~~"Yea

Authoress's note: You know the drill by now I'd hope….

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~~"Yea. I thought I'd try something different today." She said as they pulled into the school parking lot. She found a spot near the quad and parked.

++"wow..." Dana said getting out of the car with Rei. "I don't remember you ever willingly having your hair down. It feels different wearing my braids while yours is down....y'know?"

~~"Yea." Reisei said carrying her backpack on her shoulder and the food and latte's in her hands. She found a partially shaded area and sat down carefully and she set the box of doughnuts by her as well as the lattes.

++Dana grabbed her backpack and went and sat down with Rei. She took her Latte and a doughnut. She started eating. Much more politely now that she hadn't skipped two meals in a row. "So what do we want to do after school?" Dana asked

~~"No clue." Reisei said, she looked around as she picked up a doughnut. Those snoopy ronins could walk up right then and it wouldn't spoil her morning. She ate politely occasionally taking a sip from her latte.

++"hhmm.." Dana thought for a moment. "Well, we could it the arcade why don't you come over for awhile? We can train and/or workout you could even spend the night if you want too..." Dana trailed off. "Dilan is going to his friends house and spending the night there. so since you picked me up I get the entire day away from him...YAY!" Dana's smile broadened "If we want to do this tonight's the perfect night. Dad's just doesn't like it when I'm not home..."

~~~~~~~

The ronins were feeling pretty lousy. and guilty.....THEY SHOULD BE GUILTY!!!! umm...on with the story....The ronins walked to the quad to have a breakfast that Shin made. There they saw the girls' having something to eat. They headed over to them.

"Hey, um...we're sorry about yesterday..."Ryo trailed off.

Dana didn't look at them she looked over to Rei for her verdict

~~"Sounds cool, I didn't intend on keeping you away the entire night last night, but as we all know things came-" Reisei didn't get to finish, Ryo's voice came from behind her, she siffened her back and straightened her shoulders. "Well! That's no excuse!" She said sternly and then she turned around slowly and smiled up at Ryo, "But since I'm having a good morning I forgive you."

Ryo visually relaxed. "That's good."

++Dana looked up at them and smiled. "Well, if she forgives you I won't murder you all in your sleep k?" Dana looked at their faces. ".....get a sense of humor....." She said and turned back to her food.

"...."

~~"Yes. Dana knows about it. I called her last night pretty p.o-ed." Reisei said and then she slowly stood up. "Ummm...Ryo can I talk to you?" Reisei asked.

++"no sense of humor what so ever..." Dana mumbled to herself.

Ryo looked at Rei"ok..." He hesitantly followed her. "what do you need?"

~~"Stop looking like I'm going to wring your neck. I'm over it. It wasn't nice of you to go through my stuff but oh well, it's not the first time someone's done it." Reisei said and then mumbled, "Just the last time I got my a$$ busted for those poems..." Then she cleared her throat, "Anyway, would you mind not saying anything about those poems or drawings around Dana, they're from a really hard time that I didn't tell her about and I don't want her to feel like she failed our friendship by not knowing and not being able to help or something." Reisei said, she looked into Ryo's eyes hoping he'd understand.

++ Ryo nodded. "Alright. I understand." He looked over to see Dana hitting Shuu over the head for trying to steal her doughnut.

~~Reisei giggled at the sight of Shuu and Dana fighting over a doughnut. Suddenly her cheeks turned scarlet. She never giggled, she laughed or stayed quiet, but never giggled!! Especially not in frontof a guy.

++Dana stopped pounding Shuu's face into the ground with her foot for trying to steal HER doughnut when she heard Reisei giggle. GIGGLE! Reisei never GIGGLED!!!! Dana mouth hung open. "uh uh uh uh uh uh ....." Dana's foot was still on Shuu's head.

~~Reisei slapped a hand over her mouth with a 'oh lord this one will never be lived down' look on her face. She wasn't going to turn to Ryo for help because her face was red enough, instead she looked down letting her hair fall and cover her face.

++Dana still in shock realized she was standing on Shuu's head grinding his face into the ground. "oops. soory." Dana said getting off his head and would've returned to shock if Shuu hadn'twent for her doughnut again. She landed her foot in his face glaring. (she wears black shorts under her skirt. The only things she owns that are black...are for her uniform...) She propmtly forgot about the giggle and concentrated on pounding Shuu it was her doughnut after all. She brought her foot down and smacked him upside the head with her palm.

"How many times do I have to say this.." She growled. "IT'S MY DOUGHNUT!!!!!!! And you can't have it!!!!!" Shuu made a pouty face. Dana turned around. He went around and looked her in the eyes. Then went for her doughnut. She threw a round house kick at the side of his head. With her bad shin. "oww..." She rubbed her shin. Shuu decided to stay on the ground.

"If your that protective of food I'd hate to see what you'd do if some one threatened Rei.." Shuu said rubbing his head.

"They. Die. Slowly. and. painfully." Dana said. "No one messes with Rei with out dealing with me." She looked at Rei. "Yes. I KNOW you can take care of yourself but that doesn't stop me from being protective." She looked back at Shuu. She lifted up her doughut to her face. "Mine!" She turned around and ate her doughnut happily.

The other ronins just stared and thanked god that Reisei forgave them.

~~Reisei laughed slightly and pointed to the box, "There's plenty to go around, no use in fighting over them." She said, she cast a sideways glance at Ryo and felt her cheeks go scarlet again.

++Dana looked at Shuu. "yea. Why'd you have to go after mine?"

"...."

Shin stepped up. "We brought our own breakfast so it was extremely rude for Shuu to go after Dana's doughnut."

"Yea." Dana said in a baby voice jutting out her lower lip pouting.

The ronins laughed and sat down next to where the girls were and got their food out. Shuu attacked the food worse than Dana did the other day.

~~Reisei avoided any reaction in fear that she'd go into another fit of giggled. She sat on the cobblestone of the quad with her knees pulled to her chest, of course her skirt kept anything from showing. She sipped at her latte and dazed off thinking. She tried to remember if she had any classes with Ryo, then it clicked, he was in her gym class and her mythology class. She wondered if he had ever noticed her in the classes. :Probably not baka Rei-chan, Ryo would notice other girls, not me.: She thought to herself

++Dana noticed the zoned look in Rei's eyes. She went over and waved her hand in front of rei's face. Then she knocked lightly on her head. Her own head up-side down in front Rei's.

"Hello? Anybody home? If your out of your mind am I allowed to leave a message?" Dana couldn't figure out why she was so hyper this morning but decided to go with the flow.

Ryo had been off in his own world and remembered Rei in his mythology and Gym class. He figured she hadn't noticed him. She was always quiet and kept to herself.

~~"I'm here!" Reisei said slapping Dana's hand away from her face, "Just thinking." She said looking over to Ryo, she noticed him zoned and smiled some wondering what he was thinking about.

++Dana stood up right and followed Rei's line of sight. Her eyes landed on a zoned Ryo. A look of understanding came to Dana's face. She nodded not saying anything. She decided to leave Rei be and went after the last doughnut


~~Reisei let her mind wander to a way to spend just a little more time with the guys and she cleared her throat getting everyone's attention. "Why don't we stay after school today and go swiming? The swim team doesn't practice on Fridays and even though the school pool is open to free use no one ever uses it because they'd rather party then swim on Fridays." She said, it was something she'd been thinking about doing today anyway, as a matter of fact she had come prepared, her swimsuit was in her backpack.

++Dana looked up.

"GREAT!" Swimming was one of Dana's favorite sports. " you know I love to swim. maybe if I carried my swimsuit in my backpack less often it would be less heavy....."

"Are you on the swim team?" Seiji asked.

"Nuh-uh..I never had time to join..which really sucks..." Dana trailed off.

"Swimming is fine with us..." Shin said.

~~"Great, I was thinking about going swimming tonight anyways, it's been a while since I last had time to." Reisei said and then sighed, tomorrow was going to be her last day off then it was back to the work/school schedule. "Might as well have my fun until I go back to work!" She said and stood up, a necklace she wore every day, an antique locket, came off and landed on the ground softly, she didn't notice though because her usually up hair was keeping her from distinguishing the chain on her neck.

++Ryo noticed the locket slip off of Rei's neck and picked it up. He'd give it to her later.

(Time lapse)

~~~~~~~~~

After school the ronins met Rei at the swimming pool. They were waiting for Dana to show up.

~~~~~~~~~

Dana sat in math class nearly falling asleep. This man never shuts up! The bell rang and the class jumped up to get their books together. Then were yelled at and sat down. He had to finish his story. Dana silently wondered if she was in math or really long and boring story time...:what was he talking about again? What do his cats have anything to do with math.....:

~~~~~~~

Dana made her way quickly through the halls til' she came to where she was supposed to meet Rei and the guys in the hall by the entrance to the swimming pool. She pulled her backpack up higher on her shoulder and stopped in front them.

"Sorry I'm late...Mr. Harder never shuts up." She said.

:I bet my backpack would be lighter if I carried it on both shoulders....:

~~That's cool. C'mon, Dana, let's go get our suits on. We'll meet you guys in the pool in five minutes?" Reisei asked pulling her backpack off her shoulders and holding it by one of the straps. They had been assigned a chapter in mythology so of course her huge mythology text and her mythology notes were in her backpack


++Dana nodded and glared at Rei's backpack. "I suppose you have less homework then me again?" Dana said.

~~"Probably..." Reisei said as her and Dana walked into the girls locker room. Reisei took her swimsuit from her backpack and stepped into one of the shower stalls changing, then she came out and reached up to take off her locket. Suddenly Reisei stopped dead in her tracks and pressed her fingers to her collar bone hoping that the thing chain and locket would just appear on her neck. "Dana! I lost my grandma's locket." Reisei said

++Dana stepped out in her aqua swim suit when Rei realized the locket was missing.

"Uh. Do you wanna go look for it?" Dana dug around in her backpack and got out her dark blue surf shorts. She put her shorts on. "We could look around where you've been maybe we can find it. We'll just let the guys know we have to look for something and we'll be there in awhile..."

~~"Yea." Reisei said pulling a pair of blue jean shorts on covering the bottom peice of her two peice sapphire swimsuit. "You go ahead out and start looking, I'll tell the guys." Reisei said and headed towards the locker room exit that lead to the pool hallway. When she got out there Ryo and Seiji were already out there in their swim trunks. Reisei didn't take the time to look Ryo over. "Hey, sorry guys, but Dana and I have to go look for something, I dropped my grandmother's locket somewhere, I have to go find it. You can go ahead and swim, we'll join you when we find it." Reisei said.

++Dana nodded "I'll start in your homeroom. I'll meet you there." She ran off to Rei's hoemroom.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~`

Ryo remembered the locket he picked up earlier.

"I found it when we left the quad I forgot to give it to you." Ryo said. "hold on. I'll go get it." He said and went back to get it out of the pocket in his jacket. When he returned with it in hand he handed it to her. "Sorry..." He said


~~"Thank you!" Reisei said clutching the locket in one hand and throwing her arms around Ryo in a hug without even thinking.

++Ryo blinked as Rei hugged him. then blinked some more....


~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dana made it to Rei's homeroom.

"Note to self: don't run in school hallways barefoot..." She whispered to herself.

~~Reisei moved back and tucked the locket into her pocket for safe keeping, a ACTUALLY HAPPY smile crossed her face. "I gotta go find Dana, be back in a second." She said and ran off towards her homeroom. When she actually made it there she slid into the doorway and almost fell over. "Nevermind! Ryo found it earlier, it fell off while we were in the quad." Reisei said, the same smile still on her face, she turned to head back out the door.

++"ok cool" Dana said and followed Rei back to the swimming pool. "At least he found it instead of the many other people who would steal it to get to you..." Dana said.

~~"So true." Reisei said as her and Dana walked back to the pool hallway, by now all the guys were out there. Reisei slipped into the locker room, removed her blue jean shorts and tucked them in her backpack, and then grabbed her towel and walked back out to the guys. "Whenever you guys and Dana are ready I am." She said

++:The nice thing about my shorts are I can swim in them...: Dana's line of thought trailed off as she grabbed her towel and followed Rei.

"We're ready."Shin said


~~"Ok." Reisei said, she pushed the door to the pool open and held it open for everyone.

++Dana went in last and thanked Rei for holding the door. She set her towel off to the side and got in the pool. "It so nice to go swimming again..."

~~Reisei dropped her towel by the pool and sat on the edge then slid into the water. "Yea it is." She said before she let her head disappear under the water for a second to wet her hair, then she came back up and noticed the guys hadn't gotten in. She pulled herself up on the side and looked at them. "What 'cha waiting for? An invitation?" She asked.

++"...." The guys got in and Shin took to the water like a fish.

Dana was already under water swimming around. "I don't remember the last time I got to go swimming....Hope dad doesn't find out about this

~~Reisei hoped the guys had a lighter attitude in a relaxing enviorment than they did in her apartment or out in the hall. There was only one way to find out though, playfully she splashed Ryo. :One you like you will tease lot.: She remembered the words of wisdom from her grandmother who had been nothing like her parents.

++Ryo....got splashed. "Hey, what was that for!?" He said and splashed Rei back.


Dana was hidden under water watching her friend with hazy vision. She smiled to herself. Rei needed some one other then her sometimes. Dana's head came out of the water. Her braids soaked to waht would've been a bone but this hair we're talking about...

~~"Just to see if you could actually lighten up!" Reisei teased after she got splashed and swam to him then attempted to dunk him.

Reisei's hands pressed down on Ryo's shoulders as she attempted to dunk him.

Ryo swam away in attempt not to get dunked.

Seiji and Shuu were at the edge laughung at Ryo until Dana's face was in front of them.

"And just WHAT are you two doing?"

"um....swimming?" Shuu said.

"That's not what it looks like to me." Dana turned around and dived into the water kicking up tons onto Seiji and Shuu. She came up about 4 feet from them. "Now go have fun! Before I have to hurt YOU!" Dana went back to swimming.

"What just happend?" Shuu asked.

"she splashed us..." Seiji said.

"We'll have to get her back won't we?" Shuu said.

"your right..." Seiji and Shuu sneaked up behind Dana who was innocently swimming around and splashed her. The large splash (Shuu's pretty strong) pushed Dana forward. "Eep" Dana squaked as she was thrust forward by the wave. "Hey that was fun..."

~~"Aww! You swam off, that's no fun." Reisei said, oh well, her mind was begining to fill with other things anyway. She swam to the ladder and ppulled herself out and then walked over to the diving boards and climbed the high dive. She walked to the edge and spread her arms out cross style, bounced the board some, and then dived off head first. Her left leg bent pressing the bottom of her foot to her right knee, her right leg remained straight, she moved her arms in front of her and tucked her chin to her chest as her arms broke into the water followed by the rest of her. She resurfaced and pushed her fingers through her hair pulling several strands of it out of her face. She swam to the side and pulled herself up on it sitting and began to think, the dazed look returned to her eyes.

++Dana was swimming as fast as she can (which is pretty dang fast...) away from Shuu and Seiji. Opposite ends of the pool....Dana stopped and was resting as the two guys made their way to her. She felt something sting her ankle.

"Shhh...OW!!!!!!" She cried out and then climed out of the water and looked at her ankle. It was burned. "That's odd...." She looked at where she was standing in the water. It was red..blood red.. She looked at her ankle and it was bleeding and burning. She looked at the water again and the redness was spreading thickly. "GUYS! GET OUT OF THE POOL! SOMETHINGS NOT RIGHT!!!!" She called out across the room. She watched the ronins swim to the nearest wall. "OH YEA! AND DON'T COME NEAR ME!!" She watched some turn around....