A Little Obsession

"Lain?"

Arisu looked worriedly at her quiet friend, as she gazed off into the chalkboard.

The teacher had wandered off, class officially over and the room was practically empty, excepting Lain, Arisu, Juri, and Reika.

Slowly, almost painfully so, Lain looked up at Arisu. A soft intake of breath, and Arisu was captured. Lain's eyes were a gentle swirl of caramel, but there was no soul behind them. No one was there quite yet.

"Lain...?"

Arisu's voice was barely above a whisper, hoping to bring her friend back to the present, wondering wherever it was she went.

"Come on, Arisu. I have to go buy a new outfit for tonight. Who cares about her."
Reika's voice dripped with sarcasm, and looked upward, boredly, brushing her dark hair out of her face.

Arisu and the girls were supposed to go to Cyberia tonight, but she wasn't so keen on going, wanting to find out more about Lain. Lain. Her estranged, shy friend. What made her so quite, so anti-social. So...breathtakingly beautiful.

"Yes...Arisu?"

There...Lain had come back to reality. She was here and had said her name. So softly, excrutiatingly soft. She realized that she had been staring, and stood up quickly, attempting to hide the pink tinge of color on her cheeks.

"Hmm...why don't you come with us to Cyberia?"

A groan sounded from Reika, and Juri looked confused.

"Why?"

The question through Arisu off-guard, she glanced at the girls in a plead for help, but realizing she would find none, she smiled, shoving Reika playfully,

"Because I bet you are a completely different person when you party."

A snort sounded from Reika, and Juri tugged on her sleeve plaintively.

"I would like to see Lain a little more ...crazy? What do you say Reika-chan?"

Lain looked back down at her desk, her notebook that was supposed to hold her math notes had been filled with strange symbols that she barely recognized. Where had her mind been?

Arisu watched as the dark brown strand of hair fell over Lain's eyes, hiding them from view, and she felt the strongest urge to push it to the side, just to see her.

"Maybe some other time?"

A low whisper, barely audible.

"Whatever, she probably has to go to bed while we get ready to have a little fun."

Reika's eyebrow raised and she turned, hoisting her bag on her shoulder, and left the room. Juri followed quickly, not wanting to be left behind. "Reika-chan!!! Wait for me!!!"

The classroom grew quiet, save for the breathes of two adolescent girls, and the constant hum of electricity that fueled the lights.

Lain looked at the chalkboard, her eyes glazing over once more, seemingly lost in the math equations. Arisu knew better.

"What do you see, Lain?"

A fierceness entered the color of Lain's eyes, an irritance that Arisu had not known Lain was capable of.

"Nothing...I have to go."

Lain bit her lip, slowly putting her notebook into her bag and standing to leave.

"Reika better watch herself, else she may find danger in her midst."

With that, Lain maneuvered her body away from Arisu and down the aisle of desks. Once reaching the door, she looked back, but only long enough to mutter under her breath, knowing Arisu would hear her perfectly.

"Tell her that."

Then she was gone.

Arisu exhaled loudly, the sound echoing in the empty classroom. She hadn't realized she held her breath for so long, it almost hurt her lungs, her vision whitening. Shaking her head, she looked out the window to see Reika and Juri walking, the girlier of the two grasping onto Reika's sleeve as if she were her favourite pillow.

Reika...in danger?

What had Lain meant?

Glancing back at the board, she scrunched up her eyes, hoping to catch a glimpse of whatever it was Lain saw there. After a few moments, she gave up feeling a bit silly. They were only math equations...not that she understood any of them. She was too busy watching her. Lain.