her things slips out of the room, her phone in her hand, a text already being sent.

Twinkie, come get me,

a response already there by the time she gets to the stairs.

On My Way

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

"Katie are you sure you want to be home schooled?" Shawn asks for the hundredth time. Katie rolls her eyes and stares up at her older brother. She'd been home for half an hour arguing with him after Twinkie had picked her up. She thinks about Chiyo, the only real friend her age she had here, she wouldn't see her much if she was home schooled but it was for the best. She nods.

"Hiroko promised to make my life hell if I butted in, I think even if I did stay away from Hiroshi which she never even had to worry about, she'd still make my life hell, shes a b***h. I don't need that in my life right now, what I need to do is focus on graduating this year and starting my life clean, Hiroko would jeopardize that." She explains, again. Shawn rakes his hands through his hair, he couldn't argue with her on that. Neela puts her hand on his arm and smiles at Katie.

"I think that would be a great Idea, We can go down to the school tomorrow, they actually have an Online program so you can still be apart of their school system and graduate from there." She says. Katie gets up and hugs her sister-in-law.

"Thank you, I really need this guys, I don't want to do anything to jeopardize getting better." She says letting her go. Shawn smiles and ruffles her hair, receiving a glare.

" I know kid, and we will do whatever it takes to help you." He says,

"We all will." Twinkie says from his tube bunk. Katie looks at him, and then at Neela and Shawn, her eyes prickling with tears. She takes a deep breath and some of the weight on her chest lifts as she realizes she wouldn't be doing this all alone.

Maybe just maybe she could FINALLY get her life together.

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