"NNNNNNOOOOOOO!" Allen screamed. He awoke as if he had been dreaming. He was still sitting in the chair like he had been earlier. The nurse was still standing in front of him. Allen couldn't help but glance at one of the beds.
"A student who was sleeping there woke up and went home. She was the last of the students here for today's lesson. The two of you were experiencing the dream together." The nurse spoke. "That is what this class is. Today I gave you a taste of what the lessons will be like."
"Lesson…..?" Allen was still shocked.
"Every student's assignment is different. When you solve the problem, you can graduate. Your problem is your body and soul. Your lack of confidence for your real appearance." The woman explained. "Your white hair, scar, and deformed arm."
"HOW?!?!!? How do you know about this!?!?!?" Allen stood up and the chair fell to the ground with a loud clatter. "How do you know this?!?!!? I never talked about my body to anyone!!! No one should know!!!!" He continued to yell. The woman silenced him by raising a hand to his face.
"I know everything about you. I'm your teacher. Don't worry. None of the other students know, and I won't tell anyone." She smiled. The smile was kind and warming. Allen couldn't help but trust her.
"I'm normal. Just like everyone else." He proclaimed.
"Then why did you have white hair, a scar, and a black arm in the dream?" she asked. Her hand was no longer raised to his face. "It's proof that you're wavering. That you can't decide whether to reject it, or accept it."
"I'm not wavering! It's not there! I'm normal! It's my goal!" He screamed.
"You are simply pretending that you desperately want to be normal. Isn't that proof that you're not?" She asked. "Come here to the Nurse's room every Thursday. Starting next week, you will come without fail." She said.
Allen left the Nurse's room in silence. I can't believe this. He thought. As he continued to walk, he saw a girl from his class waiting in the hallway. Her olive hair was tied in pigtails and she had beautiful, sparkly purple eyes. Her name was Lenalee Lee.
"I'm sorry about earlier. It must have hurt." She apologized. It all seemed to click. Allen remembered a flash of the girl from the dream.
"No way…" he muttered. "That was you?" This girl was pretty. The girl from the dream was ugly.
"So you really have white hair, a red scar, and a deformed left arm? I've never heard of such a thing. And it's natural?" Allen and Lenalee were on their way to the dorms together.
"I've never figured out why I was born like this. It's disgusting isn't it?" Allen sighed.
"I don't think so at all. I was just a little surprised." Lenalee smiled.
"This is a secret. Please don't tell." Allen asked.
"Of course! That other thing is my secret too!" Lenalee giggled. Other thing?
"Oh. Right. Lee-san, why-"
"Call me Lenalee!" The girl interrupted.
"Lenalee, why where you like that in the dream? Was that someone else? You're not like that at all." Allen asked.
"How embarrassing. How ugly, right?"
"You say 'ugly'. I think it's more like 'scary'." Allen added.
"Then I guess that the real me is a very scary girl." Lenalee smiled. It was a smile that would warm anybodies heart. Had her words not been so creepy.
"Everyone takes on their true form in the dream. Our appearances in the dream reflect our true souls." She explained. "Almost everyone has a hidden secret. Right now there are four others besides us in the class. You can't guess their true identity based on their outward appearances. I think you're the first person to appear in their real form in the dream. That must mean that deep down in your heart, you're you. That must mean that you can graduate soon!" Lenalee assured.
"Graduate huh? I was told that in order to do that, you must solve your problem. How am I supposed to do that in the dream?" He asked.
"You'll go and find the key. If you can escape out of the dream with the key, that means that you can graduate. You have to do it alone. Everyone is searching for the key.
"The necklace's beads are called Tama-no-o. Or spirit beads. Fear or shock causes your spirit to be damaged and the beads to break. When all three beads are broken, then you're disqualified and then you'll awaken." She finished.
"Wow."
"I'm sorry! Am I explaining too much?" she asked franticly.
"No it's fine. I'm not that much of a thinker anyway." Allen said. "I guess that next week I can attack you." Allen smiled.
"I'M SO SORRY!!!!! I thought I was the last one left so when you showed up, I was a little surprised!!!!" Lenalee yelled. "I…..hate men because I'm scared of them. But I'm not scared of you anymore, Allen-kun. When I saw that you too, were spoiled, calmed me a bit. Though we're not spoiled the same way." She took his hands and squeezed them. "Let's be friends!" she smiled. "See you tomorrow!" she waved and took off to the girls dorms.
"Allen-kun! Good morning!" Lenalee came walking up to Allen. She clung to his arm.
"Good morning." He smiled.
"Why is Lenalee suddenly clinging to Walker-kun?"
"Something must have happened!" Lenalee's two friends began to whisper to themselves. Is this reality? I need to talk to that Nurse again. When Allen looked for the stairs to the basement, they were gone. Thus, he ventured to the actual Nurses office. When he entered, he heard rustling in the bed. Is somebody here? Or is it two people…….. Allen slid the curtain open just to be sure.
Kanda Yu was lying in the bed.
"What do you want, Moyashi!" he growled. Despite lying in the bed, he still had his hair in a ponytail and was still wearing the black bandana that he always wore. Occasionally, Allen would wonder if the Japanese teen even took it off.
"Nothing. I'm sorry. Did you get hurt." He asked. Why do I even care? He wondered.
"No. It's just a stomach ache. I can't even sit up. I don't have the energy to argue with you today." He said.
"Sorry. I'll be leaving now." With a little bit more speed than necessary, Allen hurried out of the room. He quickly shut the door.
"Oh. Do you need something in the Nurse's office?" A different nurse asked Allen as she walked in his direction.
"I was wondering if there were two nurses in this school." Allen said.
"What are you talking about? I'm the only nurse on campus." What?
"Allen-kun! How's it going?" Lenalee came running up to Allen. Kanda could hear the girls gossiping in the corner. (He was in there class after all.)
"Look at those two. They MUST be going out."
"It's definitely suspicious!"
"Lenalee did always say 'I'll never go out with a boy'."
Kanda couldn't care less. As he pulled out a book from his desk, he discovered a note. It read:
Stomach ache?
You and I know that that's a lie.
Why even bother?
It doesn't matter.
You know that lying never helps.
Do you remember what we talked about before?
Will you stop paying attention to Allen Walker?
"Sister is being a pest again." He crumpled up the paper and threw it away. The image of a lotus strayed in his mind.
The nurse smiled at Allen.
"Today is a lesson day. Come, Allen Walker." She held out her hand for Allen to take. "Welcome."
"Who else is in the class?" He asked. He was lying in one of the four-poster beds.
"I can't tell you that. I can only answer questions that deal with you." She replied. "Because I am your teacher."
The sound of the school bells signaled that beginning of class. Allen closed his eyes and began the dream.
Lenalee could feel herself shaking as she curled up in the corner. A black suit of armor was patrolling the hall.
"That girl should just graduate already. It's getting boring in here." A 9 year old girl said. She had long bluish black hair, cat ears, and a tail. She wore a long, pinkish dress that resembled a lotus petal. A mask that resembled a lotus petal covered her face. There were simply two slips for her vision. She carried a Japanese katana sword.
Allen awoke. He was still wearing his school uniform, wig, and makeup. But this time, he had the beads.
It has now become clear that changes that I have put in. It's kinda hard to do an Afterschool Nightmare fic without the screwed up gender. I apologize to those who wanted to see Allen with a screwed up gender.
I did take out the part where Sou (Kanda's role) was having sex with the girl in the Nurse's office. Not because I'm embarrassed to write it, but because it doesn't follow the story that I have set up so far. But, for the people who have read the entire series, are probably freaking out with what I did with Ai's (girl with the lotus mask) role. And to those who know Kanda, are freaking out because they know Kanda's connection to the lotus.
These shall remain surprises!!!!!!!!! Hope you're enjoying the story so far!!!!!!