The day of the frog dissection had approached quicker than I had expected. I acted as least suspiciously as I could while around Alyson. I took Torr's advice, and acted friendly, but not too friendly. I treated her as an acquaintance, just as I had before the dissection partner assignments. We weren't 'best buddies' but we weren't 'enemies' either. Well, we are technically enemies…I thought. But she doesn't know that.

Torr bounced on top of my head, saying, "Tonight, after your homework's done, you gotta write more names down in the Life Note!" I had already written down two pages of names in the Life Note…but there seemed to be way too many names to write! Holding the scalpel in my hand, I examined the insides of the frog. I glanced over at Alyson, and moved a bit over to the left of the lab bench, allowing her to take her turn with the frog. I handed over the scalpel, which was now splattered with wet internal fluids and…other stuff.

Alyson grinned, and bounced up and down, reminding me of Torr for a split second. She didn't jump, since it wasn't allowed in the lab area. "Thanks!" she chirped. Then, she turned to poke at the frog's organs. She seemed to be enjoying the dissection much more than she should have…

I was about to sigh, but then caught myself. Instead, I smiled with a naturally relaxed facial expression. I was getting better at acting and lying by the minute. But, I didn't like it. Why do I have to be dishonest…? I wondered. I don't like it one bit. But, sadly, it's necessary…

"Shina-chan!" Alyson said, pointing to the frog with a plastic-gloved finger. "I think our frog is… I mean, was, pregnant!"

I didn't like that fact that Kira used a Japanese friendly suffix with my name. I wondered how she knew "chan" in the first place, but figured that she was probably an anime or manga fan…or something. "Hm…?" I asked, leaning over the frog and peering down at it. "Whoa!" The insides of the frog had little black…dots. They were probably eggs! "That's amazing!"

"Mmhmm." Alyson raised her hand, and asked the teacher sweetly, "Excuse me, Mr. Renman? Can you come over and take a look at this? I think this frog has eggs!"

Mr. Renman strolled over grumpily; he was obviously not in a good mood. I assumed that some of the boys were fooling around or something. "What?" He demanded roughly. Alyson pointed with her scalpel, and I pointed with my finger. He examined the eggs for a moment, nodded, and then turned away.

"Mean, much?" Alyson whispered to me.

"Yeah," I replied quietly. "He should appreciate us being smart enough to notice!"

"Yep. Mt. Renman isn't just in a bad mood today. He's always mean. I wish he would just disappear, or change, or something."

"Wait – what?!" My eyes widened. I hoped she wasn't planning to kill him…but even if she was, I had written his name down last night in the Life Note. Luckily.

"Don't you hate him too?"

"Uh…Sometimes. He could be a lot worse, though."

"True, but you could make the world a lot better if he wasn't around."

I didn't answer, and instead waited a moment, silently. I asked to have the scalpel again.

"Ugh…" I came home, and grabbed a banana off the fruits' basket on the kitchen table. The school day was pretty good, but I was constantly worrying about Kira. And who she would kill next. I had written down a good deal of names in the Life Note, and thought I covered all my teachers, everyone in my grade, and past teachers and some of my sister's friends. I peeled the banana, and ate it as Akako came in to greet me.

"Onee-chan!" She gave me a hug from behind. "How was the dissection?"

"Good, good…" I finished my banana and threw the peels into the trash can.

My mom shouted happily, on the phone, "Your father's coming home early!"

"Really?" Akako and I both asked in unison.

"Yes! I know why, but you two girls will find out later." My mom winked. "It will be a surprise!" My mom made her way to the living room to watch a bit of television.

"A surprise?! I love surprises!" Akako sang out.

I giggled, and crooned, "Yeah, me too!" I tousled her neck-length hair, and she made a face.

"I wish I had long hair like you, Shina-san!" Akako said, sticking out her tongue.

"Well, it'll grow out! Don't you worry about it," I assured. "Well, I should probably do homework now…" After giving my sister another hug, I dashed up the stairs two at a time. Torr clung to my head shakily.

"Not so fast, jeez!" Torr yelled.

I ran into my room, shut and locked my door, and then replied to Torr, "That wasn't even fast." I stuck out my tongue, plucked him off my head, and plopped him onto my desk. "Hm… I wonder what Kira is doing right now…"

"Well, I don't know. So don't look at me."

"I'm not!" I rolled my eyes, and I retrieved my math binder, and started on my trigonometry homework. I asked silently as I calculated the measurements in my head, Is Alyson doing her homework like me? Or…is she using her Death Note? Or maybe she's neglecting both of those? She might be just hanging out with friends. Hm…Well, I should probably place all my focus on my math homework. I got rid of all my questions and non-homework-related thoughts, and then concentrated solely on the numbers on the worksheet.

"I'm home!" My father announced. Glancing at the clock quickly, I noticed that it was four pm. He was right; he was home early. I sauntered downstairs, with my sister trailing behind me.

We both called out, "Hello!" And gave him a hug.

"What's the surprise?" Akako asked with sparkling, brown eyes.

"Ha, always one to cut to the chase, eh?" he replied with a chuckle.

Akako and I giggles in unison, and nodded. "Yes?" I asked. "So, what is it?"

"I got a new job!" my father said. "A friend of mine, and your mother, encouraged me…and I decided."

"Decided on what?!" Akako inquired excitedly.

"I am now working in the police force, here. Since I had a lot of experience in the NPA, I was able to get a job there."

My stomach clenched. I felt as if…I was being dissected. No! What happened to Dad quitting his job so that we'd be safe?! I thought he didn't want to be in the police force… I choked out, trying my best to seem casual, "Uh…I thought you didn't want to be a policeman..."

"Oh, the only reason I quit the NPA was because of the Kira Case. Now that that's all over, I've decided to return to my calling!"

My mother laughed lightly, and added, "Mmhmm. Your father is always a man of justice at heart!"

"Right…" I said. I managed to smile. Oh, great, I thought sarcastically. This means that we will all be at a higher risk of being chased by Kira. Luckily, my family's names are in the Life Note. Ugh…who would've thought dissection day would turn out to really…dissect me! I can hardly keep up with what's going on! I heard Torr whining upstairs, and figured he was getting lonely or something.

"Are you okay?" my father asked me.

I guess I seemed a bit distracted. My voice came out like a stormy wind cloaked in the disguise of sunlight and gentle breezes, "Yes! I am just surprised that you actually are a policeman again! Wow…"

"I want to be in the police when I grow up!" Akako sang out. "Just like Daddy!"

My mom and I giggled in harmony. Akako was just so cute! And…those were the innards of my dissection day.