disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin.

Chapter One: Between Sapphire and Amber

'Argh. I hate him. I ABSOLUTELY hate him!' I must look like a madman, or a mad woman I should say.

My name is Kaoru Kamiya. I'm just your ordinary seventeen-year old, attending a "prestigious" public school. I say prestigious with as much sarcasm as I can. Madreon High school is about as prestigious as the next public school. The only reason I attend is for the learning capabilities. No, I'm not kidding. I, Kaoru Kamiya, am a dork, bookworm, geek, nerd, whatever you call it. I study hard, do ALL my homework and actually LISTEN in class. I pass with A's all semesters and that's because of MY hard work unlike others I could name, but back to the matter at hand.

Here I am in the staff bathroom of the Akabeko, a quaint, popular restaurant, where I work as a waitress. I know, I know. Not the best job in the world, but I don't have a choice. You see, college is not going to pay for itself, and my father doesn't care too much about my education. He's too busy with his own job and girlfriends. Yes...Girlfriends, I accent the plural.

So right now I'm staring at myself in the large sink mirror. My raven-black hair is tied in its usual ponytail, my wide-rimmed glasses are slipping off my nose, and I'm wearing my work uniform; a simple maroon blouse with a long beige skirt with a hemline that ends at my ankles.

However, I'm not mad about how I'm dressed at the moment. In fact I could careless, I'm not one to look over myself and change with every fashion trend. However, I am pist at the soda that's staining my front now.

"I hate you Himura!' I seethed to myself.

Ever since first grade I've hated Himura Kenshin. When I first started attending the same school as him, all hell broke loose. He was always bullying me. He'd ruin my lunches, steal my backpack, throw away my homework, and get me into trouble. He'd push me around and shove me out of the way whenever he felt like it. So many times I had tried to defend myself but he was always stronger and I'd end up shoved against a wall, staring in to those frightening yellow, amber eyes. That scared me more than anything. So eventually I let him annoy me and not bother to defend myself anymore. It wasn't worth it to be cornered by him and have to face his eyes again. This continued for years and I've learned to hate him infinitely.

If you haven't guessed by now, I'm drenched in coke because of the one and only (thank god! If there was more than one, I don't even want to think about it.) Himura Kenshin!

Ever since he realized I worked shifts at the Akabeko, he makes it his personal business to come and torment me more. Sometimes he comes alone but he often brings along friends.

'Witnesses.' I inwardly agued. 'Lucky. I might've killed him by now.' Dabbing myself with paper towels at my soiled uniform, I try and dry it.

'I don't get off for another two hours. Why? Why can't he just leave me alone?'

I begin sniffling and I hate myself for it. I don't want to cry. I hate crying. Crying is for the weak. I suck in a long breath of air and clench my eyes shut, trying to rid myself of the sting. After exhaling heavily, I look back in the mirror. No redness. No puffiness. No teary expression.

'Good.' I tell myself.

I never want anyone to see my crying. I never allow anyone to see me cry. I certainly won't let anyone know I had been crying either. Especially Himura. I will NOT give him the satisfaction of knowing he's getting to me. Never. I throw the flimsy paper towel into the sink, and sigh in defeat.

'Who am I kidding? I'm not gonna get this all off with a paper towel.'

It's not too bad anymore. Though, I'm still furious! The jerk didn't have to purposely spill his drink on me. Gritting my teeth and composing myself, I walk back to the door. I exhale one lat breath for good measure, before I go back out there.

"God help me...I need it." I mutter under my breath.

A few quick strides I'm almost back to my 'favorite' customer's table. I get a bunch of stares from several other customers. Some stare at me like I have three heads and others, well they just laugh. I can feel my composure slipping quickly. A few steps away I feel myself stop and hesitate.

'I could ask another waitress to take it for me.' I thought.

I looked around and noticed we're unusually busy today. Shaking my head I keep moving.

'No. I won't give Himura that satisfaction or trouble another waitress. Let's get this over with.' I mentally groan.

Just that moment my feet stop at the end of the booth table. Sitting at the table on the left and right sides are the most popular students at Madreon High. Sitting closet to the end of the table is Sagara Sanosuke. Himura Kenshin's right hand man. The two are as close as brothers. He's really popular with women and a smooth talker. Just about every girl wants his attention, and simply melts when his chocolate brown eyes shine with his best bedroom stare and he smiles his lazy grin. He's also quite the "eye candy", with a built chest, muscled arms, and nice spiky brown hair with his tall and lean body, most girls at school worship him. In fact, they might as well. Sagara Sanosuke is the biggest playboy at school and his reputation precedes him. He actually is proud of the fact he's known for bedding so many female students. He's also really lazy and quite the gambler, I hear. Though I can't be too quick to judge Sagara since I've never spoken to him myself. In fact, the only one popular student I know is Himura. A fact I am almost proud of, who wants to know more than one shallow jerk? One snob is enough, thank you. I still may be at the bottom of the food chain, so to speak, at school but I do hear other students talking.

Sitting beside Sagara is none other than the school's "queen bee" herself. Takani Megumi, the most popular girl in the school's female body. One look tells you why. Takani Megumi is the reincarnation of Athena herself. It's no exaggeration of Megumi's beauty. Long silky, black tresses ironed pin-straight, long slender legs, manicured nails painted bright red like her rose lips, eyelashes thick with mascara, only slight touch of blue eye shadow, and a perfect figure. Currently, she's sporting a navy blue tank top trimmed with black lace with a short black velour skirt.

'Really short.' I say to myself noticing its hemline only about six inches past her hips. I glance at her expression and remember she's also the school ice-queen. I've never been confronted by her myself but I hear she's not exactly nice and her wrath is not something I'd like to experience first hand.

Beside her is Akira Kiyatso of all the popular students at Madreon High, he is the most peculiar. I know from watching local news, his father is a well-known politician. I think the apple doesn't fall too far from the tree. I say this because I've shared a few courses with Akira, Public Speaking and Practical Law. From the classes I've had with him I learned he's quite the individual of all his debates he usually is victorious, his motivational speeches are charismatic, and he's actually really smart. By coincidence he happens to be school president.

'Yeah right.' I mentally remark. 'And he just happens to be attractive and star of the soccer team, too. None of those factors correlate to his domination in the election, Kamiya. Ha! Everything is a popularity contest don't you ever doubt it.'

Akira's got soft brown eyes and nice brunette locks. He's obviously well-fit since he's the school's MVP.

Alongside him is Yumi Komagata. Yumi might not be as beautiful as Megumi but she was far from ugly. Megumi might look more elegant but Yumi was more mature. Not only did she have a fuller chest, she had a great figure. Her hair was always pulled back in a bun, a few strands cropping her face. She also had piercing green eyes. However, she makes me feel uneasy with her stare. She has an air of indifference around her and is far from friendly. I had once seen her bring a freshman girl to tears. Not someone to I want to mess with. Her boyfriend, Shisho, is also someone I'd avoid. He's one of the school's constant troublemakers and that's an understatement.

I turned my head and glanced to the right of her. I felt myself freeze. Not from fright, far from it. I stared into those apologetic jet-black eyes. There's the stinging in my eyes again. But I'm so used to shutting down my feelings; I'm able to stomp out the compulsion to cry. It's not easy, but I don't want to cry here, not now. Not ever. Every time I suppress my feelings, I feel a part of me die, I feel the numbness again. There's also this burning sensation, that's the trouble, it's so painful to keep it all inside, to bottle up my rage and hurt. I can almost imagine my usual expressive brilliant blue eyes fade into apathetic sapphire pools. It's a strange feeling, to close yourself off from your heart. It's hard to explain. It feels like, well, actually it doesn't feel. It's like emptiness. Every time it happens I wish I hadn't but I can't help it. Sometimes, sometimes, I just need to do it. I don't want to feel anything sometimes. It's too hard; this is the only way I manage to keep the strings of my sanity together.

She knows it, too. She knows how I feel. She knows I hate doing this, she knows why I do it. She knows I can't stop it.

Then she does what I hate the most. She stares at me with those eyes again. Those apologetic and sympathetic eyes. That's when it becomes harder suppress my feelings. Not when that stare makes me feel worse, makes me want to scream and shriek. God, Why does she have to look at me like that? Like she actually cares about me? Like she really IS sorry? I don't want her pity! I never did! I don't want anything from her. In fact, I want to COMPLETELY forget about her.

I want her to look at e like I'm dirt, trash, and worthless, much like the way many people make me feel. At least that way I can hate her. I want her to be angry with me. Yell at me. Swear in my face. Push me out of her thoughts, like she pushed me out of her life. If she does that maybe…maybe I could actually hate her. I WANT to hate her. It will replace the feeling I have for her right now. It will replace the severe pain that shoots through my heart. It will replace the feeling of my soul freezing. I'd rather feel hatred then…the betrayal that runs through my veins like cold blood, itching to burn through my skin, body, soul, anything left of my existence.

'Why did you do this to me, Tomoe?' I plead mentally.

She keeps staring at me, silently apologizing. She does this every time we cross paths. She almost looks sad, almost…regretful.

'Why is she so sad?' I ask myself in outrage. 'She did this to herself. To me. To our friendship.'

That's right. We WERE best friends. We knew each other since pre-school. We had sleepovers together, talked in our own made-up language, hell even experienced puberty together, we snuck out with together, and told each other everything. I told her secrets not meant to be spoken. I told her things I've never let anyone else know. Things I wish I never wished I experienced. I only told her! I told her! My heart wrenches and I struggles to hold onto my distraught, the memories, the secrets, the lies, the horror, and my slowly slipping sanity that keeps me form crying out to her once again.

I knew I shouldn't have told her. Since the day after her seventh birthday when she told me she loved Himura Kenshin. But I didn't care. I never thought he'd date her. Ever. By the middle of freshman year of high school, I realized Himura was attracted to beautiful young women. Not just interested in dating them either. There was no hesitation in his advances of his relationships. He was famed the same as Sagara.

Then before the end of freshman year, what I never thought would happen, happened. That day I watched as Himura approached me with the most smug grin I've ever seen. The words echoed in my head.

'Hey Kamiya.'

'...'

'Hey Kamiya.' He repeated more demandingly.

'What do you want, Himura?'

'I was looking for your friend, Tomoe.'

'What?' my voice suddenly became panic-stricken.

Moments later he'd asked Tomoe to go out with him. She happily accepted. Less than a week later Tomoe approached me. She had walked over to me like she was in funeral procession. In the span of less than two minutes she ended a nine year friendship. Our friendship. Her reason still echoes in my head.

'He doesn't want me to see you anymore.'

I blink my eyes once, that's all I allow myself. Tomoe is nothing like me. She's beautiful. Not the flashy and trendy kind like Megumi's. She possesses elegant, natural beauty. She has smooth creamy-ivory skin, a flawless face, slender body and limbs, intriguing jet-black eyes, long smooth black hair, and an aura of refinement. She's perfect. I wonder if Himura realizes how lucky he is. Tomoe was like the sister I never had, but I lost her.

Just then I notice the arm wrapped around Tomoe's shoulders. I turn my head away to look the devil himself straight on. My sapphire pools burn into his amber ones. There is so much silent tension between us, it's almost tangible. I can practically feel it. I feel like I've been standing in front of this table for hours, yet I just stopped only moments ago.

Himura just smiles his ugly grin so smugly. I'm so sued to that grin, I feel like punching him right in the mouth but if I did that I'd lose his little game. He wants me to lose it. That's right. Himura sees this all as a game, he's just waiting for the moment he can break me this time. I stare into his face those lavender-blue eyes that flicker between amber and purple. His fiery red hair is tied into a ponytail the ends touch the middle of his back, short bangs dangle from his forehead near his eyes. He's quite well fit too. Underneath that gray T-shirt is a muscle toned chest and strong arms. I can't deny he's gorgeous and that angers me more. But I guess since he is so ugly on the inside it's only fair. Though that excuse seems lame and it still feels unfair. His arrogant voice awakens me from my thoughts.

"So sorry about that Miss…?" he says apologetically as he pretends not to know me. He does this "act" to fool his friends. In fact, only Tomoe, Himura, and I know about mine and Himura's rivalry. I watch monotonously as he narrows his eyes to squint at my nametag.

"Miss Kaoru," he smiles. I hate it when he says my name. "My hand must have slipped." He shrugs.

'I'm sure ass whole.' I say to myself.

Oh but I'm far from done with his little game. It's my move, and I'm about to turn the tables.

"Of course not ma'am." I say shaking my head. I know all about Himura and I know he's commonly mistaken for a woman.

A pathetically stifled laugh comes from my right from Sagara and Akira has covered his mouth with his hand.

I feign surprise and gasp. I laugh mentally, I've become great at acting. "I'm so sorry, sir!" I say pretending to be embarrassed and flustered. I can act like this is the first time I've met him too, if he wants to play that way and what the hell, who is to say I can't mistake him for the opposite gender if we're strangers?

I hear a chilling growl. I open my bright eyes wide, looking around. Everyone at the table seems not to have heard it, only me. Maybe I imagined it? I pray to kami-sama that's the case. Cautiously I turn my gaze to Himura. With one glance I feel my blood go cold. He's mad. Understatement of my life. By the intensity of those burning amber eyes, he's beyond any limit of human rage. I feel my throat close tightly. I'm even too afraid to breath. All he had to do was stare at me like that and I fell myself freeze. I look down and notice my legs are discreetly trembling.

'I hope he doesn't notice.'

I look back up. His eyes never leave mine. Then something flickers behinds his amber orbs. Was that triumph? I watch as a feral grin spreads a across his face, similar to the kind a wolf would make after catching its prey.

"Excuse me." I whisper almost inaudibly. I feel my throat close up again as I scurry from the table. From Himura.

'God what did I do to deserve this?'

His amber eyes narrowed as he watched her retreating figure disappear through a door. He smirked again in triumph at succeeding in making her swallow her own words. He was the flash of fear cross her beautiful azure eyes, behind those hideous glasses.

Wait a moment-did he just say her eyes were beautiful?

'Get a grip, Himura.' He told himself.

"Did you see what she was wearing?" Megumi snidely asks, wrinkling her nose in disgust. She purses her ruby lips together, "I've seen grandmothers wear more stylish clothing." She remarks bitterly

"It's the uniform here." Tomoe replies blankly. Kenshin glances at his girlfriend to his right side.

"Oh?" Megumi responds mock-shockingly as she raises a brow. "Then do tell, Yukishiro, why of all the waitresses, she is the only one wearing that ridiculously long curtain she calls a skirt?" Megumi says matter-of-factly.

All heads at the table turn, including a now interested Kenshin, to survey the restaurants waiters and waitresses; only to conclude that Megumi is absolutely right.

'Hmm…That is intriguing.' Thinks a now interest-piqued Kenshin.

There isn't one other waitress in the entire restaurant wearing a uniform skirt similar to Kaoru's. All other waitresses are wearing a short black skirt that rivals Megumi's six-inch skirt by only a few centimeters.

"Aw, I would've liked to have one of those waitresses." Sano sighs disappointedly.

"She probably has bad legs." Megumi comments harshly.

"May I take your order?" an unfamiliar voice interjects.

The group turns to a bleach-blonde young woman with grey-green eyes. She has her hair pulled back into a fashionable messy bun and is wearing an identical maroon blouse like Kaoru, but it's unbuttoned low enough to reveal a fair amount of cleavage. Her hand rests on her hip, where her short skirt tugs at her waist.

Sano grins. "As a matter of fact, yes you can." He says winking at her.

"Kamiya you're free to leave now." My boss, Tae, yells across the empty restaurant.

"Thanks!" I holler back as I rush out the restaurant entrance.

I sighed tiredly as I walked on the sidewalk along the dark closed stores. I glance at my watch and notice it's fifteen minutes past ten. I worked over hours to make up for the hour long break I took while Himura was there. I couldn't stand to see him again. Though I have to admit enjoy the walk back to my apartment near school. It was my father's idea, probably his only good one. He proposed to sell our old house and just give me my own apartment since it was too big for just us, and with all his long business trips he's barely ever home anyway. So I got my own apartment and it's a rare moment when we see each other, but I'm fine with that. It's not like he's great company with his drinking problem and way-too-friendly company.

My body is aching all over from weariness. Walking home is a pleasant this late in the quiet of the night, but not as calming when I'm utterly exhausted. I stare down at my still stained uniform, that'll have to be washed tonight.

A sudden blast of light blinds me and I clench my eyes shut. I open them seconds later, when I hear the sound of a car engine revving. I stare at a black Mercedes only a few yards away, as spots dot my vision. I don't need to see the driver to know who it is. My vision clears as the Mercedes streaks in my direction.

'Oh no…' is all I have time to mutter before the car swerves before me, its tires whipping water from a "conviently" placed puddle at me. Seconds later the car vanishes from sight, leaving me behind dripping with murky water.

I don't need to hear Himura to know he's laughing now in victory at my misfortune, again. I don't need him to tell me I'm a pathetic, childish, good-for-nothing loser, and I absolutely don't need Himura to know it's not murky water that's sliding down my face.