Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Knight.

Note: I own Esta June.

Dogwood

By: Hikari Maiden

Esta June abruptly slumped in her black, leather, cushioned computer chair with a weary and frustrated sigh and groan as she lowered her eyelids and stared at her laptop with a vacant expression. Her elbows on the desk, she leaned forward, and the palms of her hands supported the sides of her head. She let out another weary, frustrated sigh and groan. "Maaaan…" Weary and frustrated tears began to heavily brim the rims of her eyes. She squeezed her eyes shut, leaned back and intertwined her fingers with her thick, mid-shoulder length, blonde hair as she lifted her chin towards the ceiling and quickly ran her hands back and forth several times. "HAAA! WHAT DO I DO, NOW?"

"You scare me when you freak out. What's the matter?"

That's Akatsuki's voice. She released her hair, lowered her head to normal level, opened her eyes, and turned around to see Akatsuki Kain behind her. I'm correct. A smile splayed along her bright, pink lips. She laughed. "Hiya, Akatsuki-san! How are you?"

He smiled back at her. "I'm fine. What about you?"

"Oh, no worries, here, Akatsuki-san! I'm fine!"

He chuckled. She's priceless.

"Oh, yeah! I forgot to tell you!" She excitedly closed her eyes, placed her hands over her mouth and laughed.

"What are you so excited about?"

"Oh, you'll see!" So as not to interfere with my most recent work, I'll save and exit. I'll open the start of my project.

Akatsuki stared at her and the computer. Wow…

She pulled up the home page of her web site. "Okay, Akatsuki."

He stared at her web site, dumbfounded.

She laughed at his reaction. "Aw, Akatsuki-san! What's the matter?"

"Okay. Don't get mad at me for this. I mean no offense. You're an awful test taker. It's hard not to notice your awful test grades. Also, you're awful at Math. It's hard not to notice the awful grades you get in Math. You're the best in English and Reading. You're computer literate. You recall events in history. You seem to have to not be under pressure. You seem to have to love what you speak about, what you write about. I know because we sit beside each other in class. You seem to forget that, Esta-san."

"Heh. Right you are." The headmaster reluctantly agreed. Yuki and Zero know. Kaname knows. Akatsuki and Aidou know. Takuma knows. They're the only ones allowed to know. It's a secret to the rest. I love to stay up all night and sleep all day. I'm human. I attend the Night Class. I sleep in the Moon Dorm.

Akatsuki gave her a serious look. "Honestly. You're so stubborn. Why not hang with humans, for once? No one's going to talk you down, or anything."

She shook her head. "No. I wanna stay here. I'm not normal, anyway, you know that."

"I know you're not a vampire."

"No dip, Sherlock."

"I'm not an idiot."

"You sound like one."

"What is up with you?"

She shut down her computer, closed it, and put it away. She grabbed her computer inside its case. "I don't know." She began to walk away.

He grabbed her hand. "You're upset. I can tell."

She turned back to him. "Look. Why don't you just leave it be, okay?"

"Tell me what's wrong."

"No!" She began to tug herself free from his grip. "Now, let me go!"

He let her go. She'll tell me when she's ready.

She ran from the room. Stupid Akatsuki! Leave me be! I want to be alone right now! She ran into her bedroom, placed her computer case aside and laid down on her bed. She closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.

She felt someone on the bed beside her. Akatsuki! She sat up, about ready to rip him a new one. However, she faced Aidou instead. Surprised, she fell over onto him.

He caught her in his arms. "Whoa. Easy there."

"Aidou! What the heck? I was about to rip Akatsuki a new one!"

"Figures." She's mad at him. "Why are you mad at Akatsuki?"

She blinked at him. "I'm not mad at him. It's just that he pressured me. He wanted me to tell him something I didn't want to. He said that I seemed upset and wanted me to tell him why. I wanted to be alone at the moment."

"He's worried about you."

"My web site didn't go as I had planned. I struggled. I got weary and frustrated."

"Is that all?"

"Lame, but true."

"You need to take a break every now and again. Don't allow that to stress you out."

"Right."