The next day I had school. I was stuck there while everyone made a fuss because I had a new cut on my cheek. I couldn't explain this to my friends so I decided to explain this to the councillor.

"Ritsuka, what happened to your cheek."

"Well um... I hit it at my house when I dropped a plate. The shards flew everywhere and one of them hit my face. That's all." I lied through my teeth as if I were born to lie. The councillor looked up at me and smiled as she wrote down something in her notebook. But she could only write what I said... which was lies. What actually happened was after Soubi left my mom came up to check on me and told me supper was ready. I yelled her but then felt bad and went out the door. She smiled with her eyes gleaming with a tinge of craziness and threw a plate at me which hit my cheek. Leaving a big cut. She had fallen to her knees and started to apologize that she didn't mean to hurt me. That she did it without thinking... on instinct.

"Ritsuka?"

I looked up to see the councillor standing over me worried looking, "What?" I sat up finding that I was laying on the couch.

"Well you had a far off look in your eyes and I think you should tell me what really happened." She sat back down on her chair and looked at me expectaintly.

"Nothing happened!" I shot up and ran out the room. I could hear her chasing after me. I ran down the stairs to the door and ran into someone.

"Ristuka?" I looked up to see Soubi looking down on me.

"Soubi? What are you doing here?" I suddenly found something interesting on my shoes to look at. A finger snaked beneath my chin and pulled my head up to look up at Soubi.

"What do you think? I came to pick you up like I normally do." He smiled. Grabbing my hand he started to pull me towards the park. "I asked Loneliness to come and meet us at the park. She is pretty. But she is a bit younger than me. She's 15." I could vaguely see a figure sitting on the bench. As we got closer I saw a girl with brown hair and brown eyes. But there was a tinge of blue in them. Hazel. She looked over at Soubi and me and smiled. It had to be Loneliness.

"Soubi!" The shrill voice yelled over at us and waved. Soubi waved back and bent down whispering something to me.

"Ristuka, that's Loneliness, her real name is Akari. Call her by her real name." He looked up just as Akari ran to meet us.

"Soubi! Is the famous Ritsuka I have heard so much about? Hi, Ritsuka! I'm Akari." She held out her hand. I looked up at Soubi and he nodded. I took her hand, and we shook hands. She smiled and I felt a pang of something in my stomach. I looked around to see what but only Akari was around. Where was her fighter? Or was she the fighter? But then where was her sacrifice?

"Ristuka?" I looked up.

"Yeah?"

"She asked you something. Be polite to her and answer." Soubi whispered so she couldn't hear him.

"I'm sorry. What did you say?" I said nicely.

"I asked you ' When is your birthday?"

"Oh, its December 21, 1993." He grinned. A few days before Christmas. Soubi yanked my hand and pulled my toward the picnic table. I remembered this park. The first day I met Soubi we came here and took pictures. That's also where he kissed me, I started to blush. My first kiss. Soubi looked at me and grinned, as if he could know why I was blushing. Akari walked over behind and sat next to me and Soubi on the seat. They started to get into a conversation. I didn't pay attention. Before I knew it I drifted of to sleep.

Something splattered on my face I slowly opened one eye as another plopped on my nose. Opening both of them to see that Akari and Soubi were still talking when they noticed that I was awake.

"Is it raining?" I asked quietly.

"It just started would you like to come to my place?" Akari answered before Soubi could.

"I can't my mom has a curfew. And besides I haven't had anything for supper." I sat up more straight and looked around. It was sunset already? Crap, I was already past curfew. "You know what, never mind, sure I would love to go over to your house."

Akari looked shocked for a second before she smiled brightly. "Come over in one hour. Ok?"

"Yeah." She got up and started walking towards the woods. "Soubi knows where I live so no need to tell you where I live. Well bye!" She walked off towards the woods and ran off. Soubi got up and looked somewhat annoyed. "What?"

"Are you sure about this? What about your mom?" He looked worried.

"Well since I'm already late I can be more late right?" I smiled.

"Yeah, sure." He replied.