My laptop's broken down. Again. Until I get it back from the service center in two weeks or so, it's really hard for me to make final edits on a different computer, and there's bound to be mistakes here and there. Please bear with me for a while.

I'm not sure when the next update will be, but hopefully not too long. This is about a third of chapter six, and I don't think I can cut off any other place in the chapter, so maybe an update on the 15th? Or not, since I'll be on vacay then. Oh well, we'll see.

To the reader who pointed out that it was unrealistic how chill as fk everyone seems to be, I hope you like this chapter.

Things are not as calm as they seem to be. Were things really calm at all?

She was in a thick fog, she cannot move, cannot feel her limbs. Sara breathed in, but there was no air. Luminous lights stream across her vision - it was dizzying, yet she cannot look away. She cannot feel anything, except for a deep-seated, oppressing terror tearing through her veins. There was someone screaming. It sounded far away; it was right in her ears. Another scream - a name this time. Or the screams were always names and she didn't listen close enough. Sara strained her ears, eyes peering into murky darkness.

The indistinct screams were getting louder. There was something- someone, emerging from the thick fog. Sara could see hands and feet splayed awkwardly. The screams were getting louder. It was screaming a name, over and over again. Sara knew that name, she knew it, she does.

The humanoid shape floated into clear sight. Expression petrified, limbs twisted and mangled, mouth opened impossibly wide, and-

"Shinichi! Nii-san, save me!"

Then she fell back into the murky darkness.

"-an, Sa-chan," she woke to the sound of her name being called, a hand on her forehead.

"Urgh...Yuuki?" Sara sluggishly blinked away the moisture gathering in her eyes, blurring her friend's face and her surroundings.

"Wha-?"

"Sa-chan, are you crying?" Yuuki gasped, poking at Sara's cheeks.

"Eh? I-I... think so." She pushed her friend's hands aside, wiping at her eyes. Her hand came away stained with tears. Sara knew she had a dream just now - a nightmare. She couldn't remember the dream clearly, but... she remembered it was about her brother. Shinichi.Where are you, Nii-san? Are you safe? Please be safe, and sound. Please.

"Sa-chan, here," a wrapped packet was waved in her face, and Sara grabbed for it blindly, crinkling plastic in her grip. Plastic, and seaweed. Onigiri.

"It's from the canteen. The DC brought them up just now. I thought there would be dorayaki since today's Thursday, but the mean boy I asked said no." Yuuki plopped down beside her. Sara looked around. There were double the amount of students. Those that are mostly wearing gym clothes or club uniform. There were also teachers, four, to be exact.

The four teachers that were in the classroom sat together with the students, but more towards the front of the classroom. She saw Haruhi-sensei right away. Haruhi-sensei taught Japanese Literature, and it was her best subject. Shiro-sensei taught her social studies last year, and she was disappointed when the soft-spoken man did not continue to teach her class this new school year.

"Yuuki," she mumbled. "Is this everyone? The entire school..."

The small girl nibbled at her onigiri. "I'm not really sure, but, I think so...?"

Everyone was eating, but the mood in the air was subdued, almost sullen. There was a vibe in the air, a low buzzing of restlessness that runs rampant and makes her head heavy and limbs jittery.

This room feels empty. Not even half filled.

"Eat it, Sa-chan. It's to fill your stomach, not for you to squeeze it to death. Poor onigiri. I chose your favorite, too." Yuuki pouted cutely at her.

Normally it would make Sara laugh, but she didn't feel like it right now. Sara loosened her hold, realizing that she had been unconsciously clenching her fist. She looked down at the onigiri. It was really squished.

"...Sorry, Yuuki."

"Mhm," Yuuki shook her head, chewing on her own onigiri. "It's A-okay!"

Sara unwrapped the plastic, crinkling it even more. She took a bite, the burst of flavour unfurling as she chewed was followed by a settling taste of familiarity she didn't know she needed until it was spreading on her tongue. Tuna.

Chewing slowly, she savored the taste of her comfort food. "Thank you, Yuuki. You're the best."

Yuuk giggled, getting up and patting her skirt down. "I think I can sneak another one. Tuna?"

Sara nodded, mouth too full to speak.

"But you have to eat faster, DC says we have to rearrange all the tables and chairs, okay?"

Why? But Sara didn't voice her question aloud. If the Disciplinary Committee said so, then there's no point asking. It must be for the best anyway.

People were already standing up and starting to arrange the tables and chairs when Sara finished her last bite. Yuuki said that a Disciplinary Committee member had told them to move a small space in the middle, then push together a few tables so that they could place some food and water in the middle. Sara wasn't hungry anymore, and she felt she wouldn't be for a while, but her throat was parched, so she was looking forward to drinking water.

It was a noisy mess, with tables and chairs being pushed and pulled around, their metal and plastic legs dragging on the tiled floor. But Sara was near to where the teachers were, and she heard Haruhi-sensei speak to Touma-sensei. Her tone was sharp and clipped, Sara had never heard Haruhi-sensei sounding so mean. She looked at the others, but she was the first person to notice. Sara tried to ignore her teachers' conversation - it's not hers to listen to. There are things she is better off being ignorant to, and this is one of it.

Still, Haruhi-sensei's words carried themselves right to her ears.

"It's your fault." It was said in deadly seriousness.

"Wha- what did you say?" Touma-sensei fumbled with the plastic chairs he was moving.

"I said. It. Was. You."

Touma-sensei's expression changed, and he clammed up. "I have no idea what you're saying."

Haruhi-sensei slammed down a palm on a table. "You dare?! You dare deny it?!"

The other students were starting to notice the commotion.

"Shut up, shut up." Touma-sensei put down the chairs heavily.

"No!"

Shiro-sensei started, eyes flicking back and forth between the two teachers.

Sara wanted to back away. She wanted Shiro-sensei to stop whatever is happening. Move, move. I don't want to be here.

"You killed Saeko-sensei!"

No one moved.

Touma-sensei's voice rose in tandem. "I said sh ut up! "

"YOU KILLED SAEKO-SENSEI!" Haruhi-sensei gesticulating wildly.

"I said SHUT UP! I didn't kill her! I DID NOT! "

"You left us to be EATEN!"

Sara remembered the student in the courtyard. The sickening squelch of tearing flesh and the crunch of bones under blunt, human teeth. She wanted to clamp down on her memories, hold her head in her hands and squeeze away the sounds she keeps hearing, but she stays frozen.

"I'm not going to just lie down and DIE! I didn't kill anyone! "

"You locked us out! You locked Saeko-sensei out for her to die !"

"I DID NOT FUCKING KILL ANYONE! There were monsters coming so I ran! What's wrong with that?!"

"What is wron- What is wrong - YOU are the monster here, Touma! How dare you-"

"I just want to live ! Everyone has the right to live! WHY CAN'T I?! WHY ARE YOU LOOKING AT ME LIKE THIS?! I CAN RIGHT?! "

"RIGHT?! " Frantic eyes threw about the room for friendly faces, desperate and spitting fire.

Sara flinched. This was not the Touma-sensei she knew. But he has the same face. This crazed person is wearing the face of a familiar and trustworthy teacher, teeth barred and spittle flying.

Sara feels cold, her fingers numb. This is not her teacher.

Haruhi-sensei was so mad, her entire face was a blotchy red. There were tears of righteous fury. "You lowlife! You would leave others to die just so you can live?! COWARD! SCUM!" Haruhi-sensei was livid, but her accusations stirred more anger in Touma-sensei.

"YOU WOULD DO THE SAME THING IF YOU WERE ME!"

Wham.

Touma-sensei rocked back from being socked in the nose, stumbling. He gave a scream, clutching at his nose. There was blood flowing down his hands.

"Guh BISHHH! Gua ish uckki nguang ish guu?!"

Sara got the gist of the incoherent curses, something along the lines of 'bitch' and 'fucking wrong with you'. His words were completely incoherent through his likely broken nose, but he kept blubbering out insults and curses.

"What?! Do you think that's not enough?!" Haruhi-sensei raised another fist menacingly, everything in her stance down to the flicker in her eyes presented a real, dangerous threat.

"Haruhi-sensei, please, the students-" Shiro-sensei finally spoke up, his words so soft and meek compared to the screaming match going on. Koda-sensei was crossing the room, trying to get nearer. But not trying hard enough. He was too slow.

"WHAT?!" Haruhi-sensei rounded on poor Shiro-sensei, but stopped short at the placating hands that were raised in defense. "What do you want ?! Because clearly I'm the only one who care! Saeko-sensei was - she was right in front of me, banging on the door, screaming her lungs out for Touma-sensei to open the door but-" she choked off.

Sara could see more tears. Haruhi-sensei was facing Shiro-sensei, but her eyes were clouded, they were seeing something that clearly isn't here, something horrible that has already happened. She grasped tightly onto Shiro-sensei, shaking the man by his shoulders.

"-HE didn't open the door! He DIDN'T! And she was TORN TO PIECES!" Haruhi-sensei choked out.

Shiro-sensei gulped, wavering. Still, slowly reached up to push down Haruhi-sensei's hands, "I... I know how you feel, Haruhi-sensei. Saeko-sensei wasn't only your friend, she was my colleague too. A-and, she didn't deserve that. Nezu-sensei didn't deserve that either. You didn't too. But it already happened, and- and we just have to deal ."

Sara could see that it wasn't easy on Shiro-sensei. His voice was strained and pleading. He was hesitating, stuttering too much; his had his back to Sara, and she couldn't see his face, but she could see Haruhi-sensei's and how her lips were wobbling, red-rimmed eyes scrunching up.

Sara felt her own lips wobbling too. It was scary- her teachers, two adults she respected, fighting. Yelling and hitting each other. She didn't know what to do, no one is doing anything. In this half-filled room, Sara felt small and alone. People who should be reassuring her, taking charge- adults, authority figures, teachers were fighting each other over something Sara didn't even want to think about.

It's not fair, a small voice in her wailed. It's not fair. I don't want this.

Haruhi-sensei scanned the room once again, and for a split-second, Sara met the dark-brown eyes of her favorite teacher. Haruhi-sensei didn't blink, she just looked sad. All the anger dissipated out of her frame, and she seemed to sag where she stood.

She made a sound between a sigh and a painful moan. "Touma-sensei, you... you're right. I'm just making things worse and scaring the students gosh what am I doing ?" Sara couldn't hear the end of what Haruhi-sensei mouthed but she could guess. Sara sniffed. She wanted to grab Yuuki's hand, but her friend was all the way across the room. She wanted to reach out to Yuuki but the teachers-

"Arrgghh! "

Students screamed in panic and backed further away, as Sara focused back on the scene ( one second of inattention and what? What's happeni ng? ) as Koda-sensei football-tackled Touma-sensei to the ground in a mess of grunts and muffled profanities. Haruhi-sensei was howling in pain, holding the side of her head in her hands with scrapes down her right arm, Shiro-sensei in the middle of it all with his back to Haruhi-sensei, shielding her from the two men fighting for dominance. A plastic chair that wasn't there before was lying on the ground at Shiro-sensei's feet.

What just happened? Did- did Touma-sensei just hit Haruhi-sensei with the chair? W-what?! Why? Someone, someone do something! Yuuki! Yuuki, where are you?!

"Hey, hey! I don't think you should get mixed into that." A hand patted her on the shoulder. Sara started. She didn't even realize that she was aiming to walk straight into the teachers' fight.

Touma-sensei was still beneath Koda-sensei, face pressed into the hard concrete, breathing heavily, like a maddened animal. Shiro-sensei was comforting Haruhi-sensei, her literature teacher's sobs growing steadily louder. It was not the kind of crying with streaming tears and quiet, muffled gasps; it was a heart being ripped apart by cries and heaving sobs, anguish laid bare for the world to see, open and ugly. Her hair was disheveled, hiding half her face as she curled into herself. Sara shuddered. She doesn't want to see this.

The door slid open, slamming hard against the frame. "Quiet down! What is happening here?!"

It was the Disciplinary Committee. Sara didn't know where they were or why they weren't here earlier, but the four Disciplinary Members quickly took control of the situation, leading Touma-sensei out first, then bringing Haruhi-sensei to get her cut cleaned and wrapped. Sara could see blood flowing down the side of her teacher's head. There was a lot of blood.

Red, red, RED.

Sara knew that her lips were wobbling. There was a sour twinge building behind her nose. "Are you alright? Please don't cry, I'm not very good at comforting crying girls, haha." The same boy who stopped her was rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. He was laughing, with a carefree smile on his face.

It contrasted strongly against the scene she just witnessed. The heat at the corner of her eyes faded.

"Hey come on, let's get away for a bit."

Dumbly, Sara followed the boy.

The curtains were pulled shut, and the sunlight that filtered through was dimmed and dulled. The corner seemed darker than it actually was, tinted blue by the thick curtains. Sara swallowed thickly. "Thank you."

"Haha, no problem!" Came the carefree reply. "My name's Yamamoto Takeshi, nice to meet you!" The boy crinkled his eyes, mouth curling into a laugh. It was a little disconcerting.

She knows who this is. The baseball star of Namimori, a year below her. She may be always focused on her studies, but it doesn't mean she wasn't aware of what people are talking about around her.

With Touma-sensei gone and the other two teachers out of sight, the charge of energy in the room was winding down. Koda-sensei was a godsend, being kind and patient with helping everyone even after all that.

Sara couldn't stop hearing Haruhi-sensei's crying.

She couldn't stop seeing Touma-sensei, eyes flashing a crazy glint, spewing vulgarities and curses as he was pinned to the ground after attacking a fellow teacher.

I need to find Yuuki.

Sara nodded, outwardly she struggled to maintain a neutral expression. "Okay. Yamamoto. Thanks, once again."

Turning, she saw her friend and rushed to her side.

"Huh." Takeshi blinked, scratching the back of his ear thoughtfully.

No one was talking about the incident, surprisingly. The students were all acting like that didn't happen at all, or tried their very best to. They were all acting at being normal, but it was just that - an act. The underlying tension was palpable in the air, the elephant in the room that no one wanted to acknowledge. Then Yuuki told her that before she woke up, some students were making trouble for the Disciplinary Committee, wanting to go home. Everyone more or less quieted down after the second batch of rescuees entered the classroom, though.

Fear spreads. And it subdues.

The odd one out was a woman that came in just now, led by a Disciplinary Committee member. She stood out in the way she talks and smiles, and... Sara didn't think much of it, but that seemed real. Genuine. What is there to smile about?

Yuuki told her about it, sometime later. About Dame-Tsuna, and what he did. That she had seen the boy fight those nightmarish monsters, all by himself. Sara thought her friend must've seen wrong, but Yuuki had pointed to the woman and said that she was his mother. That she was brought here by Dame-Tsuna.

You see, Sa-chan? This is prove.

Sara only shook her head disbelievingly. She is in a year above the boy, and never bothered to keep up with the gossip vine, but she knew who he is. Dame-Tsuna is a household name this side of Namimori. Her brother is two years her elder, and he's heard about the legendary clumsiness and uselessness of the boy. It's simply another part of living in Namimori.

"You're not joking," Sara said.

"No, Sa-chan, I'm really not kidding. I think everyone saw it. Him. It was incredible, I can't believe you missed it. If I had my camera..."

"Yuuki..."

Yuuki crossed her arms. "You know I won't bluff on something like this, I mean, who would believe me? But it's true , Sa-chan."

Sara regarded the woman, Dame-Tsuna's mother, who had settled down at the back of the classroom. If Dame-Tsuna could do it... Sara thinks of teasing laughs thrown back and forth, a door left open in the night, warmed meals waiting on the living room table and shadow puppets on the wall. These are the things that remind her of a home she will not lose.

Oh.

So that's what I'm going to do.

So. Guess what's gonna happen next? :D

I'm focused on finals lately, so there hasn't been any energy left to write. All the ideas in my head are screaming to be let out. Soon, I guess.

Leave a review and tell me what you think! Also, if you want to read about any particular scene or characters, tell me and I'll see if I can't work it in/