Shiki's POV

I lay on my back, staring at the night sky. I heard footsteps, and I knew it was Rima. She always disturbed my peace...

"What are you doing here?" I asked.

"What? We have a photo shoot remember?" Rima says calmly.

That was Rima. Calm. Unless irritated. One of the things I like about her. Not that I like her. But she's my best friend. So of course I like her.

I stood up and walked towards the door. She follows me. "Why do we have to do a photo shoot at night anyways?" I asked, unhappily.

"Because our props includes the night sky, and since they want to make it look real, our props have to be real too." She said, slightly annoyed.

I sigh. We we're at the door when Ichijo stops us. "Where are you two going? Its my birthday remember?" He looks sad.

Rima explains to him, "We have a photo shoot."

He sighs. "Okay… but come back early ok? It wont be complete without you two." We both promised and went on our way to the photo shoot.

The photo shoot was going to be boring, as usual. But when we get there, we met someone new. "Rima, Shiki, this is Maria Kurenai. She will join you two tomorrow modeling for the spring photo shoot. But today she will be our guest." The assistant says.

"Hello." Her voice sounds angelic, buy somehow deadly. Then, the photographer tells us to go and change.

Two hours go by and the photo shoot is done. Maria goes to the assistant and bids everyone goodbye.

"She seems strange." Rima says. I agree with her. During the whole photo shoot, she would just stare at us. She didn't talk unless it was a question. And that was it.

Rima and I changed to our clothes and said goodbye to everyone. When we got home, Ichijo was waiting for us. With a huge party.

"Oh no…" I sighed. I hated Ichijo's birthday parties. They were always huge and different every year.

As we walk to the gate, Ichijo and Ruka greet us. I can almost guess what theme it is with their getup. They were wearing swimsuits. "Why did you decide to have a swimming party when we don't even have a swimming pool!" I exclaimed.

"Because I never had a swimming party theme before." Ichijo said, with a laugh. Before I got to pound Ichijo with my fists, Ruka puts her hand on my shoulder and smiled. "It'll be fun Shiki. The headmaster allowed us to use the school pool as long as we had a teacher with us." She nods at Yagari sensei.

" How did you get Yagari sensei to watch us?" I asked, more calm than earlier.

"Well Ichijo just told him that it was his birthday and he said yes." I looked at Yagari sensei. That was so not him. He hated us vampires. So why would he agree to proctor for us?

Rima, as usual, interrupted my thoughts. "C'mon Shiki, lets go change. If you don't go, Ichijo will get revenge." She was right. Whenever I skipped Ichijo's birthday without a good reason, he would pull a prank on me as revenge.

"Fine." I said, grudgingly.

~End of Chapter 1~