the 'IT' girl

bynyllemnev

Disclaimer: They are not mine… That's enough, isn't it? ;p

Chapter 1: The Girl who makes me wanna…

He felt another crumpled paper hit him on the back of his head and he frowned. Turning to the whistling girl seated behind him, he spoke, "What?"

The girl blinked at him, "Huh?" she tilted her head, looking obviously innocent but Kenshin knew it better. Taking a huge calming sigh, he turned away from her to listen to what his teacher has been going on and on. Another piece of crumpled paper fell on his desk – a miss.

"What do YOU want?" he finally snapped, which is a rare thing for a very patient person like Kenshin, to do. The girl only gave him the same look of innocence, which only made the redhead more frustrated. What is it that she wants?

"Is there anything that you would like to share to the class, Mr. Himura?" the teacher's voice brought Kenshin back to reality. Sinking lower on his seat, he bowed his head in embarrassment as the class exploded in laughter.

"Nice going, shrimphead!" the girl behind him snorted aloud, which only made Kenshin grew more annoyed.

For years, that is what Kenshin always gets from the same girl. That girl, he would never understand that girl – he would never even dare to TRY. She had made his grade school days a nightmare, starting to make his high school days a hell. He had tried to be nice to her – to be civil. But for such a very smart girl, she sure is pretty slow ingetting the hint.

Kenshin spent the whole period, trying to concentrate more on his teacher's lesson and trying his best to ignore the annoying girl seated behind him. When the bell finally rang, the redhead sighed in relief.

"Hey, man!" Sagara Sanosuke, Kenshin's best friend, tapped him on his shoulder when the teacher finally left. "Come on."

"Yeah." the redhead nodded as he placed his notebook on his bag. He went out of the room with his friend.

"Outta my way!"

Before he knew it, Kenshin was pushed rather harshly to the sides as Kamiya Kaoru – the girl throwing crumpled paper at Kenshin's head, walked through the hallway. Sano helped his friend back to his feet, chuckling a little.

"Man… you alright?"

"I will NEVER EVER understand THAT girl!" Kenshin hissed under his breath, watching Kaoru disappear through the crowd with narrowed eyes.

"Well… Girls are never easy to understand…" Sano shrugged. "…and Kamiya is a very special case."

"Very special, indeed."

Sano chuckled again, "Nah… forget Kamiya and let's go eat. I'm starving…" he rubbed his stomach and Kenshin sighed.

"Yeah…"

The cafeteria was crowded with students of Mikan High and was as noisy as ever. Clatters of spoons and forks were heard everywhere, plus the voices of several students talking to each other. Kenshin and Sano grabbed a pizza and some soda before occupying a vacant table by the far end of the cafeteria.

"So, have ya finished workin' on that project we need to do for 'Guchi?" Sano asked, taking a bite of his pizza.

"What?" Kenshin frowned at his friend. "What project?"

"Nah… didn't you know?" Sano gave his friend a frown. "What Yamaguchi told us yesterday? That book report or somethin'?" then the spiky-haired man clapped his hands hard, "Yeah, I remember! You were in detention with Kamiya that time! Hehe! Sorry… forgot to tell 'ya…"

Kenshin frowned again. Speaking of Kamiya, he could see her approaching, "Oh, brother."

"Hi there, shrimpy!" Kaoru gave him a sarcastic smile as she sank on the seat across Kenshin and Sano. The two males only frowned at her. "What?" she raised an eyebrow, as if daring them to speak.

"Er…" Kenshin started to speak while Sano was trying not to laugh.

"Want me to leave?" Kaoru said coolly, "Pity, though, there's no vacant table left." she looked around the place before turning back to the redhead. "Anyway, it's a free country, I can sit wherever I want to, eh?"

"Who'd want to sit with you!" Sano muttered under his breath.

"I heard that, rooster boy!" Kaoru smiled coldly at Sano who glared at her. He hated it when somebody called him that.

"Ooh, sorry 'bout that, mean princess." he mocked a bow, which Kaoru completely ignored.

"So, you got anything more to say, shrimp boy?" Kaoru's icy blue eyes fell on Kenshin. The redhead only shook his head and answered as politely as he could.

"I didn't say that, that I did not."

"Hmph!" Kaoru snorted aloud. "Puh-lease! Do you think I'm so stupid, de gozaru yo?" she stressed the last part sarcastically. Kenshin chose to be silent. He doesn't want another scene, anyway. He was relieved that the girl seemed to get his point this time and started to eat.

"Ken-san! Ohohoho! And there's rooster baby too! Ohohoho!" the signature laughter was enough to tell Kenshin that Takani Megumi has arrived to join their table. He sighed.

"Megumi-dono." Kenshin gave her a little smile while Sano scowled at her.

"Didn't I tell you to stop callin' me that, foxy?"

"Sorry… can't resist… Ohoho!" Megumi said as she sat beside Sano. "You had another row with that girl?" she turned to Kenshin. She seemed to be oblivious to the fact that that girl is sitting right across her. "I should've seen it! Must be more interesting than our boring student org meeting…"

"Did you, Himura-san?"

Kenshin had just noticed the girl beside Megumi and he blushed to the roots of his hair. He managed a smile as he stared at the girl. Sano had to elbow the redhead on his ribs to bring him back to reality.

"Er… hello Misao-dono." Kenshin managed to say.

"We should've seen it really!" Megumi sank on the seat beside Sano, Misao – to Kenshin's mild disappointment, sat beside her. "And they say you actually SNAPPED at that girl."

"Ehem…"

Only then did Megumi finally realize that the girl she was talking about was seated right across her. "Oohhh… I see… We have company."

"So nice of you to actually notice that, princess?" Kaoru said, staring coldly at Megumi.

"So sorry for being ever so RUDE." Megumi answered Kaoru's stare with her own cold one. Kenshin and Sano exchanged worried glances. The last thing they wanted was a catfight between the two.

"Er… Megumi-dono… Kaoru-dono… er…" Kenshin feigned a cough and Megumi instantly turned to him.

"Man… That was scary…" Sano muttered only for Kenshin to hear.

"Yeah." Kenshin nodded. That surely is scary. Girls are scary!

"I lost my appetite!" Kaoru spit out the words, pushing her almost half-touched meal aside. "Ja! (See you)" she stood up and walked away.

Kenshin watched her disappear through the crowd while Megumi loudly commented, "At last she left."

The redhead turned to his friend with a frown. He would never understand Megumi's great dislike – no, it's beyond it – for Kamiya. Surely, Kaoru's mean, call people names, throw spitballs at him, but… it's just…

Like Sano said, girls are never easy to understand…

"So care to tell me what happened now?" Megumi said to them and Sano happily obliged – adding some things that Kenshin never remembered doing.

"Oh… wow! I should've seen her when you snapped at her!" Megumi smiled but Misao seemed to be not so happy about the matter.

"Yeah… she was taken aback." Sano chuckled. "Everyone was! It's not everyday Mr. I'll-tolerate-you-because-you're-a-girl snapped! Haha!"

Now that he heard it, Kenshin actually felt bad for snapping at Kaoru like that. It's just not good – she's still a girl after all, even if she's… well, her.

"Himura snapped?" Misao frowned. "Why?"

"Because it-girl's being it-girl!" Sano answered before Kenshin could respond. The redhead only frowned at him.

"Yeah, I know it's not good." Kenshin sighed. "She's still a girl. I shouldn't have talked to her like that."

"A girl like that deserves it." Megumi said, an undeniable hatred – why? Kenshin could not explain – was shining in her eyes. "I learned about that a very young age."

Kenshin, Misao and Sano exchanged confused glances. Then Sano whispered for only Kenshin to hear, Maybe it's because it-princess' being nasty at you and all. But the redhead cannot understand the logic.

XXX

Classes went on quite perfectly (Kaoru spending half of her time throwing stuff at Kenshin's head and hissing his favorite nickname every now and then). The bell rang not too long after, signifying the end of another school day.

"Move!"

Kenshin was – yet again – pushed harshly to the sides as Kaoru stormed past him. He frowned and watched her go while rubbing his arm. Beside him, Megumi was watching her too with a frown on her face.

"She is just so mean." Misao shook her head before turning at Kenshin, "You alright?"

"Yeah…" Kenshin stared dazedly at her. Sano and Megumi both snickered.

"Let's go home." Sano announced loudly. Kenshin looked up to find him already up ahead with Megumi.

"Guess they left us all alone again, eh?" Misao said to no one in particular, heaving a small sigh. "I will never understand the two of them…"

Yeah… Kenshin stood stupidly beside her. When Misao turned to give him an odd look, he lets out a nervous chuckle. "Yeah, let's go."

"They're just so cute together, aren't they?" Misao said with a smile as she watch Sano and Megumi talking – or rather, bickering about something again. She giggled a little before adding, "Even if they're bickering, ne?"

"Yeah." Kenshin nodded as he watched her watched them. "Cute."

She giggled again when she turned to find Kenshin staring at her. The redhead felt his face grow hot, "You're weird."

"Gomen (Sorry)…" Kenshin scratched the back of his head. Think of something to say, stupid!

"How the meeting's gone?" why it always have to sound so stupid now that it's already out of his mouth is beyond Kenshin.

Misao sighed dreamily, her smile reaching her eyes, "Aoshi-sama is just ever so good." she started and Kenshin felt his face pale, as the girl beside him started to go on and on about a certain Student Org. Vice President.

"…he is so cool… the way he handled himself, the way he talks…" Misao sighed dreamily again, "Oh… Aoshi-sama…"

"Oy! Faster, you two, will ya?" Sano's voice cut Misao's roll of Oh-Aoshi-sama speeches and Kenshin sighed in relief. The last thing he wanted was Misao babbling about her 'ever so beloved Aoshi-sama'.

The group chatted all the way home and before they knew it…

"Here's our stop!" Sano smirked as he, Megumi and Misao turned to a block after waving goodbye at their redheaded friend. Kenshin sighed, putting his hands on his pockets as he walked straight ahead. He frowned when he found none other than Kamiya Kaoru walking not too far from him. Kenshin bowed his head low and took smaller steps – the last thing he wanted was her noticing that he was behind her. Wishful thinking!

"Well, well, well… what do we have here?"

Kenshin looked up to find Kaoru standing in front of him, her hands on her hips and an eyebrow raised. "Hi… Kaoru-dono…" he didn't want to make it sound bad, but well… it's already done.

Kaoru wore an unreadable expression on her face as she stared at him long and hard before finally turning away to start walking again, "Hi yourself, shrimpy!"

Kenshin stood behind her and watched her go for some time. Finally shrugging, he continued walking, "Going home?" he said, trying to catch up with her. Trying to start some conversation to kill some time. She's still his classmate, after all.

"So bright of you to figure that out, Einstein!" came Kaoru's usually sarcastic reply.

"Haha… yeah…" Kenshin chuckled lamely. For some time they walked in silence, Kenshin feel more and more awkward every passing second. Why does she have to be so cold and sarcastic and –

"Are you following me?" she stopped walking and Kenshin almost bumped into her. Kaoru turned to stare at him coldly.

"Oro?" Kenshin blinked. "But I was just taking the same route home as you do, de gozaru." he answered as politely as possible.

"You're stop's there." she pointed behind Kenshin. The redhead turned and found his face grow hot in embarrassment. He had walked past his house!

"Baka! (Idiot)" he heard her spoke out loud and the sound of her footsteps told him that she had gone away.

Yeah… Idiot, huh? Kenshin turned to watch her go. Shrugging, he walked back to his house.

To be continued…

A/N: Hello everybody! I'm back again… and yes, I'm still alive… :) I know, I know, I should be updating my other stories and so… it's just that I just need to get this story out of my mind or I'll go crazy (talk about being exaggerated… hehe). 'Nyway, hope you enjoyed this fic… if you want me to post the next chapter, convince me with your reviews (hehe… I've already finished typing up to chapter 8… hehe). :)

'Til then. See 'ya next chapter:)