Rewritten

Prologue - Wherever The Wind Takes Me

"You're such a drag, Lexi."

"Sometimes, I wish you would just not be here y'know."

"Get away, nerd."

It happened again. Another bunch of friends decided to move away. Just when I thought I was really getting to know them, they realise I'm just a good-for-nothing girl. It's like the friendship we shared was nothing but an illusion - a fake.

Alexia walked out of the school gates alone, like every other day she had spent alive. The streets were streaked with red and brown, falling upon the sidewalks, the parks, the front yards, the alleyways - wherever the wind takes it.

Like me, I suppose; a tiny, weak leaf carried by the currents of other people.

The apartment complex she lived in looked like it was about to crumble. And yet, it stood there like a maniacal fortress of some sort, a fallen kingdom, a personal cave with which she could crawl out of. Alone.

The door creaked as she unlocked it, and the same old breeze of dust greeted her - her mum hadn't bothered to clean up again. Sighing, she took it upon herself to tidy things up, as usual. Lexi passed the other darkened rooms to her own, a mess of clothes, manga, last weeks bed covers, and maybe the occasional anime figure. Tidy the whole house but not my own room, she thought.

Lexi stripped away her uniform, like a fake cover which she hid behind, and put on her worn-out blue pyjamas. Plumping down upon the bed, she held a hand to cover the glare of the lightbulb on her eyes. She lay there staring upwards for a while, as the light began to blur. Before she knew it, Lexi realised she had been crying tears - they had flowed out from whatever box she had tried to lock them in. Maybe a bit of anime will cheer me up.

Pulling out her rose gold-cased phone, she instinctively punched in her favourite episode of her favourite shoujo - she loved the flush of red roses past the screen, the handsome obnoxious rich guy whipping his hair, the hundreds of fangirls bowing at his long fingers, then of course, the romance - oh, the romance - just made her squeal with delight.

It all came back so quickly - remembering the curls, the headphones, wishing they would just get together right then and there. The screen began to animate - the episode had started. She stared at the phone, almost nodding to the beat of the opening.

She always felt more herself watching anime than being with any friend she thought she had. But this time, it felt so real, like she...

...she was right next to them.

「Wherever the wind takes me...beyond the screen.」