Author's Note: Okay. I've just about had it with Gothic discrimination. Seriously… I really cracked last night. So, I wrote this as a way of taking out my anger. I want this story to mean something, and to display a message. So, please try to understand the meaning and feelings I'm trying to express. Because, this kind of treatment really has to stop.

Forgotten
Chapter Four : Of Freaks and Teachers
by Virgo Shadow

The gentle was oh so strange there…

"He who looks outside dreams, he who looks inside awakens."
(Carl Gustav Jung)

All the children were in their places in the assembly hall, seated and waiting for class to begin. The headmaster hadn't entered the room yet, and monotony among the students was beginning to rise.

A wadded paper ball sailed through the air and gently bounced off Sora's forehead. Right as it happened, Kairi sat up quickly and turned to stare directly at the boy who'd thrown it… Seifer Almasy. Locking her eyes straight into Seifer's, the redheaded girl said nothing.

"What's the matter, slut?" Seifer taunted. "Got nothing to say?"

"Yeah, why do you all just sit there quiet like always? Freaks." Vincent added, sitting behind Seifer. Vincent Valentine, probably only Seifer's real friend. Well, at least t.he only one who was still alive, Sora noted. The others followed Seifer, but didn't really like him. Sora could see it. Vincent tossed a paper ball. "Freaks."

"Bunch of fucking Goths." Came another. This was, sadly, nothing new to Sora or Kairi. Or in fact, anyone else who hung around with Riku. Selphie, Wakka and Tidus were victims to this kind-of treatment everyday. They'd mostly learned to cope. Before long, every kid in their assembly was chanting: "Freaks, freaks." Some shot spitballs and tossed paper aeroplanes. Kairi simply turned back to her desk. As did Sora. They both remained seated and as calm as they could muster. Sora would not let himself fly off the handle. "Freaks, freaks, fre—"

The chanting stopped when Sora immediately stood up. What was this, they thought, could that loser actually do something about it?

Sora walked over to Seifer, and slammed his gloved hands down onto the desk. "Listen and listen well, because I'm not going to repeat myself." Sora began, his voice coming out coolly, but tinted with quiet menace. "If you don't stop calling Riku, Kairi or anyone else names, I'm going to make you regret the day you were born." Sora said, bending in closer to Seifer's face and whispering the words. "Would you like me to break your other arm?"

The door opened and Mr. Ansem, the headmaster, walked in. Sora took his seat, and the other children calmed down as he began to take the roll. "Almasy."

"H-here." Seifer stammered, obviously taken aback by Sora's display of courage.

"Almasy present. Carol."

"Here." A petite blue-haired girl piped up.

"Carol present. Dincht."

"Yo."

Ansem ignored this comment from the blonde who had that retarded tattoo, on his face, and continued with the roll. Until it came to Riku…

"Hojo." Silence. "…Hojo?"

A quizzical look crossed Ansem's face as he looked around to see Riku's chair empty, then he shrugged it off and went back to the roll.

"Hojo. Absent. Kisaragi…" After the roll had ended, the crowd of mixed-graded pupils departed for their separate classes and began the school day as usual. The morning consisting of notes to take, problems to solve and a wonderfully happy science quiz just before lunch.

"So, where's Riku?" Selphie asked, as Sora sat down at their table for lunch. The boy was unusually quiet and collected today. Like something had sucked all the individuality and spirit right out of him.

Sora said nothing.

"Sora? Hello?" Tidus said, waving a hand in front of his face.

Sora grunted in acknowledgement. "I don't know where Riku is today… Probably… Got into another spat with his father." He mentally shivered as he recalled the last memories of Riku's beating, just over a week ago now. Just reminding himself of those horrible bruises was enough to make someone sick with fear and hatred.

Riku never told anyone about his Father's abuse, though everyone knew they didn't like each other. Especially not Kairi. It was safer if she didn't know about Riku's Father.

Sora still wondered how Riku managed to keep going. Riku would have been almost any parent's dream… But his family life was closer to a nightmare. All this made Sora so sad. This was his Father…but he was so horrible to Riku, to Kairi, to everyone. Especially Sora. Not like his Mother. Riku was so good; he made almost perfect marks in school and always, at least tried to stay out of trouble, with the exception of yesterday and the incident with Seifer. It was a broken family.

"That's awful, but I'm sure they'll sort it all out eventually…" Selphie said. Her cheerful optimism, it seemed always got in the way of clear thinking: Riku was never going to sort it out with his Father. End of discussion.

A long silence followed before anyone spoke. "So, uh, Kairi?" Wakka asked.

"What?" Kairi replied.

"Can I ask you something?" Wakka asked again, nervously.

"Yes," Kairi replied simply, "with a due sense of remorse and dread."

"Did, uh, Riku really… kill Seymour?" Wakka asked. "You were there, weren't you? I mean, I know he broke Seifer's arm and all, but I didn't think he could ever kill anyone, ya?"

"If you ask me, Seymour got what he deserved." Tidus said bluntly through a mouthful of something, which could not be identified for school safety reasons.

"He broke his fucking arm. They say it was a compound fracture and broken in four places. I bet that's no run, right kids?" A familiar voice greeted bluntly, a distinct note of sarcasm in his heavy voice.

"Oh, hey Mr. Highwind." Kairi greeted, thankful that the teacher was there to change the subject.

Cid Highwind, time serving history teacher and cynic like to observe at least three times a day "we are a beacon of learning, with a frayed wick". The first time he said this, some of his colleagues laughed, but now a days, they generally left the room. His wit and sense of humour was a hit with all the students. With the exception of the ones he didn't like, in which he did all within his power to make everyone of their lives hell. He smelt like a mixture of alcohol, stale smoke and one who has lived too long with lost causes…but the children loved him.

"No." Cid said half-heartedly. "I bet that's no fuckin' fun at all." The teacher sat himself down between Selphie and Kairi. "You know, kids. That motherfucker, Seifer is a right pain in the ass, for everyone. Including Ansem. The bastard deserved what was coming."

"What about Seymour? I heard the SeeD were coming over to search the school this afternoon." Wakka asked.

"Yeah," Cid agreed. "Ansem may have mentioned that, but everyone pays fuck-all attention to a damn word he says." He sighed, and leaned back in the seat, lighting up a cigarette. He breathed in a deep breath and exhaled. "I shouldn't worry. I know they're Captain, Squall Leonhart. Good man. He knows Seifer too, so I don't think anything bad should happen to your buddy Riku. Okay, kids?" Cid stood up. "By the way Sora. Good of you to stand up to Seifer this morning. I wish I could have been there. I would have played fucking merry-hell with him. Thanks for letting me sit with you too," he winked at Kairi and Selphie, "it's good for my image to be seen with two pretty young girls once in a while." The small group of children laughed as Cid walked away.

"I do hope nothing bad happens to Riku…" Sora trailed off, as he looked out of the window and gazed deep into the clear blue sky outside. The gentle was oh so strange there…