School was back in session. The very dangerous leak was taken care of and the students were finally allowed back into their little cage.
Yamuraiha was excited to enter the cage. It was a new place- and scary, but she had made a deal with herself to approach things with a positive attitude. It was cheesy, but her attitude really did change the way her morning went. Instead of groggily roaming into the entrance hall with her head down and her earphones in, she put her nose up high and took the time to look around. Sadly, not everyone had the same attitude as her and the students seemed tired.
She did see a loud group making more noise than they should have. She peered through the large clumps of people to see familiar faces. It was Sharrkan, Pisti, and the red headed Spartos from the store. She saw them all laughing together and pushing one another. They were too nicely dressed for students. She didn't want to admit to herself, but even Sharrkan looked presentable when he was all cleaned up. Pisti looked especially cute with her purple smock dress and black tights, she swayed side to side as a flustered Spartos looked away.
She would have time to say hello to them later, right now she had to figure out where she had to go. She buried her face into the numerous papers in her hands.
"Oh hey it's your girlfriend!" Pisti nudged Sharrkan in his stomach.
"Ow- who?"
"Sharrkan you have a girlfriend?!" Spartos said in disbelief. "Why don't you guys tell me anything?" He crossed his arms waiting for an explanation.
"I don't."
Pisti pointed at Yamuraiha. "It's that one." she whispered to Spartos.
"Oh hey, I've seen her somewhere. I think I saw her at my work. She came in once. She doesn't seem bad, good job Sharr."
"Pisti don't spread lies around." Sharrkan said flatly. "Spartos that's just Yamuraiha, remember her? She was our friend."
"Oh!" Spartos clapped his hands together. "Yeah I remember her. You would pick on her and then that one time she punched you in the nose after you put a lizard in her bag and you wouldn't stop crying."
"I don't remember that." Sharrkan mumbled.
"Well I'm going to pull her over here to properly introduce her to you Spartos." Pisti gave him a subtle wink before strolling off.
Despite her small size, the students got out of her way within seconds. Spartos would mention that it was because of aura of fierceness and confidence that would send them running to opposite sides of the hallway.
"Yamuraiha!"
"Huh who was that?!" Yamuraiha cocked her head up only to see Pisti standing in front of her. "Oh hello, I'm going through my papers- surprisingly there's a lot going on here." she chuckled to herself nervously.
"Yeah schedule and map, that sure is complex,"
"There's also a couple newsletters and the school rules-"
"Well I just wanted to introduce you to Spartos properly over there, so if you'll just come with me," Pisti pulled on Yamuraiha's wrist.
"Wait, I have to go up to the second floor and find my class."
"It's fine let's go already!" Pisti pulled her harder.
"Wait- you're going to make my papers-" sheets of white and color all fell to the floor, "fall," she said in a defeated tone, as her eyebrows bumped together into a scowl.
"I'm sorry!" Pisti kneeled down to help pick up her papers.
"It's fine." Yamuraiha said, annoyed.
"We're here to help too," Spartos crouched over and collected the sheets. "Pisti you shouldn't pull people by the wrists."
"I said I was sorry!" she exclaimed. "It's fine isn't it?! I won't do it again I learned my lesson."
"You have the mental capacity of a goldfish, you'll be pulling on more wrists in the next hour." Sharrkan was beside Yamuraiha also helping pick up papers. "You told me you'd stop last week- and here I am now picking up these paper-" Sharrkan stopped to glance down at what he his fingers had accidentally got a hold of because it certainly wasn't paper.
"That's my hand," Yamuraiha wiggled her hand hand out from underneath his. His hand was warm and gigantic compared to hers. She found it amusing that the universe would find ways in showing her how many more differences they had.
"It's so cold and small I mistook it for- actually, I don't know what I mistook it for, but certainly didn't feel like a human hand."
"What did you think it was; a velociraptor claw?"
"That seems more like it." Sharrkan nudged her, "you have an eyelash on your face." he pointed out the small black hair that was on her right cheek.
"Huh where?"
"It's okay I'll get it." His index finger caught the eyelash on it's tip. "You can make a wish and then blow it off,"
"That's a thing?"
"I can confirm that to be true." Spartos said while placing the sheets he picked up into her hands. "Wish for anything really."
"Well, alright." Yamuraiha closed her eyes. "Okay I made a wish," she eagerly said and she blew off the eyelash. "Okay is that good?"
"I don't know, you got some of your velociraptor spit on my hand." Sharrkan wiped his fingers on his pants. "But it's cool,"
Yamuraiha huffed. "Well you don't have to point it out and make me feel bad about it!"
"It's just spit who cares?" Sharrkan picked up the last piece of paper, "besides your papers are all back in your clammy, little claws now aren't they? You should be grateful,"
Yamuraiha glanced down at the pile in her hands. "Well, I guess they are. And I am grateful. Pisti, Spartos, a big thank you to the both of you for helping,"
"No problem Yamu!" Pisti chirped.
"Yeah, sorry it was Pisti's fault they fell in the first place." Spartos chuckled.
"Hey what about my thanks?" Sharrkan grumbled. "I also helped!"
Yamuraiha bit her lip and thought of a reason not to thank him. It was stupid of her really, and she knew that. But she couldn't stop herself from trying to push his buttons. "Thanks," she patted him on the head.
He waved her hands off his head. "Don't treat me like a kid," he stood up. "Anyways, if you don't want to get swept up in the crowd you better go to your classes now, or else you'll be late."
"We have five minutes to get to class after the first bell rings."
"Yeah, but people here walk really, really slowly." Spartos said.
"Really? Well thanks, I guess I'll go now-" she rushed off.
"Yamuraiha!" Sharrkan called out to her as she ran up the stairs.
"What?"
He pulled out Hamlet from his backpack. "I finished it over the weekend! It was pretty good! Now you have to finish your end of the deal!"
Yamuraiha froze on the stairs, realizing the promise she made. "I don't know where to go to audition." Yeah an excuse, that would work.
"I'll text you and meet you here by the doors at lunch! I'll show you the way,"
"Fine!" she called out. "Whatever you want!"
"Pisti you were right, he still really does have a weird crush on her."
"Told ya Spar," she gloated. "I'm always right about these things."
"I guess you are, I would've thought nothing of it if you didn't tell me about it before-" he paused, "which comes to the topic of who do you like?" he asked.
Pisti scratched the back of her neck. "Uhm, it's just a boy." she sheepishly laughed.
"I've been trying to figure out for months now!"
"We'll keep guessing,"
"At least give me a hint."
"Fine." Pisti sighed. "His name ends with an 's', there that's all the hints you get." She turned away from him and sped walk away.
"Wait, but that could be anyone!" Spartos followed her up the stairs. "Mr. Mathews? Leonas? Come on you can't ignore me forever!"
"Seriously I've given you many hints before- if you can't tell by now I don't know why I even bother." She stomped her foot and began to walk faster.
"Hey wait- Pisti what does that even mean?" Spartos stroked the nape of his neck. "Hey wait- why are you putting your headphones in? I thought we were talking!"
"Go talk to that stupid brain of yours." Pisti flipped her hair back in Spartos's face before leaving him stranded on the school stairs.
x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x
Chemistry was a breeze. It was satisfying to see that her new school's curriculum was easier and that she was ahead of her classmates. She didn't like being known as the know it all in her old school for raising her hand on every question. A fresh, quiet start. Yes, she could reinvent herself the person who keeps to themselves, rather than a drooling nerd.
Her second period gym however was not so easy. Her gym teacher, coach Amon was a rounded, easy going old man and let her sit out the first half of the basketball game. However when a girl named Hakuei injured herself on the court she was called into play for the other team. She was miniature and meek compared to the other tall and muscular women playing. However running up and down chasing the ball while simultaneously sweating wasn't the worst of her experience. The worst had to be when Toto, the largest and strongest girl threw the basketball with all her might into Yamuraiha's hands. Well, it would've been into her hands if she knew what was going on. No, the ball missed her hands and hit her chest. Which hurt. A lot.
It was at times like this she was thankful that she was terrible at makeup and that she didn't have any on for it run down her face. She feared for a few seconds she would start crying from fatigue or general pain, but ignored it as class was over.
She took a shower and changed into her worn jeans and knit sweater before heading out. She tied her hair into a braided bun before jumping into the shower to avoid getting it wet. Once she looked in the mirror she kept it because it looked cute.
"Took you long enough." Sharrkan said, irritated. "Are you ready to audition?"
"Don't you mean make a fool of myself?" Yamuraiha rolled her eyes. "Sure can't be worse than having my chest almost taken off with a basketball."
Sharrkan's face screwed into discomfort, "What? No I mean audition- why do you have to be so negative all the time?"
"Sorry, I'm just- I don't know if I'll be good at acting."
"You don't even have to be good at acting, you just need to know your lines. I know all this cause' I have both English and drama. The two teachers came together to make this show and they told us that we didn't have to be that good at acting as long as we were passionate about the whole thing."
"Yeah, but why a play on Hamlet isn't that boring?"
Sharrkan raised an eyebrow. "Have you seen this town? It's basically fields and small shops and old couples. This play is going to sell out, trust me. Entertainment that's close by- always a plus here." He took her hand, "the auditions are happening in a room on the second floor,"
She followed him up slowly, becoming more and more nervous with each step. She really wanted to melt at a moment like this. If she gets in then she'll have to practise everyday and work with others- which wasn't a problem, just something she'd rather not face- and there was also the topic of performing in front of people. If she didn't get in then she would feel awful about not knowing her favorite play well enough to make it.
"It's a double edged sword," she whispered to herself.
"Hmm? What was that creepy voice? Did you hear it Yamuraiha?" Sharrkan turned around.
"Uh- no you must be imagining things," she coughed.
"Well, we're here." Sharrkan presented the room. "The others must be inside already, I have to talk to Miss Vinea about my part in the play also so I'll go in there with you, but this class is connected to another one and that's where you go to audition."
"Easy enough," she took a deep breath. "Okay, I'm ready,"
