Chapter Three: The Girl Who Misplaced Her Past.

[Touka]
    
    “Touka... What are you doing now?” Kiera asked me.
    I shushed her as a took my place behind the door. My knuckles were turning white as I tightly clutched my wooden Katana. My back shook in anticipation of his arrival.
    “...Touka?” Kiera asked again.
    “I said SHISH!” She was going to mess this up for me.
    Kiera squinted at me angrily before moving away, hopefully to mind her own business.
    A few minutes went by before finally I heard his footsteps coming down the hall.
It could only be him. I had memorized his movement patterns. There were precisely nine-tenths of a second between each step. He moved at a steady pace. Not so slow as to be easily observed, but not too quickly either, lest he draw attention to himself. He was the epitome of precision, but today would be the day I would break him.
    He was so close now that I could hear him exhale just before entering the room. It was not unusual for him to do so, though it did raise some concern. His pause was not something I calculated... but I had to remain silent, lest he detect me. I would’ve stopped my own beating heart if I had thought it would help me evade him.
    “She's hiding behind the door, isn't she?” He called out to Kiera.
    “Yep,” she said nonchalantly as she turned a page in her book.
    “Traitor!” I cried as I rounded the door and thrust my Katana outwards. As I did, he raised his own blade’s sheath into the air and my Katana's blade slid perfectly into it. He spun and twisted it from my grasp and simultaneously brought his own sword to my throat.
    “Did you really think you had me this time?”
    “I'll admit, I had my hopes up,” I replied. “But I would expect nothing less from you, Caden.”

                            ***
    
    “Touka, for the last time, we are not renaming our club, so stop putting your name suggestions in the suggestion box. And STOP INSTALLING SUGGESTION BOXES! We don't take suggestions,” Kiera scolded me.
    “I don't understand your outbursts, Kiera” I said. “Your eccentric behavior is not becoming of our Blade-Master.”
    “And stop calling me a Blade-Master!” Something was bothering her, but I couldn't quite place my finger on the cause. I suspected Eva's tardiness was to blame.
    The door to the club room slowly opened and closed as Eva entered and took her seat among us.
    “Speak of the devil,” I said.
    “Excuse me?” Eva said with a menacing cut in her eyes.
    “Oh nothing. Kiera here was just irate because of your poor attendance and was venting her frustration on me,” I explained.
    Kiera slammed her hands on the table. “That's not at all --”
Eva held a hand up to Kiera and spoke to me.
    “You're terrified of grass beetles, correct?”
    “I'm not 'terrified' of anything, but yes you could say I am a bit averse to anything that scuttles,” I replied.
    “So I've heard... How would you like it if everything you touched became a grass beetle? Every meal were a living spider peering into your eyes? How would like to dream of a beach full of crabs marching your way?” The Illusion runes in Eva’s pupils glowed an eerie green.
    “Ahem... I see... That is a good point, and well made,” I said nervously. “I will retract my previous statement regarding your absence, and so please refrain from ruining my life with your criminally wicked imagination...”  
    The glow in Eva's eyes receded. Her smug grin was not something unfamiliar. In fact, I would venture to believe that her default mood is 'Arrogant Bitch.'

                            ***

    Our daily routine of study-spar-discuss came and went. I had yet to best Caden, but I was confident that one day I would crush him. However, I had managed to land a hit on Eva, the wench, which was more than enough to satisfy me for the day.
    “Alright, it's about time to get back to General Studies,” Kiera said. “Touka, clean up all of those candy wrappers.”
    “Tch!” I scoffed at her indignantly. “The hands of a princess should not be bothered with the work of peasants.”
    “Touka you live in the suburbs! Clean up your trash, or I'm going to stuff you in the recycling bin!” Kiera exclaimed.
    “Hmph!” I crossed arms and turned up my nose. “Fine. I --  ...Oh! Eva...”
    Eva was already tidying up the room. How embarrassing.
    “You can't keep pandering to her like that,” Kiera said. “She'll only get worse.”
    “Maybe,” she said. “But she's my little sister, after all. If I don't do it, Alec probably will. The least I can do is pretend to be the bigger person.”
    “We're only sister by blood and lineage, Eva!” I exclaimed. “I will never forgive your betrayal!”
    “What did you do this week, Eva?” Caden asked.
    “I --”
    “She left me starving and dying!” I exclaimed.
    “-- I ate the leftovers she wanted,” Eva continued.
    “How cruel,” Caden said facetiously.
    “No wonder you were banished,” Kiera added.
    I was glad to see that we were all in agreement, albeit a bit surprised. I had anticipated a hearing be called regarding the matter. I was afraid banishment was a bit harsh, but their support had only affirmed my judgment to be correct.
    “Alright. Gather around so that we may perform our secret farewell handshake.” I instructed.
    “Come again?” Caden asked.
    I looked to Kiera and Eva. “I instructed you two to forward the text containing my instructions to Caden, as I do not have his number.”
    “Oh.. Uh.. I didn't receive that text,” Kiera said.
    “I blocked you,” Eva said.
    I am working with amateurs....

                    
                            ***

    After saying our goodbye's to Caden, we headed for our own General Studies classroom and he his. As we walked the halls of the academy, the sounds of a struggle rounded the corner ahead of us. As we approached it, I instinctively looked to Eva to see what her eyes made of the scene. A habit I hate. I am not dependent on my older sister, though some part of my sub-conscious refuses to believe it.
    In front of us was little Micah fighting with four other boys I had not yet met. Though four against one was hardly fair, Micah was holding his own. As if hearing my thoughts, the boys paused from their scuffle and looked to us.
    “Micah,” one of them said, “your girlfriend is here to see you get your teeth kicked in.” He pointed to me as he spoke.
     I looked behind me, expecting to see a love stricken young lady worriedly staring at Micah as he struggled to fight for her honor. But alas, no one was there.
So who was it that he was implying was Micah's girlfriend?
Certainly it wasn't me.
I consider Micah a cretin of the highest echelon, and I'm sure he deserves what's happening now. At least to some degree.
    “We should probably even the odds,” Eva said as she drew her sparring katana.
    “Agreed,” Kiera said. “Someone say something cool.”
    “Heh. We're gonna kick your butts!” I exclaimed.
    “Close enough!” Kiera shouted as we dove into the fray.
    They may not like my club name suggestions, but Vigilante Vixens would sound really cool right about now. For sure.

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