E Is For Enemy

Chapter Twenty Three

Karma's P.O.V.

My head was pounding, feeling a hundred times worse than my worst hangover.

The fact that I could feel myself moving up and down to some bumps told me two things; I was in a car, this wasn't going to help relieve my headache anytime soon.

I tried to move my arms but they felt as heavy as cement, and I could feel the rope around my wrists tying my hands together.

They already got Shuu, and now it's my turn, I thought to myself. Now it's my turn.

I tried to roll onto my back, but that caused an explosion of pain and nausea, so I laid still, waiting for my strength to return. My hands were in front of my face, and I focused on them, slowly moving one finger at a time, until I knew I had full control again. I tried to slip free of the ropes, but they were tied too tight.

I was on my side, and I managed to push myself onto my elbows, before my arms shook and I collapsed to the floor of the car again.

No, not a car, a van. I was in the back, alone.

I could smell the metallic scent of blood, and glanced down to see my clothes were splattered with it. Half of it was mine. The other half...well...

Luckily, I still had my memories.

I had faithfully followed Shuu's orders, (last time I'll ever be doing that), and went down to the parking lot to wait. The last thing I had wanted to do was leave Shuu and Ren in a room together, but what was he going to do besides blubber lame apologies and excuses? Shuu could handle him.

I had snuck around to the side of the school, where I knew there was a blind spot in the principals cameras. Just because I was listening to Gakushuu Asano's orders didn't mean I didn't want anyone to know about it.

I had just been wasting time on my phone, waiting for Shuu to text me to come back in.

-

I re-read our text messages, and smiled.

Never had I thought this scenario would be happening. Asano was always in a different league than me, despite both of us being smart and athletic. Was it just because he chose academics over beating up criminals that we got so separated in life? If I had controlled my anger more, would we have grown up to be the best of friends?

No, as much as I liked Shuu, the part of me that couldn't ignore injustice had won out. Besides, I'm sure his father never would have allowed us to be friends growing up.

"Karma Akabane?"

I looked up, surprised to see two men in suits and sunglasses walking up to me.

"Who are you?" I asked, ignoring their question.

"Verbally confirm you are Karma Akabane," they ignored me right back.

The one on the left was holding up a phone, no doubt recording this, and making no attempt to hide it. Obviously they really needed to make sure I was the person they were after, probably to prove it to someone higher up.

I knew at once that these were the people responsible for taking Shuu. And now they wanted me.

"No, I'm not." I replied, crossing my arms. "You should leave before I call campus security over. You're grown men harassing an innocent student at a prestigious school, I'll make sure you lose your jobs for this."

I knew I couldn't let on that I knew who they were, it was better to pretend like a stuck up honor roll student and find the soonest way out of here so I could call Gakuho.