It was a warm, summer afternoon as the bight sun shone happily down on the suburban houses situated below it's rays. Small rain drops were dripping from the moist flower petals after a short-lasting rain shower, that just retreated from the area leaving the earth refreshed and blooming green. Somewhere among the numerous family houses were children, laughing and running about in a large backyard decorated with different varieties of flowers and trees. Balloons were lazily brushing against each other, tied up to the wooden porch with rainbow colored bubbles surrounding the air. Immersed in the thick trees, the children danced barefooted and waved their arms excitedly with dazed looks on their full faces. A small girl was standing in front of a cardboard figure decorated in colorful wrapping paper in the shape of a carnival animal. Her dark, short hair swayed against the breeze, caressing her tanned skin and pink cheeks flushed from the constant swinging of the baseball bat in her hands. Eyes covered with a blindfold and lips parted in concentration, she raised the red bat and with a powerful and final swing sent the object in front her falling to the ground, bursting out confetti and vibrant shades of sweet candy. She slowly removed the fabric that shielded her eyes and smiled widely at her companions, who were collecting the remains from the grass. A tall woman stood beside the child, observing the young people in front of her. She had long, wavy black hair and breathtaking jade green eyes, that contrasted with her dark skin. She looked down at the little girl and brushed her thin fingers against her hair, reveling two rows of perfectly white teeth, giving a bright shine to the piercing in her lower lip.
- Aren't you going to join them?
The child looked up at the woman with a sympathetic smile, folding her hands together in a respectful manner. For such a young creature she had a sophisticated and wise aura surrounding her, which was surly noticeable the moment a person looked her. Her face wasn't as plump as the other children, but slightly thinner, revealing beautiful, delicate cheekbones that with age would craft into a masterpiece.
- I want to share with them. - she answered proudly, receiving a gentle pat on her head in return.
The woman chuckled and bent down to kiss the girl on her forehead.
- You're such a good girl, Kanaya. Promise me you'll always stay this way. - she said rubbing her thumbs on the girl's cheeks.
The child placed her small hands on the woman's and grinned widely.
- I promise, Porrim.
The two females were suddenly assaulted with wrappers of confetti thrown at them by the children, who were giggling with joy at their surprised reactions. Kanaya grabbed a handful of paper and tossed it at the woman, changing her demeanor from an old woman to a carefree child. She felt happy surrounded by her friends and family. She felt safe. She felt loved.
A sudden change disrupted the little girl's mind showing her a world, which she never wished to see at such a young age. Pain, despair, hurt and confusion. She didn't understand why her mother couldn't look at her without tears running down her white cheeks. Nobody wanted to tell her where her sister has gone and why she's never coming back. Everything just shifted to gray and black. Whatever was left of her colorful childhood was gone and in it's place were memories she wished never occurred. All that was warm turned cold. All that she loved turned to ash and disappeared in the wind. The only remaining embrace of love that meant the most to her has vanished, leaving her alone in the crowd of sad eyes that lacked an ounce of compassion. She had nowhere to hide, nowhere to feel safe anymore. She was forced to grow up and stand her ground in the storm. Only it never subsided, it only picked up speed turning into a whirlwind of an everlasting battle with herself.
- Kanaya! - said a voice, so faraway in her mind. - Kanaya!
It kept repeating itself. Over and over. It wouldn't leave her alone. No matter how far she ran it caught up with her just as fast. A par of rough hands clutched onto her shoulders and forcefully pulled her out of the dark abyss. Her eyes shot open, a shade of jade green, blinking feverishly and gaining back her consciousness. A boy with messy dark hair and tired eyes stared at her angrily, but with fear and concern. They were the only eyes that made her feel safe and loved.
- Kanaya answer me! Don't do this again!
She slowly exhaled the breath she was holding in and smiled slightly to reassure her friend she was ok.
- I'm fine now, Karkat.
The boy sighed, releasing the stress he was grasping on to and relieved the tight hold he had on the woman's arms. He took his friend by the hand and slowly helped her up on her feet, making sure she had the strength to stand.
- Are you sure? You how much I fucking hate it when this happens to you, so excuse me if I want to make sure, just in case you might fall on your face again.
- Trust me, you would be the first to know.
Another woman came running up the stairs to the bedroom, gasping and holding a mobile phone pressed to her chest.
- Kanaya, darling are you ok? Did you faint again? Do I have to call the hospital?
The boy shot an angry glare towards the woman, protectively holding onto his companion.
- Jesus, mom. She's not dying.
- I just need to make sure, son. We don't want this happening so often. Maybe she needs to see the doctor again.
The boy sighed in annoyance, glancing at Kanaya for an answer of reassurance, so his mother wouldn't be so pushy. Kanaya smiled at the woman, holding her friend close with the strength that remained in her arms.
- I'm ok, Mrs. Vantas. If this is bound to happen again, I know Karkat will take care of me, rest assured.
The woman not willing to continue the argument with her son, smiled back at them and folded her arms, releasing air from her lungs.
- Alright, but stay in touch and keep me posted. Karkat is reliable … but he's still Karkat.
- What the hell is that supposed to mean? - he asked, obviously offended.
His mother simply smiled and quickly absconded from the room, leaving the two young adults alone.
- Karkat, can you speak with your mother politely? She's only trying to help. - asked Kanaya, slipping out of her friends embrace and dipping a hand into a large gym bag beside the bed.
- I'm aware of that, but she can do it in a less annoying way. Not to mention she implied I'm not reliable enough. I've been your fucking babysitter since we were kids and last time I checked you're still alive and breathing, so I guess I'm doing one hell of a good job then.
Karkat would always become intensively frustrated when someone doubted him, especially regarding his abilities to care for his best friend. Ever since she lost the one person that gave her life meaning, he suddenly showed up on her door step as if sent by an angel. The moment he offered her a helping hand that day in first grade, when she couldn't conjure the energy to smile, he became a light, a beacon; her guardian angel in the flesh, that pulled her out of the dark world she couldn't retreat from. For a person that had nobody to count on, she treasured him deeply with all her heart and thanked God everyday for having someone like him by her side. Even though on the outside Karkat looked vicious and unhappy, compared to everyone else he had the biggest heart of them all.
Kanaya smiled tossing her clothes on the bed and began unbuttoning her pajama shirt.
- Yes, you are doing well. But keep in mind your mother still worries about you and feels the need to support you. It's inevitable to escape her motherly instincts.
Karkat growled proceeding to grab his own clothes from the closet and two, fresh towels.
- Ok fine. I get that. There's no need to drag this conversation any further. Do you need any help? - he asked gesturing the bathroom.
Kanaya, completely stripped down to her black lingerie, chuckled taking a towel from Karkat's hand.
- I'm a grown woman, Karkat. I can bath myself. Besides, we're too old for that. It was cute when we were children, but now it's too inappropriate.
Karkat rolled eyes, but knew Kanaya was right. He got so accustomed to taking care of Kanaya thoroughly, that he almost didn't realize that they were, of course almost adults and a simple person who didn't know about their relationship would jump to irrational conclusions, if he were to climb into the same shower with her. But in reality, he was just taking care of her.
He went over to his bed and proceeded to unfold and evaluate his attire, just to occupy himself.
- Ok, I get it, now go. I don't want to be late for class, so don't take too long.
Kanaya smiled one last time at Karkat, even though he wasn't looking at her, but knew he received the gesture. She walked into the blue themed bathroom and closed the door behind her, not bothering to lock it, since it was an action Karkat deeply disliked her doing. She removed the remaining fabric from her skin, unconsciously turning to gaze over herself in the mirror. She had numerous scars on her body, as a painful reminder of the battles she had to face against the demons of her past. If it wasn't for Karkat, who stopped her from certain death, she wouldn't be standing there, breathing and looking herself in the eyes. Feeling the heat begin to accumulate behind her green orbs, she turned her head sharply from the glass and walked into the shower. She flipped the switch, assaulting her body with cold water, making her shiver from the sudden surprise. Every time she'd feel a break down begin to surface, she'd simply pour ice, cold water onto or into her system, which abruptly stopped the thoughts from piling into her brain.
Slowly dragging her hands down her face, Kanaya sighed struggling to relax her mind, but it didn't seemed to work. Biting down on her lip and grasping onto her arms she took deep breaths, knowing she was falling apart. Sometimes the pain was too hard to push away and all she could do was release the tension. And doing it when nobody was around were the only chances she could. Rocking back and forth, her breathing becoming raspy, she struggled to keep in the loud sobs. Hot tears were streaming down her cheeks and compared to the cold water, it felt like daggers were slicing her skin. She was incapable of stopping it now. Once she started, it had to be let out until the bubble was empty.
After the shower, she stepped onto the carpet drying her face and making sure she looked fine. Her eyes were only slightly swollen, but that could easily be covered with makeup. Once the water was removed from her skin and lingerie was once again hugging onto her curvy body, she proceeded to work on the mask to hide her pain away for others not to see.
- Took you long enough. - snapped Karkat, watching Kanaya walk out the door, a cloud of steam escaping the room behind her.
- I am a woman after all. - she said with a grin and started getting dressed. - We require more attention.
- Attention my ass. - growled Karkat and disappeared into the fog, for his turn.
Slowly buttoning her black shirt, covered in ruffles on the chest, she rang her thumb over the sleeves admiring the clothing. Kanaya always had an eye for art and found sewing to be a pleasant hobby, since she had the ideal amount of patience for the job. Whenever she felt frustrated, her hands would wander towards her dear, beloved sewing machine, that peacefully was situated on the window seal with the fabric she uses just below in a vintage chest, along with a manikin she attained with the machine as a birthday gift from Karkat and his family. They treated her like a daughter and were proud of her talents, so she'd often make or fix clothes for them whenever they asked. Grabbing onto a pair of black, skinny jeans, which she slipped on with ease; thankfully, she was gifted with a thin, hourglass body type that ran in the Maryam family. While stepping into her favorite platform boots, Karkat walked out of the shower already fully dressed, rubbing his red towel to dry off his hair.
Karkat didn't really care about how he dressed as long as he was clean, which Kanaya was partially thankful for, but hoped he could dress more properly anyway, even though she offered to make him some decent clothing for his wardrobe. Yet his reply was always the same: ,,Don't bother wasting your fabric on me." But whenever she had an occasion, she'd always made something special for him. Wearing a red sweater over a band t-shirt, he put on his matching sneakers and stood up with his arms stretched out, noticing Kanaya was eying him.
- Problem? I'm dressed the way you asked.
Kanaya smiled and got up from the bed to walk over to him and pull him into an embrace. Karkat stiffened at first, caught by surprise by Kanaya's sudden affection, but relaxed his shoulders and gave her a pat on the back.
- Let's go have breakfast.
They went down the stairs, a backpack and messenger bag in hand into the kitchen where Mrs. Vantas was cheerfully humming, flipping pancakes skillfully in the frying pan.
Kanaya smiled, hearing the warm tone in her voice. Karkat's mother is a very graceful and peaceful individual in a poetic and artistic way. She had the ideal voice of a storyteller; smooth like honey and absolutely captivating. It always amused Kanaya at how much Karkat was different from his mother. Psychically, they looked almost identical; same shade of hair and chocolate brown eyes, facial structure and even height. Karkat wasn't very tall for a young male standing merely 5ft4, where Kanaya almost reached 5ft6. Size was never an uncomfortable matter for the boy, as he never felt ashamed to stand next to the tall female. It was a different story however, when he would be compared to other men his age.
As she glanced back at the dining room, where Karkat already situated himself by the table, equipped with the necessary items for their meal, she sat in the chair across from him and Mrs. Vantas came over with a steaming pile of fresh pancakes she always made with her secret recipe whenever Kanaya started feeling too much anxiety. Even though she tried not to show any of those emotions and succeeded, Mrs. Vantas would always see right trough her mask, but in a subtle way she would give Kanaya signs that she's there to help.
- Hey, when's dad coming home? - Karkat asked, eager to begin his meal.
His mother turned towards him after exchanging comforting glances with Kanaya and smiled, wiping her hands on her floral apron Kanaya made as a Christmas gift. She always cooked in it, which made Kanaya always smile with pride. She looked up at the ceiling, digging into her memory then looked back at him with a surprised expression.
- Tonight actually. In that case, I'll make something special for dinner.
Giving Kanaya one last affectionate squeeze on her shoulder, she hurried back into the kitchen. Karkat for a second kept staring, then averted his gaze back to his breakfast.
- It's been a while since he was home. - he said quietly.
Kanaya nodded, silently agreeing with him. Karkat's father was a very busy man, traveling around the world as a geologist, so for the majority of the year he's abroad and only returned home during holidays and birthdays. Kanaya only had the pleasure to meet him a few times, but regardless Mr. Vantas just as quickly accepted her into the family as his wife. From what she remembered, personality-wise Karkat was very similar to his father. They both are passionate towards the people they love and are easily mistaken to be unapproachable. Where Karkat is more on the temperamental side, so is his father, but only released his fire when it was necessary.
After finishing their breakfast, Mrs. Vantas bid them farewell by the door and hurried back inside. Karkat in his usual long strides, with a hand in his pocket while the other fiddled with the car keys in a circular motion, walked over to the black and red Ford Mustang that stood silently in the driveway. He climbed in, caressing the leather steering wheel with a wide smile on his face. He wasn't really a car fanatic, but was specifically proud of the fact that he bought it by himself with his own expenses. Kanaya chuckled, amused by his facial expression.
- You should start the car now or we'll be late. - she suggested.
Karkat grunted, placing the key into the slot and reanimating the car to life, as it growled aggressively with the same tone as it's owner.
- Can't a guy admire his wheels? Shit.
- You know I don't mind. But the teacher might, if we're late.
- Gotcha. - he replied rolling his eyes, which was a habit of his and they finally drove onto the rode.
Their school wasn't to far, yet a vehicle was required if they wanted to be on time. It was quite a large building, in which Kanaya got lost numerous times and had to make a map in order to stay in track of her schedule. But with time, she became accustomed to every hallway and classroom, though it was difficult during the first days after her transfer.
Kanaya was never a popular type and always stayed away from larger crowds preferring to spend her time alone on her studies and not waste time on socializing. But because of the fact she has a peculiar taste in clothing, staying in the shadows was never an easy task. That didn't mean she greeted people with a grimace of disgust; if she engaged in a conversation, she spoke politely and tried to keep a pleasant demeanor, but people quickly lost interest in her, but never bothered her. Karkat would visit her from time to time and they shared a few classes together, so she never felt alone in the massive building.
Once the car was positioned in the parking lot they entered the school and went their separate ways. Class was about to start in mere minutes. She quickly got to her locker, thankful for having English first, considering it was on the first floor and entered the room, sitting down in the back of the class. She disliked being the center of attention and felt more comfortable out of the spotlight. Already comfortably seated, the teacher walked into the room and the students turned their attention towards him. He was a cheerful looking fellow, tall and slim with suspenders and a bow tie to be his everyday fashion choice. If Kanaya were to choose her favorite teacher, it would be Professor Scratch. He stood up from his desk, wide smile playing on his lips and if Kanaya's hunch was correct, in meant he had a surprise for them.
- Good morning class. - he began. - Before we begin our session I want to introduce a very, special person who will be attending English with us this year.
Kanaya wasn't paying much attention, indulged in the novel before her, which was a mistake. Feeling a strong gaze upon her she looked up to see Professor Scratch staring straight at her. He didn't seem angry and never had any negative feelings towards Kanaya, since she was his favorite student. He had more of a mischievous glint in his eyes, yet it wasn't very visible. A second later, she noticed another person standing next to him. A girl with short, light blonde hair and blazing, purple eyes was looking right at her as well. For some reason she felt slightly flustered by the girl's heavy eye contact and with difficulty tried to avoid staring.
- This is Rose Lalonde. - he said proudly, adding an accent to her last name and boy, did those words come together beautifully, sending pleasant vibrations to Kanaya's ears. - You will be seated with Kanaya Maryam.
Consumed in the moment, Kanaya almost didn't hear her name being mentioned and when she came to, her eyes slightly widened in panic. Rose gradually walked over to the back, each step made gracefully as if she were moving through water and sat in the desk next next to Kanaya. The corners of her mouth curled upwards in a subtle smile towards Kanaya, who was quietly watching her in the corner of her eye, and mouthed a greeting making Kanaya smile in return, then quickly drop her gaze back into her book. She was feeling unnaturally nervous in Rose's presence and she couldn't think straight as her thoughts were tossed about in disarray. There was something about her and she couldn't put a finger on it. The aura emanating from her was mysterious and puzzling.