Chapter 11 Cheating

Tashi came back from class early wondering why Atsumi skipped that day. 'She didn't go out last night and she was in class first thing this morning. Why would she skip mid-day?' Tashi was walking towards the back of the house towards the kitchen when she heard some sniffling. 'Eri? What's she doing home and what is she crying about?'

Tashi was stunned when she made it to the bedroom and saw Atsumi, sitting at the desk in their bedroom , quietly crying to herself. "Atsumi! What's wrong?"

Atsumi was surprised that she had been caught in the act and sat up straight "What?!"

Tashi hesitated in approaching her roommate, like one would hesitate around a hungry tiger. "I just dropped home real quick to pick up some snacks for later. Are you oka—"

"I'm fine, princess!" snapped Atsumi. She turned her face back down intoer her folded arms. "Nothin' you could understand."

"Can I help in anyway?" asked Tashi, delicately.

There's nothin' anyone can do. Nothin' at all." Atsumi continued to sob.

Tashi was watching the clock and said "I guess you're not going to class?" She got no response. "I think I can miss just this once. It's no big deal, right?"

"No reason. Go to fuckin' class, Tashi" Atsumi sat up and wiped her nose. "I've gotta get goin' anyway."

Tashi asked "Where have you been going?"

"Rukongai" said Atsumi as she bent over and picked up a bag.

"For what?"

Atsumi wiped her eyes and said "Old Lady

Momo is dyin'."

"Old Lady Momo? Is that your grandmother? Who is it?" asked Tashi.

"I ain't got no family, Tashi, but she's the closet thing to it. She's an old lady from the neighborhood who kind watched out for some of us. She took to watchin' after orphans and now she's old and dyin' and there ain't nothin' anyone can do 'cept make her comfortable."

"What's she ailing from?"

"Age Tashi. She's just too damn old." Atsumi brusquely brushed past Tashi and said "I'm going now. I don't know when I'll be back."

"Atsumi! There's the History of the Hollow Raids exam tomorrow! That test is worth 75 of our grade! If you miss it you'll fail the class! You need this class! I overheard the other day that advisor talking to you. You could get promoted to the first class next semester if you do well now!"

"I cant' leave her to die all alone. Tashi, if she's gone tonight I'll be around tomorrow. If not then I won't. That's that. I'm going."

"There must be something…I can talk to professor. He—"

"HE doesn't take any excuses from anyone. I could be the one dyin' and he'd still fail me!"

"Yes, he is unreasonably strick. What if I spoke to Captain Ku-"

"Don't go barking up that tree again, shit. He ain't gonna help me. That's sure as shit. If he gave you so much trouble, do you think he's gonna help a me?"

"Well…I guess not, but what about Vice Captain Ab-"

"Let it go, Tashi!"

"There won't be any make-up and have you even studied at all? Don't throw all the rest of your hard work away Atsumi!"

Atsumi swirled around and dropped her bag on the ground. She ran at Tashi and tackled her to the ground. "What the bloody fuck is wrong with you?! Do you not hear what I'm sayin' bitch!? My old lady is dying!"

Tashi didn't struggle. "I'm sorry, Atsumi, I'm just looking out for you."

Atsumi got up and left and Tashi lay on the floor thinking of a way to help, She thought of a few things. 'I can call mother for a doctor, but it would still take a long time for the doctor to get there.'

Tashi then thought about the exam and the class she had to attend. She got up off the floor, picked up a few snacks to take with her and practiced her flash step on the way to class. In class she found it difficult to be attentive. She went to a review session for the Hollow Raids exam and took detailed notes.

On her way home that evening she thought again about Renji and if she could ask for help. The sun was setting and she imagined Atsumi at Old Lady Momo's side, then having to fail the exam the next day. 'That's just not fair…' thought Tashi. 'Not fair at all. Come to think about it, this must have been going on a while. Atsumi wasn't out partying a lot this semester but she was still missing. She's been studying hard, but without that review session it would be difficult if not impossible to pass this exam.' A passing thought occurred to Tashi about how she could help Atsumi. 'No, it's too risky' she shook her head. 'But Atsumi has worked hard. Failing this stupid class wouldn't be an honest reflection of her ability…'

Tashi made it home and found Eri crunching on some snacks and said "You are so lucky you have that stupid Hollow History class next semester."

"Not really, I'll be going through it alone while you and Atsumi will have completed it together. At least it will be out of your way" she said lazily as she crunched on her snacks.

"Actually if things go the way I think Atsumi will be taking that class with you next semester, if she's lucky."

Eri was doing well academically as well, but she was on a different track of courses than Atsumi and Tashi. She had decided to focus on healing techniques in preparation for the 4th squad.

"What do you mean?" said Eri, as she slowed her chewing.

Tashi explained what Atsumi had told her.

Eri said "You're not going to-"

"Yes Eri, I'm going to help Atsumi cheat." Tashi got to work writing in very tiny letters on a long slender rectangle of paper. "I can give her important dates and concepts. I'll figure out what to do about the essays later.'

Eri was worried about the entire scheme and said "Tashi, if she takes in papers it will be obvious."

"Who said she was carrying them?" said Tashi developing her plan.

Atsumi walked in the door just as the sun rose. Eri and Tashi were at the kitchen table eating some cereal and looked down the hall to Atsumi. Atsumi said in defeated voice "She died last night, but me and some other kids made a nice grave for her."

"Oh Atsumi! I'm so sorry!" said Tashi. Eri and Atsumi rushed over and said "Don't worry Atsumi Eri and I are here to do whatever it is you need."

"I need to be left alone" said Atsumi and she dragged down the hallway towards the bedroom.

Tashi said "Take a nap and we'll head to that exam together."

"I'm not going" said Atsumi.

"Yes, yes you are" said Tashi. "I won't have any jerk of a professor call any of my friends a coward for not showing up for his test. At least do that much! I know you don't want to and that you've lost someone important Atsumi, but don't forget about your own life while you mourn for another. Would Old Momo want you to miss this test on her account?"

"No, I guess she'd say go" said Atsumi, drained.

"Fine, it's settled. Sleep for a while. I'll wake you before we go" said Tashi.

Later that morning Atsumi put on her uniform and found it to be a bit scratchier than before. She shrugged a it off and decided to head to the exam. She saw Tashi outside the classroom. She tried to avoid her but the other girl wasn't taking the hint. "So you're ready I take it?" asked Atsumi.

"Yep. You?" replied Tashi cheerfully.

Atsumi said "What do you fucking think?"

"I think you might want to put your hand together in prayer when you're concerned." Tashi forced Atsumi's hands together and Atsumi saw why her uniform was itchy. Tissue paper was lightly stitched into the sleeves. In Tashi's perfectly clear script was a series of dates and names. Tashi said "You may want some water too so here's a bottle and a cup. And here are a couple of pens. Atsumi took the pens and realized they too had tissue inside decorated with Tashi's script.

Atsumi was too shocked to speak. The bell rang and everyone entered the room and took their seats. The professor looked over the class critically and passed out the exam. Tashi put her head down and began to write. She became vaguely aware of the professor moving about the room. She glanced across the room at Atsumi who had her hands together in 'prayer'.

Atsumi was surprised at how easy it was to use Tashi's devices. Atsumi did relatively well on the multiple choice questions without Tashi's help, but she relied on the facts sewn into her clothes, and stored in her pen heavily. The professor began to walk around the room. When he approached Atsumi he narrowed his eyes in suspicion. She gripped her pen as though stuck on a question, covering the answers within the pen. The professor suddenly gripped Atsumi's arm and wrenched it up.

Tashi went back to work then heard the professors voice whispering harshly. She looked over and saw it was at Atsumi. Her eyes were wide with surprise and the professor grabbed her wrist. Atsumi gasped not being able to think of a come back or a way to defend herself. The professor raised her hand and pushed her sleeve down to the elbow. He examined Atsumi's arm for writing. While he did that Atsumi dropped the pen she was using into the cup of water under her chair. The tissue paper inside of it and incriminating evidence dissolved.

Atsumi was shaking. Tashi thought it was time to step in. She let out a squeak and put on a horrified face. "Professor!" she said shocked at the obvious impropriety. "How…how could you!"

One of the lower-class men in the room said "What's the big deal? He thought she was cheating."

Tashi took the opportunity to explain, and possibly get the professor to put some distance between him and Atsumi. "Forthwall, I'm surprised you don't know." She looked at the rest of the class and said "The flesh of a woman's forearm is…well…personal'. Tashi emphasized personal because it was true. The women of the entertainment district often enticed their customers by showing only a flash of the wrist when pouring tea. In the higher classes it was well known that a flash of the wrist could be a highly erotic scene. The women in the entertainment districts had made it an art.

By Tashi bringing it to everyone's attention she made the professor pause before he checked the other arm or looking closer at Atsumi's sleeves. Tashi's status added credibility to her complaint if she decided to file one, and also put pressure on him to watch his etiquette. Tashi was a hero to every other girl in the room who had written 'reminders' on the flesh of their arms. He couldn't check any of them.

Atsumi wiped the sweat off her brow and finished up an essay. Atsumi was shaken and thankful he didn't see the scrawl hidden oh her sleeves.

After time was up and Atsumi went straight to the ladies room. She stared at the toilet and heaved swearing to herself and the heavens she would never pull a stunt like that again, nevertheless allow Tashi to go down for it.

Atsumi watched the tissue paper she took from her sleeves dissolve in a toilet before she flushed it. Tashi came into the bathroom and leaned over a sink. She too was shaking. Atsumi watched her splash some water on her face and then compose herself into the bright and optimistic noble's daughter that everyone expected her to be.

Atsumi came out of the stall and Tashi greeted her with a smile. "Atsumi, that was close, eh?"

Atsumi didn't know what to say. "You are the fucking craziest bitch I know. I…why do you do these things for me?"

Tashi looked a bit confused and said "Why wouldn't I?"

"If he had seen the writing he would've known it was you who helped me."

"How? I know you wouldn't have told him."

"Nah, nah, but there's a difference in the writing of a noble and that of a street rat who learned her letters using a stick in the dirt. I've been nothin' but trouble fer you. Now…You coulda lost everything in their Tashi. He woulda known that wasn't my handwriting."

"I did it because you had more to lose. I have a powerful family I could press into covering this up or erasing it from my record. You don't. You're having quite the effect on me, Atsumi. It was tough, but at least I learned how to write on tissue paper. At least I can say you're teaching me a bunch." The girls then went to the next class somewhat relieved