Through the Gate

Chapter Four - I Did Tell You...

Serena Tottori stepped gracefully into her black imported sports car. It had been a sweet sixteen present from her father and cost more than what most middle-class families would make in a decade. Serena revved the engine, relishing the sound and turned on the radio, catching a news story as she sped away from her home.

Two teenage boys were shot late last night in the notorious East Side district. Police are withholding the victims' names, and why they were in such a dangerous area so late at night. However, they believe it to be the work of random muggers. Both boys are in stable condition and we at Good Morning wish them a speedy recovery. Now to Wilson with sports-

She turned it down and shook her head. It seemed like there was a lot of violence in that area and she was grateful to not have to live in the city at all. Serena would take her forty-five minute commute to school over random violence any day. The countryside was beautiful and she far preferred it to the city.

She decided to flip the channel to a top forty station and mused at how wonderful her life really was. The car for instance was a testament to her father's business. Tottori and Associates was a multi-national corporate law firm specializing in the technology industry. Her father, Yukio, had built it from the ground up and they had moved to America from Japan eight years ago so the company could continue to thrive. To date, Tottori and Associates grossed over four-hundred percent more than any other law firm in Japan and was quickly becoming the "go to" for American and European business owners.

The move had been good for her mother as well. Miya, a former model, had taken up painting and now owned a gallery in Manhattan that specifically showcased Japanese artists. Miya Tottori had quit the industry when she married Yukio, and spent the next twenty years cultivating a reputation as a flighty, though world-class, painter.

All in all, even though her parents were incredibly busy people, the Tottori family was a loving one and she knew that her parents, and the social elite of the world, were holding their collective breath to see what Serena would do with her life. For instance, her father wanted her to be successful and her mother wanted her to be true to herself. Her grandparents wanted her to bring honor to the family name; especially given that she was related, however distantly, to the emperor. It was quite the task for a seventeen year old, but it was her duty; all of it.

Serena parked her car in an open space near the front gate and exited effortlessly. She stood and smoothed out her uniform. It was a ghastly thing in her mother's opinion, and she had the outfit tailored in a dozen different styles for Serena. The black skirt was shorter than regulation and was without pleats. The white button down shirt and black sweater were cut in a décolleté style, low but not scandalous. She had traded the more sensible flats and pumps that most girls wore for suede designer heels (tomorrow, maybe the strappy wedges). They were all subtle changes, but put together, it was acceptable to Miya Tottori and that was what mattered.

She caught one last glance in her car's window to see her high ponytail was straight with no bits sticking out at odd angles. Out of the corner of her eye she saw a boy who had a white kariginu on, white robes like what she would expect a Shinto priest to wear. She yelped in shock as she felt a sharp tug on her hair, but when she turned to look, the boy was nowhere to be seen.

"What an annoying little thug." She huffed.

Serena paused a moment and fixed her askew ponytail. Her hair was pitch black, casting a blueish sheen in the right light and even up, it was well past her waist. Serena smiled to her own reflection remembering an incident at the hair dressers a few years ago. Her mother had insisted she cut it and when she and the stylist were talking, Serena snuck into all of the drawers and removed anything he could cut her hair with. She hid the implements under the smock and feigned ignorance when he couldn't find his tools. He and Miya spent the next fifteen minutes looking for them with Serena sitting in the chair with wet hair. Finally, he just gave her a blow out and while he and Miya were settling the bill, she quietly replaced the tools. Her mother had figured it out of course, but she laughed it off and never spoke of cutting Serena's hair again.

She groaned inwardly as she saw Morgan Anderson come up behind her. She grabbed her Birkin bag and walked quickly away.

"What were you laughing about Siri." He asked, jogging up as he wrapped his arm around her shoulder.

She pushed his arm away and spoke evenly, "First of all, don't touch me. Second it's not any of your business."

He laughed good-naturedly and kept coming in closer and closer. Every time he moved in, she dodged him. Serena had been politely dismissing his overt advances for over two years, but she just couldn't be polite any more.

"C'mon Siri, just tell me why you were laughing."

"Why do you continue to call me Siri, when I have repeatedly asked you not to?"

"It's what the other guys on the team call you."

"They've earned that because they treat me as an equal, not as a trophy."

Serena had made the cut for the JV baseball team in her freshman year. It was easily the biggest shock of the school year. She wasn't the first girl to play on a boys' sports team at St George, nor was she the best natural talent. However now, in her senior year, she was the starting pitcher for the varsity team. It had taken hard work and lots of it. Her grandparents especially had balked at the idea, but her mother quickly through her support behind her daughter. Serena had proceeded to join the girls' lacrosse and volleyball teams. There was something about being physically active that set her at ease.

"Okay, okay, so how about you help me with my oral report for Miss Silva's class?"

"I really shouldn't be surprised by you anymore," Serena shook her head and sighed exasperated. "No, I will not help you. It was an assignment to do on your own, not in groups."

"If you don't help me, I'll fail and get benched."

"This is a situation of your own making Morgan." Serena, having said her piece, walked away.

"Please Serena!" Morgan came up behind her and grabbed her arm. Serena's instincts kicked in and she locked his wrist and used his own weight and momentum to flip him over. As he hit the ground, she released and slammed the heel of her palm into his face. The sickening crack snapped her back to reality.

She found that she was both proud and a little horrified at how easy it was to break his nose. Her sensei would probably be satisfied, which was a compliment to his own dojo, more than anything else. Years of training and practice with her Aikido master had prepared her for a threat to her person, but really, Morgan hadn't deserved that.

She finally spoke softly, "I did tell you not to touch me."

"You-you broke my nose!" He cried, panic apparent.

"Yes, it seems so. Let's go to the nurse and then we'll go to the Dean's office." With practiced ease, Serena helped Morgan to his feet and guided him towards the administration block of St George.

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Author's Note- Serena Tottori is portrayed by Marissa Hiroko Masuno, as pictured in this chapter.

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