Our second world- book one: Past beginnings

Chapter 2

 The rest of the day went by without any more problems, and Monday came. The house was as lively as always on school mornings. Haren was laying in his room as he listened to Yamera and Tsukiyama run around the house in a rush to get ready for the day. After a few minutes, he tuned out the ruckus his family was making. It wasn't long, however, before he noticed the eerie silence filling the house in place of the noise. Everyone had left without him noticing it seemed. Rolling over, he glanced up at the clock to see that it was a little past eight now.

Might as well find something to do, he decided, stretching as he crawled out of bed.

He picked up the stack of schoolwork laying on his desk and carried it, along with a blanket, out to the living room where he sat down on the couch to get some work done.

It felt like barely any time had passed at all before he had heard the front door open. He looked up from his paper to see Tsukiyama walk into the kitchen. She had been carrying a few bags of groceries; Haren turned back to his assignment as she tossed the bags down on the counter along with her car keys and purse.

"I ran into Grace when I dropped your brother off at school," Tsukiyama said as she started putting away the groceries." She wanted me to let you know she's been trying to call you but you haven't been answering. Anyway, you want some lunch?"

"Not hungry, but sure," Haren replied, shuffling through the mess of papers on the coffee table in search of his phone. He found it and sent Grace a text.

--Hey, sorry I missed your calls--

--When will you be back?--she asked in reply--School is so boring without you!--

--Next week. Hurt my wrist.--

--Aw too bad! Wanna hang sat?--

--Time?--

--Lunch. I need a break from you-know-who--

--Sure. Shopping on fourth. Meet you there--

Haren set his phone back down on the table and turned to Tsukiyama, who had taken a seat at the island while she waited for a pot of water to boil on the stove," Grace wants to meet up on Saturday. That ok?" He asked." It's about that again."

"Sure, what time?"

"Around lunch."

"Text me when you're done then."

"I will."

"Pasta for lunch," Tsukiyama added, standing to make herself a coffee.

Haren turned back to his school work," sounds good."

~

For the next few days, Haren continued to work on school assignments at home. He was glad to be feeling pretty much back to normal by the time Saturday rolled around. After saying goodbye to Tsukiyama and the girls, who had come with to drop him off, Haren started making his way over to where he had agreed to meet Grace.

When he arrived at the meeting spot, he found Grace already there waiting. She was wearing a short, knee-length dress of a pastel green with a white hoodie over it and white sneakers. Holding a small, black purse in one hand, and an old flip-phone in the other, she jumped up from the bench she was sitting on when she saw him. Her blonde ponytail bobbed with the motion as she waved him over. He felt a little underdressed in his jeans and black hoodie after seeing her all dressed up, but he noticed they both wore the matching band sweatshirts they had gotten the last time they had gone shopping together.

"Hi Haren!" Grace beamed.

"Hey," he replied." Hope ya weren't waitin' long for me."

"Not at all, I just got here," she grinned, sticking her phone in her purse." Shall we go?"