Somewhere on the bus, something rattled. The noise was irregular, stopping and starting at random moments. It was an irritation to the passengers in the drowsy heat of the afternoon and there was many a turn of the head, searching for the source of the sound. Momo was oblivious to this as her earphones were plugged in, listening to some calming music. She stared out of the window, hanging open, a habit of hers when thinking. Her mind was filled with thoughts of homework and assignments that were due. Behind her, two girls chatted quietly, bringing up topics of the latter and teenager love squabbles, a contrast to her quiet demeanour.

The bus arrived at her stop and she got off, standing as the bus pulled away, dragging up dust from the gravelly road. She watched it leave and waited a moment before walking. She turned into a dimly lit street and stopped at a run-down apartment building. Rummaging in her bag for her keys, she walked up the flight of stairs to her apartment, greeting her elderly neighbour who was leaving for somewhere. Closing the door behind her, Momo looked into the single dark room and sighed.

She took off her shoes and set her bag down beside the lone piece of furniture in the room; a small and worn coffee table. She grabbed her grocery bags and took out some chives, discount bacon and half a carton of eggs. She began preparing dinner for one and when she finished, she ate at the table that served as both a dinner table and study desk. Chewing slowly, she looked around the room that was her home. She was Hirai Momo and this was her life.

~

Classical music played softly as the sun began to rise in the east, a sign of the coming day. Birds could be heard singing through the open window that was covered by two large purple curtains and beyond the growing light, the world awoke. The person that was sleeping in the plush four poster bed moved, nestling deeper into the warmth of the blankets. She opened her eyes as someone drew back the curtains revealing the light of day.

Mina groaned and blinked a few times, glancing to the window where the maid was standing by. “What time is it?” she called, stretching. The maid’s reply was shadowed by her yawn and she peeled off her facemask and threw it to the ground. The maid bent down to pick it up and placed her ironed uniform on the bed, before announcing that breakfast was ready and left the room.

She went into her bathroom and washed her face of any signs of sleep. She admired her reflection in the mirror; her plump lips, large shining eyes and fair complexion. wrapped into a smug smile and she put on her uniform before making her way down to the dining room where her father was already seated, sipping a cup of coffee with his morning paper. She greeted him brightly and he hummed a distracted reply before returning to the daily news. Her lips thinned and she remembered his earlier transgression.

‘What reason would there be to have the maid wake me up so early?’

Her father frowned at her over his spectacles and raised an eyebrow at her behaviour.

‘I told her to do it and it is what will be the daily routine from now on. You are starting your second year of high school and I will not have you be tardy to school.’

Seeing as his daughter was about to protest, he quickly added, “And no buts.” Mina bit back her angry reply, knowing that when her father took that tone, he was intolerant of alternative opinions. She bowed her head and dug into her breakfast, muttering under her breath about how stupid her dad was.

She ate half her pancakes and hugged her father goodbye as a measure of goodwill before collecting her bag from the maid and walking out to the driveway. The chauffeur stood by the limousine and opened the door for her, taking the bag and placing it into the trunk. They drove off and Mina sat silently as she was driven to school, watching the diminished traffic, conceding that there was some merit to waking up earlier.

~

Momo looked up the large iron gates of Avonia Academy that were open in welcome. Students passed her through the gateway and she ignored the disdainful looks that were sent her way. Having already spent a year with a student body of a higher social class where she didn’t fit in had given her a thick skin and she was familiar to unfavourable treatment. She stepped into the front courtyard and sat down at a stone block as students milled around, waiting for the start of school.

Autumn had arrived and Momo tilted her head up, watching the falling leaves swirl around in the wind. A cough to the side caught her attention and she turned to see a group of girls staring at her. She raised an eyebrow in question before returning to her thoughts. A second, louder cough made her turn around again, forcing a sarcastic remark from her.

‘You should wear a mask. Wouldn’t want to spread around germs by coughing so much.’

The girl who had coughed was lost for words but Momo conceded the point and got up to leave. She knew from experience that the majority of students who attended the school were entitled brats