Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ Flipped ❯ Shinjuku ( Chapter 1 )
[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]
By: attila'x 
Sakyra moves to Tokyo and has a stranger first day of a new school.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.07.2010 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.9K | Visits: 420 | Status: Work In Progress
Sakyra moves to Tokyo and has a stranger first day of a new school.
Anime/Manga: Yu Yu Hakusho Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Adventure / Fantasy / Romance | Type: Crossover | Uploaded On: 03.07.2010 | Pages: 5 | Words: 8.9K | Visits: 420 | Status: Work In Progress
For now this is going to be rated T for language and mild violence. Towards the end it will mostly likely be changed to M for sexual themes and some more violence. Yay violence! So let me know what you think! thanks for reading!
***
I've never liked the rain. It put me in a mood, and it was usually a bad one. I always feel so, depressed. I wonder if that happens to a lot of people. Maybe I was just weird. I listened to the rhythm as the little water droplets fell upon the windshield only to be wiped away. With the beat of their crashes against glass there was no need for a radio. I sighed loudly, letting my step-father know for about the fifth time this morning that I was still not okay with his decision.
I peeked out of the corner of my eye to witness him just roll his eyes and focus back on the road. Did he even care how I felt about this? Was money so important that even your daughter's opinion couldn't measure up to it?
"Are you going to talk to me anytime soon?" he asked suddenly.
I contemplated the idea for a moment. "No."
He let out a forced laugh, unaware of how serious I had been. I had no intentions what so ever to speak to the man that sat beside me for quite some time. I was a woman (well sort of) and women can hold a grudge for a very, very long time; Months or years even. My goal was to hold out until the old man gave in and made things right again. Step-father or no step-father he was still going to be held accountable for single handedly ruining my life.
My step-father, Masaki Hanayuki, was a well established lawyer in the city of Nagoya. He was also recently promoted and was required to work at a firm in Shinjuku, Tokyo, forcing my mother and I to move along with him. Who died and gave him any decision making authority?
I'm sure he didn't realize what he was doing at the moment that he accepted the promotion, but I made it clear to him once he came out with the "big news" that he had done bad. Bad--bad Steppy!
So here we are a week later. We're all moved in to our quaint--and unbearably cramped--apartment and our new lives were off and running. Today was a day full of firsts for both Steppy (that's my nickname for my step-father) and me. Today was his first day of work at the new firm and was my first day of going to a new school. It was also my first year of going to high school.
Steppy cleared his throat and glanced at me. He was confident and slightly unsure--his Glow was dim blue but small turquoise ribbons danced feverishly around his middle-aged frame. What did he want me to do? Bounce up and down in my seat, ripping at the seatbelt to get out to enjoy the first day of the rest of my life? Well the rest of my life was probably going to pretty shitty, and I wasn't in the mood to celebrate that.
I wasn't equipped with the ability to adapt in new surroundings. It wasn't in my blueprints. It took me long enough to get used to where we were before. It took me long enough to make some friends and get the rest of the kids to stop harassing me. Now I had to relive that awful experience all over again. Thanks a bunch dad!
I fluttered my eyelashes lazily, trying not to fall asleep and continued to watch out the window silently. I couldn't help but think that this was all his fault. If he any consideration for my well being he would have left me and Mama where we were and gone off on his new career expedition on his own!
But who knows? Maybe they'll have a welcome committee for me when I get there. Maybe everyone at my new school will be friendly and trustworthy and not try to make my life a living hell. I could only hope.
My heart slowly sank as we rolled to a stop in front of the school. I looked out across the barren courtyard. Everything was so gray. Gray sidewalk, gray cement walls, gray building, gray sky, gray rain, gray puddles. Even the car was gray! No one was out front, which unfortunately meant there was also no welcoming committee. Today was not going to be a good day.
"Good luck," Steppy chirped as he clicked the car doors unlocked. He just couldn't wait to get me out of his hair could he, I thought silently. I looked to him one last time--my last plea--only to find a rather smug looking smile cemented on his face. I wasn't sure if it was on purpose or if it was just the fact that Steppy was never really good at projecting what he felt onto his face.
He continued, "I hope you have a good first day." He knew that I was completely opposed to the thought of a new school and a new life. Knowing him he probably thought it was going to "be a good experience" for me. Parents always seemed to pull out that card. I opened the door and slid out, my Mary Janes splashing in the wide river flowing down the side of the street, and into the storm drain. I shut the door tight and loud behind me, but hesitated at first. Maybe I could make a break for it.
Steppy honked the car horn, which nearly scared me out of my purple socks, and pulled away from the curb. I watched him stop at the corner and turn before sprinting off into the front doors. I came upon a small lobby. At least the inside was better than the outside. There were colors on the walls and bright fliers everywhere. It was starting to look a little more hospitable. I continued through to a narrowing hallway. I could hear a hoard of voices in the distance and knew I was going the right way. I walked by a small mural of a traditional Japanese water garden and a trophy case. As I walked deeper into the lair I suddenly found myself being engulfed in crowds of students, many of whom were staring.
As I walked past, their voices would become hushed but once I was out of arm's reach their annoying chatter was back to their normal standard. "That the new girl?" They asked each other, watching me as I searched desperately for the main office. So many eyes on me all at once was making me uneasy and severely nauseous. It was a small school compared to Japanese standards, news must get around fast.
After a few moments of walking around in random directions I realized that I was being approached by a girl. She was shorter than me--most people were--with an average face and ordinary eyes and hair. She sported the same winter uniform as the rest of us, A navy blue and gray plaid skirt reaching down about knee length topped with a matching navy blue blazer with a plain white blouse underneath. Her Glow was exceedingly dim, and her thin, white ribbons seemed motionless. It reflected the girl's sluggish walk. It was almost as though she was working in slow motion.
When we were face to face I noticed a pimple on the side of her nose like a witch. "Are you new?" the girl asked me slowly. She looked much older than I was, seventeen or so. Her eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to sway as she stood. She looked as though she was about to fall asleep.
I inched myself back a bit and nodded shyly, "I'm looking for the main office." My voice was childish and high pitched. It was always like that, except for maybe when I was singing.
I flipped my chestnut bangs from my eyes and watched as she leisurely pointed down the hall, "Down and to the left." I turned to follow her direction but the girl grabbed my arm.
"Are those colored contacts?" she added, breathing her disgusting bitter breath in my face as she took a closer look.
"No," I hissed and turned on my heel. How rude was she? Who just gets up in someone's face like that over something stupid like eye color? There was nothing wrong with my eye color!
I couldn't help but let my thoughts linger on the dimwitted girl. Though her style was rather boring and her dialogue very brief I could tell that she must have been stoned. No person in their right mind did things that slowly. Though she was on drugs I felt that she was genuinely trying to be nice, but that was only a feeling. I took her directions cautiously, hoping that she had told me the truth. Many times before I had tricks played on my by my peers. This made me more wary of things. As I entered a dramatically smaller hall the crowds began to clear and sure enough right after taking a left I spotted a large sign displaying the words "Main Office" above a large maroon door.
So far things seemed okay.
I slipped in quietly and approached a desk to find a frumpy, old woman seated behind it. She was hunched over and looked very tired. Her eyes were glazed and bloodshot. She had crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, laugh lines around her mouth and Y wrinkles between her eyebrows. Her hair was out of control and streaked with ghostly grays.
I tried to smile. "Excuse me," I choked, my voice sounding hoarse.
"Yes?" the secretary asked, looking up at me from her flashing computer screen. The dark circles under her eyes indicated that she did not get much sleep. An insomniac maybe, due to too much stress.
"I'm here for my schedule, my name is Sakyra Hanayuki," I managed, my voice less hoarse but now trembling with uncertainty. Why couldn't I just be bold and confident and get over myself? Get over it!
"Oh," she moaned slowly, her voice sounded like a horrid croak from a frog, "you're a new one."
I nodded silently afraid to provoke the beast that lay dormant within her. The old woman hastily handed over a sheet of paper and a small booklet. The skin on her arm wiggled as she moved. Her large weight must have been due to excessive eating during all the hours she spends awake because of the insomnia.
"That's your schedule and that's the student handbook. If you have any questions feel free to come an ask," she said sounding noticeably rehearsed. I'm sure that if I came back to ask any questions the beast would awaken and bite my head off, so that was out of the picture.
I bowed in thanks--though there was nothing really to be thankful for--and took my leave. I walked wearily down the crammed hall examining the papers in my hands. Some how I was to decode my schedule and find my way to my classes. Homeroom was first in room 168.
I opened the packet and found a map of the building which didn't help very much. I wasn't sure which floor was which and where north and south were. I was completely lost. A sense of directions wasn't included in my blueprints either. I'm pretty hopeless. I had wandered up some stairs and down several hallways and finally found the room I was looking for. As I approached the bell rang and the students who occupied the halls flocked into their classes likes sheep being herded by their shepherd.
I hesitated at the door, looking in through the window. The room looked normal, the students seemed normal. Normal, normal, normal, normal, normal. I wrapped my sweaty palm around ht doorknob and entered. I was hesitant. What if this really wasn't the right room? Well, I thought to myself, we'll soon find out. The teacher, who I assumed was Miss Maya, was a tall and lean woman with dark hair, dark eyes and very tanned skin. Her Glow was almost opaque, a rosy shade of red with jagged splinters of brown in place of ribbons. She had a strong personality, almost overpowering. She looked up at me from her desk ferociously and asked, "You new?"
I nodded in fear of her stern and powerful voice. She folded her arms across her chest, taking a defensive pose, and leaned way back in her swiveling desk chair. "Take a seat," she directed, nodding in the general direction of the back of the classroom. She was a very distinct person. Her presence was very pronounced. She must have been a control freak which was probably why she wasn't married yet.
I advanced towards the only seat available in the room. I sat slowly, double checking that no one had slipped anything like water or tacks onto my seat. I had been through it all. I've been tripped, kicked, pushed and even spit on. I never did anything to deserve such horrible treatment I received--at least I didn't think so--but that didn't really matter. I was an easy target.
I sat down, setting books in various places across my desk. I tried blocking out the noises and blurs of the classroom. The usual dim Glows of various colors made my eyes hurt.
I see auras. It's not a talent, it's not a skill. It's just something I have been able to do and I've been doing it since as far back as I can remember. I never really questioned what it was because I thought that was just how everybody saw things. I began to realize that that wasn't the case when I started school and told others about it, and I found out that no one else could see what I saw. When I was eight I read books about "Indigo Children" and "Psychic Abilities" and other silly things like that. I read theories on them, people who could see them and how they used their "gift" to help others. I, on the other hand, had no urge whatsoever to use my abilities to help the greater good.
Overtime I figured how to cope with it. Auras were just energy fields, the colors and shapes that they took reflected their mood, personality and thoughts. There's three parts; the first part being the Glow. Auras are made up of one, sometimes two colors, that appear as a glow that surrounds the entire body--though the interpretation of colors relates to the aura around the head and torso only. Bright and opaque colors indicated a strong, positive personality and wellbeing, while dull and transparent colors pointed towards more subdued, negative personalities. While it isn't an exact science it usually helped me out when I had to pick friends.
The second part is the part about mood. Ribbons are lights that slither and rotate around and with the body amongst a person's glow. They generally look like floating ribbons, hence the name I've given them. Ribbons change according to mood. If someone is feeling relaxed the Ribbons moves gently and softly, where as if someone is upset the Ribbons move quickly and erratically--not too hard. Ribbons are a real hassle, though, because sometimes they don't look like ribbons at all; take Miss Maya for example. Her Ribbons look more like splinters scattered around her like a porcupine. My guess was that it was due to stress. Teaching did seem like a frustrating job.
And number three is thoughts. When people have particular thoughts it is reflected by a flash of color around the top if a person's head. Flashes usually look like wispy clouds that quickly appear and disappear. Like the Glow, Flashes have different colors that mean different things. I'm not a mind reader so I had to do research on what colors meant what, so I have a rough idea. Again, it's not always accurate, so I tend to dismiss them.
So you could try and imagine how school was for me, having to see people's feelings and personalities at all times. The truth is that I don't come across a great deal of interesting auras. Most Glows are moderate and the colors tend to be more on the transparent side. I didn't pay attention to most Ribbons, since it didn't matter to me how most people were feeling at the moment.
As I got older, other's auras began to annoy me more and more so I eventually found a way to ignore them. The first step was the preoccupy myself. If my mind was cluttered with my other problems, I wouldn't have as much time to notice all the bright colors floating around me. The second step was to try to look at things other than people, like signs or buildings or the sky. Finally, step three: never look anyone in their eyes. They say a person's eyes is a window to their soul, and looking into a person's eyes only made things worse for me.
I tried to think of something, but nothing seemed to come. I began to stare so intently at my desk that my eyes began to ache. I began to think about the weather, something I thought of often. Winter had been my least favorite time of the year. It was cold and wet. I could do nothing else but stare, try to think, and hum a the tune of a random song. There was simply nothing that could catch my attention today.
Fortunately the teacher began taking attendance and calling out names in her deep voice. Each named seemed to drag out, each letter annunciated until it suffocated. Last name, inhale; first name, exhale; Last name, inhale; first name, exhale. My head began to dizzy and before I knew it she was calling out my own name, "Hanayuki Sakyra?" Her dark eye's scanned the room, narrowing in on me like a eagle spotting a rabbit.. I raised my hand high in the air for her to see. She nodded at me in acknowledgement. Easy enough.
I refused the urge to look around the room, but just because I wasn't looking at them didn't mean they weren't looking at me. I could feel there stares burning countless holes in my skin, making me hollow inside. I sank lower into my seat, trying to hide myself. I wanted to melt into a puddle beneath my seat and evaporate into the air so no one could see me. I wanted to be in my old school. I wanted to go home. All of a sudden, there was a movement in front of me that caught my interest. And in the next second I did the stupidest thing I probably could have done.
I looked.
I looked up into emerald jewels dusted with gold flakes, falling under dark lashes. Eyes set skillfully onto a narrow, pale face with thin lips that shaped softly into a smirk. A slender girl with jet black hair draped down along her neckline and over her shoulders.
I choked. Hard.
There was nothing that I could have done that would have prepared me for what was about to happen next. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. I was blinded by what looked like an explosion with no sound--so much so that I jumped a little and almost shielded my eyes. When I could see again butterflies began to flutter in my stomach at the sight. I was amazed and excited, and slightly terrified. I had never seen it before: her Glow was one of the largest and most intense I had ever seen. It gleamed with bright oranges and yellows and flickered off of her like spectral flames. In addition, velvet ribbons of dark blue revolved around her slowly and elegantly.
For one moment I forgot about everything else around this strange girl and me. This was new to me, it was rare to find someone with such an unmistakable aura. Instantly the gears in my head began to turn. Who is this girl? I could only guess at her name, but I knew that she was not normal. Her energy seemed enormous and restrained to her small frame. The air around her was dense and pressurized--it almost felt as if her aura was going to erupt.
She and I stared at one another for what seemed like hours before either of us moved.
"Kurokaze Kikiru?"
She finally shifted in her seat, smiling at me as if we were two friends having a pleasant conversation and called out, "Here!" Her voice wasn't offensive but it was distinct and rang in my ears. I watched her as she grinned at me for a split second more and then turned around to her friend once again. Her noisy conversation continued as the teacher finished up attendance.
For a moment I became paranoid. Why had she been staring at me? Okay, so I was staring at her too but she was the one who was looking first. She just blatantly turned around and began gawking at me like an elephant in the circus. But why did she keep going when she saw me staring back. The polite thing to do would have been to stop and look away--actually it would have been to not even stare at all--but she just kept staring. Maybe she just didn't have any manners… or maybe she knew what I was doing. Maybe she saw aura's too?
My thoughts were interrupted again by the teacher who began a discussion of radicals. There were so many thoughts running through my mind that I decided to cast them all aside. It didn't matter what she thought or what she saw. It didn't matter that she was the strangest thing I had witnessed in a long time. Right now I had enough trouble with trying to make it through the day. Right now I had to focus on the task at had: algebra.
Algebra was something I was good at. I enjoyed solving problems and working out equations. Call me a nerd but it was true, and I was good at it. I had been in the advanced math class at my previous school. I considered myself to be a good student. I was smart, and tended to have a lot of time on my hands to study. That might have been what contributed to my miserable relationship with society.
At my old school I dealt with harassment from the other students almost everyday. I had problems connecting with most people; there was just nothing there. So I was pretty socially awkward. Then, to add to that, I had to deal with torment about my clairvoyant abilities. When I was young I had thought that everyone could see auras, so I made no hesitation to tell my peers about it. Soon enough I found out that wasn't the case, when they began to tease me. It had been following me ever since. With that and my awkward disposition and that fact that I was always the tallest in the class it could only end in disaster.
The only thing that had kept me sane had been my best friend. He was a cranky little brute who wasn't afraid to take on the big kids. However, he had started out on their side. He was steal my things and call me names. But somehow--I don't remember--we began to be friends and he became my guardian. Then, when he left, Kana came in. Kana wasn't violent, but she was still tough--and a bit quirky. She had thick skin, quick wit and could give you looks that would send shivers down your spine. She was a good friend, the best I ever had up until the day I moved. I missed her. She didn't take the news very well when I told her I was moving but at least she didn't cry like I did. She became so upset that she had to leave my house and go home to meditate. She was weird like that.
Before I knew it the bell rang again, disturbing my thoughts and ordering me to my next class. First period had gone by with almost no problems but I was relieved when it was over. I fumbled around with my papers as I stood and slowly shuffled out of the class. Once out in the hall I was again lost in a sea of students that pushed and shoved me towards the stairs. I had to wait until the bell ran again and the halls cleared out to actually be able to pay attention to where I was going and find my next class. Though I was only a few minutes late when I walked into the classroom everyone was settled down and everyone stared as I entered. It was like that in every class I had that day. I would get lost and arrive to class late. As I walked in the students would gawk as I introduced myself and took a seat.
They whispered throughout the class and I knew that they were talking about me, but I ignored it. I was good at ignoring things. I had developed a calloused exterior over the years and when things got bad I could retreat to my little bubble, my little fantasy world. There no one could touch me. There I was on top, and I was alone--though it was a content sort of alone. I was quite alright with being only with myself. When I was alone everything was okay.
***
By the time lunch came around I was feeling pretty damn good about everything. I could feel my anxieties and fears wash away, and I began to wonder why they were there in the first place. The funny looks still bothered me, but I couldn't take them personally--not even the nasty ones. People were always afraid of what they weren't used to. But then things turned for the worst.
As I approached the lunch room my stomach churned, making me nauseated. I hadn't met anyone so far, so I had no idea of where I was going to sit or with whom I was going to sit with. How pathetic was I? I would say pretty. All my good feelings shrunk and the anxiety took front stage once again.
I entered the bustling room only to become lost in the chaos. Scattered crowds of bodies migrated and rushed by me, pushing me this way and then pulling me back the other way. I was beginning to get dizzy--nervous too. I walked past a table filled with obnoxious girls with bright colored hair and accessories, another table filled with dirty looking boys who watched me as I hurried by with sneers on their faces.
Unexpectedly, the world spun around me as I came crashing to the cafeteria floor. Something had knocked me hard in the back, throwing my books out of my hands and toppling me over. I caught myself on my hands and knees, looking around to my books and papers which were strewn across the floor. For an instant it seemed as though everyone around me had stopped and turned to gander at my downfall. From behind myself I heard a group of boys, laughing, which created a chain reaction with the other students who began to snicker along with them. I kneeled down on the floor, frantically gathering my notes together. I bit my bottom lip forcing myself not to cry. Tears welled up in my eyes as the laughter around me ceased.
"Not very creative," I heard a familiar voice mumble from behind me. I turned and glanced up at the girl I sat behind in homeroom, Kikiru. She stood at the side of a smug looking boy who I assumed was the culprit of the crime. She was tall, almost as tall as the boy beside her. He was bulky and square looking, with a sloppy looking grin wrinkled across his face. Ugly.
She looked at him. "You really thrive on being an asshole, don't you?" she said with smirk. Her voice was relatively calm, but her hands were placed on her hips ready to move if they were needed. The boy's face produced an ugly expression, once I couldn't quite analyze. Kikiru only looked down at my papers which were still lying across the floor.
I then randomly felt an urge that I had never had before. I actually wanted to look at Kikiru's aura. I wanted to know what was going on inside of her head. Was she upset? Was she just playing games? Was she on my side or his?
"You got something to make of it?" the bully snarled. Their eyes were almost level, Kikiru's just slightly lower. The boy began clenching his fists until his knuckles were a ghostly white. Would he really hit her? Did he have the guts to use brute force against a girl? Against a girl who looked as though she could barely bench press a teddy bear?
I focused on his forehead, specifically the midpoint of his brow: his eyes. His aura suddenly materialized from his body. He glowed bright red and a dirty sulfur color. He was angry, but anyone could have told you that. His ribbons tied in and out of knots, exploding into bits and pieces. They were white, which usually meant sickness… or drugs.
The two students were now facing each other. They looked like they belonged on opposite sides of the spectrum. The bully--whose name I still hadn't discovered--was tall and boxy. His shoulders were stiff and squared off. His arms lay at his sides, though he was so tense the veins were budging underneath his skin. He looked on edge, nervous even.
Kikiru on the other hand… well she hardly looked phased. She was fairly tall--almost as tall as me actually--and rather slight. She stood tall with her shoulders relaxed, giving off the illusion that she wasn't ready for a fight. The firm grip on her hips and the slight twitch in her fingers signaled to something else. Was she really looking for a fight? I focused on Kikiru's brow. He aura exploded as it had earlier in the day. Actually, everything had been the same as it had been. She was calm, she didn't seem like she was itching to go at it.
At this point my brain was on an overload. All this body language and auras brought on the fact that there was going to be a physical altercation, but the circumstances were baffling. A masculine brute against a petite girl. It barely seemed probable or fair for that fact.
The bully's lip curled, showing crooked yellow teeth--he must smoke. "What game are you playing Kurokaze?" he asked, his voice cracked slightly. The girl smiled at him with seemingly innocent eyes. Nothing hostile or sinister, but at this point I was expecting the unexpected.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.
"Don't play stupid."
"Why not? You are."
I couldn't help but snicker a little. This made the guy mad. His expression shifted, but it didn't seem to do much good for him. I'm sure he didn't like being the one who was being made fun on. It's not very fun, especially when the things people say are true.
He raised his first into the air.
Wasn't anyone going to stop him?
"--bitch," was all he spat out before a pair of flailing arms suddenly emerged from the crowd. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there cowboy." He was familiar, he had been in one of my classes earlier. He was tall and lean, handsome with dark hair dangling over hazel eyes. He bravely stepped between the two squalling teenagers. The boy held his hands up to the bully in a peaceful gesture. He stepped back, forcing Kikiru to move back with him. He spoke again when there was a good distance between the two.
"Aren't we being a little rash?"
The bully lowered his fist and let our a malicious growl. "Why don't you teach that girl of yours to keep her nose outta other people's business?"
The boy sighed in reply, "Right," and turned to Kikiru.
"And whatever games you're playing at Kurokaze, I'm not being a part of. I don't need none of your bullshit." And with that said the bully just turned and nodded to his posse before disappearing. Just like that it was all over; to my relief.
There was a dull roar, students hissing to one another and such, and an aftershock rolled over the crowd. Someone yelled for a fight, another made a comment about being a pansy. Other than that all of the excitement was over. The swarm soon dispersed and everyone went back to what they were doing before this big mess started. I sighed in relief. Now I could gather up my crap and get the hell out of there without having an audience.
I had just started rounding up my papers once again when a pair of black boots stepped up beside me. Nice boots, I thought admiringly, I hope they go away soon. I hoped and prayed momentarily while still lassoing papers when Kikiru kneeled down. I shied away and again made an effort to gather my things, fast.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice soft.
I nodded, biting at my lip again. I still had the urge to burst into tears. I finally gathered everything with Kikiru's help and put it in a neat stack. We stood slowly. I pressed by book against my chest and looked to Kikiru who was staring at me again, just as she had in homeroom.
I became annoyed, "Is there something wrong?"
My words seemed to snap her out of some sort of trance. She smiled, keeping her lips together and said, "Uh…no, I was just admiring you're eyes. I-I've never seen that color before, it's beautiful."
I hesitated. "Thanks," I said, taken back by the compliment. I usually got comments that were less than nice about how weird they were, or how they must be fake. But her hesitation confused me. I looked over the girl's shoulder to watch as her friend left a group of guys behind and began towards us.
"You're friend," I said, nodding. Good, maybe she's lead me alone. I hoped she didn't think I owed her. Kikiru turned just as the boy walked up to her side. He smiled brightly, shining big white teeth. He was cute.
"Keiji," Kikiru said, "this is Sakyra. She's in our homeroom."
I was surprised that she remembered my name. So surprised that I had almost forgot to say hello, but the gesture he made towards me just them was shocking. He had scooped up my hand and brought it close to his lips. "Nice to meet you," he said, concluding with a peck on my ring finger. I could feel my face flush. "Are you alright?" he asked, seeming concern.
I nodded, quickly pulling my hand from his grip, "I'm fine." I tried saying it with a smile but a lump rose in my throat and tears threatened behind my eyes. I had to get out of here, I needed to get away from these people.
"Glad to hear it. I hope no one else has been as wicked to you today. Most of the kids here are good people, but not all."
"No," I choked out, "it's been alright. People talk and whatnot. It's just--" I knew that if I spoke another word my self control would be lost and my eyes would burst.
"It's hard being new," Kikiru said, "I know, I've been there before."
I smiled at their attempts to cheer me up. Hey, at least I can go home and tell Mama that I at least met new people, if not friends. She was always urging me to make new friends, despite the fact that she knew I was pretty much an introvert.
"I'll meet you at the table," Keiji announced suddenly, "It was nice meeting you Sakyra."
I nodded and smiled. Just let them think that everything's fine and they'll be on their way. Kikiru turned to watch him walk away then she turned back to me. "Keiji's a bit of a creep," she chuckled. I tried to smile in a way to say that it was okay and that it didn't matter, but I think I failed. My head was beginning to ache and I could feel my stomach begin to tie in knots. The room began to quake and I looked down at the floor to try and steady myself.
"You should told him off, or even throw him one, right in the jaw." My eyes snapped up to Kikiru's now solemn face. The look in her eyes was sobering. "Are you kidding?" I stared at her bewildered and wondered if she was being serious. Well the look on her face did kind of answer that question. "Never in a million years would I be a match for that guy."
With that said, she turned a one-eighty. Her eyes brightened as she shrugged and smiled, "You uh… wanna come sit with us? Our table is just over there." She turned and pointed to a corner far across the room.
I hesitated. "I… Well…" I really didn't want to, I just wanted to go home and go to bed. I didn't want to deal with these strange people and this strange place. I wasn't sure if I could tough it out any longer, but something inside ached for me to say yes. My curiosity was getting the better of me.
"You don't have to if you don't want, I understand if you have other plans," she added. She didn't sound offended, just offhanded.
I broke "No, of course. I mean yeah, I'll sit with you." I couldn't believe the words were coming out of my mouth, but now that I said them I couldn't turn my back on them. I'd make myself look like an ass.
"Nice," she said, almost under her breath as she turn on her heels and began following Keiji's footsteps. She had led me to the complete opposite side of the cafeteria. We stopped at a table that was filled with ordinary looking students. I was relieved. No one had any Hello Kitty merchandise or greasy hair. They were just normal. I liked normal.
Kikiru took an empty seat between Keiji and another big guy. She slapped the big guy on the shoulder and demanded that he move. I watched in astonishment as the boy stood and did as Kikiru had told him. It didn't look like he was afraid of her or anything; he acted just as if his mother had told him to move. Maybe this was some kind of monarchy, with Kikiru at the reigns. I didn't want to think of it that way, I didn't need anymore reasons for my nerves to be shaken up. I slipped into the seat, wary eyes, and set my books onto my lap, holding them safely.
"So Sakyra," Kikiru said, "where did you move from?"
"From Nagoya."
Keiji turned to me and smiled, "I have an aunt from Nagoya."
Kikiru slapped him in the arm, "No you don't, you liar."
He shrugged, "So she's technically my uncle, he prefers to be called she."
Kikiru rolled her eyes which I think was meant to mean that that had meant to be a joke, but I couldn't say I was one hundred percent sure. Keiji let out a brief laugh and turned to the boy on the other side of him.
Kikiru smiled at me before she turned to speak to someone. This was probably as close as I was going to get to her, so I might as well make use of the time. I focused my attention and energy on her, trying to block out other around her. Auras were almost always affected by thing like if there were others around or what was in the background. Sometimes Auras interacted with each other; the Glows would blend or thrust into each other, sometimes Ribbons would dance together, or move towards others.
With Kikiru's enormous aura, it was easy to forget the rest of the dim Glows. The bright colors slithered off of her with the flames flickered and disappearing into the air. Then, in that moment, her Ribbons stole my attention. They quivered around her and her seat like choreographed dancers, and then suddenly seemed to explode. They flew away from her body but almost immediately almost all of them returned to her. The ones that didn't floated a good distance above her for a moment, and then like confetti they came fluttering down around her, Keiji and myself.
"So why did you come to Tokyo?"
I blinked, and everything disappeared.
"I… uh. My father, he got transferred here."
"What does he do?" It was a short haired girl.
"He's a lawyer."
"A lawyer? There you go Keiji, now you can sue that guy who took your Snuggie idea." Kikiru snorted.
"It seriously was my idea! I should be making all that money! Does your dad do those types of things?"
I shook my head. "No, he mainly deals with domestic disputes. Divorce things."
"Oh, too bad." Kikiru muttered, "Really Keiji. It's just a backwards bathrobe, nothing to be too proud about."
"But still! I could be up to my armpits in money right now."
For the rest of the period I conversed with mostly Kikiru and Keiji. The others had a tendency of listening, but not daring to make contact with me. They must have been intimidated by how cool I am. There were times when suddenly Kikiru would be on her feet and then across the cafeteria deep in conversation with some random person. I would look away, and then she'd be somewhere else patronizing someone else. Every once in a she would return, and would say something random or almost meaningless and then she'd be gone again.
He voice rang clear whenever she was near the table, and you could tell when she was coming for you when she would shout your name from across the room. She had a strong presence, bright and out there just like her aura.
When the bell ran she leapt up, said good-bye and waved as her and Keiji left with a few other boys. I was left alone. I sat at the table until almost every student had left the cafeteria before I finally rose to my feet. Today wasn't a good day.
***
That afternoon I returned to my new home after school was over. I climbed out of my step-father's car and dragged my feet all the way through the lobby, to the elevator and down the hall. I stopped, my hand just short of the doorknob, and took in a deep breath. I was overwhelmed with the smell of fish and fried vegetables. My mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
When Steppy had finally caught up I forced myself to open the door and go in. I slipped off my shoes and found my mother standing at the stove, her favorite apron tied around her waist. She was short, thin. She was so fragile.
"Mother," I sighed. She shouldn't be up.
"Oh, Sakyra," she said spinning to face me. My mother was a beautiful woman even in sickness. Her eyes were a warm hazel with matching sandy colored hair. As of late, however, she seemed to look older and more weary with each passing day.
She had been recently diagnosed with a disease that had no medical cure. She had a doctors appointment today. The doctors weren't sure how much longer she was going to be able to go on, but they said that they would fight to save her until the end. The end…
My step-father entered the room tossing his overcoat onto the coat rack. His feet clapped against the linoleum flooring as he made his way to my mother. With a kiss on the cheek he smiled and said "It smells good."
It had been six months since she was diagnosed and she had only gotten worse. She had become weak and frail, though she refused to stop taking care of the household. The doctors said that was normal. They said it had to get worse before it got better.
I knew they were just feeding us a crock of shit.
"So… How was your first day of school?" my mother asked brightly. I shrugged and sat at he kitchen table. "What was that?" She asked as if I had said something.
"It was okay," I replied. I smashed little crumbs into the grooves of the wooden table. I didn't want to talk about it, and she knew it too. That wasn't going to stop her from making me though. She was that type of woman. She knew how to make you say what she wanted to hear. I could never understand how she did it, she just did.
"Okay? That doesn't sound very good."
Because it wasn't, I thought to myself. I sighed, "It was fine. You know, it was just… different."
She turned to me and put her hands on her hips. "I know Sakyra," she said tilting her head to the side, "I know you didn't want to move, but we had to."
"I know," I said, letting out a huff of anger. My mother always seemed to know what was really going on inside of my head. I'm sure it was some strange ability that women acquired once they become a mother. I wasn't sure if I wanted in on their secret or not.
There was a pause.
"You shouldn't be up." I muttered, not looking at her.
"I know," she sighed, "but do you really expect me to just sit around when things need to be done?"
Yes. Those things could wait. I need you to rest, to hold on.
"So did you make any new friends today?"
"Sorta." I said it just to make her happy.
"Well. You can always invite her over to get to know her more. Unless it's a boy that is," she said with a grin, "then you should invite him over."
I rolled my eyes, "Well I did meet a boy, but I don't think he's interested."
"Oh you never know," my step-father said. He had wandered into the den but reentered the room just to throw his two cents into the conversation. He sat down at the table beside me. He smiled at me long and hard. I just ignored him. I was holding out on my promise. I was.
"I should know, I was a young guy once. Boys are always interested in girls, especially ones new to school."
I shuttered slightly. My parents were sort of deranged. They lived in a world much like the sixties were people still "courted" each other and waited until marriage to have sex. If we didn't have a TV they probably would have raised me to wear pink skirts with little black poodles on them. And now that I was in high school they expected me to start dating. That's what all those parenting books they have say anyways. Sure, boys… they're cute, but they don't have much more to them then that… at least not at this age.
I rose as Steppy blabbed on. I wasn't listening.
"Where are you going hon?" my mother asked.
"Upstairs. I have homework.," I lied.
"Alright, dinner will be done soon."
I didn't reply that time. I headed down the hall and into my bedroom. I shut the door and was engulfed into a jungle of cardboard boxes. My room was the only room that hadn't been unpacked yet. I was hoping that I would wake up one morning and I would realize it was all a dream, or that my mother would tell me that we could move back to our old neighborhood. By now though, the reality had sunk in. I dropped my bag onto the hardwood floor and curled up onto my bed. I bit my lip but allowed my tears to fall. I cried for a long time, it soon began to give me a headache. I calmed and my breathing became deep and even. I soon fell into a deep, but uneasy sleep.
The first time that Sakyra had ever heard the word "adopted" was only a few days after her fifth birthday. Sakyra and her best friend Yusuke sat on the floor of the dining room of her mother's small apartment, playing with the new toys that Sakyra had received for her birthday. While the small children played their mothers sat at the table having another one of their "grown up talks." Sakyra had been told about these talks, and from what she heard she wasn't very interested in taking parts in them. But that day Sakyra recalled listening to what the two women had to say. They had been discussing how Sakyra was adopted.
"Yus-kun?" Sakyra chirped.
"Yeah?" he replied looking up from the toy truck in his hand.
"What's a adopted?" she asked looking confused. Yusuke cocked his head to the side.
"A adopted? How should I know, I ain't a smart kid."
Sakyra punched him lightly, "Yes you are Yus-kun! You just don't try hard. What do you think a adopted is?" she asked once more.
"I dunno," he said shrugging, "A fruit?"
"A Fruit? Does that mean I'm a fruit?" Sakyra asked.
"Why?"
"Cause I heard my mommy tell your mommy that I was a adopted."
Yusuke looked at the girl curiously, "That means you're a fruit."
Sakyra gasped, "A fruit? I don't wanna be a fruit! I don't wanna get eated!"
Yusuke laughed, "Well that's means you gotta get rotted."
"Rotted?"
Yusuke nodded, "Yeah, like me! My mommy says I'm rotted all the time and no one ever tried to eat me before."
***
A/N: The last part was a flashback, and there will be one at the end of every chapter. That flashback is my favorite so far.
Next Chapter: Things get awkward and Sakyra only gives her peers more reasons to give her funny looks.
***
I've never liked the rain. It put me in a mood, and it was usually a bad one. I always feel so, depressed. I wonder if that happens to a lot of people. Maybe I was just weird. I listened to the rhythm as the little water droplets fell upon the windshield only to be wiped away. With the beat of their crashes against glass there was no need for a radio. I sighed loudly, letting my step-father know for about the fifth time this morning that I was still not okay with his decision.
I peeked out of the corner of my eye to witness him just roll his eyes and focus back on the road. Did he even care how I felt about this? Was money so important that even your daughter's opinion couldn't measure up to it?
"Are you going to talk to me anytime soon?" he asked suddenly.
I contemplated the idea for a moment. "No."
He let out a forced laugh, unaware of how serious I had been. I had no intentions what so ever to speak to the man that sat beside me for quite some time. I was a woman (well sort of) and women can hold a grudge for a very, very long time; Months or years even. My goal was to hold out until the old man gave in and made things right again. Step-father or no step-father he was still going to be held accountable for single handedly ruining my life.
My step-father, Masaki Hanayuki, was a well established lawyer in the city of Nagoya. He was also recently promoted and was required to work at a firm in Shinjuku, Tokyo, forcing my mother and I to move along with him. Who died and gave him any decision making authority?
I'm sure he didn't realize what he was doing at the moment that he accepted the promotion, but I made it clear to him once he came out with the "big news" that he had done bad. Bad--bad Steppy!
So here we are a week later. We're all moved in to our quaint--and unbearably cramped--apartment and our new lives were off and running. Today was a day full of firsts for both Steppy (that's my nickname for my step-father) and me. Today was his first day of work at the new firm and was my first day of going to a new school. It was also my first year of going to high school.
Steppy cleared his throat and glanced at me. He was confident and slightly unsure--his Glow was dim blue but small turquoise ribbons danced feverishly around his middle-aged frame. What did he want me to do? Bounce up and down in my seat, ripping at the seatbelt to get out to enjoy the first day of the rest of my life? Well the rest of my life was probably going to pretty shitty, and I wasn't in the mood to celebrate that.
I wasn't equipped with the ability to adapt in new surroundings. It wasn't in my blueprints. It took me long enough to get used to where we were before. It took me long enough to make some friends and get the rest of the kids to stop harassing me. Now I had to relive that awful experience all over again. Thanks a bunch dad!
I fluttered my eyelashes lazily, trying not to fall asleep and continued to watch out the window silently. I couldn't help but think that this was all his fault. If he any consideration for my well being he would have left me and Mama where we were and gone off on his new career expedition on his own!
But who knows? Maybe they'll have a welcome committee for me when I get there. Maybe everyone at my new school will be friendly and trustworthy and not try to make my life a living hell. I could only hope.
My heart slowly sank as we rolled to a stop in front of the school. I looked out across the barren courtyard. Everything was so gray. Gray sidewalk, gray cement walls, gray building, gray sky, gray rain, gray puddles. Even the car was gray! No one was out front, which unfortunately meant there was also no welcoming committee. Today was not going to be a good day.
"Good luck," Steppy chirped as he clicked the car doors unlocked. He just couldn't wait to get me out of his hair could he, I thought silently. I looked to him one last time--my last plea--only to find a rather smug looking smile cemented on his face. I wasn't sure if it was on purpose or if it was just the fact that Steppy was never really good at projecting what he felt onto his face.
He continued, "I hope you have a good first day." He knew that I was completely opposed to the thought of a new school and a new life. Knowing him he probably thought it was going to "be a good experience" for me. Parents always seemed to pull out that card. I opened the door and slid out, my Mary Janes splashing in the wide river flowing down the side of the street, and into the storm drain. I shut the door tight and loud behind me, but hesitated at first. Maybe I could make a break for it.
Steppy honked the car horn, which nearly scared me out of my purple socks, and pulled away from the curb. I watched him stop at the corner and turn before sprinting off into the front doors. I came upon a small lobby. At least the inside was better than the outside. There were colors on the walls and bright fliers everywhere. It was starting to look a little more hospitable. I continued through to a narrowing hallway. I could hear a hoard of voices in the distance and knew I was going the right way. I walked by a small mural of a traditional Japanese water garden and a trophy case. As I walked deeper into the lair I suddenly found myself being engulfed in crowds of students, many of whom were staring.
As I walked past, their voices would become hushed but once I was out of arm's reach their annoying chatter was back to their normal standard. "That the new girl?" They asked each other, watching me as I searched desperately for the main office. So many eyes on me all at once was making me uneasy and severely nauseous. It was a small school compared to Japanese standards, news must get around fast.
After a few moments of walking around in random directions I realized that I was being approached by a girl. She was shorter than me--most people were--with an average face and ordinary eyes and hair. She sported the same winter uniform as the rest of us, A navy blue and gray plaid skirt reaching down about knee length topped with a matching navy blue blazer with a plain white blouse underneath. Her Glow was exceedingly dim, and her thin, white ribbons seemed motionless. It reflected the girl's sluggish walk. It was almost as though she was working in slow motion.
When we were face to face I noticed a pimple on the side of her nose like a witch. "Are you new?" the girl asked me slowly. She looked much older than I was, seventeen or so. Her eyes were bloodshot and she seemed to sway as she stood. She looked as though she was about to fall asleep.
I inched myself back a bit and nodded shyly, "I'm looking for the main office." My voice was childish and high pitched. It was always like that, except for maybe when I was singing.
I flipped my chestnut bangs from my eyes and watched as she leisurely pointed down the hall, "Down and to the left." I turned to follow her direction but the girl grabbed my arm.
"Are those colored contacts?" she added, breathing her disgusting bitter breath in my face as she took a closer look.
"No," I hissed and turned on my heel. How rude was she? Who just gets up in someone's face like that over something stupid like eye color? There was nothing wrong with my eye color!
I couldn't help but let my thoughts linger on the dimwitted girl. Though her style was rather boring and her dialogue very brief I could tell that she must have been stoned. No person in their right mind did things that slowly. Though she was on drugs I felt that she was genuinely trying to be nice, but that was only a feeling. I took her directions cautiously, hoping that she had told me the truth. Many times before I had tricks played on my by my peers. This made me more wary of things. As I entered a dramatically smaller hall the crowds began to clear and sure enough right after taking a left I spotted a large sign displaying the words "Main Office" above a large maroon door.
So far things seemed okay.
I slipped in quietly and approached a desk to find a frumpy, old woman seated behind it. She was hunched over and looked very tired. Her eyes were glazed and bloodshot. She had crow's feet at the corners of her eyes, laugh lines around her mouth and Y wrinkles between her eyebrows. Her hair was out of control and streaked with ghostly grays.
I tried to smile. "Excuse me," I choked, my voice sounding hoarse.
"Yes?" the secretary asked, looking up at me from her flashing computer screen. The dark circles under her eyes indicated that she did not get much sleep. An insomniac maybe, due to too much stress.
"I'm here for my schedule, my name is Sakyra Hanayuki," I managed, my voice less hoarse but now trembling with uncertainty. Why couldn't I just be bold and confident and get over myself? Get over it!
"Oh," she moaned slowly, her voice sounded like a horrid croak from a frog, "you're a new one."
I nodded silently afraid to provoke the beast that lay dormant within her. The old woman hastily handed over a sheet of paper and a small booklet. The skin on her arm wiggled as she moved. Her large weight must have been due to excessive eating during all the hours she spends awake because of the insomnia.
"That's your schedule and that's the student handbook. If you have any questions feel free to come an ask," she said sounding noticeably rehearsed. I'm sure that if I came back to ask any questions the beast would awaken and bite my head off, so that was out of the picture.
I bowed in thanks--though there was nothing really to be thankful for--and took my leave. I walked wearily down the crammed hall examining the papers in my hands. Some how I was to decode my schedule and find my way to my classes. Homeroom was first in room 168.
I opened the packet and found a map of the building which didn't help very much. I wasn't sure which floor was which and where north and south were. I was completely lost. A sense of directions wasn't included in my blueprints either. I'm pretty hopeless. I had wandered up some stairs and down several hallways and finally found the room I was looking for. As I approached the bell rang and the students who occupied the halls flocked into their classes likes sheep being herded by their shepherd.
I hesitated at the door, looking in through the window. The room looked normal, the students seemed normal. Normal, normal, normal, normal, normal. I wrapped my sweaty palm around ht doorknob and entered. I was hesitant. What if this really wasn't the right room? Well, I thought to myself, we'll soon find out. The teacher, who I assumed was Miss Maya, was a tall and lean woman with dark hair, dark eyes and very tanned skin. Her Glow was almost opaque, a rosy shade of red with jagged splinters of brown in place of ribbons. She had a strong personality, almost overpowering. She looked up at me from her desk ferociously and asked, "You new?"
I nodded in fear of her stern and powerful voice. She folded her arms across her chest, taking a defensive pose, and leaned way back in her swiveling desk chair. "Take a seat," she directed, nodding in the general direction of the back of the classroom. She was a very distinct person. Her presence was very pronounced. She must have been a control freak which was probably why she wasn't married yet.
I advanced towards the only seat available in the room. I sat slowly, double checking that no one had slipped anything like water or tacks onto my seat. I had been through it all. I've been tripped, kicked, pushed and even spit on. I never did anything to deserve such horrible treatment I received--at least I didn't think so--but that didn't really matter. I was an easy target.
I sat down, setting books in various places across my desk. I tried blocking out the noises and blurs of the classroom. The usual dim Glows of various colors made my eyes hurt.
I see auras. It's not a talent, it's not a skill. It's just something I have been able to do and I've been doing it since as far back as I can remember. I never really questioned what it was because I thought that was just how everybody saw things. I began to realize that that wasn't the case when I started school and told others about it, and I found out that no one else could see what I saw. When I was eight I read books about "Indigo Children" and "Psychic Abilities" and other silly things like that. I read theories on them, people who could see them and how they used their "gift" to help others. I, on the other hand, had no urge whatsoever to use my abilities to help the greater good.
Overtime I figured how to cope with it. Auras were just energy fields, the colors and shapes that they took reflected their mood, personality and thoughts. There's three parts; the first part being the Glow. Auras are made up of one, sometimes two colors, that appear as a glow that surrounds the entire body--though the interpretation of colors relates to the aura around the head and torso only. Bright and opaque colors indicated a strong, positive personality and wellbeing, while dull and transparent colors pointed towards more subdued, negative personalities. While it isn't an exact science it usually helped me out when I had to pick friends.
The second part is the part about mood. Ribbons are lights that slither and rotate around and with the body amongst a person's glow. They generally look like floating ribbons, hence the name I've given them. Ribbons change according to mood. If someone is feeling relaxed the Ribbons moves gently and softly, where as if someone is upset the Ribbons move quickly and erratically--not too hard. Ribbons are a real hassle, though, because sometimes they don't look like ribbons at all; take Miss Maya for example. Her Ribbons look more like splinters scattered around her like a porcupine. My guess was that it was due to stress. Teaching did seem like a frustrating job.
And number three is thoughts. When people have particular thoughts it is reflected by a flash of color around the top if a person's head. Flashes usually look like wispy clouds that quickly appear and disappear. Like the Glow, Flashes have different colors that mean different things. I'm not a mind reader so I had to do research on what colors meant what, so I have a rough idea. Again, it's not always accurate, so I tend to dismiss them.
So you could try and imagine how school was for me, having to see people's feelings and personalities at all times. The truth is that I don't come across a great deal of interesting auras. Most Glows are moderate and the colors tend to be more on the transparent side. I didn't pay attention to most Ribbons, since it didn't matter to me how most people were feeling at the moment.
As I got older, other's auras began to annoy me more and more so I eventually found a way to ignore them. The first step was the preoccupy myself. If my mind was cluttered with my other problems, I wouldn't have as much time to notice all the bright colors floating around me. The second step was to try to look at things other than people, like signs or buildings or the sky. Finally, step three: never look anyone in their eyes. They say a person's eyes is a window to their soul, and looking into a person's eyes only made things worse for me.
I tried to think of something, but nothing seemed to come. I began to stare so intently at my desk that my eyes began to ache. I began to think about the weather, something I thought of often. Winter had been my least favorite time of the year. It was cold and wet. I could do nothing else but stare, try to think, and hum a the tune of a random song. There was simply nothing that could catch my attention today.
Fortunately the teacher began taking attendance and calling out names in her deep voice. Each named seemed to drag out, each letter annunciated until it suffocated. Last name, inhale; first name, exhale; Last name, inhale; first name, exhale. My head began to dizzy and before I knew it she was calling out my own name, "Hanayuki Sakyra?" Her dark eye's scanned the room, narrowing in on me like a eagle spotting a rabbit.. I raised my hand high in the air for her to see. She nodded at me in acknowledgement. Easy enough.
I refused the urge to look around the room, but just because I wasn't looking at them didn't mean they weren't looking at me. I could feel there stares burning countless holes in my skin, making me hollow inside. I sank lower into my seat, trying to hide myself. I wanted to melt into a puddle beneath my seat and evaporate into the air so no one could see me. I wanted to be in my old school. I wanted to go home. All of a sudden, there was a movement in front of me that caught my interest. And in the next second I did the stupidest thing I probably could have done.
I looked.
I looked up into emerald jewels dusted with gold flakes, falling under dark lashes. Eyes set skillfully onto a narrow, pale face with thin lips that shaped softly into a smirk. A slender girl with jet black hair draped down along her neckline and over her shoulders.
I choked. Hard.
There was nothing that I could have done that would have prepared me for what was about to happen next. I had never seen anything like it before in my life. I was blinded by what looked like an explosion with no sound--so much so that I jumped a little and almost shielded my eyes. When I could see again butterflies began to flutter in my stomach at the sight. I was amazed and excited, and slightly terrified. I had never seen it before: her Glow was one of the largest and most intense I had ever seen. It gleamed with bright oranges and yellows and flickered off of her like spectral flames. In addition, velvet ribbons of dark blue revolved around her slowly and elegantly.
For one moment I forgot about everything else around this strange girl and me. This was new to me, it was rare to find someone with such an unmistakable aura. Instantly the gears in my head began to turn. Who is this girl? I could only guess at her name, but I knew that she was not normal. Her energy seemed enormous and restrained to her small frame. The air around her was dense and pressurized--it almost felt as if her aura was going to erupt.
She and I stared at one another for what seemed like hours before either of us moved.
"Kurokaze Kikiru?"
She finally shifted in her seat, smiling at me as if we were two friends having a pleasant conversation and called out, "Here!" Her voice wasn't offensive but it was distinct and rang in my ears. I watched her as she grinned at me for a split second more and then turned around to her friend once again. Her noisy conversation continued as the teacher finished up attendance.
For a moment I became paranoid. Why had she been staring at me? Okay, so I was staring at her too but she was the one who was looking first. She just blatantly turned around and began gawking at me like an elephant in the circus. But why did she keep going when she saw me staring back. The polite thing to do would have been to stop and look away--actually it would have been to not even stare at all--but she just kept staring. Maybe she just didn't have any manners… or maybe she knew what I was doing. Maybe she saw aura's too?
My thoughts were interrupted again by the teacher who began a discussion of radicals. There were so many thoughts running through my mind that I decided to cast them all aside. It didn't matter what she thought or what she saw. It didn't matter that she was the strangest thing I had witnessed in a long time. Right now I had enough trouble with trying to make it through the day. Right now I had to focus on the task at had: algebra.
Algebra was something I was good at. I enjoyed solving problems and working out equations. Call me a nerd but it was true, and I was good at it. I had been in the advanced math class at my previous school. I considered myself to be a good student. I was smart, and tended to have a lot of time on my hands to study. That might have been what contributed to my miserable relationship with society.
At my old school I dealt with harassment from the other students almost everyday. I had problems connecting with most people; there was just nothing there. So I was pretty socially awkward. Then, to add to that, I had to deal with torment about my clairvoyant abilities. When I was young I had thought that everyone could see auras, so I made no hesitation to tell my peers about it. Soon enough I found out that wasn't the case, when they began to tease me. It had been following me ever since. With that and my awkward disposition and that fact that I was always the tallest in the class it could only end in disaster.
The only thing that had kept me sane had been my best friend. He was a cranky little brute who wasn't afraid to take on the big kids. However, he had started out on their side. He was steal my things and call me names. But somehow--I don't remember--we began to be friends and he became my guardian. Then, when he left, Kana came in. Kana wasn't violent, but she was still tough--and a bit quirky. She had thick skin, quick wit and could give you looks that would send shivers down your spine. She was a good friend, the best I ever had up until the day I moved. I missed her. She didn't take the news very well when I told her I was moving but at least she didn't cry like I did. She became so upset that she had to leave my house and go home to meditate. She was weird like that.
Before I knew it the bell rang again, disturbing my thoughts and ordering me to my next class. First period had gone by with almost no problems but I was relieved when it was over. I fumbled around with my papers as I stood and slowly shuffled out of the class. Once out in the hall I was again lost in a sea of students that pushed and shoved me towards the stairs. I had to wait until the bell ran again and the halls cleared out to actually be able to pay attention to where I was going and find my next class. Though I was only a few minutes late when I walked into the classroom everyone was settled down and everyone stared as I entered. It was like that in every class I had that day. I would get lost and arrive to class late. As I walked in the students would gawk as I introduced myself and took a seat.
They whispered throughout the class and I knew that they were talking about me, but I ignored it. I was good at ignoring things. I had developed a calloused exterior over the years and when things got bad I could retreat to my little bubble, my little fantasy world. There no one could touch me. There I was on top, and I was alone--though it was a content sort of alone. I was quite alright with being only with myself. When I was alone everything was okay.
***
By the time lunch came around I was feeling pretty damn good about everything. I could feel my anxieties and fears wash away, and I began to wonder why they were there in the first place. The funny looks still bothered me, but I couldn't take them personally--not even the nasty ones. People were always afraid of what they weren't used to. But then things turned for the worst.
As I approached the lunch room my stomach churned, making me nauseated. I hadn't met anyone so far, so I had no idea of where I was going to sit or with whom I was going to sit with. How pathetic was I? I would say pretty. All my good feelings shrunk and the anxiety took front stage once again.
I entered the bustling room only to become lost in the chaos. Scattered crowds of bodies migrated and rushed by me, pushing me this way and then pulling me back the other way. I was beginning to get dizzy--nervous too. I walked past a table filled with obnoxious girls with bright colored hair and accessories, another table filled with dirty looking boys who watched me as I hurried by with sneers on their faces.
Unexpectedly, the world spun around me as I came crashing to the cafeteria floor. Something had knocked me hard in the back, throwing my books out of my hands and toppling me over. I caught myself on my hands and knees, looking around to my books and papers which were strewn across the floor. For an instant it seemed as though everyone around me had stopped and turned to gander at my downfall. From behind myself I heard a group of boys, laughing, which created a chain reaction with the other students who began to snicker along with them. I kneeled down on the floor, frantically gathering my notes together. I bit my bottom lip forcing myself not to cry. Tears welled up in my eyes as the laughter around me ceased.
"Not very creative," I heard a familiar voice mumble from behind me. I turned and glanced up at the girl I sat behind in homeroom, Kikiru. She stood at the side of a smug looking boy who I assumed was the culprit of the crime. She was tall, almost as tall as the boy beside her. He was bulky and square looking, with a sloppy looking grin wrinkled across his face. Ugly.
She looked at him. "You really thrive on being an asshole, don't you?" she said with smirk. Her voice was relatively calm, but her hands were placed on her hips ready to move if they were needed. The boy's face produced an ugly expression, once I couldn't quite analyze. Kikiru only looked down at my papers which were still lying across the floor.
I then randomly felt an urge that I had never had before. I actually wanted to look at Kikiru's aura. I wanted to know what was going on inside of her head. Was she upset? Was she just playing games? Was she on my side or his?
"You got something to make of it?" the bully snarled. Their eyes were almost level, Kikiru's just slightly lower. The boy began clenching his fists until his knuckles were a ghostly white. Would he really hit her? Did he have the guts to use brute force against a girl? Against a girl who looked as though she could barely bench press a teddy bear?
I focused on his forehead, specifically the midpoint of his brow: his eyes. His aura suddenly materialized from his body. He glowed bright red and a dirty sulfur color. He was angry, but anyone could have told you that. His ribbons tied in and out of knots, exploding into bits and pieces. They were white, which usually meant sickness… or drugs.
The two students were now facing each other. They looked like they belonged on opposite sides of the spectrum. The bully--whose name I still hadn't discovered--was tall and boxy. His shoulders were stiff and squared off. His arms lay at his sides, though he was so tense the veins were budging underneath his skin. He looked on edge, nervous even.
Kikiru on the other hand… well she hardly looked phased. She was fairly tall--almost as tall as me actually--and rather slight. She stood tall with her shoulders relaxed, giving off the illusion that she wasn't ready for a fight. The firm grip on her hips and the slight twitch in her fingers signaled to something else. Was she really looking for a fight? I focused on Kikiru's brow. He aura exploded as it had earlier in the day. Actually, everything had been the same as it had been. She was calm, she didn't seem like she was itching to go at it.
At this point my brain was on an overload. All this body language and auras brought on the fact that there was going to be a physical altercation, but the circumstances were baffling. A masculine brute against a petite girl. It barely seemed probable or fair for that fact.
The bully's lip curled, showing crooked yellow teeth--he must smoke. "What game are you playing Kurokaze?" he asked, his voice cracked slightly. The girl smiled at him with seemingly innocent eyes. Nothing hostile or sinister, but at this point I was expecting the unexpected.
"I don't know what you're talking about," she replied.
"Don't play stupid."
"Why not? You are."
I couldn't help but snicker a little. This made the guy mad. His expression shifted, but it didn't seem to do much good for him. I'm sure he didn't like being the one who was being made fun on. It's not very fun, especially when the things people say are true.
He raised his first into the air.
Wasn't anyone going to stop him?
"--bitch," was all he spat out before a pair of flailing arms suddenly emerged from the crowd. "Whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa, whoa! Hold on there cowboy." He was familiar, he had been in one of my classes earlier. He was tall and lean, handsome with dark hair dangling over hazel eyes. He bravely stepped between the two squalling teenagers. The boy held his hands up to the bully in a peaceful gesture. He stepped back, forcing Kikiru to move back with him. He spoke again when there was a good distance between the two.
"Aren't we being a little rash?"
The bully lowered his fist and let our a malicious growl. "Why don't you teach that girl of yours to keep her nose outta other people's business?"
The boy sighed in reply, "Right," and turned to Kikiru.
"And whatever games you're playing at Kurokaze, I'm not being a part of. I don't need none of your bullshit." And with that said the bully just turned and nodded to his posse before disappearing. Just like that it was all over; to my relief.
There was a dull roar, students hissing to one another and such, and an aftershock rolled over the crowd. Someone yelled for a fight, another made a comment about being a pansy. Other than that all of the excitement was over. The swarm soon dispersed and everyone went back to what they were doing before this big mess started. I sighed in relief. Now I could gather up my crap and get the hell out of there without having an audience.
I had just started rounding up my papers once again when a pair of black boots stepped up beside me. Nice boots, I thought admiringly, I hope they go away soon. I hoped and prayed momentarily while still lassoing papers when Kikiru kneeled down. I shied away and again made an effort to gather my things, fast.
"You okay?" she asked, her voice soft.
I nodded, biting at my lip again. I still had the urge to burst into tears. I finally gathered everything with Kikiru's help and put it in a neat stack. We stood slowly. I pressed by book against my chest and looked to Kikiru who was staring at me again, just as she had in homeroom.
I became annoyed, "Is there something wrong?"
My words seemed to snap her out of some sort of trance. She smiled, keeping her lips together and said, "Uh…no, I was just admiring you're eyes. I-I've never seen that color before, it's beautiful."
I hesitated. "Thanks," I said, taken back by the compliment. I usually got comments that were less than nice about how weird they were, or how they must be fake. But her hesitation confused me. I looked over the girl's shoulder to watch as her friend left a group of guys behind and began towards us.
"You're friend," I said, nodding. Good, maybe she's lead me alone. I hoped she didn't think I owed her. Kikiru turned just as the boy walked up to her side. He smiled brightly, shining big white teeth. He was cute.
"Keiji," Kikiru said, "this is Sakyra. She's in our homeroom."
I was surprised that she remembered my name. So surprised that I had almost forgot to say hello, but the gesture he made towards me just them was shocking. He had scooped up my hand and brought it close to his lips. "Nice to meet you," he said, concluding with a peck on my ring finger. I could feel my face flush. "Are you alright?" he asked, seeming concern.
I nodded, quickly pulling my hand from his grip, "I'm fine." I tried saying it with a smile but a lump rose in my throat and tears threatened behind my eyes. I had to get out of here, I needed to get away from these people.
"Glad to hear it. I hope no one else has been as wicked to you today. Most of the kids here are good people, but not all."
"No," I choked out, "it's been alright. People talk and whatnot. It's just--" I knew that if I spoke another word my self control would be lost and my eyes would burst.
"It's hard being new," Kikiru said, "I know, I've been there before."
I smiled at their attempts to cheer me up. Hey, at least I can go home and tell Mama that I at least met new people, if not friends. She was always urging me to make new friends, despite the fact that she knew I was pretty much an introvert.
"I'll meet you at the table," Keiji announced suddenly, "It was nice meeting you Sakyra."
I nodded and smiled. Just let them think that everything's fine and they'll be on their way. Kikiru turned to watch him walk away then she turned back to me. "Keiji's a bit of a creep," she chuckled. I tried to smile in a way to say that it was okay and that it didn't matter, but I think I failed. My head was beginning to ache and I could feel my stomach begin to tie in knots. The room began to quake and I looked down at the floor to try and steady myself.
"You should told him off, or even throw him one, right in the jaw." My eyes snapped up to Kikiru's now solemn face. The look in her eyes was sobering. "Are you kidding?" I stared at her bewildered and wondered if she was being serious. Well the look on her face did kind of answer that question. "Never in a million years would I be a match for that guy."
With that said, she turned a one-eighty. Her eyes brightened as she shrugged and smiled, "You uh… wanna come sit with us? Our table is just over there." She turned and pointed to a corner far across the room.
I hesitated. "I… Well…" I really didn't want to, I just wanted to go home and go to bed. I didn't want to deal with these strange people and this strange place. I wasn't sure if I could tough it out any longer, but something inside ached for me to say yes. My curiosity was getting the better of me.
"You don't have to if you don't want, I understand if you have other plans," she added. She didn't sound offended, just offhanded.
I broke "No, of course. I mean yeah, I'll sit with you." I couldn't believe the words were coming out of my mouth, but now that I said them I couldn't turn my back on them. I'd make myself look like an ass.
"Nice," she said, almost under her breath as she turn on her heels and began following Keiji's footsteps. She had led me to the complete opposite side of the cafeteria. We stopped at a table that was filled with ordinary looking students. I was relieved. No one had any Hello Kitty merchandise or greasy hair. They were just normal. I liked normal.
Kikiru took an empty seat between Keiji and another big guy. She slapped the big guy on the shoulder and demanded that he move. I watched in astonishment as the boy stood and did as Kikiru had told him. It didn't look like he was afraid of her or anything; he acted just as if his mother had told him to move. Maybe this was some kind of monarchy, with Kikiru at the reigns. I didn't want to think of it that way, I didn't need anymore reasons for my nerves to be shaken up. I slipped into the seat, wary eyes, and set my books onto my lap, holding them safely.
"So Sakyra," Kikiru said, "where did you move from?"
"From Nagoya."
Keiji turned to me and smiled, "I have an aunt from Nagoya."
Kikiru slapped him in the arm, "No you don't, you liar."
He shrugged, "So she's technically my uncle, he prefers to be called she."
Kikiru rolled her eyes which I think was meant to mean that that had meant to be a joke, but I couldn't say I was one hundred percent sure. Keiji let out a brief laugh and turned to the boy on the other side of him.
Kikiru smiled at me before she turned to speak to someone. This was probably as close as I was going to get to her, so I might as well make use of the time. I focused my attention and energy on her, trying to block out other around her. Auras were almost always affected by thing like if there were others around or what was in the background. Sometimes Auras interacted with each other; the Glows would blend or thrust into each other, sometimes Ribbons would dance together, or move towards others.
With Kikiru's enormous aura, it was easy to forget the rest of the dim Glows. The bright colors slithered off of her with the flames flickered and disappearing into the air. Then, in that moment, her Ribbons stole my attention. They quivered around her and her seat like choreographed dancers, and then suddenly seemed to explode. They flew away from her body but almost immediately almost all of them returned to her. The ones that didn't floated a good distance above her for a moment, and then like confetti they came fluttering down around her, Keiji and myself.
"So why did you come to Tokyo?"
I blinked, and everything disappeared.
"I… uh. My father, he got transferred here."
"What does he do?" It was a short haired girl.
"He's a lawyer."
"A lawyer? There you go Keiji, now you can sue that guy who took your Snuggie idea." Kikiru snorted.
"It seriously was my idea! I should be making all that money! Does your dad do those types of things?"
I shook my head. "No, he mainly deals with domestic disputes. Divorce things."
"Oh, too bad." Kikiru muttered, "Really Keiji. It's just a backwards bathrobe, nothing to be too proud about."
"But still! I could be up to my armpits in money right now."
For the rest of the period I conversed with mostly Kikiru and Keiji. The others had a tendency of listening, but not daring to make contact with me. They must have been intimidated by how cool I am. There were times when suddenly Kikiru would be on her feet and then across the cafeteria deep in conversation with some random person. I would look away, and then she'd be somewhere else patronizing someone else. Every once in a she would return, and would say something random or almost meaningless and then she'd be gone again.
He voice rang clear whenever she was near the table, and you could tell when she was coming for you when she would shout your name from across the room. She had a strong presence, bright and out there just like her aura.
When the bell ran she leapt up, said good-bye and waved as her and Keiji left with a few other boys. I was left alone. I sat at the table until almost every student had left the cafeteria before I finally rose to my feet. Today wasn't a good day.
***
That afternoon I returned to my new home after school was over. I climbed out of my step-father's car and dragged my feet all the way through the lobby, to the elevator and down the hall. I stopped, my hand just short of the doorknob, and took in a deep breath. I was overwhelmed with the smell of fish and fried vegetables. My mother was in the kitchen preparing dinner.
When Steppy had finally caught up I forced myself to open the door and go in. I slipped off my shoes and found my mother standing at the stove, her favorite apron tied around her waist. She was short, thin. She was so fragile.
"Mother," I sighed. She shouldn't be up.
"Oh, Sakyra," she said spinning to face me. My mother was a beautiful woman even in sickness. Her eyes were a warm hazel with matching sandy colored hair. As of late, however, she seemed to look older and more weary with each passing day.
She had been recently diagnosed with a disease that had no medical cure. She had a doctors appointment today. The doctors weren't sure how much longer she was going to be able to go on, but they said that they would fight to save her until the end. The end…
My step-father entered the room tossing his overcoat onto the coat rack. His feet clapped against the linoleum flooring as he made his way to my mother. With a kiss on the cheek he smiled and said "It smells good."
It had been six months since she was diagnosed and she had only gotten worse. She had become weak and frail, though she refused to stop taking care of the household. The doctors said that was normal. They said it had to get worse before it got better.
I knew they were just feeding us a crock of shit.
"So… How was your first day of school?" my mother asked brightly. I shrugged and sat at he kitchen table. "What was that?" She asked as if I had said something.
"It was okay," I replied. I smashed little crumbs into the grooves of the wooden table. I didn't want to talk about it, and she knew it too. That wasn't going to stop her from making me though. She was that type of woman. She knew how to make you say what she wanted to hear. I could never understand how she did it, she just did.
"Okay? That doesn't sound very good."
Because it wasn't, I thought to myself. I sighed, "It was fine. You know, it was just… different."
She turned to me and put her hands on her hips. "I know Sakyra," she said tilting her head to the side, "I know you didn't want to move, but we had to."
"I know," I said, letting out a huff of anger. My mother always seemed to know what was really going on inside of my head. I'm sure it was some strange ability that women acquired once they become a mother. I wasn't sure if I wanted in on their secret or not.
There was a pause.
"You shouldn't be up." I muttered, not looking at her.
"I know," she sighed, "but do you really expect me to just sit around when things need to be done?"
Yes. Those things could wait. I need you to rest, to hold on.
"So did you make any new friends today?"
"Sorta." I said it just to make her happy.
"Well. You can always invite her over to get to know her more. Unless it's a boy that is," she said with a grin, "then you should invite him over."
I rolled my eyes, "Well I did meet a boy, but I don't think he's interested."
"Oh you never know," my step-father said. He had wandered into the den but reentered the room just to throw his two cents into the conversation. He sat down at the table beside me. He smiled at me long and hard. I just ignored him. I was holding out on my promise. I was.
"I should know, I was a young guy once. Boys are always interested in girls, especially ones new to school."
I shuttered slightly. My parents were sort of deranged. They lived in a world much like the sixties were people still "courted" each other and waited until marriage to have sex. If we didn't have a TV they probably would have raised me to wear pink skirts with little black poodles on them. And now that I was in high school they expected me to start dating. That's what all those parenting books they have say anyways. Sure, boys… they're cute, but they don't have much more to them then that… at least not at this age.
I rose as Steppy blabbed on. I wasn't listening.
"Where are you going hon?" my mother asked.
"Upstairs. I have homework.," I lied.
"Alright, dinner will be done soon."
I didn't reply that time. I headed down the hall and into my bedroom. I shut the door and was engulfed into a jungle of cardboard boxes. My room was the only room that hadn't been unpacked yet. I was hoping that I would wake up one morning and I would realize it was all a dream, or that my mother would tell me that we could move back to our old neighborhood. By now though, the reality had sunk in. I dropped my bag onto the hardwood floor and curled up onto my bed. I bit my lip but allowed my tears to fall. I cried for a long time, it soon began to give me a headache. I calmed and my breathing became deep and even. I soon fell into a deep, but uneasy sleep.
The first time that Sakyra had ever heard the word "adopted" was only a few days after her fifth birthday. Sakyra and her best friend Yusuke sat on the floor of the dining room of her mother's small apartment, playing with the new toys that Sakyra had received for her birthday. While the small children played their mothers sat at the table having another one of their "grown up talks." Sakyra had been told about these talks, and from what she heard she wasn't very interested in taking parts in them. But that day Sakyra recalled listening to what the two women had to say. They had been discussing how Sakyra was adopted.
"Yus-kun?" Sakyra chirped.
"Yeah?" he replied looking up from the toy truck in his hand.
"What's a adopted?" she asked looking confused. Yusuke cocked his head to the side.
"A adopted? How should I know, I ain't a smart kid."
Sakyra punched him lightly, "Yes you are Yus-kun! You just don't try hard. What do you think a adopted is?" she asked once more.
"I dunno," he said shrugging, "A fruit?"
"A Fruit? Does that mean I'm a fruit?" Sakyra asked.
"Why?"
"Cause I heard my mommy tell your mommy that I was a adopted."
Yusuke looked at the girl curiously, "That means you're a fruit."
Sakyra gasped, "A fruit? I don't wanna be a fruit! I don't wanna get eated!"
Yusuke laughed, "Well that's means you gotta get rotted."
"Rotted?"
Yusuke nodded, "Yeah, like me! My mommy says I'm rotted all the time and no one ever tried to eat me before."
***
A/N: The last part was a flashback, and there will be one at the end of every chapter. That flashback is my favorite so far.
Next Chapter: Things get awkward and Sakyra only gives her peers more reasons to give her funny looks.