Title: Alone… and Forgotten… A/N: Hey!!! Ok, don't curse me… I know I'm much slower in updating Terror compared with this… well, what can I do? BTW, thanks to all the WONDERFUL reviewers!!!! *grins* oh, and I see lots of you believe that Sendo is her brother…. Well… we'll see….

Rim: Err… yeah, thanks

Slamdunker88: Sendo? Nyahahahahaha!!! Go figure…

Teh Tarik: U guys actually have detention? What do you ppl do? Our detention is just picking up sampah in the canteen…

Tsongmandude: thanks, your review means a LOT… I hope things a still realistic in this chappie…. For some reason, I feel this chappie is not half as nice as the last…. I'm so sorry…..

Moomoo: am continuing

Moon Princess: Thanks! Read on!!

Chapter 2- More Baskteball?

            'Whew!'

            'Va-chan! What if sensei heard you?' Mintei hissed at her good friend, who just shrugged her statement away.

            'Big fat deal. Anyway, I'm just happy because it's because that break time, not sensei is leaving… though of course, the blossoming happiness of not needing to hear from him in four days can't be avoided…'

            'Shut up!'

            Meia smiled without realizing that she did so. They were just so… warm. They made her feel that way too. She watched with amusement as the two friends in front of her quarreled about whether they should be nice to sensei(s).

            Maybe, just maybe I have been looking at it all from a wrong perspective. Maybe my friends from junior high were different… cold.

            'But what about onii-chan? Otou-san and okaa-san? What excuse can you give? Do you think that they are nicer? Do you think things will work out differently? Just wait. Give them a day or two. They'll soon get tired of you and leave, just like the rest did,' another voice, a voice filled with hatred countered her bright thoughts.

            Meia's smile disappeared. Just like that, her amusement was gone.

            'Helloo? Earth to Meia! Come on, let's go!' Varoa called, waving her hand across Meia's unblinking and unemotional eyes. Meia looked up, startled.

            'Err… yeah?'

            'Do you want to stay here for lunch break as well?' Varoa asked, grinning a little. Meia, on the other hand, still had that blank look on her face, and after three seconds, Varoa, having had enough, muttered, 'Come ON!' as she pulled Meia up, along with her, and right out the door. Mintei just trailed along behind them, a smile decorating her lips.

* * * * * * * *

            'So, what club are you interested in joining?' Varoa asked, her mouth filled with food.

            'Urgh! Va-chan! Don't talk with your mouth full!' Mintei reprimanded her. Varoa glanced at her friend, then back at Meia.

            'Err… I'm not sure. What are you joining?' Meia asked in return, a little nervously. She wasn't used to getting that much attention in a cafeteria, at least not from two persons at once during lunch break.

            'Basketball,' was Varoa's one word reply. She had said it in an indifferent tone, so it was quite natural that she was shocked at Meia's grimace.

            Basketball, basketball, basketball! There's no end to this nightmare! At home, nii-chan and his friend…  don't tell me I have to go through this nightmare here as well! I CAN"T TAKE IT!! She nearly screamed, as her grip on her spoon tightened at that one harmless yet painful word.

            Her eyes slipped to a corner of a cafeteria, where all the basketball players of Shoyo High were eating… and laughing.

            Great, just so damn great!

            They were so close and together… it got on her nerves. Why? Why was it always her? She was the one always suffering.

            GRRHHHHHHHHH!!! It was so DAMN unfair!!!!! Damn it!

            'Warm huh?' the cold voice muttered… and Meia had no answer to it. She just let the taunting wash over her, piercing into her soul.

            'Err… Ia-chan?' Mintei asked a little worriedly. Meia's face, emotionless just now, was still emotional now, but still Mintei could still see the faint traces that her anger left. Anger and pain. It was not the obvious, but yet, she felt it.

            'Ia-chan?' she tried yet again. Her eyes traveled to Meia's right hand, which was gripping the spoon a little harder compared to how a normal person would.

            She's hiding something. Something big, something painful… and she's good at hiding it too…

            Mintei shifted her eyes to Kenji Fujima and his bunch of basketball friends that she and Varoa usually ate with. They were laughing, apparently enjoying themselves, nothing abnormal, so why was Meia's eyes fixed on them with disguised… was that… hatred?

            What on Earth is she hiding? Was it that bad? That painful… Well, whatever it is, I'm going to make her spill it. Spill all her troubles. Spill…

            'Meia!' Varoa tapped Meia softly. Both Mintei and Meia snapped their eyes over to Varoa immediately. The flicker in Varoa's eyes suggested that she too felt something during that short span of time when Meia was staring at her brother.

            Something…

            'Look, why don't I introduce you to them, and then I'll ask Ken-nii for permission to skip practice today. We can show you around, and introduce to you all the other societies we have in the school too,' Varoa said.

            'Uhh…'

            'Yeah, that's a good idea. Anyway, things are pretty settled for the time being. Your brother can surely handle the team for a day without two manageress.'

            'Uh…' Meia went again. She had no intentions of any kind to be introduced to Varoa's bunch of basketball friends.

            Varoa wolfed down the last of her lunch quickly, got up, and pulled Meia towards them, without giving her a chance to disagree.

            'Hey! Why didn't you guys join us for lunch today?' Hanagata asked good-naturedly.

            'We were eating with Ia-chan, a new student,' Mintei explained, pointing towards Meia, while Varoa slipped into a seat beside her brother, nearly pushing Hasegawa off the bench at the same time.

            'Varoa!' Hasegawa fumed, or at least tried too. However, a smile escaped his lips, thus, spoiling his already spoilt act. Varoa looked over to him, while grabbing the last sandwich off her brother's plate.

            'Nani?'

            'Hey! That's mine!'

            'Yare, yare,' Hanagata muttered, smiling a little. They never failed to amuse him.

            He smiles so easily… they all do. From Hanagata, Meia's eyes traveled to the people around the table, then to the whole cafeteria.

            They all do… and it's so unfair… she thought bitterly. Didn't they ever feel the pain she felt when they smiled? Why? Why did she feel all the pain? Why didn't they?

            After a while, Fujima, having given up on trying to grab his sandwich back, turned to Meia. He, Meia noted, looked quite a lot like Varoa, besides the fact that he had brown hair, and was a tad bit fairer compared to Varoa.

            'So, you're new?' he asked, smiling. Meia nodded wordlessly.

            'Oh my! I nearly forgot!' Varoa said, as she jumped up, this time, really managing to push Hasegawa off the bench.

            'Varoa!' She paid no attention to him. Instead, she started introducing Meia to everyone and vice versa, while still munching on the sandwich.

            'Oh, by the way, nii-chan, could we skip practice, only today? I… we want to show Ia-chan around the school-ne?' she asked, hoping fervently that her brother would be nice to her and allow it.

            'You can always show her around later,' Fujima said disapprovingly. He didn't like… no, he hated people skipping practice, and Varoa knew it.

            'Come on! It's only once. Besides, it's not like you need us now right? Onegai?' Varoa asked. Fujima sighed, obviously battling on the inside whether he should act as a brother, or as a captain.

            Hanagata glanced at Varoa, who was, behind her brother's back, pleading at him to at least give his word. As a vice-captain, he did have some right in making a decision. He turned his attention to Mintei. She too was pleading with him… with her eyes. He knew what was going on in Fujima… and he knew that he would not be able to do much, even as a vice-captain and as Fujima's best friend to change his mind. His eyes traveled to Meia, who was looking at Fujima with deep concentration… and… recognition?

            Well, I could try… Hanagata decided, still watching Meia intently.

            'Well, they have my allowance,' Hanagata muttered, getting an irritated glance from Fujima, and two very grateful glances from Mintei and Varoa.

            'See, nii-chan! Come on, it's only you now!'

            Hanagata chanced a glance at Meia, who looked exactly the same. There was no change in her emotions… at least none that she was portraying.     

            'Sempai, the bell rang,' Ito said as all around them, pupils got up.

            'Nii-chan!'

            'Fine, fine. Go, but if you have some extra time, come back to the gym, okay?' Fujima finally gave in.

            'Thanks nii-chan!' Varoa said, as she threw herself on her brother, hugging him. Then, releasing him, all of them walked back to their respective classes, the two Fujimas making everyone laugh and wreaking havoc in the whole school, considering the amount of girls that were fainting.

            Meia walked a little slower than them, a little separated. They were so carefree. They were filled with bubbly laughter. They were carrying invisible knifes, and they were plunging them into her.

            She just didn't fit in.

            Hanagata turned behind to talk to Hasegawa, and incidentally, his eyes fell on Meia, who held Varoa in her glance…

            Maybe glare is a better word, Hanagata thought to himself, as he felt something in him freeze up. She had a neutral expression on… but Hanagata felt something behind it. something that seemed to call out to him.

            He turned back to the front, his eyes lingering on Mintei for a while, making eye contact, then back to the corridor that was filled with noisy students.

            Behind them all, Meia ran her hand through her hair.

            They were all so happy. So different, but accepted… and wasn't that so damn unfair?

            'Oh, yes, Meia Hiitomi, so damn unfair,' the cold voice muttered softly.

            I'm not Meia Hitomi! She fumed suddenly.

            Why did onii-chan get everything? Even our sir name? No! I would address myself with my own sir name….

            'Fine, Meia… Sendo. But that doesn't change the fact that it's unfair, does it?' 

A/N: Don't kill me… I didn't want u guys to know that it was Sendo… err… especially Wee Yen, onegai, don't kill me…. I added the last part cause I didn't want you people to be in the dark too long, so forgive me if it sounds dumb. And I also hope she doesn't sound too bitter… I know it's kinda strange, but she is meant to be bitter…