Chapter 4: Chapter 03: We’re Doing What?

The walk to the main entrance of the hospital seemed to last forever, because Mom spent the time heading there handing out helpful advice such as, ‘Sora, don't take such big steps.’ ‘Sora, don't refer to yourself as a male.’ My absolute favorite was when we finally made it to the entrance and she told us to wait there while she went to get the car. She looked back and saw the way I was standing, I immediately heard, ‘Sora, girls don’t stand that way. Close your legs.’

It’s almost enough to make me want to go back to the hospital room. Almost.

The doctor was right though, I do tire easily. I noticed that Chinatsu was having to support me more the closer we got to the entrance. Right now, I feel like I ran a km as fast as I could. My legs are shaky and I’m breathing a little hard. Thankfully, there was a bench near us. Chinatsu helps me get over to it and we sit down. She then pulls my knees together and reaches down and crosses my ankles without a word. Not that she needed to with the look she gave me.

“Sora-nee, you might think Mom’s being too pushy about these things, but the sooner you get into these habits the better it will be. Remember, you’re going to have to go back to school soon and you’ll stand out far too much if you do what you have been. You already know what happens then.”

I’m too tired to argue the point. I know she is absolutely right, so I simply nod. I'll simply have to do my best to keep all this in mind until it becomes second nature. I don’t need any more problems than I already have. So, I suppose that means lots of practice for me.

“Don’t overthink it Sora-nee. Work on acting like the beautiful girl you are and everything will work out fine.” She tells me, trying to encourage me. Although, how she thinks that is helpful is beyond me.

“Chi, that’s far easier said than done, but I promise I'll do my best. Not that I really have much choice in the matter, now do I?”

Chinatsu chuckles and squeezes my hand a little tighter for a moment. “I'll help you in any way I can, you know that.”

“Thank you. You don’t know how much I appreciate that, there’s no way I could do this without you.”

I know it’s true too, I know nothing about being a girl. Not that I was ever much of a boy to begin with. I’ve always been the laid back, easy going type, timid, afraid to try new things, afraid of crowds, and constantly picked on by the guys in my class because I was ‘too cute’ and ‘girly’, which left me afraid of most boys. Chinatsu told me the main reason I was picked on by the boys was because I was popular with the girls because I was cute and gentle. Not that I believed her. I mean, I know a lot of girls in my class talked to me and asked me to help me with their school work, but that doesn’t mean I was popular.

I’ve never had any real male friends, up until this year in middle school, when I met Ryuichi Ueno. He stepped in when the guys that picked on me had cornered me one day and stopped them. We started talking and hanging out once in a while after that. I think it’s safe to say he is my sole male friend. I had seen him around before, hard not to considering he is by far the largest guy in our grade. He told me later that his father runs a dojo, so he had been taking martial arts lessons and working out since he was five. Which made me wonder if I should learn martial arts as well. Well, as you can guess, I didn’t.

While I spent my time waiting thinking random thoughts, Mom pulls into the drop off area a few minutes later. Chinatsu stands up, and offers her other hand to me as well to help me stand up, which makes me smile wryly because I need it badly. I'm not sure I could have stood up back up on my own. She wraps an arm around my waist, while I drape an arm across her shoulders, and with her help, I shakily make my way to the car.

Once we get in the back seat and buckle up, Mom looks at me with a concerned expression. “Sora, are you alright? You aren't hurting are you?”

“I’m fine. Merely a little tired and shaky is all. It’s nothing that the doctor didn't warn us about already. Don’t worry, with a little rest I'll be perfectly fine.”

She looks at Chinatsu as if asking for confirmation and she nods. Mom then turns around and pulls away. She works her way out to the main street and makes a left.

“Umm, Mom, isn't the house in the other direction?”

She looks at me in the rearview mirror, smiles mischievously and says, “Sora, I told you before that we had other things to do didnt I?”

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After driving for approximately twenty minutes. “Mom, why are we at the mall?”

“There are quite a few things you need before we can go home. Underwear, clothes, pajamas, shoes, and a new school uniform. So, that means we’re shopping.”

“We’re doing what?! Can’t I wear the clothes I have at home already?”

“Sora-nee, you don't really believe those will fit you now, do you? After all you are quite a bit shorter and much more petite than you were. If you tried to wear them they would fall right off you.”

“I suppose that’s true.”

“Alright, I’m glad that is settled. You two get out here and wait for me at the bench over there. There’s no point in tiring Sora out walking from the car to the entrance. Chinatsu, keep a close eye on Sora.”

“Of course Mom. I’ve always kept an eye out for her, I’m not suddenly going to stop now.”

Chinatsu opens the door, gets out and offers me her hand. “Here Nee-chan, give me your hand. I’ll help you out.”

Gratefully taking the hand Chinatsu held out for me, she helps me stand up and walk over to the bench to sit down, while Mom drives off to find a parking space.

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Once we are seated, I nervously take a look at the surroundings. I’ve never liked large crowds, which made school hell for me. I have to admit, I'm much better at dealing with it than when I first started school. I was absolutely terrified then, if it weren't for Chinatsu, I never would have made it as far as I have because she had always stayed glued to my side. Her presence has always been soothing and reassuring to me. Thankfully, both of our parents had talked to the school, so they always made sure Chinatsu and I were in the same class, until we got into middle school that is. I've gotten more used to being around a lot of people, but I still get nervous though. Even so, I still have a hard time dealing with people I don't know.

“Wow Chi, it's really busy today.”

“Of course it is Nee-chan, it’s Saturday after all.” She tells me as she holds my hand a little tighter and scoots a little closer. She knows all too well how I feel about places like this.

We are seated on a bench about 5m from the main entrance of the mall, which has a large crowd of people hanging around. There are a couple of groups of guys. One appears to be college students and the other group is closer to our age, 3rd year middle school or 1st year high school students. Both groups are openly staring at us, which is making me even more nervous, so I scoot even closer to Chinatsu.

“Chi, I don't like this at all, they are staring at us.”

“Who’s staring at us?”

“Those guys over by the entrance.” I say, nodding in their direction.

Chinatsu glances in their direction, then looks back at me. “Ignore them Sora-nee. They can't help but look, you are very pretty after all.”

I hide my face with my hands while turning beet red all the way to my ears. “Chi, please don't say things like that, it's really embarrassing.”

Chinatsu giggles, takes my hand again, and squeezes it. While she is doing that, the younger group of three boys walk over to us. “Hey, you girls are too cute to be alone, do you want to play with us?”

“No, thank you.” Chinatsu tells them flatly.

Honestly, I don't like boys, as far as I'm concerned, almost all of them are mean and rather crude. I’m sure I have this attitude from all the abuse I have received over the years, but that doesn't change the fact boys scare me.

“Aww, come on dont be like that. We’ll show you a good time. Won't we guys?” He says leering at us and laughs repulsively, making my skin crawl.

Neither he nor the other two boys look to be very nice. The one doing the talking has his hair dyed blonde, which is styled in spikes, and several piercings in his ear. He might be considered decent looking if it weren't for all that. The second one has stringy black hair, several piercings in both ears and nose, and has an ugly look in his eyes like he sees something he wants to eat. The third one is far scarier than the other two. Very tall, lots of muscles, scars on his face make him seem as if he gets into fights all the time, long, greasy black hair, and a flat nose. The look he is giving us is absolutely disgusting and raises goosebumps on my skin.

“I told you no thank you and I meant it, we are waiting for someone. Please, leave us alone.” Chinatsu reiterates our refusal, but it seems to have little effect on them.

“Listen here you little bitch! I was being nice! You are going to play with us whether you like it or not! Don’t worry, you’ll love it. We’ll be very gentle, right guys?!”

When I feel like I’m going to pass out from fear, a familiar voice comes from behind us. “Boys, unless you want me to break your necks, I suggest you move along and leave my daughters alone.”

I turn my head around so fast I hear the vertebrae in my neck pop and there stands our father. A random thought fires through my overwrought mind, ‘Eh? Wasn't he was busy today?’

“Old man, there are three of us and one of you. What do you think you can do? Anyway, we weren’t gonna hurt them no how, right guys?”

The first of the guys scoffs, glancing back at his buddies. The tallest one looks Dad up and down as if he were sizing him up before saying, “Come on guys, these bitches aren't worth the effort! They're probably all worn out from fucking their Dad anyway!”

I never even saw Dad move. With one hit the tall, scarred boy literally flies off his feet into the bushes two meters away.

“Do you two have something you want to say as well?” Dad asks the two boys in a dangerous tone. They don't even bother to answer as they turn around and run away.

I’m happy and relieved to see Dad here, but my head and shoulders droop as tears begin to fall. I can’t help it, I was scared witless. I don't know if they are tears of relief or what. Chinatsu pulls me against her and softly tells me “It's okay now. Calm down.” While Dad steps over and gently strokes my hair. I truly hate being so weak, but I haven’t the remotest idea of how to fix it.

Mom walks up behind Dad, narrows her eyes, and asks, “What happened?”

As Dad explains it to her, her expression becomes angry. When she hears the boy moan in the bushes, she turns and starts to take a step in his direction. Dad reaches out, places a hand on her shoulder, shakes his head, and nods in my direction.

Mom lets out a long breath, kneels down in front of me, pulling me away from Chinatsu, holding me tight while I bury my face in the crook of her neck and wrap my arms around her. Chinatsu leans against my back and slips her arms around my waist.

It will take awhile for me to calm down, but this, Dad protecting us and being held by these two people that care so much for me, it makes me feel incomparably safe and warm.

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