Nice To Meet You

We Should Be Friends (Age 7)

Age 7

  Leiko Tanaka, now renamed Ethel, leans out of her bedroom window, staring in fascination as she watches the vehicles zip by along the way-too-neon-and-chaotic streets of San Fransokyo. She's busy counting the number of motorcycles she can see speeding down a back alley when the excited cries piercing her ears disrupts her thoughts. It had been 2 years since they moved into their new apartment, and Ethel had adjusted to the noisy bustling and atmosphere. She enjoyed it in fact,  and would spend majority of her time locked in her room, either finding a way to make her RC toy car move faster so she could "accidentally" trip poor step-mom, or put her head out the window, feeling the cool breeze whip her hair and just thinking aimlessly (she locked her door to make sure no one would come busting in and drag her away for fear of safety reasons. She didn't want to her how dangerous open windows were).

  Right now her step-mother was watching some corny soap drama, which apparently gave the whack job mixed emotions. It was the nineth time the dying bird was screeching. Ethel flopped down onto her bed and stuffed her head in a pillow to drown out both the sound and her headache.

  That's it. She needed to get out of that house.

  She flies down the stairs before she could be bombarded with any questions and throws herself against the front door, sprinting to where her purple bike, the one her dad bought for her on her 6th birthday, laid sprawled on the ground. Her pigtails had come loose and they framed her face crazily but she couldn't have cared less. She kicked it up and plopped herself down forcefully, pedaling away at full speed down the brick road leading into the down town area of San Fransokyo. Her bike wobbled slightly, but she regained her balance with gritted teeth and soon she's back on track.

  She's flying downhill and the wind pushes her hair back, clearing her vision. She's embracing the 'whoosh' of the breeze and the fact that the view in front of her comes into focus faster and faster. Her legs are burning and she might have worn out her new sneakers with all that pedaling, but she doesn't care.

  She does, however, almost regret ripping the training wheels off the bike the moment her dad brought it home when she fails to steer aside to let a small boy pass, and ends up crashing head first into a post box, sending the bike tipping over and landing upside down, wheels spinning.

  She hears shrieks and mumbling but she stares straight ahead at the sky, full of white puffy clouds in absolute satisfaction for her need for speed has been fufilled. She closes her eyes and just stays like this when suddenly she hears chiming of bells, like those on a lucky cat and timid footsteps that stop right beside her.

  "Hi."

  Ethel opens her eyes and turns her head to the side, then upwards to detect the source of the greeting.

  A cute, asian boy with short dark hair stares down at her in amusement. He looked about her age, maybe a year older, and he had about the most beautiful eyes Ethel had ever seen.

  She closes her eyes again and ignores him, hoping he'd leave her alone...and maybe go back to wherever he came from.

  No such luck.

  "Why are you lying on the ground?"

  She sighs in frustration and is about to spit out a snappy comeback when she feels two hands pull her up into a sitting position. She grunts and pushes the boy's slender hands away from her shoulders.

  "What's your problem?" She snarls, brushing the dirt off from her indigo leather jacket and jeans, glaring up at coffee tinted irises. The kid dosen't look angry or hurt, he just seemed confused. They exchanged the look for quite awhile, until she realises she's been staring for way too long and quickly looks away, her cheeks burning with embarrassment. The boy sticks his hands in his pockets, but dosen't say anything.

  Ethel's about to end the awkward stare-fest by getting back on her bike and riding off hotly when the boy silently holds out his hand. She looks at him with a weird-out look on her face before it hits her, and she grunts softly and encloses her fingers in his. His grip is firm and gentle,and surprisingly strong, as he pulls her up carefully, making sure not to hurt her limbs. Ethel stumbles to her feet and mumbles a barely audible "thanks". She tries to pry her hand from the boy's grip before she can humiliate herself further, but stops short.

  She tugs at her hand again, but the boy's hand is glued to her's. She shakes and pulls, and she's beginning to panic that maybe she'd got gum in her hand again, but then it hits her.

  The boy was the one not letting go. 

  "Err..what are you doing?" She questions skeptically, and not fiercely, because part of her is puzzled at his strange behaviour, but the other part wants him to continue clinging on to her palm. The boy looks her straight in the eye and she bites the inside of her cheek, praying he couldn't tell how fast her heart was palpitating.

  "I'm Tadashi. Tadashi Hamada" The boy says, and she snaps out of her daze and arches an eyebrow at him. 

  "T...'Dashi? 'Huh'-Mada?" she stutters unintelligibly.

  "Close. Ham-ada."

  A slight debate on what Tadashi's surname really should be pronounced as ensues in the next two minutes, and Ethel can't help buy enjoy every minute of this new stranger's company.

  "What's your name?" Tadashi asks suddenly.

  Ethel is stunned and looks up from where she had been staring at her laced trainers.

  "Lei..Leiko...I mean-- Ethel. Ethel Tanaka." At Tadashi's quizzical look, she rolls her eyes. "My dad renamed me when we moved here two years ago." She huffs, blowing at her fringe to get it out of her eyes because the leaf-like piece dangling over her head is starting to irk her just the slightest. 

  Tadashi nods and has a far-away look in his eyes. "Ethel." He says. "That's a pretty name." 

  She's widens her eyes and looks away, blushing madly and tries to cover up by punching his arm lightly.

  "Ow! What was that for?" He looks at her like she's some sort of feral lady.

  Ethel just snorts and laughs. "You're such a wuss. Woman up!"

  Her giggling is infectious and soon Tadashi is smiling warmly at her. 

  "But i'm a guy!"

  "Well you sure don't act like one." Ethel mumbles under her breath, just loud enough for him to hear.

  "Hey!"

  "Oh come on, I was only half-joking."

 

  "Oh haha. Hilarious."

  The pair spend another half-hour or so talking and exchanging facts about each other. Where they live, their intrests and hobbies. (Tadashi got really excited when he found out she was into engineering, and like wise for his passion in robotics.)

  "Do you want to come in? My aunt can make us cookies." Tadashi says, gesturing to the cafe where they had been standing outside of (and where Ethel had crashed).

  "Oh um.. maybe another time. I should get home for dinner."

  Tadashi nods then flushes and questions shyly "You..you'll come again, right?"

  Ethel doesn't hesitate to respond.

  "Definitely."

  Tadashi smiles and waves goodbye to her as she mounts and her bike, and she's suddenly glad she's in San Fransokyo now, and she's almost positive her life is going to get better.

  Then she turns back and sees Tadashi cupping his hands around his mouth and calling out to her as she's peddling away, and when she hears his shouting she smiles to herself.

  "We should be friends!" He yells, his voice distant over the honking of cars.

  And Ethel doesn't mind. In fact, she likes that suggestion. She likes it alot.