Author's Note: I don't own Peach Girl or Kiley…. *sigh * too bad.

…:: Chapter 3::…

School Hallway

..::..

Shrouded in the darkness of the boy's bathroom, the flickering fluorescent light on the ceiling humming it's own lonely tune, Kiley Okayasu put on his new pair of glasses. The world instantly changed. The dark leaks on the bathroom walls appeared, the thin cracks in the floor became visible, and the ceiling, dotted with gum that boys threw upwards as a joke, was also a newfound spectacle. Kiley removed the glasses immediately. Seeing everything so clearly wasn't pretty. What if, when in focus, Momo was an ugly hag? What if Toji turned out a real super-hunk, better then he was?

Kiley tucked the glasses in the plain brown case they came with and then snapped it shut. Good bye glasses, hello normal life. He strolled out into the hallway, playing his normal self, smiling a cocky grin at the occasional pretty girl. Then, he ducked into the lonelier third year hallway and leaned against his locker. His heartbeat was quickening again. I better watch it, or I'll get a stroke. My blood pressure must be through the roof.

" Kiley! Fancy finding you here!" Momo's voice echoed from down the hall. He turned his head and his hair brushed against his cheeks because of the sudden motion, and then the loose strands swayed as he cocked his head to the side.

" Hi." He said, almost too happily, trying to hide the brown case behind his back.

" What do you have there? A pack of cigarettes?" She wrinkled her nose. " I thought you weren't that much of a bad boy…" Momo's hand reached behind his back and her hair skimmed his bare arm, for he wore his usual short sleeves. Her head pressed slightly to his chest and her arm brushed his back and worked his fingers open to release his glasses.

" Glasses? Who'd you take these from?" Momo asked. " A new prank of yours?"

Kiley didn't say anything. He didn't want to lie to Momo, but he didn't like telling the truth, in this case. She looked up into his eyes and he looked down into hers. There was a pleading there, a search for truth, that he knew he had to give into. " They're mine." He confessed.

She began to laugh. " You're joking!"

" No. I have to wear glasses." Kiley felt a blush creep across his face. He added: " I'm not really in the mood to giggle about this, okay?"

Momo saw she hurt his feelings and felt a fleeting sorrow cross her. " Sorry, I didn't know. Since when…?" She still looked surprised and slightly bemused.

" Yesterday." He replied.

" Let's see them!" She demanded. " Put them on!"

" No!" Kiley exclaimed. " Why don't you take some of your clothes off, and I'll put something on? Call it even?" His eyes shone devilishly.

Momo punched his shoulder, but lightly. Her hits had grown lighter and lighter as time wore on.

Kiley sighed and then pulled the glasses out of their case and then put them onto his nose, tucking the little arms behind his ears. He looked down, closing his eyes in shame. " I won't wear them. Even if I go blind, I won't wear them around school." He gushed.

" Oh, come on, you look cute." Momo exclaimed, then clamped her lips shut tight. She'd spoken too much; she didn't want to lead Kiley on.

" Then I should have worn them when I first met you." He struck a pose, jiggling the glasses up and down on the crown of his nose. " What do you think?"

Momo shook her head in distaste. " Try a more intelligent pose."

Kiley stepped away from his locker and leaned on it with one hand, his other hand on his hip. His eyes shone brightly from behind the glasses he wore. Slowly, smoothly, he whipped them off and tucked them into their case. " Listen… I was wondering if you'd like to help me out with my math."

Her eyes widened. " Math? You know I nearly failed it."

" That was because you were so depressed about Toji. Now your grades are way up high again, and…"

" … Toji is tutoring me." Momo's cheeks reddened. " Unless you want to be tutored by him, I don't…"

" … no, I don't." Kiley finished the string of sentences they had begun to spin together.

" Sorry." She grinned at him and then added: " I gotta get going – Foods is next." She waved to him and made her way down the hallway.

He watched her go, painfully, then suddenly began to run towards her. She turned just in time for him to embrace her warmly. " I'm glad you're happy." He said. She pushed him away, her face flushed in embarrassment.

" Um, thanks." She whispered, and then turned away, missing the feel of Kiley's arms already.

*

Kiley heated up the cold rice cakes that Yu made and then glanced at the glasses on the table. He didn't want to wear them, and yet he did. It was strangely compelling to him to begin to bring his world into focus. " I'm crazy." He decided, and then took a bite of the rice cake.

The clock in the kitchen struck seven that Friday evening. Usually, he'd be out on a date with someone. Today, he just felt so sick and tired that he stayed home, telling his date that he had a stomach ache.

He hated to lie to girls, but he didn't want to tell her the painful truth. I can't get over Momo. When I see another girl laugh, smile, or tell a joke, I compare her to Momo. Momo's laughs, smiles, and jokes are so precious to me. When she's with Toji, she can make herself smile. When she wasn't with him, her heart was broken. Girls should make their own choice, I even said that to her. Follow your heart. She did just that, and if anything, I should stay back and bask in the afterglow. Maybe if things don't work out with her and Toji, I can try again.

Kiley scoffed. He sounded like a loser. He flicked the television on and settled to watch something, when he heard a banging on the door. He turned the television's volume down and then called over the sound: " Who is it?"

" Toji. Come on, hurry up."

Kiley stood and walked to the door. " What the hell are you doing here?" Kiley shouted into Toji's face.

Toji grimaced. " Here to clean the toilets, sir." He pushed Kiley aside. " What do you think I'm doing here? Momo's in trouble!"

" … What?!" Kiley dropped the remote control and it fell to the ground. The back fell off and two batteries shot across the hardwood floor.