" Rima, hurry it up a bit, okay? " Shiki sounded annoyed.

" Sorry, Sorry. I'm having a . . . issue." She blushed, hiding herself with a towel.

CURSE BIKINI MODELING SHOTS!, her mind cried as she stepped outside. " Hello, Toya Rima. " A boy's voice startled her and Shiki both. They turned to see Akisho Yamataru, the supermodel for their agency's rival agency.

" Hello, " She replied in a bored tone. His bright green eyes and white-blonde shaggy hair shimmered under the studio light's harsh glaze.

" Why, you look absolutely . . . fantastic. " He complimented her. Shiki shook his head and sighed. Why couldn't boys just leave Rima alone? Why did all the other modeling boys have to love her, too?

" Um, thank you. You look nice yourself, Yamataru-kun. " Rima replied, allowing Akisho to hug her. Shiki blinked. Since when did she call him Yamataru-KUN?, he wondered to himself. Akisho and Rima exchanged polite cheek-kisses before letting their friendly (supposedly, anyways) embrace go.

" That was sweet of him, " Rima said as her and Shiki walked towards the modeling shot.

" Hmm? Why are you still thinking of him, Rima? What a waste of time. " Shiki scoffed. He knew he sounded like a jerk, but he was angry.

Rima smiled. " Maybe he is just sweet himself. "

Rima sighed and sat under the willow tree behind the modeling studio. Shiki had ran off to some nearby store, leaving her completely alone for the model's break. The spring weather felt nice, warm but not too warm. The gentle breeze blew on her shoulders, almost as if it was hugging her. She felt lonely without Shiki with her.

" Hello, once again, my beautiful friend. "

She turned her head to see Akisho, his white-blonde hair shining under the Spring sun. " Oh, hello. " She scooted over, allowing him to sit beside her.

" Where is Shiki? " Akisho asked.

" Some store. He is probably getting Pocky. " Rima said in a monotone voice.

" Oh, what a shame . . . leaving you here. How silly of him. " Akisho glided his fingers along Rima's bare arms. Her sundress straps slightly fell, but he did not bother pushing them back on her shoulders as Shiki would have done.

" Why is that silly of him? " Rima slightly inched away, feeling uncomfertable.

" You're so gorgeous, Rima-chan. " Akisho smiled at her, coming closer to her neck. " And it seems . . you've never been bitten. How cute. "

Rima shivered. It was true - Shiki had never bitten her, and of course no one else had. Would it hurt? Would it be alright? She had no idea, but she felt frozen as Akisho kissed her neck. " What are you doing?! " She panicked.

" Hold still. I promise you'll feel nothing. " Akisho bared his fangs. Rima remained frozen as he continued to inch to her neck. Then there was a prick that felt like two needles being inserted in her neck. She cringed and closed her eyes and he gulped down her blood. Rima started to feel dizzy and muttered for him to stop, but it only came out as a mere whimper.

" RIMA! " Shiki yelled. She opened her cerulean eyes to see her beloved boyfriend, but she could not keep them open. Rima was completely drained. She slumped against the tree helplessly. The last thing she could do was pray.

" You okay? "

Rima looked up, her eyes burning, and saw her mother's face surrounded in hospital lights. " Where . . Where is Shiki? " She muttered, breathless.

" Rest, angel. You're in the hospital, but everything will be okay. " Alice Toya rubbed her daughter's forehead, her curled black hair falling on Rima's face. Rima pushed it aside weakly.

" Where is Shiki? " She asked again, looking around. No one else was in the room. Her heart pounded, her leg was broke, her neck stung with pain. What had happened? All she could remember was Akisho's green eyes turning red, seeing Shiki with a terrified expression . . then nothing.

" He left as soon as he brought you here. He was crying, but he said he couldn't stay. He wanted to be alone . . . for a bit of a long time. He said not to contact him for a while, either. " Alice grabbed her phone and sent a text message to her husband.

" Shiki, " Rima muttered helplessly, grabbing the pillow and bursting into tears. She remembered what happened - meeting Akisho outside on break, his hands gliding up her shoulders, his fangs. " Mwahh! " She uttered, crying hard. " Shiki, . . Shiki! " Rima started banging her fists on the bed. She knew she messed up, she knew Shiki would be gone for months. But what hurt the most was that he did not want to talk to her at all, and she had made him cry. She screamed into the pillow, desperately wishing she could take back letting Akisho bite her.

" Rima! Rima! " Alice grabbed her daughter and tried to calm her. Rima sobbed loudly, breathing heavily. The pain in her body was nothing compared to the pain she felt inside.

" Toya Rima! " Nurses and doctors ran in. She sobbed louder and her mother held her down as the nurses slipped a needle into her arm. Rima was consumed in a dark world again, hypervenalating.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------1 Month later - November----------------------------------

" Rima? " Alice Toya stood in the doorway of her daughter's room. Rima was looking out over the town, silently watching children dance in snow and young couples ice skating, looking in each other's eyes with love.

Rima had been taken home three days ago from the hospital. Kaien Cross, the Headmaster, told her to stay home for a while and not come to Cross Academy until she was better. Shiki had not contacted her at all, and Rima's nights were filled with crying and staring at the ceiling. She hadn't slept in weeks, but even daydreams haunted her with images of Shiki.

The modeling agency would not let her come to work, either. Rima was filled with depression. She refused to eat and was now about forty pounds under weight. She had cut her wrist once to see if it helped, like Emo people says it does. It just hurt worse, so she bandaged her wrist up and decided not to do it anymore. Rima watched people in town out her window every day. She had grown to be even more silent than usual, and if she spoke - wich was very rare-, it would usually only be a one word response.

Rima stayed silent as her mother stepped in the room. " I bought some cookies and jam. Your favorite desert, Rimmy. " Her mother called her the nickname she hadn't called her since Rima was six. Rima remained silent. The food went untouched the rest of the night as Rima watched the town until she could not stand any longer, then she just crawled in bed to cry.

" Shiki! " She sobbed, wishing he was there.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------December-----------------------------------------------------

Christmas time was this month.

Rima did not want anything in the world but Shiki - especially now. Her mother asked what she wanted for Christmas every day, but Rima would stay silent and stare in the vanity mirror that hung by her french doors that led to the balcony in her room. Once her mother left, Rima took black paper out from her closet and taped it over the mirror. She couldn't look at herself.

She was now 42 pounds underweight, and the skin under her eyes were turning an indigo color from not sleeping. Her hair had become darker and she stopped brushing it and putting it in neat ponytails. Now it fell about to her waist and looked unruly, very messy. Her cerulean eyes had turned gray she was so unhappy. Rima's pale skin was almost transparent now, and it had become rough. She looked terrible now.

Rima started talking to herself, watching everyone in town play in snow and laugh while talking. " They all look so happy, so energetic. " Rima told herself, standing at the window. " I wonder if Shiki is happy. "

Rima dearly hoped he was. " Rima, eat. Please. Eat today for me. " Alice gave her rice and chicken. Rima ate the rice, but the chicken was too much. " Oh, you have a visitor. " Alice opened the door and let Akisho glide his way in.

" Hey, gorgeous! "

Rima shuddered at that. Was he serious? She looked like death. " I'm just going to leave you two alone. If you need me, I will be watching TV. " Alice slipped out the door.

" What do you want, you life-ruiner? " Rima spat at him, crossing her bony arms.

" Life-ruiner? Harsh title. I just came to see how you was doing, Rima. " Akisho sat on her bed. " I heard you was sick, Rima. The models are all upset. Ashira and Mishira, the twins, wanted me to give you this. " He held out a fruit basket with delicious-looking exotic fruits from the tropics.

" How nice. " Rima sank her teeth in a pear.

" Yes. Well, Shiki seems to be no where around, huh? " Akisho grinned. Rima felt a twinge of hurt just by the way Akisho said Shiki's name.

" I haven't heard from him in sixty-seven days and seven hours. " Rima pointed to the tally marks on her beige wall. Akisho blinked.

" Um, . . . " He sighed. " Look, I really came here to apologize. I didn't mean to cause all of this, honestly. I was just flirting and I happened to be thirsty on break. I had no idea that all of this would h- "

" It doesn't matter. I'm never going to see Shiki again. What is the use of apologizing? " Rima cut him off and returned to her window, realizing that that was the most she had talked in sixty-seven days and seven hours, too. Her heart sank. Akisho quietly left, not wanting to bother her more.

This will be finished soon, I promise.

I have been fairly busy with school work so I do not have much time to write. Work with me, please! ^^

Vampire Knight belongs to Matsuri Hino.

- This is a remake of the Shiki's Competition? Story

only now it is more of a remorse story for Rima.