~Chapter 3: Surprises~

Angelo was very careful. There was hardly anyone about and Yumiko was all alone. She sat in the hallway, reading a large book quietly and contently to herself, her head hung low and her long hair obscuring her features, Angelo not being able to see if she was actually enjoying the book or not.

He stepped back into his corner when he heard footsteps approaching and observed as two boys walked towards Yumiko.

"Takagi? Yumiko Takagi?" One of the boys stopped in front of her and bent over, trying to see her face.

Yumiko didn't say anything but raised her head ever so slightly, looking up at the boy and giving a small nod.

"Anderson told us to come and get you. There's a game of football going on outside and we need an extra player." The other folded his arms and looked un-impressed with the girl.

"...No thank you. I can't play." Yumiko looked between them, her face expressionless and she merely turned her head back down to the book, trying not too look at them and closing the matter.

Unfortunately, they didn't see it that way.

"Come on, don't be a spoilsport." The first boy had reached out and grabbed Yumiko by the wrist, pulling her up sharply.

Something inside Angelo snapped as he watched her struggle wordlessly against them, trying her hardest to not have to touch them.

"Please. Don't. Let me go." She asked them as they both joined in, pulling onto her and trying to lead her down the hallway.

"Oh come on, it's only a quick game. Come and play." They both felt her body start to slow down and they pulled all the harder, finding the quiet girl start to break.

Angelo was so close to stepping in, breaking his cover when he saw something he hadn't expected.

They'd all stopped, the boys somehow now finding Yumiko hard to pull along as she stood there, her hair obscuring her face.

"I. SAID. NO." Her voice was different and Angelo gasped as she raised her head.

Her eyes glowing red and her sweet face now twisted into a sneer.

The two boys looked petrified as her hands wrapped around either hand that was on hers, the two males now trying to escape her hold.

"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to PLAY." She growled again, a nasty smile on her face and something malicious dancing in her eyes.

Angelo' mouth hung open as he watched her use all her strength and pull the boys closer to her, grabbing them by the collars and throwing them against the walls.

"I SAID NO! OR DO I HAVE TO BEAT IT INTO YOUR THICK SKULLS?" She screamed at them, holding them firmly to the wall.

"Alright, alright, just let us go!" The second boy cried out, looking ready to wet himself.

"Oh? You don't want to play any more? Well then," she leant closer, baring her fangs at both of them, "PISS. OFF."

The two boys couldn't have run faster if they'd tried. They'd been thrown off the wall and onto the floor and they quickly scuttled off, one of them turning around just before the turned at the end of the hallway.

"FREAK!" He yelled out and barrelled down the stairs like a coward.

The words struck something in Angelo and he remembered it wasn't himself they were talking about. He turned to face the girl and saw her standing with her head hung low again, her fists clenched tightly at her sides and her entire body shuddering.

"Stupid."

A quiet whisper escaped her lips and she raised her head slowly.

Angelo felt as if his heart was breaking at the sight of her. Yumiko' green eyes shone sadly as tears poured from her eyes, her lip curled into a deep frown.

"Stupid. Girl. Idiot. Yumie!" She cried out and turned on her heel, shouting out angry words that Angelo deciphered to be in her native Japanese tongue. He watched her disappear and clutched his hand to his heart, feeling the need to chase after her and take hold of her. He had an image of giving her a hug to make it all better, but at that moment, a hug was far from Yumiko' mind. She was thinking of the best way to get over the large walls that surrounded the outside of her bedroom.