Chapter 1 - Memory

Memory

        Claire Srun sat at the table of her three-room apartment staring out of the window, "mmm..." Claire rose, the doorbell had chimed. "Come in..."
Claire was smothered by a light brown fireball and knocked to the floor,
" Cee Cee!!! Cee Cee!! It's been so long--"
"stop, stop!!! You're choking me!!" It was Patricia, the girl next door. She had been off on vacation near Bristol or somewhere. "What's up?" Asked Claire, smeared with lipstick from her attacker.
"Ooo! Thought you'd never ask!! You see--"
"Don't I always ask?"
"...Well yes, but anywho--" Claire sat down. She had had enough of Pat's insistant babble. She had gone on for what Claire swore was half-an-hour about how her mother had done... Somthing or other. She had not been listening. Her eyes had seemingly drifted back to the window while Patricia was rambling on about buying a doll, or action figure, something. Claire had made popcorn and brought out two cans of Coke. She had already eaten half the popcorn before Pat had seated herself and stopped jibbering. "It's been so---"
"long." She finished Pat's sentence. She had finaly left after what felt like an hour,
"bye!"
"Bye..."

        There had been this boy at school, tall, skinny... Claire had her eye for him, Suji... Nice name... Sunday morning is when it happened... Suji had been sitting on the fountain rim and some dumb idiot stuck his foot out and tripped her, head over heels, into the hedge. This caused her to drop books, bag, pens, everything, including homework that the tripper had snatched up from the ground. He began scribbling out my name on it. Written in pen, he could not erase it. The fool... The fat old fool of him... That's when Suji came into the picture. He, sitting on the fountain rim, stuck his leg out. Trip, fall, things flying, Homework... Claire had gotten up and ran for the flying homework. The fountain?!?! Snatch, taken, by, "Suji?!? Giv'it!!" Suji gave it to her and started Picking up MY books?? But why?? I had reached him.. "Suji, don't! I, I can get it myself.."
"No, no please, I'm honered to assist a girl as pretty as you." Claire thought hard... Assist+call pretty=awesome! :)
"Thank you!" Claire said, reaching down to help pick up the books, her thick, ink black hair shrowding her now scarlet face.


The Secret

        Yes, after the tripping, Claire officialy liked Suji. She decided to go... "Suji?"
"Yep?"
"Um... Do you wanna, you know, go like to the coffee shop, and, um... Get something, er..."
"Date?" Suji interupted.
"0.o Um, yeah! sure."
"I've been trying to ask you for weeks." Said Suji, turning pink.
"Me too, really..." Replied Claire, also turning color. Not pink, more... Purple... Claire was holding her breath. She let it out. "So... Is Thursday good?" Inquired Suji
"Um.." She pictured her written shedule on her kitchen counter. "Yeah!"
"Great! So, see you Thursday?"
"Yeh, I guess" They left each other. Her face crimson.

        "You're DATING HIM?!?!" Patricia shouted over the phone that evening.
"Shut you're mouth!" Claire had said quickly, wondering how long it would take that the old, nosy, cat-loving neighbor to hear Pat thrashing and screaming. "You'll wake the building.."
"But still!" Whispered Pat loudly.
"Social meeting at a coffee shop,"
"That's called dating, Y'know."
"....." This conversation slipped from Claire's mind slightly. "Look, I'll see you tomorow. Bye"
"Ooo! Ok, bye-byee!" Click.

        Claire hoped she wouldn't see Pat tomorow. But, the school year was almost over.. Claire's thought's were on nothing she did. Breakfast, Date... School, Date... Monopoly, Date.... "For gosh sake! You're movin' you're piece the wrong way around!" Claire had been losing this game from the start.. "I say we quit... I win. You need lunch and a nap."
"Can I do both at once---?"
"You're drifting away! Get up!!" Claire was dreading the date. It was tomorow.

        Claire and Suji were at the coffee shop. Suji was complaining about how awful the coffee shop she had picked was. Claire snapped, Suji shouted, Claire stood up...
        Claire sat up in her bed, drenched in sweat. "I'm.. just overreacting.. that's all." It was five A.M.. Claire got up and made cereal. As she sat down at the table, took a spoonful and... DING-DORNK!! "The gosh-dang door!! Come IN!! Pat you know I hate it when--"
"Claire!! When I got up, I found..." You're gonna die, tomorow, maybe? "Suji's changing you're date, it's tomorow. At his house." How sad... "Oh, ok, thanks Pat."
"Can I eat breakfast with you?" "As long as you don't babble on and on about your trip."
"I won't"
"ok." They ate breakfast together. Pat was jealous of the Rice Krispie bar sitting on the table. Claire threw it in Pat's cereal, "take it, I'm trying to cut down." "Is' soggy..." Squish... "Ooo. Is' yummy in milk!" Pat was driving Claire to the point of insanity.
Telephone, Pat. Doorbell, Pat. Mail, Pat. She turned to her oatmeal. Pat, dipping her Rice Krispie into her cereal, said, "Claire, I think you and Suji go well with milk...."Claire's face jerked forward, spraying soggy oats to the floor. "Well together!!! Well together!"

Together

        
        English, possibly the most boring subjects on earth. Or one of the most. Sitting thru lecture, Claire realized that Suji, sitting behind her, was braiding her hair! "Nothing else to do?" Whispered Claire smugly.
"Nope." Pat, across the room, winked at Claire. She looked away. Gosh... Sitting in a classroom with nothing to do and a hot guy behind you braiding you're hair... Oh my gosh! Jeez, that braid is good! She almost voiced it. "You're hair looks nice in a braid." Suji mouthed to Claire. Claire flushed hot pink. Friday came all to soon. Claire got up that morning, Suji's braid, ruffled, still in her hair. She had added two rubber bands to it so it stayed. She went to the washroom and brushed her teeth. She checked how good she looked and felt while absent-mindedly brushing her tounge. She judged, said,
"Adequate" and pranced to the kitchen, downing a pancake as fast as she fried it, got dressed, and sprinted to school.

        Claire was mad. Not angry mad, but wild. Driven so by Pat. Claire wondered if Pats could be hunted. She just wanted to invite Pat over, pull down the curtains, take her pocket knife and..... But no, she loved Pat to much. They were friends since first grade, and she couldn't end it. Not like that, anyway... It was over now. She was at school. With Suji... The date! "Oh!" Claire had forgotten, for the first time in days, she had forgotten the date!! Claire ran to the washroom and wrapped her braid around the center where the rubber band was and tucked it in. A bun, nothing fancy, but elegant.
She let some strands of hair fall out of the bun, it looked nice. She ran to english class. "Be seated, class." Called Mr. Milard, the teacher. Claire sat, in front of Suji as he had asked. "May I braid you're hair again?"
"Whatever.." She smiled as she said it. He took out the bun, the braid, and rubber bands. Suji began with a ponytail, braided it with ease, and rolled it up like Claire had it. Except he braided the strands of hair that fell from the bun. "Cool." Said She.
"Thank you."
"You should be a hair stylest when you get older."
"You really think so?"
"Yes" Claire said, patting her bun. It held tight, "it's nice." She yawned. Is this flirting? Hmmm... The bell rang. Two more classes 'till resess... BRIINNG!! One more class... BRIINNNNGGG!!!!! Resess... Claire walked over to Suji. Suji picked her up and set her on the fountain rim. Claire hugged Suji, face less pink than normal now. She was getting used to it. That, was flirting... "Suji..."
"Ye?"
"This is just... So, great..." Suji smiled. She laid her head on his shoulder and fell asleep...

Dream

        Suji was carrying Claire, wedding style. Walking thru a jungle, "where are we going?"
"You'll see..." Claire fell asleep in the long journey. Poke... Poke... Claire arose, dreary. "Look" Suji said, rousing Claire fully. He had set her down, her head lolling on Suji's shoulder. She opened her eyes, they were sitting in front of a huge flock of peacocks.
"We don't have peacocks here.." Claire whispered.
"No, watch.." Suji threw a rock just in front of the nearest bird. It took flight, cawing, and in unisen, all the birds took the sky. Claire turned her head to watch them. Beautiful birds with fanned tails...
        BRRIIINNNGGGG!!!!!!! Claire's eyes snapped open. She was lying in the shade of an oak tree. Suji was supporting her neck.
"Claire, it's time, resess is over."
Funny, she had been sitting on the fountain rim. He carryed her again... The dream... It was a cool dream.. Peacocks...

        Claire had written her dream out during writing class. Except for John was carrying Madolyn in her written version, so no one would know the date.
"So good, inspiring!" Mr. Sasquez said as he read my paper through. He had her read it to the whole class. The girls were in awe, the boys wern't listening. Except Suji.
"It was a paper! Come on!"
"It was inspiring." Kassie whispered. Claire paused.
"Mmmm.." BRRIIINNNNGGG!!! School's out...


Date

        Claire rode the bus to Suji's house. "I'm sorry, Claire, but my house is the last stop.."
"That's alright."
"Everyone gets off right at the beginning"
"and you have a long ride?"
"Yeah." Claire looked around.
"We'd have the bus to ourselves..." Suji smiled.
"The driver is closed off from the rest of the bus, so we'd really have the bus." Everyone was gone as we rode. Suji motioned for her to get on his lap. She hesitated, then was pulled onto him. He layed her down on the seat. Suji kneeled down on the floor. She was on her side and very comfy. Claire sighed while looking into the back of the bus seat. It faded. She fell asleep...

        "Hey, wake up you two!!" Claire rose. Suji was stiring.
"I'm sorry, I fell asleep." Claire yawned.
"Yeh, so did you're buddy. Go" The bus driver pushed them out.
"Not a kind person, mind you." Suji said. Claire chuckled, they both laughed openly for a strange reason. The couple walked to Suji's house. It took ten minutes. Wether the bus could not turn in the narrow driveway, or he hated Suji. Turn around. Claire nodded. They reached his house and entered. "My mother's out, but I told her you and I were going to be here, so."
"Mmmm.." Claire thought. Nice house..
"Would you like somthing to eat or drink?"
"Umm..." To heck with politeness, he dated me! "Um.. A turkey sandwich and a glass of Fanta if you'll be so kind." Claire looked in the fridge over Suji's shoulder as she chose.
"Ok."
"No mustard on the sandwich, please."
"Will do." Suji smiled as he washed his hands and made the sandwich. "There's a can of your pop in the fridge."
"Thanks."

        They sat on the couch while eating their sandwiches. Suji had a ham sandwich with lemonade. They watched TV. First watching Fullmetal Alchemist, then Spike's World's Wildest Police Videos, then Suji showed Claire his AIBO, named Russel. They had a pillow fight and played video games. Then back to the couch. Watching each other sing karaoke. They were laughing so hard by the time they got to the third song, they couldn't sing any longer.
Then to the couch for again.
"Ah, Suji!" Claire smiled. They were close.. "Join me.." Suji sat on the couch. Claire loved him. No other word for it. Yes, they were close, to close. "I like you a lot, Suji.."
"And I, you." Much to close..


College

        Claire and Suji were planning to start there freshman year at The Academy, a high rank university. Claire packed up her apartment. Most things packed in boxes, the doorbell rang. "Pat, if it's you, I'm going to-- Suji?!?!" Yes, Suji was standing in the doorway.
"Hi, can I help?"
"Yes, thank gosh!" Claire piped up, smacking her fists together. "Could you pack those three boxes into that green Ford, down there?"
"Ok." Suji seemed eager.... to eager.. The packing took them the morning and when they finished, Claire cooked ommlettes with cheese and peppers. She poured milk into two glasses. "You cook good ommlettes.."
"Thank you. I'm ready to go, but I don't know where the university is.."
"Oh, you can follow me, I'll be in a white Subaru with blue stripes on it."

        Claire followed Suji's truck to The Academy. They claimed dorms and furnished them. Then ate breakfast. They worked through most of freshman year together. Claire was behind, Suji was there. Suji was stuck, Claire was there. They were glad they had each other. They worked through sophomore year like this to. But then junior year came. Majors. This is where they separated. Claire took an art major. Whereas, Suji, took a writer's major. They helped each other all they could, but it was harder. Much harder..

        Senior.. The ever closer graduating exam was looming. The tests were extreme. Suji and Claire could not help each other at all with test study.
Closing the book or falling asleep on it near 2:30 am was the scedule. Claire often fell asleep at the window, Suji, the lamp. Once both staying up until it was light and neither went to class. Luckly, the class was a class and not a test that day. Graduation... Test... So long.. Term papers.. Oh, so hard.. They both managed to scrape a passing grade and graduated. And Suji was gone, gone to some foregin country. Gone forever. Gone as soon as he came..

        
Love


        Seven years after, Claire had not been married. She'd stayed in her apartment. Cooking one evening, there was a knock, not a ring, but a knock.
Claire answered it. Probably Pat and her thirty five children.. "Hello?" It was Suji. No kiss, no hug, not even so much as a friendly hello. He knelt, and said four words... "Will you marry me?"

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