A/N: Thank you for all the reviews!! Currently busy with exams so I won't update as often as I wish. But yes, it was definitely refreshing to see the reviews! Thank you again!

No Strings Attached

Chapter 2: First Day Funk

I listened to Salima as she went on to blabber about how excited she was to be here and how she's really psyched about the activities and clubs she was going to join. And as she talked cheerfully in front of me, I couldn't help but feel sort of sad for myself. Like I regretted being friends with her because once she finds friends better than me – popular people would be a good example – she'd stop hanging out with me considering that I am the biggest nerd in school, if you haven't noticed. She's new; who could blame her?

"So, what club are you going to choose?" she asked me conversantly. "I was thinking maybe the two of us could join the drama club. Do you like acting?" The teacher hadn't come in yet and someone was talking to me!

I blinked. I wasn't used to this. You know, sitting in the front row and talking to somebody who's as cheerful as Salima. Normally I would just be in the dark corner of the room trying to acquaint myself with the shadows.

It felt kinda nice though – having friends. Other than my goldfish, Aqua, Salima is my only friend. That is if she'd call us that, but I'd like to believe that she is my friend, even if it'll last for just – oh, say, next week tops.

"Acting? Well, I've seen a couple of soaps but I've never really considered myself as an actress, Salima." I answered rolling up my green sleeves. She gave me a pleading face.

"Aw, come on, Mimi! It'll be fun!" she tugged at my arm as she gave me the puppies.

Mimi? I thought as I raised an eyebrow. O-kay…Mimi? I have never been called Mimi before in my entire life! Well, come to think of it, no one really bothers to say my name out loud in public, so it was kinda unusual. "Salima, have you seen me act?" I dared to venture.

She shook her head but beamed at me. "But, who knows? Maybe one of us could play Juliet if we're ever going to present Romeo and Juliet!"

"Juliet? Me?" I looked at her, astonished at the fact that she thought I could be a Juliet, and also the fact that she is actually inviting me to hang out with her! And then I said what I was afraid to reveal to her. "I don't know if you noticed, but I'm a nerd. And I'm not exactly the prettiest girl around."

Surprisingly, she didn't run for her life thinking that my nerdness was contagious or something, like I thought she would after blustering that fact out. No, she just smiled at me.

"So?"

I heaved a sigh. It was either she didn't know what a nerd meant, or she really didn't mind being friends with me.

"Either way," she continued encouragingly, "I just know that it'll be fun! We could hang out and then help each other with our lines! Oh, I can see it now, you at the balcony peering down at young Romeo."

I couldn't help but giggle as she started making dramatic damsel-in-distress poses all the while saying Juliet's lines. "Oh, Romeo, Romeo! Where for art thou Romeo?"

But then all fun had to be suck out when the head cheerleader entered the classroom and walked over to us. Well to Salima, at least. "Seph Tanaka." She introduced herself as she hovered over us with her two drones – Rosetta and Bianca . 'Your everyday popular and preppy cheerleaders,' I rolled my eyes as I turned back to my chair and pretended that I was invisible though I could still hear their conversation pretty well. Oh boy…

My red haired friend smiled up at her. "Hi. I'm Salima! Nice to meet you!"

Seph flipped her rich and silky black brown hair with perfect purple streaks to the side as her blue orbs surveyed Salima. "So, you're the new girl huh?" she uttered with out looking at her directly.

"Looks like it," Salima shrugged nonchalantly still smiling.

"Right…whatever." Seph said uninterested and looked at her perfect nails. "I just came by to let you know that if you don't get in our way, I'm sure we'd get along just fine." She glanced at me with pure disgust and leaned forward toward Salima. "And, I wouldn't stay close to Hiromi "The Ugliest Fairy" if I were you, and who knows, you might be chilling out with us."

I felt my stomach did a summersault. Hiromi: "The Ugliest Fairy"? That's what she calls me? Wow, way to make a good label, Hiromi! I'm really that ugly… I felt tears starting to well up, but again, I couldn't cry. If I wasn't trying to be invisible right now, I would've chocked little Miss Popular, but being the civilized girl that I am, I had to restrain myself from doing so. I pushed up my glasses with my fingers.

Stay calm, Mimi. Don't cry. You don't really want to die right now…

I was lucky enough that my mom always make me bring extra glasses to school. Else if I didn't I'd be tearing through the hallway half blind.

Sometimes I wish that just once, just once, I could talk back to her like I did to that dumb jock, Kai, but I'm not really stupid enough to pick a fight with the most popular people in the entire school all in one day. That's suicide, man!

I bet Salima wouldn't want to hang out with me any more… I thought bitterly to myself but what Salima said to Seph next really surprised me.

"Hanging out with you is what I've always dreamed of." Salima answered with evident sarcasm in her tone.

:Lunch:

Hiromi entered the cafeteria carrying her tray of Sloppy Joe and soda as her eyes search for a decent table where she could sit and eat her lunch - alone. So far she had no luck in finding one. The tables were all taken. And the students that sat there sat in groups. Mingling with their kind…

At one end were the AV geeks. Next to it was the Goths, the exchange students, the punks and skaters, the band geeks, the rebels, the preps, the school council officers, and of course, the top of the school food chain – the jocks and the cheerleaders.

Hiromi didn't belong to any of them. With a sigh, she entered further into the large room filled with swine teens doing their own thing.

Oh great! There're no more seats left! I guess it's the bathroom for me – again! She was about to make her way to the room where she spent most of her junior year – which was the worst year of her life – in school eating lunch when a voice called out to her.

"Hiromi! Over here!" Salima waved at her from an empty table. Her heart skipped with joy as she walked over to the red-head with a smile. Maybe…this year wouldn't turn out as bad as I thought it would be after all…

"Hey!" Salima greeted as Hiromi settled her tray on the table.

"Hi," Hiromi smiled sitting down on the chair in front of her. She was actually happy. Dead happy in fact, because for once in a long time; she sat there eating lunch with someone other than her shadow.

"So, what's with the great Seph Tanaka?" Salima asked taking bite on her burger. Hiromi shrugged as she opened her soda bottle.

"She's beautiful, she's popular, she's a cheerleader, and she's rich. What more do you expect?"

"Feh, figures." Salima shrugged emitting that she understood what she meant. She looked around the caf when she spotted a guy looking their way. "Hey, who's that guy staring at us?"

Hiromi froze from biting from her juicy Sloppy Joe when felt her heart stop. Terror filled her insides as the memory of her and the ruthless jock from earlier that morning flashed in her head. Oh god, he's going to kill me!

"And now he's coming o – why are you so pale?" Salima's features was enveloped with concern as she looked over at the brunette who was slumping down on her chair wanting nothing more than to be a worm and crawl into a hole.

"Hir-"

"Hey, Hiromi!" the guy greeted putting a hand on her shoulder. Hiromi shot up ready to burst up in tears and be for mercy as turned her head stiffly afraid to meet the Russian jock face-to-face. Only thing is, it wasn't him.

"Brooklyn!" she heaved a sigh. "Oh, it's just you. Thank God!" she calmed down putting her hand over her beating heart as she heaved a sigh of relief. She was glad she wasn't going to die…yet.

"What do you mean it's just me?" Brooklyn cocked an eyebrow at her as he sat on the chair next to her.

"Nothing," Hilary shook her head. "I just thought you were Kai..."

"Kai? What about him?" the curious Brooklyn asked.

"It's nothing. Anyway," Hiromi smiled as she motioned to the girl in front of her, "this is Salima. She's new." Salima's face lit up.

"Hi!" she outstretched a hand at Brooklyn which he gladly took.

"Hey, I'm Brooklyn." He grinned at her. Then Salima stuck out three of her fingers with a satisfied grin causing Brooklyn to blink in surprise.

"That's three! Kai, Hiromi, and Brooklyn! I met three people today! Cool!" she piped cheerfully with a firm nod to herself. Hiromi and Brooklyn looked at each other blankly as they sweat dropped.

"Good…good for you!" Brooklyn smiled goofily.

"What brings you here, Brook?" Hiromi asked finally taking a bite of her Sloppy Joe. Brooklyn was one of the popular guys in school. Though unlike them; Brooklyn was nice. He was a rebel. A really cute rebel.

"I just wanted to tell you that I can't meet up with you today." He explained and smiled sheepishly at her. "I have a date…"

Hiromi nodded in understanding. "It's no problem. I'll just give you the notes you'll need to study." Brooklyn beamed at her and got up from her chair. "Great! Thanks Hiromi!" and with that, he dematerialized into the sea of teenagers.

"Notes? For what?" Salima looked at the brunette, confused.

"He's a classmate from Spanish class. I've been asked by our Spanish teacher to tutor him." Hiromi explained. More like forced.

"Oh?" Salima asked intrigued as her eyes shimmered. "He's kinda cute. You like him?"

"Yeah, but you couldn't get close to him even if you or he wanted to." Hiromi warned and took a sip from her soda.

"Why not?" asked the bemused Salima.

"Brooklyn's Seph's boyfriend."

"Yikes. Is that why she always picks on you?" Salima asked over as she observed the situation. Why else would Seph label Hiromi "The Ugliest Fairy"? Hiromi shrugged as she took a napkin to wipe her mouth.

"Probably." Hiromi said as her eyes drifted to the other side of the caf where the jocks and cheerleader's tables were found – A.K.A. the alpha cluster of the whole school.

There was the football team, the baseball team, basketball team, the swim team, etc. But the most popular of all was the soccer team.

They practically rule the whole school. They do whatever they want and no one even bothers to get in their way. It's either they're too afraid to or they just simply worship them. Everybody likes – no scratch that – everybody loves them. Even the teachers. They favor them actually which, in Hiromi's opinion, was unfair. But who listens to the nerd right?

Boy, I'd probably do anything to make everyone love me just like them. Hiromi thought; her gaze fixated on where the jocks were laughing and throwing food at each other. She watched as a cheerleader sat on, the captain of the soccer team, Kai Hiwatari's lap and started kissing him.

She unconsciously wondered how it would be like to kiss someone so popular… No wait! EW! I can't believe I thought that! Gag me!

"Hey, that's Kai right? He's a jock?" Salima asked Hiromi as she followed her gaze.

"Yeah." Hiromi answered disgustedly. It was hard to believe that a lot of girls swoon over him. He was a jerk. Not to mention a player.

Yes, a player. Kai has probably slept with almost all the girls in school, depending on how long he can get to their pants. He has a new girlfriend a least every week. It was a miracle that after knowing that, almost all the girls wouldn't mind giving up everything just for the likes of him.

Sure. He was hot, but is he really worth losing your virginity? I don't think so...but then again; why would he want to get into my pants?

Hiromi shook her head with disgust and started eating her food. "I didn't know brick walls with eyes could kiss!" Salima sniggered still looking at the sight.

"He does." Hiromi giggled as the bell rang. Lunch was over and now it was time for them to carry on with their classes. Or in Hiromi's case, carry on with her misery. Oh, joy!

Foot note: Bianca and Rosetta are Seph's clones. Just to let you know, they are real. They appeared in the first season as Enrique's girls. Remember the blonde and the redhead girls? The blonde one is Bianca and the redhead is Rosetta…their names make it quite easy.

A/N: Constructive critism are always welcome! And yes, many people may contradict with Kai's role in the story. But remember, this is fanfiction relating to reality and the whole "Boris/Voltaire"-issue-with-Kai-and-gets-in-between-KaiHil plots are (seriously) overused. Anyway, thank you people for reading this and kindly leave a review. Or a rant (I'll listen). Bye!