Chapter 428: How I met My Best Friend Part 2
"Surely that can't be it though?" said the triplets.
Kat raised an eyebrow and glanced at Kamiko who shrugged before saying, "I really don't know what they mean it seems like you covered everything…"
The triplets shook their heads violently, their aquamarine hair bobbing from side to side as they did it. "No, no no. That's how you met her sure, but what did it take for her to become your best friend?"
Kat tapped her mouth a few times with a finger as she went over the question. *It's a little sad how easy it is to answer that question. They probably want a bit more… and I'll give it to them but…* "Really, she was my only friend, so she became my best friend by default"
The triplets frowned at Kat's response while Kamiko pouted off to the side. Kat saw this and grinned before continuing "Ok, so it was actually a bit longer of a journey then that. First is, we didn't magically become friends, and the bullies didn't stop then and there. Lily mostly avoided me for… a week? I want to say?
"During that time though, the three bullies would still do little things to Lily when I wasn't around. I caught them at the tail end of slamming her into a locker. Not hard, not really, but it nocked her glasses off and gave her a bruise the next day.
"So I did two things. I think it was… It was Tuesday when I said I'd take the bullying instead, and it was next Monday I caught them. Lily actually had a large bruise on the side of her face that next day, but anyway we're getting ahead of ourselves.
"Seeing what they did, I was tempted to just beat them up, but they were being a bit smarter then normal. They only went places as a group of three at the time, and they stuck to well travelled areas. They'd pick on Lily if they could, but they wouldn't go away from the crowds. I think they? knew I was on the look out for issues.
"So, I took to spending time with Lily. I'd sit next to her at lunch, follow her to classes that sort of thing. At the beginning she was terrified of me. I was some scary girl that could take on three other teens my age without backing down. Which… made me scarier then the bullies just because of that. If I scared them, I must be worse."
Kat could see that neither Kamiko nor the triplets were happy hearing this. To Kat it just seemed reasonable, and tried to explain for her now best friend. "Look, she was terrified. She'd just moved to a new school and the first thing that happens to her is she gets bullied and picked on, then some super tall girl threatens to beat up the bullies if they keep at it.
"For us, back on Earth… there is sort of an understanding between females. Well, not all of us, I certainly didn't care, but the others did. It was that we don't get into brawls. Spread all the horrible rumours you like, a bit of pushing and shoving is fine, sticking things to people's hair is probably the only one that would be considered over the line most of the time."
"Why?"? to Kat's surprise that question was asked by Kamiko and the triplets together.
"Um well… it's… it's sort of regarded as a cheap shot? Like… bruises are easily hidden, either with make up or clothes and they aren't that painful but ruining someone's hair, especially if it's long is basically the same as punching them every day for a few months because your appearance has been ruined. Do… do you guys not have that issue?" asked Kat
Kamiko shook her head. "Um… not really? A lot of demons' hair grows to the length we want it then it stops. For the ones that don't… there are plenty of people with the ability to manipulate hair, so even if you shaved it all off, or grew it down to your knees, just an afternoon at the hairdressers can fix it up."
*That… that makes an awful lot of sense actually. The whole reason that was something avoided and the bullies only did to me like… twice? Once? It wasn't much considering all the other shit they tried. Anyway, my point I'm making to myself is if you can have your hair however you like all the time and it's an easy fix it really isn't an issue.*
"Can you colour people's hair?" asked Kat
Kamiko bit her lips and looked to the triplets. The triplets all turned their eyes specifically to Kerra, who sighed. "Ok fine I do know the most about it. Changing hair colour around is actually a pretty weird subject. Some hair is considered part of your demonic features and it's VERY hard to change. Other demons' hair is easily changeable and can go through a unique colour a day… and then there are dyes, which… they tend to need to be specifically made for the demon in question and don't last long so if you're going that route it's expensive."
Once Kerra's explanation was over, all the eyes in the room drifted to Kat, clearly wanting her to continue the story. "Right, ok, so terrified Lily, bullies kept coming, I started following her around. This helped a lot with the bullying. They saw me around and didn't really know what to do. That lasted two weeks before they started doing things to me, and I just… let it happen, because I didn't care.
"Lily… she didn't really start opening up to me for a while. She also didn't hit her growth spurt until later on in her life, and she's always been a bit small. So this short, shy girl, with glasses that hides behind her hair all the time… she just kept herself in corners with me blocking the way. Well, she went to the corners, I joined her there… but half the time she made it look like I was keeping her there rather then it being her choice of where to sit.
"It took… three or four weeks? My memories a bit hazy on that, for her to finally talk to me. I remember it because the bullies threatened to lock her in a locker, and I said they weren't, they said 'well we'll just lock you in instead. That was the deal right?' to everyone's surprise, including Lily's I said yes and walked straight into the locker.
"Once they walked away, Lily looked so scared, still, but she worked up her courage to ask me 'why'. It was the only word she could get out. She clearly tried a few others but that's the one she eventually got out. I said 'well, you needed a bit of help, and I really don't mind'.
"That was the big turning point for us I think. See, Lily doesn't mind dark spaces, but she's hopeless with locks. She realised that I was trapped in their until someone let me out and she didn't know the combination to the locker. It was one of the bullies actually, which was rather funny if I'm honest.
"They actually got in trouble for that one, because the janitor found me real quick and asked what I was doing. Anyway, we don't need to get into that part. From then on Lily started to talk to me more and more. She was actually really good conversation. I was smart sure but Lily was, and still is brilliant. She's top of the class in practically everything and even that doesn't do her justice.
"She's always so nervous on tests. I personally think, if she'd gotten over her nerves earlier, she would have been able to apply for a scholarship anywhere she wanted with top grades in the state if not the country. Still, it didn't happen. She did open up a bit, and she chatted to me and the teachers, but basically nobody else.
"One of the bravest things she did… was that she'd accept one form of bullying from the other three. She said she was fine getting stuck in either her locker or my own. I… I think it was both a way to stand up for me a little and to throw the bullies for a loop. Having her in those lockers meant I knew the combination so I could let her out…
"And if they chose that form over something else, they wouldn't get in trouble for it. I'd let her out so the school wouldn't care, and it was part of the deal so I didn't strike back at the bullies for doing it. Still annoyed me of course, but it was just so much easier to keep them focused on me with Lily taking a little of the heat. The one time after that deal was made they poured a drink on Lily's homework I gave the girl a black eye. Never tried anything too bad with Lily ever again."
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