So she'd already managed to piss two people off in rapid succession. Erika looked around, wondering morbidly if anyone in the crowd around her would step up to be a third. She must be on some kind of roll, she thought bitterly. This might be a new record for her.

Another day by herself looked more pleasant by the moment. She didn't feel nearly so lonely when she kept to herself out of choice. She'd been named for a type of flower - the erika flower, also known as spring or winter heather. It symbolized solitude in hanakotoba.

Once again, it struck her that her parents couldn't have chosen a more fitting name for her.