M.A.R.

Chapter 2

"Ritsuka..." Dally asked for his son's attention. Ritsuka simply glanced at his dad as he finished his breakfast before school. His dad sighed and started on his breakfast as he stated, "There's going to be a new student at school today-"

"And you want me to stay away from her, too, right?" Ritsuka finished his father's statement as he put his half empty bowl in the sink.

His father didn't respond as he guiltily stared at his bowl of soggy cereal.

"Yeah, dad. Whatever." Ritsuka grabbed his backpack. "Maybe the town'll drive her out, too." He stated, his voice grim.

"That was ten years ago, dammit! Get over her, she practically killed herself!" his father screamed in worn out anger.

Ritsuka paused half way through the door. "Ten years ago?" he dug his nails into the wooden frame. "Ten years doesn't replace a best friend." He stated emotionlessly before he slammed the door shut behind him. ___________________________________________________________________

"I heard that the new student is a third year!" one of the girls in homeroom mumbled before the bell.

"Third year? But I heard that he was only 15!" a boy responded with a gasp.

"Is he going to be in algebra 2 or geometry?" another boy questioned.

"Do you think he'll be squeamish when we all dress up as grim reapers for the car crash act?" a girl asked with a devilish grin.

"Ha-ha, the new kid is all the buzz, it seems." Cole pulled up a chair next to Ritsuka's desk. "He reminds me of some other runt who skipped a grade..." he turned to Ritsuka and punched his shoulder, friendly mischief in his smiling eyes.

Cole was one of the cool jocks. He's the star quarter back of the varsity football team and is adored by everyone in the school, but he doesn't let it go to his head. Heck, he even saves nerd from his own kind. Just how do you think he and Ritsuka became friends?

Ritsuka smiled at the warm memory. "Are you going to protect her from your friends, Cole? We could drop by the third year building at lunch if you want." He offered.

"Nooo," Cole shook his head, "My parents made me promise not to talk to the new kid."

"Same here!" the girls next to them added.

"Why do you think they'd want us to stay away from him?" someone else asked as they joined the group.

"Maybe he's mentally unstable..."

"That's really mean! What if you were mentally unstable would you..."

"My parents made me write a contract to stay away from him! A contract!"

"What?! That's insane! Is he really that bad?"

"Maybe he killed someone..."

"He'd be in jail, retard..."

"Do you think it's the same person as last time?"

"No way! She's dead! My parents said that she caused the tsunami so it was only right that she dies by it!"

"Enough." Ritsuka silenced the chatty crowd that was growing around Cole and himself. He glared at his desk, his anger eating away at him. He was so tired of the crap about his...best friend. "It's ridiculous how you all eat up the crap that your parents feed you. How could she-a FIVE YEAR OLD-create a tsunami?" he stood up and turned his glare onto his older peers. "If any of you had the heart to go and meet her, you would've known that she was as normal as you and me. But none of you knew her. You didn't take the chance because you were all little babies believing in lies. And none of you will ever have the guts to meet a person like her." All of the students turned away from the boy in shame. What could they say? He was right in every sense of the word.