Violet Sparks

Chapter One - A Lost Friend

"C'mon now, " I huff frustratedly at the flimsy cardboard box perched in front of me, "Show me what I'm looking for!"

It was a lost cause, of course, my beloved yellow plush bird that was gifted to me by my wild, yet endearing parents during my prime days in the crib, was once again not found in the box my hands are currently wandering in.

After aimlessly rummaging my hands through it some more, I defeatedly got up from my crouched position on the ground and nimbly kicked the spilled open box at my feet in disappointment.

"I don't understand it, where could you be Sunny," I glumly mumble to myself, "I'll just about lose it if I have to rip open another packaged box and not find you in there waiting for me."

My parents, Park Nari and Park Minjae, had decided to move to the heart of East Vancouver – Kensington, Cedar Cottage – in the middle of my first semester in Tenth grade. A residency renowned for its bizarrely high housing prices, I know, but I'd like to think our move was possible due to both my parents being highly accomplished lawyers, hence is why everything we owned back home in Richmond, Broadmoor was quickly wrapped up and sent all the way north under Novembers infamous rain showers, once we received the okay from our house dealership.

Sunny too was naturally boxed up safely with everything else I had, for fear I'd lose him along the trip to any kind of unforeseeable mishaps, but now that seems to have been quite the futile move, as I've lost him either way amongst the swarm of packaged boxes messily adorning our half-furnished, two story house.

"You can come out now," I earnestly yell out in the air, whilst directing my way downstairs to where my dad was currently dealing with the couch placement situation in our living room. "I'm going to walk out my bedroom and you're going to pop out of your hiding place, that deal sounds nice to you?"

I never really had the chance to make lasting friendships with any of my past classmates, since my family has always been moving around Canada for the most random of reasons – like that one time an eight year old boy barked back at his mother with a big fat No, after telling him it was time for them to go home for family dinner – yeah, we moved cause the neighborhood kids were apparently 'bad influences' for six year old me and my Korean parents were keen on me not being around them for even a second longer.

This is why I consider Sunny to be such a precious friend of mine, haven always been there for me throughout all of the toughest times of my life, inanimate object or not, the bond we have can never be matched or broken by anything else in this world – that's for sure.

"Anytime now." I eagerly speak out once more, as I jump off the last step of the stairway, still not having the slightest sight of Sunny's teeny, lopsided wings poking out anywhere.

"Boo!" My mother jumps at me from beside the staircase, giving me the biggest heart scare of my life.

"Mom!" I shriek in surprise, raising a hand to my chest to calm my racing heart, "What was that for?"

"What?" My mother burst out laughing, her eyes gleaming a mirthful brown. "I thought we were playing hide and seek."

"With Sunny, I am," I shakily exhale the scare out of my system, shaking out my arms for extra release. "Not with you! That was uncalled for."

I cross my arms and mock frown to display my disapproval, but she just smiles lovingly at me, before giving me her daily cheek pinches that rather feels like she's practicing pottery sculpting on my face.

"Not if I'm the one enjoying it," she states, soon after turning to meet up with Dad, who was fixating the last of our couches in its place.

A soft smile inevitably breaks on my lips. Mom always had a playful side to her that never really seemed to match her age and I've come to truly appreciate it over the years, due to the obvious lack of social interactions I have with other people my age. I'd like to imagine that's what hanging out with friends really feels like.