A/N- Another one? I'm on a roll! I might even be able to squeeze out yet ANOTHER update. I'm not a big fan of this particular chapter, but whatever. It's kind of short, too. Oh well. Don't forget to review!

"Come on Nimian, up, up, up!" Shigure sang, tugging away the blanket despite Nim's protests. "Time for school!"

"Mmmmm, too early…." She rolled onto her other side and closed her eyes again.

"Nimian…" Shigure poked her gently in the side. "Oh, Nimian-"

With an amazing amount of nonchalance and power, Nim pulled back her arm and promptly slapped Shigure in the face.

"Owie!"

"Get over it…"

"So mean." Shigure huffed, rubbing his red cheek. "Fine, be late to school. I don't care."

"Can do." Nimian flashed him a sarcastic thumbs-up and closed her eyes. Her breathing slowed and she slipped back into sleep.

With a large yawn, Nim sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes. She threw a careless a glance at the clock. 10:32. 10:32! Nim leapt out of bed and sprinted toward the door, stripping off her clothes as she went. She swiftly pulled on a shirt and seized a skirt of the hanger. She ran out the door and shimmied into it in the hallway, swearing and hopping on one foot. She zipped up the side, swooped her school bag off the floor and sprinted out the door, snarling profanities the whole way.

Nimian tore open the front door and ran down the hallway. She turned a sharp corner and slammed into someone.

"Hey, watch where the hell you're- Haru!" Nim stared up at him in surprise from her spot on the floor.

"Hello, Nim." Haru held out his hand to grasp Nim's and pulled her up to her feet.

"What are you doing here?" She asked confusedly.

"Momiji and I go to school here now."

"Really?"

"Yeah."

"Well, thanks for informing me ahead of time."

"Anytime."

"NIMIAN!" Momiji howled, launching himself at her and wrapping his arms around her waist from behind.

"Hey, Momiji!" Nimian perked up and pulled him into a hug. "Um, what are you wearing?"

"My uniform!"

"It looks cute on you." Nim looked at the blond from head to toe and back again. "Hell, you probably wear it better than me."

"Um, excuse me." A small brunette girl approached us. "A guy was looking for Haru and Momiji."

"What did he look like?" Nim asked, wondering vaguely if it was Kyo.

"Um, tall-ish, orange hair, tanned skin."

"Where was he?"

"Next hallway over."

"Thanks." Nim replied before motioning to her family members. "Let's go." Haru growled something under his breath and Nim shot him a weak glare. "Stop your man bitching and come on."

Nim led them to the next hall and discovered Tohru looking up at Kyo in surprise and two guys slinking away from them. Nim brushed it off and approached them.

"Hey." Nim purred, resting her elbow on Kyo's shoulder.

"When did you get here?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow at her.

"Five minutes ago, give or take."

Kyo rolled his crimson eyes and allowed them to wander to his other cousins with stoicism, but his jaw dropped when he saw Momiji wearing a girls' uniform. His hand shot out and swatted Momiji on the back of his head.

"What the hell are you wearing?" He snarled.

"Wahhh! Kyo hit me!"

"Leave him alone!" Nim barked, swiping Kyo on the stomach. "He looks good!"

"It does suit him." Sighed Haru calmly.

"What difference does that make?"

"Momiji, what are you wearing?" Yuki's eyes latched on the uniform before meeting his bright eyes.

"My uniform!"

"So, Yuki, have you finished all your work yet?" Tohru asked, cocking her head to the left.

"Not quite. I was just making rounds and I heard the commotion."

"That sucks." Nim smirked, tossing him a sympathetic look.

"Hey, listen, listen!" Momiji waved his arms in the air to get his attention. "I'm not supposed to goof off too much while I'm here 'cause if I do it'll be too easy for me to crash into girls, so I'm going to try and play it cool at school!"

"How the hell can you call wearing a dress cool?" Kyo demanded, resisting the urge to hit Momiji when he caught Nim's daring eye.

"A valid point Kyo Sohma, student of class 2D." A haughty voice reverberated through the hallway. "And while I find that orange head of your disagreeable, I will ignore it for the moment. What I can not ignore is a boy who would wear a girls' uniform to school."

The boy puffed his chest out and continued in an obnoxious, self righteous tone. "And while your teachers may allow it, I will not, for I am the school's student council president, Mokoto Takai, also know as Captain of the Campus Defense Force!"

His female lackeys quietly clapped their hands behind them.

"Is this the idiot who bosses you around?" Nim scoffed, throwing Yuki an unbelieving look.

"Unfortunately."

"I can see already you are going to be a problem student, and the same goes for you, Hatsuharu Sohma. I will not tolerate that white hair or those gaudy necklaces!" Takai tried to look intimidating, but he failed miserably.

"President Takai, it's his natural color." Yuki soothed, raising a hand in a sort of peace gesture.

"Oh, Yuki, so nice to see you, but NATURAL COLOR? I can see that his hairline is clearly black."

"That's natural, too, jack ass." Nim murmured, feeling anger flare in her throat.

"And you, have you no pride as a man?" Takai turned to Momiji and began yelling at him until he was reduced to tears.

"Leave him alone." Nim growled, approaching Takai and shoving him against the locker, her forearm pressed to his throat. "You know, I'm kind of getting tired of your narcissistic, holier-than-thou attitude."

"I am not a narcissist of any kind, I merely-"

Nim growled deep within her throat and pressed against him harder, her lips pulling back in a snarl in order to flash her ivory fangs. In her anger, she had developed an animalistic, demonic appearance.

"I highly suggest you shut the fuck up or so help me I will castrate you with a rusty dagger. Who gave you the right to criticize my family? 'Cause I know I sure as hell didn't. If I wear a dress that doesn't make me polite. If Haru's hair was one color that wouldn't make him gentle. But I guarantee if you fuck with my family, I'll kick your ass. " Takai weakly pulled at Nim's arm as he struggled for air, but he received nothing other than a swift punch in the gut. "Who do you think you are? The Messiah? Got any grand advice for us? Want to tell me how to get to heaven with some holy virtues and a few prayers?" Takai's face turned purple just as Nim was tugged away from him.

"Get off, you're gonna kill him!" Haru barked.

"Let go of me!" She lashed out blindly and her fist came in contact with his ribcage.

"What if I don't want to let go?" He sneered, tightening his grip on her wrist. Nim pulled back her fist and slammed it into Haru's jaw, forcing him to release her. He growled and kicked her in the side. She was about to retaliate when Kyo and Yuki pulled them apart. Both promptly began wriggling to get away, and when they finally did, they made no move to fight, merely glaring daggers at each other. Takai, however, was still on the floor wheezing.

"His clothing… Is not allowed..." He panted. "It's unfair to the other students…"

"You stubborn bastard." Nim rumbled, stepping forward to hit him again, but Haru began to paint fantasized pictures of Yuki in a girls' uniform, and Takai was distracted.

"Well, Hatsuharu Sohma, you are a worthy opponent. BUT YOU WILL NEVER CONVINCE ME THAT IS YOUR NATURAL COLOR!" He thrust a finger at the offending locks. Haru narrowed his eyes at Takai before seizing him by the back of the collar and dragging him into the boys' bathroom. Takai walked out in a daze, and Haru had a smug smirk on his face.

"Impressive evidence…" Takai muttered, removing his glasses. "There are still many things I am yet to understand in this world." He stumbled away, and all the Sohmas froze.

Nim looked at Haru disbelievingly. "Did you just…"

Haru chuckled darkly and Nim massaged her temples.

"Oh dear God…"

"Why so curious, Nimian? Do you want a peek?" He taunted. He made a grab for her but Kyo leapt between them and shoved Haru off.

"Fuck off, you fat cow."

Haru groaned lightly as he sat up, blinking. "Why I am I so exhausted?"

"You're exhausted?" Kyo scoffed.

"No shit." Nim agreed. "You went Black on us." She explained to Haru.

"What did I do?" He asked rather sheepishly.

"You tried getting into my pants. Again."

"Well-"

"No, Don't. Just… don't."

The third period bell rang, and Nim turned her head toward the noise.

"Well, we better get to class then, huh?" Momiji said.

"I guess so." Tohru decided. "If you want, after school, you can meet my friends."

"Really? You would do that?" Momiji asked excitedly.

"Of course, they'll be excited to meet you both. I'll find you after school."

"Um, well actually…" Momiji whispered tentatively. "Kyo, Yuki, Nim, can I talk to you guys for a second?"

"Sure." Nim consented, suddenly uneasy. Tohru obediently went on her way, and Kyo turned to Momiji.

"What happened?"

"Well, Akito is here." Momiji locked his eyes on the ground as though he were saying something he shouldn't be.

"Akito is here?" Nim yelped. Her pupils dilated and she subconsciously glanced around, her heart rate picking up and fear entering her throat. Kyo comfortingly looped an arm around her waist and pulled her close as he began to huskily whisper consolations in her ear. She shoved him away when he realized what he was doing, fear all but paralyzing her. He looked at her for a moment, hurt, but he recognized why she did and became slightly panicked himself. If Akito ever saw any sort of affection between the two, he would not hesitate to reprimand them.

"I have to go." Nim glanced around frantically. "I can't stay here. He can't find me." She turned and began to run, turning corners and running down halls blindly. She stumbled upon an empty classroom and hid inside. The lights were off and the blinds drawn. She collapsed in a corner panting. She pulled her knees to her chest and hugged them close, fear and paranoia igniting her every nerve. The door opened and Nimian froze, her eyes wide.

"Nim?" Kyo called tentatively. "Are you in here?"

She gathered up some courage and cleared her throat, but her voice was still quiet. "Over here, Kyo."

He walked toward her, closing and locking the door behind him. When he saw her huddled in a corner, bright eyes dull, he saw something for the first time, and what he saw scared him a little. Nimian Sohma was vulnerable. She had no bravado, no sarcasm or defiance. She was afraid and exposed. He sat next to her and pulled Nim into his lap tenderly. She snuggled into his chest, her arms enveloped his torso. He felt her breathing slow as she calmed down, and he kissed her temple affectionately.

"You're all right." He whispered. "I won't let him get you." He held her closer and kissed her again. "I promise."

A/N 2- Chapter 13! Review please! It comforts me to know that people enjoy my work.