Pretty Smiles

I don't own KND.

Kuki Sanban, her pretty smiles... All of which are lies to cover up what truly lies behind closed doors. ALL IN NUMBUH FOUR'S POV.

Rainy days are always no fun. Why must adults send us kids to school when it's pouring down raining? I get so distracted sometimes due to a condition adults call 'ADD', which I take pills everyday on the highest dose. But none-the-less, no medication they put me on works. Anyways, I sit next to Numbuh Three, Kuki Sanban, on the bus. She sits near the window, always so quiet. She's smiling out the window again, nothing out there but rain. She has a pretty smile, though.

Why does she always smile? Even if there is nothing to smile about. She'll find the littlest thing in a depressing situation and she'll find a way to smile about it.

We finally arrive at the school. Everyone gets up and rushes toward the door. Kuki quickly passes by me, I see a bruise on her neck. What did she do this time?

"Numbuh Three?" I ask, hesistantly. "What happened to your neck?"

She turned to me, smiling.

"I must have hit my head while getting up, I guess." Numbuh Three said quickly.

But her bed is a gigantic Rainbow Monkey, how can you get hurt? She must be hiding something.

School quickly passed by today, nothing out of the ordinary. I thought the janitor was plotting something with the Toilenator when I saw the janitor go into the storage closet and into the bathroom.

On the bus, me and Kuki sat together again. The bus soon stopped at her house. When she got off and no-one was looking, I jumped out the window and hid in a bush near her front door. I heard yelling of adults and crying.

I slowly climb up to Mushi's room, and I saw Mushi crying and holding her head and ribs. A hammer laid out on the floor.

I climb down to where I hear the yelling again. It's Kuki and Mushi's mother and father. I listen in.

"They must obey us! They must stop hanging out with the stupid Kids Next Door!"

"You know, dear, you should stop beating on the children. They did nothing wrong."

"Why must you always stand up for the girls? They must be punished until they regret coming into this world!"

"Because, dear, we're the ones who brought them here in the first place. They don't need to be punished."

"That's it!"

All I hear next is something being picked up and hit against someone; then more crying and a door closing as well as someone storming out the stairs.

I rush up to near Numbuh Three's bedroom window. Before I even reach up there, I hear a scream of pure bloody, gruesome murder, a crash, and a slam.

Silence.

A door closed, and I jump into Numbuh Three's room to see Kuki on the floor in a puddle of blood, sitting there with a Rainbow Monkey cradled in her arms. She was shaking and crying.

I hear police cars and ambulances in the front yard. Kuki passed out on the floor, blood pouring out her wounds. I knew I couldn't do anything to save her. I jump out the bedroom and ran.

The morning came along, I laid in my bed. I couldn't sleep, I was too terrified, thinking I was going to dream about that horrifying scene. The bright sun hit my eyes to remind me that it's morning.

I shake my head, took a bath, got dressed, and walked to school. I wanted to see Kuki alright.

She wasn't there.

I checked everywhere possible. She was no-where.

English class soon came along that morning, the teacher seemed to be crying as she got off the phone.

Everyone sat down. Kuki's seat was empty.

"Students, I just got off the phone with Kuki's parents." The teacher paused. "Kuki Sanban... moved away and she'll never be coming back."

"Where did she move to?" A student asked.

"She didn't move! I saw ambulan-" Another student yelled.

"We're mature enough to know the truth!" A random student yelled.

"Well..." The teacher paused again. "It has come to my knowledge by a nearby hospital that Kuki Sanban was beaten to death by her father. She passed away just a few minutes ago after a night on life-support."

The class went quiet.

At lunch-time, I saw Mushi at the table eating pudding. I walk up to her.

"Mushi?" I ask.

She turned to me and I sat next to her.

"Kuki..." I sniffled, trying to keep myself from crying. "She's gone, isn't she?"

"Yeah..." Mushi said, quietly.

"I always knew there was something hiding behind those pretty smiles." I whispered. "Those pretty smiles were lies, weren't they?"

Mushi nodded, finishing her pudding. She pressed a note against my knee. It read 'From Kuki', I opened it and it read 'I love you.'. I wish I could repeat those words to Kuki right now.

I sat there as rain fell again.