Sorry I have taken so long. My only excuse is other things had to come first; and I just had finals for two weeks straight; and now I am in the middle of a module class.

I hope you like the revision of this. I am trying to fix errors others have pointed out. If you point out anything you see that needs work, I will appreciate it. I want to make a good, sound story. Thank you to those who have helped me toward that goal. : )

Also if you prefer the old version tell me and I'll see what I can do about it.

Conversation of the most annoying sort drifted in and out of Aria Setsuya's mind as she slept, and her exasperation against the person speaking mounted. “. . . Like, I can’t believe you don’t know what I am talking about . . . Like, what do you mean she’s . . .” The conversation was coming from the hall outside her bedroom. In the darkness beside her bed, the clock blinked the time in orange at her. It was only 6:10 in the morning! Who was that idiot talking to this early in the morning?

Then abruptly the conversing stopped outside her bedroom door, and she tensed in her bed, in expectation of the brat. Having just moved from her aunt's home to her brother and dad's house, she had not, shall we say, adjusted to the new atmosphere quite yet. “Ariaaaa . . .” the sing-songy voice sung; its sound entered into the vestiges of her mind, and aggravated her to the very depths of her soul. Then the person in question bounded into the room letting in all the brightness of the hall, and with it the sky light brought in the morning sun.

Her younger brother Honami, the evil one, had black and brown hair like her. They had both inherited their family’s famous emerald-green eyes. The only difference was her eyes tilted up in the corners catlike. While Aria’s hair was sleek, black, and cut stylishly around her ears; Honami’s hair was messier, lighter, and closely cropped to his head. He looked so girly though that sometimes they were thought to be twin sisters. Though they were nothing alike, she reflected. Honami came in the rest of the way to her room.

Aria glared up at the evil one invading her sanctuary, pointed her finger at him, and growled, “Oh most annoying one, go away from my presence!!” Then rolled her eyes at herself. Her dad hated it when she went into dramatics, saying it was not proper for a young person to be so melodramatic.

Her brother stared at her for a moment. Then, clenching his eyes shut, he lowered his voice and let it rise to a note higher than she had ever or would ever be able to reach, “Daaaaaaaddd . . .” Throwing her arms over her head, she buried her face back in the covers. “I’m getting up! Just gimme ten, okay?” she mumbled grumpily through the white blanket covers.

Jumping onto her bed, Honami wrapped his arms around her neck. “If you don’t get up now, I’m telling Dad everything about aunt's scheming and the new school you are switching to,” he whispered in her ear with a wicked smile in his voice. She was sort of surprised he knew about her switching schools; it wasn't like she had been talking about it.

Her aunt had a plan to help her with her damaged relationship with her dad. What was wrong was that Aria had been in either boarding schools or her aunt's home since her mothers death when she was a child, and as long as she could remember, her dad seemed to hate the sight of her whenever she visited. Even now that she was living at their home it hadn't gotten any better. Secretly, Aria thought that Aunt Nani knew why her father hated her, but what could have happened that would cause her father to still hate her after all these years?

Last night on the phone, her aunt wouldn't tell her the plan she had in mind, and would only say that she would arrange for Aria to be transferred to her school and that Aria was supposed to come to the school's board meeting today.

Honami must have overheard her talking with their aunt last night.

As Hanami continued to bother her by trying to tickle her sides, she snapped unable to keep in her annoyance; she grabbed him and threw him like he was a sack of potatoes across the room. Guess those karate lessons were paying off.

Aria got up off the bed and walked over Honami, to her closet, and got her clothes. “I’m going to the bathroom. If you dare to interrupt me, you’ll be dealt with again in the same fashion.” She looked down at her wimpy-girly brother still lying on the floor. “How in the world does Dad love you and not me; I mean I am so obviously stronger and more like a man than you will ever be in this life time.” Sighing, she helped pick him off the floor. “Get up! Don’t be such a wimp. Be the man that dad is always telling you to be!” He looked up at her all girly and huffy like. Which relieved her as he had seemed a little dazed at first, and she was afraid she had permanently damaged him.

“You didn’t have to throw me, you know!” He glared up at her through teary eyes and she could feel herself softening toward the little mutt.

As she melted, she looked away from him and sighed. “Whatever. I’ll see you after school, and don’t you dare do anything you know I wouldn’t want you to do. Okay?” Then she walked out the door before she broke down and started petting and feeding him like he was a pet or something. He was spoiled too much by their dad for her to start spoiling him as well.

#

Morning Ride to Board Meeting

Riding bike in the morning was cold lots of times but it was a way to make her upper arms stronger, therefore, sigh . . . she rode the bike. She had been trying everything to get her dad to look at her like becoming buff, doing every kind of sport imaginable, excelling at all her classes, joining clubs, becoming student president and yet nothing seemed to work.

She didn't know what he wanted anymore. She thought he had wanted the perfect child, but he loved her brother who was below perfect. So that meant he didn't want the perfect child, right? So if that was true what could she do to make him like her? Sometimes she wished her mother was still alive to help her figure out things like the minds of men.

Her attention turned back to the road at hand for a millisecond before her mind began wandering again.

Now what does Honami have that I don't have? Immediately, her mind turned toward the gutter. Ewww. . . .

Then it occurred to her. Oh yeah . . . ! He's a boy!

Maybe her dad liked to hang out with males and not females. But then what about her mother? She supposed it could have been an arranged marriage, after all their families had both been very wealthy, high class people. Then her mind changed direction.

So if what she was thinking was true and that is why her dad likes Honami and not her. Then there was nothing she could do about it, Aria concluded. She felt her emotions take a nose dive. Depression settled like a heavy mist upon her.

Wanting to cheer up, being the positive person she was, she turned her mind to her conversation with her aunt last night. Her aunt had let out a small whisper which Aria couldn't hear at first but it ended with something about getting to know the minds of men. Then her Aunt Nani suggested that she come to her school's board meeting the next day.

Aria had at the time hesitantly agreed. Her aunt was known for having the craziest plans though they usually ended up turning out well, even if they were usually terrible to go through, and being a teacher slash principle of sorts it always turned, somehow, into a lesson to be learned kind of thing.

But so far as going along with the plan, today was the meeting with the school for making arrangements in transferring her from her old school to her aunts.

It was easier to get in than she had thought it would be, you would think there was supposed to be more paper work involved or something. Of course, it helped her that her Aunt Nani was principle of the school.

One thing though was Aria thought it was weird that her aunt had accidentally sent her the boy's uniform instead of the girls this morning. It did help with the bike riding so she didn't mind; and, in fact, she was quite enjoying it.

Her aunt had told her on the phone last night it would best if she started as soon as possible. So she would be moving in tomorrow to the dorms. She was wondering how moving out of her dad's house would help her relationship with her dad since she would be seeing him less. Oh well, for now, she would just trust her aunt.

Anyways, she didn’t have to worry about her dad asking questions. All he cared about was making Honami a man and really only concentrated on Honami’s schooling. He would probably be relieved she was moving out, she thought dejectedly. She leaned back on her bike, and twisting the handles in her grasp, she felt the rubbery feel of it tickle as she stretched in the warming sunrays.

The only part that made her nervous about moving would be if she had a roommate or not, she thought. During the meeting today she was going to tell them of her preference of her own room. She was a neat freak and couldn't stand it if she ended up with a messy roommate.

Lost in her thoughts, she had stopped paying attention to where she was going; and her bike started bouncing. Looking around, her heart froze as she realized she had crossed to the walking zone. Before her mind could register what was happening, she was flying through the air, off her bike, and landing quite hard on . . . what?

Oddly enough she felt no pain.

Sitting half way up, she discovered why. She had landed on one of the hottest boy she had ever seen in her life! His black, slightly unkempt hair brushed across his face contrasting with his smoldering blue eyes; and in that moment, she wished she was dressed as a girl and not in her boy’s uniform.

“Um, are you okay? Or do you need help standing up or something?” The boy was looking at her uncomfortably. Aria realized she had left her hands on his blue-shirted chest when she had sat up and was sitting on him. She looked back up at his face, his eyes were boring into her, seeming to see straight through her; he smelled of some kind of after shave that was just divine, she thought dreamily. Tingles traveled up her arms and her stomach dropped; and for a second, she forgot everything. Her heart began pounding, and she began to blush.

What in the world is going on?! Aria felt as though she had caught a sudden cold. But how can just looking at a person make you feel this way, with your heart pounding, temperature rising, and stomach feeling displaced?

Then she remembered the position they were still in. He probably thought she was weird sitting on top of him, gazing down at him and all; not to mention, she hadn't said a word. It was also weird for a guy to stare at you, which he would think she was since she had on a boy’s uniform. She closed her eyes and groaned mentally. He was going to think she was such a weirdo.

Realizing she better speak soon so he didn't think she had brain damage, she opened her eyes, stood the rest of the way up, and offered her hand out to him. “Sorry about that, crashing into you and all.” She hesitantly smiled down at him trying to act as if nothing had happened. Indifferently, he brushed her hand aside. “Never mind, forget it.” Standing up, he picked up his things and continued down the path at a run.

She stared after him. “How rude!” Aria mumbled to herself feeling disappointed and slightly angry with him. “He didn’t even tell me his name.” I can’t believe I got so excited over such a snotty guy. Now she felt dumb. She had actually called his aftershave divine, Aria moaned in humiliation at the remembrance of her thoughts. She wasn't one to like just any guy, usually she didn't like a guy no matter their looks.

Then her face froze in horror. “Oh, no, I forgot my appointment! I’m going to be so late!” Jumping onto her slightly battered bike, she zoomed off down the bike path to her soon to be new school.

#

Aria couldn't believe it.

She slowly walked out of the room in which she had just met with the board of her new school and out into the hall which was maroon with a prettily designed flower-maroon carpet. The wood paneling added a nice feel to the buildings interior. But Aria wasn't aware of it as she walked on in disbelief of her situation.

Aria walked to the end of the hall before what just happened began to hit her.

Her aunt had officially lost her mind. When she had been sent a boy's uniform she had just innocently assumed that it was an accident. But she should have known nothing involving her aunt was a mistake. Her aunt had it planned from the beginning.

But anyone would be insane to do what her aunt had done. I mean who would enroll their niece into an all boy's school?

No one.

That's right. No one would.

Only her crazy aunt, who most likely received brain damage as a child by being dropped on the head or something. Aria didn't even know her aunt was the principle and president over an all boy's school.

Aria's chest began to tighten and her breath began coming in small gasps. She slowed down her breathing as she told herself not to panic and walked to the closest paneled window at the end of the hall.

When she had tried to back out of going to Etica High, they had explained that once she had signed there was no backing out of enrolling, unless they were able to negotiate something with the parent; and they insinuated that it would cost a lot to be taken out of their school. Earlier they had her signing papers before she found out it was an all boy's school and now she was stuck unless she wanted to involve her dad. Which was not happening.

There was no way she was going to ask her father for help because then she would have to tell him how she had got into this mess, and also, her aunt had a plan to help her with her dad. She should at least find out what it is to see if it would work and then get her aunt to transfer her back to her old all girl's school as soon as possible.

What she wanted to know is just what kind of school her aunt ran with such a terrible price to get out of it. They must be horribly strict or something.

Anyway, her aunt had not been at the meeting, but the board members had told her that she should be at school the next day, but at the moment her aunt was away at important conference and would not be available for quite sometime.

She took a deep breath as she firmly decided upon the path she would take. It would just be one day at an all boy's school, right? What could go wrong in just a day?

She slumped against the wall and sluggishly slid down it, despair lining her face, “Oh so many things could go wrong!” she said, and dropped her face into her hands.

#

. . . ring . . . ring. Clack!

“What took you so long to answer the phone?! I have been waiting for hours!” the female voice on the phone accused in a commander like tone.

“Forgive me, President Setsuya. Your neice was very persistent in trying to back out of enrolling but they managed to convince her there was nothing to be done,” he whispered.

The was a long pause on the line before she spoke again. “Till I get back keep a close eye on her, and go along with the plan I gave you . Make sure she gets the roommate I told you about, and keep me updated. I will check back in soon.”

Click! . . . beep . . . beep . . . beep

#

So here is the revised and edited version that needs more editing. Well at least my plot holes are being filled in. “l-/