Thread: For Your Smile ((Velvet Stars + Ecchi Kunoichi))

The sun slowly descended in the sky, its midday position creeping closer to a beautiful sunset and a fair evening. Only a few scatted clouds passed through the sky. It was the kind of day that called people out of doors to enjoy the last hours of light and warmth. On this particular day, it seemed like at least a dozen young children were taking advantage of every sunlit moment they could get, their gleeful shrieks filling the air even at a distance. That was only to be expected, though, with all the families who lived in the neighborhoods surrounding the park. Well away from the playgrounds where the children romped, there were paths for bikers, skaters, or just people out on a stroll. The peaceful feel of the place was refreshing after a long day. At the moment, however, a young girl appeared peaceful for a very different reason. Her hand dropped clumsily away from an alarm clock that, until a second ago, had been jangling at the top of its little mechanical lungs. Nnngh...five more minutes... Kaori Ogawa mumbled, her face buried in a pillow. The light streaming through her window could not have existed for all the attention she was paying to it. What did gain her attention was the neglected alarm clock - but only because it slipped down from its place over her headboard, tumbling down to crash-land directly in the rumpled strands of dark hair atop her head. Ow! she yelped. It took a few seconds for her to push upright, revealing a soft-featured face and a pair of brown eyes that were pretty expressive...usually. At the moment, the only thing she was emoting was 'sleepy'. She blinked down at the object that had managed to wake her in its unintended way. Okay, okay...I guess I'm up... A yawn forced its way out of her, half-hidden by one hand, while the other picked up the clock. As she was placing it back where it belonged, her gaze fell upon the face. Oh, it's that late already...? She yawned a second time and sat down at the edge of the bed, rubbing at each eye in turn. If it was that far into the afternoon, she needed to do homework soon, and get to the park, and make sure she hadn't left her school bag at the front door again, and... Her eyes widened. Wait...the park! Oh no, I forgot about that! What time is it?! Like a rubber band springing back into shape, her head swiveled to face the clock again. Eeeek! I overslept again! What had once been peaceful and quiet burst into a flurry of activity from the moment her feet touched the floor. Ohh, I gotta change! My hair's a wreck! I'm gonna be in so much trouble, this is the third time this month! She paused then, a comb poking out of her hair at an odd angle, clothing twisted around her from her interrupted nap. I think it's three, and not four.......agh, doesn't matter! She resumed her mad dash about the small bedroom, hands snatching up items as she went. Her school clothes flew into the air, only to land in crumpled piles well short of the laundry basket. She tugged a lightweight shirt on over her head, put on a skirt, then realized that the sweater was a lovely spring green paired with a skirt with oranges printed on it. Eep, not this! The skirt plopped onto the bed, replaced by a dark blue one that didn't clash so badly. A pair of socks dangled from her mouth as she brushed her hair down. It immediately bounced upward again, strands drifting towards the ceiling from an overload of static. Her feet stomped against the floor in annoyance at the sight. Aw, come ooon, I'm laaate! There's no time for this! The whining wasn't very effective. Instead, she let out an exasperated huff, ran over to her dresser, and put her hair in a ponytail instead. The short, straight bangs she usually had across her forehead were nowhere as neat as they had been earlier that day, but it was good enough. Less than ten minutes later, Kaori sprinted down the sidewalk. She had stopped only to put on shoes, grab her keys, and lock the door. Even if running at top speed wouldn't make her any less late, going slowly wouldn't help at all, so she kept going for as long as she had the breath to spare. Standing at only 5' 3, she had a girlish face that made her look closer to 14 than her actual 16, a small bust line, shoulder-length hair, and the type of skin that burned before it would ever tan. Her build wasn't that of an athlete and she didn't have the curves to draw people's eyes from across the street. In fact, her appearance was more 'innocent girl next door' rather than eyecatching. She was clearly in good shape, though, since she managed to run most of the way to the park, despite its distance from her house. O...okay...made it... Only a little bit short of breath, she slowed to a walk gradually, glad for the cool shade beneath the trees. Her steps were brisk as she moved along the familiar park paths, eyes flicking this way and that in search of something. Am I too late? Ohhh, I hope not...we were supposed to meet at 430, right? Not at 330? Erk...did I get the time wrong again too?! Caught up in her worried thoughts, she didn't even notice the person standing near the path until she bumped into them. Eeep! she squeaked out, startled by the impact. Sorry, I wasn't looking where I was going, and... The hasty apology cut off the moment she actually looked at the person she had run into. Oh! Her face lit up with a relief and delight that made her eyes sparkle. You're here, hi! Kaori smiled brightly at the girl she had bumped instead of a stranger, this was someone she knew quite well. They had been friends for years - they had even met at this very park one sunny summer day. Umm, did I make you wait long? Unlike her polite words before, a genuine regret came through this time. I'm really sorry, I went home after school and I guess I kinda fell asleep... The truth was that she had hurried home just to take a nap. The petite girl had been yawning and tired looking all that day in school. Not that the day before that had been much better, or the day before that , or the week before that. Just the past Monday, she had to go to the nurse's office after she had zoned out in the middle of the hall and got hit right in the face with an opening door. Both from the memory and from her most recent mishap, she laughed in a bit of obvious embarrassment. But I'm here now, anyway! How did it go today? It was practice day, right? So it was an attempt at changing the topic. It was also a valid question, so it was fine! Well, as long as she hadn't mixed up her days or forgotten her friend's schedule somehow.