"Still can't believed I cried that much," I mumbled bitterly.

"Seeing that you're always cool and collected, I guess it was okay."

"Not that…it's…embarrassing…"

"Embarrassing? What was so embarrassing?"

I motioned my head sideways and I suddenly heard Ikuto's roar of laughter.

"Crying in front of me is embarrassing? I'm not sure whether or not I should feel glad or disappointed."

"Whatever."

"Okay, okay. What do you want to do now? Go home or where everyone else is going?"

"Where everyone else is going of course."

"Are you sure?"

"Of course! Start the car pretty boy."

Ikuto POV

I started the car and gave a quick honk to the giant car in front of me signaling them that we were all game for the mission. As we drove I couldn't help but notice Amu was still shaking. Why was that? Why was she shaking still? What happened to her in the car? …Who is she? Silly question to ask but really who is she? I really don't know anything about her but that she's a bundle of nerves and she has a really mysterious past. She has a little sister…and she's 20. But that's about it. Should I ask?

I snuck a quick glance at her and frowned. She was a still shaking, not as much as before but she was still shaken from the previous event.

"Are you claustrophobic?" I asked all of sudden.

She snapped her head towards me and looked at me with bewildered eyes. Bad move Ikuto. I'm betting she was expecting this to be a quiet drive with no questions asked…what so ever. Oh well.

"No," she answered bluntly.

No words wasted. Her answer: precise. Okay so she's not claustrophobic…then what the hell is the matter with her.

"You want to know what's up with me?" she asked suddenly.

I nearly slammed my foot on brakes…but I didn't; I just stared at her. Did she read my mind? Is that even possible?

"Yeah."

"It's a long story…you up for it?"

"Y-yeah."

"Can't believe I'm actually doing this," she mumbled sullenly.

"You don't have to tell me. Tell me when you're ready."

"Okay."

The drive was quite silent but my cell phone and pager was on in case there was any other important news about the mission. We had been in complete silence for at least a half hour. That is…until…

"Back in high school…was when this first happened."

"What happened?" I asked curiously.

"Don't ask any questions…just listen…please."

Her voice was so thin…a whisper…but louder. It felt as though it would shatter at any moment…such fragileness.

"I was in high school….might seem like a while back to you…but to me it's all fresh. O was an honors kid, A+ in everything; I took college classes too. I was miss little popularity as well. I had it all- the looks, the brains, the charisma…that is…until he showed up."

She broke out and began to cry.

"S-sorry…just give me a minute…"

And then she began to do that thing I had witnessed more than once….she began to recollect herself. How many times had she been forced to do that? Just how painful is her past?

"Sorry a-about that."

"It's fine."

"His name…his name-

"Did you forget?" I asked.

"No…his name…I will never forget that name of his. Kashino Kai. I was a 2nd year and his was a senior. Odd he would fall for me…and I to him but it happened anyways. He was the all-star athlete, and he swooned girls all the same…his grades lacked it a bit though."

"Hmph, I was better…at least I had the grades too, and the looks."

"And that's how we met…through grades. His teacher assigned me to be his tutor…a student a complete two grades below him…but I had already started taking college courses…so I was ahead of everyone by more than four years. I had always his type of guys-

"His type?"

"You know the good looking playboy jock."

"Oh."

"Mhm. So I began to tutor him early in the morning and after school. He hated me and I hated him…and somehow we got along. Before long we were dating. The school's couple…everyone knew us. Even the first years knew us."

"Wow."

"Mhm. Soon we had been dating for 6 months and it was close to the end of the year. Prom was coming up. I got dressed up and he picked me up. It was the next day that really collapsed. We had a fight. I had been assigned a group in college for chemistry and it was all guys. Kashino kept thinking that I was cheating on him with college guys. I tried to convince him that he was wrong but he was angry and struck me across the face. Nobody had ever hit me…not once…so the fact that he did made me bewildered and angry. I yelled at him and cursed at him telling him that if he ever did that again I'd be gone faster than he could say 'go'."

"And then you broke up with him, right?"

"No. I stayed with him because I believed he wasn't like that. That he got caught up in the moment. But how many times would I let him off just like I had before. He always did the same after that and I always said I would leave him-

"You never did?"

"I couldn't…and when I finally decided to…when I finally had enough. That bastard."

Flashback

"Kashino, no more of this. It's through."

"What the hell do you mean it's through!" he shouted knocking over the classroom desk. "I'll tell you when it's over you whore!"

"Whore? Why you little bastard! I am not a whore!"

"Oh really? Seems like those college boyfriends of yours have given you a big mouth now haven't they?"

"Enough! You cannot tell me what I can or can't do!"

I turned around and grabbed my bag. And just as I began to walk out Kashino grabbed me by the hand and pulled me to the floor. My back hit the tile floor and I could feel my vision getting blurry. This all seemed to familiar. Why isn't it coming to me? He laughed at me. He was laughing at me. Not with as he used to, but at me.

Filled with anger, I tried to get up but Kashino only pushed me back down harder than he had before. Why was this happening? What happened to the sweet Kashino I had always know and loved? But I didn't get time to think because Kashino was now sitting on top of me…ripping off my clothes.

And then it came to me, why this all was so familiar. Nina…and that wretched man in the alley way. The same would happen to me? I was going to be … and then killed? My breath hitched and I felt my fingertips and body getting unreasonably cold. All the while I could hear him laughing…touching –

End of Flashback

"He raped you?"

"Y-yeah…"

"Sick bastard. Where is he? Do you know where he is now?"

"And if I did what would you do?"

"Beat him to a pulp for starters."

"Thanks, but he's long gone…at least I hope so."

"Oh…was he ever charged for sexual assault/rape?"

"No."

"Well why not!"

"Because…I had no evidence. The bastard cleaned up pretty well."

"'Pretty well' nothing. What happened to you? I mean in school…after what happened?"

"School was a living hell afterwards. Everyday I was on constant guard and so I put up a shield. I started to push everyone away from me. Charisma gone. I also didn't bother with my appearance anymore. So looks…I guess are gone too. Grades…I couldn't even do that either. It wasn't fair. How come after all that I had went through I still had to struggle? Why did I have to go through the sacrifices and the pain while everyone was allowed to have fun? Why did I have to go through police investigations again?

"Police investigations? Again?"

"Crap!" mumbled Amu quietly but sharply.

Amu POV

Damn it. I wasn't supposed to say that. Great going Amu.

Ikuto POV

"Huh? Um…what time are we supposed to get there?"

She changed the subject. Why?

"In 15 minutes. Hey Amu…what high school did you go to?"

"Why?"

"Just tell me."

"Um…let's see. I went to Sakura Trail High School. Why?"

"I don't think you should go."

"Why not? I've gone to every mission ever since the first one I was assigned and I'm as sure as hell that I won't miss this one."

"But Amu-

"Damn it," I cursed.

We had got there sooner than I had expected to get there.

"Amu?"

She didn't answer; her eyes were glued to the view in front of us. Her honey golden eyes that had been at first full of fear, then sadness, was now full of fear again. To be honest I felt bad for her even if she wasn't my favorite person in the world. I didn't know her that well at all. In fact, besides what she's told me I barely knew her. But from what I've heard her life hasn't been easy at all. Why'd she become a negotiator? Odd that I would think of that question in the middle of this mission, but really, why did she choose this as her job.

"M-my high school," her voice trembled out.

"You're staying in the car."

It wasn't a question. It was a statement. I had ordered her to stay in the car, because face it she was currently unstable and unstable negotiators don't ever help out. Instead…she opened her door and followed me to the car where everyone else was.

"I thought I told you to stay in the car."

"I don't want to," she said…but her voice was a fragile whisper.

"Ikuto! In the car we discussed what order we're in. You're the substitute negotiator."

"There's no way in hell I am trusting this mission to her. Look at her Kukai, she unstable. She can barely stand!"

"That wasn't our decision…it was Tsukasa's."

"What the hell is he thinking?"

"Don't ask me. Anyways, Rima and I will be with her and Nagi, several other officers and you will be emptying out the classrooms."

"…Whatever."

Kukai motioned Amu to follow him…which she did. As she walked away from me, I roughly grabbed her arm and jerked her closer to me.

"Listen you, if you feel like the pressure's getting to you, don't hesitate to call me."

"Thank you," she smiled before running off.

"Nagi, get the officers. Let's go empty out the classrooms," I said.

Amu POV

Long before when I was still little and my parents were still alive my mother had told me something she thought was valuable and important. She said-

Flash back

"Mama what are you doing?" I asked walking over towards my pregnant mother.

"Hi Amu. I'm looking through our old photos."

"Why?" I asked curiously.

"Here come sit down and I'll tell you."

She motioned me right besides her and I obeyed sitting down next to her. In front of her was a large box with a light green color. Along it was a white bow. When she didn't say anything, I looked through the box and pulled out a couple photos.

"Eeew! What is that?" I asked giggling.

"That's you."

I stopped giggling and looked closer at the picture. It was a small baby with no hair and it looked slightly pink.

"That looks nothing like me!" I huffed and put the picture back in the box.

"Yes it does."

"Nu-uh!" I exclaimed pulling out another picture.

"Amu, do you want to know why I'm looking through the pictures?"

"Yeah!"

"Well, in that picture we just saw…would you ever think that was you?"

"No."

"Do you know why we take pictures?"

"To hold pretty things?" I guessed.

"Close. We take pictures to capture a single moment. It's a memory."

"A memory."

"Amu," said my mother putting her hand on my heart. "Memories are gifts that we should treasure. To be able and remember a moment in time. Almost like a picture but not exactly. Keep them with you closely and treasure them. Will you do that for me?"

"Okay."

End of flashback

I do treasure my memories…just like you told me. Do I have to treasure this one? It has caused me nothing but grief. I continued to follow Kukai.

"I used to come to this school," I said to myself, though it was question.

"You did?" exclaimed Kukai turning around.

How did he hear me?

"Yeah. That's the science classroom I had in my sophomore year. Oh and that's where I ate lunch with all my friends. And that's where…

I froze and stared long and hard at the seniors' language arts classroom. They had more than one but this one. This one was different. It was full of tainted memories and wounds.

"Wow, you must've had a good time here."

"If only," I whispered.

"Kukai, over."

"What?" asked Kukai pulling out his walkie-talkie.

"Stop where you are. That's where the hostages are."

"What room?"

"M-12."

"Okay. Is there a number we can call?"

"Yeah…we got it somehow."

"Good, I'll have our negotiator call."

"Amu, are you ready for this?"

"Y-yeah."

"Here's the number."

I took it…yet it was a mistake.


Author's Notes

Hello! So this chappie is kind of late because I had planned to publish it two days ago as a reward for being such faithful readers and reviewers. Sigh. Oh well, I'm hoping you forgive me. I have some good news you guys might enjoy. Okay anyone who had read my last story: Rumors, Secrets, and Love, knew that I had planned to make a sequel but I couldn't think of anything.

You probably already what the good news is. But if you don't, here it is: I'M MAKING A SEQUEL! Yes, and you don't have to worry about me ditching the whole sequel idea because I've already started the first chapter. So that's good. Tell me if you like this idea or have any ideas. I'm very open minded.

Hmm…anything else. OH! Thanks a lot for the reviews. I love reading every single one of them. Some I agree with. Other I laugh at because they are so cute and funny. Um…this chapter's kind of short…so sorry about that. But on the plus side I have a lot of flashbacks. Not very much action. But I liked it.

Oh, my I've talked a lot in my author's notes this time. Sorry about that.

Read~Enjoy~Review

Neko-Meme