TheRemnant: This is Not Flesh & Blood

Happy Birthday (Part II)

SCENE TWELVE: JIYUHEIWA

Shikauhno and Kaedai are walking out of the school gates together.

Kaedai suggests excitedly, "Maybe we can work on our homework together."

Shikauhno is non responsive.

Kaedai continues on, "Then after that we can head to the mall, or we can even paint each other's nails. Oh that sounds fun." Kaedai wistfully clasps her manicured hands together.

Kaedai rambles on, "Or we can..."

Shikauhno stops walking and finally cuts her off, "Sorry, but there's somewhere I need to be. Maybe next time, okay?"

Shikauhno quickly scurries away leaving Kaedai standing disappointingly alone.

Kaedai shouts to her, "Sure. You have my number now so don't be afraid to call."

SCENE THIRTEEN: BLEACH LAUNDROMAT, 6:49 PM

A washing machine is spinning in a fast swirl, bubbly suds begin to form on the inside. Shikauhno stares at her contorted reflection on the washing machine glass door. She sighs deeply, "Who ever washes on their birthday?"

Shikauhno sadly answers herself, "Some weirdo like me I guess." She halfheartedly blows a raspberry at her own reflection. "You suck."

Shikauhno reaches into her back pocket and pulls out a single quarter.

SCENE FOURTEEN:

Shikauhno inserts a dollar into the machine. It eats her dollar and spits out four quarters. She reaches into the slot and grabs them. She places them in her back pocket but one quarter manages to fall. It rolls under a vending machine.

Shikauhno gets on her hands and knees looking under the vending machine.

She reaches her hand under the machine and is inches away from reaching it. She ends up grabbing a penny instead. She looks at the penny covered in dust and sighs.

A husky voice from behind her says, "Once its under there, it's gone." He chuckles. His chuckle causes him to cough.

Shikauhno stands up and dusts herself off. She looks at the person behind the voice. He is a rather tan man with curly dark hair, a chevron mustache and hairy arms. He is wearing dingy work clothes, and holding a cleaning spray bottle and a rag hangs from his pocket.

He states, "I'll be closing in less than half an hour miss."

Shikauhno interjects, "But your sign says..."

The owner explains, "Yeah, I know what the sign says but since the new curfew has been put in place I'm gonna have to close earlier from now on."

Shikauhno sadly states, "I just put these in the washer."

He apologetically says, "Sorry, last wash was at six."

He scratches his head and grumbles to himself as he walks away, "I meant to change those darn signs."

SCENE FOURTEEN:OUTSIDE OF BLEACH LAUNDROMAT

Shikauhno is sitting outside the laundry mat on the bench. Her washed wet clothes are stuffed inside her backpack. The clothes drip on the floor through her backpack that is sitting on the bench next to her. The lights in the laundromat are already off.

Shikauhno is holding a small snack in a pink wrapper. She slowly opens the wrapper, "I haven't had one of these in a while." She munches into it and smiles somberly, 'I used to beg mom to buy me one every single day. She hardly ever said no.'