Claire

Gone

Kira's POV

I wish I could disappear.

There was no punishment for any of us students. But we were definitely punishing ourselves. I started training five hours after school everyday, bruising my feet and hands. Ryuu started locking himself up in his room. I'm not exactly sure what he was doing. Black Star was fighting by himself; Tsubaki wasn't included. Maka was bringing herself down. Soul was just flat out pissed. Death, Liz, and Patty all seemed generally fine. Crona was so damn quiet, I never really understood what was going on with him.

I glared down at my father. He hadn't spoken to me since he'd choked me, which was about a week ago. Honestly, I wasn't sure he was even acknowledging the fact that he had a daughter. It wasn't the first time that's happened to me, but it hurt for it to come from him. I just wanted to know if he was okay, but he never spoke a word to anyone.

I felt... Betrayed.

The bell rang, bringing me from my thoughts. Ryuu and I silently stood, gathering our things, and started out the door. I was exhausted; having nightmares, losing sleep, and training my ass off everyday really doesn't work well. But I was going to go home and train for another five hours, take a shower, eat dinner, go to bed, have nightmares about rejoining Arachnophobia, and lose more sleep.

That's the schedule now.

Death put a hand on my shoulder. "Hey! Do you know what today is?" Ryuu glanced at Death, stopping in the hallway with mild interest. I looked at them both, frowning. "No." I replied. Death scowled. "It's your birthday! Who forgets that?"

I dunno. Someone with a desolate father, who also has nightmares about joining her mortal enemies and loses sleep because of them, who's been training five extra hours after school and exhausting herself, who buries herself in her studies before a test; the list goes on. I was glad I didn't say anything but, instead, shrugged.

The group -- Death, Liz, Patty, Black Star, Tsubaki, Crona, Ragnorok, Maka, Soul, Ryuu, and I -- now had a semi-circle in the hallway. Some students walked around us, glancing at us wearily.

"So! What're we doing for your birthday?" Soul asked. I shrugged, "I really don't need anything. My birthday isn't too important; I'm just turning seventeen."

Death gaped. "What! You'll never be seventeen again in your life!" I frowned. "I will be tomorrow. And the day after that. And the week after that. And the month after that. Ya know?" Soul shook his head. "We're doing something whether you like it or not."

I scowled. "Well, while you guys are thinking on that, I have to train." I brushed them off with that excuse, but Soul and Death weren't having any of it.

"Oh no!" Death said. "You are going to relax for your birthday. Not train some more." Soul finished. I rolled my eyes, then looked to Maka for help. She shrugged and sighed; there was no helping me.

Ryuu grunted. "I'm not really sure how badly this is gonna come back at me, but I agree with Kid and Soul; you should relax. You're turning seventeen. That's something to celebrate."

I groaned, then glared at the boys and scanned the situation.

No matter what I said, they'd just tell me they wanted to do this or that I deserved to celebrate my birthday. I really wasn't up for it, but I sighed in defeat anyhow.

"Okay. Fine. Plan something. Whatever," I grunted, turning my back on them. Death and Soul cheered, while I continued down the hall.

***

Apparently, we were celebrating my birthday outside Death City. I was very cautious, and slightly jumpy.

It wasn't that I was paranoid, not really. No, it was just that the last time I'd left Death City, I'd failed a critical mission.