Desire

Episode 5

"If I had known you were coming over sooner, I would've refilled my refrigerator and pantry so you can lots to eat," I laughed.

"Aw, don't worry," Kyoko-san waved it off. "How empty can it be?"

That's what we said on our way home to our shared apartment. Now she was staring dumbfounded at my refrigerator, the pantry door still open from when she looked in it earlier. All I had in the pantry was a few boxes of cereal and a box of crackers. My fridge sported a few bentos I picked up several nights before and stored in the fridge for future meals along with a carton of milk. "REI!!!" She cried out. "YOUR FRIDGE AND PANTRY ARE NEARLY BARE!! ARE YOU STARVING YOURSELF?!"

"Ahhh!" I squealed, waving my arms around in exasperation. "This is usually enough to get me around for a while! You know I don't eat as much as you!"

"But you shouldn't be eating this little either! Stretch your savings and buy some junk food so your cupboards feels full! I feel starved just looking at the cobwebs!"

"Actually, they are tasty snacks..."

"Gross!"

"I'm kidding!"

We laughed as Kyoko-san pulled out popsicles for us to enjoy. We lounged on the couch, enjoying each other's company and silence as we slurped our cold desserts.

*~*~*~*~*~

"Are you sure you have to go to school?" Kyoko-san sighed the next morning as I got dressed. She lied in her futon in our room, wiping the sleepiness from her eyes.

"Yeah," I nodded, adjusting my bow on my uniform uniform. "How about you come as well?"

"Rei, I skipped school for an entire year plus. I'll be a idiot in your class."

"Well I don't want to leave you at home alone as well."

"You could ditch."

"And what are we going to do? Totally not suspicious that two young teenage girls are running around while school is in session."

"Say your homeschooled."

"Nobody does that anymore."

"Say you go to school at church."

"Kyoko-san..."

"Drop the honorifics for the last time. Anyways, that's what I did. At my church, we had school during mass every day except Sundays and and we were let out a noon. It was pretty normal at our hometown that a bunch of kids were wandering through the streets during school hours. You remember that, right?"

"Yeah, but this isn't our hometown. What if the church here doesn't hold school?"

"Rei, stop overthinking things and just skip. Your parents aren't here to boss you around or compare you to that bitch of a sister, are they?"

"That..." I trailed, realizing Kyoko-san were right. I didn't have to go to school, since there was no one in particular I wanted to be proud of me and my smarts. But now I'm realizing this...why did I even bother going to school in the first place? I thought miserably.

Kyoko-san tugged my arm. "Come on!" She grinned. "Change out of your school clothes and let's hit the mall! I wanna try the arcade here again!"