Snitching
Once again I find myself sitting in the office (main, not guidance), waiting for the principal to get off of his inflated bum and see me. I've got the logs I printed out in one of my folders, and each time I lick my lips nervously I can taste the salt. I'm definitely taking a risk here.
"Tatsuya, the principal will see you now."
Hesitating, I stand up, thumb through my logs, and walk into the principal's office like I'm walking the green mile. I push the door open and see Mr. Flint adjusting his glasses and scrolling through something on his laptop. I clear my throat and uneasily lower myself into a hard plastic chair in front of his desk.
"Ah, Mr. Mizuno!" He says my name Mih-zoo-noh instead of Me-zoo-noh. It irks me, but I don't call him out. "I just talked to your father over the weekend. Getting married, is he?"
"Yes." And if you have time to come up with schmoozing topics, you have time to learn how to say my name properly. "But that's not what I'm hear to talk to you about, Mr. Flint."
"But of course. It has to be something important."
Get your lips off of my ass, please.
"I wanted to talk to you about something that's been bothering me."
"Oh? What is it, my boy?"
"I wanted to talk to you about some...bullying that's been going on."
Mr. Flint puckers his lips and his face turns white. Bullying is one of those things that people in pretend positions of power don't like hearing of. Because once it reaches the people who do matter, it could mean lawsuits. Job loss. Other things that make principals shake in their well-shined dress shoes.
"Close the door, would you, Tatsuya?"
I slip out of my chair and quickly push the heavy door shut. Flint waits until I sit back down before he continues.
"Now, what seems to be the matter, my boy? Has someone been bullying you? I find it improbable, a kid as popular as you, but if someone's harassing you – "
"It's not me, Mr. Flint. It's someone I know."
"As it always is." He chuckles nervously. "So, this is a friend of yours? What's going on with him?"
"Her. She's being bullied to the extreme, both at school and on the internet. I want to know if there's anything that can be done."
"O-oh..." Flint twiddles his thumbs and I can see sweat forming on his shiny bald head.
"Someone's been taking humiliating pictures of her and posting them on the Net, sir. And just the other day someone dumped a bottle of water on her head."
"Just who are you talking about, Tatsuya?"
"Evangeline Mitsurugi," I say after inhaling deeply.
"She's the one doing all of this?"
"No! She's the one being bullied!" Frantically, I pull out my evidence and throw it onto the desk. "The chat log is between me and one of Rei's former friends."
"Rei?"
"That's what Evangeline likes to go by."
Mr. Flint's face is twisted with disbelief. He doesn't want to believe what I'm saying. He wants me to be wrong, and I wish I was. The fact is, though, what I'm sitting on is undeniable. There's no ignoring this. He carefully looks over my logs and the photos.
"Who is this talking in this log?"
"LarukuFan is me, and StarGirl96 is Desiree Chezric." I chew on my lower lip nervously.
"And Jamie mentioned in these logs...?"
"Jamie Hammond."
"Hmm...I'll look into it, Tatsuya, but I can't guarantee I can do anything." Setting the papers down, he folds his hands almost pleading with me. "If I can make heads or tails of what you've given me, and this leads to something, I'll let you know. I promise you." What? The address is right there! You could just check out the blog right now! Why are you putting this off to the side?
"Alright, Mr. Flint."
"Do understand that while we don't condone this kind of thing, only so many things are under the school's jurisdiction. Does that make sense?"
Yes, it does. It means you really don't want to dirty your hands with this. Getting involved is dangerous.
"I honestly do care about this. I'm not just cowering, here."
Yes you are.
"I'll discuss this with you later. Tell your father I said hi."
Fat chance of that message reaching him.
Distressed, I pick up my folder and leave. I don't respond when one of the nicer secretaries says hi to me, and I'm in such an angry rush that I nearly run into three different people. Sometimes I wish I could clear a path right down the crowd of people that gets in my way like Moses parting water.
Walking home after soccer practice, Rei approaches me for once. She looks very pissed – much like how I felt earlier. I start to say hi to her when she's within talking distance, but she cuts me off and grabs me by the collar of my shirt.
"What the hell is your problem?!" she screams into my face. It's a little surprising how strong such a small girl is. "I told you I didn't want or need your fucking help!"
"Easy! Easy!" Carefully, I pry her hands off of me. "What did you expect me to do? Just sit back and be quiet?"
"Yes! I expected you to leave me alone and mind your own damn business like everyone else! Thanks to you I now have to listen to some counselor with her own issues ask me nosy questions and pull me out of class when I'm already falling behind!" Her eyes are wild with fury, and her hair is a little stringy.
"Sorry for trying to be a decent person, yeesh." Now I understand why people torment you so. You brought it upon yourself, you lunatic! You have serious problems. "What the hell is your problem, anyway? Why do you hate people so much?"
"In case you haven't noticed, I don't necessarily get along all that well with people," Rei spits. "It's easier if they leave me alone and I leave them alone."
"Even if they try to help you? Try to be nice to you?"
"Yes."
"Even if they don't have any ulterior motives?"
"Don't be naive. No one ever does anything that doesn't help them, whether it be short term or long term."
"I see." I take a moment to think over what she's said. "You have a pretty depressing outlook on things."
"Well, everything up 'til now has been pretty fricken depressing." I find myself chuckling even though I shouldn't be. "What the hell are you laughing at?"
"N-nothing...it's just..."
"What?!"
"You're kinda cute when you throw a tantrum."
....Wait.
Wait. Wait. Wait.
I did not just say that aloud...did I?
"Ooooh." Rei is seething now, and her face is bright red. At the same time, I'm blushing slightly. "You are such a jerk!" Turning on her heel, she storms off. This time, though, she isn't getting away.
"Hey, hold on a minute! I didn't mean to say that!" I shout after her, following with my soccer bag weighing me down.
"Yeah? Well you're not going to smooth talk me and put me over like the other girls!"
"Wait, what other girls?!" I think I'm really starting to hate her. "Look, I'm not trying to romance you or anything because I think I can get any girl I want. And even if I was, you would not be my first pick."
Stopping abruptly, Rei's head whips around, her hair following behind.
"So you're saying I'm ugly?"
"W-what? No! No, no, no, I'm not. You're actually quite pretty, just like a lot of other girls."
"I'm not like other girls," Rei growls.
"Well, you're certainly acting like them."
"...What did you say?"
"I said you're acting like them." My voice regains steadiness. I'm about to hit home with her. "You're being difficult and touchy and nothing anyone says to you is right."
"It's not my fault you're an idiot," she snaps.
"And it's not my fault that you hate the world."
Frustrated, Rei huffs and puffs and...calms down?
"Fine."
"Huh?"
"I said fine. What do you want?"
"To be honest...I don't know. I'm still trying to get over the fact that this is the most I've heard you talk. Ever. I didn't think I'd ever get you to really talk to me, arguing or otherwise."
A thoughtful expression wipes over Rei's face, and she takes a moment to answer me.
"Well, then. I guess I'll talk to you later then...you have the same lunch period as me, right?"
"Mmhm."
"I'll see you then, I guess. 'Bye!"
Once again I'm left standing alone, dumbfounded. I honestly don't know what happened. Did I just make friends with her?
She's crazy, isn't she? Well, to be fair I don't think anyone's sane, but hey. Written to the awesome sounds of Daft Punk and Utada Hikaru. Many thanks again to Phoenixofdarkness6263 for reviewing. I'm glad you like this fic. It means a lot to me when someone likes my writing. I kinda feel bad because I'm neglecting my Phoenix Wright fic, but until I get the muse for it again, it will have to sit on the back burner for now. I've got too many ideas for Senseless right now.