This chapter is inspired by my poor friend who got hit in the face today with a basketball that they gave the guys to play with while we were swimming in the pool in gym class. Why they make us swim in gym class, I don't know. Why they put up a basketball in the pool, I'm not sure. All I know was that we were having a lovely conversation about how her boyfriend is a jerk, and suddenly she was hit in the face. So onto the chapter.

I just read that 4,153,237 people got married last year. I don't want to cause any arguments but... shouldn't that be an even number?

He moved in closer, as her body was pressed against the wall. She felt his breath against her, just before he leaned down for another pulse rising kiss. She moaned in protest as she felt him pull away too quickly for her liking. She looked up into his deep emerald green eyes as she felt his hand sliding down her side. She tried to bring her breathing back to a normality as his hand undid her belt.

Kimiko jolted awake. Her heart pounded against her chest. Her breathing at a speed so fast she was sure she was going to faint. She looked around the room, and it took her a second to realize where she was. Glancing at the alarm clock on the oak nightstand to her left, she saw it was roughly 2:45 in the morning.

She sighed, her breathing finally back to normal. She felt her pulse going back down. It was just a dream. That's all it was. She lied back down, pulling the covers over her head as she turned onto her side. She had at least another 4 hours before she had to get up. Some actual sleep would be good. It took her a while to fall back asleep, and the entire time, the dream replayed itself in her head. The whole time she just lied there. Finally, after what seemed like hours. She drifted back into sleep world.

The next morning, her and Letti shuffled around their room getting ready for school. The thunder banged outside as the wind blew the trees around. Rain patted lightly on the window. Kimiko was just finishing pulling up her jeans when there was a knock on the door. Letti opened it revealing a smiling Mrs. Pedrosa.

" Good morning girls. I was just wondering if you wanted me to drop you off at school before I take Lucas and Carmen in. The boys all left early, I guess they were gonna meet up with people or something. Pedro dropped them off."

" Um, sure Mom, that'd be great. I really don't feel like walking in the rain." Letti replied.

" Alright well I'll be downstairs when your ready."

Kimiko smiled at her as she turned and went back down the hallway and down the stairs. Suddenly she heard Letti groan.

" What's wrong?"

" I just remembered we have to start swimming in gym today."

" Oh crap. I better get my stuff together."

20 minutes later, they were all piled into Mrs. Pedrosa's minivan driving towards their daily prison. The annoying swish swish swish of the blades ran throughout the van as Lucas gave Kimiko a full description of what his school days were like.

The two girls raced across the pavement, dying to get to the safety of the school doors. As soon as they stepped onto the soaking wet mat just inside the school they both paused to catch their breath. They gave a light nod to each other before setting off towards their designated lockers, and beginning their daily torture.

By the time gym rolled around neither of them were very excited to go swimming. But they changed and go into the freezing cold water of the pool anyway. Kimiko managed to beat Letti there by a full 5 minutes. But she smiled when she saw Letti coming out of the locker room in her plain black bikini. Their gym teacher got off his high lifeguard chair and took a glance across the pool.

" Okay, listen up. Since it's our first day in the pool. I'll make it easy. Swim five laps, and then you can have free swim for the rest of class."

Five laps. Simple enough. The girls swam at an equal pace and quickly finished their laps. They headed over towards the side of the pool. The shiny ends of Kimiko's rainbow zebra print bikini shimmered in the water. Jessie and Kylie made their way over to them and they quickly became involved in a conversation about Kylie's boyfriend again. He had now been spotted hanging out with Tyler, the schools biggest know playboy, jerk, and party boy.

Kimiko was about to say something about how Kylie should talk to him about it personally before making any assumptions, when it hit her. Like literally, it hit her. A giant blur of orange and black came into her vision before she felt like she had been punched in the face.

" Oh My God!" " What in Tarnation?" and " KIMI!" she heard all at once from the three surrounding her.

Then she heard " Oh crap, Kim are you okay?" The question was followed by laughter.

Jack Spicer. Jerk. Of course he threw the ball.

She pulled her hands away from her face and saw red on them. It would be her luck to start bleeding on the first day of swimming. The gym teacher then came over to her with her towel.

" Here Kimiko, you need to go get checked out at the nurses office. There is still a half hour left of class. You should be back by then." he told her.

She pulled herself out of the water and snatched the towel out of his hand. She put on her flip flops that she had brought into the pool room with her, holding her one hand to her face. Thank God it was the middle of the period. She really didn't want to run into anybody. But everyone should be in class now. So she should be good.

Yanking the door open she began to walk, nearly run, down the hall to get to the nurse. She felt goosebumps go up her arms as the wet skin hit the cold air. Finally she got to the nurse, who quickly took care of her.

The blood spill was easily stopped. But the nurse said their would be a bruise.

' Great.' She thought. ' Just great.'

After swearing that she felt fine and was okay to go back to class, she left the office with an ice pack. She had been allowed to take it for the rest of the period as long as she brought it back after gym was over.

She held it up against her face nearly blocking her vision as she walked. She knew the hallways. She's gone to the same school for 3 years. She turned to corner, hit something, and was knocked to the ground. She lost her grip on the towel, and the ice pack, both of them falling to the floor. Looking up, she realized she didn't hit something, she hit someone.

Raimundo.

He stood there, looking down at her, with his eyebrows raised. She heard laughing, and looked over to see he had about 5 other guys with him. He reached down, grabbed onto her left arm, and single handedly pulled her up.

" Girl, do you make it a habit to walk around half naked?" were the first words out of his mouth.

She felt herself flush as the smile formed on his face. Then a raven haired boy pushed his way between her and Raimundo. He put his hand up against the wall she was standing next to and leaned against it.

" Hello there cutie. I don't believe we've met. I'm Aaron." He gave her a charming smile.

Raimundo's eyes narrowed, as he moved around Aaron and put his arm around Kimiko's shoulders.

" This is Kimiko. She just moved in with me. She's my little sister's best friend." She heard a threatening tone in his voice, and looked up at him to see him glaring at Aaron.

His foot moved under him to lift up her towel, he brought it high enough for him to grab it without moving his other arm from her shoulders. He handed it to her and she quickly wrapped it around herself, feeling strange standing there in front of all these guys in just a bikini.

She saw the shortest boy move towards her, he looked up at her, and in a curious voice he asked " Raimundo, why is your sister's best friend in a bikini in the middle of school."

" Well Omi, thats because..." He turned to her. " Why are you wearing a bikini in the middle of the school day?"

She blushed again. Mentally cursing herself she replied, " I was swimming, and got hit with a ball by somebody, and had to go to the nurses office."

She saw Aaron laugh out of the corner of her eye.

" Wait, how come you guys aren't in class?" She asked them.

" We're preoccupied doing more important things." The other black haired boy said.

" So, your skipping."

" Basically." Raimundo replied.

She then realized he still had his arm around her. But for some reason, she let him keep it there. She faced forward again to see Aaron watching them. He moved closer to her, and subconsciously, she shifted closer to Raimundo.

" So Kimiko, you got a boyfriend?" Aaron asked her as he leaned even closer.

" I don't see how that's any of your business." She told him, this time adding in her own little glare.

She didn't like the way he was looking at her. It was almost as if he was hungry. She felt Rai tighten his grip on her shoulder, and took a wild guess that he didn't like the way his friend was acting either. Why he didn't like it, she had no idea.

' It's probably just because I'm living with them now. I'm like part of the family. Just like Lucas said earlier.' She thought, recalling the van conversation she had that morning with Lucas.

He told her she was like his new older sister.

" Well, why not Babe, I don't see why that has to be private info." Aaron said as he eyed her. He didn't even try to hide the fact that he was looking at her body, and she pulled the towel around her tighter. He then looked up at her and went to take a step even closer, but before he could she spoke.

" Come any closer to me and I'm gonna punch you. I don't give a damn how much bigger you are then me. Back the hell off."

Aaron raised his eye brows at that. But he took the next step anyway. He stood less than a arms length away from her now.

"Why the hell won't you just-" He started to say before he was shoved away.

Raimundo drew his arm back in and moved to stand defensively in front of her.

" She said back off man." Once again Kimiko heard the underlying threatening tone in the voice. He stood straight and tall, and Kimiko had to peer around his body to see Aaron glaring at him. Then he put his hands up in front of him, in an ' I give up' gesture.

" Fine." he said stubbornly, " It's her loss anyway."

Kimiko then reached down to pick up her ice pack.

" I'm just gonna head back to class now." She said quietly.

" I'll see you at home later." Raimundo told her, still watching Aaron.

She nodded and turned to walk down the hallway. She took about three steps before he said

" Hey."

Turning back to face him she saw that he had turned around to face her now.

" If you tell Mom I was skipping I'll hurt you." He joked while smiling at her.

She walked backwards laughing and replied " Ooh I'm so afraid." before she turned back on her path and left the boys in the hall.

Okay so I'll put up more either tonight or tomorrow. My family wants to go out to dinner. Blah. Oh well, maybe I'll get to go shopping after. See the review button below? Press it. When you do, this magical thing happens called inspiration. And it inspires the author to continue.