A.N.: Woot! Another chapter! And so soon after the last! It's short as well, but I couldn't wait. You all can thank SugarCubeChibi for the speed in getting this out. Thank you Sugar!

For those who had mentioned parallels to cannon, well, this ought to be interesting.

Chapter 10

So it seems that Keiko had a talk with mom. Who had a talk with some of her friends. Who had a talk with the school principal. All of which means I have to go back to school again.

Yay.

I tried every trick in the book to get out of going, (and I mean every trick, even went and invented a few) but they shot me down at every turn. Not to mention Keiko was more than happy to walk with me to school in the mornings. Something about making sure I made it on time.

Stupid girl with her stupid sad eyes….uh, I mean, she threatened to smack me into next week if I skipped again. I think she could do it, too.

So off to school I went. I would like it to be known that I went under protest, not that anyone cared.

Attending school went smoothly. Yeah, it went about as smooth as a hurricane. The other students avoided me, muttering about zombies. The teachers weren't much better, except for Takenaka. He acted like I was just out sick.

Seriously.

"Just to let you know, Yusuke, you've got a lot of make-up work to complete. I've assigned a tutor to help you get it done. And be polite—he's on loan from Meiou High School."

Meiou…I've heard about that school. It's a snob school three train stops away. Supposedly their worst student is at Keiko's level, and she's one of the top girls in the city. Shit. Now I've gotta put up with some nerd talking down to me about something I'm not gonna use after I leave school.

No way, not happening. I need to get rid of this guy, and I know just how to do it.

To keep a long, boring, day short, I was waiting for the nerd in the student office, my (thick) packet of make-up work safe in my bag. It was pretty quiet—all the other students had gone home. There was a secretary at the front desk, but I can tell she's terrified that I'm gonna start something. She's wound so tight, it makes behaving worth my while. I love teasing the office staff.

The door opened, but I didn't bother looking. My eyes were glued to the floor tiles, pretending disinterest. Words were spoken, then a pair of shoes stepped into my line of sight. I looked up into the face of my tutor.

I gotta say, I've seen my fair share of pretty boys in my day, but this one takes the cake. Red hair was the first thing I noticed, the color of blood and worn to his waist. He takes good care of it, if the way the light shines off of it is any indication. Intense green eyes set in a gentle face, with unending clear skin. I felt a little bad for him though. Poor guy had to wear that stupid pink uniform in public. Strong red aura (What's a demon doing at Meiou?), with hints of white and blue swirling within. He smiled, and it seemed off, somehow.

"Urameshi-san?"

"Yeah?" at least his voice was masculine.

"Minamino Shuichi. Follow me please." And I did. I followed him right off the school grounds. Um…

"Aren't we supposed to study?"

"We will, though I have a feeling you will learn more in a less…constrictive environment."

He doesn't believe we need to stay at school to learn? Okay, maybe I'll go easy on the guy.

I kept following him like a lost puppy, and couldn't help but notice the way he walked. He walked like a fighter. All tension and grace and no wasted movement. Is that a demon trait or just something added on? Who is this guy?

"So, where are we going?" Please don't say 'the library'.

"I saw a café on the way here, and thought you would like a snack while we study."

Yes! Extra points for Red! "Sounds good. So how'd you get dragged into this?" he raised an eyebrow at me. "If you don't mind me asking."

"Not at all. The collage I wish to attend requires a certain number of community service hours. Tutoring you will satisfy that requirement nicely."

Wow, his smile just went cold. Well, maybe 'cold' isn't the right word. More like, 'I couldn't possibly care less about you'. In street brawling, that means he's dangerous.

I'm man enough to admit that that smile gave me the heebie jeebies.

"And what about you?"

"Eh?"

"What did you do to get dragged into this?" was he teasing me? "Don't tell me the newspaper was correct in your revival?"

Fuck. "Eh, no, not really. Only dead for a little while, in a coma for longer. Mom kept me at home to avoid the bills." I told him the absolute truth, but not all of it. I don't think he believes me, though. I've never been good at outright lying; I'm much better at stretching and omitting the truth.

At the café, we got our food and got to studying. Red was good, not just at learning, but at teaching as well. Not once did he make me feel dumb. And boy oh boy, if you looked up the word patience, I'm pretty sure his picture was right next to it.

Of course, we talked about more than just our work. Apparently he's the top student at Meiou ("They seriously let you wear your hair that long?", "I'm the top student, Urameshi-san. I can do what I want."), no siblings, and a mom who works part time. I told him I'm the biggest bad-ass at Sarayashiki ("Do they really let you get away with wearing the wrong uniform?" "I'm a thug, Red. I can do what I want." "Mocking me will not prove anything other than your immaturity, Urameshi-san.", "Eh, it's fun. And drop the 'san', please. I'm not that old."), no siblings, and a drunk for a mom.

We stayed at the café until dinner time. Red said that he had something to do tomorrow, and wouldn't be able to tutor me. I didn't mind, and told him to look me up whenever he wanted.

He smiled again, this one a little sad.

"Thank you, Urameshi. I'm glad I met you."

….What the Hell was that supposed to mean?

We left, and I was halfway home when I realized we'd finished all of my make-up work. Damn, he's good.