Our second world- book one: Past beginnings

Chapter 6: Grace

As I sat on the bed, I looked around the room--no, my room--and sighed. I was exhausted from the weekend, so I was glad that Haren had been nice enough to unpack my things for me. I grabbed the pile of bathroom stuff he'd left on the bed and snagged a change of clothes from his room before making my way down to the bathroom. I shut and locked the door behind me and dumped my pile of stuff on the counter. Pulling makeup remover from my pile, I began wiping off the makeup from Saturday--well, what was left of it, anyway--and washed my face in the sink, drying it off with the small hand towel hanging on the rack nearby.

I took off my dirty clothes and tossed them in a pile on the floor before grabbing towels from the closet. I shoved my soap bottles on the ledge in the shower and spent about five minutes washing my hair.

After drying off, I got dressed in the clothes I had borrowed from Harens' closet. I pulled the big black hoodie over my head and slipped on the pair of black shorts I had been able to fit in my bag. Since Haren was about two sizes above me, his hoodie nearly went down to my knees and the sleeves fell past my hands, it even slipped off my shoulder a bit, but I didn't particularly mind. After drying off my hair enough so that it was damp, but not dripping water, I took a few minutes to brush out all the tangles in my hair. Once I was done with that, I pushed my hair back with a white headband that had been left in the guest room from the last time I had stayed over.

Satisfied that I now looked at least somewhat presentable, I picked up my dirty clothes and opened the door. I dropped the pile off in the laundry room across the hall and made my way out to the kitchen. Two young girls sat at the dark-colored table. One with curly blonde hair the length of her elbows, and the other with straight caramel-colored hair that stopped about half-way down her back. An older girl that had to be at least 20 was sitting on a stool at the island. She had bright, bubblegum pink hair tied back in two messy buns with frilly bow hair clips that matched her dark teal colored eyes. Haren was also sitting at the table.

"'Scuse me," the voice behind me made me jump.

I turned around to find Yamera standing behind me, his brown hair a mess of bedhead.

"Sorry," I muttered, moving to the side.

He walked past me and sat at the table across from the girl with the caramel-colored hair, Himira.

"Good morning big brother," the girl said, a wide grin plastered to her face.

"Mornin' Himi."

"Big brother Haren, is that pretty girl your girlfriend?" Asked the blonde one." She sure comes over a lot."

I blushed and tugged at the hem of my sweatshirt," I'm just a friend from school."

I don't particularly think I'm that pretty either, but I won't say that.

"Well, don't just stand there, sit down," Tsukiyama said, setting plates of food on the table.

I nodded and sat down next to Yamera, and across from Nonaka, with Haren on my left.

"Girls, this is Grace, if you remember. She's Harens' friend and she's going to be staying with us for a while," Tsukiyama explained to the two children.

"How long will you be staying this time?" Yamera asked, pouring himself a cup of orange juice before offering the jug to me.

"Just until school ends, maybe a little longer," I said, filling up my glass as I placed a slice of buttered toast on my plate." I know that's almost two months from now, but I promise not to cause too much trouble."

"Nonsense! Stay as long as you want. Why rush? We have plenty of space," Tsukiyama grinned, setting a fresh cup of coffee in front of Haren before taking her own seat at the table.