As Kurama pushed open the double doors leading to the main hallway of the school, he noticed that his book bag felt considerably heavier in his hands than normal. His mind was still swimming with thoughts of Kirya, the rose demons, and Fern.
As he began to make his way through the sea of chattering students trying to hurriedly finish their conversation before the first bell rang, he raised his eyes from the ground to the to end of the hallway, where he suddenly noticed a red-headed girl with her face buried in a book moving swiftly towards him, the golden rose pin back in place on her blouse.
She seemed to feel his eyes on her and looked up briefly, noticing Kurama immediately. Her eyes growing wide, she immediately made a u-turn, heading in the other direction hurriedly.
Kurama watched her leave, and contemplated whether to go after her and try to make things better. He finally decided that maybe he should explain, and was about to resume his pace, but a voice from behind startled him.
"Cold, isn't she?"
He turned his head slightly to see Himoko, smiling slightly as she also watched Fern hurrying away. "I've tried talking with her, but she wouldn't speak to me." She whispered, brushing her black hair away from her face. "In my opinion, she's a snob."
"Well, that's your opinion." Kurama said curtly. He had never really liked Himoko, with her outspoken ways and her instant classifications of people.
"Yes, so why don't you keep them to yourself, Himoko?" A timid voice said quietly, though with a stingy tone to it. Kurama turned around completely to face Himoko and another blond-haired girl, who was casting a scolding glance at Himoko.
"Who asked you, Kali?" Himoko hissed at her angrily.
"Nobody. But I think that you need to stop making such a big deal out of first impressions. And..." She added with a slight smirk. "I don't think you should be calling someone a snob when you're obviously the biggest one in this entire school."
"Oh, you did not just say that, you little...." Himoko snarled, raising her fist.
"You wouldn't dare." Kita whispered, though looking slightly scared.
"Watch me." She growled, starting to move her fist swiftly toward Kali's face. She was about to make contact when a large hand grabbed Himoko's wrist.
"That's quite enough, you two." A young woman teacher said smoothly, glancing between both of them cautiously. She let go of her grasp around Himoko's wrist, which limply fell back to her side.
"Now you both need to stop these little catfights, alright? This is the third one this week."
"Yes, Miss Ruski." Both girls muttered, staring at the ground.
"Good. Now run along." She said, waving her hand. Both girls shot each other one last venomous look and headed off in different directions.
Miss Ruski smiled briefly at Kurama and went on her way, down the hall.
Kurama sighed, and continued on his way to his locker....
****
This is probably the first time that I've ever not payed attention in class...
The teacher's dull voice didn't sound like words, only faded blurs as they reached Kurama's ears. He was too absorbed with the back of Fern's head to be listening to the lesson that was being taught.
Who are you? He thought to himself curiously. He watched as Fern raised her hand and ran it her hair in a tense fashion, as if she knew that he was staring at her, but was powerless to do anything about it. She gave her tresses one last brush before allowing her hand to return to the desk.
Something strange, though, caught Kurama's attention flew up slightly for a few seconds and then came back down to rest against her back. He had seen...a flash of green...
Leaning forward slightly to see the tips of her hair, he could now see that his vision was indeed correct. Almost completely hidden at the ends of the strands of red hair, was a deep green tint.
"Mr. Minamino?? Mr. Minamino!!!" Kurama suddenly realized that the teacher was calling his own name and glanced up only to stare into the cloudy gray eyes of the teacher, who was glaring at him, his arms crossed impatiently.
"I apologize for not paying attention, sir." He muttered politely.
"Well, Mr. Minamino, maybe you could complete the equation on the board for the class?" The teacher asked with a stingy tone, obviously angry with the red-head. Kurama immediately rose from his seat, embarrassed as the rest of the students stared at him incredulously, and picked up the small piece of white chalk. Being as intelligent as he was, the problem was finished within a minute, and as he set the chalk down and turned back around, the teacher nodded at him.
"Good, now, anyone volunteering to do the next problem?" The teacher asked, and immediately every body in the room slumped down, praying to not be picked.
Kurama, meanwhile, had returned to his seat to continue his study of Fern, but before he had even gotten the chance, her hand flew up into the air.
"Yes, Fern?" The teacher asked, "Would you be willing to complete the next problem?"
"Actually, no, sir..." Fern stated timidly, her hand sinking back down to her side, "I was wondering if I could leave to go to the restroom?"
The teacher just stared at her for a moment, and then nodded his head, sighing. "Make it quick."
"Thank-you, sir." She whispered in a small voice before vacating the area and disappearing out into the hallway.
Kurama sighed, angry with himself for not getting a good look at the strange coloring in her hair. After a moment of staring at the door where Fern had just exited, he made the decision to pay attention to the lesson until she returned to class, and then focused on the blackboard....
But then five minutes passed, and then it was ten, and then before long, it had almost been half an hour. Another hand suddenly flew into the air.
"Yes, Miss Yukisetsu?" The teacher asked rigidly, angry for his lesson being interrupted for the THIRD time.
"Mr. Ukaytauba, Fern's been gone for an awfully long time. Do you think I should go and see if she's alright?" Kali asked in her regular timid tone, a hint of worry for the new girl's well-being in her voice.
Not expecting to be asked that certain question, the teacher was quiet for a few seconds and then finally smiled at the blond-headed teenager. "Why, thank-you, Kali. What a kind gesture. Of course I think you should go check up on Miss Crimson?"
Kurama stiffened up immediately at the mention of Fern's last name. He had never heard it before, and the unusualness of it was beginning to grow in his mind.
Crimson? Such a strange name....
Meanwhile, Kali, beaming brightly from the teacher's praise, stood up and made her way to the doorway, disappearing from the classroom as well.
"Now, back to the math lesson...."
Fifteen more minutes passed in what seemed like mere seconds to Kurama. All of his attention was still focused on the wooden door leading to the hallway. He was waiting for someone to push it open, whether it was Fern and Kali, and explain what had happened to them. But it stayed perfectly still. Everything was calm, the only noise in the room coming from the droning voice of the teacher, and a few assorted whispers from one student to another...
At least, until....
An ear-shattering scream suddenly echoed through the halls and into the room, causing every head in the area to glance towards the door in an alarmed fashion. The teacher stopped in mid-sentence as well, wearing a nervous expression.
"I'll be right back, class. Don't try to get too rambunctious while I'm gone." He warned them cautiously before leaving the room to discover whoever had screamed.
The minute the door clicked shut behind him, the room was immediately filled with chattering students, wondering mostly about where the scream had come from. After almost twenty more minutes had passed, and no one had returned to the classroom, one male student finally rummaged up enough courage to nervously leave his desk and scurry over to the door, pushing it open gently.
"Oh god....guys, you have to see this!!!" He exclaimed, his voice emitting a mixture of worry and shock. High-pitched screeches from the metal legs of the chairs as they were pushed out from their desks echoed throughout the room as a mad rush of students ran to the door, practically knocking the poor boy over as they barreled past him out into the hallway. Kurama was the last one to leave the room, though he followed his classmates just as well.
At the far end of the hallway, a large congregation of students and teachers alike were gathered close together, all eyes on one thing, which was hidden from view behind their hunched bodies. Murmured whispers filled the air around them, creating a solemn emotion that hung in the air.
Quite eager, the students pushed their way to the front of the crowd, talking excitedly, their light mood clashing with the quiet feeling around them. But when they laid eyes on the cause of all the interruptions, they too grew silent.
Kurama was too stunned to even move, to even think.
A girl's mangled body was strewn messily on the mauve carpet, blood stains surrounding her massacred figure. As the kitsune gazed upon her severed head, he recognized her immediately as the girl he had bumped into just before entering the school, though he had no idea what her name was.
But this wasn't as shocking as what was protruding from the remnants of her body. A luscious crimson rose was softly nestled inside her torn chest cavity, looking as fresh as ever. Like it had just grown not long before...
A girl's high-pitched shriek alerted Kurama over to the side of the crowd, where he immediately was able to remember Kali's golden tresses as she sobbed uncontrollably into a handkerchief.
"I...can't believe...this happened...I was just...going to find...Fern..." She suddenly stopped her loud cries, and an angry expression appeared on her face.
"Mr. Ukaytauba, Fern was the only one in the hallway before me. There was no one else who could of done this...." She spoke to her teacher firmly as he tried to comfort her as best he could.
"Now, Kali, we can't just accuse fellow classmates of such heinous crimes without proper evidence..." He whispered gently.
"But she was THE ONLY ONE out here!! Who else could of done it?? Who??" She protested boldly, her cheeks stained with tears.
Not being able to think of something to say in defense, Mr. Ukaytauba just looked down at the ground, deep in thought over this event.
"Awful, just awful..." Kurama glanced to his other side only to see Himoko, staring at the massacre with a numb expression, shaking her head softly. "Horrible...."
Light footsteps approaching quickly caused the group to glance back at the abandoned hallway, which wasn't empty anymore. Fern's auburn hair caused her to be recognized immediately. She looked confused as she stared at the crowd, still moving towards them.
Everyone had heard Kali's accusation, and with each passing second, it made more and more sense. No other student had been allowed into the hall at that exact time, and some adults had recalled seeing Fern pass them in the hallway, heading in the direction where the girl's body lay..
Finally reaching the crowd, her stare flitted around the group nervously, from each worried face to another. Everyone was staring at her expectantly, as though waiting for her to pull a huge butcher knife out of her pocket and start chopping them into little pieces. The teacher finally broke the silence.
"Fern..." That was all he could manage to say, reluctant to approach her. The curious expression on her face grew, and she glanced from the teacher over to the crowd again, her violet eyes finally landing on Kurama. They rested on him for a few seconds, as if wanting him to explain what was going on.
Kurama wasn't sure of exactly what he thought. All of the clues seemed to fit together perfectly: Fern was the only one in the hallway who would of had enough time and still leave the scene before anyone else approached, she had been seen in this area right before it happened, and the rose...
Even though no one else knew it, the rose was what caused the red-head to stand out the most in the sea of suspects. She was the one....the only one....
"Fern....we need an honest answer to the question that you're about to be asked." Mr. Ukaytauba had finally managed to talk to the girl, though he was treating her like a murderer already. "If you give me a truthful reply, we'll try to get you the help that you need..."
"Sir, what are you talking about?" Fern finally spoke up, her voice only a whisper.
"Fern, if you do not admit to this, we will be forced to call the authorities." The teacher still kept his voice at calm tone, though it was starting to sound a bit agitated.
"Sir, I'm sorry, but-"
"STOP PLAYING LIKE YOU DON'T KNOW!!!!" Kali burst through the throng of people at that point, wearing a seething expression, tears still running down her cheeks. "YOU KNOW YOU DID IT, SO STOP TRYING TO HIDE IT!!!!"
"Hide what???" Her tone was laced with a stingy emotion.
The teacher cocked his head angrily over to the body. It was the first time that Fern had even noticed the spectacle. As her eyes drifted over the remains, they stopped abruptly when they landed on the rose. Taking a deep breath, she glanced back at the teacher, her eyes suddenly looking mournful.
"Sir, I can honestly say that I did not-"
"LIAR!!!" It was taking almost three other students to hold Kali back.
"Mrs. Leoku, please get me the police." He turned his head back to Fern, though still talking to the female teacher. "Fern's going to need to talk to them for a while."
He gestured for a few other teachers to come forward, and both grabbed one of the girl's arms, obviously thinking she was dangerous.
Fern glanced from one student to another, now wearing a panicked expression, pleading for someone to help her, but all of the kids just watched them begin to lead her away, in the same fashion you would watch a lion at the zoo.
Her eyes finally fell on Kurama, once again, and an icy expression creeped onto her face, her pupils narrowing.
*Help me*
Kurama, who had been staring blankly at the floor, glanced up again hurriedly. He had heard Fern's voice...in his head...
*Please.....*
*You're telepathic?* Kurama finally 'said' something in return.
*Yes, but that's not important. Just...help me. I promise that I didn't do it. I would never do anything like this. I'm innocent.*
*How can I believe you? The rose....*
*I know. I know that you're confused about me. BUT I WOULDN'T DO THIS!!*
*But...*
*....Please.....*
"Come along, Fern." The adult grasping her left arm said icily, staring to drag her along down the hallway.
"Wait."
Every head in the area turned to look at Kurama incredulously.
"Shuichi, what the hell do you mean by 'Wait?'? We all know she did it!!" Even though one male teacher cleared his throat loudly at Kali's crude language, no one made an attempt to acknowledge it any further, since this particular event seemed to be a good excuse.
Ignoring the distraught girl, Kurama instead turned his head to look at Mr. Ukaytauba, who was also wearing a surprised expression.
"Mr. Ukaytauba, I see no evidence whatsoever that Fern is responsible for this murder. I suggest that you release her, or her parents might could sue the school board for brute force used before proven guilty." Kurama sounded just like a lawyer. Some of the more dim-witted students looked a little confused, but a few murmurs of agreement drifted through the air. The red-head decided to continue on.
"I might suggest that you do call the police and have them search the immediate area, and then if they find any supporting evidence to the accusation that Fern committed this murder, than proper action can be enforced."
Mr. Ukaytauba just stared at Kurama for a moment, as if trying to figure something out, and then shook his head and waved towards the two teachers still holding Fern's arms.
"Very well." He sighed heavily, not wanting a lawsuit to deal with if the girl was innocent."Fern, you may return to class. But we're going to be keeping a close eye on you. And so will the police." He added on quickly, as if wanting to instill fear in her.
The girl just nodded numbly as her arms were let free. They both fell limply to her side.
Mr. Ukaytauba then clapped his hands firmly. "Okay, all children back to class!! I need you to sit quietly in your desk until further notice, alright?"
Even though a few kids groaned, preferring to stay out in the hall and skip classwork, but a sea of school uniforms trudged back to their classrooms.
Kali dried her damp cheeks with a handkerchief, though wearing an angry expression. As she began to walk down the hallway, following the crowd from a distance, she shot a seething expression back at Fern, who was still drifting along even farther behind and then disappeared back into their classroom.
Kurama sighed, relieved that his excuse had succeeded its purpose. He actually didn't know if everything he said was true, since he had thought things up on the spur of the moment. He was just praying that they didn't look it up...
*You....*
He cocked his head abruptly to look behind him at the auburn-haired girl, who seemed to be trying to go as slow as humanly possible. She was staring straight at him, her expression of pure shock.
*You actually helped me...*
*Why wouldn't I?*
*I didn't think....you would...*
Their 'conversation' was cut off by Mr. Ukaytauba, who placed a firm grip on Fern's shoulder. "Hurry up and get to class now." He said roughly. He then returned to the scene of the murder with the other teachers, who were waiting for the police to arrive patiently.
***
Kurama had no idea how Fern had been able to get through the school day , much less the rest of math class. He estimated that approximately fifty students had pummeled her with questions left and right, either it being 'how'd ya do it? A knife? C'mon, you can tell me....' Or 'do you have mental problems'?
The rest of the student body that hadn't been included in this estimation made sure to keep their distance, obviously fearing for their safety. A few in class had even asked to switch seats. Even some of the teachers were extra cautious around the mysterious girl.
The police had arrived shortly after the crowd of kids had dispersed, and had investigated the crime scene, interviewing some of the students for their recollections. This seemed to excite many, though, and some made up elaborate stories on how they had 'miraculously grabbed the knife away from Fern and had saved the student's body from further destruction, all without one single scratch'. Kurama found himself laughing at these made-up stories.
But in the end, the police had concluded the case abruptly for a lack of evidence, even though a few would still survey the school for a few weeks to make sure no clue had been looked over.
It was finally the end of the day once again, and the students filed out, all talking excitedly about the events of day. Most didn't even seem to realize that one of their own had lost their life in the brutal onslaught. No one seemed to care.
Kurama had learned about the victim a little bit further from one of the teachers. Her name was Nakurai Mishyu, and she had dreamed of being an actress one day. The kitsune couldn't help but feel sad for the girl whose dream would never come true.
Pulling open his cerulean locker door, he began to gather the books he would need for homework when it was abruptly slammed closed by a mysterious force. Turning around, greatly confused, Kurama found himself staring into the sky-blue eyes of Kali, which were flashing dangerously, a seething expression on her face.
"You listen to me, Shuichi..." She said menacingly, advancing a step forward, her face only an inch or so away from his. "Fern's bad news, and you know what's good for you, you won't help her any more. She makes our school look bad, and if I expect to get into a good college when I'm eighteen, she can't get in my way anymore." She seemed to calm down a bit, but still looked very angry still. "We all know she did it, so why can't you just accept it too????"
Through all of this, Kurama still managed to keep his calm presence intact. "Because a person is innocent until proven guilty." He explained simply.
"You really believe that crap?!?!?" She practically screamed, grabbing the attention of some of the others in the hallway. "Whatever, Shuichi. Just stop helping Fern. That girl has severe problems..." Readjusting the bookbag under her arm, she began to walk away, though flashing one last warning look at him.
Kurama sighed heavily, and then pulled open his locker door once again, grabbing one last schoolbook and sticking it in his brown leather bookbag. He closed the door slowly...
"Oh!!" He stumbled a foot backward, startled by the girl standing right beside his locker. She took a step forward, one hand grasping the handle of her bookbag, and the other's fingers running over her golden rose pin.
Fern just stared at him for a moment, and then her gaze drifted down to the floor, where she saw Kurama's own bookbag, which he had dropped in surprise. Without making a noise, she bent down and picked it up, running her hand over the material. She then held it out in front of her, obviously meaning for him to take it back. He did so, but was still too startled to even utter a 'thank-you'.
A few more seconds passed before the girl finally spoke, and it was so quiet that Kurama almost didn't catch it.
"Thank-you."
And with that said, she was gone, on her way down the nearly abandoned hallway hurriedly. She didn't look back, not once. It was clearly all she had needed to say.
Kurama watched her retreated figure until it had exited the double doors, and without even realizing it, a small smile had played across his face....
*****************************************************************************
Aah, now we're getting into the story-line. This whole story is really like a murder mystery the whole way through.
And no, no matter how many hints you think you may have seen, this is still not a romance.
Be sure to review!!! Reviews inspire me to write faster!!!