Sora waved her hand to get her to shut up, her vision shifting from her to the filling hallway, and a sudden, succulent thought popped into her head.
“Umm… Where’s Kari?” “Ugh—no, it’s not Kari that wants to see you; keep up!
Lori’s in your classroom right now—” “I know what you said,” she interrupted, rolling her eyes while glancing at the wall to her right.
“Kari should be running track right now, right?” “Probably?
Wait, wasn’t your hair—where are you going?!” Flipping around for Kris to puff out a frustrated sigh and chase after her, Sora walked the school’s perimeter.
“Are you going to run back home?” Sora brushed back her hair, annoyance touching her voice as she repeated the girl’s comment.
“Keep up, yourself, Kris.
I asked where Kari was.
Clearly, I’m going to find her.” “What… Why?
If you don’t see Lori before the bell rings, she’ll probably do something to Wendy.” She was a little surprised to hear the concern in the girl’s voice; it was probably more or less her trying to protect herself than anything else, but maybe she wasn’t entirely on board with everything the psychopath did.
“Do you know what Kari told me yesterday?” Sora asked, glancing at her while moving to the grass to cut a corner quicker.
“Uh, no…” she hesitantly whispered, scanning the throng of gathering students.
“I just heard Lori had Wendy cut your hair and made you walk home… umm, naked,” she mumbled.
Interesting… Arriving at the field, Sora grinned upon seeing Kari in gym clothes, running the track at a speed that would make a college recruiter salivate.
I can’t believe I’m actually going through with this!
Devious thoughts tickling her tight stomach, Sora raised her hand to wave at the tall, black-haired girl, drawing her attention.
“Kari!
Hey, Kari!” Kris almost tripped beside her.
“W-What are you doing?!
Kari hates being interrupted… Oh, shit—why are you getting me involved in this?!” She gagged as Kari’s amber irises narrowed upon coming to a stop, vision shifting between them.
More than a few eyes were on them as Kari seemed to growl and walk over to meet them.
Sora shivered at the Alpha Bully’s approach, a tense atmosphere always following the girl when she was agitated, and to bewilder Kris even more, Sora turned her back after getting Kari’s attention to guide them into a small, boxed-in square.
“Do you have a death wish?” Kris hissed, rubbing her arms and glancing around the deserted area, with fogged windows in the inlet closed.
“K-Kari—I, uh, I don’t know what she’s thinking…” “Shhh.” Putting a finger to her lips as she smirked at the panicking junior, Sora returned her focus to the tall, scowling girl who rounded the corner.
“Good morning, Kari!” Fingers flexing as she stopped a meter away, a suspicious tint overcast Kari’s face while watching Kris—a good thirty centimeters shorter—fidget under her gaze.
“Just because I told you to leave, Sora, doesn’t mean we’re friends… Why is your hair back, and… that scent?” Holding her wrist behind her back, Sora’s locks weaved against her shoulders as she shook her head, and she couldn’t believe how calm she felt.
There was an odd, strong perfume Kari seemed to be wearing that contrasted Kris’ stench; probably the more bizarre part was that she’d notice that right now.
“I wouldn’t have come, but yesterday, Lori met me on the way back home and told me that if I didn’t come, she’d hurt Wendy, and now Kris is saying she has something planned for me in my classroom.” Sora’s smile strained as Kari’s fingers curled into a fist, her nose twitching slightly.
“What trick are you trying to pull?” “I’m not.
Kris can tell you.” Shifting to the side, Sora directed Kari’s attention to her, making the junior take a step back, face turning white at being in the spotlight.
“W-What?
I don’t know—I just was told t-to bring her—” Now who’s stuttering!
Sora internally mocked, jumping in to interpret.
“Lori dumped a smoothie on my head and told me to stay, so… I was wondering if you changed your mind?
I’m just, heh, a little confused, Kari; should I leave, like you said, or should I obey Lori’s order instead?” Hand tightening around her wrist as Kari closed her eyes and took a deep, calming breath, Sora’s stomach squirmed, wondering if this had been a good idea or not, and when the bully’s amber irises opened, there was a sharp edge in them that made Kris and her freeze.
“What did Lori tell you to do, Kris?” “I’m just—I was told t-to watch for S-Sora and—and to bring her to her class!
I don’t know anything about not leaving school, or—or anything like that.
I was told to look out for Sora, so—so I did!” “Haaa…” Kari sucked in her bottom lip for a moment, and Sora couldn’t tell if she was pissed or not, but the towering girl almost seemed to grow two meters taller as her bright, amber irises returned to her.
“If this is a trick, Sora… I’m done with these games.” The tense atmosphere broke as she moved to the school’s side entrance, muttering, “Kris, go tell Jenny I want her—and we’re not done, Sora.” “I, umm, okay—she has PE with me, so…” Sora remained in the same place as the two split in opposite directions, leaving her alone, and a short chuckle bubbled out of her tight chest.
I did it… I actually did it, but… what will Kari do if Lori tries to turn it back on me?
“Hmm…” Figuring it was better to know what the psychopath said in case she had to come up with a defense, Sora pulled down her shorts a little and adjusted her purse strap before jogging after Kari.
Tilting her wrist to check the time, she found it was about twenty minutes before the bell rang.
She zig-zagged between groups of students in the hallway, and, judging by the relieved expressions on several faces, Kari hadn’t passed them too long ago; no one wanted to draw her attention when she was pissed.
Sora paused for a second as she saw Theodore Thomas down a branching corridor, his locker open, with Wendy beside him, hands held behind her back, smiling and laughing at something he said.
Sora lingered for a moment.
Theo and Wendy?
Doesn’t Theo work after school?
So… they met while cleaning… Huh.
I haven’t seen her smile like that in a long time.
Shoving her curiosity aside, Sora reminded herself that she needed to have a talk with Wendy before the end of the day and continued to stalk Kari.
Entering the junction before her classroom, she heard the door open with a few girls’ voices leaving after Kari dismissed them.
Sora ducked into the nearby bathroom to evade the throng, dispersing with confused mumbles to one another.
Several classmates were hanging around her first block class—History—likely not wanting to get involved in anything Lori had planned.
Everyone quickly split upon Kari’s entrance, however.
Sora pulled in her bottom lip upon leaning against the side of the wall, attempting to strain her ears to hear what was happening inside, and, with the door shut, she hesitated just before drawing closer to look through the window.