Disclaimer: I don't own YYH or the characters.

So, what have I been up to lately? Well, between the loss of my father and some other important people in my life, internships, and going to graduate school to get my masters degree, I've been slowly trying to work on my stories. I've been reading a lot of the newer stories lately, and some older ones I was planning on reading, and well, I needed a break from my other favorite fandom.

I've never voiced that much of an opinion, but I prefer Botan X Hiei stories now. Surprising couple, I know, but they work. I have a ton of fanfics about a similar couple in the DBZ fandom, and was thinking up an AU. Normally, my go to would be the DBZ fandom, but right now I feel like focusing on the fandom where I started, plus it fit better with the characters from YYH, and hopefully my writing skills improved as well from my first story :D

Now, I'm not one to write high school fics, and when I do, scenes in school are limited. Besides, I know from my own life as well as many, many other friends' that life outside of high school is where the real action and drama is, and that high school is just an illusion of stability. I'm sure many here could relate to that. However, in this story, high school scenes will actually play a big roll, and there are reasons for that.

Also, note, I'm making up town names in this story…I have no idea where places are. My sense of direction is horrible.

"I can't believe it's over," a dark-haired, brown-eyed boy whined as he and his friends were walking down the street of their suburban hometown. "I mean, do we have to go in tomorrow."

"Oh Yusuke," a blue-haired girl laughed, her pink eyes reflecting the humor she found in his comment. "Of course we do. It's the first day of senior year!"

"Easy for you to say, Botan," the teenager complained. "You actually like school. I just think they should extend break."

A brown-haired girl with eye color similar to the boy pulled Botan close to her and whispered in her ear. "Yeah, because he totally forgot we got out two weeks early with the snow days."

"Oh shut up, Keiko," Yusuke snapped. "You girls are so full of it. Only you two could actually be okay with the end of summer."

Botan wore a smile, though she didn't fully agree with Yusuke's statement. Though the summer had been great, Botan was looking forward to her senior year. She would be taking college courses to place out of classes in college, and it was a chance to prove herself. She knew she was smart and a hard worker, but sometimes there were others that needed convincing, and they made sure she knew that.

It was a beautiful day, hence the reason she and her friends went out for a walk. They all lived just a few roads down from one another and had known each other from a young age. Botan grinned as she remembered their childhood days. Yusuke Urameshi was one of her best friends, his mother and hers meeting a long time ago when they brought their young children to the park. As the two of them grew up, Botan conformed more to society while her best friend developed a hatred towards authority. The two of them, though, were the most similar in the group despite the glaring difference.

Though Yusuke was her best guy friend, Keiko was her best girl friend. She and Yusuke were neighbors, before Keiko's family moved into the house next to Botan's, and she and Botan got to know each other at Yusuke's birthday gatherings. The three of them went to pre-school and grade school together. As they grew older, Botan worked on pushing her two friends together. Always the spitfire, Keiko was the only one who would be able to handle and put up with Yusuke's moods. The two of them had been dating since the end of middle school.

Along with the three of them, their other two friends had joined them on the walk, but had remained quiet in the background with their occasional snickers and chuckles. One of them was the gray-eyed, redhead, Kazuma Kuwabara. For the longest time, he and Yusuke were "enemies." Really, the two of them just enjoyed street fighting and were long-term rivals. Eventually, sometime in middle school, the two of them got involved in a six-on-two fight with some of the high schoolers who had heard about their activities and wanted to snuff them out before they entered high school. After that, the two of them seemed to be a little more brotherly with each other, keeping the rivalry alive without the malice.

Their other friend was another redhead, though the color of his hair was much more vibrant and longer than Kuwabara's, and his eye color was the deepest green any of them had seen. His name was Shuichi Minamino, though his friends usually called him Kurama. No one knew where the nickname had come from, but somehow everyone knew it. He had been pretty popular since he moved to the area at the beginning of high school. His mother was a kind lady, a therapist who had raised her son alone after her husband had passed away. According to Kurama, his mother had moved them there because the school district in the town they had lived was pretty shady and the woman worried for his safety. Their small town was much different, and the school district was rated one of the top in the country. He excelled there, more so than anyone else. Even Keiko and Botan lived in his shadow, though they were never really competing anyway.

This unlikely group of people became fast friends, and they remained friends throughout high school. It didn't mean their group wasn't prone to drama, but that was the norm for a town where everybody knew everybody.

They paused in front of a neatly kept, white house with a colorful garden lighting the front yard. "I believe this is me," Kurama said kindly. "I will see you all tomorrow. And Yusuke…"

The black-haired teen eyed him warily. "Yeah?"

His friend's green eyes twinkled in mirth. "Do try to work on your sour attitude regarding tomorrow. Remember, a friend of mine will be joining us."

"Oh right," Keiko chimed cheerily. "Your mom's case, right?"

"I can't say," Kurama laughed. "I believe I've told you enough as it is. The rest you will have to find out on your own."

As the group said their goodbyes, the three continued on their way and stopped by the remaining houses. Once it was only Botan and Keiko, Keiko started going on and on about Kurama's friend and his sister.

Botan couldn't blame Keiko. They lived in a town where there was never a new face. New people moving the town was very rare. It was hard to believe that in their senior year, they were getting not one, but two new students. Botan, too, was curious, but she had other things to worry about, like her grades. There was always a time where she didn't feel her best was good enough, though her mother would try to convince her otherwise.

"So, I'll see you tomorrow then," Keiko said happily as she ran up to her door. "Have a good night, Botan."

Botan forced a small smile and waved. "See ya, Keiko."

Botan crossed her lawn to the door and let herself in the house, finding it empty. "Mom must have gotten called in again."

It wasn't a surprise to Botan that her mother was called in. Actually, that was expected when someone worked three part-time jobs. Her mother was a part-time nurse and also held jobs teaching and conducting laboratory research at two local community colleges, the term local meaning the one in town and the one about an hour and a half away. Things were tough for the two of them seeing as her mother was a single parent. They did, however, receive some financial support from her father, but it didn't cover everything like he told them it should. The truth was the man would rather have not had to pay anything, so the monthly payment was garnished from his wages. Botan could picture her father counting the days until she turned eighteen, when he would no longer have to assist her, and the day she expected him to stop talking to her completely.

Truth be told, Botan was kind of happy to have the house to herself for the night. It gave her privacy and freedom to do what she wanted before the new school year where she would immerse herself in studying. She threw a freezer meal into the microwave and then went up to her room to change and grab her laptop.

From her bright, summer clothes, she changed into dark blue sweatpants and a black t-shirt with an 80's band logo for Journey plastered on the front. The goal for her last evening before school started would consist of her relaxing and hopefully chatting with a friend online.

She set herself up in the living room with a bowl of ice cream and let the television play in the background as she logged onto her account. The website was a special site where teenagers living in a single-parent household could converse. Back when Botan had been in therapy, the therapist gave her the information for the site. A person could only be given account access by a therapist, so it was a safe place to talk to others dealing with similar situations. Even after Botan decided to stop going to therapy, she still had access to her account. Truthfully, it came to a point where therapy couldn't help her any longer. Most of what she was feeling would have to be sorted out in her own time.

She signed onto her account and searched her friend list to see if the guy she had been talking to was online. He had told her about a week ago that he, his mother, and his sister were moving in with his mother's new boyfriend. He had expressed serious distaste with the living arrangements and had told her he may not be on the day of the move, most likely because he didn't want her to see his temper which he had warned her he was famous for. Botan didn't mind, though. She understood having a temper, though her friends didn't know she could ever be angry with anyone. They didn't know the full story of what went on in her life, and she honestly wanted to keep it that way. There was no sense in dragging her friends down with her. They knew enough.

That's why she liked talking to this guy on the site. They could understand each other and not question each other's actions. If Botan was mad and started ranting about her father, this guy would offer his dark humor to make her laugh. If she acted that way around her friends, well, they wouldn't expect it at all. Around them she was bubbly all the time, but underneath it all she was struggling. She didn't want to be the one to tell them that.

As the site loaded up she saw that he friend was in fact offline, which she had expected. She decided to check her e-mail, but she had nothing new at the moment. It was then she thought about doing something else, a task she never looked forward to.

I should call him, she thought to herself. I know I normally call the first day, but I should at least get it over with.

Botan took out her cell phone and went to the number she always dreaded calling. It had never used to be like this in the past. Truthfully, Botan had always looked forward to talking with her father, but then he stopped contacting her when she turned sixteen. It would always be her to contact him first, and then if he felt like it he would call her back weeks later. Normally, that didn't happen and she considered her call ignored. Her mother always tried to reassure her that her fear was misguided, her fear that the day she turned eighteen and he didn't have to pay anymore she would never hear from him again. That thought pained her, but it was what she was expecting.

"Leave a message after the beep…"

Of course, Botan muttered in her head as the tone went off. "Hey dad, it's me. I just wanted to call you before my first day as a senior. I guess I'll speak to you later. …Bye."

It took all she had to not throw the phone across the room after she hung up. She didn't understand why he always had to ignore her. Everything, including contact, always had to be on his terms. It wasn't something she liked to admit, but it was the truth. She was starting to get sick of it.

It was then Botan realized what was playing on the television. It was some action movie that she didn't really care for, so she changed it to the 80's rock music channel and let herself drown in the songs before returning to her computer. She was surprised that this time she saw her friend's username, pyromania12, appear in bold letters on the screen. A smile formed on her features as she opened a new chat.

Hey, she greeted. I didn't expect to see you on today.

It took a moment before he responded. I needed a break, he told her. This day has been hell.

I'll bet. Moving's always tough.

It wasn't the move, the boy responded. It's where we're moving to. I hate this guy.

Botan frowned when she read the message. The two of them had been talking for a while. Like Botan's father, this guy's father had abandoned his mother when she was pregnant, but unlike Botan and her mother, they never found him again. The guy always said it was for the best because his father sounded like a terrible person, which she could totally relate to, but it was even worse on his mother. Yes, Botan's family wasn't the most accepting of her mother's situation, but they still loved them. This guy's family abandoned his mother when she needed them. For the longest time, they stayed with their mother's friend who was like a second mother to the guy and his sister. Eventually, though, his mother started dating a shark, and now they were living with him. "Pyro" did not like the guy at all.

Don't worry, she wrote to him. I'm sure it'll get better.

I don't see how, her friend replied. He's obviously using my mother, and the creep always goes after my sister. The only good thing about this is that my room is next to hers, and the doors lock from the inside, which isn't too bad. I swear, though, if he makes either of them cry again…

Just be careful, Pyro, Botan pleaded. She then decided to change the subject to a more lighthearted one. So, when does school start for you?

Tomorrow, he answered. I hope the education system in this hick town is decent. I came from a pretty crappy one.

It might be, Botan told him. I know in the town I live in that the school system is amazing for a small town, though we're pretty lucky.

Truthfully, I wish I was wherever you were, he told her. At least it would make things more tolerable.

Botan giggled at the compliment. It won't be that bad. Try to be positive.

"Pyro" didn't seem to be responding to that as all of his typing ceased, but after a few minutes he began to write another message, and like her own friends, it was a change of subject when someone didn't want to dwell on a topic.

So, rocker girl, he teased making a pun on her screen name, 80rockgrl, I hear there's going to be a Bon Jovi concert in East Brooke next week.

Botan was surprised, mostly because she recognized the town name, and the town wasn't too far away from her. Hey, that's not too far from where I live, about twenty minutes away.

That's about the same distance to where I just moved, Pyro told her.

We must not live too far away from each other, Botan typed while smiling. It made her happy knowing she lived so close to her online friend.

Maybe we can meet up at the concert, he suggested.

I would, Botan replied while biting her lip, but I highly doubt my mom can afford the ticket.

I'll take care of that, he told her. I have a lot of money left from my last job. I'll just have them hold your ticket at the front. I'll have it labeled for "Rocker Girl."

You really don't have to do that.

Quiet, he ordered. I want to. I think a concert would be a great place for us to meet up.

Botan smiled at the screen. Well, how can I say no to that?

You can't.

Oh, be quiet.

On the other side of the conversation, a teenaged boy with spiky, black hair and red eyes chuckled at the childishness of the girl he was speaking to. He was just about to type a reply when he heard his mother calling him.

"Hiei? Are you okay? You've been up there a long time," his mother, Hina, called to him.

The teen sighed and turned back to his computer. Sorry to cut this short, he wrote, but my mother is calling me down.

That's okay, "Rocker Girl" replied. I just finished my ice cream, and I should probably eat dinner.

Hiei smirked. Dessert before dinner. I like it.

Hey, have a good day at school tomorrow, he read. And just try to think positive, okay?

Yeah, he answered. Night.

Goodnight, Pyro.

Hiei closed his laptop and sighed in frustration. Leave it to his mother to call him out on his absence. If he didn't leave the safety of his room, she would come up to get him and then she would feel guiltier for irritating him. He always tried to hide it, but his distaste for their situation could never truly be erased.

What was their situation? Well, that was a loaded question.

After his father had left his mother to fend for herself with twins, his mother's family called her a disgrace. Honestly, they would have accepted them in, but Hiei looked so much like his father that his grandmother gave his mother an ultimatum. She was to give him up for closed adoption and never see him again. She didn't give in, but instead moved in with her friend from college. The woman had just given birth herself, and she and her husband were perfectly happy to help them. His mother had taken on the chores of the house as well as babysitting to pay back their hospitality, and her friend's husband was kind enough to give her money for the services they continued to tell her she didn't need to do.

Their mother's friend, Shiori, had graduated in psychology and opened a small practice in the town. Once open, Shiori took his mother in as a client. She even worked with him and his sister, Yukina, as they got older. She was someone who was easy to confide in, but Hiei still refused to open up too much. Like his mother, her son, Shuichi, had the knack for listening to problems and providing guidance. Hiei had always called him by a nickname, Kurama, that the red-haired boy liked and promised to keep in mind for the future. The two of them were good friends, and everything was great for the longest time.

And then Kurama's father passed away and sent his mother into a spiraling depression that caused her to have a severe illness. There was enough money that Shiori and Kurama inherited from his father's passing, as well as the house, but once Shiori had recovered, she could only apologize to her friend. She couldn't live in the town anymore. After selling her practice, she decided that she and her son would move to a small town and start a new life. The town wasn't insanely far away, so they could still continue with the therapy, and Shiori did something for his mother that Hiei would never forget.

She gave them the house. All that they needed was for his mother to find a job, and in that town it was next to impossible.

The only work available were at the local strip clubs, though his mother simply worked as a bartender, and nothing more. She still had to deal with the men that passed through all the time, and that was how she met the current bane of her son's existence.

Tarukane.

Tarukane was a gangster and a thug, but his crimes could never be proven. How his mother got involved with him, Hiei didn't know. He knew his mother didn't love the gangster, but yet she decided they should leave town with him and move in with him. She had, of course, run the idea by Shiori, since the house was originally hers, but Shiori supported her and told her it was okay if she sold the house.

But Shiori didn't know what went on around Tarukane. His mother had only told her the supposed "good things" about the man, and definitely didn't include the fact that he may have been in the mob. Whenever Hiei said anything like that, it would result in him getting grounded. Yukina was the one who suffered the most. Tarukane would berate her and tear her apart, screwing with her self-esteem. He would push the girl aside if she got in his way, and whenever Hiei was in his way, well, his mother wouldn't see him for the rest of the day because he would be nursing a headache. Neither Yukina nor Hiei told their mother, but Yukina's reasoning was different than Hiei's. She thought their mother was truly happy with the man. Hiei knew better, and the reason he kept quiet was because he knew it would cause more trouble for his mother. Where they were living with him, Hiei knew Tarukane had to be controlling his mother somehow, and he hated it, but he couldn't prove anything.

After his mother sold the house, she put the money into trusts for him and Yukina to have access to when they went off to college. Then they came to a small town, one where Shiori and her son had moved to. Ironically enough, Tarukane's business was moving to the small town, and he had found a large house, almost the size of a mansion, and had offered Hina a place for her and her children to live, provided she become his girlfriend.

Apparently the offer was too good for her to refuse.

Hiei slammed his door shut and descended the stairs. His mother was waiting on the bottom with sad eyes. Hiei stuffed his hands in his pockets, avoiding contact with the chained decorations of his black pants. He sighed when his mother's expression didn't change. "Mother, don't look at me like that," he said. "I needed a break from bringing boxes in."

"The movers finished that, sweetie," his mother replied. "Please, come sit with us in the living room. Your sister and I are going to watch a movie."

Hiei's eyes narrowed slightly. "Is HE still here?" he asked bitterly.

Hina sighed and shook her head. "I really wish you would give him a chance, son," she murmured. "He left for work, so please just stay down here with us."

"Fine," her son replied before walking passed her. Yukina smiled when she saw her brother. Hina watched as her son sat down on the couch and placed his hands behind his head. To face the television, Yukina used him as her cushion. The two smiled at each other, and that always warmed her heart. She always knew when she saw them together that she had made the right choice in going against her family. It also made her believe that the choices she was making now were good for her two children. She only hoped that Hiei would learn to adjust. Maybe once he started school with his old friend, he would be able to handle it so much better, but at the same time, the woman didn't truly know about the man she had brought into her children's lives.

A/N: So that's it for chapter one. I have a couple more chapters written; however, I'm not going by any update schedule. My updating will continue to be sporadic until I can get myself into a rhythm. I thank everyone for their patience and understanding while I make these transitions. Let me know what you thought of the chapter. Thanks for reading!