Chapter four
(Sept 19th Friday)

It was two più days until the rain had finally stopped. Because of this a fair amount of the school got soaked when one student, whose name was Chad, opened the door to the inside courtyard, and allowed all the built-up water to not only rush into him and soak his clothes, but also a bit of the inside-hallways.

Grace had walked da and found herself surprised not at all to find Rynk sliding in it without a care in the world, o dimension in this case. The janitor’s blue pelliccia changed red that day, and it wasn’t going to go back any time soon.

Thankfully it was eventually cleaned, and da Friday students were back to one last giorno of school before Saturday. From Saturday through Sunday the students were allowed off campus, and could virtually go anywhere they wanted to. They were however dato special injections of a tacking fluid, as to ensure they did not get Lost o were gone too long. It was not a painful process, and the liquid was not harmful, but the students did not enjoy the lack of privacy it made.

On Friday though it was a nice day. Grace enjoyed it a bit più for the reason of her switching her art-class with gym. This gave her two sets of gym, but she did not mind after the bore she found in her art-class.

As usual, Rynk was there too.

“Hey Grace!” She waved in her cheerful disposition.

Grace was getting a bit ticked at Rynk mostrare up every single time something like this happened. Well… not every time. Every time but one. It was getting a bit weird.

“Are te following me, Rynk?” Grace asked, trying to sound più confused than annoyed.

“Nope. I’ve always had two gym-classes. I Amore P.E. Especially the rope-climbing.” It was true. Rynk was fairly good at it as well. Anything involving running jumping and especially climbing would have her all over it. te could tell da the light grey T-shirt she wore that stated brightly “PARKOUR”. But today was different. There was a group game that the instructor, whose name no one could remember, detto that every student had to play at least once. It was called Dodge-ball.

“Uh… I’m guessing it involves balls that te dodge but what’s this game?” Rynk asked.

Grace was a bit off-guard for this one. “You…’ve… never played Dodge-ball?”

“Neeeeeeeeeope.”

“Why?”

“Didn’t get the time, wasn’t around many people, bleeding to death, running, parkou-“

“Wait, wait, wait. Bleeding to death?” Grace tried to not look at the anklet on Rynk’s foot that would always weird her out da the amount of blood stained onto it.

“Kidding. So what’s this game?” Rynk said. With a straight face she detto it, though Grace did not believe her. Sadly it was too late, because Rynk had already changed the subject.

“Well uh…” Grace scratched her head. “Well I don’t know if we’re doing the cerchio way o the one where we’re all against a wall, but basically one person… o più have a ball, and they try to hit the other people with it. If te catch a ball thrown at te the person who threw it is out, if it hits te you’re out, and if it misses te can pick it up and throw it at someone else… just make sure te through it at the opposite side.”

“Really? Cool. When we sta-“ *RIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIING!* And the game began.

A red-blur when right over Rynk’s head. Her very large ears fell just in time to not be hit, but it went straight into Grace’s face instead.

When the ball stopped sticking to Grace’s face, she took on a scowl that would horrify a grown man. The student who threw it, who was the infamous Slice, was too busy laughing. Rynk herself was mystified as to why he was still in the school, and not in Juvenile Hall, but did not let on.

Grace slowly clutched the ball in her hands, her fingers digging well into its rubbery surface, stepped back, then leaped forward, sending the ball hurdling straight in between Slice’s legs. The scream of dead future children could be heard a mile. As well, it was then that Rynk realized that being in a school with Grace’s wrath was much worse than children-prison.
*Skills listed for “Grace”: “Art, and… a keen eye”*

And the games began.

Grace herself was doing very well at hitting every single student on the opposite side before they could even aim at her, while Rynk was simply trying to dodge what she could. She was surviving fairly, but then a ball came straight at her face.

In a split-second, Rynk had back-flipped into the air, and was currently standing on the side of the bacheca as if she was spider-girl. In short, the ball missed.

“CHEATER!!” A student yelled as he launched a fire-ball at Rynk. Rynk simply caught it in the palm of her hand, squeezed it hard, and defused it. She landed, then with a glare, walked up to the boy and held up her hand for him to see the burned-through skin, revealing metal Bones completely untouched.

The boy was not phased, while Grace could not decide whether to strangle the boy, o if Rynk was overreacting… both, she thought to herself.

“PLAY FAIR o YOU’RE OUT!” The instructor blared in his deep voice before blowing the whistle.

“Uh, Coach, her hand’s kinda burned through!” Grace yelled.

The instructor had not noticed this, and quickly took Rynk da the hand and examined the wound. Rynk glared at the coach with deadly eyes, which creeped a few of the players out. Grace noticed both the hand wound, and Rynk’s attitude. It was… surprising.

“I’m FINE!” Rynk tugged her hand free and walked off a bit. The instructor put her out of the first round, without sending her to nurse strangely. When Rynk came back into the sport, her hand was back to normal health again.

“Metal bones, sticks to walls, regenerates. Any più powers?” Grace called to her. Rynk was too busy throwing rubber balls to hear her, which was of course what she wanted Grace to think, and of course Grace saw through it.

“No one with ears that big would not be able to hear that.” She muttered under her breath.

After class…

“You okay, Rynk?” Grace asked as they wiped off some sweat with a few wet towels.

“Me? Fine. Why?” Rynk inquired, completely oblivious.

“Well te kinda went darksied on that kid. I mean, yeah he was a jerk, but-“

“I didn’t hurt him. I just showed him what his ‘gifts’ can cause.” Rynk started to walk off, slightly ticked, but Grace grabbed her shoulder lightly.

“Rynk, what’s wrong? Did something happen?” Grace couldn’t really believe she was trying to comfort Rynk. Not that she was a mean person, just the fact that she wasn’t use to being the supportive one in their little Duo. But Rynk’s face was angry, and this was not close to what Grace had seen before.

“Nothing, happened. I just don’t like him.” Rynk shrugged Grace off and walked off.

“What was that about?” Grace thought to herself. Rynk hadn’t acted like that before. Did something happen? Something with her parents maybe?

A short, yet slightly devious idea sprouted for Grace about sneaking in and getting Rynk’s file, though she imagined it would be much harder to get Rynk to ignore it than a wasted student.

The successivo day…

Saturday was a nice time. The school was much less crowded, much less loud, and perfect for exploring, getting ahead in school for, and of course, sleeping. A lot of the students were gone, but a few stayed behind.

Grace woke up at TEN A.M. and though she did want to run off for the day, she also was extremely curious about what was up with Rynk. She sadly did not know where her dorm room was, and spent an ora searching for her.

As she walked she saw the Australian fox, Craiger, walk by, and quickly turned her head away from him. He noticed her, but walked on.

She found Rynk outside, climbing up the side of the building. There was one other student doing the same. A male one. Grace assumed it was a spider-mobian, o some anti-gravity-type, but they were both getting out of view so she quickly yelled “RYNK! YO!!”

Yo? She wouldn’t be repeating that word any time soon.

Rynk quickly looked down, detto something to the boy, most likely that she had to go, then jumped down to the pavement, making it crack slightly.

“Ups.” Rynk detto in slight surprise to her action. She shrugged it off, and turned to Grace. “Wazzup?”

“Rynk, what got te so upset yesterday? And can we talk inside? The sun’s really bright.”

Rynk sighed then started inside, motioning for Grace to follow. Rynk leaned up against a bacheca with her arms crossed and detto “What do te want to know?”

“What did he do that got te so ticked off?” Grace asked again, getting slightly annoyed da all the repeating of that question.

“Aside from jump to conclusions, yell at me, attack me, use his powers illegally, and look ugly?” Rynk asked teasingly, though her face was più annoyed. “He just reminded me of someone.”

“Who?”

Rynk looked up at Grace then down again. “Grace, I don’t exa-“ Rynk could not finish her sentence because Grace was currently hiding behind her back now. Rynk turned her head around the school and saw Craiger walking by.

“Honestly! What’s so wrong about a cute ausey guy?!” She questioned as she removed her hiding-place position. Grace was already gone. “Grace?” Rynk turned her head and saw Grace walking up to a teenage-aardwolf male student.

Rynk curiously follows of course. “Hi.” Rynk waves with her cheerful-self coming back.

“Hello.” The lupo greeted in a slightly shy, yet socialable tone.

“Do te know him, Grace?” Rynk inquired.

“Uh yeah… y- te could say that.” Grace answered nervously. She did not want to go one about their past, but Dante apparently did not know that.

“I used to know Grace from a long time ago. Back when she was uh…” Dante realized himself that this was not a good topic, but Rynk had already guessed part of the truth.

“living on the streets?” Rynk asked. Both of them turned their attention to her a bit più just then.

“How did you…” Grace was half surprised only da this seeing how Rynk had made a few hints about knowing already, but she did not expect it so soon.

“Imma guess te two were Friends back when te lived with parents, then te either moved, o ran away maybe? And met up again, then left cause one of te did something wrong?”

Both mobians froze. Only one conclusion arose. Rynk had already known about them years ago, o at least looked them up, o something. But when asked, her reply was simply “I’m imaginative… wait I got it right?”

Grace did not believe Rynk was really THAT imaginative. No one could be. Right?

“It’s not like I can’t sympathize.” Rynk added, which in turn added più mystery. Dante was about to ask what was up with her, when Craiger walked up to them.

“G’day mate, Sheela, and Croikey.” He chuckled. Grace made a mental note never to mention meeting him to anyone.

“Another new friend?” Dante questioned.

Craiger chuckled. “Hardly. G-R-A- er I mean,” Craiger remembered the tongue-threat and decided to lay off the joke for his own good, “Grace heah doesn’t exactly give me the time of day.”

“I know that feelin-“ Dante was pulled aside da Grace before he could finish.

As they chatted, Rynk and Craiger had a small chat as well.

“So… does she still hate me?” Craiger inquired in a slightly sincere tone.

“Nah. Just give her time.” Rynk detto with a nudge. “She’ll probably end up liking you, if this is one of those Soap-Opera’s I’ve heard about.”

Craiger chuckled. “Ah’ve got an idea.” They both walked over to Dante and Grace, and Craiger announced “So anyone want ta go eat at some burgah joint? Ah’ll pay if te want.”

“I’m up for it.” Dante shrugged.

“Me too.” Rynk seconded.

“I’m out.” Grace sighed.

“Me too.” Rynk seconded.

“Wait, te don’t have to stay because of me, Rynk.” Grace assured.

“Yeah I do.” Rynk chuckled. “You’re my only friend in this school.”

“So you’re going to choose me over some cute Australian fox, and my old… f-friend?” Grace had to force friend in there. She was still recovering from having Dante back in her literal life.

“Oh so Ah’m cute again?” Craiger teased.

“I WAS TALKING THROUGH RYNK’S VIEW!” Grace snapped. She turned to Rynk again. “Seriously. I’ll be okay. Go have fun.”

Grace turned to leave, but Rynk still followed, and Dante and Craiger left. Grace didn’t even notice Rynk still being there for a second.

She turned around and felt an all too familiar feeling. Both of them did. It was più than a week fa that Grace attempted to ditch Rynk rather abruptly, so why was it she always wanted to be around Grace? Was it a big-sister kind of deal? Grace was at least two years older than Rynk, so it could be possible, and Rynk was almost always alone when not with Grace, o when finding a brief play-mate, which did not happen too often.

“Rynk, what is it that makes te want to stay around me? Do te want me to say I’m sorry?” Grace pleaded.

“Well an apology wouldn’t be exactly a bad thing I guess,” Rynk answered, “but I just like being with you. I can relate to you. That and I’m wondering when you’re finally going to stop looking at my anklet and ask what it’s about.”

Grace gulped. “You noticed, huh?”

“Actually everyone stares at it.” Rynk muttered. “But it’s better than starring at something else.”

Grace nodded. “So what IS the story about that?”

“What can I say?” Rynk shrugged. “I’m a strada, via Urchin.”

“I KNEW IT!” Was what Grace wanted to say. It was a bit strange though. Aside from the anklet, Rynk never looked like a homeless-person. This was different. “Street Urchin? You?”

“Yep, me. All my life. No parents. No friends. I even had a little vigilante-name.” Rynk informed.

“Vigilante? You’re a super-hero too?” Grace asked in dis-belief.

Rynk chuckled. “Hardly. I just beat up people that tried to wrong me. I’d make little moon shapes on them after I wasted em as my calling card I guess te could say.”

Rynk…a murderer, and strada, via urchin. How did this compute? Grace sure didn’t know. She did know however that this creeped her out. It felt a bit like the feeling someone would get in a game called Ib, when te find out what the character really is, and they start talking strange.

To say the least, Grace took a step back. “What’s wrong?” Rynk asked with a concerned tone.

“You killed people?” Grace asked lightly. She was no stranger to killing herself, but with another person, it was different.

“Not on purpose!” Rynk defended. “I had to survive! They attacked me! They were trying to put me back in… in…” Rynk shuddered with her eyes shut tight as if it was getting extremely cold inside.

“Back in?” Grace new she shouldn’t press more, but she did.

“… Never mind. I’ll… I’ll see te tomorrow I guess.” And with that, Rynk walked off. Grace didn’t chase after her. She knew that Rynk would probably just get mad o hostile. She didn’t blame her. Whatever happened during Rynk’s life was not pleasant, and Grace knew unpleasant from personal experience.