The bell rang again. Gata muttered a few sinister sounding curses at the binder she carried which had conspired against her this morning having expelled its contents across the sidewalk. Quickly kneeling down to the ground she began to gather up her homework, books and the few drawings she had brought to doodle more of while in socials class.

Then she realized that one of her drawings was missing. She looked around but it wasn't in sight. Sighing as the bell rang for the third time she slumped her shoulders. She was late to class now anyways so she might as well go look for it.

She caught sight of it just as she tuned the corner, it must have fallen out first, a herald of the disaster to come she thought ironically. Bending over to pick it up a play full gust of wind decided not to let it be that easy. The page flew down the street, mocking Gata in her mind, as it flew.

"Your not going anywhere!" She called after the inanimate object as she gave chase. No one was around so she did not feel quite as constrained as she might have. She hated crowds and more she hated to be the centre of attention and running down the street, demanding its obedience, of a fleeing piece of paper would probably have earned her that title had anyone been watching.

The gust hit an additional crosswind and the page slipped around a corner into one of the well kept parks around the school campus. Diving around the corner her had outstretched she ran headlong into something soft with hard metal spots. Looking up, already having a feeling about it, she gazed right into the eyes of a young man whom was a bit shorter than her but seemed quite fit and had managed to keep her from falling on her face as she had nearly run him over. Not having any idea what to say she started to stammer something and then saw him holding the page of paper in his other hand.

Looking back at the page, the young man grinned at her with a giant mirth filled smile that was so infectious she almost caught it herself but her sudden fear of anyone looking at her art overruled everything and she snatched the paper back, blushing fiercely.

The young man seemed totally un-offended and he just smiled at her with his eyes that brimmed with unconditional acceptance. She tore her gaze from his face to take in the young man in full. He was dressed in what seemed like some kind of deep blue leather coat and pants that had hand sized metal plates placed all over it. Gata assumed they were decorational but there was no guarantee that they did not have some other purpose. The young mans hair matched his cloths in that it was also a deep blue that looked almost natural. Gata could not argue that however, her own deep purple locks were natural and there were many others beings around the city with hair colours beyond the human norm.
She nearly jumped out of her skin though when the young man spoke. His voice sounded younger than she had expected, he had to be no older than 16, but of course judging people by appearances was the foolish thing one could do in a world where there were such a vast multitude of speicies.

"You draw quite well! But umm..... what are they doing exactly? Are they fighting?"

Gata's face becomes even redder as she realizes that the page that had escaped her was a very private one that she had no intention of talking about to... well anyone... ever.

"It's... their doing... it's nothing." She wanted to run but felt a bit guilty about nearly ploughing down this poor kid, she now kind of thought of him as a kid, the picture he had seen was of a sexual nature but he had seemed oblivious to it. She shrugged. Maybe he was retarded.

"I have to go I'm late for my first class." Gata said quickly just wanting to leave this awkward situation.

"Oh I'm sorry! I didn't mean o make you late!" The Kid said, his eyes filling with some distress and sympathy for Gata. Though it only made her feel worse since it looked to her like the kid was blameing himself for her running into him now.

"No! Don't worry its fine! I'll.. uhh just get to class now. Later kid!"

Dashing off Gata shook her head a bit as she looked over her shoulder and spotted the kid waveing to her as she ran off. Shaking her head again she wondered about him being retarded again but shook it off. There was something about that kid. She would have died if anyone else had seen her picture, but this kid, he seemed totally sincere about liking it and what's more, she knew he was nice and she had learned to go with her gut feelings even if they had been horribly wrong before.

Looking up Gata spotted the janitor closing the main entrance to the mid year classes and she poured on the speed into a full, all out run.