The sun is setting.The amber skyline touched the towering buildings in the distance. The school is almost clear, only a few teachers and students with club activities are around, as it is about 4pm. Some landscapers are just about finished with their ground work and exit the scene. This September evening was just right, with a slight chilling breeze. The crisp wind carried thoughts unspoken and memories that are left unsaid.
"Ehh.... Miki are you alright? Shouldn't you have gone to the nurse office as well?" asked Rena, the short girl with light brown colored hair.
Rena was worried about him. They've been best friends since elementary school.
"I'm fine Rena," he gave a full heartfelt smile.
"Always worried about others and never yourself." He ran his hand through her hair. He casually gazed into her eyes, which could have been mistaken as very passionate to anyone who didn't see they were just friends.
"Umm guys?" said in a concerned voice from behind. It was Hinata who watched the whole moment from the beginning. She was uncomfortable by their friendship dynamic, though she never tried to make it obvious. she just could not tell if they were actually 'just friends' or more.
"Oh, didn't know you were standing right there," replied Miki. He awkwardly smiled and rubbed his hair, flustered.
Hinata had gone to talk to the teachers about Alex and Damon because of the altercation. She made up a random excuse for them, something in regards to a family issue. It barely worked. Luckily for them, Hinata was the student body president. So it all worked out in the end, no one will really questioned her.
Hinata thought back to the moment she dismissed Alex and told him to take Damon to the nurses office. This moment flashed through her mind several times after that until she realized why Alex's face was so familiar. She kept this thought to herself though, she spoke while she reminisced on memories that she thought she had forgotten.
"Yeah, I had to finish talking to them, there were a few questions regarding the two of them. I came back because I'm waiting on Sosuke"
Hinata was waiting for her boyfriend to come pick her up, he was finishing up club activities.
The club was running shorter than usual today because of the Pre-Fall tournament.
"What about Damon? You think the new kid brought him home in one piece?" Asked Miki as he rubbed the tips of his hair while facing Hinata.
"Well he seemed like a nice guy, " She said with a less than sincere smile. "Hopefully he did the right thing.."
"You're worrying too much, he can easily stop Terumi's impact. So he must be strong right? And he did take Damon to the nurse, I don't think he would have done that without waiting around"
"You're right!" Said Rena
"Let's talk to him tomorrow, he has class with all of us." said a voice from behind, everyone's head turned to face the voice that emerged.
"Sosuke," said Hinata.
He was standing against a wall facing the group. He had dark medium brown hair and sharp brown eyes, his stare was pivoted to Hinata and those surrounding her. He held himself confidently, his tall figure made him appear attractive to other girls their age. He started walking towards the group keeping direct eye contact,
"Honestly from the rumors going around, he seems like a fine choice to have him join us. It'd make things less complicated. What do we know so far about him?"
"B-but-"
Miki immediately cut Rena off with, "You're right. Adding him to the faction would be helpful, we can help students who have been bullied by the serpents. We know that he can be a threat to Terumi because of how strong and fast he is, I think that's the most important thing to note" Miki, Rena and Hinata lowered their heads. Until Hinata spoke up,
"What kinda student council members are we if we don't act to support our student body. Anyone who can contribute that much would be more than helpful to us and every student here" She had a determined look in her eyes.
"That's my girl," Sosuke's eyes sparkled.
With that, everyone parted ways. Miki walked Rena home just after they grabbed a bite to eat at a fast food joint, this was a weekly ritual done between the two of them. Sosuke walked with Hinata to pick up her little sister at her jujitsu practice at the YMCA.
-Alex, heading home after school that turned into the ride home with Damon. Alex took the time to cruising around some of the city-
"So where do you live?" He asks, not noticing that she had her eyes closed the whole time. Alex decided to park the bike. Finally, she takes the helmet off and speaks,
"Umm.... I actually can't go home because... of.. family reasons... the nearest shelter would be fine, I should have told you that from the beginning, this was a lot of fun though." She started looking at the ground and rubbing her hands together.
"Tsk" Alex was pissed, it's probably so hard at home that she can't even tell her parents.
"No you're not sleeping in a shelter, I have extra room at my house, since my older brother and sisters are adults now and moved out."
"A-are you sure???" Damon seemed shocked that he would offer that with barely knowing her, "Wouldn't your parents be mad if you didn't ask them first?" goosebumps rose under Damon's hand as she nervously dragged her nails up her arm.
"My mom will not mind, don't worry about it" he left her no room but to accept, his glare was demanding but only for the sake of her safety.
The two joked around in an attempt to break the heaviness in the air, which Damon carried seamlessly.
"So... Damon, since the whole school thinks we are together you think I should work on my coming out to my mom?" he pushed Damon slightly in a playful manner.
"If you really want to," she looked Alex up and down, "but I don't think you really have to, I think the girly jacket already speaks for itself~"
He stuck out his hand, inviting Damon to keep riding with him after giving a sarcastic 'haha' as a response. Damon was hesitant at first, but gladly went along. She wasn't used to being able to be herself with someone so easily.
The two rode once again but this time the destination was straight to Alex's home. Luckily enough Alex stayed further away from the school not to be noticed. The drive was peaceful for Alex, but by the way Damon gripped it was obvious she hasn't spent much time on a bike like he has.
"Mom, I have a friend that needs a place to stay" he opens his mouth as soon as he walks into the house, Damon trailing behind.
"oh you made a friend on your first day," she comes to meet me from the kitchen. Her smile turns into a frown the moment she gets a good look at how Damon looks. Damon is badly bruised, cuts wrapped in bandages, and a black eye. She was in rough condition, no shape to be meeting a new friend's parent. She was slightly embarrassed.
"Why, you're just like your father, helping people, especially girls," she crossed her arms.
"Actually mom she's a boy... he, I mean, my bad, this is Damon," he looked at Damon to make sure how he was introduced was correct. Damon thought back to the earlier conversation before coming here and laughed a little bit into her sleeve then looks to Alex with an affirming nod.
~~~
The scene changed, Hinata and Sosuke picked up Hanabi from practice.
"So Lil Tiger, how was practice?" asked Sosuke.
She walks in front of both of them and says "it was ehh," she gave a thumbs down. "Everyone was so weak. It's starting to get boring," she pretended to yawn and turned her head slightly as a means to look cocky. She smiled brightly.
"Sensei said something along the lines of 'I'm out of limits'??" I don't know what that means. All I did was beat up the whole class. Even the older ones, they're just weak" Hinata looked at Sosuke and then turned back to Hanabi and said,
"don't you mean, 'know your limits',?"
"Nu, uh" she said, "he said it that way"
She very confidently strides in front of her sister. Humming a tone from her favorite tv show. The way she walked was like someone who felt they were unstoppable, the older two shrugged it off, though it was odd such a small girl could take on some so much bigger and older than her, it could of just been kid talk.
"Woah slow down tiger, it is my job after all to make sure you two get home safely," he laughed and gripped Hinata's hand as he playfully chased after Hanabi. She laughed and ran away from him not getting too far. The scene closes with the three of them playing in the distance.
Chapter 5 end