Chapter Thirty-Six: Out Overseas:

I came to Japan through an internship. I know what you are thinking. How does a sixteen-year-old girl get an internship in Japan. I was signed up for a foreign exchange program. Ms. Doris and Grandma’s idea, really. They wanted me to get my mind off of all that was going on.

“But I can’t leave you,” I said.

“We will be fine,” Grandma told me in the hospital. “We are worried about you.” I was beside myself. I still didn’t know what Miranda was capable of. Would she try and follow me to Japan? What if she attacked my family and friends while I was away? I couldn’t take the risk. But I had to sign up just to keep Ms. Doris and Grandma happy. They didn’t understand how bad it was but what else could I do? I turned the form into my guidance counselor on that Monday. She raised an eyebrow as she read over the information.

“I didn’t know you were interested in the exchange program,” she said. “This will look good on your record when you apply for college.”

“Yeah…” I mumbled.

“I wish you luck,” the guidance counselor said.

“Thank you,” I said. The whole time I hoped that I wouldn’t make it in. The program was quite competitive. Only one or two students make it in every year. First you need to do an interview with the people running the program. Mine was on a Wednesday afternoon.

“Why do you want to be part of the Japan Exchange Program?” the lady asked me.

“I don’t know,” I said.

“You don’t know?” an old man asked.

“This was my family’s idea,” I said. “I didn’t even think much about this.”

“Do you have any plans for college?” another man in the room asked.

“I haven’t thought much about it,” I said. I squirmed in my seat as I could feel their eyes on me. The lady was taking notes in her notepad.

“What do you hope to get out of this program?” she asked.

“I don’t really know,” I said. Those three adults made me feel so small. It was all that it took for me to not get up and run out the door. Their questions felt like arrows being shot through my body.

“Are you feeling okay?” the older man asked.

“Just a bit nervous,” I said in a small voice. My stomach turned as I wished that I could be anywhere else but here.

“What do you know about Japan?” the younger man asked.

“The basics,” I said. “Customs, history, and some of the pop culture.”

“How is your Japanese?” the woman asked.

“Not so good,” I said. I just wanted this interview to be over. It would go on for close to another hour. The woman took off her glasses.

“Thank you for your time, Kinsey,” she said. “We will let you know if you made the program or not." I gave her a confused look.

“That’s it?” I asked.

“Yes,” the older man said. “You are free to go.”

“T-T-Thank you,” I said. I hopped out the chair and ran out of the room. I didn’t even stop to listen to the whispers about me.

Next came a written test. It was mostly writing an essay and writing down your answers. I took the test on a Saturday. There had to be about twenty-five of us in the room. I sat towards the back, hoping no one would see me. We weren’t allowed to turn over our papers until the proctor told us to begin. The test was four hours long. I finished mine about three hours in. By then, half of the class was just sitting around, waiting. I would not get my results until next month. Plus, you have to fill out the paperwork and have the perfect grades to get into the program. I doubted that I would get in. It would probably be for the best.

“That’s it for the test,” the proctor announced. “You will get your results next month. You are free to leave.” Everyone walked out in a single file line. I kept my eyes down the whole time. That was it then. Now, I would have to wait. Maybe they would’ve forgotten about me by then. I probably will get rejected. For now, I would have to try and distract myself from this program, Miranda, and Grandma in the hospital.

Luckily, I would get help on that front.