《Urban Monsters》


 #1 - New World, New Life

    Hi.


    My name is Cherri Kusuri. Yes, you''re hearing that right, Cherri with an I.


    Now, you''re probably wondering why your lil'' device here is currently being projected my inner thoughts.


    If I am doing this correctly, I have figured out how to project my mind into some other guy''s brain through sheer freakin'' will. You are currently being subjected to my innermost thoughts (quite possibly against your will) because I have tapped into some formerly dormant psychic ability I never knew I had.


    Right before this moment, I have consumed an entire pack of morning strawberry flavored mints, and am now one with strawberry freshness, meaning I should be psychic and am now interconnected with you! Some random dude in- I wanna say California, at this very moment. The very, very last week of August, like- maybe a couple of days or a few days or some week before September, whenever today is- Cherri Kusuri has unlocked the most powerful form of telepathy!


    ... either that, or someone spontaneously stole my later-written diary and published it or something.


    Any bets on how well my diary will/would do? Five thousand says, like, maybe, I dunno- at least 500 people would pick this book up. That''s like, me paying fifty dollars per person. Though, I dunno... how much does publishing a book cost? I know it''s free if you type up some random nonsense on the internet, but like- y''know, one of those VERY high paying books, those novels that bring in the big bucks, how much does it cost to publish those? I could totally appeal to an audience, make massive bank on-


    Okay, okayokayokay, I''m getting very sidetracked. Let''s just... let''s start over.


    Hi.


    My name is Cherri Kusuri. Yes, you''re hearing-


    Pbffft, nonono, Cherri, they know who you are already, reel it back, girl...


    So... where do I begin? Let''s- start by saying, I''m a human. I am a human girl. Nothing noticeably strange about me. No cat fur, no reptile skin, no thick and fat gorilla or elephant muscle- just normal human girl skin. Compared to what humanity once was, I- guess I''m pretty unique, with some hot pink locks. Used to have braids, cut them off myself- all of that. Imagine my hair however you want, just make sure you really- REALLY put emphasis on the fact I have- like- medium length pink hair.


    Now, if you''re also a human hearing my thoughts or reading this right now, confused about what I''m going on about? Good to meet you! Or y''know, good to know there''s going to be someone else out there like me. And if you''re NOT a human, well, hi hi, I''m not one of you!


    ... none of that- nothing about what I just said explains it. Hold on, collecting my thoughts...


    See, okay, when I was eight, Gumi and I- oh, Gumi, that''s my sister, by the way. Gumi Kusuri. Slightly shorter bubblegum pink hair, but it''s a lot more even and neat and tidy. Also human, currently asleep in the other bed while I''m projecting my thoughts at this very moment. Gumi.


    "Gumi, say hi to the nice Californian man hearing my thoughts right now."


    "snznshnsznsnzsnznzz..."


    Gumi says hi.


    Anyway, so- one summer''s night, when I was 8 and Gumi was 7, I went to bed and woke up to learn that every single human I''ve ever known in my life (except Gumi) died a very bruuuuutal death. Mysterious causes, maybe some- virus, maybe an extraterrestrial being with lasers and stuff- whatever it was, everyone just freaking DIED. As I affectionately call it, the Great Depression!


    ... actually, can I even call it that? The Great Depression was, like, a hundred years ago-ish and was more about money than anything... could be a lil'' bit confusing and I''d have to specify the 21st Century Great Depression while referring to that one as the 20th-


    Screw it, never mind, I''m calling it the "Everybody F---ing Died" year.


    EFD Season, or something. Everybody died during the EFD Seasonal Event. Yeah, okay, thinking this in my head, this is a way better name for it... really conveys the death of humanity in an easily recognizable shorthand acronym to just say "oh, wow! EVERYONE IS DEEEEEEAD!" and stuff.


    Hahaha... the way I''m thinking about this sounds really morbid. Real catastrophe in our hands, and- yeah! It freaking sucks.


    Probably wouldn''t be alive right now, if the world didn''t apparently have a backup plan. In everyone''s places, as if the people of Earth never met their gruesome deaths... a bunch of- well, no offense to you if you are one, a bunch of bizarre and unusual creatures spawned out of nowhere to replace everybody that isn''t me or Gumi.


    All of my neighbors became a bunch of anthropomorphic animals dressed in their usual human clothing, the people at the market became walking and talking green-skinned goblin and ogre creatures with the most scrunched up and wrinkly faces, sometimes the TV shows feature walking talking marshmallow cupcakes on gameshows and "spray can people" on the news. Spray can person. Like, a- a large person, but their face is just a spray can nozzle, like it shoots out paint and- yeah, yeah, you get it.


    No signs of a dead town, just- a town of new creatures and animals and weird oddities! Even my new dad got changed into a creature, too! "New" being- well, I mean, sure, it''s new in the sense that my dad isn''t human anymore, but I mean new because...


    ... okay, rewinding a little because I can, I want to give a bit of family history. See, couple of years prior to everyone dying, Mom married some new guy in town. A city guy, someone dressed in this neat and tidy white button shirt with blue jeans and brown worker shoes. Also, someone who lived in big cities as a math dude. An "accountant" or something. Typed numbers onto a screen and signed papers for hours upon hours.


    Never really understood the work he did, since I was quite literally a little girl who lived on a farm, but- well, all that stuff he does makes some FAAAAAT money. Like, tons of it! Apparently, he also loved spending money on my mom and spoiling the heck out of her, so like- yeah! Probably the only reason I can think of as to why Mom liked him, his tendency to spend massive amounts of money on her. Someone with my mom''s good looks and magic blood would have to have a real good reason to settle with someone like my dad, and-


    Oh! I should probably also lead with that, Mom has magic blood!


    On top of being, like, a farmer... a farmress? Well, she''s also a sort of- medic, a licensed nurse trained under the local town doctor, and... blood sorceress. Mom was very, very popular in town for being a kind and caring nurse with magic blood. Astonished our neighbors with her magical ability, really! Whenever she saw anyone hurt, Mom came over and concentrated her blood magic to heal them with a touch of her hand. The pulsing energy in her veins, as she described it, "concentrates heavily on a body and helps it regenerate with magic" and all.


    One time, a neighbor got- accidentally hurt by a pitchfork that went through his body! So, Mom pricked her finger with a needle and dropped some of her own blood directly on the wounds... and voila, he was back to normal, fit as a fiddle and back to work, completely rejuvenated and refreshed! Mom was always a miracle like that.


    However, her magic took a back seat for her other qualities, as... well... okay. I can say this about my good looking mom: my mom is a bombshell. Tons of men hit on her a lot, all of them really attracted to her good looks and everything. I''m not gonna tell you what my mom looks like, because- like, why would I? But trust me, she''s pretty and beautiful.


    If you reeeeeally want to know what she looks like, just- know that I take a lot after her, and so does Gumi, and we''re gorgeously hot girls. Simple as that. We come from a long line of pink haired, hot women. All the Kusuri women are just really charming and attractive darlings, and- compare that to the fat, bald, wrinkly, boring, stinky, smelly, bad toothed, bad everything nerd that managed to win her over... yeah.


    The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    Anyway, so, back to the point. Mom''s attractive, my new dad isn''t, and my new dad became my new new dad.


    When EFD season hit, my new dad became a huge anthropomorphic hippopotomous- hippopautomous. Hippopotomus... crap, I feel like I''m spelling it wrong, just- hippo. A hippo. One of those really big, thick skinned animals that hang out in water and eat grass every single day. Big freaking nose and face with tiny black eyes and small ears sticking out the top of his head. His skin no longer the wrinkly pale it was... now he''s just all grey with a slight tinted shade of orange. Dad became one of those.


    It''s fitting that this hippo became my dad, really. He''s equally fat and hulking, dressed in my dad''s white button shirt and blue jeans. Acted exactly like him, walked around and talked just like my dad, a very convincing performance. Even still, to this day, takes a long time to take a bath. Makes a biiiig deal about his personal baths, kinda like a hippo. So, no- surprise there.


    ... and, uh, right, everyone else in town changed too. Back to that. Remember that, Mr. California.


    I''m probably straying too off topic and this all probably sounds pretty weird and expositional, but- hey, I''m pretty rambly, and I''m just going over what happened. No other explanation comes to mind. Everyone just... morphed into some semblance of bizarre creature. I didn''t know at the time if it was a hallucination, if the overnight EFD Seasonal Event was all in my head, if I was just hallucinating the entire catastrophe that killed everyone and replaced them with creatures- but the cause didn''t matter, it happened!


    It''s a LOT for an eight year old to go through. I was way too young to understand any of it, and I was very scared throughout the whole thing. Imagine how lonely and terrifying it would be if you were a little girl believing the entire town died!


    But... I wasn''t alone through it. I had Gumi.


    Gumi- my sister, if you haven''t been paying attention. She told me she can see the same things, that she saw everyone the same way I did. We both saw the neighbors as anthropomorphic deer, bears, cats, dogs, even avian birds and aquatic fish people. I even checked how she saw Dad, and- she described him the exact same way! Well- I mean, not exact exact, she''s a bit nicer about it and has good things to say about him. Still stands, though, that Gumi sees that our dad transformed into a large hippopoto- po... uh... hippo!


    So, since both of us, she and I, saw the exact same thing... it- it just had to be real. Overnight, everyone just became something beyond- humanity. Gumi and I are the only humans left in town... and, as we later found out, on Earth. Everyone else isn''t human anymore. That''s- just how the world works. Everyone, but Gumi and I, died overnight.


    The only people who were ultimately spared from becoming new creatures were me, Gumi, and our... our mom.


    Yeah...


    ... yeah.


    ...


    So... uhm. Anyway. Moving on.


    Back then, Gumi brought up a really, really good point that if we were the only two humans left as everyone we know and supposedly love became not human, it would be really weird if we treated them any different. So we needed to pretend everyone in this world is still human. Otherwise, we''d make a big commotion and out ourselves, possibly leading to very- very dangerous results.


    Though, truthfully, I like commotions and I like getting into trouble. That''s the reason why I''m just projecting this entire bit of Earth lore into your mind right now: because I feel like it. I felt like messing around and spilling the beans to the lucky person now subjected to my newfound telepathic powers. Or maybe making a profit off of my unique diary that goes on about "nonsense" to you.


    Whichever one this is, no difference to me, I''m just having a field day thinking all of this right now. I don''t mind telling you ''bout our life''s story, I thrive on the attention. You''ve been listening so far (if I actually AM being telepathic right now, haha)... I''m gonna take this as far as I''m able to. Really get the names "Cherri and Gumi Kusuri" out there, in case you or anyone else decide to look us up after we inevitably become famous people. The inseparable only two humans in the world and all!


    :D


    But anyway... our telepathic connection aside, Gumi and I just- planned to continue living as if EFD Season had ever happened. As if everyone in the world was still normal and human.


    Having Gumi with me made it so much easier to cope with the end of humanity. We were practically inseparable sisters to begin with, and now- we literally ONLY have each other. I don''t know how far I could have gone into this without her. With her, it felt like I was able to continue living our happy lil'' lives as farm girls with our dad, without a care in the world.


    If you couldn''t tell from my lengthy, lengthy word soup, Gumi and I are/were country girls, essentially what you could call... "country bumpkins". We were born on a farm, did a bunch of farm things as lil'' girls, like... farm, and... uhm... farm...


    ... it''s all a haze, nowadays, that was a life long ago. Years have passed since then, so am I expected to remember every single farm thing we did?


    No, I''m not! Because I lied to you just now, haha!


    See, Gumi and I couldn''t keep living as if nothing ever happened. We never got the chance to get our lives back to normal, to do all those farm girl things after the EFD, because- we moved! We moved away from home shortly after the event.


    Hippo Dad tried to run our farm for like... a week after EFD, and it didn''t go too well. Mom was the one who handled all the farm stuff, and- and... well, without her, Hippo Dad was clueless on how to run it.


    So, he made the... decision... to sell it. He sold the Kusuri farm to some other family that could handle it, and... also decided to take me and Gumi away from home. Told us that we were moving out of town to live in the big city, to move to a new home. Going on to just leave the farm, just like that.


    I didn''t really pay any attention while he was explaining to us why he''s selling the farm. Personally, I- didn''t really feel anything at the time. No attachment to the farm and the hometown anymore. Everyone died and mostly everyone got replaced by copies of animals and creatures and stuff. Why would I need to feel bad about leaving them? Gumi and I are just- the ones that survived the apparent purge that happened, and we just needed to go along with Hippo Dad and his whims for our own good.


    So... we had a day to walk around, say our goodbyes to everyone in town. I pretended that these creatures were still my friends at the time, as I said bye-bye and already made peace to leave them all behind.


    Gumi was sad, though. Had tears in her eyes as she said bye to my "friends" for me. Hugged and cried in their arms as she said bye to all my recently deceased buddies.


    I asked her later about why she cried about it, and well, she felt sorry that she never got to know any of them before they were just- gone. Out of our lives. Completely unimportant strangers from that point on. A sad, sad truth to admit, but one that Gumi and I have had to face over- and over- and over again.


    Oh, right, yeah, should probably mention this bit before I keep telepathically talking to you, stranger- Gumi and I are starting our first day of high school later today. We''re teenagers, and we''re- preparing to go to some new high school in the new city. Freshmen gals ready to take on a new big setting! Another, yet another fresh start to it all.


    Did you get my emphasis on "another"? Good!


    Why did I emphasize it again? Because we MOVED again!


    Haha, yeah. We moved three times in total. Hippo Dad sure did like to migrate. For a few years, Gumi and I were subjected to an entire elementary school education, continuing off of all the information Mom homeschooled us with (our dad taught us math. Surprise, surprise) for a couple of years. Did all the elementary school things, before going on to middle school... in a completely new town. Then, we- did a bunch of middle school things, and- now we moved again.


    Apparently, we live in yet ANOTHER new city I just can''t be bothered to remember the name of, and- honestly, by this point, Gumi and I are just used to the process now. Our first day in the city, Dad dragged us around willy nilly... buying new school supplies, getting us in new- school uniforms, haha... and... yeah. Gumi and I straight up passed out in our new twin-sized beds, in our new bedroom, having had no time to unpack or get used to our new third home.


    Kinda sucks. But it''s whatever, and... now, we''re just- continuing to live life post-EFD. Another new home, another new city, a new highschool with new friends and teachers and blah- blah- blaaaaah... as far as I''m concerned, I''ll repeat it again: I kind of just don''t care. Humanity''s dead and Gumi and I are just meant to deal with it. Doesn''t matter who we talk to or leave behind at this point.


    ...


    But... y''know... it''s a new chapter in our lives, so I just- I guess I want to try and- be an actual person again. High school is the most important chapter in a girl''s life, as taught to me by those funny little TV shows that tell me, directly, "high school is the most important chapter in a girl''s life!"


    So, I''m like... I guess I''m going to try and make the most out of this new move. I might as well try to- finally get used to all these animals and creatures and things around us, to make some new friends and junk. A blank slate of nothing just means... I have to make something out of it.


    This is going to be my last four years before I''m considered an adult and have to do actual adult things. Might as well enjoy it while I still can, while my "normal life" has been taken from me already.


    Yeah.


    ... anyway, I''m just gonna go back to sleep now.


    Nice meeting you, stranger, and- I guess I look forward to telepathically communicating with you again. Hope you reach out real soon and can tell me what you are.


    Are you some sort of walking centaur man with buff, bulging muscles? Are you some mythological monster with snakes for hair, dressed head to toe in crow feathers? Are you a walking glass display case filled with tiny little horse figurines inside your body?


    Have I somehow ended up telepathically communicating with some grimy and sentient brick wall with a face? Or, again, will this just be some book that gets published and earns fat money from whatever dork decided to take my words and publish it?


    Well, whatever you are, stranger... uhm, well, hope you''re ready to be subjected to whatever else I feel like telling you! This new chapter of my life, this new chapter of my life and Gumi''s life.


    And good night. Ciao. Nighty night, pal. Talk to you some other time, Mr. California!

 #2 - The Kusuri Morning Routine

    Hi, again.


    Cherri Kusuri here. You know the drill, I''m either projecting my mind into yours, communicating with you directly... ooooorrrrrr this is a diary being published after the fact, and I''m making huge cash off of it as we speak. Whatever case, this is now the second time I''m projecting telepathically to someone.


    I have no guarantees on if this is the same person, to be honest. I can''t hear you right now as I think, and I have no control as to who gets to read my thoughts. The instability of unlocking psychic abilities is- it''s pretty rough. If I had my way, to be honest, I''d be projecting my mind to that one movie star. Have him think of my words 24/7 to the point where he writes me like a pen pal. Probably give him my phone number just in case.


    ... nah, he probably won''t do it. He''s like, married to a loving wife already according to the Wikipedia page. He''s too good to leave his wife for a girl like me. I must be the bigger person and not break up a loving marriage. I must crush my own dreams to communicate with movie stars and celebrities, before I run the risk of becoming the homewrecker.


    Also, I''m a teenage girl and he''s a fully grown possibly middle aged man. So y''know, there''s that.


    Anyway.


    Speaking of dreams, yeah. Okay. Second attempt. See, earlier this morning, maybe- before morning even came, I had a first attempt, and projected my mind to someone (or had the first chapter published and written, blah blah blah, whichever case it is, I can''t be bothered to specify this every single time) right before I napped.


    I remember that I told myself before sleeping: "the moment I wake up, I want to immediately continue speaking, to continue telepathically speaking, to chat the moment I''m conscious." It gives me time to harness my thoughts into my newfound telepathic/writing powers, to strengthen my mind up into an impenetrable fortress. Think, Cherri, think, you must think!


    ... waking up, I was then reminded of the difficulties of having a functional, thinking mind. A short one hour, maybe two hour nap later, complete and utter brain slush being pried out of my head with a metaphorical crowbar. My mind a scrambled, garbled mess upon awakening, with little to no recollection of what happened before the nap. Took me a while to remember I even started a mental diary to begin with.


    Because I feel like padding this out, getting more of my words out there... here, I''ll give you a play by play, ''cause why not?


    So, first few seconds of my day, right next to my ear, I just hear something annoying, something that goes:


    "BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!"


    Something like that, but y''know, sounding more like an authentic alarm clock sound.


    That something is a full blown alarm clock, and either I''m replicating its realistically loud chimes so well with my mind, or you''re just reading a girl going "beep, beep, beep, beep, beep," in a diary.


    Hehehe. Beep beep.


    ...


    Moving on.


    The moment that sound started, that beeping sound that grates on my ears, my face instinctively bunkered down. I gritted my teeth hard and clenched my eyes shut, straining up my face. As a result, the area around my face wrinkly and tense, a steel wall ready to hold my defenses up against this most obnoxious of threats. My entire bed the war zone, my face the barrier prepared for the aggressively relentless beep army trying to invade my sleep.


    Point is, for those first few minutes of my life... I hate alarm clocks.


    Heck, mornings and I never get along, rather, and the alarm clock is just a contributor to it. Alarm clocks are just doing their job, but it''s just super annoying to devote energy into getting out of bed. A real big hassle to just- force myself out each and every day. I treat it like a war, because the feeling of having to fight for my life every morning''s first few minutes is no exaggeration... it''s intense and it''s freaking painful.


    You know how people used to wake up? The sun rises over the landscape horizon, higher and higher until you''re awoken to the literal feeling of warmth and light shining down on your body. You cozily lie in bed with this feeling, your darkness illuminated and welcoming you to gracefully arise from your bed. You get to hear the birds harmoniously chirp and sing right outside your window, lively as ever. If not graceful singing, then some sort of singular morning bird squawk to tell you "oh, hey, time to wake up now!"


    That''s just what life was back then, people just woke up naturally to the sounds of nature waking up first. Heck, not to sound like an old lady clamoring for the nostalgic old days, but I miss when I had a farm rooster. A rooster doesn''t need to wake you up, but he does anyway. Those guys do it for some reason I couldn''t bother myself to look up or learn about, and they''re pretty much champions at it.


    A rooster was an energetic, welcome pep in my step. Now I just have a glowing-numbered box on the table screaming to be slapped quiet. Like, palm against the top, slap the crap out of the clock, and just stare at the ceiling wishing you were still asleep. This thing is ingrained into all of society now. It revolutionized waking up, but in a way that prioritized the results rather than the experience.


    Ding dang newfangled portable beep beep beep machines.


    Sure, I am exaggerating. Again, the clock can be shut off with a slap. That''s the glory of the snooze button, sitting atop the clock itself. Just hit it, gently press it, or however else, and you get some few minutes of respite. Some more time to enjoy "sleeping" before you actually have to get up for realsies.


    However, I couldn''t bring myself to do so. I found myself in a situation where I was all cozy and comfy in my cool fluffy cake sheets, baked into a sweet lil'' pastry. A sort of- cake wrap? Cake burrito. All nice and toasty, too comfortable to leave this blanket. Even in the summer heat, blanket too comfy to move arms.


    So I just endured that sound, that horrible and agonizing BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP, BEEP for a long while, an aggressive blizzard taking over my warm tropical self. Seconds turned to a minute. Minute to minutes. Maybe hours if my mind went that far.


    Then, as if my own prayers have been answered... the alarm clock stops.


    Peace... and tranquility. Once again... I, Cherri Kusuri, fought an alarm clock and totally won. Back to comfort, back to coziness, back to being a Cherri cake put back into the snuggly oven.


    ... and then my second alarm clock kicks in.


    After the first one went quiet, I heard a voice call out to me. The immediate backup that replaced the beeping. Relatively more pleasant, but far too gentle to wake me up on its own.


    So, a pair of hands grabbed me by the side and shook me awake, pushing and pulling me over and over again. Rocking me back and forth abruptly.


    This brings up a good reason why I should not project my mind the first thing in the morning. As I was being shook awake by these hands, out came my first words of the morning: cuss words.


    Tons and tons of cussing. Every sort of vulgar swear word I could utter in that moment, going for a variety of beginning alphabet letters and completely hammering away at the threat to my sleepy sleep. Of course, I''m not going to recite any of what I said to you, but like... trust me, I swore up a storm. A gruff and grizzled sailor would have blushed at what I was capable of, and I uttered enough words to feed a dozen boat guys with a bountiful feast of censored language. There would need to be five whole thanksgiving feasts to make up for these short and not-so-sweet onslaught of censored profanity.


    If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Waking me up was not for the faint of heart.


    However, even with my aggressively hostile swearing, the hands continued on and on, not stopping until I fully wake up. Therefore, the person this voice belonged is tougher and manlier than every single seaman on this planet, shaking me non-stop for an entire 20-30 seconds before I admitted defeat. The most powerful of alarm clock replacements, completely unbeatable.


    "... uh, Cherri, can you- pass me the syrup?"


    Oh, hold that thought, give me a moment. Gotta do something real quick.


    "Sure," I respond, before picking up the bottle of maple syrup and hand it to my sister, Gumi, the toughest and manliest sailor of the seven seas.


    Currently, while I''m telepathically speaking and/or writing something in a diary, I''m just contently at the dining table with my sister, Gumi, eating pancakes for breakfast. First breakfast of the entire school year and all, my buttery pancakes already drizzled with syrup.


    "Here you go. Can you say hi for a moment?"


    "Oh... uh, okay. Hi?"


    Gumi says hi.


    So, Gumi was the resilient swear-resistant girl that owned pair of hands shaking me awake, calling out: "Cherri... wake up..." in my ear. Already out of her bed, now imploring me to get out of my bed as well. As she is my little sister, she has grown a strong tolerance to my onslaught of angry cuss words.


    The thing about Gumi is that she is ALSO not a morning person. Gumi hates the alarm clock as much as I do, and - like me - majorly struggles to get up and freshen herself up. However, between the two of us, Gumi is the best morning person ever. The moment the alarm clock sets off, Gumi is on "wake up Cherri" duty as she crosses the gap between our two beds, turns off the alarm of the alarm clock, and makes sure to wake me up.


    Gumi''s always been selfless like that, fulfilling that sort of sacrifice for both our sakes, and she''s been the main reason I''ve been able to get out of bed whatsoever. The one person left in this entire world, possibly, to wake me up and break me out of my coziness prison. I can''t imagine anyone else having the bravery or the motivation to wake me up like Gumi does. Been doing this for years upon years, and the tradition continues this year as well.


    It may sound one sided, Gumi just helping me out of bed for no reward. Selfless and noble. However- no, that''s wrong, there is a huge return for this action, something she gets out of it too.


    Once I''m out of bed, that''s when my job comes in, to make sure both of us are awake. I''ve played up how good Gumi is at getting out of bed and handling annoyed and irritated people who struggle to get out of bed, but she comes with her own struggle with staying out of her bed. After she actually actively makes sure I''m awake and kicking, she then shuts her mind off and automatically finds herself going back to bed. Walking back to bed, ready to sleep once again.


    I don''t blame her, really. Her bed is tricked the heck out with tens of pillows and tons of stuffed animals crowding her tiny lil'' bed. Rather than wrap herself in a blanket and cling to it tightly, she retreats to her one person pillow fort and buries herself alive in comfort.


    So, once I''m awake, I have a short window of time to actually... drag Gumi away from her bed. Grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her to the bathroom, so both of us could freshen up for the day. Gumi is back in working order once water is splashed onto her face, and takes a bunch of time to wake up fully alongside me.


    A bit of a tedious trek to the bathroom, having to get used to a new pathway to the bathroom, but... yeah, eventually, we do make it to a bathroom. With a cooperative duo effort to escape the comforts of our bed, Gumi and I are up and at ''em, getting our pearly whites brushed minty fresh.


    Then, breakfast time. Sitting together, and with Hippo Dad. Our step-dad, the resident pancake maker of this new house, making great use of his new stove.


    If there''s anything nice I can say about Hippo Dad that my first telepathic communication didn''t convey... it is that he''s a pretty good breakfast maker. Took to cooking for himself as a hobby, and- well, more or less makes stuff for us just to keep us alive and well. A necessity to maintain the Kusuri good looks, as we''re complete liabilities to him if he makes us ugly through the cheap crap.


    His go to meals vary, but right now Gumi and I each have plates of homemade pancakes with supermarket orange juice. Breakfast is always a good indicator of how Hippo Dad is feeling about his upcoming day. Pancakes translate to a "today is going to be a great day", waffles are "today is going to be a good day", bacon and eggs with sausage is "I''m so excited for today!", and cereal is "don''t have time for you, kids, gotta go".


    I don''t really bother with checking up on him. Gumi does that for me. I just eat my pancakes and sort of pretend to listen, still feeling as disconnected as ever when I speak with him.


    "... Cherri?"


    Oh, crap, he''s speaking to me. He''s BEEN speaking to me. He said something before my name. Some sentence.


    I look to Gumi for a moment, mouth full of pancakes, staring at her as I chew.


    "Well- I think Cherri''s going to do fine at our new school..." Gumi responds.


    Oh, okay, he was just talking with me about school. "Right. Right. I''m ready for the school."


    "Are you sure? Because... well, if you say so. Just be good at school, okay?" Hippo Dad instructs me, having a sort of... condescending tone.


    "I will. Hope you have a good day at work too, pops," I calmly tell him.


    Gumi and I finish our breakfast, pancakes eaten and orange juice drank, and... now it''s time to get dressed for school. Back up the stairs we go, back to our room, and then changing out of pajamas to wear our new high school uniforms.


    Back in our middle school, school uniforms were like... an absolute necessity. Our middle school had guys and girls wear white button shirts and khakis for everyone, no exceptions. Some nonsense about building character, building "uniformity", unifying people together through school spirit or something.


    Kinda probably contributed to why I didn''t really care much about the people there. Nobody stood out. We all just wore the same unappealing, boring outfit day in and day out. The only thing I could judge them by were their species. Dog guy, cat guy, even a dolphin guy- I really just could not bring myself to care about them.


    Take a moment to imagine that for a bit. Just- name some unique animal species, and you''ll find an anthropomorphic version of it at our middle school... just wearing a shirt and khakis.


    Would you still care about them?


    Needless to say, our new high school is a breath of fresh air. Apparently, the uniforms are less strict, as all we ultimately need to wear is a button shirt. The guys wear things like jeans and khakis, interchangeably, while the girls wear skirts that go down to their knees.


    Did a bit of research, and I discovered the school never specified what color we have to wear, so... this is our chance to wear something worth looking at. Clothes that Hippo Dad bought for us on our first day here, clothes we''ve been preparing to wear for this exact day. Ready to bypass the color loophole and stand out in our new uniforms.


    I''ll start with Gumi first. See, she chose a sort of white beige-ish shirt that gives off sweater vibes. Slightly baggier than the usual shirt, outfitted alongside a nice pink tie and skirt. Tie is striped with alternating pink, white and some faded darker pink, while her skirt is a checkerboard tartan plaid of pink and something- grayish. The dark color of her skirt and tie really accentuates the whole bright vibe she''s going for, draws more attention to the lighter tie and bright shirt. Really gives off "model student" aesthetic while giving it enough of a unique flair to stand out.


    Meanwhile, here I am in a pitch black shirt, wearing a red skirt and red tie. Both my tie and skirt are plaid with just- red, a faded red, and a light red. Pure red altogether, with my black shirt dark enough to draw eyes to my vibrant red. Looks almost normal enough, but I made myself look cooler by putting on a black belt with a silver chain around my hips. Mostly did this to look more unique, going for a completely contrasting shirt.


    With this, our social lives can finally begin on this first day of high school. Both of us prepared for the social life of a lifetime. With our unique spins on these uniforms, we''re gonna stand out and get a bunch of people looking at us and thinking: "oh, wow! Those two human girls over there look so cool and cute and I wanna be their friend and probably go out with them or something," or something! The ultimate plan to cement our social lives.


    First impressions and first looks are essential to standing out, after all. Once, we were just the two pink haired girls. Now we''re going to be the pink haired, red and pink girls in the coolest, cutest, most eye-catching uniforms we can pull off.


    With that, Gumi and I are now leaving the house, and start our walk to the bus stop near our house, taking our first steps to our new social life. Hippo Dad signed us up for riding the bus, which gives more ample time to meet our potential classmates that ALSO ride the bus.


    The possibilities on the bus are endless, and my plan is utterly foolproof. Gumi and I are going to be the most popular girls on that bus alone! So much to do, so much we need to be ready for... mentally preparing ourselves for this new environment, ready to completely and utterly triumph this new chapter in our lives.


    I shared an excited lil'' smile with Gumi, whose gentle smile indicated she was ALSO very excited for today. Backpacks on our backs, super duper excited.


    The bus could not get here any sooner...


    Hehe.


    Well, anyway, I think that''s it for this part. I need to collect my thoughts and prepare myself for this first impression. I''ll give an update to my mental diary at some point, once we''re far into the school day, but for now- I''m stopping here.


    See you later, Mr. California, or whoever else it is that is hearing me/reading this!

 #3 - Fashion and Friendship Zero

    "You''ve gotta be kidding me, you have GOT to be kidding me."


    "C-Cherri, it''s not that bad, we''re-"


    "It''s so over, we''re screwed, Gumi..."


    Hello. Cherri here, on the bus, still headed to my new high school. At the time I''m deciding to give you an update, you''re catching me at a very, very bad time. You might be wondering why I''m telling Gumi - my sister, Gumi Kusuri, by the way, keep up - "oh no it''s so over we messed up blah blah blah".


    See, I''m just going to preface this by saying: we (or I) totally freaking screwed up.


    So you know how I mentioned we decided to wear school uniforms that stood out? Like, tried to be all unique from all the classmates wearing their uniforms? Our cool red and pink styled skirts and ties, stretching the limits of what passes as an acceptable school uniform?


    Yeah, so after we got on the bus, our biggest primary issue has come up. One small, teensy, tiny, lil'' issue that throws a huge wrench in our plan to be popular:


    Nobody else is wearing their uniforms.


    Not a soul on board wore something like the school uniform. Sure, some people had their button shirts, and some people had the same brand of pants and/or skirts... but- no one of importance wore the whole thing. Gumi and I stepped onto the bus and see a wild explosion of fashion, a bus brimming with teenage creatures wearing the most unique, the most spectacular of outfits- some even bizarre and unusual, far more eye catching than what we scavenged together.


    I was confused for a while, but then it hit me.


    Turns out, there IS no uniform for this high school.


    See, I thought- Gumi thought, and Hippo Dad thought... all three of us thought that there was some formal uniform because of some pictures taken maybe like- one week, two weeks ago. The school emailed out pictures taken to commemorate our school''s entry orientation, some casual event where students and their parents show up, the parents chat and talk privately in the bleachers as their kids go through an entire ceremony to welcome everybody to the school. That whole thing. We looked at the pictures and deduced a uniform from that before clothes shopping.


    It''s fair to assume there''s a uniform, right? Every student in the pictures wore mostly the same outfit, albeit with some leniency. The same leniency Gumi and I are taking. In those photos, everyone just dressed in white button shirts and wore some color of tie or pants. With what I discovered, I was correct to assume it was for unity and togetherness and stuff, stuff that the middle school told us uniforms would do.


    But they''re only dressed like that just for the orientation. Just a one-time event. Single, one, solo event.


    For some reason, that event told everyone to wear a button shirt, and whatever color jeans or skirts they wanted. Some weird symbolism I can''t be bothered to remember right now, how the school embraces diversity and freedom of expression. "Show off your Chameleon Colors, everyone!"


    Other than this one single, "creative" event, the school has no strict dress code. No uniform we''re required to wear. It''s completely, COMPLETELY optional. As long as we don''t promote illegal things, it''s completely free game what we can wear, and- and that fact was made clear as Gumi and I walk to find a seat on the bus. As we passed by all these eccentric new classmates that only gave us a few passing glances.


    Let''s perform a little roll call, shall we?


    Right in the front, a wolf boy wearing a cool blue hoodie, greasy white t-shirt, and black jeans. Dude has black biker sunglasses in his thick, long fur, resting atop his... his pompadour. He styled his fur into a pompadour. He screams "biker dude".


    Next to him, some turtle guy dressed in just a black t-shirt and plaid red sweatpants. However, he has bandages all over his arms, some on his neck, and a sticky bandage over his nose. Dude looks like he got into a really rough fight...!


    You see how much personality these two have? There''s more.


    A cool seagull boy with wavy feathers, wearing some vibrant turquoise green and sky blue Hawaiian floral print shirt. Surfer boy.


    Two pig girls in cute designer autumn-themed fur coats. Trendy fashionistas.


    A blonde furred gorilla about six feet tall, dressed in a varsity football jersey. In his arm, a timid and gentle deer girl a foot and a half shorter than him, dressed in a bright green tank-top and blue booty shorts. The jock and his girlfriend.


    Some crow girl and bat guy with skull t-shirts, the former having arm warmers over her wings and the latter having one of his massive bat ears covering the right side of his face. I think these are the "goth and the emo" kids.


    A literal mass of butterflies, like a huge swarm of colorful butterflies grouped up into one body shape... huge red scarf. Massive red scarf, with a sweater vest, a cute sparkly skirt, really long striped thigh socks. There''s- I don''t even know what to describe this person as, but...


    A floating, large blue eye the size of a beach ball, wearing just... a white t-shirt and khakis. The closest person to a school uniform we''ve seen so far. Nothing important about him, sure, but like... he is someone with a giant eyeball for a head. That, in and of itself, is a good hook that gets people talking to him.


    A fox with like, nine tails, just sitting contently with his suave trench coat.


    A walking human-sized wooden puppet with strings dangling in the air, wearing some rugged brown leather bomber jacket with blue jeans.


    A grotesque, large ogre (she''s just about 8-9 feet tall or so) dressed kind of, like... overalls, with some box-pattern shirt and rugged leather boots.


    Finally, listing this last creature student as the last one I noticed before Gumi and I found our seats... there was a squirrel. A squirrel girl, wearing a gray knit hat, wearing a gray hoodie... and then, a red scottish kilt.


    I remember fondly my thoughts in that moment when I saw her: she''s WEARING A SCOTTISH KILT?! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?! IT LOOKS AMAZING ON HER AND I LOVE IT. I DON''T EVEN KNOW WHAT YOU''RE GOING FOR BUT HOLY CRAP.


    Gumi and I sat down after this gallery of people who chose to sit in the front half of the bus, and I couldn''t even- bring myself to pay attention to anyone else in the back. For my own sake. Other students get on the bus as it stops and goes, more and more people dressed uniquely...


    ... and, haha, okay, this uniquely dressed guy deserves a mention. Right across the bus aisle, there was this one anthropomorphic horse guy sitting by himself, taking up the entire seat with his body and his massive freaking backpack. He had a nice coat of brown horse fur, his mane styled and twisted into cool ropes. He looked pretty cool. I liked his hair.


    Then I looked down and saw his shirt. His t-shirt that boldly, boldly says: "I LOVE MAKING OUT WITH BRAZILLIAN WOMEN".


    Yes, you heard me correctly. He has a. Custom. Made. T-shirt. Specifically to tell the world, "I LOVE MAKING OUT WITH BRAZILLIAN WOMEN" in all caps, green text, bright impact font. Wildly eye catching, gives a looooot of clues into his deep personality.


    Mad respect, to be honest. You go, Horseman, you go make out with those Brazilian women!


    ...


    Anyway, we''re screwed.


    Yeah, Gumi and I, our clothes, we are screwed.


    I know what you''re thinking. After the extensive lengths I went through, to complain about school uniforms a while ago, this should be a good thing... right? The fact that we''re able to have any clothes we want, and go to a high school that... apparently has very interesting expressions of fashion on display. That should be a fun thing, given we''re two girls coming out of a middle school of boring and bland uniforms, right?


    Well, before you think that more, keep in mind that our social life plan stems on first impressions.


    From what I''ve seen, every creature we''ve seen so far... they have some semblance of cool outfit, something that makes them interesting. Something that makes them stand out on first glance. Everyone I mentioned so far are just- ALL the people in the front, the ones bold enough to specifically sit up there. The very first people anyone getting on the bus just sees, having a good enough impression to have me talking about their clothes.


    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.


    They made such good first impressions just from me looking at them. I see these people and I think, "oh, man, this would have been such a cool first year of school! It would be so awesome to show them our fashion sense, too!" I can describe their tropes and styles and can get a hang on their various personalities, enough to shine spotlights on them to complete and total strangers.


    And yet, here Gumi and I are. Button shirts. Skirts. Ties.


    AUGH.


    By school uniform standards, we look super cute and unique. By the standards presented to me and Gumi in this bus alone? We are basic and broke. The most default people possible.


    Rather than seeing these people as friends, I have thought of nothing other than the fact we passed by a lot of fellow bus people that we''ll probably never have to talk to. People that have no reasons to talk to us whatsoever, people who won''t even bother to care that we wore these bland outfits. We wore the most basic and generic girl outfit ever, compared to what these people are capable of.


    In fact, I just now realized while thinking of all this! We''re dressed the same way as everyone was during the high school''s orientation! We''re coming to school dressed as if we came EXACTLY out of that event, even though it''s long since ended!


    We didn''t even show up, and this could totally come off as "oh, we don''t have other clothes" or "we have no discernable personalities apart from looking unimportant!" If anyone had some semblance of care or focus towards us, they''ll just see two girls that don''t have any other clothes on first glance! We''ll be the freshmen laughing stocks of the school.


    Our good, popular first impressions have gone down the drain in this very moment... and we are left to suffer because of it.


    Gumi has been trying to reassure me, to comfort me in this most dire and drastic of situations. I enlightened her to what I noticed and she was trying to calm me down. "I... It really isn''t that bad, Cherri," for example.


    "We''re abysmally out of place, Gumi," I whispered quietly to her, enlightening her on our situation. "With these clothes on, we''ll be unable to talk to anyone."


    And in the time that I''ve been thinking about our situation to you, Mr. California, Gumi got up to try and prove me wrong. Her words were: "That... sounds like an exaggeration. We still look pretty good, we just- need to put our foot out there... I- I''ll try."


    So I just watched Gumi look around the bus for some interesting person, and she approached some girl close nearby. Starting to strike up a chat, speaking to someone randomly, taking her first ever steps to actually approach someone and speak to her without me to support. I could only watch from afar as Gumi speaks to...


    ... oh. Oh no. Gumi''s speaking to a girl with a sewing machine for a head.


    I''m not joking, it''s- it''s- it''s literally a sewing machine head girl. A creature that looks very passionate about clothes. The worst possible conversation partner to have when you''re wearing the most basic clothes, like- like Gumi is. I scoot to the outside seat, watching Gumi in the corner of my eye, tensely watching closely and- waiting for the absolute worst to happen.


    ... so while she''s talking with that girl, I might as well address the elephant in the room.


    I know what you''re probably thinking. Cherri, why are you making such a big deal about this? Why not just get new clothes and call it a day?


    And I agree with you! We could just get new clothes. I''d be happy to! Just feel free to help me out and point me to the clothes store on this bus that Gumi and I can take our bountiful bags of money into.


    Firstly, we are already on the bus, on the way to school at this very moment. There''s no window of time for us to sneak away and look for a nearby clothes store that we can quickly supply ourselves with. Once we''re off the bus, it''s likely we''ll have a small window of time to do this, which- we don''t have time to look for the closest clothes store to the school, we don''t have time to browse for good clothes and wait in line to buy them, and we don''t have time to get back to school in time. We have no time to do any of that.


    Secondly, we don''t have the money to. Hippo Dad took us clothes shopping already and got us our attire for the week. There''s no way he would sign onto the idea of buying us even more clothes just because of an "innocent little mistake, but one that still allows you girls to have clothes" or something like that! We already bought the clothes, he''s not going to understand our little fashion crisis right now. He''ll just be like, "you girls still have clothes, no one is going to care about what you girls wear"...


    And finally, even if we did all of this successfully... the damage has been done. Our first impressions are down the drain already. All these bus people, seeing us in our basic outfits. We stay in these outfits, we''re still boring. We change, and now the school will probably realize we changed and- say some really, really mean things or whatever. Our first impression is over, now it''s just downhill from here.


    On this bus alone, I have come to terms with the fact that-


    Oh, hold that thought, actually. Gumi''s coming back, she finished her conversation with the sewing machine girl.


    I scoot back closer to the window seat, and watch as Gumi sits back down next to me. Her hopeful face gone and replaced with the same look of dread I had. It looks like Gumi understands the situation fully now, the full gravity of our little dilemma.


    We exchange looks to each other as I give Gumi the "I told you so" eyes. Sharing each other''s panic, whispering quietly to avoid catching the ears of the people around us.


    "... oh my god, we''re so screwed," says Gumi.


    "That''s what I''ve been telling you-" I tell her in response.


    "Cherri, what are we going to do...? W-We can''t talk to people in this outfit-"


    "I know, and our options are thin, we desperately need to come up with some-"


    "I just kept going on and on about her fabric, she told me she sews things as a hobby and and-"


    "Did you tell her anything about us? Anything that makes us stand out?"


    "I- I tried my best, but couldn''t come up with anything and-"


    "Yeah, holy crap, that''s going to be every single conversation at this rate-"


    "Oh my god, I don''t know if I annoyed her or possibly dug our grave speaking about the fabric or-"


    "It''s okay, Gumi, it''s over, it''s finally over..."


    Sheer utter grief shared between us as we mumble at each other.


    On this bus, Gumi and I are... slowly... coming to terms with what high school has been so far. Social landmines and pitfalls. We came to the truth before anyone else can shove it in our faces and spit on everything we stood for.


    For now, we''re throwing the hopes of a good first impression out the window. No way will we be able to cover our appearances just like that. No, we need to come up with some approach, some plan to get friends. Maybe something that utilizes our exceptional personalities enough to distract everyone from our boring outfits.


    But what could we possibly do...? Ugh... so many problems, either so many or so little possibilities...


    ...


    Approaching footsteps. Someone''s coming up to us from the back seat.


    Oh man, oh man we''re getting approached. I nudge Gumi''s shoulder lightly, getting her attention and looking over my shoulder, just-


    Oh, nevermind.


    Right in front of us in the aisle, I look to see the disappointing, disappointing sight of a green scaled lizard boy with large circle glasses. On first glance, a huge nerd in an outfit like ours. Button shirt, blue tie and blue jeans. Dressed... almost like us.


    ...


    Wait a minute. Even he experimented with his look...! H- He has a blue coat! A- A vibrant blue raspberry colored coat draped over his shoulder!


    OH GOD HE LOOKS SO COOL. And- oh no, we''re being OVERSHADOWED by the lizard nerd! A-And he''s going to make us look so uncool by comparison!


    Nononononononono-


    "H-Hi, I noticed that you were talking about having new friends," the lizard nerd speaks in a sort of nasally voice. I swear I can hear his freaking sniffling as he continues. "And I was hoping if you''d like to-"


    I need to nip this in the bud. As much as having any friends would be better than none, this... this guy can''t be our first one. I won''t let this guy be the first friend we ever make in this entire school.


    Therefore, I must decline his offer in the most polite of ways, a way that puts it as lightly as I possibly can.


    "Beat it, nerd," I bluntly tell the lizard nerd in a low whisper, shooing him away and pointing my thumb to gesture him back where he came from.


    "O-Oh. Okay..." he answers, with a defeated tone in his voice as he walks back to where he sat.


    "... C-Cherri-" Gumi speaks up, very disapproving of my methods. "He wanted to be our friend, why-"


    "We can''t have a guy be our first friend at this school, let alone this bus..." I whisper quietly to Gumi. "For popularity''s sake, it has to be a girl, Gumi. Otherwise, we''ll just be branded as the... the, uhm..."


    ... how do I put this gently? I need to figure out a gentle, graceful way to describe the idea in my head. Girls that hang out with any guy that shows an interest in them, believed to be easily tricked into their ulterior motives...


    "... the kissygirls," I tell Gumi, finding the perfect word to describe our situation.


    "Wha-? Wait, really? I-Is that something that people will actually think-"


    "Yes, Gumi. We run the risk of being the kissygirls."


    Kissygirl. Kissygirl is just my way of saying a girl that kisses a lot, like... mwah, a ton of smooches and such. Extensive care in her lips with balm and lipstick, to the point where her express purpose is only to leave red lipstick marks on someone''s face.


    We were a little too young to understand it, but there was a kissygirl at our middle school. Brown hair, fluffy and wavy, looked pretty cute with her sparkly eyes and her freckles. Became the most popular girl in school... at least, in the boys'' eyes, as rumors spread that she will make out with any one of them. Even had a school kissing booth where she charged five dollars to kiss them.


    I remember fondly the crazy sight of watching as she left that room with half a thousand dollars (she apparently kissed one hundred guys) and spent all of that money on more lipstick and lip gloss to kiss more.


    And by no means do I want that for me and Gumi.


    Gumi and I need to be extra careful. Feel free to connect the dots if you want a different word for it, Mr. California. The most family friendly word I could think of for your sake, Mr. California.


    The middle school kissygirl was cute, but- but Gumi and I are hot. We''re attractive hotties in boring clothes. People may approach us and try to coerce us into kissing them. Either against our will, or promising to buy us whatever we want. Given that we''re now in high school at an age where boys can work to earn money to buy things, and a very knowledgeable Mr. California can connect the dots better as to what I''m totally secretly alluding to... the priority to not be branded our high school''s very own kissygirls is very high.


    Gumi looks at me in temporary disbelief, before I see her face shift to an understanding look. Her nice nature is conflicting with us chasing a potential friend away, but... it needed to be done. For the sake of our lips.


    "S... So what actually is our plan, now...?" Gumi asks.


    "... hmm. Given our clothes, and the difficulties we will have with actually speaking to people..." I mumble to Gumi, leaning back into my bus seat. "... there''s- only one thing I can think of."


    "W... What''s that?"


    "... t... the proximity strategy," I tell Gumi, snapping my fingers and looking to her with glee.


    "W... Wait, the proximity strategy...?"


    "Yes!"


    Oh man oh man, okay, okay, I need to go plan this up. I need to cut off this diary entry/telepathic message now, the proximity strategy needs a ton of planning and thought to go into it!


    I''ll explain to you later what the proximity strategy is, Mr. California, I gotta go!


    See ya, buhbye, until next time, have a good day or whatever, ciao!

 #4 - The Proximity Plan

    ...


    Okay, I''m back and it''s lunch now!


    I hope my emotions don''t carry through this telepathic communication, because I want it to be a surprise on how Gumi and I did with our Proximity Plan.


    I know I called it a proximity strategy earlier, but I think- about three sentences into us actually discussing it, Gumi and I decided "Proximity Plan" fits better. Like, try to say "proximity strategy" over and over again. That''s like, pro-xim-i-ty stra-te-gy. Mouthful. Like, saying it five times fast is so super duper exhausting. With Proximity Plan, so much less syllables, so easier to say quickly. Furthermore, because an "ee" and a "pluh" are so much compatible than an "ee" and a "sssss", Proximity Plan rolls off the tongue so much better.


    So, it''s final. Proximity Plan.


    Now, in case you haven''t been following along so far: the Kusuris'' First Impressions plan is completely down under. No way we can salvage it with our current outfits. Nothing about what we''re wearing is eye-catching enough. No way will we have a chance to make friends just by looking cute and cool and stuff. We just have to get off of the bus and carry on in these travesties of outfits, trying to gain social points through personality alone.


    Thus, our next plan, our well crafted Proximity Plan... is to just- reach out and talk with the classmates that sit near us. To obtain friendships through closeness. Reaching out to the fellow new people around us.


    Hence, "proximity". Our plan to use proximity. Proximity Plan.


    I know what you''re thinking, maybe, possibly: this sounds too simple to be a real plan, Cherri. It''s as simple as "just talk to people around you", right? If it is as simple as that, then why didn''t you and Gumi just talk to everyone on the bus?


    Well, I do agree, it sounds pretty simple. I spent the entirety of middle school doing whatever felt right, saying whatever felt natural to say to the people around me. Got through middle school just fine.


    But here''s the thing. I want to try and be different. Back then, I was just a young kid, and- a lot of the crap I used to say won''t pass anymore. There''s a different time and a place for everything Gumi and I say now.


    We have to consider the fact we''re new to a whole school of teenage creatures, we''re meeting new animals and creatures for the first time at a school, and - reminder, just in case you didn''t hear what I mentioned just ten seconds ago - we are at a school. All that time and place jumbled together to say: we are going to be walking on eggshells until we accustom ourselves to it all.


    People don''t think about how hard it is until they, like, have to actively think about it, think about the sheer amount of intricacies going on.


    Let''s run through an example, just to get my point across. Imagine you walk up to someone and say to them, "Hi! I am (name)." Then they say to you back, "Hi! I am (name)." Then you say to each other, nice to meet you! And that''s it.


    Boring.


    Bland.


    It was not nice to meet you.


    That''s just a complete and utter nonsense conversation that gives both of you nothing to work with. You don''t speak about anything meaningful for them to care about. If I was that person, I wouldn''t remember you in the slightest.


    Okay, so the takeaway is, don''t be boring, talk more. Give the person something better to work with, right?


    Let''s see.


    Hi, I''m (name)! So hey, do you want to look at my super duper cool insect collection? I have like a ton of rhinoceros beetles and black widow spiders and red caterpillars all imprinted into this book. Take a look, feel it, it''s authentic insect skin there! Had to squish the bug myself to make sure they last. Preserving insect skin is-


    Okay, so tell me EXACTLY how you felt after I said all of that. At what point did you try to desperately tune me out, to try and make me stop talking about my "insect collection"?


    Again, time and place.


    I hypothetically walked up to some stranger, told them "oh I love bugs" but in an extra way, and tried to involve them in my bug hobby. There were so many flags set off, flags that can only be noticed "by myself" some amount of time after that, while everyone else just sees me as the creepy bug loser that made a complete stranger touch bug guts.


    So don''t make them touch bugs, right? It''s as simple as just thinking, "don''t make people touch bugs", right? Anything else could be free game?


    So what kind of lipstick do you like? ... oh, you don''t- you don''t like lipstick? Really? But your lips look so red, are you sure that''s natural? That''s wild. Your lips look so fantastic, as if a professional did them!


    Oh, hey, so like, I saw you were eating lunch over here. Mind if I join you? Awesome! That''s a nice BLT sandwich you got there, so bacony and so tomatoey, must have costed a lot! Quality sandwich. So like, I know we just met, but uhm, you wanna be my friend?


    Hey~! I''m (name), and I''m pretty quirky and endearing. I love hanging out with strangers-turned-friends in public all day until I go to sleep in their arms like the cute lil'' thing I am. Could you possibly help me find my cute little blue eyed, white dragon to complete my collection? Thanks!


    All of these being things I know you wouldn''t say, Mr. California- or, maybe you would, but like... yeah. The list of things just expand more and more, and you just precariously make sure you navigate through all of them.


    Soooooo... the Proximity Plan makes it so much easier to get through all of that.


    Time no longer becomes a factor, because the people in that class are new. Place doesn''t matter anymore, because we all understand we''re at a school together. A new class entirely!


    Of course a student would try to make friends with the people they sit near. Would you want to dislike the people you''re forced to see almost every day? No, of course not. You''d want to be friends with them, to do things like study together and eat lunch together and probably cheat on tests together.


    Oh, ignore that last part, that was just an out of pocket thought.


    Basically, befriending your classmates makes you so much happier than if you hated them.


    So yeah, simple thought. Use a natural thought process to our social advantage. The Proximity Plan is almost foolproof. It''s one that we ultimately landed on, because of its simplicity. The easiest of what we''re able to improvise with our resources- or lack of resources. It''s completely ingenious.


    The Proximity Plan starts out Gumi and I sat down in homeroom. First class, Math.


    I looked around at all the new classmates that got here before we did, these fellow freshmen. For five seconds, I was just planning where Gumi and I should sit, which group of people were cool enough to reach out to.


    And then.


    "Pfft- hey, get a look at these two ugly basic b----es!" someone exclaimed, ten seconds after we entered. "Still in that school orientation outfit! Hahaha, what total losers!"


    Sitting somewhere in the middle-ish row of the room, at one of the big science tables, there was a weasel girl with a winter coat and some black wig. A pink bow in her hair, wearing a striped black and white shirt with pink shorts and suspenders. A heavy amount of makeup over her weasel face, with very prominent pink lipstick, with vibrant blue eye shadow over her eyes. Thick eyelashes, also.


    One look at her and I could tell... I hate her. Hated her in that moment, still hate her now.


    And guess what? Her little shout worked.


    One single shout, one very- very loud shout to bring to everyone''s attention to our outfit. Her laugh rings out through the room, prompting... other people to laugh. Others to join in and laugh at our outfit. Our now "old, loser clothes" for everyone to make fun of. Fulfilling my worst fears about our clothes, having known the truth about these clothes long before this weasel brought it up.


    This... this is a horrible feeling. Gumi and I were just minding our business. Literally just chilling out and walking in, ready to try and befriend our classmates. But her shouting caused this sort of domino effect where everyone, everyone we could sit near, they told us that the seats next to them were taken. None of the tables with people were available, as people were saving seats for their... friends.


    It did confuse me at first why high school freshmen who were in a class for the first time ever would already have friends, but y''know. There was that school orientation for the people who didn''t have friends, and- I guess this school had people who went to the same middle school together.


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    This weasel has high social standing in our class, and has free reign to do this.


    Thus, Gumi and I were forced to sit in the very front corner of the room. The one closest to the teacher''s desk. The WORST place for us to sit for our social life.


    Why was it the worst?


    Well, it''s right in front of the teacher''s desk, meaning the teacher can see us if we decide to try and secretly chat with anyone. Anything we say can be seen immediately by the teacher. A math teacher, furthermore. Those are very perceptive. No chance to pass notes or whisper or any of the sort without the teacher noticing us.


    Also, sitting in the front corner means so much less people to chat with. There''s only the people sitting right behind us, then someone else sitting next to us in the front. Gumi and I can''t naturally have conversations with people right behind us, we would need to be creepy and look behind us at the people right there, and... well, to the right of me, the only person out of this entire class Gumi and I could naturally reach out to.


    ... the lizard nerd guy who approached us on the bus.


    He''s in our homeroom class. I rejected his friendship request on the bus. Looks like he''s actively ignoring us, which... fair. We didn''t have the best interaction on the bus, with me telling him to "beat it" and all.


    I thought about reaching out to him and apologizing, but... the kissygirl risk. We can''t have our first friend be a guy.


    So... no friends. Thanks to little miss Makeup Weasel over here, we are now Math Class outcasts. Complete social rejects, isolated from everybody around us, the laughing stocks of our homeroom class.


    And after all of that, the entirety of the first class was just- the teacher coming in and going on and on about the curriculum and the math itself. No ice breakers, no introductory chats, nothing. Just 90 minutes of talking about the syllabus and what we are going to learn in "algebra"... strict academic stuff.


    I didn''t really expect much from the Math teacher, of course. He''s just a walking, talking robot with tube things for arms. Square headed with blue glass eyes and a rigid neon yellow smile. No signs of humanity in him whatsoever as he spouted off robotic garbage noise and all.


    So... after those grueling 90 minutes of whatever, first period is over, and the Proximity Plan isn''t working at all.


    But... hey, this isn''t our only chance. I took a look at our schedule. Every single student aligns with the same times and stuff, as this school has us in class from 8pm to like... 2:30pm. We have a total of four 90 minute classes a day, eight classes for an entire year. The classes change every other day, with a buffer of days off and junk. Eight chances to make friends with the people around us.


    Furthermore, the lunch period takes place after 2nd, where students are divided between two time periods. Gumi and I are in the last lunch, meaning we have an entire 3rd chance before the hustle and bustle of the lunch room.


    Of course, the lunch room will be the benchmark to decide how socially secure we are after this major setback. So, Gumi and I have to- at least- make friends with people in 3rd period so we can guarantee ourselves a seat. Probably 2nd period too, but- less of a priority, since there''s no guarantee those people will show up at lunch with us.


    The Makeup Weasel''s now far behind us and we don''t have to worry about her anymore, right?


    No way that this weasel is going to completely ruin our chances to make friends, right?


    ...


    Yeah, okay, Mr. California, I''ve been trying to hide it this entire time. No use to keep it a secret anymore.


    We failed completely.


    Our first class was a failure all over some random girl deciding that, for some reason, she had beef with us and making people make fun of us and hate us before even knowing us, and it''s... yeah. Really sucks. The precursor to us being complete and total losers for the rest of our lives, affecting the rest of our classes.


    2nd Period. Biology. Life Science. Uses a science room, one of those big rooms with science equipment lining up against the walls. Large, big tables to the side with stools to sit on, then some normal school desks in the center.


    Weasel girl shows up again in our class, entering the room shortly after we did, and- her apparent problem with us continues.


    "Oh, hey, gross lesbians! Didn''t know you were in this class too! Good to see you. Hope you decide to keep it to yourselves this time, I don''t want to see your public gayness this time."


    And she''s pulling out the sexuality card.


    Basically, a lesbian is a "girl who likes/loves other girls", and this weasel is calling us that in a derogatory, insulting way.


    There isn''t any problem with it, of course. People like who they like, and I believe there isn''t any problem with it. Completely for the record, though, Gumi and I are only into guys- and even I don''t like them all that much. Romance isn''t really in the forefront of my mind. So, the negative part of all of this is that this weasel is trying to mislabel us as "girl lovers".


    Now, if we approach any girl in this class, they''ll think we''re flirting and hitting on them. Then, it makes it so the cool guys stay away from us to be respectful of our preferences, leaving the weird guys that decide to try and- oh, I dunno, "make us into guys" or some creepy and freaky crap like that.


    Oh, and it gets worse. There are some... very, very disgusting implications from her telling us to "keep it to ourselves" in front of the class. The weasel girl called us lesbians, like- directly said "gross lesbians" to us in particular, implying to other people that we were interested... with each other. Two gay sisters.


    You see the problem with that, right?


    Huge freaking problem.


    Ugh, and I don''t want to make a big deal denying or arguing it, because we''d just make a scene going "we''re not lesbians! Shut up!" at this girl. A complete waste of time, since everyone in this class already believes it. I can see it in their eyes, their judgmental looks at us while this girl talks massive crap about us. Whatever we say, this girl can just completely discredit anything that comes out of our mouths.


    Thus... the outcasts of Biology class.


    And after the travesty that was the 2nd class... the dreaded 3rd class is here. French. That one class that is completely essential to our social lives. And luckily, the weasel girl isn''t in our third class!


    However, her friends are.


    We entered that room, and immediately we''re branded the gross loser lesbian sisters dressed in the most foul and horrendous of clothes, having pissed off this apparent menace that has a tight, tight hold of our social lives. Threw crumpled up paper balls at us, shouting that nobody liked us, that we were eyesores and a waste of everybody''s time.


    The French teacher, the walking and talking pink feathered flamingo man, considered this a cultural experience for some reason and just let it happen. Just teaching his class and carrying on, ignoring the fact that Gumi and I were suffering. Conflict is, apparently what the French have experienced all their lives, and learning about the history of France requires we get bullied the hell out of.


    Ugh.


    So, three out of eight chances to make friends, wasted, and I personally don''t see our chances improving any time soon. The fourth class, Drama, could be whatever, and the crap that will happen in the other four classes tomorrow could just- ugh.


    From this very moment on, as Gumi and I are just eating lunch privately, taking our food to an empty table... our social lives are over. Gumi and I are now... officially... the outcasts of the high school.


    "..."


    "..."


    I don''t... really know what else to do at this moment. This is probably the worst thing that could have ever happened to us. Gumi and I are sitting alone at a table. We managed to get a table to eat at just- by luck.


    No one''s sitting with us. We have an entire table to ourselves. Everyone is making deliberate efforts to- avoid us. The rumors took up all of our third period classmates, and I- I guess the Makeup Weasel probably spread the rumors out of class too. All the freshmen turned against us, and- I guess any of our upper classmates having their own friend groups to enjoy as well.


    We''re just having a sad, sad lunch, eating single pizza slices each, a pretty small amount of mashed potatoes in our tray, two whole apples and two orange- fruit cup things, whatever these fruit cups are... and two cartons of strawberry milk. I went ahead to get some vending machine chips and came back to just- add a bit more, and... yeah. That''s... I''ve been eating this the entire time while talking to you, Mr. California.


    If only there was like, some small chance that Gumi and I can get any friends here, then-


    "Cherri- uhm..."


    "... hm?" I look to Gumi for a moment as she gets my attention, hand on my shoulder and shaking me out of my lil'' diary thoughts. "What''s up?"


    Gumi then points slowly in a direction, seeing the lizard nerd approaching our table. Well, not approaching us directly of course. The guy was just looking around for a table to sit at.


    "Oh. The lizard nerd. What about him?" I ask, raising an eyebrow at Gumi.


    "Cherri, he- I- I think we should reach out to him..."


    "... Gumi, we can''t, our first friend needs to be a girl-"


    "A-And we don''t have any, yes, I- I know, and we run the risk of being kissygirls, but... but like, look at him. Look at his face for a moment."


    ...?


    I look at the lizard nerd for a bit, staring at his face for a bit. Trying to see what Gumi sees. It''s truthfully a little bit confusing, but... I guess the one thing I notice is his eyes being hydrated, I guess. The water just in his eyes, kind of just- drawing to the marks on his face. Those scales, and I guess the-


    ... oh.


    Oh.


    Bruises.


    "... o-oh. I see," I tell Gumi. "He... he''s- going through his own crap too."


    "Y... Yeah. Can we reach out to him now? H-He looks like he really needs it... a-and we kind of need it, too... I- I kind of don''t care about our first friend being a guy anymore..."


    "..."


    A sigh escapes my lips. I feel sorry for the lizard nerd now, and... outcasts stick together, I guess. Whatever, I guess. What else do we have to lose? Gumi and I are now worse than kissygirls, so... might as well try to make friends with this guy, now, since we have no other options.


    I get up from my seat and wave over to the lizard nerd. Smiling at him and calling him over to-


    "A-Ah, wha-!"


    "Huh? Gumi, what''s-"


    Promptly, I hear the sound of a face being squished into her lunch. Someone forcefully pushing a girl''s face into this school lunch, smushing a girl''s face into her own lunch tray. Squishing the face against whatever food was on that tray.


    I... I- I look at Gumi for the longest while as this sound happens. I stare at her the longest while... the voices of the lunch room fading into the background as I stare.


    ... and right behind her... the one responsible for that sound... the Makeup Weasel.


    "Come on, come on! Eat up, piggy! Go on, eat up. Makes it some good practice, doesn''t it?"


    ...


    Laughter?


    There... there''s people laughing.


    I can hear laughing.


    ... there are people laughing. I look to see her friends laughing as she pushes Gumi''s face into the lunch. I look around as their laughter spreads out to the rest of the lunch room, people just- laughing.


    The... the lizard nerd also laughs... t-though- he looks confused as to why everyone was laughing, his head turning around, looking for what the joke is.


    ...


    I just... I just can''t help but stare at this weasel for the longest while, staring at her wretched face. Seeing the dumb, stupid, ugly look on her face as she laughs down at Gumi. As she spreads a joke that no one but her friends truly get.


    This girl... has been nothing but a complete terror to the Kusuris.


    "W-Woah! And look, the other one''s looking veeeeery pissed at us! Don''t like what I''m doing to your lil'' lesbian loser here?! Oh, my! Well, then! How about you join her?!"


    ...


    W... What the hell is her problem with us? Why did she hate us so badly? Why did she need to be ugly and rude towards us? S- Spitting venom out of her weasel mouth- spitting on Gumi, spitting on the back of her head, just- just- just...


    ... I... I just stared at her hand for a bit, seeing it hold Gumi''s head tightly... and- and...


    ...


    "H-Holy-! Oh my g-"


    "O-Oh crap- did you really just-!"


    "Y-YOU- HOW DARE YOU-!"


    "SHUT UP! SHUT THE HELL UP!"


    "A-Ah! Someone call a teacher, she''s going insane-!"


    "Oh god oh god- is that- is that blood?! I-Is she bleeding?! Holy shit-!"


    "A-AAAAAH! AAAAH- S---! S---! S---!!!!!!! W-WHAT THE- WHAT-?!"


    "Stay still, STAY STILL! JUST SHUT UP AND STAY STILL!"


    "L-LET GO OF ME! LET GO, WHAT THE HELL IS- AAAAAH!"


    "W-What''s going on over-! H-HEY! LET HER GO, THIS INSTANT!"


    "P-PLEASE- MERCY, MERCY!"

 #5 - What Did You Do? What Can You Do?

    ...


    Crap... crap, crap, crap...


    So... hi, Cherri here, and uhm... so is Hippo Dad. And the school principal. And also some random grown up weasel in a track suit. Makeup Weasel''s dad and mom, too.


    Gumi isn''t here, neither is the Makeup Weasel. It''s just the five of us.


    And we are in the principal''s office.


    "... Mister, uhm, Mayflower, was it?"


    "Yes. Hudson Mayflower."


    "Interesting name... now, you''re probably wondering why I called you here."


    "I am, yes..."


    Just so you''re aware... Hudson Mayflower is Hippo Dad''s full name. My mom didn''t take his last name, and he- I guess he respected that. We already went with our mom''s last name too, Kusuri, instead of Cherri Mayflower and Gumi Mayflower. I guess that''s a cool thing about Hippo Dad, I guess, he lets us keep our objectively cooler last name.


    American History nuts are probably seething at my dad''s name, though. Hudson Mayflower. The Mayflower was that boat that the pilgrims were on when they were coming to America, and they planned to like- settle at the mouth of the Hudson River or something. Hippo Dad''s own hippo dad had to have been passionate about history to go so far as to make that joke. Wouldn''t be surprised if my grandparents are named John and London Mayflower.


    Moving on, as the adults talk. Now, last you saw of me, Mr. California, there was this rampant girl going about terrorizing the heck out of me and Gumi. Just going about, starting some nasty crap, trying to make us social losers and loners.


    So then she tried to shove Gumi''s face into her lunch for funny haha laughs, and, uhm. Now we''re here.


    "So... young lady, could you tell Brittany''s parents here what happened?"


    ... okay. Sigh. Guess I''ll tell them what happened this entire day. Though, because of what actually happened, I''m going to have to make up something that doesn''t raise eyebrows, so I''m just gonna try to make something up while I tell you what really happened. Lucky you, getting to know the truth and all while I''m feigning innocence.


    "... s-so, what happened at the cafeteria was.... was, s... she was being mean and pushed Gumi''s face into her lunch," I innocently responded, after explaining the magic-free version of events. "She''s been bullying us ever since homeroom, and-"


    "My little angel would never do such a thing!" exclaims Makeup Weasel''s mom. "Her father and I have raised her to be an excellent student. She got all A''s from her old middle school, you know!"


    Okay, one of these parents.


    Anyway, back to speaking with you, Mr. California.


    So like, when the haha funny laughs happened, I completely blanked out when I saw Makeup Weasel just taunting me while shoving Gumi''s face into her lunch. Complete and total mind silence. Could not think a single thing. My telepathic diary probably cut off at some point because I just- I just completely zoned out and spaced out. Thoughts too frantic and hectic to even say anything to you (or write this down in my mind or whatever this is blah blah blah not the time).


    It just- it filled me with a ton of anger and hate, and I think a ton of people thought I was lashing out, thought I was being unnecessarily violent towards Makeup Weasel. Wouldn''t blame them, I think I pretty much hit my breaking point at that moment.


    I, however, know full well I''m better than beating up some dolled up prissy lil'' weasel. Harassing me and Gumi isn''t cool, but like, I wouldn''t resort to punching Makeup Weasel in her overly painted face or hitting her anywhere with a lunch tray or something.


    ... I wouldn''t!


    Geez. What do you take me for?


    All I did was grab the girl''s wrist, forcibly pull it away from Gumi''s head, and kept holding it tightly. Very tightly, as the- the skin, the fur on her hand even, all of it was burning off. Sizzling like crazy, her hand not meant to deal with venomous acid, and I had to take care of it quickly!


    ...


    You probably either had to read that a second time, or needed to process that I just told you her hand was burning.


    Okay. So like, way far back into this diary, remember that random, random detail I mentioned about my mom being a blood sorceress and how we inherited her magic blood?


    Yeah, okay, so that. That''s what was happening when Makeup Weasel shoved my sister''s face into her lunch. Blood magic, a type of blood magic that burns anthropomorphic weasel hands.


    Just know that you''re getting the in detail explanation, the truthful one with no bullcrap whatsoever. However, whenever I get around to explaining this part of my story to the adults in this room, I''m omitting all of the blood magic details because- well, no way am I going to sound sane if I mentioned "haha, magic blood burned a girl''s hand!" to a principal and a girl''s parents.


    Anyone would already consider me clinically insane if I tried to tell them about the people in this room alone. Like, my stepdad is a large hippo, the principal is a giant shaved walrus with thick neck fat and bulging gold tusks sticking out of his mouth, and these parents were two long necked winter weasels dressed in "flowery tennis mom and boxer barfly dad" attire.


    ... anyway, so, uhm, like... magic blood. Gumi and I have magic blood.


    What caused Makeup Weasel''s hand to burn, as I am claiming, is specifically Gumi''s. I think the stress of the moment is what caused Gumi to accidentally use hers like crazy. The blood flow to her brain - don''t worry, she''s resistant to her own blood, doctors have confirmed her brain and her veins are still very much in tact - just built up a strong defense against Makeup Weasel''s hand, and acted as some weasel holds the back of her head and all.


    See, Gumi''s blood is like... venomous.


    Well, more like, acidic. To mostly everything around her. One time, she got a nose bleed and wiped it off with tissues, and the tissues just completely dissolved to bits and pieces. The blood even dripped onto the couch, and slowly burned some holes in it- and, well, yeah. Direct contact with her active blood, the closer it is to her brain, can aggressively burn into your skin.


    It doesn''t stop there. If Gumi concentrates too heavily, this effect can actually spread through just skin contact. Clothing can defensively get in the way of it as long as it''s not direct blood contact, but- someone''s bare hands touching Gumi''s bare skin? A biiiit of sizzling and dissolving.


    And that''s what I saw.


    Because of this... pause of silence as I stared at Makeup Weasel''s hand, I could see the bottom of her hand just faintly burning. Sizzling. The slightest trail of rotting, decaying skin cells between her fingers and Gumi''s head. Gumi was too panicked to hold herself back, and- well, the girl''s hand was just touching the embodiment of a literal puddle of acid.


    If I left things alone, Gumi could be blamed for burning a girl''s hand off. Poor, gentle Gumi who would never intentionally hurt a fly, being accused of burning a girl''s hand out of nowhere?


    No. Nonono. She doesn''t deserve that whatsoever.


    So... I took the fall for it.


    Me.


    I grabbed Makeup Weasel''s hand and tightly held her wrist to keep her hand in place, then used my other hand to squeeze her burning hand. When the girl started cries in pure agony in response to her hand literally burning, I made sure Gumi doesn''t get blamed for this whatsoever. Made sure it was all me. Did what I could to make sure I could take the entire fall of it.


    And because I wanted to minimize the damages, I did what I could with my own magic.


    While Gumi has the blood that burns the hell out of people, I''m the opposite. I''m apparently the more "benevolent" side of my mom, and inherited her little healing powers. I can touch something and heal it, sort of fix it back up like what Mom can do. I haven''t tried it yet, but I did experiment a little when I discovered Gumi had burned holes in the couch.


    I got really curious and pressed my hands against the hole, concentrating heeeeavily, and the couch fixed itself. Managed to fix the holes before my dad could find out.


    So, like... my blood acts as a direct counter to Gumi, inheriting the medical kindness of my mom. Whatever Gumi burns, I can restore and repair it. Whatever injury someone else experiences, I could heal and fix it. Hypothetically, someone who either touches my blood or- or, disgusting, drinks it, could heal completely as if it were like one of those nerd healing potions or whatever.


    Everything related to healing that my mom was capable of, I- could do it, in theory.


    So, I- acted.


    Gumi''s venomous magic stops spreading further when contact is broken, and... Makeup Weasel''s hand is just- left really damaged, really hurt. It was a rather gruesome sight in that moment, that I''m not gonna describe to you because- it''s kinda gross and I don''t want to spend the time describing it. I had to hold her hand for a while as she screamed like a mad girl.


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    To anyone who saw all of this, it pretty much looked like I was the one hurting her hand. Squeezing it heavily, forcing her to drop to her knees and cry out for mercy, begging God for mercy.


    ... and that''s kind of what I told the adults while explaining all of this to you. That I squeezed Makeup Weasel''s hand into making her stop bullying Gumi.


    "Y-Your kid is a MONSTER, Mayflower! How could she strangle my darling baby''s hand?!" Makeup Weasel''s mom exclaims. "I- I''ll have her expelled!"


    "Really? From the sounds of it, your darling baby provoked it," Hippo Dad speaks up, leaning forward.


    "Provoked it?! How dare you! How can you even trust that entire nonsensical story?!"


    "I trust my daughter the same way you trust yours, ma''am... so, guess we need to check the full story," Hippo Dad exclaims, turning back to the large walrus. "Principal, aren''t there any- like, surveillance cameras you could show us...? To show us what happened, to tell us whether or not my daughter''s telling the truth."


    The principal shakes his head, groaning lightly. "No, unfortunately. We don''t have any in the lunch room. But we do have an officer stationed there to keep everybody safe, it''s more than enough. He told us the account he witnessed, and- well, Cherri''s story lines up with what he saw."


    There was an officer?


    A police officer?


    Like, an officer that saw me do that?


    Oh. Oh crap. I didn''t even realize. I could legitimately get in massive trouble with the law. Arrested and junk, maybe- oh no- uhm-


    "So the officer directly saw my daughter strangle this girl''s hand? And- can confirm the story?"


    "Correct. Although, he didn''t say anything about Brittany shoving your other daughter''s face into her lunch..."


    Ah, typical, he doesn''t see the parts that can help me.


    "Right, sure. That''s- fair," Hippo Dad speaks up. "So if he didn''t see what my daughter''s suggesting, can the officer or anyone else at this school explain what exactly my daughter did to burn the skin and some of the poor girl''s hand off?"


    "... wait, what?" the principal asks. "Burned her hand- what are you talking about?"


    "That''s why she was being taken away to the hospital, right? Her hand. The skin on it burned off."


    ... oh. This is the first time the principal''s hearing about the burned hand.


    Hippo Dad actually started telling the principal what he apparently heard. That Makeup Weasel''s hand was burned aggressively by something.


    Cool. Kinda glad I couldn''t heal Makeup Weasel''s hand completely...


    Yeah, okay, so that''s why she''s not here, fun fact. She went off to the hospital because the skin on her hand literally got burned off.


    My healing isn''t as good as my mom''s. With the time I spent holding her hand, all I did was try to stabilize it and junk, but it was already primarily burned off. People stopped me before I could heal it completely, so her hand was in critical condition and she had to be taken away by ambulance. The same way that Gumi can only hurt people through prolonged contact, I can only heal for as long as my hands are on them.


    ...


    Actually, because of that, Hippo Dad brought up a good point. There''s no evidence that anything on me could have burned her hand so badly. On the surface, all I did was just- squeeze a girl''s hand with my own bare hand, and then it just- bam. It''s a nightmare to explain how that''s scientifically possible.


    Sure, they could know and learn about our blood, but... like, them trying to prove I caused it will have the opposite effect.


    Since I have healing blood, like- strictly healing blood, I''d be in the clear and then they''d look to what Gumi did- and then a bunch of witnesses will talk about how the only point where Makeup Weasel could have been hurt was when her hand held the back of Gumi''s head. Then, blah blah blah, Makeup Weasel''s the one who caused the whole incident and got her hand burned off for it.


    Of course, we''re gonna keep our blood a whole secret, ''cause justified/accidental self defense is still a pretty bad thing to own up to rather than innocent. I want my sister to be completely free of this crap. As long as Gumi''s safe and sound, I''m pretty chill.


    Also, we''re nowhere near the possibility of Gumi being implicated.


    Right now, after Hippo Dad brought all that up, Makeup Weasel''s parents were in uproar... well, moreso her mom. She''s actively yelling at my dad and the principal about how I possibly brought full blown drugs into the school to hurt her daughter.


    And I kid you not, she''s claiming that I supposedly injected Makeup Weasel with all that crack cocaine the kids are smoking these days.


    Met with this, I watch the principal slowly look between the adults in the room, then- he just looks straight at me.


    "... ma''am, I- I don''t believe this girl is capable of bringing cocaine into this school."


    "Well, she did!"


    "Even if she did, cocaine doesn''t- I just- I... I don''t- this-"


    Oh, poor walrus principal. He looks like he''s grasping at straws, just staring at me throughout all of this. It''s possible he''s thinking that Makeup Weasel''s mom is going absolutely insane, trying to claim a student brought unrelated drugs into all of this, and- I just- wow. I''m starting to feel bad for him.


    "... can- can you two give us the room for a second?" the Principal asks me and Hippo Dad, telling us to leave the office for a bit.


    "Why? I believe if you''re going to talk behind our backs about my daughter''s... ''crack cocaine''," Hippo Dad calmly repeats with a skeptical tone at those words in particular, "then we should be here to hear all of it."


    "So you ADMIT that your daughter''s been dealing it, huh?!" Makeup Weasel''s mom shouts. "All that crack cocaine your daughter''s been peddling! Huh?!"


    "..." I watch Hippo Dad slowly look to Makeup Weasel''s mom, just staring in silence before he looks back to the principal. "Principal Silvers, I just-"


    "YOU shut up, we got a confession! Let''s get that b---- locked up for poisoning our angel!"


    Hippo Dad covers my ears, and then exclaims something like: "Language!" or whatever.


    I just idly stare as an entire screaming match happens, just progressively looking at this insanity unfolding. Blankly staring at all of this, just kind of astonished at all of this going on.


    The more I look at the principal, he just... looks uneasy. Like, this is the stuff he has to deal with on the first day of his job this school year. His walrus face staring at my dad with a genuine look of confusion and astonishment, before- sighing and saying something.


    Only time will tell what happens, honestly, because- the principal insisted my dad and I leave the room now. That was it.


    So, I just... yeah.


    ...


    "... uhm- pops, we''re- leaving the-"


    "Yes, yes, I just- I need to sit outside for a bit after that whole thing, Cherri. Your principal said it was fine for us to leave the front office."


    "Oh. Okay. Sounds- sounds good."


    Yeah, we''re... we''re walking out of school. Hippo Dad told the lady behind the desk where to find us, if the principal calls us back inside. Then he takes me to a bench outside, as we kind of just- sit outside, now.


    The sun shining down on us this fine, warm, autumn afternoon, I guess. Just sitting quietly as Hippo Dad takes out his laptop and does some- accounting- things, and I just stare off.


    I took out my phone, and check the time. It was like... five minutes before two. Fourth period''s pretty much almost over, and I guess... Gumi''s by her lonesome. Sort of going through the rest of the class all by herself. Twenty to twenty five minutes left before she gets out of class and the school day''s over.


    Fourth Period... Drama. One of those theater things, just... acting and stuff. We never really got too into theater stuff, that''s just a class for kids to pretend they''re actors and actresses trying to do some old plays or whatever. It''s pretty much just for cultural enlightenment or whatever.


    I don''t know much about the class itself. The room, the teacher- the classmates, none of it. Never got a chance with all of this- principal''s office stuff.


    But like... maybe Gumi''s just sitting by herself, trying her best to- deal with everything. It''s probably spreading by now what happened at lunch. The school talking about her "crazy sister" that harmed Makeup Weasel, really screwed and messed up the girl''s hand.


    There''s no way that any of the children would think to- hurt Gumi as well, would they? Since I''m not there, I can''t- I can''t protect her in case they try anything.


    ... 1:56. Just 19 minutes left, Gumi.


    You just have to be there for 19 more minutes... whatever is happening there. You- you can be strong, you got this... it''s going to be fine.


    "... Cherri..."


    "...?" I look to Hippo Dad as we sit outside the bench, as he types big numbers in those... computer boxes, or whatever those are. "W... What is it?"


    "... I, uhm, I got to see the other kids while I was heading here. They aren''t in uniform, are they?"


    "... n... no. They aren''t. Turns out there isn''t one, so-"


    "I guess that means- we have to go clothes shopping for something you girls would look better in... r... right?"


    I look at Hippo Dad quietly for a bit, then look back down at my clothes and... sigh. "I don''t- think the clothes are going to help much."


    "Still... I mean... we could-"


    "It''s fine, pops. These clothes are fine anyway... what''s done is done."


    ... I- I know it went against everything I just told you about. It was such a big thing on the bus, when I was all excited about making friends by just looking cute and hot and stuff on first glance. I made a whole big deal about what Gumi and I were wearing,


    Now, at this point, I just kinda... don''t care. I kinda just can''t bother to care about this clothing drama anymore. It just took a huge back seat after- after Makeup Weasel and all.


    "W..."


    "...?" I look to Hippo Dad as he noises, just... watching him about to say something, staring up at him. "Y-Yeah? What is it, pops?"


    "... were you and Gumi really just... bullied by that girl...?"


    "... y... yeah. I mean- yes. Uhm... she... well, it got really bad when she shoved Gumi''s face into her lunch, and-" Sigh. "Probably sounds insane, the more you hear about it, but everything I said in there was the truth. Well, mostly everything, I did lie about-"


    "I- I know. I believe you. I put two and two together when you said your sister''s head was pushed into the lunch tray, so I know what you were lying about specifically," Hippo Dad says.


    "Oh... right."


    Of course. I- sometimes forget, Hippo Dad is my hippo dad for a reason. Of course he would- know about the blood magic, since Mom... uhm...


    ...


    "... I just, I just hoped that you were lying about all of it."


    I- I just stare at Hippo Dad for a moment as he interrupts my silence. "Wait, you... you- you hoped that-"


    "Don''t get me wrong, Cherri... I- I know that you tend to lie about a lot of other things. It''s something I know full well, at this point. But- I was hoping that the bullying, that- that first half... this is just another one of the stories, those make believe stories, and that you and Gumi didn''t- actually get bullied on your first day. That the day was actually- going good, before- ... all of this."


    "... well, uhm... I guess it- could have gone better, but-"


    "It''s your first day of high school- both you and Gumi were here for your first day. I- I was hoping things would go better. That you''d fit in and all... I- I messed things all up, didn''t I?"


    "W-What? No, you didn''t, you-"


    "You got bullied because of the clothes, right? She picked on you because we got you a uniform, right? It- you- you probably-"


    "Pops, just- just stop, it''s fine, it''s not your fault that-"


    ... I stop talking, as Hippo Dad begins to cry. As he sobs, as he covers his horrendous hippo face with his thick hands. Starting to tear up, starting to be sad. Crying for me as if he was actually concerned about me, blaming himself for all of today happening.


    That look on his covered face- his anthropomorphic hippo face the entire time we''ve been sitting outside, it just- looks miserable, as if he''s beating himself up in his head over this. Just letting his- his voice just muffle into his hands, helplessly sobbing pure misery into his fat and chubby hands and arms and all...


    "..."


    I just... I can''t... I don''t really know what to say right now. I don''t know what I can do at this moment. This is like... the first time I''ve ever had to watch him cry.


    Mr. California, if- if you''re- if you''re listening right now, could you- could you tell me what to do? Could you also become telepathic, and then tell me what to do to get him to stop crying? I genuinely- can''t come up with anything. I don''t know what will get him to stop.


    Gumi would know better, if she does come out here soon, but- he''s just crying his eyes out right now, and- and... like, I- I don''t like it.


    I don''t like hearing his ugly sobs, his- horrifyingly grotesque and repulsive crying. It sounds awful. I hate it. Whether or not he''s my real dad or stepdad or whatever, I just feel sick to my stomach watching this. I feel like I want to throw up.


    Depending on what happens to Gumi inside, I- ... that leaves me as the only one able to do anything about this entire day. I''m the only one able to do anything at all for them. Things are just bound to get worse and Makeup Weasel''s parents are probably going to do something and the principal and the teachers and all our other classmates and- ugh... it''s too much for one girl to bear.


    Just... p... please, please tell me what to do.


    Please?

 #6 - Disciplinary Drama

    ... hey, uhm, I''m- sorry for putting all of that on you, Mr. California.


    Had some time to think to myself throughout that whole... thing... and I''m just... yeah.


    I guess I should tell you that things are- kind of working out so far.


    It''s been like... a couple of hours after Hippo Dad and I got called to the principal''s office and had that whole talk with the principal, and... and... yeah. Hippo Dad just... he just needed to cry for, like, some time, before he wiped his eyes clean and just got back to working on his accounting things. Back to being his usual hippo dad self.


    I couldn''t really bring myself to say anything to him after, because- addressing it might cause him to be, like, upset again, and he looked like he was ready to move on... so we sat in silence after. Every so often, I just- occasionally looked at his screen to see what he was doing. A bit of boring accounting nonsense for like... y''know, like, ten minutes.


    A little over ten minutes before the principal called the two of us back in.


    We walked past Makeup Weasel''s parents. Was a good sign when I just watched two grown adults glare at me violently. Part of me wonders why both of them showed up, instead of like- one of them going with their daughter or whatever, but-


    Oh! Okay, I- I completely forgot to tell you this, by the way. The seriousness of the situation made me completely forget to tell you this.


    So, it got briefly brought up that Makeup Weasel''s first name is Brittany, right? Principal called her Brittany and I never really acknowledged it because I''m still gonna keep calling her Makeup Weasel when talking to you.


    But guess what her last name is?


    Weasel.


    That''s right, Weasel. Brittany Weasel. Her- her name is Brittany Weasel.


    Like... like, when the EFD season hit, every single person kept their name. All the replacements made sure they knew the name of the person they were replacing, so like... there was a girl named Brittany Weasel, unironically, even before the whole end of the world, before she and her family became literal weasels.


    I- I later looked it up online if it was a real last name, and yeah- straight up, it was. Existed for like, at least a hundred years, all the way back in 1880 to 1920. There are like, "eight thousand" records for it and everything. The men were mostly farmers too, with some percentage of meat cutters and miscellaneous laborers, while all of the women were listed as maids.


    That''s- that''s kinda crazy to hear. Especially since I knew some actual weasel people back on the farm, and- and none of them had the last name Weasel, making Makeup Weasel and her entire family the central weasels of the world. Like- I- I''m still not over this. I''ll get distracted every so often, but I just- her last name was Weasel, man, that''s- hahahahahahaha! Oh my gosh! And SHE was the one bullying me and Gumi!


    Hahaha. Ha...


    ...


    Ah, anyway, so like, Hippo Dad and I walked past the Weasels and entered the principal''s office again. Another detail I just completely glossed over, our principal is a walrus.


    The gold name tag on his desk said: Principal Marc Goodman. I kinda glossed over him because, like... y''know, I was in major trouble and couldn''t bother to focus on other people right now, but uh... he''s like, a large, hulking walrus in a suit and tie, had these two large gold tusks sticking out from his mouth, and he''s like... completely shaved. No walrus fur. Probably the most human looking adult I''ve seen in this school so far.


    Though, there is one big thing I completely and totally neglected to tell you, he has a scar over his left eye. Like a massive one, looked like he got into a knife fight and lived to tell the tale.


    No, that eye scar has been there the whole time since I''ve seen him, he did not just get into a knife fight with Makeup Weasel''s parents, dude got it from something else. Probably some mysterious past or something.


    So, let''s get this out of the way. While Hippo Dad and I were out of the room, what exactly did happen between him and the Weasels?


    Well, from what he told us, he apparently thought they were absolutely insane for suggesting I brought in enough drugs and/or chemical substances to hospitalize their daughter. They''re going to let the police officer investigate what happened exactly to cause the injury, anything on school grounds that- for lack of a better term, can cause what happened to Makeup Weasel''s hand.


    Though, I don''t think they''ll be able to find anything. The principal himself said it was such a bizarre occurrence that doesn''t have a single explanation, and it was probably some big accident that happened.


    So, Mrs. Weasel snapped. Yelled at him in complete and total uproar.


    Even when not knowing WHY it happened... it doesn''t change the fact that Makeup Weasel did basically get her hand screwed up after talking with me. Literally the only person they know that could have possibly had anything to do with the skin on the girl''s hand burning and dissolving off, so like... yeah, of course I''m still in trouble.


    However, I''m... not in as MUCH trouble as I would have been. Sure, Mrs. Weasel pushed heavily to give me a strict punishment, but the principal ultimately decided to only suspend me for one day, and then I''m back in class. All I ultimately did was hold a girl''s wrist and hand against her will, so it''s not grounds to be expelled for violence. So- it''s mostly just one day of cooldown time after the heat that happened.


    Pretty lenient of him and all, given the fact both Makeup Weasel and I have even rougher punishments ahead of us.


    Makeup Weasel has the more severe one- her hand is literally messed up. I don''t know what doctors she has available, but- without my healing in particular, her hand''s in for a long recovery. Maybe she comes back with a wrap of bandages over her hand, or maybe even a cast- or she spends days trying to naturally fix her hand with ice and junk. Whatever the case, I think she''s not going to be bothering the Kusuris anymore...


    ... or she could come up with some other way to weasel in another bullying scheme. She does have, like, four years with us if she stays at this school. She could do worse to us than one single day''s worth of bullying. More incentive to, after what I supposedly did, so... yeah.


    So anyway, my punishment. Word will spread - or, rather, it has spread - that I got suspended for hurting Makeup Weasel and... yeah, that''s not going to be fun to deal with. There''s going to be one entire day for people to hear about it, an entire day to hate me and be scared of me and stuff. They already hate me to begin with, really... Makeup Weasel sowed the seeds of these creatures hating me and Gumi.


    Now our little incident''s going to make me the violent sister, the troubled one that people should stay away from. I''ll be put in the outcast seat again, with the people around me being too uncomfortable and uneasy with me around.


    At worst, "the Kusuri Sisters" are in the hot seat for this disciplinary action. At best, to be honest, "Cherri Kusuri" is the troubled one to be cautious of.


    Both extremes are pretty bad for me, but- no matter what, I know I''m going to be the one who has to watch her back around everyone. I''m the Kusuri that has to be careful about getting in trouble, the Kusuri that''s now walking on eggshells everywhere she walks on that school.


    Why do I know for certain?


    Well, before I explain... I should give you some good news: I learned that Gumi''s fourth class went really great!


    Gumi herself was elated over it, happy and excited and all. Apparently the class takes place in a large stage theater, and they had a really- really good ice breaker session to begin the year with. Conversation starters and all. What I missed out on was a fun little game the class did of two truths, one lie. A starting exercise, framed like an "acting exercise" where a student goes up on stage, makes up whatever they wanted, and- got some honorary points depending on how hard it was to discern the truth and lie.


    You get more points if more people incorrectly guess your lie, and you get more points if you correctly guess other people''s lies. There was a whole system and everything, and the teacher kept track of everything. There was enough time for everyone to go twice, Gumi included.


    Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    Gumi waited until much later to tell me, privately, that our drama teacher was a floating packet of fancy notebook paper with a long brown wig stapled to the corner of the pages, constantly floating above a walking stone pillar at all times.


    She got really nervous on stage when it was her turn to play, especially since I wasn''t there, but she had the teacher''s help throughout the whole thing. The teacher was really nice, caring and encouraging to her, and she helped her open up when she was on that stage. Because of this teacher, Gumi felt comfortable enough to speak in front of everyone, and managed to get her two attempts at the ice breaker out.


    The first time she was on that stage, she told the class that she''s a country girl, she loved cupcakes and candy, and she once saw a cool crocodile with sunglasses high fiving a seagull at the zoo.


    Second time: her favorite types of movies are romantic comedies, she knows how to draw coffee latte art of a cat, and she once saw a cool crocodile with sunglasses high fiving a pigeon at the zoo.


    Needless to say, Gumi didn''t earn any points for her part... but she had a lot of fun during it, and got quite some substantial points for her lie guessing.


    That''s not all, however. She earned something else from that class, something that she very- very much liked, very much enjoyed.


    Or- rather, someone.


    So, when Gumi was walking out of the school to meet up with me and Hippo Dad, I first noticed a lamb girl in a thick and fluffy beige sweater walking alongside Gumi. She had cute earmuffs over her ears, a thick and fluffy coat of white wool over her head, and had a pair of rectangle-shaped glasses over her face.


    More importantly, though, I saw the two of them chatting about something, and I just- I was surprised by that sight, thinking: oh! Gumi made a new friend!


    ... then I was promptly approached swiftly by a Siamese cat girl, one that had been walking right behind them, dressed in a refined sleeveless white sweater and black jeans. Her eyes locked onto me almost immediately and she ran swiftly past those two. The approaching anthropomorphic Siamese cat girl dashed over to me and stood right in front of me with a... bold smile, on her face.


    "... hello, hello, darling! You must be the Cherri I''ve heard so much about!" exclaimed the Siamese cat girl, bowing a little formally with a fancy designer black scarf dangling over her shoulder. She has a faint French accent behind her voice, which- came from the fact she moved here from France. "My name is Soleil. Quite the pleasure to meet you!"


    I remember being completely confused about who this girl was, and... well, I wasn''t in the best headspace to figure it out right away, so I just kinda answered like: "... Cherri, nice to meetcha too, I guess?" with uncertainty behind my voice. Not the best introduction, and I didn''t have much reason to be excited...


    ... until Gumi and the other girl approached, and the other girl proceeds to introduce herself.


    "A... and... uhm... I''m... Elena..." quietly mumbles the lamb, her mouth covered by the sweater as she meekly speaks. Someone who acts shyer than Gumi, which is real interesting.


    So, it''s not just a someone. It''s someones. Two new friends. I gave the- nicest smile I could to Elena, energizing myself up. It''s actually really nice to know Gumi managed to make two friends on her own, and I was really happy for her.


    "Aww, darling, I don''t get a smile too?" comments Soleil, frowning and making pretend weeping noises... before immediately smiling excitedly and grinning at me. "I guess I need to work on my entrances. We''ll workshop it some time, alright?"


    "Sure, sure-" I respond to Soleil.


    "Wonderful! Well, then. ¨¤ toute ¨¤ l''heure, mon Cherri~!" Soleil- flamboyantly exclaims, before walking off in a stylish strut, heading to the buses.


    "... right- I-I-I''m going to be off as well... talk to you two s-some other time..." Elena sheepishly speaks up, before starting to follow Soleil to the buses.


    We only spoke for like, twenty- thirty seconds, and uh... I think Soleil and Elena seem pretty nice. They seem like they''re pretty good friends with Gumi so far, so- I guess I''m looking forward to actually being in a class with them after my suspension.


    Though... I think I already have a hang of them and their entire deals, so I didn''t have much to look forward to.


    Plus, once we were in the car, Gumi told me (and Hippo Dad, who was listening and eavesdropping on our chat) a lot about the two anyway. Learned a lot about the two all because of Gumi''s enthusiasm for making new friends.


    And uh... yeah, this is why I think I''m the main negative focus of the school. Gumi met these two because of the whole Makeup Weasel incident.


    Rumors are spreading like wildfire, kind of balancing between both of the extremes I mentioned. Some talk about the Kusuri Sisters, and some talk about Cherri Kusuri specifically... and these two girls are on Team "Cherri Kusuri" in this rumor divide.


    It started with Gumi just quietly sitting in the corner, cleaning her face off in the bathroom before retreating to the class. Two minutes before class starts, as Gumi is just- sitting quietly to herself, Soleil just immediately walks up to her and tells her: "Hello, hello, darling," said the exact, same, way she greeted me, "you must be Cherri, right? I''ve heard quite a lot about you!"


    Gumi was very, very confused about this and corrected her, to which Soleil responded by going: "Oh! My sincerest of apologies. You just seem like a Cherri, sweetie," then asked Gumi if she could sit with her anyway.


    And from this information, I now know that I''m a "darling" and Gumi is actually a "sweetie" to this girl.


    So, Soleil learned about us because she shares a class with Makeup Weasel in third period. The Siamese cat just overheard a ton of "rumors" being spread about the Kusuri sisters in general. Ultimately, she missed the entirety of the lunch period and didn''t know which one of us was which, but apparently discerned what we looked like after hearing how Makeup Weasel described me in particular.


    Apparently, according to Makeup Weasel, I''m a "copycat wannabe that dyed my hair pink just to copy her entire aesthetic", as if she owned the color pink at this school. Makeup Weasel planned to brand me a complete and utter fraud with no identity of my own.


    Soleil told Gumi that she was spared from this specific rumor because "she''s too much of an ugly pig to ever copy her", apparently...


    ... and, well, Soleil also admitted to Gumi that she absolutely loved engaging in gossip. Intrigued by all of that nonsense, the kitty cat was just excited to meet me, determined to meet the person who has somehow gained the ire of one of the biggest weasels she''s ever met. So, Gumi offered to introduce her to me after school, and- well, they hung out for the entire class, really hitting it off as good friends, and uh... yeah, that''s Soleil.


    Now let''s talk about how Elena knows Gumi.


    Apparently, she was in the cafeteria when the whole thing with Makeup Weasel happened, sitting quietly with her brother. Seeing all of that, Elena just went to class and- behold, Gumi was there. She ended up in the same class as well, and saw Soleil and Gumi together in the corner, chatting.


    She wanted to approach Gumi the entire time, but was way too nervous, timid, and- quite frankly, too scared to approach. Elena herself told Gumi that every time she wanted to walk over and say hi, she froze up and couldn''t come any closer.


    Ultimately, the only reason Elena could finally speak to Gumi was all because of the Siamese kitty cat. Gumi explained that Soleil noticed a prying set of eyes just staring at them the entire class, and dragged her along to meet the girl sitting in the middle row. The resident extrovert, Soleil, then did a ton of nudging for the two shy girls to chat on common ground, and uh... I guess I''m a little jealous at how good Soleil is at socializing.


    Apparently, they spoke about family members - surprise surprise, Soleil knows how interesting the subject would be - and Gumi opened up about Hippo Dad and his accounting job in the city, and- well, they also talked about me. How I was pretty much her best friend throughout her entire life, how inseparable we were. How I looked out for her and she looked out for me and everything.


    Seemed like it struck a chord with Elena, who related heavily with that. Gumi learned that Elena''s parents are tailors that own their own shop in the city. Also, that Elena''s big brother is a senior attending this school... and is the active, current president of the school''s Drama Club. They were born and raised in this city and all.


    So, after all that introductory small talk, the three are now new drama class pals. The three musketeers soon to be - and I''m quoting Gumi''s account of Soleil''s words on this - "the Card Suits". As in, like, hearts, clubs, spades and diamonds.


    Gumi asked who was which, and Soleil''s response: "We''ll work out the kinks later, sweetie."


    ... so anyway, I''m pretty proud of Gumi. Excited for her, how her school day ended on a really good note. One that made her really hopeful and everything. Gumi had a lot to say about Elena and Soleil, since she pretty much thinks the world of them. Her first proper high school friends.


    We even made it home before Gumi even finished her entire story. Hippo Dad got us back home while she was in the middle of talking about Elena, and we just kept talking about it privately while he went back to work.


    "Hah- guess that means the lizard nerd''s free game to befriend now, right?" I asked Gumi, directly mentioning the lizard nerd now that we were alone.


    Gumi seemed to light up when I say this, now- smiling brightly that she gets to be the empathetic self she is. Now that we get to befriend him, she doesn''t have to feel bad about having to reject his want of friendship.


    ... but, uhm. The way she responds is, uh, where the good note for me starts to fade.


    "Oh, yeah! I should really reach out tomorrow, I don''t know if we share any classes together, but uhm- yeah! We''ll try to find and talk to him tomorrow!"


    Gumi was so excited about her friends, that both Hippo Dad and I neglected to tell her about my suspension...


    ... and, uh, Gumi noticed my uneasiness at this, my uncertainty.


    "... w... what? What is it...?"


    ... and... uhm... and then I had- I had to spoil Gumi''s mood as I told Gumi about my suspension. How I needed to not be in school tomorrow after what happened.


    "... w-wait, so I- I have to go to school without you tomorrow?"


    It broke my heart to see her frown after all that smiling... "Yeah... sorry..."


    "..."


    ... and that''s a tomorrow problem to deal with.


    For now, though, Gumi and I are settling in to our new house and all, even with all the cardboard boxes we have yet to unpack. Not much to really say or do for now.


    As I''m pretty much just telling you the entirety of what happened today, Gumi retreated off to our room upstairs, starting to get all her stuff unpacked, while I just chill out in the living room and watch some TV. Nothing good is on yet, but- eh, gives me something to do.


    I just... I guess I have a lot to think about tomorrow, a lot that will probably be on my mind. I have all the free time in the world, after all.


    Meanwhile, Gumi''s off to school again tomorrow. The plan''s probably for Gumi to tell me whatever she has to do for tomorrow''s classes, as we still pretty much have the exact same schedule, so like... yeah. That''s gonna be a whole thing to deal with.


    Ah, before I stop this lil'' thinking experiment with you, might as well ask. How has your day been?


    ... ah, I can''t hear you. But, hope your day''s been... going better than mine. I wish you a ton of luck on whatever it is you''re doing, and uhm... see you tomorrow, I guess?


    Buhbyeeeeee.

 #7 - Everythings Fine

    ... good morning.


    Cherri here.


    Second day of high school... or, well, should be- but- suspended. So I get to stay at home today, yay!


    Earlier this morning, I walked with Gumi to the bus stop, and stayed with her for a bit. Kept her company the whole time, just waiting the whole time. Made sure she wasn''t alone outside as we waited. As she spent the whole time on her phone, texting Soleil and Elena this fine morning.


    "So... a-are you sure you don''t want to join the group chat...?"


    "Nah. We''re doing this right. I''m not their friend yet until we properly hang out in class tomorrow, okay?"


    "Okay... well, uhm... alright. L-Looking forward to it!"


    Not much else was said between us, to be honest. Just a fine, quiet morning and all, the sun just- waking up, too. I didn''t bother to pay attention to whatever Gumi was texting the other girls, because- well, only Gumi''s in that chat. I''d be violating her privacy if I peeked at what was going on, and I''d be intruding if she- told me about what they were talking about, so I ignore her phone the entire time.


    As I told Gumi, we needed to do this right. I get to see the conversation when I''m finally friends with them and junk, and- that''ll happen tomorrow. Should happen tomorrow, at least.


    Yeah.


    So, eventually, the bus came, and I waved Gumi off. Watched as she boarded the bus alone, heading to wherever she''ll end up sitting. I tried to follow her with my eyes as she walked along, curious about where she''s going to sit, if she''s gonna hang out with Lizard Nerd or someone else on there.


    Though, I didn''t get to see much. The bus remained completely in place, and I completely lost sight of Gumi. Rather than see my sister- I just see some normal anthropomorphic animals, like- dogs and cats... curiously, a few birds and- yeah.


    I could see almost everyone that I saw yesterday- just, well, couldn''t see everybody because I only had view of one half of the bus.


    Most interestingly, I did see the Horse guy with the interesting Brazilian shirt. He''s sitting where he was yesterday. Couldn''t see his shirt, he looks like he''s wearing a different one now, so like... yeah. Guess I have something to check out tomorrow.


    ... but, uhm, as I saw all the classmates on the bus I could possibly see, I also- well, I also noticed some of the other classmates staring at me through their windows.


    Their eyes just- looking towards me, acknowledging I didn''t get on for the briefest of moments before looking elsewhere. It just- I guess it felt... judgmental, hostile, uncomfortable. Especially since I recognized some of them from Math and Biology yesterday.


    Some of... ugh... Makeup Weasel''s friends, probably. If I was on the bus today, some crap would probably be started, so I dodged a potential bullet. Metaphorically, of course.


    But I don''t really care much ''bout them. I just wanna see Gumi, see the lizard nerd and all, wherever they could be, but- I don''t really... know where that is.


    And to rub salt on the wound of being unable to see my sister, the bus driver gets my attention and clears his throat.


    I didn''t really talk about the bus driver with you, Mr. California, but- the bus pretty much looked like a menacing grim reaper, like- a spooky phantom and all. He was wearing this thick, black cloak that manifested underneath his normal bus driver uniform, with his head completely covered by the cloak''s cowl. I couldn''t see his face past the shadow of the hood, but- he was looking at me with his bright red eyes peering through the darkness.


    Then, when he called for my attention, his voice echoed out with a pretty intense and ominous aura behind his words, going: "... well? You coming on too, kid?"


    Well, I mean like... not intense and ominous to me, for the record. I wasn''t scared of him. He actually looked really cool. I''m just describing him as ominous so YOU can get scared of him, because y''know, grim reapers are... scary, and stuff.


    But anyway, told him no. Told him I wasn''t coming onto the bus. "Nah, I''m fine. Suspended for the day. Go on without me," I told him.


    I couldn''t come on even if I wanted to, since I''d probably might get in trouble if they see me go to school anyway. As much as breaking that rule would be fun... it''s, like, my second day, so I don''t really want to, I guess? Plus, it''s a hassle to walk all the way back home, so it''s like... yeah.


    "... ah. Well. See you tomorrow, then." He looked back forward, closed the door and drove off, headed to the other houses on the way to school and stuff. So, Gumi was off, and she''s going to have a great day today.


    Is having a great day, actually, as I speak to you, Mr. California. Gumi''s doing great right now, so yeah! Haha!


    Hah...


    ...


    Well, with... with that, uhm, I walked back to my house after. Walked along the sidewalk and came back home.


    Hippo Dad stuck around for a bit, getting ready for work and stuff. Dressed up in his suit and packing up all his work belongings, the same stuff I- saw yesterday. Made sure he was looking fine and alright, did a bit of grooming to make his hippo face less wrinkly looking- even as he''s as bald as ever, y''know? Just- typical hippo things.


    So, I got to see him for quite some time, spent a bit with him before he left for work at 8.


    "Have a good day at work, pops," I told him, as he was on the way out the door.


    Hippo Dad stopped to look back at me, just- smiling and waving lightly to me. Just- ready to go to work and do all that work stuff, I guess. That accounting stuff, that- boring moneymaking math junk.


    Though- before he left for real, he stopped and turned around before asking out of nowhere: "You sure you''ll be fine alone, Cherri?"


    And I reassured him. "Yeah. I know how to use the microwave. Heat up the salisbury steak lunch, right?"


    "Mhmm," Hippo Dad told me. "Well- so... do you, uhm, want anything specific for dinner?"


    "Eh. Nothing comes to mind," I answered. "That''s a later tonight problem, and- yeah. I''m fine with whatever."


    "Alright. Well- see you tonight, hon..."


    "Mhmm. See ya, pops."


    With that, Hippo Dad got into his car and drove off to work, and I had the whole house to myself now. All its box-free glory, as the entirety of yesterday was spent unpacking everything. Now all the furniture is set up, Hippo Dad''s stuff is out in the open and unorganized, Gumi and I got our stuff all arranged, and just... yeah.


    So the first thing I did with my big day, my happy lil'' break. I walked up to the bedroom, and just decided to kick back and relax in my bed. Lying contently for a bit, just chilling out, relaxing, sort of just spending the morning in leisure. I took a moment to actually change into pajamas for additional comfort, then I just lied back back and just- ah, unwinding in my cozy mattress, ready to just snuggle into my sheets and snooze off.


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    Been unwinding for a while now, actually. Arms behind the back of my head, right leg crossed over left, having the blanket over my chest while my legs were exposed to the room air. Relaxing and stuff.


    Yeah...


    ... yeah...


    ...


    Yeah.


    "..."


    It''s like... half past ten. Three hours have passed.


    Yesterday, we were in three classes- Gumi in four, and uhm... there are four new classes today. Gumi and I share the exact same schedule, so like... I probably had a good guess on how her day''ll be going.


    She already got through Health Class for first period, all that... health... stuff, and now she''s in the school gym. Physical Education or whatever. That entire class that does all the sports and exercise stuff. Class will end in 30 minutes, before Gumi goes to eat lunch at 11 today- then, Language Arts (basically our 9th grade English class), and then Government... learning all that- political stuff, all those laws and junk.


    Gumi texted me, like, a couple of times during first period. Told me that the teacher''s going over the class, did a brief exercise about goal setting, and uhm... yeah. Bunch of "health" stuff... though, it''s like- I think it''s more like an introductory life course or whatever. Introduction to life, to living life, to- living a healthy life and stuff. So- y''know, yeah.


    Also, apparently, she and Lizard Nerd share this class together, so they sat with each other. The health class room has, like, circle desks with four chairs per table, and- they''re saving a seat for me. Two seats, even, haha, no one''s- no one''s sitting with them, when they texted me.


    ... apart from that, I- got no idea yet, what she''s doing now in PE. Could be something really fun. Maybe another ice breaker, like in Drama, but happening in a gym. Maybe some brief exercise, maybe they''re playing some fun lil'' introductory sport, whatever floats the school''s boat I guess. Whatever the case, Gumi''s gone phone silent.


    Probably put her phone in the, uh, the gym lockers. Those gym lockers that store things. Phone put away so that it doesn''t fall out of her pocket or get stolen or stuff. All that casual gym stuff.


    So, I guess I just gotta wait until she texts me around- 11, maybe some minutes before- just- depending on whatever it is they''re doing, I guess.


    Yeah.


    ...


    Sigh.


    You know, Mr. California... I used to dislike being in school. It was boring, a ton of work, a ton of- nonsense.


    I think I get why suspensions are suspensions. You feel like you''re doing nothing. You''re unable to do anything. A school tells you to just go home and do anything for a while, as long as it''s not there. A feeling of... isolation. A feeling of being unwanted. Too much trouble as you are, right now.


    Same logic goes for sick days. You feel a relief when you''re sick, until you realize you can''t do anything when you''re sick either. You''re absolutely bedridden while everyone around you just has a better day than you.


    Any other time, any other day, I''d thrive off of this free time. I''m not sick, I''m- I''m just suspended. That''s it. I''m out of school, and I''d just- be my active lil'' Cherri self and find something to do. Leave the house, probably explore a bit and all, tons of stuff like that.


    In fact- like, back in middle school, I sometimes skipped class willingly. All the stuff back then didn''t really seem all that fun, and- and I guess, I dunno, I was trying to figure out how to adapt my social life to the differences between elementary and middle school. Didn''t turn out so well, I didn''t- have much friends then, either, so- so I decided I was too bored to do any of it.


    Skipped a bunch, didn''t tell my dad and the school didn''t- call my dad, either, until it was far too late. I even got held back for one year, had to repeat 6th grade- which is why Gumi and I are both freshmen this year.


    See, contrary to our similar appearances, the Kusuri sisters are not actually twin sisters. Sure, we share the same birth date, but not the same year. I was born exactly one year before Gumi- or, rather, Gumi was born exactly one year ahead of me.


    I mentioned this briefly, like- yesterday morning, when I started this entire mental diary. When Gumi and I were 7 and 8, respectively, EFD season hit, and- blah blah blah, yeah, I haven''t really bothered to explain that difference in our age. Now I am, now you know that small and miniscule detail that doesn''t make much of a difference in any way that isn''t school related.


    Because I was one year older than Gumi, she and I were split apart as I was in 6th and she was in 5th. We attended the same elementary school after the first time we moved, and I think school was fine then, but... uhm... I just kinda gave up on my studies, when 6th grade rolled around.


    So when I got held back once for 6th grade, it was the best thing that could have happened to me. Gumi was the only reason I could get through school, get through- 6th and 7th and 8th grade, all three years of that. I pretty much got my life lined up with Gumi''s after this little setback. The school decided to make sure she and I were in the same classes so they could be rid of me, and, well... we''ve been inseparable since then.


    Hippo Dad pretty much chewed off my ear, metaphorically, when he found out about what I did- but it was whatever. I roll with the punches, as that saying goes, and I managed to keep up with Gumi this whole time. Got through it all together, studying the same things, sharing the same- "social circles" or something, and- and, yeah.


    So, going into this, I was- excited for both of us to just be 15 year old girls, coming into 9th grade for the first time. I guess I just really kinda want to be there with Gumi, to be with her and live the same way we always have- as a pair. A pair of humans amidst this world of creatures and monsters and such.


    I... I guess I was just hoping things would work out this year, that things would turn out better, that we''d have one heck of a high school life. Enjoying it all to the fullest, having fun and going through this world like we always have. I even started this mental diary to- to log all of it, so I can remember the four best years of our lives, you know?


    But... Makeup Weasel and... the suspension and... and...


    ... I...


    I guess I just- I don''t know, okay?


    Hippo Dad- no, no. Actual Dad... the actual- actual step-dad told stories about his high school life sometimes. How those were his glory years. I- I think he bragged to my mom about how smart he was, and told her stories about the cool things he did. I don''t remember any of what he used to say, but- he said it, he- he said it.


    These should be the best years of my life, but I''m- I feel awful. This is the second worst I''ve ever felt in my entire life, coming only before the literal end of the world that replaced almost everyone I ever knew with almost unrecognizable creatures.


    And now I just- this- this entire morning just feels like Hippo Dad and Gumi are just really concerned about me, that I''m just actively ruining their day over it. That these first couple of days are also possibly the worst days of their lives, too, having to deal with a suspended family member.


    But... but if it turns out their day isn''t being ruined because of me? If it turns out they''re just- fine, they''re really fine, then that means I''m the only one having a bad day. I''m the only who feels this awful, this terrible, this- this miserable.


    ...


    I can''t- I can''t bring myself to text her. I grabbed my phone just now, and I wanted to text her, to check up on her, but- but I couldn''t. I can''t. I just can''t.


    It doesn''t feel right to- reach out to her first.


    Like I mentioned earlier, Gumi- Gumi''s having a good day today. She is, she will be, all of that. If things were going badly, Gumi would have texted. No, no, it''s, the fact she''s not texting just means I''m right, that she is - in fact - having a really great day, after all.


    She''s focused on all that school stuff and hanging out with her potential new friends and stuff. All that stuff going on at this very moment. I know at least Lizard Nerd was with her in first period, maybe he''s with her for the rest of the classes. Maybe Soleil and Elena showed up in one of the other classes. Maybe they formed a whole friend group, three girls and one guy just- hanging out and doing all that high school student stuff, and... and...


    ...


    Uhm... uh... how do I put this...


    Mr. California, I''m just gonna- ask this. I- I don''t really- I don''t want you to judge me, but- if you really want to, you can, I''m just- I''m gonna ask. Here goes.


    Is... is...


    ... is it bad that I want Gumi to text me, to text me while she''s desperately in trouble or something, to tell me she''s having a really rough time at school without me? That since I''m not there to hang out with her and protect her, she just- had to deal with all of it, but she really wants me there badly and can''t take another minute without me or else she''ll cry?


    That... that sounds bad, now that I''m thinking it. It really does. I''m basically telling you that I actually want Gumi to have a terrible day today, to feel as terrible as I do.


    Of course that''s not true, I- I wouldn''t want Gumi to have a terrible day, I- I''m sure of that! I- I''m not THAT awful to want her to suffer. In fact, all of this is happening because I want Gumi to be happy. I took the fall for all that Makeup Weasel stuff because I don''t want Gumi''s life to be ruined. Of course I want Gumi to have a good day, to have a good high school life more than anything! She''s smart and she''ll do all that stuff genius people do, and- yeah!


    But- but... w... we''re- we''re the inseparable Kusuri sisters. Gumi''s my little sister, and I''ve always been there for her. I-In fact, I''ll always be there for her. Whenever she''s sad, whenever she''s feeling bad, whenever she just needs- someone there in her life... that''s- that''s what I should be there for. We''re the only two actual living humans left in this world.


    So- I guess.. I just... maybe...


    ...


    ...


    ...


    I- I don''t feel well.


    I''m going to bed early. I- I just, I think I just need to sleep this off.


    Good night, Mr. California. Talk to you- some... some other time.

 #8 - In the Dark About Something

    Cherri again... uhm, so... where do I begin, this time...?


    Well, I guess... let''s start with the good news, as I tell you that... well, Gumi had the best day ever. Got to hear more and more about it when she came home to tell me about it. It was as if the stuff with Makeup Weasel never happened to begin with, and she got to enjoy her school day in peace.


    Didn''t spend it alone, furthermore. I was pretty much right about my guess with Lizard Nerd. The entire day, she''s- actually been hanging out with Lizard Nerd. Not only is he in our math and health class- turns out, she actually shared an ENTIRE DAY with him. Gym, Government, and English- Lizard Nerd''s spent the entire day with her as a new study buddy. A sort of "backup Cherri", in a way.


    According to Gumi, Lizard Nerd''s nice to hang out with in class. He''s kind, funny, and - obviously - smart. Rather than a nerd, he''s- actually kind of like a geek as well. Someone who''s knowledgeable and passionate about some niche topic. Apparently he loves the heck out of those old robot space movies and some other junk I couldn''t be bothered to remember.


    I''m still gonna call him Lizard Nerd, though, Rolls off the tongue better than Lizard Geek. Li-zard. Li-nerd. Zard. Nerd.


    But- yeah, he and Gumi hit it off pretty well, and that''s pretty amazing. Going back to that nerd side, befriending Lizard Nerd is probably one of the best academic things for Gumi. Five whole classes together. Complete new study buddy to learn together with, to ask a bunch of questions if Gumi has questions and stuff- in fact, he''s also in some advanced Biology class instead of our normal one, he''s totally gonna know a lot about our stuff.


    Very useful.


    Anyway. Gumi learned today that Soleil and Elena aren''t as... "prominent"... in her classes as the lizard nerd, however. See, Gumi and I only share Drama class with them, as they operate on completely different schedules and stuff. Different classes, different teachers- different social groups. No guarantee we''ll be covering the same stuff, so at best they''re just friend-friends rather than study friends.


    Even then- Gumi doesn''t get to hang out with them during school, anyway. The lunch period separates all three of them. Our class has lunch happen right in between the class, a 30 minute lunch period starting at 11:40. Soleil eats at 12:20, like our lunch yesterday, while Elena''s lunch takes place at 11:00 instead. Three different lunch blocks entirely - with only ten minutes of time in between.


    Though, silver lining is... we all just happen to share a lunch on the days Gumi and I have French. Lizard Nerd''s there, and so is Elena, and Elena''s brother too. While Soleil stayed out of the cafeteria for the first day, that just means going on either she''s joining us in the cafeteria, or we''re going over to wherever she decides to hang out. Furthermore, Gumi- gets to hang out with them after school, and- there''s a ton of fun to be had there, I guess.


    Gumi has a lot to look forward to.


    ... so anyway, apart from that, not much to really note. Gumi came home as usual, and- yeah. Tons of other chill days for now, then- this Thursday and Friday will be the days that we actually now do real work, real school stuff. Usually it''s just these first two days to chill before everyone actually goes into the school stuff the next two days and onward.


    Knowing the Math teacher, it''s probably gonna be some end of the week quiz on stuff we barely even covered... then, the Biology teacher''s gonna go into some fun concept and all. By now, everyone''s familiar with the people in their classes and all,


    Not... not a lot to really... say. I''m coming back tomorrow and all, and... yeah.


    ...


    Okay. I''m dodging the metaphorical elephant in the room.


    Gumi had a good day, from what she''s telling us. As in- I learned all of this from Gumi over the dinner table. The dinner table. Both Hippo Dad and I are learning about how her day is going, at the same time.


    Hippo Dad works for eight hours a day. He leaves at around eight in the morning, and works from, like, 8:30 in the morning to- to... uhm...


    ... hold on, gotta count this.


    So- nine, ten, eleven, twelve, one, two, three, four... he works from 8:30 to 4:30. Kind of like a "9 to five" job, but it''s 30 minutes early or something. That''s what it is on paper, but he gets home at 6 and starts dinner, which starts like- between 6 and 7, depending on how long it takes to make.


    I don''t really know how far work is from our house, but if he leaves at 8 and JUST happens to get to work at 8:30, then that means there''s at least 30 minutes of downtime in between. Traffic, groceries, whatever it is that a dad hippo does, he came back home at 6 after being out of the house for 10 hours.


    And Gumi got home later than him. She walked back home, alone, and got home at 6:15.


    There is a gap of 2:30 to 6:15, a whole quarter short of a four hour time gap, where Gumi''s whereabouts were completely unknown to me. Where Gumi just spent some prolonged amount of time doing something. Something she isn''t telling me.


    What is that unknown event...? I have no idea. It''s at least- something. Something that goes beyond "hanging out with Lizard Nerd" and "chatting with Soleil and Elena". Something that Gumi didn''t bother to text me or call me about- not a single text from her.


    So I sat at that table with her and Hippo Dad, and I stared at her the whole time. The whole time as Gumi was telling me about all of this exciting stuff going on with her day. How she only... ONLY mentioned some minor information of just the school day in general, of how her classes went with Lizard Nerd. She didn''t hang out with any of her friends after school, as- Lizard Nerd got on the bus back to his house.


    Which... which is something that caught my attention. Lizard Nerd got on the bus.


    Gumi didn''t.


    Gumi walked all the way from school to home, deciding- apparently, not to get on the bus to be driven home. Granted, we''re like... not that far away, it takes the bus driver only like 15 minutes to get to school after our bus stop. Bunch of stops in the way and all, it''s actually a nice walk if we didn''t have to get up early in the morning.


    But... this is a new town, a new city- and... and Gumi walked home, all alone... for four hours.


    And she''s not telling me about what happened.


    The look on my face- it... it got so noticeable that Hippo Dad asked if something was wrong. To his credit, something was probably wrong, he is right to make that assumption.


    But I just told him I was zoning out a little. Told him I didn''t even notice my face making any upset or weird expressions, that I was pretty much enjoying his dinner a lot - which, is the truth, yeah. Full honesty, it''s delicious. Hippo Dad felt like cooking two whole steaks, one for each of us, while also preparing some store bought macaroni and cheese. It''s cheesy and savory and I enjoyed it a lot.


    But the deliciousness of this dinner is not good enough for me to ignore Gumi''s upset little expression. That small glint of pure anxiety in her eye, as if something was weighing heavily on her. Apart from the time gap, I didn''t have any clear evidence of what was bothering her, but- it''s... it''s a sneaking suspicion.


    I wanted to know, but it''s- if Gumi''s keeping it from me, then it''s probably something really bad. Some possibly awful thing that she isn''t telling me, because she doesn''t want to upset me. Maybe- maybe she thought I''d panic, that I''d take it to the extreme?


    Which is fair.


    I just... I waited for a good time to confront her about it. We finished dinner, Hippo Dad went off to his room for the night and told us to get him if we needed anything, and- yeah.


    Gumi and I went to go brush our teeth, casually played rock paper scissors for who would use the shower first (Gumi''s rock beat my scissors), and then we were off to bed.


    In between, however, I just asked a question as Gumi was about to go take her shower. Right outside the bathroom door, I threw the question of concern right into her face and asked: "Gumi- is there... something you want to tell me?"


    "H... Huh?" Gumi asked for a moment, before- she shook her head. "... oh. Uhm. No, I told you everything at dinner, Cherri..."


    "Alright."


    With that, Gumi went to go take her shower while I went back to our room and waited, just browsing social media for a bit. Watched a few things I''m totally not disclosing to you because I don''t want some Mr. California I''ve only known for 2 days to know about all the crap I watch... no offense.


    ... then Gumi''s shower finished, and it was my turn.


    So I got ready for the shower, and right before I go in- Gumi then had a question of her own to ask me: "... do- do you think I have something else to tell you?"


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    With that, I knew that Gumi was thinking about the question the whole shower. The look on her face told me a lot, as if I were playing some sort of mental chess with Gumi, as if I just pinpointed some funny little tower thing gambit (or whatever it''s called).


    So... I proceeded to respond as innocently and subtly as possible, to make it seem like I was just going on about nonsense. To see if I can get Gumi to tell me herself what could have happened. "... well, you said you told me and Hippo Dad everything, so... no. I don''t think so."


    "Ah..."


    "That is, if you really don''t have anything else to say. Right?" I asked.


    Gumi stared at me for some time, then shook her head again. Told me to my face, no. "N-No... I- I don''t. Really."


    "Alright."


    Then I took a shower, thinking heavily about what Gumi''s thinking. She''s definitely hiding something. Something really big, something really important.


    But I couldn''t just... outright accuse her or anything. Maybe it''s- something private, something personal? A surprise, or a big secret... something that she might be struggling with.


    Both of our showers done, both of us just drying off our hair and all, both of us changing into our pajamas- and only after that, does Gumi finally open up.


    "... S-Soleil."


    I looked at Gumi with a curious look, my eyebrow raised and stuff. "Soleil?"


    "... yeah... I... I guess t-there is something I was keeping from you. So, we walked by each other in the hallway. S-she was asking where you were, by the way..." Gumi told me.


    "Huh. Was she?" I asked.


    "Yeah... asked me in the middle of Government, asked something happened to you... and, uhm, I told her about the suspension..."


    "Ah..."


    I thought to myself: well, that''s to be fair... that morning, I told Gumi that I didn''t want to be added to the group chat with Soleil and Elena. Maybe she took my insistence of not joining the group chat as a "don''t tell Cherri about anything going on with Soleil/Elena".


    If it was just a "Soleil asking about me" issue, then... yeah, okay. I can just leave it at that.


    "... alright."


    That brings us to now, where I cannot - in fact - leave it at that.


    I have been wide awake for the last few hours, thinking to myself: "oh, it''s definitely more than that. Definitely."


    What in the world does seeing Soleil in the hallway have to do with you being gone for four hours, Gumi?


    None of that gives me anything to work with. It doesn''t explain anything about what Gumi was keeping from me.


    Again, Gumi came home ALONE instead of anything. If they hung out after school today, then that''s fine, Gumi doesn''t have to tell me what they did- I just wanted to know THAT they did. That they did something after school. That''s good enough for me.


    Instead, Gumi didn''t tell me anything whatsoever.


    In theory, Gumi''s just keeping it all a full blown secret all because of Soleil. That Soleil wanted Gumi to keep things as vague as possible or whatever.


    ...


    Though...


    Gumi did say... Soleil was asking about me.


    Maybe she wouldn''t mind a little bit of a late night chat...


    Wait. Wait, no. Shoot. Main problem to that, is that I don''t know Soleil''s number. Huge downside to not being in the group chat with Gumi, that I didn''t bother to be added to the chat when Gumi offered.


    I don''t know anything about how to talk to Soleil after school, actually. I could try to find her social media, but there''s probably a bunch of Soleils and I don''t feel like thinking about how all of her information or our information could be readily available online or whatever. If I knew what social media name she uses, then- that could be a way, but... no, no. I need her phone number to contact her as Cherri Kusuri, as a classmate.


    So... I guess I have to break a bit of the rules to talk to Soleil, to ask her if anything''s wrong. Making sure Gumi''s nice and asleep and all... I get out of bed, and begin to look for Gumi''s phone.


    It''s password protected, but- not a password that I can''t get past. Gumi and I have an agreement to, only in times of emergency, use the other person''s phone behind their back. We know each other''s phone passwords and stuff, so if Gumi needed to use my phone- then she could, and vice versa.


    Bunch of uses I''m not going to tell you because it''s a Kusuri sister secret.


    So, you heard it here first, Mr. California. If Gumi ever takes me to court (lol) over this, my emergency in this case will now just be to get Soleil''s phone number, to message her or call her or something. The objective is to just get the phone number for reference, to chat with Soleil.


    Should be alright, since Soleil was asking about me to begin with, maybe... maybe it...


    ...


    ... huh. Gumi''s... Gumi''s phone. That''s... hm.


    I can''t find it.


    Been thinking to you this whole time, trying to search for anywhere she could have it. Her drawer tablet, her backpack, our shared closet- funnily enough, MY backpack... under her bed, in the bathroom, at the dinner table- can''t find it anywhere in the house.


    Did she drop it somewhere? Or is she discreetly just- hiding it from me?


    That''s...


    ... that''s pretty cool.


    Sure, I might be a little upset that Gumi''s going through so much lengths to hide whatever this is from me, but- I actually am not. For real, I''m not upset at all. This actually kind of makes me feel proud and impressed. Usually, I''m the secret haver in the family, so it''s like... wow. Proud of my secretive lil'' cohort.


    Now I gotta satisfy this curiosity. Figure out what she''s keeping from me.


    Let''s see how in depth she went to hide this phone. I take a moment to take my phone out, dialing Gumi''s number. Running the risk of her waking up, sure, but- let''s see if she either muted or turned off the phone in some hiding spot, or if she''s just keeping it ringing in a spot right next to her.


    Doesn''t seem like it''s anywhere in the bedroom, so it has to be-


    "Yes... hello? What is it?"


    ...


    Huh?


    W... what in the-? Someone answered.


    "... it''s 1 in the morning, Charlotte... what do you wa... oh- uh- wait-"


    ...


    They hung up.


    Who... who in the...? Who in the world was that?


    The voice sounded like- I don''t know how to describe it. Deep and masculine, but not in a guy way- a girl way. A girl with a deep voice. Had a faint growl behind it.


    That... huh. Honestly, it kinda sounded like they checked the phone itself, and saw my name show up as- someone else''s name. "Charlotte"... like, as if they weren''t expecting me. As if they... they answered the wrong phone...


    ...


    Did... did this person take Gumi''s phone?


    I call Gumi''s phone again- expecting a response. This person knows I called, that I got an answer, so if-


    ... no answer.


    Immediate "decline call", given it only rang for one second before hanging up again. That''s...


    ... if- if Gumi did have her phone taken, then- hm. Assuming that Gumi''s phone is still locked, all they can do for now is answer and decline calls, as well as read notifications. Nothing about accessing or changing contacts or anything like that, not without knowing Gumi''s passcode to unlock the phone.


    I know at least that Gumi had the phone during health class, and- and went phone silent after. Could have been at any point of the day, but- most likely, it was gym when it got taken. Someone who knows a Charlotte, and - quite possibly - has some sight issues preventing them from differentiating the two names while in the midst of the night... and curiously enough, either they share the same ringtone as Gumi, or Gumi has her phone silenced and on vibrate.


    ... I can also take a guess why this person, this classmate, took Gumi''s phone. Someone who has a problem with the Kusuri Sisters. Someone who either stole Gumi''s phone while it was unattended, or someone who confronted Gumi to take the phone itself. Either case- it''s likely that the person who took it was a student.


    And this is also why Gumi had to walk home, why she couldn''t call me. She doesn''t remember the home phone number, and has trouble remembering my phone number or Hippo Dad''s. She walked home all alone, because... she... she couldn''t get anyone to help.


    Did... did she talk to Soleil and Elena about this? Is this something that they know about? A-Again, she has trouble remembering phone numbers, so if she couldn''t find Soleil and Elena...


    ... no, no. Wait. Soleil. Gumi and Soleil encountered each other in the hall- supposedly she knows.


    Or- wait, was that a lie, or...


    ... I... I don''t know.


    I just don''t know. Apart from my whole- deduction I came up with just now, I''m... I''m completely in the dark on this.


    I had no idea Gumi didn''t have her phone... I didn''t know it got stolen or anything, and- b-because I wasn''t there, it got stolen in the first place. If I was there, I could have- protected Gumi''s phone, or stuff. I just- I never had the chance to know about any of this.


    B-But- Gumi never told me, never told me about the missing phone. Why did Gumi keep this a secret from me after school? Why didn''t she tell me or Hippo Dad about this? Her phone was taken by a classmate, one who completely KNOWS that I''m calling and is refusing to answer for some reason...


    I...


    ...


    ... I... I hate this.


    It''s official. Two days have passed, and I can say with certainty... I absolutely hate high school.


    I hate everything about it. I hate Makeup Weasel, I hate these classes, I hate these classmates and teachers and parents and everyone I''ve seen and had to spend my time around. It''s all just a load of crap.


    Oh, "high school is the most important chapter in a girl''s life," I told you! Those movies that tell us all about high school, something I spoke about the very first entry in this mental diary. Trying to capture all of these memories, all of this stuff. Went into this, ready to project my feelings for all of it, to just tell someone else about my life and probably make money or whatever.


    I''ve come to terms with the fact that, after the EFD season, every person in the world''s "replacements" acted the exact same, as if they were still human. Whether or not they were really our neighbors or stuff, they still acted like it. Still acted human, still behaved human.


    So I guess if everyone in that school is still human, then even a human high school is just the biggest metaphorical representation of trying to survive a literal animal wildland. Nothing but people ganging up on each other, trying to survive the whims of everyone around them, wanting to find some purpose and identity to keep going. The people that live whatever high school is... they pass this challenge.


    Survival of the fittest, and the fittest saw fit to eat me and Gumi that very first day. Now they''ve shown their fangs and teeth and claws and all, deciding Gumi and I are their prime targets to metaphorically - and, maybe literally - feast off of. Just because some ugly weasel loudmouth decided to have the school harass me and Gumi for an entire day- now all of this is happening.


    There''s some story going on here, sure, but as far as you know- it''s just my final words! The preface to my last will and testament, come what may.


    ...


    And you know what?


    I don''t care.


    I''m done.


    I tried to be a good enough person for this school. Tried my hardest. Been looking forward to all of this for an entire summer? Been excited for it. I wanted to move past whatever it is middle school was, wanted to finally fully adapt to this whole new world, wanted to treat these... these creatures as if they were still human in some way.


    They think so low of me, they think of Gumi and me as targets to go after, to make fun of and harass and bully the hell out of, to the point where they think it''s fine to take Gumi''s phone? To the point where they think it''s okay to laugh off the entire day while my sister, MY SISTER, walks home lost and all alone with nobody by her side?!


    Well, if it''s survival of the fittest... then I''ll be the worst of them all.


    I call Gumi''s phone again and again... calling three times, and noting the fact the phone stops ringing at different times. This person still sees Gumi''s phone, can still hang up right away. Gumi''s phone is being kept safe, and- is still actively pressing the decline call button.


    ... then, I text Gumi''s phone. I reach out with one single message to the person who took it, for the slim chance that they''ll see it. Something eloquent to make sure they get the message through a locked screen, giving one- single- warning message to be the bigger person- the "bigger animal", rather. Two lines, just to make sure they see it...


    You will give Gumi''s phone back to me. Or I will be your worst nightmare.