Chp 1. When fire gets burned.
Haru’s day was already going pretty bad when she chopped all her hair off. Don’t get me wrong she’s not some sort of mental psychopath or gravely depressed teenager; it was just one of those things that happened in the moment. She spent all of secondary school growing that long brown hair. It was dyed of course; she could never decide on just one colour, After all there were and still are a lot of colours out there. She always did have nice hair. It was when she reached 14 that she put the streaks in. Vibrant shades of turquoise blue and crimson mixed in with the once natural brown head of curls making her stand out like a penguin in a crowed of gorillas. The brown damaged hair had tumbled to her bedroom floor during her fit of rage, not something I personally suggest you walk in on unless you have a death wish. Her mum hadn’t noticed of course. She was good at hiding things from her parents. The tatty scissors from her school pencil case lay on the dresser after having completed their vicious task of destroying her hair. It was cut choppy and uneven with bits sticking out here and there. I know she would kill me for saying this but the easiest thing to compare it to would be that of a bird’s nest. Well a nice bird’s nest. I guess too many bad events in one day can get to you. I know the feeling. When you run home from school, scream into a pillow, play music so loud that the ratty old lady next door comes over and complains, but I don’t think I’ve ever had the urge to obtain some rusty old scissors and annihilate my hair. But everyone’s different I suppose. We’re all unique, just like everybody else. I give her credit for lasting that long though. After going through double English with Mrs. Goldspinkle I suppose it can drive a child pretty crazy. I heard one boy; Peter Carter attempted suicide in that dreaded 2 hour class with his own pencil. It didn’t turn out very well I can tell you that. I sat at the back of the class that day quiet as always. Most People knew me; not exactly how I liked it, as much as I tried to blend in it was hard in such a small class. I’m not the biggest fan of attention; don’t get me wrong. I don’t hate it. I’m just scared of stepping into the limelight and becoming one of those clueless self absorbed kids that schools these days seem to create. Haru was sitting at the front next to Jacky J. Jack Jackson. His name was too painful to say so the name Jacky J seemed fitting in the end after many other attempted nicknames. I remember having an excruciating headache like someone was knocking at my skull from the inside so I asked miss if I could go to matron. Now the good thing about Mrs. Goldspinkle is she’s one of those teachers that can tell when your faking and when your well.. Not. And in this case I needed to get to matron like fast, before my head exploded and burnt the whole school down. Not that the school being reduced to a pitiful pile of ashes would be a bad thing, but my head shattering into a million pieces along with it wouldn’t exactly be the highlight of my day. So there I was sitting awkwardly on a clear white, pristine bed smelling of disinfectant sipping my paper cup full of cool water while Haru no doubt was thinking about what was going to happen after school. And trust me we’ll get to that soon. Right now it’s all about me though, sorry. After forcing down some tablets, which I might add I have an embarrassing phobia of (swallowing something whole just creeps me out) I then got my bags from my neglected locker just as the bell rang. OUCH. Here’s a lovely fact for you ~ splitting Headache and wailing school bell’s do not mix ~ I figured that out first hand my friend. That’s when Aya came along. Her lockers next to mine if you’re wondering. She’s not a teenage vampire in secret who’s been 15 for far too long, neither is she a love interest. (This stories not going to turn into a soppy high school romance with some pretty girl.) But one thing I will admit is she smells nice. Great, now I sound really creepy. Seriously though we all usually know at least one person that permanently smells like designer perfume and florally fragrance, but then again we all also usually know at least one person who stinks of foul flowers and strong sickly in your throat cologne. The sweet thing is whenever she comes near my locker I get a nice waft of vanilla or lavender, it rocks.
“Hey Lady Grey, why the pained expression, having period pains?”
Now Aya’s friend on the other hand is not so nice. She’s had something against me ever since I stole her sandwich on the first day of junior school. She’s one of those girls that makes you feel exhausted just by talking with them.
“Drop it Kasumi, I’m not in the mood. You know I hate it when you call me a girl.”
“Well your hair is getting awfully long. But Fine. I’m not here to see you anyway. So Aya, have you seen Haru around? I’ve been meaning to give her back the album she let me borrow”
“Um no I don’t think so, How about you Grey, you seen her?”
“No.”
“Sorry I asked grumpy, what’s gotten into you?”
“Headache. I don’t feel like talking, everything’s so loud”
“I’m loud anyway” Kasumi roared
“Stop it Kasumi people are looking” whispered Aya her cheeks turning a bright pink.
“We don’t know her” I said, if there was one thing that did bring me joy it was teasing Kasumi.
“Oh yes they do. I’ve known these Ladies since pre-school”
“Unfortunately for us” I added
“Hey Grey, just because you’re having a bad day don’t ruin it for us, it is Friday after all”
“And your point is”
“Friday’s are amazing. Someone should write a song about them. Top quality stuff right there.”
“Hate to break it to you Kasumi but Miss Rebecca Black beat you to it”
“Well Tuesday’s are nice, gotta love Tuesdays”
“Tuesdays suck.”
“Break it up you to” Aya interrupted “Come on Kasumi you can fight with Grey about days of the week another time right now we to find Haru okay! Later Grey, see you Monday!”
“Yeah. Bye”
“Monday’s are nice to” Mumbled Kasumi as Aya dragged her down the school corridor.
