A/N: So I've been toying with this idea for a while, and then I read Citrus and finally decided to write it.

I'd love to hear what you think of this story, so please do read and review! Thanks! ^_^

Now on to the story


CHAPTER 1

The footsteps trudged down the halls. The doors banged open, then swung shut. The desks creaked. The final bell rang shrilly. And thus, another dreary day of school started.

Well, in my case, it's not dreary, more…frustrating. Frustrating because I was here and Celine was right there, like the embodiment of every male's dreams (and mine, too) with her stunning hazel eyes and that lovely smile and her altogether mesmerizing personality and…and the only catch is, I could not reach out and get her. Never could, never should.

Besides the common problem of being incurably dull and plain, I also had additional problems. Let me list them out to you. First, she is all that is charming and pure yet popular and friendly and everything, while I'm the gloomy resident nerd who no one wants to befriend. Then comes the bigger blow which is, she is sort of my cousin; well, she's my fifth circle cousin by the remarriage of my grandmother - this doesn't mean we aren't close friends, we are thick as thieves - but still! And for the grand finale, we're both girls. However you try to, this is impossible, doomed to failure from the start.

It's like the whole universe is yelling out that she is meant for SO much better than plain ol' me, and I do get it! I really do, but I cannot stop liking her, no matter how hard I try. How hard I'm still trying, for that matter. Well, that isn't a big surprise, considering how I've liked her for at least ten long years now, and my affections haven't ceased a bit so far. Even after seeing her with her handsome, perfect, loving boyfriends and torturing myself over it. Over how it is so natural for those boys to sit with her, gaze at her longingly, touch her, be with her.

But every time she tells me that her current boyfriend isn't The One for her, I just remember trying not to let the relief I feel show on my face, or the fact that I was praising whichever deity decided to take pity on me then (yes, I do know how bad that makes me sound). She's currently in the quest for her new boyfriend, who again, may be The One.

In fact, the only ray of hope in this hell is the fact that she still hasn't found The One for her yet. She told me that she has a certain type in her mind and that no one could match the man of her expectations so far. But she wouldn't tell me what her type was, that tease. Not that I could do anything once I got to know her type, except for curse myself for not being like her type or, a boy in the first place.

"Earth to Ellie! You there?" Celine's angelic voice floated through, breaking me out of my agonizing thoughts. I came back to reality with a startled yelp (way to make me look all attractive in front of Celine, NOT).

"Yeah, Celine, 'sup?" I mumbled, after she finished chuckling at me (what devilry was this? Her very chuckles sent tingles down my spine! Damnit!). I stole a brief glance at her, and then decided to stare at my table instead. Much safer that way.

But would she let me be?

"My hair's a mess! Do something about it!" she said, pulling my face to her direction and making this really adorable puppy-dog-face. She could probably get away with murders with that expression. I tried really desperately to calm my heart and face (and everything else) down. She wasn't the one touching me, it was our grouchy lunch lady. The lunch lady. The lun-

"Ellie, sweetheart, please! It's such an abominable mess! C'mon, please?"

WHY DID SHE SAY SWEETHEART LIKE THAT?! GOD! WHY?!

Have I not been controlling myself? My heart can't take it! Well, yeah, I know that she'd call anyone a sweetheart, including those little kids who live next door to her. I have legit been child-zoned. But does my heart get it? NOPE.

And yeah, she doesn't let anyone touch her hair, but I only got this privilege because I'm her cousin. And because we've been doing each other's hair since we were kids at kindergarten.

"Dude, seriously? Must you always be this irresponsible? What would you have done if I wasn't here?" I lectured, going through the farce of being her 'cousin' as usual. Like I didn't want to run my hands through her hair and revel in the feeling of superiority I get when I'm the only one here who can do this.

"I would probably bunk the first period and go to the washroom to fix my hair, or better yet, ditch school and go home." She said, carelessly.

"Thank god I'm here. You would probably not even go to school if I wasn't here." I shook my head and sighed, but I would be lying if I felt even an ounce of the disappointment I professed. I was elated that she even pretended like she needed me so much, even if it was just as a cousin.

"Fine, just this once," I sighed again, like I haven't repeated these same words a billion times before.

Then I proceeded to give her a side braid, because it's the easiest thing I could manage, and then shooed her away, muttering something along the lines of 'Why do you come to me for hair fixes like I know shit?'. She just laughed her merry laugh and went to her beckoning friends. And so life went on.

I endured another torturous Lunch break watching her boyfriend go possessive caveman on her and put his hands around her waist and doing the sweet, gooey things that all couples do, wishing I was the one there beside her right now. Not that Celine hasn't invited me to sit at her table; she has, several times. It's just that i didn't want to hurt myself too much. Plus, not everyone is as obtuse as Celine is. If anyone figures out that i like her, it's game over for me. So I sat there, wishing for something i will never attain.

Then, after French class was nearly over, she nudged me (be still, my heart) and insisted on coming over to my place for learning whatever went on in class, because she was too bored to listen and just went to sleep discreetly. I argued that it was her fault that she hadn't understood anything, to which she disarmingly smiled and said that I was the best, and then decided that it would be just peachy if we had a sleepover. A FREAKING SLEEPOVER! I again tried to argue that our places were close by (my house is like, two houses away from her's) and she laughed it away. And there went any more resistance from my side. So another night of tossing and turning and definitely not sleeping coming right up!

Sleepovers with Celine are the stuff for nightmares. There are so many times when I've nearly blurted out what I felt, but I made some lame saves at the end. But then, how can she help it? It was entirely my fault for going and loving some who can never be mine.

And so school went by in it's sluggish pace. Then just as I got ready to leave once school got over, I got called in for some student council work (I was pushed into it by my mother). So I told Celine to go home without me, and make herself useful. The girl was a wizard at cleaning up places.

And I went to work, feeling oddly relieved and sad all at once that my time today with Celine was cut short by the work.


Ellie = Yuzu (but not as outgoing and into makeup or boys)

Celine = Mei (but less reserved and more outgoing