Her Garden

Chapter 2

7 AM

Damnit. I can't believe I agreed to this. It's so cold.

Halfway to school and I was already complaining.

"Hey! Katsu!", I almost fell as someone wrapped their arm around my shoulders. I quickly shoved him off of me.

"I told you not to call me that."

"Wow...you're actually going to school?"

"So what if I am?"

"Oh nothing", he crossed his arms and smiled brightly. "No objections!"

Kioshi was probably one of the nicest people I knew but just like my dad, he annoyed me. How can one person hold all that happiness for themselves? Why can't they lend me some?

He had short black hair and dark brown eyes, that always held a spark of light. He was a bit more tan than me, probably because I never left the house, but he looked nice darker anyway.

"So. What made you come back anyway?"

"My dad told me to.", I shrugged. "But I doubt I'll stay long."

"At least try to make an effort. Come on, it'll be fun."

"School is not fun."

"Well it can be if you just-", I drowned his voice out of my head before he started rambling and began to pay attention to the people around me.

We were growing closer and closer to the school and I didn't know how different things would be.

I wonder if anything changed while I was gone.

"Uhm. Excuse me?", I felt an unfamiliar hand tug on my sleeve, making me turn and see a girl standing next to me.

Her hair was white and her skin was pale, dark blue eyes staring back at me. I looked down at her index finger and thumb, which were holding onto the very end of my jacket sleeve.

She looked a little scared so I tried my best to not be a jerk to her.

"Did you need something?"

Though I was trying to sound less intimidating, I still came off as annoyed, which bothered me.

"Do you know where 13-A is?"

I raised an eyebrow.

She seemed so timid and yet my annoyance didn't phase her at all. She only smiled at me.

"I'm headed there myself. You can tag along if you want."

My monotone voice seemed to be the opposite of her own, which was soft and sweet.

It's too early for social interaction...

"Really?!", her smile grew side as she let go of my sleeve and stepped in between me and Kioshi.

"I...guess.", I crossed my arms and kept my eyes on the ground.

"Are you new?", Kioshi asked her, his smile almost identical to her own.

"O-oh... Yes I am. Why?"

"It's Katsumi's first time coming back in three whole months. Maybe you two will get along."

"I still know my way around, asshole. Don't lump me in with such an airhead.", I rolled my eyes.

I expected her to be offended but to my surprise, she only held up her smile.

"Wow."

I stopped, recognizing the voice of a girl in front of me. My feet wouldn't keep walking so the two people I had been walking with stopped as well.

I looked up.

Just as I thought....this was a bad idea.

"Look who decided to show up", she smiled rudely at me, curly bleached hair down to her shoulders. "Shocking after what made you start skipping in the first place."

"Come on, Aiya.", Kioshi sighed. "Just drop it."

She glared at me, her brown eyes staring me down worse than my mother's used to.

God I missed my mom....

"So? Gonna talk to me or just run off again? Like you always do."

I wanted to walk past her but my feet weren't letting me. My heart started to race in my chest as anger and pain flooded my body.

My hands balled into fists.

I was ready to punch her in the neck. Who cares if she's a girl? Gender doesn't matter. Ever. It should never matter in any scenario so why should anyone care if I just hit her?

But then again, if gender doesn't matter then is it okay to cry right now?

Is it okay for a boy to cry his heart out in front of his sister and any other person who happens to be around?

Aiya was my older sister, and blamed our mother's death on me. Always had. Then she moved out and we grew apart.

She hated me and I wanted to be just like her.

"Just walk away.", a delicate hand was placed on my shoulder.

I tore my eyes from my sister and glanced at the younger girl beside me. She smiled reassuringly at me, trying to pick my mind up off its knees.

I shook my head and took another step back.

I felt so threatened, so afraid I'd fall apart right then and there.

This was a bad idea. I need to leave.

"Go ahead.", she scoffed. "Leave, like always."

I didn't care what she said to me at this point, all I could think of was how the hell I could leave this situation. I wanted out. I wanted everyone around me to disappear.

"You're the one who left.", I finally spoke up, taking a deep breath to calm myself down.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not having this conversation right now. Stay the hell out of my way.", I walked past her, purposefully shoving her shoulder.

"Hey!", she grabbed the back of my hair.

I turned around and shoved her to the ground, kicking her hard enough in the side to make her whimper in pain.

"Never touch me. Ever."

I continued walking into the schoolyard, leaving my sister on the ground while her friends tried to help her.

"Are you okay?", my friend asked me, the unknown girl just smiling softly while she stared at the ground. Her footsteps stayed in sync with my own but I could tell she was saddened by what I had just done.

Not like I could stop myself.

"Shut up, Kio."