kiko |alice in borderland [on hold]

i.

kiko's point of view
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The deafening noise of hundreds of cars driving past her spot left Kiko's ears ringing. With her phone in one hand and two hot coffee cups gripped against her chest, the young woman looked from left to right and crossed the road with the group of people around her once the light turned green for them.

Tokyo was the busiest city Kiko had ever seen in her twenty-one years on Earth. From speeding cars to chatting groups of annoying teenagers, that city drained Kiko of her own will to live. Every day she spent there, the more she wished she had left with her mother when she decided to take a cruise around the Mediterranean Sea.

Only Kiko knew her mother wouldn't have wanted to see her face. That was one of the reasons why she had left in the first place.

"Damn it, I'm late."

The girl cussed under her breath, dodging elbows and stretched legs and sprinting all the way to the busy street where she worked. Oh, she was undoubtedly late and her boss would not forgive yet another lame excuse to her tardiness. And she still had that extra coffee for her housemate in her arms.

It was not her best day.

"I'm going to get fired. I'm so screwed."

Luckily for her, both she and her housemate worked right next to each other. While Kiko was an apprentice at a decently sized hair salon, her best friend and flat mate worked at the clothing store next door. That little arrangement allowed them to take breaks together, enjoying their lunch breaks hiding from their respective bosses.

They usually went to work together, stopping by a coffee shop every morning and laughing all the way from their tiny apartment to the busy street, separating for yet another busy workday. That day, however, Kiko had slept in late and her best friend didn't even think to wake her up. She was now struggling with her bag, two coffee cups and her shortness of breath.

Finally arriving at the street both of them worked at, Kiko waved her hands around by the front door as she tried to catch her friend's eyes. Yet, she was nowhere to be seen and Kiko was later than ever.

"Move your ass, K." Kiko yelled, the open door allowing her voice to be heard inside. "I'm already late for work."

A few seconds after her outburst, the sound of sharp heels hitting against wooden floor echoed around the store and Kiko sighed. Coming from the behind the counter, through a heavy door, and carrying three boxes of t-shirts was her roommate. Nodding her head like no worries troubled her, the young woman didn't bother looking at her friend, merely stopping by a shelf and restocking the items she has collected from the storage room.

"Kuina!"

Said girl looked back at the door and her face lit up. Running to get her warm coffee, her long braided hair swung behind her back and Kiko feared for her ankles. The heels she wore were dangerously slim and a fall on those would be deadly on her friend's body.

Compared to her best friend, Kiko was extremely dull. Even as she lifted the coffee cup to her lips and thanked Kiko, Kuina's angelic face never faltered. Her clothes were impeccably ironed, hair shining with dozens of accessories pinned to the dreadlocks, face slightly red from the heat. Kiko, on the other hand, was sweaty and wearing the same outfit she had been wearing to work since day one -a boring combination of a black T-shirt, dark jeans, black converse shoes and her favourite orange backpack.

Kuina was -and Kiko would never get tired of saying it- an angel. The sweetest person she had ever met and, consequently, her best friend. Both loved a nice gossip session and that was actually how they had met: it turned out that hating on the same person created the strongest of friendships.

"I'm already late, see you at lunch." Kiko raised her own coffee cup against Kuina's and waved.

"Bye girl. Thanks for the coffee."

That was the last thing Kiko heard before she was met with her boss' cold stare right as she stepped inside the salon. The younger woman shrieked under the piercing glare she was receiving and kept quiet. The lecture was surely coming.

"I cannot believe you are late. Again!" The older woman yelled and wiggled her arms around her head in pure frustration. "You know, when I told your mother I would give you an opportunity here, I never thought you would disappoint me like this."

It wasn't the tone that wounded her. It wasn't the harsh words either, Kiko was already accustomed do that after months of working there. The woman was never kind to anyone, not even her clients -something that completely baffled Kiko.

Who would want to be treated like garbage while taking care of their image and self esteem?

No, it was none of that. What really dented Kiko's strong walls was the fact that the woman scolding her with such coldness was her own aunt. Her deceased father's sister to be exact. After his death, Kiko was pretty much abandoned by her good-for-nothing mother and her aunt was the only one she had left. Only she wasn't the best candidate to care for a ten year old mourning her father's death. Aunt Tina cared for no one or anything other than her precious salon. So, as one would except, her niece was simply another pawn she could use to improve her perfect little business.

Hence her working there as an apprentice, earning just enough money to pay for half of her and Kuina's tiny apartment, plus saving as much as she could every month. Kiko planned on leaving as soon as she saved enough money to buy herself -and her best friend, of course- plane tickets to Los Angeles.

Their lives would flourish there. Kiko could envision it quite vividly: Kuina opening her own boutique after studying to become a fashion designer; and Kiko finally pursuing her dreams of becoming a writer.

Who wouldn't want that?

"I'm sorry, aunt Tina." Was all Kiko could muster as she started crushing the coffee cup held in her hand.

Her anxiety was spiking up. Dangerously.

As the harsh words registered in her mind, Kiko couldn't help but let her thoughts wander outside of the present situation. It was always better than letting her aunt's low blows hurt her like they usually did. One specific thought, a specific sentence hammered her brain again, and again, and again.

A simple phrase that kept replaying in her head as she worked. As Kiko quietly and expertly cut a client's hair to shoulder length, it came back to her.

If only I could escape this depressing life.

And boy oh boy, Kiko wished she hadn't even thought those tainted words.

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here we go, my loves (: hope you liked this first chapter (don't forget to vote and comment if you did!) it was a little introduction to kiko and her (meh) life before the borderlands. please excuse the boredom that's coming, as i intend to write a few more chapters to kinda show her personality and whatnot. anyways, see you in a bit (: