Dangerous Souls

Break A Leg

Chapter 3-The Performance

"Miss Matsuzaki, go with her..."

"John, accompany her..."

"Monk..."

"Lin..."

"Make sure you're never alone..."

"I'll explain, for her sake..."

"If I must dumb it down..."

"All you do is get into trouble!"

"I always have to save you!"

"No wonder your abilities are like a wild animal, you act like one..."

"I just can't stand how horribly he treats you!"

"You're a danger magnet, Mai."

"I don't trust him."

"Mai, tea."

"You're theory is amateur at best..."

"It's abuse!"

***

January Day 3 3:13 A.M.

Mai shot up to a sitting position. Cold sweat dripped from her brow as she exhaled heavily. It took several moments for her speeding heart to relax and her breaths to slow and deepen. This was one of those moments where she wished she could say it was all "just a dream." Not this time. She couldn't say it was a vision of someone else's life. It wasn't. It was as real as she was. And it was her life the last nearly two years. She hated this. Hated how much sense it made. How she endured such treatment for so long. How much it hurt to realize it. How worried her friends had been for so long. And how her boss of all people just might have caused it all.

Flopping back to her pillow, she glanced at the clock. This was the earliest she had woken up in a couple of weeks, but she had done worse. It wasn't like she was going to be able to go back to sleep. Not now that she was all riled up. She was going to have to meet up with Tsubame in a couple of hours anyway. She may as well get up and do some studying.

She sat back up and reached over for her school bag. After so many nights like this, she had become accustomed to leaving it right next to her bed. Pulling out a textbook, she began reading a chapter in history. At the same time, her mind continued to wander back to the conversation she had with her boyfriend. He didn't really tell her to find a new job, right? That was just how it sounded. He couldn't want her to do that, not after all the good she has done with it. Even Hozumi had mentioned that she might want to consider switching occupations, but she held her ground. So, why was it so hard to hold her ground now? It wasn't like the question was any different. But it was. Hozumi asked her to consider it because of the spiritual aspects that had taken a toll on her. Shouta asked her because of the living emotional aspect that took its toll. What if Shouta was right? What if everything she dealt with the last couple of months that he and Hozumi had helped her through was all because of Naru and what he's done to her?

Mai Taniyama was once able to turn these sleepless nights into nights of productivity. It could be shown through her grades. Tonight, she was just too preoccupied. Her heart raced and tears began to cover the page of history before her. It had been a while since she had one of these attacks. She thought she was through with them.

She was wrong.

She silently cursed herself as she tried to control her shallow breaths.

***

January Day 3, 12:45 P.M.

"I'm no expert, but something's on your mind, Mai," Taiki of all people announced as he sat down with the three besties for lunch. Genji wasn't too far behind him.