I woke up in a big, fluffy room. That's the only way I can describe it. Fluffy. The bed was fluffy, the carpet was fluffy, the chairs were fluffy… where was I? I barely remembered stumbling out of the train into a car and someone putting me in a bed.

The bed I was lying in had a canopy. Everything was white. Was I in some weird sort of hospice? Looking around the room, I felt like I was in some pseudo Victorian-ish house.

There were two doors to my right, and when I saw a wardrobe, I realized I was still in my Applejack costume. I got up and wandered to the wardrobe, opening the doors.

A million and one fluffy Lolita dresses stared back at me. They were cute, but still... where were my clothes? What was going on?

Backing slowly away from the wardrobe, I opened the door nearest to me. Outside, there was a little staircase that descended into a foyer. Cautiously, I went down the stairs.

Where was I? There was an elaborate parlor leading out from the foyer, and I nearly sagged in relief as I saw Papa. He was wearing a suit and holding a top hat. What? "Papa," I began, but as he saw me, he rose with someone who I could only assume was Yasuko, clad in a tea length yellow gown that made her look like her liver was failing her.

"No Japanisu, Rima," he told me. I stared back at him.

"We're only speaking English in this house, Rima," he told me in Japanese.

"Right, um, Papa…"

"Hai!*" said Papa in a weird voice. "Mai naime isu Gerarudo! Yu mei karu mi Papa!"

"Hai!" said Yasuko. "Mai naime isu Samansa! Naisu tu mitu yu! Zisu isu Hari!" She pushed forward a toddler.

"My name is Rima," I told them in plain japanese, "and I think you guys are crazy." I eyed the toddler warily. I didn't know Papa had another kid. My stomach clenched.

"Rima," Papa began again in Japanese, "you must understand. We've been invited to the English Ball this weekend, and, well, we wanted you to come with us, but everyone must speak English."

"The what Ball?"

"The English Ball, thrown by English families. It's a tradition here, Rima.**"

"Huh… so, do I have to go?"

"That's what we hoped," Yasuko smiled at me. I stared stiffly back. I was kind of creeped out by the fact that I was in a room with the same woman that took my father away from me.

Ok, I know that's not true, but still, it kind of burned that my father preferred to go live with this lady and "Hari" or whatever. Were we not good enough? As I followed them to the kitchen, I began to wonder if this was a mistake.

By the end of the day, I knew it was. First of all, Yasuko insisted I call her "Samansa." "Hari", whose real name was Hatchi, cried every time I was nearby. Not only did he cry, he threw everything, threw up on everything, tried to eat everything, and, when he didn't get his way, would roar and howl like an animal in pain.

The house was kind of nice. It was the size of a normal house, but fancier. There was my room, "Hari's" room, my dad and Yasuko's room, the kitchen, the dining room, the living room, two bathrooms and a room with a washing machine. It was in a quiet neighborhood that looked kind of expensive. There was no backyard or front yard. There was no TV.

I was bored out of my mind. Papa had taken the day off to "spend it with me", but really he spent most of the time locked up in his room. I ended up exploring the house, looking for my suitcases. When I finally found them in the laundry room, under a table with a tablecloth over it, I lugged them up the stairs by myself, because no one would help me.

After dinner, Papa told me that the clothes in my closet were for me to "become a proper English lady". I oogled. "What do you mean?" I asked.

"I mean I want you to behave like a proper English lady, Rima." He told me. "Maybe we should give you a new name! Like Erizabeto. Or Arisu. (AN: Sorry, couldn't resist!)"

"Papa," I warned, "what are you doing?"

He grinned at me. "Rima, if you want something in life, you have to work to get it."

I stared at him, but he just kept smiling and didn't speak. "You are excused," he told me, as I sat there numbly. Since when was my father so formal? This is the man that Mama would accuse of not being able to properly raise me because he was a "slob," the man who changed his socks about twice a week and didn't know how to operate a washing machine. Now… what was with the three piece suit? The pocket watch I had seen him take out earlier? The wannabe English? I pondered this as I stumbled up the stairs to my room.

I flopped on my bed and instinctively reached into my pocket, which was where I always kept my phone. I had a mini heart attack when it wasn't there, but then I figured that it was probably in the clothes I wore yesterday.

When I didn't find my phone in my Applejack costume, I remembered that it had been in my bag. I opened it eagerly, rummaging through its contents.

By the time I had taken every item out of my bag and suitcases and still couldn't find my phone, I was on the verge of hysteria. I always had my phone on me. Always. To be missing it was like suddenly missing an arm or a leg; it didn't feel natural.

Maybe I had accidentally dropped it in the train station. I was so exhausted yesterday I was barely conscious while getting off the train. Maybe I dropped it then.

I figured the best person to ask about this was Papa so, hoping not to run into Yasuko by accident, I crept up to the almost closed door of my father's room and peeked inside.

Papa and Yasuko were whispering together, and instinctively, I pressed myself flat to the door to hear better.

"This job could make life so much better for us," Papa was saying, "we just need to prove that we're worthy enough to be sent to England." Yasuko muttered something I couldn't hear, and Papa continued, "We need to look and act like a proper English family. Rima can learn fast enough. She already looks the part. If my boss sees us, all happy and English, he'll be more likely to send us there."

A chill ran through me as I thought about what this meant. Papa just wanted to use me to look better at work? What happened to all the "quality time" he kept talking about? What was going on? Behind the door, Papa sighed. "Look, Rima is really important to me, just like Hari is to you. When I married you, I never judged you for bringing Hari with you. Please don't judge me for trying to connect with my daughter." Yasuko sighed and said "Alright." I heard a click and the light streaming behind the door shut off.

As quietly as I could, I tiptoed back across the hall and into my room. What did this mean? Was Papa going to move away? I shivered from a cold that was not external. Papa didn't really want me, did he? I echoed back his words. "Look, Rima is really important to me. Please don't judge me for trying to connect with my daughter." I bit my lip thoughtfully. Ok, maybe he did want me. But then why didn't he just spend time with me? Why did he shut himself away from me? Why did he keep secrets from me? How hard was it to just come out and tell me what was going on? Adults were infuriating.

During the day I had discovered that the other door in my room led to a small bathroom. It was all white, of course, and very pretty. The tub was very comfortable. As I sank into the steaming bath, I thought about home. I wondered how Mama was doing, at home by herself. I wondered how Yaya and Kairi were going to keep their secret, and how Amu was going to deal with Tsukiyomi and Tadase if I wasn't there. I wondered about Fujisaki, and what if he was really going to go back to England, but promptly dismissed the thought, as I didn't care about him. I decided that first thing in the morning, I would go demand my phone. I picked my pajamas up off the floor and slipped them on, snuggling down into my bed.

When I woke up, however, Papa wasn't there. Yasuko was, though, and she was the one who woke me up. "Come on, get up. Hurry," she told me. Blearily, I looked at the clock next to my bed. It made no sense to me, as I can't read an analog clock.

"What's going on?" I yawned.

"You're going to be late," she told me, as downstairs, "Hari" let out an earsplitting roar.

"Geez!" I was wide awake now. "Late for what?" I asked.

Yasuko looked at me in disbelief. "School," she stated, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"What?!" I cried, sitting up so abruptly I felt dizzy.

"Yes," she said, gesturing to a chair, "there's your uniform."

"No one told me about this!" I protested.

"You Papa wants it," she told me, turning towards the door.

"I don't even have any books!" I threw my hands up. "What am I supposed to do without books?"

"They're downstairs in the kitchen," she answered crisply, before slipping out the door. I stood there, openmouthed, unable to believe and digest what she said. It made sense, I supposed, and I imagined Fujisaki for a second staring at me with his usual mocking look, saying "Did you really think they were going to let you sit there for a month?" and I would answer that, yes, I actually had, and to go stick his cross dressing nose in someone else's business. Shaking my head, I pulled on my uniform and attempted to brush my hair before heading down the stairs. Yasuko was there, with a bag that I assumed was school issued, because it had a name on it "Elizabeth Royal Academy" Along with what I assumed was the school crest, because if was also on the vest of my uniform: a crown in the center of a sun. She handed it to me before heading outside with a motion for me to follow her.

We drove into the center of a little village, up to a tall, ominous dark structure with thick black gates. It looked like something out of a horror movie. I stared up as we walked down the short path to the double doors in the front.

A woman wearing a maid outfit opened the door and ushered us inside. While she spoke to Yasuko, I took in my surroundings. There was a grand foyer similar to the one at Papa's house, the walls decorated with some plaques and a bunch of paintings of old people. There were potted plants and tables with vases, the nearest one contained a branch with cherry blossoms. Above it was a little plaque, and I stood on my tiptoes to read it.

Many thanks to the following families:

Blake

Hinawa

Fredrickson

Fujisaki

Smith-Ota

Tsukiyomi

Vanucci

Von Dre-

I felt my eyes go wide as I sucked in my breath. My eyes skimmed back up the list, and I reread the name. "Fujisaki," I mouthed, without really realizing it.

"Rima," Yasuko called out, and I realized that she was on the other side of the foyer. Turning quickly, I ran away from the table. As I entered the office, I asked myself for what seemed like the millionth time "Why do I always run away from everything?"

*Wannabe English

*Idk if this is real, I made it up. It's real in my story! I don't know all the festivals don't judge me too harshly for my ignorance.

Sorry for the late upload, I have so much to do! I know it's short, but I just couldnt leave you dangling!