*** I know I said this story'll be short, but the introduction's really long .-. We're near to the crime/mystery part though. ***

Sweet Girl

It was an exhausting day today. No, it wasn't the sports, I was fine with sports, I don't consider myself someone really strong but I'm not weak either. Earlier today, one of my teachers called me to her office. At the time, I forgot what class she taught, though I knew I met her once or twice around the corridors, on the dining hall too maybe, but that's all I know about that teacher (and the fact that she was one of the few teachers in the academy who's a woman).

On the way there I kept on thinking what I did wrong. It was lunch break, it's usually the time when I'd meet up with Rin, she's probably there waiting for me already. I hope she wasn't. Back to the topic. I'm not failing any subjects, I'm confident enough to say I'm one of the smartest students there. I've never broken any rules (not that I know of anyway. Except missing lunch break to meet up with a girl who's not a student, but I'm sure no one knew about that), I've never been late for class, I've never left out my vegetables, nothing.

Then I thought, maybe it had something to do with Rin after all? Though I wonder what's wrong about a girl coming to academy to read some notes. Although the breaking into part is a crime...

So I knocked on the teacher's door, her name was Ms. Avanna. The sign on the door clearly stated her role on the academy; she was the school's counselor. A counselor wanted to see me?

"Enter." She said from the inside. I reluctantly did so, wondering if I was in trouble. Was it because I didn't interact much and I didn't have friends? Shouldn't there be many students like me then?

"Sit down, Len." She smiled at me. I knew then she'd just get friendly at me first, THEN she'll start asking me questions. All counselors are like that, right? They're all nice, wanting to make you feel comfortable, until they force you to say your personal information with the "excuse" of wanting to help you and other similar sounding reasons. Maybe I was overreacting then. Maybe not all counselors like that. I wouldn't know. The academy was my first school.

"How are you liking the academy so far, Len?" It's one of those times where I wonder whether I should lie and nod so I could avoid further questioning, or tell the truth and risk being seen as a dangerous rebel. The building was like a death trap, which tremble like there's an earthquake every time people walk in groups, so it's not good for my heart. Though the people were bearable. Everyone was normal and not that irritating, students and teachers alike.

"It's fine." That was the best I could come up with. Let's put it this way; the academy wasn't bad or good, it was something in between. Ms. Avanna looked at me, and I tried to avoid any eye contacts. I didn't like the way she looked at me, the way she squinted her eyes, watching me from top to bottom. For some reason the word pedophile appeared on my mind, and I freaked out. I didn't let her see it though.

"*cough* Why did you call me here, Ms. Avanna?"

"I received a letter from your parents." She leaned down from her table closer to me. "Tell me, how long have you been in the academy?" Her voice wasn't that threatening and it wasn't sweet either. Which made it scarier for me, no, wait, I wasn't scared, I just felt a little uncomfortable with a potential pedophile who keeps looking at me top to bottom. God damn it Len, she's not a pedophile, what was I thinking?! Am I that type of person who gets nervous breakdown in his every first try?!

"Three, maybe four weeks?" She sat back on her chair, and I blew a small sigh of relief, I got my space back. Huzzah.

"And during your stay here, when was the last time you mailed a letter to your parents?" Have to admit she surprised me. Really? I was called in to a counselor's office because I didn't mail a letter to my own parents? Sure, I read my parents' letters. Unlike the other students' letters, they're more formal letters than caring, that's why I never bothered. I thought they wouldn't care whether I send letters or not.

"Len?" Oh, I was distracted again. I can never get this habit off me, it's a bit irritating to me, and to other people. Though to me, it's irritating because a certain someone, namely Rin, thinks that the only way to drag me back to reality was to inflict pain to me, like slapping me or pinching me.

"I thought they wouldn't care if I send a letter or not, I'm doing fine." Ms. Avanna nodded, as if she understood something (what's there to understand in this situation?).

"Can I leave?" I took a shot on asking her. It's really uncomfortable in there.

"No, dear, you have to listen to me. Your parents are worried about you, okay? You should write a letter on how you're doing tonight once you get to your dorm."

"If they're worried why did it take them four weeks to tell you about it?" I shouldn't have said that. I wanted to face palm myself for saying that, why did I say it?!

"Do you have a problem with your parents, Len?" What took her so long to realize that? I thought to myself. From the beginning I assumed she knew I had a little relationship problem.

"I don't have a problem." I wanted to show and convince her that I don't, I don't want to waste my lunch break talking with someone about my problems. Rin's a different matter, because she blackmailed me for one reason, and she doesn't have that annoying gaze.

"You're not the talking type are you?" Wow, what was her first clue? She must had noticed me rolling my eyes (there were so many things I regret on doing today, and it's only lunch time.) "You can go now, Len. Just remember this academy has a school's counselor, a nice one at that. "She winked at me." If you have any problems you can always talk to me." She returned to her papers (what do counselors write, exactly...?) and I went for the door.

That ended well, I didn't have to talk much or do anything (in other words, I didn't have to waste my time there), I had to write a letter to my parents, and that's that.

Well, since that's over, I got to rush to Rin.

12:20 PM

Ten more minutes and break would be over. I knew I should be going to class then, it could take up five to ten minutes (with my pace at least) to walk into my classroom. Despite the academy's horrible structure, horrible floor, horrible walls, horrible everything, it's quite large. To walk from the furthest east of the building to the opposite side on the west could take up fifteen minutes. If I talk to Rin and spend my time with her it'd waste around fifteen minutes, twenty, maybe. I'd be really late to class.

I was near our usual rendezvous spot, in fact I could see small figure from where I was walking. What was I thinking about again...? Oh yeah, the high possibility of me being late to class. Weird, I don't know why I bothered coming to her. I didn't argue with myself whether to go to class or meet up with Rin. I admit being with her is less frustrating than being in class, but really, I wonder why I didn't mind risking my perfect record.

It's been weeks already, so I guess we could be called friends; no, we're closer than that, we're good friends. I've never missed a day where we're supposed to meet and neither had she. Huh. So my 'meeting-Rin' attendance record is more important than my class attendance report. Weird.

"I was about to leave!" Apparently I walked too slowly and Rin decided to just run to me.

"The school's counselor called me earlier, I cou-"

"I don't care! Why are you here now? Your break ends in ten minutes, you know that right?" I was surprised she brought this up; this was the last thing I thought she'd say. She cared, how sweet...

"I just thought, you know, it's..." I knew I had to explain to her why I was there in the first place, though when things came down to it I couldn't really answer her. I looked like an idiot. "I have nothing to say."

"Scatterbrain... Go up to your class now, you're going to be late!"

"You're not angry? We haven't discussed yesterday's material, and you were looking forward to what I studied in music!" Which was why I was surprised she didn't get mad at me. Rin was looking forward to music, that's one.

"We can always discuss it tomorrow, or the day after that, or the day after that." Rin turned me around and started pushing me; I tried to hold back and resist a little bit though. "You have a class to go to, hurry up!" A part of me wanted her to stop pushing me away, but I started to run anyway.

I didn't look back, but I was sure Rin was climbing up the fence as I ran. Once I was far enough where Rin couldn't see me I slowed down and eventually returned to my usual "slow" pace. It was a pity that I couldn't spend time with Rin today, though there's always tomorrow, just like she said. I took my small notebook from my right hand pocket, opened it, and ran through the schedule. Three more subjects until dinner; math, science, and English. Speaking of English, tonight I had to write a letter to my parents. What should I write, exactly...? I'm not good in talking, so I've always have trouble writing long letters. Even if I write two paragraphs, it would be enough wouldn't it?

Gah, I don't know.

8:15 PM

My roommates were asleep already by this time. We never really talk to each other, heck, there were only three people (including myself) here and I don't know it's good thing or not that the three of us were the awkward anti-social type. I don't even know their names, and I don't think they know mine.

Its fine, I like it better that way since I don't like making small talks. Though it could be worse; my roommates could be the naughty loud ones who never stay put.

I sat there on my bed, trying to think up a topic for my parents' letter. So far the words I've written: 0. The paper was completely blank and so was my mind. Maybe I needed something to distract my mind a little bit? I've finished all my homework's so I couldn't do that. I realized I was still wearing my usual uniform though, I haven't changed my clothes since dinner, and I haven't taken a bath either. Great, I knew just what to do to distract my head for a while; and if I'm lucky enough I could get some sort of inspiration in the bathroom for my letter.

So I left my table, went to my cupboard, grabbed a towel, my pajamas, and walked to the bathroom. Sure, I've said some bad things about the academy's structure / building (because they were bad) but my room was fine. It's probably one of the best things (in comparison to everything else in this academy) I got here.

The bathroom on the other hand wasn't that special, it was a small tub, big enough to fit two kids my age, with all of our bathroom equipment around the sides. I hung my towel and clothes at the hanger and unbuckled my belt. For some reason my pants felt a little heavier than usual. My notebook wasn't in my pants' pocket so it shouldn't be that, though when my hand reached out for my pockets something was there. It was a small white box, around my pinkie's length, wrapped in a pink ribbon. I opened the ribbon only to see a chocolate truffle inside.

Why and how did that chocolate truffle get into my pants' pocket? I doubt any of my classmates or roommates would give me this, could it be Rin? Or it could be Ms. Avanna from earlier (I didn't remember her hand near my pants, I was sure of that). What happened earlier? Wouldn't I have noticed it if anyone did anything?

Rin and I met up for a few minutes then she started pushing me on going back to class. Wait, she pushed me. What if she put something there while she was pushing me? Then again, why would she do it, why would anyone want to give me a chocolate truffle? In the end, about 95% of my mind was filled with chocolate truffle, and I still couldn't think about anything to write to my parents.

Which left me no choice.

February 14th 1905

Dear mom and dad.

I'm sorry I haven't written any letters for you. I've always assumed you were busy and wouldn't have time to read my letters; I never bothered to do it. I hope you're doing well, because I'm doing just fine. I don't know where to start in the academy; nothing is perfect so I'll just say it has its ups and downs. The teachers are really nice and I've yet to find annoying ones, my studies are going well and my grades are great. There isn't much to tell.

On my first day of the academy, I met a really sweet girl. She was annoying at first, as I get to know her the past few weeks, she's not that bad. It took me a while to realize, but something tells me she thinks of me as a close friend (and I think of her the same way as well). She gave me a chocolate truffle for Valentine today (something I recently just realized as well) I was puzzled at first on why she'd give me such a thing, until I sat down and tried to write a letter for you. The date was a clue.

I have some complaints about the academy because it's a deathtrap, but it's getting a bit late, so I think I should end the letter here. It's not like anything I say could change anything about the academy's condition. So, good night.

P.S. The name of the girl I was talking about is Rin.

Sincerely, your son.