"How can you not care?" Those words. Those five words. Those five words have played over and over in my mind so many times I can no longer grasp their meaning. I never really knew what they meant anyways. I haven't cared about anything in a while. No, I'm not depressed, I just don't care. Don't come to me with the excuse of caring enough to say, but I don't say it. I don't say anything really. No, I'm not mute. The only real times I talk are to make the occasional sarcastic comment or out someone I don't particularly like. Sometimes I talk to Kyouka, but only to get her to be quiet, though it never works.

The phrase "treat others how you would like to be treated" never made any sense either. I've heard it just as many times as everyone else, maybe even more so, but it makes little sense to me, if any. I don't care how others treat me; I'm okay with being treated in any way. People get upset when I don't pay attention or don't respond; I just don't care enough to respond. I had no idea that this concept of "not caring" upset people. Why are you upset with me for not having a personal interest with your information? You can't control my preferences or me. If you want me to be interested, include something I'm interested in. Then again, I don't tell anyone what I like. I don't want to talk to anyone, and I don't want anyone talking to me.

"Hey Yuri, how are ya? Are ya excited for third period today? I heard Ms. Kaname went on another date last Friday night, and it's gonna be a really good story."

Silence.

"Hey I'm talkin' to ya. Why are ya so quiet? Are you mute now? Because I coulda sworn I heard you tell Kathy to shut her mouth before ya sewed it closed with the whatchamacallit string thingy behind your eyes?"

"No."

"About what? Oh never mind I figured it out."

"Hm."

"What's that sound about? Hm. Hm. Hm. Hey, that's fun to say! Hm. Hm. Hm."

I tuned her out after the first "hm." I decided to look around and pick up on the story ahead of me. Who knows, it might be interesting for once?

"Did you hear?" A girl by the lockers said.

"No. What?"

"That freshman Ryan, he came in drunk and punched Mr. Kamijo."

"No way."

"Yeah but get this, the reasoning was so sad. You know how his parent's died awhile ago-"

Her voice drowned away in the sea of my disinterest in the story. I was there so I don't need nor want to hear about it. Hm. The sound of shoes on the ground are so annoying; especially the female teachers' stilettos clicking and clacking against the tile floor of our stupid public school hallway.

"Hey are ya listenin?"

"Hm."

"Lucky for ya I speak Yuri." If she did, she would know that I tuned her out. I swear to Homa; why won't she stop trying to be friends? She talks to me everyday trying to get me to speak. No matter what she just seems so interested in me. Why is she so persistent? I have not the slightest clue as to why we're on a first name basis, most likely because she started calling me Yuri one day and I didn't care enough to correct her. I call everyone by their first names, the only exception being teachers, because I never say someone's name, I simply think it. She has been doing this every day ever since day two; she's trying to get my to break out of my shell but she hasn't made so much as a chip. I'm sorry Kyouka, but at this rate it will take decades, maybe even centuries to break my ice shell.

As I walk into first period, I'm greeted by Mrs. Miki in her normal try-hard voice desperately wanting to be liked.

"I hope your way here was as sweet as you are."

Kill me.

"Now let's get into it shall we?

This sucks. Math is a class I actually enjoy. Logical and rational is my kind of thinking. Only being able to have one right answer with a definite answer; either you're right or wrong and that's how I like. It makes me feel secure, especially after that. It really sucks because such a bad teacher teaches such a good subject. She ruins it. Don't get me wrong I'm not interested in math per say, more like it's something tolerable.

Mrs. Miki wrote the problem "Simplify the following expressions."With a few problems written below it. It was all too easy for me. We were just adding and subtracting like radicals; a review for everyone here really. I wonder if she knows for sure what grade we're in.

After a couple of minutes, our teacher spoke up.

"Can anyone answer the first one for me please? Yes, Takahashi."

She continued down the list, and the rest of class was pretty similar to this.

I got to third period, and Kyouka was wrong, the story was pretty boring. Something about him taking her to some carnival or fair or something. I wasn't too interested.

Another day in Mr. Hiahara's class is going to kill me. He should really be fired for how he treats us, but his boss is also his brother. He gets away with almost any excuse, and it's frustrating. He really hates me because I always look so bored and uninterested in what he has to say and this infuriates him to no end. He's my science teacher, and science is not my strongest subject. One of these days I'm going to confront principal Hiahara with concrete evidence of his behavior and get him fired. I can't deal with this kind of mistreatment, not after that.

Kyouka catches up to me after sixth period to walk home together. I no longer tell her to leave because it doesn't work, at this point I don't care enough to say anything.

Drip.

Shoot! I forgot my umbrella.

"Hm."

"What? Oh, did you forget your umbrella?"

Is she a psychic?

"Here we can share mine."

"Hm."

I should have said no. My face turns pink as I see her umbrella. It's white. Only couples use white umbrellas.

"Sorry, I couldn't find mine in time this morning, so I just used my parents'."

"Mhm." I say in a shaky voice. I can't believe we're doing this. For once I care about something and with my luck (like having to deal with that), it has to be about something like this.

"I like the umbrella, though."

"What?" Still with a shaky, quiet voice.

"It's a perfect contrast to your black hair and it matches well with my red hair."

"Hm." I swallow.

She got me there.

"It's ok I guess."

What am I saying?

"Here we are."

"This is your house."

"Uhh, yeah, sorry. Just keep the umbrella with ya until ya get home and ya can give it to me tomorrow."

"Hm."

"I'm still fluent in Yuri."

I wouldn't say fluent.

"Bye."

"Hm."

Heya! How was the first chapter? Probably the worst thing you've ever read. If you like it cool, if you don't that's cool too. I don't really care, I just thought someone might so might as well give you something to read. Because this was already written and I'm just splitting it up by chapter, I can't really do suggestions but after you're done reading I don't mind taking requests for scenarios. If you're wondering about the cover, it's because I modeled Kyouka;s character based on