Chapter 26: New Games, New Rules (2)
Italics + Bold Print = Memories or "Dreams"
Italics with '' = Thoughts.
Regular italics = Flashbacks.
Lori couldn't believe what was happening. All throughout her first class she was distant from the lesson and close to her own mind. There had been no notification that he would be sent here. This was unheard of, unless it would compromise the mission, right? Wait... The mission... He was here on a mission. It had been months since Lori had been sent on her own, was he here to complete it if she couldn't?
''It'd be worse if he completed it... He's a monster.' Then again, could she truly say that she wasn't?
"Lori!" The teachers call made her jump. "Would you read the next paragraph?"
Lori looked at the packet, she hadn't even turned it from the cover. "Uh..."
Once the class had ended, Lori hurried out. She had been so lost in her own thoughts that she had embarrassed herself in front of her new teacher, but none of that mattered. She needed to find him. Now. All her searching in the halls didn't do a bit of good, the bell finally rang and she knew she was going to be wrote up. Did she care? A little. Did she care more about finding that guy? Absolutely. 'Bastard is already in his class by now. I can't do anything more right now.' Making her way to her next class, across the school campus, she entered the fax building.
There, at the back left hand corner, was the son of a bitch. Lori's blue eyes blazed like the hottest flame, glaring at him with the strength of ten gorillas. But then there was Shisui, at the front with a spot behind him and a few more empty seats. Lori chose the one in the middle of the room, close enough to monitor the newcomer and far enough from Shisui that there wouldn't be any attention drawn to him. She kept her eyes averted to the ground as she took her seat.
"I hope you guys know we aren't doing anything in here. Not today. Let's talk about break." The teacher said those words and a quick flash of hands showed that everyone but about four people were on their phones, not including Shisui and herself. As the teacher talked with those four students Shisui looked back at Lori, a questioning gaze headed her way. Her eyes were glued to her desk. She would not look him in the eye. Rather she was surprised to see the boy she bumped into earlier walking up to her desk and striking up a conversation as if they were old friends.
"Lori, nice to see you here." He grinned. Lori kept her face blank but her eyes said something more. "Listen, I have something to give you," in his hand he held a note folded neatly and slid it onto her desk. "Read it, would you?" He walked back and she only turned to the note when he sat down.
I know you know why I am here. Finish your mission or I will finish it for you. Oh, and you should keep a better eye on your belongings.
Her hand flew to her bag, tearing through it as if she had forgotten something important. And, apparently she did. A white pill bottle was inside. Her pills. She didn't have these earlier, in fact she was out of her medication, had been for a while now. And here it was, another refill. She looked up to him and he motioned for her to pop the pill. She shook her head in turn mouthing the words 'not here'. It would be a reasonable enough response. When he was about to make a motion or mouth something back, Shisui took her vision, blocking her view.
"Lori?" He asked his eyes soft. Until he looked into her back and saw the bottle, then he looked at her with a quizzical look. "Do you have to take medication?" He asks in a whisper. Lori just stared at him and looked back at the bottle in the depths of her book bag.
"It's for periods, cramps, nausea..." Shisui nodded and took a seat beside her, sitting on the desk.
"How was your first class?"
Lori smiled. She didn't want to tell Shisui the truth of the medication, and more, in fact, she hated lying to him, and the others now. "It was great." But it had to be done. "It was..." Lori switched from saying her class out loud to talking about it. "We read a packet. It was boring, but interesting." There it was, another lie. Guilt poked the back of her mind.
"In my class we did nothing just like in this one. I didn't think school was supposed to be like this." Shisui continues. "It's like they just do not want to teach anymore." Lori nodded. "Seems like it, doesn't it?"
For a moment everything seemed less significant. Talking with someone, having someone listen to what you have to say, it was a short lived bliss. But it was one she would hold onto for the storms she knew was to come.
"Who's your friend?" It was him, leaning over Lori's shoulder like the miniature angel and demon.
The look on Lori's face was less than pleasant and Shisui narrowed his eyes at the other male. "Shisui." His answer was steelier. Shisui's arms crossed over his chest. His eyes glanced at Lori's expression and his lips were tugged into a tight, thin line. "Who are you?"
"My name is Jeff..." He brought Lori closer to him with a hug at her shoulders. Their cheeks rubbing together. "Lori's best friend from childhood." The boy smiled so brightly, so tenderly, even his action seemed sweet. But Lori knew better. He was not sweet. He was not tender. Nor was he her best friend.
"Jeff, please get off me." Jeff was surprised to hear the word please out of her mouth. He laughed as he stayed close to her a second more before a sharp look from Shisui was shot his way. It didn't faze him though, as he slowly stepped away.
"It's nice seeing you again, I hope to spend time with you later and catch up on old times." Jeff didn't stop seeming genuinely caring, but the look Shisui gave him said everything. That's when the bell rang and they began their trek to their classes.
"Lori, are you okay?" Shisui stole a glance as they walked, Lori however wasn't in the mood to look at anything other than her feet.
"Fine. He just annoys me." Lori mutters her feet dragging along the pavement like the stone in her chest. "I have to head to art. I'll see you."
Inside the building of the art room, not far from the fax room, there were a total of four other students excluding herself. She seated herself at the double desk laying her head on the table. Today had already taken a toll on her mentally and emotionally. She just wanted to sleep, forget everything for just a moment more. The squeal of a chair being dragged along the stone flooring caught her attention to reveal neat raven hair in a familiar ponytail. "Itachi."
He nodded in greeting sitting himself down beside her. Judging by the way she held herself she was fatigued already. He pulled out a book and began to pick up from where he left off leaving Lori to try and sleep.
"Alright you already know what you are supposed to be doing but Itachi and Lori, you don't have your art supplies yet so you two don't have to do this. Just bring your art supplies by Thursday because we will be starting a new project by then."
They both nodded replying yes to which the teacher sat in a chair beside the computer turning back to the screen as she browsed for the class's next project.
"Mizuna," A blue haired woman called. "Come to Aunty!" The small child obeyed and hugged the woman. Her short, aqua curls bouncing as she bent to pick up her niece. The child smiled and laughed with glee as she bounced the kid in her arms.
"I am sorry," The aunt started looking to a woman with brown hair and equally brown eyes. That woman looked to the side.
"It's alright... It's not your fault..." The woman's eyes became watery. "You'll take care of her, won't you?" The tone in her voice was almost begging.
"Of course I will."
"Lori, wake up." Itachi blurred into focus through half lifted eyes. "Class ended." Lori sat up groggily, her hands reaching down for her back pack.
"Right, thanks."
The English room was decorated with several pieces of vocabulary and literature. The seats were in neat rows across the floor. There wasnt anyone in there that she knew, no Itachi, no Shisui, no Jeri.
The seat nearest the farthest wall was claimed as hers. The bell sounding yet again as the teacher shut the door.
"Hey." A tap from beside her came from a boy with brown hair and dark blue eyes. "So your one of the new girls?" Lori blinked.
"Yeah."
The boy smiled. His worn out faded blue jeans and bright blue shirt an eye catching combination. "Lori, right? Don't worry about the stares you guys get, it'll go away in a week or so." Lori gave a nod and a small smile.
A knock at the door brought the whole classes attention, Jeff being seen straight through the small window. A smirk plastered on his face.
A/N: Here is another chapter guys! Please read and review, thank you! - Chibi Tobirama.
Question 1: what do you think of Jeff?
Question 2: Lori is guilty for lying to her loved ones, and feels like she needs, wants, to confess the truth. She doesn't for fear of how they will react, or do you think it isn't their reaction that terrifies her, it's admitting to herself out loud, that she is caught up in something she can't handle? Something she wants no part of but is forced to play the role she is dealt?
Question 3: When Jeff hangs his head over Lori's shoulder being introduced to Shisui, how do you think that made Shisui feel based on his reactions? How do you think it made Jeff feel?
Question 4: what do you think about Lori's classmate in English?
