Disclaimer: I do not own Strawberry Panic. I make no profit off of this. I do, however, own my respective original characters Kitsurugi Seiya and Satoru Hana.

Prologue: Life is singular, not plural.

"…and so you see that when forming triangles and other shapes, lines are categorized in a variety of ways. Parallel lines are when two more lines wind up exactly the same, and go on without ever intersecting. Of course, when the word parallel is used for other things, such as dimensions, parking….subject to interpretation and….rallel lines can…..lines attaching…..xample….llelogram itself…trapezoids..

Satoru Hana, 4th year Miator student could barely keep her eyes open through the lesson, drifting from listening to dreaming and only catching bits and pieces. Eventually she decided that she had enough notes, and it wouldn't hurt to rest her eyes for just a minute..right?

Gradually that girl in row 2, seat 4 let her eyes shut, her mind drift, and her body sleep..

Part I

Rokujou Miyuki was once again sitting in the council office, doing a mass of paperwork. Most of this was not her own, she was always doing the paperwork that one of the two Etoile was meant to do. The key to her being willing to do this work was her duty. Not to the Etoile, partially to the school, but mainly to her friend whom had done naught to deserve it--- her only and 'best friend' Hanazono Shizuma. One who has loved and lost would certainly need someone for comfort, and while for anyone else Miyuki may claim they brought it upon themselves, things were always different when they were close to home. Apart from that, Miyuki could identify with her fallen friend. Loving and losing turned her best friend into a cold, heartless woman that had any and all pain numbed by a feeling of superiority and arrogance. Miyuki would feel more for Shizuma than she let on, for any self-preserving human being would cut themselves from a parasite. Miyuki could not. She loved Shizuma, and knew exactly what she went through, for losing her best friend had been the very same. Recently she had done various things for Shizuma, from keeping her from being expelled in relation to her lecherous actions, to doing all the world of not one, but TWO Etoile all in an effort just to help. Yet even so,Shizuma had picked an attractive, youthful, spirited transfer student she could control and had "known" far less than a year over herself, Rokujou Miyuki! The one that for the past year had lived her life for Shizuma, cutting off her social life just to give Shizuma attention enough to not give up right there. And in return, nothing. Not even a true acknowledgement of her feelings, not until the very end. And even now, she misunderstood the extent and form of her love.

Part 2

"Nagisa-chan! Doshde!?" She yelled, the flames of jealousy, anger, tragedy, and true, TRUE curiosity consuming her as she spoke, nay, yelled at the picture on her nightstand as if it were actually Nagisa.

"I-I don't understand.. I-I've given you everything! Y-yet…" Sobbing, crying… "You don't even KNOW HER!" Eyes filled with tears and rage, she grabbed the framed picture of her loved one and tried to throw it across the room to quell her angry spirit.

It didn't happen. There was no shattering of glass, no crashing against the wall. The room was silent. One look directly at that face immortalized in a picture, and Tamao could calm down. That strawberry hair, those soft red eyes, that perfect, innocent smile was enough to wipe all traces of rage from the young maiden's pupils. The tears remained. Perhaps they might NEVER go away. Once the beast inside her had calmed, Suzumi Tamao cradled that picture, falling on her bed and spooning just a bit, almost even sucking her thumb. "Why..not..me?" She shut her eyes and sighed, before taking ten minutes of rest. She would get up then, ribbon tied on her wrist, headband across her forehead, eyes red and puffy, and attempt to escape from the world using her poetry…

Epilogue

"..and that concludes our lesson of delving into the various portrayals of 'parallel' and the theory with it. Now, who would like to recap what they believe the term parallel is most used with? How about…"

Hana was sleeping, now. Of course the teacher would see in a few seconds and thus call on her! Luckily, a cellphone went off in the seat one back and to the right, and thus THAT girl was called on, taking a fall that Hana almost did.

"Parallel is most used in comparisons of not only lines, but a variety of other subjects, situations, criticisms, and psychology now take it into use." A textbook answer, and the student answered successfully.. Class was once more over. Hana would, of course, glance at the girl that saved her. Hana had mostly no expression on her face save an awkward look---this girl just disrupted class-how should she look at her?

The other girl returned that expression, mirrored, until her lips curled into a soft smile, as if about to chuckle. Her eyes showed the same amount of tenderness in them. Hana was merely confused by this, and the two parted ways until the next day.