<span style="font-weight: bold"><span style="font-style: italic">Beep. Beep. Beep.</span></span><br/><br/>Genevieve looked up as Tyra Bank was suddenly cut off by obnoxious beeping.  Was that the door or the TV?  She really doubted the model hostess would let beeping interrupt her.  The screen flashed a few times and then the image of a news reporter replaced the gaggle of anxious models she had been watching.  The man in the newscast waited a moment before speaking.  A stream of familiar-sounding gibberish assaulted her ears.  Oh great, more Japanese.  With a sigh, the blond put down her pencil and leaned her head back to rest on the sofa.  She couldn’t multi-task if she wanted to understand whatever special message Iwamura had decided to bombard its citizens with.<br/><br/>“students of Iwamura High unconscious in the local park. The workers were taken by the authorities to Iwamura Medical for treatment. The police are waiting for them to regain consciousness to get their statements”<br/><br/>Some of her classmates fainted at a local park?  She lifted her head again to stare at the television screen.  The camera was panning over the park, now overrun with police cars, news vans, and groups of students.  Maybe they wouldn’t have school tomorrow with this debacle?  It was a bit farfetched, but if students fainting was enough to become a “special alert,” then a day off wasn’t impossible.  The view changed from the park to a factory with<span style="font-style: italic">Fujioka Textiles</span>emblazoned above the front door.  Why were they talking about this company again?  Hadn’t they just been talking about her school’s students fainting?  She was so confused.<br/><br/>The special report came to a close and America’s Next Top Model took over her screen again.  Well, she could just ask her sister later if she had school tomorrow.  Japanese history was still waiting for her not so loving care.<br/><br/><div style="text-align: center;">~~~~~</div><br/><br/>“How was school today, Vivio?”<br/><br/>Gabrielle smiled at her frowning younger sister.  The younger blond was clearly struggling with her chopsticks and eating with them seemed to take an inordinate amount of concentration from the other girl.  Having lived here for a few years already, she’d learned to master the thin sticks of wood and was certain her sister would as well.<br/><br/><span style="color: deepskyblue">“It was not bad.”</span>A small smile lifted the corners of Vivio’s lips as she continued,<span style="color: deepskyblue">“The Japanese are much more… community orientated than in the States.  My classmates were mentioning something about a school fair?”</span><br/><br/>Gabrielle clapped her hands together in delight.  “That’s right!  I remember my coworkers mentioning that!  I finally have an excuse to visit it now that you’ll be there.”  Her smile broadened, “What’s your class doing for the event?”<br/><br/>A shoulder lifted in a half-hearted shrug.<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “Something about a horror booth, maybe?  I think I heard them saying <span style="font-style: italic">yuurei</span> and <span style="font-style: italic">youkai</span> but I’m not sure.”</span>Disinterest was heavy in her sister’s voice as the other girl pushed listlessly at her rice.<span style="color: deepskyblue"> “I think they were inspired by the.. rumor… of a dead girl? Some dead freshman from a few years ago?  I dunno.”</span>The elder blonde’s smile faded a touch.  Genevieve had been attending Iwamura High for almost a trimester and she didn’t seem to have made any friends.  The other girl didn’t even seem to be enjoying school; she knew her sister had always been a bit of a loner, but their texts had implied the teenager enjoyed school in the states.  Maybe she had been too self-centered when she’d pushed their parents to let Genevieve come live in Iwamura with her.<br/><br/>“Well…” Gabrielle cast around helplessly, trying to think of something.  She didn’t want Genevieve to dislike being with her.  “Tomorrow’s Saturday!  Why don’t we go to the beach?”  She was rewarded by her sister finally looking up from her food, interest evident in the bicolored eyes.  “I need to stop by Iwamura Maui Resort to arrange a meeting, but I’ll be free all day after.  We may as well spend it at the beach?  Grab some sun, play in the water, see what’s under the sea, under the sea, check if it’s really better down where it’s wetter?”<br/><br/>The teenager threw her head back in laughter, chopsticks dropped on the table.<span style="color: deepskyblue">“Take it from me, up on the shore they work all day, Out in the sun they slave away, while we’re devoting full time to floating.”</span>She sang back, the two blondes singing and giggling uncontrollably at their silliness.  By the time they finished, both were smiling.<br/><br/>“Tomorrow at the beach then!  It’s a date!”