Break the Sky
Chapter 3
"I think..." Rose turned around in search of her best friend. "I think I should wait for Penny." Rose finally spotted her with another person, chatting idly about something. She sighed. "It looks like we're not walking home together."
He held out a hand. "Then I guess she won't mind if we go on without her." He grinned. "My name's Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex."
She shook it. "I remember. We were sitting together at lunch, correct?" He nodded. They started to waltz off in the direction of their neighborhood. "So, how was your day?" she asked, trying to stop the silence.
"It was all right. I was glad you ended up in one of my classes." She blushed. "But other than that, nothing interesting has happened." He looked at the sky. "How are your classes?"
"Well, I learned that there's a dissection next week. Penny was thinking about skipping that day." Rose felt a twinge of guilt. She felt awful for leaving her friend behind. "But I know she couldn't do it."
"Why is that?" Alex asked, slightly surprised. He turned to look at her.
"She just couldn't." She wondered whether Penny had seen her leave. What if Penny was standing alone, still waiting for Rose? What if Penny was mad at her? Penny being mad at Rose was a nightmare. Her grudges could last for days, even weeks.
"...So, Penny's your best friend, huh?" It wasn't surprising that Alex found it odd. After all, Penny was Asian, and the majority of their neighborhood was Caucasian. The vast majority of Japanese Americans lived in California and Hawaii.
"Yes, she is." Rose shifted her books into her left hand. Although Rose and Penny were good friends, her father was not friendly towards Mr. Higa. It was not Penny's father that despised their family, it was Mr. Clive. He found anyone who wasn't of Caucasian descent hard to trust, even though he had trust issues with his wife, Mrs. Clive.
They were entering the neighborhood. "How did you meet my brother in the first place?" She didn't recall Darren talking to the group of boys he was sitting with the year before.
"We were both planting trees together. Darren became fast friends with Jack and me." He pulled his cap down. "Speaking of trees, once I drop my things off at home, I'll have to go down town." Alex sighed.
Rose started up the steps of the porch. "Goodbye, Alex," she said, waving to him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
She nodded as he waved and sprinted off down the street.
> >
The next day arrived quickly, and there Penny was, tapping her foot impatiently again. Rose rushed out of the house, grabbing her bag and giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. She flitted down the steps and halted as her best friend glared at her. "Thanks for waiting for me yesterday," Penny stated bitterly, her arms folded across her chest.
"I'm sorry, I--"
"And for a boy, Rosalyn? I can hardly believe you!" Penny stomped off in the direction of the school. Rose quickly followed in suit. "Your time with him better had been worth it," she grumbled.
"Well..." Rose stared at her toes. "We were just talking."
"Whatever you say, Rosie," Penny teased, her anger subsiding.
After feeling as though she slept during her first couple of classes, lunch arrived. As she once again was in search of her small clique of friends, someone touched her shoulder. She turned around and was greeted by Alex. "Oh. Hello," she said, smiling politely.
He returned the gesture. "Are you sitting with us again?" She shook her head. He frowned. "Oh. Well, why not?" he inquired, seeing she had just passed by the table his friends were sitting at.
"I should sit with my own friends." Rose paused. "Darren was right."
"Well, Darren can leave then. Please, join us--it was fun when you were sitting with us," he coaxed her. "Please Rose? There will be an empty seat at our table if you won't sit with us."
She gave in. "All right, then." She and Alex sallied forth to the group of boys and sat together, bringing up a conversation involving Charlie Chaplin's silly antics.
Darren was nowhere to be found.
He held out a hand. "Then I guess she won't mind if we go on without her." He grinned. "My name's Alexander, but everyone calls me Alex."
She shook it. "I remember. We were sitting together at lunch, correct?" He nodded. They started to waltz off in the direction of their neighborhood. "So, how was your day?" she asked, trying to stop the silence.
"It was all right. I was glad you ended up in one of my classes." She blushed. "But other than that, nothing interesting has happened." He looked at the sky. "How are your classes?"
"Well, I learned that there's a dissection next week. Penny was thinking about skipping that day." Rose felt a twinge of guilt. She felt awful for leaving her friend behind. "But I know she couldn't do it."
"Why is that?" Alex asked, slightly surprised. He turned to look at her.
"She just couldn't." She wondered whether Penny had seen her leave. What if Penny was standing alone, still waiting for Rose? What if Penny was mad at her? Penny being mad at Rose was a nightmare. Her grudges could last for days, even weeks.
"...So, Penny's your best friend, huh?" It wasn't surprising that Alex found it odd. After all, Penny was Asian, and the majority of their neighborhood was Caucasian. The vast majority of Japanese Americans lived in California and Hawaii.
"Yes, she is." Rose shifted her books into her left hand. Although Rose and Penny were good friends, her father was not friendly towards Mr. Higa. It was not Penny's father that despised their family, it was Mr. Clive. He found anyone who wasn't of Caucasian descent hard to trust, even though he had trust issues with his wife, Mrs. Clive.
They were entering the neighborhood. "How did you meet my brother in the first place?" She didn't recall Darren talking to the group of boys he was sitting with the year before.
"We were both planting trees together. Darren became fast friends with Jack and me." He pulled his cap down. "Speaking of trees, once I drop my things off at home, I'll have to go down town." Alex sighed.
Rose started up the steps of the porch. "Goodbye, Alex," she said, waving to him.
"I'll see you tomorrow, then?"
She nodded as he waved and sprinted off down the street.
> >
The next day arrived quickly, and there Penny was, tapping her foot impatiently again. Rose rushed out of the house, grabbing her bag and giving her mother a quick kiss on the cheek. She flitted down the steps and halted as her best friend glared at her. "Thanks for waiting for me yesterday," Penny stated bitterly, her arms folded across her chest.
"I'm sorry, I--"
"And for a boy, Rosalyn? I can hardly believe you!" Penny stomped off in the direction of the school. Rose quickly followed in suit. "Your time with him better had been worth it," she grumbled.
"Well..." Rose stared at her toes. "We were just talking."
"Whatever you say, Rosie," Penny teased, her anger subsiding.
After feeling as though she slept during her first couple of classes, lunch arrived. As she once again was in search of her small clique of friends, someone touched her shoulder. She turned around and was greeted by Alex. "Oh. Hello," she said, smiling politely.
He returned the gesture. "Are you sitting with us again?" She shook her head. He frowned. "Oh. Well, why not?" he inquired, seeing she had just passed by the table his friends were sitting at.
"I should sit with my own friends." Rose paused. "Darren was right."
"Well, Darren can leave then. Please, join us--it was fun when you were sitting with us," he coaxed her. "Please Rose? There will be an empty seat at our table if you won't sit with us."
She gave in. "All right, then." She and Alex sallied forth to the group of boys and sat together, bringing up a conversation involving Charlie Chaplin's silly antics.
Darren was nowhere to be found.