Something smells fishy

Brace for impact (part1)

The morning sun gently settled on my face. I needed to wake up, but I allowed myself the luxury to bake under the warm rays for a few more minutes before opening my eyes.

Good morning, Amy, I said to myself as I carefully pushed my lids open.

I am not a morning person. I am actually one of those people you do not want to meet before noon, the 'don't talk to me until I have breakfast' type. Despite having but a few hours of sleep last night, I wanted to wake up; I wanted to take that long shower; I wanted to get dressed and get to work; I wanted to loose myself in every day school business and forget Shiro's words.

'She needs you more than I do', he said.

Yesterday's events came pouring down on me like a rain-shower in the middle of august, but the steam — instead of crackling its way through layers of turf — was now coming out of my ears. Everything was a mess and I don't handle mess well.

Miyu didn't want me to see Shiro, Shiro wanted me to be with Miyu and I wanted to have them both in my life — Miyu as my best friend and Shiro as the person I fell in love with.

The fact that I developed a crush on the guy was not something I could avoid anymore. It's been too many times I fell asleep thinking of him and woke up with his image hot-glued in my mind, what more proof did I need.

But this tiny detail also meant that I wasn't able to keep my promise to my friend. Of course, there was Miyu and the fact that she was gay. The news of it might have dumbfounded me yesterday, but as I gave it more thought it wasn't  like she tried to hide it on purpose from me. I mentally scolded myself for being such a dimwit and not realizing it on my own.

'Arghhh,' I grumped, chocking my pillow mercilessly. A few stray punches may or may not have flown its way too. The idea of running to the kitchen for a knife and savagely cutting it open might have crossed my mind but the revelation that I would have to clean its spilled out guts after the deed, pacified me instantly.

I let my arms fall lifelessly onto the soft mattress, before pushing myself up.

Amy Taylor you have things to do and people to see, I gave myself one of my custom pep talks, forcing myself out of bed and straight into the shower.

Forty five minutes later, I was riding my stallion to work. Usually it doesn't take me more than fifteen minutes, but today was one of those days when things just refused to go my way. I've had to stop at every possible traffic light before coming to a complete halt in front of the train tracks.

'This is going to take forever,' I mumbled, flapping my hands against my thighs in desperation.

'Hey there,' somebody said behind me.

It took me a whole ten seconds to realise that the line was addressed to me. It's not like there were many other people here looking like they could speak English.

I resisted from turning around. This definitely wasn't a good morning and I wasn't in the mood to make new acquaintances or answer silly questions.

'Morning,' the stranger insisted.

I lazily threw him a peak under my shoulder. I didn't recognise the young man on the granny-style bicycle and it brought out a duh grimace onto my face.

I was in no mood to play nice today. 'Good morning,' I answered plainly and turned to face the only thing that holded me down. The boom barrier didn't flinch an inch and I couldn't hear the train coming either. I checked the time, 'twenty five minutes to go, I can still make it.'

'Where are you from?'

He was still there, insistent little pest.

I struggled between the itching need in my fingers to flip him off and the expectation of me to be polite as the good daughter my mother has raised.