There was something about him that I just couldn't ignore, which was very strange because usually I try to stay away from people with bad tempers. I sat through class all day trying to pin-point what attracted me to him so much. We hadn't even had an actual conversation together. When the last bell rang I quickly grabbed my school supplies, disregarding I even had a locker, and ran to the front of the school to wait for the others, especially Kyo Sohma.

I waited outside for Tohru and the others. Not even five minutes had gone by before they had arrived after me. "Suri!" Momiji yelled, running to me as if I was his mother and he was my 5 year old child. He grabbed my hand and looked at me. "I was thinking about you in class today! Let's be friends!" I laughed, "Momiji, we already are friends." His eye widened with excitement. "Really? That's great!" I giggled. He really was cute.

I scanned the surprisingly large crowd that had come alone. There was Momiji, of course, and Tohru, Yuki, Haru, Kyo, and two unfamiliar faces. Both of them girls, one with blond hair and a mask on and the other was dark headed with striking purplish eyes. She stared intently at me as if she was trying to read a piece of paper from far away. I looked down at my feet, suddenly feeling very uncomfortable under her gaze.

"Suri this is Hana and Uo." Tohru introduced us. "Nice to meet you both." I smiled awkwardly, still feeling uncomfortable. Uo seemed to notice. "Hana, I think you need to chill out with the whole electric wave thing." Hana broke her gaze and gave me a blank stare instead. Uo sneezed under her mask. "Geez this pollen needs to go." She whined. "Oh! I have some allergy medicine in my bag if you'd like some. I don't need it, my...uh...mom gave me some just in case though." I said rummaging through my bag. I had never referred to Tia as my mom. I had never referred to anyone as my mom. It felt wrong in some way to say it. Probably because I had never used that term before.

I handed her the small bottle filled with colorful, chewable pills. "Aw thanks!" Even though her mouth was covered, her eyes and voice showed a smile.

I looked over at Yuki. He looked shaken up about something. I could only wonder why since I didn't dare ask. If he wanted to talk about it to someone, it definitely wouldn't be an almost stranger. Still, I gave him the most reassuring smile I could give. He smiled back.

"Come on Suri!" Momiji whined. "We're going to play a game!"

"A game? What game?" I questioned.

"Badminton." Hana said in an eerie voice.

I frowned. I knew what badminton was, I knew how to play it, it's just I never had actually played it.

Everyone got into a circle to decide teams. "Rock, paper, scissors!"

I chose rock.

"What am I doin here? I hate badminton." Kyo mumbled.

"Oh shut-up you wuss!" Uo yelled. She had taken her mask off and looked like she felt much better with the medicine.

"YOU SHUTUP!" Kyo retaliated.

"So then, we've picked teams...but what are the rules?" Yuki asked.

"Huh? Wuddya talkin about?" Uo and Kyo looked away from eachother and looked at Yuki.

"Rules are useless in badminton." Hana explained. "You hit the birdie as hard as you can; your opponent will try to do the same. If you must call it a rule, then the first person to collapse from exhaustion loses."

"That's good. It sounds easy." Haru said.

"It sounds stupid!" Kyo yelled. I laughed. "Kyo you should play. It'll be fun." I smiled at him. I might've imagined it, or it might have just been from the heat, but I thought I saw a little bit of blush on his face. "Yea you don't have to tell me. I was gonna play anyway!" He replied, sounding annoyed. I frowned at this. He didn't seem to like me very much. I tried my best to put that thought out of my mind.

-After the Game-

"Wow!" I panted, "That was a good work out!" I wiped off some sweat of my forehead. Everyone looked so sweaty with the exception of Hana, who I figured out from our many water breaks wasn't giving me a cold stare, she was reading my electric waves. I thought it was strange but I was relieved that she decided she liked me.

"Here you go!" Tohru handed me a dry towel. "Ah! Thank you Tohru."

I had finally gotten comfortable enough around them that I could hold an open conversation without stuttering. All but with Kyo; He still made me nervous.

"Hey hey! Suri! Are you going home?" Momiji was bouncing up and down while holding my hand, as he usually did when he was talking to me.

"Well, I was planning on it. Why?"

"Ohhhh, me and Haru will walk you home!"

"Aww really?" I looked over at Haru; he nodded.

"Okay!" I smiled.

"Yay yay yay!" Momiji exclaimed while walking and fist pumping the air.

"Woot." Haru said in his monotone voice while walking with him.

I laughed, "I guess I'll see you guys later!" I waved.

After our goodbyes, Haru and Momiji started to walk me home.

We talked and joked most of the way.

"Where did you go to school before now, Suri?" Momiji curiously asked.

I paused; I hadn't really told any of them I was homeless before, let alone I had never even been to school.

"I..uh..I was home schooled." It wasn't untrue. I had been taught most of the things you learn in school. I had never been one to feel ashamed of my past and my previous homelessness, and I still wasn't. It's just I felt I didn't need to tell them.

"Ohh! That's so cool!" he exclaimed, then frowned and looked down. "Wouldn't that be boring though? You wouldn't get to see your friends that much." He looked back up at me.

'Why do I have the feeling my white lie is going to grow to be a huge problem?' I thought. "Ehh, not really. I never really had many friends to see." That part was true. Who would want to be friends with a bum off the street? The few friends I had were other bums, who were usually old men and women, with the occasional punk.

"That's sad." Haru stated. I looked over at him and faked a smile. "No not really. The friends I did have were very interesting. They were good people."

"What ever happened to them?" Momiji asked, kicking a stick out of his way.

I thought for a moment. I wasn't going to lie about this. I hated to lie.

"Most of them just moved away."

"And the others?" Haru asked, expecting me to continue.

I was trying my best not to cry. This all reminded me of Daichi and our good times together.

"Some I don't know..." I almost choked, "Others just passed away."

They were both silent.

"I'm sorry..." Momiji mumbled.

I shook my head. "Hmmm. Don't be. They're at peace." Some part of me didn't believe that. What if they were lost souls?

I felt Haru put his hand on my shoulder. He gave me a reassuring smile.

Momiji squeezed my hand, which he had been holding all this time.

It's funny how small things like that can make you feel so much better.

"So!" I said, trying to lighten the mood. "What's you guys' favorite food?"

"Carrots!" Momiji exclaimed!

"Salad." Haru calmly said.

I paused before responding. "That's weird."

"oh? Why?" Momji asked.

"I don't know...I just expected something totally different!"

"What do you mean?" Haru asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Well I expected Momiji to say something along the lines of cake or sweets, and you to say something like steak."

"Wrong." Haru said. He looked disgusted when I said the word steak. I wondered why.

Thinking about being disgusted reminded me of Kyo and how he had spoken to me.

"Hey, can I ask you guys a serious question?"

They both stopped walking and looked at me. They looked worried.

"Yea." Haru answered. "What is it?"

"It's about Kyo." I said before turning around towards them.

"What about him?" Haru asked. Momiji looked concerned, but not as concerned as he did before I said anything.

"Do you know why he doesn't like me?" I shook my bangs out of my face.

"I don't think I did anything to him to make him act like that towards me."

They looked at eachother, then laughed. I frowned. "It's not funny."

"Aww Suri! I'm sorry, but that's just how Kyo is." Momiji smiled.

"He's a natural idiot. And he's also naturally...catty." Haru said before laughing.

Momiji started to laugh more, too.

I raised an eyebrow. "I don't get what's so funny to you two. Am I missing something?"

"No, not really." Haru calmed down.

"It's sort of an inside joke, Suri." Momiji ran up to grab my hand again.

"So, he doesn't have a problem with me?"

"No, he has a problem with the world, is all." Haru said as we started to walk the little way we had left to my house.

When we finally reached my house. "Well thanks you guys!" I smiled. I tried to give them both hugs, but they both backed away before I had the chance. "See you tomorrow Suri!" Momiji called back as they both ran away.

I awkwardly stood at my front door step, feeling confused and slightly rejected. "It was just a friendly hug." I said out loud.

'I wonder...' I thought as I smelled my shirt and underarms.

'I don't smell...they must just think I have cooties or something.'

I walked into the house only to be greeted by a worried and over protective Tia and a calm but slightly annoyed Kosuke telling her to calm down.

I didn't really see them as my parents. Maybe an Aunt and Uncle, although I had never had that, this is what I imagined it to be. I loved them though, to say the least. They were my friends.

I ran upstairs to my room as fast as I could, trying to get away from Tia's almost comical nagging.

I went to the bathroom and turned the bath water on. After the water was at the right temperature, I let it fill up. I stood in front of my long, wide, bathroom mirror and slid off my clothes.

I looked at my naked body carefully, my hazel eyes scanning all the way from my short blond hair down to my small, callused feet. I looked down at my A-cups. "Why can't you at least be Bs?" I said annoyed.

After my bath, a slipped into my pajamas, ate dinner, and went to bed.

"Why didn't you tell us?"

"Tell you what?"

"You were homeless? A bum? A loser?"

"What?"

"You heard me. You disgust everyone. You don't deserve the life you have now."

"What are you talking about? I'm not a loser!"

"You're right. You're a thief. Scum. No body."

"No no no!"

"Go back to the dumpster where you belong."

I flung forward in my bed, sweat was dripping off my forehead. "What...kind of nightmare was that?"

I looked over at the clock: 6:23am

Shaking off my nightmare, I got up and took a shower. Even though I had taken a bath the night before, I was sweaty and sticky.

After my shower, I got dressed and ate breakfast with Tia and Kosuke.

The first few minutes of the breakfast were completely silent. I couldn't help but notice Tia was giving me a look that said 'I have something to say but Kosuke made me vow I wouldn't bother you this morning.' I giggled at this. 'That's probably exactly what happened, too.' I thought.

Tia squirmed in her chair, and Kosuke sipped his coffee calmly with his eyes closed, looking triumphant.

"urggg...boys!" Tia shouted as if the words exploded out of her mouth.

I looked up at her. "What?"

"Did you meet any?"

Kosuke pointed at her accusingly. "I knew you couldn't do it! I knew it! Pay up!"

I laughed as Tia reluctantly handed him a five dollar bill. "If by boys you mean friends, yes I did."

They both looked at me, slightly surprised.

"That's great!" Tia shrieked.

Kosuke smiled. "We'd like to meet them one day, kay Su?"

I nodded. "Of course!"

After breakfast I headed to school. When I got there, I was a couple minutes early, so I decided it'd be good for my posture if I left some of the dead weight in my bag inside my locker this time.

"Hmmm 402...402..." I said walking down the long hallway with lockers aligning the walls.

"Ah! Here we go!" I said opening up my locker and organizing my books inside it.

I posted a picture of Tia and Kosuke on the door, along with a note Tia had left me inside my bag last night. It said 'Have a wonderful day! We both love you very much!'

I smiled. Meanwhile, the halls were getting more and more crowded. I finally closed my locker after I was satisfied with how my books fit into it.

"Hey, you're that Suri girl from yesterday, right?" I froze when I heard that voice. I looked to my right. Standing in front of locker 403 was Kyo Sohma.

"Uh umm, Hi!" I stuttered.

He raised his eyebrow. "uh yea. Hi."

Kyo closed his locker and was about to walk away. "Uh wait!" I called.

He looked back at me, his red eyes drilling through my hazel ones. "I...I think we got off on the wrong foot." I walked up to him. Even though my knees felt like they were jello, I managed to walk normally.

"So," I said finally reaching him and putting out my hand. "I'm Suri." I felt a smile cross my face when his hand, which was much larger than my own, grasped mine tightly. "Kyo." He said.

I smiled, so much so that I probably looked ridiculous, but I couldn't help it. I was so happy.

"You gonna keep smiling like an idiot?"

"Oh," I said, "Sorry." I frowned and let go of his hand. My intense happiness instantly evaporated into depression when he called me an idiot.

"Hey! I didn't mean that! You're probably not an idiot!" I looked back up at him. "I'm not." I said sternly, my depression quickly turning into anger. I didn't care if I thought he was irresistable, I wasn't going to be spoken to like that. "You really shouldn't judge someone you just met yesterday. And just because I'm expressing my happiness does not make me an idiot!"

He took a step back. I imagine he was probably surprised since I was so quiet and polite before. "Walk me to class." I demanded. "What?" He looked confused. "You heard me. You owe me for judging me."

"Who the hell are you to think you can boss me around?" He yelled. "Apparently I'm an idiot, Mr. Kyo Sohma." I said getting so close to his face that our noses almost touched. I had to stand on my tippy toes to do this, of course.

He backed away a little more, speechless. "Now, walk me to class. And hold my books while you're at it." I demanded again, throwing my books into his strong arms.

I walked away, expecting him to follow me. Eventually he did, but I had a feeling it wasn't because he wanted to be polite, it was because he wanted to argue.

"You're gonna get it, little girl!" He yelled, walking with me. "Oh really, Mr. Kyo Sohma."

"Stop calling me that!" He screamed. "You gonna keep screaming like an idiot?" I said, mocking his previous insult to me.

"You-!" He paused and stopped walking. "Look," he sighed, "I didn't mean it. I just...ya know? Said it, 'cause that's how I am. I say things I don't mean."

I looked at him, deciding whether his apology was sincere or not. Then I smiled. "Okay! Apology accepted. You can give me my books now." I giggled. "I can walk the rest of the way by myself."

"Are you bipolar or something?" I looked at him sharply. "Ahh I mean here ya go!" He said handing me the books. I laughed, "Kyo, it's okay. I understand you a little more now. So you don't have to watch what you say." I looked into his red eyes. He looked relieved.

"Just don't call me stupid anymore, k?" He nodded. The bell rang. "Well, better get to class! See ya!"

-Kyo's POV

I watched Suri run to her classroom. I didn't hurry to mine, however. I decided I wanted to skip first period. So I went to my usual spot on the roof.

Once I got there, I layed down to look at the clouds. I tried to make out shapes and figures and guess what they were, but it didn't work. To me clouds were just clouds. Not dogs or balloons or bicycles. I guess I had no imagination.

"I wonder if Suri could do it." I thought out loud. Thinking back on what just happened, and her getting so angry. Somehow, I thought it was kind of cute. It surprised me, though. I never would've guessed someone like her, who seems so shy, would ever do that. Not to someone she hardly knows anyway.

"And just because I'm expressing my happiness does not make me an idiot!"

I turned over on my side and traced figure eights on the floor. "Weirdo." I mumbled.

...

a special thank you to xMoldybreadx for her drawing of Suri! here's the link:

.com/art/Suri-Tokushima-Request-172588630