I AM HERE.

[Mai]

It's an ordinary day and I should be getting up right about now to prepare for my first day of school here in LB, CA. But as you can tell I am not. Instead I am lying here in bed staring at the crack in the ceiling of this small two bedroom house, it's far past my scheluded wake-up time of 5:30 a.m. In fact school might just have ended by now... neh, I couldn't have sat here that long.

Maybe I should get up, change into some clothes, do my hair, eat breakfast, and if I'm lucky - get to school before kids start breaking out their lunchboxes... nah. I'd rather lay here, just for a couple more minutes at least. I just feel so comfortable in bed like I don't have a worry in the world - California has made me feel less tense, so I am enjoying these rare moments where I actually feel normal and spending them as I please. As you can tell, that is by laying in bed past an appropiate amount of time when I could be doing something a lot more constructive with myself.[/i]

Knock, knock!

A sound on the door startles Mai, but then she slowly regains calmness remembering that there was a second person in the house at the moment. Her Aunt Mika. Unlike in New York City, the blue-haired girl had company here in what we'll call her new dwelling place. Not that she had lived alone in New York, she had had a roommate, but he never stuck his nose in her space. He knew his place, her Aunt Mika on the other hand... this was her place.

"Hey kid, it's eight o'clock. Shouldn't you be getting ready for school about now? I don't want any slackers under my roof, now get up and do what you're supposed to be doing before I have to tell you."[/i]

But didn't you just do that? Oh well..[/i]

"OK. Five more minutes." Replied Mai.

But Aunt Mika didn't give me five more minutes, twenty seconds later she came back into my room and pulled me out of my pajamas. She grabbed a pair of jeans and any random shirt she could find in my dresser and made me slip it on and then she put a brown bag in my hand ( I assumed it was my lunch ) and my tote and had me pull on my shoes while she drove me down the highway. 259 is located fifteen minutes from my new dwelling place, but Mika drives fast so we got there in thirteen. When she finally parked on the sidewalk, she practically kicked me out of the car but not before reminding me of one important thing:[/i]

"Now look, you could stay out as long as you want after school but supper's at six thirty and if you don't get back by then you don't get any. Now run along and make a lot friends - oh, and button up that shirt!"[/i]

Mai buttoned two buttons on her polo-style shirt.

"OK. See you tonight, hon. Be good."[/i]

And then she was gone. Mai decided she would stuff her lunch into her tote bag and climb up the stairs into school, this time maybe she would get to attend a class on her first day.

[Mercado]

It was a typical morning at the "Kinda" notorious school of 259. The fights apparently hadn't started yet, at least not any that a certain blond could see from against a wall that was beside the door that led into the school. To put it simply, he was a delinquent. One of many which had unfortunately decided to grace the oh so not pleasant halls of 259 with their presence. Even though it was steadily moving past eight, he was simply relaxing against the wall watching the stragglers scuttle past him as they hurried toward their designated classrooms.

Ian had roamed the halls of 259 long enough to get a good grasp who went to this school and who didn't, so when he saw a small pale girl get kicked out into the sidewalk he couldn't help but chuckle a little. Ian's eyes watched the girl as she walked from the car that had dropped her off and toward the main school building.

"Do you always try to stand out when you go to a new school? Or does it just come naturally?" Asked Ian as the girl when she approached the door he just so happened to be beside.

[Mai]

So I walk into the building. I don't even want to think about what Aunt Mika might make for dinner tonight, but then again I don't really have to worry. I could just stay out 'til seven. Only I don't see how and why I would given that I just moved here and don't have any friends to convince me to stay out late.

Now walking into a new school that's supposed to be all bad ass and the likes, the first thing someone would probably expect me to look for is bullies, cosmetic damage to the school which would indicate any large fights in the past or maybe even a teacher to direct me to my locker so I could make it there safe and sound, but noper doper to any hopefuls... the first thing I had my eye out for was the source of a voice that greeted me in an attitude that I was getting used to: randomly putting it out there kind of way. Wasn't everybody like that?[/i]

Mai finally spotted the slightly taller blond boy ( slightly taller, more like "friggin' giant" ) that the voice had come from. First she thought that ignoring him would be best. After all, what does your your mother always say? Never talk to strangers. But then again she had just gotten to the school, she had just gotten to the state in a way ( if two weeks counts as "just getting to the state" ) and it wouldn't hurt to try and be more social. She had had only so many friends at her last school anyway, maybe she could have better luck here - if she put some effort into it.

"I would have to go with the latter. I do sort of stand out there for a bit don't I?"

Obviously, otherwise his question would be pointless.[/i]

"My name's Mai. I just transfered here... well, sort of. How'd you know I was new?"

This was the golden question that I intended on asking the first person who guessed that I was, yes indeedy, a newb. I just wanted to get a couple of things straight about how they were able to tell off the bat. Like for one: was my hair wrong? Did it not conform to the code of hair stylin' in this particular school? Was I wearing the wrong shoes? O, o! Was it the jeans? Because I really hadn't intended on wearing jeans today. Do all new kids wear jeans? Those types of things. I had screwed up at my last school, or at least I'd say, but keeping my mouth shut a good amount of the time so now I was ready to act like a blue-haired chatterbox... now I was ready to make a measle attempt on being, um... normal.[/i]

[Mercado]

Ian's turquoise eyes quickly glanced over the girl before he responded. "Meh..." Ian said shrugging slightly, "Just a tad bit. But hey! Points on originality, I'd give ya that."

Contradictory to what he had first said to her, now that he actually had a chance to see her close up, she really didn't stand out. Well, besides the odd choice in hair color and flamboyant eyes, yet he was looking past that. She wasn't especially tall, and she didn't exactly look like a fighter or anything from his point of view. However, what did he know? She could perhaps be some sort of martial arts prodigy or something to that extent.

“Simple.” Ian said as he began to respond to the girl’s question, “You’re the only person I've seen bold enough to walk around with blue hair. And if that wasn't enough your red eyes kind of point to the same conclusion as well."

~And also...if you haven't noticed, if you take those two features and put them on a girl like you, of course it would be easy to tell you apart from the students here.~

"But I digress Miss Mai. Welcome to the happy halls of the (in)famous PHS 259! Here where many a fights have gone down." Spoke the blond energetically.

"Oh! Where are my manners? The name’s Ian by the way. And for today, if you don't mind of course, I shall accompany you and be your most humble escort in these hallowed halls." The freshmen bowed his head slightly before looking back up, or down based on how you looked at it, at the girl in front of him.

Ian wasn't wearing anything particularly special. He was sporting his usual pair of white adidas sneakers along with a pair of loose fitting black jeans. He was also wearing a white tee shirt under a long sleeved black button up shirt that was left open and wasn't tucked in. This information, at this point, is relevant because as soon as he finished speaking, Ian began to fix up his shirt by actually buttoning it up so that he could look like a semi-decent guide.

"So shall we be off or would you rather stay here and enjoy the pleasant weather outside instead? Either choice would be quite nice don't you think Miss Mai?" Spoke Ian in a gentleman's sort of tone.

[Mai]

Everyone loves points, so I collected mine for what they were worth. And now I'm standing here, my lips aren't moving as far as I could tell and I made no attempt on trying to think of something to put out there so we could start an actual conversation instead of one us occasionally saying something like "nice weather" and the other one agreeing saying "yeah, sure is" and then silence taking over for the next two-hundred and twenty seconds. Or at least it would be silent for that long if one of us didn't leave in the process.

I don't know, I guess I feel slightly awkward being put in a position where I have to converse with someone whose name I don't even know, even though I did that a lot back at 552. Standing in the doorway of the school was becoming uncomfortable but I'm sure he'll say something soon enough. And he does.[/i]

Mai wasn't surprised at the boy's answer, yes, her wicked hair was obviously a dead give away. O well, can you blame her for liking the color so much as to go and dye her hair top and bottom in it's honor?

Was I thoughtful of what he said about the school? Not really. So this school was just as bad as my old one ( Or at least this is what I'm assuming ), no biggie, it was recommended for me by a faculty member of 552 after all. I wasn't surprised and my feelings about the school didn't become anymore negative either, I'd say I was calm as can be, Actually, I know I am.[/i]

"Well uh, it's really nice outside but sure, let's look around." Mai said, and she came out of the doorway. The doors slowly closed behind her, but Mai wasn't just about to go and walk around with a big bag in her hand when someone had just volunteered to show her around. If he was going to show her around the least he could have done in addition was carry her things, so the blue-haired girl handed her bag to Ian and began to walk on ahead.

[Mercado]

Ian was forced gladly accepted the bag as his mouth formed into a small twitching smile. ~Why yes, of course I'll carry your bag, no need to ask.~

Ian gripped the girl's baggage tightly in hand and quickened his pace to catch up to the girl. The freshmen cleared his voice as he prepared to actually do what he said he would.

"In these very halls that you now walk, there’s been many a fights and disputes that have gone on. Led by our not so great leader principal Asiv, the local S.H.C.P. is what I guess what you could call the local student police force." Ian stopped talking for a second as he pulled out the medallion that was hanging around his neck. There wasn't anything particularly special about it except that it was an item that he was given to him by such said principal when he had joined.

"I myself wasn't really in it that long, but I guess you could say that this item sort of marked its members." Ian slipped the keepsake from his not to distance past back under his shirt as he continued to lead the girl further down the hallway. "So, is there anything you would like to especially know or particularly curious about?"

[Mai]

As we walked through the hallway and into another one, I began to think about this "S.H.C.P" as Ian had called it. A student police force? It sounded like a joke to me but at the same time I kept wondering why other schools that had problems with their students hadn't thought of the same thing. O, but then again there were the school monitors at some places that made sure nothing got out of hand and I guess that covered that. Maybe this school was a little more brutal then others. Is that why they had their own little "student police force"? It sounded silly in my opinion but I wasn't going to judge until I witnessed the purpose behind it. And you never know, maybe there was a really good one.[/i]

A couple of people were in the hallways, but they all disappeared so quickly that soon every one that Mai and Ian would enter would soon enough be empty for the two of them to walk free of obstacles or distractions. They weren't disappearing because of them though, it seemed more like they were trying to get to another section of the school but most of them were confused and stopped to think for a while and in the knick of time finally remembered just as the blue-haired girl and the blond were coming around.

Wonder what everybody's looking for? Possibly a fight I guessed. People were like that at my school. If two kids started fighting in the cafeteria in front of twenty other people, ten would run out and start spreading the word to everybody else and soon there would be fifteen more spectators and seven more that would join the fight itself. And none of the teachers would give a tiny rats ass, maybe they thought of it as big ol' group projects because well quite frankly it was the only thing that the students did together and had in common. Fights were exciting for everyone - o, except me.[/i]

Mai looked at the medallion that Ian had revealed that was strung around his neck, but she only took a little glance. She wondered if it made him feel better that he had one to brag about, since she really didn't see too much of a point in why he had to show it to her.

I calmed myself down. Maybe he was just showing it to me because he felt like it. A spur of the moment type of thing... yea.[/i]

In reply to Ian's last question, Mai just shrugged her shoulders, fingers stuck in the back pockets of her jeans and then she just asked the first thing that came to mind.

"Um, yea. Do you guys have a good cafeteria menu?"

[Mercado]

Ian was thrown back a little by the girl's question. He wasn't sure if she knew exactly what school she was attending now. He expected something more along the lines of whom/what she shouldn't piss off or better, what to do to avoid getting her ass kicked. Yet the best she could manage was a question about the lunch menu?

"Well personally, I wouldn't eat there even if I was dieing of starvation, but by all means go ahead. If you want one of the school's burgers be prepared to go home early is all I'm saying."

"..."

"By the way if you don't mind me asking, but you do know what type of reputation this school has right?" Ian said with a sort of distanced look on his face.

"I'm not saying the violence is out of hand, but if you do happen to get into a spot of trouble, chances are no one is going to rush to your aid. Hell, even the teachers are in on the violence. Aside from the principal hooking his squad on some liquid drug drink, there have recently been rumors of something else being spread around, not to mention one of teachers is sort of what you call a strict behemoth." Ian had heard something or another about a new drug that recently hit the scene, yet he didn't know who was distributing or even using it.

"Also, don't go looking for the pillars. I've been here for awhile and I still haven't met/seen one. So don't expect too much out of them either. But uh, the school is not as bad as it sounds!" Spoke Ian suddenly who laughed slightly while changing his attitude back to a rather cheerful and energetic one again. "The inner compound has a rather lush garden where you could go and chill at!"

[Mai]

"O, OK." Mai said innocently, taking his advice about the cafeteria food with an open mind. Even though she didn't really look forward to bringing a sacked lunch to school everyday because she feared her Aunt maybe putting poison into it ( she wasn't being that helpful around the house, so her aunt might have been secretly mad at her ) it sounded like the food here was pretty bad so Mai wasn't just about to not take him seriously.

As they walked down yet another hall and past a string of lockers, Ian began talking about the school and how REALLY bad it was. In simple terminology, this is kinda what he said:

Um, like... not that I'm trying to say anything but uh... are you a DUMB ASS? No offense but, like, you walked into maybe the most dangerous school in the entire city and you should pretty much be fearing for your life or asking for the closest closet to hide in in times of desperation and the first thing that comes out of your mouth is whats on the menu? Not that I'm trying to insinuate anything but... are you sure you shouldn't be at another school?

All in all, it sounded sort of like he was just trying to freak her out. Even though he was actually telling some truth as far as Mai knew - she had heard some pretty bad things about the school, but then again, HELLO, 552 wasn't that much better. He obviously didn't know this. O wait, she hadn't told him yet so why would he?

In response to Ian, all Mai had to say at the end of his speech was, "O yea. I know." And then she began to glance about the hallway, she was getting bored, she sort of wanted to go to her locker but decided it may be too long a walk so instead she said, "Do you think you could show me that garden?"

[Mercado]

~Wait! did i say garden? I should have said forest actually....but meh...~

"One enjoyable walk through the school's garden coming right up Milady." Ian said while hoisting her bag over his shoulder and taking a right at the next turn they came up to. Ian sea blue eyes looked around not nervously but rather looking for something for them to talk about. Ian finally gave up after the two of them had walked for in silence for about a minute and turned toward the girl walking beside him before speaking up.

"You aren't exactly the easiest approachable type of person are you?" Ian intentional avoided the word "social", since he kind of preferred that he didn't sound like a stuck up asshole to the new girl.

[Mai]

"OK."

So we began to walk about the school, he was actually guiding me this time too. The walk was one of complete silence. I didn't mind it because I've always been the kind of person who likes the peace and quiet, but apparently Ian did. Even if just by a tad.[/i]

"You aren't exactly the easiest approachable type of person are you?"

I didn't have to think what he meant by that. In fewer words he was just simply asking why the hell I was so quiet. I hadn't an answer to that, I talked a lot in the past and I figured I was saying everything that needed to be said on my part as it was but I guess he didn't think so. Was it weird that I couldn't think of something to say every five seconds? I guess I don't really have a lot to talk about, thats all...[/i]

"Um... I guess not?"

Mai shrugged her shoulders. What was she supposed to say? She was the kind of person who asked a question, gave an answer, made a point and then zipped the lid.

As we continued to travel down the halls, I was begging in my head for something to happen that would take the spotlight off of me. And I was granted just that. It wasn't exactly the scene I was hoping for but o well. "Take it or leave it" as they say."[/i]

There were two guys in the middle of the hall, Mai could only see so much of them because a group of seniors were gathered around them. Their legs kept launching forward and then coming back and it wasn't too long before Mai was able to figure what was happening. The group of four were beating up on two miserable freshmen that were as small as she was while the attackers were probably even larger ( and much more intimidating ) then Ian.

My first thought was to walk around them, and then neither of us would be talking for a while - at least not about me, right? But then I thought of a less selfish thing to do. I was with some former S.C.H.P or whatever it was called, was I not? It wouldn't hurt to intervene, he would probably just scare them off right away anywho. Right?[/i]

"Hey, why don't you go and do something about that?"

[Mercado]

Ian sighed mentally at the girl's response and realized she wasn't going to say anything unless necessary. It wasn't that it really bothered Ian; it just only made holding a conversation with her sort of difficult since it would be rather one sided.

Ian's eyes left the girl as he looked ahead and finally noticed the six people they were approaching. It didn't take him long to realize what was going on. Two kids who were probably at the wrong place at the wrong time. Ian watched the four, obviously stronger and bigger, boys brutally stomp out the two freshmen until a voice from the person he had been accompanying had addressed him.

Ian looked down at the girl like she had been speaking some foreign language. Did Ian look like the heroic type? Did he look like someone who would blindly rush into battle regardless of the odds to uphold the ideals of peace and justice? No. He didn't. It wasn't that he was spineless, hell, he'd gotten into his fair share of fights and also had gotten his fair share of ass kickings, yet from all those he had learned that sometimes, it was better to not get involved in such things...

Ian turned his head back toward the fight as his thought process kept moving on forward. He didn't exactly want to be seen as a coward from his guest/rather cute girl but today he also didn't really want to receive an ass kicking either.

"You're not going to let me say no and simply go outside to smell the roses huh?" Ian said tiredly as he turned back toward Mai. "Okay fine! Leave it to me! I have a plan!" Ian said with renewed passion.

Ian cupped his hands to his mouth as he took in a deep breath.

"Hey! Assholes!"

The four boys stopped their attacks for a second as they looked around the almost empty hallway for the source of that comment.

"Yea, dumbasses, I'm talking to you!"

The seniors apparently caught on that Ian was referring to them as such since they all turned to face both him and Mai.

"You guys must feel so proud that you actually took down to little kids. Why don't you guys actually fight a freshman who can actually fight back? Someone like....Mmmm...iunno...me?" Ian said while pointing to himself. Ian knew he wasn't exactly the king of talking smack, but he figured that four seniors such as themselves wouldn't take being talked to like that. The four boys looked at each other for a second as if deciding their next action and then suddenly charged at the defiant blond.

What happened next could only be described as unbelievable. Ian quickly jumped and flipped over his assailants and delivered four swift chops to the backs of their necks. At least, that’s what he wished he could have done.

-Back in Reality-

"You guys must feel so proud that you actually took down to little kids. Why don't you guys actually fight a freshman who can actually fight back? Someone like....Mmmm...iunno...me?" Ian said while pointing to himself. Ian knew he wasn't exactly the king of talking smack, but he figured that four seniors such as themselves wouldn't take being talked to like that. The four boys looked at each other for a second as if deciding their next action and then suddenly charged at the defiant blond.

"Hey....mai...." Ian said in a serious tone as his attackers continued to charge toward them. "RUN!" Ian yelled while completely dropping his serious persona.

Turning around quickly while grabbing the alabaster skinned girl's hand in one motion, Ian suddenly jetted off down the hall away from the several seniors while dragging the girl along. Like he said before, getting involved in things he didn't need to wasn't something he did. And he really didn't feel like getting his ass kicked today either.

[Mai]

"You're not going to let me say no and simply go outside to smell the roses huh?"

"I most certainly am not." Mai said with a slender smile, she felt sort of mean for putting Ian in that sort of situation but hey, he shouldn't have started talking about her rigid social foundation. It sort of hurt a little bit to be completely honest.

It was nice to see Ian stand there and attempt to do something. I was really proud although I still felt that I would most likely come out of this whole thing guilty since there was really no doubt that those four bulldozers would tear him limb from limb. Well, hopefully they would be man enough to leave a helpless little thing like me alone, right? Ne, I don't think they will. If they were pathetic enough to go beat up on two nobodies while grouped together in such a large number then I doubt they'd have even second thoughts about not hitting a girl. Ay, it's a changing world.[/i]

Mai watched as the upperclassmen began to charge her and Ian, at first she was scared stiff but then before she could even think of an alternative to just standing there and taking their worst, it seemed that Ian was dragging her down the hallway. At least for a couple of seconds before she was able to pick up her own feet. He wasn't very hard to keep up with, especially since his hand was locked around her arm, but he didn't exactly run like a three-toed sloth either.

After running for several seconds, the gang was still onto us. In fact we only were leading the way by a couple of feet. I feel like they might even catch up to us if someone trips or one of us run out of breath it's a large possibility. I'm sort of mad at Ian because if he wouldn't of grabbed my arm back there, while those guys were going crazy and running after him they probably would have forgotten I was even there and left me alone. So I'm a little angry but who can help it? We're practically on death's most wanted list now.[/i]

And that's when the blue-haired girl spotted something that seemed like the gateway to paradise at the time, "This way," she said, taking the lead with ease she led him up an unfamiliar staircase which had a large "B" posted on the wall beside it. Once they got up the stairs they had a couple of seconds to either continue running or find a place to hide while the group slowly advanced. Which option sounded better to Mai?

I see a closet nearby and I jump at the chance to stop killing my feet, so I push Ian into it. It's a small cubby little place, a utility closet I am assuming, but it fits the both of us and still offers some more space for the tools and cleaning utensils that have been stored neatly in the corner of the dark room as far as my vision could tell. After exploring my surroundings a bit with my hands, excluding Ian, I find a little light bulb on the ceiling. It's one of those ones where you have to pull on a hanging string to turn on, so I do just that and it lights up. It's quite dim but good enough.

With the assistance of this new found light source, I discover a lock on the door knob of the closet and I immediately turn it. Just in time too, as I could hear through the door footsteps tracing back and forth from outside, I am assuming it's the group. And it is because shortly after I hear the footsteps somebody starts throwing themselves against the door. It sends some vibrations through the thin walls and so I slightly back up hoping that the lock will hold.

But then again it looks as if this closet has maybe had an experience consistent with this one before so it might not due to past force-ins, so I throw a glance at Ian and say,[/i]

"Hey, lean against it! It might not hold against those guys on its own. Please!"

[Mercado]

Ian continued to run through the hall as he realized with the extra weight, Miss Mai, it wouldn't be so easy to out run the gang of seniors as he had previously thought. Suddenly the girl he was pulling along finally came to her senses as she began to actually move the two things people would normally refer to as legs. Yet regardless of both their combined efforts the distance between them and the boys seemed to narrow with every step taken. However, it appeared that along with the ability to use her legs, her ability to think had also returned.

"This way."

Unexpectedly, Mai took control of their course and led them both up one of the many staircases at the school. Before the blond even had a chance to say anything, he found himself being pushed inside a small closet followed closely by Mai. With two quick clicks and a small snap, the door was closed, the light switched on, and the lock was secured.

Ian looked around his small confides. For some reason, being trapped inside a small room with a girl felt sort of nostalgic, but looking past that, Ian proceeded to take an inventory of his environment. The small light bulb at the top provided a dirty yellow light that flickered as if it could go out at any moment. The smell of cleaning solutions was also apparent in the room. It wasn't overwhelming, but you could smell it lingering in the air. The space between both him and Mai was enough to allow a small gap between the two, but either weren't going to be doing much other then standing up. After taking all this in about this new found location he wound up in, Ian could only come up with one conclusion.

"Hey Mai..." Ian said, while tapping her on a shoulder since she seemed a bit preoccupied with worrying about their pursuers. "I know this isn't the appropriate time for this or anything, but don't you think that this is a small cylinder deathtrap...?"

The seniors were only a few feet behind them last Ian had checked. And considering they were doing a good job keeping up, there was possibly a more then likely chance they had probably saw them enter the closet. No sooner then Ian had thought it; a loud bash could be heard banging against the other side of the door. ~Aw great! Didn't I say I didn't want to get my ass kicked today?~

"Hey, lean against it! It might not hold against those guys on its own. Please!"

"Okay! Leave it to me."

Yet, it was easier said then done. Ian couldn't just push his weight on the door. That wouldn't really hold the door in place if he simply did that now would it? Handing Mai her bag back, Ian cleared the back of the closet so that the tools in the back would be placed along the side walls of the Closet. This left the path to the back and front of the small room completely clear.

Placing his foot on the back wall of the closet, Ian planted both his hands on the door of the closet. Coincidentally, Mai would be between his forearms since her back was against the door of the closet and there really wasn't anywhere else for her to move, unless it was closer to Ian, and the freshman couldn't say he would object to that.

"Well isn't this just the most comfortable position." Ian said cheerfully as he felt another boy ram into the door. The lock jingled slightly making Ian's normally relaxed eyes glance toward it with a rather serious look. If that lock gave out with the two of them in there, he would be their last line of defense against the seniors. Quickly shifting back to calm demeanor, the freshman smiled as if all was right and wonderful in the world toward Mai.

"So...do you always stuff the boys you meet on your first day at a school in a closet? Or is this simply a self indulgence for yourself?" Ian said toward the girl jokingly. Just because they were on the verge of death didn't mean they'd have to be all serious about it.

[Mai]

After Ian seemed to be taking his first thorough look at the closet, he turned to the cerulean haired girl and said,

"Hey Mai... I know this isn't the appropriate time for this or anything, but don't you think that this is a small cylinder deathtrap...?"

She just made an innocent, half-hearted look at him and then said "Sorry. I didn't think of that." And she hadn't. Come on, they had been in worst case scenario just a couple of moments ago: a bunch of large, scary looking guys were chasing them ( well, technically they were only chasing him ) and just like you see in all those low- budget horror films the first reaction that Mai had to all the action was to find another room to barricade herself in for defense. Well, in this case it was a little incommodious closet but - what can ya do?

Mai took her bag but she didn't hold it for too long, instead she threw it somewhere else while attempting to move out of Ian's way so he could have a better handle on the door while he seemed to be moving some things along the side walls of the room. But Mai tried to take action a bit too late, because before she could get a clear path around him she found herself being submitted into quite a haphazard position in between either one of Ian's arms.

"Well isn't this just the most comfortable position."

I'm going to assume that was meant to be sarcastic... For me it felt uncomfortably claustrophobic and awkward. I began to consider what his reaction might be to me trying to climb underneath his arm to squeeze myself into a much tighter position in the corner to my right. Maybe he would give me a weird look and assume I was part human part animal, either that or the possibility that I was just extremely coy. I would have liked for it to be at least the latter if I did climb underneath him, but I doubt that he would be so generous. So I stayed there.[/i]

When one of the boys threw his entire body weight against the door a second time, cords of shock went through her veins and a prickling sensation dominated her pale skin for moments. Why? Why did she have to suggest Ian even thinking about doing something for those kids in the hall? People died everyday trying to be a hero, but did she really want to be added to the "Person who tries to save other people" casualty list as well? Not really.

"So...do you always stuff the boys you meet on your first day at a school in a closet? Or is this simply a self indulgence for yourself?"

"O. no! I do this all the time, and as you could tell I'm evidently good at it." Replied Mai sarcastically. The attempts on trying to break the door open from the other side seemed to have stopped for a moment, so Mai waited another and prepared herself for another shock wave, but nothing happened.

One, two...[/i]

Nothing.

Three, four...[/i]

Nothing!

Five, six...[/i]

"Hey, I think they're gone." Said the blue-haired girl, excitement was thick in her voice for she didn't want to stay in that tiny closet for even a minute more - mostly because she was forced to stand more or less then six inches from a boy she had hardly even know. But when Mai turned around to face the door and placed her hands on the knob, she started to turn it but then remembered the lock, so then she switched that and tried again. And that is when her worst nightmare came true!


"It's jammed.."