Stormy Summer

A Rainy Car Ride

Edited - No major changes

 It was raining as we arrived at the destined airport somewhere in the Chiba prefecture, an hour car ride outside of Tokyo.

All the people rushing past us made me a little nervous. Maybe even a little dizzy, but the hand gripping the strap of my bag tightly stopped me from freaking out. This was important. Maybe it hadn't been a good idea for her to come along, after all... First the cramped plane ride, and now this cramped airport. This is bad. Extremely bad.

I looked behind me to see Charlie gripping the strap of my bag more tightly as she was nearly bumping into every other person, slightly wincing at the sight, I turned to look at Rose, who was trying to shield Charlie from being overrun by all these taller-than-expected Japanese businessmen making their way around the airport. Honestly, I didn't think there would be so many taller people here. But then again, Charlie wasn't necessarily the tallest either. Maybe these men are simply average and we're just really small.

We did look small in the mass of people rushing past and around us.

I looked to my left to see Anna still walking beside me. Just as tired and jet-lagged as the rest of us were and pulling her luggage behind her like a heavyweight. I had to suppress a comment as she looked at me as though, somehow, this whole situation was my fault.

Her being tired.

Charlie nearly freaking out, craving for a smoke.

And, of course, the fact that we currently were in a foreign country. And because we never even talked about Asian countries in school, this country couldn't be more foreign to us. Or to her at least. Maybe even to Rose and Charlie.

Because my grandparents were Japanese, I already knew a bit about Japan, its culture, and, most of all, the Japanese language.

I'm not completely fluent, but I know enough to keep a decent conversation. I was better when I was younger since I always spoke Japanese when I was talking to my grandparents because they weren't as comfortable with speaking English. But their death had been years ago, and since then, I didn't need to speak the language as often anymore.

Though, I have a feeling that this is going to change today. For at least a year that is.

Since this is the first student exchange our school did with Japan or any Asian country for that matter, it was mostly self-organized. We'll be attending a school called "Fukurōdani Academy" since they were the first ones to reply and accept the request.

The guest family we'll be staying with also has a son who is attending the same school. Since we'd been in contact with the guest family for a few weeks, we knew that their son has club activities in the early morning, so we'd most likely stop walking to school together after a week or so, after we get used to the way to school, since not all of us like getting up so early in the morning. And also because Rose has to take medication at least two hours before she eats anything so that she won't get a sick stomach.

We soon end up in front of a sign. I quickly browse over the different directions, looking for the exit.

"Where do we have to go?" asked Rose, looking over my shoulder at the sign.

"That way," I said, pointing to a hallway to our left. Rose nodded, and I nearly ran into Anna when I turned, as she was almost falling asleep standing up, resulting in a yelp from behind me as Charlie bumped into my bag as I stopped abruptly. Anna looked at me, raising her eyebrow in a questioning look.

"Huh?" her eyes turned from me to Charlie and Rose behind me, and back to me "Where do we have to go?" I suppressed a sigh. I'm way too tired for this right now. In the most polite and friendly voice, I could muster up, without snapping at her, I replied "That way" as I pointed in the direction. She just nodded, turned, and walked in the direction I had pointed, followed by the rest of us.

According to the emails we exchanged with the guest family, there will be someone picking us up at the exit. So when the exit came into view, we looked for anyone who looked like any of the people that were on the family pictures they had sent us two days ago.

It didn't take me long to spot one of them, which came as a surprise, considering how busy this place seemed to be, "Over there, I see the father... I think," I informed my friends before we made our way over there. In the corner of my eye, I could see Anna looking around in front of us, confused before she looked at me sideways as if asking "Where? I don't see him," I couldn't find the energy to smile or answer so I just ignored it for now.

We soon stopped in front of a man somewhere in his late forties or early fifties. Not entirely convinced I got the correct person, I asked "Akaashi-san?" as he turned to look at us. A smile broke out on his face "Yes, then you must be the exchange students from Europe?" I nodded, now forcing the most genuine smile that I could muster up, considering the state I was in at the moment "Yes, Akaashi-san, I'm Anderson Sally, this is Stephens Charleen, Smith Rose, and Rogers Annabelle," I introduced us in Japanese, pointing to each person as I named them. They all waved, more or less shyly. Charlie seemingly almost fainting, as people still kept on rushing past us.

"Nice to meet you! Come now, I'm sure you're all very tired from your flight!" I nodded, grateful, and we all followed Akaashi-san to his car. After storing our luggage we all got inside the car. Charlie sitting shotgun, since her phobia prevented her from sitting in the back. Anna, as she was the smallest out of the three of us, was sitting in the middle, though she did try to protest against it. Rose and me on either side of her.

It wasn't a surprise that Anna would be the first to fall asleep. She wasn't able to sleep much in the plane - just like the rest of us, too. We were much too excited, or in Charlie's case - much too anxious. I wonder if she regretted coming with us now. Maybe we should have tried to stop her from coming? But then again, maybe everything will work out just fine and she just has to get used to the new surroundings. Her sister said so, at least.

Though she didn't sound convinced of her own words, now that I think about it...

With tired eyes, I looked to the front at Charlie. She was nervously fumbling with the hem of her jacket as she watched the scenery fly past the window.

It'll be fine. Probably.

As I closed my eyes, I soon started to drift off, too.