Taking Forever

“New year, new home, new school, new people, new everything”. I sigh as I begin and end my last semester in a different high school. “It’s senior year and it should be the best time of my life, right”? “Why do these hallways seem to take forever”? I just want to get in class and get this day over with… “only if I had friends here, I’ll miss all the ones I’ve made in Japan”, I thought to myself. “Why couldn’t I just stay in Japan, or specifically Yokohama”? I look around and every class looks like a copy of each other and thought, “I don’t even understand how people don’t get lost here”.

New York is such a huge place and people move way to fast. Fast like they’re spirits. At first I was just speed walking, now it feels like I’m in a race against time. “BEEP BEEP BEEP”! There’s a beeping sound and I somewhat panicked. Oh, it’s just my watch. Oh! No! It’s almost 8:30am. Ugh, good thing once I glance up, I notice this odd brown door, it says A1. I say odd because there is something odd about it. It doesn’t look like a regular door, but I can’t explain it. 

I just made it in time. All my classmates are just sitting there as if no one walks in. “Actually, that’s better”, I whisper to myself. The teacher doesn’t seem to be here so I just head to the first empty seat I find. 

To avoid any attention, I get my favorite book Like a Love Story by Abdi Nazemian and begin to read. I love this book, it’s about the LGBQT and how they fight for what should be and how love should be. I was so focus on the book, but was interrupted by something that made me jump off my chair. Suddenly, I hear a loud thud like thunder and I realize I have fallen asleep. 

“Ouch…” as I get up from the floor after falling off my bed. I feel something sticky or wet, whichever it best describes. “Gross, there’s saliva all over my hair. Great. Just great”. Have you seen how over-cooked or soggy noodles look like? Now my hair looks like soggy noodles.

I have bleached my hair and it has become a yellow tone. The nice kind of yellow tone, like I’m a natural blonde kind of yellow tone. Anyway, semi-wet bleach hair isn’t cool. While heading to the bathroom, I realize I’m still home, still in Yokohama, still in Japan. Huh? Was that all a dream? Going through the living room, I can hear the grandfather clock “tic, tic, tic” … Its 1am and its raining hard outside. So, the loud thud like thunder was actually thunder. I go through the hallway, looking at the blue carpet. This carpet is very soft… weird... carpet? Blue... why does this seem so familiar… well, whatever. Now that I’m in the restroom, I was wash my face and rub my light brown eyes, I’m exhausted from that dream. I forget about it head back to my room and fall back to sleep. 

The sun hits my face. “Hot… hot… morning already?Wasn’t it just raining like crazy last night?”, I say groggily as I cover my face with my blanket. I remember today was my last day in Japan and I fly off to New York. I’m so exhausted but I guess I’m ready for my long 14hour flight. 

My auntie and uncle are at the exist waiting for me. I get out and get a big hug. I love them and they’re my only favorite thing about moving to New York. They told me that they’ll be able to help succeed in my education and I’ll also be able to earn money doing a part time job.

The roads are long and I thought it would never end until we parked in front of this cute simple house. It had a red flat roof, beige walls, fancy French windows and a glass door. Auntie Lolita and Uncle Takahashi are low-key rich. They don’t boast about it like others, that’s what I like about them, too. “Everything in here is yours, okay Suzy?”, my aunt says. “Feel free to walk around and be at home”, my uncle adds. 

My room is not too small, but not too big. It used to be the guest room, but when my parents decided that I’ll be moving with my aunt and uncle, they all agreed to leave it as my room permanently. 

“New year, new home, new school, new people, new everything”. I sigh as I begin and end my last semester in a different high school. “It’s senior year and it should be the best time of my life, right? But why do these hallways seem to take forever? Why does this seem like a TAKE 2 in a movie? Didn’t I do this before?” I just want to get in class and get this day over with… only if I had friends. Why couldn’t I just stay Yokohama? I look around and every class looks like a copy of each other. New York is such a huge place and people move way to fast, maybe just like Tokyo?

I remember just speed walking, but now it feels like I’m in a race. Race? Wasn’t I racing somewhere like this before?There’s that beeping sound AGAIN and I AM IN PANIC. Huh? Wait? What?... uhmmm. Oh, it’s my watch? Oh! No! It’s almost 8:30am. I glance up at this odd brown door, it says A1. It’s odd because it has a small peep hole like it’s a house door, but this is school, isn’t it? Okay, whatever, at least I just made it in time. I take a deep breath before opening the classroom door and in an instance, I remember why this seem all familiar. 

It was my dream… or was it a dream? I start to murmur the story to myself, “All my classmates are just sitting there as if no one walks in… I tell myself ‘Actually, that’s better’. The teacher isn’t here? so… I just go to the first empty seat I find? “. But no? someone taps me and it’s the teacher. “Hi, you must be Suzy Takahashi… the new student?” she says. Yes, hi. Nice to meet you… Ms. Woodburn. She tells me to wait at the front so I can introduce myself to the class.

The teacher looks like our age… or maybe she looks like she was in her early 20s. Ms. Woodburn has straight black hair and dark brown eyes that look like they can see right through you. Her voice sounds like a bird squawking. “Attention everyone, we have a new student, she will introduce herself.” Ms. Woodburn squawks. 

My name is Suzy Takahashi. I was born in Florida, but raised in Yokohama, Japan. I’m Filipino? Filipina, and my last name is only because my father’s grandpa is Japanese. I’m 17… yeah, that’s it. Nice to meet all of you. Ms. Woodburn tells me to pick any seat, so I grab the closes seat to the exit. 

Class was alright. It was the first day so we didn’t do much. I don’t understand why I had to introduce myself… it’s the first day???! I’m guessing everyone knows each other, well duh, obviously that’s the reason. The day ended and I can’t wait to go home. I reach the last step in front of the school yard and I see auntie Loli and uncle Taka waiting for me in their Mini Cooper. 

On the way home, the wind blows through the window. It was such a long drive the heat and the wind mixed together hitting my face made me fall asleep. I was hoping I wasn’t dreaming all of this and that I wouldn’t have to do it all over again.