Chapter 4: New Faces!

The first few days of high school flew by rather smoothly for some people. For others…it was the most terrifying experience of their lives.

If you loved anything involving balls, you were inevitably going to be the victim of the blue-haired innocent nightmare.

Some sports players were being seen dragging their feet through the halls like they had awoken from the graves.

A COACH was reported crawling on his knees, grappling another student's shoulders and muttering the same thing over and over: "Save…me!"

And just when these students thought they were safe, that nightmare began to walk down the halls, her smile as wide as her face and her body glistening with the sweat built off her victims.

She would wave at them as she passed by, blissfully unaware of them slamming against the lockers, gossiping about her absurd capacity for competitive carnage.

"H-How can one girl be so strong…?"

"Did you hear the pool captain was considering retirement?"

"Are there even any teams left who can stop her?"

Serra, however, was off in her own little thoughts, "This has been fun! I'm getting a little more challenge outta the students this year! I hope they keep it up, I want to keep improving myself!"

When she stopped all of a sudden, it was a harrowing experience for the students, like they were expecting a dangerous machine to build up steam again to run them over.

She gripped her fist with her knuckles tightening and looked up at the ceiling, "Cause someday…"

The walls of the school were pulled back and a mountain rose from a sea of fog. Pushing her back despite her best resistance, she gripped her jacket to keep it on and hunched to face the silhouette standing at the very peak.

It was her pop, crossing his arms with the glow of a golden god at his back.

Serra grinned and set her goals clear as day, "I'm gonna beat you!"

She resumed what she was doing and with a light chuckle kept walking down the hallway, eliciting a shrill cry from the students.

She hummed cheerfully while talking aloud her next move, "Leeeets see here…haven't paid the tennis teams a visit yet!"

A nearby student turned and slammed their racket into a locket.

She turned her head around rapidly and wondered, "And where's my good ol' pal, huh? We haven't hung out at all!"

She cupped her hands before her mouth and projected her voice down the halls, "Pal-in! Oooooh Pal-in!"

She quickly dropped her arms and remarked with a vacant stare, "Huh…nothing. Oh well!"

She returned to humming and swaying her arms, "We'll hang out again someday! For now, I'm gonna take a nice refreshing shower!"

The women's locker room wasn't far off from here but as she was about to turn the corner, she saw that silly pink-haired girl she met on the first day standing against the wall of the male locker room and peeking inside.

"Hey-lo!" Serra waved her hand out and approached the frightened, frayed hair girl.

"A-Ah! 'Tis you again!" The girl pronounced in her delightfully funny tone.

"Yeah, nice to see you again…uhhh…!" Serra was beginning to stretch her hand out for a shake when her expression went blank.

The girl clapped her hands and remarked, "Oh! What an astounding error! Your head has emptied thyself of my name?"

Serra shook her hand out and declared, "No wait! Gimme a moment!"

She then put her hands on her hips and proclaimed, "You're Whitey!"

The girl tilted her head with puckered lips, "Verily…? Surely that's not what you wish to settle upon…"

Serra feverishly nodded her head, to which the girl raised some fingertips to her chin and pointed out, "In this day and age, 'tis wise to avoid the implications of such language."

Serra blinked, "The implications…?"

"Yes, t'would be unfortunate if your reputation were to receive a swift and sudden cancellation," The girl was optimistically putting her case on, but upon opening an eye she remarked, "...You are not grasping a word I am saying, are you?"

Serra answered honestly, "Not. At. All!"

The girl slumped her shoulders and sighed, "And yet…thou are in high school."

She then offered her hand much like a princess would, "If it would please thee to give my name a childish flourish, then why not call me…'Perly'?"

Serra immediately grabbed her hand and made her wince, "Ok Perly!"

As the silly girl shook her hand, Serra put her hands down and wondered, "So, whaddya up to?"

Selina perked up with sparkles in her eyes, "Ah! Yes! A fellow crusader in the fight against justice has joined me on a grand quest!"

"Well where are they?" Serra peered around.

"That…" Selina turned around and hummed, "Is a verily good question. She said she'd be done by-"

"DONE!" Shouted a girl booking it out of the men's locker room so fast she slammed into the wall but kept on going anyways.

She was a dirty-blonde with black dye on the tips of her four bunched pigtails. She had distinctly orange eyes and a bright yellow shirt with holes cut into the sleeves, and a starry pattern on the bottom. The shirt seemed deliberately kept short of her waist.

Her purple pants had very deep pockets and four black pouches with lightning bolts on them attached to her pants.

She grabbed hold of Selina and dragged her away behind the nearby corner, "Good watch job, magical girl! Now let's catch a show!"

Serra blinked a few times and then joined up with them. The new girl was a few inches shorter than her and Selina, but was using Selina to prop herself up higher.

"Looks like you're having fun!" Serra noticed.

"Shhh…!" The bright looking girl uttered.

But when her eyes crossed with Serra's, there was a spark of interest invoked.

"Yo! You're that tomboy who's been tearing up the sports teams! Serra, right?"

"You got it! And you are…!" Serra was trying to do herself proud by remembering her name, but came up drawing a blank.

But she still projected with pride, "Not…someone I've met before!"

"Nope, no biggie though. Name's Violet. We're in the same class, technically. Pleasure to meetcha!" She extended her hand for a quick shake and pulled out wiggling her fingers between Serra's.

"Now get behind us and be quiet." Violet lowered her volume.

"Ok!" Serra did just that.

"So, whaddya waiting for, Vio?"

"I-I just told you my name." Violet remarked.

"She does this a lot. It's a character quirk." Selina added.

"A quirk?" Violet said in confusion.

"A tragedy, forsooth, for her brain is stuffed with air…" Selina's eyes began to sag as she shook her head.

"Oooooh," Violet nodded, "So she's that kinda person. That's a bummer…"

She turned to look back at Serra, "What you've been doing is pretty cool."

Serra smiled, "Thanks! I train my hardest everyday!"

Violet looked around the corner firmly and remarked, "To get back on track, in a few moments the football team's gonna head into their locker room to cool off."

She smirked, a devilish mix of impishness and malice, "The showers here aren't that effective at removing all the nasty testosterone build-up, sooooo…I introduced a little something to help them get clean."

Violet raised her hand and counted down from five to zero, then punched her fist out and shouted, "Bu-bu-BUBBLE BOOM!"

"AAAUGH!" Did the screams of man burst out into the halls, before being overcome by a multitude of tiny pops, a flood of bubbles pouring out of the locker room.

Violet and Selina pulled off, the dye-haired girl jumped and threw her fists up in victory, "WOO-HOO! Ha ha! Take that you punks!"

She then turned to Selina and raised her hands, the two of them clapping off.

Selina cheered, "Yes! Justice has been rendered! What a glorious victory!"

Serra continued to blink, but then caught herself containing a chuckle, "Heh heh, you filled the whole thing with bubbles."

One of the players tumbled out of the room desperately holding a towel around his waist. Serra recognized him as the quarterback from the other day.

"Oh hey!" Serra shouted and waved her hand out, "I hope those bubbles are gettin' ya nice and clean!"

Bang froze up in the middle of the locker rooms and turned pale, "Y-You again…?!"

Violet whistled, "Oh shit girl, you traumatized this guy that quickly? It took me at least a few years to get him this pale!"

Bang grit his teeth and hissed in a high-pitched tone, "YOU…?! You're here too?!"

Violet stepped out and cupped her hands around her mouth like a megaphone, "That's right! You ain't gettin' rid of me that easily, punk!"

Bang flapped his hand down and grunted in confusion, "Why do you keep doing this, you crazy bitch?! I've never done anything to you!"

Violet simply pulled down on one eye and stuck her tongue out, then retreated around the corner, "Alright you guys lets book it!"

Selina pursued, and Serra stayed behind to wave at the guy, "So hey, can I join the team now?"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" Bang shrieked.

"Oh. Well…maybe next time!" Serra then ran off to join the others, who didn't take long to go walking at a normal pace.

Violet put her hands behind her head and took a deep breath of triumph, "Aaaaah, did you see the look on his price? Shit's priceless."

Selina pumped her fists with sparkles in her eyes, "That was some astonishing magic, Violet! You must tell me thy secrets!"

Violet glanced aside, "Secrets? It's just a little bit of baking soda, vinegar, and bubble producing mix packed into prize capsule balls. Only tough part is pulling out all the dividers in time so the stuff can mix!"

"Ah, mixing, so it is much akin to alchemy?" Selina remarked.

"I guess so?! Hey, speaking of, you need to show me some of your magic next time!" Violet bumped her shoulder, then fiddled her fingers through her hair, "Like how you rock this hairstyle! Seriously!"

"A-Ah see, now…that is a secret I can only entrust to a close friend." Selina said.

"Well, guess I'll have to win you over then!" Violet said with determination.

Serra then put her hands on both of their shoulders and remarked, "It's great to see new bonds form! We're all friends now!"

Violet then slacked her jaw and laughed awkwardly, "Uhhh, yeah, sure…I'm sorry, Serra, you're a cool girl, but I'm not lookin' to be your friend."

She then gently shrugged her hand off and started walking backwards, playing nice with her tone, "But if we run into each other again, I'll be sure to say 'Hi'."

She then bumped into someone and came to a complete stop.

It was the three's collective teacher, Lunalei.

Quickly adjusting her glasses with a stiff lip, she said, "So. You must be Violet."

"Present!" Violet said, tucking her hands into her pockets and kneeling closer, "And just who're you, kid?"

"Well, if you bothered to show up for class, you would know not to make that kind of comment to your teacher."

Violet sprung up in shock, "No way. Seriously?"

Selina remarked nervously, "She does not speak in jest."

"Huh…"

Lunalei made a tiny pout and sighed, "Listen. I am not here to start a fight. Can you at least give me a reasonable explanation as to why you're skipping class?"

Violet shrugged, "The first week barely matters."

"That so?"

"Yeah, it's all introductions to the material. We have our assigned books, I can just read at home."

"But then you miss out on seeing your fellow classmates, and learning about your teacher."

Violet shrugged again, then reached out to pull Selina in closer, "Yeah see, I already made a friend."

Selina waved.

Violet then remarked, "And teachers are teachers. You guys do your job, get paid, go home. I know the drill."

Lunalei raised her head with a sense of pity in her eyes, "You think you have it all figured out huh?"

Violet nodded, "Kinda. Yeah."

"Well…" Lunalei put her hands down, "I won't tell you what your future should be. But know this…"

"I took an oath as a teacher to get the best out of each and every one of my students."

"Come in today. Please. And if I can't meet my own expectations of myself, you're free to do whatever you want with your time, Violet."

In seconds, the free spirited girl paused with a hum of, "Huh…"

Violet then patted Selina on the back and hurried her along down the hall, "Well buddy! Guess we're going to class!"

"H-huh?! …ok! Farily well, Serra!" Selina said sheepishly.

Serra waved them off, "Bye!"

And then was about to turn and get back to her shower when Lunalei stamped her foot down and took on a more personal tone of bluntness, "HOLD IT, you!"

Serra spun back, "What's up, Luna?"

Lunalei grit her teeth in a tense scowl, "Half the sports teams are scared, and the other half are demotivated. What the HELL do you think you're doing?!"

"Trying to push myself?" Serra replied earnestly.

Lunalei slapped her face and groaned, "Why did I expect anything else?"

She pulled her hand down with a grunt and then thrust her finger out, "Hasn't Uncle Mew told you not to show off?!"

"Actually he told me to keep doing my best!"

Lunalei's face collapsed, "Oh good grief…"

"J-Just…! Rein it in a little, ok? Or there won't be any sports teams left!"

Serra flinched, "Yikes!"

"Uh HUH. Also, don't forget to study! Now if you excuse me…I have a class to teach." Lunalei finally left her alone.

Serra blinked a few times and remarked, "What was I doing again? Oh yeah! Shower!"

She returned to walking and humming back to the lockers, almost as if the last few minutes didn't happen.

—

Fresh off of lunch, Leo and Zelene were walking around looking for something to do.

Leo suggested, "We haven't checked out the art room yet."

Zelene shook her head, "I don't want other people judging my work."

Leo gestured her way, "True, but you could get some pointers on how to improve."

"True…" Zelene eased on her doubt a little, but the end result was still her shaking her head.

"Not taking to it?" Leo remarked. So they stopped for a moment and he looked at her directly, "Am I being too forceful?"

"You're fine. It's just…Maybe it'd be better for both of us if we split up once in a while."

She subtly pointed out from below her face and Leo looked over his shoulder at students whispering.

Zelene whispered, "They're looking at us like we're a couple."

Leo smiled sincerely, "You're imagining things."

Zelene put her foot down in tone, "I'm. Not."

Leo shivered, but then eased his hand over to her shoulder to remark, "Will you be fine on your own?"

"I-It's high school. I should…try and make new friends."

Her tensing fingers, her shriveled pupils. She clearly wanted him to believe her, but her body was delivering a different message.

As family, and as a friend, he chose to block that signal.

He reached into his pocket to gesture his phone out, "You have my number. Let's not be strangers."

Zelene breathed a sigh of relief, "I-I'm sorry, Leo. You'll do better without me."

She left, looked back, frightened with a bit of anger, and then slowly continued on.

Leo furrowed his brows, "But will you?"

Alone, he pondered all the options now open to him.

He noticed that there was some tension in the halls, no doubt his sister's innocent reign of terror had a part.

So he reached into his pocket and pulled out a harmonica. He walked through the hall and played a soothing melody with his eyes closed.

He sensed everyone's auras in disharmony and adjusted the notes in subtle ways to cater to their individual needs.

After rounding a few corners and putting a bit more energy into the atmosphere, he stopped at the outdoor rest area in the middle of the school.

It was warmed by industry developed sunlight on the ceiling and had a small fountain in each corner, along with an evergreen tree in the middle surrounded by a ring of benches.

There he would put his harmonica to rest with a few slow notes and sit on one of the benches to rest in the shade.

With his hands tucked behind his head he kicked his legs out for a good stretch, taking this opportunity to hear the sounds of his fellow students.

Perhaps a predicament would come about that he could solve, or someone needed help with their studies.

Alas, not very many people passed through this area unless they needed the simple joys of napping.

So Leo decided to pull out his homework and get some of it filled out. A few questions perplexed him, but the books his cousin provided were easy to reference for help.

After making some good use of his spare time, he pulled out his harmonica again and started to practice.

It didn't take long for his music to draw in a few passerbys, primarily of the female persuasion.

His naturally good looks and calm aura made him attractive, and he'd been noticing that picking up ever since middle school.

He adored the attention, but only because he was making his onlookers feel better.

"No matter what generation you're born in, music touches people's souls in a way that can't be explained." Was a line his dad said that always stuck with him.

Serra has more in common with their dad, but when it comes to music the two were able to talk about it for hours.

He's always had a taste for older stuff, keeping CDs around when most people have upgraded to chips and digital storefronts. And the artists he talks about made their mark on history nearly a century ago at this point.

Leo opened his eyes part way and looked at his right wrist, his Aurian Drive bracelet concealed within the sleeve.

Between that which he was gifted by his grandma, the Conductor Drive, and his father's own love for nostalgic tunes, it's no wonder he's been on this path through life.

After this brief reminisce, Leo was ready to resume playing when he saw a stray soda can rolling on the ground.

"Haaaa…" He bent over to pick up the can and then flicked it across into the trash can.

"Nice shot." Spoke a melodious toned girl close by.

Her presence was so muted that he only noticed that she had sat down beside him when he sat back.

She was fair-skinned and had shoulder-length dark violet hair with two sweeping curls on both sides and bangs partially combed over her eyes. Dressed in a bright blue shirt, an ash black vest, dark-violet culottes, and brown leather shoes, she had a rather dainty frame and a metal piercing in her ear lobe.

"Are you the boy who was playing music earlier?" She asked.

Leo nodded, "Were you enjoying it?"

"It interested me, so I wanted to hear it up close. Do you mind if I sit here?" She asked.

"Only if you tell me your name. I am Leonardo." He said, gesturing his hand.

She crossed her arm under her chest and shook his hand, "You can call me Lyra. I think I'd prefer to call you Leo."

"Most people do." Leo said in good jest.

He then leaned back into the tree and hovered the harmonica before his mouth, "Want me to play the same tune?"

Lyra smiled, "Play whatever feels right."

He nodded, and put his lungs to work to create a wonderful harmony, adding a dash of his Aurian flavor to cater to this girl's tastes.

It wasn't long before the girl began to hum along joyfully, but not before shifting into a curious tone. He could then feel some slight disharmony in her aura, and began to stop.

"Is something the matter?"

"Hmmm, it feels like you're trying to make music that I would enjoy instead of playing from the soul." Lyra's critique lacked a blunt edge, but hit hard all the same and made him flinch.

Leo looked at his harmonica and then followed through with an apology, "I'll try again."

"Was I being rude?" She wondered.

"Nothing wrong with fair critique." He said be resuming playing once more.

But his compulsion to draw upon the power of his heritage, even in the tiniest of amounts, guided the tone of his notes once more.

Lyra shook her head and commented, "Still the same."

Leo felt a rare weight in his chest and set the instrument on his lap, "Hmmm…"

Lyra tapped her fingers on her knee and wondered aloud, "Leo, what genres of music do you like?"

"Symphonic, EDM, orchestral. You?"

Lyra held her hands together and giggled, "I LOVE rock and metal, symphonic metal in particular SCREAMS of the passion of the artist."

Leo was surprised, she didn't look like the type. But now it made sense why his music was off-putting to her.

"I was trying to inject tones that aren't in harmony with the rest of the piece."

That would be a simple error to correct, but first her critiques warranted further delving into.

"You're suggesting my music lacks my essence?"

"Yes and no, you see…" Lyra sucked in her lips and looked a little frazzled, "I'm sorry, we just met and I'm getting super critical of your work."

Leo smiled fondly and brushed it off like it was a calm breeze, "I don't mind. You seem to be a huge music buff."

"Yes!" She gasped out, "I looooove music of all genres! Except for-"

"-Rap?" The two's voices synced in a stunning moment for them both, their faces stiffening up before melting into a brief fit of laughter.

Leo then sat up and offered up an idea to ease her worries, "Well if you don't feel comfortable critiquing me now, why don't we get to know each other a little more first?"

"Sure," She replied swiftly, still feeling the joyous afterglow laughter brought to her face, "I'm interested to learn more about you, Leo."

He extended his hand again, "Shall we meet here again?"

"I'm still learning how to navigate this school. If you happen to run into me between classes…" She turned to him, and his heart fluttered with intrigue.

Her eyes were colored like green leaves exposed to sunlight, but troubled by a foggy layer and her gaze making a guess as to where his own eyes were.

It was then he noticed that she had laid a metal extending cane next to her hip.

And despite this, her expression was unflinchingly radiant.

"Just say 'Hello', and I'll know it's you."

Leo smiled and they shook hands, "It was a pleasure to meet you, Lyra."

"Yes, now if you'll excuse me…" She picked up her cane, extending it with a button press just as the bell rang. Showing a hint of embarrassment, she walked off with a flustered tone in her voice, "I'm…going to be late for class. Shoot…"

When she was gone, her footprints still lingered in his thoughts, like on the shore of a beach.

He took another long look at his harmonica and murmured to himself, "Hmm, IS my music too autonomous? Or is it something else…?"

It would be something he'd consider for the remainder of the day, but honestly, the thought of exploring what he may be lacking felt more delightful than scary.

"Lyra…" He smiled, thinking about her eyes once more, "Your happiness is very commendable."

And thus he continued playing his harmonica, to perhaps surprise her with something a little more…soulful.

Next Time: A Metal Man's Nocturne