Nythe (4)

“I’ve been looking for you.”

The sliding door to the art classroom opened, catching slightly on the track that was forever in need of oil, and standing on the other side was the smirking, partially acne-d face of Evan.

He was dressed in their uniform, a handsome looking navy blue blazer with a crisp white shirt underneath accompanied by simple grey slacks. All of the items had been neatly pressed for the special day, and he gently tapped the degree he had received against the side of his neck. He’d tamed his normally unruly mess of auburn hair with a plethora of gel, the smell of which hung in the air as he walked.

“Well, here I am.” Midori said looking away. Despite the joyous celebrations outside her expression was dour and her eyes red from crying. Her hair was dry from having spent so many years straightening it with intense heating products, it now hung in tight frizzy curls having been intensely trimmed.

“Why the long face?” He settled in almost directly next to her, and either did not notice or did not care when she shifted a few inches away.

“It’s just a lot,” she lied. “I’m going to be going to university soon, and this is kind of the last time I’ll be able to be in this room. Probably the last time I’ll pick up a paintbrush.”

She let the words hang in the air, but Evan refused to allow the silence.

“But why?”

Midori let out an almost sarcastic chuckle, it was frustrating to the point of hilarity the level Evan did not understand the pressure she was under. He had lived here since middle school, she had complained for years about the strictness of her parents, and how bad it would look if she disobeyed them.

“It’s just not in the cards for me…my parents would never allow it.”

“Well who cares what they want?”

He said it so earnestly that she smiled slightly. If only it were that simple.

“Maybe in another world.”

Silence followed and hung in the air for several long minutes broken only by the cawing of distance crows.

And then.

“…ve you” Evan muttered, his face turned away making it near impossible to hear.

“What?” She asked, a knot of anxiety slowly beginning to form just below the middle of her ribs. Her mouth felt dry and she prayed he would not repeat himself.

He took a deep breath before looking at her with wide, serious eyes that had been looking at her ever since the first year of high school.

“Midori…I love you!”

He half-shouted the declaration before continuing, “and I know that you love me too! I’ve been too afraid because I thought that I wasn’t good enough. But today I’m going to be brave. I love you Midori.”

It felt like time had stopped.

Her breath caught in her throat and she wanted to cry.

He loved her?

He thought she loved him? Why? What had she ever done to make him think that? Her brain was trying to run through all her memories of spending time with Evan, never had there been time alone—she had made sure of that—never had they done things traditionally romantic, and she had never even spent more than 300 yen on his chocolate for Valentine’s day

Her breath came back to her in shallow but rapid gulps of air.

“Midori?” He asked, but his voice was muffled in her ears as she suddenly started a shrill tone.

As he shifted closer she moved away instinctively, he then looked at her with a mixture of hurt and anger.

“…I…I don’t,” was all she could manage to say in the moment.

Silence again. But the cawing of the crows sounded louder this time.

“D-don’t what?” He asked, his voice cracking as he clearly knew the answer already.

Swallowing the lump in her throat her mouth felt so dry, she could barely respond.

“I…I don’t love you, Evan. I’m sorry I don't know what I did to make you think that but...I don't...”

She stood then and moved to create distance between them. Her water bottle was sitting just on the next desk and she needed it, her mouth was so dry.

But he seized her wrist in a vice-like grip. It hurt though she did not wince, somehow that felt almost like giving him what he wanted.

“You lied…”

“What?” She looked at him in confusion while trying to yank her hand free, but he held her fast before grabbing the forearm of her other arm. He was holding her so tightly she knew the skin would bruise.

“You…you led me on…for three years you toyed with my emotions!”

He stood as he was speaking and it was then she truly felt the four inch difference in their heights as her heart began to pound in her chest.

“All those times hanging out together, what was that?”

“Evan, please,” she pleaded while still trying to tug herself free. Her eyes darting around looking for anything or anyone that might help her.

“No, seriously what was that!?”

“It was just friends hanging out! You liked the anime I liked, that’s all it ever was Evan!”

“You’re just like Sara,” he said it with such venom.

“What?”

“You’re just a whore like she is, leading people on. At least she slept with-”

Her hand moved instinctively, slapping him across the face as hard as she could.

He looked at her with such hatred.

Midori felt herself falling then and didn’t realize until she was halfway down by the stinging on her cheek that Evan had slapped her.

The ground knocked the wind from her, and she felt her head collide hard with the ground.

A pair of nearby easels clattered to the ground. Somewhere in her mind she found it almost funny they made more noise than she did.

Then she felt something warm pooling at against her scalp.

Evan was on top of her, and although she wanted to stay awake, to scream and beg for him to stop, she could not fight it as darkness claimed her.

-----

The caw of crows woke her, and the sun had almost entirely gone down.

Midori was laying on something soft with something warm covering her.

Reaching her hand up she realized she was somehow in the nurse’s office, the sharp fluorescent lights that stabbed at her eyes was enough of an indication without adding that sterile smell.

“Ah!” She said as her head was wracked with pain and her body lurched as if it were about to be sick.

“Midori!”

The gentle, soothing voice of Sara was the first thing she head before her worried face came into view, blissfully blocking out some of the fluorescent shine. Her perfect makeup had been ruined as streaks of her grey and gold eyeliner perfectly traced the path of the tears she’d been crying.

“Oh my god I was so worried!” Her eyes were red from tears but it was clear she was trying to put on a brave face.

“What happened?” Was all she could manage while trying, and failing, to sit up. She reached for the cup on her bedside table.

Her mouth was so dry.

“You fell in the art room, slipped on your water bottle.” Sara said while filling up a cup with water and a straw and bringing it to Midori’s lips.

Coughing slightly after draining the glass she breathed slowly and looked around. That didn’t sound right, but she couldn’t remember what else had happened.

“I fell?”

“Yeah, you’re lucky Evan was walking by.”

A shadow loomed in her vision and suddenly Evan was at her other side. He was giving her such a worried smile, but in his eyes she could see a glimmer of guilt.

“Evan?”

“I’m here, Midori,” he said, voice cracking as he spoke. Perhaps it was too dark to tell but she could not see much redness in his eyes.

It was strange, she felt like she should be thankful he saved her and yet she could not help the feeling of fear that swelled in her stomach.

“Um…thank you,” she forced herself to say.

She wasn’t sure why but the words made her throw up.

-----

The air crackled with power as the whirlpool surrounding Midori slowly faded, leaving behind something beyond human.

Midori’s body had been changed, it was now covered with glittering azure scales with her legs having merged together into a long, powerful tail that she rested on almost as if she were kneeling. Gills protruded from her neck, a pale blue light visible with each intake of air, it was the same light that shone in her eyes and mouth. And still her hair floated around her head like she were underwater.

She stared up at the sky with a slightly dazed expression, letting out a slow breath while reaching toward the clouds with slender fingers that had become webbed.

As she did the clouds slowly gathered heavier and moments later rain began to fall.

It pattered against her scales and she smiled, a wide and crazed smile. She rolled her head back to enjoy the rain before tilting it and letting her eyes falling on Evan, who stared at her in complete shock.

She remembered everything now, and the shriek she made was one born from years of repression and rage.

Midori was going to kill him.