The Upper-Class

Chapter 2: Stars

Kamiko flopped down in the grass. She was glad that they could finally stop walking. It was all they had done all day, walk. Damian had decided that it would be nice to take her outside and show her around the upper-class.

Damian smiled at Kamiko who was now lying in the grass in front of him. He flopped down next to her. Sure, he had only known her for a little over a week, but Damian was finding that he actually really liked Kamiko. She was sweet and shy. He thought it was cute that she could act completely childish one moment before being completely serious the next moment. Although he found it hard at times, he really enjoyed explaining things to her. It made him appreciate the things that he had more, realizing the she had never even seen them before.

Kamiko had learned a lot about Damian too. Sure, she had hear of the Tresscotts before; they’re one of the most wealthy and influential families around! But, she didn’t expect to be able to mingle or get along with everyone. She still refused to share about her family in fear that she might say something that would get her sent back to the clinic. But, she had started to feel friendly towards Damian. He was nice to her, despite the way she had talked to him for a while. He just never gave up at trying to win her over, and he was starting to. He was bright and happy and had an all-around bubbly personality. But, that wasn’t why she stayed with him every second that she could. No, there was a completely different reason behind that. It was because they hated him and sank into the shadows whenever Damian was near, and that made Kamiko happy, because she was absolutely tired of them. As long as he could keep them away from her, Kamiko would stay right beside him, even if it meant that they were harder on her than even at night when he was sleeping in his room. As long as she had the days without them, she was content.

Little puffs of white air escaped Kamiko’s mouth as she breathed. It was could out and her nose felt numb, but she didn’t care. Just being there, in the upper-class with someone that treated her well felt like enough of a dream. Kamiko felt like nothing could touch her as long as she could just stay there where everything was safe and sound.

Kamiko gazed up into the sky. The sky, how beautiful…, she thought. Every time she had looked up into the sky before, all she had been able to see was the pollution and the gray clouds. Up until the time she was 10, Kamiko had only seen the moon once, and it wasn’t even a clear image of the moon, just the faint outline, illuminated behind the thick clouds that caked the sky. Forget the sun.  The only way to tell the difference between night and day was the way things illuminated in a gray light. Kamiko had never seen anything close to even the outline of the sun. Until that day.

Damian had surprised Kamiko when he immediately suggested that they go out and he show her around town.  Kamiko was hesitant about the idea of it. She knew what people in the upper-class thought of people from the bottom-class. It was even worse than how people on the bottom-class talked about the people on the top. She didn’t want anyone to give the Tresscotts grief because of her; they had been nothing but nice to her. But, without realizing it, Damian had embarrassed her into it when he led her out of the house by her hand like the gentleman that he was. Any form of contact was embarrassing for Kamiko. She had seldom gotten any kind of attention from anyone. A nice boy holding her hand made her face turn a deep shade of pink. She couldn’t even stand to put up a fight through all of it.

When she stepped out of the house, she was taken back. Everything was bright and had a clear glow. It wasn’t the smoky, gray glow that the bottom-class had, but something much clearer and more vibrant. Colors, they were everywhere. Everything was colorful and just full of life, something that was the exact opposite of what she had before. And, when she stepped off of the covered front ‘porch’, a word that Damian had taught her, there was a glowing ball in the sky. It was spectacular. Kamiko had never seen anything of the kind. It was bright and warm, despite the cold February air around her. She stared at it for a moment, but her eyes soon burned and she began to see little spots everywhere.