Taken for Granted

by Zadien

Updated!27July08.'Mystel, you'll protect me, right' "From evil ghost rapists? Sure. From Kai Hiwatari... I'll try."

3. Settling in

Disclaimer: I don't own the Beyblade characters that I take pleasure in manipulating into being normal teenagers. I do however own Amber and her complexities. Ruin owns herself, I finally lost the bet and now she found the deeds to herself. Shahero Kaeto ran away with the gingerbread man to Coors. Miyami Kinomiya and everything that is good and talented about her came from Unlucky-Star. Sonia Martini would like to belong to Ozuma but unfortunately for her belongs to SpitfireSae. Aspin Grant is Animerle's alone. Arista Belyaev is ArcadaAvalon's. Kirby Preston-Lee is solely Kindred Insanity's. Now Russia Kennedy, Zareth Forest and Hanson Slade all belong to Zimo, they are a trio and will never be separated, ever! My will is done.

Oh and Corrie is Coronation Street, the Granada Soap that's shown on UTV/ITV and TV3. Pop Idol does not belong to me either. And I don't know what else to disclaim. Most of this belongs to me, but if there's something you do recognize that doesn't belong to Beyblade, well it's probably not mine either.

Oh and no earwigs were harmed in the making of this chapter.

A.N. Ugh, I have to take an aptitude test for a job tomorrow at eight thirty in the morning. God, I'm never up at that time… But I get books afterwards as a bonus, yay! I don't even want the job. Ah well, I hope you enjoy this chapter. It's interesting at the most.

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Chapter Three - Settling in

Mrs. King was not only scary; she was big, mean and scary. First thing out of her mouth when I said I was the new girl was, 'You're going to wish you never came to this class.' I think most of the class themselves were rather surprised by the statement but no one said anything. Later, Miyami had whispered that Mrs. King hadn't meant it; she was just in a bad mood. And I was an easy target? Do I have a bulls-eye on my forehead? I don't think so. Instead of saying anything, I just took down the names of the books she told me to get. English was thankfully ok, because the books I used in my old school were valid here so I wasn't really going to be out of pocket here. I think it was the same for all my classes but I was taking down the names of everything just to be on the safe side. When English was over, Maths followed. I wasn't looking forward to Mondays from now on.

The Maths teacher was one of those try hard teachers. She tried hard to make the students respect her. It was obvious that they didn't. She sent Johnny to sit at a table all on his own at the back of the room between the door and a cupboard. Tala was too smart for the class so he wasn't there. Miyami was also too good at Maths to be there. Shahero was also in the smart class so I was, basically, on my own there. I didn't recognize very many people there. Therefore, I'd sat beside Miyami's purple haired friend and the blond Enrique. As soon as I made myself known to Ms. Mc Daid, she'd pounced and fired questions at me as though she thought I resembled a walking talking calculator. Thankfully, near the middle of class, a lime green haired boy had entered and had asked to move down from Honours to Ordinary. Mrs McDaid acted as though she'd just found her prodigy, since I didn't know anything. He, whose name turned out to be Oliver, had been asked every question and he'd answered them all correctly. Smart arse.

The next couple of classes had passed relatively seamlessly too. Mrs King is also my French teacher; she was just about as impressed with my knowledge of French as she was with my knowledge of the English language. As for Irish, well my teacher's a missing member of the Tuatha De Danann and she asked if I'd ever met a leprechaun. I had thought it was just a joke at first but looking at Tala told me that she was deadly serious. Nevertheless, she's a nice enough woman. Very friendly and helpful, like a librarian -a crazy leprechaun seeing librarian. Not to mention that she was patronizing, treating us as though we were as dumb as she is. She brings a new meaning to blonde.

As I moved from one class to another, from one floor to another and from one wing to another, I, basically, encountered every one of those 600 pupils as well as the teachers. I saw Kirby three times and each time she was doing nothing! How dossy! Well first day of Transition Year isn't very exciting, you're just divided into your company groups and for homework, you had to think of a name for the company and those who wanted to be president or whatever had to make out a speech. However, Kirby seemed to be having fun. I think I saw Daichi's head. And I definitely saw my cousin Ozuma; he's a prefect and he'd been leading around a group of first years, who'd been just as lost as he was. Supposedly, he didn't know where room 76 was and when he asked Shahero, she hadn't known either. She claims that the rooms multiply at night. I've no reason to argue.

My biology class is a pisser. None of my friends or the limited people I know that could potentially be friends are in that one. It bites on a supremely high level. Therefore, I'll just muddle on through.

I sighed and wondered what I was going to do now. The bell had rung ending my class and signalling for lunch… and I didn't know where the canteen was or where Shahero was. I wandered down the stairs at a slow pace.

"So? Is it really as bad as you expected?"

"I guess not. It's handy having Shahero around. She has friends here, good ones and they all like her and are willing to take me in because I'm her stepsister. I wouldn't mind seeing Ozuma though. I haven't talked to him yet, he's been busy with the first years."

"Well you seem in a better mood. You're not as down as before. I was worried for a few seconds. You were close to tears a while back"

"Close, but no cigar. You know me; I worry about things and build them up to be bigger than they are. These people have no reason to dislike me, so why would they unless I make them?"

Mystel laughed at that. "See I've been saying that to you for years. But do you listen to me?"

I chuckled. "Well I have to figure out things for myself. Telling me something doesn't work. People say there's such a thing as god, but…" I trailed off and my stomach fluttered. I was scared to say things like that, I realized, as if I believed that saying something about there being no god would make him smite me by striking down one of my friends. I was stuck between believing and not believing but that didn't mean that if I had to go to church that I'd make a big song and dance about him. I wouldn't. I was sliding into Wicca, and I knew if that became known, not only would mum be disappointed but it would also have an adverse reaction with the people who knew me.

"Amber?"

I shook my head and walked along the corridor and over to the girls locker room. I had to get a key later from a teacher named Ms. Kaye, the one who complained about Enrique's cool socks. Boy was I looking forward to that; all the same, I was looking forward to today being over. I was beginning to feel alone again and out of place again. In addition, I was hungry. As I entered the locker room to look for some one, I noticed the gothic girl from earlier. She was brushing her hair as she listened to music that screamed so loud I could almost make out lyrics. The band sounded like SOAD but I wasn't sure. It was something screaming and hard-core; obviously, something she felt suited her.

I tucked my hair behind my ears and dropped my bag by the pool of bags gathered by the door and noted that with the bright orange trim to my navy bag, I'd be able to find it easily again. With that, I headed back out of the girls locker room and almost walked straight into a figure entering.

"Watch where you're going!" she snapped agitatedly in her feminine voice.

"Sorry." I wasn't really. If she had bothered looking where she was going then we wouldn't even be having this exchange.

Her bronzed fingers caught my arm and dug in. I looked round, irritation flashing through my own eyes but I froze when I found myself staring into large brandy coloured eyes. A tweak of recognition pulled at the corner of my mind but I couldn't place where I'd seen this person before. It was the eyes. These large shining eyes, innocent, mischievous and full of life.

"AMBER? Oh my god, it is you, isn't it?"

I blinked and focused to take her in completely. Thick, shiny, aquamarine hair fell in waves around a small Asian bronze face. The eyes dominated the face, they were so large and compelling while the small button nose and mouth added to the cute factor. She was tiny, around Shahero's size but she had a fragile doll aura to her that Shahero would never have. She was curvy and she used the uniform to show it. The v-neck of the sweater was low cut and the blouse was unbuttoned to give any guy a good view. I hoped that Mystel wasn't looking because that would be so weird. She wore the plain black skirt short and her legs looked long and leggy because she wore socks up to her knees and thick chunky shoes that added some height to her.

It was as though someone had flashed on a light and I suddenly remembered her. "Ming-Ming?" Well isn't this a small world? Ming-Ming and I had been friends all through national school. I had always been a year ahead of her, and she'd been sweet tagging around with me, but then I moved to Secondary school and she went to another one the next year. I had tried to keep in touch but school and new friends had just rather taken over. Ok, I admit it, I forgot her. But that happens in life.

"Yeah! Look at you all grown up."

I opened my mouth to say the same, but she still looked the same to a degree so I settled for: "You look great Ming-Ming."

"Oh drop the second Ming; it gets to be a mouthful after a while. So what are you doing here? Are you going to school here? What class are you in?"

"6T."

"Oh with all those fit guys, lucky girl," she said with a grin. She tucked her arm in mine and began to lead me away from the locker room. "So tell me everything, how've you been? I've been really good. My parents thought this school would cater for me better. Therefore, I have to board at the boarding house. It's the old school when it had been a boarding school. But man it's so small sometimes and cramped. You're always tripping over someone. Nevertheless, it's really nice. I love it here. Everyone's so very friendly and I'm a house prefect. Can you believe it? I'm in charge of people, like a big sister."

"Cool for you."

"Oh wicked cool. So why are you here?"

"My mum moved us up here so she and Hiroshi could practice living together."

"Hiroshi?"

"Hiroshi Kaeto." I elaborated.

"Kaeto. Shahero Kaeto's dad?"

I nodded warily wondering what her thoughts on Shahero were like. They'd hardly be bosom buddies. Shahero was tomboyish while Ming-Ming took being girly to the extreme. Though they would both have singing in common, I was pretty sure they were not good friends. They just don't mesh that well; they clash horribly personality wise. Then again, Ming-Ming's personality may have changed over the past 5 years since I've seen her.

"Oh cool. Well, at least you're not here on your lonesome." she said cheerily, waving to a few girls who called her name as she guided me out of the main building and onto the sheltered passage. "So what do you think of here so far? I know this school must be such a shock from your old school. I mean it's so… not school like at times."

I blinked and replayed that sentence in my head. Blinked and replayed again. Ok that made no sense to me. "It's a school. How is it different?"

"I don't know. It's old, ok. There's just something about this place that's not like any other school."

O-K. Well I had no comment for that. So, I dumbly nodded. The school was just like any body else's impression on a school would be. There were classrooms, with teachers in the classrooms and people went to the classrooms to learn things, in the classrooms. How was this any different? I wanted to ask Mystel but I got the distinct feeling that he wasn't around. A burst of panic erupted inside me. I froze and began to search inside me for that spark that was him. That feeling, that comfort that stayed with me because he was near. My heart began to thunder. Did he just leave? He couldn't just leave. If he could leave… Oh god. Oh, please no. I wasn't ready; I didn't want him to go. Please…

"Amber?"

I blinked and my wide eyes focused on the aquamarine haired girl before me. She was staring at me concerned and I realized I had just stopped in the middle of the path while the students pushed past me and cast me bewildered glances. The sun was streaming down having found a patch of cornflower blue sky not inhabited by fluffy white clouds laced with silver wisps of grey. The breeze made the strands of my hair that had fallen down dance gently but all that didn't really sink in. I was more concerned by the fact that Mystel hadn't told me he was going to leave. He just disappeared and I wasn't ready to let him go, not yet. I just wasn't.

My lips trembled feeling the pressure in my chest crushing my heart all over again.

"Amber, are you ok? Do you need to sit down?"

I shook my head. Sit down? Oh yeah that'll work. Why don't you offer me a cuppa tea? That'll naturally cure everything and bring Mystel back won't it? I bit my tongue feeling bitter, caustic, and needing to swipe out at the nearest person.

Then suddenly, it was though a light switched on and the comforting wash of soft heat flowed through me and he was back again. I was almost sure of it. Out of my peripheral vision, I could see the flash of white blond and white shirt. I turned and looked directly at him. He smiled and pointedly looked at Ming-Ming who was regarding me warily. If we were alone, I'd have wiped that grin off his face and then we'd see how positively chipper he'd be. Instead, I blinked, coming out of my stupor and looked at Ming-Ming, directing all my attention back to her.

"Uh, I just remembered, I'm supposed to meet Shahero for lunch."

Ming-Ming just chuckled and ran a hand through her hair, pushing it out of her face and smoothing the wavy locks down over her shoulder. "So she'll be up in the canteen and that's where we're going. Ams we haven't seen each other in ages. Just indulge an old friend and accompany her to the canteen, ok?"

I nodded with a jerk of my shoulder. Supposedly, it's a Benson trait. Each one of us just nods and jerks a shoulder when we don't actually have a better answer or can't think of one. It could actually be true though, because since hearing that, I've been observing some of the Bensons and when you ask Rory a question, his answer is usually a nod and a shrug. It's scary what you pick up from your family.

"So what happened back there? Don't tell me you can't multitask so while you were trying to remember what you were forgetting, you had to stop."

I smiled weakly. "Yeah, something like that." I muttered sheepishly. Dead man walking Mystel! Dead man walking, fucking ass wipe leaving me like that without fucking saying a word. Don't think you being dead is going to keep you from feeling my wrath. Dead or not, I'm going to kill you.

"Amber?"

"What?" I yelped alarmed by her exasperated tone.

"You keep going off to the land of fairies. You ok?"

"Yeah." Just a little insane, talking to my dead boyfriend, you know the usual.

"Ok if you say so."

I do. We walked up through the gap between the prefabs where a man was talking on the steps to another teacher; both were P.E. teachers since they sported the Adidas sweatpants and Nike shoes. The clothes of gods, I rolled my eyes. Mariah and I had made big efforts not to wear brand-marked clothes and when it came down to it, we were the most eccentric when it came to gym clothes. We never wore the uniform sweater, instead took to wearing our fleeces and usually just a normal pair of jogging pants and trainers. My trainers had started off being bright orange and navy, bright yellow and navy, purple and black and then there came the plain navy and white striped ones that lasted me for years which I still wear when I can get away with it. Mariah loved sports, loved her sport clothes more, often wearing white and pink, her favourite colours. While Mathilda and Emily did everything to get out of sports and when I couldn't be arsed or when I had my period, I'd join them in the dug out and make up pathetically weak excuses, playing on the sympathies of the weak willed teachers who doted on us. Namely the science teacher, Mr. Quinn. He loved us. We told him someone had pushed us down a flight of stairs and we'd twisted our ankles, all three of us, mind you and he bought it. Man was he dumb and weren't we original.

"So what classes are you doing this year? You and I have to be in some of them together. Me being in 5B and everything."

"Um, well the obligatory subjects of English, Maths and Irish."

Ming-Ming rolled her eyes. "Don't you hate Irish? I mean sure, great, we have a language no one else can speak so when we go to France we can confuse the frogs, but hello, how many times are you going to go to France?"

I shrugged. "Probably never. I'm going to Canada as soon as I get out of this hellhole. There's nothing to do in this country."

"Exactly. Do the Canadians speak Irish?"

"Well no."

"So why do we learn it? I mean the gaeltacht is like a nudist colony. All they do is speak Irish instead of wandering round naked, and it's great to visit but honestly are you going to leave your natural world to strip down? I don't think so, so why learn a dead language?"

"I don't know. I've argued this with my teachers until I'm blue in the face and it doesn't sway popular opinion. Besides, that's why I'm doing ordinary. I already know the basics, this class is just going to be a doss year for me because there's nothing that ding bat can teach me."

"Who do you have?"

"Uh… the leprechaun lady? I was so intrigued by how much she resembled that professor Trelawney in Harry Potter, that I forgot her name."

"Oh her, and doesn't she just act like that flaky old bat? I swear the glasses are the same." Ming-Ming stated vehemently so that I had to grin. It was true. "I'm thinking of moving to that class."

"Why?"

"Oh I'll give you my reason once we get inside." She said mysteriously as we waited to follow the line into the canteen. It was a double door entrance, but only one part was open and so people were pushing in and out via that one. Poor first years were being pushed and shoved every which way in the crush. "So other subjects? Higher or lower English?"

"Honours with Mrs. King."

Ming-Ming's face blanched beneath the tan. "Oh god help you. I'm doing honours with Mrs. Ewing, she's so sweet but she lets everyone away with absolutely everything. I got away with telling her that my book was down behind the locker and was sent to get one of the caretakers to retrieve it. I wandered aimlessly round the school for a good 20 minutes before Kaye caught me and sent me back without the book and Ewing said nothing."

I chuckled. "Lucky you. Mrs. King doesn't look like someone who'll let me away with anything. I have her for French too."

"Aw too bad. I have Edwards and she's sweet, gets a bit PMSive when you don't hand in your homework but nothing as bad as King, she scares people so they cry. Guys and all."

"Shit." I muttered and it was heartfelt.

"Maths?"

"McDaid ordinary, you?"

"Chambers, ordinary. Other classes?"

"Well French, which I mentioned." I pushed my way up the steps, catching a first year by the elbow as he stumbled and righting him quickly. God I'd hate to be in first year again. At least I wasn't in such a bad place. Yes, I didn't have the security of actual real friends, but I had Shahero and my cousins and well whatever Ming-Ming was. Moreover, I was nearer the top of the food chain than the first years were. They'd naturally be picked on by everyone older than them and even by the people in their year. It must suck. There was a chance that I'd be bullied by someone in my year, but the likely hood of being bullied by someone in a lower year wasn't very likely.

"Ugh, I wouldn't swap places with you there. I'm doing music instead."

"What about science? Are you doing one of those subjects?"

"I have to do one to get into college. So, I chose Geography. It can't be that hard. What about you?"

"Biology. I sucked at Chemistry and was worse in Physics, didn't understand a word my teacher said at all."

Ming-Ming laughed. "That was me the whole way through science. So what are your other subjects, French, Biology and?"

"H.E."

"Me too."

"And History." The heat blasted at me as I entered the canteen. It was dim inside and the crowds of students all milling around tables, shoving up against the counter to be served or sitting down, didn't help the light get in much. It would more than likely brighten up when the student body filtered out.

"Same here. But my reason for doing History is also my reason for moving down from higher Irish."

"Really?" I didn't see the link. History and ordinary Irish didn't have much in common. Absently I scanned for Shahero or some of her friends but saw none of them. I did however make out Johnny's flame hair over by the fire exit trying to push his way into the crowd piled up against the counter. He was shouting something to someone over his shoulder and shoving a third year out of his way.

"Yup and he's sitting right over… there." she grabbed my arm and whirled me round so hard I almost did a 360 spin. I frowned and then followed to where she pointed. My stomach jerked and quivered in instant reaction to the shock of seeing the two toned bluenette from earlier. I mustn't have been paying attention to him earlier because for some reason I failed to note what a pure specimen of the male species he was. Or maybe I was because in the uniform he'd looked different. Now he'd shed the jumper and was wearing the white shirt untucked, the sleeves were rolled up and the collar unbuttoned. The tie was loosened drastically, so the knot hung down his chest. His hair was tousled and his eyes closed as he leaned back in his chair. He wasn't as pretty as Tala facially, but there was just something about that relaxed expression on that criminally handsome face. Despite the stress free stance, it was obvious that there was a busy mind running behind those closed eyes.

Suddenly those deep brown eyes, no longer hidden from me, were open and locked on mine. The air hummed for a beat. A buzz of intensity shot through me like an electric jolt turning my limbs to water then it was gone, as though it hadn't happened, if it even did. I heard Ming-Ming's audible gasp and forcibly snapped my gaze to her.

"Well that's an interesting reason."

"My god." she whispered. "That guy is just sex on legs."

Despite myself, my lips curled in a feline grin. "Wow do you have it bad."

She nodded sheepishly. "Well I dunno, it's sort animalistic."

My eyes widened for half a beat. Animalistic? What crap was she slurping up these days? Animalistic…

"Is that how you girls talk about us?" I felt Mystel's discomfort as though it were my own. Probably was my own. "Because I gotta say, if it is, give me a heads up and then I can go and hide somewhere."

Yeah in the deep recesses of my mind.

"Though you have to admit she has taste."

Oh god, you died and went gay, didn't you?

"God you can admit girls are pretty. Why can't I say that he's a nice looking guy? I'm sure of my masculinity and you should be too," he told me in a suggestive tone and the tweak of pain made me grimace. I missed him. I missed being able to touch him, just the casual brush of our hands or being able to hug him, god I missed him so much.

"Amber?"

I blinked and closed my eyes, regaining composure as Ming-Ming tugged on my sleeve. "What?" I asked softly.

"He's coming over here," she hissed under her breath.

"Who?"

"Kai!"

"Who?"

"Me."

I snapped my head to the owner of the smooth masculine voice who interrupted our conversation. Ming-Ming's dream man.

"Oh hey." I said weakly. Oh shit, this was weird. "You're Kai?"

"Yeah and you're late."

My brow furrowed while Ming-Ming shot me a dark accusing look. "I am?" I'm so glad my questioning tone is getting so much practice. At this rate, I'll make an excellent interrogator.

"Yes." he said as though I was wearing on his patience. "Shahero and you were supposed to be doing lunch," he pointed out and I flushed remembering, but I didn't know where she was and how could I meet her if I was lost. Technically, she should have come and found me. I opened my mouth to point that out but he gave me a look that had me shutting it again. This Adonis was pissing me off. "She's been looking for you."

What is he? Shahero's secretary? I wondered how she'd feel, if I had to break it to Ming that her dream date was gay. Male secretary's, you can't get any gayer. All the same, his 'I-know-all' attitude made me bristle.

"Well I'm not psychic so how am I supposed to know where we were going to meet."

"Kai, it's my fault. I asked her to walk me up to the canteen; I thought Shahero might be up here." Ming-Ming stepped into the conversation, drawing his attention. She flashed him a sheepish smile and had him sighing.

"Look I'm just passing on a message."

"Fine."

"Benz!"

I looked up and felt my grin spread over my face slowly. It wasn't even forced,

it's as if I hear his voice and my mouth works on its own. The only other person who had that effect on me was Mystel. "Hey Tala!"

"You're sounding better. Settling in ok?" he asked moving around me to stand beside Kai. He handed the two toned azure haired boy a chicken salad burger, who inspected it thoroughly. "Johnny didn't know what type of sauce you wanted, so he gave you ketchup."

Kai nodded before sinking his teeth into it. Tala turned back to me. "So who're you sitting with for lunch?"

"Ah-"

"I offered to let her sit with me, but she blew me off."

Tala smiled but it didn't reach his eyes. Moreover, I got the feeling that he didn't know Ming-Ming that well. I don't know, maybe I was getting weird vibes from someone else. Who knows, I'm always picking up on someone's emotional trauma, for a while, I mistook it for my own.

"I have a date with my sister."

"Shahero and her friends usually don't eat in the canteen." Tala told me and I smiled gratefully.

"There she is!"

I jumped and turned around as a hand landed on my shoulder with a hard enough slap to sting my shoulder. "Yeowch." I glared accusingly at Miyami who shrugged unapologetically.

"We were looking for you. Come on, we need to get moving."

"Uh, ok." But I was hungry; I wanted to whine. Funnily I didn't think they'd think too much of my whining. I could always whine to Mariah and she'd go get my food. She was like my own personal food shopper. Or I could whine to Claude, or whoever. I'm a good whiner, people always feel sorry for me and go get me food. And food is the only thing I use my whining powers for because whiners annoy me. I confess there are something's that I have double standards for, whining is one of them.

"What's the hurry?" Tala wondered, directing the question to the silver haired girl. And I secretly cheered him for asking the question I wanted to know personally. I shot him a grateful smile and noted that Ming-Ming had edged closer to Kai who was eerily watching Miyami. Was there something between them?

"Well we're trying to set up Russia and Zareth and if we don't head down there now, then Russia will wheedle out of going with him again because he'll have headed out of school."

Kai's brow furrowed. "Russia can make her own dates, Mimers."

"I know, I know. I'm just giving her a gentle push in the right direction. Just consider me cupid," she said cheerfully.

Ming-Ming and I exchanged bewildered looks. I had no idea what they were going on about really but Miyami was reminding me of Mariah because Mariah loved nothing more than setting us all up together. That has never been a good thing. Human cupids fuck up, hence why Cupid was originally a god!

"Come on Amber."

I nodded dumbly unsure how else to reply. I was being swept away on a rip current and I wasn't so sure if this was a good thing or not and where the hell was Shahero? Did she just order people around like they were her own personal court? Why didn't she come and find me, hello she is my sister of sorts.

"Shahero's hiding from Hitoshi." Miyami answered as soon as we'd exited the canteen.

I blinked and stared at her, weaving in and out of approaching groups of students. "Why is she hiding from Hitoshi?"

Miyami grinned. "She accidentally threw a sponge at him. A sponge that had been soaking up dirty water and she hit him on the head."

I nodded finally getting what Shahero had just done. She'd messed with his hair, never such a good thing with someone like Hitoshi who took pride in his hair and looks, but… "Shit, we're not even finished the first day yet."

Miyami grinned. "True, but it's Hitoshi, so ya know. Self-explanatory."

I blinked once again. See, I don't actually have any clue about any of these people's history together. So really, it wasn't self-explanatory to me. Yes, I knew that Hitoshi and Shahero had no love lost between them but I hadn't been expecting… ok I admit it; I don't know what I'd been expecting. God I hadn't really given this school or the people much of a thought, nor had I asked Shahero much about it. I'd just been too wrapped up in myself.

"How are things with you so far?"

"So far it's been good." I replied softly feeling a disturbing sensation in my gut. I really just wanted today to be over, more so I wanted these next couple of weeks to be over. I felt so out of place.

"You're withdrawing."

I sighed and realized Mystel was right. He was also being incredibly gobby today. There was a time he never bothered me when people were around, now he just couldn't seem to help himself. But on saying that, I was actually quite glad for it. God knows how I'd be without him. Lost, alone, bitter… ok maybe not such a big difference because I was without him.

"What are you thinking so hard about?"

I shook my head. "Just thinking. This place…" I trailed off with a shrug.

"It's a bit overwhelming, huh?"

"More than you could imagine." The presence of tears were never far from me, it was like a constant cloud that followed where I went, always spitting down to remind me it was there. I stifled a yawn and felt my eyes prick.

"We need to talk." he suddenly spoke loud and firmly in my ear. So loud, I gasped and knew Miyami had heard him. I was sure of it, but she only shot me a quizzical look.

"Are you ok?"

"Um… yeah." I can't right now. I can't just run off.

"Well then stop feeling sorry for yourself. You're making me feel guilty and you're not the only one that is hurting."

I clenched my teeth and rubbed the crease out of my forehead. How could he speak like that? I had a good reason to be feeling self-pity! I was on my own without my friends, without… Fine. You win.

We walked into the assembly halls. There were three table tennis tables set up in the centre of the hall. Each one had at least two boys playing on it, with a group of boys standing around it. In various corners, people stood talking and discussing things in their groups. On the opposite side of the room, at the opening where I'd stood this morning, stood Shahero with the purple haired girl, the silver haired girl, Sonia, and the redheaded girl from English class. They had lined up against the red heater.

"Amber!"

I looked over my shoulder, then felt all my loneliness melt away at the sight of Daichi Benson's vibrant red hair, although not as bright as Tala's. There were tufts sticking up everywhere, and his style just looked like elaborate bed head. His boyishly handsome face was full of exuberance and mischief. His green eyes were blistering and hooded heavily with a frame of dark lashes. His short self had spurted up so that now he stood almost a head over me, and his body was lanky and gawky. The navy of the uniform made his pale skin paler so that his small spatter of freckles really stood out like little black dots. There was a scar on his forehead, an x shape. None of us really knew where he got it from and when we ask, he just brushes us off.

He strode up to me and when he stood before me, I locked my arms around him and held him tightly. If he was feeling awkward at this display of affection, he didn't show it much. Instead, he just patted my back. I needed hugs and cuddles, desperately. Mystel had always provided me with them and once told me I was touch starved. If I hadn't been before, I was now. I just needed a casual show of physical affection. I didn't care about kisses or anything like that, I just liked a good cuddle that made me feel safe and secure because I could hold onto someone for a brief moment.

I pulled back aware that a few first years were shooting us looks while Daichi's friends were snickering. His ears were burning but he didn't make a comment about how his cousin had just embarrassed him in front of the school and I was grateful because right now I felt awfully fragile.

I forced a grin onto my lips. "Hey Little man." I greeted affectionately and had him glowering at me.

He patted my head easily. "Hey little girl."

I scowled and didn't need to force the laughter into my eyes; it was just there because of the comfortable easiness between us. "I'm not little, I'm petite."

"I'm not little, I'm taller than you, little girl."

"Pest."

"Nice to see you too." He replied and ruffled my hair, pulling a few strands out of my ponytail.

Growling and rolling my eyes, I tugged out my band and began to gather up my hair, wrapping the band round it again. "What is with you and my hair, DC? Huh?"

He snorted before turning serious. "So are you ok?"

I blew out a breath. "I've been better. Everyone's really nice, but…"

"Yeah I know. It'll get better."

"I sure as hell hope so."

"Oh, mum said you have to come over to us later this week."

I nodded. "OK then. Better get some practice on Tekken, buster, because I'm taking you down."

"You wish!" he scoffed.

"Oh no, I'm taking you down."

"With Ling?" he made a gagging sound. "As if."

I scowled. "Oh and I want my CD back, please."

His face crumpled in confusion. "What CD is that?"

"The one you stole from me." I muttered. He tried to say it was Mystel who stole it, but it wasn't because I'd gone through Mystel's stuff when he died and-

"You went through my stuff!"

I mentally nodded and smothered a smile. Oh, boys and their toys are humorous.

"I don't have your CD."

"You better hope and pray that you don't, because if I find it in your room, I'm going to kick your ass so hard you'll be shitting out of your mouth for weeks to come."

Daichi swallowed hard and made a face. "I don't think I have it, but I'll look for it."

"Good boy. Now go and play with your friends." I ushered then turned back to where the girls had been standing. They were still there. Shahero was telling them something while the purple haired girl muttered something under her breath to Sonia that caused her to laugh. The blood haired girl jerked as Miyami nudged her. A second or two later, Shahero noticed me.

"Hey!"

I smiled self-consciously and approached them. "Hey."

"Where've you been?"

"I was catching up with an old friend." I replied, casting a glance at the other girls to acknowledge them. I didn't want to come over as standoffish yet that was exactly how I was feeling. Weird, I'm usually the type of person who wants to extend the hand of friendship.

"Really? Who?" Shahero asked actively taking an interest in my life and I was grateful to her for that. Really. And because she made the effort, I felt compelled to do the same. God I sounded like such a tartly bitch.

"Ming-Ming."

If anything could dampen a mood within this group, that name was surely it. I've never seen people react to a name like that unless it was something like Elvis but that's understandable because his name is like the closest name to God or Jesus. No one ever puts Elvis without a capital E, do they? Shit, I'm rambling, I'm possibly the only person who rambles in her mind and that can't be cool.

"Not cool, yet oh so amusing."

Bite me, dead boy… This is just too weird.

"Hey is she ok?"

I snapped my attention back from where it had automatically wandered, to Mystel, my dead boyfriend who haunted me. Was it really Mystel who invaded my private thoughts and added his two cents? Or was it just something I'd created to help me through the transitional period? It would be so easy to make thoughts that could be construed as his. I knew him so well; inside and out that I could almost convince myself that he had said that, even if I was the one who thought the words. How could I be sure?

"Hel-lo!"

I shook my head and hoped the thoughts would be cast aside as I focused on Shahero's hand, which was waving, wildly before my face. "Sorry, I keep phasing today."

"We noticed." Miyami said with a grin and I was beginning to like how she didn't make me feel idiotic when she pointed things out to me.

"You thinking about your friends?"

The way Shahero said friends, well I knew she meant Mystel and I nodded, grateful that she understood.

"God that must be tough, leaving all your friends behind and starting off new." This came from that girl, Sonia, who was smiling sympathetically. The sunlight flashed off her the small shield pinned to the base of her v-neck sweater. The words 'head girl' had been engraved in gold against the navy background. She seemed to be a good choice. My old head girl had been extremely unapproachable as had most of the prefects. They paraded around as though they were some kind of hierarchy but maybe that's because they were older than I was, and any senior had always been intimidating to me as a junior student, the badge just had been another reason to avoid them. However, Sonia seemed approachable.

"Pssh, she can do like I did, make more and have more friends." Shahero interjected.

I keep forgetting that she had been new not so long ago, so she knew vaguely what I was going through. I just wish I didn't have to go through it, then again, she'd been moving from another country to Ireland and that had to be even worse even if she knew English, she still wouldn't have known much of the culture. I guess I was worrying needlessly, but looking at the big picture wasn't very easy when you felt like you were alone.

"So how are you settling in so far?" this came from the purple haired girl, I think her name's Aspin. At least I'm sure that's what she called herself. So many names were whirling around in my head and matching the names to the faces was just hit and miss. I was almost certain the statuesque green-eyed girl with the purple hair streaked with chunky black was Aspin. Her last name was lost to me. Then again, how many teenagers deal with surnames? Unless you're like Mariah, who demands the surnames of her crushes so she can tell if her name would sound good when married to them… She's so odd, I know.

"Ah, it's not as bad as I thought. I had visions of being shunned, ya know, just nightmare type thoughts."

"It's just school, why care so much?"

Miyami nudged the blood redhead violently so she hissed and growled at the silver haired girl. I had to admit, the girl with the thick Dublin accent made a good point. Why did I care so much? I had my cousins, and I had Shahero who wasn't likely to desert me. I was better off than most people were.

"You're right, school is no big deal and it's not as if I won't be going home each and every day."

"'xactly. Sure, y'r only spendin' six 'ours 'ere."

"Russia, here, spends the whole day counting down the hours." Aspin informed me helpfully.

"Counting down the hours until she can meet up with Zareth ya mean." Shahero muttered causing Russia to glare at her.

"Who's Zareth?"

All the girls blinked at me. Had I said the wrong thing?

"You mean you haven't spotted 'sex-on-legs' yet?" Miyami queried.

I shook my head. "I don't think so…" the only person who'd been referred to that so far had been that person Kai.

"He was in English with us, sitting beside Russia. They have this whole, 'we're just friends' thing going on but no one's fooled." Shahero said leisurely stretching and scanning the hall, moving her foot as a table tennis ball rolled to a stop by her.

"I'm Arista, by the way. I don't think I've had a class with you yet." This came from the silver haired girl with dark navy eyes; they were so blue, that they were almost black. For most of the conversation she'd been playing with the game boy she held in her hands. Her hair was about as metallic looking as Miyami's but it fell in a cascade to her elbows with gold tips. I'd once done that to my hair but I streaked it because Mariah said the gold would bring out my eyes, well whatever. Arista's complexion was peaches and cream, it's the only way to describe it. Her eyes stand out in stark contrast, so dark compared to the lightness of the rest of her. She wore an over sized shirt that was open over a t-shirt and a pair of black trousers.

I waved at her. "What're you playing?"

"Super Mario." she replied.

I moseyed closer to her and peeked over her shoulder to watch the short little man with the cap hit a mushroom and double in size speeding along the flat platform and jumping over the gaps.

"I'm hungry." Sonia spoke up. "Does anyone feel like walking up to the canteen with me?"

"I would, but Zareth and Hans have just entered and I really just want to watch them flirt."

"Who? Hans and Zareth?"

"Oh Shahero! Ew! That is so wrong!" Sonia exclaimed.

"I meant Russia and Zareth, not Hans and Zareth!"

"We do not flirt."

"You do."

"Don't."

"Do."

"And they say I'm the immature one in the family."

I glanced at Arista surprised, while my gaze sought out 'Sex-on-legs'. "You're related to Miyami?"

"Cousins on my dad's side."

Which would explain the hair colour, I decided. Finally, I think I spotted him. A tall guy, and by tall, I mean tall and lanky, but in a good way, was meandering his way lazily through the crowds of boys who were quite shorter than him. His hair was black and fell into his eyes and his face was… yeah sex-on-legs really works for this guy.

"Are you finished drooling yet Ams?"

I glanced over and stuck my tongue out at a laughing Shahero as my face heated. However, I gave him one last glance over before replying. "Ok now I'm finished. Oh my god, is that Hitoshi?"

The effect on Shahero was perfect. She jumped and immediately became alert, her eyes darting this way and that like a rabbit in search of danger. "Where?" she yelped and I couldn't help but smirk evilly. I had perfected the Mariah Tanaka evil smirks for evil geniuses during my eleventh summer when she, Mystel and I engaged in a prank war with Li, Mariah's stiff older brother. Supposedly, the whole thing had started with him showing his friends her panties… Oh god, that brings a completely new meaning to stiff older brother that I never even contemplated when I was eleven. I was so innocent and uncorrupted. In fact, thinking back on it, I doubt Li even did that because he was excessively respectful and stoic. More than likely, Mariah had made it up and I'd been too distracted by my parents splitting up to cop on to it, I'd just been grateful for the distraction. God, I missed them both so much.

"That wasn't funny."

"Oh yes it was, you jumped two stories." Aspin laughed.

"Sure Shahero isn' even 'alf a storey." Russia joined in.

"C'mon guys, I'm hungry."

"You whined!"

The way Arista accused Sonia of complaining made me think it was a sin for Sonia to do so. Like she was breaking one of the commandments. Possibly the eleventh one, 'Thou shalt not whine'. Especially if your name is Sonia and you're the head girl.

"Sorry, but I get narky when I don't get any food."

Narky? Hmm, made sense. Claude always got irksome when he didn't get anything to eat and he was always in control of his emotions since he figured he was the protector of us girls. The fact that Mariah either scared most of the bullies, or had them under her thumb didn't seem to faze Claude at all.

"Come on Sonia, I'll go up with you. I'm kind of hungry anyway."

"Buy something from the tuck shop." Shahero suggested with a shrug.

Sonia and I exchanged a glance and I felt an immediate connection with this studious redhead. "Shahero, I actually prefer to eat food at lunch time, not sweets."

"Could've had crisps."

I rolled my eyes at my friends muttering but saying nothing, I followed Sonia out the fire exit, which had to be bumped with her hip in order to jar it open. We stepped out onto a paved pathway bordered by green foliage and bright sunshine yellow flowers that reminded me of Mystel's smile. It always lit up a room. I plucked one delicately from a nearby plant and looked up into the cornflower blue sky that was as deep and vivid as Mystel's… everything reminded me of him. I sighed wistfully.

"Why did you go?" I whispered softly. "Why did you have to take him?"

"Are you ok?"

I blinked rapidly and struggled for composure. For a girl who could take rocks thrown at her stomach and not so much as shed a tear, it was weird to constantly be so close to tears yet at the same time, there wasn't really anything to cry about. Mystel was gone; it was just something I had to deal with. He wasn't physically here, he wouldn't ever touch me again, he-

"Stop!"

I started and pinched the bridge of my nose, inhaling and exhaling shakily. I bit my lip and tried to reign in my emotions. I'd been so worried that someone would tell everyone at school that my boyfriend was dead and that they'd treat me delicately but what was better? Them treating me as if I'm fragile or treating me like a complete loony bin for bursting into tears constantly? I wanted to be normal, I wanted everything to go back to how it was, but how could it ever go back? Mystel was right, now was not the time for living in the past. I had to keep my chin up and not show my pain. I'd been able to do it before; I could do it now.

"Amber?"

I shook my head and mustered up a smile for Sonia. "I'm ok, just the sun's bright."

"You're complaining about the sun being bright?" Sonia raised a brow in disbelief. "I'd rather the sun than the rain. I must have been miserable for months when I first came here from Australia. At first, the rain was a novelty, so wet, cool, and fresh, and then it became dreary, grey, and bothersome. You couldn't go out shopping in it because you'd come back soaked through."

I grinned. "Me and my friend Mariah invited our new friend Mathilda out shopping with us once, but the day we were due to go out, it was raining and she said she wouldn't go out because of the rain. Which was stupid, as Mariah soon told her, because if we said that every time it rained here in Ireland, we'd never go anywhere."

Sonia laughed. "Yeah that's exactly it. You just have to get used to it or be put under house arrest, but I like Ireland. Sometimes in the winter, you get a piece of all weathers. Sunshine, rain, fog, snow, sleet, winds… everything. You don't get that in Australia, it's monotonous sometimes."

"So's the rain." I quipped dryly as we passed a group of teachers sitting on the concrete steps.

"I know; it's so horribly dull in winter. However, you get use to it I guess. I suffered SAD for at least three years after coming to Ireland."

"How long have you been here?"

"7 years."

"You don't really have an accent."

She nodded in agreement and made a face. "I'm one of those people who pick up accents really easily. Leave me alone for ten minutes with a farmer and I'll be talking with that real broad Irish accent for a couple of hours after. Same with Londoners and Americans. I just pick up the accent and mine becomes lost, but on certain words, ya know, it comes out. And I still say G'day at times." She flushed slightly embarrassed it seems for her babbling. I actually enjoyed it.

Feeling a tension in my head, I tugged out the band that had been holding it back and shook it out so it spilt around my shoulders. "Do you like Ireland?"

She bobbed her head. "Well yeah it's great, but it was such a culture shock to come here. I mean so much of Ireland is rooted in religion and while part of that's good, there's so much that isn't. Like every night, you sit down and someone turns on the news and you hear about a couple being attacked in their home because they're both of different religions or you hear about someone being dragged out of their home and shot because they're catholic. Then the next night, the IRA are like, well you killed a Catholic, we have to kill a Protestant. It's so medieval and primal." her voice conveyed her distress as she floundered to find the word that portrayed her distress. "It's uncivil!"

Despite the seriousness of this conversation, I couldn't help the laughter that bubbled out. "Well that's one way of describing it. Uncivil." I tried the word out on my tongue and chuckled until she silenced me with a long look that conveyed that she was not amused. I swallowed my laughter then sobered. "You're very right, but you gotta admit Sonia, you get used to it, don't ya?"

She nodded solemnly. "And that's the worst part of it. You do get used to it. If someone's shot, no one bats an eyelid anymore. It's inhumane but as long as it's not you or yours; no one cares."

I sighed; she made a very good point that sickened me. I only was outraged when I thought about it, most of the time I placed everything to the back of my mind. However, despite all this, I actually enjoy the Orange parades, no matter the chaos they cause. It's part of my culture, just as the Hibernian is part of some Catholic's culture. It just pisses me off slightly when no one raises any noise when they have parades, we get a parades commission telling us where we can march and now where the spectators can watch… I shook my head and thought of something cheerier, there were no parades until July so there was no point dwelling on this. "So what else do you like about Ireland?"

She smiled slightly, turning her head to look at a group of senior boys playing basketball in their uniforms with younger boys. "I like how small and quaint the country is. I like how it's steeped in tradition. I like going for tours in the car in the summer with my family and spotting thatched cottages in the hillsides. I like the farms even though the big farms are nothing compared to the ones in Australia that could have up to a couple of thousand acres. I like the farmer boy's speech and slang even though sometimes I still can't understand it. And I like how laid back everything is, even though it frustrates me endlessly when teachers refuse to teach us."

I smiled softly at how affectionately she spoke of this alien world. "I like all that too." I decided.

She flashed me a grin in return and we headed into the canteen. I followed her as she led us past the groups of people eating and the small clusters of students standing talking. While I followed, my eyes wandered over the mural on the back wall by the clock. It was a large blue hypnotic whirl with sea waves around it. It was very cool looking. In the corners the speakers were blasting out music to the masses, listening carefully I identified it as something by 'Korn'. It wasn't as stifling hot as it had been and I realized that was because someone had thrown the fire exit, which took up most of the East wall, open to allow the sunshine to spill in. A group of girls were leaning against the railings outside it. I spotted Tala laughing and talking to Johnny who was soaking napkins and chucking them in various directions. Kai was leaned back in his chair lazily watching Johnny from under his lids. Ming-Ming was talking to a dark haired girl and a bluenette. She caught my eye and waved cheerily. I wiggled my fingers back at her and turned back to Sonia who was now standing on the barrier behind the crowd of people pushed against the counter.

"Enrique?"

"Yeah?" I heard the shout from the blond but I couldn't see him.

"Can you get me a hotdog and I'll pay you when you come out?"

"Sure."

"Amber do you want anything?" She asked turning to me.

"Uh yeah a hotdog sounds good and a Dracula too please." I told her as I rooted through my pockets for my wallet, which contained my valued money.

Sonia relayed the order back to Enrique then she jumped down to my side, dusting off her hands on her skirt. "So what's a Dracula?"

"An ice-pop. Black cola flavour coating, strawberry puree centre and apricot ice-cream bottom, all on a stick."

She made a face that I recognized as disgust since I saw it quite a lot of my friends faces when Michael and me ordered it every summer since it had been produced. I was about to tell her she should try it when something shoved into me. I stumbled and caught Sonia to steady myself. Two hands caught my shoulder.

"Sorry Benz."

I looked over my shoulder at Tala and I noticed Kai walking for the exit, Tala followed soon after. "Oh don't mind me I'm just here for decoration!" I snapped glaring heatedly after the two toned bluenette.

"Y'r not lost again are y'?"

I glanced back at Johnny as he passed me by and shot me a grin. "No I'm fine!"

He tossed me a wink over his shoulder. "Oh yes, you are!"

I laughed and flipped him the bird before turning back to Sonia with what I believed was a silly grin plastered over my face that I couldn't seem to get rid off. It wasn't because of the comment but the wink reminded me of Michael and the grin of Mystel when they were trying to encourage me to play soccer with them.

Sonia shook her head. "Those guys are just plain weird. Every girl has a thing for them because they aren't farmer boys."

"How nice for them." I replied with a shake of my head; looking up when Enrique vaulted the barrier and slung his arms casually over both Sonia's and my shoulders with hands filled with food.

"Hey new girl."

"Hey Turtle."

"Am I missing something?"

"Yeah Enrique's very cool turtle socks." I told her as I plucked my food out of his hands. "How much was that Turtle?"

"That was… ugh just give me a €uro and I'll forget the rest."

Sonia frowned. "Did they put the prices up again, Enri?"

He nodded as I forked over my euro and dropped it into his open palm. "5 cent every term, Sonia, you gotta do something about it, 'cos we're not millionaires and I'm not going to work in the canteen."

"Students work in the canteen?" I rose onto my tiptoes and tried to peer over the sea of heads.

"Yup, mostly prefects but some students do too. You get free lunch and a small wage." Sonia informed me. "I'd have to do it if I wasn't doing tuck shop instead."

"What days?" Enrique asked sidling closer to her with a charming smile on his face.

"I'm not giving you free food Enri, you pay for it yourself."

I grinned listening to them banter and felt an overwhelming feeling that maybe I could fit in here. Enrique, Sonia, Johnny, Miyami and the other girls all seemed friendly. Not to mention Tala. In addition, I had family here. Yeah I'd be good here.

---

When the bell rang I followed the masses, ok mainly Ming-Ming (who'd collected me in the canteen) to History. This was the class I was looking forward to and dreading the most. I love History with a passion but I was going to be so far behind everyone else, it was almost scary. How I'd pass through this, I didn't know. The History classroom I discovered was in the assembly hall almost directly opposite the corridor past the tuck shop. When we got there, the boys at the table tennis tables were clearing off to class, crisps and crumbs were scattered every where while school bags were deserted by the red radiator beside the official entrance to the assembly hall.

"Oh this is going to be so cool having you in my class." Ming-Ming gushed bubbly.

I smiled at her as I looked around to see who else was in this class. There was Oliver from my maths class, the guy with the purple hair that was Ruin's friend, Kai, a silvery blue haired guy. As we stood there by the wooden door, I heard a jiggling sound and a short, stocky man walked up briskly in a pair of baggy pants and a woollen v-neck sweater over a yellowish shirt. His hair was black, thick and curly, his eyes were small and sunken, his was somewhat large nose, and a black moustache hid his mouth. There were laughter lines around his eyes and his moustache twitched as he smiled at us.

"I get a good feeling about him."

That's nice Mystel.

His eyes landed on me as he shoved his key into the door. He offered me a smile but his eyes were bewildered, and then he stepped back as the door opened and I was carried in by the group. I followed Ming-Ming taking a seat near her as the others took their own seats. Oliver sat opposite me, the purple and silvery blue haired guy sat near the top of the row of desks which had been pushed together to form two blocks of 16. With there only being six of us in the class, the room seemed painfully empty. The light was dull; the blue sky casting in a blue light that the white plaster stonewalls and grey desk surfaces reflected.

As the teacher entered he flipped the lights on, there was a buzz then the clink as the fluorescent lights blinked, flickered then flooded the room with light. It was a snug room, hexagonal in shape like the rest of the school. Windows covered one wall, with the lower half sporting a red radiator and the wall beside it, behind me had a black board. Beside that was a wall with a red notice board and cupboards lining it. Next to it was another wall with a red notice board and the door was in between it and the next wall, which had cupboards and shelves that hosted books and books on various topics. Finally, behind the teacher's desk was another black board with a map covering it and chalked on the board was words I recognized as French. Before lunch, another teacher must have been using the room.

"Ok chaps, and girls, two this year." the teacher began cheerily rubbing his hands together as he took a seat beside Oliver instead of sitting by the teachers desk. He seemed very informal and the students were at ease with him, so the bigger butterflies that were fluttering around in my stomach dispersed.

"So we'll…where's Ian? Isn't he still doing this class? And Kai don't sit so far away." he said and with a reluctant sigh Kai moved from his spot.

"I saw Ian in the canteen earlier, but haven't seen him since."

I looked up startled out of listening to Ming-Ming as I felt the chair beside me being pulled out and Kai thumped into the chair beside me.

"Kai what was wrong with that seat beside Garland?"

Kai grunted something but I couldn't hear it and I was right beside him, but one thing was for sure the guy did smell nice.

"Ok, now Amber, it is Amber isn't it?"

I nodded an affirmative wondering how he knew my name but figured he'd have to have been briefed on my history problem.

"Which Benson are you?"

"Huh?" Man I am the queen of articulate responses. What would be interesting would be to actually count how many times I say 'huh' a day.

"Who's your father Amber?"

"Oh, James."

He nodded silently. "I know him-" he broke off as the door swung open and a figure fell into the room. "Ian! You're late and it's only the first day back!"

Ian, who was a short stocky boy with narrowed eyes that seemed to glint red and short thick navy hair and a prominent nose, just nodded at the teacher and took a seat beside Oliver opposite Kai. "Sorry, lost me bag."

I glanced at Kai. "That seems to be a common ailment in this school."

"Who the hell are you?" Ian demanded obviously not pleased that I'd opened my mouth. Well he had better get used to it, I have open mouth syndrome as Mystel and Claude termed it, I can't shut it once it gets flapping.

"Could ask you the same thing."

Mr. History Teacher cleared his throat. "Excuse me. Now can we please get this class started? We still have more than half a course to get through and we don't have time to sit back and gossip like auld women. First, Amber, I'm Mr. Shallow. Now this history class is relatively informal, if you have a point to make feel free to make it as long as it pertains to the subject at hand. I noticed you did Ancient History?"

I nodded. "Yeah we figured it would cause less controversy in the class."

He frowned. "Do you think with tutoring you could catch up?"

"Yeah no problem."

"Well Oliver could you tutor Amber in European History?"

Oliver nodded rewarding me with a bright smile that made his already feminine face light up. He seriously reminded me of an elf. His eyes were large and a beautiful shade of lavender, heavily lashed with those spiky lashes that all women try to achieve with mascara. His nose was small and tilted, his chin delicately pointed and his mouth full and crimson and with the thick luxurious mane of lime green hair, he was so pretty. I studied him seriously and wondered if he was gay, there was just something about him that I couldn't quite put my finger on but… maybe it was because he didn't try to make himself look masculine. Could be that he was just very effeminate. Either way, I was glad he hadn't raised a fuss and was willing to help me out.

"Anybody else willing to volunteer and help out? Robert?"

"I'm on the debate team this year but I can give her photo copies of my notes on Germany if she'd like them and Oliver could go through them."

"Since he's the only one who can read Roberts tiny writing without using a magnifying glass." Ming-Ming teased.

"Thank you Robert."

"Yeah thanks." I added; no need to seem ungrateful.

"Russia and Stalin? Kai."

"No."

I rolled my eyes at his out and out refusal, was he trying to be a git?

"I'll help in anything but that, Stalin was a pig and I'm not going through that shit again."

"Kai watch your language. Garland?"

"Can't got hockey practice for the foreseeable future but I'll help her out with my history essays."

"You wrote essays for Ancient History, right Amber?"

"Yup."

"Could you bring one or two in so I can see your style?"

"No problem… that is if I can find them." I think Mystel has, had, half of them since every time I got one back I tried to throw it in the trash and he would rescue it.

"Ian?"

"What?"

"Are you-?"

"I'll tutor her in Russian History, or what I can remember of it." Ming-Ming offered.

All these different people tutoring me was going to confuse me in the end up. I would be better with just one person and leave it at that.

"You got a D in your Russian essay." Ian sneered.

"Well Ian since you said that you can help Amber with it."

"I can tutor her in all aspects of European history." Oliver volunteered.

I eagerly nodded. "I like that idea."

"Well if you're all in agreement, I have no qualms with it." Everyone seemed to be relieved with this idea and nodded gratefully. "Ok then Oliver you and Amber can sort out when you want to meet up and for that you'll be receiving an A for effort in your report card."

"Woot." Ming-Ming quipped dryly.

"I'll find something to reward you Oliver."

"That sounds wrong."

"Teacher and student relations are against the rules sir, naughty, naughty." Ian piped up with an evil leer. Shallow chuckled while Oliver blushed either with humiliation or for some other reason I couldn't tell.

"Now let's see. We're in here for a double on Monday after lunch, once on Tuesday morning and Thursday morning before and after break. Five classes each week, that should be enough to get through this course if we don't get distracted by things such as who won pop idol or what happened on Corrie last night." he looked directly at Ming-Ming and Oliver.

Once again, the door opened and Hitoshi entered. Shallow did a double take and then raised a brow. "Hitoshi, what are you doing here?"

"I wonder how many times he's been asked that today."

I looked at Kai and nodded in agreement. Must be tough to be Hitoshi.

"I couldn't get enough of the school, so I decided to do another year," he said. "Sorry I'm late, had to help Kaye with a few things."

It was then I noticed something that made me blink in disbelief. Hitoshi was a prefect? Holy shit! Shahero's fighting with a prefect, why am I not surprised.

"Not a problem. But I thought you were going to Queens."

"I didn't get enough points." he replied with a careless shrug moving to take a seat beside Kai, flicking Ming-Ming's hair as he passed and she giggled. "So I'm back to make it up."

"Ok, well this year we'll be concentrating on Irish History, which I know for the first term, will bore you to tears. It deals with the land laws and the events that lead up to Home Rule. Next term we'll be dealing with the 1916 rising, the civil war and the formation of the partition, the beginnings of the IRB and the Orange Order, the Dáil and how we came to have our first president. It's difficult and often times boring because, more than anything this course will be dealing with the politics of Ireland. However, it's worth it and sometimes it's very interesting. Therefore, shall we get started? Amber you can acquire the books… actually Ming-Ming go and snag Mrs. Harvey and ask her to send me the History books before the fourth years get them all. And Amber you can pay me later."

I nodded while Ming-Ming got to her feet and sauntered out of the classroom. There was definitely a deliberate sway to her hips when she walked and I figured it was for Kai's benefit but he missed it because he and Ian were engaged in a game of footsie. Maybe Oliver isn't the gay one, could be Kai, Ian…, and ick! Ick! Ick!

"Amber, are you ok?"

I stopped banging my head against the table and smiled weakly at Mr. Shallow who was watching me as though he expected me to do something insane any minute. Well I already have a dead boyfriend haunting me, can I get any more insane?

"Ok let's get started then."

---

An hour or more later, it was the end of the day and I was waiting for Shahero outside of the girl's locker rooms while she looked for her jacket. We were going to head down to wait for the bus. I meant to ask her earlier if she was friends with Kai because I couldn't for the life of me understand why he had given out to me, unless it was so that he'd have a chance to make Ming-Ming notice him. Hmm, a smile tugged at my lips. Ah, so Mr. Stoic wasn't trying to be an arsehole, though he played the role beautifully, -it was incredibly believable- he was just trying to get closer to Ming-Ming. How very sweet in that 'little boy pulling the girls hair in the playground' type of way.

I slipped my hand into my pocket, produced my cherry lip balm and applied it as I looked around the almost empty corridor. Hard to believe that, six hours or so ago, I'd entered through those doors over there feeling very alone and depressed. Now I felt that this school might not be so bad. I could fit in here but it wouldn't be the same and I wouldn't expect it to be.

I looked round at the burst of male laughter followed by footsteps on the stairs to the basement and voices. A second later, Tala, Johnny and Kai appeared with their bags on their backs and their jumpers shoved into said bags. Sighing, I turned my attention back to the painting on the wall opposite me. A student had done it, and there was… a dead earwig inside. Gross.

Grimacing I hitched my bag on my shoulder. "Shahero Kaeto hurry your ass up and get out here because there's a dead earwig in the picture opposite me and it's grossing me out."

"Well don't look at it then!" Shahero shouted back.

"How gross is it?"

"Don't ya mean 'ow dead is it?" Russia asked Miyami.

I shook my head and sighed, even though the smile played on my lips. Shahero's friends were weird but in a good way.

"I don't see any earwig."

"Oh look t'ere it is."

Hearing and recognizing the voices, I peeked over at Tala and Johnny who were huddled round the picture frame in order to get in a closer inspection. Kai wore a bored expression as he stood with his back to the wall and his eyes closed with his arms folded. As though sensing my gaze, his eyes opened and caught mine before I quickly averted them, ashamed at being caught staring at him. Even though I hadn't been technically staring at him because I hadn't been, I'd just looked at him but he would think I was staring. Or maybe not. I don't understand guys or how their minds work.

"It's got no legs."

"Yeah it does, t'ere t'ey are."

"Where?"

"Along de bottom, t'ey fell off!" Johnny snickered and despite the cruelty of it, I had to admit it was funny. How many earwigs lose their legs?

"Oh yeah, look at them."

"What are you doing?"

We all looked up at the new voice as Miyami stood at the entrance to the girls locker room, hand braced on her hip and the other on the strap of her bag. She raised a brow and shook her head. "On second thoughts, I really don' wanna know."

"Is Shahero coming yet?"

"Yeah she'll be out in a second or so." she replied sliding to the floor and plucking the sleeve of her sweater. "Where are you guys going?"

"Heading up town, if we're not back in time keep the bus for us, ok?" Tala asked.

"Aye but if you're not back in time, then I can't guarantee that Charlie'll not leave without ya."

"Are y' girls stayin' down at de gate?"

"S'pose. It's too warm to go up town."

"Don't complain about the heat, crying out loud, y'll all be whining about the rain when it comes." I groaned stifling a yawn.

"Long day Benz?"

I rewarded Tala with a tired smile. "Something like that."

"Are you going to be out on the moor this evening?"

I nodded. "You?"

"Yeah. Maybe I'll see ya up there."

I nodded again, too tired to do anything else.

"God y'r all a bunch lazy arsed gits!"

"Someone glare at her for me." Miyami ordered sleepily then she growled as Russia began to kick her lightly. "OK, someone help me up."

Shahero and Arista caught her outstretched hands and yanked her up, moving out of the way when she leapt to her feet.

"So are we heading down or what?" Shahero demanded as she tied back her hair.

"We're heading down, and the boys are heading up town."

"I'm 'eadin' 'ome. See y'all later." We waved bye to Russia as she left the school building.

Shahero cast the boys an inquisitive look. "Are you really heading up town or is that code for something else?"

"We're heading up town." Johnny clarified.

"Hey where's Aspin and Sonia?" I suddenly wondered aloud. I hadn't seen them since lunchtime.

"Aspin's bus comes early and Sonia had a prefect meeting to see what's going to happen when the rest of the school comes back tomorrow."

"Ah right." we headed out of the darkened building and into the blinding light that streamed down from the sun which bleached the white shirts the boys wore as they walked in front of us talking in hushed tones. It wasn't all that different from my old school. I mean this group of friends were like my group of friends, the only difference being that my group were all in the same form and Shahero's group came from various classes with the majority being in 6T.

"Did Hitoshi get you back?" Arista suddenly asked Shahero who nodded.

She scowled and absently ran a hand over her hair. "Yeah as I was walking past the woodwork room he popped out of the safety door with a handful of sawdust," she growled viciously. "But I plan to scratch his beloved car."

Miyami sighed. "He'll kill you for it. Attacking his hair and his car, Shahero you're asking for trouble."

"I don't need to ask for trouble, I am trouble."

"With a capital T!" Arista piped up.

"So for a first day, it wasn't so bad was it Ams?"

I shook my head, rearranging my blouse collar for the umpteenth time and admiring the shade coming from the shelter. "Surprisingly not, though Balkov could sure pass as the demon headmaster from hell."

"Ugh, ignore him, we all do. Dickinson was nice but he's retired. Mrs. King wanted to be headmistress but then Balkov comes in from nowhere and steals the job out from under her. I can't see how that happened and how Kaye got the VP job over King." Arista frowned. "Mrs. King would have the experience, not that I'd want her as VP either, but experience wise she should have got the job."

I watched her musings and wondered if the rest were understanding this or finding it as amusing as I did and catching the way the boys were looking over their shoulders at her and how Miyami was nodding in an attempt to be serious, I figured they did.

We walked out into the sunshine passing students minus their jumpers and holding ice creams.

"I want an ice cream." Arista declared abruptly cutting off her monologue.

"They only serve vanilla Ari; you'd have to go up town to get a butterscotch ripple cone."

"Then I shall go up town. Oy, Kai I'm coming with you."

Tala looked over his shoulder. "Yeah? You're coming together are you?"

The second meaning to that clicked in my mind before anyone else's and I blamed Mariah, she had a sick and twisted mind and she corrupted me so much when I was young. I definitely needed to talk to her. I wanted to know how school was without me, was Davis a total bitch, did Tegan think that she could be a total bitch now Mariah didn't have anyone to tag team her with… I'd never thought about it, but this had to be weird for Mari too and Mattie. There were classes where I'd been relieved because at least I'd had Mari or Mattie with me, otherwise I'd have been alone, but now with me gone that meant they'd be in classes on their own. I hope they were ok. I'm sure Mari would be fine because she was outgoing and up beat and everyone liked her. Mattie was shyer because she was used to everyone sheltering her and treating her like she was younger, which she wasn't. She was just the newest to our group, our group that I was no longer apart of. I sighed, oh well. I could see them later and Mari said she'd be on Msn later.

"Sick, sick, sick, sick!" Arista chanted as she continuously slapped Tala over the head with what looked to be a sketchpad. None of the boys made a move to pull her off him and Miyami was just chuckling. Shahero was oddly silent, looking over her shoulder for something.

"Something wrong?"

"I saw blue."

"Great, 'cos most people see red, blue is much more calming."

"She means Hitoshi." Miyami chimed in.

"You're obsessed."

"You didn't go to class with wood shavings on your head."

"I didn't throw a dirty sponge at his hair either."

"He deserved it."

"Why?"

"He breathed." Miyami muttered under her breath and I chuckled, swallowing it when Shahero glared darkly at me.

"I'm sorry?"

She flipped me off and walked over the cattle grid, I took the safe way via the walkway and joined the group of students all milling in their little clique's waiting for their ways home. I listened to the shouts of laughter, the jeering and smiled softly.

I don't know what caused me to look down to the narrow left gap of the ice-cream van, if I hadn't then maybe my day would have been different, but I did. And there he was…

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And thus ends chapter three of Taken For Granted. Please feel free to leave a review. No complaints about the cliffie, please, since I'm not one for using them very often, now am I? Though feel free to try and guess, Arcada and Coors, no spoiling the plot. Fabiha and Sarah, I have an inkling that you two will guess it, so no trying spoil it. You may chance a guess in an email.

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Well guys hope you enjoy. Oh and please check out my fic with Midnight Insanity. The link can be found in my bio or under the pen name: Midnight Gems

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Leina: Kai was there, he walked into the classroom and was never seen again. I think the people who stole his bag, stole him and then deposited him in the canteen.

Paris Super Girls: She wasn't being perverted, she was having an opinion, lol. Kai was squeezing past her desk and his ass was pressed up against her desk, she had no choice but to notice. Well maybe your friend isn't a bitch but some people named Ciara are and Amber's just going on the Ciara she knows. I never noticed that Mariah phoned after Rei was mentioned and I'm writing it... How weird. Yeah Mariah and Rei will get together, believe me. And Shahero and Hitoshi as well. Lol, I'd disagree with when my chapters aren't good, because there are days when some are just a whole lot better than others.

nise-anjel: Oh reading is so much better, you can realax and get immersed in the story and you don't have to do any thinking or any of the hard work. But when I ran out of things to read, then I had to write my own stuff. As for the long chapters, meh, I don't know, I just start writing and some days I could write ten pages in one go and still only be a third way through. I feel I have to write long chapters now, because short ones just don't satisfy me.

BlackMoonSky0000: Yeah nerves are a killer when you're in a strange place on your own. But if you just be yourself, then you should be ok. Ah well, it will be explained later in the story just how Mystel died but Amber doesn't like to think about it when Mystel is haunting her. Racism does suck. I don't think there will ever be peace, the human race wants to be better than others too much, they'll always find something to quarrel about. I won't give any of my stories up, well not this one or SLTS. Yeah they made a mistake with L/H but I like my other stories better.

Chikaitou-411: Aw thankies. I'm glad you like this story. Oh it's nothing to do with Harry Potter. It's part of the school system in Ireland. We have prefects and a head Boy and Girl, usually students who have a well rounded ciriculum, in other words being smart and on the sports team.

ArcadaAvalon: Aw sucks you didn't get to see it. How far ahead of us are you? Last ep I saw, it was the one where the four of them got stuck in the mall over night. Yeah I love that song too, but my favorite at the moment is 'Stand by me' and 'Lucky' by Bif Naked. Yeah I'll get to giving chapter one a title, if I can think of one, lol. :grins: Glad you liked that piece. I just like the sentence, getting high on dead boy fumes, kind of icky but funny.

Grandsummon: Yo-ho Sarah! God really gets screwed up sometimes, I swear there are days and you just know somethings up with it but they take no responsibilty for it. Well done on your China Report by the way. Ah, yes the love begins when you look at a boys butt...:raises brow sardonically: I still don't get females obsessions with asses, I prefer eyes, lol. Of course you overwhelm me in a good way. Oh man, we never had a horse riding thingy... I never even knew we had a swim team until the last term of my last year... As you can see, I was filled with school spirit. Oh my god, when people put their trust in me I usually let them down...I hope to god I don't let you down with Amber and Kai once again their relationship will be different in this too, lol. I love messing with these two. I don't think there's been anyone serious for Kai before, he doesn't strike me as the type to fall in love easily and he's very young. Um, Shahero didn't know Amber's time table so she didn't know Amber was in her English class and since Amber was late, she had to take her usual seat with Russia. If Amber had sat on her own, I'm sure Shahero would have moved. I missed Mariah too. :wails: Yeah Ruin and Tala aren't the best of friends, too different. Yes that song so reminds me of Ruin too, or sometimes Miyami but mainly Ruin. LOL Enrique, he's just too cool to ignore. Hitoshi, yeah he has guts, seven years at secondary school, must want that college place bad. God, I feel so sorry for First years. For some reason at my school, they buy the biggest bags and then they hunch over so they look like turtles and they don't leave them down. They take them every where they go. We didn't get trousers until my last year and the trousers were really horrible material, like the same material as the pinafore... yeah we had a royal blue pinafore. Ian has entered! He's great, lol!

Studio Sprite: Lol, Amber is great fun to write about. I'll try to keep up this standard. Hope you enjoy this chapter.

Destructive Habit: Well Amber is slightly on her own, so she will be defensive and she's missing her own friends, but she's warming up. Not such a bad idea, I should review while reading chapters, that way I'll have something to say. I know how icky it feels when you just can't think of anything to say.

ButterCup: Thankies. Glad you like this story.

Miss Wright: Oh I rarely use cliffies, usually because one chapter is based on one month and the next chapter will be a month later so the cliffie wouldn't be able to flow very well. Oh god I'm sure she'll be snapping at loads of people or being deemed insane before the end of the year. Lol. Miyami is uber cool, she can tell you you're being a bitch without you taking offence. And more Kai in this chapter, he'll come in more around the fifth chapter.

Twerp: LOL, now I have an idea for a money making scheme. Look out world, Zadien is here! Lol, I think my worship statue should be gold and not naked but with skimpy clothes and they can use Aphrodite for a muse... Hmm... Oh I'm constantly writing something, so I really won't stop posting unless I am dead, which is a scary morbid thought, so let's move on. It was either they fainted from reading it for days straight or because they were shocked by the shower scene. LOL!

G--b-S-t-E-r07: Cool reading my chapter in Italy, man I want to travel but I'm afraid I'd step of the plane in some place warm and sunny and shrivel up and die of heat. We don't get much in Ireland but to compensate we get very mild winters, so it's not too bad. Yeah I hate beginning chapters, so much description and setting the scene but then you move on from that and it's like... oh great now I need a plot, dammit! But don't worry, I have a plot. It just might take a while for it to become evident. Need to build characters and lives and shit first. Amber's just scared and she hides when she's scared. But Miyami was very right, and you begin to see a bit more of the Amber we all know and love turning up soon. Johnny and Tala were very cool, but those two rock anyways. I think Kai thinks the breed like rabbits comment but it suits the Bensons' so well. Ah well, see in Ireland we only have two main religions. Ireland was all Catholic, until the Queen of England tried to take it over and she was Protestant. She only managed to completely control Ulster, the North of Ireland which is why there is the Republic of Ireland and the North of Ireland. So the Irish wanted to keep Ireland for themselves and they wanted the English to leave. Now almost a century later, the rivallry between the two groups is still evident between the Catholics and Protestants. That's a very weak show of how it all happened and the divisions isn't very prominent in other parts of Ireland, just in Northern Ireland where there is still fighting. I'll discuss it more in the History class. Hope you aren't confused by that. Glad you like this and SLTS.

Alexys: Man everyone seems to be changing their names, maybe I should try that...Nah I'm too lazy. I'm very glad you like this one too.

Moi: I agree, this one is more down to earth but I'm not sure if it's more serious. I dunno, there's just something about writing about home that makes it more real and therefore less like a teen movie, lol. Though I adore SLTS too much to ever think of giving it up.

WindWitch: Lol, the socks thing was cool but it is an actual rule at my old school. You had to wear the correct colour socks. LOL, yeah snapping at Johnny wasn't one of her brightest moments. And Mystel's so gorgeous. Ruin was a bitch, and I'm sure Tala will beat her some other time, with those two it's just turn about. Well yeah it could only be one or the other. Miyami isn't in the same class as Shahero so they wouldn't stand together in assembly. Gordo was a bastard with that comment. LOL, yeah something every two weeks or so depending on my mood.

Wanted: Irish is the language of Ireland that people only learn by force. The Certs are the exams we do. The Junior Cert, is the exam people do at 15 in their third year, it covers all their previous years works. If they choose to leave school at 16, those are the exam scores employers will look at. They are also the scores Colleges will judge the student upon when they consider offering a student a place. The Leaving Cert is the exams the students do in their last year before they go to college or University. These are the grades that give students the points to get into certain Universities and colleges. The higher the grades, the bigger the points and the more colleges are open to them. Nothing is wrong with the Turtles, it's just boys are only supposed to wear plain black socks. Fenians is a insulting term for a Catholic, from history, they were a group of Irish men dedicated to Ireland being ruled by the Irish and not the Queen of England. Nazi's have nothing to do with Catholics. But I meant that they were against Jews and Gordo is against Catholics.

Mike-x: Hey buddy. Tala does not love himself! Man dear, you really don't like him. And yeah I'm sure Amber will settle in soon enough, what with Shahero and everything, it wouldn't be surprising. And here we go with Chapter Three, hope you like it.

KaieshaKai: Yeah I'm actually Irish, living in Ireland pretty near to where I've based this story. Ireland's not so bad, but it's nothing like living in America, it's so small and constricting at times. So I hope you like this story.

Coors: Yeah I know, I know. You and the others, are just as important to me too. It's the sheeps stupid fault for sticking its head into the square fencing, why not just eat the grass on the same side that it's on! LOL, we'll give you a parade for reviewing on time!

Ryouya-Kyuuketsuki: I hate doing anything new, it's just a horrible experience having to change what you're used to. Amber's day does get better, thankfully for her.

eMiLy06: Well Amber has it easier than most. After all, she's only moved to her family's home town, her stepsister goes there and has lots of friends and Shahero likes her, so it's not like that's going to cause trouble and her old friends don't live too far away so she can meet up with them every so often.

Beyblade-gal: I don't suppose you get over them, you sort of learn to live with it. I mean my grandmother died when I was five and I still think about her, wonder what she'd think of me. And my other grandparents died before I was born and I sometimes find myself thinking that maybe if they were alive, the family might have been closer. Yeah Amber has to let down the defenses but you can understand she's just scared and worried that if anyone else gets closer, she might lose them too.

Midnight Insanity: It just plain pisses me off at how people can use absolutely anything to fight over. Even soccer... Yeah she has Tala, couldn't have them not being friends. And I figured he'd call her Benny from the getgo, it would make the nick name stick better than if he just started calling her Amber and then started calling her Benny. Mystel is very easy to write, he doesn't seem to have any ulterior motives which I find refreshing. Yeah I keep making stupid typos, and my grammar is pretty crap, though it's the computer that puts in the extra apostrophes. Anyways, I'm glad you like this as much as I do.

Insane Shapeshifter: Oh Amber will be slightly out of character, well not out of character but her character won't be as chipper as it is in SLTS, due to her suffering such a great loss, but you will see her wittiness appearing soon enough. She can't help but be sarcastic and as soon as she warms to the people, then it will come through. As for Tala and Ruin, well it's kind of testy at the moment, but I'm sure things will start between them sooner or later.

Tikytikytavvi101: I guess, we had one player at our school that I knew about. Richard who was in a year below us, I think everyone of my friends liked him at some stage, even me but then I moved on and wised up. But he didn't play girls, so much as date them for a while then he's have another lined up. But towards my last year, he dated Anne and he was very obsessive over her, to a point where he went to her boarding home at 2 in the morning and phoned her and all her dorm mates to get her to come out. Kind of sweet in a weird way if it wasn't for the fact that she had her Leaving Certificate Exam the next morning and she needed the sleep. I adore Tala, he's so pretty and intelligent but he got a rough deal in the cartoon, going from gorgeous to weird looking in the space of a year, lol.