Don't Trust Them

Chapter 1

"Haruka Sato" the teacher called out into the class room.

"Here" I mumbled not looking up from my journal.

This was my last year in high school and I was growing far to disinterested in it. This year though my school decided to mix in the Neko community. Seeing those poor creatures required to wear collars and parade around like they are show ponies. It boiled my blood to watch the others pick on or bully the Neko students. However, I was to antisocial to really involve myself in any of it.

My desk mate shot a rubber band at the pointed ears of a female Neko about three seats in front of us. A small squeak was heard from her as her hand shot up to her injured ear. The poor girl was reprimanded while the boy laughed and smirked at her when she turned around. It was absolutely appalling that they got away with treating people like that. I guess that's just how this world works.

~~~

During lunch I was sat outside like normal, under a tree and by myself. The whispers were drowned out by my own thoughts of this and that. The comments were normally about how my name fit me so well. Haruka means distant, and I do like to keep my distance from other humans.

The Neko students were not allowed to talk with us as it was considered disrespectful unless the Neko was speaking to its owner. The female Neko's were always the same, ears, tails, and some tend to have small beans on theirs feet like actual cat paws. Male Neko's had whiskers instead of the beans, why it was different was beyond me.

"Hey Sato! You're father's here and wants to speak with you" a teacher called to me.

Sighing I rolled my eyes before getting up and dusting off my uniform. My father visited me at school daily, he was the mayor of the town and liked to keep up his loving father appearances. Don't get me wrong, he wasn't a bad guy, but he thinks that now that I'm eighteen I need to pick a Neko. He wants me to buy a person, and I have refused every time.

"Haruka!" He greeted me when I entered the office. I passed on his hug he attempted as I could see three very scared Neko girls that did not wear my school uniform behind him.

"I told you no father" I spoke blandly.

"These three are highly recommended, just take a look at them!" He cheerfully told me.

Turning on my heels I walked out, I was not going to pick a Neko girl just because my father wants his whole family to be on board for his campaign. Soon I was back in class and completely ignoring everyone around me.

~~~

I was walking home, it was after school and I was in not hurry to actually get to the building I lived in. My mother left me several text messages about my attitude with my father at school today. Not that I cared much, I will not change my mind on owning another person, Neko or human.

"You stupid freak! What are you blind!? Or are you just that damn incompetent!" I heard a boy around my age yell.

For some reason I found myself looking in the direction of the commotion. I found a small Neko girl cowering away from a boy that in fact looked my age. The Neko was not wearing one of those government issued collars, I had a feeling the boy was going to escalate this because of it. Unfortunately, I had a collar in my bag that my dad made me keep with me 'just in case.' So before I could think twice or the situation could get worse I jogged forward.

"There you are, I've been looking for you everywhere" I spoke softly to the scared Neko. "I told you not to go to far."

I pulled the collar out and put it around her neck before turning an icy glare to the boy. "You have a problem?"

He sputtered, "y- your mayor Sato's son."

"Yeah, now beat it."

And he did, ran so fast I would have laughed, had it not been for the shaking Neko that stood next to me. I took the collar off of her and put it back in my bag before fully looking at her. She was quite short compared to me, with short blue gray hair, light get ears, and dark gray eyes. Eyes that seemed to sparkle at me in awe.

"Sorry about that, I figured you could use a little help" I sheepishly told her rubbing the back of my neck.

She poked her head closer to me, though even on her toes I was much taller than her. Her face came around my ribs and she seemed to be sniffing me. Judging by her height ears and tail though she should be around my age, this was kitten Neko behavior.

"Um, I'm Haruka" I told her reaching my hand out for her to shake.

She looked at it curiously then at me, "mama says my person name is Shinju, she says it means-"

"Pearl, like your eyes." I said before I could stop myself.

She smiled at me though and nodded, "exactly, do you know mama?"

"No, I don't um, how old are you Shinju?"

She thought for a moment, "mama says I turned sixteen two months ago."

Sixteen and she is still with her mother? That is strange, normally once a Neko reaches the middle school they are removed from their home and placed with others their own age to be sold.

"Shinju, how far away from your mama are you?"

The only explanation for these things is that she was raised in the woods. That would explain a lot about not having a collar, and the way she seems so small, and her speech. Neko children are taught to speak properly to better serve humans, stupid I know.

Shinju looked down like a small child that just got caught being bad. "Mama said not to go near big tall shiny things... I couldn't help it!"

Her last statement sounded like a child's tantrum, it almost caused me to smile at her but she was saying that she was far from home. "Shinju, I understand the big tall shiny buildings look cool, but now you're in a place where people can hurt you. It's not safe here for Neko's like you."

She crossed her arms and stamped her foot at me, again like she was throwing a tantrum. I was confused yet it sent a feeling through my body, and I found myself bending down to her eye level. "Now listen here kitten, you do not stomp your feet at me, do you understand me?"

Her eyes went big like saucers as tears threatened to spill over, I soon remembered that my older brothers best friend had brought a topic that fit this situation to a perfect T.

CG/L