Trails of intertwined stars: Chapter 14

~Chapter 3: A surprise~

"Ponyo!?" Hikari yelled again, as she shook the bucket water sloshed out from the sides.
Ponyo yawned, a bubble leaving her mouth as she looked up at the girl confused. Hikari giggled, relieved.
"Hikari?" Kumiko stood behind the girl, sternly.
Even though Kumiko was only a year older she acted as though she was an adult compared to Hikari. Hikari gasped, shoving the bucket closer to herself to hide it, Kumiko clearly grew suspicious.
"What's that? I told you you're not allowed to bring stuff in, it's the rules."
"But these trees aren't on school grounds!" Hikari pouted, shoving herself and the bucket into the bush.
"Show meee!" Kumiko whined, shaking Hikari's shoulders.
"Oh, a goldfish!"
"It's not a goldfish. It's Ponyo."
"Ponyo? I want to see!"
"Promise not to tell?"
"Promise!"

They both backed out of the bush, Hikari held up the bucket for Kumiko to see.
"There! Cute, isn't she?"
As soon as Ponyo and Kumiko locked eyes, Ponyo scowled miserably, turning her back to the girl. Kumiko wrinkled her nose.
"It looks fat. My goldfish is much cuter!" Kumiko yelled.
Ponyo turned back around, sending a blast of water onto Kumiko's face and down her dress. Hikari gasped in horror, watching as Kumiko held up her dress and stared at the water stained on it. The girl's eyes practically immediately filled up with tears.
"Don't cry Kumiko, it's just water! We can dry it!" Hikari yelped, desperately.
It was too late, Kumiko burst into sobs of tears; wailing at the top of her voice. The teacher almost immediately rushed out, glaring angrily at the two.
"Uh-oh..."

"Suspended from school for two days?" Zero snorted, leaning on the desk at the care centre," I just dropped her off."
"Exactly..." Sebastian sighed," I knew this'd be impossible."
"Well, we'll give it another go. I'll collect her during my break, she can just stay with me during the job."
"You wouldn't mind?"
"Well, I never said that. It's just I'm already bored, so as long as I can keep her out of trouble; should be easy enough," Zero yawned, waving at an old man who walked by.
"Great, something tells me that school would have to have her on constant monitoring," Sebastian groaned, chopping up something in the kitchen.
"Yeah, probably best she got a suspension. It's just, wow, such a petty thing to suspend someone for."
"How were we supposed to know she couldn't bring things in?"
"Well, I'll get back to you in an hour to collect her. Good luck."
"Thanks, you too."

Sebastian hung up the phone, putting the cut vegetables in a pot of boiling water. Hikari sat on the floor, in between the two green sofas, Ponyo and her pail beside the girl as she stuck her tongue out, fixing the toy boat. The phone rang from the hallway, Sebastian groaning slightly as he opened the oven to check on the food.
"Can you get that, Hikari? It must be Claude," Sebastian asked, grabbing a pot with his apron and draining out the hot water into the sink.
Hikari groaned, standing up and running into the hallway, picking up the phone and setting it to her ear as Ponyo watched.
"Hello?" Hikari spoke,"...Yes, it's me."
"I can't get back tonight," Claude sighed, the sound of the waves and seagulls clear in the background," Tell your father I might be able to signal when I'm offshore though."
"Okay," Hikari nodded, the girl turned Sebastian walking over to take the phone," Here's Ba."