*Thud*
"Ow!"
I stumble back as something—or someone—crashes into my arms. My fingers scrape against its rough, cold surface. My snacks get crushed, but my attention is more focused on something else.
"A girl falling from the sky? What the—?!"
I glance up again, searching for answers, and sure enough, there it is—a shimmering crack in the sky, faint and unstable, sparking like static electricity before slowly sealing itself with a final zzzt. The other glowing lights scatter in various directions throughout the sky leaving faint trails of light behind.
For a moment, I think, Maybe I've been playing too many games. The kind where weird things fall from the sky? Yep, definitely too many. I should sleep properly tonight... yeah, that's it. Ha... ha...
But no amount of sleep deprivation could explain this.
I notice the girl's numerous injuries. "She's hurt!"—the blood, the scrapes, and the torn fabric of her clothes. Blood stains her pale skin. I start to panic. What should I do? Call an ambulance? But how do I explain this to anyone? 'Hi, I found a girl falling from the sky,' yeah, that sounds totally sane.
If I bring her to the hospital, they'll think I'm on some kind of medication—or worse! Imagine the news headlines: Teen Boy Brings Mysterious Cosplayer to ER—Claims She Came from Space!
Nope. Not happening.
(Later That Night)
I ended up dragging her back home, her body heavier than I expected. I can barely support her weight as I carry her through the door, and my arms ache from the strain. Once inside, I carefully lay her down on my bed, gently adjusting her to make sure she's comfortable—though I'm not even sure what 'comfortable' means in her condition. I quickly head back to the convenience store because I have nothing on hand to treat her. I buy a few supplies and start disinfecting her cuts, carefully bandaging them as best as I can. I try not to think about how her skin feels so cold to the touch, as if she's been frozen in time.
She's bound to leave once she wakes up, right? She'll just get up, thank me for saving her, and vanish into whatever world she came from. Yeah. Totally. This is fine.
(The Next Morning)
Ring! Ring!
"Ugh..."
I smack the alarm clock, groaning. Monday mornings always suck. I drag myself out of bed, barely awake, and stumble into the kitchen. I toss some bread into the toaster, feeling too tired to function properly. When it pops, I butter it and take a bite. It's nothing fancy, but it's comforting in a simple way. My mind keeps drifting back to the girl from last night, though. Is she still asleep? What even happened?
I glance at the clock. Oops its time to leave.
Out the door, onto the bus—boing boing.
It's always traffic on monday morning, haiz.. I'm gonna be late again—boing boing.
I ran all the way to school—boing boing.
I make it into the classroom just in time, catching my breath. "Phew! Just in time!"—boing boing.
Wait. Boing boing? What's that weird noise?
I look around thinking something's off. I turn around looking at what's behind me and freeze. A strand of hair on top of someone's head is swaying. By itself.
I blink. I'm probably seeing things.
I turn around, and sure enough, there she is.
Standing there, all casual, with that tilted head, staring at me. The silver-haired girl from last night. Her orange eyes are wide with confusion.
"AAAAAAAAARGH!!" I scream without thinking, jumping out of my seat so fast I almost trip. My heart's racing.
Without thinking, I grab the girl and bolt out of the classroom. Heads turn in confusion, and the teacher just entering raises an eyebrow.
"Huff... huff..."
We end up on the school rooftop, and the cool breeze hits my face, finally calming me down a little. I lean against the railing, trying to catch my breath. The girl just stands there, looking confused as ever. I'm not even sure why I freaked out so much.
"Why are you here?! How did you follow me?!" I shouted.
She tilts her head, blinking slowly, her face blank with confusion. "Hm?" Her high and soft voice only adds to my irritation.
Great. She doesn't even understand me. Is she deaf? No wait, she's speaking now.
"@#$%?"
I freeze. What was that?? Her voice is clear, but the words… It's like gibberish. Definitely not any language I know.
Okay. She's not deaf. But she's also definitely not speaking anything I've ever heard. Is she a foreigner? An alien?? Ugh! My brain spins as I try to make sense of this bizarre situation. How am I even supposed to deal with something like this?!
Think, think...
"Stay!—here!" I say slowly, emphasizing each word like she's a lost puppy. I point at the ground in front of her. I even make the classic "stay" hand gesture like I'm talking to a dog.
She blinks again, and just nods. Did she… understand me? Sort of? Maybe? I wish that's good enough.
Satisfied for now, I spin around and rush back downstairs. My heart is still pounding, but at least I've bought myself some time to figure this mess out. I'll… I'll deal with her later.
(Hours Later)
Things are calm. For... about two periods.
From my seat, I glance out the window and there she is again—standing at the school gate, looking out of place. The silver-haired girl stands with the security guard, scanning the surroundings, her eyes wide and confused.
The guard isn't having any of it. "Hey, you're not a student here. Where's your ID? You can't be on campus without permission!" His voice is rough, full of authority. He gives her a long, suspicious look, eyes narrowing. "And what's with the bandages and frilly dress? Are you from the drama club or something?"
"AAARGH, WHAT IS SHE DOING?!"
I scream silently in my head, feeling my soul leave my body. Seriously?! Why does she keep making trouble for me?! Why couldn't she just stay hidden, or at least blend in?!
I glance around the classroom, trying to stay calm. Her presence is like a ticking bomb—one I'm about to be caught holding.
Without thinking, I raise my hand, hoping my teacher won't see me panicking. "T-teacher, may I use the restroom?"
Without waiting for a response, I sprint to the first floor. I seriously need more exercise.
"ID! Show me your ID! Hey, are you even listening?" The guard's voice grows louder and more irritated with every passing second.
The girl just tilts her head, her large, confused eyes locked onto him, completely unbothered by the rising tension.
"AAAAHH!" Without thinking, I charge forward, skidding to a halt between them, my feet slipping on the pavement. "Sorry! She's my little sister!" I blurted out, trying to sound as normal as possible, but panic is all over my face.
The guard raises an eyebrow, "Sister? You don't look alike." clearly not buying it. He frowns, eyeing us both suspiciously.
I flinch. Think, think! "Uh, s-she's my half-sister! From... o-overseas!" I stutter, desperately trying to make it believable. "She's still learning the language, so she gets confused easily. Haha..." I force a nervous laugh. I quickly grab her wrist, trying to drag her away from the confrontation. "Come on, sis! I'll show you the way!"
The girl doesn't resist, but she doesn't exactly seem to understand what's going on either. I pull her behind the school building, feeling a little relief as we escape the guard's gaze. My heart is still racing in my chest, my breath coming out in short gasps.
"Huff... huff... WHAT WERE YOU DOING?!" I ask, scolding her, but her only response is that same confused stare, her brows furrowed slightly as if she's trying to piece something together.
Just when I think I've got some time to breathe, she surprises me. Without warning, she reaches up and grabs my face with both hands, she presses her forehead against mine. Her fingers are soft and warm against my skin. The world seems to slow down for a moment. I feel a strange stillness, as if time itself is holding its breath.
*Fwoom*
A sudden, glowing light wraps around us, faint and peaceful? It's like being enveloped by a warmth that's both comforting and foreign at the same time.
I blink, still stunned, and the light begins to fade. The girl steps back, and I notice her eyes have changed—Instead of confusion, they are now just calm and focused.
She opens her mouth, and her voice comes out clear and soft. "Where am I?"