the sevens | 𝘵𝘰𝘪𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘢𝘬𝘰 𝘬𝘶𝘯

𝑠𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛

My first official meeting is today just as Ms.Yako mentioned during our encounter. Sakura told me to meet them in a classroom of the old building. I don't know why they would want to meet up in a building that is barely standing up on its own. Not to mention, that it's so late out too. The Sevens really are a strange bunch.

I didn't know what the meeting was going to be about but Sakura did mention that they were briefly going to explain how I should receive my award during the assembly next week. According to them, there's a special way I should walk up the stage and receive a piece of paper.

As much as I wanted to turn around and head the other way, I reminded myself that I couldn't live like this forever. Living in a state of fear was somewhere I had grown accustomed to. So what if Amane exposed me? It's not like I'd lose my spot in the sevens for doing so, right? At least that is what I kept telling myself in order to distract myself from the impending doom that seemed to surround me right now. And roaming around an empty building that was rumoured to be haunted wasn't making things any better either. It is said that the ghost of a young boy roams the old hallways. It could be true considering the old building used to be for the elementary and middle school division back in the old days. Now the academy is solely for highschoolers and this old building is used for storage purposes only.

I can't really see my way around the building and the flashlight from my phone isn't really helping. The creaking from the wooden floor is so loud even though I'm walking slowly. I just really hope nothing grabs my ankles and drags me away.

Once I reach room 107 and I open the door I realize that nobody is in there. The empty classroom feels eerie. The room is filled with empty chairs and desks, and the windows are covered up with wooden panels.

I stand here dumbfounded for a couple seconds. Did they go somewhere else? But it seems like no one has been inside this classroom for years. It looks so dusty and uninhabitable. When I close the door, I suddenly hear some footsteps coming towards me which makes my skin crawl. I quickly start walking away from the classroom not turning back.

The footsteps pick up in pace. The creaking of the wooden floor becomes louder. A shadowy figure follows me and I am completely and utterly terrified. My chest begins to heave up and down. I can't breath. I can't even yell. My only goal is to reach the exit but before doing so, an arm wraps around me and a cold hand covers my mouth.

"It's me Amane." He whispers.

Upon hearing his voice I begin to relax but that doesn't stop me from elbowing him in the stomach. A very well deserved elbow to the stomach for scaring the crap out of me. What kind of sicko chases after someone in the middle of the night?

A loud ow escapes his lips.

"You freaking scared me!" I yell at him and then I punch him in the arm five times. "Why! Did! You! Do! That!"

He swerves away from me and puts a finger on his lips. "Shhh!"

"Don't shhh me."

He sighs. "Listen, this is part of the initiation process."

I feel my eyes bulge out. "The what?" He tries reaching for my arm but I jerk it away from him. "What did you say?"

"All new members go through this. I came here to tell you before you completely freaked out."

I roll my eyes. "Too late for that don't you think?"

When we exit the old building, I continue to walk close by him. Only because I'm scared and not because I want to be near him or anything. He smells kind of nice, like expensive cologne. The sweet nuzzling scent of roses mixed with juniper berries. I feel like a weirdo for inhaling his scent but it's kind of unavoidable due to our proximity.

This whole situation is crappy if you ask me. I know that this is part of their stupid initiation process but still, it's not funny. What part of sending a teenage girl to an old building that might be haunted and then letting her get rescued by a boy who hates her guts is not funny at all. Although, I am starting to think Amane doesn't hate me as much as I think he does considering he came out of his way to quote on quote tell me that I was being pranked.

"Let them think that you figured this out by yourself." He tells me.

I cross my arms. "Totally not cool. And why did you come out here? Don't you hate me or something?"

A smirk forms on his lips. "I don't hate you."

"Kind of seemed like it that day at the garden. Blackmailing me and stuff." I mutter.

He sighs. "Look, I'm not going to spill your secret. Plus, I came as an apology for what happened the other day. I don't know what I was thinking."

A wave of relief washes over my body. And I don't know if my eyes are deceiving me but I think he is blushing. He doesn't look like the type of person that apologizes often so he's probably flustered.

"And I was going to apologize immediately after I yelled at you but you kicked me in the groin so that made me dislike you a little more." He adds.

I pointed an accusing finger at him. "What was I supposed to do? Just lay there? Excuse me but no and to my defense, you had plenty of times to apologize like when we were in class and when I sat with you guys yesterday."

"But...you could've hit me anywhere else but there. Wouldn't have that been awkward though? I know it's not an excuse but--"

"Of course it's not!" I say, my voice high and shrill.

"Sorry, I was just mad." He grips the back of his neck. "That my brother's place was so easily given."

I sigh and surprise myself when I say, "I'll just forget it happened."

He turns around to face me. "Huh?"

"The incident." I look down at the sidewalk and kick a nearby pebble. "I mean we are going to be together most of the time so it'd be awkward if I didn't forget about it."

"Thanks." He says, his eyes warm and cautious. I don't know where we should go from here. What do I say to him now?

"By the way how did you get initiated?" I ask. "And do you even like being part of The Sevens? You never look happy around them."

His lips twitch. "I got sent to an abandoned house to find a key. And I don't necessarily like it."

"Ouch, that's pretty harsh. And what do you mean by that?"

He shrugs. "I don't like the program. I don't have anything against the members but I keep them at an arm's length for personal reasons. I was forced to be in the program because of my father and I really can't disobey the old man."

I laugh half-heartedly. "Well you only have less than a year left so I'm sure you'll make it. I just hope your brother doesn't get in trouble since I took his place and all."

"He went missing so I doubt he'll get in trouble."

"I am so sorry. I-I didn't know" I whisper.

"Don't be."

I feel sorry for him. It must be hard dealing with a family's disappearance. When someone dies at least you know that. But when someone disappears, you don't know whether they are dead, hurt, or alive. You don't know anything and all the what if's fill your head. The anguish is enough to break your heart for the remaining of your days.

When I turn my head to look at him. He stretches his arms and yawns as if nothing ever happened. "You don't have to feel sorry for me." He says as he ruffles the top of my hair. "Don't let your guard down either."

When he waves goodbye, all I see is his back disappearing into the darkness.

Now that I am alone, I feel so small and invisible walking in such a big campus. It's like I could get sucked into any crevice at any given moment and no one would notice. Sometimes I felt like disappearing too.