Jack wandered Janken City looking for the Janken City Public School. And it wasn't hard to find. It looked like any normal school. Just like the one she used to go to. She had no desire to remember anything from her school because the only good thing she had was Annie, and now the thought of that made her want to vomit.
Jack waited around near the martial arts dojo near the school. It wasn't hard to find, either, when there was a giant sign on top of it. She thought it had the traditional design of some old japanese building. Pretty nice looking place, too.
As she admired the building, a girl approached her.
"Hey, there," she said.
Jack turned her head and noticed a girl. Another middle school student.
She had a worrying look.
"Are you alright?" she asked.
"Hmm? Yeah. Why you ask?" Jack replied.
The girl took Jack's hands. She looked and felt them up and down the arm. Then, she took a look at Jack's legs and face.
She began to take Jack into the dojo.
"Your skin looks burned. And you have cuts and bruises all over you," she said, "Come. There's some first aid kits inside. We can use those."
"No. That's fine," Jack said but gave no resistance.
The girl gave a smile and said, "Nonsense. I'll get you fixed up."
And so, they entered the dojo. It was a decent size. Had blue mats all over the floor.
The instructor waved his hand to the girl. He was tall, but not as tall as Jack.
"Hi, Anne. Brought a friend?" he asked.
"Anne?" Jack asked aloud. So, the girl in front of her was the one that the other girl mentioned. But as Jack looked at Anne's face, the girl was definitely not the one she was looking for. It was disappointing, but she did keep her expectations low from the start.
Anne said tot he instructor, "Yep. She's a friend. Tripped up on the street. Just going to take care of these scratches."
"It looks pretty bad. Sure you don't want to take her to a doctor?"
"Maybe, after," she said as she quickly dragged Jack who towered above both of them.
And so, they reached a room in the back. Anne took out the first aid kits and started patching up Jack. Jack sat down on a bench, while Anne knelt down and started applying medicinal gels and band-aids.
"So, you're name is Anne?" Jack asked. She wasn't trying to make small talk, but wanted to assure that this was the correct one that the other Light Guardian mentioned.
"Yep. That's me," Anne said happily, "So, what's your name?"
"Oh. I'm Jacqueline. But people just call me Jack," she replied.
As Jack closely looked at Anne, she was completely sure that she wasn't Annie. The girl felt more simple. Very energetic.
Jack relaxed herself and said, "You didn't have to help me. I'm really okay. I don't even feel it."
"Well, you should. These cuts and bruises should be pretty painful. Not to mention these burns. I don't want to push you for answers on how you got these, but I do want to help. That's all I want to do," Anne said.
Upon hearing this, Jack felt something tug her heartstrings. She felt a connection to this girl more so than what she felt with Annie.
Jack smiled.
"So do I. I just want to help regular people. Help those who can't help themselves. But doesn't it ever tire you?" Jack asked.
Anne paused to think about it. "I suppose so. It does get tiring after a while. I help people with their errands everyday. Sometimes, it feels like a chore. But when somebody needs help, I always think about what it would be like to be them. I imagine how it would feel for me in their shoes."
Jack laughed.
Anne pouted. "What's so funny? I'm serious."
Jack continued to laugh. Not because she was mocking Anne, but because she felt something similar. She always felt like she had to help Annie. Whenever Annie needed help with something, Jack would be the first one to volunteer. Not because she imagined herself in her position, but because she felt obliged to. She admired her. And now that she thought about it, she didn't feel like a real friend.
"I know. I know you're serious. It's just funny. I used to help out somebody, but for completely different reasons," Jack said while her breathing was uneven and rapid.
"Really?" Anne asked, "So, you said you liked to help regular people. What did you mean by that?"
Jack's smile faded. She began to remember her own parents. She couldn't save them. And Annie didn't bother to save them.
"I couldn't... help somebody in the past. That moment haunts me. Now, I feel like I have to, so I don't feel that way, again," Jack said.
"Sounds like living in hell. If I had to remember every person I didn't help, I would be constantly living in a nightmare," Anne said but when she looked at Jack's dead eyes, she knew that was exactly what she was living through. Before her memories were wiped by the shopkeep, Jack didn't have any care in the world, but now, she could only remember her parents being crushed by debris and Annie doing nothing.
Jack looked away. Anne quietly patched her up. By the end of it, Jack was covered in band-aids. She almost looked like a mummy.
Anne looked away and said, "It's done."
Although the ending of the conversation wasn't smooth, Jack still enjoyed the little time she spent with her.
"Thank you. I guess I got to get going," Jack said as she began to leave.
"Wait. We should go to a doctor. You're still pretty roughed up," Anne said in a hurry.
"I'm not paying for a doctor."
"I'll pay."
"Let's go to the doctor."