The Girl with the Sad Blue Eyes

Chapter 1

“Man, they’ve got a lot of tests these days…”

“Yeah I know, when will they let up?”

Yuki stared out the window, not really paying attention to the teachers or the students. She had just transferred from another school, her teachers and the headmasters at the orphanage had all agreed that this school would give her more of a challenge.

They had been wrong. She was even more bored then before, and worse off they had sent her away from the other children. Without her there to protect them, how would they fare?

Yuki closed her eyes. She needed to be kicked out of this school so she’d be sent back home. Her hosts, the people she was staying with while she went to school, didn‘t like her very much anyway, making it all the easier.

“Yuki Higikata!” the teacher shouted.

Looking at the teacher with little care she waited for him to ask his question.

The teacher growled, irritated with her lackadaisical manner. “Would you kindly bring your head out of the clouds and back to the classroom?” the teacher said though clenched teeth.

“As you wish.” She rested her head on her hands and stared blankly at the blackboard.

It was going to be a very long day.

At lunch Yuki often went up to the roof, so she wouldn’t have to be around the other students. Many felt sorry for her, others didn’t like the way she acted, and some just didn’t like her period.

Sighing Yuki sat down with her back against a wall and looked up at the sky. I wonder how the others are doing back home.

“Oh I’m sorry I didn’t know anyone else was up here.”

Yuki looked over towards the stairs. She didn’t recognize the girl, then again she didn’t bother to remember names or faces here.

“Wait you’re Yuki, the new student, aren’t you?” the girl asked.

“Yeah, and?”

Smiling, she came forward. “You don‘t have to be so defensive, I’m Kagome.”

Yuki didn’t respond.

“So… what are you doing up here all alone?”

“Why should you care?” she retorted. “You came up here thinking no one else was around.”

Kagome held up her hands. “Ok ok, it was just a question, jeez.” She came to lean against the wall beside Yuki and opened a lunchbox.

They didn’t say anything else to each other for a long time.

“Umm, so what’s your next class?” Kagome asked uneasily, poking at her food.

“History, with Mr. Kasikawa.”

“That’s my next class too.” Kagome commented, that same kind and good-natured smile returning to her face.

Getting to her feet Yuki rolled her stiff shoulder. She had hurt it long ago in a fight with another orphan, an older boy who thought it would be fun to make the others his personal servants. The injury it still caused some discomfort and pain ever now and again.

“Can I ask you something…?”

Yuki looked at Kagome from the corner of her eye. Kagome didn’t seem like a bad person, naïve perhaps, but not bad. “Shoot.”

“Those ear cuffs you wear, where did you get them? I had heard you were an orphan, so…” Suddenly embarrassed about how she approached the conversation Kagome stammered for a way to fix it. “No I mean… um… oh man, I‘m sorry.”