Chapter One: Welcome to the Academy.

My name is Aya Sakamoto and this is the story of how I died.

My day is the same routine over and over. The only changes are my lessons. It's been the same everyday for the last year ever since I moved from being home-schooled to joining the prestigious Cross Academy Day Class. If I have to endure another day of this suffocating and rule-abiding School, I think I'll kill myself. A little over exaggeration on my part but seriously life here is too dull. Sometimes I'll be in class watching the sun start to set, just to wish I was somewhere, anywhere, else. Running away seems like a good idea right now.

"Hey Aya we're heading to the gates right now wanna come and see the Night Class?" The loud voice of my roommate and closest friend Amina Tori yelled. She was sitting on the front desk and couldn't be bothered walking the few short steps to talk to me privately. I really didn't want to head back to the Dorms on my own just to sit on my bed bored so I nodded. The other girls in our class were murmuring and whispering to each other. They weren't being subtle about who they were talking about either, the pointing and stares gave it away. Why would the Socially-excluded rebel Aya Sakamoto wants to go see the Night Class? I sighed why it was always either me or the Night Class anyone talked about.

I packed my leather bag up with my textbooks and stood up. I silently walked over. The murmurs followed me and as I reached the gang of giggling girls who surrounded Amina, they all shut up and walked away with their heads together as to not catching my eye. I sighed again but it cheered me up a little as Amina smiled warmly at me. "Ready?" I asked and she nodded her brown eyes sparkling with excitement. I just couldn't bring myself to be as excited as she was just because we were going to see a bunch of students. Yes they were all drop-dead gorgeous but it didn't really matter to me. That makes me sound weird; I sighed again but let it slide as Amina stood up and wrapped her arm around my own as we hurried out of the classroom.

Amina was so excited it made me light-headed. "Oh my gosh, Aya I hope Ichijo notices me today, do you think he will? Oh I hope so. He is just so beautiful and kind and sweet and honest and pretty and nice and smart and wonderful and beautiful, did I already say beautiful? Well it doesn't matter because he is twice as beautiful as the others ... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah ..." I gave up after a little while because she was already in her stride and it wouldn't matter what I said. She was practically bouncing along the dirt path that led to the entrance gates at the front of the Academy. There were so many trees surrounding us and it took ages just to get an in sight of the gates. Already I could see a large crowd of girls. That was when I heard someone yelling and it made me smile. You could always trust Yuuki to cheer you up.

She was there alright. Red band brightly lay across her upper arm, a signal to all of authority and respect. Of course right now that didn't matter. She was all alone in the front of the jeering crowd. "Get back all of you or I'll get the Headmaster!" She warned too little effect. "Oh shush up Cross," Someone yelled back another cried "You just want the Night Class students to yourself! Selfish!" I sighed and started walking through the crowd, Amina right behind me. I got a few looks but as soon as they saw it was me they all shut up and backed off. I made it to the front and flashed a quick grin at Yuuki (her face was filled with relief) before I turned to face the crowd it was a silent group of shock.

"Alright, you lot you'd better shut up and listen to me. Got it?" I felt a shock as they all

Nodded but my face was still a mask of anger. "Right line up and leave a path for the Night Class to get through. If you're not gonna leave at least be in order." When no one moved I yelled "MOVE IT!" And instantly they all did. Two groups of girls were stood to attention to the left and right of the path. "Wow, Aya you're scary sometimes," Amina smiled as she went to stand to the left. I turned back to Yuuki and let my face fall from anger to a smile. I put my hand on her shoulder and nodded. She smiled with relief and addressed the crowd to get ready. Just as the gates opened and the most beautiful people you will ever meet walked into the Academy grounds.

The one in front was Kaname Kuran, the Night Class President. He was tall and dark with the saddest eyes I'd ever seen. He was staring at Yuuki as she struggled to stop the screaming fan girls. I knew he cared deeply for her because you couldn't look at someone without loving them like the way Kaname-Senpai looks at Yuuki. I quickly got out of the way as the Class continued on their way. I reached the wall that separated the Academy to the 'Real World'. Right behind Kaname was Ichijo Takuma, the blonde who Amina was sweet on and you could see why. He had a very soft face with matching sweet eyes and smile. Then the girls: Ruka Souen (beautiful, ash-blonde and arrogant) with Seiren. Both were inseparable From Kaname but for very different reasons. Anyone could tell that Ruka, had romantic feelings for Kaname but with Seiren, with her alert expression and serious frown, it was more a master - servant relationship. Then came Shiki Senri and Rima Touya. These were very close to each other and the rumours were that they were dating but I didn't believe that. Both were models for which you could see why. Shiki-Senpai was tall and handsome with reddish-brown hair whereas Rima-Senpai was small and had soft strawberry blonde colour hair that she wore in pigtails. Finally came Akatsuki Kain. He had a serious face and was often called 'Wild' by my classmates but he seemed quite mellow to me. He had soft red hair. Akatsuki-Senpai was followed by his cousin Hanabusa Aido. Another blonde Hanabusa-Senpai was the only one who actually was talking to the Day Class students. He was chatting to them which made the girls scream louder.

I'd known several of these beautiful people before hand as my family was wealthy and often had dealings with their own families. I knew them well enough to call them by their first names but never without 'Senpai' attached. I wasn't brought up wrong. My parents raised me from a street urchin into a well-bred lady. Or so they hope. You see, I was adopted by my parents when I was five and they gave me a home and a family. Thinking about them makes me feel sad at times.

I sighed into my knees as I scrunched up into a ball and sat down on the hard floor. "Idol - Senpai!" The girls screamed, "Accept this, please Senpai?" I didn't bother listening as the rest of the Night Class headed to the Academy. I smiled to myself as Yuuki shouted loudly at the students to go to their Dorms. Eventually the yelling and giggles disappeared into nothingness. I looked up from my knees and found myself all alone. Amina and Yuuki must have been busy. Amina probably got into a discussion with some other Day Class students and Yuuki would have been exhausted getting the other students to leave to bother with me.

It was sun-down and the entire area was bathed in soft twilight sunshine. Peaceful place, I thought just as a snap came from the dark trees behind me. I twirled round and stared into the darkness willing my eyes to see who had made the noise. A flash of silver caught my eye. My heart beat loudly in my chest and my palms felt clammy but I instantly calmed down as Zero Kiryu came into focus. His silver hair was what had caught my attention. I didn't bother saying hello because he was just like me. He preferred to keep himself to himself. So it surprised me when he said: "what are you doing here?" I shrugged and picked up my school bag before starting to walk back to school. "Hey?" he called. I turned my head but didn't bother to stop. He caught up to me quickly but we just walked in silence up to school.

We were almost to the girl's Dorms when he grabbed my shoulder and stopped me. "Headmaster Cross asked me to tell you to come to his office. He said it was about your parents so it would be important to you." I nodded in thanks and I headed toward the main school. Zero surprised me again because he followed me. "I need to see the Headmaster too," he explained but it still made me uneasy to be alone with him. Even though I'd known him for a long time (almost the same amount of time as I'd known Yuuki) Zero still seemed too foreign to me. I never felt at ease with him near me. The feeling reminded me too much of the night I was attacked at my own home. I knew it wasn't the same. Zero was there to protect me and the other Day Class students from harm. He was our Prefect along with Yuuki. But that feeling never went away. It stayed with me and made me awkward and uneasy although Zero looked perfectly at ease with me. I am so weird!