Judgement from the Heart
III
Emi arrived at her house after about fifteen minutes of walking. Upon arriving, she found the driveway wasn’t empty as she had planned (and hoped) it would be. Her mother’s black car was parked in it, obviously meaning she was home.
With a groan, Emi slumped up her porch stairs and to the front door. And so begins round one of twenty questions.
After unlacing her boots and slipping them off for the second time that day, Emi sauntered to the kitchen where she found her mother sorting the mail. Hoping she looked as unemotional and bored as ever, she continued to the fridge, waiting for the inevitable bombardment.
Emi’s mom grinned. “You’re home rather late. Or have you just been lurking in your room too quietly for me to notice again?”
Emi closed her eyes briefly while her head was hidden in the fridge, then pulled out a bottle of water. Finding it useless to lie, she replied, “The first one. And it’s not that much later.”
“Oh, you’ve made a friend then?” Emi’s mother tore open an envelope and began reading its contents.
Emi hoisted herself onto the counter and sipped at her water. “I suppose you could call him that. We only met today, and I may not have much experience with this sort of thing, but I’d say it’s a little soon to call him that.”
Her mom stopped in the middle of tearing open another letter as if someone had told her that her husband was an axe murderer and faced her daughter. “He you say?” She then frowned. “Off the counter. You know better than that.”
Feeling slightly disappointed that not even this was enough to distract her mother from her rule, Emi slid down from the counter. “Yes, I said he.”
Why did I have to give the gender away? Emi mentally slapped herself.
“Tell me what he’s like including name, looks, and personality.”
“Mom…” Emi half whined with an eye roll. Her mother just gave her the “now” look, so she quickly answered. “His name is Light Yagami, he’s about 5’10”, brown hair, brown eyes, smart, polite, and nice from what I’ve observed.” As she was describing him she was sidling toward the kitchen exit and was now within inches of it. “And now I have a lot of studying to do so I’ll be down for dinner.” Without waiting for her mother’s reply, Emi zipped out of the room and ascended the stairs.
After practically wrenching her door off its hinges, Emi entered her room, pulling the door closed quickly behind her. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she flipped the light switch, illuminating her messy but comfortable room. Her room was fairly normal with a bookshelf on the far wall, a computer desk on the adjacent wall along with a closet. Her bed was against the wall opposite that next to a large window. Even though a bookshelf was present, half of the books Emi had read littered the floor, along with random newspaper, magazine, or internet articles that piqued her interest. Most of these articles were related to various cases that happened around the area. One of Emi’s hobbies was trying to solve some of the cases she found.
Emi skirted around her various items occupying the floor to her closet. She turned the handle on each door with her hands and pulled them open, revealing her mid-sized selection of clothes and shoes. Considering she hated the atrocious uniform she was forced to wear, she reached into the space and obtained a black tank top with purple stars down the sides and matching shorts.
As Emi was unbuttoning her shirt, her mother’s voice called up to her. “Emi! Come down here!”
“Okay! Just give me a minute!” She quickly finished undressing and pulled on the pajamas she had selected from her closet. Once finished, she padded down the stairs again to find out what her mother wanted.
Instead of the kitchen, Emi found her mother in the living room, but she wasn’t alone; her father had returned from work as well and was relaxing in one of the chairs. “So, I hear you had a fairly productive first day,” he said with a slight smirk.
Emi shrugged, deciding to take the innocent route. “I suppose it was okay. I didn’t enjoy being around all the people, but I got used to it…Sort of.”
“That’s not what I hear.” As he said this, her dad smiled at her mom, who was seated in the chair nearest him.
“Oh?” wondered Emi, still acting as if she had no idea what he was getting at. She plopped down gracefully on the couch.
Her dad chuckled, obviously seeing right through her ploy. “Your mom tells me you met a guy. Right, Kaya?” Her mother nodded in response.
“Oh, you mean Light. He seems alright.”
Her father’s face suddenly became serious and his voice stern. “Now, Emi. You have to be careful when it comes to getting involved with boys. You know that boys at your age only want one thing.”
Emi scowled, feeling as if her intelligence was being underestimated. “I’m anti-social, not stupid, dad.”
Sensing Emi’s aggravation, her mom frowned at her father. “She has a point, Haru. Emi can take care of herself. She’s very bright. She did get a perfect score on the entrance exam.”
“I know, I know. I just don’t want my little girl getting hurt.”
Emi decided not to comment on the “little girl” bit and stood up. “Well, now that we have that all cleared up, I’m going to head back to my room now. But, if it will at least ease your fears a bit, I’ll be careful, dad.”
Without waiting for an answer, Emi made her way back up the stairs to her room. She plopped down at her desk and cracked one of her textbooks open to begin her study session.
With a groan, Emi slumped up her porch stairs and to the front door. And so begins round one of twenty questions.
After unlacing her boots and slipping them off for the second time that day, Emi sauntered to the kitchen where she found her mother sorting the mail. Hoping she looked as unemotional and bored as ever, she continued to the fridge, waiting for the inevitable bombardment.
Emi’s mom grinned. “You’re home rather late. Or have you just been lurking in your room too quietly for me to notice again?”
Emi closed her eyes briefly while her head was hidden in the fridge, then pulled out a bottle of water. Finding it useless to lie, she replied, “The first one. And it’s not that much later.”
“Oh, you’ve made a friend then?” Emi’s mother tore open an envelope and began reading its contents.
Emi hoisted herself onto the counter and sipped at her water. “I suppose you could call him that. We only met today, and I may not have much experience with this sort of thing, but I’d say it’s a little soon to call him that.”
Her mom stopped in the middle of tearing open another letter as if someone had told her that her husband was an axe murderer and faced her daughter. “He you say?” She then frowned. “Off the counter. You know better than that.”
Feeling slightly disappointed that not even this was enough to distract her mother from her rule, Emi slid down from the counter. “Yes, I said he.”
Why did I have to give the gender away? Emi mentally slapped herself.
“Tell me what he’s like including name, looks, and personality.”
“Mom…” Emi half whined with an eye roll. Her mother just gave her the “now” look, so she quickly answered. “His name is Light Yagami, he’s about 5’10”, brown hair, brown eyes, smart, polite, and nice from what I’ve observed.” As she was describing him she was sidling toward the kitchen exit and was now within inches of it. “And now I have a lot of studying to do so I’ll be down for dinner.” Without waiting for her mother’s reply, Emi zipped out of the room and ascended the stairs.
After practically wrenching her door off its hinges, Emi entered her room, pulling the door closed quickly behind her. A relieved sigh escaped her lips as she flipped the light switch, illuminating her messy but comfortable room. Her room was fairly normal with a bookshelf on the far wall, a computer desk on the adjacent wall along with a closet. Her bed was against the wall opposite that next to a large window. Even though a bookshelf was present, half of the books Emi had read littered the floor, along with random newspaper, magazine, or internet articles that piqued her interest. Most of these articles were related to various cases that happened around the area. One of Emi’s hobbies was trying to solve some of the cases she found.
Emi skirted around her various items occupying the floor to her closet. She turned the handle on each door with her hands and pulled them open, revealing her mid-sized selection of clothes and shoes. Considering she hated the atrocious uniform she was forced to wear, she reached into the space and obtained a black tank top with purple stars down the sides and matching shorts.
As Emi was unbuttoning her shirt, her mother’s voice called up to her. “Emi! Come down here!”
“Okay! Just give me a minute!” She quickly finished undressing and pulled on the pajamas she had selected from her closet. Once finished, she padded down the stairs again to find out what her mother wanted.
Instead of the kitchen, Emi found her mother in the living room, but she wasn’t alone; her father had returned from work as well and was relaxing in one of the chairs. “So, I hear you had a fairly productive first day,” he said with a slight smirk.
Emi shrugged, deciding to take the innocent route. “I suppose it was okay. I didn’t enjoy being around all the people, but I got used to it…Sort of.”
“That’s not what I hear.” As he said this, her dad smiled at her mom, who was seated in the chair nearest him.
“Oh?” wondered Emi, still acting as if she had no idea what he was getting at. She plopped down gracefully on the couch.
Her dad chuckled, obviously seeing right through her ploy. “Your mom tells me you met a guy. Right, Kaya?” Her mother nodded in response.
“Oh, you mean Light. He seems alright.”
Her father’s face suddenly became serious and his voice stern. “Now, Emi. You have to be careful when it comes to getting involved with boys. You know that boys at your age only want one thing.”
Emi scowled, feeling as if her intelligence was being underestimated. “I’m anti-social, not stupid, dad.”
Sensing Emi’s aggravation, her mom frowned at her father. “She has a point, Haru. Emi can take care of herself. She’s very bright. She did get a perfect score on the entrance exam.”
“I know, I know. I just don’t want my little girl getting hurt.”
Emi decided not to comment on the “little girl” bit and stood up. “Well, now that we have that all cleared up, I’m going to head back to my room now. But, if it will at least ease your fears a bit, I’ll be careful, dad.”
Without waiting for an answer, Emi made her way back up the stairs to her room. She plopped down at her desk and cracked one of her textbooks open to begin her study session.