Collaborators

The school bell goes off, Arianwyn vanishes into the multitude of students pushing their way down the hallway.

"Arianwyn?!" Natasha looks around, but she is nowhere in sight.

She slowly pushes her way into the large crowd.

"Arianwyn?" She calls out shyly this time. Arianwyn appears behind her.

"Oh, sorry Nat...I was just looking for." He voice gets drown out as the bell goes off again.

"Um.. you wouldn't happen to know where my classroom is...." She pauses shyly. "Would you?"

Arianwyn nods and smiles. "Here, let me help you." She grabs Natasha's hand and leads her further into the crowd.

They stop at a large door. "Here you are." Arianwyn smiles and let go of Natasha's hand.

Natasha gives her a grateful smile. "Thanks.." She offers her a pretty smile. The bell goes off a third time. Arianwyn gives her another smile.

"Well, I got to go, cya after class!" Arianwyn hurries away down the hallway.

Natasha takes a deep breath. "Let's do this." She pushes the door open and walks into the class room.

She feels everyone's eyes on her. "Natasha...am I right?" The teacher looks up at her.

Natasha nods shyly.

"You're late.." He doesn't seem too pleased. Natasha looks at his name tag: Mr. Ice

Natasha blushes. "I'm...really..."

He laughs. "Have a seat." He points to the back of the classroom.

Natasha nods again then hurries to her assigned seat. Walking there, she can't help but notice all of the students attire.

Most of them had tattoos and wore necklaces. They look like they'd be easier to hurt you then be your friend. Natasha sucked her breath in to try to not look frightened. However, not only the students are scary, but the teacher, too. He seems like the kind of person who would encourage bad behavior... Everything in him, his looks, way of acting, speaking...

The class went on for way too long in Natasha's opinion. When it ended, Natasha got up from her seat, hoping to be able to get out of the class before one of those scary classmates spots her. Unfortunately, before she can reach the door, an arm slams against the wall before her, blocking her path. A guy's standing before her: spiky brown hair, red eyes, creepy smile.

"Hey, there..." He says. "So you're new, huh ?"

"Erm... y... yes..." She replies shyly, trying to look away.

"It's been a while since we haven't had any new student."

He grins in sort of a menacing way, and Natasha feels uneasy. She tries:

"Excuse me... Can I go, please ?"

"What, already ? Naah... You have to be initiated first. You're a Shadow, now !"

"What... what sort of..."

"You'll see. Ayano ! Come here !"

A girl comes, and the class' attention switches to Natasha. Some students push themselves with their elbows and chuckle. Then the guy says:

"I'd gladly fight you, but you're new and you're a girl that looks... A bit weak on the edge. That wouldn't be fair. So instead, you'll be duelling Ayano !"

"Wait, what ?"

Natasha started to panick: she didn't want to be involved in any kind of fight ! The guy whispered to her:

"Watch it: when she gets in, Ayano can get pretty rough..."

"But wait-"

The students round around her and Ayano. The latter smiles in a half-nice, half-scary way.

"Hi, I'm Ayano ! Glad to meet you !"

She position herself in a fighting stance and seems ready to hit. Natasha is scared and unsure of how things will go, but she raises her hands to, at least, defend herself.

Ayano moves forward, slowly. Natasha stays in place. ‘I don’t want to fight.’ She screams in her mind: she uses all of her will to stay in place.

A few students walk up to watch.

Ayano looks around then back at Natasha. Suddenly she flings her hand at Natasha. Natasha ducks and spins around, prepared for another blow.

The guy grins. “Wow, pretty good...”

Natasha blushes as Ayano flings herself at her again. Natasha suddenly turns around and grabs Ayano by the arm and pulls. Ayano falls to the ground in pain.

“Welp !”

The guy walks up to Natasha and grabs her hand. “Where...did you learn that?” He asks with a confused look in his red eyes.

Natasha sighs as she brushes her shirt off. “In Taekwondo class..”

The guy's face lights up as he looks from Ayano to Natasha. He grins wider. “Well, welcome to Shadow class..” He pauses, “What is your name?”

“Natasha...”

“Count yourself a member of Shadow class.”

Ayano gets up and smiles. “Yes, welcome to Shadow class, Natasha.”

"My name's Shadow Zibonzi." Says the guy.

'Well, what do you know ? I did pretty good...' Natasha thinks.

"We should greet you more properly, then !" Says Shadow Zibonzi, grinning. "Right ?"

Some other students approve, then Shadow Zibonzi adds:

"I know some nice place nearby. Maybe we can grab a drink or something..."

"Ah... Maybe..."

Natasha isn't sure she want to do this, but it would be easier to go that way. She'll go and have a little time with them, then she can return to school and maybe talk to Arianwyn about all this... She smiles shyly:

"Okay, then..."

"Good ! Let's go. Don't mind, I suppose ?" Shadow Zibonzi asks, almost mockingly to Mr. Ice.

"No... Just go already."

Natasha then follows Shadow Zibonzi and the rest of the Shadow Class out of school.