Hall of Records File 11

The Slap

Kasumi flashed a bright smile at Ezra, reaching for the classroom door. "Let me get my bag," she said, giving him one final glance with her sparkling red eyes. "And we'll be off!"

Ezra smirked, saying glibly, "give me a holler if you need me."

Kasumi rolled her eyes, playfully responding, "very funny, Ezra-senpai."

The door to her first year classroom thudded shut audibly. Ezra stood there with a slight grin on his face, knowing that he'd likely caught the fancy of the ace gymnast. He pondered for a moment how he'd spend his afternoon with her.

"You can't stand there…"

It was then an irritating voice broke his reverie, he saw another boy his age standing there with a bright yellow sash around his torso that said "hall monitor" in bold black kanji. He had a broom in his hand, sweeping back and forth in a vain attempt to banish dirt from this hall forever.

He looked over his shoulder with a look of contempt at Ezra as he swept. A look that made Ezra feel as if that piece of dirt was none other than himself. That irritated Ezra. That irritated him a lot.

He attempted to diffuse the situation with a little humor. "What," he said, sardonically, "in the hall? In front of my junior's classroom?"

"Yes, in the hall," the hall monitor answered tersely, not bothering to look back at him this time. The strained tone in his voice indicated he thought him an inferior. That irritated Ezra even more.

Ezra rubbed his temples in frustration, trying his best to hold back any anger he had. "Is it your hallway?" Ezra flatly inquired.

"Get out of here," the boy gritted his teeth, looking at Ezra hatefully.

Ezra was unmoved. He stood there, looking nonplussed, "why?"

It was then the boy got in his face, the broom in hand, "I said leave!" the other boy's hand tensed around the broom. Suggesting it might get worse for him if he continued this exercise in smartassery.

It was then Ezra lost all sense of patience. Striking him in the face with a light slap, knocking the broom to the floor with his other hand. It landed on the titled floor with a sound wooden thud.

"Listen, friend," Ezra said, pointing one finger at him. He stressed the word friend to suggest they very much weren't.

"I'm waiting on a lady," he informed the other student, putting an arm around him like a friend would. He walked the other boy down the hall as he explained. The hall monitor shuddered in his grasp, which was good. That was the intent on Ezra's part.

"She's a fine lady," Ezra said, nodding to himself. He glanced at the other boy, seeing the terror in his eyes. "She's inside right now," Ezra thumbed at the door, "if I wasn't waiting on her, you'd be in a heap right now on the floor."

He stopped, turning the boy to look at him dead in the eye with one hand on his shoulder, "but, if you continue to get on my bad side," he continued, an ugly grin on his face, "I might change my mind. I'll make my apologies to Yoshizawa, and you'll be that heap we talked about."

"It's your choice," he finished coldly, patting the other boy on the shoulder gently. A gentle gesture that suggested pain if he didn't follow his advice.

The other boy looked at him in fright, tears stinging his eyes, "I swear I didn't mean anything by it. Oh god," he begged, letting out a whimper, "please, I'm sorry."

It was then that the door shuddered open, regurgitating his date. She laughed, letting out a bright noise that shattered the previously dark atmosphere that Ezra had cast over the empty hall. She was accompanied by two other classmates, entirely ignorant of the happenings outside.

"What's this, did I miss something?" Kasumi asked lightly, tilting her head to the side like a puppy.

"Looks like our senpai are making friends," girl A suggested with a giggle.

"They look like best friends already," girl B said, blissfully ignorant of the nature of this cold blooded exchange.

"Yeah, the best," Ezra agreed, patting the other boy on the shoulder. He squinted at him harshly, communicating that he better keep his mouth shut.

The other boy's mouth clamped shut, looking like he might scream at any second. He picked up the broom, quickly vacating the hallway entirely.

"Now I really feel like I missed something, Ezra-senpai," Kasumi said dubiously, looking very curious.

"Aw," girl B interrupted her, "don't get distracted, Yoshizawa. You said that you were going to take senpai to that crape place in Shibuya."

Ezra looked thankfully to the other girl. He played ignorant, "crapes?" He repeated aloud, questioningly. "That sounds great, Kasumi. I'll pay for everything."

The gymnastics champ's eyes lit up, not believing her ears. She flushed, getting red up to her ears. "Senpai!" She began to protest, girl A nudged her giving her a wink. "…fine." She relented, looking off to the side shyly, pensively. "Just don't regret the bill when we're done."

"How could I ever regret anything having to do with you, Kasumi?" he beamed, giving the girl a grin that sparkled. The exact opposite of his demeanor a few moments ago.

The other two girls, pushed Kasumi forward. They giggled at the other girl's expense all the while.

Kasumi flushed ever brighter, looking the same shade as her crimson red hair. Kasumi did not protest, she threaded a arm around his, and they were off.

Ezra never mentioned how big of a bully he was today. He constantly tried to be better from then on. In this new world, he needed to adapt to its civil approach to living. But there was always a part of him that would always be unpolished. Impatient. Sometimes violent.

Kasumi simply learned to be patient. But love was always a practice in it. Always.

Done as a favor to my good friend Centurious the Azure. He typed this up and asked if I could archive it for him. So I will do just that. This is for you, bro.