Innocent Resentment
"The feelings of those with stolen light"

Chapter 9 - Vanity: Wide Range of Vendure

"Eri. Aren't you gonna eat?"

I glanced over at the sound of Ayumi's curious inquiry the glanced away from her face, sweetly lovely with light concern. I resisted the urge to sigh. If I had been intending to finish the remainder of my food I wasn't going to now. Not surrounded by breathing magazine images most girls pinned up on the fridge to keep them from gorging themselves. No. I had to make friends with them. But maybe that was a blessing as well. At least now I could walk in the secondary light they cast.

"No way. How can I eat when Kagome still hasn't said anything about her status with Mr. Violent." I said, hoping to distract attention from me. Distract them from wishing me too long and realizing maybe I really didn't belong as part of their group.

:"Mr. Violent?" Hojo, seated on Ayumi's right, asked in confusion.

Kagome blushed and averted her gaze to glance around the outside lunch area instead. Hojo had decided to sit with us at lunch not long after he began officially dating Ayumi. It was a rather sweet sight if she admitted it. Ayumi and Hojo were both so sweet hearted they made a perfect couple.

And they also made me sick.

And I knew it wasn't fair to think that but I couldn't help it. I was happy for Ayumi and Hojo, I honestly was. But I couldn't help but admit that I'd be happier for them if they both, or even if either one of them, weren't so flawless.

"Oh no one." Yuka said. "Just some motorcycle gang guy."

"He's not in a gang!" Kagome protested. "And he doesn't ride a motorcycle." Kagome's voice dropped to a mutter. "Actually he can't even ride a bike."

Of course he wouldn't have to. He was rich. I didn't say that out loud though. For a moment I thought to but didn't want to delve into the conversation anymore. Usually I craved any information I could get about Kagome's mystery guy. Hoping to conjure him up in my head and try to image him, as unrealistic as it was, talking to me, being with me, being mine. But now it just made me as sick as Hojo and Ayumi clinging desperately to each other, like two shipwreckees.

I stood and eyes turned my way.

"Eri? Where are you going?" Yuka asked.

I glanced over and forced a sheepish smile. "Violin lessons." A lie.

Ayumi looked up. "I thought your lessons were after school."

"They are. But I'm going band this year. Since I practice outside of school the teacher's having me showcase for him first." I balled up my untouched food and dropped in the trash bin then shouldered my bag. "Later." Walking back into the school. I sighed in relief as the heavy doors thudded shut behind me and moved up the stair well. Light slipped in through the high windows in the narrow corridor, lighting up the gray steps in front of me. A voice cut through the fractures of light to reach me.

"That was a good choice."

I gasped in surprise and looked up at the girl who stood a few steps behind me. Her lips were set in a friendly smile. Long eyelashes were lowered marginally to shade luminous blue eyes. She was beautiful, outstripping anyone else at the school. Anyone else Eri had seen in fact.

'I want to be like her.' I wasn't sure where the thought came from but I didn't bother dwelling on it for too long. She was so pretty; everyone probably had the same thought.

"Throwing away your lunch like that." She went on absently. "Good idea. A little effort never hurt." She flashed a smile. "Would you mind walking with me a moment Eri?"

"You…you know my name?" I asked in surprise.

She nodded. "Actually I've been watching you for a while." The girl stepped down and slid her arm through mine, linking them and tugged me gently up the stairs with her.

I felt as if I were in an ethereal dream. Maybe…did she want to be friends with me? But why? Why would she? And yet at the same time I felt the desire to be her friend. As if maybe somehow her perfection could rub of on me. A glanced over at her, smile still on her face. Her blue eyes were mildly disinterested as if she were above everything. Sunlight gleamed of her short flaxen hair and laced her angel's profile.

"Um excuse me. I don't…I don't know your name."

She laughed. "I'm sorry. I'm Momoi." She pushed open the door that led from the stairwell to the second floor and stepped into the corridor.

"Why..um, why were you watching me?"

She smiled apologetically. "Well actually it's because my brother asked me to." She stepped up to the window that over looked the yard were gym was held and lifted a finger to point towards the soccer field below them.

Curiosity filled me. "Your brother." I stepped up beside her and followed the direction she'd pointed in and gasped. The boy my gaze settled on had a ball propped under one arm. His free hand moved casually as he talked with a few other guys she recognized though she'd never seen the girl's brother before. Not far behind him was a small gaggle of girls not bothering to hide their fawning adoration, embarrassed giggles even reaching the window. "What…what would he want with me?" He was perfect. Almost the exact image of what she'd imaged Kagome's mystery guy t be.

The perfect wicked indulgence.

"Well Kyoei usually only goes for the very prettiest of girls but he's pretty shy. So I usually end up telling them about him first before he asks them out. He's such a pain in the butt." Her pretty blue eyes lifted heaven ward in annoyance but then she turned and smiled at me. "Anyway, he wanted me to talk to you Eri."

"To me?" I couldn't believe it. My breath left me as I looked back down at the boy grinning to his friends in the yard below. I glanced at the group of girls watching him as well. "But what about…"

"Oh don't worry about those silly geese." She said with disdain. "He'd never look twice at them. Like I said he's interested in you." The girl moved away from the window. "So how about you meet him right here tomorrow before school. Okay?" I nodded eagerly and she smiled. "Right then. Later." And turned to walk away.

"W…wait a second."

She stopped and glanced back over her shoulder. "Yes?" lifting a pale eyebrow with a blend of curiosity and apprehension I couldn't understand. But I ignored it and went on. "Um I…I haven't ever seen you around school before and you must be new. So you probably haven't met a lot of people yet so I was wondering it you…if you maybe wanted to be friends?"

Was if just because she was pretty that I wanted to be friends with her? Because I was hoping her beauty would rub off on me. There was that, that desperate wish but this girl…she also seemed so lonely. I wasn't sure where that conclusion had come from but it stuck to the back of my mind. Sympathy as well as fear. I disregarded both. Silly thoughts.

She regarded me silently for a moment then shrugged. "I'll think about it. See you tomorrow." And turned, disappearing down the hall. I turned to look out the window again, to look at the girl's brother again. As if sensing my gaze he looked up. I blushed crimson. He watched me a moment then disappeared inside the school.

The prettiest girls? Was I…was I maybe pretty after all?

I turned and walked back down the hall towards my math class. Intent on being the first there. Intent on standing out.

"That was almost tragically easy." Discord said from her place on the edge of the school roof. Strife said nothing but that wasn't unusually so she simply stretched lazily. "This one shouldn't be at all hard to use."

"What's your plan this time?" Strife asked casually and without interest, as if he were doing it simply to appease her. Discord didn't seem to notice.

"Let's make it rain." She smiled.

And clouds darkened the sky.