Under the Mask

An Unknown Fate

*Lillian POV*

My dark blue converse scuff along the pavement as I walk from my apartment located conveniently seven blocks from campus.

I adjust my plain black backpack trying to distribute the weight of what feels like 20 books plus my laptop.

Today was my first day at Marineford University, a prestigious medical school in the town of Sabaody.  I tried to get myself pumped up about my first day, getting accepted is no easy task, but I was starting a month later than everyone else here.

I tried doing as much homework as I could in the hospital but with the surgeries I had, it was so hard just to keep my eyes open for a whole day. When I was recovering I managed to cut down from being a month behind to being only two weeks behind. Only.

I sigh and stick my hands into my charcoal grey hoodie that said Marineford across the chest in bold blue letters with a white outline.

Not only was I going to have to struggle with schooling, how was I going to make friends this late in the school year? Everyone else has gotten to know each other for the past month and found what clubs they wanted to be in.

I slip my iPhone out my jean pocket and check the time. 9:55. Crap. Class was going to start in five minutes. I pick up my pace and start to jog, my long brown pony tail bouncing behind me.

I break into a sprint as a white stone mansion with tall stone pillars come into view. That mansion was Marineford University's main building where all of the classes were. There was a few other brick buildings on campus but they were just used for sports or housing.

I whip open the front door and spirit toward my class room. My shoes squeak as I come to a halt in front of class room 103.

I take a deep breath to collect myself, holding my aching stomach, and gently open the door.

I find myself in a room with a lot of natural light from the big clean windows, that has the sterile smell of cleaning product, and surrounded by sound of chattering students.

The room has fourteen cedar tables that seat two people in two rows of seven, there are medical posters hung up everywhere on the plain white plaster walls, grey metal cabinets fill the wall filled with who knows what, and in the front is a large wooden teaches desk, podium, one large smart board, and a skeleton.

Overall it is a very generic room but you can tell that everything is up to date by this year's model of the Apple desktop computer on the teacher's desk.

"You must be Miss Hayashi. Glad that you could finally join us. I will be your teacher. My name is Dr. Kureha." I turn to see a lady that could easily be 70 or more. Her long grey hair falls to her lower back. She is wearing a tight pink shirt, a long sleeve purple sweater, black dress pants, and black boots. I try to advert my eyes from the obvious plastic surgery she has had done on her body, especially her chest. No one is that perky when they are her age. No one.

She lifts an eyebrow, "Trying to figure out that secret to my youth. If you stay after class I will tell you."

I shake my head quickly and bow, "Sorry for my rudeness. It is nice to meet you Dr. Kureha."

She clamps my shoulder and spins me toward the now settled in class, "Everyone this is Hayashi Lillian. She will be joining us from now on. She had some personal issues so she wasn't able to join us until now."

I close my eyes and inhale irritated. Was this necessary? I am 22. She was acting like this was an elementary classroom.

I bow politely and scan the room. A young boy who had to be about 16 or 17 with big brown eyes and freckles smiles at me. The pale girl sitting next to him with white blonde shoulder length hair and giant brown eyes also gives me a comforting smile.