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Description
A finger poked her repeatedly, and Arrietty brushed it aside. "Arrietty, time for school!"
"Huh?"
"School. C'mon!"
"I don't need to go to school… are you awake?"
Sho laughed. "You're the one that isn't awake! I need to take you to Jane, remember?" Arrietty jumped to her feet. She had completely forgotten about it. "Oh! Okay, let me get changed! Just a second!"
"C'mon, I'm going to be late!"
"Alright, alright, just gimme a minute!"

With Arrietty standing in his chest pocket, Sho left the house with a piece of bread dangling from his mouth. He tried to run with the least amount of bobbing, so that Arrietty would be comfortable. He set his every step softly and let his knee absorb the impact of the ground, something he had practiced quite a bit. Being the tiny borrower, Arrietty could still feel his every step. The ground dropped beneath her, then popped back up to catch her. It was quite a frightening experience, but it was better than having to stay inside his bag. She peeked out of his pocket, and watched as the world around her blurred into a messy canvas of colors, shapes, and sounds. Sho suddenly jerked to a stop, and Arrietty shrieked. Clamping her hands over her mouth, she shrunk back into the pocket. She felt the connection between her mind and Sho's suddenly join, and it nearly tore her from consciousness. Her head thumped several times before her vision cleared. She tried to blink, but found it impossible. The world felt so much smaller all of a sudden, as if she had grown huge. A bus pulled in a mere inches away from her face, and the door rushed in to greet her. Her eyes were fixed in one position; she could not blink or look away. Her body did not respond to her – her hands desperately tried to push away from the yellow door and the noise of school children inside. Then it struck her – she was seeing what Sho was – she was literally in his body. She felt a sensation like being pushed underwater, and then she found herself shaking and curled up in a ball inside Sho's pocket, eyes watering and her breaths quick and rapid. As she began to grow aware of returning to her original body, she asked, "Sho, did you feel that?"
Very quietly, Sho replied. "Yes, I did. I lost a bit of my vision though – don't try that again, okay?"
"But I don't know what I did! I just…"
"Thought about what the world looked like outside?"
"No, I peeked out and saw it… and then when I shrieked… "
"Then our minds must've joined because-" He abruptly stopped talking as he sat down beside a snoring schoolmate on the bus. He had made it, but barely.
"Sho?"
A voice rang in Arrietty's head. It was muffled, and she could not decipher what it was saying. The voice was surely Sho's, but it felt like his voice was coming to her through several doors and walls.
"Sho – I hear you, but I can't tell what you're saying."
Very quietly, Sho hushed her. "Shh. I'm trying to figure out how this works." The voice came again, but it was no different from before.
"I still can't understand you."
Slowly, Sho took his right index finger and hooked it on his shirt pocket. Confused, Arrietty stared at it for a moment; the giant finger looking down at her. With sudden realization, she reached up with her hand and touched it.
"Arrietty?"
The voice was so strong and pure that it continued to ring in her head. With a slight yelp, she yelled, "Yes, yes, I heard you!" and pulled her hand away. The voice that came after was still muffled, but she could begin to hear traces of intelligent words. The bus jerked to a stop, and she tumbled over in his pocket. She saw him glance down anxiously, and she smiled in return.
Again, Sho tried to talk through their special connection. "A......uok..."
Arrietty pondered upon the meaning of the mumblings, and decided be had asked "Are you okay". She nodded yes, and not wanting to let Sho have all the fun, she tried as well. "I....ne."
Sho had not heard clearly, so he stuck his finger down his pocket again. Arrietty daintily touched it and this time, her voice resounded off in his mind like a musical note in an empty hallway. "I'm fine." His hand jerked as Arrietty's voice pierced his mind, and she shrunk back, gasping. He waited until the ringing subsided, then whispered, "It's okay." As the bus ride continued to pick up other passengers, it was decided in both of their minds that for bow, taking was the best means of communication.
As the bus pulled into the school parking lot, Sho glanced around the school grounds, trying to find Jane, whom they had agreed to allow her to take care of Arrietty during Sho's parents stay. "There!" exclaimed Sho, nearly leaping off his seat.
"Whoa, Sho! Be careful!" came Arrietty's voice from his shirt pocket.
"Sorry," he replied sheepishly as he clambered off the bus. "Hold on tight, I'm going to have to run if I want to catch up to her."
With her approval Sho made a dash for Jane, who had disappeared into the building. He stopped at the entrance, panting. He had lost her.
"Sho? Where is she?" said Arrietty, as she poked her head out a tiny bit.
"Not here," was the reply.
This was the first time Arrietty really had the time to observe the school. She had been here before, twice in fact; the first time was when she had initially went to find Sho. She painfully limped from hallway to hallway, trying to catch even the barest of a glimpse of Sho. The second time was of her own accord, when she asked Sho to bring her to school with him. That time, she was filled with so much excitement that she could only concentrate on the mass of people and the thrill of being in such a dangerous place. But now, her excitement had turned down into a small bubbling enthusiasm. She looked up, and took note of the school for the first time.
The school was quite a dull gray both on the walls outside as well as the hallways. The tiles on the ground were a darker gray, with a texture like stone. Blue doors dotted the hallways, with green and the occasional purple lockers lining the halls. The ceiling wasn't very tall compared to Sho's house's ceiling, but to the eyes of a borrower, it was still a very enormous space. The rooms were arranged in a rectangular shape, like a comb. Each bristle on the comb would have rooms on the right side and lockers on the other and from her quick glances there were about twelve such bristles. Five or six classrooms belonged to each hallway, each with a small section of wall on which was prominently displayed great projects and work. Fluorescent lights brightened the halls with a flickering, white light, which Arrietty could not get used to. She preferred the sun's light, but yellow light bulb light was alright.
A bell chimed over the speakers in each hallway, signaling the beginning of school. Hastily, Sho whispered to Arrietty.
"You'll have to stay in my pocket for now. Don't make a peep."
She nodded, and took a final stretch before cuddling up into a ball. Standing inside his shirt pocket was difficult and it hurt her feet, especially since her right foot had yet to heal, so she decided to wait by either sitting or lying down. Hopefully, no one would notice. And since she would have so much extra time to dwadle, she could ponder upon the uncanny abilities she shared with Sho.
Arrietty began her recollection of all the events that led up to this.
First, she discovered with Sho that they could communicate and hear each other from far away, if they spoke loudly enough. But they had to speak out loud then.
Sho made his way down the hallways, panting from the sprint just moments before. The heaving of his chest was disturbing, but not necessarily uncomfortable. The sweat, however, created a moist environment, which even Arrietty could not bear. She fanned open the top to let the air circulate.
Second, the feeling of franticness they both felt when she twisted her foot. It seemed to vibrate back and forth, creating more confusion that precision.
Sho stopped as he rounded a corner and faced his first class's door. It was math, one of his least favorite subjects. Arrietty liked it, for the last time she visited the school she paid individed attention to the teacher, and almost blew her cover. His arm jerked as his pulled the blue, heavy door, and he was blown with a gust of cool wind.
Third, the sudden flow of memories from Sho's brain into hers, which led them both to Jane. Their brains seemed to snap into one piece and they ran along the same rail.
Leaning dangerously next to his desk, he reached down and retrieved his notebooks from his back pack, which lay on the floor next to him. Arrietty flopped around inside his chest pocket, trying to get a grip inside the grainy, scratchy area. Sho slowly straightened to give Arrietty a chance to regain her balance without hurting her foot further. She patted him through his shirt, assuring him that she was okay.
Fourth, the torn vision from Sho that enabled her to see through his eyes. He lost some vision, and she received what his eyes saw but had no control over his eyes, nor her body.
Noisily, Sho flipped open his notebook as he began a short review of his previous class's lesson. Jane wasn't in his math class, but he would have several chances to talk to her and hopefully transfer Arrietty to her. Sho's hands tingled at the thought of letting Arrietty go, as much as he trusted Jane. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thought to himself, "I mustn't lose focus, I have to review." After a moment and a long sigh, he closed his notebook. It was impossible to focus upon anything other than his dear friend and sister.
Fifth, the distant rumbling and mumbling of communication between their minds. Faint, audible, but not comprehensible.
He had a short 10 minute break after math, in which he could find Jane. After that was science, which Jane was also in. Lunch wasn't a probable time to show Jane, since there would be too many people in the cafeteria. Physical education came after, which Jane wasn't in at the same time. Another short break, and then It was social studies class. Jane was in that class, and he could probably catch her right before or after class.
Sixth, the clarity of their voices when in contact and speaking from their minds. Like a crystal globe, the sound was the purest sound of all, without the hindrance of noise.
"Hey Sho!"
Arrietty gasped as Sho's large body jerked. She froze in fear, crouched in a ball. She heard Sho reply, and she covered her ears. His voice wasn't the calm, soft voice he used around her; this one was loud, piercing, and highly energetic.
"Brian! What's up, man?"
"Did I scare you just now? You jerked real badly just now, y'know."
"I was thinking about something."
Arrietty, still mortified, muttered under her breath, "C'mon, Sho, get him out of here… I can't move…"
Of course, Sho heard her every word.
"Hey Brian, can I get some quiet here? I'm not feeling so hot."
"Oh, no problem, man! Take it easy!"
Arrietty and Sho breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously. Sho suddenly felt dizzy, as if the world was falling away from him for an instant, and then he lost the vision in his right eye. At first, he didn't know what had happened. But then he noticed that the world lacked depth, and instinctively covered his left eye. Arrietty, still in his pocket, couldn't see anything at first. Slowly, images faded into her mind, and she began to perceive vision in her right eye. It was the same sensation as before; she couldn't move any part of her body. Sho desperately tried to gain his vision back; class was starting. He squeezed his eyes and mentally tried to rip apart from Arrietty. He felt a sharp jabbing pain while she felt something tugging at her feet, which then ripped her consciousness into fragments. Blinking hard, she panted and fell onto her face inside Sho's pocket. Sho blinked wildly as well as his brain tried to re-synchronize his eyes. They had done it again.
Seventh, whenever they felt the same strong emotion, their minds would connect and Arrietty would steal Sho's vision.
Arrietty clasped her arms around herself, shivering with fright. Why was all this happening to her? She felt so helpless, powerless over her own life. She knew that it wasn't a normal thing. None of the other borrowers from her village in the forest had mentioned anything about it, not even the oldest and wisest borrower said a word about joining a human bean and borrower's mind.
Very quietly, Sho whispered, "It's okay, Arrietty. Don't be scared. It's alright."
She made no reply, but she did stop shivering.

Math class ended fairly quickly, since they were both engrossed in their special ability. Slowly rising from his seat, out of the corner of his eye, Sho spotted Jane outside the classroom door. He couldn't speed up his movement with an injured borrower in his shirt pocket, but he hastened to the door. Luckily, no one obstructed him, and he nearly caught up with Jane. He followed her through the masses of people into the science classroom, and as he closed the door behind him, Jane greeted him. Arrietty, still fearful, only heard her voice.
"Hello, Sho! Why are you so early to science?"
"Well, uh…" There was an awkward pause, and he gulped.
Arrietty urged him on. "Go for it, go for it!"
Sho continued: "I need to talk to you about something."
He felt his face go red, and grimaced. It wasn't supposed to be embarrassing. Before he could make a second mistake, he quickly carried on. "I need you to do me a very big favor."

"What is it?"
"I need you to help me take care of… my… uh… friend for a week."
Arrietty flinched, feeling the same uneasiness as he did.
"Huh? Your friend?"
Arrietty felt Sho turn around as he glanced around the room. No one was present, so he continued.
"Look, I need you to keep a secret. Okay? Please."
"What? I'm so confused right now!"
"Can you please keep a secret?"
"Yes, I can! Now hurry up and explain everything to me!"
Arrietty patted Sho through his shirt to tell him it was okay. He reached carefully into his shirt pocket, and Arrietty heaved herself gingerly into his hand. She lifted her head to face Jane, and Jane gasped. Arrietty stared at her, examining her every feature.
Jane wasn't very different from a normal girl. She didn't wear makeup, but she still looked somewhat pretty. She had thin-rimmed glasses, and her hair was long and fell down to her shoulders. She wasn't short, yet she was still somewhat shorter than Sho, which gave her a playful, childish expression. Her shiny brown hair reflected the ceiling lights, and her almond eyes glimmered with awe. But behind the awe, Arrietty didn't see shock. It was pure awe and surprise.
"A borrower?" exclaimed Jane.
Sho stiffened, as he slowly realized what she meant. "You… you know her?"
"No, but actually… I… have one… at my house…"
Arrietty jumped up with enthusiasm. "Is it a boy or girl?"
Jane turned to face Arrietty. "She's a girl, and I think she is the same age as you. Are you 14? What's your name?"
"Yes, I am! I'm Arrietty, and I'm going to turn 15 soon. What's her name?" squealed the tiny, ecstatic girl.
Jane smiled. "You'll know when you meet her." She looked up, and smiled at Sho. "Why do you need me to look after her?"
Sho grumbled. "'Cuz my parents are coming over and I have no place to hide her, especially not with my aunt and maid around."
Jane feigned ignorance. "Then why would you ask me to help you?"
Arrietty laughed, and replied for the grateful Sho. "You were the first person to come to mind, and Sho's explained that you live in relative isolation." Blushing a little, she continued, "And somehow I also connected to his memory for an instant. You seemed like a very nice girl."
"What? I don't think I caught that."
"Well… I'll explain to the other borrower. Maybe she knows what I'm talking about."
Jane winked. "I'm sure she will."
The school bell rung, and Arrietty slipped back into Sho's shirt pocket as the other students flowed into the room like a surge of water. Jane whispered into Sho's ear, "Meet me after school at the entrance." Sho nodded, and went to his seat. He smiled down at Arrietty, who grinned back. The words crossed their eyes at the same time – mission accomplished.

"Jane! Jane!" shouted Sho and Arrietty. The din and noise surrounding them covered up Arrietty's voice well, but Jane's borrower-sensitive ears picked up her calling right away. Waving, she motioned them both over.
"Sho, can you come over to my house today?" she asked slyly.
"Sure, but let me call my aunt." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His mother's job was well-paid, and sh often sent him large checks. His phone was a big touchscreen phone – quite a luxury. He pressed the oddly shaped button below the screen, and swiped the time upwards. Quickly, he tapped four white digits, and with a "click" the phone unlocked. Green tiles filled the screen, and again he swiped. He reached his aunt's picture, and tapped it. Another tap and he put his cellphone towards his face.
"Hello?... Aunt Sadako, I'm going over to a friend's house… Just for fun, nothing special… okay… okay. Alright. See you then."
Jane eyed his phone with an eerie aura of jealousy. As he hung up, she asked, "What phone is that?"
"Hm? Oh… you've probably never heard of it anyways."
"Is it an iPhone?"
"Nope. I don't like'em."
"Didn't think so. So what is it?"
They had started walking towards her house. "Er… it's a Windows Phone."
"Huh? What's that?"
"I told you you'd never heard of it before…"
She pouted, and they continued with silence. Arrietty, however, was afraid that her heartbeat could be heard from miles around. She was excited, nervous, and happy at the same time. To think that another borrower lived safely with human beans as well! They'd have so many stories to share… Her chest heaved a big sigh as she remembered the days she lived beneath Sho's floorboards… then the new home they had moved to… hopefully the other borrower was someone she knew before. She could only hope.

Description
A finger poked her repeatedly, and Arrietty brushed it aside. "Arrietty, time for school!"
"Huh?"
"School. C'mon!"
"I don't need to go to school… are you awake?"
Sho laughed. "You're the one that isn't awake! I need to take you to Jane, remember?" Arrietty jumped to her feet. She had completely forgotten about it. "Oh! Okay, let me get changed! Just a second!"
"C'mon, I'm going to be late!"
"Alright, alright, just gimme a minute!"

With Arrietty standing in his chest pocket, Sho left the house with a piece of bread dangling from his mouth. He tried to run with the least amount of bobbing, so that Arrietty would be comfortable. He set his every step softly and let his knee absorb the impact of the ground, something he had practiced quite a bit. Being the tiny borrower, Arrietty could still feel his every step. The ground dropped beneath her, then popped back up to catch her. It was quite a frightening experience, but it was better than having to stay inside his bag. She peeked out of his pocket, and watched as the world around her blurred into a messy canvas of colors, shapes, and sounds. Sho suddenly jerked to a stop, and Arrietty shrieked. Clamping her hands over her mouth, she shrunk back into the pocket. She felt the connection between her mind and Sho's suddenly join, and it nearly tore her from consciousness. Her head thumped several times before her vision cleared. She tried to blink, but found it impossible. The world felt so much smaller all of a sudden, as if she had grown huge. A bus pulled in a mere inches away from her face, and the door rushed in to greet her. Her eyes were fixed in one position; she could not blink or look away. Her body did not respond to her – her hands desperately tried to push away from the yellow door and the noise of school children inside. Then it struck her – she was seeing what Sho was – she was literally in his body. She felt a sensation like being pushed underwater, and then she found herself shaking and curled up in a ball inside Sho's pocket, eyes watering and her breaths quick and rapid. As she began to grow aware of returning to her original body, she asked, "Sho, did you feel that?"
Very quietly, Sho replied. "Yes, I did. I lost a bit of my vision though – don't try that again, okay?"
"But I don't know what I did! I just…"
"Thought about what the world looked like outside?"
"No, I peeked out and saw it… and then when I shrieked… "
"Then our minds must've joined because-" He abruptly stopped talking as he sat down beside a snoring schoolmate on the bus. He had made it, but barely.
"Sho?"
A voice rang in Arrietty's head. It was muffled, and she could not decipher what it was saying. The voice was surely Sho's, but it felt like his voice was coming to her through several doors and walls.
"Sho – I hear you, but I can't tell what you're saying."
Very quietly, Sho hushed her. "Shh. I'm trying to figure out how this works." The voice came again, but it was no different from before.
"I still can't understand you."
Slowly, Sho took his right index finger and hooked it on his shirt pocket. Confused, Arrietty stared at it for a moment; the giant finger looking down at her. With sudden realization, she reached up with her hand and touched it.
"Arrietty?"
The voice was so strong and pure that it continued to ring in her head. With a slight yelp, she yelled, "Yes, yes, I heard you!" and pulled her hand away. The voice that came after was still muffled, but she could begin to hear traces of intelligent words. The bus jerked to a stop, and she tumbled over in his pocket. She saw him glance down anxiously, and she smiled in return.
Again, Sho tried to talk through their special connection. "A......uok..."
Arrietty pondered upon the meaning of the mumblings, and decided be had asked "Are you okay". She nodded yes, and not wanting to let Sho have all the fun, she tried as well. "I....ne."
Sho had not heard clearly, so he stuck his finger down his pocket again. Arrietty daintily touched it and this time, her voice resounded off in his mind like a musical note in an empty hallway. "I'm fine." His hand jerked as Arrietty's voice pierced his mind, and she shrunk back, gasping. He waited until the ringing subsided, then whispered, "It's okay." As the bus ride continued to pick up other passengers, it was decided in both of their minds that for bow, taking was the best means of communication.
As the bus pulled into the school parking lot, Sho glanced around the school grounds, trying to find Jane, whom they had agreed to allow her to take care of Arrietty during Sho's parents stay. "There!" exclaimed Sho, nearly leaping off his seat.
"Whoa, Sho! Be careful!" came Arrietty's voice from his shirt pocket.
"Sorry," he replied sheepishly as he clambered off the bus. "Hold on tight, I'm going to have to run if I want to catch up to her."
With her approval Sho made a dash for Jane, who had disappeared into the building. He stopped at the entrance, panting. He had lost her.
"Sho? Where is she?" said Arrietty, as she poked her head out a tiny bit.
"Not here," was the reply.
This was the first time Arrietty really had the time to observe the school. She had been here before, twice in fact; the first time was when she had initially went to find Sho. She painfully limped from hallway to hallway, trying to catch even the barest of a glimpse of Sho. The second time was of her own accord, when she asked Sho to bring her to school with him. That time, she was filled with so much excitement that she could only concentrate on the mass of people and the thrill of being in such a dangerous place. But now, her excitement had turned down into a small bubbling enthusiasm. She looked up, and took note of the school for the first time.
The school was quite a dull gray both on the walls outside as well as the hallways. The tiles on the ground were a darker gray, with a texture like stone. Blue doors dotted the hallways, with green and the occasional purple lockers lining the halls. The ceiling wasn't very tall compared to Sho's house's ceiling, but to the eyes of a borrower, it was still a very enormous space. The rooms were arranged in a rectangular shape, like a comb. Each bristle on the comb would have rooms on the right side and lockers on the other and from her quick glances there were about twelve such bristles. Five or six classrooms belonged to each hallway, each with a small section of wall on which was prominently displayed great projects and work. Fluorescent lights brightened the halls with a flickering, white light, which Arrietty could not get used to. She preferred the sun's light, but yellow light bulb light was alright.
A bell chimed over the speakers in each hallway, signaling the beginning of school. Hastily, Sho whispered to Arrietty.
"You'll have to stay in my pocket for now. Don't make a peep."
She nodded, and took a final stretch before cuddling up into a ball. Standing inside his shirt pocket was difficult and it hurt her feet, especially since her right foot had yet to heal, so she decided to wait by either sitting or lying down. Hopefully, no one would notice. And since she would have so much extra time to dwadle, she could ponder upon the uncanny abilities she shared with Sho.
Arrietty began her recollection of all the events that led up to this.
First, she discovered with Sho that they could communicate and hear each other from far away, if they spoke loudly enough. But they had to speak out loud then.
Sho made his way down the hallways, panting from the sprint just moments before. The heaving of his chest was disturbing, but not necessarily uncomfortable. The sweat, however, created a moist environment, which even Arrietty could not bear. She fanned open the top to let the air circulate.
Second, the feeling of franticness they both felt when she twisted her foot. It seemed to vibrate back and forth, creating more confusion that precision.
Sho stopped as he rounded a corner and faced his first class's door. It was math, one of his least favorite subjects. Arrietty liked it, for the last time she visited the school she paid individed attention to the teacher, and almost blew her cover. His arm jerked as his pulled the blue, heavy door, and he was blown with a gust of cool wind.
Third, the sudden flow of memories from Sho's brain into hers, which led them both to Jane. Their brains seemed to snap into one piece and they ran along the same rail.
Leaning dangerously next to his desk, he reached down and retrieved his notebooks from his back pack, which lay on the floor next to him. Arrietty flopped around inside his chest pocket, trying to get a grip inside the grainy, scratchy area. Sho slowly straightened to give Arrietty a chance to regain her balance without hurting her foot further. She patted him through his shirt, assuring him that she was okay.
Fourth, the torn vision from Sho that enabled her to see through his eyes. He lost some vision, and she received what his eyes saw but had no control over his eyes, nor her body.
Noisily, Sho flipped open his notebook as he began a short review of his previous class's lesson. Jane wasn't in his math class, but he would have several chances to talk to her and hopefully transfer Arrietty to her. Sho's hands tingled at the thought of letting Arrietty go, as much as he trusted Jane. Squeezing his eyes shut, he thought to himself, "I mustn't lose focus, I have to review." After a moment and a long sigh, he closed his notebook. It was impossible to focus upon anything other than his dear friend and sister.
Fifth, the distant rumbling and mumbling of communication between their minds. Faint, audible, but not comprehensible.
He had a short 10 minute break after math, in which he could find Jane. After that was science, which Jane was also in. Lunch wasn't a probable time to show Jane, since there would be too many people in the cafeteria. Physical education came after, which Jane wasn't in at the same time. Another short break, and then It was social studies class. Jane was in that class, and he could probably catch her right before or after class.
Sixth, the clarity of their voices when in contact and speaking from their minds. Like a crystal globe, the sound was the purest sound of all, without the hindrance of noise.
"Hey Sho!"
Arrietty gasped as Sho's large body jerked. She froze in fear, crouched in a ball. She heard Sho reply, and she covered her ears. His voice wasn't the calm, soft voice he used around her; this one was loud, piercing, and highly energetic.
"Brian! What's up, man?"
"Did I scare you just now? You jerked real badly just now, y'know."
"I was thinking about something."
Arrietty, still mortified, muttered under her breath, "C'mon, Sho, get him out of here… I can't move…"
Of course, Sho heard her every word.
"Hey Brian, can I get some quiet here? I'm not feeling so hot."
"Oh, no problem, man! Take it easy!"
Arrietty and Sho breathed a sigh of relief simultaneously. Sho suddenly felt dizzy, as if the world was falling away from him for an instant, and then he lost the vision in his right eye. At first, he didn't know what had happened. But then he noticed that the world lacked depth, and instinctively covered his left eye. Arrietty, still in his pocket, couldn't see anything at first. Slowly, images faded into her mind, and she began to perceive vision in her right eye. It was the same sensation as before; she couldn't move any part of her body. Sho desperately tried to gain his vision back; class was starting. He squeezed his eyes and mentally tried to rip apart from Arrietty. He felt a sharp jabbing pain while she felt something tugging at her feet, which then ripped her consciousness into fragments. Blinking hard, she panted and fell onto her face inside Sho's pocket. Sho blinked wildly as well as his brain tried to re-synchronize his eyes. They had done it again.
Seventh, whenever they felt the same strong emotion, their minds would connect and Arrietty would steal Sho's vision.
Arrietty clasped her arms around herself, shivering with fright. Why was all this happening to her? She felt so helpless, powerless over her own life. She knew that it wasn't a normal thing. None of the other borrowers from her village in the forest had mentioned anything about it, not even the oldest and wisest borrower said a word about joining a human bean and borrower's mind.
Very quietly, Sho whispered, "It's okay, Arrietty. Don't be scared. It's alright."
She made no reply, but she did stop shivering.

Math class ended fairly quickly, since they were both engrossed in their special ability. Slowly rising from his seat, out of the corner of his eye, Sho spotted Jane outside the classroom door. He couldn't speed up his movement with an injured borrower in his shirt pocket, but he hastened to the door. Luckily, no one obstructed him, and he nearly caught up with Jane. He followed her through the masses of people into the science classroom, and as he closed the door behind him, Jane greeted him. Arrietty, still fearful, only heard her voice.
"Hello, Sho! Why are you so early to science?"
"Well, uh…" There was an awkward pause, and he gulped.
Arrietty urged him on. "Go for it, go for it!"
Sho continued: "I need to talk to you about something."
He felt his face go red, and grimaced. It wasn't supposed to be embarrassing. Before he could make a second mistake, he quickly carried on. "I need you to do me a very big favor."

"What is it?"
"I need you to help me take care of… my… uh… friend for a week."
Arrietty flinched, feeling the same uneasiness as he did.
"Huh? Your friend?"
Arrietty felt Sho turn around as he glanced around the room. No one was present, so he continued.
"Look, I need you to keep a secret. Okay? Please."
"What? I'm so confused right now!"
"Can you please keep a secret?"
"Yes, I can! Now hurry up and explain everything to me!"
Arrietty patted Sho through his shirt to tell him it was okay. He reached carefully into his shirt pocket, and Arrietty heaved herself gingerly into his hand. She lifted her head to face Jane, and Jane gasped. Arrietty stared at her, examining her every feature.
Jane wasn't very different from a normal girl. She didn't wear makeup, but she still looked somewhat pretty. She had thin-rimmed glasses, and her hair was long and fell down to her shoulders. She wasn't short, yet she was still somewhat shorter than Sho, which gave her a playful, childish expression. Her shiny brown hair reflected the ceiling lights, and her almond eyes glimmered with awe. But behind the awe, Arrietty didn't see shock. It was pure awe and surprise.
"A borrower?" exclaimed Jane.
Sho stiffened, as he slowly realized what she meant. "You… you know her?"
"No, but actually… I… have one… at my house…"
Arrietty jumped up with enthusiasm. "Is it a boy or girl?"
Jane turned to face Arrietty. "She's a girl, and I think she is the same age as you. Are you 14? What's your name?"
"Yes, I am! I'm Arrietty, and I'm going to turn 15 soon. What's her name?" squealed the tiny, ecstatic girl.
Jane smiled. "You'll know when you meet her." She looked up, and smiled at Sho. "Why do you need me to look after her?"
Sho grumbled. "'Cuz my parents are coming over and I have no place to hide her, especially not with my aunt and maid around."
Jane feigned ignorance. "Then why would you ask me to help you?"
Arrietty laughed, and replied for the grateful Sho. "You were the first person to come to mind, and Sho's explained that you live in relative isolation." Blushing a little, she continued, "And somehow I also connected to his memory for an instant. You seemed like a very nice girl."
"What? I don't think I caught that."
"Well… I'll explain to the other borrower. Maybe she knows what I'm talking about."
Jane winked. "I'm sure she will."
The school bell rung, and Arrietty slipped back into Sho's shirt pocket as the other students flowed into the room like a surge of water. Jane whispered into Sho's ear, "Meet me after school at the entrance." Sho nodded, and went to his seat. He smiled down at Arrietty, who grinned back. The words crossed their eyes at the same time – mission accomplished.

"Jane! Jane!" shouted Sho and Arrietty. The din and noise surrounding them covered up Arrietty's voice well, but Jane's borrower-sensitive ears picked up her calling right away. Waving, she motioned them both over.
"Sho, can you come over to my house today?" she asked slyly.
"Sure, but let me call my aunt." He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone. His mother's job was well-paid, and sh often sent him large checks. His phone was a big touchscreen phone – quite a luxury. He pressed the oddly shaped button below the screen, and swiped the time upwards. Quickly, he tapped four white digits, and with a "click" the phone unlocked. Green tiles filled the screen, and again he swiped. He reached his aunt's picture, and tapped it. Another tap and he put his cellphone towards his face.
"Hello?... Aunt Sadako, I'm going over to a friend's house… Just for fun, nothing special… okay… okay. Alright. See you then."
Jane eyed his phone with an eerie aura of jealousy. As he hung up, she asked, "What phone is that?"
"Hm? Oh… you've probably never heard of it anyways."
"Is it an iPhone?"
"Nope. I don't like'em."
"Didn't think so. So what is it?"
They had started walking towards her house. "Er… it's a Windows Phone."
"Huh? What's that?"
"I told you you'd never heard of it before…"
She pouted, and they continued with silence. Arrietty, however, was afraid that her heartbeat could be heard from miles around. She was excited, nervous, and happy at the same time. To think that another borrower lived safely with human beans as well! They'd have so many stories to share… Her chest heaved a big sigh as she remembered the days she lived beneath Sho's floorboards… then the new home they had moved to… hopefully the other borrower was someone she knew before. She could only hope.