"It is true! I saw something!" The young girl continued to cry out as she was dragged down the hall.

"Unbelievable," Her Aunt scorned as she gripped her wrist tightly, "You little liar!"

"I'm not a liar! There was something in the fireplace, I swear!"

Hearing the shouting from the hall a man of business collected himself in the next room. It was obvious the woman now standing before him retained a great deal of wealth to her name as he loitered in her household, her outfit emulating her pail skin as her eyes appeared drab. The room he was in was nearly half the size of his own household, decorated with fine furniture and high luminous ceilings.

Removing his glasses the trembling elderly man made an inquiry with a smack to his lips, "Is this the young girl, Mrs. Kein?"

Orihime stopped her fuss at the sight of him and her wrist was set free, knocked forward by her Aunt so quickly it jarred her.

"This is indeed."

Swiftly her Aunt left her side to properly take her seat on the old couch across from the stranger, leaving the twelve year old on display. She adjusted her gown until she was comfortable, raising a brow at the adviser as he examined the youth.

It appeared no better of an explanation was necessary from the lady as the man bent downward. The girl appeared timid, her auburn hair in a terrible mess as she bunched up her dress inside her fists.

"Orihime is it?" The stout man inquired as Orihime shrank in position. Raising his brows at her nervous nod he forced an excuse as he saw none, "What is the reason for posting adoption?"

The antiquated woman held herself respectively when reprimanding, "She's a hindrance to this household. She's a liar and she get's in the way."

He observed how the woman's contentious words barely afflicted the child. And after a brief silence between both family members he dismissed himself, withholding his thoughts. "I'll go get the papers then."

Once from sight Orihime grew closer to her Aunt who attempted not to share eye-contact with the adolescent beauty.

"You will be cursed as my parents watch your wickedness from above."

Her first day was dishonorable. She had not yet fully stepped inside the doors before being acclaimed a sinful child, already earning herself the name with her relatives assistance. When disrobing in front of the other girls her dress was taken from her possession as all else, though she had never truly believed to have owned it from the beginning.

From that day on she wore the schools horrid uniform and ate the simply rotten food she was given. She grew to cast any of her opinions aside and remained silent inside the school unless asked to speak, slowly growing faded in the background.

She had no one. She was an outcast.

In the midst of being surrounded by several others it seemed she never did right by them, withstanding another affliction.

"Look at it."

Orihime knelt on the grass, turned away, pretending not to hear the taunting voice from behind her. Even avoiding simple conflict was impossible. She had now made the mistake of revealing her coloured hair in the sunlight as she picked her favourite flower. "Ridiculous." Orihime paused, about to acknowledge the voice when she felt her hair being harshly tugged. Trying to figure out which girl was assaulting her she attempted to turn but the aggressor yanked harder.

"Excuse me-," Orihime cringed, trying to keep her long locks from tearing out. The girl hadn't answered when suddenly Orihime heard a 'snip' causing her to panic, "Why are you cutting my hair?"

Just then the girls accomplice came to view. "Because your hair color is too bright."

"It's disgusting and sinful." Another concluded.

Orihime sat in shock as the anonymous girl continued to tug and rip at her hair with dull scissors.

In reality her attackers were positively jealous of her prim and proper mane. To them it meant she had been taken care of, pampered before she arrived. Orihime then did not know this as a young girl, but if she had, she would have deemed it to be a lie.

"Stop that!" From what appeared to be three girls attacking her Orihime heard a forth unfamiliar voice cry out in the distance. "Back off!"

Before she knew it the old rusty pair of scissors landed on the grass next to her as well as her fallen locks. When Orihime reached for the discarded remnants she quickly caught a glimpse of the girls who fled with tearful hazed eyes.

"Are you okay?"

Orihime was too distraught to realize the voice was now beside her. She couldn't fool anyone, still hiding her face. "Y-yes. Thank you."

"Don't worry," The girl prided as she sat down next to the victim, "I wont let them do it again."

Orihime's last tear fell as she looked to the dark haired girl in disbelief.

"My name is Tatsuki. What's yours?"

Weeks later Orihime successfully grew her hair by nearly two centimeters.

After that day when the young girls met Tatsuki styled her hair as another kind gesture, the auburn locks barely reaching her shoulders. She had been getting used to having shorter hair, resisting the temptation to play with loose strands as they fell from her bonnet.

Glancing over she saw Tatsuki dare take notice of the rain outside the window as their teacher covered a new math lesson.

Tatsuki was well aware she was supposed to be paying attention. She just simply couldn't help but think of her future as her teacher's lessons failed to contain any of her interest. It was Tatsuki's second year now and the story was, girls never get adopted at Lerwitt school at her age; they simply live life as a student till they're old enough to find stable work and are forced to move away. It was as terrible assumption but even Tatsuki believed it to be true, tapping her fingers to her desk. As a small girl she dreamt of a much different life, not accepting of the fact she would be spending her next few years in a prison such as the school house. It was absolutely unbearable for her to think of how she was now going through her fifth year.

"Think we'll ever get adopted?" Tatsuki whispered to her friend one desk over.

"I believe you might." Orihime tried to pay attention to the teacher as she answered, watching the rain cut down the window pane. "I never will."

Tatsuki's eyes snapped open when hearing Orihime's appalling statement, she felt they were of no difference as she choked loudly, "What do you mean?"

All the girls inside the class froze as the teacher whipped her body around to face them. Her dark brown eyes ran over them, analyzing each student closely. When connecting gazes with a skittish girl placed in the seat behind Orihime, she received her answer, "It wasn't me. It was her!"

The girls sloppy hand gesture made the teacher pinpoint both girls, stealing sight of Orihime first as she stalked closer. "Was it you child?"

"Yes mam." Orihime replied orderly.

Tatsuki couldn't believe her friends odd behaviour. "No mam! It was me which disturbed the class."

"Silence Arisawa!" The tempered elder woman slapped the desk with her teaching stick, her stare directing back towards Orihime as she contained herself. "Even if that is so, then this makes you a liar, Inoue Orihime."

Orihime wasn't afraid, not in the slightest, yet, she closed her eyes in pain; because of the word chosen.

"I've heard far too many story's of your sinful behavior child." Orihime ignored her interfering classmates as the woman ordered. "On your seat! Let's go, get up!"

With her grip on Orihime's arm she tugged her upward to stand straight on the ledge of her chair. Tatsuki winced, watching her closest friend receive humiliation.

"Girls pay attention! Lying is a sin, and sinful behavior will not be rewarded." Backing away the slender woman let Orihime stand on her own. "For the rest of the night you will remain here on this chair even after class is dismissed. You are not to speak with any one, nor is anyone aloud to speak with her until she learns to rid her demons. Is that understood?"

"Yes mam!" The class echoed.

She swerved inside the black with determination in her step. Tatsuki wasn't about to abandon her friend even if she did get caught, she didn't care.

Finally she reached the right doorway when she heard a slight echo of a voice.

"Orihime?" Tatsuki asked when entering the school room, spotting a shaking figure in the moonlight.

The poor girl quickly turned back to see Tatsuki coughing by the door, her eyes already adjusted to the dark.

"Tatsuki," The girl wept, remaining stable on the chair as her knee's shook. "You must leave!"

Tatsuki ran to her presenting her with her spare blanket. "Come on, Orihime. Get down from there."

Orihime continued to stare at the walls when stepping from her chair, refraining from wiping her tears as Tatsuki covered her shoulders.

The girls eyes would not move away from the corner.

"I'm scared, Tatsuki."

"Relax, it's okay." Her friend quickly uttered.

"No-," Orihime's breath cut short, "I-I heard something. T-They are here."

The girl was really beginning to alarm her best friend.

"Orihime, what are you-"

Just then Orihime witnessed something move in the black.

"Shh! Tatsuki, we should go back. We have to go back!"

"What? Are you mad?" Tatsuki roughly opposed, "We can't go back or they'll catch you!"

Orihime swallowed, her hardened stare still focused on the shadow meters away.

"Staying here would be much worse."