CH.2

Pia and I deliberately walked toward our classroom. It wasn't fair that we should have class on a Saturday. I sighed and walked into the classroom where Sugar was waiting for us.

"Hi," she said.

"Hi," we said and sat down on our desk. Sugar is an intelligent twenty years old lady who is very kind but like Red she can become scary when she's angry. She had blackish bluish short hair that reached to her shoulder and hazel eyes. Unlike other assassins in the organization, she's not the type to go on missions but instead she gives out the information and sometimes delivers the missions from Red. Just because she doesn't go on missions doesn't mean she's not skill as an assassin. She's one of the best assassins in the organization. She has brain, guts, and beauty. She is also Red's secretary. She has been our tutor since Pia and I became partners. Unlike ordinary class, we also learned about assassins' skills and train. When it comes to that subject Red come and take over. Sugar will just sit back, watch, and sometimes take notes.

For about half of our time in class we study math, literature and other subjects. The next thirty minutes Pia and I studied about assassins' skills. After that we went to a training room and train there. That's when Red comes and really takes over. While Pia was practicing with two wakizashi (hers were at home), the smaller version of a kantana, I was practicing my ninjitsu. After a little training I stopped to watch Red and Pia fight against each other. Red was using a kantana while Pia was using the two wakizashi. They practiced against each other for a little while then stopped. After that Pia and I went to another room connected with the one we're in. In there is where we practiced our shooting skills. Red handed us both a gun and earmuffs. Pia and I went to our place and Red turned on the machine that controlled the moving human shape targets before us.

I started to shoot but that dream keep on coming back so I tend to lose concentration causing me to miss targets or aim at the wrong or not crucial place. I stopped and sighed in frustration. What was wrong with me? Aiming is my best skill and yet I'm doing horribly today. I hardly ever miss a target or hit unnecessary parts that won't kill a person (I know which part to aim at and not if I want to kill someone or just hurt him or her).

"Hey, what's wrong with you?" Red asked me standing behind me.

I turned to face him and said, "I just don't feel like myself today that's all. I'm a bit weary."

Red just looked at me and sighed. "Do you want to practice with shurikens instead?"

I sighed, "No. That's ok." I went back to shooting.

About an hour later Red took us out to lunch. He does that at least twice a week.

Red, Pia, and I ordered our food at a fast food restaurant and sat inside the building. We sat at a round table next to the window. I watched people passed by the window and kind of dozed off as I began to think about my dream again. What was that all about? Did I really kill my family? Imagining the scene in my head made me quivered. I sighed and lay my head down on the table closing my eyes. All I can hear around me were human chattering on and on and the clinks of dishes and check registers.

"Here's your food," I heard a waitress said. I sat right back up on my chair and watched her place a bowl of noodles in front me, Red, and Pia. Next she placed three cups of water on our table and left.

I ate the noodles slowly still thinking of that dream I had. It bugs me so much that I just want to explode. As if sensing my uneasiness Pia asked me," What's wrong?"

"Ah...nothing," I replied and ate my noodles. Pia glanced at Red who said nothing.

After our lunch Red sent us home. Once inside our apartments I went straight to my room and lay down on my bed. Before I knew it I fell asleep and didn't wake up until eight P.M. My stomach started to growl so I went to the kitchen to find something to eat. I whipped up some macaroni and cheese and ate in the living room watching Weiss Kruez, an anime, with Pia.

Pia and I love anime. That's one thing we're both crazy about. Red thinks were idiots for liking anime so much but I can tell he likes it too even though he pretend not too. Weiss is one of Pia favorite anime of all time. It's about this assassins group of four cute guys, Aya, Ken, Omi, and Youji, who are the hunters of the night and bring justice. I can't really say justice but something along that line. Red finds Weiss Kruez pretty amusing but he neither likes it nor dislikes it. In honest truth, sometimes Pia and I borrow ideas from Weiss into our missions.

"Is this the DVD Red bought you last week?" I asked Pia.

"Yea," she replied. Like I said before Red can be a very nice guy and he treats us like his younger sisters. Some times he can be too nice and buy us whatever we want but he only do that because he wants something from us.

I sat quietly watching Weiss and eating my pasta until Pia said," Something is wrong with you Hoshi."

"What do you mean?" I asked pretending to be clueless.

"You know what I mean," she said and turned off the TV. "Today you were acting unusual. During class you kind of drifted away and your aiming was well…not like you."

I stayed silent and placed my bowl down.

"Fine then. Don't tell me," said Pia standing up from the couch. "I'm going to take a shower."

"Ok. I'll tell you," I said. Pia smiled and sat back down. I began to tell her about my dream.

"I see. Killed your family huh?" said Pia softly.

"That's what I'm not sure about. Did I or didn't I killed them? I don't remember," I said.

"How can you not remember unless..." Pia voice drifted away as something came into her mind.

"Unless what?" I asked.

Pia smiled," Never mind."

"Pia! Tell me," I ordered.

She ignored me and stood up saying she needs to go take a shower. I watched her entered the hallway and disappeared inside her room. I sighed, stood up, and went to the kitchen to wash my bowl and spoon.

I was lying on my bed thinking about what might have happened that time but I couldn't think of anything. I closed my eyes and began searching through my memories about what had happen when I was fourteen. All I can remember was that I was fourteen when my family died. From what cause, I'm not sure but Red told me they died in a car accident. When I woke up after what I don't remember happened, I found myself in a bed with Red standing by my side. That was the first time I have ever met Red. He was looking at me and asked if I was okay. He then told me the grave news about my family dying in a car accident. Since I couldn't remember I believe him but until that dream I had last night I'm uncertain if that was really what happened. What surprises me after three days staying at the place where I soon found out was Red's mansion was he asked me to join him. I wasn't sure what he was talking about but since I had nowhere else to go and didn't want to go to an orphanage I agreed to join his organization. I was confuse to why he wanted me to joined his organization of assassin since I had never had experience in that kind of things but he just smiled and said," You have talent as a ninja in training and I could use someone like you."

"How do you know that I'm a ninja in training?" I asked. Since I was ten years old I so badly wanted to become a ninja because of my cousin, Swift (his nickname). He was 17 years old and knows the way of the ninja. Every time I went over to his place I begged him to teach me so after some months of me begging him he finally agreed. For the next four years I trained with him secretly. He once told me he was glad that he taught me. I was happy to hear that. One day he mysteriously disappeared and I was left to trained by myself.

Red just grinned and said, '' I've been watching you for these last two years. You have what it takes to become a member of the organization. Just be glad I'm looking out for you or else you'll have nowhere to go except the orphanages. You don't want to go there right?"

"No," I replied. "Why were you watching me? How did you know? Who--"

"Your master that's who," he replied.

"My master? You mean Swift?" I asked surprise that he knew my cousin Swift.

"That's correct. One day he appeared at my house and said I had to come and check out his new student so I did," he replied.

"You knew him?" I asked.

He sighed," Yes, I knew him. He's a good friend of mine. So are you going to join me or not? Swift did."

"Swift? "

"Yes, your cousin," he replied.

I thought about it for a while then finally decided that I would join him. So I joined his organization; not mainly because I didn't want to go to an orphanages but also because I felt like it. It was as if I couldn't let go of this chance and my soul was so tinted with hatred and anger for the human kind and everything around me that this was a good opportunities for me to express my anger and hatred; but being a member in the organization required you to succeed in your mission including killing and destroying things to achieved it. Killing, that's what been in my heart my whole life. Sometimes I just feel like killing whoever gets in my way and whoever upset me or makes me angry. Killing is a part of the organization and since I'm part of it, it's now a part of me.

"Killing?" I whispered to myself." Did I really kill them?"

I sighed and pulled my blanket over me. Red and Pia are hiding something from me. Something happened to me before I woke up finding myself in Red's mansion. What did he do to me?

I tried to remember again but couldn't. I suddenly got frustrated so I went to the restroom to wash my face. I stared at the mirror to find a girl with medium length brown hair and blue green eyes staring back at me. I gently touched my cheek and she imitated me. I shook my head and washed my face again. In doing so, Swift suddenly popped into my head. I started questioning myself again. What ever did happen to Swift? He suddenly just disappeared one day when I was almost turning fourteen. Here I go again with questions that just popped into my head. I have so many questions and yet no one would answer them.

Swift? What happen to you? I thought as I closed my eyes in my bed. I wondered if Red knows.