Yumiko Hikarinaki's Story

The sound of rubber on the tiles began to echo through the halls, a subtle squeak following. another student had been out an about, using her electric wheelchair to maneuver around the school, peeking around corners before entering the next hallway. This was her first year at Yamaku Academy, and she had already heard so many things about it. After being dropped off earlier that morning and attending the ceremony, Yumiko wanted to have a better look around. She preferred using her hand to move her chair, but without anyone around to help steady herself, she had to use the automated system.

Wrapping her lithe fingers around the left wheel, she thrust it forward, immediately switching to the right since she couldn't exactly use her right arm... if she had one. Yumiko had been like this for only a month or so, trying to get used to having no arm or leg on the right side of her body. She had visited her grandmother and her aunt at their farm, excited to be there after a decade. They suggested a tractor ride, and she accepted, though she didn't know what would follow... he was leaning too far to the right when the tractor hit a bump, tossing the girl off under the back tire. It completely crushed her right arm and leg, leaving her handicapped. Her parents suggested she enroll at Yamaku, and here she was...

Coming back from her slight flashback, Yumiko noticed she had leaned too far, and was veering off to the left. She gasped a bit, trying to lean right but the wheelchair was going too fast. She hit another corner, tipping her over onto the floor. She tried sitting up the best she could, but couldn't get her arm or leg in the right position. "No.." She murmured, sighing to herself. She didn't know anyone here, and she shouldn't have gone off without supervision. She didn't know if there was anyone around to hear her, so she abandoned the thought of crying out for help.

Alex was going to leave the room he was in, since he had no business there and he was probably not supposed to be here anyways. He stretched a bit; hoping to lessen the pain he was feeling from carrying the girl earlier. He decided it would be rude to not say goodbye to the remaining people, so he wrote a quick note and left instantly after he finished writing the note. It was a simple "See you later." He expected to see them later in the year, but for now he had to try and figure out what he missed from the assembly. He walked out of the door, leaving the note with the nurse. He walked into the hallway and he decided he would apologize to Peachy for leaving her alone in the assembly, but for now he would have to do something at the school. He had no idea what to do though, since he missed the assembly and almost all the information that came with it. He hoped that there would be something for students who missed the assembly, even if it would embarrassing for him to admit that he missed it.

He wasn't really paying much attention to anything in his vicinity, since his mind was busy thinking of inventions that could perhaps help disabled students. His parents would jump at the idea of getting public favor, since it would seem that his family's company actually was moral. They would only fathom the idea due to them wanting to look good in the public eye, and having the heir of the family be presented as kind and gentle would get sales up by a lot. He knew he was being used, but it didn't matter to him. He didn't have any ambitions, besides trying to be like his brother. But, he would only be a shadow of what his brother was and he knew this. His brother wasn't as smart as Alex, but Alex's brother was much kinder and more determined to leave his mark on the world. Alex wondered what use it would be to him to come to this school. He was only coming here to escape the sad fact that his parents only cared about the money he brought to his family.

Alex remembered the times that his brother carried Alex on his brother's back, since those were the most enjoyable times. His brother would always take Alex exploring when their parents allowed Alex to leave his secluded life, but since his brother was free his brother could always tell Alex about the outside world. Alex didn't understand anything about the outside world, but he listened to his brother and watched as his brother's eyes were full of curiosity. Alex was knocked out of his flashback about his brother the instant he saw something approaching him, so he backed away from the path of the object approaching him. He managed to escape without a bruise, but he could feel his heartbeat raising. He didn't have to worry about his heartbeat being too fast, since he had no heart problems. He was startled by the sudden appearance of the wheel-chaired person, but he quickly worried about the wellbeing of the person who almost ran him over. He walked over to the girl on the floor, since he couldn't exactly run at the moment. He tapped the girl on the shoulder and signed a quick question. (Need any help?) He knew not to help someone up, unless he knew what areas were damaged or he could make the damage worst than it would have been without his help. He extended his hand to the girl after signing, just in case she wasn't damaged too bad for him to help her. He knew that it would be unfathomable for her to stand up, since she was in a wheelchair. He would help her onto her wheelchair if she needed his help, unless of course the girl was a girl who liked to be independent. He was smiling a peaceful smile when he had his hand extended. If the girl took his hand, then she wasn't damaged severely. If she didn't take his hand, then she had damaged a limb or she thought that he was a delinquent.

Yumiko lifted her head up to see another student beside her, signing something to her. She couldn't understand sign language all that well, but after he extended a hand to her, she understood, nodding slightly up to him. She gripped his hand sitting up slowly and getting up onto her knee and letting him get her back into the chair. She only knew a few signs, lifting her hand to her chin.

(Thank you.)

She smiled again, reaching into her bag and tugging out her schedule, showing Alex. She tapped her name, then her class.

(Where... is.. this... room?) She wrote slowly, still getting used to switching her dominant hand from right to left.

She looked down, fixing her skirt back over her leg and making sure everything was still in her bag before looking up at the boy again. She offered him a gentle smile, her pale green eyes reflecting that shy smile that hadn't been on her face within a month. She had been completely withered sinced her accident, unable to be happy. She couldn't draw, write, or even color correctly, frustrating her by keeping her from the only thing she enjoyed. Yumiko warmed up after seeing all of the kids here, feeling almost... at home. She was just waiting for this unknown boy to help her.

(What is.. your.. name?)

She wrote, hoping that he'd be her first friend at Yamaku Academy.

Alex hoped he wouldn't turn out too bad tomorrow considering he was using his body quite a bit today. He also told himself that he hoped that all days wouldn't be as strange as this day, but he honestly wished that they would be as exciting as the day he experienced was. He smiled when the girl started writing, but it wasn't necessary since he wasn't deaf and he could still hear. He quickly got out his own notebook and began writing a message to her, telling her that she could speak normally and that she didn't have to write down everything she wanted to tell him. (I can hear, but I can not speak. Just talk to me normally and I'll respond by writing.) He wrote it with ease, since he was used to writing and his hands were not hurting as much as they did before. He wrote a response to her question. (Where… is.. this… room?) He was a new student, so he wouldn't know the location of rooms and he didn't really think they would have classes on the first day of school. (I don't think we have classes on the first day of school, and I am a new student here. I also missed the assembly, so I pretty much don't know anything.) He looked into the girl's pale green eyes and he was happy when she smiled, since a smile usually met happiness. (What is your name?) He has been asked this question quite a lot today, but he didn't mind answering it again. (My name is Alexander Tores, but you can just call me Alex. Anyways, you wouldn't mind being my friend would you? I might as well stop being depressed all the time and start making friends.) He wrote in his notebook again, since the girl appeared to not be advanced in sign language. He wasn't going to slowly try and slip in the question of being friends, instead he just wrote it plainly on the piece of paper. His parents had offered to have bodyguards prepared for him and private translators as well, but he declined those offers. He didn't want to stand out like a sore thumb, since it would be awkward to make friends with bodyguards constantly surrounding you. The fact that he declined helped him manage to not scare anybody at school, so he didn't regret that decision at all. He didn't think the girl would be pushing him to do physical activities, so he wasn't worried about that problem. He thought that perhaps he wouldn't mind being at Yamaku Academy.

Yumiko read his notes, her face blooming into a new array of pinks as she smiled a little.

"Sorry.." She said softly, her feathery voice released from her throat.

"My name is Yumiko, I'm new here.." She said, sitting up straight. She read the next thing he wrote, looking up at him and nodding.

"I'd be glad to be your friend, Alex." She said softly. "Um.. We can look around together.. if you want." Yumiko said to him, squeezing her handle on the left of her chair, the air flow pushing her chair forward.

"I can feel in my leg, if you're wondering." She added, smiling again as she glanced up at him.

She remembered how her friends treated her after seeing that she had lost her right arm and leg, the disgusted looks on their faces at the sight of her scarred and stitched up shoulder where here arm was amputated off, and the slime cross that once was her leg.

"You're such a freak now, Yumi..."

"Why would we be friends with a gross freak?"

"Get away from me, you one-sided creep!"

Those were the comments her friends gave to her when she tried talking to them, revolted by their wheelchair-bound friend.

She stopped rolling, looking down wistfully at her lap, a small stream of tears from her eyes, her hand quickly coming up and wiping them away. "Sorry... I'm still getting used to... everything." She said softly.

He was confused as to why the girl apologized, but he guessed that perhaps she was used to being looked down upon. (Do not apologize, for you have done nothing wrong.) He wrote this down, hoping to get her more comfortable around him. He was happy when she agreed to be his friends, but he didn't expect this answer and he was a bit surprised she said yes. He wondered why the girl spoke softly, but he then thought that perhaps she was a shy or humbled girl. He handed her the paper he was writing on this time, since he couldn't communicate with her using sign language. "Um.. We can look around together.. if you want." She appeared to be trying to not be pulled by the air flow. He wondered how air could move a person so easily. (Sure, let's look around.) He hoped that they wouldn't get lost in the school, but getting lost might provide them with a chance to explore more. Once again, he passed her the paper that he wrote his response on. "I can feel in my leg, if you're wondering." She glanced up at him with a smile, but he had no idea what she was talking about until he remembered that she didn't have one of her legs. (I'm sorry, but I didn't notice that.) He didn't notice it, since he didn't really think a disability defined someone and he didn't feel that it would be important to point out disabilities.

He never cared about what others said about him, since they were usually trying to hide their own faults. Those who showed malice towards him, were usually met with a calm smile from Alex. His world after his brother died was black and white, and his movements were robotic and predictable. That is, until he came to this school and saw how happy people could be, but he didn't know if he could be as happy as they were. He grabbed napkin he had in his pocket and wiped the girl's face clear of tears, since they reminded him of his sleepless nights he had as a child. He could cry all day and never be heard, his tears were silent and his parents never cared about him. He could be angry and sad, but he was never heard. He could only express himself by playing piano or drawing art, but even then his parents never noticed how badly damaged he was until it was too late for them to show that they loved Alex. He was determined not to cry in front of the girl, since he didn't think he could handle crying in front of someone. "Sorry... I'm still getting used to... everything." She said this softly. (Don't be sad, smile.) He wrote this down on a piece of notebook paper and he handed it to her, so she could perhaps would not cry anymore. He didn't like it when people cried and he liked it better when they smiled, since his brother would smile all the time.

Yumiko felt the soft brush of a cloth on her face, looking up slowly as Alex wiped her tears for her.

(Don't be sad, smile.)

She stared at the paper, a simple smile slowly springing up on her face. "Thank you." She said again, nodding a bit as she let out a gentle sigh. She grabbed at her wheel and pushed, hurrying to grab the other side and push. This motion strengthened her arm and torso, keeping her thin as this was the only actual excersize she could get. She steadied the chair with her only foot, keeping it from moving towards the left as she started rolling herself slowly down the end of the hall. She stopped, looking out the window as the wind blew and birds fluttered around. It seemed like such a peaceful day...

"Hey, Alex... Do you know what time it is?" She asked. She had lost time trying to make her way around the school, having started at about eight that morning. It took the girl to just fifteen minutes to go from her room to the living room when she lived with her parents, so she was abit on the slow side for a while.

"I think it might be around noon by now, right? Are you hungry?" She asked, digging into her bag that was wedged between her hip and the chair, pulling out her cell phone. The battery was dead, so she just sighed and put it away. Reaching up slowly, she tugged at both of her ribbons, etting all of her hair loose. It was longer than it looked, reaching down and brushing at the midsection of her shoulders.

"It's such a peaceful day, isn't it?" Yumiko murmured again, her warm gaze turned back on the mute boy as she waited for an answer. She didn't mind waiting--even before her accident. She had always been a gentle and patient child. That was why she got over her friends rejecting her; she was patient and easily let her motions go rather than pinning them up. She didn't know that she was a resevoir waiting to burst, considering she had already sprung a leak not five minutes ago, but hey, she could live with that.

Alex was happy that the girl finally smiled again. He hoped she wouldn't spring a leak again, but he knew that suppressing emotions could be bad for your health. He walked alongside her, he was wondering what purpose he had. He heard the chirping of birds and looked outside. There were beautiful birds that could sign, but he couldn't see even if he tried his hardest. He envied the birds, but he knew being envious would only bring him trouble.

"Hey, Alex… Do you know what time it is?" Yumiko asked this to Alex, but Alex didn't think he had a watch on him. He checked his pockets and sure enough there was a watch in there, but it had no battery and was pretty much useless. (Sorry, but my watch has no battery.) He passed the girl the piece of paper he wrote this own, but he had to stop for a bit to write the response. He had forgotten to go the store to buy batteries, but he would have time to do that later. He didn't mind the slow pace they were going at, since his life was usually slow paced and he never really had to worry about anything. He was enjoying today, since he made new friends and managed to actually escape from his depression.

"I think that it might be around noon by now, right? Are you hungry?" She asked, pulling out a cellphone. (Actually, I am, but I forgot to bring my own lunch. Perhaps we could go to a cafe and eat there, or I could simply cook something for me to eat.) He was getting used to passing the girl papers. Alex was forced to learn to cook by his parents and he learned over the years he was alive, but he bought food from stores whenever he could. He was far from poor, so money wasn't a problem for him at all. He was quite surprised when he saw that her hair was longer than it looked, but he didn't let the surprise show.

It's such a peaceful day. Isn't it?" The girl said this, but Alex didn't know if it was directed at him or if it was just her thinking out loud. (I agree, too bad I don't have my paintbrush or I would draw an animal.) He passed the paper to the girl, once again. He was good with animals, since he couldn't really do anything to harm the animals and the animals knew this. He owned a bunny as a child, but the bunny died and the death of Alex's bunny made Alex sad for a bit of time. Eventually the memory of the bunny faded, so he wouldn't remember the bunny until it was mentioned by his brother. Alex was surprised at how fast the girl could be crying one second and calm the other, but he didn't really think too much about it. He was enjoying everything being calm and not having to worry about much, but he knew that peace could not last very long. His emotions were suppressed, but he knew this and he couldn't suppress his emotions on the day before his birthday due to that being the day his brother and the person he loved died.

She looked up, reading the note he wrote her. She then made a slightly confused face, her eyes going back up to his face. "Why not have a small board and marker..? It would waste less paper, right?" She asked softly, smiling up at him. "As a fellow artist, I'd know." She said, winking up and pulling a sketchbook out of her bag. She passed it to him, letting him flip through it. Well drawn, detailed pictures were on the right side, some scribbly, messy looking twins on the left. She had tried duplicating them with her left hand, and was becoming increasingly accurated the deeper the book went.

Yumiko had recently taken up drawing birds, especially flamingos. She loved at how balanced they were on one foot.. Her stomach growled, pulling her from her reverie as she reached into her ever fruitful bag and pulling out a lunch. "My grandma prepared a big lunch for me, but I can't really eat everything she gives me. I can share.. if you want some." She said, unwrapping the lunchbox, opening the lid and showing him a delicious homemade lunch.

"Let's go find somewhere to eat this." She said, giving him another smile. Yumiko was a grateful child, too. She was grateful that he actually stopped and helped her up. She looked to be a shy and gray in mood, but once she was able to make friends, she'd be happy any time they were around. She shuffled her chair toward what she thought was an empty classroom, opening the door and looking around. It was.

She rolled forward, pulling up to a desk and setting her lunch on it, pulling out her eating utensils. "Do you use chopsticks?" She asked, voice a bit muffled as she held a pair between her silky pink lips and a set in her hand, as well as a fork and spoon, too.

Alex was wondering who his hall mate would be, but it wasn't the time to worry about that. "Why not have a small board and marker..? It would waste less paper, right?" She was still smiling when she said this, so he guessed she blew off what happened earlier. (It probably would, but I am stubborn and I want to use notebook paper instead.) He wrote this down smiling, since he couldn't really laugh. "As a fellow artist, I'd know." She pulled a notebook of her own out, so Alex guessed that this was some of her drawings. He flipped through it, seeing some drawings that were quite advanced and some drawings that seemed a bit messy. He thought that perhaps the hand she lost was the one that she drew with originally. The danger of not being able to draw was one of the reasons that Alex tried to use both hands, instead of being limited to one hand. If he lost his hands, then it would be pretty hard for him to communicate and he really wouldn't want to do anything.

He was confused as to what the growling was, but he then noticed that it was the girl's stomach. He saw her reaching into her bag and pulling out a lunch. "My grandma prepared a big lunch for me, but I can't really eat everything she gives me. I can share.. if you want some." She was unwrapping the lunchbox and he saw what appeared to be a delicious lunch under the lid. He wondered if her grandma could cook as well as he could, but he guessed she probably cooked better due to age. (I would like some, but wouldn't that be quite rude of me?) He hated being rude, but he also hated being hungry. His rich upbringing made him want to be as formal as he could when in formal parties set up by his parents, since he would be representing his family's etiquette and his family loved being seen as formal and good samaritans. He decided to try and act as comfortable around the girl as he could, since he would be losing any chances of making friends if he kept up trying to use formalities.

"Let's go find somewhere to eat this." She said, once again with a smile. He could've just left the girl on the floor and walked past her, but he didn't and he did not regret the decision to help her. (I'll follow behind you, so lead the way.) He didn't really know were to go, so he would let the girl take lead. They stopped in front of an empty classroom, then he walked in and the girl rolled forward. He sat in a desk adjacent to the one the girl was sitting in.

"Do you use chopsticks?" This was quite an easy question for him to answer, since his father was American and his mother was from Japan. He knew how to sign Asian sign language and American sign language, and he knew the many mannerisms of the Japanese. (I can use either a fork and spoon or chopsticks, since I was occasionally invited to foreign formal gatherings by other rich families .) He didn't know that being rich was a big deal, since he didn't think the girl would care about his upbringing. He wasn't snobby about the fact that he was rich, so he wasn't thought of as rich or snobby. However, anyone that went to his family's mansion would know he was rich, but he may or may not show his friends his family's mansion. Him going to back to the place where the people he cared about murdered, would bring out some suppressed emotions and he didn't want to go home until he knew he could face going home without crying. A funeral was never held for the maid he loved, but he was determined to make a funeral happen. He didn't care if his parents didn't approve of it, since he was a big source of monetary income for his family and they couldn't afford to lose him. The sunlight was shining through the window and he was enjoying having the light shine on his face, since it was warm and comforting.

She looked up, seeing the look on his face as he flipped through her drawings. "I know.. not the best, but.. I've been practicing." She said, opening her lunch again and pulling out some napkins, then looking at him.

She read his next note, looking back up at him. She passed him a pair, biting on the end of her own and slipping the cover off, them splitting them with her hand and her teeth. She was skilled with using her teeth to aide her, especially when it came to buttoning her clothes or retying her ribbons.

"Huh..? Oh, you come from a rich family? I don't... I guess it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get in, otherwise I'd be limbless." She said, grinning a little, though.. her humor was out of place at the moment. She felt her face redden, looking down slightly. Her family was worried about how kids would treat her if she went on to her desired high school chioce, so they offered her the choice of going to Yamaku. Being a gray, empty shell of herself, she just nodded nad went on her way.

"I... don't mean to talk so much, I just talk whenever I, eh.. When I get a bit nervous." She said, shutting herself up as she dexterously slipped her chopsticks into her portion of the food, putting some on a napkin for herself and sliding the box torward him.

In the lunch box was a hefty heaping of rice and homemade curry with chopped vegetables, and a small side of teriyaki noodles. Another compartment held some apple and peach slices, the tangy taste of the peach and the crisp, sweet taste of the apple a delicious combination. She reached down, pulling out a thermal bag holding her drinks.

"Regular or chocolate?" She asked, pulling out two boxes that looked quite similar to a juicebox, setting them down beside their lunch. "And don't worry about feeling selfish. I was born with a small stomach and big lungs, so I breathe twice as much as I should eat." She said, blushing more. She guessed she could be a good singer, afterall... she had a compelling voice, and large lungs could be a sign she could hold a note for more than fifteen seconds.

"I'm... babbling again, aren't I..?" She asked softly, looking down out of her complex, intricate shyness that seemed to be a rollercoaster that afternoon. She had been that way since she was a child, her mother babying her and her father... her father was never really there, either. He worked when she went to school, and was asleep by the time she got home. Her grandmother wanted to help take care of her, and look where it got her. In a wheelchair, sharing her lunch with her new mute acquaintance at a school for disabled children.

I know… not the best, but.. I've been practicing." She pulled out napkins, then looked at him. (I don't really have any authority to judge art, since I only draw sad things. But from what I see, you're a good artist. ) This wasn't simple flattery, instead it was what he thought and he knew that she could get better if she practiced more. He wondered why people always though that they weren't good at anything, yet they seemed to be advanced in doing things. His brother knew what he was good at and Alex's brother always tried to get better at things he was not so good at.

He took the pair handed to him and he removed the cover from the chopsticks, since it would be hard to use them with the cover on. He split them and held them with ease, since he was used to eating with chopstick. He stiffened his back and prepared to eat without being too formal, but he was too used to being forced to use etiquette in ever conceivable situation that would require it. He didn't really want to stand up, since his legs were hurting a bit from carrying the girl earlier.

[b"Huh..? Oh, you come from a rich family? I don't… I guess it doesn't cost an arm and a leg to get in, otherwise I'd be limbless."[/b] She was grinning a little, but Alex was a bit startled by the 'strange' joke. He wouldn't judge though, since he might have found the joke funny under other circumstances. (Being rich isn't as fun as people make it out to be. My parents only care about money and they didn't even care about the fact that my brother was murder, since not even one tear was shed by them. They didn't care that the girl who I loved was killed in front of me, yet they still pretended they did so they could get more money out of my intelligence.) A tear fell onto the paper that he was writing on, but he quickly stopped himself from crying and put on a fake smile. Being rich was not very pleasant for him, but for others it might have been more enjoyable.

I… don't mean to talk so much, I just talk whenever I, eh.. When I get a bit nerve." She slipped chopsticks into her portion of the food, putting some on a napkin for herself and sliding the box towards Alex. (I would do the same if I could talk, so I don't have any place to judge. Also, I don't know if I can eat very much.) He looked at the contents of the box with surprise, since it held quite a bit of food in it.

Regular or chocolate?" She asked while holding two boxes. (I don't really mind, so I'll just take the one you do not wish to drink.) Alex didn't really care about what he got, since it would be quite rude for him to eat like a pig and he wasn't a fast eater or a glutton. "And don't worry about feeling selfish. I was born with a small stomach and big lungs, so I breathe twice as much as I should eat." She was blushing, but he wouldn't point this out due to possibly furthering her embarrassment. (I have a weak body and I don't use very much energy, so I do not have to eat as much as other people have to.) He wished to forget about the tear he shed earlier, and he wished the girl didn't notice that it pained him to talk about his family. He also hoped the girl wouldn't ask anything about his brother or the person he loved, since his brother and the person he loved were killed on the day before his birthday.

"I'm… babbling again, aren't I..?" She asked this question softly, but Alex still heard it. (A bit, but I do not mind.) He was used to never being heard, since people usually came to him and told him their problems. They came to him and let their sadness fall onto Alex, since to them he seemed to only be good for listening and the people who poured out their emotions would never listen to him. He hoped this girl wouldn't be like that, since it was quite annoying to never be heard. He thought about how his life would be different if the thugs never went to his house and robbed him, perhaps he wouldn't be mute and he would probably be able to go to normal schools. But he wouldn't know that his parents never cared a bout him and he would be living a mediocre life, since his parents would only pretend to love him. He wondered if that life would be favorable, since he would not have to worry about anything and he would be unaware of the type of monsters people can be. He wondered if he would want to change anything, if he was given the chance to change anything in his past. He decided to stop thinking about depressing things and instead eat.

Yumiko looked up as he scribbled each time she spoke, and as he wrote down every reply to her words. She smiled when he praised a her a little, continuing to eat her food slowly. She picked up one of the drinks and poked a straw into it, sipping slowly before looking up, spotting his tear roll down his face and drip onto his notes. Silently, she leaned over, cleaning his cheek off with another napkin.

"Alex... if you could speak, what would you do first?" She asked softly, having stopped eating as she felt an awkward tension rising between them. "Yell, scream, cry..?" She named off, putting her drink down. "I would laugh first."

"It's okay, we can save the rest for dinner." She sad softly, offering a kind smile to the boy. Talking about losing loved ones seemed to pull him into the dumps, so she was trying her best to make him fully smile.

She reached into her bag once more, flipping around in there before pulling out a new booklet. She set it down, opening up to a new page. Yumiko ripped a page out, biting an edge and tearing it very slowly so she would have a straight line. From there, she started folding.

Over, then under, and flipped over... She repeated this until she had a small, lopsided origami flower, a childish smile on the quiet girl's face. "You shouldn't worry about anything... Someone has to care for you, right? Then I'll be the first." She said, nodding to him with a gentle smile.

She finished up her portion of their lunch, taking the napkin and throwing it into a bin nearby. She looked back at him to see if he was done or not, starting to pack up her things. "You can keep the chopsticks if you want. I don't kind sharing with a friend." She said, resting hand in her lap and giving him that same, sweet smile.

"Alex… if you could speak, what would you do first?" She asked softly and stopped eating, since it was getting a bit awkward. Yell, scream, cry..?" She said this while putting her drink down. "I would laugh first." She gave her own response to her question, so Alex decided to respond as well. (I think I would probably cry first, but enough about this depressing stuff.) He seriously didn't want to speak about this stuff anymore. He regretted ever mentioning his family and he wished that he could've instead continued their conversation from earlier, but it was too late to not talk about his family.

It's okay, we can save the rest for later." She sad softly, still smiling. Alex was glad, since he had lost his appetite and he couldn't eat or risk choking. He wanted to smile, but he only smile a fake smile and the girl would probably be able to tell that he wasn't truly happy. He put on a fake smile, so she would stop pressing him. (Heh, sorry for making this awkward.) He had a shaky hand and he appeared to still be holding back a lot of emotions, even when he knew that doing so was dangerous for his mental state. He remembered his brother's kindness and smiled truly, since his brother would be mad at him for being sad over his death.

He watched as she ripped out a piece of paper from a booklet and slowly folding it, but he had no idea what she was doing and a bit of confusion set onto his features. He was baffled as to what she was doing, since he hasn't seen people fold paper before. He saw an origami flower, but he had no idea people could make such beautiful things with only paper. He stared at it with a curiosity in his eyes and he wanted to know how she did it, but she spoke to him before he could write the question down. You shouldn't worry about anything… Someone has to care for you, right? Then I'll be the first." He smiled, since he knew she wouldn't be the first or second person to care about him. (My brother and the person I loved cared about me, so you wouldn't be the first or second.) A smile crept up on his face and he was feeling a bit childish, but he didn't care if anyone thought that he was a childish person. He wondered why she nodded, since he thought you only nodded when you were confirming a question directed towards you.

He watched her throw a napkin into a nearby bin. (Thank you for the food.) He finished slowly, but he finished eating. "You can keep the chopsticks if you want. I don't mind sharing with a friend." She said that while resting her hand in her lap and smiling still, so he couldn't help but be happy. (Thanks, but why do I need chopsticks?) He had no idea what to use chopsticks for, but he would still be grateful.

(Do you know where to sign up for the student council? I think I would be of most use there. If not, then I will just stay here and lay down on a desk. If you wish to get a hold of me then call me on my phone.) He wanted to ask a simple question, so he could change the subject the two were talking about. He was exhausted and he didn't have enough strength left to continue talking about the subject of his family. This school was leaving it's mark on him and he would have to get used to his new lifestyle, if he was going to survive here without turning out more depressed than he was before. He did however give the girl his phonenumber, since it would be easier to communicate if she had his number. He didn't buy a phone, instead he made his own and upgraded it himself.

Yumiko looked at his notes, packing her bag up and zipping it. "I don't know... We're both new, remember?" She reminded, smiling. She wrote her number down, looking over. "Oh.. I guess I'll be going now... I'm going to check out ore of the school... Then the dorms." She said, waving to him. "I guess I'll see y-you around." She murmured, wheeling herself out the door and down the hall, turning down towards the ramp and easing herself into the next corridor.

She continued on through, finally finding the girls dormitories. She eased herself up the ramp and entered, looking at ther schedule. since it would have been a huge hassle to pack her back and forth everyday, her mother decided it would do best for her to live on campus. She wheeled to her assigned room, room 229. Taking the key from her bag, she unlocked the door, opening it and wheeling inside.

The room was bleak, the walls a faint beige and the bed made in almost matching linens. She saw some of her clothes unpacked in the open closet, the rack set low just for her. She reaced up, picking up the uniform that was placed here for her. She gripped the opening to the closet and slowly stood up, unfastening the zipper of her skirt and slipping it off, then putting the green one on slowly. Yumiko changed into her shirt as well, looking down at the ribbon. She took one end into her mouth, looping it around her neck with her hand, then tugging it tight so it was a neatly lopsided bow around her neck.

Placing herself back into her wheelchair, she struggled in putting her shoe on, sighing as she saw its twin left behind. "Sorry..." She murmured to it, smiling as she put it back into the closet. Yumiko then edged herself to her bed, lying down and closing her eyes. It would be easy to live here, right..? She sighed and pulled her phone charger out, plugging her phone in and adding Alex's number to her contact. At least she made a friend... With another sigh, the lilac-haired girl turned off the light, deciding to take a mid-afternoon nap to calm her nerves and rest her body from over-exerting herself--and nearly running over another student. She should have asked if he needed a nurse, but he didn't seem all that social after talking about his past.

Now all she wondered about was who the girl was that he loved, and if he could ever open up his heart again like he did for his deceased family.

After resting for a short time and building up some energy and strength, Yumko sat up and stretched. Her doctor told her it was important to stretch her limbs as much as possible, so that she wouldn't become stiff in her chair from sitting all day. She stood slowly, twisting on the ball of her foot and plopping directly into her chair. She sighed, taking her ribbons from her bag and tying her twintails back up, though it was difficult since her mother wasn't there to help her.

Finally having them up and tied neatly, she wheeled out of her room, not bothering to lock it. She would only lock it if she were inside, and there really wasn't anything inside worth stealing. She kept all of her valuable things at her mother's house. Wheeling herself out of the dorms, she decided on checking out the rest of the school, having only been able to see a small section of it in a blur, and some of it with Alex's help.

Yumiko wheeled her chair into the main building, listening to the gentle chatter of passing students, the clacking of canes and crutches on the tiles, and the sound of... wait, was that a dog? She looked up curiously, strolling towards the sound and peeking into the ward to see a girl with beautiful long brown hair, a dog on a leash that was around her wrist, and a darkhaired boy with one arm in a sling. Yumiko noticed the dog was an aide, understanding the need for her.

"Do you like music?"

Yumiko heard the blind girl ask him, noticing they were a bit unaware of her presence. 'Better leave now before I come off as intrusive,' She thought, slowly backing away and heading down towards the library. She pushed herself in, looking around and picking up a book. It was one of her favorites from her childhood, a smile gleaming on her face as she picked it up, then rolling over to a group of beanbags and practically jumping on to one. Maybe she should have thought that over now as her chair rolled away from the propulsion.

"Oops.." She muttered, sighing as she sat up and began reading. Someone would hopefully push it back in her direction. If not, she could always askthe librarian.