"I'm telling you my hair is naturally pink!" yelled the frustrated teen. "You know unnatural hair color is against the rules" said the principal , not listening to any of the girl's words, "and you know there's also a rule against piercings" the man went on. She hastily pulled down her shirt, "it's only my belly button, its not like anyone can see it," her argument clearly not getting through to him. "Just go back to class, and change your hair by Friday" said the principal. "But it's naturally pink! AARGGH!" yelled the girl as she left the office and headed back to class. She walked back to class and took her seat in the back of the room. "And so class this is-" RING RING. The phone interrupted. "Teacher speaking.. Yes.. Yes I understand, ok" she hung up the phone quietly. "Claire please head down to the office" the teacher said almost sorrowfully. Claire was getting quite agitated now as she left the room, why couldn't they just leaver her to her business? " What is it now? Are you going to tell me I have to change my hair by tomorrow instead of Friday?" she barked. "…No, your hair is fine…" spoke the principal with what seemed like sympathy. Clair started to feel uneasy, she could tell something was wrong. "What's going on?" she quietly said. "Claire there.. There is no easy way to put this, but its your mother,.. She died" said the principal, with a bit of guilt at having to tell a child their mother was dead. "No, no your lying!" she pleaded as if she could make it untrue, "she was doing so good, she was getting better, they said she was getting better!" the girl choked, trying to hold back her tears. "Claire we are so sorry for your loss" he said. He kept talking but she couldn't hear him, she just sat there, trying to take it in. "We haven't told Serah yet, we thought it would be best if you told her, you can leave school early to get your thoughts together" he offered. Claire nodded and walked out the door.
She walked over to the middle school trying to clear her thoughts, trying to think of what to say. She had already cried all her tears but telling Serah was going to break her heart. After their father died their mom had been deathly ill, and now she was gone too. It was only the two of them now. She had to be strong for Serah. She got to the middle school and sat in the office and waited while they called Serah down. Claire stood up when Serah came in. "Sis what are you doing here?" questioned Serah playfully. God this is hard thought Claire, 12 years old is too young for Serah to lose her parents. "Serah I.." choked Claire. "Sis what is it?" asked Serah, starting to get concerned. "It's mom… she.." Claire couldn't breath, couldn't get the words to come out. "Mom? Is she ok? Claire?' Serah asked franticly. "Serah, she died." Claire finally managed to say. "No, No.. NO!" Serah ran out of the building, tears pouring out of her eyes.
Serah didn't know where she was running, she didn't care, she ran aimlessly, trying to run from the fact that her mother was dead. Serah hadn't really know her father before he died, but her mother had raised her, and now she was gone. She realized that she had run home, she ran through the door, " Mom? Mom?" she shouted, checking all the rooms, "Mom please, come back.. I need you.." she whispered. She fell to the ground and started crying.
Clair looked frantically, Serah had just ran out of the office and disappeared, she looked all over the city but couldn't find her. She was so worried about Serah, and scared, scared that she would lose her too. She ran home, praying that Serah was there, and when she opened the door, there she was, crouched on the floor, crying. Claire immediately wrapped the young girl in a hug, understanding all to well her pain. "It will be ok Serah, everything is going to be ok" she whispered. "She's gone sis, she really gone" sobbed the young girl. "What are we going to do Claire? How are we gonna survive? They are going to send us away." the young girl cried onto her sisters shoulder. "We are going to be fine Serah, I promise I will never let that happen" she tried to soothe the young girl.
Claire walked Serah into school when she noticed the people in the office. "Serah go sit over there for a minute" she told the girl so that she wouldn't notice, she walked to the office, she already knew who they were and why they were here. She walked in, "No" she simply stated. "Claire we-" the woman was cut off, "No your not taking her" Claire demanded. "Claire" the principal cut in, "They are here to help you" he tried to explain. "No, you know how it works, we'll probably be split up and you know it" Her voice started to falter, "Please I'm all she has, don't take me away from her, don't-.. don't take her away from me" she choked out. "Claire your still a child yourself" the woman said, "How could you-" "Give me 10 days" Claire pleaded "Give me 10 days to prove to you that I can take care of us." "And if you can't in 10 day?" the woman asked. "Then I.. I will let you do what you think is best for the both of us." Claire said. "…ok, but no more than 10 days" the woman agreed. "thank you" Claire sighed in relief. Serah couldn't tell what they were talking about, as she watched her sister talk to her principle and a woman she didn't recognize. Claire walked out off the office and headed towards Serah. "What was that about sis?" asked Serah. " Oh nothing important" she lied, "They just wanted to know how you were coping." that wasn't entirely a lie, they had asked her that before she left. "Go on to class now Serah, I have to get to school" she said. She gave Serah a quick hug and headed over to the high school.