"What do you mean?" My mother asked after a prolonged silence.
"I lied...about..." I gulped but continued. "There was never a photography camp. Those people in the picture are my friends and they weren't in costume, I was a horrible person for saying that... "
"Wait..." My dad said. "This is no time to be making jokes, you're scaring us."
"It's not a joke," I made sure to look at Ichiro when he said. "They're from Oya High. And they're the best people I've ever met."
"Oh my God!" My mom exclaimed with her hand on her head, she looked like she was about to faint. "Haruka, how did that happen? Why would you do that?"
"And Madoka, the girl you met, Mom, is my real best friend, my only friend at school, because she's the only person there who never laughed."
I heard my uncles, aunts and cousins whispering things like 'How awful!' And since I had a great Sensei, it didn't offend me.
"My friends can talk, act and be different, but they're not vandals. They don't want to be like us either, because they're true to themselves, not wearing masks." I stood up, to feel more confident.
"I said you should have given that girl boundaries!" My aunt interjected.
"They didn't have to, all these years I've given myself too much boundaries." I replied. "You guys always said I'm too quiet, well now I have things to say. My friends would never hit someone to make themselves feel better, in fact while you were sitting here criticizing my romance books, Oya's students helped save the city a while ago and ended drugs, not only in mine but in several schools in the area! Their lives may be different, but they were the only ones who never criticized me for being the way I am!"
"Yamamoto Haruka, sit down now! And we'll talk about this later!" My father said trying to remain calm.
But I couldn't sit down, I had to finish what I started.
"I always knew she didn't belong here." Ichiro said as if I wasn't there.
"It's true I don't belong here and I never did!" I said even louder. "The difference is that now I know where I belong and I need to go there now."
I got up and went to the door, but before leaving I looked at my parents.
"Mom, Dad...I'm sorry for lying. But I will never apologize for knowing and loving my friends..."
"Haruka!" My mother yelled, the last thing I heard, when I closed the door, was my father telling her to let me go and reflect.
So I ran and my path has never been so certain.
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