Sunny skies didn't exist today; it was a cloudy thick gray haze that covered over our sunny town. I trudged my way to school with Raito alongside me, her eyes scanning herself through her compact mirror. "Do I look okay?" she asked worriedly. I knew that Brod was somewhere around if she was asking that question. "Yes, you look fine," I said with a smile. Today, I'd just felt really empty.

"You look like shit Inochi..." she murmured, and then pursed her lips. "Oh no, did something happen with, X?" I blinked, and shook my head with a hollow laugh. "Not at all. I haven't seen him."

"Serk?" I chuckled even more and shoved my hands deep into my jacket pockets. "I'm just really tired." Raito laughed away her questions in a oh-I'm-stupid-way. "I've gotta say, I talked about the little event last time, and nothing good came of it." I looked at her skeptically and then turned back to the entrance to the ditch of a school.

"I could have told you that myself. But hey, don't try and save everyone. Unfortunately everyone around here is too bitchy and selfish. I had to learn that the hard way," I explained. I hated it when I sounded like I actually knew something, since everyone seemed to get miffed at me for it. Raito grinned and nodded with assurance. "Don't I know it. You overwork sometimes Inochi." I shook my head and sputtered, "Nah, I think I fail sometimes. Haha, I sort of miss angles, if that's what you call it."

"Did someone like turn their back on you?" I nodded, "I tried to be the best I could be for everyone, but that doesn't cut it in this life. She used me to hear what she wanted and get her way, next thing I knew I was known as the girl who did anything." I could tell Raito's dark eyes were widening and her sympathetic side was kicking in.

"Don't start. I deserved it. People thought I was a pushover. Now that I know the definition of slut, let's just say I started to kick ass," I laughed with a jaded grin. Her sympathy somewhat swiped, but she still looked sad. "Is everything good with everyone?"

I nodded thoughtfully, and pushed through the front doors, passing by Kake and Lion, swerving around Dun, and throwing my hood on to avoid the little drizzle. Those three were probably some of my best guy friends a few years ago. Now, I couldn't stand to look at any of them for longer than a second. "So far so good. But highschool really places where you're headed you know?"

I watched his light chocolate eyes look over at me and reveal a set of metal capped teeth, a gorgeous tan six pack hidden beneath his heavy rain wear, but I felt nothing. Friend or even more, it was cold. "I know what you mean," Raito said vaguely as her eyes searched for Brod. I rolled mine and coughed in a hollow tone, feeling my throat burn from the raw inhale.

Someone had been smoking. I forced a hard sniff out of my nose and shook my head. "He's probably by Al's locker."

"Is Al here?!" Raito squealed. "No." I answered flatly, and knelt down to my locker, a cold chill running from the concrete to my spine. "Oh fuck..." Raito muttered. I looked up at her and whispered, "what?" She turned to face me and nudged her head sideways in an obvious manner. She looked like she was having a convulsion or something.

I turned and found a pair of crystal blue eyes strolling by, the set of sapphire not too far ahead and turning the corner. The hollow feeling in my chest disappeared, and came back like someone dropped 30 pounds on my chest. "Still sore...?" she asked worriedly. I shook my head, and then nodded soon after.

"It's not about that night, it's just... I feel like glass." I shut my locker and stood with my back straight, the way Kami told me I always walked. I tried slouching over, but I just looked awkward. "Like glass?"

"Do you know how many times I've been told I'm pretty?" I asked. Raito shook her head, "but you are. And you're confident, smart, talented..." I rolled my eyes and waved my hand. I wasn't being pompous when I disregarded the words, I just didn't feel they belonged with me. Raito always felt people were above her, when in fact she was a very pretty girl herself.

"I used to always think pretty girls got the guy. So I tried to be 'pretty'. But I think personality is a keeper. Now, I think you have to be a slut to get someone around here," I muttered.

"Just because he's a year older, doesn't mean I'm invisible. Right? He looks through me like I'm glass! A pretty view but nothing to stop and stare at. I'm not shallow..." I said defeatedly, the hollow feeling in my chest lingering. I blew away at some dust on my language binder and hugged it to my chest.

"I'm sorry you feel that way, but you're right. Guys around here are pretty flat. Just think, you took a step, and he was dumb enough to realize what you really are. That's his problem." Raito's words were soothing enough, but I really just wanted to curl in a ball and cry. Not only because of those two, but because of everything else.

It was hard to see friends you cared about with such potential trash both you and their own life for the thrills of illegality. It was even harder to see that you had to face them afterwards. It was like staring through the snow globe. One by one those little flakes would fall, and all that would be left were the three that you could count on. The three that hung on for dear life.

Would they ever slip?