A small shake to the shoulder woke her up.

"Hey, it's time for school!"

Karen rubbed her eyes open to see her sister, Christine.

"Morning."

"Morning. Come on, I made waffles."

She nodded and promptly rolled out of her bed. After washing her face, she sat down at the table.

Christine slid a plate across the table. Karen thanked her and started eating.

"How's life been going?" She asked, between bites.

"Oh, nice. The community theater is putting on a production of Be More Chill, and I'm playing Christine."

"...What?"

"There's a character named Christine."

Karen quietly muttered, "Oh."

"I've also commissioned the same person I always do for the costumes."

"Ah, the one in Japan? T..Tsmeegi?"

Christine nodded.

Karen didn't understand at first why she always asked someone in an entirely different country than them, but after she saw the beautifully crafted costumes, she understood.

She finished her plate and pushed it towards Christine, heading off to her room.

Karen changed into her clothes, before picking up the red coat she also wore.

It was a birthday gift from Christine, who got it from the same Japanese tailor. She loved the coat. It felt safe and comfortable, and it reminded her someone loved her.

She slipped it on, along with the two hair ties that put her hair in two low ponytails.

Karen put on some simple makeup and walked over to the door with her backpack.

Christine opened the door, "Come on."

They started walking to school. Karen nervously glanced at a red house. (A/N: Hey yall remember the report cards-)

They split up once they got to school, Christine heading to her eighth grade classes and Karen to her seventh grade classes.

Karen sat down next to Kelly. "Morning!"

"Morning."

Alice waved from her other side.

There were loud footsteps and Kiyomi and a boy ran into the room, breathing heavily. Katashi looked up from his book, "Sit down, you have a minute before you're late."

Karen blinked as Katashi hugged the boy. Wasn't he dating Haruki? She looked a little closer.

"Did you get a haircut?" She asked Haruki. He nodded. The new hairstyle had his bangs parted to the right and his ponytail was gone.

"Wow, I didn't think you could get any more ugly," Kelly commented.

Katashi narrowed his eyes, standing up before Haruki shoved him back down. "Don't. It's not worth it."

Alice looked over from the 3DS in her hand, "Oh, what's with the outfit changes?"

Karen looked back over. Haruki was wearing a red hoodie with black accents and brown khakis.

Kiyomi was wearing a green jacket with a blue hood and a red undershirt. She had on a purple skirt and black thigh high socks. "It's winter, it's cold!"

Cute.

The class settled down as the bell rang. Mrs. Lake, their social studies teacher, wrote something on the board.

Partner project due next week on Friday.

Karen glanced at Alice and Kelly. Only Alice returned her glance.

The class broke out in murmurs. Mrs. Lake coughed into her elbow, "Yes, we are going to have a partner project. However, I have already chosen your partners." The class groaned.

She pulled out a list of paper.

"Alice and Katashi." The two glanced at each other before looking back at the 3DS and book respectively hidden in their laps.

"Haruki and Kevin." Kevin waved at Haruki, who waved back shyly.

"Kelly and Jason." Kelly smiled and fluttered her eyelashes at him who winked back. Karen shuddered.

"Karen and Kiyomi." They looked at each other. Kiyomi smiled and shot her a thumbs up. Karen sent her one back.

Mrs. Lake went through the rest of the class. "Again, the partner project is due on Friday! You must give a creative take on one of the president's deaths."

The class continued with them taking notes.

The bell rang and the class filed off to lunch.

Kiyomi tapped Karen's shoulder. "Hey, can I get your phone number so I can contact you out of school? Cause we have that project and all."

"Don't bother," Kelly interrupted, shoving Kiyomi back.

"Okay, jeez!" Kiyomi muttered, walking away. Karen pulled out her sketchbook and quickly jotted down her number and name on the lower corner of an empty page. She tore it out and followed Kelly and Alice to lunch, silently putting the note in Kiyomi's binder.

Karen sat down with Alice and Kelly, eating lunch with them. Alice pulled out the 3DS again, "Have you two increased your video game knowledge by any chance?"

"Nope."

"Sorry, Alice."

Alice pouted, "Boo."

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Kiyomi pull out the note and fist pump the air. Nice.

"What I'm really concerned about are you two!" Kelly continued, "I mean you have to work with the Japanese kids!"

Alice looked up from her 3DS, "Why? If you're insinuating that just because they're Japanese-"

"No, it's because of their parents! You saw how they basically insult ours at every meeting."

Karen spoke up, "But we shouldn't judge them just on their parents."

"What about Haruki and Katashi? They're gay!"

"Is...That a bad thing?"

"I mean mom says so!"

Karen messed with her hands underneath the table. Alice rolled her eyes, "Your mom's a 'Karen.' Uh, no offense, Karen."

"What does that mean?"

"Her views on the world are outdated."

"I mean, the anti-vax thing is kinda stupid," Kelly agreed.

"God, something we can both agree on."

"Just be careful, you two," Kelly flicked both of their foreheads, "Despite what I say, I do genuinely care about you two idiots."

"Wow, 'genuinely', big words for someone with a C in English."

"Shut up."

Karen giggled, poking Kelly in the side, making her swat the air near her.

The lunch bell rang a little while afterwards, so they went on with their day.

Classes went by relatively quickly and soon Karen was walking home by herself.

"Are you sure you want to go by yourself?" Christine asked, at the beginning of the school year, "I won't be able to go with you because I have Drama Club."

Karen nodded, "I'm gonna be a big girl now!"

If only she knew what being a big girl entailed.

She started walking, speeding up quickly near the red house.

"Hhhhhheeyyyy, Karrreeen!"

Heck.

She froze, a hand appearing on her shoulder, "H-Hey."

"Why don't you come inside?" The man slurred his speech. In his other hand was an alcohol bottle.

"N-No thanks."

Pedophiles were weird. She hated them.

"But Karen!" His voice reached a higher pitch. He moved to drape himself over her. She quickly kicked him in the groin. As he stumbled back in pain, she sprinted.

"Karen get back here!"

Her mind was running as fast as her body. When she rounded the corner, she slowed down. Her phone chimed with a text from Christine.

Home yet?

Almost.

She called Alice.

"Hey, Karen, what's up?"

"The guy tried to grab me again."

"Karen, I keep telling you, I can get my mom to drive you home."

"..."

"Okay, so maybe the accurate version of that is I can smuggle you into the car without permission, but still."

"It's weird though. Why would a forty year old man want a twelve year old child?"

"Pedophiles are strange beings."

"Hey, I can see my house. See you later."

"See you at school. Stay safe."

"Thanks." She hung up the phone and went inside. After insuring the door behind her was locked, she got a text.

Heyyyyyy! It's Kiyomi!

Hi

Wanna meet up tomorrow to work on the project?! Your house, mines kinda messy

Uh, I'll have to ask my mom

But your mom sucks

>:0

Sorry-

But still, can't you ask someone else?

I can ask my sister

Oh yeet Christine's chill I'm down for that see you tomorrow

bye

Karen plugged her phone into the wall so it could charge. She pulled out her homework and started working.

She wondered what they were gonna do for the project.

(*Dabs*)