I do not own Blue Exorcist.

All these years

Little witch

All this time

Why don't you go and play with the fairies!

They were wrong…

"Shiemi? Are you alright?"

"Yes I am Grandma, I'm fine."

"Are you sure pet? You're crying."

"No really, I'm fine Grandma."

"I know you're upset about the children at school, but it will all get better one day, my darling, I promise…"

"Shiemi!"

I woke with a jolt. I looked around and saw an empty class. What is with me and falling asleep? Rin was standing there, as if he were waiting for me. I could feel my cheeks go red because of embarrassment. I stood up and brushed the creases out of my skirt. Rin looked bored, and slightly annoyed. I felt bad for him, but he didn't have to wait for me. Why did he wait?

"I'm sorry, I don't know why I keep on falling asleep," I said, covering my face.

He sighed. "Sir couldn't be bothered to wake you. When class ended, everyone just left you. I couldn't just leave you alone," he said, leaning against my desk.

"You didn't have to do that," I said, feeling guilty.

"Yeah I did," he said. "Besides, I have to tell you all the details on becoming an exorcist."

I could feel the Goosebumps on my arms. I suddenly felt very cold. I'm nervous. What exactly do I have to do? Will I have to go through a series of tests and training? Or will it be more action packed than that? What if I have to prove my courage by jumping form a building! Or worse, I would have to sacrifice a person to show my commitment! I have so many questions…

"So, when do I start?" I asked him, sounding confident.

That seems like a reasonable enough question to start with.

"Whenever you want," he said, scratching his head. "But it's not that simple."

"What do you mean?" I asked.

"Like me, you will have to attend cram school."

"Cram school?"

"Its where you train to become an exorcist," he said, starting to walk out of the class. "You coming?"

I nodded and followed him. There's still so much more I need to learn.

"You will begin as a page, learning how to chant spells and crap," he said.

"Are you a page?" I asked him.

"Unfortunately," he groaned. "I only recently joined the cram school myself."

He stopped for a minute so he could look through his bag. I wonder what he is looking for. He pulled out a key from the bag.

"Here," he said, handing it to me. "Mephisto couldn't be bothered to give it to you himself, so he made me do his crap for him."

I looked at the shiny key in my hand.

"Is this a key for the cram school?" I said, still looking at it.

"You're smart," he said, smirking. "This key will allow you to access the cram school from any place at any time. Go ahead, try it out on a door."

He pointed to a classroom door by the side of me.

"That is, if you want to start today," he mumbled.

I nodded and walked towards the door. I slowly put the key into the keyhole, and turned it. The door opened, and inside it was not a classroom, but instead a hallway of even more doors.

"Wow!" I said, amazed.

"Follow me," said, walking to the right.

I did so, and soon enough we stopped outside of a classroom. I read the room number. 1106. Rin beckoned me to open the door. I took a deep breath, grabbed the handle, and opened it.

"Leave us alone, Witchy."

"Please let me play with you, I want to be your friend!"

I couldn't believe my eyes. I felt my legs trembling. My arm shook. I tried to control myself but I couldn't. She was there. Sitting there, right in front of me. The girl that made everyone turn against me. The girl that constantly made fun of me. The girl that made my life a living hell for years.

"Ha! Well we don't want to be yours! Go play in the mud, that's where you belong!"

Izumo Kamiki.

I thought that after I moved, I would never have to see her again. She's going to do it again. As if my life wasn't bad enough already, she had to waddle her way back into it. I felt Rin put his arm on my shoulder. I looked at him. Are you okay? His face read. I shook my head, and looked at Izumo again. This time, she had looked up at me. She was actually looking at me.

"Ah! I know you!"

She stood up and pointed at me.

"I never forget a face, and yours is one that I know like the back of my hand," he said, smirking. "Isn't that right. Witch."

I couldn't handle it. I ran out of the class, and into the hallway.

"Shiemi!"

Rin was running after me. I stopped myself, trying to hold in the tears.

"What was that back there? Why did you wimp out?" he asked me.

"I can't go in there," I said, not facing him.

"What?"

"I said I can't go in there!" I shouted.

I heard Rin sigh, and walk closer to me.

"If you don't tell me what's wrong, we can't sort it out," he said.

I too was bullied like you

Maybe he would understand if I told him? I sighed, and started to talk.

"I can't go in because Izumo Kamiki is there," I explained.

"Do you two not get along or something?"

"She's one of the reasons I hate myself," I started.

I explained to him all the horrible, unkind things she had done to me in the past, trying to make him understand what I'm going through. I just can't be anywhere near that girl. When I'd finished, I waited for an answer. Rin was silent for a minute, figuring out what to say.

"You're acting like a baby."

What did he say? I turned to face him. He looked totally calm.

"Its not that you can't go in there, you just don't want to," he said, yawning.

"What? Did you not hear all things she did to me-

"I'm not saying that what she did was okay. I'm saying that you can't let her have the satisfactory of knowing you are scared," he interrupted. "Act like nothings bothering you. I've known Kamiki long enough to know that she gets pleasure from hurting other people. Don't let her win!"

…He's right. I just need to walk in there, and show her who's boss.

"Besides, if you never go in there, you will never face your fears," he said, walking back into class.

It didn't take me long to catch up with him. I can do this. I can do this! Slowly, I walked back into class. There she was, smiling at me.

Forget it. I'm a coward. I'm leaving.

"Oh no you don't."

I bumped into Rin, who was blocking the door. He's trying to stop me from leaving again! No, he's right, I can do this.

"Oh hi Izumo! It's been a while, hasn't it!" I said sweetly, smiling back at her.

She raised an eyebrow, confused to why I didn't react. Yes! I did it.

"Whatever, witchy," she said, looking at her friend siting next to her.

Phew! I did it. I sat down at the desk at the front and sighed with relief.

"That's my seat," said Rin, sitting next to me.

"Oh, I'm sorry," I said. "I was just wondering…"

"What?" he said, putting down his bags.

"If I could sit next to you?" I asked him, feeling my face go bright red.

Rin looked shocked himself, and I could see his cheeks pinking as well.

"Fine, just don't annoy me," he huffed, looking away.

I smiled at him, to show him that I'm grateful, and although he wasn't looking directly at me, I could tell that he saw it. And then he gives me a smile that just seems so genuinely sweet with just the right touch of shyness that unexpected warmth rushes through me.

Let us always meet each other with smile, for the smile is the beginning of love. – Mother Teresa.