-§-Chapter Three-§-

"So you're telling me that you have no idea why I'm here?"

"Mhm."

"And also that it may have something to do with seeing her for the first time in a year?"

"Mhm."

Zero stared at her in utter disbelief. He was still reeling from the shock of being 'transported' to this strange place. The reality of the situation began to dawn on him; since coming to this place, this girl has both frustrated and helped him. She made him pull from his very soul the reactions for her, yet he found that she had a peculiar charm to her that would force him into resolve. Knowing this was unlike him, he desperately pushed away any suspicion of danger to his feelings for her.

"Why would anyone want to do that? I've done nothing wrong!"

"You haven't, Zero. No one is going to believe you where you're from. I told you, you are from a published work. People here in my world know your life through the mind of the creator—"

"STOP! I'VE HAD ENOUGH OF THIS! I have to find a way back to the soiree. If I don't…"

His voice trailed to silence as he looked at Vanessa. She was frightened; he could tell from the terror in her eyes and her quiet demeanor that he startled her and he, for a reason beyond his control, began to regret it.

"I-I'm sorry. I'm just really…confused. That's all."

Vanessa gulped meekly and nodded her head. "It's okay, Zero. I would be frustrated if I were in your position right now."

Zero stood and began pacing about the small room. As he did so, Vanessa had a very hard time trying not to look at the man in front of her. In the years she had spent reading the manga about his life, she had never thought of him as so…good looking. He was her favorite character because of his hair and the tattoo and his Bloody rose, but there was more to it. There was an air about him of any and all seriousness. Even in his angry pacing, Vanessa could understand his frustration and self-assurance. She felt her cheeks flush as she noticed his arms under the thin white shirt beneath the vest of black.

"This is ridiculous! How are we ever going to find out how and who did this to me? I mean, this is just temporary, right?"

He looked down at her and instantly had to turn away his eyes. The way she sat, Vanessa looked like her a great deal. The brown hair, the way she thought, the way she looked like she belonged in the colors of the day class. It seemed too similar for him to wrap his head around and tried to dismiss it. This girl could be nothing like her at all. Yet there was that one similarity…

"…to begin with."

Zero had only heard those last few words. "Come again?"

Vanessa looked at him differently this time, like a mix between concern and confusion. "I said that we have to think about who didn't like you to begin with."

He gave a curt nod. "I didn't have many 'enemies,' but there were those who disliked me, and those I disliked as well. There may be several people who have a grudge against me that I had no idea that they did."

"I agree. Based on what I know, there is only one person who would have any hatred toward you, but why would—"

The doorknob to the room twisted and the door burst open. In piled two girls who laughed at something unbeknownst to the two in the room. The first girl was tall with long black hair that was cut just below her shoulders. She wore a suit, since she was not a girl to wear dresses often, and her green eyes shined with excitement. The girl behind her, with short, light-brown hair permed nicely in tight waves, strode in behind the other girl, a long gown of black lace hugging her and giving her a look of pure elegance. Both girls wore a mask of silver with various enhancements decorating the mask.

As soon as the girls looked and saw Zero, they instantly stopped their laughing. The only thing that made any noise was the closing of the door.

"Vanessa, what's going on?"

"Dude, this looks bad."

"Guys, this is a bit awkward—"

"Uh, yeah," the girl in the suit, whose name was Ellie, looked at her friend wide-eyed.

"Vanessa, what were you thinking? Is this why you weren't coming to the charity ball with us?" the girl who spoke, the lass dressed in black lace, was named Sadie, and she looked a bit saddened.

"No. just let me explain—"

"I'm sorry to be an inconvenience to you, but I'm in a bit of a jam here," Zero spoke up, looking at each one of the new girls.

"No duh," Ellie blurted out, her self-restraint clearly not controlling her.

"Just sit down. This is going to get a bit weird," Vanessa was having a hard time getting control and Zero clenched his fist in restraint in helping her.

Both of the new arrivals sat on the corner of one of the beds and looked at Vanessa, who was taking a deep breath to collect her thoughts. Breathing in a deep sigh, she clasped her hands at her waist and looked her friends in the eye.

"By now, you may have figured out that this here is Zero. You probably think he's a great cosplayer, but this is worse than that. Major serious."

Out of nowhere, Vanessa grabbed a few of his hairs and yanked forcefully. Zero growled in pain as the sting of the hair being ripped from his scalp startled him. With these hairs, Vanessa pushed them in front of the other girls' faces and made them look at them. There was not a single hint that there had been any dying of the hair and this seemed to bring the shock to their eyes.

"Any idea what that could mean?"

A moment of silence, then, "He's legit? Dude, that's freakin' impossible!"

"Thank you, Ellie," Zero heard Vanessa whisper under her breath.

"So…that means…what? Why is he in our room?" Sadie was getting concerned.

"It just so happens that she kind of got me out of trouble," Zero stepped up. These two were really trying his patience. Almost like the girls trying to get close to the night class.

"Oh. And why were you in trouble—"

"Okay, I think you get it. I know why you guys are this way and, just to make you happy, we will go to the charity ball. I'll pay for him, so it will be okay."

The faces of the other girls brightened and they leaped off the bed in excitement. They nearly tripped over one another to get to the door.

"You coming?" Ellie called out, playfully pushing Sadie out of her way.

"Yeah, yeah," Vanessa grabbed her small bag and followed the girls.

As she began to shrug out of the loaned jacket, she felt resistance behind her. Turning her head, she realized that Zero was trying to slip the jacket back onto her shoulders. She obeyed, but only because her shoulders had gotten used to the warmth from the bulk of the fabric. Plus it was almost a request from him to have her keep the jacket on.

"To keep you decent," he leaned in and spoke quietly into her ear.

A weird feeling pitted in her stomach. "Okay. Thank you. It's very…kind of you."

"It might be a better option just for me to look like I'm escorting you, since we can't split up and leave you looking lost and indecent."

"It's fine," she told him, opening the door for him. A little voice her head kept giving her different types of messages. The ones she focused on were the ponderous ones. 'Oh dang. I've finally met the coolest guy EVER! I wonder if it is fate that allowed this phenomenon to occur for me to meet the most awesome character in manga in the world.' Then there was 'Something isn't right. Why would he be transported here. Why would it be at the soiree? Was there a connection between him being there and the reuniting of him and Yuki for the first time after a full year?'

"I don't think your friends like me at all," Zero interrupted her thoughts. By now they had boarded a less-crowded elevator and were on their way down.

"Ha! You have no idea."

~~Sorry it took me forever to write this. I had been busy with things because of school and I have a billion things on my mind with other fanfics and even more of my own work. I promise to try and update as soon as I can in the next two weeks or so. I know if there isn't an update by the 20th, the update will be early next month. Srry for the schedule, but its gonna be hectic for me the next month or so.

So how is this so far? Hopefully I get more into the plot within the next few chapters. I literally sat at the computer for five hours to try and write this. Again, for those of you who have not seen my profile, there is a Vampire Knight poll that I would ask that you kindly look at. Vote if you want, but I was just throwing out an option. It gives you a chance in helping decide what happens in the story—or another way to look at it is you essentially writing the story. There is always room for reviews, so keep em coming if that's the plan for you.

Until next time!