2.

When I finally got to school, I checked my wrist watch and I was only 12 minutes late. If I was lucky, first period wouldn't have started yet. I walked in through the front gates and joined a sea of students that had just finished morning assembly and were now moving towards their classrooms. Fortunately, none of the teachers saw me. We went up a flight of stairs and began marching into the building, with some of the students still chatting with one another from the assembly. However, as soon as I stepped into the hallway, almost the entire room fell silent and most students who had been stuffing supplies into their lockers stopped and turned to stare at me.

The awkward silence only lasted for a few seconds but it felt like a minute. It was unbearable. Every student in the hallway had their eyes on me, and like always, I hated how it made me feel. I closed my eyes and drew in a deep breath. Then, after waiting a few milliseconds to settle my nerves, I exhaled before opening my eyes and proceeded to walk pass everyone. Soon enough, some of the students lost interest and went back to minding their own business while others continue to stare. And with each student I walked by, I could hear gossip rising up from behind me about my past.

Four hours later and I was nose-deep in school work, eagerly counting down the remaining hours until closing. It was a pretty slow day and the heavy rain now pouring outside only made things all that more depressing. The skies outside were still the same dull color as my soul, and the roof and windows rattled with every thunder strike. The inside of the classroom was illuminated by the harsh glow from a very irritating fluorescent bulb, and every facet of my being itched to climb up a desk and simply pull the thing out of its socket. But then a blinding flash filled the entire room and another loud thunder strike finally plunged the entire class into semi darkness. Suddenly, the cold and dimmed atmosphere became a lot more conducive.

It also meant we could no longer read or copy what was being written on the board, so everybody just started chilling at this point. Including the professor.

"Hey, freak! Get up!"

A gruff angry voice called out for my attention and I sighed recognizing who it belonged to.

"Get up freak!"

I had my head resting on the top of my desk and I had no intentions of acknowledging the idiot that was trying to get my attention.

"Hey, freak! I'm talking to you, aren't I? Don't ignore me!" Haru growled, no doubt his face starting to redden from pure rage and annoyance.

"Aha." I finally replied, my voice muffled as I still had my head resting on the top of my desk.

Haru then grabbed me by the back of my collar and pulled me up forcefully. "I said do not ignore me!" He growled into my face.

"Sorry." I finally replied. "I didn't think you were talking to me." I lied, shifting my gaze toward the front of the class. A bunch of students were chatting, others were staring in our direction, But the professor was seated at his desk reading a book in the dimmed lighting. He couldn't give two shits about what was going on in the back.

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"And why would you think I was not talking to you freak huh?" Haru's voice cut through the air like a bullet and tore through my right ear drum, turning my attention away from the front of the class. "Are there any other freaks in this class now too? Are you finally starting up a club or a cult for freaks?" Haru was big. Easily four times my size. And that's just his muscles. He was the kind of kid you take one look at and conclude that he was probably going to excel in the army, so keeping your confrontations as verbal as possible is always advisable.

Finally deciding that enough was enough, I glared up at him, locking my icy stare with his. "What do you want?" I asked, my voice cold.

"What?" Haru through his head back laughing. "Can't a guy just come say hi to his friend every once in a while?"

I didn't reply.

Haru stopped laughing and leaned in closer. The strong scent from his irritating cologne filling my nostrils.

"So, tell me freak." he said, his face inches away from mine. "How did you do it? How did you break out of prison?"

He stared at me with a shit eating grin on his face, eagerly waiting for a reply. "How does a weak minded, pathetic, scrawny little brat like you beat up a hundred or so policemen, and guards, and then simply walk out of prison. Because I know that's what you did. Is it that right?" His eyes were squinted. Angry. And his forced smile had faded into an easy familiar frown.

I sighed and lowered my face as I closed my eyes. But chose to remain silent.

"Oh, come on man," Haru said, also lowering his gaze in disappointment. "That's what happened right? That's what you did right?" His voice was a hundred notches much higher at this point, and my silence was only making him more desperate and frustrated by the second. "I mean that's got to be it right?" he asked, looking directly at me. "That's got to be it."

A little moment passed before he continued speaking.

"Yeah." he said, leaning back to stand at his full height while reassuring himself. "Somehow, you were able to activate your freak powers and then break out of prison." He crossed his arms then lifted a hand up to stroke his chin. "After that, you somehow utilize the same abilities to fool everyone and also convince the judge that you were innocent and not a psychopathic mass murderer who killed..."

"I am not a murderer!" I shot opened my eyes in anger and yelled out, suddenly cutting Haru off.

The whole class suddenly fell silent. Everyone was staring. Even the professor had stopped what he was doing and was now looking at the both of us. I didn't even really know what I was doing. My body reacted faster than my mind was able to think. I was standing now. Glaring at Haru. My hands balled up into fists, my face frozen in an annoyed scowl.

"I am not a murderer!" I repeated. The entire class still silent.

"I am not now, and I never was. Got that?" I asked, still glaring at Haru.

"I am not a murderer!" I added, once more for clarification. I didn't even know why I was still shouting. I was not a murderer. I knew I wasn't. But why was I still trying to convince myself after so long.

The entire classroom was so quiet You could have heard a pin drop. The only sounds came from the gentle rain pouring outside and the occasional distant rumble of thunder. The students were still staring in our direction, so was the professor. And after sometime had passed, Haru finally spoke.

"But you are." he said, his voice calm as if he were simply stating a fact. Even the muscles in his face were now relaxed. "You are sick, you are unwell, and you are dangerous. And it's only a matter of time before you hurt someone else." Haru turned to leave but then stopped to look over his shoulder.

"Word of advice." he said, looking over his shoulder at me. "Everybody knows the truth of what you really are. So, you would be better off back in that little cell of yours. Nobody wants you here." And with that said, he left.

He went back to his seat on the opposite side of the classroom', where he was quickly joined by several other students who I guess, went over to comfort him. Exhausted, I plopped back down on my seat then lifted my head up to stare at the ceiling. I couldn't believe I was once best friends with the guy. But I was too tired to think about anything in that moment, so I just turned my head to the side to look out the window instead. The skies were still a dull gray and drops of rain continued rolling down my window. At some point I began hearing whispers again emanating from somewhere at the back of my head, So I took out my medication and swallowed a few pills with a sip of water. Honestly, I did not even care that the rest of the class saw. Haru especially. I was not sick. I was not a murderer. And I was not a freak. But, deep down, some small part of me knew for a fact this wasn't entirely true.

Leaning back in my seat to continue gazing out the window, I soon made out a figure in the rain. A bird. Perched on the rooftop of an opposite building. It was a really strange looking creature. Its feathers were disheveled, soaked, and blacker than the color of night itself. Its beak and claws were pointed and sharp, and its entire body possessed some kind of silky black sheen. The only part of the creature that wasn't black were its eyes. They were yellow. Or maybe a very bright orange. I couldn't really tell exactly what color its eyes were from that distance, But I did know for certain that it was looking in my direction. Almost as if it was staring at me.