Chapter 6

"(Y/n)! You should leave for school in a few minutes! Come down! You'll miss breakfast!" Marie's voice rang out through the whole upstairs hallway. "I know you don't want to go, but you're not sick anymore! It's Tuesday! Come on! You love Tuesdays!"

I opened my eyes from where I was sitting on the edge of my bed. I was already ready. I had been for two hours, having woken up at four from a nightmare. I looked at myself in the mirror hanging on the back of the door. I'd put on some makeup to hide the darker spots under my eyes from lack of sleep. I'd had insomnia the last few nights due to what had happened.

After Kidd found me, he'd taken me back to my house. He'd brought me in, and I'd heard him on the way out after Marie and Stein had stopped to ask him what was wrong. He'd told them that Samuel had broken up with me, but everything was fine. Marie had come up, and a few minutes later, realized that I had a fever. I'd accidentally induced myself into sickness. I could tell Marie knew something else had happened, by the way I was still shaking some and the little marks on my palms. She hadn't asked.

I'd been sick all day Sunday, and missed Monday. I looked down at my hands, pulling my sleeves down. There were bruises from where Samuel had grabbed me. There were also still marks on my chest, too. Kidd had called me and told me that he was gone. Completely. A permanent ban for him to enter the city sealed by Death.

I shook myself and stood, slipping out of my room and padding down the stairs. I adjusted my hat, my jeans keeping my legs warm. I sat down at the kitchen counter, Stein and Marie both getting things ready. Marie reached into the fridge and pulled out the milk. "Here." She said, setting it in front of me along with cereal.

I poured it into the waiting bowl. "Thanks." I said without much enthusiasm. Marie looked at me, Stein too. "I'm fine." I said at their looks. I ate some cereal and then picked up my bag. I dug through it for a second and then put the assignment that had been due Monday, yesterday, on the counter.

"(Y/n), what's wrong?" Marie asked.

I sighed, rubbing my neck where there was a crick in it. "I'm fine. I just still don't feel all the way better." I said.

"You can stay home again." Stein said, lifting the assignment from the counter, and then signing the top of it and passing it back.

"No." I said. "I love Tuesdays like you said. I'm looking forward to seeing your extra-special lecture for today."

I saw Marie's worried expression and Stein's usual blank one. He'd become a little different six months ago when the whole thing with the Keshin happened. I knew that there were things wrong with Stein, that he and Marie and gone through things together, and even though I'd seen some of it, I didn't ask. I remembered him disappearing. The way that Marie had been so worried. In tears every night.

"I'll see you at school." I said, walking out before further conversation could occur. As I put my shoes on, I could hear them talking. I heard Stein mention Samuel, how he'd been banned from Death City and that something more must've happened.

I grabbed my bag and hurried out of the house. It was colder, but I was numb to it. After I was a ways away from the house, I took a moment and breathed. I closed my eyes. I saw bad memories. I opened my eyes, letting out a deep breath. I smiled. As long as no one bothered me today, things would be fine.

I could never be so lucky. I sat at my desk, and a group of people I didn't even vaguely know pestered me about the grades on the homework. "Did you change any of them for us?" and "Did he just give you a good grade even though you skipped because you live with him and Ms. Marie?" I took in a deep breath and ignored all of them.

"I'm sorry, I don't know." I said as they continued.

"What? That's not even what we asked." One girl said, sounding upset.

What did they even mean? I gripped my pencil. I smelled something burning as I looked at all their backs, now turned to me. I jumped and slammed my hand down into my paper, feeling heat on my palm that stung.

"What the hell!" Some guy said, and they all looked at me.

I smiled at them. "What? There was a spider." I said simply. They all dispersed as Stein entered.

"Class in five." Stein said. The older man looked me in the eyes, and I moved my hand, with the paper, under my desk. I looked down at it, crumpling the paper and then looked at my palm. There was a dark red circle on my hand, along with the fingernail marks from the other night. The skin was puckering with the burn. I cringed.

The lecture started, and I was slightly disappointed that it was something normal. I spaced out watching the board where Stein was writing things about the abilities of weapons. Abilities. I looked back down at my palm, the burn stinging my hand. I didn't like Tuesdays that much anymore. Class ended a few hours later and I stood, gathering my things. Stein had given us a larger assignment. I felt as if I could just use the work as a distraction from everything.

"(Y/n)! Hey!" I turned to see Kidd coming down the stairs from the other desks. I saw all his other friends up there too, including a girl he'd confirmed as his girlfriend. She was pretty, her tanned skin smooth with the lightest hint of makeup, gold on her eyelids. Her tightly curled hair was done up in a bun. It wasn't messy. She was Kidd's girlfriend. Of course it couldn't be messy.

She was on her phone, looking slightly bored. I think her name was Miya? Her eyes were kind of dull, and I wondered at it. Apparently she didn't care that Kidd and I hung out all the time. At least for the past few weeks. Her meister was beside her, a tall light-haired boy that was dressed similar to her. I think his name was Leo. They looked like a pair, even though Kidd and her were dating.

I looked back to Kidd as he touched my shoulder. "Hey, come have lunch with all of us. Tsubaki made extra for you." He said, his gold eyes were bright as he smiled.

I shrugged away from his touch, my skin cold and crawling for some reason. "I'm sorry." I mumbled, taking a step away from him. "I don't feel well. I think I'm going home."

His eyes looked concerned and he nodded. "Okay. Call me tonight and we'll talk about it more, okay?" He asked. I nodded, but he grabbed my shoulder again. "Promise me." He said.

"I promise." I said. He nodded and turned away, taking the stairs back up to his friends two at a time. I turned before I changed my mind. I walked to Stein who was erasing the board. "Stein, I think I'm going to go home." I said, and he turned.

"Okay." He said, not asking anything else.

I looked around the classroom, everyone almost gone. "Stein..." I said, and he stopped at the tone in my voice. He set his eraser down, clapping his hands clean of the chalk dust. "...something happened. Something with Samuel." I said.

"Yes?" He said, sitting on the edge of the table. The classroom was free now, no one but us two remaining.

I thought about my words. I wasn't ready to say anything about the one thing, but Stein could help me with the issue that seemed like it was going to become a problem. "And it just happened again this morning." I said. His eyes looked patient but curious. "My abilities... they just... happened..." I said. I could feel tears forming in my eyes for some reason. 'Damnit.' I thought as I wiped my face dry. I was thankful that Stein wasn't the type to hug me at this point like Marie would've done. I thought I might puke if someone touched me again.

I held out my hand, the one with the fingernail marks and the burn from the fire on my paper. He looked at it, my skin prickling at the physical feeling it brought with it. I let out a breath. I hadn't done this on purpose in two years. A tiny flame came to life on the tip of my index finger, lighting up my skin with a warm glow.

Stein's eyes were unreadable as he rubbed his chin. I let the flame go out, my hand shaking. It had been a part of the thing that had hurt my sister. I clenched my hand tight. "Please don't tell anyone." I said quickly, fear in my chest.

Stein nodded, moving around his desk and pulling out a notebook. "What did you say your weapon form was again?" He asked.

"A scythe." I said, confused.

"And that extra ability... fire?"

I watched as he continued to write furiously, his face deadpan. "Yes. The Fire Scythe." I said.

"You said it was a family "trait", yes? Passed from father to daughter, to son, to daughter and so on," Stein said. I remember talking to him about it all in little bits throughout the past few years. He'd been attentive, apparently.

"It's supposed to go to the older of the siblings, but it went to me." I said. "Nobody knew why." I said, moving my hands into my pockets.

Stein nodded and then closed the notebook. He looked into my eyes with his grey ones. "Don't worry about this, (Y/n). I'll help you. Go home. You don't need to come to school this week. I'll sign you off." I blinked at his offer. He was usually the one to only let me skip school if I was physically dying. "You can stay out of school as long as you want, but in return, you have to tell Marie and I what actually happened with Samuel." He said.

I looked into his eyes, swallowing once. "Okay." I said carefully. I knew that it would be dangerous territory. Talking about what happened with Samuel would most likely lead to talking about what had happened before my mother had left my father and why he was now gone. "Okay." I repeated, more for myself for the second time.

I turned and walked out, Stein continuing his work. Everyone was out for lunch, and the halls were almost empty. I let out a sigh. Screw it. I was just going to have fun for one afternoon. I could still like Tuesdays. I dropped my bag off in Stein's office, knowing he'd take it home for me. I exchanged it for my small backpack that had my wallet. I slipped my phone into it.

I ran out of the DWMA, nothing but my bag with me. I started running down the stairs, smirking as I jumped down the last few stairs. I pulled my headphones out, plugging in my phone and playing some song. Anything happy sounding. Nothing could touch me as I went through Death City, stopping in shops and buying things I liked. I'd pay for it from Stein and Marie later, but I didn't care.

I stepped into the pet store, a dangerous place for me because I wanted everything, and looked at all the animals. I stopped as I saw a snake. I remembered Mei having a snake when we were younger. I pointed to the snake. "Can I hold it?" I asked the shop keeper.

The man came over and opened the tank, pulling out the reptile. "She's beautiful, isn't she?" he said as I took her. She was maybe three or three and a half feet long, completely white. Her head was a cute shape. A ball python. She looked at me, her brown, almost black, eyes still as her tongue flickered out.

She slinked around my neck, the couple bags I held shuffling as I adjusted them to hold her. "She goes well with you." The owner said. He was older, and had little crow's feet next to his eyes from smiling.

I laughed. "Thanks." I said. The snake had a calming energy about her as she twisted about my neck and shoulders. "I have some fish too." I said.

He nodded. "She not full grown yet, but..." he seemed to be thinking. "If you buy a tank and the heater, I'll give her to you."

I looked at him, and then thought about if Stein would kill me. Marie hated snakes. I knew the older man didn't mind them, but didn't touch them. The snakes tongue flickered about my cheek. I was wearing a scarf and she was almost hidden in its folds. I held out my hand. "Deal."