DISCLAIMER !

This chapter contains physical aggression and bad language. You have been warned. 

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My sleeping was suddenly broken off with the sound of my alarm clock. I frustratingly slammed onto the radio to shut it up. I don't know what it was, maybe it was just a feeling in my gut, but I had the sentiment that something wasn't going to be right today. Did I wake up on the wrong side of the bed ? Was it the conversation I had with my mother yesterday that put me in such a horrible mood ? I didn't know what it was, but I really had a bad impression about going to school.

Denying those thoughts, I painfully got up from my bed, mentally preparing myself of living another stupid boring day at school. Just when my brain was waking up and I was coming to my senses, I heard my mother calling me out from the door of my bedroom.

"Jesus Akari, will you ever get up ?? You're going to be late for school !".

She spoke quietly but I did sense the frustration in her voice. My mom was very kind, but she really didn't seem to understand the concept of not being annoying in the morning, especially when you are feeling irritated yourself. I heard her footsteps marching away in what I guess would be be in the direction of the kitchen or the living room. And because I was already in a pretty bad mood, I didn't have the thought of controlling my voice as I screamed at her.

"MOM, YOU'RE EXAGGERATING ! I HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO PREPARE !!"

Suddenly I realised the mistake that I had done. Screaming and crying was immediately heard after my outburst from the room beside me. God damn it, I woke up Evangeline. My mother instantly came bursting into my room.

"WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU THINKING YOUNG MAN ?! Haven't I told you to keep your voice down in the morning ?! I know that you have an obligation to wake up for school but it's still early for everyone else !! It's a good thing that we don't have neighbours, if not you would have woken up the whole street because of how loud you were !!" She yelled, her jaw clenched to her teeth.

"Yeah well, you started it.." I groaned.

The little dark-haired lady glared at me with anger in her eyes and snapped at me in her hoarse tone.

"Hurry up, get dressed, grab something to eat and get out of this house. You should learn on how to control that attitude of yours young man. We are having none of it !"

On those words she slammed the door behind me. I knew I was at fault, I really should have thought twice before screaming my head off. But still, this stupid event was starting to suggest that nothing good was coming for me later on.

As my mother was calming down Evangeline, I got dressed and took my stuff before stepping furiously out of the front door. I was now waiting for the bus, still angry that I was kicked out of the house so abruptly in the morning. About twenty minutes had passed and I knew I wasn't going anywhere being grumpy like this, I needed to calm down. On that thought I noticed the bus coming from afar and then stop in front of me.

I took a deep breath and started wearing my usual mask for the day, pretending that nothing was wrong. I sat down to my usual place in the bus, blasting music in my ears from my favourite band. At that point, I was still unknowing of the fact that the moment I was going to step my foot into the school, I would be actually stepping into the devil's tango.

When we arrived and I left the bus, I felt the familiar dread upon the sight of the building. Days like those I'd rather go out and swim in the ocean or stay at home and relax, but seeing the situation that happened earlier, maybe it wasn't a good idea to skip school for my own comfort. I don't want to go back home with an angrier mother.

I wrapped up my courage and rushed to the usual spot where I would meet up with Mira every morning.

"Hey shortie !" She waved at me. "You don't look so good today.. I mean, you look even worse than usual."

I groaned. "It's nothing... My mother just thought it was a good idea to be a stick in the mud this morning, and.. I don't know. I'm feeling a bit stressed out about today for some reason."

"Eh, must be this morning that bummed you off. Just go by your day and don't think about it too much."

She patted my shoulder with a smile. Her smile always managed to calm my worries.

"Hey ehm Akari, I need to finish up my homework before class starts, I was too busy binge-reading this stupid manga yesterday and forgot about everything else !" She laughed loudly enough that people started turning their heads towards us to intensely stare at her. People were used to seeing her being weird with me, so they finally ignored us and went by their merry ways. She calmed down and held my hands.

"We'll meet up at lunchtime. And Akari..." Her eyes changed into a more serious tone.

"If you ever have any problems, you can always count on me."

I smiled and nodded in response. When she saw me smile she lightened up as well.

"I thou shall be gone now ! I'll see you soon shortie !" She ran along and waved back at me.

Those small interactions I have with her really do make up my day, it was a really nice feeling to know that in this lonely world, I could at least count on one person.

I was standing there, watching my friend walk away when another students along the hallway called me out with only one very familiar but unnerving word. I didn't see who had said it, and at the end of the day it didn't matter, because I knew that everyone in my school thought of me the same. Everyone was thinking exactly what that student had the courage to tell me out loud.

"Freak."

This was the word that suddenly broke all of my happiness to bring me back to the harsh reality of my life. 'Freak', they say so lightly. They don't even realize the fact that I was even more of this freak than they thought I was, and that had made the knot in my chest tighten even more.

I knew very well that I was a freak. Hell, I'm not even human in the first place. For the entirety of my existence I had to endure the mockeries and name callings, and eventually I became numb to all those kinds of things. But still, all of this just reminded me of how much of an outcast I was and will always be. Why did it start to hurt so much to be called a freak now ?

As I arrived in my classroom I sat down on my chair and facepalmed my head to the desk. I was definitely not in the mood to listen to Mr Lay, that stupid teacher that was always rambling about the fact that we were lazy and that students were more hard-working 'back in the good old days'. Gosh I hated him, and at least I knew that all the other students thought the same way as me for once.

Midday came along and I went on to sit next to my best friend. So far nothing terrible had happened, and little by little I started to relax, even though my head wasn't in the game today and I lost concentration in nearly all of my lessons. For now I didn't want to make my brain cells work at all and, frankly, I couldn't care less.

Mira and I were enjoying our meal by talking about nonsense like our teachers and classes, then wondering which of the egg or the chicken came first and debating on whether chickens would actually revert into T-Rexes and invade the world one day and other ridiculous stuff. Yeah, that was what we usually talked about, hence why people thought she was weird. But to me those types of discussions were the most interesting thing to ever happen in my mundane life.

My mood was slowly cheering up, but I still wasn't comfortable on going on with my day without the protection of my friend.

After our mealtime, Mira went her own way to her other friends as I was left stranded alone, without knowing what to do. She tried to invite me before in her group of friend but everytime she had suggested it I had said no, so eventually my friend pretty much gave up the idea to ever attempt to lead me into their circle. My childhood best friend had her own group of friends, one thing that I will never have. As much as I wanted her to stay by my side at all time, I had to accept the fact that she did have her own life. It was a life on which I didn't have as much knowledge of it as people would initially think I have.

Realising that I barely knew the life Mira was leading behind my back filled my heart with even more loneliness. Did she also think that I was a burden ? A freak ? Does she even like to hang out with me in the first place ? We are so similar to one another, but at the same time, we are so different.

Damn it ! this is why I prefer being alone. Less people equals less worries.

I walked along my own way and was headed to the bathroom. Since we still had time before class and that people were usually eating in the cafeteria right now, near nobody was present in the hallways, making it seem more vast that it was supposed to be. After finishing my business in the restroom, I opened the door leading to the halls and fell nose to nose on the last person I wanted to meet today. I accidentally bumped into Maximus, and he violently pushed me away.

"Get out of my way you fucking wimp !"

My head bumped into the wall next to the bathroom door. It hurts. It hurts really bad, but I had to restrain myself from causing any commotion. I hung down my head, facing the ground.

"I'm sorry, I'll be on my way," I muttered.

I slowly past next to him and his clique and marched away. As I was walking away I felt pressured with Maximus and his friends staring lasers into the back of my head. So, I tried to walk away as fast as possible from the opposite direction of the group.

"HEY YOU !" Maximus's echoing voice quickly halted my steps. I turned my head to face him.

"Yes ?"

"Are you a fucking idiot ?"

I saw him heading in my direction, while I stood there, frozen and unknowing of what will happen to me in only moments from now.

"You do know that everybody in this school hates you right ? The only person who can ever tolerate you is that Mira kid, who looks nearly as much like a nut job as you do. You are such an eyesore, but you act like you're fucking above it all ! Are you really that expressionless ? Did your mom really forget to give birth of your feelings along with you ? Or are you actually some more of a freaky monster than we thought you were ? Tell me you cow !"

"Max, calm down."

"Shut up Charlie ! We need to get to the bottom of it !"

"I... I don't know what you mean Max. I'm just normal, and..." I slowly backed away, this situation was getting too frightening for me.

"Can't you even talk like a normal person moron ?! SPEAK UP !"

"I don't know what you're talking about !!! Stop trying to meddle with me by thinking that you're above everybody else in this life Max ! You're- "

He charged into me and pushed me on the ground before I could even finish talking. I let out a gasp once my body hit the floor and felt the pain shooting up my spine. The three big guys encircling me made me feel like I was a little lamb being suddenly attacked by giant wolves, without having any possibility to defend myself. In a rush of terror, I let out my voice clearly enough for all to hear.

"WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS ?! I NEVER DID ANYTHING TO YOU !!"

Realising how loud I was actually being, I felt a bunch of of eyes suddenly staring at me from all kinds of directions. I then looked up to see Maximus's face. Oh no.. He was furious. I shouldn't have done that.. I should have not done that.

"You think you can just scream at me like that ?! Do you really think that you are even slightly above me ?! Fuck you ! I am going to show you, right here, and right now, who is the boss around here !!"

He instantly launched his foot into my body that was still laid out on the ground. He leaned down and ripped off my shirt as he strangled me and pushed down violently onto my chest with the palm of his other hand. I yelled out in pain and tried to fight the mass desperately. But I was no match compared to Maximus. So in a wave of desperation, I cried out.

"STOP MAXIMUS ! ARGH !"

He removed his hand from my neck and clenched my jaw shut. I turned my head to face the crowd and checked if anyone would actually help me out, but no one dared to move a single toe. I then faced Maximus's friends and noticed that they were just trying their best to turn a blind eye on the situation happening before them.

Maximus then started to unbutton my jeans. Wait wait WAIT ! I can't let him do that ! If he removes my pants everyone will see my scales ! I tried to fight back Maximus desperately with the little bit of strength left from my body,but it was futile.

I completely gave up. I was just laid down to the ground while slowly he made his way to let down my pants. So this was the end of me, wasn't it ? My secret was soon to be exposed for all of the world to see, and I could do nothing about it.

Just when Max started to pull down the pants, revealing my briefs, I saw a figure jump on the aggressor like a hyena attacking its prey. In the blink of an eye, the situation turned from me being victim of an aggression to Max having his pathetic body falling on the ground and being clenched down tightly so that he could not even move a muscle. I suddenly recognized who was the one who saved my life. Those colourful clothes could only belong to one person, and that person being Mira. She was the one who saved me, I can't believe it !

I was still stunned, paralysed to the ground and watching the situation unfold with my own eyes, so my friend desperately turned her face towards me and yelled out with all her might.

"AKARI ! GO !"

I was broken out of my trance and quickly removed myself from the ground to run away from the crowd. I turned back to see if I there was anyone who were chasing me, but all I could see was the gang trying their best to pull off Mira from Maximus's immobilized body.

I wanted to go back, I wanted to help her because I knew that she was going to be in a lot of trouble now because of me. I wanted to prove to her that I was a great friend, as much as she was towards me. But my feet kept going, kept running away as I was headed as far away as possible from the dangerous situation.

"I'm sorry Mira..." I told myself while crying out, dashing to the exit of the building.