Everyone

My front door burst open as I shoved the damned piece of oak. It gave way without the slightest bit of resistance. Father never locked the door after all.

Our house wasn’t anything special. Hills surrounded the neighborhood on every side, leaving the constant city noises away from our quaint two-story house. Its light brown walls blended right into the surrounding houses, and the white porch with a light blue Prius under just served to add to its glorified mirage.

Inside was more of the same. Our marble counter shone white, overshadowing the rest of the rather plain furniture–NHK buzzing quietly in the background–some memorial thing for Shinzo Abe.

As I took a few more steps in, I could smell the familiar aroma of gyudon coming from the kitchen

“Hey Mari, hows…” My dad trailed off as he saw my face. “What happened at school today?”

“Nothing,” I muttered. “Don’t worry about it.”

“I hate to tell you, but I’m your dad. It’s my job to worry about it.” God, why was he always like this? Couldn’t a girl be left well enough alone?

“Fine,” I sighed, throwing myself on the couch. “I’m just not getting enough sleep. Homework and all. I accidentally fell asleep while shopping for a costume with Chiyo and had a nightmare.”

“I’m so sorry,” He said, walking away from the counter–still wearing his pink apron–one I gave him years ago for his birthday.

“Don’t be, you’re not the one who gave me the nightmare. Have you,” I bit my tongue. Sometimes I couldn't help my words getting ahead of me. “Have you ever wished that you could go back and re-experience a nightmare?”

“All the time.” Dad sat down next to me, looking me straight in the eye. “What was the dream about?”

I glanced towards the ground, uncertain what to say.

“Mom,” the words finally came from my lips. If I were to get any help, lying wouldn’t do me any good.

My first thirteen years of life only served to hammer that down.

“Mari…” His words trailed off. “You know, you’re not the only one to dream of her. It was worse a few years ago, but sometimes I can remember vividly dreaming of her, back when we were young and foolish. There’s nothing bad about dreaming of times like that.”

“It wasn’t like that. She told me to come with her, that she–Forget it. I think it was just some weird stuff Grace told me.”

“Well, sometimes our greatest wants and fears mix together up there, they’re dreams after all. They don’t work with our reason in the real world.” He slapped his knees, getting up. “Well, I’ll leave you alone for now. Just remember I’m always here if you need to talk.”

He walked over towards the kitchen, peaking his head back out at the last moment. “Oh, and I’m making your favorite for dinner today, don’t miss it!”

“Yeah, thanks Dad,” I murmured.

                                                                                    * * *

Hours later, I sat hunched over my desk, mind spinning.

My monitor faintly glowed blue with my midterm paper barely a page long. Fifteen dictionary and translation tabs sat next to it, all a headache in their own right.

Something about the constant back and forth made me want to punch my wall repeatedly until my hands bled. Why did these dammed languages have to be so different? We had Katakana, couldn’t that just be enough?

Still, the paper had to get done one way or another, and I’d rather face ten of Grace ranting about her ticket than use AI.

I leaned back, taking a sip from my energy drink. The carbonated junk felt like bliss as the fruity liquid fell back through my throat. I’d been able to quit a lot, but these dammed caffeine shots were just one step too far. Besides, I could stand to lose a little sleep. Not like I ever got much in the first place.

My hands unconsciously scrolled through social media. I could barely stand the app these days, but without it how was I supposed to keep up with everyone? Besides, school drama still was more interesting than writing an essay.

“BUZZ” My ringtone exploded, causing me to fumble my phone like a grenade. “Shit, who the hell!”

I only got more questions as I looked down at my screen. On it, a familiar photo of a blonde foreigner balancing a stack of books on her head–and Grace’s name just above.

My finger hovered above the screen. Grace calling me round this time wasn’t anything unusual, but now? Which Grace would answer the phone?

After what felt like an eternity, I eventually gathered the courage to accept the call.

“H-Hello?”

“Hey Mari, have you had a chance to start the paper yet?”

“Yeah… just started tonight.”

“I figured,” I could hear her familiar sigh over the phone. “Frankly I’m shocked you didn’t wait until next week.”

“I’m not that bad of a student! Geez, who do you take me as?”

“The kind of girl who spends most her night scrolling social media with her paper untouched.” Damn, guilty on all counts. “How far are you?”

“Barely a page in, this English translating is killing me.”

“Did you try being born in America?”
“Yeah, but the makeup there doesn't really fit my skin tone. And their eyeliner? Forget it! I’m not paying the state any dammed import tax for my makeup.”

I couldn’t get over how… normal she sounded. This was the Grace I’d known for years. Was I just overthinking everything from this afternoon?

“Hey, do you remember what we did after after school?” I asked, trying my utmost to sound completely nonchalant.

“Today,” She paused, trying to remember. “I was reading my book in class, then… that's weird. Did I hit my head on the way back?”

“No no, I was just having trouble remembering myself,” I lied. “Couldn’t have been that important if neither of us remember, or maybe this paper is causing us both to go brain dead.”

“Can't go brain dead with a paper you already finished.”

“You already finished? Bitch fuck you.” I grumbled.

“Yeah, I wanted to double-check that my Japanese made sense though.”

“Old kanji again?”

“Yep,” Grace sighed. “And I thought modern Kanji was hard enough.”

“Send it over, promise to check my English in exchange?”

“Like always, anyway I got to go, see you Monday!”

“Likewise,” I said, shoving my face against my keyboard, sulking.

What the hell was going on? I turned off my monitor, throwing myself into my warm pink blankets. That dammed essay could be saved for tomorrow.

Chiyo was with me, that couldn’t have been my imagination, and that vivid lifeless stare she had… Just thinking of it sent shivers down my spine. I’d have to talk with her about it on Monday–this wouldn’t work over the phone.

I sighed, throwing my sock against the light switch. My head still spun as I curled around in the darkness. Better to save hard thoughts until after I sleep.

Not that I’d be getting much of that after downing four hundred milligrams of caffeine.