OH MY GLOB! Thank you so much guys! You don't know how your reviews made happy! Like literally I'm choking myself from sheer happiness! MARAMING SALAMAT PO! (in Filipino that means thank you so much ;)) Btw, I don't really know if this is weird but I sort of lost all of my ideas about the story. I can't remember the things I was about to write after chapter 9. So I asked my brothers to help me out. :p They have these crazy ideas and I want to put them in. I'm not gonna mention which parts though. ;) I'll let you guys figure that out. Anyway, you guys are AWESOME! I love love love you my AWESOME readers. :) (Awesome's my favorite word) By the way, the story gets bumpy after two or three chapters. I mean there's bound to be problems right? You guys just wait. ;) Magandang araw sa inyo. xoxo

Chapter 10

"Misaki? Are you okay? You look like you haven't slept last night." Sakura waved her hand in front of me to see if I was still alive.

I've been staring at random things for a long time since I woke up this morning. I mean, who in their right mind would be able to sleep when you're first kiss has been stolen twice last night?

I love you.

My eyes shot up and felt the heat rising to my face. Usui said he loved me. I didn't answer him. I mean, he wasn't asking. He wasn't waiting for an answer either. Does he want me to answer? My head is like aching. All I can think about is that kiss and it's making my brain delirious. Do I love him? Heck, do I even like him? Well, maybe a little bit. I haven't really felt any kind of affection towards a guy before. I think it's too soon. I mean how do I know he's not just saying it to tease me? So many questions and my mind can only take so much.

"Earth to Misakiiiii!" Sakura finally shook me and I started to feel my soul coming into place.

"Huh what?" I said.

"You were spacing out. What's wrong with you?" we were currently sitting under the same tree from yesterday eating lunch.

"Nothing. Chemistry wore me out." I said. It certainly did.

"Really? I thought it would've been a piece of cake for you since Usui was your lab partner." She assumed.

"Yeah, well he wasn't cooperating very well." I said. I mean I'm telling the truth. He was very distracting.

"Well I'm sure you'll ace that paper. So, have you changed your mind? You know, about prom?" Sakura asked.

"Fat chance. I'm not going Sakura. That's final."

Sakura pouted. "Mooo, well I did try."

We got back to class immediately after lunch and I was shaking as soon as I neared our classroom. I'm gonna see him again. The whole morning was silence. Usui never talked to me and I didn't bother talking to him either. He seemed bored half the day and it sort of disappointed me. I was hoping we'd talk and clear things out about what happened last night.

As soon as I opened the door, there he was right beside my seat still looking as handsome as ever and here I am standing right by the door staring at him looking like a complete idiot.

"Umm, Misaki? Are you gonna go inside or something?" Sakura whispered from behind me.

"Oh right, sorry about that." I said as I scratched my head and walked towards my seat.

Again, silence. Oh now he's not talking to me? What the hell is his problem? I'm not gonna talk to him first. I'm a girl for god's sake. It's like a protocol for guys to approach girls first.

The entire afternoon was spent with silence between us and I was starting to feel uncomfortable. I mean, he talked to me but it's usually about the lesson or something. Fine, if that's how he wants it then I'll go back to not talking! Well, to him that is.

Classes ended at around 5pm and I scurried outside the room not bothering to wait for Usui. We usually go home together but I don't think that's possible right now. I decided to go to the tree house and stay there for a while. Oh by the way, I'm walking. I ditched my skateboard because I wanted to avoid another incident from happening.

It's been a while since I last came to this place. Still looks old as before. I climbed the ladder and dropped my bag on the wooden floor. The paintings on the wall have gradually started to chip off. I wonder if my cans of paint are still around. I looked behind the boxes stacked there and saw the cans covered with dust. It really has been a while. Crap, my brush already froze. I can't use it anymore. It's hard as stone. I decided to paint the wall using my fingers. I haven't done this in a long time.

I started to put another coat of paint over the ones I painted months ago. Dipping my fingers into other colors, I painted different kinds of flowers that I haven't seen before or maybe they don't actually exist. I only had three cans of paint so I mixed the colors together to create new ones. It's so hard since I can only have one color each finger. But after an hour, I finished it. An abstract image of flowers. I'm quite proud of it to be honest. A bit rough because I made it using my hands but it's genuine.

"Ayuzawa?" a voice from behind caught me off guard. "I knew you'd be here." Usui said as he let himself in.

"What are you doing here?" I snapped. So now he starts talking to me? This guy is so unbelievable.

"That's amazing, what you did there." He said dodging my question. "You should take a picture of it. This tree house might be taken down and your paintings will be destroyed."

"Who cares? I can make another one if I wanted to." I said as I sat down on the floor.

"Your hands."

"What?" I looked up at him and saw him take his handkerchief and place it on my lap.

"Use it. To wipe the paint off." He said.

"It's fine." I muttered. Although it kind of stings a bit from all the rubbing. I might have a few scratches on my hand but I don't really mind.

"Don't be stubborn Ayuzawa." He crouched down and took my hands. But before he could wipe them I pulled them away from his hold.

"Wait." I said. I opened his white handkerchief and painted it with the remaining colors on my hands. Just a simple image of lines crossing together. It's nothing clear but the colors blend well together that it looks like a galaxy. "There." I said smiling. The paint on my hands hasn't completely been wiped off but it dried as soon as I started painting on his handkerchief.

"You never seize to amaze me Ayuzawa." He said as he took the piece of cloth.

"It's not as amazing as you make it sound like. It's just painting." I said. My mom and I used to do this when I was a kid. As soon as she gave me my first set of paint and brush, I started to love art. I'm not amazing. My mom was.

"Are you okay?" I didn't know how long I've been spacing out but he was already sitting right beside me.

"I just remembered. It's my parents' death anniversary tomorrow." I said.

"Do you want to go visit them?" he asked. I shook my head.

"I don't want to see them. I didn't go to their funeral ten years ago. As soon as I saw both of my parents' faces inside their coffins I couldn't bring myself to look at them again. They were so sad. So pitiful to look at. I know they weren't happy when they left me. I was just a kid. Now my life is messed up." I brought my knees up my chest and buried my face. I didn't cry. I've done a lot of crying and I think my eyes have run out of tears to spill.

"You have a family Misaki. That's what's important." He said without looking at me. I scoffed.

"I even struggle just calling Susan my mom. And I have a step sister who doesn't think twice about insulting me publicly or privately. What kind of family is that?" I exclaimed. "I mean, the only thing going right in my life right now is you." Okay, Misaki have you gone completely insane? This is why you shouldn't talk at all because you keep spurting out things that will embarrass you.

I winced as soon as the words came out. I practically confessed to this guy! I caught him staring at me with wide eyes. He suddenly chuckled and covered his eyes with his hand.

"Ayuzawa is so sly." He said. I saw a hint of red on his face. Wait, is he blushing?

"Well… I mean you aren't really annoying me that's why I said that. I mean, unlike Sissy she—but, you know… I just—" I stopped talking and just looked away. My mind is going blank. At this rate, I won't be able to say anything that actually makes any sense. "Okay I'm out." I said as I started to leave but he caught my wrist which caused me to turn around abruptly. He held my face and kissed me. It wasn't a long kiss like last night. It was innocent. My eyes were still open when he pulled away. He was just staring at me.

"I meant what I said last night." He suddenly murmured to my ear.

"But you didn't even talk to me this morning." I pushed him away and stood up. He is so infuriating!

"I was giving you time to think." He said still sitting down looking like a child.

"My mind was going ballistic you know that? You definitely had me thinking all day." I said.

"Who knew I would have such an effect on you." He said, smirking. He started to stand up and brush his pants.

"Oh don't flatter yourself." I said as I pushed him lightly. He caught both my wrist and pulled me close to him.

"I love you Misaki." He said tipping my chin up with one hand around my waist. My face turned deep red and looked away.

"You already told me that." I said.

"And I'll say it to you as many times as I like." He brushed his lips against my neck and it sent shivers down my spine.

"Y-you don't have to do that! I already heard you the first time." I tried to push him away and to my surprise it actually worked.

I looked at him and he was just smiling. Like an idiot.

"Let's go to my place tonight." Usui muttered.

"What?!" I shouted. Is he serious? Over my dead body!

"You know you have a tendency to over react to things. Come to my place tonight because we're celebrating mom's birthday." He said.

"Oh. Okay." My face cooled down a bit after what he said. I sighed a deep sigh and heard him chuckle.

"C'mon, it's getting dark." He held my hand and walked away pulling me behind.

Well? What do you think? Please review my awesome readers! xoxo