I had never really realized what it was like to have a girlfriend. I mean, with TenTen, we didn't have to call each other every other five minutes. We didn't even call each other. All we had to do was go to each other's rooms. But with Rikku, I wasn't exactly sure what to do.

It was Sunday, November 1, the day after Halloween. I didn't know if I should call her. I didn't know if I should go see her. Would she be mad? Would she feel violated? Or would she be overjoyed? All of this stuff confused the shit out of me.

"Kankuro?"

I looked up from my hands. I hadn't even noticed that I was daydreaming.

Lee was standing in the doorway of my room, trying to brush his hair into its normal bowl cut. He was still in his large white over shirt and long green plaid pants.

"Kuro? Are you okay?"

I gave him a confused glance as I motioned for him to sit across from me.

"What are you talking about Lee? I feel fine."

Lee sighed, almost sadly. "You seem kind of out of it today," he said after a pause. "In fact, you've been...not yourself...for a while."

I grinned slightly.

Even if people didn't think it, Lee noticed EVERYTHING. He wasn't as naïve as he put on.

"It's nothing really Lee. But...I do have to ask you something. When you and Kumiko started dating, what did you do the day after you asked her to be your girlfriend?"

Lee's puzzled expression lifted and was replaced by a smug and knowing smile.

"You're dating Rikku, aren't you Kankuro?"

I shoved my pillow at him.

"You know too much!" I complained.

Lee chuckled and smiled sincerely.

He patted my shoulder, his eyes shining with a brightness that I would never forget, and said, "It's just something that you'll have to figure out for yourself. It'll come."

I felt like I was in labor as I walked to school the next day. My stomach muscles were contracting, and I felt hot and cold at the same time. This is how I got when I was nervous.

TenTen tried to stifle a giggle as she passed in front of me, heading into school first.

Oh ha ha.

Let's all laugh at Kankuro.

I was following Rikku's advice from a long time ago to not wear my makeup to school. Urgh, I felt so naked! (But of course, my cat-eared black beanie was a must.)

Gaara tugged on the curling strawberry blonde ends peeking out in a skaterish way as my pace quickened on the concrete stairs to the entrance doors. I felt like hurling.

"You'll be ok," he said in his haunting voice.

Wow. Gaara had just…complimented me.

I wanted to shoot into the bathroom and pull out Temari's eyeliner, but Lee clamped his hand on my wrist.

CRAAAAAP!

"Don't have a cow," he whispered.

TenTen giggled as she slid up next to me.

"You and Rikku are soooo cute together!" she squealed.

Once a girl, always a girl.

The three of us sat down at our usual table. Temari had gone to break up with her previous boyfriend, Naruto and Gaara were sniffing something behind some bushes outside, Suzuki had called to tell Lee that Kumiko was sick, Neji was hanging out with his friends; therefore Hinata had to sit with him, Kiba had cross-country practice, and Shino had gone to go watch him.

The Winsome Threesome of KOYH was together again!

"So…" I said, trying to talk out my jitters. "Who wants to bet how long it'll take for stores to publicize Christmas?"

Goosebumps speckled my skin as I walked into art.

Rikku was sitting in her desk, completely focused on drawing something.

She had let her hair down with a deep side part today and pinned her bangs out of her face with bobby pins.

I let out a deep breath.

This was it.

Here I go.

Chills ran down my back as I sat down in my seat. Rikku looked up. I froze.

"Hi Kuro!" she said happily, her cheeks swelling from a smile.

I muttered weakly, "Hey Ri…"

She pulled me into a small hug. "Why aren't you wearing your makeup?" she asked.

Shrugging, I bit my lip. "Who knows?" I replied. Rikku laughed her giggly laugh and sighed. "You are such a nerd."

My eyes went wide. Oh no! What did this mean?

She tugged at my ears lightly before sticking her tongue out a little. "Just kidding!" she told me.

I let out a huge sigh of relief.

Rikku laughed again and inquired, "What? Were you nervous about seeing me?"

I nodded.

She smiled and pulled me into another hug. "Oh, you are such a sweetie, Kankuro! What's there to be nervous about?"

"Everything."

Before she could reply, the teacher spoke out the instructions of the day to the class. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, as most of you are still worn out from your little…escapades Saturday night, I'll let you have a free day today. But keep the noise level down or we'll have to go to no talking!" he warned us.

I watched him go to his desk and take an Advil. He was probably hung over.

I told this to Rikku and she snorted on accident, which made her giggle harder.

It made me laugh too.

Then I snorted.

(When the bell rang for second period, Rikku kissed my cheek and complimented me on my huge step of self esteem forward. She said I looked good. As she left, I collapsed from happiness and fell on a freshman.)

Surprisingly, all of the nervous tension I felt when I was with Rikku had turned into something many artists know either as an SOTM (spur of the moment) or as creative inspiration during the rest of my classes. Even at lunch, I was busy at work drawing the puppet, (my arm shielding the masterpiece from view), not bothering to eat. Rikku knew enough about art to chew out anyone who disturbed me.

I could tell that she wanted to know as badly as the others did though.

"Come on Kankuro!" Naruto begged me from across the table. Rikku threw her plastic fork at his head and giggled, making a large effort to high-five Suzuki from across the table.

TenTen was deep in thought. "What's wrong TenTen?" Lee asked with brotherly concern. She sighed.

"Do you guys realize that this semester is almost over?"

Everyone looked at her.

"So?" Gaara wondered over the importance of her statement.

Before she could say anything, the vice-principal whom I hated so much walked briskly up to our lunch table. "Sabaku Kankuro and Gaara?" he asked.

I stared up at him, confusedly, and raised my hand. Gaara did the same.

"What is it?" I asked.

He sighed with…pity? "You need to come with me."

Gaara smartly asked, "Why?"

"It's about your sister."