Chapter 7

✧Sasuke✧

It's a relatively humid day out today. The moisture in the air makes it hard for everyone to breathe. Unless you grew up in this kind of stuff, I'm sure they would be used to it. You can tell that it was still summer type weather even with it being the beginning of September. At least it's slightly colder than August. I feel bad for the people who play sports that have to practice out in this weather. Don't get me wrong. I love playing soccer, Frisbee, kickball, and many other activities outside, but playing for a school never really interests me.

"Damn humidity," I grumble as I hold onto the straps of my backpack and drag my feet against the concrete sidewalk on my way to school. I don't even want to go to school. I don't feel up to it. Not with everything being thrown at me like that. Hnnngggg Sean's in my first class too. I don't know what to do. Should I just confront him now about yesterday? Do I pull him aside between classes? What do I do?? Things shouldn't be this hard…why couldn't he have shown up here the day he got back into town. We could have kept going from where we left off just like old times; instead, we get into a fight, and now I'm feeling like shit on top of all of this elemental stuff.

"Morning Sasuke," I hear a voice behind me that makes me jump and flail my arms like the world's most skilled ninja from how Toshiro came out of nowhere, and he starts laughing. "You didn't even notice you made it to school, did you? You just seemed so lost in thought I figured I would bring you back to the present."

While standing on one leg, my shoulders slump, and I groan a bit. Looking around and noticing that I am, in fact, somehow at school, I let my foot drop to the ground and drop my arms, "Morning," I grumble, "How are you this morning?"

"I'm just fine, you look like you're not all here though. Is everything from yesterday piling up?" I let my head drop, and if this was an anime, I probably would have an arrow in my head from being so fricking obvious.

"I think I'm just overthinking things. It's been more about Sean than with the elemental thing," I groan and look up at Toshiro when I feel his hand on my shoulder.

"Just relax, everything will work itself out. You do look a bit pale though, try to take an easy today, alright? If you see Sean just let things go, I'm sure that things should fix itself. Especially if he doesn't actually want to lose you as a friend," He smiles down at me, trying to be reassuring.

I can't help but chuckle and stand up straight, "You act like we've known each other for years."

"You're easy to talk to," Toshiro laughs lightly, holding onto his backpack straps. "You can call me Shiro, by the way."

"Andy, where are you going?" Breaking eye contact with my white-haired friend, I look over in the direction that I heard Sam's voice to see Andy jogging towards us.

"I just have another flare-up, I need to go get my cream really quick. I'll be back for class," Andrew spins around and runs backward and waves his arm.

"A-Andy watch it," I call out to him, but it's too late, and I can't get out of the way in time, and he slams right into me. We both go tumbling down to the ground with him landing on top of me.

"Sorry, oh, it's just you Kaisai," Andy starts to apologize, and I sigh heavily.

"Can you just get off of me, please," I ask as politely as I possibly can and then I notice his arm, "Is your psoriasis acting up again?"

He pulls his arm away from me and pulls down the sleeve on his team jacket, hiding his forearm from sight, "What's it to you. I'm low on magic, so my scales are coming out. I don't need your pity Kaisai,"

"I wasn't throwing pity at you. I was just fucking asking a question considering our parents at least fucking like each other," I glare at him after he gets off me. Shiro helps me up off the ground since Andy didn't accept his help.

"What seems to be the problem, boys?" I look over to see dad walking up to us with his hands in his pockets.

"It's nothing, Andy just wasn't paying attention to where he was going," I glare at him a bit.

"Well, if you fuckin saw me comin' you should have put your ass in gear and moved the fuck out of the way," He glares right back at me.

"Guys stop," Shiro sighs heavily.

"That's enough arguing," Dad says in a stern tone, and I look away from Andy as dad pulls a small bottle out of his pocket and hands it to Andrew, "Your mother told me to give this to you. She figured you wouldn't put any of your lotions in a to-go container, so she did it for you. Don't lose it, that's her instructions."

"Thank you, sir," Andy grumbles, taking the bottle from dad.

"Morning, Mr. Kaisai," Sam calls out, coming over to us.

"Good morning Samuel, how are you this morning?" Dad smiles at him.

"I'm doing just fine thank you, sir," He smiles back at him. "Come on, Andy, we're gonna be late. You can put your lotion on in class," Sam looks over at me with his green eyes popping out against his rust-colored hair that he surprisingly doesn't have pulled back. Still, his sports headband is around his neck. Grabbing Andy's wrist, he pulls him away from us. "Have a good day, Mr. Kaisai."

"Stay out of trouble, you two," Dad answers back and then looks back at Shiro and me, "Are you still feeling sick?"

"Not really, I'm just tired is all. At least right now I don't feel sick," I answer truthfully.

"Make sure that you don't overdo it today then. You're still adjusting," Running his fingers through his hair, his golden eyes lock on me, "Don't get into any fights either."

"I won't," I grumble, breaking eye contact with him.

"You two have a good day. Let me know if anything happens," Dad pats both our shoulders and then heads back towards the school.

"We should get going too," I look over at Shiro, and he has that small smile on his soft pink lips that go along with his pale complexion.

"Sounds good," I mumble, readjusting my bag and then walking with Shiro, the rest of the way to school. We head to our lockers first and then walk in the same direction until I make it to my first class, "I'll see you later, Toshiro."

"See you later, Sasuke," He smiles and laughs a little bit.

Looking into the classroom, I stop mid-stride when I see Sean already in the room. He doesn't seem to be paying attention. All my frustrations start to boil up in me again as I stare at him. Taking a deep breath and clenching my firsts. Walking into the room and straight over to Sean, I slam my hands down on the table, making him jump a bit and look up at me as I glare down at him. "What was your stress-related item yesterday, Sean?"

"About fucking calling Snowflake, Snowflake? If he had just taken the damn nickname and left it at that, we wouldn't have gotten into that fight," Sean's light brown almost amber looking eyes look right back up at me as he leans forward and places his hand on his cheek. "Besides, he reminds me of snow because of his hair. I wasn't saying it because he looks weak and pathetic."

"Did you at least fucking apologize to him?" I ask, keeping my voice low so the other classmates that were coming in wouldn't get involved. I want answers. Shiro didn't bring it up this morning, so if I can get something out of Sean, then at least it's something that will stop me from stressing today.

"I'm pretty sure I did this morning when I saw him in the bathroom. What bug fuckin' crawled up your god damn ass this morning to make you think it's okay to come up to me and start pitching a fucking mother fit? Why don't you just go sit the fuck down and leave me alone." Sean rose a brow as he matched my glare clearly, not happy with me and how this conversation is progressing. I'm not the only one that seems to have woken up on the wrong side of the bed, Sean. If I could only fucking tell you what's going on, and you actually can understand or at least help me figure it out too. But with how we are now…

"I don't care if you pick on me or pick fights with me, but leave Shiro out of it. He doesn't deserve to be picked on," I sigh, giving up on getting a straight answer there's no way I can turn this into an actual conversation with how I started it. Shoving my hands in my pockets, I spin on my heels and walk back to my table that I sat at yesterday.

Our teacher did some rearranging for where people were sitting. I don't blame her since there were a few groups that were sitting with friends. They got absolutely nothing done on the watercolor project that we were given yesterday. Still, out of all the people she could have placed with me, she sticks Sean with me. I can't even really look at him. I have so many mixed emotions. Part of me wants to apologize, but the other part wants him to apologize for yesterday. Then I also just want all this fighting to stop, and we be friends again. But I'm to god damn stubborn and proud to apologize for something I didn't even do. All of this is making me feel worse, and trying to keep calm is just making my chest tight and my stomach in knots.

Thank god the bell ending the period rang. I gather my stuff and quickly leave the room before Sean, or anyone else can say anything to me. Sighing heavily, I jump a bit when I feel a hand on my arm. Looking to my right, Elizabeth is standing next to me with a soft smile on her gentle pink lips. Her burnet hair is up in a side bun, and he bangs sweeping over her left eye. Her deep chocolate brown eyes looking up at me.

"Hey," I greet a bit quieter than I intend, and she walks along with me, heading towards our lockers.

"You seem off today, Sasuke," Liz instantly points out, nudging my arm a bit.

"I've just been having a lot going on in my head recently." I answer, looking away from her and straight ahead, "I guess I haven't been feeling well."

"Maybe you should go to the nurse. If you're not feeling well." She offers her voice full of concern. "You know you can always talk to me. I'm open to whatever you have to say," Looking down at her once more, she smiles sweetly up at me. Liz is someone who hasn't really been intimidated by my eyes. Which is nice, it's really only been her and Sean. Well…Andy and his band of misfits too, but I don't really count them since they are assholes and actually make fun of me because of my eyes.

"Thank you, Liz…I appreciate it. I think I'll probably do that," I said, stopping at my locker and working on the combination.

"Do you want me to walk with you? I don't mind my class is just down the hall from the nurses, anyways." She offers; happily, I'm sure trying to cheer me up.

"It's alright," I place my books in my locker and close it quietly, "I'll be fine."

"Well, …alright. I'll come to check on you later." She said, sounding a little disappointed in my answer.

"Thanks, but I think I'll be fine in a little while," I wave and went in the direction of the nurse. I just can't do it today. I need to leave. I know this means I have to go past dad's office, but I'll be fine since I'll be moving in the crowd, and I can just walk out. I slip out of the group of kids and push the door open. Clenching my fists, I briskly walk to the school's edge, and then I break into a run to the gates of the school. I just can't do it. I can't… Hot tears slipping from the corners of my eyes, I look up and keep running.