All My Stars

6

"Natsumi! How are you darling?" My mother's shrill voice greets us as we walk into the living room.

"I'm well, thank you"

I can't even look at her as they speak, she completely ignores my presence as if I'm just some toy there to use for her own selfish gain.

In a way I was, my freedom had been stolen from me before my very eyes and there was nothing I could do about it.

"Where's baba?"

"In his office, best not to disturb him"

Of course, I ignore her like she's done to me all my life.

I touch Natsumi's arm briefly, drawing her full attention to me.

"I'll be back" She nods in understanding and I leave her with my insufferable mother.

In a way, Natsumi is saving me from a lifetime of suffering under my mother's thumb. From being neglected to being over-supervised, my mother has never found a middle ground with me.

I knock on my father's office door and he calls out telling me to come in.

"Navi" He smiles, happy to see me.

I don't have the strength to respond to him with a smile of my own.

"What's wrong?"

Besides the obvious?

"Why did no one tell me I have to move out so soon?"

He sighs as if tired of having this conversation already.

"Navi, you know the customs. The circumstances of your marriage don't change anything"

"I know but this was all just sprung on me, I at least thought I would have some time to adjust"

"I can't change anything, not even for you Navi"

"Of course" My father was a man of his ways after all.

"I'm moving today"

"Wait Navi you have until-"

"Ending of the week but why wait right" with a sarcastic smile, I pull the door to the study shut. It echoes loudly in the silence of the house and Natsumi looks up at me. I don't say anything, instead heading straight for my room.

I didn't own a lot, mostly because clutter made me nervous.

I stacked my clothes from my drawer on my bed before heading over to my closet and pulling everything I had hanging off the racks.

"Can I help?" Natsumi came in, closing the door softly behind her.

"It's fine, just come sit"

She looked around casually as I tried to pack my 19 years of life into duffel bags.

"If I knew you wanted to move today I would've gotten someone to come get your things"

"I didn't, spur of the moment decision"

Can't say I'm regretting it just yet if only to spite my parents. Realistically my mother would be over the moon but my father might just be the one suffering and for now, that was enough.

It didn't take very long. After all, the only things I really owned were my clothes, electronics, and art supplies. The furnishings would remain.

Natsumi wordlessly helps me carry them all out to her jeep, a black ranger rover this time. I'm grateful for the change, I'm not sure everything would fit in her convertible.

My parents stand together in the foyer watching us go back and forth. My father looks slightly tortured while my mother is outright pleased with herself.

"Navi you don't have to leave now it's late evening atleast wait until tomorrow"

"It's fine, I really want to"

The sarcasm in my voice doesn't get past my mother who narrows her eyes at me.

"Watch how you speak to your father"

"Yes ma'am" If I wasn't so pissed I would've saluted just to annoy her a smidge more.

"Don't be so daft"

I ignore her, taking the last of my luggage out to the jeep and settling into the passenger seat.

Natsumi stays behind a little while longer to speak to my parents before she says goodbye and comes to join me.

"Take it you're not saying bye to your parents then?"

I scoff loud enough for her to hear me.

"Thought as much" and with a quick honk of her horn, we're off.

The drive to our house from my parents is relatively long which I'm thankful for if only to keep them away from my now private sanctuary which gives me an idea.

"Can you not add my parents to your list of people who visit? I don't want them just showing up whenever they feel like it. Actually, I think only my dad might try that, my mom doesn't give a shit"

Natsumi doesn't question me, only nods as she parks in our garage.

I go about unloading my things and she follows behind me bags in hand as well. I make a split-second decision and head to her room instead of my own and drop the bags near the entrance.

She doesn't say anything but I see a small smile as I go to walk past her.

"What?"

"Nothing"

When we're done, I crash on the couch, closing my eyes and laying my head back taking everything in. Not too long after, the couch sinks with her weight as she sits beside me.

" You okay?" She questions quietly.

"I'm just kinda mad at my parents is all, I'll be fine in a little bit"

No, I wouldn't be,  my greatest downfall is and will always be how long I hold onto my anger.

I needed time alone and I think she saw that so without another word, Natsumi caressed my shoulder slightly, a comforting gesture before she left to another part of the house.

My eyes stayed closed and somewhere along the way, I must've dosed off because when I woke again there was a blanket covering me. The TV was on softly in the background if only to shake the eerie silence of the house. 

I sat up slowly, rubbing my eyes to adjust to the lighting in the area.

"You're up, I made dinner" Natsumi had changed out of her work clothes into a black tank and grey sweats and stood leaning against the staircase.

She unfolded her arms moving back into the kitchen.

"Grab the drinks" She instructed and I followed her lead as we headed back over to the living room, she pulled out a foldable table before placing our plates down and sitting criss-cross on the floor.

I hadn't expected this, Natsumi surprised me at every turn.

"Shocked" She smiled briefly before pulling her hair up and tying it with a hair tie.

" A bit"  It was easy to tell her the truth, there was no reason to lie to her.

"I stayed with my grandparents a lot when I was growing up. The big table is for when you have guests but when it's just family we all sit together like this. It's easier to enjoy each other's company and get to know what's going on in everyone's lives. I kept the practice because it feels intimate and I wanna share that with you"

To say I was speechless would be the understatement of the century.

"Eat up" She laughed softly, gesturing to my still-untouched food.