"Hanajima-san..."

Saki didn't turn around for the knowledge that it was Hatsuharu Sohma approaching. She rolled her eyes, sensing his nervousness; she was well aware that a school dance was approaching. He wasn't actually planning to-

"Hey, Hanajima... you know that dance?"

She bordered on a surprised facial expression. "Who doesn't?" She mentally slapped herself for once again maintaining her "cooler-than-thou" attitude.

He leaned against the wall, and Saki eyed his tattoo with distaste; she had never really liked punkers. "Do you want to go with me?"

She stared at him. For so long.

With those light-less eyes that matched the gloom of the empty classroom.

"S-sorry. I didn't mean anything by it..." He trailed off as she looked out the window towards a couple holding hands on the walk. That was her little Tohru, swept away by an orange-headed bad boy.

"No. You did mean something by it." She turned to face him and swept her hand through her braid, sending the black vines reeling about her and cascading over her arms. "You knew that no one else would dare go near me. And you felt sorry for me."

Silence. He couldn't think of a reply.

Saki sighed and turned away from the brightness of the outdoors, resting her hand on the leg of a cheap metal chair, turned upside-down to fit securely on a vacant desk. "You know, I used to go to those things. Once, when I was a freshman."

She smiled slightly in remembrance. "It was a fall dance, and I resorted to excessive primping; I had to wear black, naturally, and I put up my hair like those girls in Seventeen."

She could feel Hatsuharu's bewilderment and knew he was questioning whether he ever suspected Saki would read such a ditzy magazine. "And when I got there, it finally dawned on me that I had no idea how to dance." She laughed, a quiet murmur. "But I kept watching this one boy... he seemed to know what he was doing, and I somehow found him attractive. He may have been older than me. I don't know."

She noted that Hatsuharu's head was turned to the expansive window, but she could tell he as still listening. "So I stared at him for the entire dance, in hopes that he would notice me... and when the last song began, he began to walk towards me." She did her quiet laugh again. "I became very excited, as well as nervous. But then I realized that apparently I had been standing next to his girlfriend the entire time."

She felt that twang of sympathy from Hatsuharu again. "His girlfriend said, 'Why don't you ask Wave Girl to dance?' and they burst out laughing; I was devastated. For one utterly stupid moment, I wondered if I had worn the wrong kind of dress..." she turned to Hatsuharu and made a friendly gesture. "Or... something... of the sort. It's embarrassing now, of course, because the reason they both found it so ridiculous was because I was 'Wave Girl'. I felt as though I was going to die, that I was dirt."

"But..." Hatsuharu began. She waited patiently, but he couldn't say anything.

"And so now I usually try to be less prominent when a dance comes around. I know that no one wants to date a psychic. They don't realize that I, too, am human." She subconsciously sent a twinge of electricity through the metal of the chair. "That I, too, possess human emotions."

She turned again to Hatsuharu. "Which is what I admire about you, Hatsuharu Sohma." She smiled. Arisa and Tohru-chan... they are truly divine people. I can't love them enough... but neither of them have ever talked to me about men."

She looked at the floor, trying not to let him see. "And you are the first man who has ever felt sorry for me." She gave up, letting the tears flow. "You are the first man who has ever felt sorry for me." She leaned against the desk and covered her eyes. "I'd love to come."

Hatsuharu smiled in her direction and left the room, letting the door close behind him. Saki brushed her tears away futilely. Thanks.

Well, it's short but (I hope) sweet. And if you think Saki's out of character... this whole fanfic is to show that she has human emotions. So she has to cry. I hoped you liked it... but remember, Haru and Hana aren't in love. In fact, just between you and me, he only asked her out because he couldn't get into the dance without a senior escort. Poor Hana! T-T