Chapter Two: A Meaningful Dream & Old Friends

…

Occasionally, I find myself waking up after a vivid, yet strange dream. Sometimes it happens every week – other times, there can be months and months between the dream. No matter how long it's been, it always finds a way back to my mind. It usually plays out the same way as it always does. It's so full of life and so clear; I can remember it without fail each time. It's a wonderfully beautiful dream – I just can't understand why it keeps repeating itself, which is why I call it 'strange'. Whenever I try to recall it, the details all come rushing back to me, sending me into a daydream state.

There I am; standing at the entrance in a magnificent royal castle hall, in awe of the sheer number of people filling the area. There is a prestigious royal ball being held by the mysterious, dashing prince of the kingdom, and only the most important people may enter. I have turned up alone at the ball, however, I have broken the rules and sneaked past the royal guards, without an invitation. I have wanted to meet this prince all my life – to escape the crushing rule of cold, harsh parents. Running away and meeting the love of my life has been a life-long aspiration, and now, I have my chance.

However, there is no chance of the prince ever looking my way. He's well acquainted with almost everyone invited to this ball, and his parents have undoubtedly already picked out perfect matches for him. Though my long, silky, elegant deep red dress may be the best find in my life, it will never live up to what the other women are wearing.

I continue to stare around the vast hall in awe. I can hear all sorts of conversations; I can smell the finest wine and most delicious food in all the kingdom. Though finding true love is everything I ever wanted, it cannot last forever. The truth is, I am not here alone at all. Although I am standing in this royal castle hall by myself, I have come here under guidance of a mysterious, god-like figure, who wants only one thing in return for a couple hours of freedom.

The figure wants me to return a few drops of the prince's fresh, royal blood.

There I am; standing at the entrance in a magnificent royal castle hall, gripping tightly onto the handle of a knife behind my back. I part my shining pink lips to take a deep breath, steadying my nerves as much as I can. First, I the figure allowed me to have just a few hours with the man of my dreams, before I must lead him to the secluded balcony… And take his blood.

Releasing my grip slightly on the knife's strong handle, I reach a free hand towards the bag hanging from my shoulder. Opening it up, I take a quick glance around – though there's bound to be no eyes on me, the figure warned me to always be cautious. As suspected, there is no one watching me; even better, the royal guards are not in sight. I am quick to slide the knife into the bag, making swift movements and remaining calm.

At the opposite end of the hall, I can see the arrival of the kingdom's prince. It's as though my eyes shift on their own accord to glance from my bag. As soon as I set my eyes on the prince, I can feel my heartbeat begin to increase in my chest; my breathing grows shaky. He is even more beautiful than I could ever imagine. Tall, a staggering aura of mystery, and most definitely dressed for the occasion. My eyes scan over every inch of the prince; from his flowing golden locks and sapphire blue eyes, to his stern yet dreamy expression.

When I think the situation cannot get any better, the prince ceases his talking and slowly turns his head towards my direction. Suddenly, the distance between the two of us grows much shorter than it once was. Our eyes meet, and time seems to freeze at that exact moment. Everyone around us falls completely silent as we gaze at each other; they cease their movements, too. I can feel a strong connection between the prince and I from this purely magical encounter – it feels all too familiar, somehow. I am rendered speechless as the prince approaches me gracefully. He's right by my side in no time.

This is truly love at first sight. At that point, my mind becomes blank and my original goal is blurred altogether. The prince reaches his hand forward, taking hold of mine with a touch so delicate and gentle. I watch as he leans over ever so slightly, pulling my hand forward to press his soft lips against the skin. "A beautiful flower, indeed…"

It is at this point I can no longer talk. I cannot say a word to ruin the moment. I become the mysterious one for the night, as the prince whisks me away to dance in the centre of the hall with him. As he pulls my body closer to his, and as we begin to waltz and twirl, the crowd focuses all their attention on us. They watch us in amazement, jealousy and excitement. This dance feels the most familiar to me, apart from our already growing bond.

The prince and I spend what feels like forever slowly dancing in the centre of the hall. Even though time seems to stop during our eye contact and embrace, the seconds are melting away faster than they would normally. It feels to me like a dream within a dream – however, I am suddenly snapped from our dancing when I remember my true goal. Realisation harshly slaps me in the face, so much so, that I exhale sharply and pull away from the prince.

Not even the crowd is concerned about my sudden parting, yet the prince is very much concerned. "My beautiful flower… What is the matter?"

I take no time at all to explain myself to the prince. I can tell it's getting closer and closer to midnight – the deadline for my night. In a rush, I grab his hand and begin to pull him away from the centre of the hall. Still without a word, and through his confused protesting, I dash up the stairs with him by my side and we stop at the balcony.

Breathing heavily from stress, nerves and other mixed emotions, I slowly release the prince's hand from my grip once we reach the balcony. I cannot even take any time to admire the view. From the quick glance I sneak over the edge, I know it's a beautiful sight; the moonlight spills down towards the balcony, shining down on the prince and I. I turn my back away from him, too ashamed to look him in the eyes.

"You have me so worried. You're so mysterious… I can't help but feel like you're in danger. Please, talk to me, my beautiful flower," comes the prince's soft voice.

There are tears beginning to sting my eyes now. I cannot turn back. I must not. If I do not take the prince's life before midnight, the dark figure will take every good thing from me. Despite my parents not being the most wonderful parents, I cannot bear the thought of losing them. Without a word, I make a swift movement towards the bag on my shoulder. Time is running out. The glass slippers supporting my feet are slowly melting away. I keep my glance forward, reaching into my bag and gaining a firm grip on the knife's handle. Finally, I say one thing to the prince. To my prince.

"I love you."

Before I get anywhere close to ending the prince's life, I always wake up. Dreams suck like that. What if I don't feel guilty for totally gutting some random stuck-up prince? I want to get to the good part! I suppose dreams don't work that way, though. That's why it's so strange. I used to love fairy tales when I was a kid, but now that I'm older, my love for them sort of just faded away. The idea of love at first sight has always been lame to me, as well. Though I must admit, the dress I wear in that dream is killer. No pun intended. The only thing that bothers me about that dream is the strong sense of familiarity regarding 'our' – I guess – strong bond right off the bat. I tend not to dwell on it too much, though. I usually forget about the dream a day or so after I have it, but soon, I might have a reason to think more of it.

…

"Are you absolutely sure we can leave you two alone?" Father groans.

Screw it, I don't regret my PMS-driven outburst towards Len earlier. Not at all. But for the sake of our friends, I suppose I must act like I'm sorry. It's not surprising that my mother is far more understanding of my outburst than my father is.

"Hey, it's not my fault. I'm the victim in all this!" Len responds, literally playing the victim. Oh, you big pervert, I wish I could tell our parents what you said about my backside.

"I promise, you can trust us. I just had a… moment," I say, rubbing my arm in an awkward manner.

Mother lets out a heavy, almost thoughtful sigh. "It's alright, you two. Honey, we should be more understanding, especially with Rinny's… womanly issues," she says, turning to look at Father.

Father gives a shrug. "You two should consider yourselves lucky that we're going to let this slide. But that's only because we were meant to be out of here five minutes ago," he responds.

"Please… Try not to have an outburst like that again." Mother sets one of her bags down, before coming towards me and wrapping a free arm around me.

I let out a quiet sigh, returning her hug and reassuringly patting her back. We hold the embrace for a few moments, before I feel Mother's loving warmth fade away. She returns to Father's side, getting a grip on her bag.

Only now, it starts to sink in that they're going to be gone for two days. I was looking forward to celebrating the most perfect birthday without them, but now, it kind of hurts knowing they won't be here. My parents are far from chilled or relaxed – sometimes they made my childhood a living Hell. However, I love both Mother and Father deeply, and I know I'm going to feel empty without them. Even though I don't want them to leave, I can't mess this up for Len, nor my friends.

Before I know it, my parents are out the front door and on their way to some fancy airport. They said their goodbyes rather quickly, as they stated they were running late. I had no time to give Mother a long hug; no time to kiss Father's cheeks. I'm soon snapped from my longing thoughts upon hearing Len pipe up.

"Ah man, I never thought they'd leave!" His words are followed by a short, cocky-sounding laugh, causing me to uncontrollably roll my eyes. Trust me, it's like an instinctual reaction at this point. "C'mon Rin, our friends will be here soon. I think we should get that surprise ready."

Ah, yes. The ambiguous 'surprise' Len has been hinting at for a couple of weeks now. He told me he was planning for it to be something big – that I should 'leave it all to him'. I fold my arms as I turn to face my brother, raising an eyebrow in curiosity yet natural caution. "So you're finally going to tell me what it is?"

Len gives a nod in response, his stuck-up attitude slowly fading into that of a brighter, more upbeat one. "You remember those dance classes we took?"

Oh, boy. "How could I forget?" I rhetorically answer, letting out a soft giggle.

When Len and I were around seven years old, our parents begun dragging us along to some local dance classes. They said they wanted to add more variety to our after-school activities, and dancing seemed perfect at the time. Heck, it honestly was perfect – Len was an amazing partner to dance with, even as a kid. We both enjoyed each lesson, and we spent many hours of our life in those classes.

Upon turning ten years old each, our dance instructor talked to our parents and suggested that she put Len and I into an upcoming dance contest. It was nothing fancy; just a small, local show, where the prizes were mostly sweets and a knock-off plastic trophy. Since we both loved dancing, we were the ones begging our parents to agree and let us enter. Of course, they saw no harm in a small contest, so we were allowed to enter.

For the performance, each dancing couple had to come up with their own unique dance. Len and I saw this as no challenge, and we spent many weeks coming up with the best dance in our lives. Nothing we previously composed could ever come close to this dance, despite how young we were. There was just one thing I never thought of before. The audience.

Our parents never gave Len and I much exposure to crowds and audiences; as always, we were sheltered from all that 'scary' stuff. On the night of the contest, little me peeked out of the stage curtains, only to lay eyes upon the largest number of people I have ever seen. I remember it clearly – at that moment, fear began to set in. I recall suddenly begging Len to reconsider; I said I could come up with some wild excuse and they'd just have to believe me. However, Len was extremely excited for the contest. It was all he wanted to do. I completely regret giving into him and going along with the contest.

Len and I were the first pair up on stage to dance. We were the opening act. I might have been able to take some time to relax if we were third or fourth, but this was the hand that fate dealt me. As the music begun and Len held me in his tiny arms preparing to start, I choked. Our dance started with a gentle spin, where Len would have twirled me outwards to the right. However, as soon as he did that move, I found myself frozen and paralysed in fear, unable to continue with my part. And the longer I stood there, the worse I felt in front of the crowd. I can't exactly recall their reactions, but I'm sure they thought I was one hell of a weird kid.

I've had a terrible fear of crowds ever since then. Whenever it's brought up presently, I laugh it off. But on the inside, I feel like curling up into a ball and dying of embarrassment. That's a bit of a dramatic approach to it, but that dance contest was honestly terrible.

"I know Mother had to drag you off stage and all, and you were pretty much scarred for life…" Len starts, a slight smirk pulling at his lips.

Oh, yeah. That happened, too.

"But sometimes, I think about how much I miss dancing," he continues, opening up about his feelings for once. "You know how much I loved it."

"I'm sure you loved the dance instructor mistaking you for a girl, too," I remark, giving a soft giggle at the memory. I know my brother has a point. We made some of the best memories of our childhood in those three years of dance class.

Len shakes his head as a sign that he's frustrated at the remark, yet I can see that uncontrollable smile shining through. "Not my proudest moment…"

"Uh huh." I can't help but grin, before giving a nod.

"Well… I found Father's recording of our practice dancing sessions a little while back," Len admits.

My eyes grow wide upon hearing this. I don't know if I should be annoyed – because I had no idea those recordings existed – or if I should prepare to face incredible embarrassment. Maybe I should just go for both of those things. "Oh, God. He didn't have, like, a recording of the actual day, did he?" I'm almost afraid to ask.

"You're in luck, kid," Len responds, in his usual cocky tone.

"Ha," I let out a fake, obviously irritation-filled laugh. Did I mention how much I hate it when he calls me that? Because I do. Damn, at least Father didn't get a recording of that day. I know for a fact Len would have a field day with that footage.

"I had kind of forgotten what our dance looked like – what it consisted of… You know, all that stuff," he continues, coming back to a more serious tone. As I listen, I grow more and more curious. I honestly don't know what he's planning. "So, I scanned these recordings religiously for hours."

Hold up, what? "Oh, so that was what all your extra 'homework' was." I take a guess at this, narrowing my eyes at my brother now. It all makes sense at this point. He always dashed off, leaving me with my parents, saying he had some important schoolwork to finish.

Len nods at me, his smile growing wider. "We have a couple of hours to learn a new, even more perfect version of that dance."

My eyes grow wide once more as I hear my brother say this. "No way!" I let out a laugh, almost in disbelief. I loved that dance more than anything; my fear of crowds pushed me away from dancing altogether, however. I desperately wanted to try and get back into dancing, but I ended up thinking I was a lost cause. But now… Len did all this for me? I hate to think so selfishly, but he couldn't have done it just for our friends.

Len's bright smile fades into a softer, sincerer smile, as he reaches forward and suddenly takes my hands into his. "Rin…"

I raise a brow, looking to him in confusion. Why is he being so… so nice to me all of a sudden? It catches me off guard a bit, causing a light blush to sneak its way onto my cheeks. For some reason, I can feel some sort of subtle tension between my brother and I. Like something is tugging at me deep inside. I don't know if I've felt such a small, subtle thing before. I remain silent, stunned by the moment.

"I know how much that contest effected your confidence… And I know how much you've always wanted to come back to dancing, but you could never get that push in the right direction," Len says, his tone growing lower.

I narrow my eyes, focusing precisely on each of my brother's movements. As he speaks, I can feel him release my left hand from his; he shifts his free hand to rest on my hip, and then he pulls me slightly closer towards him. I allow myself to be pulled in close, practically hypnotised by the intense atmosphere surrounding us. Everything feels so different. Yet I don't know why. When his hand settles on my hip, I can feel a light shiver rush through my body almost immediately after. With my lips slightly parted and my eyes shining, I trail my glance back up to meet Len's eyes.

And he's just smiling at me, in the same sincere way as before. "Now here's your push of confidence. I wanted to make sure everything was perfect for this moment."

"Len, I…" My words trail off. I'm at a complete loss; I have no idea what to even say. Then, it hits me. That light shiver from my brother's touch… the position we stand in, and our closeness… This is all too similar to my recurring dream, where the mysterious prince holds me close and offers a dance in such a sweet, sincere manner. Yet at the same time, there's that air of mysterious, unknown feelings held between us, accompanied by the deadly silence, and the same feeling of time standing still as we hold eye contact.

I think nothing of these similarities; I don't mention them to my brother, at the risk of ruining our special moment. I want to enjoy learning a dance all over again with Len. It's something I've always deeply desired, something I've longed to get back. I often found myself reminiscing my past, our dance lessons replaying over and over in my mind. This seems to connect all too well with my dream, yet I don't quite understand why. I brush it off as one big coincidence, and allow myself to forget all about these confusing, conflicted emotions, just to enjoy some quality time with my other half.

…

Len has always been there for me. Even during the most difficult times of my life. Mother and Father never seemed to understand my different emotions, yet my brother somehow always knew how to deal with me. Maybe it's some sort of deeply ingrained twin thing. I've tried to tap into my instincts and help my brother, but he hardly ever has any problems of his own.

I sat there right out in the open, slumped against my locker, with my knees pulled up to my chest. I sobbed silently to myself, keeping my head low, and hugging myself for warmth in the icy, empty halls. Most students were gone now anyway, so I didn't care about my current position. I just wanted to let out all the heartache and anger through heavy breaths and relentless tears. Having such a strong crush at only thirteen might not seem like a big deal to some, but to me, it was at the top of my list of problems. Especially after facing such a brutal rejection.

I was always such a curious girl. I had quite a few minor crushes here and there over the past year. However, these feelings were so much more than I had ever felt, at the time. Putting it into perspective, it wasn't all that strong, considering I was so young. Yet the rejection felt terrible.

"Rin…?"

I froze. Someone was calling my name; their soft voice drifted through the halls and was carried my way. I lifted my head up immediately, unable to recognise the voice for now. Perhaps one of my friends became worried and wanted to see where I was. Could I even let them see me in such a state? I had just been sobbing for ten minutes straight. I'm sure I didn't look great.

"Rin?"

Their voice travelled through the halls once more. This time, it sounded closer than before. I took in a shaky breath, attempting to calm my nerves and cease my tears. I stayed where I was on the cold floor, lifting only slightly to rest my back against the locker. With watery, almost shining eyes, I sent my glance first to my left, then to my right. And when I looked to the right, I could see my brother walking towards me at a fast pace.

I prepared myself for the worst. He was going to mock me for my tears, without a doubt. Then he'd lecture me for running off and being late to walk home. He hardly took my crushes seriously – he'd offer a few kind words but then get straight back to lecturing me for something. He was always looking to pick a fight. And then there was the matter of who my crush was.

I narrowed my eyes, gritting my teeth together lightly out of annoyance. I just wanted to be left alone for once. I watched as he approached. Before I knew it, Len was kneeling in front of me, and I could feel his fingers digging against my shoulders.

"Rin! I was so worried…!" He let out a heavy sigh, clearly sounding exhausted.

"Len...?" I whispered, confused at his sudden change in behaviour. He seemed genuinely concerned. His expression is so stern; even his tone is the same. I looked up to my brother, connecting our gazes. I didn't know what to say to him.

"What happened? I asked Luka and her friends if she saw you, and she gave this weird laugh before ignoring me. Did she try and fight you?" Len demanded. So, he wasn't angry at me… But at Luka.

God… Luka was such a jerk towards me. Yet as soon as I saw the rare good side to her, I wanted to see more. Answering my brother, I begun by shaking my head slowly. It pained me to even try and talk about it. "No, there… there was no fight…" I mumbled. I lowered my head, screwing my eyes shut. I could tell that Len was going to judge me and tease me endlessly about this.

"Then what was it? Why are you crying?" Len continued to interrogate me. I understood his worries, yet this was not something I wanted right now. "Rin, you don't have to be scared to tell me if Luka and her friends bullied you. They won't hurt you again, I promise."

However, hearing his supportive words only made me feel worse. "Why do you care…?" I dared to ask. I sneaked a glance up to my brother, to see his surprised expression from my question.

"Of course I care!" he snapped.

"Sure doesn't sound like it," I weakly remarked, managing to find my sarcastic wit despite the pain.

"Stop being so difficult."

I let out a soft sigh, trying to calm myself down once more. "Just…"

"Here," Len suddenly said, cutting my words off. He pulled his coat off and carefully set it on top of me. "You're going to get cold."

I simply stared as he moved his coat on top of me. It was unexpected, but it felt nice and warm. "Thanks…" I muttered. "Please, don't be mad at me."

Len shook his head slowly after I spoke. "I won't. I'm listening."

My brother has always been there for me ever since that incident. Well, he's been kind of supportive at odd times in our past, but he never showed he cared that much before. Twins are supposed to know everything about each other – or almost everything – yet Len has always been mysterious. Just when I think I have him figured out, he surprises me and acts differently. Maybe he's playing games with me. I've tried to ask him what his deal is, but he ends up avoiding the question one way or another. I don't mind, though. The surprises can be nice and it keeps our bond strong.

…

Len finishes up teaching me our new dance, just as the doorbell rings. The music that we're using to practice with isn't too loud, so it's easy for us to hear. I'm glad our friends are finally here – the tension held between Len and I was starting to get to me, just a bit. "Think you got it?" he asks, grinning towards me.

I give a shrug. During our practicing, I messed up quite a lot. I haven't moved around so much in a long time; not like this, anyway. "I guess so."

"Well, at least we don't have to show our friends until tomorrow," Len says, slowly taking his hands from my body. "I'll go get the door, 'kay? If someone's here this early, I bet it's our favourite drama queen."

I let out a slight laugh at this, trying to appear focused on what he says. As he turns his back to walk out of the main room, a small sigh passes my lips. I can't stop thinking about how close we were during all that. Only now, the connection between our dance and my mysterious dream is starting to sink in. There's no way I can tell my brother about this dream – but at the same time, there's no way I can keep it all bottled up. With the way puberty is kicking my ass right now, I might just go insane if I keep everything to myself.

"Lennyyyy! Your princess has arrived!~"

My eyes grow wide as I hear a rather sudden shout. It snaps me from thought almost immediately. I dart my glance towards the door, trying to peek through to the main hall. I guess Len was right about who arrived first. Okay, Rin. Time to be normal for now.

Before I know it, the main room's door bursts open in an all too dramatic fashion. I turn my head to look, and set my eyes upon the 'main attraction'. Meiko Sakine. Oh, yeah, this girl is one of the main reasons why my parents worry so much about Len and I. Don't get me wrong, I adore her. But… Well, she's just so…

"RINNYYYY!" she screeches, in an overexcited tone.

I can't help but gulp. She's giving me a sharp kind of glare, the same kind an animal would give when it's ready to pounce. "H-Hey, Meiko!" I choke on my words, following it up with a nervous laugh.

"Happy Birthday to the bestest friend in the whole entire universe!" the female yells, before dashing towards me.

Oh, God.

Before I know it, Meiko is coming for me. And I have no time to move at all. As she lunges forward, she holds her arms out at her sides, and crashes right into me. "Meikoooo!" I let out a piercing shriek, losing control of my feet and plunging straight onto my back, all within the space of a few seconds. I can feel an agonising pain take over my body, as I land with a rather loud thud, with my friend landing directly on top of me.

Finally… Finally, it's all over…

I clutch my head as I lie helplessly on the floor, the weight of Meiko's body pressing against mine. That's when I hear footsteps rushing towards the main area, and I can only presume it's Len.

"Wha—What happened?!"

"Meiko happened…" I groan quietly.

"Uwah! I'm so, sooo sorry, Rinny!" She is quick to apologise.

As I open my eyes, I glance up to my friend, narrowing my gaze at her. Her eyes have grown all watery and sparkly already; there's a large frown spread across her features. "Ah… M-Meiko, it's, it's okay. It's okay, don't worry." Oh, please, don't cry! Even though I know she's probably faking it, or making herself look worse than she is, I still can't be cruel to her. "I forgive you."

Meiko immediately lightens up upon hearing this. Taking no care at all, Meiko picks herself up, crushing my body even more in the process. "Here, I'll help my bestie up!" she grins, bending down and reaching her hand out towards me.

I let out a sigh of relief as Meiko picks herself up from on top of me. However, I still can't bring myself to get up just yet. I think all that dance practice has made me even more exhausted. I politely refuse, shaking my head. "Nah, I'll… just lemme chill here for a few…" I mumble, spreading my arms out across the floor, lying there like the lazy mess I am.

Meiko gives a shrug, before returning her arm back to her side. "Sure."

Len lets out a small laugh. "Good thing Meiko gave the presents to me before she body-slammed you," he adds.

Despite my current position, I narrow my eyes to glare at my brother. "Looks like someone forgot they were on pizza boy duty," I slyly remark.

One of Meiko's favourite words is 'pizza', I'm sure of it. Because as soon as I say that to my brother, she instantly spins on her heels to face him, eyes widening. "Lenny! You didn't tell me you were working for a pizza place!"

"Uh, I'm not, Meiko," Len says, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his head.

"Oh…" she mutters, pouting upon hearing this.

"But he is on pizza ordering duty tonight. And he's spending his own money on it for all of us! Isn't he sooo kind, Meiko?" Oh, I'm having way too much fun with this whole teasing, patronising tone.

"Wow, Lenny! You're so good to your friends and family. You're the bestest ever, too!" Meiko happily exclaims, her bright smile shining through once more. I swear, this girl has a switch or something. Flip down, sad. Flip up, happy. Flip down…

Len lets out the most awkward sounding laugh possible. It's like he wants to kill me right here, right now, but must muster everything he can to restrain, in the presence of our friends. Mm, I can just feel those daggers from that glare. "Well, I guess I better go get on the phone," he smiles, before setting Meiko's presents for us down onto the coffee table.

"I'll be on door opening duty!" Meiko offers.

"Oh, it's—"

Before I can even finish, Meiko has dashed away towards the main hall. I blinked once. Once and she's gone! I worry about that girl sometimes. Just when I think it's over, and I can take a breather for a moment, I notice that Len is now towering threateningly over me.

Fuck.

"I am so going to get you back for lumping pizza duty onto me," Len hisses, almost through gritted teeth to me.

I try not to lose my cool. I flash a confident grin up to him. "Try me, Kagamine," I whisper back, in a daring tone. This is the part of that cycle I mentioned where the war commences. Forget fighting with guns… My brother and I go full nuke. Every. Single. Time.

"Maybe I already have something up my sleeve… Maybe I don't." He gives a shrug after he speaks, turning on his heels and towards the phone in the hall.

Damn it, I hate when he says stuff like that. That's all part of his mind games. I should be used to them after all the fights we've been through, but it still screws me up. I'm sure he won't have anything to use against me so quickly, anyway.

I begin to pull myself up from the floor, getting myself together for the arrival of our other friends. As I stand up straight, I stretch myself out and attempt to rid myself of the pain Meiko inflicted on me. Speaking of Meiko… That girl might be destroying my house right now. Letting out a soft sigh, I head out of the main room and towards the front door, approaching Meiko.

There she stands, guarding the door in a serious manner, leaving it wide open. Right now, she has her head turned to look out the door. "Still don't see anyone…"

I can hear her thinking out loud as I come closer. I fold my arms across my chest, a smile creeping up onto my face. Even though she's so hyper, I can't help but smile or laugh with her whenever I see what she does. "Heya, Meiko. How goes door duty?"

"Ah?" Meiko quickly snaps her head towards me, before giving me a pretend salute. "Sir! I mean… Ma'am!"

"At ease, soldier," I say, with a giggle.

Meiko grins towards me, lowering her hand from her head, and easing her position. "But for real, no one is turning up. You think they were kidnapped by aliens or somethin'?"

I give a shrug. "You never know, these days, Meiko. They better show up, though. Today is important."

"Eh…" Meiko mumbles. "If they don't turn up, that just means more pizza for us."

She has a point. "Smart girl, aren't cha?"

"The smartest," Meiko snickers. "Oh, oh! I hear someone coming." She resumes her door guarding position, turning her head to look out the front door once again.

"About time," I respond, rolling my eyes. I'm sure everyone is late now.

I take a few steps forward, wanting to know who's coming first. As I turn my head and look out the front door with Meiko, I set my eyes on someone who I thought I'd never see again. This causes me to freeze on the spot, rendering me completely speechless. They're coming closer and closer to the house. Walking down the front path. Smiling, waving, acting completely normal.

"Well, here's someone I haven't seen in ages. Hello, Rin!" She comes in swaying her hips as she walks, strutting like a god damn model in my front garden.

I can barely believe my eyes. I thought I would never see her again, after she left school all those years ago. "Luka Megurine?!"

…