The stuff in italics is a flashback. Thought that could be useful to know.

Chapter 2: Learn to Accept Yourself

/

I had decided in sixth grade that I hated school. Not so much because I hate the homework, or having to sit in class all day like most kids my age. I usually had my homework done before I got home, anyway. And sitting in class gave me time to sit in my own little world and think.

No, what I hated about school were those times when there was no class. The times when I had to deal with the other students.

It had gotten out that I was different when I was about eleven. After the incident in the hospital, nothing happened for a long time. My parents started forgetting about it after a while. But I always knew that… thing, whatever it was, was still in me. I could feel it simmering under the surface, waiting to be released. When I helped set the table dinner and my mother would cut herself making the food, it would scream at me to let it out. Or when Ichiru tripped on the sidewalk and scraped his knee, it would be almost unbearable. But I held it back. I ignored it to the best of my ability.

I always knew the day would come where it would take over. I knew I couldn’t hold out forever. It was like the thing was laughing at me every time I pushed it down. It knew I wasn’t strong enough, and one day I would have to let it do its thing.

That day came during gym class in sixth grade. I wasn’t really paying attention when it happened. I had finished running the laps we were to run that day and I was sitting on the bleachers staring off into space when I sensed that thing again. I tried my hardest to ignore it as usual, but it was actually starting to physically hurt. A few seconds later I realized what the problem was.

A girl in the class had been running her laps and tripped. The class was starting to gather around her and I tried to keep my distance, I really did, but it was like that thing was pulling me over to the scene.

Only when I got closer did I realize how much damage was done. She had hit her head hard on the ground and I could see a small spot of red in her blonde hair. I felt like I was going to be sick, although I wasn’t sure if it was because of the blood or that I was losing the battle with that thing.

It kept pulling me forward inch by inch, and I fought the best I could, but finally gave in. It wasn’t like my power was such a horrible thing, after all. And she could clearly use my help. I made my way through the crowd as the teacher lifted the girl off of the ground and kneeled beside her. I could feel eyes on me, but I didn’t care. That feeling was getting so intense the closer I got to her that I didn’t care about anything but getting rid of it.

I laid my hand on her head and that burning feeling started in my hand. The girl looked up at me with large eyes. She looked terrified, but I kept on. And then I passed out again.

This time I couldn’t have been out too long. I woke up in the nurse’s office with Ichiru sitting by the side of the bed.

“You’re awake! What happened?” I just shrugged. I still wasn’t really sure what happened. When I didn’t answer, Ichiru’s face took on a much grimmer look. “Akiko was saying some weird stuff. Did you…” Once again I didn’t answer him. I was too panicked to speak. That was what I had feared all along. People would find out about this power of mine and freak out. It didn’t bother me so much if the rest of the school was afraid of me, but I didn’t think I could live if Ichiru was too.

He must have seen the fear on my face because he squeezed my hand. “It’s OK. Whatever you did… It’s not so bad. She’s not hurt, Zero. Whatever you did made her head heal.”

“What is everyone else saying?”

He looked away from my face, down to our hands, and I groaned.

“Hey, you! Freak boy!”

I was shaken out of my daydreaming by the voice of Sato Yoichi. I rolled my eyes even though I had my back to him and he couldn’t see. I didn’t feel like dealing with him. Of course sitting silently and trying your hardest to ignore the idiots shouting names at you isn’t always easy. And it gets even harder when said idiot slaps you in the back of your head while you’re trying to eat your lunch.

I turned to him and gave him the worst glare I could muster. A few girls nearby shrunk away from my general vicinity, but Yiochi didn’t budge.

“Are you deaf, freak boy? I’m talking to you.”

“I hear you. You’d have to be deaf to not hear your mouth clear across campus.”

Admittedly, I deserved the punch in the face I got for that. Not that I didn’t mean what I said. I sat stunned for a second after my head reeled back from the punch. But only a second. Then I was up from my seat, punching him in the jaw, and I’m pretty sure I heard something crack.

Yoichi glared daggers at me then lunged.

“Zero! STOP IT!” I could feel Ichiru’s hands on my arm trying to pull me off of Yoichi.

“Get the hell out of this, Ichiri!”

“No! You stop!”

I wasn’t paying too close attention to where exactly he was standing when I pulled back for the next punch, but I certainly did feel my elbow connect with something. I whirled around to see Ichiru holding his stomach, doubled over. I dropped Yoichi, who I had by the collar of his shirt, to the ground and put my hands on Ichiru’s shoulders.

“I’m sorry! Are you OK?”

Ichiru nodded and looked up at me from his doubled over position. “Just stop, please?”

I nodded. “Yeah, sure. Let’s get to the nurse.” I took one look back at Yiochi to make sure that he wasn’t coming after me again anytime soon, then put my arm around Ichiru’s shoulder to support him on the way to the nurse’s office.

/

I was sent home early that day. My mother picked me up and glared up at my reflection in the rearview every few seconds as if she thought I would jump out of the car or something. I finally decided I didn’t feel like seeing that look and turned my head toward my window.

Once we got in the house, I ran to my room and flopped onto my bed. My mother was there in a few minutes.

“Zero, what is going on? That’s the third fight this year.”

“I’m just getting sick of sitting by and letting people treat me like a freak.”

“It’s worth getting expelled over?”

“Well, maybe it would be better if I didn’t go to school. I’m sure no one there would give a shit!”

“Watch your language! And yes, there is at least one person who will care.”

I felt like a complete jerk then. Ichiru would still be in school. Sure, he had his friends, but we always hung out at lunch and walked to and from school together. We had almost all of the same classes. Who would sit and pass notes with him now that I wouldn’t be there?

My mother sighed and sat on the bed beside me. “Look, I know this is hard—“

“No, you have no idea. How could you?”

She nodded, putting her hand on my shoulder. “You’re right. I don’t really understand. But you have to get past this. This might be something you’ll have the rest of your life. Not everyone will accept you. But you have to accept yourself, Zero. Or else you won’t be able to live with yourself.”

I nodded, because there really wasn’t anything I could say to that.

My mother got up when there was a knock on the door. I flopped onto my back to wallow some more. My mother walked back into my room. “Zero, there’s someone here to see you.”

I sat up and gave her a questioning look. A man poked his head out from behind my mother. He looked all sunshine and rainbows and I was considering beating him away from my mother if he didn’t back off. “Is that him? Is it?”

“Sir! It’s very rude to come up here without being invited.”

He at least had the decency to look sheepish. “So sorry. It’s just that I’ve been looking forward to meeting Zero. Is that him?”

“Yes, that’s him. Zero, this is Cross Kaien.”

He nudged his way into the room and held his hand out in front of me with a huge grin on his face. “Chairman of Cross Academy for Gifted Children.”

/

Thanks to 00mrdragon00, glozinga, and angelthewriter for the comments! Made. My. Day.

I SUCK at choosing Japanese names. ARGH! Yeah, I googled Japanese names and picked stuff at random. Well, OK, Yiochi means masculine first son. And my Yiochi is a bully. See? It wasn’t random! But Akiko just sounded nice :D

I also suck at action/fight scenes. Which is why they’ll be to a minimum. It’ll be hard considering that I’m keeping all of the night class’s powers. Oh gods, those powers just beg for action scenes.