Chapter 2

[Shade]

I am a middle school student. My name is Shade and I am an assassin.

I opened my eyes, after chanting the phrases. It made me feel calmer and ready for attack. Except this time, master had forbid me to kill anyone. Nevertheless, I made sure I had some kind of weapon with me when I left the house.

The red jacket was pulled over on my chair. I remembered how lazy I was last night and had thrown that jacket hastily onto the chair. I grabbed it, and carefully slid my arms through the holes; pulled the zipper up; threw the hood over my head.

My older brother came in and started rambling on about how messy my room was.

'It's just us, no one else is going to look after us from now on,' he said, having repeating it for the past few years.

I shrugged, that was a long time ago, at least I had a job as an assassin… not that he knows.

I opened the door and saw that Bright was already there, waiting patiently for me at the gates.

'Bye!' I called to my brother and closed the door.

I joined my fellow companion and started walking together to school, kicking random stones that happened to be in my way. I remembered how we both used to play these games together.

'So how about it? Ready?' Bright asked.

'As I ever will be,' I grumbled, my purple badge hidden just under his collar and kicked another stone in my way.

Bright laughed.

'You remember we used to play this game?' he asked.

'It was fun, I can't believe we still play it now,' I nodded.

'But for a while we stopped playing…'

'What?' I asked, puzzled.

He looked at me, as if he couldn't believe that I could ever forget an incident like that. He shook his head in utter disappointment and we walked the rest of the way with no words.

I spotted a blue haired girl walking solemnly in front of me.

She was all alone-

I licked my lips pleased at my find-

She could be the one I was looking for-

My hands curled itself tightly around my pocket knife-

I drew it from my jacket-

I could hear Bright gasp in the back of my mind-

I run-

I don't intend to stop-

She looks back-

And all I see next is darkness.

My eyes are still closed, but I can feel my body being dragged up and my neck hurts.

I hear noises but they're muffled. I open my eyes and make out Bright panicking and a red haired girl arguing with him, while grabbing hold of my jacket.

'What?' I decided to ask and dreaded as soon as her attention was turned towards me.

'You- you what are you doing with a pocket knife?' she asked, baring her teeth.

She was shaking; afraid of my weapon. Quickly, I started waving my knife (which was surprisingly still in my hands) at her. She jumped back, screaming while I smirked at my achievement.

'Get away from my sister, you hear me?'

A few seconds after that, she runs away however not leaving without holding onto her sister's hand tightly and dragging her along.

I feel a hand squeezing my shoulder tightly.

'Shade! What do you think you're doing?' Bright shouts.

He stops though, he looks around and I follow. Everyone is looking at us, like literally, all their eyes and ears are pricked onto us. Bright, loosens his grip on my shoulder and starts to gently pat it.

'Let's take this inside,' he whispers into my ear.

I nod; I was pretty tired after that with that fiery girl.

Please don't bump into her. Please don't bump into her.

I open my eyes. Before I know it, I'm chanting in my head again, hoping that such a misfortune would not land on me again. I was pretty overcome at how a girl could be so ferocious and strong, but….i had my knife.

'I'd like to introduce you to two new students today. Please come in, Shade and Bright.'

I put on my best behaviour just like master and Bright tell me and humbly walk in, trying to be as innocent and weak as possible. I can feel, Bright's footsteps pacing behind mine, and I am calmed down.

I take a piece of chalk and carefully write my name on the board. I prepare to introduce myself and I go over my speech in my head, just like I have been doing for the past few minutes.

Hello, my name is Shade. I am pretty shy and I'd like to make friends with you guys.

Hello, my name is Shade. I am pretty shy and I'd like to make friends with you guys.

Hello, my name is Shade. I am pretty shy and I'd like to make friends with you guys.

Hello, my name is Shade. I am-

'Ah!'

I turn around, and my eyes widen in shock. The same red haired girl is at the door, huffing and catching her breath. Her cheeks are red and she looks at me in astonishment.

She's pointing at me.

I point back.

We stand there dumbly until the teacher decides to break the awkwardness.

'Um, would you like it introduce yourself?'

I look back at the teacher, lost and embarrassed.

'Hello, my name is Shade. I am pretty shy and I'd like to make friends with you guys,' I recite.

I wipe the sweat off my forehead from being so nervous and start grinning for getting it perfect.

I hear a muffled giggle, like they're laughing but desperately trying to cover it up.

She's pointing at me again.

I don't even bother pointing back.

I know what she's laughing at, I'm not shy nor do I particularly want to make with friends with someone like her.

I can hear Bright muttering under his breath about 'being shy' and I know I should've left that part out. After this morning, no one would think I was shy.

Hurriedly I take my seat, on my left there's the beautiful scenery observed from the windows and on my right is a familiar blue haired girl. She smiles at me, as if she thinks I'm some kind of comedian and this morning, me and the knife was just a petty act.

My scan my eyes around the classroom and find Bright sitting at the back with the red haired girl sitting on his right. I can see him taking a glance at her every few seconds.

Don't forget your mission. Shade, you are an assassin.

It chants in my head over and over again.

I glance over at the blue haired girl, who has started drawing doodles in her book: a circle with blue lines and another circle with purple hair and a few words highlighting her motive: 'friends?'

I assume the scrawny drawing is us. They look nothing like us, I look way cooler and I just manage to stifle my giggles. I look back at her face, smiling at my reaction.

I notice something blue, being shining enough to reflect itself from the sun's rays.

Rein.

'You have to choose one as your partner in the near future, and their names are pretty easy to remember: Fine and Rein. Red hair and blue hair'

Blue hair-

Friends-

I take a better look at Rein's smiling face and her badge pinned safely on the collar of her uniform.

I decide to bet-

A word appears messily on Rein's book. She reads it and draws something which appears to be a happy face.

^0^

I am Shade. A middle school student… and I've made my first friend.

WOO! Done! Interesting?