Rising Shards

When we got back to school, we all gathered for a brief farewell before the love trio, Tay, and Michi went their separate ways, with all of us promising to meet up the next day to let someone at the school know about what happened.

"I'll be sure to file a preliminary report with the prefects," Amara said. "This wasn't technically a school incident, but with the imp thing, it's best they know that as soon as possible."

"And we'll of course join for that," KJ said.

"That's a given!" Amara said.

KJ and Rain each put a hand on Michi's shoulders.

"And you should come with too!" Rain said cheerfully.

"I...uh...s-sure," Michi said. They gave me a look that I wasn't sure was pleading for help or was something more excited, so I didn't interfere as the love trio pulled them away.

"That's probably it for me, too," Tay said, saluting us. "Thanks for a strange day, and er, sorry for being intrusive. I won't ask again about the breakups or who you're all currently seeing or going to the dance with."

"Please," Myles said.

"And if it does turn out that you're responsible for what we experienced today," Anastasia said, menacing power radiating from her. "I'll rip out all your teeth one by one, and make them into a nice little necklace for you to wear."

"What?" Charmaine asked.

"Seriously, what the hell?" Ash said.

"Maybe don't listen to her threats like that...and Tay ran off already," Sai said.

"I'm not apologizing for that one, I mean it, and Tay's still the most likely suspect," Anastasia said.

We were all too tired to do anything else that day. Without thinking about it, I followed the devils to their dorm.

"Oh, sorry," I said, realizing the error.

"Wanna see the place?" Sai asked.

"Huh?" I said.

"Yeah, you came all this way, we don't want to make you leave," Ash said.

"I'll check with Mother to make sure it's fine," Anastasia said.

This was strange, but I couldn't muster any opposition to the idea. It would probably be good to see the other dorm. 

The devils' dorm was much sleeker than ours, with lots of high end equipment around like touch screens in the walls that showed the outside weather, a fully stocked kitchen, a court for exercise, and big rooms for each of the devils. It was less like a dorm room trying to cram in beds, closets, a bathroom and more a connected home. I ended up on a couch watching television with the group that recently beat up the principal. It made me feel a bit daring, but they weren't really as bad as that debut made them seem.

"We're right back where we started, huh," Charmaine said. "Dang, where's Esther? She missed out on all of this."

"She had to have lab work done today," Ash said. "And her power isn't illusions, and that cloaked girl didn't sound anything her, if you're wondering."

"I...the thought may have crossed my mind," I said, crossing a suspect off my list.

Myself, the Altheas, and Charmaine sat on the couch and recliners, while Sai sat cross legged on the ground with Anastasia beside them.

"Mrrgh, exhausted," Anastasia grumbled as she leaned over, resting her head on Sai's lap. It sounded like she started to snore.

"Did she just fall asleep?" I asked.

"Oh yeah, when she's tired she's just out," Sai said. "I could probably shout in her ear and she'd stay asleep."

"I caught her sleeping on the long table once," Myles said, pointing to a long dinner table. "Like on top of the table."

"How do you handle her?" I asked. "Just an afternoon and I'm exhausted, too."

"Ana can be really, really annoying," Sai said. "Her fuse is short, she argues so much sometimes she'll change what she's arguing for mid-debate just to keep arguing. But at the end of the day she's basically a stray cat. And I guess since I'm basically one too, I get it when she's all pissed and obnoxious. It's a stray cat thing."

The way Sai stroked Ana's hair was like someone petting a cat, making the comparison to a stray feel even more apt.

"I'm not excusing the Zeta stuff either, by the way," Sai said.

"Yeah, none of us excuse that," Ash said.

"Really hope she gets over that at some point," Myles said.

"Do you know why...?" I asked. Zeta seemed to inspire ire from bullies, but that wasn't her fault. This Anastasia grudge seemed different. Not that I thought Zeta was responsible either.

The devils looked at each other.

"We have no idea," Charmaine said. "She's always talking about how Zeta and their other sister stole the Kathron honor or something by leaving, but...that doesn't seem enough for this kind of anger."

"I don't think it's from their mom, but I also don't think she did much to stop it." Ash said.

I didn't know if I could personally stand Anastasia's outbursts, and didn't envy the others for having to deal with them. But there were glimmers of someone who wasn't like that past her brash exterior.

I wrote down everything I could think of that could be a clue from the day on my phone as the devils watched television, everything from the Kathron situation to the imps and the cloaked girl. There were too many mysteries at the moment to comprehend. I wasn't necessarily looking to have a mystery to solve while still trying to cope with a breakup, but I couldn't deny that it helped having something else to think about. I didn't find a person to pull me through this uncertain darkness, a lover to save me from the sad times like I pictured as we stood on the halfpipe, but I potentially made new friends, which was nice in its own way.

"Hey, Ana's asleep so we don't have to watch any more Tower by the way," Sai said. "By that I mean please put anything else on other than Tower of Hate and Love."

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