"Ivanna, didn't you say that you wouldn't be in today because of a doctor's appointment?" Eri asked they stood at their lockers and where switching out of their school shoes.

"I decided not to go," Ivanna shrugged as she slid into her knee-high boots.

"You ditched your doctor's appointment?" Yuka frowned in confusion.

"There is no cure for what I have so I am going to enjoy the time I have left. I'm tired of all the poking and prodding. Nothing has helped me get better and any treatment causes only pain. Dr. Tsuka just barely adjusted my meds to take care of the pain, I am now refusing to do anything else."

"But you'll die!" Eri exclaimed.

"Why don't you say that a little louder, Eri? I don't think America heard you," Ivanna chuckled as she noticed several other students look her way sadly. "There is a chance that I don't. I am well past my life's expected timeframe. The doctors had given me only three years after they found the cancer and here I am seven years passed that. I'm not going to give up any more time that I could possibly have. I am going to enjoy my life, make mistakes, and have fun with my friends."

"What does your uncle think?"

"He's furious, I'm sure. I left him in my room practically blowing steam out of his ears, but it is my body and it is my life. He may be my legal guardian, but he gave me full control of my medical decisions. He's probably regretting that."

"But what if you do die?" Kagome asked, tears in her eyes.

"Then I know I wouldn't have regretted deciding to finally live and not just barely surviving," Ivanna smiled. "Don't shed tears, Kagome, it is not as sad as you would think. I have lived through ten years of hellish pain. I'm actually in a good place now."

"I guess…"

"This subject is too depressing," Ayumi interrupted. "Why don't we go out and do something today? Go shopping or see a move or I don't know, anything. Ivanna is already being rebellious so let's enjoy the time we have."

"That sounds fun," Ivanna smiled. "I needed to go find something at the mall anyway. Kagome, are you feeling well enough to stay out a little longer?"

"…Yeah," she spoke after a minute.

Ivanna frowned at the hesitation she heard in her answer but brushed it off as they passed through the school gates to catch the bus before it left. She pulled out her cellphone to turn its sound back on and frowned, seeing the 10 missed calls from her uncle Kahi. Opting to keep it on silent, she shoved the device back into her coat pocket with a quiet sigh, not quite ready to talk to him yet.

Thirty minutes later, her worries were momentarily forgotten as she was going through stores with her friends. Kagome had bought some child coloring books and toys, saying something about a nephew that she was going to go visit soon. Eri, Yuka, and Ayumi had bought some clothes and shoes. The thing she was looking for, she hadn't really known completely what she had been looking for until she paused outside of a jewelry store where there was a silver chain necklace on display that had a crescent moon with an amber gem within the crescent setting.

After buying it, she immediately put it on and smiled as it sat just below her collarbone. After the odd dream she had, for some reason she could not get the man's molten eyes out of her mind. Looking at the amber gem, it matched what she could remember of his eye color and for some reason felt that any shape other than a crescent moon would not have fit, but could not figure out why.

"Ivanna, there you are," kagome came into view, her arms full of bags and she noticed several first-aide supplies in a bag from the outdoor camping store. "Did you find what you were looking for?"

"I think so," she smiled as she pulled her scarf out of the way to reveal the piece of jewelry.

"What kind of gem is that?"

"Some kind of amber. I honestly didn't know for sure what I was after until I saw this. The dark molten amber color reminds me of something I would rather not mention, for it is rather embarrassing. The crescent setting for it seems perfect for some reason," Ivanna smiled as she touched the silver edge.

"It's pretty, just seems like an odd choice for anyone to pick a color that doesn't match with many colors," Kagome shrugged.

"Says the person who was getting their nephew gifts and come back with first-aide supplies. You going camping or something? Are you sure you're well enough for such a drastic change like that?"

"My nephew and some family friends are going camping and knew I was going to the store so they gave me some money to get some last minute items," she muttered, her cheeks red.

"I'll let you in on a little secret, Kagome," Ivanna whispered with a smirk as she wrapped an arm around Kagome's waist, realizing something she should have earlier. "From someone who physically cannot get out of bed sometimes, if your family is covering for you so you can take vacations and camping trips instead of school, they may want to pick a disease they can stick with. Like an autoimmune disease or an illness that's not terminal but constantly would cause one to be bedridden."

"Wha…?"

"Lupus or Multiple Sclerosis are good choices. They sometimes mimic other illnesses so most of the things I hear about from the girls and your 'illnesses' wouldn't seem too far fetched. Take it from someone who is actually unable to go to school some days, I've noticed some small details that don't add up as if you were truly sick. I'll keep my mouth shut until your ready to be honest with the others."

"I don't know what you're talking…"

"Kagome," Ivanna sighed as she glanced at her with a raised brow.

"Oh shut up," she muttered quietly, sighing in resignation. "Guess from someone who holds the crown for legit sick days would pick up the hints of one higher than them."

"So where do you go? You're never at your house when they try to come check up on you, so obviously you go somewhere interesting. And with all these supplies, someone is injury prone and you have never come to school covered in bandages…"

"There you are! We've been looking for you two for like twenty minutes. Ivanna, why didn't you answer your phone, I called it like three times," Yuka came into view ahead of them, several bags on her arm with Ayumi and Eri a few paces behind with bags of their own.

"My phone is on silent so I didn't have to hear the dozen calls that Uncle Kahi is probably doing to figure out where I am," Ivanna shrugged. "Not quite ready to deal with his temper tantrum."

"You can't avoid him forever," Eri frowned.

"I'll deal with him tonight. If he didn't cancel his classes, he'll be at the dojo now and I'll have a couple hours before he gets home. I'll probably finish up the rest of this week's homework before the inevitable argument ensues."

"But we didn't get any homework today because of all the quizzes…" Ayumi interrupted.

"The best part of my situation is the fact that they give me weekly packets so that I don't get behind anymore. Kagome, why did your family never ask to get homework in advance for when you get sick?" Ivanna asked innocently as she looked at the bluenette beside her and saw her cheeks flush. "After all, since you get sick so often without warning, the school should be willing to work with you so that you can catch up and don't fail anymore quizzes."

"Guess we've never really thought about that. I honestly never thought that someone could get homework early…"

"The teachers usually have their entire syllabus, lessons, and homework planned out for the entire semester and because of my situation, I could technically get the entire semester's worth of homework and written out lesson plans to stay caught up. You should go in with your mom and talk to the principle, I could give you tips so that you know what to ask," Ivanna grinned.

"That's so unfair," Ayumi pouted.

"You forget that I have had to miss several semesters due to going through chemo several years ago. I'm a very special case and I only mentioned it now because I thought that Kagome was in a similar situation, but seeing your scores in class…"

"Okay, you don't need to keep bashing on my failing grades and how I'm unable to stay caught up," Kagome huffed as she pushed Ivanna gently away so she didn't have her arm around her waist.

"Anyway, I should probably head home. If on the odd chance Uncle Kahi cancelled his classes, I need to prepare myself for when I walk through the door," Ivanna sighed as she searched through her bag and pulled out a pen and grabbed Kagome's free hand before writing her number on the bluenette's palm. "Call me if you have any questions."

"Thanks Ivanna. Be safe getting home," Kagome smiled, but Ivanna saw some unease in her smile.

"Don't worry so much, Kags, I'll help you get everything figured out. See you guys," Ivanna smiled before leaving the four girls to hurry and catch the bus home.