Of Demons and Roses
Chapter 1: Like Every Other Day
The alarm went off, waking Nobara up from a dreamless sleep. She got out of bed, got dressed in her blue school uniform, then went to the bathroom and brushed her teeth and her long, dark red hair. It's a couple shades darker than her mother's, but not too dark. She tied it back into her usual low ponytail, letting two clumps, one on each side, loose. She tucked those behind her ear, so that she didn't look like a clone of her mother.
After her usual morning preparations, Nobara stared into the mirror. She stared as if she was unhappy with the red haired, odd-eyed teenager staring back at her.
"Something doesn't feel right," said Nobara to herself. "I mean, I know I've never fit in, even as a little girl. I just feel so different from everyone else. But I can't explain why. Kasan and Otosan say that I'm a normal teenage girl, but I..."
"Nobara!!!!" came a shout from downstairs interrupted Nobara's thought. "You better hurry! I don't know about you but I don't want to be late again!"
"Coming!" shouted Nobara as she ran out of the bathroom and into her room to grab her schoolbag. Then, she hurried downstairs.
"Good morning, Nobara!" said Kurama. "I don't want you to be late, so just eat this on your way out."
"No thank you Kasan. I'm not very hungry this morning," said Nobara solemnly. "Ready to go Niji?" Nobara asked her best friend who comes to walk with her to school every morning.
Nobara and Niji have been friends since they were little girls. Neither of them fit in, so they got along very well. Niji is Nobara's only friend, although Niji has been moving up in the social ladder. Nevertheless, she remains a good and loyal friend to Nobara. And Nobara wholeheartedly returns the favor, although sometimes she has trouble showing it. Niji understands this and doesn't seem to mind Nobara's trouble with her feelings.
"Ok well, you girls have a good day at school!" said Kurama to his daughter and her friend as they left the house.
"Bye Kasan! Bye Otosan!" Nobara said as she waved goodbye. Nobara could sense that Hiei was there, even though she didn't see him. She and Niji started their walk to school.
"I like your mother, Nobara," said Niji, starting conversation.
Nobara smiled, "Me too!" She paused. "Does it bother you that both of my parents are male?"
"Not at all. They're good, loving parents. And you love them back. That's all that really matters, doesn't it?" was Niji's response.
"Yeah, I guess you're right Niji," said Nobara, looking down to the ground.
"Lemmie guess, your next question will be 'Do my eyes creep you out?' Am I right?" asked Niji mockingly, flinging her short, light brown hair out of her purple eyes.
"Niji, I have one green eye and one black eye! Doesn't that bother you even the slightest bit?!"
Niji shook her head. "Not at all. Actually, it looks kinda cool with your dark red hair." She smiled. "Trust me!"
"I do. You're the only friend I have Niji. I guess I kinda have no choice," Nobara chuckled at her statement. Soon, both girls were giggling at the fact that they go through this same thing every morning, yet always arrive at school laughing and smiling. This morning was no different.
The two friends arrived at school just in time. And just like any other day, Niji listened to the teacher, took detailed notes, and blocked everything else out of her mind. Nobara, on the other hand, stared out the window, played with her hair or dozed off. Despite the fact that she never pays attention in class, she still gets away with either an A or a B in the course.
At the end of a mostly uneventful day at school, Nobara and Niji started their walk home.
"How can you get grades like those and not do anything!?" exclaimed Niji. "I mean, you don't study, you spend very little time on your homework, you never pay attention in class... How?"
Nobara shrugged. "I don't know. I just...do. I can't explain it. It's almost like I can pick up information without paying full attention. Kinda like a sixth sense or something like that."
"You're defiantly an odd one, Nobara," said Niji jokingly.
"I prefer different. If you don't mind," Nobara replied in a sarcastic voice. Again, both girls found themselves giggling.
"Geez Nobara! There's not a person out there who can outsmart you!" said Niji through her laughter.
Nobara just kept laughing. She loved this feeling she got whenever she started laughing with Niji. It's almost as if she found where she belonged. It was a feeling Nobara always remembered whenever she was alone.
"I'll see you tomorrow Niji," said Nobara as they approached her house.
"Ok, see you then! And try not to make us late again!" said Niji with a smile on her face.
"I'll try!" Nobara said as she walked in the door of her house as Niji walked on to her house not far away.