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Chapter II

Resonance

This night just seemed to get weirder and weirder. First I was attacked by and then saved by total strangers, and now I was seeing phantom paw prints? I was surely losing my mind, which apparently ran in the family. Grumbling to myself about strange men and shaking my head, I made my way through the parking lot in front of the tower that was meant to be my new residence.

The lights from the individual units were shining onto the street and glinting off of the shiny surfaces of new and fancy-looking cars, a sure sign of wealth I did not have. How on earth was I supposed to afford living here with the measly paycheck I was sure to be getting from a restaurant? I'd have to call my parents tomorrow and talk it over with them.

There was barely a crunch underfoot as I strolled briskly over the dust of snow on the ground, eager to get inside and set everything up. It was, after all, Saturday, and I planned to spend Sunday getting used to the neighbourhood that I was surely going to get lost in and planning out a walking route to school. Therefore, I didn't have much time to do anything before school started on Monday. With that in mind, I picked up the pace and eventually crossed the entire parking lot and was swished into the foyer by some automatic doors (eep).

Upon crossing the threshold into the warm building, the first thing I noticed was an entire wall of mailboxes to my right. I made a face at them and all the tenants that were apparently calling this place home. On the left side of the entrance was a mahogany door that read 'Management' in some fancy-ass gold lettering. I steeled my shoulders and made my heavy legs carry me over there despite the frantic and panicked pace of my heart. I rapped on the door quietly but urgently, meaning that I meant business and soon, but I wasn't going to be mean about it.

A suave-looking man with slicked back salt-and-pepper hair greeted me with a smile that looked permanently imprinted on his face from abusing it too much. "Hello," he greeted in a deep, polite voice. The office he had just emerged from smelled awfully sterile and like leather, making the scent waft into the lobby. "What can I help you with?"

"Uh, hi," I said, almost visibly wincing at my audible hesitation. "I'm the new tenant that was supposed to be moving in today?"

"Ah, yes, I've been expecting you." He held out a withered, pale hand to shake, and I took it with one of my clammy ones. I immediately regretted doing so once our hands were apart and he tried to discreetly wipe his palm on his spiffy pantaloons. "Snow Hisayuki, yes?" I nodded, incapable of furthering any coherent conversation. "Hang on just one moment."

He quickly darted back into the office, leaving me alone in the potpourri smelling foyer. The walls were a dark, polished wood, the floor a glistening red tile with intricate golden designs. My brain was automatically pounding the words I don't belong here into my every thought, and I didn't realize how true they were at the time.

"Here we are," said the man, slithering out of the office so suddenly I jumped. He gave me an odd speculating look, but blessedly chose to ignore my jumpiness. "Mary and Jack are very good friends of mine. I'm appeased to finally be of use to them." Mary and Jack were my aforementioned adopted parents who seemed to have some sort of connection with everyone, and could always get discounts or coupons wherever they went. It didn't come as a surprise that they were able to get a swanky apartment like this for a deal.

He handed me a key to what must've been my new apartment that glinted like a bladed knife in the lights of the foyer. "This is your key, and I trust that you will take the utmost care of it. If you ever have any problems, do not hesitate to come to me or any other one of the workers in the building. My name is Reginald Brooks, for the record, and my assistant that can be seen running around every now and again- you'll recognize her by all the flyaway hair and cowlicks- is Susan. You're on floor twelve, unit one hundred and twenty-three." He cocked his head to the side and gave me a peculiar look. "Do you need me to show you the way?"

Ah. So he was informed of my unfortunate dyrexia. I shook my head, forcing a smile on my face. "No, thank you."

"Good luck settling in, then. And do try not to disturb your neighbours." And with that, he turned on the heel of his black, polished loafers and strode back into his office, practically slamming the door.

…Was there something about me today that honestly gave everyone the impression that I liked to be emotionally abused? Shaking my head, I made my way over to the elevator that glinted like steel in the light, and pressed the button with the arrow pointing up.

I had to wait a while, tapping my foot and an impatient rhythm and pondering over the events of the night. My job was all set up, so I didn't have a thing to worry about, really. The only thing that kept bothering me was that Ikuto guy. Now I was really hoping that we didn't go to school together, since his personality highly resembled that of a cat's. Haughty, bored, likes to play with things without really considering anyone but himself. Feh. And just earlier he proclaimed he "wouldn't even think of touching someone like me", but then he goes and acts all suave and charming a few minutes later? Man, talk about a sense of disconnection.

I should probably just forget about it. After all, I was now living in a big city, and there was a chance I'd never see him again. Satisfied with that closure, I smiled and nodded to myself as if there was someone listening to my thoughts. I heard the monotonous ding of the elevator that meant it had reached the foyer, and I was about to watch it open and step in when I noticed someone.

The foyer opened in the small, business area, then expanded further into more of a lounge, with stuffed velvety red chairs, oriental wallpaper, and shiny mahogany tables. My eyes travelled over to that area to find someone staring at me with their jaw completely slack. It was hard to define any features from the light illuminating their back, but I could clearly define the look of their eyes nearly popping out of their head.

Tense moments of silent ticked on by as we stared silently at each other, a cold sweat beading on the back of my neck. What was their deal? I was just standing here, and I didn't look that out of place in a swanky place like this… did I? They stumbled forward slightly, almost in a daze, and I was able to discern that it was a man, who looked to be in his early twenties from his smooth, pale complexion and eyes that were completely aware.

His hair was dark, with bangs that fell into eyes the colour of a neon green sign, blinking repeatedly in surprise. He was tall, taller than me by a few inches, wearing a black and white business suit with a crisp white shirt and a strangely shaped pendant swinging from his neck that looked oddly like a snowflake. The eyelashes that framed those two green beacons of light made it seem like he could've been wearing mascara, casting eerie shadows over his face, and almost making him seem like a predator. It may have just been the pressure from all this moving going to my head, but I was pretty sure that having someone like that gaping at you wasn't normal.

It was a few more moments until he spoke, and when he did, my body completely froze as if ice had bloomed inside of me. "Gabriel…?" He said, barely a whisper.

The sound of my father's name coming out of some stranger's mouth got him a good glare and the snapping of my teeth. I didn't want to know why he asked if I was my father, so I turned on my heel and marched straight into the elevator. I was enveloped by a strange, almost orange scent that most elevators seemed to carry, and was trapped in a case of glass, different reflections of me surrounding me like a crushing pressure.

My bangs, usually swept over to the side just above my right eyebrow, were covering my right eye, hiding half of my broken expression from the world. The image of my father, so etched into my mind that it was impossible to erode away, flitted through my mind like a fleeting dream. I clenched my shaking hands into fists. That day thirteen years ago was what destroyed my life. Why would he leave? I could never straighten out the jumbled mess of that day in my head, no matter how hard I tried over the years. He was happy with Mom and I, always smiling and teaching me many things. I couldn't conjure up a plausible reason for why he would even think of leaving.

I shook my head and smacked my cheeks. It wasn't the time to be burning over the past now. It was over with, and he was gone. There was really no point in wondering why it happened, since I believed that everything happened for a reason. Besides, he could be dead for all I know. The thought wasn't painful to consider at all, maybe because while I did love my father, he also ruined what could've been a good life by leaving. Maybe I resented him and loved him at the same time. There was a strange numbness in my chest, further proving my theory that while I had a smile on my face more often than not, my heart could very well be made of ice.

The reflective elevator dinged when it reached floor twelve, and I heaved a sigh as the doors slid open. This was it; I was about to step into my new home. Ugh, I'd have to sort through so many things, trying to quietly move furniture and loading stuff into closets. Moving was such a hassle, and it was even worse when you were living alone and had no one to help you. Pain in the ass, here I come.

The hallway was warm and welcoming, with vanilla bean coloured walls and a crimson carpet covering the floor and muffling my footsteps. Scattered down the hallway in a straight line and sequential pattern were little dark-coloured tables with vases of flowers spilling over them in a waterfall of colours and scents. Not being one for botany, I hardly recognized any of them, except for maybe the drooping pink bleeding hearts that grazed the surface of the table. Which just so happened to be stationed right next to my unit, one hundred and twenty-three. That seemed easy enough. My apartment was literally 1-2-3. I doubted I'd get lost… too often.

Even though my pounding heart was mostly because of my nervousness, I couldn't stop the goofy grin from exploding on my face. I was old enough to take care of myself (to an extent, anyway). I considered this a huge accomplishment, although not much had changed from the time after my mother and I were separated. I was still on my own in a world that seemed to keep getting bigger and lonelier. Not that it mattered anymore.

With a shaking hand, I shoved the key into the small keyhole, biting my lip slightly. It unlocked easily with a clockwise twist, and when I felt the give of the lock, an unstoppable squeal of glee erupted from my mouth. After that embarrassing little sound that I'd probably regret for the rest of my life, I quickly threw glances all down the hall. No one saw me. Amen.

I pushed my (heehee) door open, and a huge, ugly frown took residence on my face. Even though it was plunged into darkness, the apartment already looked expensive and gorgeous from the three large floor-to-ceiling windows that were on the wall facing the street that illuminated shining floors with moonlight. I glanced to the wall beside me, checking for a light switch of any kind. I ended up locating a dimmer, and cranked it up high to check the place out. The frown grew what could've been considered more of a scowl.

Of course it was all modernized and fancy-looking. The floors were a polished, almost golden wood, changing to black-and-white checkered tiles into the open-concept kitchen. Upon entering, there was a large amount of free space, but then in the middle of the room was a small set of a few steps that led into a dented space where I could already see the entertainment unit and such going. There was short hallway further in that surely led to the bed and bathroom.

Now I was all excited. Even though the walls were a plain eggshell colour, this was my own place, and I could do with it what I wanted. There were boxes piled everywhere, my small couch and loveseat that I picked out with Mary prior to the move standing cushion-less in the indented space. I hoped my bed from the old house was assembled in what would be my room, so I wouldn't have to bother putting it together myself.

I ditched my suitcase and purse on the royal blue couch and tromped down the small hall. There were two doors, one on the left side and one on the right. The one on the left was the bathroom, with a black-tiled walk-in shower, spotless porcelain sink and toilet, and a rimless mirror cabinet hitched on the wall above it. I put my face into my hands and admittedly let out a girlish squeal. I had this place all to myself! I was what could be considered an official adult at the age of eighteen.

To the bedroom! I scuttled across the hall and tore open the other door. Sure enough, it was a small space with the same gold wood floors, but this room had a white wall with spiraling gray designs painted on it. My old IKEA-brand Malm bed was (thankfully) fully assembled, stripped, and snuggled into the crook in the corner, with the queen-size mattress propped up against the wall beside it. Bless the movers for getting my black wood, veneered desk in here, too, smaller boxes piled on it where it stood against the wall. The closet was a fairly good size, and would easily be able to hold the clothes I had shipped over.

For the sake of relaxing, I quickly toppled the mattress onto the black wood veneered bed frame, then collapsed on it with a pleased sigh. I was completely alone, living by my own rules now. I was a tad bit worried about being overloaded with school, work, and rent, but I hoped it would all work out somehow. I had never felt so free before, not having to listen to nurses from the hospital, the old hags at the orphanage, or even my parents. I was even happier to be all alone when I started laughing maniacally on the bed, completely filled with exploding glee.

I heaved myself off the bed and made my way back into the den. Poking my head into the small kitchen, I checked the clock of the pre-installed microwave and saw that it was only seven thirty p.m. I still had plenty of time to unpack and organize until a decent bed time. So I chucked off my coat, revealing the light blue, off-the-shoulder top I just threw on in the airport bathroom, and began unpacking.

I started with the bedroom first, considering that I'd be sleeping there tonight. I wrangled all of my clothes into the closet, chucking my pairs of shoes on the floor inside, and dressed the bed in my blue, black, and white bed spread. All of my papers and laptop were put in and on the desk, and I excitedly rode down the hall on my wheeled computer chair and into the room, giggling like a five-year-old the entire time.

The unpacking continued for hours, earning me a pair of sore arms from all the lifting and tearing boxes open. It got to the point where I had managed to push the couch and love seat to the sides of the in-room box in an L shape and decided it was time for a break. So I looked up the local phone directory on my cell phone and called a pizza place, planning to munch on it for a good half hour and then get back to work.

I called it a day at eleven thirty, tired and completely proud of myself for getting so much done. My bedroom and bathroom were done, now all that was really left was the living room and kitchen. Not that I had a lot of food to put away. I then put "Go grocery shopping" on my mental to-do list, figuring I would have to make do with the minimal cash I had left on me.

After munching on pizza that was way cheesier and greasier than I was used to, I stripped off all of my clothes and just threw on an oversized tee shirt to sleep in. Exhaustion was getting the better of me from the way I just collapsed on my freshly made bed, the duvet fluffing up around me, phone in hand. I stared at the black screen for a moment, rubbing mascara from my eyes, then decided to call my parents, despite the time. I hoped that difference wasn't going to be too bad, since they told me to call them as soon as I settled in. I speed-dialed the number and waited to rings before Mary answered.

"Snooooow," she sobbed into the line, her usually sweet and high-pitched voice torn apart by ragged breathing and cries. "I miss you so much already! How have you settled in? Is everything okay? Do you need anything? We did promise to split the rent fifty-fifty, but if money is an issue-"

"Everything is fine," I groaned, throwing an arm over my eyes. "My job is all set for Wednesday, and school starts Monday. How much is the rent here, anyway?"

A moment of silence from the other line. Then a sniffle. "A thousand dollars a month."

My mouth twitched into a frown. "That shouldn't be too bad. So long as I get my salary on time and everything, and didn't they say it'd be about nine bucks an hour when you called them?"

"Yeah. And if you can't make it, don't hesitate to call and ask for anything-"

"It won't be a problem, relax," I chuckled, feeling kind of lonely without her constantly hovering over my shoulder, worrying, supporting. I was really all alone here, and I couldn't trouble them too much. After all, I was an adult. Hmph.

"Did you run into any trouble there so far?" She asked me, probably hinting at my dyrexia and asking me if I got lost.

I was silent for a few beats, reflecting on getting attacked by those guys, that rude Ikuto guy, and the weird man in the lobby. And then I said, "Nothing important."

}{

I jerked awake because of that falling sensation you got in your stomach sometimes, even though you don't remember dreaming. Disoriented for a moment, I blearily glared at my surroundings, then remembered that this was my new room. In my new apartment.

…Heehee.

Last night I had apparently fallen unconscious right after the phone call and discussing visiting days and breaks with Mary. I didn't even bother to crawl under the covers, and I woke up with the phone still in my hand. Sunlight was beaming in through the window in my room, illuminating dancing dust motes and glaring in my eyes. Getting up felt arduous and not worth it, but I had things to do today. So I managed to drag myself out of bed, trudging across the hall into the bathroom and prepping myself to get changed.

One all made up and primped, I threw on dark wash jeans and a white off-shoulder cashmere sweater. I swiped my phone off the bed and tucked it in my back pocket, easy to access, but also easy to misunderstand if I was giving off the impression that I was groping myself. I slid down the hall cheerily in sock feet, happy and sad to be alone. No one would be calling me awake anymore, and I wouldn't wake up to the smell of bacon or pancakes or something that always made my morning. I would have to fend for myself. And right now that meant grabbing some take-out for breakfast.

I grabbed my purse off of the island in the kitchen, checking to make sure I had everything I needed. Map was there (not that it'd really help), keys, wallet, iPod… I didn't think I needed anything else. But as I was shoving my feet into my boots, I didn't even think to grab a coat because I didn't feel cold at all. Not that I ever did.

With one hand on the doorknob, I reached over to my right to crank the light dimmer to nothing. The room still remained fairly light from the sun streaming in through the window wall and balcony, and I smiled at the room behind me. I was free to be myself here, and do whatever I wanted. If I made friends, I could bring them over and we could do whatever. The very thought was very enticing, and I felt very cool for being able to say that I lived on my own.

Smiling to myself, I dug my iPod out of my purse, shoved the earbuds in and chose a song. I tucked it back in, fished my keys out, opened the door and stepped into the bright hallway. There was someone beside me leaving their own apartment as well, and my heart gave a sweetened thump at having my own neighbours. I paid them no mind as I locked the door and plopped my keys back in my purse. As I strolled down the hall to the elevator, I could feel their eyes, whoever they were, on the back of my neck, an incessant tingle that meant I was being stared at. I tried not to glance over at them as I waited for the elevator. But that prove futile when curiosity about who I was living next to now got the best of me. I slid my gaze over to them, and immediately regretted it.

The dark-haired man from last night.

I practically ran into the elevator.

Collapsing against the mirrored wall, I tried to catch my breath that had suddenly rushed out of me the moment I met his alert green gaze. Damn, I was living beside someone who might know my father. Or at least recognized him, since I looked more like him than Mom. The innocent bystanders that had the worst luck by ending up in the same elevator as me had to watch in stunned silence as I let out a tut. Living here just got a lot more complicated.

The elevator ride was tense and uncomfortable, a young mother and son unabashedly boring their eyes into my head. With the blaring volume of my music, there was no doubt in my mind that they could hear the bursting thrums of electric guitar coming from the earbuds in the confined space. All the more reason why I practically stormed out of the elevator and into the lobby when the ride was finally over.

How to go about this? I wondered idly to myself as I leaned against the glass wall of the towering apartments, staring at the map in my hands, slightly crumpled in the corner from my confused clutch. The school I was supposed to be attending, Seiyo Academy, wasn't a great distance from the apartments, an easy walk. Grumbling to myself, I dug in my purse until I managed to find a pen, then drew a squiggly line that went east from the apartments for what could be five minutes, north for another five, east again for ten, then north one more time for five. A twenty-five minute walk altogether, doable in warmer seasons but a pain in the ass in the winter.

I buried my face in the crinkled map, then tried to guess which direction was east from here. I decided left from where I stood, then set off to test my route and prayed that I didn't get lost again in an unfamiliar city. The dust of snow on the ground had melted overnight, leaving a damp sidewalk that created a wet, crunchy noise as my boots thudded against it. Cars flashed by me with a whoosh of wind, a reminder that I was in a bigger city now, but an emptier one, in a way. Everyone in New Orleans always seemed so upbeat, so enthusiastic and entertaining with their classic, myth-filled voodoo museums, the cafés that practically oozed the smell of beignets. I heaved a sigh as I kept staring down at the map, flicking my head between it and the sidewalk that was filled with people milling by me. Now I knew how girls from small towns felt when they travelled all the way to the big city.

On the five minute mark, I dared a glance to my left, which should've been north from my calculations (not that I trusted them in the slightest). There was indeed a sidewalk leading up towards a slight incline, the honking and busy city leading towards a more residential area filled with cheery townhouses, green grass, and healthy trees. I took that left, my heart pounding over the beating music in a panicked, hopeful way.

Sure enough, after a right and another left, I stumbled towards a building that could've easily been a small castle. It looked like it was made out of some classy white stone, with tall rectangular spires, flourishing gardens, and even a set of large, near eight-meter tall wrought iron gates with intricate and spiral designs. There was a large, metallic sign attached to the wall that surrounded the building's perimeter that read 'Seiyo Academy' in a blunt, bold font, announcing both business and wealth. I couldn't believe this place was a school! The grass was green even despite the cool weather, surely fake and polished, though there were tall trees that looked as if they were trying to claw open the sky and let the angelic choir sing on this academy. If I squinted into the distance, I swore I could see a spherical glass structure that was shaped kind of like a kaleidoscope, with square pieces of glass reflecting light in prisms in every direction. It was like I was standing before hundreds of years of history and hard work, what with the arched windows, glass double doors, cobblestone walkways, and primped and primed gardens that exploded colour in the monochromic fall season, along with the blood red fall leaves.

Well. I didn't know what to think. When Mary and I were looking over the general area of the city, there was more than this academy to choose to attend. There were lesser, not as famous choices, but this one was closer to the apartments than the other one we were considering, Mayosu Academy, where a famous idol was said to attend or something. So Seiyo it was. But now I was beginning to regret that decision. This school looked like it was made for the rich, upper-class folk, and how out of place would I be with my yat dialect, white hair, and purple eyes with icy blue flecks? It wasn't like I was exactly poor, either, but I wouldn't exactly call myself high class. A cold, nervous sweat was breaking out on the back of my neck even as a breeze blew the hair around my face and made my trademark small braid that I always tied in the middle of the mass thump against my back. That was it. The route I planned out had worked, now I was hungry and upset. Time to go.

With pursed lips and a heavy heart, I began making my way back down the hill Seiyo Academy was stationed on top of, towards the townhouses with the friendly-looking gardens and trees swaying in what must've been a cool fall breeze. I scratched the back of my head in frustration, glaring at the map and wondering where I could go to get some food, like a McDonald's or something.

It was no surprise that, while coming down a large hill and glaring at a map with music blaring in my ears, I didn't hear the sound of a ball being kicked very roughly and powerfully. Air go, I also didn't hear a mature guy's voice screech at me to watch out. So when I felt a presence approaching me at an alarming rate, I looked up from the map and turned my head to my right just in time to get a soccer ball smack in the face.

I could feel it crush against my nose and face with a horrible, stinging impact so filled with force that I actually fell backwards, the map coming loose in my hands and headphones flying out of my ears. I lay paralysed for a moment, awestruck at how a ball could have that much force behind it, furious at the kicker, and trying not to scream in pain from my red face and ringing ears. I could hear two pairs of footsteps thundering towards me, and before I knew it, the silhouettes of two teenage guys were standing above me, one's expression increasingly worried and the other's looking like he was trying hard not to laugh.

The one who seemed to find this situation hilarious struck me as what Puck from a Midsummer Night's Dream could look like if he was real, with wild red hair sticking out in every direction, and light, forest green eyes that had a mischievous glint in them and a prick of tears from holding in laughter. It looked like he was just getting over a tan from his golden skin tone, the muscles of his arms giving me the impression that he was a sports player and total beach boy. The features of his face were pointed and cast curious shadows over his rapidly reddening complexion, and most of my rage was directed at him and his reaction.

On the other hand, the guy beside him seemed like the exact opposite, with gentle features, a worried expression, and light, wispy blonde hair very tidily styled. He was much shorter and leaner than the jerkass dude, his skin paler and not as sun-kissed. His eyes, though, were another story, a deep almost maroon colour with concern written in them like a confession, honest and true. Normally I wouldn't have even blamed him for anything, but at that moment I was humiliated and hurting, so of course my old title from middle school of the "Snow Monster" came back in a fury.

"What tha hell's yer problem?!" I demanded, the yat dialect coming on full force like it always did when I was angry.

"Sorry, sorry," the Puck look-alike snickered, wiping tears from his evil little eyes. "I totally didn't see you there. My bad."

"Are you alright?" The other guy asked in a much gentler voice, actually holding out a hand to help me up. But I was in no mood for taking anyone's kindness or pity, so I completely ignored it and shoved myself off the ground, standing at my full height which was just about the same as his. They both seemed surprised by my full appearance, but I didn't even care as I plucked my map and iPod off the ground and shoved them back in my purse.

"Does it look like I'm alright?" I hissed, face flaming as I glared at the pair of them. "Didn't yer parents ever tell ya not ta play in tha streets?"

The redhead rolled his eyes. "Come on, it was an accident. I apologized, didn't I?"

I quirked a pale eyebrow in challenge, making him raise his in return. "And ya think that's enough fer compensation?"

He held up his hands in surrender. "Fine, fine. What can we do to make it up to you?"

"We?" The other guy asked, looking between us worriedly. I almost felt kind of bad that the redhead was roping him into all of this. Almost.

A smirk twitched its way into existence on my face. "Well, there is something I have in mind."

}{

"Feeling better now?"

I nodded, my mouth filled with a ketchup covered burger. In the end, the whole ball situation ended up working out in my favour, since I was able to convince them into taking me to the nearest fast food joint, which just so happened to be a- what do you know- McDonald's. Considering that it wasn't a huge ordeal, I only got them to get me something small, a burger and root beer. I was already over the entire incident, but I was the type of person to extort free food from someone whenever given the opportunity. I wasn't just going to let it pass by.

"I really am sorry," the redhead said again, less tense now that he could see I was appeased and full. "But I did tell you to look out."

Swallowing the big bite of burger I had been chewing on, I took a large swig of root beer, and the pair of guys honestly looked impressed at my appetite. I dabbed my mouth with a napkin, somewhat ladylike, and said, "I couldn't really hear you, since my headphones were in and music was blasting. It was my fault in a way, as well. So I'm sorry for flipping out like that."

The blondie grinned, an easy, cheerful grin that was hard to come by nowadays. "It doesn't even matter now. Water under the bridge, right? And you're talking normally now."

I took another gulp of my drink to hide the blush that covered my cheeks. "Yeah, uh, I'm from New Orleans. I always get a more noticeable accent when I'm ticked."

"We could see that," the redhead snorted. When I raised my eyebrows at him, he simply flicked his wild hair back with a twitch-like movement of his head and said, "My name's Kukai, by the way. And this one right here is Tadase." He ruffled the blonde's hair, making him colour and bat his hand away.

"My name's Snow," I said with a smile, completely comfortable in their presence now. "I just moved here."

"I can tell," Tadase said, putting an elbow on the polished black table and leaning his chin into his palm. "I haven't seen you around before."

I shrugged. "I just got here yesterday. I'm living in Crystalshire Appartments."

Kukai nodded in approval. "Swanky. We saw you coming from the opposite direction, though. Where were you coming from?"

"The school I'm going to be attending, Seiyo Academy."

I was instantly suspicious of the identical grins that took up their entire faces.

"Know of it?" I asked, right eyebrow quirked.

"We're… familiar," Tadase chuckled, a bright, sunny smile taking residence on his face. Almost imperceptibly, my heart gave a strange little twist, like it was being put through a meat grinder or something. What was that? It must've been an effect from seeing a smile like that, one that was so rare in this rotting world.

"But what brings you all the way here from New Orleans?" Kukai asked with a wide-eyed curious gaze, making his green eyes snap brightly. "That's a long ways away, and you certainly wouldn't have come here alone, did you?"

"Of course I did," I snorted, crossing one leg over the other under the table. "I'm old enough to live by myself."

"And still be in high school?"

"I was held back."

The two guys shared a glance between them, one that was clearly wondering what type of person I really was. It wasn't that hard; I was an open book. I didn't get held back because of delinquency or truancy; I was kept in the hospital for a while after my mother slashed me with a kitchen knife, and then I was put into an orphanage that wouldn't pay for public education. Not that I'd tell them that. Even if I did feel comfortable in the presence of these two strangers, I still didn't know them at all. Declassifying information about my life like that felt kind of iffy.

"Before you go jumping to conclusions," I said sardonically, crossing my arms and leaning back into the bright red booth, "I am not some sort of delinquent."

"We didn't think you were," Tadase said, surprised by my noticing of their brief exchange. "I'm sorry if we gave you the wrong impression." His maroon eyes seemed genuinely filled with apology and regret, giving me that strange twisty feeling again.

Cheeks flushed, I whipped my head away in a show of false bravado. "S'okay. I was just trying to make sure I wasn't giving off a bad impression."

Kukai muttered something under his breath that I caught with my sensitive ears, and it definitely sounded like, "A little late for that." I grinned at him evilly, and he let out a snort.

"But you didn't answer my other question," he continued as if nothing had happened. "Why did you come here?"

My bad habit kicked in then, one that always got me into sticky situations and was part of the reason I was always getting lost: overthinking things. I thought about what to say to them. That I had come searching for my past, making old wounds resurface and trying to heal them completely? Searching for my father, who may or may not be alive? Visiting my mother in the nut house? How could I condense all of the thoughts in my head into one simple answer that didn't reveal too much about myself, but wasn't too rude either?

Once I found my answer, I grinned at the pair of them, happy that I now had an answer to give anyone who asked. "I came to find myself."

Simultaneously, the pairs of their eyes widened and recognition dawned in them, almost like they knew something important about "finding ones' self". Tadase smiled slightly and opened his mouth as if to speak, but then was cut off by this horrid, screeching noise that burst from nowhere. It was like nails on a chalkboard, or maybe metal scraping against metal, but at the same time it also sounded like… a baby's wail. Something filled with a lot of emotions that had to be buried deep.

Tadase's eyes snapped open so much I could see the whites all around his iris. His hand darted down to pat the pocket of his pants, and Kukai looked at him with the most strange expression. "Dude, what's wrong?" He asked, prodding him with his elbow.

Maybe it was fate that my ears were oversensitive, because if they weren't, I wouldn't have been able to hear Tadase's next words that started everything. Very quietly, clearly not meant to be heard by innocent, unsuspecting bystanders, he whispered, "The lock is resonating…"

I cocked my head to one side, trying very hard not to cover my ears. I didn't understand why no one else was wincing from the obscene noise, the wail that kept reverberating off the walls and hitting my ears again and again like divine punishment. "Lock?" I asked.

Tadase looked startled to see me right in front of him, oddly enough. He then began frantically darting from the booth we were sitting in, shocking me to silence. "Sorry, Soma-kun. I'll see you later, alright?"

"Wha- where are you going?" Kukai demanded, clearly surprised at his friend's erratic behaviour.
"There's someone I need to speak with," was all the strange, kind blonde boy said before bolting from the fast-food restaurant and into the cold streets.

"Is he always like that?" I asked Kukai, who was staring at the door with a slack jaw.

"No," he murmured quietly, his gaze darkening. "He does not."

He flipped his head to stare at me, and the look on his face was completely foreign to me. It was a look of wonder and suspicion wrapped up into one quizzical bundle. "Who are you?" He asked me, and I gave him a look.

"Didn't I say that I came here to find that out?" I responded with an innocent smile, and then I stood from the booth. I hitched my purse over my shoulder and dug in it for a moment, then slapped half of the price of my meal on the table in front of him.

He glanced up at me through fiery eyelashes, his look challenging. "I thought I was treating you for 'compensation'," he recited, his voice mocking.

"It was partly my fault," I explained with a wink. "Therefore, I pay half. Later." I stepped away from the shining black table, past all of the other families and couples chattering away without a care in the world or a clue of how much my life had changed in the course of a heartbeat.

}{

I got quite the surprise once I stepped into the glass doors of Crystalshire Apartments: there, in my unit mailbox, was a rectangular packing in crinkling parchment sticking out of it. For a moment, I thought it might've been for the previous tenant that was living in my unit, but upon closer inspection, it had the words "Snow Camellia Hisayuki" printed on it in bold, black lettering. So, with a slight shrug to no one in particular, I stuffed it under my armpit and made my way back up to my apartment.

Once the door was unlocked and I quickly surveyed the hallway to check for the dark-haired creep, I stepped in my apartment with a huge, goofy grin on my face. It was kind of lonely entering and not hearing someone call "Welcome home", but it was fulfilling at the same time.

I quickly kicked my boots of and rushed into the kitchen to grab some scissors. I sliced through the brown packaging with a series of snips, and was eventually able to uncover the ornate white box underneath with gold spiralling patterns along the sides. Clearly printed in blatant lettering at the top of the box was the insignia of Seiyo Academy, a lion wearing a crown (oddly enough). Oh boy.

Shifting my weight on to my right hip, I pursed my lips and pondered what could be inside. With a shrug to myself, I flung the lid off the box to discover a red, black, and white uniform folded and pressed neatly inside, with a student guidebook lying on top, which was way too thick for my liking. I wondered how they knew my new address, considering that I just moved in last night. Then I brushed it aside, assuming that Mary had already known my unit number before I left and told the school to send the package here.

I took the thick guidebook out and laid it on the marble island, putting it off to read later. Then I took out the uniform to discover a simple white blouse, a black jacket with the insignia above where my heart would go, a crimson tie, and a black and red plaid skirt to make it all blend together. Not awful as far as school uniforms went. Only when I shook out the shirt did I hear a flapping noise of paper falling to the ground.

Curiously, I gently laid the blouse on the counter and bent down to pick up the small, rectangular piece of paper that had floated to the ground. A card addressed to me, according to my name written on the front in handwriting that could almost be considered calligraphy. I flipped it to the back to discover a note of the same countenance and authority, and began to read.

Snow Camellia Hisayuki;

We are very pleased to hear that you will be attending our academy. Please wear the enclosed uniform on the day of your arrival and all school days thereafter. The following guidebook is the rules of our school which must be obeyed to the letter. It will explain all you need to know of our… "strange" system here at Seiyo.

We have high expectations for you, Miss Hisayuki, since you were enrolled on a scholarship for outstanding grades and talent. We also think that this place will be good for you, considering your extenuating circumstances. We hope you find what you're looking for.

-The Headmaster Of Seiyo Academy

What the- that was one of the most strange and prophetic things I had ever read! This "Headmaster" already seemed to know a lot about me, putting me on edge and considering discarding the note completely. But then I noticed one piece of writing on the bottom that I had almost missed. One that I maybe should've paid more mind to.

P.S. Beware of black cats.