Flash entered her Science class and took her seat. She laid her huge science book on her desk along with her notebook, folder, and homework. She sat down and let out a sigh, thinking about Rekino and what had happened. She had never expected to see Rekino act like that before.

She frowned deeply, remembering how Rekino had told her she was placed in several different foster homes before. The thought saddened her, and she wasn’t even sure what to do about it at all. She did believe the girl needed some counseling though, or some type of other moral support. Flash didn’t believe in going to those counseling centers. She believed anyone could be a counselor just as long as they had to heart and the willingness to listen to someone else’s problems.

One by one the other students entered and took their seats, and the bell ran just as the teacher walked in.

Ryo sighed as he tapped his pencil. He was worried about his sister and even mad at her. Why was she so stubborn? Oh wait, never mind. He already knew the answer to that one. He turned back to the work assigned to him by the teacher and tried his best to concentrate on it.

Rekino was silent in class as Hana watched her out of the corner of her eyes. Hana could see how messed up she looked and she had this feeling that Rekino had hurt herself, but she didn’t want to bring it up. As class progressed on, Hana worried about Rekino.

Rekino could feel Hana glancing at her, but she didn’t look her way. She kept quiet and didn’t even want to think about what she had done to herself. She was too emotionally shook up about everything and just wished she could be happy like everyone else. But no, everything had to go wrong. Why? she wondered. Why couldn’t things be better for her?

Mia and Hana had only been the only ones to see Rekino so far. The two Lady Guardians had tried to talk to her, but she wouldn't listen. They were both extremely worried when they saw the bloodstains on her shirt and the cut marks on her legs. They didn't understand why Rekino would do that to herself. One thing was for sure; the others were going to have a cow when they heard about it. The two Lady Guardians were currently sitting at the lunch table with the others waiting for Josephine and Kento to arrive.

"Guys!" Josephine's frantic voice called to them. They turned around just as she and Kento had sat down, "Rekino's at school today! I heard Brock and his friends talking about her in the lunch line."

"What about her?" Rowen asked. He saw Mia, Hana, Josephine, and Kento's faces all fall, "You guys better spill it now!"

Kento looked at them with a distressed face, "She's not in good shape. I heard them talking about she has bloodstains on her clothes and all kinds of cuts up and down her legs."

Ryo's eyes widened in disbelief. He knew that Rekino wouldn't do that to herself, would she? He looked at Mia and Hana, "You two have classes with her. Is it true?"

Mia's head fell, "Yes."

"I don't believe it!" Rowen said, "I absolutely refuse to believe that she would do that to herself. Rekino's not like that!"

All eyes turned to see Rekino in the doorway of the lunchroom. It was true. You could see the bloodstains on her arms and the cuts on her legs. Her hair was messier than usual. Her eyes had dark rings under them from lack of sleep and crying. She was looking straight at them. They saw Rekino shake her head and walk farther into the lunchroom.

Ryo's head lowered as he stared in shock. He just couldn't believe that Rekino would that to herself. And why? For what reason? One thing for sure she was going to have a lot to talk about.

The others soon came and sat down, all of them casting worried glances at Rekino. Even Thunder stared worriedly at her, knowing what she tried to do. Yet, he didn't say anything about it.

Flash was frowning at her friend, and she kept quiet herself. She was, however determined to get an answer from Rekino later on, and then if Rekino talked to her, she would in turn tell Rekino her own horrible past.

And then Flash's eyes caught Brock across the lunchroom. He was laughing and jesting with some friends and she was certain they were making fun of Rekino. But soon it would matter, because after she was through with him he would be the laughingstock of Japan.

"My God," Sage breathed after he saw her, "What has she done to herself?"

At that time, Brock walked over to the group, having heard their conversation, and placed one hand on the table and looked at them, "Don't you even see it? Rekino's a nut case with some serious mental problems! My bet is, the teacher's will send her into the counselor's office and she'll be shipped away to an insane asylum where she belongs!" Brock reached over and grabbed a roll from Rowen's plate, "Thanks geek face," He walked away eating the food he had just stolen.

Ryo got up and was about to go after Brock, but Flash stopped him, "What?"

"Sit back down, Ryo. I've got some plans for him," Flash smirked and released Ryo's arm, "Besides, he's not the one to worry about right now," Flash's eyes moved to see Rekino paying for her meal, which was a sandwich and a bottle of water. Her face fell at the sight of her new friend. Flash wished that she could help Rekino.

"Don't sweat it guys!" Josephine said, "I have a class with her next block! I'll talk to her!"

"If you can even get her to talk to you, Jo," Cye muttered, "I think that the best thing to do is just to leave Rekino alone. Let her work this problem out on her own."

"But Cye, that's so lonely," Rowen said. He looked at his girlfriend. The one he cared for the most in this world. They had had many ups and downs, but this took the cake. He knew nothing of her past except she was put in many foster homes. He just wanted nothing more than to take her into her arms and kiss her pain away, but he knew that was impossible at the moment. She wouldn't talk to any of them.

After lunch was over, they went through a few more periods, all the while Rekino was avoiding speaking to any of them. She knew she’d be asked about this later and she was trying to avoid it while she could. She knew none of them could possibly understand this. All she wanted was a chance to escape her past, her pain, her worthlessness.

By the time the last period rolled around everyone filed into the gym, except Flash and Sage, who was usually late because his class was on the top of the school building. The Ronins and Lady Guardians frowned when they didn’t see Flash as they could see Thunder there already and were wondering where she was. Rekino herself wondered, but she didn’t wonder for too long. Her mind was on other things right now. She could feel Rowen glancing her way, but she refused to look at him. She didn’t know what to do. All she wanted to do was escape.

Meanwhile Flash had sneaked into the boy’s locker room and had carefully switched Brock’s gym shorts for a pair of girl’s frilly underwear. She then hid within the rafters of the ceiling with a Polaroid camera in her hands as she waited for Brock to come out of the shower as she turned the lights out in the locker room. And so she waited.

It took about ten minutes but Brock emerged, dripping wet in a towel. He frowned in the semi darkness and guessed the light bulbs must have blown out. He managed to find his way to where he left his clothes and begin to put them on. The moment he put the underwear on Flash clicked the camera, making sure the flash didn’t show and that the clicking could not be heard. When she made sure the picture turned out good, she sneaked away from the locker room and immediately headed for the school newspaper room.

The others were getting ready to have class now as weight lifting began. Sage suddenly ran into the gym waving a paper around, breathless. “You guys are not going to believe this!” he shouted.

“Believe what?” Josephine asked. The others glanced at him curiously, and then in surprise when he shoved the freshly made newspaper in their faces. “Read this!”

Everyone looked at the newspaper and their mouths all dropped open to see Brock dressing in girl’s underwear within the boy’s locker room.

There were more details here about Brock and his sickness and how he should be committed to a mental institute. And one by one they all read it over and over again. And laughter exploded from them. Even Rekino laughed which actually overjoyed the others since she hadn’t laughed all that day. And they all suddenly knew that Flash was behind Brock’s humiliation. How she did it was beyond them, but it was hysterical nonetheless.

Later that day after homework and supper Flash found Rekino in the living room idly flipping through channels of the television. For a few moments Flash watched her, knowing she wasn’t actually looking for a channel to watch. She took a deep breath and walked over to her. “Rekino, can I talk to you for a moment?”

Rekino unwillingly lifted her gaze to Flash. The first thing she wanted to say was no because she was certain Flash would ask about what she had done to herself. However something in Flash’s eyes made Rekino follow her out onto the front porch where they could be alone.

The night was clear and crisp with a few starts twinkling. Rekino wore her jacket, but Flash wore nothing as if she wasn’t bothered by the cool night air.

“Ok,” Rekino said, looking at Flash, “Why’d you drag me out here, and for that matter why aren’t you wearing a jacket?”

“I don’t need a jacket, Rekino.. I’m not cold.. There’s something I want to tell you, it has to do with my past. But I can’t tell you unless you tell me why you cut yourself up last night.”

Rekino was silent for a long time, but Flash waited patiently. She didn’t want to tell Flash anything, but she was starting to realize she wouldn’t be able to avoid it much longer. With a long sigh, she told Flash exactly why she had done it.

Flash listened with sympathy and was saddened by the girl’s story. She knew people could be cruel to other people because of what they couldn’t understand. When Rekino finished, Flash spoke. “That is terrible, Rekino.. No one should do that to you because of your eyes.. And you yourself shouldn’t let them win either.. You are unique which is special in my opinion. People who give up so easily because of others are weak, and I know you are not weak. Now let me tell you my story. When I was little my father’s brother’s wife had learned of what I could do. She was frightened of me and was convinced I was possessed by demons or was a demon in fact. She tried to dispossesses me, and when it didn’t work for her, she tried killing me. When I was learning how to craw she pushed me down a flight of stairs in our home.. I was hurt and scared and I ended up setting our house on fire. My family managed to get out though and I was taken to the hospital. It doesn’t stop there. A few years after that, my own aunt came into the bathroom where I was in the tub inside one of those toddler things that held me up so I wouldn’t slip under the water on my own. My mother had gone to get fresh towels, and my father was down the hall. My aunt walked in and she took me out of the toddler basin and laid me in the tub and walked out. I slipped under the water. Thankfully my father came just in time. Sadly my aunt wasn’t caught yet. When I was seven my own aunt stabbed me in the back, and again my family didn’t know.. I was rushed to the hospital where I was given at least twenty stitches. Thankfully I was permanently damaged. So many times has my aunt tried to kill me because of what I could do. I was never able to tell my mother because for one she was killed before I could, and after she and my older brother Jacob died I never thought of what my aunt did to me until a few weeks ago. But I put it aside to help my friends and try to get on with my life. Sometimes it isn’t easy, but I don’t plan to give up.”

Rekino’s eyes watered with tears. Never before had she heard such a saddened and dreadful story from any of her friends. How could anyone do that to someone in their family? she wondered. It was inhumane. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked at Flash. “Why?” she choked. “Why would anyone try to do that to you? It’s not your fault you have that power.”

“You’re right, it’s not my fault, and I will admit this. When I was younger my power was out of control. I ended up killing innocent people because of it, and it’s taken me a long time to accept that it wasn’t my fault since I was only a little girl, a child, a baby in fact.” Flash took a deep breath again, then placed her hands on Rekino’s shoulders, staring into her eyes. “And Rekino, having amethyst eyes isn’t your fault either. Like me you were born with them, and by being born with something you can’t help what you have. You can however make the best of things and go on with life, never giving up as your enemies would want you to.”

She gave Rekino a friendly pat on the shoulder and walked back inside the house, leaving Rekino to think alone on the porch.