anger

Chapter 1 "A fresh beginning" (Noe pov)

"I don't trust you. Not one bit. "
And she was off, back turned, leaving no time for a goodbye to be implied. Maybe it was for the better, I did not let myself decide. The bell had rang some time ago, mum will be worried...

"What's your name again? "
"Again? I don't think I've met you... "
"Right, well I'm Arata."
"... That's a nice name"
She knows me. Is she a family friend? She looks roughly my age, with pink medium length hair and brown eyes and fair skin. Her voice is serious, or bored...
"Well I've heard about your mother's work. Is that why you're here? "
Thats it. That must be how she recognized me.
"I'm not sure..."
"Oh? "
Her voice was still colorless. I couldn't see through her.
"Yea well my mum didn't tell me what we were doing here"
"I have a feeling you already know"
"Stop interrogating her Arata, you're scaring her" a sweet yet rough voice chimed in.
"No I'm not grandpa, she's simply anxious. "
Her grandpa had grey hair and a kind smile, it made the corners of his eyes wrinkle.
"Sorry about my granddaughter" said the old man, "she looks intimidating but don't worry, she's just curious about you"
"It's not curiosity-"
"What is it then? "
Silence...
"Well, not curiosity"
Her grandpa chuckled.
"Whatever you say... Now come on and help me down these stairs, marble is very slippery you know? "
"... "
Arata faded in the distance with her grandpa, his laugh still lingering on my mind, he seemed so nice...
I'm kinda glad I didn't give Arata my name, her eyes knew enough already.

            .     .     .
My mum thought it would be a good idea to visit the history teacher himself to talk about my grades, I didn't try to convince her otherwise, I knew it was coming. But I did try to stay out of the house for some time throughout each day. Of course it didn't work, now I'm sitting in a soft sofa in front of another sofa, the only thing separating my teacher from me and my mum was a small coffee table, on top of it my latest test results. Suddenly I wish I could've talked with Arata just a bit more, perhaps I could've helped her grandpa down the stairs too, as a kind action before my inevitable doom.
"So, as you can see" said his abnormally calm and boring voice "while your kid didn't get full marks, there is visible improvement from her last test results"
"But she isn't satisfied with this"
"Did she tell you that? "
"I know what she wants to achieve"
"You didn't answer my question"
"You aren't helping her enough"
"She doesn't need the help you think she does"

Maybe Arata is sitting on a warm wooden bench right now, she could be talking to her grandpa about a food she liked, or a conversation she had had. Her grandpa could be facing her right now, advising her to smile more, or complaining about his day. I cringed at the thought, he didn't seem like that kind of person.

"Do your job and stop expecting the parents to do it! I might as well get paid for the laziness I have to put up with at home! "
"My job is to teach and help students, your job as a parent is to support your kid to achieve their goals and not yours"
"I AM supporting her"
"They why are you mad? "
"Her results are horrible! "
"Well you can't be good at everything"
"You have to be good at at least one thing"
"You're implying that she isn't? "
"Her grades have gone downhill since last year! "
"So has her ability to focus in class"
"Exactly! "
"And that's a problem"
"Yes! "
Whose problem? "
"Excuse me~" Said sarcastically an oddly familiar voice. I was looking right at her...
"What is it dear? "
"Can I borrow my friend for a bit dad? "
Friend? She called me her friend? I was trying to catch her attention, yet she didn't look at me nor her dad, she was glaring at my mum with a smirk, I'm so done...
"Go ahead but make it quick, I don't want this...um...kind woman to wake your mum"

.......

We were in the hallway now, she had grabbed my arm and had literally dragged me away from the sofa before her dad could get another word out.
"Noe" She acknowledged me.
"Aiko" I did the same.
She smiled. "Long time no see, didn't think I'd be meeting you in that situation"
"What situation"
"You're mum looks like a fucking tomato"
"She's just concerned"
"Concerned? Horrible wording. I'd say she's fucking pissed"
"It's just my grades... "
"So nothing has changed huh? "
"Well history's a bit more boring"
"I meant your mother"
"She likes history"
"Dummy"
Weird how after a year or so apart it felt like she never left. I had chosen to not be mad, no regrets in that.
"So, remember how I changed schools? "
"Yea... "
She never let silence take over, I'm grateful for that.
"Well I'm coming back to school"
"How come? "
"My mum thought it would be a better idea if I start putting some kids at school at their places you know? Of course dad said I shouldn't be a bully. I replied that I will be bullying the bullies"
"Wait, so you're actually coming back? "
She nodded.
"And we're still friends? "
"That never changed"

With the news that Aiko was coming back and a slight headache from my mum's overwhelmingly long and passive aggressive goodbye to Aiko's dad, I felt a slight weight lifted from my shoulders. This year will probably be a nightmare but at least the lunch periods will consist of someone to hang out with instead of trying to bite into a crappy burnt steak.