Chapter Text
Rin was warned that if he acted like that again, he would be expelled. On the outside, he nodded, calm. Inwardly, he cursed every teacher in the school. Dash had hurt and bullied kids for a long time if what the trio said was anything to go by. Dash just got off the hook for being a quarterback! It wasn't fair, not to him, not to any of the kids that got the short end of the stick from Dash's anger!
Biased bastards, they all were.
As Rin walked to stand at the end of the concrete to wait for Lizzy at the end of the day, Tucker, Sam, and Danny came rushing up to him.
"Dude, you need to see this!" Tucker exclaimed, shoving his PDA in the half demon's face.
Rin pushed the arm away and snatched the device.
On the screen was a video of Rin beating the crap out of Dash, but only that. No evidence of Dash's assaults on Mikey. It was the perfect way to make him look like a complete...
"Demon," Rin murmured, "Everyone probably thinks I'm some kind of monster, just like always."
"You're not! One of the A-Lister's posted this to give you a bad reputation, but everyone who was there knows the truth!" Danny said.
"Most of the kids there were A-Listers, Danny. The nerds and geeks won't go against them, not that I blame them. Even so, people will still be scared of me regardless. I beat up Dash in a rage. Who's to say I won't lash out at anyone else? Nobody knows, and that's why they're scared of me." Rin shook his head sadly. "This is just like my childhood all over again."
"It doesn't matter. We know the truth, and that's enough," Sam told him.
Rin smiled. "I have to say, my childhood didn't consist of people who knew me well."
"Then let us be the first."
"Hi, Rin!" Lizzy greeted as he climbed into the car.
"Hey, Liz." Rin smiled.
"I take it you're feeling better?" Lizzy guessed.
"More or less," Rin said.
"Good, 'cause you're going to need all of the energy you can get tonight. Being depressed won't do you any good." Lizzy smirked. "We've got a busy night."
Rin grinned, his - now free - tail wagging back and forth making Lizzy chuckle. "Bring it on!"
Rin silently sighed at the stares he received.
That video of him was all over the internet, and for all Rin knew, half the people he was serving had kids that went to Casper!
As he took orders, people gave him scathing looks, as well as disgusted, scared, and nervous.
"Hello, I'm Rin. May I take your order?" Rin asked as professionally as he could under the judging stares he was receiving.
The table consisted of a family of four. A mother, a father, a girl that couldn't have been older than five, and a boy around the age of eight.
"You're the boy beating up that blonde in the video, aren't you?" The father asked distastefully.
Rin swallowed. "Yes, I am, but that's not what I asked you."
"This place lets a monster like you roam around here with other people? Children?" The father glared.
Rin grit his teeth. "That video was taken way out of context."
"Really?" The boy asked.
"Quiet, Kyle," The man told his son. "So, you didn't break a boy's ribs and nose?" The man hissed.
"Well...yes, but that's not the whole story," Rin explained, "Why am I talking about this? Just let me take your order!"
"If I don't? Are you going to try and kill me, too?" The father asked.
"Tyler!" The mother exclaimed in shock. "I'm sorry, I don't know what's gotten into him!"
"Helen! He sent a kid to the hospital!" Tyler hissed.
Rin didn't take his eyes off the man. "It's perfectly fine. I'm more than used to it. Many people see something and automatically think it's true. If you're husband is uncomfortable with me, would you like a different waiter?"
Before the mother could speak, the little girl piped up. "No! You're nice! Daddy's just being a grump!"
Rin jumped slightly, shocked that such a small child stood up for him, but he smiled nonetheless. "Thank you, sweetheart."
"I'm Lilac!" Lilac giggled.
Rin smiled softly, patting her head. "I'm Rin. It's nice to meet you, Lilac. What would you like to eat tonight?"
"I want French fries, a cheeseburger, and Root Beer!" Lilac said.
Rin chuckled at the simplicity of her mind. She was, after all, only a child.
"Oh? And what you like on this cheeseburger of yours?" Rin asked politely.
"Ketchup!" She laughed.
"And what size would your Root Beer be?" Rin chuckled.
"Small." The mother cut in, a smile on her face.
"Small," Lilac copied.
Rin nodded, scribbling it on his notepad. "Whatever your Highness requests." Rin bowed.
Lilac giggled. "I'm a princess?"
"Yes, Princess Lilac. What would Queen Helen, King Tyler, and Prince Kyle like to have?" Rin smiled at the small 'princess'.
"Oh!" Kyle hopped up. "I want a BLT with small Sprite!"
The mother chuckled. "I would like the medium chili with garlic bread and a large tea."
Rin wrote this down and looked to Tyler. "And you?"
The man glared, but ordered his meal reluctantly.
"Thank you, I'll be right out with those, Your Highness." Rin bowed and winked at Lilac before rushing to the kitchen.
It wasn't long before the family had eaten and payed, beginning to leave. "I hope you enjoyed your meal, Your Highness." Rin bowed, getting ready to leave the table.
"Wait!" Lilac tugged his sleeve.
"Lilac! That's very rude!" Helen scolded, but Rin just chuckled.
"It's quite alright. Is there something I can do for you, Princess Lilac?" Rin asked.
"Why do you have pointy ears and fangs? Are you a vampire? An elf?" Her eyes sparkled with glee.
"Lilac!" Helen gasped, but to her surprise, Rin didn't take offense.
"No, I'm not a vampire or an elf. Do I really look that short to you?" Rin pouted.
"No!" Lilac squealed. "Why do you have weird ears and teeth if you're not a vampire or elf?"
"They're called deformities, Lilac. It's when some people look a bit different. My ears are deformed, so they're pointy. My teeth are deformed, so they're sharper than normal. Many people make fun of me for it." Rin ruffled her hair.
"That's mean! I think you look cute!" Lilac smiled, tugging on his ear.
"Sweetheart, be nice." Helen warned.
Rin chuckled. "Why, thank you, Princess. I must go. While you have to return to your kingdom, I must return to mine. Duty awaits."
Lilac nodded before pulling something from her pocket and sticking it to his uniform under his name tag.
"What's this?" Rin looked down to examine it.
It was a sticker with the words, 'Be The Best You Can Be!' in bright yellow lettering on a blue background.
"This is a present!" Lilac smiled.
"Thank you, Princess." Rin nodded and stood up. "I'll see you around, Lilac."