A Crain's New Friend | Teen Ink

A Crain's New Friend

December 10, 2015
By HungaryM.Watson, Lafayette, Colorado
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HungaryM.Watson, Lafayette, Colorado
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The author's comments:

from the point of veiw of Akito Fujimoto

“Well,I mean..Look at him, he’s just so weird!”
    “His eye’s scare me.”
    “An look at his hair! if he’s gonna go to a human school he should at least dye his hair.”
    “I know right.”

    The gossip and hate filled whispers from the girls behind me fill me with guilt, I move my eye’s from my paper to across the room. Alone, in the back of the room far from anyone else, sits the boy they’re speaking about. He’s of an average height, his skin a dull paper white, but in the bright sunlight coming from the window it looks relatively normal. His short wispy white hair shimmers like pictures I’ve seen of fresh fallen snow. And as for his eyes, they’re crow black with the whites of his eyes tinged a dark grey. They scare almost everyone, but unlike the others I can see the small flecks of claiming old grey that lighten the black, as well as the kindness that he tries to show to people who are so horrible to him.
    “Why is he even here he’s not even paying attention.”
As the girls voices crawl back into my head as my eyes drift from the gentle black down to his slim, nimble hands. Quickly and neatly his fingers are moving and folding a piece of paper. Origami is what it’s called. Ever since we began expanding to and terraforming new planets 500 years ago in the year 2020, small traditions like origami have become lost except to history buffs and Japanese descendants (or other countries depending on the tradition). 
Each day and every day, I see him folding all sorts of different papers into different animals and interesting things. But there’s one in particular he seems to love the most. It’s called a crane, it’s said that a crane represents good fortune and longevity because in legends it lives for thousands of years.
I wonder why he loves cranes so much...
I watch as he forms the birds beautifully folded body.
On top of that I wonder how he knows about origami.
    “Chūsuke!” the teacher brings his book down on the table in front of the boy causing him to jump and drop the crane.
    I jump as well and stare at the teacher. when did he get there????
    Slowly after regaining his heart beat Chūsuke looks up at the teacher. “Yes sir?” a little shaky from the shock his warm and calming voice can be heard from every corner of the room, even tho he’s speaking quietly.
“You’re not paying attention yet again!”
“At least that is what you bel-”
“It is not a belief it is a truth! you’re sitting here folding meaningless paper and wasting an opportunity to learn that you shouldn’t h- What are you doing?”
    Chūsuke has now risen to his feet and began gathering his things. “I shouldn’t have to sit here and let myself be in a position that puts my mental health at risk”
    “You ungratef-”
    “Call me what you wish, I don’t care anymore.” He begins heading for the door and the teacher grabs his arm.
    “You dare to disrespect me further?”
    I feel a rage boil up inside me and I slam my hand against the desk pushing myself to my feet and waltzing over to the teacher. “Excuse me sir, but you disrespected him first, he’s explained multiple times that by doing things with his hands he focuses better.”
    “I do not recall this.Miss Akita return to your seat at once.”
    “No! I’m tired of this everyday you and everyone else in the damn school treat him terribly and with no respect just because he’s different! Sure he doesn't look like he’s paying attention, but as the class president am well aware that he has higher grades than even me.”
    “That’s still no excuse for him to be disres-”
    “I will state again. You disrespected him first. And he has bit his tongue and taken it!” I look around the room. “From all of you!” I look back to the teacher.
    “Why you lit-”
    “And on top of that, laying your hands on a student like that.” may as well make this count. I pull out my phone and take a picture of the situation, and boy does he let go quick. “This could get you fired.” Slowly a small smile slips onto my face as the teacher stands there in shock, Chūsuke as well.
    A small speechless noise slips from Chūsuke’s lips as I turn to him and hold my hand out. “Mind if I come with you?”
    “u-uh, n-no.” He takes my hand and I lead him out of the classroom with a little bit of haste.
    Oh my god did I seriously just do that?!?!?!

The author's comments:

from Chūsuke Koizumi's point of veiw

Well, and here I was thinking today would be the same. Insults here and there, the constant talking as if I’m deaf, the teacher insisting that I'm disrespectful and ungrateful. And it was, everything was going as usual, so why did I get angry?! It’s nothing new! I guess I do have a threshold. But, even more puzzling is this girl. Why does Akita Fujimoto the class president three years running have a hold of my hand. Where is she taking me?
    It doesn't take long to get my answer as she leads me out into the school garden dome. “W-wait aren’t only staff and the garden club allowed in here?”
    “Don’t worry. I’m a member of the garden club, we’re allowed to bring people with us.”
    “O-oh, but why are you bringing me here.”
    “Because. I can see it in your eyes your agitated, but you’re also sad. I’m sick of seeing how sad you are as well as how people treat you. So I thought I’d bring you here and see if it’d cheer you up.”
    “y-you can see all that?”
    “Yeah.”
    She, she looked into my eyes?
Soon we’re at the back of the dome and she stops, looking out the glass windows at the sun bathed islands that float around in our atmosphere. They look so surreal, it’s amazing. “Wow.”
    “Pretty isn’t it?”
    “Yeah.”
    She let’s go of my hand and turns to me. Slowly I look away from the islands and to her as she stares right into my eyes. “I’m sorry that they treat you like they do, and I’m sorry that I didn’t listen to myself and try and help you sooner.”
    “W-why are you apologizing to me?” I slowly look down and away from her deep and remorseful purple eyes. “I’m just a mutt, I’m used to what they say, you don’t have anything to apologize for.”
    “A mutt?” surprise and confusion fill her voice. I look back to her as she tilts her head to the side a bit, her long chocolate brown hair swishing as she does.
“You didn’t know?”
“Didn’t know what?”
I pause for a second. “My mother is human and my father is a Wokago from the planet Nina”
“Wokago?”
“Yeah, also known as water walkers.”
She moves her head up right again her eyes lighting up. “That sounds so cool!”
“I-it is?”
“Yeah!” She spins on a heal and looks back out the glass. “To have such an interesting family sounds fun.”
I crack a small smile. “Yeah, it is.” I look back outside as well. “My mom is an elementary school teacher, and she’ll sub for teachers here.” I look down to my feet. “She fought really hard to get me in here.”
“What about your dad? does he work?”
“He’s trying. He’s been trying for years to get even a decent job, He has an amazing memory and can do so much. But no one will hire him because of his species.”
“That’s a little messed up.”
I look back to her. “huh?”
“That no one will hire your dad because of what he is.”
“You, you really think so?”
“Of course.” she looks back at me. “He sounds like an awesome person.”
“Yeah, he is.”
She turns fully so she’s facing me. “Alright, I’ve made up my mind.”
“A-about what?”
Suddenly she goes into a bow like mama when she’s apologizing or showing respect to someone like her boss or a co worker. “How would you feel about being friends? Sorry I’m not very good at this.”
“F-friends?”
“Y-yeah, I’ve been wanting to ask you for a while but I’m terrible at doing stuff like this. S-so what do you say? think we could be friends?”
A surge of emotions that I thought I’d locked away boil up inside me. Before I know it my vision blurs a bit as tears well up and slide down my cheeks. “You, you’re not kidding are you.”
She looks up at me. “Of course no- oh my gosh. are you crying? Oh no. I’m sorry!” She straightens up pulling a handkerchief from her pocket and starts drying my tears.
“Don’t be sorry, I, I just wasn’t expecting, I don’t know what to think, I, I don’t know what to say.”
“Then don’t think, what is your instinct and heart telling you to say.”
I sniff a bit and grip my shirt right over where my hearts reside. “They’re telling me that for once this isn’t a lie, that you're not just taking pity on me. And that I should say yes.”
“So?”
I smile. “Yes, I, I’d love to be your friend.”
I swear stars started spinning in her eyes as a wide smile spread across her face. “Yay!” She moves forward and wraps her arms tightly around me. “I’m so glad!”
I find myself giggling a bit as I wrap my arms around her as well. “Thank you”
I’m not alone anymore.



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This book has 5 comments.


on May. 24 2016 at 7:14 pm
HungaryM.Watson, Lafayette, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
@Krystal4 cool, I've posted the other story. I'm not sure if you can find it through my profile or not. It's called Even the Rain is quiet now.

Krystal4 said...
on May. 10 2016 at 7:42 pm
Krystal4, Buena Park, California
0 articles 0 photos 16 comments
Oh btw I changed my name. It's Kyrstal4 now

Krystal4 said...
on May. 10 2016 at 7:40 pm
Krystal4, Buena Park, California
0 articles 0 photos 16 comments
That's ok. If you want, I'd be willing to read your other story when I have time :)

on May. 10 2016 at 3:42 pm
HungaryM.Watson, Lafayette, Colorado
0 articles 0 photos 2 comments
@Christelle Sorry that I took so long to respond to you. I don't know if I'll be doing anymore on this story but I am working on another story.

Krystal4 said...
on Jan. 9 2016 at 1:27 am
Krystal4, Buena Park, California
0 articles 0 photos 16 comments
This is really sweet! Are you going to write more?