It's weird the way the universe works. On school days I have to be on constant alert but on weekends I'm relatively safe. It's almost like Manga-ka wants me to have weekends off too. I usually start off my weekends with a morning jog. I just love the feel of running and since I have to hold back a lot athletically at school it's nice to just let it out sometimes. I put my headphones in and hum along as I go. I actually have a paper route that I do before I cook breakfast in the morning but on weekends I let myself really enjoy the task and the fresh morning air.
On this particular morning I was so engrossed in my music that I didn't even see the cat that ran across my path tripping me in a tangle of feet and fur. The cat howled at me though he seemed unhurt as he circled my fallen body menacingly. I pushed myself up wincing as I put pressure on my palms. I had scraped them when I tried to catch myself on the way down. Looking up at the cause of my predicament I had to fight the urge to apologise to the furry menace. If I did though there was any number of things that might happen, including it talking back! So I held my tongue and picked myself off the ground. From my backpack I took out my first aid kit and cleaned my wounds. I was used to getting into scrapes, particularly when I moved to avoid people waiting to catch me when I fell down. Though I learnt early on to avoid stairs. After disinfecting and covering my wounds I tried to take a step but realised my ankle was twisted.
Oh no...
Right on cue a strange guy turned the corner and saw me sitting awkwardly on the ground still being circled by the yowling cat.
"Are you alright?" he said in concern, crouching down to be at eye level with me. The cat walked right up to him and started rubbing against his leg as if to say 'look! He's so good with animals!'
"I'm fine thanks" I said brusquely
I regretted my tone, it didn't help to let my irritation out on others, especially in such a situation since it could turn in to one of those enemy to love type situations. He didn't appear upset though, he just leaned over and pat the cat who appeared to now be infatuated with the guy.
"You don't look fine" he said with a smile, irritating me further but I forced myself to hold it in.
This whole situation is a trap and I don't intend to fall for it.
"No really, I'm fine" I responded emotionlessly "I just sat down to play with the cat but I think it likes you more"
I wanted to leave on that note but I knew trying to stand would result in me falling down in pain no matter how hard I tried not to show it. So instead I put my ear phones back in since I'd taken them out while I tended to myself and took a newspaper from my bag, deciding to make my decision to stay sitting on the side walk appear intentional.
Who sits on the ground in the middle of a sidewalk to read a newspaper? Apparently me!
~~~
I looked up from patting the cat that had taken a liking to me and noticed the girl was now reading a newspaper. It was quite an odd scene. There she sat, on the sidewalk, wearing daggy gym clothes, her uniquely coloured hair in a high pony tail, band aids on both her knees and also on her palms, reading a newspaper that seemed almost bigger than her sitting form.
"What are you doing?" I asked laughing
The girl didn't even look up,
"HELLO?" I said louder, trying to get her attention but she continued to act as if I wasn't even there.
Maybe she's deaf? I thought, checking to see if she had a hearing aid of some sort.
Instead of a hearing aid though I found ear buds connected to a device concealed in her pocket.
YOU ARE READING
The Reluctant protagonist
Novela Juvenil"On the day I was born my parents knew I was 'cursed', how could they not with such obvious signs?" Tomoyo Koumori has spent her whole life dodging destiny, literally. She was born to be a main character in an anime but no matter how many princes wi...
