Unplanned Return [Hiatus]

7th

Sherry leaned against the back of the living room couch, waiting for Éclair to come down in her uniform, partly to admire her, partly to make sure she wore it right. What could she say; she liked looking at people wearing nice clothing.
Almost ten minutes later, she was greeted by the sight she had hoped for. Éclair came down the stairs and stood before her wearing the Kinokawa international uniform. The black skirt and red jacket fit her snugly, accentuating her natural curves and complimented the color of her hair marvellously.
Éclair fidgeted nervously, "It looks weird, doesn't it."
"No," Sherry said with a smile, "It fits you wonderfully."
"Are you sure? It feels really tight across my chest, and I couldn't get this thing to work at all." Éclair said as she held up the tie. Sherry took it without a second thought, flipped it around her hand a few times, threw it over Éclair's head and tightened it around her collar.
"There, if you need help with it later in the day Rebecca can likely help you."
"Okay, but, I'm still not sure about this," Éclair said as she nervously tried to push down the skirt so it was closer to her legs, obviously uncomfortable with its lack of tightness.
Sherry smiled. "Don't worry, I think you'll enjoy being at the school. At the very least you can be around Shinku and Rebecca."
"I guess so."
"Good, then let's go!"
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Éclair stood outside of the classroom and waited for the teacher's line that would allow her to enter the classroom. She knew she would have to get to know some people, but Shinku's mother did not say anything about having to introduce herself!
"Good morning, everyone. Today we have a new student who will be joining us for a little while; I'd like you all to make her feel welcome." came the teacher's voice from inside the classroom.
That was the signal. Éclair took a deep breath and walked in through the doorway, stopping only when she reached the front of the classroom. She could see the stares of the entire class, and could not decide if they were stares of intrigue, perversion, or bewilderment. She quickly cleared her throat and tried her best not to seem nervous as she spoke. "M, my name is E- Éclair Martinozzi. I- it's a pleasure to meet you all and I, I hope we can get along well."
The entire class was quiet for many moments as a light breeze entered through the open window, then the silence shattered with a cry as Shinku and Rebecca both stood up simultaneously.
"E- E Éclair!"
"Éclair, here!" Rebecca yelled as she ran down the field and past the black and white ball toward Éclair who was further down the field.
Hearing her name called Éclair spun around, caught the ball, spun around again and kicked it will all her might. The ball flew over the heads of other students and careened directly into the net, ending the game in the girl's favor. Éclair ran over with Rebecca as the rest of their team complimented them on achieving the winning goal.
Éclair smiled as she sat down on the bleachers with a deep breath. "That, that was fun."
"It was huh? Here." Rebecca said as she sat down beside her and passed Éclair her water bottle.
Éclair took a deep swig out of the bottle and passed it back to Rebecca. "Thanks. I needed that."
"You definitely looked like you did. You seem to have adapted quickly too,"
"Huh?"
"I mean to school. This morning both me and Shinku were really shocked to see you walk in. And when the class mobbed you it looked like you had no idea how to react. But you seem to have adapted quickly." Rebecca said with a smile.
"I'm just happy I'm not sitting around, this is a good workout, and a lot more extreme than I thought."
"What do you- oh the boy's teams are playing now!" Rebecca suddenly said as she pointed out to the soccer field where two teams of boys were getting ready to start.
"So Shinku is on one of them? How good are the boy's teams?"
"It depends. The boys in our class are not too good, Shinku's the only reason the boys in our class ever have a chance against the other classes. See." Rebecca stated as the boys game started, and Shinku immediately broke away from the center with the ball and began traveling down the field.
"Yeah I can see that. Were you about to ask me something, Rebecca?"
"What? Oh yeah, what did you mean when you said soccer was extreme?"
"It's just that you can't use your hands and the field is quite large. It's quite unlike a Flonyardian war."
"Yeah it is. I think you'll like gym tomorrow then." Rebecca layback in her chair as a roar came from the field. Shinku had just gotten a goal.
"Why? You mean this class is done multiple times a week?"
"Yeah. Our school is kind of strange as we only have five classes in a day, and we have gym as a last class every day. The principal is adamant that it is important that everyone stays in shape."
"But why would I like tomorrow so much?"
"Because of how gym classes work. Mondays are a gymnastics based, Tuesdays are track and field, Wednesdays are swimming, Thursdays are a ball based sport, and Fridays are the obstacle course."
"Obstacle course, like-?"
"Yeah, kind of like the obstacles in a Flonyardian war, though not so impossible for the normal person. Shinku loves trying to beat his best times on the obstacle course. Maybe you could beat his time tomorrow!" Rebecca said with a smile.
"All right that's the game. Everyone hit the change rooms and head on home!" the gym teacher called loud enough for everyone to hear.
"Well that's that. Let's get changed and get going." Rebecca said as she grabbed Éclairs' hand and almost dragged her across the field to the girls change room.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As Rebecca and Éclair came out of the change room they found Shinku leaning against the railing outside.
"We're ready, Shinku!" Rebecca said happily as he turned around.
" Aright, lets head out then."
Éclair looked at the both of them in confusion. "What?"
"We need to walk home. I live only a block away from Shinku so we always walk back together, and you're staying at his place so it works out even better, right?"
"Er, I guess."
As the three of them walked through the school and out onto the street Shinku broke the silence. "So what did you think of it, Éclair?"
Éclair turned her gaze to Shinku, who was walking in between the two girls. "Of what?"
"Of your first day at school. Did you enjoy it?"
"Oh, y-yeah I guess so, though I didn't understand a word of those first two classes. What were they supposed to be?"
"Japanese history and English. I didn't really think you would do well, I don't do well in it either, but is should." Rebecca said with a sigh.
"I couldn't follow it at all. What was the class about?" Éclair asked.
"It's for learning another language called English, both its spoken form and how to read it."
"Why would you need to know another language?"
"Because it's a major language here. Isn't there another language in Flonyard?"
"No."
"Oh." Rebecca said as she let her head hang low for a few seconds before realizing where they were. "I'm going this way, so I'll see you two tomorrow." Rebecca yelled as she ran off down a street leaving Shinku and Éclair alone by the road.
" . . . That's the fastest she's ever ran home," Shinku commented as the two of the continued walking and in less than a minute came to Shinku's house. " We're home!"
…
"Um, where's your mother?" Éclair asked as she put the school bag she had been given on the floor beside the couch and looked around, finding no trace of anyone.
"She's out picking up Dad. It seems his car broke!" Shinku said with a sigh.
"How do you know that?"
"Because," Shinku said as he picked up a piece of paper off of the kitchen table and came into the living room, showing it to Éclair. "She left a note that says so."
"Oh. . . what now then?"
"Well, the note says she'll be picking up pizza so dinners taken care of. And we don't have any homework today so, what do you want to do?"
"Well, I really don't want my skills to rust, but your mother made it very clear I shouldn't take my dagger out of my room." Éclair said with a slightly miffed tone.
"Then let's use something else! I think there are some old Kendo sticks in the shed we can use to practice with."
"Yes, lets!" Éclair said as she proceeded to grab Shinku by the collar and drag him out of the house. Only when they were out the backyard did she hear Shinku trying to speak.
"E- éclair!"
"What? Aren't we going to practice?"
"Well yes, but-"
"Then let's go!"
"Don't you think we should change out of our school uniforms first?"
Éclair stopped and looked down realizing that she was still wearing the school's uniform, as was Shinku. "Alright, fine." Éclair growled lightly as she let go of Shinku's collar and walked past him to her room to change.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Shinku! Éclair! I'm back!" Sherry said as she walked into the house with a large pizza box under her arm. "Your father is at the repair place and- . . . . Hello?"
Sherry walked through the living room and looked out the window kitchen to see Éclair and Shinku both lying against the back of the other on the grass of the backyard, both looking highly exhausted and very happy.
"I guess I'll wake them when the pizza's ready."
Ares glared through the binoculars he held, ignoring the reflection of his hard angled face on the car's window. Through the binoculars he watched as a blonde haired boy and a green haired girl, both in their early teens from the look of it, sped through the school's extremely large obstacle course, leaving the other students in the dust behind them.
"I don't get it." Ares said quietly. "How in the world are those two kids the ones?
The man sitting beside Ares in the van's passenger seat lowered the newspaper in his hand, showing his sunglass covered face and deep black hair. "HQ says they're the ones. I hear one of them could even be from another world."
"But it makes no sense, Jin. There's no way two young kids like that could go to or be from another world, it's impossible!"
Jin let out a sigh and folded his newspaper. "Impossible in your opinion or not, HQ believes they are the ones, and that means it is our job to watch them to make sure. If we find nothing then we continue looking. But if they are the ones who came or went to another world we may be able to gain something from them, and even the smallest gain is worth it, wouldn't you agree?"
Ares nearly growled as he finally put down the binoculars. "Yeah yeah, I get it. Stalking kids isn't my thing is all, it makes me feel dirty."
"Ignore it. If watching them gets us answers we could bring about a whole new world with the information we gain. The world's future can bear a few uncomfortable feelings."
"Fine, but seriously we need something better than a black van."
"What's wrong with this van, it cost quite a bit to rent such a good van."
"It's a black van; it makes this entire thing feel even more wrong."
". . . then what do you suggest?"
"I saw a sign on the apartment a block away that says it's looking for tenants. We can rent out a top apartment and have a good view of the entire community around here, including the school."
"Fine," Jin said coldly as he threw the newspaper behind him and started up the van.
"Good, let's get out of here." Ares said happily as they sped off down the road, not noticing the blonde and green haired kids finishing the obstacle course and running after a stray puppy.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx