PART 1

In the school of Miguria in a rather particular classroom very much indifferent to many in the school. In it's placed 3 wide desks in rows 6, in front is a for lack of better words a little stage elevated slightly and, on the wall, a black board half filled with words.

Frequent sounds of chalk clashing the board in swift succession, seated at the fourth row sits Panam her hair is unkempt, clothes are creased, and her body was hunched over the table pen scribbling words a near copy of the contents sprawled along the board.

She was aimlessly writing it down, after long the bell tower's chime rung throughout the halls into the classroom indicating the lesson's end.

Exiting the main halls of the school into the front courtyard towards the entrance of the school, Panam arrived and leaned against the side of the gate.

Usually when school was ending Panam would wait for her friend Reina to meet her there. The crowd had dispersed considerably after a while that one can make up a good sum of faces passing by, there she saw Reina strolling in tow besides her are a few other people as well energetically chattering amongst each other.

They were her other friends that she was talking to, though Panam isn't particularly friends with them herself, she is resigned to having one friend for the rest her school days maybe even forever. She straightened up her back and fixing her uniform that need more than patting lint off and adjusting her collar.

As the group neared the gate, they looked Panam's way meeting her gaze, as if creating a repelling force dispersed them quickly leaving Reina behind walking to the far side of the gate opposite to her saying their hasty goodbyes.

The reason for this was Panam's unpleasant face, her features were sharp and reproachful, her eyes almost that of a felines' and eyes two pinpoint blackholes. Underneath them were a pair of thick dark underlines as if she hadn't slept in days even though she slept regularly. She was ugly, she didn't need others to say it their stares said it all and as she compared herself to others more imperfections seemed more pronounced.

She couldn't fix the dark shade and streaks under her eyes, she could try makeup, but you could say she is not a keen on hiding her face under a delicate mask pretending she'ssomething she's not. She tried it once, but with another bad habit about her became pronounced. She stares too much, her glare seemed to announce to everyone that she feel like she is higher than her peers. She couldn't win, so she simply doesn't play the game others play. Not after meeting Reina, she doesn't need anyone's approval but hers, she's hers wether Reina knew it or not.

She approached me with a radiant smile as always, "Hey, what's wrong. You have a stranger-er face today than usual?"

she cocked her head back reacting to Reina's finger raised pointed to her face, "Well, I'm glad school ended, no more hard work anymore, right? For the next three months at least." Panam replied as Reina tilted her head adopting a neutral expression, pulling back her hand interlocking her finger on the back of her neck and threw her head back facing the sky with eyes closed. Panam smiled in her mind and stared in silence.

"Mmmmh, really? I always thought you liked doing hard work, you get like high grades and stuff." She cracked a grin and one eye open once as she went back to her hands on her backpack straps and her head down, "Or are you Robert's descendant. Born with peerless knowledge untapped." She said in a mocking royal aristocratic talk.

Panam gsve a small smile and let out soft chuckle as she played along to it, "If only… I'd probably be in the Grands Ironwood Palace, set for life. Alas I have to solve Robert's Prodigious Labour. If I was, I would have solved it."

Reina lets out a dainty giggle, "Maybe a top of the school at least."

"No, I don't want to compete with 'them'. This schools is hell... insufferable." Panam added which a more grin expression unconsciously nodding to the group that lingered on school group much like them with gold, literal gold decorating their uniforms hemps.

Reina nodded with understanding and clearly sensing the mood in the air turning sour gestured with her arm to follow as she began a stride down the sidewalk.

"Let's go."

Panam impulsively followed, until the though hit her.

"What? What about your driver?"

Reina would wait at the entrance for 30 minutes or so for her driver to arrive and take her home this was always the case, until now.

"Ah, oh, well he's not coming this time." She paused and turned and shrugged, "Got arrested and blah blah blah." She said with an annoyed expression, "Let's go." She added with a harder emphasis.

She couldn't care less but the plain curt answer was unsettling considering he drove her around from place to place for most of her life, I got to go with her once and he seamed nice and friendly enough.

"Oh... why." She said letting her thought slip into words.

"He attacked my farther. With a tire iron no less, probably butt hurt we were gonna fire him or something."

Her farther is an owner of a decent tree felling company, killing him wouldn't benefit him in anyway unless he married him and a brief scenario flashed before her of Reina's father and the driver starting a secret love that no one knows about. Thoughts rans through her head for the possibilities, silent in thought Panam stood blank her chin resting in her hand.

"My farther is doing great, thanks for asking." Caught in thought Reina made the ironic reply breaking Panam from her intrusive fantasy story and grim assassination plot by his ex-wife.

She looked down in shame staring at the sidewalk, forgetting to consider that her dad might had been hurt or worse, "Oh... sorry..."

"It's fine, he's fine. I walk home now. With a bit of more of some freedom I was thinking of going to the new indoor skate park." Reina quick changing the subject to a much needed lighter one.

They didn't have skateboards at the moment, but Reina has more money than she knows what to do with, so sometimes she'd spends it on things that she wouldn't use later. She can just buy them before they get there but that didn't seem to be the case this time. Panam felt bad at first and still feels guilty when she gets things from Reina without expecting nothing in return, Reina seemed like she didn't mind but the feeling was still there. Though this time, she wasn't there to skate she said as they neared their destination.

PART 2

POV: Panam

We arrived at the place, it more like a warehouse but there was a large neon light sign above the large front doors that read 'Vermilion wheels'. When we entered, we were met with a crowd of people spread across every corner of the park. Loud chatter can be heard from all sides and the sound of bikes, skateboard etc. We didn't come with anything of the sort however, following Reina we just walked towards a group of people at the near left corners of the room.

"Heya!"Reina shouted waving her hand in an exaggerated manner when a few steps off from them.

The group was atop a steep slopes that ran across the whole park, we had to run to have enough momentum to scale it.

"Aye, Rey what's up."

"Yo."

"Thought you wouldn't come chill this time- your pops and allat."

"Who's did ya bring dis time man?"

The group of people greeted Reina with open arms then some were wary even a bit hostile at my approach.

"This is my bestie, Panam she's chill." Reina said resting her arm around my shoulder.

"Damn, that hurts." The man said gripping his chest and hunched over as if he was having a heart atrocious.

"You pick some crappy best friends." One of the girls stated with a brazen laugh as looked her way not finding it funny in the slightest. "Ahahh... I'm kidding, you don't have to look at me like that bestie."

There were four people, three were women and one man. She on the far left gave of the impression of a punk through her garb alone, the two next seemed like twins, the exact replica to each other.

Finally, the man wore school cloths but he clearly was treating his uniform worse than I was, unlike Reina's friends back at Miguria they were at least presentable these just seem like shady punks that would call you over to beat up in the school bathroom or something.

Though it is typical for her to befriend everybody she sees, but she ought to have some standards that doesn't stoop below thugs.

I didn't like any of them, they seemed to not like me either and that was fine, they look like street rats.

[They're the reason probably why the crime rates' been rising. I don't why Reina is friends with these, but that's Reiner I guess.]

An impulsive smile plastered my face as silently imagineed them as rats and pigeons for heads.

"What so funny?" The guy asked, and I turned to him with amusement the image of a cute rat head with two glossy black eyes.

"You are." I said and the whole group winced in mocking pain, and laughter making references to things I didn't understand but not cared enough to know. I meant what i said, that they didn't seem to understand either and as the guy tried to throw a comeback at me about my face. It resulted in Reina stepping in giving him an admitted playful earful, and then he stopped being a rat to me now, he looked like a chattering ant and the girls monkeys.

I could at least try and be friendly acquaintances with them, if I can do more than just give my signature poker face and stare, or be outwardly hostile.

I was so deep in thought and contemplating to go with the group that already started to move on, Reina in the centre of it.

then I fell into more thoughts of what to do now, I'd like to walk next to Reina but those people would judge me. Why do I care? should I just follow closely behind. that'd look creepy, especially since I don't think I'd understand their crappy lingo.

I ended up deciding to sit down and watch Reina and the others from a far. Creepy, right?

PART 3

After 2 hours Panam and Reiner finally left the park walking home, by Panams' eager request to leave. Reason being that they had a curfew, atleast Pamam knew she did and she didn't seem like leaving Reiner to go home either despite her weak protests to do so. This led a few stared or discontent from the other but it did matter to her Panam she told herself again. Their interactions only being when she insulted the guy and with small talk of the most predictable questions met with curt replies. Sometimes when the slew of questions died down she would try and rack her brain for something to say, something interesting for these "punk" she now labeled them. Failed attempts that just let to more silence on her side as they moved on back to the group circle, and Panam half appreciates them trying to include her in some way and half wanted them to stop trying. She wasn't one of them.

"So what did you think about my other friends over there?" Reina asked knowingly.

"I don' like 'em-" Panam caught her words before quickly correcting her words, "I. don't. Like. Them." She punctuated every word with a steel voice as she answered truthfully, annoyed also that their lingo and accent stuck to her like dirt.

"I can tolerate them, but... you know how it is, I don't, can't talk to people like a do with you. You know." Panam bagan to explain when she felt a grip on her sleaves. Reiner held them and pulled Panam to lean closer down to her as she casually whispers, "Don't look back but I think we're being followed."

She looked back instantly and quickly scanned the area, and there was no one that stood out among 3 people except for a man in a suit on his cell phone behind us. What stood out to Panam was the fact that he was staring at them. He didn't look away instead he mumbled into his phone keeping with pace of them, and his eyes met mine and they seemed predatory and hungry. That sent shivers down her spine, she whipped her head back in shock, her heart pounding and her footsteps became unsteady.

"I told you not to look back." Reiner complained.

Panam felt a sharp pain of guilt run through her but evaporate into fear, "I didn't think you were telling the truth. Let's hurry to my house, it's closer." she began preparing her keys getting ready to turn left that would lead them straight to her street where here house is.

"And let them know where you live? No. I have guards at home that can beat the crap out of that creep so let's go there." Reiner pushed Panam right getting ready to cross the street.

"What if he isn't following us, let's go through that café out then come out the back to make sure. We'd also probably lose him if he is." Paman suggested in a lower voice glancing at the cafe at the corner of the block across the street the were crossing now.

Without much of a reply, Reinder went first as Panam looked at the man that now was standing from the other side of the street, still watching. She quickly followed as Reiner was causing a small commotion from the empty café sparsed with two employees as she rushed behind the otherside of the cash register counter into the kitchen and out the back wordlessly as Panam rushed to be by her side again.

They walked down the alley, storming as the door they swung opened made a metallic bang as it closed with a lock startling them as they walked faster and more uncertain. Now that Panam and Reiner realized that the alley didn't lead a straight to the outside on both ends but meandered with a sharp right and a left. The place reaked of decaying fast food, and rubbish. They took a right and stopped around the corner as Reiner tapped her.

"Did we lose him?"she asked in a hushed tone.

Panam went back to the turn with a wide step against the wall and peaked down the alley that led into the street.

She immediately grabbed Reina's hand and ran pulling her along as her before letting go as she ran too with a frightened whimper as she heard footfalls that were not their own behind her. Heavy and swift.

The man was there, with long arms that swayed like a pendulums, pulling his tall frame foward with each step briskly turning the corner. he was speedwalking towards them with a smile on his face that grew more feverish the further they ran, this was lovely hunt to him. Panam couldn't couldn't think clearly anymore, her body forced her to run, to breathe, to throw the backpack on her back away, controlling her legs driving them foward worse that when she had control of them. She throws her head over her shoulder then back, Reina equally curious turn her head too as they clear the final corner that would lead them outside. He was still walking clearing the same corner as them and his arms were spread wide now, but it seemed like they were getting further away from him. Reiner was the first to turn back to the exit and she slowed down suddenly with a loud yelp, Panam followed her gaze as she looking forward as she noticed she was ini running two men that appeared at the end, with lowered stances and outstretched arms.

A car was behind on the sidewalk facing sideways with the back door open.

Panam widen her eyes in horror as she tried to stop dead in her tracks tripping over her leg. She was in a clear arc of face planting into brick, but she was caught in an embrace before hitting the ground and to her dismay, it wasn't Reinder...