There was the last thing was the one who made her sad the most.
When she was thinking about finding her childhood friend, she tried to say a name - the boy's name. The name of the red-haired boy who had made a promise with her to meet again at Trinity school.
Unfortunately, no matter how hard she tried to remember, Katie could not remember it. Even a small incident that they went through together in Louisiana looked faintly in her mind.
All she remembers was the color of his hair, which looked brown while at the same time, it seemed red under the sunlight. But his face and also the child's name, she could not remember at all.
Katie tried to ask Umbra, but the man didn't even know who she was talking about. Katie felt her Umbra lied to her, but she couldn't find out why the man lied, so she believed him. She also asked her foster parents who turned out did not remember the boy.
If she had never remembered or recalled her promise with the boy, Katie would have thought that their encounter was only a dream.
It's really weird. Katie was sure she still remembered the boy's name last week. Why now suddenly she couldn't? It's as if she had amnesia, which is ridiculous.
Katie bit her fingers nervously. How could she find her childhood friend if she did not know the boy's name?
Even worse, Umbra and her parents also told her to forget him. They tried to convince her that the child would not appear again because he was just a stranger who happened to meet her in Louisiana.
Katie refused their persuasion. She was sure she would meet the boy again at Trinity. She felt very confident, so she tried hard not to forget the boy.
The time passed very fast. Katie contemplated her childhood's name too much, not realizing it was the time to pack up to move to the dorm. Alas, her confidence in meeting the red-head boy was dampening. The memories of the boy faded in her mind slowly yet steadily. Even on her way to the dorm, she didn't really bother her reunion with the child.
Somehow she felt what her parents said had a point. It seemed like that child would not come and have forgotten her long ago. Just like she has now forgotten the boy's name.
***
Katie got off the taxi as soon as she arrived in front of her dorm. The Trinity school dormitory consists of two parts of the territory; a distinct area for women and men. Each dorm occupant must obey many rules, such as not to enter the dormitory building that is not their place without permission from the guard. They had curfew, requiring them to have to go to bed at precisely nine at night.
They also shall not raise pets or bring friends from outside who do not live in the dorm.
Because of that, the Macau bird named Captain by Katie could not stay with her. Katie had to leave the Captain in Iowa with her parents.
It's just that Captain always flew after her and did not want to live in Iowa. In the end, Captain flew into Katie's dorm room unnoticed.
Captain was a brilliant bird. When Katie told him not to be noisy or make a noise, Captain obeyed and remained silent. But when she asked him to talk, Captain would answer her and rub its head against Katie's cheek.
With the Captain present by her side, Katie felt comforted and didn't feel lonely anymore.
After getting used to living in a dormitory for several days, finally, the long-awaited day arrived—the first day at Trinity school. The first day she would study at Trinity and meet new friends.
Katie passed the school gate; hopefully, she would have many new friends. Whether she will meet the child or not, she would live the day with a smile.
She looked around, where many teenagers around her age passed by while chatting with their respective friends.
She didn't know whether she should be happy or sad because none of her friends in Iowa continued their high school at Trinity.
She was happy because she didn't have to deal with arrogant kids from her school in Iowa. But she also felt sad because she had to support herself in an unfamiliar place. She knew no one, and she didn't know how to make friends here either.
What if she chose the wrong friend? What if her friends like to make trouble and influence her? What if...
"Katie!"
Katie's distress was interrupted when someone called her name. Is it possible... that child who called her? So the boy remembered her?
Katie instantly brightened and turned around to see the boy. Unfortunately, the figure who called her was a teenage girl who was now waving at her.
Who is the girl? She was sure she had never met the girl before.
Why does that girl know her name and be friendly to her? Have they met before?