So Christmas happened. I GOT A BASS GUITAR. And a Spiderman jacket. And a lot of other stuff but I wont get into it. I hoped you enjoyed your holiday.

Anime-tv-manga-books- (12) Sorry for the slow up dates. Working on it.

ilovesoul- (12) Glad you liked the chappie. Happy new year!

MYMYTHEGREAT- (12) Here's your update. Needs given.

noxlife- (12) Thank you. It's great to know people actually enjoy this. It's mostly ramblings of a bored teenager.

4fireking- (1) Yeah, I'm more into disappearing then trying for the center of attention. I can't spell, I will admit. I'll check out your story as soon as I've finished this chapter. By the way I totally and completely LOVE One Piece. Just for the record.

Mystery Day Dreamer- (13) I know it was too short but I needed to update soon, and that's all I had planned. Is this long enough?

Guest [1]- (13) I will please keep going, I like the story too. Thank you!

Guest [2]- (13) Sorry about the length, working on it. Here's what happens next.

RAGNOROKgirl564- (13) Thank you. Glad you reviewed.

Maka's POV

It's Tuesday morning and I'm somewhere between extremely excited about tonight to really upset/nervous. I start to walk out of first period when Soul catches my arm. It kind of gives me a tingly electric feeling until I mentally slap myself. This is Soul, the mystery of high school, the coolest boy in class- scratch that the coolest boy ever -and one of the people who used to torment me. So no, no tingly electric feeling. I can save that for piano man. I put on a passive face and turn back to him.

"Don't forget," he says, "we're meeting up tonight. Outside the Radio, 7 o'clock."

"I know, I wont forget."

"I can pick you up, if you want?"

"No it's okay, I got a ride. Black Star remember."

In the corner of my eye I can see Eruka listening in. Soul gives a nod and walks to his next class. I turn back to face Eruka head on. She snarls and pushes past me forcefully. Whatever she hear or saw is going to bite me in the but later, I can tell.

I don't have to wait long. After third period we have a fifteen minute break to relax and talk and whatever. I walk to my locker and grab my books. Suddenly there's a presence behind me. Who ever they are, they put a hand on my shoulder and squeeze until I give a small yelp of pain. He leans forward and talk/whispers into my ear, "Shut up. Don't call for your friends. I'll guide you."

I give a small nod and close my locker door quietly. He gives me a forceful push and I allow myself to be guided.

Soon we're in an empty room, well empty except Eruka and two more of her goons. I roll my eyes. Probably shouldn't have.

Goon #1 sucker punches me quick. Breath for brain function. In. Out. In. Out. I realize I've some how made contact with the floor.

Eruka leans in close. "Shouldn't have messed with my boyfriend."

Cough. Okay, brain, make a comeback. "Last I checked he added an X to that."

Maybe not the best comeback, but it was enough to rattle her chains. With an angry "hrumph" she gets up and snaps her fingers. Kick into the stomach. More kicks. Two, three, four... seven.

Cough again. Air is necessary. Brain function. In. Out. In. Out. One of the guys grabs my wrist. His grip engulfs my wrist. I can't wait for the bruise on that one. I kick up. The grip loosens. I smile. That doesn't last. Goon's 2 and 3 are back to wailing on me in no time.

I'm not in the mood to fight back. With my luck, a teacher will walk in just as I get the upper hand. One of them grabs my tie and pulls me up to face him. I close my eyes as his fist connects with my face three times. He hisses as he shakes out his hand but laughs at the damage he's done.

When I hear my skirt rip I kind of lose it. Letting yourself get hit repeatedly isn't hard. But getting sexually assaulted, different story. It might have been an accident but the way Eruka was laughing I didn't want to find out. I pushed off from the ground and started to find my footing. The sudden flurry of motion from me surprised the Frog Bitch's hit men. I punched fast.

I probably could have planned my moves better. Maybe tried for a strategy. Those guys had done a number on my chest and it was getting hard to breath. Less air means less clear thinking. I probably got more tossed around and beat up when I started to fight back. By the time forth period was over so was I. They were tired. They, again, hadn't expected me to fight back. Still I have been completely beaten to a pulp.

With that done the four of them leave as if they just had lunch. As I hear their foot steps reseed into the distance, I think about Black Star. My own personal stacker as of yesterday went off the radar for one class change and I end up getting the snot punched, kicked, and smashed out of me for an hour. Urg.

When the halls clear for lunch, I scrap myself off the ground. With much labored breathing and annoyed looks to myself, I make my way to the nurses office.

Nurse Naigus is there. When she sees me, she moves and is behind me in seconds, helping me stand. She moves me over to one of the empty beds. After a few minutes she's got all my new injuries under bandages. I breath a sigh of odd relief.

She gives me a worried look. "Are you sure you don't want me talk to someone? I'm sure we could figure this out."

I give her a sad smile, but shake my head no. "It's fine. There's nothing the teachers can do that wont put me in more trouble out of school."

She looks like she wants to argue but doesn't. Soon she has to go. With a sorry she leaves to finish off some of her work elsewhere in the building. I look at the clock and watch the numbers click by.

I'm laying back on my pillow when I hear the door open again. "Nurse Naigus?" a male voice asks.

I sit up quick and instantly regret it. A sharp pain shoots through my, now bandaged, head. Soul, the guy I just got beat up because of, has walked into the nurses office. Can't he leave me alone?

I look around the corner and realize he's bleeding. A lot. His hand is rapped in his head band and already there's blood seeping through. He seems to have gotten a long gash down his palm. Weird.

"Hello? Nurse Naigus?"

My head starts to pound as he keeps talking. To get him to stop making noise, I come out from behind the curtain. "What happened?"

He starts at my sudden appearance. "What?" he asks.

"What happened?" I ask getting up. "To your hand?"

He looks down, as if to find out what the heck I'm talking about. When he sees his blood soaked head band, it seems to take him back to the present. "Right. Star and I were playing basket ball out in the quart during lunch. I had to grab the ball when it got caught. I slipped and my hand caught on a nail that wasn't completely nailed down. Then... this."

Normal POV

By now Maka had pulled out the gauze and was looking at the wound. She pulled off the head band and pushed his hand under running water. The nail had gone deep and the wound had a lot of blood. She clogs the sink when all the dirt has been washed out. When it has filled up half way with almost warm water, Maka dropped the headband in.

Soul gave her a questioning look. She responds, "Leave it there, unless you want blood stains on your favorite headband."

"How do you know how to get blood stains out of white cloth?" Soul asks, his eyebrows raised.

She laughs, "Once a month every girl has to deal with blood stains if their not prepared."

Soul blushes and mutters "too much info" under his breath. Maka's chuckle turns into full out laughter at his reaction. She stops when she accidentally jostles his hand and he hisses in pain. "Sorry!"

When she has completed rapping his hand he notices her knuckles. "Why are your knuckles beginning to scab over?"

Soul is upset. Ruff knuckles equals fighting. Maka shouldn't be fighting.

Maka hides behind her bangs before answering. "Nothing, just a little..."

"A little? What? Fighting? Maka you don't need to fight. There are people who want to take care of you. Be your friend."

"It's not like I'm starting them. And it's not like it's any of your business either."

"I'm just worried about you. Can't I do that?"

Maka shakes her head, "You can but you shouldn't."

"I'm your friend. Or at least I'm trying to be."

"You should stop."

"Why?"

"Because you're just making it worse. We are not friends. I'm just a stepping stone in you twisted latter of popularity."

"Is that what you think?" Soul seems hurt by her words but Maka doesn't notice.

"Trust me, as soon as you start to think strait you'll realize; you don't need me."

"Maka-" Soul begins.

But he's interrupted by the door opening. Niagus is back. The conversation is over.

All that's left is to meet up at the Radio that night.

Okay guys, hoped you liked it. What'd you get for Christmas (or any other holiday)?