The next day after school, the club met again in the back of the room, their desks pooled together in one big clump. "Yuuki?" Mion called the girl who was about to walk out of the classroom. Not even a goodbye? But then again she's been acting weird all day.
The blonde turned on her heel. Dark circles were under her eyes and her skin was as pale as moonlight. She didn't look well at all. "Yeah?" her voice croaked.
"You want to hang out with us? Too bad if you don't cause you're one of us now!" she taunted playfully.
Yuuki sighed, her droopy eyes half-closed. "Sorry. I have . . . to do something in the gym. Maybe another time." She looked around at the many faces. "That okay with you?"
"It's your call guys," - she sent a look at Satoko reminding her of the traps they all knew she had set and the others - "want to let our newbie go?"
Satoko put on her best poker face. "If she has something to do, Mii-chan, then let's let her do it." Either way she's not going to escape!
"I agree," Keiichi said. "It must be something important." His eyebrow arched slightly.
Mion shrugged and for a brief moment smiled darkly at Satoko, flashing her general "well done" face as she turned back to Yuuki. "I hope you get to have some time to spare to come see us tomorrow," she said honestly. She leaned her full weight on a desktop.
Yuuki smiled for the first time that day. "Thanks, guys. You know, you're about the most decent people I've met since I've moved to this place." With a friendly wave, she walked towards the door; happy she had found good friends so quickly.
Mion felt a twinge of guilt pulse through her form. She looked at Satoko, looking for any kind of hint to what she should do next.
Satoko raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Now?" Apparently, Yuuki's little comment had not fazed her in the slightest.
Mion sighed and looked to the others for objections. Hanyuu shook her head wildly as if begging not to.
The small blonde girl looked up at Mion, clearly losing patience. "You're call, Chief," she mouthed.
Mion nodded once to Satoko and wondered what would happen to Yuuki. "Nothing personal - WELCOME TO THE CLUB!" she shouted down the hall.
Satoko grinned evilly and pulled a clear string next to her. A trap door opened in the ceiling and Yukki was showered with a downpour of spoiled milk and rotted garlic. The stench is what hit her first and she nearly doubled over. It was only when the clumped milk and tainted garlic began to seep into her clothes did she cry out loud and march back into the classroom, fire blazing in her eyes. "What the bloody heck? Why did you . . .?"
Mion pointed at Satoko and was promptly socked in the ribs. Satoshi saw this and softly jabbed his sister's shoulder blade.
Yuuki's eyes darted from one face to another, glaring daggers. With a supreme amount of effort, she willed herself to calm down. "Okay," she said, doing her best to reign in her fury. "Okay. I probably deserved that. I forgive you guys, but I don't want to be a part of your club anymore nor do I want to have anything to do with any of you. If you had pulled a stunt like this in my old neighborhood . . ." her voice trailed off, leaving all of them to wonder about their fates. She left, shaking old milk and garlic peelings from her hair.
Mion looked back at Satoko uncertainly. "A little much for her first day, don't you think? Keiichi!" - she knelt down to his ear - "You're good with this kind of thing. You're up to bat!" she hissed in his ear and shoved him out in the hall toward the upset girl. The rest of them crowded around at the door. "You're going to miss out on Old Maid," she called out good-heartedly.
"Who gives a crap!" Yuuki retorted. She noticed Keiichi behind her and she whirled, mouth twisted into a snarl. "Go. Away."
Keiichi hesitated. He didn't want to deal with an upset girl who might have the power to beat him down and steal his wallet. Taking a deep breath and remaining at a respectable distance he stated, "We're sorry. It's a Club initiation. All of us had to go through it. Satoko just went . . . a little overboard."
"You're doggone skippy she went overboard!" Yuuki retorted. Keiichi winced. "The only reason I don't hit her because she's still a kid. But if any of you try to pull a stunt like that again, I'll make sure you wish I had never moved here." As if to solidify her point, she crushed a whole piece of garlic in her palm, the foul juices slipping through her finger. She turned on her heel, heading for the showers before she went home.
Mion looked back at her comrades, speechless. Her shocked wavered when the boy dared to return to the class. "Keiichi!" Mion whined. "I thought this was supposed to be your area of expertise!"
"Hauu," Hanyuu agreed.
"I never said it was!" Keiichi retorted. "You jumped to the conclusion and fed me to the sharks!" His irritation deteriorated and he took in a breath. "Look, I really don't think it mattered who talked to her. She would have probably said the same thing."
Rika nodded. "I'm starting to think that too. Satoko, you should have toned it down a little bit. I don't think that was fair."
Satoko recoiled. "Don't blame me for that!" she said in defense. "Blame Mion! She's the boss!"
"It doesn't matter who's responsible," Mion said, mildly annoyed. "Point is we were all in on it so that makes us all responsible. But right now that's the least of our worries. Something's bothering that girl and I'm gonna find out what."
Rena furrowed her brow. "I don't think you get it, Mii-chan. She doesn't want anything to do with us!"
Mion laced her fingers under her chin, a Chesire smile cracking her face. "We'll see about that."
Yuuki arrived at school early the next morning and she couldn't help feeling exhausted. It had taken her a while to get the rancid smell out of her clothes and hair; she must have taken at least five showers and scoured her clothes at least twice that amount. She counted her blessings that she was finally able to wear it again. The schoolhouse was nearly deserted with the only signs of occupation being Chie-sensei. She smiled - the less people the better. Making her way to the gym, she quickly changed into a pair of knee-length shorts and a ratty, much too large, tee shirt. The Curdled Milk Crew may have disrupted her physical therapy yesterday, but they won't do it this time. The blonde walked over to a set of weights a picked up a three-pound with minor difficulty.
"Nope, not there yet," she decided and rebuked them for two pounds. Satisfied, she steadily lifted them above her head, held for five seconds, and steadily brought them back down. She repeated the cycle five times.
"Hauuuu," a small voice cried from behind the door to the weight room.
Yuuki yelped in surprise and the weight flew from her hands. She barely moved out of the way in time to avoid them from crushing her foot. She toppled and collapsed to the ground, annoyed. "Who's there?"
"Sumimasen! Sumimasen! I'm sorry!" Hanyuu ran out to help her up. "We didn't know her trick would be so dirty. Please forgive me for not stopping her! Don't be mad! I'm also sorry for sneaking in here. I just couldn't help it."
"Stop. Stop. Don't touch me." Yuuki shoved Hanyuu away as she crawled on her hands and knees to the weights rack. With medium difficulty, she pushed herself up to her feet and turned to the horned girl with a stern look fixed on her face. "I already told you that I want nothing more to do with you all." Flexing her arms, Yuuki picked up the weights and turned her back to Hanyuu. "So if you don't mind - even if you do mind - go away."
Hanyuu lowered her head, ashamed. "I-I'm sorry." She started to tear up again. "I thought that if I came alone . . . you would listen,"she confessed.
Yuuki sighed. "I already told you we're cool. I just don't like people sneaking up on me." She began to go into another exercise, slowly punching out in front of her. Hanyuu noticed how Yuuki's wrist suddenly went slack, but said nothing about it.
"Wait, b-but then you just said that . . . Hauuuu!" she put her hands to her head in confusion.
"I don't like everyone else in your little clique," she clarified without breaking concentration. "I have no grudge against you."
"Hauuu," Hanyuu said, clearly upset. She wished she brought Rika with her; she definitely did not have enough courage to be alone and stick up for the whole club on her own. "They're really not that bad, Yuuki . . . Satoko just likes traps . . ."
The blonde snorted. "So I found out. Do you know how many showers I had to take to hide the smell? I thought I was going to wash the skin from my bones!"
"Sumimasen," Hanyuu apologized on Satoko's behalf. "She didn't mean it. Hauuu."
"Why do you always say that?" Yuuki put down the weights and stretched her bandaged legs. "Is that like a secret club word or something?"
"No. I guess it's like my version of Nipah," she said, not really thinking about it. "Rika says 'Nipah' when she's happy. I say it as a general interjection, I guess." She shrugged.
"You don't say." Yuuki looked over at the clock on the opposite wall and began to walk to the bathrooms. "I'm going to go change for class." She extended her fist. "See you inside."
"Oh . . . okay." She extended her own fist, still unsure of how this would all pan out.
The first thing Yuuki did was request a new seat, somewhere near the front and far away from the Peanut Gallery in the back. "I have vision problems," she fibbed. "So its kind of necessary."
"Of course," Chie-sensei nodded. "You should have told me sooner."
Yuuki shrugged her apology. Chie-sensei pointed to an open desk near the window and the blonde sat down.
"Hey," Satoko's voice called from the back.
Yuuki growled and chewed the inside of her cheek, her anger steadily rising. "Uh-uh. I'm not turning around."
"Hey."
She shook her head. "Mm-mm."
"Hey."
"I don't see you."
Hanyuu couldn't help but chuckle. When Satoko wanted something, she got it. And Yuuki's annoyance only made it more entertaining.
"Yoo-hoo!" Satoko threw a piece of paper at Yuuki, hitting her in the back back.
Yuuki snarled, not sure about how much more she could take. "Tough it out," she chanted to herself. "Tough it out."
"Hey!" Another scrap of paper came flying, harder this time.
That was the last straw. She could take a lot of torment, but that little girl was just downright a nuisance. Yuuki turned around fully in her chair, fire blazing in her eyes, and a tight snarl on her lips. "What? Okay, what? What is so doggone important that you keep calling me?"
Rika slowly put a hand on her shoulder "Satoko . . . I really don't think she wants to talk. Yuuki . . . she just wants to apologize . . . please just listen to us."
"Why should I?" She crossed her arms over her chest. "I do not have to listen to a single word you say. In fact, I don't even know why I'm talking to you right now." She turned back around and sat at her desk, apologizing to Chie-sensei for her outrageous behavior and promising it wouldn't happen again.
"Sorry," Satoko said as she sat back in her chair. Her pink eyes darted to the side to glance at Mion. "Plan didn't work, boss."
Mion crossed her legs and drummed her fingers on her desk. I wonder how long it'll take for her to have a positive mood swing? I can't wait 'til I can get a hold of her for a good long-deserved Punishment Game!
Halfway through lessons, Yuuki's arm twitched, the same arm she had used to shoot her medicine. Taking a peek, she peeled away the band-aid and her eyes shrunk when she laid eyes on the purple-blue bruise over the puncture wound. She pinched it slightly, hissing at the sharp pain lancing through her veins. A sort of pale gunk oozed out from the puncture and she knew it was infected. "Not good!" She looked up and drew Chie-sensei's attention. "Can I go to bathroom?"
Chie-sensei nodded. "Sure. Just be back soon."
"Got it." Yuuki snatched something out of her bag and walked as fast as she could to the bathroom, shutting herself in one of the stalls after making sure she was completely alone. She removed the soiled bandage and wiped away the pus with a square of toilet paper. "Rats! This isn't cool!"
Once Yuuki was gone, Rena looked up from her work and leaned over to Keiichi, whispering, "Something really upset her. Did you see the look on her face?"
Keiichi shook his head. "No. Did you, Mion-chan?"
Mion nodded. "I think I know what it is: something's wrong with her injection spot. If it's infected or bruised, she might be having a reject to the medicine or whatever she put in her."
Rika looked at Mion in astonishment. Had she remembered?
"What should we do?" Satoko asked, suddenly concerned. "Should we tell Chie-sensei?"
"No." Mion said flatly. "I'm going to try something and if I don't come back with her, then tell her . . . tell her . . . Chie-sensei? Could I be excused please?"
Chie-sensei met Mion's gaze. "On what reason?" she asked in a kind voice.
"Restroom." She gave her sensei a look that told her it was urgent.
Chie-sensei's brows furrowed in worry. "Alright. You may go."
"Thank you, Sensei," she said with a small bow as she grabbed something from her bag and ran out as well.
Yuuki splashed cold water on her face and looked in the mirror. She still looked terrible: her eyes were bloodshot, skin pale, her hair looked like a mess. She groaned as her vision blurred and she pounded her throbbing forehead lightly. "Get out of there." Her legs suddenly became weak and she dropped like a stone to the tiled floor, trying hold on to what shred of consciousness she had left.
Mion stepped into the restroom. "Hey, Yuuki?" she patted her back pocket; happy she brought disinfectant and new bandages. "You're supposed to change the needle once in a while. You should know that. Here, let me help you," she said with soft eyes and a promising tone. When she dropped to the ground, Mion panicked and ran for her full speed. She caught the girl just before she hit the tile floor and propped her up against a stall door. "Just what are you taking?"
The blonde glared through glazed eyes as she tried to pull herself up. "No . . ." she muttered to herself. "Not going to get me!" Yuuki gently pushed Mion's shoulder, but threw up immediately after. She grimaced, dry heaving. "Did I take . . .? Oh no!" She reached behind her and groped around blindly for the small glass bottle. She smelled it and immediately panicked. "Drugs? Where did I get drugs?"
"Drugs?" Mion panicked and gripped Yuuki's shoulders. " Yuuki! Stay with me! Yuuki! It's okay. It's alright. Drink some water . . ."
Yuuki continued to throw her guts up in the bathroom and each spew left her drained. She was losing fluid fast and she knew that was potentially dangerous. The blonde held her stomach, sweat rolling down her forehead and neck to drench her shirt collar. "Get away from me! Don't need your help!" More puke.
"Yuuki, hold still! Yuuki! Hanyuu!" she bellowed as she swore under her breath.
Back in the classroom, the horned girl's head flew up in recognition "Sumimasen, Chie-Sensei!" she said with a bow before running full speed to the restroom before the teacher could stop her. "Mion! You called- me - Hauu!" she looked around at the filthy bathroom floor. "Yuuki? Is that . . .? Hauuu!" she ran toward the heaving blonde, falling to her knees beside her.
Yuuki welcomed Hanyuu's presence and smiled weakly. "Would you both . . . relax? Just . . . give me a minute." She threw up a couple more times before crawling over to the sink. She pulled herself to her feet and swished water around in her mouth, clearing away the taste of stomach acid. Her upper body fell forward and her forehead crashed against the damp mirror. "I got this."
Mion leaned up against the wall, but still kept at a close proximity. She wanted to help but was at a standstill on what to do; helplessness had overpowered her.
"Hauu. Hauuu. Hauuuuuuuuuuuu!" Hanyuu shrieked. "What do we do?"
"Calm down," Mion ordered. "So you took," – she didn't want to say in front of Hanyuu – "something besides your medicine by accident? Shouldn't you see a doctor to get that out?"
"The only one who's going to be seeing a doctor is you if you don't back up out of my face," Yuuki growled. She looked over at Hanyuu and grinned sheepishly. "Sorry you had to see me like this. Not exactly the kind of impression I wanted to give." Yuuki shook her head and looked in the mirror. "Whom am I kidding? They probably think I'm a junkie!" she mumbled to her reflection.
"'Junkie?'" they both asked in sync.
"Where are you from again?" Hanyuu asked, "This is 1983!"
"I know that!" Yuuki screeched. "It's slang! Get it?" Without any rational reason, Yuuki punched the mirror, shattering it to pieces. She grimaced as the individual shards of glass bit into her hand, rivers of blood splashing over pale skin.
Hanyuu's eyes widened with fright. "Hauuuuuu." she slowly turned around and scrambled toward the classroom.
"No you don't!" Yuuki tried to run after Hanyuu, but her legs crumpled and she fell on her side. She curled up, frustrated, and began screaming, tears pouring from her eyes. "Don't!"
Mion's eyes widened as she saw how truly badly this girl wanted to keep the incident a secret. "Hanyuu!" she turned and ran out of the restroom, hair emerald trailing behind her, and caught the girl before she entered the classroom "Hanyuu."
Hanyuu Furude stood where she was and turned to face Mion. One look at the older girl's face and she walked back towards the bathroom, unafraid and fists at her side.
Yuuki took in one deep breath after another, holding on to whatever scrap of sanity she had left. She had really made a name for herself now: Drug Addict, Psycho Maniac. There were more, she was sure, but she didn't want to think about them. All Yuuki wanted to do was regain control of herself and get as far away from the school as possible. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
Hanyuu got to her knees and crawled straight toward the girl, a red in her eye. She didn't even flinch as the glass shards bit into the soft flesh of her knees. She hugged her. "I forgive you," she said gently. "For everything. It's alright. You were meant to be in this world and you will play a monumental role. You are very special and are forgiven."
Yuuki attributed Hanyuu's words to part of the drug's side affects. She smirked, still not sure why she was being forgiven. She didn't even do anything! "Thanks." Pulling herself from Hanyuu's grasp, she crawled to the bathroom door that led outside and pushed it open. She was immediately hit by the harsh sun but shook off the blinding rays. With supreme effort, she pushed herself to her feet. Her voice was hoarse from screaming as she said, "I'll see you guys later. Don't wait up." She took careful steps and succeeded in walking away.
"Everyone else will worry," Hanyuu said looking straightforward, not getting up. Mion wasn't sure if she was talking to her or Yuuki. Nonetheless she didn't bother to ask. Licking her dry lips, Mion ushered Hanyuu back to the classroom but remained behind to at least clean up some of the soil. It was decided that Mion would give Yuuki a few hours to calm down and then try to help her. The only problem is, she thought as she wiped up a particular disgusting puddle of puke, how?
Yuuki traveled along the dirt roads, keeping to the trees. She didn't want anyone to see her - especially now. Her feet had grown tired and her legs buckled just beside a telephone pole flanked on either side with tall, crisp grass. Maybe I should rest here. Just for a little while. Something in the back of her mind said that if she did, she may not wake up, but she didn't care. That's why doctors had those electric shock things. She shut her eyes and slipped into unconsciousness.
AN: I made this on shorter than the last chapter. So . . . yeah. It was originally over 8,000 words, but I wanted to section it off. I thought an 8,000+ words chapter might throw you guys off. One chapter climax at a time.
Obviously Mion has no clue what to do with people who have accidentally taken a whole 5-ounce bottle of Speed. I found that kind of funny.
The reason why Yuuki's not having a euphoric high is because she has an allergic reaction to the drug and her body is trying to reject it, however she is having delusions and small bouts of psychosis.
