The day started off like any other day. Wake up, shower, dress, go to school, come home, do homework and chores then off to bed. But today….today seems….different… The feeling…my mood…Everything is different… I can't quiet place it…
I blinked a few times lying on my bed staring up at the ceiling trying to figure out why today feels different. I tilted my head slightly to the left to pick up my phone and check the messages. Nothing new there…it's still too early for everyone to be up. Why am I even up? I thought scrolling through my messages. I still have a few hours before school…I could get up and go out to eat rather than force myself to choke down mother's so called food… I sat up grinning and thinking of how terrible a cook my mother was.
I sprang up and threw my clothes on and ran down the stairs, school bag in tow. "By mom!" I yelled over my shoulder.
"Where are you going Tao?" she asked pulling her hair into a high pony tail.
"I woke up to early so I'm going to get something to eat on the way to school then get some studying done." I yanked my socks up higher and pulled my shoes on peeking out the window, praying for no rain.
"Are you coming straight home?" she asked straightening her jacket in the mirror.
I tilted my head. Her voice had been changing more and more lately, losing its slight American accent.
"Is something funny?" mom asked glancing at me out of the corner of her eye.
"No mama. Nothing's funny." I stood up and opened the door. "I'll try to get home as soon as I can." I stepped into the morning air and took a deep breath. The only thing I really like about morning was the smell of the air. But today even that seemed different. I walked through the gates and took a right towards the school walking slow taking up as much time as possible. No one else was out and about; any sane person would still be sleeping in their beds. Lucky for me I lived close the city itself and school so it didn't take me long to get to the bakery. I smelled their cakes and donuts. Pushing the door open and stepping inside, I looked around at the choices. Everything was freshly made. I stepped up to the glass and looked down at a bright purple icing covered donut. "I'll take that one." I said pointing to it.
The man behind the counter nodded his head and pulled it out of the case handing it to me. "Anything else?" he asked.
I shook my head, paid him and left, nibbling on the donut as I walked to school. I could see it in the distance. Someone was already walking into the school. It might be the teachers… I thought walking faster. No I know they are already here getting ready for class. The jacket looks like a student's jacket…who would be here this early by choice? I'd recently moved here a few months ago, so I wasn't too familiar with the area or the school and its students. I walked through the gates and looked around for the kid. Weird…I know I saw someone…
"What are you doing here so early?" a male voice asked from behind me.
I jumped and turned around, looking at him shocked. "I woke up early so I thought I'd come to the library to get some studying done." I said shyly.
The boy glared at me strangely. I've not seen him before. I'd remember if I'd seen him. His cool gray eyes burned into mine, his voice made me shiver. He continued glaring at me before turning away and walking off into the school.
"Um…" I started following him. "I'm still new here…I've only been here for a week…" he stopped and looked back at me. "Would you mind showing me where the library is?"
He nodded once and walked into the school. I followed him quickly through the halls.
I followed silently watching him turn one corner after another, up and down stairs until they finally met a set of double doors. He motioned to the door with his head. "This is the library." He turned on his heels and walked back down the hall.
"T-thank you…." I tilted my head and blinked a few times trying to remember if he'd said his name. "What's your name?" I asked quietly.
He stopped and turned his head to look at her. "Kyoya Hibari."
"Thank you Hibari-san!" I giggled and opened the doors, stepping into the quiet library.
I don't remember when I woke up but the teacher was standing over me glaring daggers. "What time is it?" I asked stretching.
"How long have you been sleeping here?" The teacher asked pulling her up by her wrist.
"I don't know…I remember studying…" she said looking down at her books and finished study guide. "Then…nothing…" she rubbed her eyes with her free hand and yawned. "What time is it?"
"Time for you to go to the principal's office." the teacher said pulling her down the hall. "You're trespassing on school before hours and now after hours. Unless you have permission to be in here, you're not allowed in."
"I was coming here to study before class. I guess I fell asleep." I protested trying to free my hand.
"Well you didn't seem to be studying. You seemed to be skipping classes." The teacher tightened his grip and pulled on my wrist harder.
I winced from the pain and felt my knees buckle. "Are you trying to break my wrist?!" I yelled forcing him to release me.
"I'm escorting you to the principal's office! You'll be suspended for skipping classes." He snarled at me.
I glared and opened my mouth to say something.
Hibari turned around the corner and watched the two of us. "Something wrong?" he asked me.
"I was stu-" I started.
"She was caught skipping class and sleeping in the library. As well as trespassing before and after school hours." He leaned down and grabbed my wrist again.
"I granted her permission to enter the library. I noticed she hadn't gone to class and found her asleep. I told the other teachers to let her be." Hibari said walking towards us.
"O-o-oh…" the teacher said releasing my hand again. I rubbed my wrist and glared at him. "Forgive me, miss." He said bowing slightly and walking away.
I nodded my head and got onto my feet. "Thank you Hibari-kun." I chanced using a more familiar way of speaking.
He nodded and motioned for me to follow him.
I obeyed and walked after him silently. He doesn't seem like much of a talker… I thought look more closely at his face. He's kind of cute… black hair…gray eyes. Cool demeanor. I wonder if he's a fighter… A lot of questions ran through my head. I wanted to ask him some but my better judgment told me it wouldn't be a smart idea to bombard him with questions when we just met. "Do I owe you now?"
He glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "No." he answered quickly.
I shrugged and walked with him. "Where are we going?" I asked after we'd gone down the hall. I may have been here for a week or two but the school as still confusing to me.
"Where did you live before you came here?" He asked opening a door that led outside. It opened to the front of the school, the main gates were opened and a few students were leaving quickly from their after-school activities.
I tilted my head, surprised by the random question. "America." I said cautiously.
He stopped and turned his head towards me. "I can tell." He grinned evilly.
His grin sent a shiver up my spine. To my surprise I felt a blush come to my face. "Right now I think I'd be at my step-sister's house playing on the computer dealing with my step-mother." I said looking at the clouds that floated lazily over our heads.
"What about your mother?" he asked. His voice seemed genuinely curious.
"My mom and dad divorced when I was three. They were married for six years before I was born. Mom was born in Tokyo and moved to America when she was thirteen, met my father and married when she was eighteen. They had my older brother, then me." I smiled softly remembering playing in the yard while my brother and father were arguing.
"You have an older brother?" Hibari asked the grin on his face getting wider.
"Yeah…he's seven years older than I am." I giggled.
He nodded and started walking again. "Which way do you go home?" he asked looking over his shoulder at me.
"I go left…you don't need to walk me home. I know the way." I said.
He lost his grin and nodded. "Don't be late and make sure your uniform's on correctly tomorrow." He said taking a right and walking down the street.
I watched as he turned the corner leaning my head against the wall and hitting it a few times. "Why am I so stupid?! UGH!" I groaned hitting my head harder until it started bleeding. I straightened up and started walking, more or less sulking, home. I walked slowly, upset that I didn't let Hibari walk me home. A little kid in a cow costume ran by me. I turned and saw him laughing and yelling something about grape candies. I smiled watching the carefree kid running down the sidewalk.
"Wait up Lambo!" a girl yelled following after him.
I smiled wider and watched as she chased him down the road.
"Bwahaha! The great Lambo-san waits for no one!" he said and started running backwards, tripping over his cow tail. He sat up threatening to cry. "Gotta…stay…calm…" he pulled something out of his hair.
"Lambo-san shouldn't be playing with things like this!" the girl said picking the object from him.
"Give Lambo back his toy!" the kid started throwing a fit and knocked the toy out of his hand and watched as it rolled towards me.
I picked it up and started walking towards them. "Here you go." I said sweetly handing the toy to the girl.
"Haru-chan thanks you!" the girl said taking it from me and picking up the crying kid.
"You're welcome." I turned and started to walk away.
"Lambo-san, don't' pull that button!" the girl said.
It sounded like a bomb went off and smoke filled the air. I felt the impact and fell face first into the ground. I didn't know what happened. I sat up and rubbed my head. "The hell was that?" I looked around the block trying to see what had exploded. To my surprise I was no longer on the mostly empty street, minus the girl and the kid in a cow costume. I was in a traditional Japanese styled room. Tatami mats covered the floor. I looked behind me at a cabinet. The smell of incense caught my attention and I looked down. Am I sitting on a shrine? I thought standing up and walking away a little. I turned around and gasped as I saw a picture of what looked like me…but older. My white hair and purple eyes were the only things I had to look at. Why is there a shrine for me? I stepped back farther shaking slightly.