Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. There is no relation to any real persons, groups, events etc. They are all fictional.

Chapter 2 

School Life - Graceful Beauty

“Thank you!"

My whole body was frozen, yet my mind yearned to speak to her, to get to know her.

But before I got the chance, she went back to her seat and started drawing on a paper plane that sat on her desk.

After a while, I found myself fawning over the way her wavy hair slid over her ears, her eyes following the pencil that drew on the paper.

When the break ended, I realised that she avoided talking to anyone. Even the boys were shoo’d away.

That was when I remembered about the White Bird that was nested on the side of a tree branch, and its feather that flew in, making me start searching for it around my right foot.

“Hey…um…are you alright?” 

My heart jumped after hearing her voice. I turned to her, causing me to accidentally hit my right elbow on the edge of the table, though I ignored the pain. 

“Are you alright?” She asked again in a soft tone, along with a face of worry.

“It's alright, the edge is rounded so it didn't hurt that much” I assured. 

“You sure?” She whispered. 

“Y-Yeah,” I laughed awkwardly.

“Well…can I ask you for something?” She inquired quietly.  

Her hair was hanging to the side, our eyes fixed onto each other. 

“Can I get one of those white feathers?” She murmured.

I could feel my heart beat reverberating through me. I felt The Sensation growing, sweat trickling down from the warmth. Suddenly it became harder to breathe. 

“Y–Yeah” I shuddered. 

I took one of the feathers from my notebook and gave it to her. 

“Thank you!” She smiled beautifully, and butterflies filled my stomach. 

The bell rang. The first day of school had finished. The unforgettable day is coming to its end.

The Sensation… was it because of those sleepless nights?. I thought to myself

The school ground was filled with students in groups. Parents came in a hurry to pick up their little child who was chattering and playing with friends happily. 

Well, the first day went better than I expected. Though I still haven’t got to know her name. 

The sidewalk inside was different than it was in the morning. The yellow flowers were watered which gave them glow, the green leaves that were in ground were wilted but they still had their beauty giving the environment an evening vibe. 

The Nature park near the school was occupied by the nursery students. Chattering and smiles made it look alive. The hatchlings cried for their mother. Dogs and cats were roaming around being fed by humans.

I walked towards my home. Hands in my pocket,weightless bag hanging from one shoulder. My hair started to fall over my ears and eyes.

It grew too much.. I should cut it soon. I thought, while I was running my hand through my hair.

“Sorry but I can’t” I heard a familiar voice. 

I saw some students grouped together on the side of the road. My whole body froze in its place, among those students was the girl that sat next me. 

“Seriously girl! It's just a small request!” Scoffed a guy from the gang.

“I...can't," She said with an uncomfortable face.

My body started acting on its own full of rage. 

“HEY!” I ran towards them. “What are you doing?”

I saw her eyes start to express a tinge of happiness after seeing me. 

I stood in front of her, looking straight at a blonde-haired guy. He stood taller than me by a few inches.  

He had a white pale skin with a burn mark in his left arm. He didn’t wear a coat, just white shirt and mellow yellow pants. 

The Group burst into laughter. Though someone among them was worried. But do I know him? 

“Think you can stop us?” Mocked the blonde hair guy.

“Boss Jake, be careful he is the son of that fire force captain, I know him from my elementary school” that guy warned from back who I couldn’t remember.

Jake’s eyes widened with surprise.

“This Little guy? Pft ahahaha” he started laughing while he was pointing at me. “This guy is the son of that knucklehead?” He started mocking me and my father. 

His laughter slowly started to dim but that silent smile stayed on his face. He marched towards me. The girl from my class is still completely hidden behind me.

“Let me tell you what we did recently.” Jake went closer to my ear. “You know about the forest fire recently? Yeah that was our doing” said Jake. 

Dad was right. It was a man made forest fire. 

“Boss, what the hell are you doing?! I told you to keep it a secret and now you just spilled the truth?” said the same guy who warned him. 

As the group suddenly went into silence after knowing their deeds had spread to me and the girl behind me.

“Seriously, he’s too scared to even react,” taunted Jake. Then he faced me. “Isn't that right scaredy cat?” his smile stretched across his face. 

Then my head started to hurt, I felt it beating against my skull. I fell to my knees holding my head.

That was the last thing I remember until I woke up on a wooden bench in a small but open ventilated room.

“are you alright?” a female voice asked me, worried.

It was the girl from my class. She was sitting near me holding my right hand. Which was covered with white clothes. 

Is my hand injured? It hurts. I thought to myself. 

“Where are we?” I questioned her.

“Thank God you're ok” she said as her voice shook with worry. The warmth from her hand overrides the pain of my palm. 

“What happened?” I asked while looking around. We were in a police station between our school and my home. Then I noticed Jake and his friends were sitting opposite us. Jake rested his elbow in his thigh, his small pony tail hanging from the side. Others looking nervously sat with Jake.  

“You.. you don't remember?” she said with concern.

I don't remember what happened after I fell down with pain in my head.

“You nearly hit the senior in the face when he said something to your ear, but a policeman just so happened to pass by.” she continued. 

That news was something else… I didn't believe it but my right palm was a proof it did happened 

Just what the hell happened to me? I don't remember anything about this.

I was scared just thinking about how my parents would react to this. I never got into a fight before, especially outside of school. 

Then a tinned black door opened up, and a policeman with glasses came out.

“Alright, tell me your name and where do you live?" asked a policeman. 

After standing up, I told my name and my father's phone number. I know my parents are very angry because of this. But my father is the only person I can rely on.

“Miss what's your name?” asked the police about the name of the girl next to me. 

My heart jumped again from the excitement. I don’t know why I am interested in her so much, from the moment I saw her my heart has been unusually urging me to get to know her. 

“Yumi, My name is Yumi,” she said. 

Yumi.. 

I smiled happily, my heart which was beating against my rips calmed down like a large rock had been lifted from me. Though I wanted to stay like this.

“ADEN!” Dad ran into the station yelling on top of his lungs. My legs started shaking, my pulse became rapid. But when he saw me with his worrying eyes, my fear dissipated. 

“Are you okay Ady?” Mom shouted as she ran towards us in distress. 

“What happened?” she asked. I stood there silently, with nothing to answer that question. 

The policeman came to us and asked “Are you his parents?”.

Which scared both of them as they thought we did something serious, Mom already on the edge of crying.

“Yes, we are his parents” said Dad as he was sweating from the stress. 

“Then can we talk in my office?” The policeman asked them.

As they walked to the office, Yumi came to me and pitched me in the arm. 

“Are your parents angry about this?” Yumi whispered in a low, worried tone.

“Hey, it's not your fault. What happened here was my doing.” I assured her. 

Then a woman with blonde hair rushed into the office. Then Jake stood up but the woman didn’t mind him. 

We waited for a few minutes on the bench. Until Dad came through the door. Dad stood in front of me. I was scared that he would yell at me in front of Yumi but I guess fate had different plans for me.

“Good job Ady, I am proud of you,” He praised and smiled at me.

Then mom rushed to me and reached for my injured right palm. 

“Are you alright Ady?” asked Mom.

“It's alright mom, just some scratches” I convinced her.  

“Lets go home Ady.” Ordered Dad as he started to walk towards the door outside. 

Mom got hold of my hand and we marched to the door. After a few steps I turned around to see Yumi again for one last time for today. She stood there in loneliness. Seeing us moving away from her, she looked down in hopelessness. Then I walked up to Dad. 

“What Ady?” asked Dad and I pointed at Yumi who was sitting alone on the bench.

“What do you want me to do?” Dad whispered to me, Mom stood near confused about what was happening. 

After a lot of struggle with dad, he finally let out a big sigh and walked straight to the policeman. Me and Mom were standing near the main door waiting for Dad. I saw him going through his pockets, maybe searching for his ID card. 

“Well, who is she anyway?” Mom asked, while looking at Yumi. 

“She is just my classmate..” I replied with no enthusiasm.  

Even though we only talked a little, I cherished every bit of it today. I don’t know why but I want to know her the moment our eyes make contact. The way my heart kept jumping out of rhythm, this is the first time I felt something like this.

“Whats her name?” asked mom. 

“Yumi.. That’s all I know about her” I murmured. 

Mom stood there staring at her, I tried to recall what Yumi said.. I tried to hit Jake is something that will take years to do yet I did and don’t remember a single thing about it. 

“Ady!” Dad yelled, I sprinted to him. 

“There won’t be any help like this.. go take her” declared Dad. 

I marched towards Yumi who looked puzzled by the commotion. 

“Are you gonna wait for your parents to come?” I asked her as I stood in front of her.

She stared at me, thinking about what to answer. Our eyes were fixed on each other.

“Well it's gonna take a while because Dad is working late today” Yumi replied in sadness. 

“Wanna come with us? Don’t worry, my Dad is a fire fighter and he already called your parents.” I assured her. 

She looked hesitant at first, I mean who will go home with a total stranger. After thinking for a while, she stood up with her bag in her hand. 

When we stepped outside the station it was already night time. We walked home together, leaving Jake and his gang behind. My Mom and Yumi were smiling and chattering together as we walked by. 

“Dad works as a doctor in the General Hospital” Answered Yumi with a smile. It took me long enough to notice that she changed her hair to a bun like Mom though some of her hair covered her face partially. I don't know why, but that made me smile. 

“She is in your class?” Dad asked who was walking beside me cautiously. 

“Yeah, she sits next to me," I replied. 

“Be careful next time, don't jump into fights like that” Dad ordered. 

“Okay..” but I don’t remember anything about it. 

After a few minutes, I noticed that we were walking in the direction of my home. The antique shop was silent without any light.   

When we reached the front gates of my house. I wondered how Yumi would go as it was late. 

“YUMI!” A woman in a black dress with rose prints came running outside from the neighbour’s house. 

I stood there dumbfounded as the realisation stuck.

WAIT! SHE IS MY NEIGHBOUR?

“Are you ok Yumi? Your Dad said you were in the Police station. ” cried Yumi’s mother. 

It seemed like the guy from Jake's gang was asking for her number and was bullying her when she refused.

“Thank you so much,” She thanked. I just gave a warm smile of affirmation. 

“Now now let's talk tomorrow, it's already past 7” Yumi’s Mom exclaimed as she grabbed Yumi’s arm. We said Goodbyes and separated our ways.

Mom gave me a side eye while we entered our home. “Saving a girl on the first day. Our son has grown to be a gentleman, Honey” Mom said to Dad while smiling. “Mom, it's not like that” I blushed and ran upstairs to my room. 

I threw my bag to the side after opening the door and jumped to the bed. I elevated my right fist to the dark green leaves with brown branches ceiling as I lay down on the bed.

What a day! Thought to myself. 

I couldn't hold my hand too long as it fell to the side of the bed. My body was too tired. Everything went blurry. My wavering eyes started to close, I felt the cold air flow through the window . A nap before bath is alright. 

Author = Ryujin (@gol_d_ryujin) 

Editor/Proofreader= Tricky (@tiky_tricky)  

Art = Sara

Instagram = ryujin._.200