This Night Has Opened My Eyes

Chapter Fourteen, Until I Know

CHAPTER 14, Until I Know

Samansa's eyes widen slightly. She stares at the scenery outside before gulping... there really was nothing to say about her family. She always overexaggerated things. Saying her parents didn't care about her just meant that they didn't feel like getting involved with her antics - if she got expelled, it was her fault for getting into those fights. Homework help? Sure, they'd give the answer if they knew it. Her dad was a good man, he was a detective, and she really looked up to him. But... it felt pretty lonely at times. They were both gone till late in the evening, and they never really spoke to Samansa when they were home. She loved them, and she knew they had to love her if they bought her everything she asked for... but... She had to be exaggerating everything. They weren't neglectful - at least not like she described them to be. Surely not.

Every time the principal wanted to speak to her parents, they'd usually be busy. Obviously, Samansa was pretty independent, so they'd assume that she was the one talking to the principal... but no, Principal Yamamoto wanted to talk to her parents. For that reason, she was never exactly expelled. She felt guilty for it, but there was no point in trying to convince her parents to go. They just didn't care - let her do what she wants, they said to each other. If she got expelled, they'd pay off the school or something. Sure, it wasn't ideal having an angry bastard in a classroom with other kids - but it's not like she didn't have any reasons to hurt them, no matter how small they were.

Mr Yashiro could see the way Samansa began to hesitate. He noticed how her expression changed as she stared out of the window, it wasn't really the reaction he was expecting, and he couldn't help but wonder if he's touched a little too close to home with that topic. He sighs, tapping the steering wheel once more before opening his mouth to speak again. "I... take it that you didn't expect that question?"

What Samansa wasn't aware of, was the fact Mr Yashiro always went to the principal instead of her parents. He knew they wouldn't come, so he began not reaching out to them. He stopped asking them to come to meetings for that exact reason. Maybe he did have some soft spot for her, the School Devil - but he could never tell why or what caused it.

He knew all too well that her parents would never come around. He never once saw them in attendance. The teachers tried everything to reach out to them, but they never once responded, nor cared to show up. Only once when they signed up Samansa to Mikoto Elementary in the 2nd Grade. Mr Yashiro found it ridiculous how little the two seemed to care about their daughter, and he brought it up to the principal and other staff. He was the only one to show some concern about her, while everyone else just shrugged and called her a lost cause.

"I guess you can figure it out from the times I had to ask for time extensions to get signatures on my Trip Forms." She shrugs.

Mr Yashiro snickers. Of course. Every other kid in their class had their forms signed the next day, no problem - and then you had Samansa, who struggled for days to get her parents to sign one single paper. "And not to mention the countless times you managed to get in trouble for fighting." Mr Yashiro mutters. "I've lost count of how many times I had to go to the principal to get it all sorted out."

"...I had my reasons."

Mr Yashiro scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. "Of course you did." The man mutters, knowing that her reasons for fighting were pretty damn stupid most of the time. It was always the same thing, a group of girls making fun of her appearance or attitude, someone beating her at a game, or even someone simply breathing... She always took it too far, and it always led to a fight.

"You've got one hell of a temper, I'll give you that."

They finally arrive at the willow tree, and Mr Yashiro turns off the engine, the hum ceasing. The man glances over at the girl in the passenger seat, watching her expression for a moment, before speaking. "You ready?"