Now to Then

Because You're Familiar

~~

Celine sighed as she ran a hand through her short rare silver hair and got up, with as little grunting as possible. She knew that she had to get to class right then. Leaning, partially on the wall, she started walking towards the other door of the nurse's office. Opening it, she walked out with bookbag in hand and started to walk to her class.

~~

Glancing about non-chalently, he grunted at the missing appearance of Celine. 'She is a stupid one. Trying to go somewhere without any help or even without examination. It wasn't really my concern, but.'he mused to himself as he thought of where the platinum haired teen could have gone. 'She's not my problem.' He told himself as he grabbed his book bag and got out of the office.

Walking over to the science wing with a note in hand, the tall junior went by two small almost children-preteens. One who had kind of long marine blue hair, a science lab coat, black shorts, mountain boots, and a cat-head band who was followed a girl with long brown hair with grass-green eyes, slim feminine sunglasses, and a pink dress and black leggings which was trying her best to smash the boy to pieces with a hammer from her back pack while running past the tall one.

He grumbled an obscenity in Japanese as he watched the hyperactive preteens run a-muk of school rules and hallways. Entering into his English class, he gave the teacher the note and sat down in the back where he saw Celine and another girl. Celine had laid down her head and already had dozed off as the teacher continued with the reading of Shakespeare sonnets, something in which Dias had taken a liking of.

A brunette in the back who was small-framed, and seemed to be pale, passed a note to him. He opened it up and read the contents.

'Where are you from? -Eleanor Grey, call me El '

He blinked. 'Eleanor, huh.' He thought as he wrote the answer. Eleanor Grey was a sort of maidenly pretty. She had soft light brown hair like the hyperactive preteen from earlier. Her hair was in an unfamiliar style. It was eventually braided in the back, but the hair in the front was parted to reveal even bangs and two long strands that stood out from the rest and was in front of her face all the time.

She had two daisy ponytail holders, withholding her braid. Her eyes were a honey brown and sad with a hint of sickness through them. Her dress was plain enough. It was a simple brown with a sash circa the waist. The silk dress went all the way down to her ankles where they met a pair of leather cowgirl boots. The only piece of an accessory was an amber brooch pinned onto the sash.

He passed the note back to her, and soon she passed him it back.

'From Osaka, Japan? You come from a far-away place. I hope one day I can visit a very far-away place, but likely that won't happen. Do you have gym first period with Mr. Zell?'

He answered dismissing the teacher's lecture as they passed the note back and forth.

'Celine came in panting, and looking as if she may pass out any moment. When she got to her desk, she had to have help to sit down. Then when she did she just, fell asleep instantly. Do you know why?'

'Yeah, she was playing soccer against the guys. Did a very risky move that included her butting the ball from my knees to her team and my knee going straight into her ribs. She has about two or three broken ones. I can tell from all the time that I spend training students.'

'I'm not surprised she'd do a risky move. Celine's always been a bit more towards gambling then letting herself lose without a fight.'

'I wonder where she got it from.'

'She told me one time that a boy from her stay in Japan taught to never go down without a fight, since he taught her or something like that.'

'Do you know where she lives?'

'Yes and No.'

'Yes and no?'

'Her parents are split. She lives actually by herself. I only know where her mom is. Her dad hasn't talked to her since she left Japan.'

'Then where is her mother?'

'Ms. Jules is the art teacher. She has first lunch, which is next lunch. All class rooms from 0-129. Then second lunch is in the middle of first lunches' third period and lastly third lunch is right after third.'

'Which room?'

'123, over in the arts wings. Why?'

'Nothing, except getting her the medical attention she's too stubborn to get.'

'If she heard that then, she'd try to hurt you. Too much pride in her almost arrogant but she knows her limits.' Eleanor softly chuckled in her seat.

'Too much pride is going to be the death of her.'

'We'd better stop, Mr. Demos is looking back here. See you next period.'

'Ja.'

~~

Celine opened her eyes from her sleep. She felt that she was on a bed, an unfluffy bed, so she was not home on her nice warm futon. Her nose caught the sickening smell of medicine. 'Great, just great..I'm in a hospitable. Mom is probably trying seeing me to try and convince me to stay at her house. How am I going to pay for a medical bill!! I already have rent and all my other bills!! Great.Mom's going to have a field day.'

She looked over to her side where a chair was pulled up. The guy from gym, the one who had broken about three of her ribs, had fallen asleep by her bedside. She smiled slightly. He did remind her so much of the little swordfighter she had for a friend. She got up, trying her best to be quiet. However her best was not the best. His arm shot out to her wrist.

"Stay down. You have two broken ribs and a pretty much bruised up stomach." She pulled away from his grasp. Moving over to the bathroom, she gathered her clothes wincing when she raised her arms over her head.

"I can't stay." She told him muffled by the door. Suddenly she heard a shriek. Dias looked over to the entrance to find, Rena, Claude, and four other boys with three girls. Eleanor he recognized quickly. The other six he did not notice anywhere except for maybe first period.

"Where's Celine?! She should be in bed!!" The blue-haired girl cried out to him. He pointed to the bathroom. Rena sighed in relief and put a bouquet of flowers on the table. Celine came out shortly, dressed in a pair of jeans and a short-sleeved, tight black shirt that was titled Neo Sexy in gold letters on the front and Trucco on the back.

"Hey." She told them. One of the other two girls that Dias didn't recognize instantly jumped on Celine's leg, bawling. Celine blinked looking at the freshman. "Cirrus.Get off my leg, I'm not going to die. It's only a few broken ribs and a few bruises. The normal." She tried comforting the girl. Cirrus smiled through her tears and got up by being dragged by Gyoro.

"Celine, You really should watch how you play. One day you're going to die from being too risky, Y'know that." The maroon wavy tress girl told her. Celine shrugged it off. She put her headband on and gloves. One of the triplets, the one with soft green eyes, hesitantly spoke out in their silence.

"Where are you going?" She didn't answer at all. Eleanor came towards her, smiling, and then handed her a small bouquet of star lilies.

"Please, if you're going to be risky, tell me about your injuries." Celine smiled and grabbed Eleanor and pulled her into an embrace. Getting out of it, the lady put on her tennis shoes and started to leave.

"I'm going home. I'll see you all tomorrow." Dias stood up and blocked the door. She glared at him. "What are you doing?! I'm going home, so leave me alone now!!" She pushed trying to get through to only find that he hit her at the nape of her neck getting her passed out.

"No. You're not." 'Arrogant bitch. Why does she get the idea that she can endure all the pain without a doctor's written approval. Vanity.' Rena glared at him, along with the others. Cirrus kicked him in the leg.

"Why'd you hurt her you big meanie?!" Rena shushed the girl quickly telling her something, and then the girl nodded and started to go off. The blue-haired triplet sighed and went after her.

"I'm glad that you didn't knee or punch her in the stomach like you did to some of your students, Dias. We'll come back tomorrow if she's not at school. OH!! I almost forgot!!" the shorthaired girl exclaimed, getting out a lunch box that smelled of chicken skewers and baby rabbit risotto soup. "The misao soup is for both of you, I made some tepunaki rice for both, some baby rabbit risotto soup for Celine, shogun steak for you and some chicken skewers. Ja Ne." She gave him the box, then grabbed Claude and the others leaving the two people alone.

"Arigato, Laina-chan." Her mumbled to her after she left. He put the box by the bedside and picked up Celine who had fallen into his arms from his making her pass out and put her gently back to bed undoing her shoes, gloves, socks and headband. He somehow knew these were very important especially the headband. Hiding them within his backpack, Dias leaned back into the chair. His eyes closing to the rhythmic breathing of the patient.

~~

Leon looked about the hospitable for Celine's room. She hadn't come to class and he was worried after all, she was like his big sister and all his older friend his brothers and sisters, except for Precis of course. He pulled on a nurse's skirt, which earned him a slap in the face and the name pervert. He grumbled and tugged on the next skirt of a nurse, who was nicer, looked down at him.

"Hello, Dr. Geeste. Do you need help with something?" Apparently she thought he was a doctor. The girl had silver hair and ruby eyes. Yup this was Celine.

"Celine!!" He yelped hugging her hips tightly. She sighed in frustration.

"Hey, Leon. How can you see through this disguise?" she asked growling at his ingenuity. She wore everything underneath except for her socks, shoes, gloves, and headband. He tilted his head.

"I just know you well enough." She smiled grinning as she heard the tall junior's voice from down the hall. Looking frantically back to Leon she whispered in his ear.

"Leon, that junior back there is trying to hurt me. Please don't tell him I've been here. I've gotta go home okay?" He nodded as she kissed his forehead and went. Blushing Leon stared at the oncoming junior. 'DAMN!!! HE'S TALL!!! CELINE!! How am I going to get rid of him?!' he thought to himself as he looked around. 'THE LEGS!!!' He cried out to his mind in a rejoiceful moment of genius. Immediately he formulated a plan and placed the marbles from his pack into the hall. Placed a cart for supplies in the middle and tied string onto each side of the hallway. The nurses went by with questioning looks but passed on.

~~

He had fallen asleep!! She quickly rejoiced and saw a nurse walk by. 'What could get me to get out of here without him following like a sick dog?' she wondered silently as she got up and noticed her shoes, socks, gloves, and most importantly her keepsake headband gone!! Looking around quickly in all the small places she decided to use something pretty risky.

Whispering quietly in his ear, she asked, "Where are my gloves, shoes, socks, and headband?" He mumbled something about his bookbag. She smiled!! It had worked!! Quietly and quickly she rummaged through his backpack, which held only books and a poetry notebook. She turned to look at him then quickly took it and placed it into her bag. She found her items and closed his backpack. Getting them on she quickly glanced around for a nurse.

"Excuse me ma'am?" She asked one. She pulled her aside and into her room. "I was wonderin' if you knew where to get to the cafeteria?" She asked as the nurse nodded turning her back completely open to her. She hit the nurse's neck and made her pass out to oblivion. She dragged the unconscious nurse into the bathroom taking off her uniform and putting it on.

Closing the bathroom door, she went out of the door and down a few hallways to the second floor where she saw a little boy with marine-blue hair and a cat headband on. Leon was here. She saw him get slapped in the face. The boy grumbled about something as she went over to him and he tugged at her skirt. She smiled and asked him what we wanted.

He knew it was she and hugged her. As they hugged she heard the rush of the junior behind her and down the hall. She'd have to hurry to the elevators. She whispered something to Leon's ear about him trying to hurt her and when he nodded she kissed him on the forehead. She ran not caring if she punctured a lung or not, but just getting out of that hospitable was.

She hit the down button on the elevators and pleaded to whatever god there was that she be able to get on one. He had run past Leon and was coming straight at me. The elevator opened its empty casket as she rushed in. Quickly she pressed the closing doors. When they started closing she went backwards to smack into the other wall. With her back pressed against the wall and Dias and closing doors, she didn't know which one would go out first. She closed her eyes and with held her ears closed as she heard a slam and a door shut. Going down she pulled her hands away from her ears, sighing as she opened her eyes to see him there.

"Why don't you leave me alone?!" She yelled at him. Her glare didn't phase him as he held her. She didn't even notice how close the two were, when he pressed the up button to the third floor. The elevator started as his hands gripped her arms.

"Because you're arrogant and you need to be taught not to be. I can see straight through your façade about not being hurt. You have to take care of yourself, befroe you take care of anyone else." She glared at him. His blue eyes seeming to be really cold yet caring and warm. They reminded her of stepping on glass, it was warm because of your blood but hurt because it caused the blood. She withheld her breath for a few minutes.

"I'm not arrogant. I'm not hurt either and why do you care? I'm no student of yours or anything!! So lay off!!" She told him as the elevator jerked to a stop and she slammed into his arms. He encaptured her within his strong limbs and fell himself fall on the floor with her on top of him. His lips surprisingly on her soft cherry ones. Simuntanously, they blushed and she was the first one to try to get up to no avail. Her ribs really did hurt and she really needed to sleep. Strong arms picked her up entagled in his legs and set her down on the floor as she began coughing.

"You need to be take care of. Why won't you stay here?" His blue eyes bored into hers as she closed them, putting a hand to her forehead.

"I can't..I can't pay fo the bill and my mother will be angry at me for getting hurt then try to get me to come to live with her." She told him as He knelt down and picked her up. "Why are you doing this, damnnit!! You don't care!! You don't even know me!!" She cried out and punched his chest.

".I already talked to your mother. I'm paying for the bill and she's angry at you though she considered that you loved living by yourself anyway. I'm doing this because you got hurt from me and its my duty to restore you to good health as the person who inflicted this pain on you." He told her with his voice clear and sharp.

"You Don't Care." She told him simply. "And you don't know me."

"Well, why don't you let me?" His reply confused her.

"..because..you're.." 'familiar.' she wanted to say but instead she chose, "a stranger."