Ayano studied herself in the mirror, clutching a shovel.

She wore a white mask that plastered a red, painted snarl to her blank face. Her uniform dress was long, instead of the short, good-girl ones she usually wore.

"Done in there, Cinderella?" The delinquent leader came in. "Hey, that's a good name. Cinderella." She snarled down at Ayano.

Wordlessly, she followed the girl she would call 'Boss' out.

"Girls, meet Cinderella," growled Boss. "You know the rules, fairy princess?"

Ayano nodded as the other delinquents sneered. "Yeah," she replied gruffly, surprised by how deep her voice could go.

"Good," snarled Boss. "You'll do our laundry while we terrorise our school."

"Aww, poor baby. Missing out on the fun?" said Red Streak, laughing. Teal Streak chuckled, throwing the laundry basket at her. "Hand wash them nice and good, Cinderella."

Boss nodded. "You'll be skipping school, fairy princess. I mean, you don't care about education, do you?"

"No," replied Ayano automatically, though she did care. But she was a delinquent now. Patience, she told herself.

***
"Hey, Cinderella!"

Boss approached Ayano when she hung the sopping long dresses. Ayano winced. 2 days of washing had scrubbed her hands raw.

"Yes, Boss?"

"Give up that tone," warned Boss. "You're doing lunch for us."

Behind her mask, Ayano grinned. This would be easier than she expected.

Or so she thought.

Ayano was close to panicking, digging her way through the different substances in the chemistry lab. Two days of winging school had left her close to clueless to what she needed.

Think, she told herself firmly. Hazard warning labels.

She pushed away several bottles, until she came across a clear liquid. Fatal if consumed, it read.

Ayano shrugged, slipping it in her pocket. It'll have to do.

"Boss? I got your chow." Ayano looked down at the squatting delinquents. One by one, she carefully laid the bentos down.

"Eh, throw 'em down, waitress," growled Boss. So Ayano did, flinging them down like sacks.

As they munched on their food, Ayano said, "I quit your club."

"What?" Boss looked up at her, her lips curled in a cruel sneer.

"I said, I quit your club. I'm resuming my lessons this afternoon."

Ayano tore down her mask and her long skirt, revealing her typical schoolgirl uniform. "Goodbye."

With a short laugh, she walked away.

Boss was gone from the school the next morning. No one asked, no one suspected. But Ayano knew.