C H A R A C T E R S:

Miya Hiragushi:

Height/Weight: 5’4”, 110 lbs.

Hair: Red

Eyes: Green

Kotaru Tamashiro:

Height/Weight: 5’7”, 155 lbs.

Hair: Dark Copper Brown

Eyes: Gray

Sanyo Miyuri:

Height/Weight: 4”11’, 130 lbs.

Hair: Sunrise blond

Eyes: Dark Blue

ざ Tsumiyo Saga!

Chapter One:

Forget about Easter

Her green eyes sparkled brightly as she dribbled the ball on the black top. Her long hair swayed with her as she ran, jumping and shooting the ball through the rim. “Yes,” she said whipping sweat from her brow. She rested her hands on her knees, panting like a dog. “Beat you again, Kotaru!”

The boy brushed the hair from his face with the twist of his neck. “Shut it.” He said blankly. “You know I don’t practice basketball, Miya.”

The girl tucked her long hair away from her face and bit her lip. She said breathlessly, “You got to try your best on field day,” she said.

The sun beat down on the two of them, roasting the blacktop. “It’s a 97 º day,” he explained. “It’s hot.”

“Spell it backwards,” Miya snarled and continued dribbling the basketball. “Did you hear about Mikura Hirashimizu?” Kotaru shook his head, his shirt sticking to his chest with sweat. “She started hyper ventilating yesterday when the freshmen’s were having field day.”

“Gosh, poor Mikura,” Kotaru said. Miya started to stretch her legs and knees.

Suddenly, a loud bell that vibrated the blacktop startled the two of them. “Finally,” said the annoyed Miya. “I thought that bell would never come!”

The two of them walked up the moist grassy hill to their school. “Want a squirt?” Kotaru offered pouring water over his head. “It feels good.” He tossed the bottle to Miya who poured it over her head.

“Ah yes,” she said. “It feels well.” Birds chirped merrily flitting from tree to tree. “Wouldn’t you think the birds would be burning up if they had all of those feathers on a day like today?”

“Who really cares,” Kotaru remarked. “It’s lunch, let’s go.” The two of them grabbed their lunches in school and rushed to a nearby tree.

Miya collapsed under the shadow of the tree. “Ah.” She said. “Nothing like tree shade on a day like this,” she said. Kotaru agreed and opened his lunch box.

A flower stretched up to the sunlight nearby, its yellow petals sparkling in dew and sunlight. “It’s beautiful here,” Kotaru said as he shoved a rice ball in his mouth. He collapsed into the shade, lying on his back. Other kids sat in the shade of other trees talking to each other. No one sat with Kotaru and Miya, though. Every one believed the two of them were freaks, which came in handy because no one wanted to squeeze in and hog the shade of the large elm tree.

About 10 minutes later their lunch break was over. The bell erupted across the green field of trees and grass. “Already,” Kotaru exclaimed spraying rice across the grass.”

“Yuck, Kotaru,” said Miya grabbing his hand and pulling him up. “It’s been fifteen minutes.” The other students rushed to the church building in a silent herd, rushing like stampeding buffalo. “What’s there hurry?” she asked herself.

There were four main buildings; the church building being the smallest. It was filled with mass music all of the time and the thunderous bell was at the top. Another building was the school building. There took place the classes and the nurse’s office and walls lined with lockers. And there were two other buildings, the girl’s and the boy’s buildings. That was where they slept and awoke to the morning; their dorms.

“What’s the rush,” Kotaru added shoving the last rice ball in his mouth. “I thought we were supposed to go back to our dorms.” Miya shrugged and watched as the remaining crowd filed into the building.

“Whatever,” said Miya. “Anyway, it sure is hot for an April day,” she said squinting and peering up into the bright blue sky.

“Sure is,” Kotaru agreed narrowing his gray eyes at the cotton white clouds. “It’s a scorching day!”

About a minute later the two of them pulled open the huge carved doors. The suns light flowed into the shadowy church room filled with white candles. “Did I miss something?” Kotaru whispered to Miya.

All heads turned from the front of the room, from listening to Sister Catherine to the two of them. Gasps filled the air. The nun, Catherine gasped also. “Miya and Kotaru,” he voice said rising in a tone of punishment. “Why are you so late?!” she exclaimed, the chubby nun waddling to the front of the room to where Miya and Kotaru were standing.

There was a cold silence where only slight whispers were heard. “Late for what,” Kotaru finally burst, his voice echoing many times of the wall. The whole church gasped again louder then ever and exploded into talking.

The nun spun around. “Quiet down!” she bellowed and whipped back around the Kotaru and Miya. Miya bit her lip hard, she new there was something they had forgotten. When the room was completely quiet she gave them a hard stare. “I am very disappointed in you,” she said.

There was another long silence that seemed to last for hours in the eyes of Miya and Kotaru. Both of them went through their schedule in their heads again and again but couldn’t seem to find what was so important about today. She won’t let me think, Miya thought. It’s that cold stare, she won’t let me concentrate!

Finally someone broke the silence, “Easter!” Miya felt her spine chill. Kotaru clenched his teeth extremely hard remembering yesterdays lecture about how important Easter was.

The nun started circling them like a shark. “You have forgotten the death and resurrection of Jesus, the son of God,” she hissed, “How could you forget?!” Miya and Kotaru looked at each other and new they were in for it, they knew how important Easter was for the church, especially Sister Catherine. “Father David,” she exploded turning her head back at the priest.

The man quickly stepped up next to Sister Catherine who had whispered something into his ear. The man nodded and looked at Miya and Kotaru. Father David had a long, narrow face and long white hair. “I see,” he said glaring at them with disgust.

He grabbed the back of each of their uniforms holding them in one hand each and carried them away from the church building. “Put me down,” Miya said struggling to get free. Kotaru did the same, put couldn’t pull free.

“Your punishment for this will be severe,” he said and took them across the fields towards the school building.

ALL ABOUT

KOTARU TAMASHIRO

Name:

Kotaru Tamashiro

Age:

15

Grade:

10th (sophomore)

School:

Tsumiyo Boarding School

Height:

5’7”

Weight:

155 lbs.

Hair Color:

Copper Brown

Eye Color:

Dark Brown

Skin Tone:

Pale

Other Distinguishing

Characteristics:

None

To be continued in Chapter 2...