The work was passed out and most everyone except for Kurama was concentrating hard on getting it done before the weekend. Everything they had been studying, Kurama had read about in books a million times. Still, though, history was a fascinating subject. The class had finally gotten past everything that had happened in Japan by Easter, so now they were going through American history just to do something. Columbus was discovering America right about now, that's what the work was for. Kurama sighed to himself, leaning on his elbow and looked out the window.

What a beautiful day it is. Shame I'm here repeating what I've already learned. Ah, well, the day shall end soon enough anyway.

Kurama's mind was drawn from the rest of the world outside as the superintendent stepped into the room, followed by an unfamiliar girl right on his heels with the expression of a scarred bunny rabbit on her face. The two adults spoke briefly, and then the superintendent walked out, leaving the petrified girl standing at the teacher's desk. She handed Mr. Murikomo, the history teacher, a folder with a few sheets of paper sticking out of them.

"Alright, class, we have a new student. Please pay attention so we can get to know her and welcome her with open arms. Do you mind to tell us your name and a few things about yourself?" He gave her a kind smile and gestured her to stand in front of the room.

Her face was cherry red, but she followed his directions anyway, "Uh, my names Erin, I came from the United States, but I moved from Missouri."

Kurama looked to the rows across from him and saw their faces crack up with laughter, not from what she was saying, but how it sounded. She had a very thick southern drawl.

With a stern look from the teacher, many of the students calmed down, all except a boy from many of Kurama's classes. He was a bully and wasted most of the time hitting on girls. While everyone else went quiet for the moment, he let out a snicker, quiet, but loud enough for her to hear. Immediately she went bright red, bit her lip and looked toward the ground. Mr. Murikomo gave him a glare and pointed toward the door.

"Alright Erin, it's very nice to meet you, and I hope that you are welcomed here with open arms and minds alike. Let's see, well, it looks like the only seat available would be right there in the back." He said, pointing to the seat right across from Kurama.

Still red, the new girl took her seat in the very back row, feeling like very pair of eyes were on her. After she had slid into her seat beside Kurama, did everyone turn back to their own business. Erin glanced in Kurama's direction, giving him a small smile, "Hi, could you help me out a little for today? I have no clue where I'm supposed to be goin." She said with absolutely no shyness in her voice.

"Sure, I don't mind a bit, but don't bother opening your books, class is almost over." He smiled back.

"Oh, thanks, that's awful kind of you." The bell rang and several of the students and the teacher exited the room.

"My name is Shuichi by the way." He said as he gathered his things and took a look at her class schedule. As the pair headed to the door, the boy who had been sent out during class came back in to collect his things. Kurama had come to know that his name was Digon, and of course the immature youth couldn't help but to emit a giggle as Erin strolled by him, books in hand. Looking around and finding only the three of them in the room, she whirled around to face him and, getting within inches of Digon's face, she sneered at him.

"Do you have a problem with the way I talk?" She stared at him with a look of death in her eyes, they were equal in height although, Erin's threatening stance made him appear to shrink.

"No, ma'am" He didn't appear threatened, but her look made the smile on his face disappear.

"I didn't think so, but if you ever snicker at me again, I'll pluck that Adam's apple right out of your throat." With that she turned on her heels and exited the room with her new found friend, Shuichi, gaping at her heels.

"Wow, I don't think I've ever seen anyone make him look like that before, it's about time someone took him down to size." He laughed as they stopped at a locker, "You papers say that this is you locker."

"Alright then, I guess we go home now don't we." She said, putting her things away, "You know, I don't know why people make fun of the way I talk. I sound perfectly normal to me; you people are the ones who sound different." She smiled at her own logic.

"Yeah, that would make sense. I don't like people who think it's their right to sneer at people's differences, it's not very nice." They walked down the street to the bus stop and parted ways.

"It was very nice to meet you, Shuichi, thank you for helping me." Erin smiled at him at boarded the bus.

"It was nice meeting you too, and you're welcome. I would ride the bus with you, but I'm meeting some friends. I'll see you tomorrow." He brushed his hair back with one hand.

"See you tomorrow." She went up the bus steps and took her seat, waving at him as he walked by.

Erin sighed to herself and slid down in her seat, she had had a long day and she was exhausted. She closed her eyes for just a few moments when the bus jerked to a stop and she went face first into the seat in front of her. She glanced out the bus window to see that she had arrived at her house. Gathering her things and trotting off the bus, Erin ran across the street, up the front porch steps and inside the house. Her Irish wolfhound, Max, sat at her toes with his leash and harness between his jaws.

"Wanna go for a run, Maxy? Ok, hold on, let me get changed." She went up the stairs with max at her heals and changed into a jogging suit and pulled her hair up. She hooked the upper body harness on to herself, then Max, and they bound out the door. Max's weight and size was overwhelming to anyone who didn't use the harness to walk him, which was what it was for. The harness helps distribute the weight of massive dogs to the upper body of the walker, so they don't get dragged, and the dog isn't choked by the collar. Although it is safe, Erin did catch quite a few strange looks as they ran down the streets. When they finally came back to their house, Erin let Max off his harness to play in the back yard. Max was very obedient, so she knew he wouldn't leave the yard without her command. She smiled and went to get the mail box, which was connected to the whole blocks' mailboxes at the end of the street. She grabbed the mail out of her box and slammed the lid shut. Mail in hand, she walked back to the house, thoroughly exhausted now, but about halfway there she heard soft steps behind her. She picked up her steps, and so did the footsteps. Her breath quickened and she ran the rest of the way there. As she turned to go up to the porch, she felt a hand grab her arm. She whirled around to hit whoever grabbed her, but stopped, because it was the boy from school, Shuichi.

"I didn't mean to scare you, I seen you down there and wanted to say hello, but you walked away. I called your name, but you didn't hear me." He smiled at her, but it quickly changed, "Are you all right?" He looked at her, she was gasping. She was holding her throat and chest with her hands and an awful wheezing came from her throat. "What's wrong, Erin, are you ok, do you have asthma?" He helped sit down, but the wheezing was only getting worse. Her face was turning red, then purple, then blue. She was trying to say something, but he couldn't understand it. Her vision was blurred, but she seen him fade away, still calling her name.

Night: Wow! It's been awhile since I've seen this one, originally started a year and a half, finished about five minutes ago. Hoped you enjoyed it, reviews welcomed, haters will be shot, and survivors will be shot again. *evil laugh*