I was able to find my homeroom after awhile of wandering. My late arrival caused me to blissfully escape introducing myself to the class, but I still had to suffer some stares when I slipped in to the back row.
Someone had carved a cat into the corner of my desk. Nekoma. Neko. Hm.
The cat was flipping me off... or maybe that was just it's tail.

We had lab after, but there wasn't enough equipment since I hadn't been expected. I sat back and watched, which I preferred.
My clothes were finally starting to dry.
The class was uneventful, minus a strange looking kid with a blond mohawk almost catching his sleeve on fire.

I followed the curvature of the building back to homeroom, carefully retracing my steps. It wasn't as easy now with students crowding the hallway. I pressed myself against the side of the wall and tried to meld with the stone. I felt successful, almost, until the hem of my pant leg caught under my heel.
I stumbled, slightly, my steps louder from the sudden movement.
My mother had been intending to hem them for me. She hadn't had time, but I didn't blame her. I made a mental note to pick up some thread and attend to it myself, though I knew my stitching would never be as good as hers.
A short, brown haired boy looked at me, briefly. I turned away.
I am unseen. I meld with the stone.

Continuing on, I looked at everyone and no one, students off all sizes in trim blazers or skirts. Thankfully, Toga didn't seem to be around. Faces flickered past. Their voices bounced off one another. I wondered if anyone was really listening to what anyone else had to say, or if they just heard the noise, like me.

My old school had never had this many people. Everyone knew everyone. Everyone knew to give me my quiet space. It hadn't been hard to leave that part, I wasn't close to my classmates, but as I moved through the obstacle course of Nekoma, I felt a pang of longing for Furano Public High.
The windows were always open there.
Here, I felt like I was suffocating.

By the time I got back to my desk, I felt winded. So many faces and rooms, so much space and information I needed to absorb. I tried to catalogue it all, but it was too much. My stomach grumbled, as if reminding me about the missed breakfast.
I needed to get out of my head and eat something.
I took the bento box I had packed the night before out of my bag, ready to dive into some tamagoyaki. However, when I opened the box, I discovered that the rolled egg with dashi had turned to mush. Water had crept into the box.
I cursed myself, opening the inner pouch of my backpack where I kept my wallet, PSP, and headphones.
They had, thankfully, stayed insulated and dry. I took my wallet out, thumbing some measly coins. There was a vending machine I had passed. If I used these coins now, I might not have enough for dinner. I weighed my options: vending machine snacks, or a meal after school. I chose the latter, quieting my stomach. I guess I wasn't that hungry anyways. Probably.

The PSP caught my eye. It was against school policy but... I needed an escape. It had been one of the most difficult days.. I deserved.. I don't know. I don't like to think I deserve anything, that's not a good way of thinking, I just wanted-

I kept my hands low, concealing the game within my backpack. The warm glow of the startup screen soothed me, digital light against my tired eyes, distancing my mind far from here to somewhere better- a kingdom built of ones and zeroes.

Before my game could even start up, a hand slammed my backpack shut. I jumped in surprise, my stomach reaching my throat.
"Chillll. Not a teacher."
I quickly glanced up. It was the mohawk guy from before. He looked scary up close.

"You really shouldn't. They'll take it away and you'll never see it again. Happened to me my first year. Totally sucked, I thought my mom was going to skin me alive."

I looked up at him again and slowly shut my backpack. This guy was too forward, too noisy. Maybe if I moved slowly and made no sound, he wouldn't be able to see me anymore.

"I'm Yamamoto."

He thrust his arm at me, proudly. I just looked at his hand. I hoped it was clean. I looked for dirt beneath his fingernails, but I couldn't tell from the angle of his gesture.
Just shake it. Just shake it.

"I'm Kenma."

The fingernails did have dirt. Not too much. But some. Ek.
"If you go behind the gym, some students meet there to check their phone or do other stuff they don't necessarily want teachers to see. You can probably play your game there, if you're careful."

A secret, quiet place. I flushed with gratitude and forced myself to meet the taller boy's eyes.

I saw myself reflected, looking red and lost.

I hated the sight, but stuttered a genuine thank you.

I felt ten times lighter as I moved through the hall in the direction I presumed the gym to be in. A secret place! A quiet place! Somewhere I could re-enter my little world, somewhere I could escape to.
If such a place existed, this school might not be so bad. If such a place existed, I could-

CRASH.

My face was pressed against linoleum tile. It burned fiercely. I took a personal surveillance. Nothing seemed to be bleeding or broken.

"What the FUCK is wrong with you?"

My vision sharpened. A boy with rusty, red hair was picking himself off the ground. The contents of his lunch were all over his shirt. I lost contact with the floor as someone yanked me upwards by the backpack straps.

Well, this was not good.

My brain rushed into a quick strategy mode.
There were two boys in front of me, the red one, and a blond one. The red one with the food stained shirt appeared to be yelling at me.
Someone was holding me from behind, twisting my arm, and I could sense a second person to their left. All were taller, most likely third years. I couldn't move against the grip.
People were beginning to stare at the commotion.

I tunneled back in my brain, how could I have been so careless as to bring this much attention to myself in a public space? I was always so careful-

Oh.

I was so excited about discovering the spot behind the gym, I had neglected the level of processing necessary for moving through the crowded hall.
The hem of my pants collected around my heel, the murder weapon.

Oh.

"Hey- HEY. Are you listening to me?"
I looked at Red.

The me I saw reflected in his eyes looked to be on the verge of panic.

"His hair looks like a pudding cup." Blondie smirked.
A... pudding cup?
Red growled at his lackey, "Shut up."
Blondie laughed, throwing up his hands in defense, "What! It does!"
Red focused his attention back on me. The grip on my arms tightened. The boy in front of me reached out and grabbed my face, tilting it upwards, making me to look at him. He pressed down on my jaw bone, forcing my mouth open.

"Can you speak? Huh? Can you?"

He slammed my mouth shut, my teeth clattering together. I heard ringing and tasted the faint, acrid tang of blood. I bowed my head and my lips moved for me.

"I do my best not to."

A group of girls who had stopped in the hallway giggled.
Shit. I hadn't meant to say anything smart. I hadn't meant to say anything at all.
I didn't even want to be here.
This was the last thing I wanted.

I snuck a glance at Red, who's face now matched his hair.. and the sauce dribbling down his shirt. He looked to be at the point of combustion.
I thought of the way the fire had coiled back in the lab earlier, the way it had readied itself to leap onto Yamamoto's hand.
The boy in front of me seemed to be doing the same.
I closed my eyes, bracing myself to be burned.

"Hey! Hey! Break it up! Now, all of you."

A stern looking male teacher pushed through the hall. The pressure on my arms released.

"Hitoshi. Go clean yourself up. I better not see this happening again, or I'll tell the vice principal, and it's suspension for everyone involved. Am I clear?"

Red-Hitoshi, I suppose, backed off. I got a look at the two boys who had been behind me. Dark hair, tall. Less remarkable features than Hitoshi and Blondie, but features I would need to remember so as to avoid the ones who possessed them.
Hitoshi stared daggers into me. Blondie laughed again at his friend's intensity.
He waved to me, "Later!"

Later? I hope not.

The bell rang. It was time to get back to class.
I stood, more visible than I wanted to be in the midst of the surging hallway.