Deliciously Bitter

2

Third Person POV

When lunch finally came around, Allen was a sight to see. First of all, his hair and clothes were disheveled. Second, it was evident that whatever happened to him, water was involved because his clothes were damp, which consisted of a black dress vest accompanied by a white dress shirt, black slacks, red bow tie that brought out the odd red scar on his face, and white gloves.

When Allen sat down at an empty table, Lavi was quick to follow, passing the promised cookie over to him.

"So what happened?" Lavi grinned.

45 Minutes Back

Once the bell had rung, Allen rushed out, fearful not to be late to his next class. He checked his schedule, then groaned.

Gym. He was going to have to get his schedule changed, perhaps by having a talk with the school counselor Dr. Gill. The reason for this was because in his previous schools Allen was constantly teased for the scarring on his arm he'd had to deal with since.. since Mana.

Reluctantly, Allen entered gym class, greeted by a not-so-greeting delinquent who's face screamed murder behind the smug smile. Kanda approached Allen, already dressed out for class.

"I believe we got off on the wrong foot Moyashi," Kanda said. "I'm Kanda. For future reference.." Kanda gripped the Moyashi's hair tightly, causing Allen to wince and drop his books. "You bother me again and you'll wish I ended your life." Kanda finished the conversation by slamming Allen's face into the wall and walking off as Allen plummeted to the floor.

Allen cursed, rubbing his now bruised forehead. The pale-haired male parted his hair to cover the bruising then retreated into the locker rooms. Thankfully, the other males had already dressed out, leaving Allen the solitude to change out without the strange stares that were soon to follow.

Allen walked back out of the locker room, now dressed in a white hoodie suitable for workout with his white gloves and black gym shorts that went just past his knee, along with white tennis shoes in trade for the black dress shoes he was previously in.

Outside the coach was impatiently waiting for the late teen. "Don't expect me to cut you any slack new kid. I'm your gym instructor, Coach Bolic. In my gym, the punishment for late comers is twenty one-armed push-ups for each arm. Get to it new kid," Coach Bolic said sternly.

Allen only nodded, being the obedient teen he was, getting onto the floor. He quietly thanked Cross for his strictness, or he would've never been able to do this. Allen put one arm behind his back and the other out to support his body, swiftly and accurately doing twenty push-ups. He switched positions, repeating the process.

"Now get outside! Everyone else is out on the track. You've got six laps to run, and if you don't finish before the bell it's an automatic detention!" Mr Bolic yelled. Allen ran outside, wasting no time.

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After the six laps Allen retreated back inside, once again somewhat thankful for the strictness of Cross. Unfortunately, once Allen walked back into the locker room he wasn't lucky enough to be alone. He gathered his clothes and headed for the empty showers, taking a quick rinse and then dressing back into his outfit.

"Oi Moyashi," Kanda said once Allen was near the exit to leave the locker room. "Almost forgot." He pulled Allen back once again by his short locks of silver hair, Allen cursing.

He shoved Allen under a sink, nearly drowning him. It was up for air too brief, then back under for more time than the short air could suffice. A memory struck Allen with it, the memory of Mana's brother, Neah.

The drowning. The water. The lifelessness in his eyes, the limp body, and the cold fingers. How Mana had changed since then. Mana.

Mana.

"Mana!" Allen screamed, a burst of adrenaline allowing him to shove Kanda into the lockers by the shoulders. The locker room hushed in silence. No one was used to anyone successfully warding off a punishment from Kanda. "Stop!" Allen screamed, "it's not my fault!" at this point he wasn't even referring to Kanda anymore, but his past. When Allen realized all he had said his eyes widened and he darted out the locker rooms before Kanda could come to his senses and kill Allen.

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Present

Allen had told Lavi everything, minus the part regarding Mana.

"Damn kid," Lavi grinned. "You're badass. What's your name again?"

"Allen."

"Well Allen," Lavi said, "I believe you're going to be on Yuu's bad side for a while, if not forever."

Allen groaned. "I hate that guy."