Restrained

Part 1 - Midnight eyes ((1/3))

The first day of high school in Tokyo wasn't a complete drag. Well, I mean if you don't count the fact that it was horrible... I had already began to think it was useless, hoping to fit in. Why disguise the undeniable?

I clutched my frozen yen in my right hand, and rubbed my thumb against the surface. It was so cold outside that even the coin seemed a bit warm. To be frank, I really needed gloves, but I never had enough money to spare for it. Oh well... I guess I can't really complain in that case.

I walk and walk against the slippery surface of the ice below me. Hoping not to fall, I tiptoe around each chunk of ice into the dirty snow nearby. My boots were immediately soaked at this point, and there was no way of avoiding that ice, whether I liked it or not.

Rolling my eyes at the unlucky situation, I go back into the icy sidewalk. Each step I counted to keep a steady pace, although I lost my balance here and there.

I wish it hadn't been Winter.

I wish the Sun would come out again and smile at me like it did last Summer... I miss the heat and the carefree laughter of the children in my old neighborhood, with Nana. The memories fill me with nostalgia, but ultimately sadden me in return.

I'm so frustrated with myself. I swear, everytime I try not to think about those times, they keep coming in like a flood of water. There's no real way I can stop remembering, at least...

Not that I know of.

I turn my head up to keep my hot tears from flowing down my cheeks. A grey canvas surrounds the sky, the Sun hidden between a mass of unhappy, gloomy dark clouds. It looks as if the sky is sad. From that, I could tell it was going to snow very soon.

I remember I heard about a storm on the news this morning.

The heaviest snowfall of the year, they said, but I doubt it. The weathermen are often wrong about most things. Good thing I even paid attention to the forecast, otherwise, I'd have wandered astray (like I usually do after school) and possibly, gotten caught in a blizzard.

As I breathe in cold air, my nose tracks down a familiar scent of peppermint. Footsteps that echo with an unfamiliar swiftness start to sound like someone would be coming my way in an instant.

I scurry ahead and try to get up the stairs, just to avoid confrontation with a possible neighbor. The stairs are partly dry, some wet from melted snow of other people's feet.

So, I take my time walking softly on each single step, just to be careful. It's not like the person who was walking by would talk to me meanwhile I'm going up the stairs... that'd be a bit odd.

Well, in my introverted perspective, I guess.

As I approach the second level of apartments, I hear heavy footsteps behind me. Soon, many other footsteps follow, along with a screeching noise coming from a truck near the parking lot. What is going on?

I wanted to see badly and turn around, but I became scared and kept walking ahead like I truly wasn't curious. After a while the noise drew me in... and I couldn't help but turn and look right in front of me.

There were cameras flashing, I could feel the heat of large lights that lit up the entire apartment building, and large groups of people conversed amongst each other as some tried to scream out. It was all a mumble, honestly, but it looked like the paparazzi.

Why would the razzi be here of all places? No way...

Is the person who was behind me....

Famous?

For a second I found it hard to breathe when the people started asking me questions all at once. I hadn't realized I was being dragged away from the edge of the staircase by a stiff, cold, large hand,

and into a strangers apartment.