I awake late in the evening, or rather, early in the morning. My head aches slightly, and I don’t remember climbing into…a mattress on the floor. I give it a nasty look before looking at the digital clock Sarah must’ve bought for me and noticed the time that read “5:26” in bright red lights. If remembering correctly, my local high school starts at seven o’clock, and it is about a ten minute walk from Sarah’s home. Instead of going back to sleep, I got up and fumbled around the home.
I find Sarah drinking coffee at the window facing an empty lot behind the home. On the table there’s a manila folder with the edges of a photo sticking out. I can’t tell what it’s a picture of, but it looks more official than I’ve seen Sarah ever take. I’m silent a moment, taking in the surroundings. Well, mostly Sarah herself. She’s the type of person that people don’t label “drop dead gorgeous” but she has a charm about her, or an air that draws people to her. When I was much younger, she called it “animal magnetism” and I’ve always just called it that.
I didn’t notice she turned until she asked me if I slept well.
I blink, noticing now that I am staring. My cheeks flush in embarrassment and reply honestly. To, of course, the question of whether or not I slept well. Which was “no.” She laughs it off, telling me a long story about how it used to bother her as well, and then we both fall silent. Sarah practically falls to the ground, huddling her bare legs beneath the cheap looking kotatsu. Following her lead, I stick my legs beneath the kotatsu as well.
Aaah. Warm.
“I’ll be back early this evening so we can go shopping,” Sarah says suddenly, arranging her things in the manila folder, “can you hold out till then?”
I nod grudgingly and stand up with the same chagrin. My legs are cold again, and I shoot her an undeserving dirty look. She grins at me and whistles inappropriately at my bare legs as I shuffle to my empty bedroom to get changed into my uniform.
[Sarah grinning image]
Recently, some Hokkaido schools decided to allow girls to wear pants during the winter, as bare legs are not efficient in cold weather. Thankfully, this small local one agreed that it was probably better to do that than watch them embarrass themselves by wearing gym shorts under their skirts. I didn’t go to a private school in the states, so wearing a uniform feels kind of embarrassing. And the weight of the winter uniform is surprising.
I walk to the doorway, only vaguely remembering to put my shoes on before turning around to be embraced by my aunt. She’s just enough taller than me to make it inappropriate, the warmth of her breasts against my cheeks sends messages racing through my brain that I’m not entirely sure I agree with. After all, she’s family.
“I’ll see you after school…” She takes a long time afterwards to say my name, and it sends similarly unwelcomed signals through my body.