A Little Pink Flower
It's been a while. As usual, disclaimers and favors to ask. PoT is not mine, no matter how much I wish it was. And also, please point out all mistakes! Make sure that I am aware of the problems, like plot holes or cheesiness or grammar stuff.
Chapter 7- In Which The Torment Resumes
A chill was starting to creep into the air. Even in her room, nestled away in the interior of the house, Sakuno could see her breath. Unfortunately, she didn't have any jackets or sweaters thick enough to counter the unfamiliar bitter cold. She would have to make do with her old sweatshirt.
Ryoma was, unexpectedly, awake and already eating breakfast by the time Sakuno went downstairs. He grumbled a hello and breathed in the steam from his eggs.
Nanako looked sideways at Sakuno from the dining table. "Aren't you cold in that?"
"Ah, no, I'm fine, thank you," Sakuno said with a polite nod. "Good morning to both of you."
Nanjiro rushed down the stairs. "Eat quickly, everyone! I'm sending you to school today, and I have to get to work."
Ryoma muttered something into his spoon. Sakuno grabbed a piece of toast from the plate in the center of the table and tied her hair back, holding the bread in his mouth as she did. "Come on," she urged Ryoma.
He glanced up, shoveled more eggs into his mouth, and chugged it down with a glass of milk. Before Sakuno could even move, he was at the door, wrestling with his shoes.
Nanako raised an eyebrow. "Since when did he listen to instructions?"
Sakuno nibbled on her toast and shrugged.
The first four periods of school were uneventful. It was during lunch that the trouble began again.
Andrew, April, Isabella, Ryoma, and Sakuno sat outside together on a long stone bench, as they did every day. A piercing wind had started up, and even April, dressed sensibly in a winter coat and scarf, admitted she was cold. They were preparing to move inside to eat in the hallway when-
"Oops!"
Something hot spilled onto Sakuno, from her arm down to her ankle. She yelped.
One of Piper's friends was hurrying away, clutching a large- empty- thermos. "It was an accident!" she called from over her shoulder, her tone making it very clear that it wasn't.
Isabella shouted a profanity at the girl's retreating back, then threw off her coat and handed it to Sakuno. Sakuno pushed it away and ran inside, gripping her lunch bag, not wanting anyone to see her crying again.
"Maybe…maybe you should go find her?" April asked, facing Ryoma.
He scratched his head. "I-I don't know if she-"
"Of course she wants to see you," Isabella said, pushing him towards the school. "We'll wait in the cafeteria."
Ryoma summoned all the courage he had before pushing through the double doors into the school.
He could hear quiet sobs echoing in the empty hallway, but he couldn't tell where they came from. Slowly, he made his way up the hall.
Ryoma walked right by Sakuno the first time. She was crouched in the small space in front of the door of an empty classroom. When Ryoma passed by, she pulled her legs up closer to herself, which was a mistake; the now-cold water on her was pressed even closer to her skin. She shivered.
The second time Ryoma passed, he was coming from the opposite direction, so he spotted Sakuno immediately. "Hey," he said, kneeling down in front of her.
Sakuno swiped at her eyes with the sleeve of her sweatshirt. "I'm fine," she spat.
"Doesn't look like it."
Sakuno refused to meet his eyes, and he sighed. "I've got an extra jacket in my locker. Wait here; I'll get it." Ryoma stood up and walked away.
Abrupt fear rose up inside Sakuno, and she dashed after Ryoma. "Wait-" Her foot skidded on something on the marble floor, and she fell forward.
He whirled around just before Sakuno's legs hit the ground and caught her, his knee underneath hers for support. "You really are unlucky, aren't you?" he said, a hint of amusement in his voice.
Sakuno felt as though she was going to cry again with those words, but she managed to look up at Ryoma with all the hate she could fake. "You're mean!"
Ryoma laughed softly. "Damn right." He lifted her up to her feet easily. "You coming with me, then?"
"I guess so," Sakuno said, looking down at her feet.
"Your pronunciation is getting a lot better."
It took a while for her to understand, and she flushed when she realized that Ryoma was complimenting her. "Thank you…"
Luckily for them, the hallways were still empty, so they moved through the halls quickly. Sakuno wasn't getting any better; with every step, her cold clothes rubbed against her. Goosebumps were rising on her arms underneath the wet sleeves of her sweatshirt. She shivered.
Ryoma peered back her. "We're almost there. Don't die on me."
Sakuno laughed weakly, teeth chattering.
When they finally reached his locker, Ryoma practically ripped the lock off and threw open the metal door. As promised, a fuzzy black jacket was hanging from a hook. He pulled it out, shook off any residual dust, and handed it to Sakuno. She took it reluctantly.
"Th-thank you," she said.
"Don't put it on over your sweatshirt," Ryoma said when Sakuno tried to slip it on. "You'll still be cold."
Sakuno's face reddened. "Then could you look the other way-"
Ryoma flushed too, and moved around the corner of the hallway. "Sorry."
Sakuno switched her sweatshirt for Ryoma's jacket, which was much warmer than hers, even after being in his locker for who knew how long. She made sure to zip it up all the way; the only thing she had on between her bra and it was a thin tee.
"Done?" Ryoma asked, still hidden around the bend.
"Yeah. I'm done."
He peered around, face still a worrying shade of red. "Let's meet the others in the cafeteria, then."
Sakuno looked down at her lunch bag. "I…want to eat here…"
Ryoma studied her. "You scared of the other girls?"
Sakuno stayed silent.
"That's fine. We have twenty minutes."
Ryoma sat down next to Sakuno's feet and took out his half-eaten sandwich. Sakuno slid down to join him. "Thank you," she murmured. Ryoma shrugged.
They stayed there until the bell rang.
