Here read :D

***STORY START***

A normal day?

It may look like one from the prospective of a random stranger.

But even Starla knows something is going to be different as I bound up out of bed without my

usual whining.

Have I mentioned I have a pet porcupine?

Named Starla?

I hope I have.

Anyway, I get dressed for school with unusual vigor, which Starla notes with a wary eye. She is probably hoping I won't trample her underfoot in my excitement.

I quickly pack my bag, and run downstairs into the equivalent of a minefield.

Mom is making arrangements on her cell phone, dad is in a swamp of papers in the living room, Claire isn't even out of her room yet, and Jeffrey is sitting at the kitchen table, looking like he shouldn't have come out of his room. Now or ever.

I smile brightly at everyone, grab a piece of toast, and am out the door.

"Bye bye!" I squeak, exactly like I had heard so many anime heroines do. And my nose rams right into Kyo's chest plate. Normally, I would have flipped out and been all like "Oh shit! I'm so sorry I just shoved my nasal cavity into your sternum!" or something else really lame like that.

But, as I've already informed you, today is not a normal day.

So, instead, I pretend I had done it on purpose and wrap by arms around the already surprised boy.

His eyes widen.

Hugs are really weird for us Zodiac.

But also really nice. And very special.

"Gomen nasai, Kyo."

"I'm the one who's sorry. I was actually kind of debating with myself whether I had the guts to knock on the door or not."

"Well, your fate has been decided for you, apparently." My eyes widen for a second, thinking about what I had just said. Then I just shake my head. I'd have an eternity to think. Right now I just had to live in the moment, as corny as that may sound.

"Anyway, let's go to school, Kyo."

So we walk off, hand in hand.

As I poke Kyo for the third time with my pencil, he totally flips out on me.

"IF YOU DON'T STOP FREAKING STABBING ME WITH THAT STUPID PENCIL, I WILL MAKE IT MY FREAKING GOAL TO MAKE SURE YOU DIE A SLOW FREAKING PAINFUL DEATH!"

I ponder this. "Is that any way to talk to your girlfriend?"

His eyes widen. "G-Girlfriend? W-wha-at? You want to be my g-g-girlfriend?"

My eyes widen. "You don't w-want me to be your g-girlfriend?" I look as if I might cry. "Then why'd you kiss me?" I say this last part in a really loud stage-whisper, and everyone turns to stare at us. I grin evilly at him. He glares evilly at me.

"I didn't kiss you."

"No need to be shy, Kyo-Kyo." I say, stressing the "Kyo-kyo." Yuki stares at us, and his expression can be described in three letters. W-T-F. Haru snickers, across the room from us. Kyo is red as a cherry, so I stop chiding him, for fear his face might explode. Just then, as if on cue, the teacher walks in, claiming everyone's attention and commanding us to quiet down. I give Kyo a good "this isn't over" glare, and once he'd turned around to the front of the class, I poke him with my pencil twice more, for good measure.

In art today, I am bombarded with questions from Yuki. "What do you mean he kissed you? That's impossible. What aren't you telling us? Did he hurt you in any way? Because, you know I'll kill him if he did. I'll probably kill him if he didn't, but anyway. What are you hiding?"

I sigh. "All right. It's not like it matters anymore." Kyo looks at me sympathetically. "I'm a part of the Zodiac." I let this sink in for a moment. "We have a separate family in America."

"Wh-what?" Momiji stutters. Yuki gapes. So does Haru. I draw their faces, in a line, starting with Kyo smiling weakly, then on down the line. Haru is the first to recover.

"Holy Mother F*cking Sh*t."

I just roll my eyes.

The moment class ends, I grab Kyo by the hand and run out. I rush him on as he gets his crap out of his locker, then continue dragging him along. I run him all the way to the train station. "Can you tell me where the hell we're going?"

"Iie." [Nope]

"You suck."

"No thanks."

His eyes widen at my comment. I laugh slightly as we waited for the train to come.

"Please tell me."

"It's a secret." I take my phone out, call my mother, informing her that I will be out today. She sounds frazzled, but agrees without a moment's hesitation.

I guess she realizes how little time I had left to live my own life, too. I shake these melancholy thoughts out of my head as the train arrives at the station.

"Rettsugo!" [let's go] I laugh, dragging him on to the train. We stand inside for a second, and since there is barely anyone else on the train, and no one else in our car, he sits down, pulling me into his lap. I stare at him, thinking, What's with this sudden change in attitude? He hesitantly lays his forehead on mine. I breathe in his heady scent. I think this may be my definition of heaven.

We don't kiss, if that's what you're thinking. We just kind of stare at each other, savoring the moment. "Is there any particular place we're getting off?" he asks, and I nod my head. "Of course." The truth is, I have no idea where we were going.

And frankly, who cares?

We end up not going anywhere; we don't even get off the train. We basically just take a round trip. We speak, our voices hushed, hands clasped, faces touching.

When the train comes back to where we started, we quietly get off, holding hands.

As we walk down one of the many dirt roads, I abruptly stop and hugged Kyo to my chest. "We don't have much time… I love you," I murmur into his chest.

He glances down at me, curious, but not inquiring further. "I love you, too. Always and forever."

"Always and forever…" I agree, slumping forward onto him. The enormity of my predicament strikes me, hard, for the very first time. It makes me oh-so-very sleepy, so tired.

But later's not important. What is important is now. Now is the only thing I care about.

"G'night…" I manage to slur to my Kyo-Kyo.

Always and forever, eh? I sure hope so.

Goodnight, Kyo-Kyo.

And then, I'm asleep.

Personally, I thought this chapter was adorable. I love writing mushy stuff. ^-^

R&R

Love you all! :D