I'm just loving writing this story.

I don't own Shugo Chara!

Rima was standing by my locker, waiting for me. "You look awful." She spit out. "What's wrong?" Was the look on my face that obvious? There were bags under my eyes, from lack of sleep and a little crying. "Let's go to the bathroom. I have makeup you can use so no one can tell you were crying." So it was that obvious. She dragged me into the bathroom by my hand. "Talk while I fix you."

"Well, I went to Ikuto's after school where he cornered me and I had to play piano. I don't play because it makes me think of my mom." She quickly understood as I stumbled through the rest of it. "So I got mad at him, and left. I went to the park. He showed up and he took me out to eat. Anyways, the main thing that happened is that he said he picked on me because he liked me."

"What?" She pulled back, concealer in hand. "Seriously?" I nodded.

"I shouldn't be worried because that's like seven years ago. It made things awkward, so I went home."

"You ran away from him twice in one day." She said blankly, and then she started laughing as hard as she could, even turning around and bending over. "Amu, there are girls here that would kill for what happened to you yesterday." I shrugged.

"I didn't want to know he'd had a crush on me! It's weird." She shook her head and stepped back once she was done. "We're partners on this stupid project. I want to avoid him, but I don't." I felt like hitting my head against the wall in frustration. "Why can't I just be normal? If I was I could've said, oh it's no big deal. But no since I'm me and I'm crazy, I'm like oh, no, he liked me seven years ago. Better avoid him at all costs." Rima's response was to laugh at me. "I really wish you'd stop laughing at me and take me seriously."

"Do you worry over everything that happens to you?" She said seriously. "I don't understand what you're going through." I looked down, embarrassed. How many times will I have to explain this? How often do I have to explain to people why I'm crazy?

"Yeah, I do. It's just the first thing I think of. How I think of it is: while other girls would be happy, I can't help but think of all the things that could go wrong and I start to worry. I start to freak out sometimes." She slid her make up back into her bag. "I've done it for a long time."

"How can I help?" My mind stopped spinning. No one asks me that anymore. "I promise I'm here. I'm not going to leave, and I'm pretty sure that's what you're afraid of. I don't know what happened to you, but I know you're scared of people. If you want to keep me at an arms distance so you feel safe, I'm okay with that." My eyes started to water. It's these moments right here where I feel like that thirteen year old girl again. The memory of waking up in the hospital was crystal clear. "I promise I'm not leaving."

Each time someone has been genuine to me since I've come back, I've shared a piece of me. What came to mind is something I couldn't even say out loud though. My mind went to somewhere else then. I rolled up the sleeve of my jacket-I always wear it because of this-and bared my left arm. "I tried to kill myself." The long scar that went from my elbow to my wrist wasn't as red as it used to be, but it was still there, as clear as day.

Rima placed her hand on my arm. My insides froze in fear. "I'm never going to let this happen to you again. That's what friends are for." Friends? I've only had my mom and Ami as friends. I nodded, and we stepped out of the bathroom.

But in a few hours, I'm going to regret ever saying what I said.

In my third class, I sit at a table in-between Ikuto and Tadase. If Ikuto hadn't become my friend, I would have shot myself by now. Can you imagine sitting between them if I still hated both of them?

As soon as my eyes fell on Ikuto, I wanted to throw up. Right, last night came flooding back again. His eyes were on me as I scanned the room for empty seats. Hurt flashed through his eyes and then he put his head down. Sighing, I sat in my usual seat. He didn't look at me, and he didn't bother to lift his head up.

A note was pushed against my arm. I looked to see Tadase staring at me in a way that I found absolutely creepy. While scooting closer to Ikuto and away from him, I opened it.

Meet me in the library at lunch.

I arched an eyebrow, and scribbled no. Just as I did another note was pushed to me.

It wasn't a question. If you'd rather me tell about the scar on your arm, I can do that instead.

It's like the blood inside of me turned to ice. How did he know about that? There's no way Rima said anything. I'm sure of it.

"Saaya was in the bathroom." He whispered. Ikuto stirred, and I knew he was listening now. "She heard something really interesting."

"Back off, Tadase." Ikuto had lifted his head. What did I do to deserve a friend that continually takes up for me even when I take him back and forth with my emotions? He looked tried, like he didn't sleep last night. Ikuto crumpled both notes without looking. "She doesn't have time, or the patience to deal with you. Do I need to take care of you again?"

The look Tadase gave me was evil and he grabbed my arm with one hand and my sleeve with the other. Just as he was going to rip my sleeve up I froze. Ikuto didn't. I was barely aware of his arms coming around me and my chair, pulling me into his chest. He took my hand and pulled as far as he could for me to get away.

"I'm not joking. I'm going to kick your ass if you don't leave her alone." He was dead serious, I realized. I tilted my head back to look at him. My breath caught. His eyes were full of rage towards Tadase. His arms were still locked around me, and had this been last week, I would've ripped myself free. Today I wasn't sure I wanted to.

Wait, that's not right.

"Just wait, Hinamori." Tadase went to look away.

Ikuto finally looked down and he saw me grinning. "What?"

"Watch this." His arms were still wrapped around me as I brought my legs up like I imagine a kangaroo would when he's about to kick someone. Then I shot my legs forward as hard as I could and literally kicked Tadase out of his chair. He took his chair with him. Everyone turned to see what the clatter was. They saw Tadase in the floor, me in Ikuto's arms, and the two of us laughing so hard it echoed through the room.

"Hinamori! Tsukiyomi!" Our teacher's voice cut the silence. "Go to the principal's office!"

I couldn't stop laughing, which made the boy behind me laugh more and our male teacher's face became even more red. Ikuto grabbed my bag and his bag and tugged me out of the classroom. When I looked back at Tadase, he was back in his seat. The look I gave him was one of pure defiance, as if I was saying bring it.

And right then, I was.

"I'm going to get in trouble for 'PDA'." He said with air quotes and everything.

I waved it off. "You were just protecting me." He smiled as I joked around. "I'm going to get in trouble for actually hurting someone."

"It was worth it though." He laughed.

"Yeah."

He didn't ask about what Tadase was talking about, something that gave me a breath of fresh air. We didn't mention the awkwardness of the night before either. We walked down the hallway. About halfway to the principal's office, he gave my bag back. Ikuto was right. We got in trouble for exactly what we said we were going to.

It's too easy to fall back into sync with him. That alone just terrifies the shit out of me. I've never met anyone that I can talk to like this, or just know what they're thinking by their expression. Is this how couples are? Because we're not a couple. Say we do become close friends and I let him in, telling him everything about me. Then something happens and that connection is broken. I don't think I can handle the pain of that. It's a lot safer to not let people in, but it gets so lonely.

"What are you thinking about?" He asks me as we get to my locker. "You've been quiet for five minutes." I stayed silent and opened my locker.

"I can't tell you." I could, but he might think I'm overly crazy and avoid me completely. I don't want that to happen.

"You'll tell me eventually." He was so sure of that, and he's probably right. "I'm sorry for last night." There goes not bringing it up.

"Can I ask you something?" I pushed myself to say it, because I'd make myself sick if I didn't know. "You don't like me anymore, right?"

"Hey!" Rima yelled, and bounced over to us. "I heard you two got in trouble for PDA." She arched an eyebrow suggestively. She laughed at my deer stuck in headlights look.

"She kicked Tadase out of a chair." He said.

"Really? Hey we're going to be late. Come on." Ikuto spun on his foot to go to his own locker as she tugged me away.

Then it hit me. "Hey! You didn't answer my question!" I yelled. Ikuto turned to look at me with a smile and shrugged. It was then that I was pretty sure of what the answer was. There was a look of terror on my face.

"Go back to measure seven." While ignoring the dirty looks Saaya gave me, I led the sopranos back through the sight reading. After testing my musical knowledge, Ms. Ichinose threw me into the place as permanent section leader for the sopranos. I guess my worst attempt at singing is still better than Saaya's best. From the moment they didn't know what note came first, I knew it would be hard. The fact that Saaya had been a temporary section leader before me only made it harder. Sight reading is just singing the notes, like do re mi.

At least it's something that can be taught.

"So this note," A black haired girl pointed at a note. I leaned forward to see it and recognized it. We keep falling apart on that note. "Is mi?" Thank you, God.

"Yes," I snapped and led them back into it, letting my voice be louder so they could try to follow along easier. "That was better." It might not be by much though. Apparently our choir contest is in four months, and a lot of people are very bad at this.

"I don't know how you don't understand this. It's so simple. Maybe I should do this myself!" Saaya whined.

"What's the last note?" I shot out, only to hear the wrong answer. "Wrong." I sang it how it was. "If you make mistakes as well you don't get to criticize everyone else. Not everyone can read music like it's a book." Ikuto's laughter floated over from the base section. I shot him a glare, but he only smiled. Saaya's face went red. "Alright, one more time." Rima was beside me and she nailed it easily this time.

After rehearsing contest pieces the black haired girl from earlier came up to me. "I'm glad you're our section leader. You actually try to help us. Saaya never tried to explain it. She yelled us because we didn't get it." I was taken aback by that. I thought she might be different since she apparently loves choir.

"Well, I won't yell at you. I promise." I slung my bag over my shoulder. I nodded to the blue haired boy that came up to me.

She whispered quickly so he wouldn't hear it. "Are you two dating? You guys are together a lot." My eyes became the size of dinner plates. My voice caught in my throat because I was not expecting that even after the PDA thing that wasn't really PDA.

"No, no. Not at all." I sputtered out while she laughed.

"Sorry. I was just wondering." She bounced off happily.

"What was that?" He asked, pulling my bag off my shoulder and sliding it onto his. "You mind?" I shook my head, but wondered why he did that. If I started asking why to everything though I'd probably find answers I didn't like. After trying to get an answer out of him earlier, I'd been left with more questions than answers.

"She asked if we were dating. How weird is that?" I tried to force a laugh, but it didn't work.

"Not very," He chuckled. "We're together a lot. It's not surprising people would think that." He didn't care if they thought we were together, I realized.

I yanked my bag back. "Well don't do stuff that makes it seem like we are. I don't want people to think I'd date you." That came a lot harsher than I'd meant it.

"Whatever." He started walking out the door and I stood there for a few seconds. "Are you coming?" That note of anger was gone. Maybe it was hurt, not anger.

Rima was already on the roof with Utau and Kukai. I went for my friend instead of the other two. She was laughing at something my brother said. "Hey, how's Ami?" My mind went back to a few days ago, when she'd been at my house.

"She's fine. Our dad hasn't called, but she's been distracting herself."

"Oh?" Her interest had been grabbed. "How?"

"She's been playing on my keyboard. I think she's going to switch to out actual piano though." I opened my water bottle.

"Have you been playing with her?" My brother asked.

"No." My response was harsh. "You know I don't like to play anymore." Yeah, he knows and he's doing this to irritate me.

"I don't think there's much of a reason not to. Seems like you want attention." My blood boiled in anger. Ikuto and Rima looked from him to me a few times. He passed it off as just messing with me. I let it go because fighting with him isn't worth my time. He wasn't joking though.

"I'm sorry." Ami stopped in the kitchen when I spoke. "If you want to play it, go ahead. I won't get mad again. I don't want to play with you, or sing yet. But its fine with me if you want to play it as long as you put it back in the folder when you're done."

"Thank you so much!" She wrapped her arms around me tightly. "Did you have a life changing moment or something?" I gave her a look. "You're really happy. Is it Ikuto?" I nodded, and she squealed.

I'd planned on telling her about what Kukai said to me today, but she didn't need to hear it I decided. My little sister didn't need to be in the middle of our family strife's. I'd handle it while she got to be this young. If there's anything I truly want to do, it's let her grow up without problems.

Whoa, two chapters in two days? I hope you enjoyed it!