The Return

First days back at school are always sentimental, yet difficult. Especially when summer means separation. Not much to my liking, rekindling those old friendships almost always leave me feeling like there's something…missing. These old friendship frequently going dry, I'd be surprised if such a barren dessert holds any life at all.

A few months, and what seemed to be a lifetime, passed unwillingly through my fingers. Approaching Ohtori's entrance, I groaned, still unready to adapt to a new school year. As I walked down the halls searching of my locker, I saw her. I smiled, looking complacent.

His eyes weren't only for her…

As I had expected, her face was cheerful. Utena was always wearing this mask. But seeing me smile in such content seemed to take its toll on her. Utena's mask was slowly crinkling, her expression was now looking sort of abrasive. She uncomfortably averted her eyes and slammed her locker. Her leather bookbag slung over her shoulder, Utena ran her fingers through her cotton candy-pink hair, and pushed right by me as she paced down the crowded hall.

Your jealously is very unbecoming…

I kept my patience travelling in the herd of returning students. When I was finally able to reach my locker, I felt a bit nostalgic. I'd kept those shitty textbooks I never read in here for two years now. "Nice to see you old friend". I opened my rusty locker. "One wrong move and you could be so many pieces…" I thought. Then, threw in my new shitty textbooks. "Hopefully I can get a new locker for senior year."

"This school may be twice as big as I had recalled, but somewhere in these halls, Touga is remembering me too." I thought, optimistically.

'This school may be twice as big as I had recalled but, somewhere Touga is remembering me too ?' Jesus Christ… What the fuck has got me thinking all this mushy crap?

I shook my head and closed my shitty locker.

As I slowly walked down the corridor of Ohtori High School, I found myself looking for Touga, but now that 9 minutes had gone by, I quietly gave up hope and headed towards homeroom.

Then I saw him.

His red hair was gracefully thrown behind his shoulders, and his fair skin appeared just as smooth as I had remembered. I could feel the blood rushing to my face.

Indifferent eyes passed over Touga as though he were just another student, rather than the class president. A false smile painted on his face, as he looked almost tiredly over the mass students. But finally, ocean blue eyes found me and lit up. He smiled brightly; that playful and childlike smile I remember from our childhood days. I imagined him calling to me. "Kyouichi ,how nice it is to see you!"

And then he spoke.

"Akio!"

He pushed his way past me roughly.

My eyes widened.

I swiftly turned around to see him hugging that Akio. His silver hair shimmering in the dim hallway, Akio smiled unreservedly. They were so talkative and looked so happy. Emotions coarsed through me. I felt my fists ball in anger, my eyes sting with tears, my lips firm a thin line in contempt. The school bell ring was louder than ever in my ears. I tempestuously stalked to homeroom, getting there with seconds to spare before the late bell had rung.

"Here are your schedules! "Tanaka-sensei said, happily. The young blonde teacher passed the papers out, almost dancing around the room as she did so. Wakaba rushed in to homeroom panting. Late as usual. "I'm so sorry, Tanaka-sensei!" Wakaba cried. "I forgot school started today! You know it started one week earlier than last semester! Oh, I ran as fast as I could!"she babbled on.

Tanaka-sensei sighed as she patted Wakaba on the back. "It is alright, Wakaba. You would have been late next week anyway. Here is your new schedule. Now, find a seat." Wakaba plopped down seat in the desk next to me. She tiredly dropped her bookbag to the floor. Her eyes lit up when she recognized me. "Saionji- kun~ I didn't see you there! It been a while, huh! How was your summer?"

"It was fine." I said reticently

"Is something the matter?" she said, a worried look plastered on her face.

"N-No, no it's nothing." I lied

"Are you sure?" she insisted.

"Yes, you idiot. I think I'd know if I was fine or not."

"Hai." she sang. She snatched my schedule out of my hand. I growled, "Give that back Wabaka." Oooh, lookie here, Saionji-kun!" She pointed at the last line on my schedule "We have seventh period Literature together! Sounds like a real blast, huh?" she beamed. I grabbed my schedule from her thin fingers." Just great." I said sarcastically.

Wakaba was always high-spirited, which is not that bad a thing. But seventh period, the last period of the day, was when I usually cooled down. I am not too enthusiastic about having her sit next to me, blabbing about useless things like: "What her dog did last night" or , the original , "Reasons why vanilla is her favorite flavor of ice cream."

To my liking, homeroom ended more quickly than I had expected. Tanaka-sensei wished us a good first day of school. 'There is no such thing as a good first day at school…' I thought.

With a swift "bye" I was out the door, leaving Wakaba still chattering away.

I walked to Biology, mindlessly and sat in my assigned seat at a table in the fourth row, just as Higurashi-sensei had instructed. The burly man then gave us a long lecture about the fundamentals of life in the most monotonous of voices.

"Blah, blah, blah…"

Can anyone pay attention to this?

"Why give us this useless junk. Just cut to the chase, old man." I grumbled. I tried to look casual, though on the inside I was a bit worried, still thinking of Touga. It was like the image of those two hugging was plastered on the inside of my eyelids. What was that? That moron's probably doing this on purpose…Playing some kinda prank on me...Yeah, that's it.

But then my subconscious began to take over...asking the questions I really wanted to ponder over instead of those false reassurances.

'Why had Touga not noticed me?I don't think I did anything wrong last time we met.. Did I? He wouldn't keep a grudge on me for such a long time though… at least I don't think so…'

Speak of the devil.

Touga walked in and laughed sheepishly. "Sorry I'm late, Higurashii-sensei" he apologized, bowing deeply. "but your room is in the math wing."

Of all people to be in a class with…

Higurashi stoked his curly beard. "Its alright, Kiriyuu. Please have a seat next to…"

Don't say Saionji, don't say Saionji, don't say Saionji….

"Nex to Saionji,there" Higurashii-sensei informed, pointing in my direction.

God fucking dammit.

I shielded my stunned expression with my hair by looking down at my blank paper.

The little scene in the hallway had me feeling awkward enough, but the pressure had increased immensely as Touga pulled up a seat next to me. I twitched a little ,but stayed stable. Then Touga spoke without even looking in my direction "Mr. Vice-President " he said. I knew that voice - the brittle, harsh iciness of it. The iciness that made me feel as if everything, every moment of amenity we had spent together was just a phantom. "I have to talk to you. Meet me at my mansion after school."

This first chapter is based on a part of an unfinished story by Crossed Swords. Its a different version of it.. but a part of one of their short stories gave me the idea to start a fanfiction. :D.

Well.. I edited all of my uploaded chapters.. because when I re-read them thought they were too mushy and just annoying...and I thought Saionji was too feminine. So I changed it and made him manly.. Like the bitchy Saionji we all know and love XD

4/27/2014: Hello frans :). Updating and re-writing. It is now that I am seeing how poorly written this fanfiction was. ( I did start this when I was 15). (I am 20 now XD)I would like for it to live up to my expectations! My passion for writing has been rekindled.I wanna finish this story if it's the last thing I do.