Take Flight

Spinning Compass

Note:

At the North Pole, a compass will start spinning instead of pointing.

Ding! Dong! Dong! Ding!

"Alright students," the second-grade teacher calls, "Congratulations on finishing day two. Before you start cleaning duty, here are your compasses." The teacher harshly slaps a silver cylinder on each of the students' desks. At Senbonzakura's desk, he carefully places it down with a smile.

Sora stares out the window. He doesn't notice the teacher simply walk past. Once the bag is empty the teacher announces clean-up.

"Sora! It's window duty again!" Datsumi calls. Sora turns around. He furrows his brows.

"But we did it yesterday."

Datsumi nods.

"Mhm! We have to do it every day this week. And then next week we'll get a new duty."

Sora blinks.

"Boring," he states.

"Eadatsu! Get to wiping! Your partner skipped school today!" the teacher shouts. Datsumi flinches and bows to him.

"I'm so sorry, Sensei! Please forgive me! I'll get to it!"

Sora cocks his head.

"But I am here, Sensei," Sora states. The teacher says nothing. Sora sighs. He gets up and takes up the paper towels.

Spritz. Spritz. Wipe. Wipe.

"Sora, since according to the teacher you haven't been here, you don't have to do this. Even though I know you're here," Datsumi points out.

"But I am here. So I'll help you out. There's no way you can clean all of the windows by yourself. We barely finished together yesterday."

Datsumi looks at him. He continues to clean. After they finish, the duo walks to the school's entrance.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Sora."

"Yep! See you tomorrow!"

The two-toned-hair girl watches those brown, oyster wings waddle down the road. A gust of wind knocks her slightly off balance. Meanwhile, his gait remains steady.

"Sora!" she shouts. He stops and turns around. She sprints towards him.

"Hm? What's wrong, Datsumi?"

Datsumi stops and digs into her school bag. She holds out a mysterious silver cylinder with a dark gray and white needle.

"Here you go. You can have it."

"Hm? When did you get that?" Sora wonders.

"Umm...Sensei handed them out an' an' he, uh, skipped you. On purpose."

"So is that the one he gave you?"

Datsumi stares down at the device. It spins, spins, spins.

"Yes. But...it wasn' right for him to skip you. Besides, I don't need it. I know where I'm going." Datsumi looks up. "So here. You can have it."

Sora furrows his brows.

"But it's yours."

"Well, think of it as a present."

"But my birthday was two weeks ago."

"Then, uh, well...hmm...I guess think of it as a late birthday present. That's what Momma sometimes calls them. Happy birthday late!"