Bible Black - The Novel (in progress)

Monday ~ April 20th

The First Day

Part One ~ Morning ~ Home & School

"Minase..." A sweet voice called my name from out of the darkness, but I paid it no mind.

I loved sleeping. Curled up in my bed, floating through a tranquil other-world devoid of any responsibility. Like a fetus bathing in its amniotic ignorance, dreaming not of love or riches or fame. I felt safe in that place and content to be nothing more than a heart beating by the grace of random chance. It was a perfect existence for someone like me, but not everyone would agree.

"...Minase?" She poked at my shoulder. I refused to move.

This was my favorite time of the day, when you wake up and without even opening your eyes, roll over to sleep some more. But more often than not my plans were ruined by a devil masquerading as an angel. Like a vampire, she wasn't going to stop until every last drop of tranquility was consumed by her evil desire to get me out of bed. Of course, if it wasn't for her, I'd probably never make it to school at all. I guess that's what you would call a necessary evil.

"Minase!"

Only one person could be so annoying that early in the day. Her name was Kurumi Imari, my personal tormentor and next door neighbor. If it wasn't for her my life would have been perfect. I could have stayed in bed all day.

"Oh! What am I going to do with you?"

"You could try being a little quieter," I suggested.

"What? You're awake and you're just laying there like a lump?"

"Ouch! Hey! Stop it!" I opened my eyes and rubbed my forehead where she'd hit me. Not a real punch, but a pretty good slap all the same.

"I see you're awake," Imari said, bending over my bed and smiling down at me. Her aqua-green eyes twinkled and only a girl like her could find such abuse amusing.

"Are you some kind of sadist?" I wondered. "What did you do that for?"

"Because it's time to wake up," she replied. "Come on! Get out of bed. I can't believe anyone sleeps as much as you do."

"Get your hands off me," I said, shrugging away from her. "I can get out of bed by myself."

"Obviously you can't," she retorted, but Imari did step back. Crossing her arms impatiently over her breasts like a policewoman.

She wore her school uniform, as one would expect. Her white blouse had probably been starched, the creases looked so perfect. Imari's red skirt was precisely hemmed to mid-thigh, pleated with just enough flounce to show off the white panties underneath if she wasn't careful. She wore dark cover-alls with brass buttons, which didn't cover all that much. Dark nylon stockings and the same school tie every other student wore. It wasn't a bad uniform, in my opinion. Kind of sexy in a way, and fastidious Imari always looked nice in hers.

"What are looking at?" she wondered, biting her lip and looking down at herself. "Do I have a stain? Did I spill something?"

"Huh?" I shrugged. "I was just thinking how much sexier you would look in a shorter skirt."

"Excuse me?" Imari stared at me for several seconds. "You pervert! Stop looking at me like that!"

"Like what?" I waved my hand at her. "You're right anyway. Nobody wants to see those skinny legs."

"You!" She hit me again, this time slugging me in the shoulder.

"Yeoow!"

"Get dressed. You don't even have time for breakfast now."

"What a nag," I sighed, rubbing my shoulder.

She turned around while I dressed, standing near my desk and looking out the bedroom window. I suppose most girls would have gone to another room, but not Imari. Most girls wouldn't come by a boy's house every morning just to wake him either. She did it for me though and the reason why wasn't complicated -- We'd been best friends since childhood.

After my father had taken a job promotion in another city, I'd been able to finally escape my overbearing parents an

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