Wednesday, 28 October 2009

• Chapter 1 – First encounter

  
   
  

  
  I lay my head down on the pillow, stretched myself onto the bed then stared at the ceiling of a stranger’s bedroom. Trying to remember how everything came to this point was like a comic book coming to life. I was like a stray cat being housed and picked up by a stranger, having no idea what I just got myself into.

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  The school I’ve transferred for the last year of my college life was enormous. I was used to studying in a secluded building with only a couple of classmates in which I could count from ten fingers. Priority wise, my old school thought me to know my classmates by their names, family background, even their bank accounts and number of companies attached to their names.

  Right now I can throw all of that in the window for this University was overwhelming. I doubt it I could memorize all the names of these students who are milling at the register’s counter. This was a first.

  I’ve never even have to go in line to enroll before!

  I was grinning idiotically as I looked around. Students were walking to and fro, chatting with each other, greeting teachers… this was exciting.

  “Hey. You’re holding up the line.” Spikey-haired-blonde-guy poked my shoulder to remind me I have to move.

  “Sorry.” I mumbled sheepishly but I was too happy to be embarrassed.

  When I gave my transcript to the registrar she looked at me and said, “You have to give a down payment to the cashier over there.” She pointed to the window at the far end of the hall then stamped my paper.

  It took me almost an hour just to get to the window and when I was finally there the cashier told me the amount which I had to pay. I took my wallet to get my credit card then remembered I don’t have any. Then I took the envelope mother gave me and looked inside. It was the exact amount for the down payment.

  So much for necessities…

  I grudgingly took all the money and gave it to the cashier. Then she gave me a receipt with my class cards, a school map and my room assignment. Then it dawned to me, I was penniless. It was also late in the afternoon. I had no place to stay, no money for food and most of all I was all on my own.

  My mother has planned it all along!!! I wanted to kick myself for letting her do this to me. I should have seen that coming, I knew she had something planned ahead.

  I ran out of the school premises to go home and grovel but then I remembered I can’t go home. If I do, I’ll lose this chance of freedom being all on my own.

  In my frustration I tilted my head to look at the sky over head, it was getting pale orange; if I didn’t want to get hungry I had to do something about it.

  Conviction sparked inside my chest, so I lugged my small duffel bag along with me then started walking a couple of blocks away from the school to find any newspaper stand where I could look for a quick job. There was a bench beside the machine, with a lone guy sitting on it. He was wearing a big black cowboy hat while reading the newspaper casually. I shrugged my bag out of my shoulder and dug through my pockets. Both were empty.

  This… is… not… funny. I was LITERALLY penniless.

  My eyes darted to the man who was reading the paper then saw it had ads on it. Mustering up my courage, I grabbed my bag from the ground and shuffled towards the guy. I stood near him and started to take peeks over his paper.

  The guy felt my presence and looked up but I could barely see his face.

  “Would you mind?” The guy said in an irritated tone.

  “Ummm… can… can I have the newspaper after you’re done with it?” I blurted out.

  “Huh?” The guy didn’t speak and then he sighed loudly showing me with his body language that he was clearly displeased. He then took a pen out and signed something on the paper and shoved it to me.

  “There.” He quickly stood up to leave.

  “Thank you so much. You have saved my life…” I told him brightly then looked at the news paper and read what he scrawled on it.

  YAMAPI

  It was in cursive hand writing but it didn’t make sense at all. I tilted my head in wonder then turned the newspaper quickly for the ads then took out a pen to circle them. That’s when I noticed that the guy was still standing in front of me.

  “Ummm… do you still need it?” I asked as I looked at his shadowy face.

  He shook his and decided to leave.

  “Wait!” I called out and he stopped dead on his tracks.

  “Do you know any job opening that could hire people on the spot? I’m really in a pinch right now, even a temp job for tonight would really help.” The guy turned around and tilted the hat to reveal his face.

  I blinked. Twice. The guy was good looking. So what’s up with the hat?

  “Is this a prank?” He asked me.

  What? Why would this be a prank?

  “No. What prank? I’m only asking a question. If you know any job openings that would really help me out right now… I really need the money.” The guy looked around starting from the newspaper vending machine, to the wall behind us and the light post as if checking for something. He even looked over my shoulder to check the cars that were parked.

  “Is there something wrong?” I asked, slightly curious as to why he is acting so weird.

  When a man and a woman walked towards our direction, the guy suddenly answered, “Nothing.” Then walked away shoving the hat down his face. I scratched my head looking at the newspaper then back at him.

  What a weird guy.

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  I don’t know if the girl who asked for my newspaper was acting out or if she is even for real. Then I remembered those home videos where they would play a prank on actors making a laughing stock out of them. This made me check around for any hidden cameras and tried to find her accomplice but the girl looked weirdly at me instead. Her facial expression made me stop what I was doing and slowly, I began to feel ludicrous by the minute.

  Was I not that famous for her not to recognize me at all?

  My ego bruised at the thought but then two people approaching was clearly pointing at me. Telling me that they knew who I was, at least SOME people still recognize me.

  With one last look at the girl who read the newspaper ads intently, I turned around and walked away.

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  Daylight was already gone, it was early in the evening and I still have no job. Not even temp ones. I started walking from street to street, asking around if they knew of any job openings. I walked into a dim alley where one woman leaned by a wall while smoking a cigarette.

  I asked her if she knew where I could get a job then she replied, “Honey… employment isn’t that easy to find these days. If you like, you can stand here and earn big bucks for one night. With that looker face you have…” she paused and took a drag from her cigarette, “you sure are going to be a millionaire.”

  I stared at her. Not understanding what she meant, until a couple of men walked from behind a car and started asking what my price was. That’s when I realized I was getting pimped! I shuddered at the thought of using my body like that to earn money. This made me come back to my senses that I quickly walked away from that street ignoring the men but one of them took my wrist. I tugged at him telling him I wasn’t for sale.

  “But this lady told us you’re new. You’re even probably shy… come on. Let’s try you out.” One of the men grinned, showing a gap between his two front teeth. Something churned inside my stomach making me want to vomit.

  I pulled my hand some more and broke loose but the other guy grabbed my shoulder instead reeling me towards their car. The lady who was smoking just watched me.

  “Told yah girl... million bucks in one night.” She sneered then dropped the ash to the ground.

  I was about to scream for help when a hand grabbed my shirt making me stagger backwards to fall on the ground. I cringed in pain but it was nothing compared to the fear I was feeling at that moment.

  “She’s with me.” A low voice announced from behind.

  When I turned my face to look I immediately recognized his profile. It was the guy with the hat – his face was still covered in shadow.

  “Dude, we saw her first.” The two guys walked towards him shoulders up. The guy with the hat fished out something from his back pocket then showed it to them. It was a police badge.

  “Either she’s with me or the two of you replace her instead.” He told them with so much authority that the two shrunk and looked at each other. They scrambled on their feet then hurriedly got into the car and left. Then he looked at the woman whose mouth was hanging about gawking at me and the cowboy hat guy.

  “You want to come with us too?” He asked her, the woman quickly shook her head wildly and scurried out of the area.

  “T-thank you.” I told the guy as I tried to get up but my knees buckled that I couldn’t stand. The guy reached out his hand for me to grab on. When I took it he held onto me firmly helping me stand. Then the first thing that came out of his mouth when I was finally standing straight was,

  “Idiot.”

  I was too scared to reply. I knew I was naïve to even try and survive in the outside world but I am not going to lose over my mother. Twenty four hours haven’t passed yet. This experience would not make me run back home in the confines of my comfort zone.

  The guy suddenly grabbed my arm and dragged me onto the busier street, where cars passed by and people walked in a hurry.

  “Don’t ever be stupid enough to go into those alleys if you care about yourself.” He told me in a callous voice.

  My lips quivered. The guy sighed loudly for the second time I’ve met him then motioned for me to come with him. I trudged behind him as he walked towards a small building. It was a sushi bar.

  “Stay here. Don’t go anywhere.” He pointed at me with his index finger, as if instructing a pet. Then he went inside.

  When he came out he threw me an apron and told me that they needed a dishwasher inside. That’s my first job, a chore I had to sneak to do back in the mansion. Fear has completely vanished and was replaced by relief. The guy in the hat saluted the owner then told me one last time, “Don’t be an idiot anymore.” Then he left me for good.

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  I bowed multiple times at the bar owner as I received my very first hard earned money. It wasn’t enough to rent for a room in a hotel, but it was enough for two meals. Even with aching arms due to the hundreds of plates I have just washed while on the other hand breaking a few, the smile on my face wouldn’t go away. I half skipped – half ran towards the nearest convenience store to buy a cup of noodles.

  My stomach growled, at the sight of the hot noodles in front of me. My eyes watered as gazed over my very first meal with my very first hard earned money. I sighed with satisfaction and clapped my hands.

  “Ittadakimasu!!!” I happily gobbled my food down, sighing in complete bliss.

  When I was done, I continued to sit on the stool on the convenience store and stared out through the window onto the street wondering where I could stay for the night. Fear suddenly came back to me, I felt the urge not to go out of the store and just stay there for the night until I come up with something for tomorrow. Then the store cashier called out to me, startling me back to my senses.

  “Miss, we’re about to close.” I smiled weakly at him and unwillingly stepped down on where I sat.

  I nodded and got out of the store then started walking aimlessly with no specific destination in my mind. When I my feet started to cramp, I stopped into a curb in front of a cozy looking house. I dropped my duffle bag in frustration and then slumped on it. Propping my hands under my chin, I started to think. With the money I have, I could go to a 24 hour sauna and spend the night there… at least that would be much safer than being on the streets in the middle of the night.

  My mind continued to make silent plans when I heard footsteps behind my back. I turned around and saw a guy with auburn colored hair and a white cap climbing the stairs towards the cozy house. I couldn’t help but stare. He must have felt it that he turned around to where I sat.

  I quickly turned my face away, suddenly embarrassed to be caught staring. So I quickly got up to leave.

  “Hey.” Auburn haired guy called out to me, his voice sounded familiar.

  I slowly turned around to face him, that’s when I remembered he was that same guy who helped me out earlier. My face turned red with embarrassment.

  “I wasn’t following you.” I told him defensively.

  “So what are you doing out here in front of my house?” He inquired sternly.

  “I… I… I was thinking of a place where I could stay tonight.” I stammered.

  He stared at me in silence with a suspicious look on his face which turned into a scowl. When it looked like he came into a deliberation with himself, his finger motioned for me to come closer. And so I did, with all the gratefulness I held before him.

  “Name?” He asked with a stony face.

  “Inoue Mao.” I answered meekly.

  “Do you have an ID?”

  I reached for it inside my bag and gave it to him.

  “Whew… are you by any chance related to the Inoue’s who run the Global Industry?” He asked without looking at me.

  My skin started to get clammy that it almost tingled. Should I lie? Would it be a problem if I tell him who I really was? As I was about to answer, he shook his head and shrugged.

  “Nah… a person like you who has no money and a place to stay is no way related to those Inoue’s.” He assumed, which made me almost cry in relief. The guy looked me over once more.

  “You’re like a cat, an idiotic cat. I won’t ask where you came from or who you are exactly… yet.” Then he sighed for the third time that day after I met him.

  Suddenly he turned around to climb the stairs towards the door leaving me by myself as I continued to stand there at the bottom of his stairs, staring awkwardly at his back. Then the guy whipped around to call out to me.

  “Are you going to stay outside?” He asked impatiently.

  I was surprised at what he was saying just then. He cocked his head to the side to remove his white cap then placed his hand on his auburn hair. That’s what got me gaping at him in shock. The guy suddenly pulled out his auburn hair revealing a shorter cropped jet black one.

  All this time he was wearing a wig. What’s with this guy and those kinds of things???

  “I’m not going to hurt you. You just have to trust me.” He said in a mild tone for the first time.

  Upon hearing his statement, I knew… I could trust him. Even for just a little bit.

  ------------------To be continued------------------

  Notes from the Author:
  That’s how they met. I’ve been playing that over and over again in my mind. Btw, the last scene for this chapter can be seen in the trailer (thanks to Christine) even Yamapi’s exact words I used for specific scene came from her. It was brilliant. ^_^v

  Here's the Trailer link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UnR1Zy5brpo
  
  

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