My first two weeks at Kadic Academy were uneventful after the first day of school. It was a constant cycle of school, dance, and school work that no one knew I did. Everyone hated me at this point, thanks to Elisabeth's demands. It was Friday, as well as the last class of the week. I was in Ms. Hertz class, where I sat next to Ulrich. The class was beginning, everyone, making it to their seats just as Ms. Hertz stood by her desks. She smiled once the bell rang, looking at all of us.
"Today class, we are doing a lab. This is to be done in your tables with your partner, which means no switching tables. We are dealing with hazardous chemicals that could even burn through clothes, so please be careful. I want one person to begin working on the paperwork while the other person comes and gets all the materials," She instructed. Ulrich got up and began to gather all the materials as I wrote down our names on the worksheet that was on our desk. I read through the lab, knowing what we had to do because it was in the textbook. I looked up at Ulrich, who had set everything up at our table. He began to do what I told him, following the instructions from the textbook that I didn't have to look at, but did as a formality because of Elisabeth. Nearing the end of class, and our lab, Tania Grandjean walked past our table, spilling the chemicals all over me. To say that I felt like I was on fire would be an understatement, but I hid it well. Tania looked at me and smirked, making sure Ms. Hertz wouldn't see. Ms. Hertz looked over and saw that Tania's bottles were empty and I didn't look so good, probably white as paper. She ran over to me, saw that the chemicals had burned through my leggings and was working its way onto my skin, and began to freak out.
"Stern, carry her to the showers in the other room NOW! Go with her to the clinic after, Yolanda should know what to do and then get her to her room, this can burn through her skin," She exclaimed, arms flailing. If it weren't for the circumstances I was in, I would laugh at her actions. Ulrich complied, carrying me bridal style to the showers in the room that was connected to our class. He instantly pulled the lever that trigged the shower to pour down. The burning sensation went away but the pain intensified. I wanted to scream, but refrained, wanting to make sure that I didn't look overdramatic. Ulrich turned off the showers and picked me up again, taking me to the nurse. Once Yolanda saw me she smiled until she took a good look at me.
"Oh my god, what happened," she said, instantly going over to Ulrich and me, leading him over to a bed to set me down on.
"A girl in our class accidentally dropped chemicals on her during a lab," Ulrich stated nonchalantly, obviously not wanting to be there. Yolanda nodded, grabbing a few bottles with names I couldn't pronounce, along with bandages. She put some of the liquids in a bowl and mixed them, placing them on a towel that she then applied onto my thigh and stomach, where the burns had occurred. I winced in pain but stayed quiet. She then bandaged me up and handed me a bottle of painkillers.
"Take one every 4 hours; you're going to need it. I know you're in pain, you've always been good at hiding it. Ulrich, can you please carry her to her room and stay with her until dinner? If it isn't a problem at least, I need someone to make sure the burns don't flare up," She cautioned. He nodded, picking me up for what felt like the hundredth time today, and walked towards my dorm. Once we were inside, he placed me on my bed.
"How are you feeling," he asked, trying to make small talk. I was too in pain to act like a bitch and sighed.
"It hurts a lot, but I can deal with it. You don't have to stay with me if you don't want to, I understand if you're busy or want to be with your friends," I said, hoping he would leave so that I wasn't kind to him. He looked at me and shook his head.
"Yolanda wanted me to stay here. No matter how much I despise you, I'm not letting you out of my sight. Those burns looked like they hurt and I'm surprised you weren't in tears yourself," he said, looking at me with an all too serious face. I nodded, not feeling like arguing. The painkillers were starting to make me drowsy, but I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep.
"Why are you so cruel? I know that your sister does it because she genuinely thinks she's all that, but I can tell you don't. You just act like a bitch with no context," he said thoughtfully. Tears brimmed in my eyes, wanting to spill forward. The pills were draining my energy, making me delirious in the process. I had no filter at this point, and what I was about to say, I knew I was going to regret.
"I tried killing myself about a month ago. I was enrolled in the London Dance Academy at the time. I don't have the energy to explain why I did what I did; maybe I'll open up about that eventually, but not right now. I was in the bathroom and swallowed an entire bottle of pills; I was slowly starting to lose consciousness, until a 7th-grade girl walked in, and realized what I had just done. She screamed, probably horrified, making everyone run in. She stuck a toothbrush down my throat, making sure all the pills were out of me. I wasn't well liked in my school; they were always mad because I would usually get the leading roles, even though they all said they had the perfect body and that I didn't. Once they saw that I tried to kill myself, they began recording, laughing and taunting me. I cried, wishing my plan had gone through. I threw up again, my body rejecting all the pills I had taken. The principal walked in and made sure that the video was erased and that's when my father had me pulled and sent over here. It took about a week until I finally reached Kadic, and when I did, I was happy. I thought I could finally get a new start, maybe make actual friends, but Elisabeth ruined that. A girl in my school sent her the video, and she's been putting it to good use. She said if I didn't make myself hated, she would leak the video on the school's news column. I obliged, terrified that everyone would think I was crazy if they saw the video," I finished with tears in my eyes and a very shocked Ulrich standing in front of me. He did the unexpected and wrapped me up in a hug. I let my tears fall, happy that I finally had a friend.
"I'm here for you. I'll help you get the video out of Sissy's hands, and I'll make sure that you don't have to suffer. I won't tell anyone right now, even my group, Sissy would find out somehow. But trust me, you have a friend now," he said smiling. I nodded, wiping my tears. We both realized it was dinner time, and like clockwork, the door opened and revealed his friends along with Jim.
"Hey Sweet, I'm here to take you to Yolanda so that she can check your burns. You can leave now Stern, thank you for making sure her burns didn't flare up," Jim thanked him and then picked me up, heading towards the clinic. I could already tell Ulrich will be interrogated, and I know he will be true to his word.
Odd's P.O.V
We all looked at Ulrich, obviously wondering how he was able to survive that long with Isabella. He just shrugged, walking to the cafeteria for dinner. We all followed him, all wondering what had happened while he was with Isabella. Yumi of all people was going to make sure she found out.
"Why are you so quiet? Was it that bad," she asked, hoping it was terrible and that he didn't somehow leave her room in love. He finally looked up at us, an unamused expression on his face.
"It was the most frustrating few hours of my life, now can we stop talking about it so I can erase it from my mind? I'm hungry, so let's get dinner already," he said, obviously annoyed at our persistence. We all nodded, walking towards the cafeteria. We went to dinner the same as usual, apart from Ulrich being even more silent than usual. Yumi waved at us, heading home. We all split up, heading to our rooms to do our own things. Once we got to our room, I sat on my bed and stared at Ulrich, knowing that something happened during his time with Isabella.
"I know that you didn't want to talk while Yumi was there, but you know you can tell me anything, even if its that you're secretly in love with Isabella," I said, wondering if I could get out what happened today from him. He shook his head, a smile on his face.
"Nothing happened, I'm not secretly in love with anyone. Its just been a long day and I'm exhausted. My hatred for her became stronger after all this so trust me when I say that me in love with her will be the last thing that will happen," he finished as he grabbed his bathroom stuff and went off to shower. I did the same, wanting to ignore the feeling that something happened between them. Once we were done showering, I grabbed Kiwi from my room, deciding that I should take him out for a walk. Once I let him go in the forest, he instantly ran to the willow that was nearby the hermitage. I followed him, wondering where this new found love for the tree came from. I walked through the leaves of the willow, and there was Isabella, sitting near the tree, fast asleep. Kiwi rolled himself up in her arms, her not even noticing. I looked at the scene in front of me, wondering why Kiwi hated Sissy so much but was so loving towards Isabella. You'd think he would hate her more than Sissy. I sighed, knowing this would be the second time I would take Isabella to her room while she was asleep in the forest. I held her bridal style as she clung to my neck for dear life. Kiwi walked next to us, not making a sound as we walked through the school. Once we reached my room, I opened the door so that Kiwi could run in, before I took Isabella to her room. Ulrich looked up, noticing the sleeping girl in my arms.
"Was she asleep in the forest again," he questioned, knowing about the first time it happened weeks ago. I nodded, closing the door of my room and walking towards hers and Aelita's room. I knocked, waiting for Aelita to open the door. She opened the door and looked down to my arms.
"I was wondering where she was. She never came back after Jim took her to the clinic. Set her down on her bed," she said, and then turned her attention back to her homework. I walked over to her bed, setting her down, and tucking her in like last time. I looked down at her, her face peaceful as she slept. I waved goodbye to Aelita and walked out, making my way back to my room. Ulrich was in bed on his phone, Kiwi at the foot of his bed. I threw myself onto the bed, ready to go to sleep.