Sluggishly I fumbled around, feeling for my alarm. Finally, I found it and switched it off, groaning slightly. It was so warm I wanted to just snuggle up in my blankets and close my eyes, but a vision of Nathaniel's happy face flashed through my mind and I sat up, rubbing my eyes sleepily. I glanced at my clock, wincing at the neon numbers showing 4:45 am.

"Opal, are you awake?" Auntie opened the door, peeking into my room. I blinked slowly while stretching.

"Yes, I'm up, Auntie."

"Perfect! Let's get started then." 

I followed her into the kitchen where she had already laid out all of the ingredients we had bought last night; they covered the entire counter space and I blinked in shock.

"Wow. We're going to fit all of this into three bento boxes?" I asked in disbelief and Auntie laughed.

"Let's get cracking! Why don't you cut and blanch the asparagus. I'll start washing the rice."

After washing our hands I set to my job happily, first putting a small pot of water to boil then sprinkling in a healthy amount of salt. Then I cut the bottom of the asparagus stalks off and began cutting them into five equal pieces.

"Ah, this brings back memories! I haven't made a bento in so long," Auntie said happily and I smiled over at her.

"Did you make them with your mom?"

"Sometimes. Usually my mom would just make them for me, but she taught me a few tricks. I could have lived off her tempura shrimp easily, but I could never make it right. I wish I could taste it again." 

We worked in silence for a little while, as I listened to Auntie's rhythmic rice cleaning and I chopped the asparagus.

"Do you miss them? Your parents?" I asked quietly, worried that I was prying. I remembered the first time Auntie had come over she had told Father that their parents had died several years earlier. Auntie brought her hands out of the pot, flipping the water off as she looked out the window above the sink with a thoughtful expression.

"Yes, I do. They were killed in a car crash just after I had been accepted into college. My dad had been very successful so I didn't have to worry about money... but I would have given up all the money in the world for them to have been there when I put out my first fashion line. I was thinking of them the whole time I created it."

Auntie looked down and I quickly went over, wrapping my arms around her shoulders. She brought one hand up, resting it on my arm. We stayed that way for a few seconds until Auntie straightened her shoulders and patted my arms.

"But you can't change the past, Opal. All you can do is make the most of every single day. And today we are going to make delicious, to-die-for bentos!" she exclaimed with gusto.

I laughed and nodded, giving Auntie one last squeeze before turning back to my asparagus pieces. I picked up all of them except for the very tips since those needed less time to cook, and dumped them into my now boiling water. I covered the bowl and set a timer for two and a half minutes.

"So, after I blanch the asparagus what should I do next?"

"Let them cool, start heating a frying pan with olive oil, and get the bacon out of the fridge," Auntie said as she placed her cleaned rice into the rice cooker. She hit a button and turned around to view the ingredients across the counter. 

Auntie directed me in making the side dishes and she focused on making the fillers for our onigiri as we waited for the rice to cook. Once it was done, Auntie showed me the proper way of making an onigiri. She scooped some warm rice into her hands and sprinkled black sesame seeds on it, placed a filling into the middle, and then molded it skillfully into a triangular shape. For the final touch, she wrapped a piece of toasted seaweed that she called nori on the bottom.

I clapped, amazed at the end result, which I discovered was actually a lot harder to accomplish than it looked. After a few failed attempts I finally got my onigiri to look like a triangle. Luckily Auntie had made extra rice so we put my botched attempts to the side to eat later on.

"Done!" I declared excitedly, packing the last onigiri into my bento.

"This was so much fun! We should do this more often." Auntie said while placing the covers on each of the bento boxes and wrapping them in the decorative fabric we had found.

"It was fun, but it was a lot of work too!"

"Ah, but the end product is worth it." Auntie grinned and I nodded in agreement. "When are you supposed to be home from the orienteering race?"

"It said sometime around eight, I think." 

Auntie nodded thoughtfully. "Since yesterday turned out so awfully I am probably going to be at the office all day. I'm not sure if I'll be home by then or not."

"That's okay. I can get home by myself," I said with a casual shrug. She glanced over at me with a frown though.

"But it will be dark by then. Why don't you ask Nathaniel to walk you home?" I blushed slightly and shook my head.

"Auntie, I can walk home by myself. It's fine."

"Still... I'll be worried all day wondering if a ruffian plans to attack you on the way home," Auntie pouted, fixing me with a pleading gaze. 

I gulped, trying my best to fight against it. In frustration I spun around, bringing my hands up in the position Shin Woo had taught me last week and stomping my foot. Auntie laughed and I laughed with her.

"You really love to dance," Auntie said happily and I nodded.

"I do, but I am also a brown belt in karate. I can take care of myself Auntie, but if it will make you feel better I will try and ask Nathaniel to walk me home." Auntie nodded and then undid her apron, hanging it on her arm.

"Well, you should probably start getting ready, sweetheart."

"Will do, Auntie!" 

I quickly got changed, slipping into the sweat pants Nathaniel had found for me and putting on a blue tank top before zipping up the jacket. It was lightweight and comfortable, easy to move around in I noted with approval. I laced up my tennis shoes and gathered my hair into a high ponytail, letting it fall over my left shoulder. Nodding in satisfaction I walked back into the kitchen to see Auntie blending a green smoothie.

"What's for breakfast?" I asked and she grinned.

"Kale, mango, and guava." 

 Auntie bought her Magic Bullet over summer vacation and had become obsessed; almost every morning was either a green or fruit smoothie. She poured my glass and I drank it down eagerly.

After finishing our breakfast Auntie gave me a hug and left for work. After about fifteen minutes of reading I got up and made my way to Sweet Amoris High. As I walked into the courtyard there was already a small crowd of people all in their blue and gray tracksuits waiting in front of three massive greyhound buses. I scanned the crowds, looking for Nathaniel.

"Sato! Over here!" Troy waved frantically towards me and I laughed, walking over to him and Jason.

"Good morning, boys. Are you excited?"

"Totally! We're going to kill it!" Troy exclaimed.

"You know that's right," Jason replied, pounding Troy's fist with his. "What have you got there, Sato?"

"These?" I asked while raising the bento boxes. They both nodded and I smiled. "They're the lunches I made for me and my partner."

"You cook, Sato?" I nodded and Troy groaned.

"No way! Now I really wish you were my partner!" Jason punched him in the shoulder.

"Hey, where's your loyalty, man? But Sato, you didn't happen to pack anything extra?" Jason asked while eyeing the bentos.

"Hey! If Jason gets some I want to try!" Troy interjected excitedly. I laughed and shook my head.

"Sorry, guys, but I only made enough for us."

"Dang. Who is your partner?" Troy asked.

"Me." I jumped, spinning around to see Nathaniel standing behind me. "Good morning, Opal."

"Morning, Nathaniel!" I replied happily. Nathaniel's eyes went to the bentos in my arms.

"What are those?" he asked curiously but just then a loud whistle sounded. 

I looked around, trying to figure out where it had come from when I saw the students all congregated around the second Greyhound. I looked up at Nathaniel and he nodded. Together we walked over to see what was going on.

"Good morning, everyone!" Principal Shermansky was standing on the steps of the Greyhound with a megaphone to her mouth. "Thank you all for coming! We have 75 teams competing in the orienteering race today and I promise every one of you will have fun! If you haven't already, please find a teacher and sign in so we know everyone is accounted for. It's a three hour drive to Lankelti Forest so let's start boarding the buses in an orderly fashion!" 

Principal Shermansky switched off the megaphone and stepped off the bus, motioning for people to start boarding.

"I already signed us in, so which bus do you want to go on?" Nathaniel asked me. I shrugged, bouncing lightly on my feet in excitement.

"I don't care, but let's hurry!" Nathaniel laughed at me and I ducked my head. "Sorry. I'm just really excited."

"I am too. Let's go on that one, it has a smaller line," Nathaniel said, pointing to the bus to the right. 

I nodded and followed him, trying to keep from skipping. I'm going to see the mountains! I thought with an inward squeal. In a couple of hours, I was going to be completely surrounded by nothing but trees and plants and woodland creatures.

"You are so cute." I looked up in astonishment at Nathaniel who was trying his hardest not to laugh. "I'm sorry, but I've never seen anyone so excited before. Do your cheeks hurt from smiling so much?"

"I'm smiling?" I asked in surprise, bringing a hand up to feel my cheeks.

"Yes, you are, and you're bouncing as you walk." 

I pressed my lips together into a straight line in an attempt to stop my smile and Nathaniel snorted, holding a hand against his mouth while his eyes danced with humor. Clearing my throat, I looked away and tried once more to stop smiling while Nathaniel tried to contain his laughter. 

I followed Nathaniel onto the Greyhound and was amazed at what I saw. Unlike the city bus that I often used to go to my dance lessons, this was filled with cushioned, individual seats in pairs of two on either side of the middle aisle, except for the back which had four seats next to each other.

Nathaniel walked to about the middle of the bus and then sat in the seat next to the window, patting the seat next to him. I sat down, placing the bentos on my lap and looking around me in fascination. The seats were all a vibrant blue with a picture of what looked like a light blue dog in the middle of a powerful running stride, and they were very comfortable. I resisted the urge to bounce up and down and focused instead on all the people boarding the bus. Honestly, I was surprised I hadn't seen anyone that I knew yet.

"What are you looking for?" Nathaniel asked.

"I was just seeing if I knew anyone."

"Would you rather sit with some of your other friends?" I immediately shook my head and smiled over at him.

"I'm happy that you're my partner. Thanks for asking me," I said honestly. Nathaniel's eyes widened slightly and he rubbed his neck, glancing out the window. "So, how often have you been to the mountains?"

Nathaniel looked thoughtful before saying, "I've only been a couple of times. We have a family reunion every few years and we'll go up and spend the weekend in the mountains camping. Amber hates it, but I actually really like being up there away from the city and the noise. Nothing is more relaxing than the sound of crickets chirping while you drift off to sleep. Although I have to make sure to pack allergy pills with me." I smiled, imagining what it must be like.

"Hey, Opal!" I looked up and grinned, instantly recognizing Kim's boisterous voice. I waved as she and Violette made their way toward us.

"Good morning, Kim, how are you doing?"

"Great! Violette and I are pumped!" Violette smiled calmly but her eyes sparkled the way they only did when she was with Kim. "Don't feel bad if we beat you for one of the prizes, kay?" I laughed and shook my head.

"I have absolutely no experience with orienteering or nature, so I'm not planning on winning. But good luck! Iris is pretty set on winning too."

"Aww don't give up before it starts! You're going to make the Prez feel bad," Kim said while nodding to Nathaniel. He smiled back at her and shook his head.

"I'm actually excited to take it slow and explore the forest with Opal. It'll be more fun that way than worrying about the competition." Happiness filled me and I was grateful that I was partnering with Nathaniel.

"Well, whatever floats your boat I guess. Come on, Violette, there are still some seats in the back! We'll see you guys on the mountain," Kim said, saluting us and continuing down the aisle with Violette right behind her.

"I didn't know you were friends with Kim," Nathaniel commented.

"Yup! Violette brought her to my sleepover and I've gotten to know her better since we've been taking Advanced Watercolors together. She's really cool and thoughtful." Nathaniel smiled and shook his head,

"You have something nice to say about everyone."

Before I could respond, a musical voice interrupted.

"So, Nathaniel is your partner, Kate?" I looked up straight into Lysander's mismatched eyes.

"Why'd you choose someone like him? Nat couldn't find his way out of a paper bag, he'll be no help in the forest," Castiel said with a sneer. I frowned and Nathaniel clenched his hands into fists.

"Let's find a seat, Castiel. Good luck, Kate," Lysander said kindly, giving me a ghostly smile before moving on. Castiel stuffed his hands in his pockets before following him.

"What a jerk," Nathaniel growled, watching Castiel go and I frowned again.

"Nathaniel, why do you and Castiel dislike each other?" 

Nathaniel met my eyes and the anger in his gold eyes slowly melted away as he leaned back against his chair with a sigh.

"We had a disagreement back in middle school and he won't let it go. Besides that, we're just really different. Even if the thing in middle school hadn't happened we never would have been friends." 

I frowned and played with the knot in the cloth on the top bento, wondering what I could say. I looked up and saw Principal Shermansky making her way onto our bus. She patted the driver's shoulder lightly and took a seat while the bus driver closed the doors and started the engine.

"So what are these?" Nathaniel asked, fingering the cloth on one of the bentos.

"Ah, these are called bentos, the Japanese version of a packed lunch. I made one for each of us." Nathaniel's eyes widened and he pointed to himself.

"You made one for me." I nodded and smiled at his surprise. Nathaniel grinned widely, "Can we open them now?" 

I laughed, covering them with my arms and shaking my head emphatically. "No! They're for lunch, you can't eat it now."

"Okay, okay. Thank you. I actually forgot to grab my lunch so I really appreciate it," he said sincerely and I smiled in relief.

"I hope you like it. Auntie and I made them, so hopefully it tastes good."

"I'm sure it'll be fantastic. So, have you read any good books lately?"

"I've actually been working on a series called FarWorld. It's really interesting!"

Nathaniel and I talked easily about books we had read, movies we had seen, and our analysis of them. I was trying to describe my favorite series to him when I glanced out of the window and saw a vast expanse of green. I stopped mid-sentence and focused on the scene going by me. I had never seen so much green in my entire life! The trees varied from hulking pines to stately deciduous and they stretched on for as far as the eye could see.

"Maybe I should have given you the window seat," Nathaniel joked.

I blinked, realizing that I was leaning across him to get a better look at the view. I quickly pulled back, feeling my cheeks turning red.

"Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to..."

"It's okay, would you like to switch seats with me?" Nathaniel asked kindly and I shook my head, readjusting the bento boxes which had come dangerously close to slipping off my lap.

"I'm fine. Are we getting close?" Nathaniel glanced at his wristwatch and nodded.

"Yah, it's almost 11:30 so we should be there any minute."

"Seriously? Where did the time go?" I asked in dismay and Nathaniel laughed.

"I feel the same way. You are super easy to talk to, Opal."

"You too, Nathaniel," I agreed with a smile. "So, when will we eat lunch?" I asked, glancing at the bentos.

"I'm not sure. The principal didn't give me any details because she didn't want to give me an unfair advantage during the race." 

Just then the big bus made a slow turn off the highway towards the forest. I watched in excitement as we made our laborious way down the road for a mile or so before coming to a large clearing. The bus parked and Principal Shermansky stood up, clapping her hands to get our attention.

"Alright, everyone, please leave the bus one row at a time, no shoving or pushing, and bring your packed lunch with you." 

She disembarked quickly and the first few rows started filing out of the bus.

"Did you want me to hold those for you?" Nathaniel asked.

"I'm okay, but thank you," I said as I stood up from the comfortable seat. 

Nathaniel stood up beside me and we waited patiently for our turn to leave the bus. As I walked down the steps Principal Shermansky held out two bright yellow plastic wristbands to me.

"Take these and put them around your left wrists, please!" she said cheerfully and I took them with a smile, passing one to Nathaniel "Go ahead and find a spot to sit and enjoy your lunch, once everyone is done eating we'll explain how the race will work."

"Let's go sit under those trees," Nathaniel suggested, pointing towards a clump of trees on the edge of the forest. "Here, give me your wrist."

Before I had a chance to move, Nathaniel looped the plastic around my wrist, fastening it into place. As his fingers brushed against my wrist I felt a shock go up my arm and I tried not to shiver.

"There you go," he said with a satisfied nod, snapping his own wristband into place. 

I followed him over to the spot he had pointed out and sat down next to him, taking a second to absorb the smell of the forest. It was a clean, earthy smell.

"So what's for lunch?" Nathaniel asked with excitement and I grinned, handing him one of the bentos. We quickly untied them and removed the lids, exposing the colorful array of food inside. Nathaniel's mouth dropped open and I grinned happily.

"You made all of this?" he asked and I nodded, pointing at each of the items in the box.

"The triangle things are called onigiri. They are basically a rice ball with special fillings in them. This one has salmon. The next one has an umeboshi which is a Japanese plum, Auntie says it's extremely sour but really yummy, and the last one is called Nikumaki onigiri and it has thin slices of pork soaked in soy sauce."

"Do I just pick them up with my hands?" he asked and I nodded. 

Eagerly he took the one that I had said had an umeboshi in the center and took a large bite. His eyes widened in surprise and then he smiled, chewing vigorously. I laughed and clapped with excitement, glad that he liked it.

"That is fantastic!" he said after he had swallowed, "What is all the rest of this stuff?"

"That is bacon-wrapped asparagus, the yellow rolls are called tamagoyaki and it's actually a very thin omelet that's been rolled up and cut. I forgot to ask if you liked spicy things so I just made yours plain but mine has pepper flakes and some nori in it."

"Nori?" he asked before taking another bite of his onigiri.

"Seaweed," I explained, picking up one of the tamagoyaki with the chopsticks Auntie had put into the box and popping it in my mouth, enjoying the combination of spices and salt.

"Wow, you're good with chopsticks," Nathaniel said with awe and I laughed.

"Auntie has been teaching me. I put a fork in yours beside the onigiri if you need it." Nathaniel gave a dramatic sigh of relief which made me laugh again.

"Are these apples?" he asked, picking up an apple slice with a V shape cut out of the skin on one end. I nodded, quickly swallowing the bite of salmon onigiri I had taken.

"They're apple bunnies. Auntie said that her mom always cut her apples like that."

"How did you keep them from turning brown?" he asked in amazement.

"We just soaked them in a little saltwater and lemon juice for a couple of seconds," I explained before biting into my bacon-wrapped asparagus with relish.

"Wow. I don't think I've ever seen a more intense lunch box. And it's all really good. Thank you, Opal."

"I'm glad you like it, I was worried you wouldn't since it's not really normal American food." Nathaniel shook his head, taking one of his tamagoyaki and biting into it.

"I definitely have never had anything like this, but I'm happy that you thought of me when you were making it. Is that why you were asking me about what food I liked yesterday?" I nodded and Nathaniel smiled sincerely at me, his eyes sparkling. "Thank you. This is amazing."

For some reason, my cheeks were starting to warm up and I pulled my gaze away from his glimmering gold eyes, taking a bite of the umeboshi onigiri. Instantly I felt my face pucker up as the salty sourness coated my tongue. I could hear Nathaniel laughing at me and I covered my mouth, letting the sourness ease a bit before forcing myself to chew the rest of the bite. Once I had swallowed I gasped, amazed at how intense the flavor had been.

"That was even better than Amber with sour skittles!" Nathaniel exclaimed, laughing loudly. I giggled and shrugged.

"I guess I'm not as good with sour as I thought," I admitted. 

Nathaniel continued to laugh and I smiled, feeling perfectly content.