Eighteen

Chapter 6

Fork in the Road

Yato rushed back into the weight room. His hair was still damp and his clothes now covered with drips of water." Well look at who rushed to get a shower. Have somewhere to go?" Tatsu remarked leaning against a weight rack, which easily could have crushed him.

"Or someone to see?" Keiya smirked making her friend even more uncomfortable. Yato knew that saying he was going to get a mask from a Ghoul would be ridiculous so he came up with the next best thing.

"I'm going to see Nori. She and I have so studying to do," he swallowed hard. A lie like that would actually seem even worst than saying the former.' Look at Tatsu's face he's blushing. He either knows I'm lying or is out right shocked,' the Ghoul looked on carefully.

"You said Nori? Like blue hair? Hah," Brick was utterly shocked at the announcement. His muscular build, if it had been so inclined, would have jumped up to the ceiling and back down to the floor just because of the excitement." To study? Good for you just remember to play it safe," his teeth clicked, Keiya's face flushed red for a moment.

"Yeah, to study! She and I do have Chemistry together," Yato defended himself blonde hair dangling down in front of his blue eyes. Everyone there burst out laughing in a way that he did not quite understand.

"You sure do Yattori. Play it safe out there tiger," Keiya said through the fit of laughter that had overtaken her. High School students could be some of the most mature and least mature people on the planet, and this time it was the latter.

Yato felt blood rush to his cheeks. It took a few moments to realize what they were implying." Oh god no! We're just friends and that test is coming up tomorrow! It is not what you think!" his motions were awkward and hasty, lies always get one in more trouble than the truth.

'Kill them! Mocking you like that! Food! Eat!' the primal form of his mind was howling for blood lust and violence the true nature in the eyes of a human what a Ghoul should be. His hands clenched for a moment. he held in everything though.

'My friends? I'd never hurt them! Plus you should be happy, I don't need to eat for another two weeks at the worst,' he argued with himself. It seemed to be a losing battle though as Tatsu got up to snap him from the reflections.

"Hey man this is all in fun you know right?" the brunette comforted patting him on the right shoulder. It stung compressing the Ukaku that had been hidden so easily within.

"Of course. But nothing is happening between the two of us. I really need her help with this stuff though," the blonde continued to say as his friend smiled at him. Tatsu patted his back once more and turned away.

"That's cool man. Just make sure you make it back to your place by ten we have that movie to watch!" Tatsu clicked his teeth again allowing Yato time to exit the weight room without much more fanfare.

Off School Grounds...

'I can't just storm into Aogiri and take back her mask. I'll have to wait until they show up first,' he walked calmly around the side walk. His black jeans and rolled uniform shirt rustled in a passing breeze. So did something else a few hundred steps behind him, a jacket of some kind.

His nose crinkled. Crisp the air provided a great pathway for scent to travel through and the trees around the school made the air extra clear. Someone was trailing him and it most definitely was not a friend. He removed his backpack and stared at the cardboard box within, metal and leather meeting his sense instantly. The smell got stronger meaning the person was getting closer as he fiddled around in his bag.

'The mask is in that box. If it is someone hostile I don't show them my face and if it is another Ghoul I'll keep my profile low among them,' the quickly flitted the edge of the box away the framework of his mask laying out in the packaging.' The way this packed, it can't be something made two weeks ago. My parents were going to hand me over to Aogiri,' Yato removed the mask from its packaging.