Chapter 1:

I walked into the classroom, sat down and took out my books. Ah, first period Math… what a drag. Had it really happened last night? Had I really done that?

The knot in my stomach was as tight as ever.

Yup, I had dumped him.

"Hey!" my friend called coming over. I looked up at her and gave a weak smile, not only because it was seven in the morning on a Wednesday, but also because I felt really crappy.

"Hi." I said through that fake-smile.

"How're you holding up?" she asked me. Her name was Serenadi, and she had the voice of an angel… well this morning it sounded like that at least.

"I bawled my eyes out on the way here." I told her smiling weakly.

"It'll be okay, Hiei was just being stupid, he deserved it," she stated and then asked, "Do you need a hug?"

I smiled and sniffed a bit, "Yeah."

She wrapped her arms around me and it was the warmest hug I'd felt in a while… or maybe it was the slightly fuzzy shirt she had on over a tank top. I didn't care, I felt loved.

"Girls," the teacher interrupted, "Open your books to page twenty-five."

Serenadi hurried back to her seat, stranding me to deal with myself.

Why? Why did he have to be such an idiot last night and get me so annoyed? Was he trying to test me, or something? Eight months, and he still liked to push the limits with me.

Right, I told myself, you dumped him. It's over; just get him out of your head.

"Yuriko?" the teacher asked.

"Yes?"

"What's the answer?" she asked.

"Oh… um," I said looking at the overhead projector, but it wasn't turned on, neither was there a problem listed on the board… oh boy.

"Yuriko?"

"Um… sixty-five?"

"How's about we try eight?" she said smiling in that all knowing way, the one that I absolutely despised. Like she knew what was going on in my head.

Yeah right!

Hiei had known me so well… he could read my mood even when I smiled and acted like I was happy. He always knew when something was bothering me.

'Get him out of your head! You dumped him!' I thought a little annoyed.

"Yuriko, can you tell us what is so important that you have to be staring off into space?" the teacher called.

"Oh, well-"

"Megumi!" she cried seeing Megumi slap Yuske.

I mouthed thanks to her as the teacher started to go off on her about classroom behavior and how she needed to greatly improve hers.

I managed to get down some of the notes that the teacher had written on the board, but my mind was elsewhere.

"And then when you… after that you… and…" What was she saying?

I kept on thinking about Hiei and how he'd suddenly appear at my side in the hallway. I fact there was this one time…

Flash back

I walked down the hallway, my stress levels increasing with every step. I had a social studies test that I'd forgotten about. Yeah. I was not happy, and not ready to talk to anyone, but then all of a sudden-

"Hey." A cool voice said, sliding their hand around my waist.

"God Hiei!" I exclaimed clutching my heart, "Don't scare me like that!"

"Why? It's fun!"

"Fun?"

"Yes. It's nice to see how you react every time." He said smiling.

"You have a sick mind," I told him.

"Ah, but you love my sick mind and every other part of me!" he said kissing me lightly on the lips.

"Indeed I do." I said after and we proceeded to my social studies class. When I sat down, I was very relaxed, and I felt like I could pass this test with ease.

End flashback

That's what Hiei was in my life, my constant and ever present sanity, as well as clarity. I thought about that as I doodled hearts with question marks in the center of them.