Sorry it took me ages to update! I had a bad case of writers block but now it's gone! Wooh!

"Your car's here." Yuuki Cross said smiling at me, her deep brown eyes shining. She handed me a lunch bag, "I made sure Zero put in some of the chocolates that we all made the other day, remember?" Of course I remembered, it was only two days ago. She continued to rattle on about the day after Kaname had confronted me in the wood. I had finally consented and let her drag me and Zero out to go grocery shopping. Not un-like the many times before something new to bake had caught her eye and she insisted we try to make homemade chocolates.

I tried to smile but didn't have enough happy energy in me (as fake as it was) to muster one. The corners of my mouth turned upward in a fail replica of a real grin but she didn't seem to notice. "Thank you Yuuki." I took the beat up, metal lunch box from her and put it into my bag.

"No problem," Her smile was easy, radiant, and as genuinely pure as they come. How she kept the happy face all the time was something I wanted the secret to. Maybe if I could fake it that well-

The single door on the side of the door opened, Zero peaked into the room. "Katsu, it's time to go." The words came out as if he was speaking about something terribly sad, maybe if they were uttered soft enough the event would never happen.

"Okay," I hoisted my bag onto my shoulder and adjusted the strap, "Thank you. I'll be back in two days. The usual."

Yuuki already had her foot out the other door, which led to the dorms. The Day Class side, of course. "Bye bye!" she waved then was gone. Perky little Perfect that she was I had to raise my hand in a week wave, her energy had a tendency to spread.

Sighing I turned to where Zero had been the moment before. He too had disappeared. I shrugged, the pack weighing heavily on my shoulders. I was about to experience something more puzzling then Zero's usual vanishing acts and more annoying then Yuuki's constant optimism (if only to keep the rest of us sane): Riko-sensei.

In all the years that I have been at Cross Academy, Riko-sensei has never failed to come and see me. Every year, on the same day. He usually arrives early in the morning and I have to squirm by two very awkward days with him before he drops me on the Academy's doorstep yet again. It doesn't matter if he has to pull me from tests, Perfect duties, or even (once) an elaborate part in one of the Night Classes graduating honor. Now I was dangerously close to missing out on helping prepare for Kaname's birthday extravaganza. Would he let me off the hook if I told him what I wanted to stay and help arrange?

The thoughts were shoved out of my head as I slid into the cool black car parked on the front gravel. 'Riko-sensei," I nodded.

"Hello Katsu," his voice came out tired and it showed in his rapidly aging features. Even though I never thought him to be a happy person, his grim appearance took me by surprise. Although I guessed him to be only thirty (he never mentioned age) the lines of stress showing around his eyes were those past his years. His usually bright blue eyes, which seemed to take in everything around us were dull, not a spark of his old humor left in them. I knew that he must have still been on edge, no matter how tired he got his guard was still up, and the fact he gripped the car's wheel with nearly white knuckles confirmed this.

I swept my black hair into a messy ponytail and looked at my sensei expectantly. Though I only saw him once or twice a year I knew that something was weighing heavily on his mind. "What's wrong?" I asked after a few moments silence. He obliviously wasn't going to offer any nuggets of information over so I would have to pry them out of him.

"Nothing," he lied, his hands clenching and un-clenching from their deathly grasp on the innocent wheel.

I sighed, "Please tell me, I only have two days then once I get back I must prepare for-"

"I thought you hated it there."

His interjection was so unexpected it took me a few beats to compose myself, "I don't hate it there," my words were carefully chosen gems, "If it weren't be for the Chairmen generously taking me in-" I stopped, don't over do it. I reminded myself sharply, "I don't hate it there."

The look of disbelief on Riko-sensei's face was almost amused at my poor lying but he changed the subject anyway. "I thought we might visit them this time." The meaning of 'them' hit me like a bullet.

"I thought we might want to wait until next time,"

He sighed but never once did his eyes leave the road even though we were the only vehicle driving on the deserted road for miles. "We agreed on going this time last year." Emphasis on the last two words.

Like a stubborn child, I crossed my arms but consented, "Fine," the words were barley out of my mouth before a small smile flickered across his. For the rest of the long drive I rested my head against the cool glass and stared out at the passing scenery. All sensei's attempts to make conversation was thwarted by my fake sleeping.

"We're here," Riko-sensei said pulling alongside the road. He got out of the car and started up the hill, not looking back to see if I was following or not.

Dragging my decent from the vehicle for as long as I could afford, I finally faced the hill and all the different shaped monuments in their final resting-place. A small, sad smile made its hesitant way to my lips. "Hey Mom, Chouko; miss me?"

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