Another: The Class of 1999

Chapter 14 - In Depth

I discussed going to Clarissa's house with Mai. I told her that I was excited but nervous at the same time, so she said we could see how the day went before agreeing to a sleepover, or Clarissa could even come and sleep at our house.

I struggled with deciding what to wear, but finally I chose my laced white blouse with short sleeves. Normally I'd hate wearing short sleeves, but I noticed the shirt hung up at the back of my wardrobe and it felt like it was almost calling out to me. With my denim skirt and opaque tights, I looked quite presentable. Part of me wished that I had a necklace to go with my outfit.

I stood looking at myself in the mirror. I noticed that I has definitely gained weight since moving to Yomiyama. My body looked a lot healthier. I slowly spun around. My clothes were no longer hanging loosely.

Clarissa tested me her address, and Mai said that she'd walk me there. I noticed that, as we made our way to Clarissa's house, the buildings were looking less western and more Japanese with every street.

Clarissa's house exterior looked beautiful. It reminded me of a temple, with the layered triangle roofing, and the thin white pillars supporting the overhanging roof of the verandah. The walls were white and smooth, the sliding doors were wooden and polished. The lawn sitting around the house was bright green and I could smell that it had been cut that day. They even had a tree surrounded by rocks in the garden.

The woman who opened the door to us was Clarissa's mother. I remembered her from when we went to the shopping centre. Her skin was much darker than Clarissa's and she squinted so her eyes were almost shut. Her hair had been wrapped in a crisp white bandana. She smiled warmly. She was dressed in a white yukata which was decorated with intricate dark blue swirls with closed flower buds. I couldn't help but realise that she was the complete opposite of Mai.

"Tsuki! Hello!" Clarissa's mother stepped back. "Come on in!"

"Excuse me," I said respectfully, entering the house and taking off my shoes. I took a quick look around.

The room I was in was a tradition Japanese washitsu room. There were eight tatami mats on the floor, and the ceiling was raised and white. At the other side of the room there were the white sliding fusuma doors. At the right hand side there was the tsukeshoin study desk underneath a window, which was surrounded by the translucent shoji sliding windows. To the left was a built-in staggering chigaidana wall shelving, with the counter displaying a mosaque vase and incense burners. In the middle of the room there was a smooth wooden low table which was square, with blue zabuton cushions sitting at every side.

The fusama door slid open, and there was Clarissa, wearing a black skirt and black and white chequered shirt with buttons going down the front. She was wearing thin black tights, and had a black choker around her neck.

Her and her mother dressed so differently, I almost laughed out loud.

Clarissa pushed her glasses up her nose and smiled. "Hi, Tsuki-san!"

"Hello, Clarissa-san," I replied. "Thank you for inviting me over today."

Clarissa's smile grew even bigger. "It's my pleasure. Let's go to my room."

"Do you two girls need anything?" Clarissa's mother asked us. Her voice was calming and gentle, and she clasped her hands together softly. The thick wrinkles on her face somehow made her even more loveable.

"We should be fine, thank you," Clarissa smiled at her mother. "I'll get things if we need it. Come on, Tsuki-san!"

I said goodbye to Mai and Clarissa's mother before following my friend through her maze of a house.

Clarissa's bedroom appeared to be the only western room in the house, although it did contain elements of traditional Japan, like the low table and shoji windows. The light colours of the lilac carpet and white bedsheets surprised me a little. To the left of the room there was her bookshelf and small chest of drawers. The bookshelf was home to a few books, but mainly full of trinkets and ornaments, like one shelf had the empire state building, the stature of liberty, the eiffel tower and the big ben. Then the shelf underneath this one had glass balls, paperweights, an ornamental witch's hat and an open black box full of jewellery.