Matryoshka

Painting

I strode into the locker-lined runway, blatantly ignoring social uniform. Brown gloves stopped at my wrists where a lime jacket began. No one could see, but zipped underneath was a yellow tank-top to match the track-stripes that ran up its arms. A skirt and lemon-lime sneaker-boots completed clothes.

Patterns, dots, and lines scrawled across my face.

I turned to open my locker where the peripheral view of my twin tails swinging reminded me of my largest transformation.

My hair, every inch of it, was a glimmering turquoise. It had taken at least five boxes of dye and more than two hours but not a strand of natural peeked through.

Despite my obvious white headphones, I could still hear the whispers.

You'd have to be a lunatic to do this alone, no matter how desperate for attention.

I kept up a plastered on smile while my crazed eyes searched for Gumi.

That little...did she chicken out on me? The next time I see her I swear I'm gonna slap her with a leek...

A voice interrupted my rant.

"Miku?"

I flipped my head around. It was...Gumi? It was hard to recognize her.

The same brown gloves covered over her hands. Also covered over was her hair, by a red hoodie with monster eyes and a ghoulish grin, but I could see her bangs.

They were the same green as her insanely glittering eyes.

"Gumi! Darling you look fabulous." I drawled, a lazy grin smudged across my face.

"Why, thank you." She giggled at my fakeness. With the war paint on her face the sweet smile she flashed looked wild and savage.

With arms thrown over each other's shoulders we strode down the hall in an off-balanced gait where we could topple over at any minute.

I counted in my head 1, 2, 1, 2, 1, 2

The group of girls watched us. Curious? Envious? I couldn't tell, but I didn't even care.

As long as they were watching.

* * *

We sat together at the lunch table again, passing notes so we could express our true feelings without dropping the smiles that made up more than half of our costumes.

Gu: Waaa...I can't keep this up! I feel like I'm about to break apart!

Mi: Keep it up! They're fools, they won't be able to tell! Although, my parents keep asking me why I dyed my hair.

Gu: Don't tell anyone! If they know everything will change for the worse!

Mi: Yes, I know. The world will turn upside down.

Gu: I've actual forgotten what it was like before the bullying started. Perhaps it's for the best.

Mi: I'll forget that too, but not why it started. That's our key to revenge.

Gu: Right...that. How do I control such a feeling? Do you know even a little bit?

Mi: No, I do not...

* * *

Our time in the spotlight had passed by for about a month. Each day we came to school dressed up  in rainbow colors. And each day we got the desired stares.

Then the gossiping stares and whispers ceased, and the ignoring restarted.

Gumi and I were having another rendezvous at the same cafe.

"Hey, listen to me for a sec, it's important."

"Hm?" She looked up from blowing bubbles in her chocolate milk.

"They're ignoring us again."

Seriousness cast its shadow over her face. "Yeah, they are. I guess it was nice while it lasted, but everything had to end at some point."

"No it doesn't!" I stubbornly pushed my hand on the table-top, a loud smack following after.

She blinked up at me, then poked my cheek.. "It's okay."

I settled back into the booth. Silence fell over us for a moment.

"I'm sorry. Sometimes I can't control myself..." I mumbled.

She smiled. "It's fine. You must be feeling stressed."

" I am. If...If I burst out like that again, please stop me. With everything you have, catch me before I go crazy."

She nodded, my safety net.

"Now, " I began in a renewed confidence, "Let's do more fantastic things!"

* * *

Author's Note: Okay, I took a little bit of liberty with the outfits...gomennasai...

Also, Love it? Hate it? Please comment so that I can improve!!