I awoke to the feeling of a bruised face and swollen ribs. Again. Man I really gotta stop getting into these kinds of situations. Why can't people just leave me alone? It's not my fault some people just can seem to keep they're mouth shut.
I check my phone, 4 missed calls and 3 unread texts from my would be date from yesterday. I was actually looking forward to seeing her, but looking at myself now, it's probably a good thing I stood her up. No one deserves to date a guy as screwed up as I am.
I groan as the exertion from sitting up hurts my sore abs. Pushing myself out of bed and making my way to the bathroom, I pull my shirt off and examine the bruises. A large purple spot marks my left pectoral and I can spot one of my ribs poking at a strange angle.
Who the hell pulls out a baton in a one on one? Coward. I push it back into place, scowling at the pain.
This isn't the first time I've come home like this, gotta deal with my problems some other way.
Geez I gotta find better outlets. I hop in the shower after brushing my teeth and make my way outside. Sparking up my lighter and lighting a cigarette, as I said, shitty coping mechanisms.
"Hey! Aki!' I hear a familiar voice I've come to love holler behind me.
"Haah...haah... I caught you- oh my god! Akira! You're face!" She covers her mouth
"It's not that bad." She perks up and puts on a pouty face
"It is! You keep taking hits like that, and that face of yours isn't gonna be so pretty!" It's a joke, but I see her blush a bit. It's always been like this, ever since we were kids. Her giving me crap for doing something stupid and me just taking it.
"Sayori, I had no idea you felt that way about me." I take a drag from my cigarette, she makes a face and pulls it from my hand.
"HEY!" I cry out indignantly. she throws it over the fence and looks at me with hands on her hips.
Any form of outrage left my mid completely at that face.
"C'mon." I grumble out. She is immediately back to her cheery self as she asks about school and somehow out of nowhere she asks a question.
"Hey Akira, have you thought about joining any clubs?" She looks at me as we walk our way to school, I grunt at the question.
"No." She looks at me as if she's been accosted.
"Not even the anime club?" The question catches me off guard as I see the sneaky smile pull across her face. She's baiting me I can tell, she knows I've been spending all my free time watching anime and reading manga, well when I'm not fighting.
"Shut up you strawberry." I say smiling at her.
"Ahaha! There's a smile! You know Akira, it takes more energy to frown then it does to smile!" She speaks as if she's talking from experience. I eye her for a good second, but she doesn't break her smile. Something's going on with her, but it's not really my place to say anything.
"Yea..." I say slowly. We walk in silence for a little while before she speaks again.
"Say, how about you come to my club later? There will be cupcaaakes!" Curse you Sayori, always going for my weaknesses.
"I dunno, maybe." I grumble a bit before answering. "All right, I'll check it out. For the cupcake."
"Yay!" She giggles and runs around me for a second before tripping over the curb.
"Jesus Sayori! Are you okay?" I'm worried for a second before she gets up a little scuffed but still with that big bubbly smile of hers.
"Yep!" We continue walking as the school gets closer and closer.
She's going to be the death of me.
-line break-
I walk into class and take my seat.
People are staring and to be honest I'm used to it by now.
The first time I came in like this, teachers would come ask questions about my home life, ask if my parents were beating me, blah blah blah.
I've only got one year left at this school so I really just need to focus on getting my work done.
Class flies by and the rest of the day goes even quicker.
Soon enough I'm packing up my stuff and Sayori bursts into my classroom.
"Akira! Ready to go?" Smiles and giggles, I swear that's all she is.
But something has been seriously bothering me about her. She's unkempt and her clothes are dirty.
As I said, not my business.
"Yeah let's go." She nods exaggeratedly and I follow her lead up to the 3rd floor.
Strange, this floor is generally left for the younger years and the, ahem, 'special' classes.
We pull up to the door, but as I reach for the handle she grabs my hand and gives me the 'look'.
The very same look as when she took my smoke from earlier.
That reminds me, I really need to step outside.
"Akira, these are my friends and I know deep down how good of a person you are. But I'm telling you this because your reputation precedes you. Be good."
Wow if she were anymore serious I swear her face would spontaneously grow a beard.
Nah on second thought, I'm not going to think of that.
I grunt in response.
She opens the door and I'm greeted by the smell of pastries and tea, and is that... jasmine oil? Not that I partake in it myself, but my mom used to be into that weird voodoo stuff. The room is spacious and filled with desks as every other classroom is.
"Hey everyone! I want to introduce our newest member, Akira Kazugaya! The one I've been telling you all about!"
Sayori loudly exclaims this as I spot two girls, one exiting the closet and the other at the back of the room reading.
"Seriously? A boy? Way to kill the atmosphere." The pink one doesn't seem to like me. She looks at me with disgust before going back into the closet. I could make a joke there, but I'm supposed to be the quiet mysterious guy.
"Natsuki be nice. We don't to scare off our newest member." The purple one looks at me for a second before looking away shyly. Cute.
"Akira." Oh god. I know that voice. Please don't let it be her.
"You stood me up."
Yep it's her.
I wince a bit at her words, I was expecting this but not right now.
I look at her beautiful green eyes, alight with anger and hurt.
"Sorry." That's all I could really say. I'm trying my best to hide my fucked up face from her. The last thing I need is pity from her too
"Oh you're 'sorry'. Hmph. That just makes everything better- is that a bruise on your cheek?" Damnit.
"Wait, wait, wait. You two know each other? And we're supposed to go on a date? WHAT!" Sayori you beautiful little strawberry of mine. You tricked me into coming but you saved me from having to explain myself to the granny smith menace.
"Yeah. We had a few classes together last year and we kinda sorta tried to date." Didn't work out so well considering I've stood her up the last thre-
"Well considering you've stood me up the last three times we've tried to even go on one, I'd say you're pretty far out of the ballpark."
Jeez Monika, took the words straight outta my mouth. Or head I guess.
"Sorry. Anyways, where's the cupcakes, I was told there'd be cupcakes." What. I haven't eaten since the last time I've eaten. I'm a growing man.
"Ooh Yeah! Natsuuuuki!" Sayori runs over to the pinkette who's name I guess is Natsuki.
"We'll talk about your face later. For now, please be a good boy and help me move the tables?" Monika gives me her signature pose and I'm already helping, grumbling of course, I mean, that's my character.
Natsuki brings out the cupcakes and Yuri offers to make tea. So I'm left with the choice of sitting next to Sayori or Monika.
I'm already taking my seat next to Sayori.
Natsuki pulls off the tinfoil and I can barely hide my snicker. They are cats. All of them, cats. Adorable yes, but extremely hilarious, especially with the macho tsundere front this tiny girl puts up.
"Something funny?!" Said pinkette glares at me and I can barely hold in a giggle. Shit. Tough guys don't giggle.
"They're adorable."
I try to say it as nonchalant and emotionless as possible. Her face is bright red and she immediately hides her face.
"Shut up! Just eat one okay?!" Tsundere to the end it seems. Strange she has that reaction to my small amount of words tho. Maybe I'm better looking than I think.
Maybe Sayori is right, I should start blocking the face hits better.
I pick up a cupcake and shove it in my mouth. It's fucking delicious. Icing gets all over my face and all four girls look at me with a bewildered expression.
"What?" I ask with my mouth full of kitty cat deliciousness.
The girls burst out laughing and I just stand there, glad I could kill the tension by doing something dumb.
These girls seem sweet, and it's nice to hang out with Sayori again.
Maybe I'll stick around.
Monika is going to be an issue though.
