"Quit dragging your scrawny ass and get to school." Cross shouted through the bathroom door. He walked away muttering, "More like a girl than half the women I see..." I rolled my eyes and returned my attention to the bedhead from hell.
"I look like an angry chicken." It was the truth, too. I pressed my hands on top of my head, holding it down flat. The extreme layers of hair gel crunched beneath the effort. It's crispy. I lifted my hands, watching bits of gel fall to the floor. "There's no helping it." I turned the bathtub on full pressure and held my head under the barely not-ice water and scrubbed until the gel had come out and the hair was behaving like hair again, its mind of its own suppressed until the next morning.
With the help of a hair drier, I was able to leave the house looking somewhat normal. Sure, the white hair and scar on my face didn't really help with this whole "normal" image, but it was what it was. I'd dyed my hair brown before, or at least tried. The dye never took. Make-up did not hide the scar, barely dimming its color, so I stopped trying with that some time ago.
"Don't you look stunning." Cross sat with his legs propped on the table, a cup of coffee gripped in his hand.
"It is my first day." I would have preferred to wrangle his neck and explain to him how I would still be comfortably at my old school had he not been sleeping with the principal's daughter.
"Looks like you've got the wrong uniform." He commented, drinking from the cup. He made a face at it and cursed it for its taste.
"Huh?"
"You're wearing the men's uniform." He sat back, satisfied with his "wit." I chucked a mismatched shoe at his head. He caught it and returned it. Promptly. Right to the side of my head.
After our "polite farewells," I left for the convenient store to pick up breakfast.
"Good morning." I called on entering, receiving a curt nod from the cashier that clearly did not want to be there. As I knelt beside the presumably fresh display of donuts, a voice caught my attention. It sounded almost unreal, too smooth and suave to be real. I rocked back on my heels a bit to get a glimpse of him.
"I'll have a pack of cigarettes." He leaned against the counter, bag in hand, black hair brushing against his broad shoulders.
"Same brand?" The cashier asked. The male seemed distracted for a moment. I realized the cause too late and turned away, feeling a blush rising to my cheeks. He'd noticed I was staring. I heard him laugh before answering. Though I'd long since chosen which doughnut I wanted, I stayed in the back of the store until I was sure the male had left.
"Um, I'll have these." I set a chocolate doughnut and a coffee drink on the counter, paid, took my breakfast, and left. When I got out of the store, I let out a breath of relief. Even though the male had left, his presence was still in the store. What an intimidating persona. I mused, finishing my doughnut before I'd realized I started eating it. "Aww." I stared at the wrapper and looked at the sidewalk behind me to make sure it hadn't fallen. "Should've bought another one." Or a dozen. My stomach grumbled. There wouldn't be enough time to grab anything extra if I wanted to get to class on time.
"Hmm." I pulled a folded note from my pocket. It was a check-list of items I needed to take care of before class started. Pick up my ID and schedule from the office, check in with my homeroom teacher since we would not be meeting today, then locate my locker. I poked the straw through the coffee box.
Every once in a while, I noticed a student or group of students with the same uniform as mine. Most were walking in a different direction than myself. I wondered where they were going. I wonder what my classmates will be like. When I finished the coffee, I tossed it into a trash can and popped a candy into my mouth. It'd be great if I wasn't jumping in during the middle of the semester. Getting introductions and explanations would not be likely. Especially not on a Wednesday.
I turned a corner and looked up. According to Cross's directions, this was where the school was supposed to be. My jaw dropped. It was a chemical plant.
"But I..." I pulled out a second note, the one dictating Cross's directions. "Yeah, I turned left..." I rubbed the back of my head and frowned. I retraced my footsteps the best I could, eventually needing to run in order to make up for the lost time.
By the time I had reached the school, only a few students were left trickling through the doors. Class would start in less than ten minutes.
"Oh man." I picked up my pace, instantly getting stopped by security.
"Where is your ID?" One of the security guards asked, hand held up in front of me to remind me that I was still not allowed to walk past him. Great guy. I might've forgotten.
"The office." I huffed out between breaths, hands on my knees. "I just transferred in-"
"Oh. So you're Walker. Office is that way. Hurry up." He pointed toward a large room. I thanked him and walked as quickly as I could without running. By then, I was regretting having eaten anything. Coffee, doughnuts, and a jog weren't a good combo.
"I am so sorry for being late. My name is Allen Walker. I am here to-" The woman at the front desk tossed a paper and an ID toward me and pointed at the clock.
"Here." She spoke, face blank.
"Ah, thank you. Where can I-"
"Your homeroom teacher's not here today. Locker number and combination is on your schedule." The phone beside her rang and she answered, no more enthusiasm in her voice than before.
"Thank you." I stepped out of the room, uncomfortable, but glad that everything had moved so quickly. I looked at my schedule, equally glad to see that my first class would be on the first floor. "Room 107." I looked at the numbers around me until I had turned enough corners to find the room. I glanced at the schedule again. "Driver's ed?" I raised an eyebrow, not all too disappointed. Though Cross had already instructed me on how to drive, it would be nice to go through the course without fearing for my life.
With less than a minute to spare, I slipped into an empty seat and pulled out a notebook.
"Hey, who are you?" An eye patch clad red-head asked, leaning over my desk.
"Lavi, you wouldn't recognize half the people in this class with how often you are absent." An older woman chided him. I assumed she was the teacher. "Here you are, sweetheart." She set a textbook on my desk and returned to the front of the room. Though the students who had heard the exchange laughed, they still looked at me, waiting for some sort of answer.
"I am-" The chime of the bell interrupted my introduction. All the students aside from Lavi turned their attention to the teacher.
"You are?" He motioned, a grin on his face. His uniform was a bit wrinkled, the top buttons undone. That combined with his relaxed posture made me think that he was a pretty laid back guy. I returned the smile.
"I am a new student. My name is Allen Walker." I whispered. Lavi opened his mouth, but the teacher cut him off.
"Allen, I would strongly advise not listening to any advice Mr. Bookman may be trying to give you." Students snickered.
"Come on! I'm just being friendly!" The smile never left his face. I found myself struggling not to laugh as well. I didn't know him, but I had a feeling I would get to know him soon.
"Everyone, we have a new student who will be joining us for the remainder of the year. His name is Allen Walker. Allen, please introduce yourself briefly." She motioned toward me. I bit my lip, not entirely comfortable with having to speak in front of such a large class.
"Well, I am-"
"No one is going to be able to hear you. Here. Stand up and come up front." She spoke cheerfully. I tried to return the cheer as I tried my best to walk normally to the front of the room. With everyone watching, I was very conscious of the length of my steps and the speed.
"Good morning." I lifted a hand uncomfortably before folding my hands in front of me. "I am a sophomore and um," I was not sure what I was supposed to say.
"Tch. What a loser." A long-haired male spoke under his breath, resting his head on his hands. I flared up and took a step forward.
"What did you say, ma'am?" I asked, feigning politeness. He slammed his hands on his desk and stood up.
"Oh look. Kanda made a friend." Lavi said. "How nice."
"Okay okay! Very nice to meet you, Allen. Let's get to work everyone. Please take your seats." The one I learned to be Kanda and I stared each other down for a while before he scoffed and sat.
"Do you have to be so mean all the time?" A girl with two long ponytails asked. Kanda ignored her. I returned to my seat, aggravated. Kanda ticked me off. A lot.
"Hey!" Lavi lifted his hand, grinning broadly. "Now that there's an even number, I get Allen as my partner, right?"
"Oh." The teacher shifted her weight and looked my way. "That is true, isn't it." She sighed once then nodded. "I suppose so. Just... Allen, would you mind meeting me after class for a bit?"
"Of course." I looked between her and Lavi, trying to get an idea of what she would need to say.
At the end of class, I stopped in front of the teacher's desk as the other students filed out.
"In our driving practices, we split the class up in to partners. Until now, the class has been uneven. Now that you have come, the class has been evened out. Your partner will be Lavi Bookman."
"I have no trouble with that." I affirmed, sensing her unease.
"Make sure that your parent- I mean guardian signs the waiver."
"Oh, all right."
"For your own safety."
"I see."
"That is all. You can go to your next class now."
"Right."
"Oh and Allen? One more thing."
"Yes?"
"Make sure that you have life insurance."
"Oh." I swallowed hard and left the classroom. Suddenly, drivers ed did not seem like the best class to be taking.
"So what did she tell you?" Lavi's voice caught me off guard.
"Well-"
"Don't worry." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and grinned. "I'm not as bad a driver as she thinks I am. I just like freaking her out." He winked. "You couldn't pull off the stunts I can if you don't have the skills."
So much for learning how to drive under circumstances that did not threaten my mortality.
The last class of the day was physical education. After all the sitting, I couldn't say I minded. Though I did wish that I'd been able to find my locker. I was carrying every book I'd been given that day and was sure my back would break soon.
I edged my way into the crowded locker rooms and was instantly met with loud voices and the scent of too much cologne. Though the majority of the locker room was too packed to move through, I found a corner toward the back. The locker was busted, but it was good enough. I waited until the room cleared out before I changed.
Even though I'd gotten over feeling weird about the white hair and the scar and all the other weird things about me like my height, I couldn't get over the way my arm looked. I peeled my shirt off and looked it over. It was as disfigured as it was this morning. I pulled the long-sleeved gym shirt on quickly. It would be easy enough to cover, at least.
I shut the door and stretched my arms over my head. It felt nice to be rid of the weight of the backpack.
Just as I was about to leave, I heard another locker shut. There was someone else in here? I edged away from the door to the gym, deciding I would wait by my locker until he left. Something about the sound of the shoes on the ground put me on edge.
"Oh?" A familiar voice sent chills through my body. I pretended I did not hear and kept walking toward the locker, pretending I had forgotten something. There was no further attempt at conversation. I let out a breath and knelt by the locker, digging through it. On second thoughts, it probably would not hurt anything to pull my hair back. It was getting to the point where it would get in my eyes.
I shut my locker and stood up. When I stepped back, I collided with something solid. The smell of cigarette smoke as well as the arm that snaked around my chest confirmed my thoughts that it was a person.
"Are you Allen Walker?" The smooth voice asked.
"Yes." I answered, breathless.
"We haven't had the chance to get properly acquainted. My name is Tyki Mikk."
The bell rang. I used it as an excuse to pulled away. "Nice to meet you. I'd better get to class, don't want to be late!" The male smiled and took a step in front of me. I watched, perplexed, as he pulled a lighter and cigarette from his pocket and lit a cigarette. Almost instantly, the smoke alarms went off.
"Looks like there is a fire drill today. How unexpected." His smile only broadened as the sound of the locker room doors' automated locks clicked shut. "It looks like we'll have time to get to know each other after all. How fortunate." He leaned forward placing a hand on the wall beside my head. My heart skipped a beat. "Hmm?" He cocked his head to the side then leaned in close. My heart stopped all together. Is he going to...? He pressed his lips to my forehead then, slowly pulled back. "You are bright red, but you don't have a fever." His grin was knowing, mocking. "You looked surprised. What did you think I was going to do?"
"I didn't think anything." I answered back quickly. He laughed, expression showing that he was unconvinced.
"Is that so?" The sound of the doors unlocking resounded through the room. Tyki frowned. "How unfortunate." He had long since put out his cigarette. "I suppose it is time for class after all." He walked in front of me, laughing.
I followed, emotions mixed. I was frustrated, embarrassed, aggravated and, somehow, reluctant that it had ended so soon.
