[EX] I Don't Know Why Either (1)

Wednesday.

With her small water bottle in one hand, and her lunchbox in the other, she dragged herself to the rooftop. Her arms and legs bandaged in a few parts.

Mondai High had an open rooftop decorated in a way to provide a conducive rest environment. With canopies and seats install to provide shade and a spot to eat-- to tall wire fences weaved in a crisscross manner surrounding the parameter reinforced with little barbs at the top to prevent attempt suicide cases.

Many students often come to this place to ease up. That said, not many students from the first year knew that such a place existed. Seniors usually dominated the area.

Reaching the top of the stair, Lyndia left the exit, the sky opening before her and walked to her usual roof top seat at the west wing of the building.

She sat on the blockish seat, placed her bottle down beside her and opened her lunch box.

Eggs, rice, luncheon meat and soy sauce. A very typical asian meal.

"Thanks," She mumbled, a little dissatisfied.

Eating with a spoon as she gazed at the view of the city past the gates, she noticed a movement at the corner of her eyes. She tilted her head slightly-- it was that student again.

She didn't know his name but he often came here to eat. Today, in his hand was a packet of some french fries. A lax attitude, sitting with his legs outstretched, grazing lazily on his fries. Alone.

He who noticed her looking at him raised his hands to greet her--

She nodded, then shifted her sights elsewhere. He was probably a first year student like her too, but from another class. Her sights landed on a group of female seniors having lunch together, like a picnic. Each of them had a bento in hand.

Lyndia, disregarding her lone self, continued eating her meal.

Then she returned to class before the bell rang.

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Thursday.

Lyndia came to the rooftop again for recess. A lunchbox in hand-- it was simply a boiled egg with grilled meat on rice. Taking her seat at the usual spot, she dug in.

The taste that reflected the effort her mother put into making it-- it was annoying. Vexing even. Contradicting the unpleasant event that took place this morning before she was sent to school.

Lyndia ate with blank expression. Finishing her meal, she closed the lunchbox and took in some water. It was delicious. She hated that.

Turning her neck to move around a bit, she noticed him again. This time, he had a half-eaten burger in hand.

He waved his hands at her boldly this time, a smile on his face. Lyndia rolled her eyes.

"I'm Kai, nice to meet you."

"Lyndia. from class C. Which class are you from?" Lyndia was surprised that she was so willing to strike up a conversation with this stranger. Though, not that it really mattered so much.

"From Class E."

"Okay," Lyndia picked up her items and stood up.

"You're leaving already?" Kai took another bite out of his burger.

"Yes."

"Just curious. Are you alright?" he had a concerned look on his face.

It took Lyndia a while to register what he meant. Bandages-- Lyndia examined herself. One rolled around her left arm, another rolled around her right thigh.

"Don't worry. These are self-inflicted. I won't die from these," saying that, Lyndia promptly left for her class.

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Friday.

Lyndia came to the rooftop. It was soon to become a habit. This time however, she only brought her water bottle. She went to the cafeteria just now to check the food the place sold-- nothing really caught her eye. So she came back up here to gaze at the clouds above, the intricate shapes they weaved themselves to be.

Like those clouds, she thought. She wanted to be free.

No. Was she not 'free' to begin with? Shackled by whatever her parents deem her to be.

"Yo. Good to see you again Lyndia,"

Lyndia turned to Kai, "Morning."

"You didn't bring anything to eat today?" Kai was eating a sandwich this time, making Lyndia wondered what was being sold at the school cafeteria.

"No."

"Hm.." Kai sat down on the floor beside the blocky seat Lyndia was sitting on.

Lyndia tried to ignore this act of his.. but couldn't resist pitying him. He wasn't her dog. People could misunderstand if he continued to sit like that.

"Can you not sit there?"

"It would be weird if I sat together with you wouldn't it?"

"I don't mind. Just don't sit on the floor," Lyndia moved her bottle away and shifted herself to allow some space. In fact, the seat was just right for a pair.

"Thanks," Kai tossed the remainder of the sandwich into his mouth and sat on the seat with a large amount of space between them. They could actually fit one more skinny person if they tried.

Lyndia scrutinized the other areas of the rooftop, there were more students from the first year that had discovered this place it seems.

"Are you troubled by anything?"Kai asked.

"Yes. But I don't think it's something I should say to a stranger."

"I get that."

Then silence.

"It's about you and your parents right?"

"Yes."

"Then I won't ask too much."

"There's also the thing with moving to the dorms."

"You haven't gotten yourself settled into a dorm?"

"No."

"And? What then? Are you going to move in?"

"By this week. If everything goes well."

IF.

Lyndia had been arguing with her parents over the move; getting called out for every little thing. Be it how wasteful it was to toss the items she no longer needed, to how she should've packed everything by now, to the lack of categorization in her packing methods in the eyes of her parents. Couldn't they just let her figure it out by herself? She didn't understand why they needed to find every little thing to nag her about. It was plain annoying.

"Good luck. Hopefully everything goes well."

"Thanks."

Their conversation ended when recess was almost over.

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"Hm?"

Mimi heard two knocks on the door mid-way through studying. Wearing a loose T-shirt and with her hair tied into a bun, she tilted her head towards Eunice.

"Must be our new roommate," she said, reading her light novel.

"We have a new roommate?"

"You forgot?"

"No. I TOTALLY REMEMBER."

Stressing those words, Mimi went to open the door and-- there stood Lyndia. Right, Lyndia. She would be assigned to Mimi's dorm to make it easier to watch over her. After all, Mimi was assigned to keep track of Lyndia and her actions.

From head to toe, bandages could be seen wrapped around her arms and legs. It proved to be quite a worrying sight.

"Lyndia, welcome," contradictory to her thoughts, Mimi showed a warm smile.

Lyndia smiled back, "Thank you."

Looking behind her, you could see a number of fairly large bags and a few boxes. Did she carry all that?

No, It was Kai who assisted Lyndia in carrying these.

"Okay, you're good right? Then I'll take my leave first," Kai said as he stretched his back.

"Yes, thank you," Lyndia said, Kai waved as he left. Leaving Mimi and Lyndia at the doorstep with all the baggage.

Mimi contemplated the relationship of the two. Kai was another one of the individuals that they had to keep and eye out on, wasn't he?

"I'm Mimi, nice to meet you," Mimi introduced herself, realizing that the lack of any conversations made the situation awkward, probably due to the fact that Lyndia did not know her.

"Thank you," Lyndia repeated, then went to pick up two pieces of the baggage first. "Sorry to trouble you but could you guide me to my room?"

"Right," Mimi said, pumping up her chest then grabbing one of the boxes, "Follow me."

"Thank you."