Chapter 2

Didn't Want To Hear That

One would think that all of these abilities and some she was yet to discover, were triggered by her strong emotional responses to Sho, Ren and others. That really wasn't the case. Kyoko had always possessed these little gifts, others around her noticed them, she however did not. There had been many times in her childhood when one or, two would leak through and lash out at a tormentor, only to be brushed off as coincidence by the 'victim'. Said victims would receive an odd book or, solid object flying out of nowhere at their heads or, a piping hot meal or, drink would suddenly be almost molten or, one would be completely unable to move from their spot and feel like they were held down by some unnatural force (it was actually a quite natural force, supernatural..). One particularly sadistic, young, Sho obsessed bully was followed around by her own personal rain cloud in the depths of winter, causing ice to accumulate wherever she just happened to be at the moment. Kyoko, being who she is, just chalked it up to being the fairies that were helping her out.

The fear other girls held for Kyoko was the true reason Kotonami Kanae was so special. She indeed did feel fear of Kyoko at one point, but it was only brief, after that she just kind of stuck around.

"Mo, Kyoko.. Why am I doing this right now?" Kanae was frustrated with having to do what she claimed were housewife tasks, but right now it was a means to an end and this is why Kanae and Kyoko had called a girls night at Kanae's house. The girl stuff, it would turn out, would inevitably turn into Kyoko trying to teach Kanae the 'easy stuff' that came from books.

"Because he's trying to ruin your reputation, Moko-san.. He called you bad things after V-day." Kyoko explained as she inserted the tawny brown hair into the center of the little doll, then stitched it up.

"I still don't see how this is going to be effective." Kanae sighed in frustration as she flipped through Kyoko's new book skeptically, then lay it back on the coffee table in front of her.

"You'll see." She commented as the closed book opened and flipped to the correct page of Kyoko's scribbles once again on it's own, an occurrence that no longer freaked the living daylights out of the stoic ice queen. She watched the little dark minion hand Kyoko another piece of fluff, she was used to this now too.

"So what does this one do again?" Kanae asked.

"Hmm, well it makes the offender blurt out the truth about random things at unexpected moments and this little guy," Kyoko held up the nearly finished doll, "is the catalyst." She grinned sadistically.

"How do you know it'll work?" Kanae scoffed a little.

"Remember two weeks ago when Sho told the world in that live interview that he wet the bed until he was 12?" Kyoko let a little pride leak into her tone.

"No.." Kanae was almost in shock, Kyoko nodded, "Impressive. So, that's why you have all of those Sho dolls? Remind me not to get on your bad side."

Kyoko giggled then lit the black candle and put the doll in the jar that sat in front of them. She then took a little flat rock and wrote the word guilt on it in some type of ink that Kanae could only describe as blood.

"Now all we have to do is chant these words while covering the doll and the rock in wax, then bury it at the intersection after we wrap it in the black cloth." Kyoko told her while pointing to what looked like a little poem written in her fairy decorated journal.

"Okay then.. here goes." The girls cast their hex and the deed was done. Now one would think that all hexes are harmful, but this one actually created honest individuals. Unfortunately, in the entertainment industry, that isn't always a good thing. Kyoko had a hunch that this particular spell would be permanent, that's how she intended it, but what she didn't intend would be how it would come back to constantly irritate her in the future. (Meh.. It couldn't be that bad.)

The rest of their evening would be spent eating popcorn while watching old movies and critiquing them.

Kyoko felt shivers down her spine as Ren stood between her and Sho flashing his 'Lying Gentleman' smile. Sho had made a special trip to LME that morning to deliver Kyoko the flowers and candy he had specially picked for her.

"Fuwa-san... I think you need to leave." Ren told him in a syrupy tone remembering Sho's special gift to Kyoko on Valentine's Day.

"I don't see how any of this is your business, Tsuruga-san.." Sho spat out. "I think I would rather hear it from Kyoko."

"Shotaro, I want you to leave." Her voice was shaking with anger as the flowers and candy that lay on the floor slid across to him. Did it just move on it's own? Was the collective thought of Sho and Yashiro. Kanae already knew and Ren just accepted that strange things always happened wherever Kyoko happened to be.

Ren turned to the shaky, angry little pixie that stood behind him for protection and placed his hand gently on her shoulder. "Mogami-san." He flashed a gentle smile. "Let's go to lunch." That's all he needed to distract her properly. The flowers fell and scattered as if they exploded and melted chocolates came oozing out of their box.

Kanae smiled evilly at Sho. "So what else are you hiding Fuwa-san?" She teased knowing about the Truth Hex that Kyoko had put on him.

"She's more beautiful than the Sun or, the moon when it's full." He clamped his hand quickly over his mouth the instant the words escaped.

"Too late Sho and too forced." She huffed off dragging Ren behind her to the parking garage.

Kanae laughed and winked, then left a mortified Sho standing in the halls, Yashiro was being dragged behind her snickering and shaking his head in pity.

"Mogami-san...Mogami-san... Kyoko-chan." Ren called to her quietly as she sat in the passenger's seat still seething in anger.

"Hai!" Her attention snapped to him.

"We're here." He smiled pointing to the little café. She nodded.

"I'm sorry about all of the commotion, Tsuruga-san." Why did he have to think that right now? She felt a headache coming on. After all that Sho had done and said, why did he have to tell her that truth?

Ren could almost see her thoughts on the matter. "You know.. He is right.."

"Hmm?" Kyoko was wondering how Ren always knew what was bothering her. It was nothing special. It was just what happens when one has someone they feel so connected to and close to. Although, neither of them would care to say it out loud.

"You are very be..." Ren tried to tell her what his heart was thinking, yet again.

"Oh, we're here. We really should hurry before someone notices us sitting here!" How did she do it every time? Just cut him off like that. That was close.. I cannot hear that from him. Never him. It'll be all over for me. I won't be able to hide it anymore if I hear that from him.

Ren inwardly sighed in defeat and escorted her to their lunchtime destination.