Disclaimer: See chapter one. Yes, I am this lazy.
Author's notes: Okay, so I realize everyone seems to be confident of what path they follow, if you catch my drift. And they are very open with each other. I am basing things here on my own experiences with high school, and my particular clique was a mismatched collection of students. We had a tendency to be rather bold and brutally honest with each other *recalls explaining to a guy the exact mechanics of a 'female physical'… snicker.*
Well, so things pick up a little in this chapter. I will have to warn you all, although I'm sure you've figured it out by this point… I have an odd sense of humor, to put it lightly. It tends to range from dark and twisted to light and cliché to downright juvenile. I interweave this humor in with the more depressing bits of this fic to help lighten it up a bit. I'm sorry if this offends anyone.
People who reviewed: (If you reviewed, and I missed you, I'm sorry. I'll keep trying.)
Kamimura Kaoru: Thanks for the review. I don't dwell a lot on Kaoru. Mostly because I'm not good with her character. I really don't do her justice. As far as kendo etc… goes, this fic is very Americanized. Kendo teams do not exist in the US. At least, not where I've been. And Kamatari… hmmm… interesting…
marstanuki: I'm sorry. I like K&K too. It's just that this one did not turn out that way. The fic is finished. That's why I'm not changing it. And no. I'm not putting Kaoru with Hiko. That's sick and wrong. I would like someone to come and slap me across the face if ever I considered such a thing.
tenshineko: Sorry if I'm confusing you. I have this bad habit of not outlining anything before I just rush in and write it. I'm astounded that this fic ever got finished. Thanks for reviewing, and Hiko says thanks. He likes you too.
Vesca: Ballistic? He hasn't gone ballistic yet. And you say you want him to do it again? Kenshin, you hear that? Well, we mustn't disappoint the readers.
Koneko-chan: I like Kenshin's hair too. That's why I left it long. With the modern day world and Kenshin being such a conservative, it doesn't usually work, but as the author, I can do what I want, right?
nemo: Thanks for reviewing my story. Twice. (Yay!) Umm… yeah, sorry about the confusion. I'm probably being more confusing with my explanations than if I just let it play out in the story. Oh well. I agree with you on not thinking too hard about that just yet. It takes awhile to come into play anyway. And I finally realized that you're the person who wrote… is writing… Prom. *Big, pleading puppy eyes* When are you going to write more on that? Huh? It's cute. I like. I must go review it now.
JML anonymous person: Wow. You've confused me. Not something to be overly proud of, mind you. I confuse easily. Look. Now you've made Okita cry. *points to Okita, who is putting those little drops in his eyes to make it look like he's weeping* Oh… too soon to look I guess. And there's nothing wrong with liking K/K. You just won't get a whole lot of romantic satisfaction out of this particular fic. If you like, you can go read Path of the Sword (another story I wrote). They're married in that story.
Whew. Lots of comments. On with the fic!
Kaoru: It's about time!
Fitz: Sorry! I got carried away!
Kenshin: Is there a story anywhere in sight?
Sano: There it is! I see it!
Life's a Dance
It was the dissection unit of Dr. Takani's Human Physiology class. This was the part that students either loved or hated. Of course, there was the occasional student--like Aoshi--who was completely indifferent to the section. Okita immediately claimed the valedictorian for his lab partner.
"Hey, Kenshin!" Sano ambled over to the new student's desk. "Got a partner?"
"No," Kenshin replied distantly, concentrating on filing away his notes. That was one thing everyone had rapidly come to learn about the boy--he was meticulously neat. He hated clutter and was frequently caught in the act of straightening one thing or another.
"That's where you're wrong, Kenshin," Sano grinned at Kenshin's bewildered stare. "I'm your partner."
"I'm surprised you didn't get Aoshi to be your lab partner," Kenshin remarked, picking up his bag and moving to the back of the classroom, where the lab tables were set up. "He could have gotten you an A for certain."
"He said you got a better mark on the last exam," Sano retorted.
"Ah," Kenshin smiled shrewdly. "I see."
Kenshin followed Sano back to their designated table. He glanced at the taller boy, who just shrugged carelessly and wrinkled his nose down at the very stiff, very dead rat on their lab tray.
"Didn't we do this in biology?" he complained.
"We're doing it again, Sanosuke," the instructor said loudly.
Sano grimaced and nudged the tray toward Kenshin. The redhead chuckled and, without hesitation, reached forward and picked up the rat. Sano was mortified. His lab partner had just touched the dead animal--no--grabbed it. With his bare hand!
"I'm going to be sick," Sano decided.
"Aim for a garbage can," Kenshin considered the furry little dead animal with what was almost a sympathetic gaze. "Stewart Little here will await your return."
"Oh, god!" Sano groaned. "It's not like I really liked that movie, but did you have to compare our rat to a cute little mouse?"
"Nicodemus it is," Kenshin set the rat back down.
"Now you've just ruined one of my favorite kid stories!" Sano whined. (This is a reference to a wonderful book as well as movie--Mrs. Frisby and the Rats of Nimh. The movie is titled The Secret of Nimh. Yes, it is a children's novel.)
"You're well read," Kenshin picked up a scalpel and handed a paper towel to his partner.
"What's this for?" Sano demanded.
"Sometimes there is fluid left in the animal," Kenshin replied, his voice a clinical drone as he poked at their rat with the scalpel. "You get to make sure it doesn't get all over the table."
"I'll be right back."
Kenshin watched in amusement as his lab partner dashed out of the room. It would have been funnier, but as Sano was not the only person rushing from the classroom, the effect was lost. Although, Shishio running, gray-faced, out the door was pretty good.
^_^
Sano stared at the hot dogs on the others' trays. Most of them were smothered in ketchup. The only one at the table not eating them--other than himself, of course--was Kenshin. But then again, the strange little senior never ate the school lunches. Another one of his quirks for all Sano knew. At the moment, the spiky-haired boy did not particularly care. He glanced over at Kaoru, biting into her hot dog, ketchup dripping down her chin. Groaning softly, he leaned forward and buried his face in his arms on the table.
"What's wrong with him?" Misao wondered, oblivious to the ketchup plopping into her lap. Kaoru giggled and handed her friend a napkin. "Man!" Misao groused, wiping the condiment off her jeans, leaving behind a large, red stain.
"It looks like Sano is a bit weak of stomach," Okita announced, biting into his own hot dog.
"We started the dissection unit today," Aoshi elaborated, neatly eating his hot dog with a plastic fork.
"Aw, does Sano feel bad for the widdle animals?" Kaoru teased.
"Shut up," Sano groaned. "I got stuck with Mr. twisted sadist over there as a lab partner."
"Blame yourself, Sano," Kenshin drank from his ever-present water bottle. "You're the one who dragged me back to the lab table. You wanted me as your partner."
"That was until you named our rat Stewart Little!"
The group--minus Aoshi--burst into incredulous laughter. Kenshin smiled blandly.
"Don't be silly," he stood and gathered his belongings. "You said you didn't like that name. Remember? We changed it to Nicodemus."
Misao spat out her milk. That just made the group laugh harder. Kenshin grinned and walked away from the table, calling lightly that he'd see them the next day. After the first time, Kaoru had backed off, letting Kenshin go to the nurse on his own. He seemed to prefer it that way. No one else had ever questioned his departure at exactly the same time each day.
Grumbling unhappily, Sano lifted his head from the table.
"Kenshin's got the right idea," he decided. "Maybe the school nurse will let me sleep through sixth period."
The others laughed, shouting out teasing insults to his back as he wove through the cafeteria tables unsteadily. Sano just flicked them off, keeping a low profile as so not to alert the lunchroom monitors to his obscene gesture. He staggered out into the hallway, grateful to get away from the wafting aromas of that day's meal and the heat that was always emitted from the kitchen. No one questioned his exit, but neither did anyone offer to assist him. His reputation was such that it was never even considered an option. Even the teachers left him alone.
The nurse's office was painfully far away. It was a short trip any other time, but when he really wanted to be there, it was an eternity. By the time he reached it, students were already filtering out of the classrooms for third lunch period. They all took one look at him and left a wide berth as they made their way to the cafeteria. Sano could not have cared less. He just wanted to sit down again. His knees were weak, and he felt like he had a raging fever.
"Doc, I'm dying!" he declared dramatically as he slunk into the office.
Dr. Genzai looked up in surprise from his seated position in a chair next to one of the cots in the back of the office. The boy on the cot startled at the sound of Sano's voice and started to sit up, but Dr. Genzai caught his shoulders and gently pressed him back.
"Shh," the doctor soothed. "You're fine. I'll wake you in about forty-five minutes."
The boy fell back with a frustrated sigh and closed his eyes. Seconds later, he was breathing evenly, sound asleep. Sano stared at the red hair spread about the boy's face, visibly startled.
"Kenshin?" he blurted.
"He can be a pretty heavy sleeper, so save your breath," Dr. Genzai said mildly. "What can I do for you, young man?"
"Uh... can I sleep on one of the cots back here for awhile?" Sano asked, recalling his sick stomach. "I feel like sh... I feel awful."
"You can be straight with me, young man," Dr. Genzai chortled merrily. "You look terrible, too. I take it Dr. Takani has started her dissection unit?"
"Not you too!"
"Go ahead," Dr. Genzai laughed, waving to the cot across from the one Kenshin already rested on. "You want me to wake you when I get Kenshin up?"
"Sure," Sano sighed gratefully as he sank onto the rather firm surface of the narrow bed. "Thank god."
"There's some water," Dr. Genzai placed a glass on a table between the cots. "It'll help your stomach."
"Thanks," Sano was truly grateful. He gulped the water a little too fast and collapsed back to the cot. A minute later, he joined Kenshin in dreamland.
^_^
Sano never did get to question Kenshin about that afternoon in the nurse's office. When he woke from his nap, the other student was already gone. He learned that Dr. Genzai had sent a note to his seventh period teacher and let him sleep until school was almost over.
And Kenshin went to his last class of the day, the sight of Sano on that cot across from him imprinted upon his mind. He went home, not responding to--not hearing--Okita's cheerful shout.
^_^
Kenshin spotted Kaoru and her friends walking along the sidewalk to school. Hiko pulled to the curb, long before they reached the school, and let the boy out. Kaoru and Misao were there immediately, 'helping' Kenshin out of the car and grabbing his bag.
"Hi, Mr. Hiko!" Misao chirped, catching the strap of Kenshin's backpack and dragging it out of the car. "Having a good day?"
"Now that I've gotten rid of him, yes," Hiko smirked and put the car into gear. Misao made a face and slammed the passenger side door shut. Kenshin laughed as Okita made a comment about that morning's Human Physiology class. He offered a halfhearted wave in the general direction of Hiko's car, just before Sano dragged him into a headlock, all the while shouting at the laughing hyena, er... Okita. Hiko just shook his head, smiling slightly, and pulled away from the curb. He barely glanced at the other cars pausing at the curb, until he saw a particularly strange one. The van was not all that odd in itself, but for the large antennae and lights mounted atop the vehicle.
Cursing loudly, he double parked beside the van and got out of his car.
Aoshi was the first to notice the strange energy of the students around the school. He shifted to walk closer to his sister as he studied the crowd. Students were whispering amongst themselves, looking around as if searching for something. And then, who could fail to notice the men and women with cameras, microphones, and tape recorders?
"It must be a slow news week," he announced to no one in particular.
"What makes you say that?" Kaoru asked, following her brother's gaze to the reporters. "Wow, there's a lot of them. Is there something going on at school today?"
Sano released Kenshin, gripping the back of the boy's shirt to keep the smaller kid from falling on his face. Curious at the conversation Aoshi and Kaoru were having, the rest of them looked toward the reporters as well.
"Is Mr. Saitou doing something special today?" Okita asked curiously. "He likes good press for the school."
"As long as they don't catch the ass on camera," Sano said brashly. "His hideous face might break their lenses."
"Sano, that's not nice!" Kaoru giggled.
"He's right, though," Misao snickered. "Our principal is less than nice."
They moved into the midst of the student body, casting curious glances toward the reporters. And then, someone pointed.
"Is that him?"
"What the fuck--?!" Sano blurted as the reporters suddenly rushed their way. "Why are they coming toward us?"
The time it took him to ask that question was all the time the reporters needed to reach them. Cameras flashed, microphones and tape recorders were shoved forward, and the reporters began to shout.
"Mr. Himura! Is it true...?!!" "Mr. Himura! Did you really kill three...?!!" "Kenshin! Did you...?!!" "How did it feel to...?!"
Kenshin staggered back, his eyes wide with shock. He flinched as a camera flashed in his face, and gasped as he backed into a car, jerking to a sudden halt. So shocked were his newfound friends that they had let him separate himself from their little huddle, and now he was cornered. They watched in stunned silence as he pressed back against the car, his hands flying to cover his ears, his eyes narrowing in distress.
"How does it feel..?!!" "--you really use an automatic rifle?!!" "--feel to see your family killed?"
Accustomed to people running from the cameras and microphones, the reporters never expected Kenshin to lash out. Still crouched back against that car, he opened his mouth in a wordless scream. His eyes crunched shut, and he pressed his hands tightly over his ears, screaming at them. A bit startled, the reporters hesitated, then the cameras started flashing again. And the first tape recorder hit the pavement.
"He broke my recorder!" an outraged reporter cried. "Did you see that?!"
A photographer leaned in close to capture the murderous gleam in the young man's hard, dark eyes. He, too, wished he had not. Kenshin's hand shot out, fingers closing around the barrel of the camera and snapping it off with ease. The horrified photographer jumped back, not wanting to have his thousand-dollar camera equipment completely ruined.
By that point, a teacher had managed to force his way through the press of reporters. He made the mistake of trying to grab Kenshin. His good intentions of pulling the student away from the vultures of the press were repaid with an elbow in the face. The teacher collapsed to the sidewalk, clutching at his bloody nose. Kenshin barely noticed him once he was down. His eyes swept the crowd, trying to figure out the best means of escape.
Then, more teachers, including the school principal, forced their way past the reporters and started pushing them back. Hiko shoved through them easily, shouting for the reporters, the teachers, and anyone else within a six-block radius to hear.
"Stay away from him! Don't try to touch him!" He swore loudly when one teacher did not heed his warning and wound up flat on his back on the sidewalk. "God dammit! I told you to keep your distance!"
He swept through the crowd, using his immense size to his advantage, and the people fell away from him. Kenshin squinted at him as he approached. What little iris showing in his eyes was nearly engulfed by the utter black of his pupils, dilated to extreme measures. Swearing again, Hiko shoved a reporter out of his way and was finally close enough to grab Kenshin's arm. Surprisingly enough, the boy--dwarfed next to Hiko's huge body--did not fight him. His eyes were narrow and accusing.
"Who told them?!" he demanded. "How did they put a name to my face?!"
"Not now, Kenshin," Hiko used his body as a buffer and shoved through the crowd toward the school, pulling Kenshin close to his side. He dug through his trenchcoat pocket, fingers clattering against plastic and metal. Kenshin reacted to the sound violently.
"NO!" he jerked, a sharp movement that would have broken anyone else's grip. Hiko dragged him up the stairs and shoved through the doors. The reporters tried to follow, but the principal, a tall man with narrowed eyes, intercepted them and placed himself between the doors and the press. He stood there, calmly ignoring the hollered questions, and lit a cigarette. Only for an instant did he step to the side, and that was for Kaoru, closely followed by Aoshi, when she ducked through the doors. The rest of the students remained outside.
^_^
It was not difficult to locate their new friend. Kenshin's angry shouting was a great locating device. Kaoru and Aoshi made a beeline for the nurse's office and were just in time to see Dr. Genzai jab a needle into the restrained boy's arm. The effect was almost immediate. Kenshin's furious words died in his throat, and he slumped down in Hiko's arms with a sigh.
"There," Hiko's voice was strangely soothing as he gently kneaded the boy's arm where Dr. Genzai had injected him. "Feeling better?"
Eyes opening slowly, Kenshin stared at Hiko in confusion. His dilated pupils shrank gradually to a more natural size, regaining focus as he gazed at his unlikely guardian. Gaze sweeping toward the clock on the wall, he stared at it for a long time.
"It hasn't been that long, has it?" he murmured, tone surprisingly clear.
"This was one of your shorter lapses," Hiko acknowledged. "Maybe five minutes."
"Enough time to make a complete fool of myself," Kenshin decided, slowly moving his eyes to look at the two students in the doorway. He frowned, eyebrows crunching together in a strange expression of concentration. "Why are they here?"
"I was concentrating on bringing you back to the real world, idiot," Hiko glanced over his shoulder at Kaoru and Aoshi. "That takes enough effort as it is without having to guard the door. They're your friends anyway."
Kenshin did not look so certain. He stood cautiously, wavering slightly once on his feet, then standing steady. He shook his head and pushed away Dr. Genzai's supporting hands.
"Is an ambulance coming?" he asked quietly.
"If there is, then it's for the teacher whose face you bloodied or the one who you landed flat on his back," Hiko stated casually.
"That sounds like a lawsuit waiting to happen," Kenshin sighed.
"Any lawyer worth his salt will take one look at your file and tell their client to settle," Hiko smirked.
His comment earned him an irritated glare. Hiko chuckled and stood, towering over everyone in the room, even Aoshi.
"Come on, brat," he said boldly. "You've got classes still."
"You're making him stay here?" Kaoru asked brazenly.
"You have rude friends, kid," Hiko picked up Kenshin's bag, which had been tossed carelessly against Dr. Genzai's desk. "Don't let anyone pick on you about this. And don't step foot outside of school until I come get you."
"Why are those reporters so interested in Kenshin?" Kaoru wondered absently. "I mean, it's not like he actually--mmmrphh!"
Kenshin blinked sluggishly at the sight of Aoshi covering Kaoru's mouth with one hand. The senior's face was studiously blank, a very slight smirk tugging at the corners of his lips.
"It really is a slow newsweek," he said, unruffled. "Or they would not have jumped on Himura's story so readily."
"Damned vultures," Hiko muttered, irritation visible in his eyes. "You'd think after all this time, they'd learn to let well enough alone. I have enough trouble keeping you under control without the press sniffing around."
"It'll be fine, Hiko," Kenshin said without much enthusiasm. Considering the sedative he had coursing through his veins, it was not surprising. "If I go now, I won't be late for first period."
"Is this wise?" Dr. Genzai asked a bit anxiously. "I mean, give the boy a chance to catch his breath."
"He has to keep as close to a normal schedule as possible," Hiko said immovably. "Kenshin, go to your class."
Spurred by the man's use of his actual name, Kenshin nodded and took his bag. Aoshi seemed to be of the same opinion as Hiko, and he shoved his sister out into the halls.
"Go to class, Kaoru," he ordered, ignoring her sputtering protests. "Don't worry about Himura. I'll make sure he gets to his class safely. Although..." Aoshi lifted an appraising eyebrow at the shorter boy. Kenshin stared back, confused. "I doubt he has any trouble defending himself at all."
"I just wish it had been Mr. Saitou had been one of those teachers that ended up on the ground," Kaoru winked at Kenshin, who just gaped at her. "He needs to be dropped down a notch once in awhile."
"Don't let the principal hear you say that," Aoshi suggested wisely. "Now go to your class. You know how Mom will react to you skipping anymore classes."
"Fine, fine!" Kaoru glared at him. "Slave driver!" She grinned at Kenshin. "I expect you to show up tonight, Kenshin. We've had this planned for a week. Bring Mr. Hiko if you have to, but you've gotta come!"
"I'll try," Kenshin smiled, bewildered giddiness clear in his eyes. "Thanks, Kaoru."
Kaoru just waved and disappeared into the crowd. Aoshi watched her leave, then glanced down at the redhead beside him.
"Dr. Takani will want to run her class as usual," he stated.
"You don't know how glad that makes me," Kenshin grinned at him. Aoshi's eyes widened a fraction when the shorter boy reached up and clasped onto his sleeve. Expression turning sheepish and a bit worried, Kenshin never looked away from the other senior. "I can keep up with you, but I'm a little clumsy with this drug in me. If this bothers you--"
"No," Aoshi interrupted before Kenshin could finish. "This is fine."
They went to class, Kenshin holding onto Aoshi's sleeve for fear of stumbling in the crowded hallways. Dr. Takani glanced up at their arrival and nodded, careful not to draw any attention to Kenshin. They were a little late, but she did not comment. Kenshin discreetly released Aoshi's sleeve and made his way to his lab station, coincidentally, right across from Aoshi and Okita's station.
"Hey, Kenshin," Sano clapped a hand down on the boy's shoulder in concern. "You okay?"
"I'm fine," Kenshin smiled, achingly bright. "But you have to do the cutting today. I'll take notes. With any luck, my handwriting will be legible."
"Sounds fair," Sano made a face and picked up the scalpel. For a few seconds, he stared doubtfully at 'Nicodemus' and then reached forward.
"Sano looks like he's going to be sick again over there," Okita announced casually, prying at the mouth of his and Aoshi's rat. "Damn. Daisy's mouth won't open."
"Daisy?" Aoshi asked curiously.
"Well, if they can name their rat," Okita smiled blandly. "I think we should be able to."
"Where'd you get Daisy?" Aoshi asked, pulling out his worksheets and notes.
"Well, since our rat is a girl," Okita chewed on his lip in concentration. "Geez, this is hard. Anyway, you know there's Mickey and them."
"Minnie is the mouse's name," Aoshi pointed out.
"Yeah, but I like Daisy better," Okita grinned.
Across the table, Sano had started humming absently, apparently trying to distract himself. It took a moment to recognize the tune, until he started muttering the lyrics.
"Daisy, Daisy. Give me your answer true..."
Kenshin started giggling, trying to hide his laughter by bending his head over his notes. Okita leaned forward to hear Sano's quiet singing, then burst out laughing. Even Aoshi chuckled softly. A moment later, Okita's soft voice broke over Sano's.
"Nicodemus and Daisy, sitting in a tree!" he lifted 'Daisy's tail from the lab tray and waved it suggestively.
This time, even Sano could not control his laughter. Kenshin was doubled over, laughing into his folded arms. Aoshi thwacked his lab partner upside the head, while Okita just giggled helplessly. His hands occupied with 'Nicodemus,' Sano could not just give into the urge to hide his laughter behind a palm. He twisted and, still cracking up, leaned over to talk into Kenshin's ear.
"Whose bright idea was it to sit by them?" he demanded.
Panting in attempt to stave off more laughter, Kenshin grinned at his lab partner.
"Yours."
^_^
End notes: Ack! Disney sighting! For anyone who does not know, Daisy is that duck with the eyelashes that are so big that she could hurt someone with them. Can anyone guess which personality showed his angry little face? Hmm? People who get it right will get praises from sessha on the next installment. What do you expect? A pretend cookie for the person who first gets it right! Yay!