One

Miina swung into the car after her sister and brother, plopping herself onto the last seat left. She tapped her foot, hungry as hell. She was obviously eager to get to the Mexican Place (as everyone called it, instead of what it was really called). She looked over at her sister, who was only a year older than her, thirteen. She wore a black and white checkered mini skirt, black leggings, a black, too-big button-up shirt, and an old white belt around her waist. No makeup, though. She's allergic, which pissed her off. She flicked her long, black, silky and straight hair out of her eyes and caught Miina looking. She turned her head and smiled. It was fake, though. A fake smile. Miina stared intently at Cai until she looked down at her sketchbook, tugging on her sleeves. Miina sighed and checked Cai's twin brother, Reizo. He was calm, cool, and collected, just like his name claimed. The only part of his name he didn't follow was the well-groomed part. His brown hair was messy and he wore casual jeans and a white shirt with a black outline of a singer on the front. Their parents sat in the front, looking... well... parent-ly. They chatted for a moment and then their dad clicked a remote, closing the garage door, and pulling out of the driveway.

Life was the same, and boring.

Cai stared helplessly down at her sketchbook. She had gotten into a rare fight with Miina. They were normally happy sisters together, but Miina had seen Cai with a knife. Miina knew her sister inside out (disturbing as it sounds), and Miina definitely didn't want Cai cutting herself anymore. Cai stole a glance at Reizo. His eyes flicked to her and then back outside. He was angry, too, though you couldn't tell unless you looked into his eyes, and, well, could read eyes. Cai blushed and stared at her sketchbook again.

Reizo glared through his window. Why does she have to hurt herself? He thought. It annoyed him, because she knew he and Miina worried. Their parents -- amazingly -- didn't know about it. He wished she would learn to deal with her problems so she wouldn't harm anyone -- especially herself.

All three sat in silence as their parents rambled on to each other. Cai kept tapping her finger until Reizo reached over and put his hand on it to stop her. He had acute hearing and it bothered him, sometimes, when she did small things like that. The small noises are the ones that really ring out. Cai bit the inside of her lip and stopped moving her finger. Reizo pulled his hand back into his bubble and continued glaring in silence.

Things stayed like that for what seemed like an eternity. Even when they were at the restaurant. The drive home was killing Cai. She was desperate to get back into her own space. Her own room on her laptop and be lost in the world of the internet and her drawings and music. The silence between them was crushing, until their mom yelled, "Look out!" And the car screeched. Everyone gasped as they were flung to the side. Cai caught a flash of white outside the window before she grabbed Miina and hid her under her arm. She heard a small bump! The car spun once more, and then stopped. Everyone was breathing deeply. Miina was shaking under Cai's arm, and Reizo had pinned himself still to where the door met the seat, a shocked look on his face. Their parents looked around quickly.

"Are you guys alright?" They said.

They nodded, though Miina was still shaking.

"What happened?" Reizo asked. His voice was steady.

"There was a white dog in the middle of the road!" Their father said, running a hand through his long black hair. He removed his glasses and pinched the bridge of his nose, trying to compose himself. Their mother closed her hazel eyes and took deep breaths. A few cars beeped as they passed. There would no doubt be rumors the next day. In a town of 5,000, news travels fast. After a few minutes, they were ready to continue home.

* * *

Cai hopped into the hot shower. It felt great. She let her arms hang at her side and let the water run over her for a while, and then set to cleaning herself. She always did it in a certain order. Hair, face, shave, body. When she rubbed her arms with soap, she flinched and gasped. The earlier cuts stung hard. She tried to ignore them. She stepped out of the shower and toweled off. When she sat in front of her computer to check her mail, she thought she heard a wolf howl. She paused her music to listen, but only heard the usual noises from around the house. She replayed the spot in her song to see if she had missed it before, but she didn't hear it again. She finally just passed it as in her head. After all, a lone wolf howling on a full moon night? Too ironic. Too dramatic. Too... random!

* * *

Cai walked into school a bit late. She realized it when she saw that her ex-boyfriend and friend had already gotten there. Their spot was behind the "Pop machines" (which actually only gave water, juice, and gatorade) in the corner. It was nice, because it wasn't really out in the open. (Though there were a few times they really hurt themselves with two walls in the same small space). Willie was sitting on the bench in the corner, as always. Tobi was sitting on the ground where the water machine and the wall met -- as always. Willie looked up and then down at his lap again. He hardly ever talked. Tobi finished the picture she was drawing as Cai swung her bag under the bench.

"Caicai!" Tobi chanted. "Read this!" She shoved a short fan comic into Cai's face. Cai took it and read it eagerly. Tobi always made funny comics that cheered people up on bad days. But the only people that it cheered up were nerds like them. No one else would even get it. Cai smiled as she read and then cried with laughter at the end, falling to her knees. Willie looked down at her with a straight face. May came up behind her and stared down, smiling confusedly.

"Oh... kay... then..." Tobi handed her the comic and she started laughing, too.

"How're your cuts?" Tobi asked. Cai rolled up the sleeves of her faded pink jacket and showed her.

"Still open, but not bleeding." The cuts were red and itchy, but they weren't messy. The bell rang all too soon, and they had to part to head for first hour. Cai stuffed her bag into her locker and reached for her social studies book. She heard the loud popular people talking to each other, and something made her eavesdrop.

"... new kid?" She heard.

"Ooh, is it a guy?"

"Is he hot?"

"Dunno, I just heard about it yesterday while I was getting stuff from the office. They were talking about how the kid lives alone!"

"Alone?"

"Wow! So cool!"

"I hope he's hot!"

So there's a new kid. Woo hoo. Cai thought sarcastically. She altogether didn't care much because, honestly, if they were hot, there was a pretty good chance she would hardly get to know them. Besides, she wasn't interested in love, only something to decorate the room to make it less drab.

She pushed her way through the crowd and stumbled into social studies. She dropped her things on my desk and sat down, head on her arms. Not many people talked to her in social studies, unless Courtney needed help with homework, or something. Cai busied herself putting her things under her desk. While the teacher talked.

"Class, we have a new student today. Please welcome Mr. Michael Wolf." Cai looked up, curious to see if there would be another popular conman.

But no. What she saw, was something unlike anything she imagined.