Broken Arrows

00 | an unlikely bond

"Where there is kindness, there is goodness. And where there is goodness, there is magic."

—Cinderella (2015)

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Once, there was a girl who thought she was the happiest person in the world. She was surrounded by three people she considered her best friends, who supported her through every decision, who remained by her side like permanent fixtures. She had encouraging parents, great grades, and an overall great life.

But there was a point in which life tipped over from a great life into something worse. It couldn't stay perfect forever. It was dull that way.

And so, once the four best friends began high school, their interests changed, they started seeing new people, until one day their daily conversation ceased. Everything that had been built up between them for the past few years fell to dust. They never looked each other in the eye, they never initiated polite conversation — it was as if they'd erased each other from their memories.

But the girl never forgot. She lay in waiting with each passing day, watching as her friends became unrecognizable beings and she lost them a little more. She held onto her memories like the treasures they were, and wished upon the stars that she'd have a few more.

The girl was strong-hearted and determined, for even after four entire years of not speaking, she hoped there would be a spark to reignite the connection they'd once had between them.

All she needed was the spark.

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Sachi Nakano had always been a spitfire. Maybe that was a good thing, because if she didn't have a temper, she never would've met Hunter Castro.

The beginning of kindergarten was mostly uneventful. Sure, it held the allure of starting school for the first time and the idea of meeting new people other than family members. But compared to her own adventures, going to school seemed rather dull.

Or it was. Until Hunter decided to push her over the edge.

The other students tended to distance themselves from Sachi, for she had a hard gaze that intimidated even the strictest teachers, and she normally sat by herself to finish her lunch.

The day was as usual as the rest. She opened her Disney princess lunchbox with a click and took out the contents, organizing them over the table's surface. Each day she had a sandwich (peanut butter and jelly), apple slices (cut to perfection), and an orange juice pouch (just sweet enough for her). But today, there was a new addition to her typical lunch.

Stuffed into the corner, hidden from view, was a bunch of small Kit-Kats she'd sneaked from the pantry and stored in her lunchbox. Sachi, admittedly, had a weakness for Kit-Kats. She didn't know what it was, but she could eat thirty large pieces straight and still be up for more.

(That was part of the reason her mom made sure to hide the candy from her. She claimed Sachi had enough energy on her own, and adding sugar would only add to her restlessness.)

Her face split in a grin, and she immediately reached for the candy bar first. Her fingers fiddled with the wrapper before she tore it down completely, revealing the chocolate underneath.

"Hey!"

All of the other kindergartens had problems deciding between their indoor voices and outdoor voices, choosing to yell when it was unnecessary and speak in soft tones when they were called to talk, and this boy was no different.