"Damn... damn it..." I grunted, using my Ketsuko as a crutch to get up.
"RRAAAWWR!" the Zarko roared, tossing its moss-colored mane back as it roared, preparing its second attack as I painstakingly struggled to get into a fighting position.
Then I fell again, as my injured leg gave, and it lunged.
* * *
Okay, okay, enough with all of this weird crap. Let's move back two weeks and three days before the part where I'm about to get killed by a hairy, reptilian Zarko with a set of classis, nightmarish fangs and clawed hands.
My name's Senna Keya, fourteen. And before I'd met Isuke Nara, two weeks, three days ago, I'd been a perfectly normal freshman, trying to find a little niche for me to fit in.
Then one day, I met him. And yeah, that day was two weeks, three days ago.
Isuke Nara.
Pretty damn cute, almost black hair, tall, athletic, cool, with a hint of bad boy, but so far as I know, good grades.
Damn cute-a** boy.
I dies because of him.
I died because I was thinking about him, about one simple event that happened that fateful day.
At the end of first period P.E., he caught my arm as I was walking to my next class, and said with such an adorably uncertain voice, "Will you sit with me at lunch today?" I was so stunned and confused, I mindlessly just nodded. As people stared at us, he smiled, relieved, and turned and walked away to his next class.
It seemed like everyone in the vicinity stared after him, then once he was lost in the crowd, turned their awed and jealous eyes on me. I was probably way redder than any tomato, especially when I turned to leave, tripped on my own foot, and just about landed flat on my face.
The next few periods until lunch passed in a blur, until it was finally time.
As soon as the bell rang, I was up and rushed to the door, tripped and hit my shoulder against the doorway, and was off again.
I finally got to the cafeteria in one piece, and got into the short line to get my lunch. I scanned the table for him. Nothing.
Immersed in my thoughts, I didn't notice him standing right next to me until he said, "Let's sit over there, in the corner." Again, all I could do was nod and follow him, but at least I didn't trip this time.
We sat across from each other, neither moving nor making eye contact.
After what seemed like an hour of this, he broke the silence first. And when I mean silence, I mean like almost nobody's talking in the cafeteria, and they're staring at us like we suddenly sprouted wings or something like that.
When Isuke finally spoke, the first words out of his mouth were, "You're Senna Keya, right?"
Wow. How unexpected. He asks me, and only me, to sit at a corner table with him, then asks for confirmation of my name. W-O-W.
I swallowed, then said, "Yeah, that's right. And you're Isuke Nara." It wasn't a question, in my case.
"Yeah."
We looked away, not saying anything for a couple minutes. I could hear the silence around us slowly returning to the normal cafeteria buzz, as people speculated and gossiped on what they'd witnessed.
I cleared my throat, and said, "So, Isuke... If you don't mind me asking, why did you pick me to sit with you today? Why me? Why today?"
I watched him expectantly, but he still didn't look up at me, and sighed.
"I don't really know why. I just had this feeling that something's gonna happen today, that's all."
"Umm, good or bad feeling?" I couldn't help but inquire.
"Maybe both. I can't tell."
"Oh. That's nice."
Now he looked at me, and gave me a funny look.
"What do you mean by that?"
"Oh, uh, nothing," I blushed, and looked away.
"Hmm."
"Hmm."
We averted our eyes again, and I noticed it had once again gotten quiet.
Crap, I thought, Now everyone's staring at us again. Damn it, what the hell's so special about me? Except that I'm so damn clumsy, I'm pretty much like everyone else, right? So why're they still staring? Damn it, I'm not special, I'm nobody, stop staring at me!
"You're wrong, Senna! You are special!"
"Wh-what?"
Isuke was staring at me. Crap, another starer.
"N-nothing. Ididn't say a thing. Not a word."
"What the hell are you talking about? You just said that I'm... that I'm special!" I stammered, confused, searching his blue eyes for answers.
"I didn't say anything!" he said harshly.
I stared back, shocked by his mood swing.
"I'll see you after school," he said, picking up his untouched plate of food and throwing it away. "Meet me at the bus stop on Second Street. It's not very far."
He turned abruptly and walked away, as I stared after him and pondered his expression as he had left. He'd looked as hurt and confused as I felt.
