Konnichiwa: A Short Story (Chapter 2)

By Nina N

Chapter  2

I wait patiently for the bus at the top of the hill, fiddling with my purple backpack straps. I’m really nervous. 4 minutes later, Miori comes up the hill with her green backpack, swinging back and forth as she shuffles up the hill.

“Hey,” I say.

“Hi. What did you get for lunch? I got onigiri,” she says, as she walks back and forth from the stop sign.

“I don’t know. I guess I’ll find out during lunch,” I reply. All of a sudden, a big yellow bus comes around the bend, passing Fredoka Street. I hold my breath. Miori starts up the to the yellow bus, showing no signs of nervousness. I stand confused, but follow her like a duckling. The bus doors open with a whoosh. I stand in the autumn breeze, too intimidated to move. Miori suddenly gives me an aggressive push. Finally, I move to go up the stairs. I get to the top. Many faces turn to look at me as I walk along the slightly wet aisle from the shoes of the children. I find a nice seat to sit in, as Miori follows me. I take a seat, knowing that this would be where I sit for the rest of the school year. I’m too busy thinking, as the girl behind me taps me gently on the shoulder.

“Hey, how did you not miss the bus? I almost came out of my house sprinting like the devil was chasing me, so I wouldn't miss the bus,” she says, grinning.

“I’m not sure. I came out 10 to 15 minutes earlier. I thought the bus came early as well,” I say. 3 minutes pass, as I tap a blue painted  fingernail on my purple small backpack. It is filled with binders, notebooks, and folders. My favorite binder is this lime green one. I plan on using it for math.

“Hey, whose homeroom class are you in?” asks the strange girl who hasn’t told me her name at all yet.

“Um, I think it’s Mr. Raymond. Then, I’m in the orchesta,”

“Same! I’m in Mr. Raymond first period class! Oh, and you mean orchestra,” she says, slightly jumping up and down, obviously excited.

“That is great! Oh, and yes, orchesTRA,” I say, blushing at my spelling mistake. I peek through the window, glancing at a red brick building. The doors are baby blue. I hop off the bus with my new strange friend and Miori.

“I’ll lead you to Mr. Raymond’s class. It’s really easy to find,” my friend says, as she opens the slightly chipped doors.

“Bye! My first class is this way,” Miori says, as she heads towards the 7th grade wing.

“Good-bye!” I yell after her, as she trots down the hall. I follow my friend like a baby duck following her mother. As we go through the halls, the art stared through my soul. Paintings of school buses and the school are planted onto the walls. We finally reach our destination. A door with the heading above it, Welcome to Mr. Raymond’s 6th grade Language Arts Class!  looms over me.

“Here we are!” she says. She walks into the mysterious room. I follow her, trying to take small steps.

“Ah, you must be Haruko!” a man says to me, as he comes to shake my hand. I shake his hand back.

“Please, introduce yourself!” he says, stepping back.

“Okay,” I say, as I walk to the center of the room. Everyone was quiet. “Hello, my name is Haruko. Haruko Amari.”