Hiya! Before you start reading... I realized that breaking this down into 3 parts is ridiculous! So this chapter is both the 2nd part and the 3rd part. They were rather short separately when I went back and looked at them... So anyway, please enjoy, read, and review! ;)

P.S. Just in case, I thought I should remind everyone, this is a continuation of Kaoru's first day of her Senior year.

Disclaimer: Rurouni Kenshin doesn't belong to me. sad sigh

The world was a hateful place, I decided as I leaned against the passenger door of Megumi's dark blue Jeep

I didn't even think it was possible for so many bad things to happen in one day. I glanced down at my watch. I had been waiting a full 10 minutes for Megumi. She knew I hated to sit around school after the day was over. Once it hit 3:15 I was supposed to be in the car, buckled up, and driving away. I was just about to text her when she came strolling up to the car followed by her clique of friends. The group consisted of jocks, cheerleaders, rich kids, and wannabe's. Megumi was of course the only person in the group with a GPA above a 2.5.

"Of course I'll be there Jason!" Megumi said, leaning into the tall blonde jock that was walking beside her. If I had to take a guess I would have said he was the captain of the soccer team.

"Good. A party without a girl as beautiful as you would be a waste," He replied slickly.

"Sorry to interrupt your intense flirting, but can we go now?" I asked, walking up to the pair, my smile extra-sweet.

"Jealous?" Megumi asked.

"Of Jason? How did you know?" The way Jason's smile widened, I was fairly sure he had completely missed my heavily sarcastic undertone.

"I gotta go you guys," Megumi turned to her friends. Everyone started saying their goodbyes, fake sorrow clouding their voices. I tuned them out. Mentally, calculating up all the time it would take me to get through my homework.

Another 10 minutes later Megumi was finally unlocking the car and climbing in. I followed suit. I buckled my seat belt as Meg started backing out of the parking space, careful to watch out for all the milling teenagers. I was just about to drift off to sleep when she started speaking.

"Heard any good gossip?"

"Why in the world would I know any gossip? Plus, how could you people possibly find something to gossip about on the first day? It's the first day!"

"Could you try not to be so overly dramatic when I ask you a simple question?"

"Where would the fun in that be?" I gauged her expression as I waited for her comeback; she didn't take the bait. I shrugged. No sparring match today I guess.

We drove back home in utter silence. We rarely turned on the radio when we drove together. Since we had different tastes in music it usually ended in a fight, like most of our conversations did.

We rounded the corner and found Sano's monster of a car parked to one side of our driveway. Megumi parked next to him. I unbuckled my seat belt, ready to hop out of the car when I realized that Megumi hadn't moved an inch. I debated on whether I should ask if she was ok or not. I hadn't reached out to my sister in forever and it felt almost awkward doing it now. I was about to slink out of the car like a coward when Megumi turned to look at me.

"Did you hear about the new guy? He's a senior, red hair, violet eyes…?"

"The jackass?" I asked before I could stop myself.

"I heard he was nice."

"He nicknamed me 'Brat'," I said angrily.

"Sounds like he's smart too," The edge of Megumi's mouth kicked upward into a small smile.

"Do you… like him?" I ventured. She shrugged, her eyes drifting over to stare passed me at Sano's car.

"What about Jason?"

"You hate Jason." She said mildly.

"So? When has whom I hated or liked mattered to you? Plus, I hate Kenshin more than Jason. At least Jason has an excuse for being a jackass; he has the IQ of a peanut."

"Kenshin? Is that his name?" Megumi's gaze met mine. Her eyes seemed oddly vacant. It drained me of any lingering anger and just left me curious.

"Yeah. He's in my AP English class. We're project partners."

"Oh ok." Megumi's stare shifted back to Sano's car.

"Are you alright? You seem out of it."

"I'm fine. Just… I know you normally tell Sano everything. Could you leave this little talk out?"

"You don't want me to tell Sano about Kenshin?" I was getting more and more puzzled by the minute.

"No." She said firmly. Without waiting for me to respond, she grabbed her bag from the back seat and left the car.

"Twighlight zone, anybody?" I mutter aloud before grabbing my bag and following Megumi out of the car.

As I sat at the kitchen counter sipping my orange juice and watching Megumi and Sano fight (as usual), I couldn't quite understand it. Why not tell Sano about Kenshin? Megumi never cared about what I said to Sano before.

"Fox, you plan to get me a drink too, or are you just gonna talk me to death?" Sano said after Megumi finished a particularly vicious attack on Sano's lack of style, attitude, and personality…

"I'll get you a drink when hell freezes over, how about that?" Megumi crossed her arms.

"Well, it's gotta happen sometime." Sano smiled his crooked smile and leaned against the counter next to me.

"Fat chance," Megumi muttered.

"So tell me, how many new boy toys do you have? More jocks right? Assholes with muscles the size of small African countries?"

"No," Megumi said tight-lipped. She flicked a warning glance over to me.

"I saw that!" Sano's grin widened and he quickly turned to look at me, "What happened, Jou-chan? She's got a harem of men doesn't she? Happens every year."

"Uh… well, there was this one guy," I started slowly. Megumi was practically shooting laser beams out of her eyes at me, "his name's Jason. He's a bit of an idiot. Thinks he's hot shit."

"That's what I thought. Don't be so shy Fox. I know you've been working your mojo."

"Has anyone ever told you, you're much better off when you don't speak?!" Megumi snatched up her bag and a homemade cookie from the counter before storming out of the room.

"Woah… What's that all about? That time of month?" He looked at me, eyebrows raised.

"I don't know. She's been acting weird. Staring vacantly, telling me cryptic things." I shook my head and popped a cookie in my mouth.

"So there really is a guy, isn't there?" Sano said sagely. I almost choked on my cookie, "She was lying earlier. Hell, you lied for her and we all know you can't lie for shit."

"I did not lie! She has been talking to a idiot named Jason!" I protested, still sputtering a bit.

"Fine, whatever, but there's still a guy; a different guy," Sano's eyes clouded over for a moment before he shoved 2 cookies in his mouth at once and promptly changed topics.

"Sof I fav a habor fo asf fo."

"English please?" I rolled my eyes at Sano. He swallowed and repeated himself.

"So I have a favor to ask you."

"Anything's cool, you know that," I shrugged and nibbled on a new cookie. Mom's chocolate chip cookies were addictive.

"Alright, well my friend is new at your school. He's staying with me until his uncle can move down…"

"Wait, back up! Someone's staying with you and he goes to school with Meg and me? Why didn't you say this before? Did he go to school today?"

"Yeah. I dropped him off. I would have told you, but he just kinda showed up late yesterday night."

"So what's the favor?"

"I can't take him to school tomorrow, or any day after that actually. He was just lucky I had today off. Think you could soften up Fox and get her to swing by my place tomorrow? Give him a lift?"

"Sure I could do that—"

"Great! Gotta go! Things to do. Tell your mom hi!" Sano sprinted out of the kitchen with a pocket full of cookies.

"But… what's your friend's name?!" I yelled at his retreating back.