Six AM Monday

6:00am.

The morning sun’s rays cascaded through the blinds as they greeted me with gentleness. I slowly fluttered my eyes open as I perceived the sight that had befallen me, myself gracefully moving up as I—

Ugh, no. I’m not doing it like that.

It’s six in the morning.

I feel like my body got tortured with the sun’s signature laser rays.

Bottomline: it hurt my closed eyes like shit.

And I feel like shit every time I wake up in the morning.

But I have to. School and whatever.

Dad had told me before that I needed to be a little bit more serious since I’m reaching the peak of my high school life.

Except everything just felt the same.

I rose up groggy, only reeling in at the time with a yawn that I never thought would escape my mouth…

It’s a freaking Monday.

I got up, prying the blinds open as the sun cascaded through my window. It’s so bright I swear it looked like the gates of heaven or something.

I had to get ready.

“…damn it.”

Wow, self. That’s the first phrase you say when you wake up? Real asinine move there, not gonna lie.

With my tired body slightly becoming more comfortable to move after I stretched, I walked up to the mirror of the bathroom near my room and washed off my face of whatever grime from a dream I can’t even think of remembering.

Who the hell remembers their dreams anyway?

As I looked in the mirror, I saw my disheveled hair.

God, girl. You need some help.

A bird looked like it could nestle its damn children there any day. Actually, not even a bird would wanna go there. It’s an absolute mess.

Fortunately, I wouldn’t look like this for the rest of the day.

I hoped.

~~~

About thirty minutes later, I was ready.

I walked down the steps from my room down to the hallway, earrings not jangling anymore—thank God.

I yawned as I greeted to no one. “Morning.”

“Morning, sweetie!”

I forgot.

My dad.

He was there watching a video of an old concert. I couldn’t make out the stage, as I’ve never been to a lot of concerts, but when I rubbed my eyes, I saw the stage a little bit: it was him, slightly younger and less gray, playing a guitar on stage.

I couldn’t help smiling.

Ugh, gross. I’m being sentimental. It’s bothering me. I’m not sentimental, I’m… whatever the opposite of sentimental was…

Realistic. I’m realistic.

“Maya?”

I snapped back to reality. I shouldn’t be doing that.

“You should eat breakfast.”

“I’m good, I’ll have toast on the way.”

He turned to face me. “But I insist! I made it extra special for you~”

Oh dear lord.

I love Dad. I really do, don’t get me wrong, but he doesn’t have the best sense of cooking. Last time, he made pancakes that… let’s just say didn’t feel very great in my stomach.

“Uhh,” I tried to say. I can’t tell him that, he’d be heartbroken. Last time I did that he sang a whole improvised song about sad pancakes for a full hour.

“I’m fine, thanks.”

“Oh ok…” he turned back to the couch, face down. Defeated.

I sighed. He’s too easy to read.

With a piece of bread I grabbed from the loaf, I headed out.

I heard him bawling loudly as I closed the door behind me.

C’mon Dad, I don’t hate you…

I just value my intestines.

~~~

The distance to my school wasn’t actually far, only passing by two houses and a convenience store. And a long road. And a playground.

Never mind, I might just be coping.

My makeup held strong though, especially as the sun mellowed down a bit. So glad it decided not to be angry at me. Appreciated.

Otherwise I’d be toast.

Speaking of toast, I finished the bread I had, now finally able to pace faster.

I don’t claim to be the most striking, I just look how I wanted to look.

I’m not some plain Jane or whatchamacallit in those movies. I wanted to express myself. Or just be comfortable with what look I do.

My auburn hair turned heads. I don’t know how to feel about it. Not like I dyed it like some of my friends did. So I kept it natural. Mine. Too much work to dye.

As I walked down the hallway of the school, my eyes dazzled the students who saw. I could feel people staring at me like they saw something spectacular.

I’m not spectacular. I don’t do spectacles.

I’m just Tsukiyono Maya.

Second year at Taiyou Gakuen High School.

No more. No less.

I went into my classroom. Everyone was staring.

Oh my God, here we go again.

They kept ogling me with varied reactions, I think. I don’t know. I lost count after the first week.

I sighed, trying to keep my sanity leveled, and noticed they finally stopped ogling my way. The sigh was convenient. Too convenient.

What wasn’t convenient was the incredibly loud girl about to approach me.

“Maya-chan! Good morniiiiing~!”

She tried to hug me. This dyed blonde-haired, blazer-around-waist, Harajuku-nails, golden-retriever-energy girl.

She always reminded me of my dad.

“Hey, Yui.”

“Yui?! Aww, I thought we’re huge besties! You should call me Yui-chan!”

I sighed.

This preppy girl is Yui. Kawazoe Yui. She’s been my friend for some time, brought about ever since I taught her in English.

She was possibly the loudest person I’ve ever known. She’s also the most endearing.

She was also looking at me a little too intently.

“Oh. My. GOD, Maya-chan…”

I blinked. Many times. “What…?”

“You look extra stunning today!”

She burst in excitement as I sighed once more, this time in relief that she didn’t glomp me.

Thank God.

If she ever did, I don’t think my body can handle that level of physical affection.

“Your gloss is so pretty!”

It’s my mom’s, Yui.

”Your hair is so pretty!”

That’s… my natural hair color, Yui.

“And oh my god your face?!”

“Is… there something wrong with my face?”

“It’s just not fair…!” Yui exclaimed. “How do you look like a supermodel with not much effort?!”

“Yui… calm down.”

“I AM PERFECTLY CALM MAYA-CHAN!”

“Yui.”

Yui opened her eyes. I was already shaken.

Literally. Her hand moved my shoulders and my head bobbed with delay. Like I was some kind of frantic bobblehead.

I feel sick.

“Ahh oh my God, sorry, sorry, sorry…!”

I cleared my throat to get my head in the correct balance of existence.

“It’s ok.”

I lied. I felt like I was gonna throw up. I thought Yui’d never let me go, but she finally did.

She clapped her hands.

“Hey, Maya-chan, have you heard of—?”

“No.”

Yui gasped. “But why?! I haven't told you about it yet!!”

“I don’t really care.”

She pouted away from me, arms crossed. “Maya-chan is so mean!”

“What are you, a kid…?”

As I asked that, two other girls walked in.

I mean, more have come and gone, but those two I expected to be here right about this time. Also they’re my friends.

“‘Sup, Mayacchi, Yuikko,” the girl who gave me the weird as hell nickname is Aoi. Miyazono Aoi. I befriended her when she needed help clearing the chalkboard. She’s a lot cooler than Yui, but might be louder on her phone.

I don’t remember. I don’t really check my MINE account that often.

“Maya-chan, ya really need ta stop hurtin’ Yui-chan’s feelings.”

And the laid back girl who looked stoned is Rina. Yamada Rina.

She’s not actually stoned. I don’t think her family, who came all the way from Osaka, would approve. She hated drugs too, which was part of how the two of us met: an anti-drugs poster project. She called my attempts to draw “boring”, which had me a little shook.

There was some time to kill before class, so my friends and I carried on with the conversation.

Well, not me. I don’t like gossip.

But at least Yui, Aoi, and Rina knew I don’t really engage in it. I just listen to it.

Apart from it being untrue, it’s just some real juicy spec-fics from the way they share it.

Yui’s been harping on about some senpai in the upper year who had relations with his teacher.

“What happened next?” Aoi asked, intrigued about the drama.

“Guess what?!” Yui slammed the table. She leaned forward, only us being able to hear. “She got fired after they got caught having—”

I leaned back.

“Woah, Yui. TMI. T’much information,” Rina replied, waving her hands up.

”I know right?! Like, I seriously can’t believe it! Forbidden love!”

Oh come on.

“Is it true though?”

“It must be…!”

“What’s your source?”

I could feel Yui’s mind short-circuiting as I asked that.

Oops. Maybe I shouldn’t have done that.

“Poor Yui-chan’s gon’ have a freakin’ brain aneurysm if ya keep doin’ dat logic thing, Maya-chan.”

“…? I just asked if it’s real…?”

“Pfft. Yuikko’s eyes are doing the twirly thingies!” Aoi snorted.

I really did do a number on Yui. She was still trying to comprehend something, like space time conundrum or something. I don’t know.

She blinked in and out.

Then she finally refocused.

“Uhh… what are we talking about again?”

“Forbidden lo—”

“OH RIGHT. So, like, I heard—”

“Is it true though?”

Yui’s right eye twitched. “Maya-chan, I SWEAR—”

I laughed, Rina and Aoi laughing with me. Yui joined in soon after.

Sure they may be stupid and overwhelming and rumor-filled and overbearing…

But they’re genuine. That’s why I stuck with them.

I found myself grinning. Damn it, I blame them.