A/N- Waiting on mangas from the library. Tis never fun.

But, um... m-maybe more fun at the expense of Neku will make up for it? I don't know. *sigh*

-0-

Chapter Nine

-0-

Once Joshua had been dragged away by the younger Bito, the rest of the table for a moment in shock. Neku was the first to relax; or perhaps the better word would be 'break down'. He slumped forward in his seat and let out an aggravated sigh. "One of these days," he growled in a voice that trembled from frustration, "I'm going to totally deck Joshua and break his pretty face."

Before either of his companions could move, he rose and dumped his trash in the wastebasket. Shiki jumped up and grabbed for his arm.

"Wait, Neku-"

Something hit her in the side, throwing her off balance. Shiki squeaked and waved her arms, but stumbled backward to trip over something behind her.

Splash!

"Oh, sorry," one of the senior girls apologized cursorily at the girl sitting in the ice-cold fountain. The splash had attracted the attention of the entire courtyard, and Shiki was almost too stunned and cold to blush.

Why does stuff like this, she mentally lamented as she stared blankly down at the water swilling around her short navy skirt, always happen to me? A flash of red caught her eye, and she looked up.

Eri was standing a few feet away, something like compassion and guilt in her warm brown eyes. Did one of her friends... push me?

"Hey."

Neku's stern voice snapped her out of her thoughts, then hands were grabbing her arms and pulling her upright. Beat pulled a little enthusiastically, so her students grip on her other arm helped her from falling forward into a wet heap of gangly shame.

"You aight, Shiki?"

"Yeah, just kinda... cold," she confessed with a shiver. Neku snorted and shot a glare in the direction of the other girls as the bell rang.

"I bet that's the work of Joshua's fan club. Really, he needs to remember how cruel girls can be over guys. It's not right for him to subject you to them just to bother me."

He's worried about me? That actually seems kinda... sweet, she mused as Neku pulled her along to the main building.

"Hey, tell Konishi we'll be late. I'm gonna go find Stalker a change of clothes," he called to Beat, who nodded before

...Wait, what?

"Wait a second," Shiki grunted as she was towed down the hallways, wet shoes squawking on the floor like angry ducks, "where are we going?"

"Office," he grunted as they rounded a corner and came across a deserted stretch of hall. "Then bathroom so you can change."

She blushed, glancing down at her soaked clothes. "It's not that bad."

His unexpected stop caused her to almost run into him as he spun around to give her a cold stare. "You're going to freeze, " he growled, pulling at the dripping hem of her skirt for emphasis, "if you wear this to class. Sick people can't be tutors too."

Is that the only reason you care? She snorted again as he resumed hauling her along, busting open the office room moments later.

Yashiro Uzuki looked up from her computer, then raised a dyed pink eyebrow. "Shouldn't you two, like, be in class?"

"She needs dry clothes. We're not leaving until we get them."

Shiki winced as the pink haired intern rose from her chair. "Are you taking to me, you little punk?" She curled one long fingernail at them, her grey shirt tightening as she took in a deep breath. "Because you really better not be talking to me like-"

"Oh, Uzuki, give it a rest."

Leaning in the doorway was the older of the two interns, Koki Kariya, idly chewing on an lollipop. "Come on back here, Sakuraba, Misaki. We've got plenty of spare clothes. In fact," he smirked at Uzuki's miffed expression, "I'll even write you a note so that the Iron Maiden knows where you've been."

Shiki flashed the man a smile as Neku dragged her by. "Thanks, Kariya!" Further words were cut off when various sized of uniform were being thrust in her face.

"I can get my own clothes," she muttered, a little sullenly. Neku rolled his eyes. "Have it your way, but be quick about it."

"I'm a bargain shopper, Neku Sakuraba- I can find my size in a three foot tall stack of clothes in two minutes," his tutor remarked, flipping through the neatly folded uniforms before pulling out a set. "There," she concluded, then was pulled away again, just being able to snatch the note from Kariya on the way by. The intern gave a knowing wink to the girl, and she blushed a little at its implications.

"We're not-"

Then the door closed on the office, and both teens were scuttling down empty hallways, the only sound being Neku's even footsteps and the pitiful squeaking of Shiki's shoes.

"Go change," he growled, pulling open the door to the girl's bathroom and practically throwing her inside. Safe now, with a door between them, Shiki rubbed her wrists. He's stronger than he looks. Jerk.

Again attributing her speed to countless shopping marathons with Eri - here she sighed heavily - Shiki pulled on the dry clothes, tugging at the hem of the skirt. Then she froze.

"N-neku?" She opened the door and peered outside. Her escort was leaning next to the door, running his hands through his hair as if he was anxious for his headphones. At her voice, he looked up, then gave her clothes a once over, his gaze lingering expressionlessly on the extra four inches of leg that peeped from under the tiny skirt.

"The skirt's really... short," she squeaked, blushing as she turned around. "It still covers, though, right? I know we don't have time to go back and get another one, but-"

"It's fine," he muttered, taking her wrist again and almost jogging down the hallway to class. Nothing else was said, but Shiki could have sworn his ears looked a little red.

-0-

After school, and after returning to the bathroom to retrieve her still-wet uniform, Shiki was chasing down Neku in the schoolyard. "Hey, wait up!"

He turned, then met her halfway with a scowl. "Do not run in that skirt," he half gasped, half growled when she came to a stop in front of him. The tall senior then proceeded to hand out death glares to the other guys in the area like they were going out of style. "Honestly."

"Sorry, Dad," she replied with a bit of a sting in her tone. "I'm still getting used to it."

Neku snorted and crossed his arms, reaching up to toy with his headphones, who had reclaimed their perch on the spiked orange head. "Whatever. What did you call me for, anyway?"

"I figured we should probably get back to work. Is it ok if we go to your house? My parents are out for the evening, and-"

"You wouldn't like them to come home to us alone in the house," he concluded, then rolled his eyes. "Fine. Your mom creeps me out anyway."

Shiki huffed and opened her mouth, ready to fire back with some nasty comeback. Nothing came.

"Close your mouth. You look like an idiot."

"I do not!"

Neku turned away and started down the street. "You do, too."

Still vexed, she had no choice but to trot after him, still feeling the shortness of the skirt. "You," the girl panted as she fell into step as best as she could beside him - his strides were considerably longer than her small, restricted steps - "are a jerk."

"Do I look like I care?" He raised one sharp orange eyebrow and directed his steely blue gaze her way before it flicked back to the street.

The rest of the walk was completed in a sort of tense silence. Clusters of people passed by, some near and some far, like boulders in a stream. The sky was grey, distant and cool - a blank canvas waiting for a storm or a sunset to be painted upon its smooth, vast surface. A chill breeze spoke of the coming winter. When the doors to the apartment complex slid open, the lady at the desk gave the pair of teenagers a plastic smile. When Shiki waved and Neku gave an absent nod, her eyes widened in surprise.

"I take it you don't talk much with the staff," Shiki commented to her escort as the lady peered around the corner and watched the elevator doors close.

He jumped slightly, as if snapped out of his thoughts. "What?"

You could at least try to listen to me! "Never mind," she sighed in defeat, as the doors slid back open and freed the students into the dark hallway.

"So," Neku muttered, jiggling the key in the lock and scowling behind spikes of pumpkin-hued hair, "what's your plan?"

Caught off guard, all she could do was blink, feeling slightly stupid. "Plan for what?"

He sighed heavily, rolling his head towards the ceiling as the door swung open. "Helping me in English."

"Well," she replied, trying very hard to keep resentful ice out of her voice, "I figured I'd have you do a couple more book reports today, then tomorrow I'll try to think up something different to tutor you with. How does that sound."

Neku snorted again, running his fingers through his spiked bangs. "Peachy."

-0-

...Oh the shame. I'm putting cheap panty shots in a fanfiction. Josh help me.

Reviews make my world go around~~