"Oh, God. What should I wear?" Leiko slapped her palms on her cheeks as she stepped into her massive closet.

"Your school uniform, you moron. And the board of education thought that they were doing us all a favor." Hitomi sarcastically sighed, slipping on her short blue skirt over her slender hips.

"Stop making fun! I wasn't serious anyway." Leiko stood in her closet, only wearing her underwear. "I thought saying that would, you know, add to the effect."

Hitomi rolled her eyes. "Whatever. Where's Shina?"

"She's in the bathroom." Leiko shouted from her closet as she put on her uniform.

"You know, I don't know why she's so ashamed of her body." Hitomi grabbed a magazine off of Leiko's floor and began to flip through the pages. "She looks hot to me."

Lieko walked out of her closet, dressed and braiding her long, blonde hair into two perfect braids. Hitomi looked up from her magazine, "And to Hatori, too, apparently." The two girls began to giggle.

"Shut up. And I'm not ashamed of my body." Shina suddenly announced, walking into Leiko's room, her pajamas in hand.

"Oh, you heard us?" Hitomi asked, raising her eyebrows.

"Yes, in fact, I did." Shina responded, without amusement as she neatly folded her clothes and placed then into her overnight bag.

Hitomi threw the magazine she was reading on Leiko's bed and approached Shina. "Well, Shina, you are hot. And Hatori does think so. I mean, have you seen the way he looks at you? The way he stares at you when he thinks you're not looking? The way he says your –"

"ALRIGHT! Hitomi, damn." Shina grumpily retorted.

"Yeah, Hitomi, we get it." Leiko rolled her eyes at her smart aleck friend, who'd shrugged it off. "But haven't you noticed, Shina?"

Shina turned to give Leiko a death glare.

---

"LUCY IN THE SKYYYY WITH DIIIAMONDS…LUCY IN THE SKYYY WITH DIIIAMONDS…LUCY IN THE SKYYY WITH DIIIAMONDS…AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" The three girls sang The Beatles' 'Lucy In The Sky With Diamonds' to the top of their lungs as they rode to school. Shina was driving her newly remodeled yellow Volvo while Hitomi sat in the passenger's and Leiko inhabited the entire back seat.

"Dammit, red light." Hitomi murmured as they slowly approached a yellow light.

"But it's yellow!" Leiko yelled back matter-of-factly to Hitomi as they watched it quickly turn red. Hitomi shot a look at Leiko, who merely shrugged. "Well…it was."

BEEEEEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEEEEEEEP BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP

"Greetings, my aesthetic beauties." It was the ever-so-dramatic Ayame beeping Hatori's car horn right next to them. Shigure was in the back while Ayame was in the passenger's and Hatori was driving. He greeted Leiko and Shina with a dazzling smile. Then, his face fell and he glanced at Hitomi. "Hitomi."

Hitomi rolled her eyes and sighed. "Ayame."

"You know you like it." Leiko whispered from the middle of the back seat to Hitomi.

Hitomi snapped her head in Leiko's direction, immediately, giving her a cold stare. Leiko slowly looked up from her chipped nail polish, jumping at the look on Hitomi's face.

"I see you're driving today, Shina. What a smart decision, for you'd be late if Hitomi was driving." Ayame let out his loud, exaggerated yet irritating laugh, looking around at Shigure who was also laughing quite loudly. Leiko lightly giggled as Hitomi's entire face began to turn bright red.

"Driving with her is like driving with my grandmother!" Ayame went on, laughing his head off along with Shigure and Leiko.

"YOU KNOW WHAT?! YOU'RE ON!!" Hitomi exploded, pointing at Ayame.

"Who? Me? Why, Hitomi? What exactly am I on?" He responded innocently, fluttering his eyes.

"A RACE! TO KAIWAIA! NOW!" She screamed even louder, getting angrier and angrier as the seconds went by. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!!" She pushed Shina practically out of her own car.

"Wait, Hitomi! You are NOT about to RACE in MY CAR!! It's my only car! Not to mention, you're about to put all three of our lives in jeopardy!"

"I don't give a damn! Get out so I can show this asshole how to drive!"

Shina sighed and obliged, not wanting to get steam rolled by her best friend. She got out and ran to the passenger's seat as Hitomi crawled to the driver's. When Hitomi'd situated herself, she shot her head at Ayame and Hatori.

"Move out of the driver's seat, Hatori! I'm about to cream your friend!"

"Hitomi. You should really calm down." Hatori responded, calmly.

"OH, THE HELL WITH YOU ALL!" Hitomi pressed her foot on the gas and sped off, followed by a cloud of white smoke.

The three boys watched for a few minutes, stunned at Hitomi's reaction….

All of a sudden, they burst into laughter.

---

As soon as the girls entered Kaiwaia High, they were greeted with what looked like the entire student body crowded around sheets of paper posted along the walls of the hallways.

Hitomi looked to her best friends on either side of her. "Well, ladies," she rolled up her sleeves roughly. "Shall we?"

All of a sudden, Hitomi, Leiko and Shina pushed themselves through the crowd, trying to get to the front to see the list. As soon as Hitomi managed to get to the front of the growing crowd, she ran her finger down the list, searching for her name.

"Soto….Soto….Soto….SOTO!" Hitomi turned around the face her friends, upsetting some of the students that were looking for their own names. "Hey! I found my name!"

"Look for me, Hitomi!" Leiko yelled over the large crowd.

"You're….here, too, Leiko. So is….Ayame….and Shigure!"

"What about me?!" Shina asked, waiting for Hitomi to announce that she was also in their class.

"Ummm…" Hitomi ran her finger over the list a few more times, growing frustrated and frantic to find Shina's name.

"I….I don't see you."

"Really?! MOVE!" Shina pushed through the crowd, staring at the list, trying desperately to find her name. She stared at the list one more time before backing away from the crowd, flabbergasted.

"I'm….not in your class."

Lieko and Hitomi immediately hovered over Shina, who was staring at her brown shoes, disappointed, rubbing her back and trying everything to console her.

"It's okay, Shina. It doesn't matter if you're not in our class, we'll hang out with you. It's just that we'll have more time together than with you, that's all." Hitomi stomped on Leiko's shoe and gave her the evil eye, making her hobble about in pain.

"What's wrong, Shina, darling?" Ayame asked, putting his hand on Shina's back. "Upset that I hadn't arrived yet?"

"HA! Well, where were you? Thought you were so fast, you could get here before us?" Hitomi looked at the three handsome boys before her, placing her hands onto her hips.

Ayame smacked his teeth and shook his head. "Oh, Hitomi. Yee of little mind. I'm trying to comfort this beautiful and upset young lady. Not argue with a brash, self-centered person like you."

"You're one to talk." Hatori mumbled under his breath, making Shigure chuckle.

"OH, YOU LITTLE!!" Hitomi charged for Ayame but was stopped by Leiko, who grabbed her by her arms.

"Hitomi! Shina's sad! Remember?"

Hitomi's entire face fell as she let out a heavy sigh and realized that she was, in fact, being a little too selfish. She focused her attention back to her upset best friend.

"She's not in our class." Leiko responded, still looking at Shina with sympathetic eyes.

Hitomi looked up from Shina's sad face to Hatori as if remembering something. "Wait, Leiko. I don't think I saw Hatori's name either."

Leiko looked up at Hitomi. "Really? Hm."

Shina looked up from her brown shoes to Hatori, who was staring at her, concerned. As soon as their eyes met, she looked back down at her shoes, trying her hardest to hide her glowing cheeks.

"Umm…Shigure? Can I speak to you…in private?" Leiko asked, sweetly, rubbing her neck and licking her plush lips.

Shigure immediately ran after her down the hallway like a lost puppy.

"Ugh….sex fiends." Hitomi grumbled as she shook her head and watched them stroll down the hallway. She, then, turned all her attention to her upset friend.

"Come on, Shina. Let's look for your class." Hitomi put her arm around Shina's shoulder as if she were helping her walk.

"I'll be right back." Hatori announced as he headed towards the student schedules as well.

"Oh! Let me come!" Ayame cried, as he ran off after his friend waving his arms in the air like a child.

"Ok. Let's see….Ito….Ito….Ito…no."

Hatori began with the bottom of the list and worked his way up. "Sohma……………no."

"Ito…..Ito…."

"Sohma….Sohma…."

"Ito…."

"Sohma…."

"Ito!"

"There I am!"

Hitomi and Hatori slowly looked at one another. They're fingers were on the same list.

"Um…Shina?" Hitomi looked around to her best friend. "You and Hatori….."

"ARE IN THE SAME CLASS! ISN'T THIS INCREDIBLE?!" Ayame finished Hitomi's sentence with much exuberance .

Shina and Hatori glanced at each other, wide-eyed.

"Are you serious?!" Shina pushed Hitomi out the way to see the list for herself. Sure enough, Shina Ito and Hatori Sohma inhabited the same class. Slowly, she turned around to face her friends, smiling with rosy cheeks.

"OH! SHE LIKES HA'RI! I JUST KNOW IT! LOOK AT HER SMILING! SHE'S SO HAPPY! HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Ayame began jumping up and down, singing as loud as he could.

"He's so immature." Hatori responded, rolling his eyes at his crazed friend.

"I think this is great." Hitomi retorted.

"Are you serious, Hitomi?" Ayame walked behind Hitomi, stretching his long, thin arm around her shoulders. Hitomi's heart skipped a beat. God, he smelled good! "It'll be another ditch-us-at-the-movies-to-"study" episode for these two!" Hitomi and Ayame burst into loud laughter, catching many students' attention.

"May I…..walk you to class?" Hatori asked Shina, ignoring Hitomi and Ayame's annoying behaviour.

Shina couldn't stop herself from smiling. Not only was Hatori in her class, but he was asking to her escort her there. This day was already beginning on a good note. "Sure." She responded without thought and they started on their way, walking away from their eccentric friends.

---

Shigure and Leiko were roughly making out in the janitor's closet, their hands exploring the other's body, their tongues abusing one another within their mouths.

Shigure started reaching for the bottom of Leiko's shirt.

"Shi *kiss* gu *kiss* re *kiss* control your *kiss* self!"

Shigure broke away from Leiko's lips.

"I don't think that's entirely possible." He gently touched his lips with hers, devouring her small and, now, weak tongue.

"What about class?" Leiko asked, her fingers entangled in his jet black, silky hair.

"What about it?" He shrugged, reluctantly breaking away from her swollen lips once more.

"Shigure, we can't just skip class and stay in here. We'll…we'll become bums. And have to live together in all our failure. I don't wanna do that, Shigure! I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!" Leiko had grabbed Shigure's shirt with both her tiny hands and shook him back and forth, giving him a slight headache.

He sighed. "Ooookay. But promise me that we'll continue?" He gently touched her cheek with the back of his hand as Leiko smiled and giggled.

"Fine." She kissed him on his cheek, then stood up the open the janitor's door. As she opened the door, she tripped over a broom that had been hanging on the door. Quickly, Shigure caught her from behind.

"You should really learn to be more careful, sweet cheeks." He responded with a smile.

Leiko looked down and realized that Shigure had caught her by her butt.

"Oh, you PERV!!" She yelled, pushing him back into the janitor's closet and slamming the door.

---

"Their just alike," Shina giggled as she stayed close to Hatori. "They're both so….out there."

"Yes, I know. I don't think Ayame or Shigure will ever grow up." Hatori responded, staring at the ground and thinking about why he was even friends with such goofs.

"Hatori, maybe you shouldn't be so down on them. I'm sure you'll manage. You've been friends with them since you guys were in grade school. You grew up together. I think that's sweet." Shina glanced at Hatori, who was looking straightforward down the hallway.

Shina smiled at Hatori immediately attracting his attention. He stopped walking and turned to face her. 'Boy, did she have an amazing smile,' he thought. Shina could feel the heat forming in her cheeks and she quickly looked down at her shoes.

"Come on," She said, continuing to walk forward. "We've gotta get to class. Don't wanna be late!"

Hatori watched as she walked away, with a longing stare. If only he were more straightforward with his feelings, which was something that he actually admired about Ayame and Shigure. They weren't afraid of what people thought of them. On the other hand, Hatori had a serious fear of rejection. That Shina would turn him down. But if only….if only he had the confidence to tell her how he felt about her.

Realizing Hatori wasn't next to her, she halted and turned around, catching him staring at her from where they were standing. Giggling, she yelled to him, "Come on!"

"Oh." Hatori quickly jogged up to Shina and they continued on to class.

---

"Miss Soto?"

When Hitomi looked up, she was staring in the face of the vice principal of Kaiwaia, Mr. Ryo Mitsuru, who seemed to hate Hitomi.

Hitomi stopped laughing and cleared her throat, not one bit nervous. "Yes, Mr. Mitsuru?"

"I don't understand how many time I must approach you about your hair. It's very distracting to the other students."

Hitomi giggled. "Oh, Mr. Mitsuru. It's all up to the students if my hair is distracting. It's their problem if they can't stop admiring it."

"Well spoken, my dear, Hitomi." Ayame retorted with charm.

Hitomi smiled at Ayame in response. She loved when he agreed with her because she knew they were on the same page.

"Stay out of this, Mr. Sohma. This situation is between me and Ms. Soto."

"But sir," Ayame stepped in front of Hitomi as if trying to protect her from the wrath of Mr. Mitsuru. "I am the student council president. Shouldn't I be the one to address these issues?"

"Well, I ----"

"And I feel that Ms. Soto's hair color is absolutely gorgeous. It should NOT be touched. It expresses her individuality, not to mention conveys her extraordinary beauty."

Hitomi blushed at the many compliments Ayame was throwing at her. What she wanted to know was if he genuinely felt that way or if he was just trying to get Mr. Mitsuru out of their faces.

"Mr. Sohma…"

"And remember what you said to me about my wonderful, exquisite silver hair? Remember, don't you remember?"

Sweat began to form on Mr. Mitsuru's brow. "I'd like to forget about the entire episode." Mr. Mitsuru shook his head trying to avoid even thinking about that long time ago. He sighed in defeat. "Fine. Ms. Soto. But make this the last strange color that you dye your hair."

Hitomi grinned at Mr. Mitsuru in triumph. "Sure, Mr. Mitsuru." Hitomi grabbed onto Ayame's arm as they began to walk down the hallway. She playfully turned back around and gave her vice principal a teasing wave. "Bye, Mr. Mitsuru, see you around!"

Mr. Mitsuru shook his head as he watched the student council president walk away with his pink haired companion. "Boy, I need to get a new job."