AN: im really sorry you guys! I know I havent updated in ages…but school’s coming soon! for me, at least…it’s in a week! some of u guys maybe like, “so soon?” well…I live in florida, and school starts on aug. 8. but ends around may 20th or 21st …it also doesn’t help that I go to a school like stanton. I have to do all of their req. reading…and stuff…and im so scared. that school is very intimidating…but anyways, im RAMBLING. so ill shut up now. on with the story.

“I don’t believe this.”

Miyoko sat on her desk staring at the oppposite wall, eyes blank. She shook her head, but continued to stare in that hypnotic way. The wall was beginning to look interesting.

“Miyo,” said Takara, who was completely turned around in her chair, “it’s not a bad thing. Just think of it as another way to get along with each other.”

“Are you kidding me?! Taka…get along with him?! That’s…no. I don’t think so.”

Takara shifted in her chair, leaning her head against the palm of her hand. “Why not? Ever since we started going out, I always thought that you two would at least like each other. But no…you both want to act all cold and frigid around each other. I think that it’s just…silly.”

“There’s nothing funny about it.”

She sighed. “Fine. But you’re gonna have to deal with it either way. Besides…maybe this way…you can ask him what’s wrong.”

Miyoko’s eyes flashed, as she turned her attention to her friend. “What? What do you mean by that?”

Takara avoided her gaze, shifting her eyes to her shiny black shoes. They traipsed around the legs of her desk, gradually trying to grab her attention. “Well…since two weeks ago…he’s been acting kinda…weird. I mean…he still acts the same way and stuff, but sometimes when I just want to talk to him…he blows me off—“

“With a smile or a ‘you’re so cute’…”

Her head jerked to stare at Miyoko. She cocked her head to the side, at awe with her friend. “Yeah…how did you know?”

Took her long enough to realize, thought Miyoko. “I had a hunch.” Taking a glance at the clock, she stood up, dusting off her red-pleated skirt. “Just break up with him.” The tone of her voice revealed that offering such an out-of-the-blue advice didn’t matter to her.

Takara stared back incredulously, mouth slightly hanging. “What? No! It’s just a phase…that’s all…” Subconsciously, she twiddled with the bracelet on her wrist, unclasping it and hooking it back on again.

Her friend sighed, taking another glance back up at the clock. The clock’s readings obviously mattered to her, as she took in a slow and deep breath. Closing her eyes, she looked down at Takara. “I can’t believe I have to ‘work together’ with him...in cleaning up this stupid classroom.”

Takara smiled, still slumped in her chair. “You gotta admit…it is kinda funny that you two got picked for cleaning duty together.” She giggled.

Miyoko sent her a deathly glare. “It isn’t funny…I’d rather—“ but she was cut short by a certain platinum blonde-haired guy.

“You’d rather what?” he asked, a smirk forming on his lips.

Her eyes narrowed and turned a startling black. Flames protruded from her red hair, as Yukio stepped into view. “I wasn’t speaking to you,” she hissed.

“You were speaking about me.”

She growled under her breath. “I have a right to speak about you.”

He turned away from her, shaking his head. “You know what? I’m don’t waste my time or my breath on people like you.”

She fumed again, nostrils blowing out steam. “Excuse me? People like me?! And what exactly are people like me?”

Yukio ignored her, instead focusing all of his attention on Takara, who sat dumbfounded. “Hey, sweets,” he cooed.

Takara suddenly stood bolt upright, beaming over him. She, too, ignored the fiery goddess who towered over them. Her sudden thoughts of Yukio’s phase slowly dissipated. “Yeah?” she asked.

“You might wanna go now.”

Her head drooped. Of course. The rest of the class had left, and she completely forgot. “Oh…heh…of course.”

“Takara…can I talk to you?” asked Miyoko quietly.

Yukio stared at her curiously.

“Alone…” she hissed.

Grabbing Takara by the upper arm, she dragged her out of Yukio’s earshot. “Wha-Miyoko…what is it?”

“Break up with him,” pleaded Miyoko, “PLEASE.”

“No! Miyoko…I thought that you wanted to trust my decisions.”

“I do. I would respect this decision so much more, though.”

“Miyoko…we’ve had this talk already…”

She sighed. “Yeah, I know. But…I’d hate to say ‘I told you so’ if something happens.”

“If something happens, you can say ‘I told you so’ because I was stupid enough to not listen to you. Heh.”

They smiled at each other before Miyoko playfully shoved Takara towards the door.

As she made her way to the door, she took one last glance at the two mishaps. They were standing at a clear ten feet from each other. Takara smiled, a knowing look to her eyes. Someday, she knew, they would get along. How couldn’t they? Miyoko’s problem was purposely avoiding the good qualities clearly shown in Yukio, and Yukio’s problem was to keep provoking her to doing so. Maybe this cleaning duty together will be the first step of a beautiful friendship.

Takara found herself dreamily smiling, imagining the two skipping along with her in a field of flowers. The two befriending each other was a farfetched idea, but she could dream.

She took one last glance at them before stepping her foot out of the classroom. “Good luck!” she called out.

And she left, humming a merrily tune.

XooXooXooXooX

“I said don’t come to my side,” said Miyoko irritably.

Yukio stood across the room, arms crossed over his chest, a long red broom tucked underneath. “I’m not on your side,” he replied.

“Yes, you are. I said that you can’t pass the third desk. You passed it!”

He smirked. “Well, I’m finished cleaning my side.”

“Then go home!”

She swiftly turned back around, continuing to sweep, as the last few rays of the sun reached the window. There was silence again and Miyoko sighed. She couldn’t stand being there for even another minute. All he did was irritate her. The worst part was: he did it on purpose! Sweeping irritably, the dust and dirt rose up to her nose. A scratching cough escaped her lips.

Then…silence again.

But it was greatly interrupted by the slamming of a broom on the other side of the classroom.

Miyoko jerked her head up, taking a good look at Yukio. His face was contorted with a type of emotion that she couldn’t quite put her finger on. And then her eyes trailed to his, and she almost jumped with shock. It flashed a lightning icy blue, sending shivers down her spine.

Why was she scared? Yukio’s never scared her before.

But then again, she’s never seen Yukio look like this. He had a type of similiarity to a serial killer. She felt her broom slip from her hands, as he took a step forward. What the hell was going on?

“Wh-what?” she heard herself mutter.

She took a step back.

He took a step forward.

“Yukio, why are you being an idiot? What the hell is your problem?!”

His eyes still flashed that frightening color. It wasn’t just his eyes that surprised her the most. It was his sudden change in a matter of seconds. One minute he’s the annoying jerk, and the next minute he’s turned into a jerk with a psycho glint in his eyes.

She stopped short, as a corner of the desk poked her rear. Her hands gripped onto the sides of the wooden desk, as he neared her.

“Wh-what’s your prob—“ she was cut short.

“You know what, Miyoko? You know what I hate the most?”

She flinched at his sudden way of calling her by her name.

“I-I don’t care, Mamoru.”

“Well…that’s too bad because I’m gonna tell you.” He took in a breath. “It is one of my biggest pet peeves when people don’t like me.”

The stiffness in her body suddenly died away, and anger flared in her eyes. “Oh…you have got to be the most conceited, pig-headed jerk to ever walk this planet. Well…Mamoru, telling me that has made me hate you even more.” She smirked.

Yukio took a step, and his smirk was gone. The dangerous glint rose in his eyes, and suddenly in his tone. “THIS is exactly what I’m talking about. It really irks me when you say stupid things like that, you know? I’ve tolerated it for awhile, but I’ve lost my patience…Miyoko. Now…tell me…” He took another step, and the nervousness in Miyoko’s body returned. “What don’t you like about me, Miyoko?” It came out as a whisper. But his tone made it loud enough to send another shiver down Miyoko’s spine. The hairs on the nape of her neck stood on end. I’m not scared of him…so what the hell is wrong with me?

“Do you really want me to tell you? Do you really want me to spend a whole hour of your day listing every single thing I hate about you?” she managed to say.

He took a step, and Miyoko, knowing that there was a desk behind her, backed up on the object. His legs were brushing hers now, and his breath could be felt on her forehead.

“No,” he hissed in that same dangerous tone that still surprised Miyoko everytime he spoke, “I want you to tell me that you don’t see something you like.”

She glared at him. How could she have ever been scared of him? What was he going to do? Inflate his already inflated head in her face? Miyoko rolled her eyes. Her head turned to the side, catching a glimpse of the town below. She cast a sideways glance at him, and replied, “No, I don’t see something I like…” her voice faltered, as his hands suddenly grabbed her shoulders.

Miyoko was forced to look at the psychotic eyes with her wide with shock ones. She heard herself gasp before she could stop herself. The fear that was slowly rising within her reached their maximum point.

He gripped harder, slightly pulling her body away from the desk. He smirked. “You scared of me, Miyo?”

She hated that he mocked her nickname. Her eyebrows furrowed, as she tried hard to look the opposite of how she felt. Shaking her head vigorously, she felt an ounce of confidence fly in her.

The smirk disappeared once more, and his grip tightened again. She could just feel the sudden numbness in her arms.

“Then look straight into my eyes,” he whispered dangerously, “and tell me…that you don’t see something you like.”

The confidence in her won the battle against the fear, and she tried stand herself upright. She took in a deep long breath and stared right into his icy blue eyes. Her gaze did not falter as the words escaped her lips.

“I do not see something I like.”

Silence.

And suddenly, without any warning or sign that it might occur…

His lips crashed down on hers.

XooXooXooXooX

Takara hummed a merry tune, half in her head and half out loud. She smiled at her silliness and watched the nearby neighborhood come close. Fellow Akihara folks lingered at the last few seconds of the sunset. She felt the last bits of heat brush her delicate skin, as she practically skipped the way home.

And it wasn’t until she was a mere foot away from the entrance to her street, that she knew something was missing.

She stood uprooted to the spot, placing a finger on her chin. She looked around, hopefully to come across to the solution of the problem. Her shoes tapped on the pavement rhythmically to the finger tapping on her chin.

Suddenly, her eyes lit up, and she cast a worry glance at her arm. The tinkling sound of the bracelet was nowhere to be heard, meaning it wasn’t clasped on her wrist. She gasped, when the blank look of her wrist shocked her.

Takara’s never taken off the bracelet, no matter what she was doing; showering, sleeping, or eating ricecakes. It was to remind her of her devotion to Yukio, and to remind her that it was that bracelet that made her a little happier than she already always was.

So why now? Was it a sign? That something was to go wrong?

Nah. But she did try to focus on where she left it last.

Well…of course the only place that came to her mind was school. That’s where she was last, and as it suddenly came to her mind, that was where she was unhooking and clasping it back together again.

She made a swift three-hundred and sixty degree turn, and made a jog towards the looming building of her school.

Catching her breath as she entered her hallway, she made a slow walk towards her classroom. And there it was. It was slightly open, and she could just barely see the small tidbits of light peeking through.

Miyoko and Yukio were in there, she suddenly remembered. They probably found it. Takara found herself smiling at the sound of silence. They must have given up on all the fighting… I would’ve.

She slid the white door open…and her breath caught in her throat.

There, standing on the far wall by the windows, were Miyoko and Yukio. They were quiet alright, as their lips were pressed hard against each other.

At the sudden sound of the door, Miyoko and Yukio hastily pulled away, breathing heavily. Yukio turned away, hands now brought down to his sides.

Miyoko, though, stared right at her best friend, eyes wide with shock, fear, concern, and all the emotions grouped into one. Her mouth was slightly agap, feeling her breath caught in her throat, as well.

Takara’s mouth suddenly felt dry, her heart slowed to almost a stop, and her palms harbored the same cold sweat on her forehead. She couldn’t accept the fact. She couldn’t believe what her eyes were telling her. She couldn’t believe that her best friend stabbed a knife in her back.

But even as that was, she couldn’t tear away. She was frozen to the spot, eyes blank and wide. Her hands were trembling with anger or confusion…she didn’t know what. Her breathing had stopped. Her very spirit left her…as her world suddenly went to a crumbling oblivion. Why? was the only question she could muster.

“Takara—!“ began Miyoko, a sort of emotion found in her voice, but Takara couldn’t put her finger on it. She didn’t have the energy to.

“Miyoko,” said Takara in barely a whisper. Surprised she found her voice, she thought of running away right then and there. But she had to continue.

“Miyoko,” she began again, “please…don’t say, ‘I told you so’…”

And with that, she whipped away, her teardrops lingering in the air.

XooXooXooXooX

Kano knew very well that around this time, school was out. No student in a school uniform should be lingering about. They should all be kept and snug in the very warmth of their own homes. Especially since it was Akihara. The town was flooded with all the goody-goodys you can muster. Yes…maybe in his town, he’ll find a group or two lingering around in their school uniforms, smoking on their cigaretters or comitting criminal deeds. But in Akihara…there shouldn’t be any of that. No way.

But his eyes told him otherwise.

Climbing down the ladder leaned against one of the cherry trees he was tending to, Kano found himself staring at a blurry red figure coming his way. As his feet touched the soft grass, he was able to take a good look at the person.

Takara walked slowly down the path of the cherry trees, a soft wind billowing through her light brown tresses. The blossoms swirled around her creating a sort of celestial aura around her. It would’ve been a peaceful sight, if it wasn’t for the expression pressed on her face.

Her lips were set into a grim line, her skin pale, and her eyes…her eyes were filled with a melancholy feel, cast down on the floor that she passed through. Her feet moved involuntarily, leading her to something she didn’t quite care about.

Thoughts ran through her head, scurrying around every nook and crany of her mind. Why had Miyoko betrayed her? Why? Surprise wasn’t evident when she saw Yukio…but Miyoko was a different story. They’d been best friends for as long as she can think back. She was always there to guide her, to be honest with her, to have fun with her, and to support her back when she needed it. Takara never expected her to murder her like this. Her insides had countless wounds, gradually expanding with every breath she took.

Takara walked along with the shadows of her pain slowly creeping up to her. It wasn’t fair. It wasn’t fair that she was weighted down with such. Why? Why? Tears welling up in her eyes…

“Takara?” she jerked up at the sound of her name. Surprised to find Kano standing there, she immediately held back the tears ready to pour out of her.

He stood a mere ten feet from her, drops of sweat dottig his forehead, and clinging onto the strands of hair that almost fell to his eyes. The same soft wind billowed its way through his white tanktop, ruffling it against his muscles. Wiping the sweat on his forehead with his arm, he approached her, concern clearly obvious in his eyes.

“What are you doing here?” he asked.

She had to find a way to keep him from finding out. She wasn’t really in the mood to talk to anyone. Forcing a smile, she spoke.

“Just walking,” she replied softly. A bit too softly, she realized as his brow furrowed deeper from concern.

“Are you okay?”

“Uh…I’m fine…”

“Takara…” he began softly, “what—what’s wrong?”

“………”

“Do you wanna sit down?” He gestured for a wooden bench leaned against the stone wall of the orchid. Not waiting for her answer, he led her to the seating.

She couldn’t escape him. He was going to keep insisting on finding the problem, until he was content that she was okay. She sat back straight, and hands clenched into tiny fists on top of her lap. How was she supposed to tell him? She wasn’t just about to blurt it out. But for some reason…the desolate feeling surrounding her relaxed as he sat there beside her.

Her eyes cast downward again, as her thoughts drifted back to the painful memory that just happened hours ago. The rest of the time…she had been walking around, trying to piece together what happened, but she was always left with a missing piece that didn’t complete the puzzle. Why had Miyoko done it? Why?

Tears were fighting to come out again, as she tried to hold them back.

Kano sat quietly beside her, worry-stricken for her sake. He watched as her fists clenched tighter and tighter than ever. He placed a hand on her shoulder, jolting her from her thoughts.

“I-I’m sorry,” he started. She was obviously oblivious to his presence. Whatever it was that troubled her, made his concern rise even more. “Hey…what’s wrong? Y-you don’t have to tell me…but…”

She shook her head. She knew she couldn’t keep it in. She can’t just keep holding back the pain that needed to desperately explode from her. She was vulnerable, and maybe confessing would help her. It wasn’t as easy as she thought it would be.

Forcing a small, sad smile, she began. “Mi-miyoko…she…” She took in a breath. “Yukio…they…” Another breath. And Kano shifted around to stare at her. “Miyoko…and Y-yukio…they….they…” Her voice broke, as a small teardrop made its way down her cheek, creeping down and tickling her delicate skin. Her breathing grew shallow, as she forced herself to continue. “Th-they…betrayed me…” Another teardrop.

Kano couldn’t take this. Something happened, and it broke his heart to see her like this. Who can bring down such a happy person? Who had enough evil in themselves to break down the sunny side of such a gentle person? Why?

Without even thinking about he was doing, he grabbed her stiff and cold hand, and pulled her into a tight embrace.

She was surprised by his sudden action…but it was enough to bring out the very thing that’s been wanting to escape. So it came.

Takara shook violently into his shoulder, as her forceful sobs screamed out of her, and muffled onto his skin. The tears flooded out of her dampening his shoulder. They wouldn’t stop. They couldn’t stop.

Each teardrop filled with the very emotion she felt when she saw them, when she felt her world crumble, when the forever friendship she had with Miyoko was suddenly swiped away from her so quickly without a mere goodbye.

“It…it would’ve been okay if I hadn’t seen…” she sobbed, “I shouldn’t have seen…then I wouldn’t know…then everything would still be okay…everything would still be okay…”

Kano rubbed her back soothingly, tightening his comforting embrace. She felt so weak in his arms, so delicate. Like she would break with just a touch. And he suddenly felt this wave of protection for her.

“Shh…” he cooed softly.

“Why?”

“It’s okay…it’ll be okay…”

“No...no it won’t…” And gradually, her sobs disappeared.

But he didn’t let go. And she didn’t want him to. He just held her in his arms, and she felt so much better with his support around him. As if he can make everything better by protecting her like this.

Takara laid her cheek onto his shoulder and he laid his chin on top of her head. She gazed at the falling blossoms intently. Pondering about the future of what may come withouth her best friend, a sniff came from her unexpectedly.

“When you’re ready…you come tell me the whole story, okay?” he asked, a mere whisper.

His warmth made her feel more comfortable in his presence. “Yeah,” she whispered back.

It was weird having Kano act like this. She was so used to him being so cold and apathetic, that she didn’t expect this. But she had no energy to contemplate on it. Instead, she just enjoyed his hospitality.

“Okay.” He rubbed her back again with a firm hand, and she shut her eyes.

XooXooXooXooX

Takara walked down her walkway leading to her front door with Kano trailing behind her.

“You sure you’re gonna be okay?” he asked, in that same soothing voice.

She smiled. It will be awhile before she’ll heal, but the worst part had come and go and she didn’t have to endure it alone. She greatly appreciated her company. It was comforting.

“Yeah. I’ll be fine. For now,” she replied.

Kano couldn’t help but realize that the little pinch of happiness in her tone that everyone knew so well was suddenly gone. He walked away, resisting the worry he was feeling for her again, as she was to be alone in her room.

“Kano?” she called out.

He whipped around. “Yeah?”

She smiled at him. “Thank you…for being there…and for being such a friend…”

He cocked his head to the side, and replied softly, “Not acquaintance?”

She shook her head, keeping the small sad smile on her face. “No…not acquaintance…” she took a step back. “Thank you…so much.”

He smiled. “You’re welcome.”

AN: tada! a little sad, I know. but whatever. lol. anywayz, I REALLY appreciate all those who review my story. You don’t know how much it means to me. It’s such a nice feeling! OH! and Heart of the Ruby Fire: I thought u were one of my few readers that I lost! but im grateful that u found a way to review again! YAY!

by the way, I finally joined MySpace, like the rest of my friends. if u want, go check it out, it’s on my profile.

Till next time!