The once clear blue sky of the summer’s day had suddenly gone grey. Clouds of black and grey appeared as if from nowhere and as I pedalled my face was pelted with bullets of water. The skies had cracked open like the “God of Terrible Timing” was punishing us.

  In an instant the bright beautiful summer day had grown dark and cold.

  Familiar sights unfolded before my eyes as I slid through the streets I grew up in. Saito-san held onto me as I pedalled as fast as I could in an attempt to get home as quickly as possible. The thought that Saito-san’s injury would get worse and that she might get ill from the weather made me uneasy.

  We arrived at my front door just a little too late as the rain had picked up and completely drenched us. Our clothes were soaked through and our hair had absorbed so much rain you may have thought we jumped into a lake.

  Rushing Saito-san inside, I welcomed her to my home. I knew my parents wouldn’t be here yet as it was still too early in the weekday for them to have come back. Not wasting any time I sprinted out of the corridor where I left Saito-san telling her I would be back in a moment and she could make herself at home. When I returned a few moments later Saito-san was sitting at the step in the hallway waiting for me. In yet another familiar situation I decided to launch a towel at the back of Saito’s head. It hit her with a soft thunk sound, which I found amusing. She turned around and scowled at me. “That's revenge, also dry yourself before you get a cold.” I’m not too sure what brought on this childish side of me but it was enjoyable.

  Drying off with a towel is all well and good until you realise the clothes you’re wearing are so soaked that it's pointless, still we could dry our hair at least. While looking Saito-san up and down I had a thought. “Stay put”. Surprisingly the animal like Saito didn’t snap back or flash me a nasty look. A few moments later I returned with a set of spare clothes for us to change into. “Get changed in the bathroom, I’ll use my room. When you’re done, come back to the kitchen.” The girl was being strangely quiet and she walked off with a nod.

  I waited for Saito-san who was taking a little longer than expected to change into clothes and I decided rather than doing nothing it would be better to prepare. I grabbed the household's first aid kit and started sorting through the different things I would need. Moments passed and Saito dragged herself into the kitchen looking a little displeased. “What’s with that look?” I asked expecting no response. “... big.” Huh? What did she just say? “I can’t hear you when you mumble.” She had spoken in a low mumble like a pouting child. “I said you’re too big, Shiori-san.” Again, huh? What is she talking about? As I thought about it Saito raised her hand and grabbed the slightly oversized top she was wearing pinching at the fabric that sat at the chest and pulled on it. Oh. Wait, she means my breasts? I looked down at my own chest and then back at Saito-san, now fully aware of what she was talking about I couldn’t hold in the laughter. “Pfft”. When I opened my eyes again I could see Saito-san staring me down with a deathly look, not wanting to set her off I stopped laughing and beckoned her over.

  Sitting directly in front of Saito I started cleaning her wound which had finally stopped bleeding. She recoiled, most likely at the pain of having disinfectant pressed into a gash in her head. “Sit still will you?”

  Her gorgeous green eyes always found a way to draw my attention, it was especially dangerous sitting this close to her, I didn’t want to look away until I noticed she was staring right back at me. Her face was as unreadable as ever but it was still embarrassing to be caught gawking at someone.

  I made sure her wound had no traces of glass or dirt inside it and patched it up with some medical tape. I cleaned up the rest of her face which wasn’t as badly injured revealing her soft pale skin which glistened. Maybe it was just because of the wash it had received but her face was sparkling.

  Pulling my attention away from the beauty before me she heaved out a heavy sigh and her lips began to move. “So, aren’t you going to ask?” She was probably referring to her beating and the sorry state she was in, while I had to admit I was curious, I didn’t want to be too nosy and knowing Saito-san the chances she would give me an answer was low anyway. “You wouldn’t tell me even if I did right?” The girl’s unreadable face turned to scowl yet again and she clicked her tongue at me. “It really pisses me off the way you think you know me”

  Uh oh, had I just provoked the sleeping tiger yet again?

  Saito-san always had a tendency for her mood to flip in an instant. I almost wanted to prod the dangerous beast with a rod and provoke it to see what would happen but in the state she was in I would feel bad for teasing her. I forced a weak laugh and apologized. “Sorry, so what’s going on Saito-san?”

  “I’ve decided I am not telling you, you’re annoying.”

  Sigh. She was always like this, would it kill her to be a little open and honest?

  “Well whatever. Your wound is patched up now so it shouldn’t get infected. If you want you can shower here so you don't get a cold, if the tape comes off just let me know.” I wanted to get closer to Saito-san for lack of better judgment but it would seem now is not the time. Just about anything was able to flip this girl’s mood like a lightswitch.

  “No. I think I’ll go home now, thanks.”

  “It’s still raining, are you sure? You can stay if you want.”

  “I don’t want to.”

  “What about today’s request?”

  “I can't be bothered anymore.”

  “Are you really that annoyed at me?”

  “Yes.”

  I was not entirely sure but it was getting fairly certain that this girl may be the most difficult person to talk with. It was rubbing me the wrong way. Her curt indifferent responses that were impossible to discern what she was thinking, her mean demeanor and her attitude that could change at a moment's notice were all starting to get very agitating.

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  It had been a couple of days since Saito-san was at my house and we hadn’t spoken at all since then. She also never showed up at school and never made another request of me. The last two days had been peaceful school days and the weekend was nearly upon us and a week after that would be summer break. I was starting to get excited that I would be able to relax for the most part, I would still have to study at home and make sure all my homework was properly done but there would be no more requests, no teacher’s shadows looming over me and no social relationships to uphold in front of everyone.

  As I sat at my desk during the third period my mind began to wander and I thought back to that day when Saito-san had visited my house. I bet she got a cold travelling back in the rain, idiot. Maybe I should visit her and see if she is okay?… nevermind. As if by instinct I twisted my head around to check Saito-san’s desk but as I already knew, no one was sitting there. I hated that it kind of disappointed me.

  For the last couple of days things had mostly returned to how they had been before I met Saito-san, although I thought I enjoyed the relaxing time away from that girl deep down I knew about the slight discomfort beginning to form.

  I wonder how many requests I am going to have to do…? Sigh. Stop thinking about her.

  I sat head in my hands as Fujiwara-sensei began handing out tests we had completed previously. My mind went white as snow and my face followed as I remembered what I had done. Realising it was the very same test my eyes glanced at Haru who’s test I had torn to shreds in my anger. She must have noticed the looks I was giving her as she snarled at me and rolled her eyes.

  Overwhelmed in the moment my mind filled with regret and worry. What if they know? What if she knows? Is that why she’s looking at me like that? What’s going to happen to me? Does Sensei suspect me? My heart was racing and my head was dashing around as I looked back and forth around the room. Before I realised it I had shot up out of my seat with an ear shattering screech from my chair, the class stared at me with curious and shocked faces. I needed to excuse myself and calm down.

  “Sorry I need to go to the infirmary” Before even getting permission I ran out of the door and shot down the wide empty corridors, I said I was going to the infirmary but my legs were taking me somewhere else. Behind me I could hear the whisperings and judgment of those who had witnessed my sudden unsteadiness.

  Thoughts of “What if?”s and “What have I done?” began eating away at my composure as I panicked and hurriedly made my way to the rooftop. I had never been there before as it was against school rules but right now I needed air.

  I keeled over out of breath and dropped to my knees. My lungs had been emptied of air as I clawed at my chest hoping I would find a way to calm down. The bright noon sun beamed down on me like a pressure I had never felt. I was no stranger to panic attacks in my youth but it had been a long time since my last and I foolishly assumed I had outgrown them.

  This feeling of suffocation was unbearable, a feeling I wish I never had to feel again, it was as if someone had taken a pile of breaks and set them on my chest. I coughed and hounded as beads of sweat ran down my face. I tried to grasp for air remembering what I was supposed to do in this situation and tried controlling my breathing to no avail. Overdramatic thoughts like “Am I dying?” had clouded my mind as time seemed to stand still. I knew I had not been here too long and yet it felt like I had been for hours.

  As I clenched at my heart with a panic stricken constitution I felt a warm and gentle embrace. “It’s okay, just breathe.” The familiar and delicate voice calmed me and I knew who it belonged to immediately. “That’s it, calm down, you’re okay now.” One way or another Haruka had found her way to the rooftop with me and she knew just how to bring me back to the ground. With her help my breathing returned to normal and I stopped choking.

  A few moments passed as I regained my composure. “Thank you Haruka but why are you here?” I asked immediately after finding my breath. I was thankful she was here for me but I was also a little confused. I had left during class and Haruka did not share the same class as me so it was strange that she would be here. “I just saw you sprinting by with your hand to your chest, I remembered how you used to get panic attacks and ran straight after you. I’m glad you’re okay now.” Haruka glowed at me with a smile that could lift any weight from your chest. What would I do without you? I flashed back at her with a smile of my own to let her know she was appreciated.

  “So what’s going on anyway, why so sudden?” It was a perfectly good question, one I had no intention of answering but I didn’t know how to say that without sounding rude. “Do you mind if we talk about it another time, Haruka? I am not in the mood or shape at the moment, sorry.” While I had no intention of ever talking about it, the excuse itself wasn’t a lie. “I understand, no problem Sei-chan” The flowery girl who was like an angel smiled, lending me a helping hand to get back on my feet.

  As I grasped her held out hand I realised she was sweaty and shaking. I must have worried you. As I thought about the amount of care this girl always showed me I couldn’t help but grin.

  Finally standing again it was time to go back. Needing to protect my image I stood firmly and acted as if nothing had happened as we walked back through the halls. Just a few minutes later the bell rang signalling the end of the period and break was upon us. The floodgates opened and students started rushing out of class. Foolishly assuming that the worst of my day was over I started to relax.

  Despite the loud and lively atmosphere of students rushing for lunch I somehow felt a chill in the corridor. Faint whispers unsettled my ears as I spun around looking for where they were coming from. As if the feeling was not unpleasant enough, my eyes found Haru sulking just outside our classroom and as our eyes met she shot me a sickening glare. My heart felt as though it had just been grabbed and pulled into a deep abyss. I could feel knots forming in my stomach and the whispers were getting louder, echoing from all around me.

  What is this chilling feeling? I couldn’t help but ask myself. A cold sweat formed on my face as the whispers unsettled me to my core. It felt as though everyone was judging me and my heart started thumping loudly in my chest. The whispers were heavy and growing louder causing my vision to darken.

  Just as it felt as though I would sink into an inescapable abyss, Haruka's voice once again pulled me back to safety. “Sei!” A whiney voice broke through all the noise around me and the whispers stopped. My attention was pulled away from Haru as Haruka nudged me with her elbow. By the time I looked back Haru was no longer looking at me and the corridors returned to their usual atmosphere. All the sudden coldness I had felt disappeared. I apologised for zoning out and made some meaningless conversation as we made our way to the cafeteria.

  The rest of the day went by agonizingly slow. I spent the whole day fretting over whether or not people had caught on but as it turns out, no one cared. The chill I had felt back in the corridor never returned and I never met eyes with Haru for the remainder of the day. Despite the constant throbbing in the back of my head and the overwhelming dark thoughts that had clouded my mind it turns out what had happened wasn’t a big deal. If I thought about it rationally I could have come to the same conclusion. My overreaction was caused by my need to maintain my image and the constant stress of doing so.

  Sinking into my bed after throwing my bag across my bedroom I closed my eyes and thought. I wonder what Saito-san was up to today?