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-Sweet Dreams-
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Junior year at Tokyo University… Cagalli hadn’t thought it’d be so painful. She grimaced at the campus grounds before her as she came closer and closer to her dorm building. Her talents for words and leadership had gotten her so far.
She won scholarships to pay for college, so long as she was able to keep up her high averages throughout the four years of university. Otherwise, there’d be no one to pay for her education there. Her mother already managed hard enough for them both in the past years. She’s lasted almost three years at the university; it wouldn’t do to let the pressure get to her, she reminded herself again like she usually did.
She mused grumpily as she climbed the stairs with her stack of handouts, textbooks and uncompleted essays and speeches. Stupid law shit, she huffed mentally, only damn thing she was really good at though. She didn’t mind too much about all the written work, she didn’t mind the professor, and she didn’t mind the memorizing political laws of countries or historical issues, or her gift of persuasion (in fact, she loved that a lot).
What she was usually peeved about were all the things she had to carry for the class that really got to her. She didn’t have the time or money for the luxury of getting a bag because she spent it on food mostly. Meals at the University weren’t included in the scholarship and they were more expensive than the veggies or junky foods she got at the conventional store down the street. Besides, Ramen was easy to thrive on. How she kept her figure and health, she’d never know.
Balancing her things with one arm she fumbled for her key with her free hand and searched for the keyhole. She knew it was somewhere below the knob handle. Somewhere.
Hearing the satisfying click, she shoved the door open the instant it was unlocked. The lights were turned off and from the lack of sunlight in the rooms, she new that the curtains were drawn shut. “That’s strange,” she muttered. Her long time roommate and best friend, Lacus, had always loved sunlight. It was still morning and Lacus had noon classes. She was always there when Cagalli came back from morning sessions.
Dumping her things on the glass coffee table in their suite she shrugged absentmindedly and headed for her room. Her hand paused on the handle when she heard a muffled groan from Lacus’s room down the narrow hall. Her face heated up as she tried to ignore it and fumbled to open her door, but her curiosity always got the better of her. Moving silently so as not to disturb, she peeked through the crack in the doorway since it had not been completely shut.
Her eyes widened and she bit back a yell.
Unfortunately they heard her.
Two people scrambled clumsily from Lacus’s bed looking for a switch. The light flickered on and Cagalli stared into a face remarkably like her own in shape and structure. But the face belonged to someone a few inches taller with locks of brown and surprised lavender eyes. “Kira! What the hell are you doing here!”
Cagalli’s older twin brother grinned sheepishly at her as most of the shock wore off. “Hey Cagalli,” he replied, “Nice to see you too.”
Cagalli heard a relieved giggle from behind him as the door opened wider to reveal Lacus, her pink hair tousled from their usual sleekness. Cagalli looked from her to her brother noticing that a bit of Lacus’s lip-gloss was smeared against Kira’s mouth and face. “Sorry Cagalli, I guess we forgot about the time.” Cagalli gapped at them before managing to form words, “You-you… You guys didn’t, did you?”
It only took a moment before her words dawned on them. They drew back from each other looking ridiculously embarrassed and spoke at the same time,
“No-!”
“Of course not -!”
Cagalli grinned evilly at her brother who shrank some distance away from her. “Does my little brother have such little control over his body these days that he’s resorted to attacking my roommate?” she raised her chin to stare him in the eyes, “Should I be expecting a new roommate settling down here soon?”
She watched as a small bead of sweat slide down the side of his face through embarrassment. Cagalli became surprised and momentarily forgot about the whole smooch scene as he regained his dignity and poked at one of her most sensitive topics purposefully, “Does my little sister have a problem with that?”
The blonde flushed angrily, “I hardly count you as a big brother for being born ten minutes earlier! It wasn’t fair!” she sniffed, “Besides, I always act older than you do!”
“Always?” Lacus asked with a knowing smile. Cagalli jumped for she had forgotten that her friend was still there. Kira also mimicked a grin from Lacus. Cagalli pouted before turning her back to them, “Fine, I’m going to be in the living room to write my speech. But I’m warning you Kira, you make her cry and I’ll never let you live it down!” She marched off.
“Wait!” Cagalli pivoted back to see Kira coming out of Lacus’s room with a brown package, “Father wanted to get this to you. I came over to give it to you when Lacus let me in.” She eyed it with caution, “What is it?” “I don’t know, but he sent it to me to give to you. He doesn’t know your address.”
“I know.” She took it from his hands, ignoring the sympathizing look from her brother, “Thanks.”
She stalked to her room instead and sulked at her desk. Though her own door was shut, she waited till she heard Lacus’s door click and the faint murmur of conversation rise before rubbing away stubborn tears. Their parents had divorced and remained separated since they were eight years old. Their father had taken Kira and their mother took Cagalli under her care.
Both children made trips across the country to visit each other and their parents. Cagalli would go back during the winter holidays and Kira would come back to go to summer camp with her every year till they started the second year of high school. He still came back even after, but her father had insisted that she not visit anymore during that time.
Her faint frown turned even bitterer.
She gripped the brown paper in her hands before ripping it to shreds. There was a plain card along with a roomy brown leather shoulder bag. She picked up the card and read. Basically, it was a short note from her father that Kira had suggested for a bag to be sent over and to use it well. A simple “good wishes” concluded the end. Hell, was “good wishes” the only thing the guy could write? The man didn’t even write “love” or even his own signature.
Her light brown eyes burned and she wished the white card would just shrivel up by the angry heat.
She never knew why her father hadn’t cared much for her. Cagalli passed the thought with a shrug in her past, but now that this package had arrived from him, she couldn’t help feeling the years of remorse catching up on her right then and there.
The man hadn’t even supported her to go to college even thought he was a wealthy businessman. The last time she saw him five years before, she remembered the way he told her that a girl like her shouldn’t even go to school.
Well, she showed him. She got into Tokyo University; a well sought after college, expensive, famous, and spacious university that turned her into a workaholic. Not only was she a student, but also she participated as a leader and worker through events like festivities and campus picnics held on the grounds. Why couldn’t he recognize her talents like the way other people could?
But before her grief could completely burst forth from her inner barrier, Lacus’s door opened and footsteps followed by laughter broke through her anguishing thoughts.
“Thanks Kira! I’ll ask her that.”
“All right. Are you sure you don’t want me to stay a little longer?”
“Don’t worry about it. I know you’ve got stuff to do, but I’ll meet you tomorrow for breakfast. That okay?”
“Sounds great! I’ll meet you at the Blue Café at eleven then? My friend should be there too. I want you guys to be the first ones to meet him.”
“You have a promise.”
“Have a good afternoon at class then.”
“I will, you too!”
A kiss. Cagalli trembled.
“Later, Lacus.”
“Bye!” And the door closed and locked.
Moments later, Cagalli heard Lacus’s soft footsteps stop at right outside her door. “Cagalli?”
“I’m working.”
There was a silence, “But your stuff is still on the table.” No answer. “Cagalli?” More silence, “I’m coming in.” Nothing.
The knob turned and Lacus came in hesitantly to stand beside Cagalli where she sat. “I thought you said you were working.” Cagalli could almost hear the slight frown in her friend’s voice.
“I was just thinking.” Cagalli said, “I’m sorry if I worried you two.”
“It’s alright,” Lacus murmured, “You might have heard, but will you be going with us tomorrow morning to meet Kira’s friend?”
The discussion ended with Cagalli’s uncharacteristic silence.
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