Alone beneath the sky, Sophie lay upon the grass, gazing at the clouds as the distant shouts told her that the packing crew was still working.
“To Japan,” she whispered. “Heck, why Japan? I don’t know the language, I don’t want to move.” She rolled onto her side, taking the soft, gray cat with her, cuddling it under chin. “They never asked me. They just fought and here we are! Getting ready for a change of scenery again. At least California is nice! Britain was all right, I guess, Sailor V and all. Australia was pretty cool. I got to have the most poisonous spider as a pet. I don’t remember Ireland or France or India or Brazil or Alaska. I happen to like it here. I don’t want to move again. Least of all to Tokyo!”
The cat purred reassurance at her.
“I’ll have to leave you behind, Shadow!” Sophie wailed. “At least a month in quarantine! I’ll miss you so much!”
Shadow purred softly, as if she understood, like most animals did whenever she spoke to them.
“Speaking to your cat again, Sophie?” a voice sneered from behind.
Sophie leapt to her feet, dropping Shadow, who ran for it. “No, Dad,” she whispered.
“Don’t lie to me,” her father said, stepping closer. He pulled back and slapped her so hard that she fell to her knees. “NEVER lie to your father.”
She bowed her head, her hair hiding the rapidly developing bruise on her face.
“I’m sorry,” she whispered. He grunted and walked away as Sophie’s shoulders started to shake. She wrapped her arms around herself as tears splashed into the dirt.
“I thought he had it under control,” she whispered. “I thought he was better. I guess when you beat your family for years, nothing can change you.”
She cried into the night, fell asleep, and woke up with a headache, her arms wrapped around Shadow, and her clothes wet with dew.
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They finished packing that day, sent shadow to quarantine, and took the first flight to Tokyo.
Sophie looked out her coach window as her father’s laughter drifted back from first-class. She fell asleep to the sound.
When she woke up, they were landing in Tokyo. They went through customs and found a cab to take them to 10th District, where the only houses available were big mansions with huge lots, costing way to much.
Sophie immediately unpacked and went shopping, wishing Shadow were there to be with her. She bought new clothes, smiling brightly at the people speaking gibberish and eyeing her cheek.
She ran into a girl with long blond ponytails streaming from behind two balls on her head. They both started speaking, Sophie in English and the girl in that gibberish. They stopped, laughed, and smiled, Sophie winced as her bruised cheek pulled, her hand touching her cheek gingerly.
The girl saw this, took Sophie’s hand, and tugged her into a store, speaking rapidly to the person behind the counter. She got a packet of herbs for a few coins and a bit of talking. She handed this to Sophie, pointing to the bruise.
“Oh!” Sophie said. “Thanks. You really didn’t have to, but thank you! I’m Sophie,” she said, pointing to her chest.
“Usagi,” the girl replied, pointing at herself. Then her watch beeped, she waved hurriedly, and ran out.
Sophie shrugged, took the herbs, and went home with her other purchases.
Over the next month, she joined school, not bothering to show up 4 out of 5 days, learned how to ask for the bruise medicine by name, and managed to learn a little Japanese. She also learned how to put up a hammock out back when her parents argued so she didn’t get slapped around anymore.
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