Wicked_Angel: Ei I'm back!!!! After a long long long long time… I'm back!!! It's our sembreak… from oct.18- nov.6. Happy happy happy days have come!!! Wahahahahaha. Examinations are over. Let's rejoice!!!!

Mito

"Ei Shinta!" I shouted across the crowd. I saw the familiar long black hair and the familiar amble across the street. Somehow, you know it's her. There's no other person who walks like her, carries herself like her and wear clothes like her.

She turned to me and nodded. "What?" she shouted back. "Mind joining us? It's Takamiya's birthday. He'll give us a treat."

She hesitated for a moment. We jogged towards her. "Hey, is it my birthday today?" Takamiya asked. I gave him an elbow for that. "Shut up."

"Where are you going anyway?" I asked. She shrugged. "Nowhere. Just walking downtown, wasting my time."

"Don't you go to places like Panchinko?"

"I'm a party pooper." She looked away.

I smiled. Whoa. You wouldn't believe that despite being the way she is, she's just a naïve young girl.

"Is it really your birthday?" she turned to Takamiya. Takamiya scratched his head. "Uh yeah. We're going to play billiards. Wana join us?"

She looked up to us and smiled. I mean, really, smiled. It's very different. Somehow, it made the four us just stand there, silent, mouths agape. It's like seeing the sun breaking in the clouds during a rainy day. Is it the first time we see her smile? No. but never like this.

Then she turned to Takamiya. "Happy birthday." In a way like she's so shy and unconsciously being sweet at the same time.

Ookusu

Man, I wish it were my birthday.

Sauichirro

Believe it or not, Takamiya and I are twins.

Sakura

Honestly, I've never been invited into a birthday before. Okay, so it's not really a party or something. But I've never really got to hang out with people to celebrate something. I've never been a part of a crowd.

Somehow, I feel weird when these people approached me and urged me to come with them, treating me as if I've been a friend since grade school. I felt warm and I felt like I belong. For once, I felt like I have friends. It's weird. But I like it. I've lived my life unattached to anybody but myself. Letting anybody in is something that never crossed my mind and I hope, never will. But what do I do when they're the ones letting me in?

******************

It's already past seven when we got out of G-Spot. The cool night wind past by us. I hugged my coat tighter.

Takamiya & Co. are busy reminiscing the day's events. It's been fun, really. Actually, it's first time in history, shame to say, I've ever got to handle a cue stick. But don't let anybody know it, okay?

"Hey Shinta, what was your final score again?" Sauichirro teased me further. I shoved my hands into my pocket. "I didn't know that you're not supposed to let the white ball slide into the pockets," I retorted.

"Wahahahaha…" Takamiya slapped his thighs about some comment Ookusu made. Mito was just silent all the while.

We were walking silently, I, slightly ahead of the them with Mito following closely and three, having their own conference at the back. "Did you have fun?" Mito leveled with me but his eyes are looking far ahead.

"Yeah," came my short reply. Why do I feel obliged to say something longer? Is it my gratitude that somehow, I enjoyed their company? I shivered. I felt the warning bells ringing in my head. Don't let anyone come too close. Remember what happened to you and Yumi. Don't let it happen to them too.

I shivered again. I wanted to whirl around and tell them to go home stop being so close to me. If it's the only way to save them from the hell I'm in… but…

Can I let them go now?

It's too early to say that. I don't even consider them as my friends. But…

They saved my life once, they saved my life twice. I trusted them with one whole night and I trusted their company for the whole day.

I've never done that before.

Can I let them go now?

I stopped walking and whirled around to face them.

Lord knows how stubborn I am.

Mito

"Sakura?"

Sakura

He called my name.

Mito

"What's wrong? You suddenly went pale and all. Are you feeling sick? Something you ate?" I enumerated different possibilities that may cause her sudden paleness. Although I know, I'm just babbling.

She swallowed, the light mirrored into her eyes like shining round orbs. "Don't you think you guys are going the wrong way? Your house is in the other side of the town." She looked away.

"Well, we're walking you home. Not that you need it. Well, uh, we're just like this at times. You know… uh, walking each other home." I said lamely. So she observed.

"You never walked me home before…" Ookusu observed. I wanted to kick him.

Sakura smiled shakily. "Then you don't have to do that to me. It's been a nice day with you guys. See ya around sometime." Suddenly, the bus stopped a good few feet ahead and she ran to it hurriedly while waving good-bye.

"And guys… you can call me by… Sakura. See ya." She stepped in.

Then, the doors slid shut and she was gone.

*******************************

Sakura

I went to school the next day. Yeah. With all that ultra short skirt and big big ribbon in front of my chest. It felt weird. I can't recall the last time I wore this thing.

Nobody seemed to notice, though. People just brushed by me. Well, who said I wanted to get noticed? I'm just observing.

The day wore on and no Mito, Ookusu, Takamiya and Sauichirro in sight. Where are they? I wondered. I looked longingly at the clock ticking slowly. I willed it to go faster and wishing I have some cosmic power or something to make it go that way. One more period and yehey! It's lunch break.

One more period.

One more hour.

One mor…

THWACK!

Huh?

"SHINTA! DON'T YOU DARE SLEEP IN MY CLASS! YOU ALWAYS CUT CLASSES AND YOU RARELY PAY A VISIT HERE SO DON'T DARE SLEEP IN MY CLASS!!!!!"

Uh. Okay. I scratched my head and glowered at the Chemistry teacher. Damn you. The students around me snickered.

Damn you too.

Okay.

55 minutes to go.

******************************

"Sakura!" a distinct loud yell was heard above the busy hubbub of the students during lunch break. Students turned around to see who's that person who calls this little black sheep in her first name.

I faced Takamiya who was busy waving both of his hands in the air. He was on the second floor. I, by the way, am heading towards the cafeteria in the next building.

"I've got some news for you!" he yelled even louder.

"What?" I yelled back.

"I said I've got some bad news for you!" he yelled louder than before.

"Come down first! I can't hear you!" After waiting a few seconds in the middle of the quadrangle, he appeared, running quickly.

"Sakura, you won't believe this."

"Try me."

"Mito's in the hospital. Again."

Wicked_Angel: Yehey! I thank God because I finally got around chapter four. You don't know how this thing racked my brain. Ooooohhhh… my poor head.

::pops in few migraine pills::

Lemme rest…

Zzzzzzzz….