A/N: Again, it's late and I'm just starting this. I always put off adding to High School Education because it takes so long to type up a chapter and I like to go straight through and do it. Ah, well, I won't bore you with any more of my excuses. Lets get on with it before I get any sleepier.
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Wing and I make no profit from this.
"Noin, have you seen my tests?" Milliardo glanced around nervously, both of them were already running ten minutes late and he couldn't find the tests he had spent days grading.
"They're in your office." Noin was busy trying to find the blouse she wanted, which meant she was wearing jeans and a bra around the house.
As if Milliardo wasn't distracted enough to begin with.
"Are you going to be alright working today?" Milliardo asked as he gathered up the papers and stuffed them in his workbag.
"Don't worry so much about me." Noin leaned into his office and kissed him quickly. "Yesterday wasn't the best day for me, but I'm getting better."
"Do you want to go to a support group or something?" Milliardo asked. He zipped his bag just as Noin pulled on her blouse.
"Honey, you are my support group." Noin gave him a hug. "Now lets get to work before the kids think we're not coming and have a free for all."
"Why didn't Relena want a ride?" Dorothy asked as she climbed into Quatre's car. "Was she afraid I was going to be all mushy with you or anything of that nature?"
"She just got her driver's license, and she wanted to drive herself." Quatre gave Dorothy a sideways smile.
"Ugh." Dorothy rolled her eyes. "Anyway, are we still on for our study date tomorrow night?"
"As long as you still want to." Quatre kept his eyes on the road, but his smile betrayed just how excited he was.
"Duh, Quatre, I'm the one that asked you." Dorothy laughed, though the truth of why she had wanted to have a study date with him was to start things slow. She didn't want to kill their relationship before it even began. "Of course I still want to."
"When are you going to get your driver's license?" Quatre added as they paused at the stoplight.
"I have no frickin' clue." Dorothy rubbed her eyes. "My Mom doesn't trust me with a car." Then she mimicked, "'Dorothy, you're such a violent person. I can just imagine the damage you'd do with a vehicle. Don't expect to drive until you're thirty.'"
"You're not really." Quatre murmured as he pulled the car into the school's driveway. "You talk tough, but you're actually really gentle and kind."
"Would you like to vouch that for me to my Mom?" Dorothy raised an eyebrow.
"If you want me to." Quatre smiled at her. "But if she still says no, I don't mind driving you around. It gives me quality time with you."
"You sound like such a parent sometimes." Dorothy huffed, but in a strange way, she appreciated it.
"Relena!" Heero walked over to her, and he didn't look happy. "I called to see if you wanted a ride but you didn't pick up."
"My cell?" Relena laughed a bit, though it was sad. "Dad took my cell away. It involved an argument about my family and Dad got teed off."
"Your family?" Heero was hooked, Relena rarely talked about her family in any situation.
"My real family." Relena grabbed Heero's hand and tugged him inside the school. "I was adopted, separated from my blood brother, and I said I wanted to find my brother. My parents were less than happy, especially my Father."
"Ah." Heero took a chance and slipped his arm around her waist, pulling her against his side.
"H-Heero?" Relena looked up at him in complete and utter shock. "Heero, what are you doing?"
"Sorry." Heero moved away from her and kept his distance.
Damn it! Can't I do anything right? Relena thought as she looked at Heero. I mess everything up.
In a last ditch effort to tell Heero he wasn't doing anything wrong, she stepped in front of him and kissed him gently, sweetly.
Several people whistled, and Catherine and Hilde smiled as they passed by.
When Relena pulled away, Heero slipped his arm back around her waist, and Relena leaned into him, smiling.
"Wufei, you are not coming home with me to talk to my parents." Sally sighed as she stood at her locker, pulling her things out of it for class. "With my luck they'll throw something and it will hit you."
"It's bad for you to stay there." Wufei was dead set on enacting his master plan, making sure Sally moved in with his family before things got worse at her house. After all, his parents loved Sally.
"I can handle it, I'm not as weak as you think I am." Sally dropped her history textbook and sighed. "I appreciate the invitation and all, and I don't want what we have to end, but I'm afraid moving in with you will crash our relationship and make my parents' fighting worse." She lowered her voice to add, "I would never forgive myself if one them killed the other because I wasn't there."
"You are the child, Sally." Wufei growled. "They are not your responsibility. They are supposed to make sure you have a safe, loving home to come to, and that they're there for you. You are not supposed to take care of them. Not like this."
"Not now, Wufei, I'm late for class." Sally called over her shoulder as she walked away.
Wufei heaved a sigh. Sometimes, that girl was more than he could handle.
"Hilde!" At their free period, Duo ran over to Hilde, who looked more than worn out, and tackled her. "You look like hell."
"I am in hell." Hilde murmured, snuggling close to his chest. "Take me away."
"What's wrong?" Duo sat down against the wall, hugging her close. "Hilde, what happened?"
"I've been keeping a secret from you." Hilde sighed, clutching at him so he couldn't leave. "Please don't think badly of me for telling you about it now..."
"I would never think badly of you." Duo stroked her hair and hauled her closer. "Just tell me, it probably won't be a big deal."
"My sister is a whackjob." Hilde looked up at him. "And don't laugh, because I'm dead serious. When I was little and she was about thirteen, she tried to kill herself three different times. They had her on medication after that, and she was better, but now she's pregnant and she can't take her medication. They've got her at the hospital on suicide watch."
"Is that why you were all annoyed yesterday and left so suddenly?" Duo asked, he finally understood where Hilde's come and go temper had come from.
"Yes. Mom said that my sister wanted to see me." Hilde readjusted her hold on a fistful of Duo's shirt. "Please say you're not mad..."
"I'm not." Duo hugged her closer, squeezing her gently against him.
"Really?" Hilde looked up at him in surprise.
"Some things are just too hard to tell people." Duo flashed her an easygoing smile. "I understand."
Hilde wrapped her arms around his neck, the weight of the world off her shoulders for the moment.
"Are you avoiding me?" Trowa asked as he caught Catherine in the parking lot. "It seems like you're avoiding me. Feel free to explain."
"I'm sorry, it was a subconscious thing..." Catherine stepped closer to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I was just thinking about how you said I was perfect... I'm not, Trowa, I'm really not. There's much more to me than a lot of people see. I have a past and a lot of insecurities, just like any girl."
"What could possibly be in your past that's so horrible?" Trowa gently laid his hands on her hips. "You're a wonderful person."
"I used to date a lot." Catherine began slowly. "And I mean a lot. But guy after guy began to turn me down because I wouldn't have sex with them. They began to hate me, there was some cyber bullying at one point, and after that, no guy wanted to date me because I wouldn't put out." Catherine leaned her face against Trowa's chest. "You have no clue what that did to my self-esteem, I'm messed up. I really do like you, Trowa. You're the best guy I've met so far. I just don't want to mess everything up."
"You don't have to do anything you don't want to in this relationship." Trowa leaned down, hesitated, and then kissed her gently.
Despite all her insecurities, Catherine felt just a little bit better being sure that Trowa was such a good guy.
A/N: My net is going wonky again. (Sighs) Anyway, it took forever to write this, as always, and I hope you guys like it. This was a pretty somber chapter as far as my chapters go, so I'm hoping the next one is happier. Will you drop me a review? I love to hear from my readers!
