“Good morning!!” I throw my hands in the air. I look around the classroom, the usual talking and walking about. Something is different. I immediately look at Atsuko and I see her reading a book but she has a smile on her face.

“Good morning!” I place my hand on her desk like I usually do.

Atsuko looks up from her book and says, “Good morning.” And suddenly, the room is quiet. No more talking, walking, or even the pencil noise that I hear from the artists of the class. Everyone just freeze and stare at the two of us. Is it because I got a reply? Or because Atsuko actually talked?

“All right, settle dow-“Mr. Johnson walks in and stares at everyone. This isn’t a usual morning and he’s confused as to why we’re all quiet. “Did someone get hurt? Why is everyone so quiet this morning?”

“No,” James Evans says. “Atsuko talked. She talked to Yuko no less.” So that’s it? Is it really that shocking? Did you guys expect that she wasn’t able to talk?

“She talked?” Mr. Johnson says. “Why is that surprising?” I don’t know whether that should be an insult or not. “Well, since you are all settled down. Let’s begin with the announcements.”

I’m not sitting yet. I’m still standing in front of Atsuko. I grab the seat next to Atsuko. I’m glad it’s empty because I would have had to walk to the other end of the classroom.

It’s just the same old announcements. Remember this; remember that. And as usual, I ask if we can just walk around and talk since the announcements are over. He really should be expecting it by now.

“Hey, Atsuko!” I poke her arm. “We should do our homework together again.”

Atsuko smiles. “This time, we’re going to my house. How about today, after school?”

“You bet!” I say. Suddenly, the whole room goes into whispers. I don’t know if they’re trying to be secretive because I could hear them very carefully.

“Atsuko invited Yuko to her house.” One says.

“And she smiled too. What is going on?” Another says.

Atsuko smile disappears and she slouches into her seat. “Hey,” I tell Atsuko. “Don’t worry about them.”

Atsuko nods. I sigh. Atsuko doesn’t deserve this kind of gossip. She’s a human. It isn’t strange that she’s smiling and being social.

“Yuko?” I turn around and see Minami Takahashi. She’s a very close friend of mine. In fact, she was the first one I talked to when I came to this school. “Can I sit with you two?” She asks.

“Of course!” I gesture to the empty seat behind me. “Sit, sit!”

“Thanks!” Minami sits down behind me. “Atsuko! You know Yuko has been trying to be your friend since freshman year right?”

“Really?” Atsuko says. She’s back to her non-expressive self. I want to stand up and tell everyone to stop their gossip.

“Yeah! She said that you seemed intriguing.” Minami tells her.  I suddenly feel embarrassed. Minami makes it seem like I’ve been observing Atsuko like some sort of animal.

Atsuko smiles. “I’ve never heard that before.” Atsuko doesn’t seem to mind. “Hey, why don’t you come with us back to my house later? We’re just going to do homework together though.”

“Of course!” Minami says. I smile. Atsuko is finally getting out of her shell.

---

“I’m home.” Atsuko says as we walk into her house. Her house isn’t very big but I like it. It’s very comfortable.

“Welcome back.” Her mom comes out. She’s like her daughter, calm and polite. “I see you brought some friends.” She holds out her hand. “I’m Atsuko’s mom, Natsuki.”

Minami shakes Mrs. Maeda’s hand. “I’m Minami. Nice to meet you, Mrs. Maeda.”

“I’m Yuko.” I bow my head.

“Please, call me Natsuki.” Mrs. Maeda says. I don’t know if I should. It seems a bit disrespectful.

“We’ll be in my room.” Atsuko goes up the steps. Minami and I follow her.

“Have fun, you three!” Mrs. Maeda says. It seems a bit shaky, like she’s about to cry. I guess Atsuko doesn’t bring home a lot of friends, if at all.

When she opens the door, I’m shocked at how clean it is. Nothing is on the floor, her bed is made, and I’m either impressed or jealous.

“Nice room!” Minami walks in. “It’s much better than Yuko’s.” Atsuko laughs.

“Shut up!” I laugh. It’s true it is much better.

We finished all of our homework but we didn’t double check. We sped through it so I know that some if not a lot of it is wrong but whatever, we just want to talk.

Minami tries to tell us jokes. Usually there is a 10 second silence and then, Atsuko and I laugh. She laughs and thinks that she’s found people that find her jokes funny. It isn’t true. Atsuko and I were laughing at the awkward silence that followed the joke. Her jokes are terrible.

Atsuko gets up and takes a book from her shelf. She asks us if we’ve read it but we haven’t. She explains it to us and I immediately ask if I can borrow it. Minami doesn’t seem to care. She’s not much of a reader anyways. I look at the title, If I Stay. From how Atsuko describes it, it sounds really depressing. If I didn’t know anything about the book, I probably would have thought of it as depressing judging from the title.

I look at the time and I can’t believe that we’ve wasted so much time on talking rather than working. I guess we should go home.  Atsuko offers to drive us home. Not like she has a choice, Minami and I didn’t drive here. Minami’s car is in the repair shop and I just don’t have a car.

“Can I drive?” I ask Atsuko.

“I’d let you but it isn’t exactly my car.” Atsuko tells me. I nod. I understand. I wouldn’t let anyone drive if I was borrowing someone’s car.

We drop Minami off first then we go to my house next.

“Thanks for tonight.” I tell Atsuko.

Atsuko smiles, “You’re welcome.”

“Don’t mind our classmates. They don’t know any better.” I try to reassure Atsuko. I wonder if this morning’s gossip really bothered her. I really want her to be more expressive and not care about what other people think. Last night, I think I saw the real Atsuko. A person who laughs beautifully, and plays along with people, not the shy, monotonous shell everyone sees in class.

“It’s ok.” Atsuko says. We’re almost to my house but I don’t want this ride to end. It means that we’ll have to leave each other soon. Atsuko starts slowing down. Is it because she doesn’t want this ride to end too? Either way, it’ll have to end. The car isn’t moving backwards.

We made it to our house and I get out. I’ll see Atsuko tomorrow.

“Thanks for the ride.” I tell Atsuko.

Atsuko smiles and says, “See you tomorrow.”

“See you tomorrow.” I turn around and walk to the door. I hear Atsuko leaving my driveway.

“I’m home.” I say as I enter my house. I see my mom standing there with her hands on her hips and anger in her eyes.

“Where have you been? I was worried sick!” My mom says to me. Oh shoot, I forgot to call her and tell her that I’ll probably be late.

“Sorry, I was at Atsuko’s house. I forgot to call. It won’t happen again.” I tell her but I don’t think it is working. Her eyes are still full of anger.

“It’s fine to be with friends. I encourage it.” She says. “What I mind is you not telling me where you are. I tried calling you but you didn’t answer.”

I put my phone on silent and just threw it in my bag. I feel awful when I imagine how many missed calls it’ll say on my screen when I check.

“I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.” I say.

“All right. Just remember to call, especially if you’re going to be out late or bringing home a friend.” She says. She turns around and heads towards the living room.

I go to my room and shut the door. I change out of my uniform and put on my sleeping clothes. I climb into bed and pull the blanket over me. Then I heard a door close. Dad is home.

I get out of my bed so I can greet dad but then I hear my mom shout at him.

“You said you would be back last week!” Mom says. Last week? I thought dad’s trips were indefinite. That he’ll come home when he comes home.

“Sorry, my bad.” Dad says. Is he trying to infuriate mom?

“Don’t ‘my bad’ me!” Mom says. “I know it’s a business trip. That you’re doing your job but I don’t appreciate you lying to me like this!” This is the first time I’ve heard my parents fight. “This isn’t the first time either.” You mean you two have fought over this before?

“Well, sorry for working so I can put a roof over our heads!” Dad says. I’m getting scared. I go to my door and lock it. Fearing what might come to me later on in the night because of their anger. I lock my windows too, just in case.

The fight is getting worse and worse. Their shouts are louder and I'm afraid I might hear screaming. I take my phone and try to text Atsuko. Then I realize, I don’t have her number. I want to talk to Atsuko.

I can’t help but feel responsible for mom’s anger tonight and I cry into my pillow. Please, let this just be a fight. Don’t let it lead to something worse.