One E-mail

*Julie*

Before this story goes any further, we have to back up to explain how everything ended up in a muddled up mess. Iï¿½m Julie by the way. I seen youï¿½ve already met Ben and Kele. Ben, as you heard on his online journal, is my boyfriend while Kele is his best friend. I hope my boyfriend didnï¿½t run his mouth about me again. Otherwise, heï¿½s going to be dead! Grrr! Anyway, back to the current story.

I am the IT manager at Sango Sunrise Corporation. (I donï¿½t know too much about computers, just the basics. But, my managing skills are my saving grace in that place. Otherwise, I would be screw!) Itï¿½s not really what itï¿½s cracked up to be. I basically have a do nothing job. That goes for the same thing of my team of Ben, Kele, and Shane. Like typical, the office day was slow. I checked my e-mail at work. Even thatï¿½s boring at work.

Junk. Junk. Junk. Messages from grandma. Messages from work. But then, one message caught my eye. Huh? Who is silverflamerunner@hotmail.com? Curiosity peeked, I clicked on the message.

Meet me at the noodle bar at noon.

I rolled my eyes at the content. Great! Our boss, Ichi, is hitting on me again. I donï¿½t see why he canï¿½t leave me alone. I already have a boyfriend. Ben may be an idiot, but at least heï¿½s not a perv. I was about to deleted the message when I noticed the attachment that came with it. ï¿½ï¿½92 School Fireï¿½ was its name. As if unconsciously, I clicked on the file. I clicked, ï¿½open file.ï¿½ An old news article popped up on the screen. A few seconds into reading, sparks went off in my brain. I began to remember Oko Elementary in 1992. I was five years old when the fire broke out. Kele, Ben, and I ended up going to different schools as a result. The fire was well-known, but I still wasnï¿½t sure of the source. Suddenly, an IM box popped up on my screen. And sure enough, silverflamerunner@hotmail.com invited me for a chat. I should say no, but Iï¿½m really intrigued now. So, I clicked accept.

JWPorter: How much do you know about the ï¿½92 fire?

Sliva: It snowed that day, Gordon was out sick, I did my monkey impression for you that day because it made you laugh, you would were mad with your mother because she had a new boyfriend then, and you had on a little pink hoodie.

JWPorter: What was on the hoodie?

Sliva: Brown and white cats. It was your favorite. You even got mad when I spilled paint on it the day before the fire started.

That was enough for me. Back then, I used to wear a bright pink kitty hoodie during my elementary years. I grew out of it as soon as I was twelve. It still makes me sad that I had to give it away. Oh well, I hope some little girl is happy with it now. However, I canï¿½t worry about that at the moment. I also took in the other two key facts in the message. I donï¿½t talk about my mother unless the person happens to be really close to me. In that list is Ben, Kele, Shane, Lisa, Krista, a few old friends from Oko Elementary, and Max. Come to think about it, the monkey thing sounds just like Max. Right then, I my eyes shot wide open.

JWPorter: Is your name Max Thaws?

Sliva: Yes.

I sat back in my chair. Okay, this just changes everything. When did Max get here in Suiten? How long had he been in town? And how did he get my work e-mail? I now just had to find out.

I didnï¿½t tell my team where I was going for lunch. Ben and Kele donï¿½t need to be in this just yet. I need to know if this is really Max that I was just talking to just minutes earlier. I came to an outdoor noodle bar downtown. I looked around at my surroundings. Mostly old men hung around these types of places. I really feel like a child due to lack of people my age here. I barely remember what Max looks like now. All I remember is a skinny kid with really dark hair. I donï¿½t have any high expectations for what he looks like now. This whole thing might be an elaborate prank at my expensive. Either way, just had to go and see.

I almost jumped when I felt someone tap me on the shoulder from behind. I whirled around to see some guy giving me a goofy grin. I took a better look at him. Well, this guy looked pretty skinny as I remembered Max to be growing up. Only now, his dark hair now had some white blonde streaks in it. He had on all black and gave me a little wave.

ï¿½Hi!ï¿½ he squeaked at me. I blinked at him with a blank look on my face.

ï¿½Max?ï¿½ I asked. The guy still grinned at me.

ï¿½Thatï¿½s me!ï¿½ he said. I couldnï¿½t believe it at first.

ï¿½Youï¿½veï¿½ changed your hair,ï¿½ I managed to get out of my mouth.

ï¿½Yeah,ï¿½ he said. ï¿½Itï¿½s been like this since I was twelve.ï¿½ He noticed my face.

ï¿½Not convinced?ï¿½ he asked. I shook my head at him. This guy frowned at me.

ï¿½Oh come on Jules, what do I have to do to prove to you otherwise?ï¿½ he asked. Only one thing one thing popped into my head.

ï¿½Do the monkey thing!ï¿½ I said without blinking. Max grinned in pride at me.

ï¿½Gladly!ï¿½ he said. He started to impersonate a monkey out in the wild. Trying to stay serious proved to be futile when he started to act like a primate. I just broke out into hysterical laughter. There much have been people staring at me, but that thought was miles away from me at the moment. Max finally stopped and stood up straight.

ï¿½Good enough?ï¿½ he asked. It took me five minutes for me to stop laughing and talk to him. I took in a deep breath to help me.

ï¿½Good enough,ï¿½ I said. Max grinned at me. Just like the good old days.

ï¿½So, how long have you been in Suiten?ï¿½ I asked once we sat down and got our meals. Max gave me a little shrug.

ï¿½Close to three years,ï¿½ he replied. I blinked at him.

ï¿½All of that time and you didnï¿½t call?ï¿½

ï¿½How could I? The number I had for you was an old cell number. I managed to track down Ben through his video journals online. Even that proved to be work.ï¿½

ï¿½Wait, you found Benï¿½s journals?ï¿½

ï¿½Yeah. I was just bored and wondering how my old friends were doing and I found his journals by accident. I got in contact with him and he gave me your work e-mail to contact you.ï¿½

ï¿½I seeï¿½ï¿½

ï¿½Youï¿½re the fourth person I have found so far.ï¿½

I raised an eyebrow at him. ï¿½Fourth?ï¿½

ï¿½Ben was first. Then came Kele. After that was Lisa. And then you.ï¿½ Max leaned in close to my face. ï¿½I still have to find the other five.ï¿½

I gave him a puzzled look. ï¿½Other five?ï¿½

ï¿½Yep, yep. Iï¿½m trying to get hold of Krista, but her phone been disconnected.ï¿½

I donï¿½t know what I was thinking when I said, ï¿½I have her number right here.ï¿½ Maxï¿½s smile lit up bright.

ï¿½Really?ï¿½ he asked.

ï¿½Sure, hang on,ï¿½ I said. I reached into my purse and drew out my phone. Max quickly bowed his head.

ï¿½Thank you angel!ï¿½ he said. I forced myself to smile. So, it can be clear to say that Max was the one to bring all of us ï¿½Tokyo ï¿½87sï¿½ together and throw us into a new land confusion. But, heï¿½s not the only one. There are others. Stick around and bear with us in this madness.