Merry Christmas! Hugs and kisses and even a chapter! I thought you all deserved it for being so patient. Good little boys and girls are rewarded with presents, no? Hahaha! I'm really trying hard to update. I'll probably get another one up next week, too. Yay for me! I'm actually planning on doing a couple of chapters since Christmas break is finally here. So bonus presents for y'all! I may even finish this thing [highly unlikely (Nanzy's high on Pixy Stix)]! Anyway, here's the latest chapter!


It's kind of shocking when you discover that one of your childhood friends is nuts. And that your other childhood friend (and crush) is in love with her. And that she loves him back. And that she'd do anything to get rid of the competition. Believe me. It's pretty scary.

As I stared at Akira, it occurred to me that this all might be just a big, long, horrible dream. I would wake up, warm in my covers. Sunlight would be streaming through the window in shafts, and the faint sound of a TV would be humming quietly in the background, the latest emergency having its fifteen minutes of fame. Smells of delicious foods would waft through the air and tickle my nose with their sweet aromas. This moment would be so perfect; I would want it to stay like that forever, frozen in time. I knew it couldn't stay though. Kanata would threaten to leave me behind if I didn't hurry up, but I knew he would wait because he's actually very nice (though he doesn't like showing it). We'd run to school and barely make it through the door before Ms. Mizuno came in. Our lives would go on blissfully, and this nightmare I was having would slowly fade into the back of my mind, never to be remembered again…

…But this was my reality, and the wonderful world I had planned was the dream that would evaporate into oblivion.

Akira was staring at me like I was nuts. Apparently I had been drooling. I shot her a look of accusation, and she smirked. Smirked! The nerve of this girl who was ruining my life! Oh, when I get through with her!

You'll what? C'mon, Miyu. Stop being an idiot. You're not cool, smart, or pretty. I wish I were Akira's inner self. Then I wouldn't have to deal with a loser like you, my inner voice spoke as I looked at Akira. My inner voice was really putting a damper on my success. This is my victory, though! I won't let it be taken from me!

I turned back to Akira. She body-checked me. You know that thing that skinny girls do to other girls, rating their beauty? Yep, that's the one. She then proceeded to smile and flip her dark, long hair over her shoulder.

"Man, Miyu. It sure took you long enough," Akira stated. Then she added, "Well, I suppose your catching me at all is pretty surprising. I mean, you're so stupid, I almost revealed myself just so I could laugh at you."

I growled. How dare she! "Akira! Why are you doing all this? What do you want with me?" I asked, calmly but firmly, as she picked herself up from the ground and dusted her uniform off.

"Really Miyu. I thought you would have figured it out by now. Of course it's because I want Kanata."

The words were so simple. I should've known that that was why. Of course she wanted him. Who didn't? I mean, he was a god among peasants.

"Miyu, now that you know my reason, I'm going to need you to listen very carefully to what I'm about to say. Are you listening carefully?" I nodded slowly, not entirely sure of what she would say, but positive it wouldn't be good. The girl was completely nuts after all.

"Okay, good. At least you're obedient." I scowled. She was dancing on my nerves like a ballerina (I hate ballerinas. Tutus and glitter just don't interest me). She knew it, too.

"So here's the deal. Kanata's super hot, and we look great together. Everyone says so. So I'm going to make him mine." I stared at her, dumfounded. That was why she did all this? That was why she hurt Nanami? All because of some idiot teens gossiping about how she and Kanata looked good together?

"Wait. So the only reason you're doing all this is so you can date Kanata? Because he's hot and you look good together?" I questioned, shocked that anyone would go to such lengths just for their image.

"Why else? I mean, he's unsociable, never smiles, and always has a cold air. If he weren't hot, he would easily be one of the least popular people in, like, the world, you know?" (A/N: I don't know why, but I just decided to add some Valley Girl into Akira's speech. It kind of fits her, actually… No, not really…)

"No, I don't know," I managed, trembling with anger and frustration. I jumped up and screamed, "Why don't you explain it to me? How someone could be so sick that they would almost kill someone to get what they want! And for what? Image? Popularity? What satisfaction do you get from being such a cruel, terrible person?" I said, shaking, as my voice shrank down to a low whimpering as I tried to fight the tears back.

"The satisfaction of knowing I won."

How bluntly she had put it. So that was it. Just having the ability to say I'm dating the hottest guy since the dawn of time. I was sure Kanata liked her, but she just liked her image. What if she broke his heart because of her selfishness? "But don't you care about Kanata's feelings?" I questioned, though she and I both knew the answer.

"Not one bit. Now I need your cooperation so that this works. You need to break up with Kanata."

"And what if I refuse?" I said, not positive of what her answer would be.

"Then yours and Nanami's secrets will be flooded throughout the school."

I gasped and looked up in shock at the girl who was slowly sending me towards a nervous breakdown.

"That's right. I heard you on the roof. And I'm not afraid to let everyone know… That is, if you don't cooperate."

I thought about it. I would be fine. Everyone already thinks I'm dating Kanata. There's nothing wrong with a girlfriend liking her boyfriend. But Nanami… even if the school knew and didn't tease her about it, her pride wouldn't be able to handle it.

"So do we have a deal?" Akira asked, outstretching her perfectly manicured hand toward me. She knew what I would say.

"Fine," I said, grabbing hold of the hand of the girl who held me by the throat with my own secrets. "You have a deal."

The stepsister's cold eyes were flashing merrily, happy to have gotten what she wanted… like always…


An update! An update! Party! Now I'm off to work on the next couple of chapters.

Toodles!

NanzyPanzy