"Prom dress for Kerri…" Kamatari hummed to himself three days later as he rustled through a rack of dresses in Sears.

"Don't you dare pick out any of those bright colors." Kerri growled. He had been pouring through all the dresses, every now and then holding out a pink or turquoise frock. They'd been to three other stores already and nothing had met with the brooding girl's approval.

"What do you want, Kerri?" He peered at her from around a rack of red gowns.

"Black. And velvet." She informed him.

"Oh, no more black." He went back to rummaging through the clothes, mumbling to himself. Then he let out a little squeal, "How 'bout purple?"

"Let me see." She sighed. He was hopeless when it came to clothes. Everything he liked, she did not. They had such different tastes.

He held out a plum colored, floor length gown made of a rich velour. A split ran up the side to about knee length and it had thin, off-the-shoulder straps. It was gorgeous. "Ooo…It's beautiful." She breathed, "How much is it?"

"You're in luck. It's on sale." He brandished the price tag, marked "clearance" and naming a price of fifty bucks, "Look, there's a little hole here, see?" He pointed to a small split in the seam.

"Mom could fix that…" She took the hanger and examined it. "I wanna try it on. C'mon."

The two made their way to the dressing room and she wriggled into the gown. It looked even better when on her, as if that dress had been made for her. It was slinky and clingy in all the right places and the color made her hair look even darker.

"Oh, Sweetie, you look stunning." Kamatari grinned as Kerri paced back and forth in front of the mirrors.

"You think so?" She looked at herself, scrutinizing her reflection.

"I know so."

She looked over her shoulder at him, a seductive smile on her lips. "Think I could get a man wearing this?" She questioned in a velvety smooth voice.

Kamatari felt a shiver run down his spine. He hadn't thought of any one as sexy in a long time. Kerri was so bold with him. It made him wonder…Perhaps I've been wrong all these years…He was intrigued by her. He wanted to know more about her; everything about her. "I think you could get any man you want wearing that." He finally responded.

"Even you?" Her tone was teasing, but her eyes betrayed her voice. There was a far away longing in her dark eyes, as if she wanted him then and there.

He felt his throat constrict. There was no way to answer that because he simply wasn't sure any more. He had spent all of Saturday and all of Sunday with Kerri and the more time he spent with her, the more time he wanted to spend with her. "Kerri, I-"

"What are you so serious for?" Her smile faded and she looked perplexed, "I was only teasing. I know you like men."

He watched as she ventured back into the stall to change. What is wrong with me? He frowned at his own reflection in the mirror. What am I thinking? What would she possibly see in me anyway? She obviously doesn't like girls if she's after Katsuhiro and I'm about as feminine as they come. He sighed. Why was life so complicated?

"What's wrong, Kamatari?" Kerri came back out of the stall, the dress draped over one arm. The would-be girl looked very serious and thoughtful. He was typically cheerful and smiling, so this was unusual.

"Oh nothing." He forced a smile. There was a lot on his mind, a lot involving himself and Kerri and his sexual orientation.

There was something bothering him and Kerri knew it. He wasn't like this. She had learned that he was ever the optimist, never letting anything get him down even though there was much drama in his life. She frowned. "You sure?"

"I'm okay." He insisted. "Are you going to buy that?" He changed the subject before she could question him any more.

Her frown deepened. Something was terribly wrong with him. But he had changed the subject and she would accept that. "Yeah. I still have some money from the other night. I have some shoes that would look good with it and this little velour purse with a dragon embroidered on it."

His smile as she got more and more excited was a real one. He wanted her to be happy. Kerri wasn't the kind of girl who deserved to suffer. She had been through so much already simply because people were so mean to her. And why they were mean to her…that he didn't understand. She was a sweetheart. A doll. He wanted to hide her; take her away from all of the pain. She was such a beautiful girl.

They had lunch curled up together in a booth at Taco Bell. Any one who saw them would think they were simply the best of friends, they were so close with one another. Kerri was happy to have a friend whom she could confide in. The way she felt about Kamatari still troubled her, but she couldn't let him go. Even after only three days, she felt like she'd known him all her life.

Crystal found them giggling over soft tacos and nachos. Kamatari was laughing, his short hair falling into his eyes, his face flushed pink and Kerri was hunched over, laughing, her shoulders shaking. She looked up, smiling, and Crystal was amazed by how different the brooding girl looked when she smiled. Had Katsuhiro seen that smile? Or Sano, for that matter? Kerri was beautiful when she smiled.

"You seem happy. I didn't know you liked queers so much." She muttered snidely.

Kerri's face instantly darkened. "What do you want, Crystal?"

"You don't need to be so rude." She sat down uninvited, across from the couple, "I was just a little surprised to see you here with him."

"We're just friends."

"So, going to the prom, either of you?"

"We're going together." Kamatari said absently, dipping a nacho in the cheese, "Kerri wanted to go, but not alone, right Sweetie? So we're going together as friends."

She nodded warily, then looked at Kamatari and smiled. He was so good to her. He made her feel like nothing else mattered but being with him. Looking at him there, frowning at Crystal, her heart fluttered. I want to be with him forever…

"You know what people are going to think of you, right?" Crystal smiled slyly, "A lot of people think you're a girl still."

"It doesn't matter." He dismissed her pleasantly, "As long as Kerri doesn't care, I don't care. We know the truth." He shrugged, taking a bite of a taco, "So what does it matter to any one else?"

"Suit yourselves. If you want others to see you as a lesbian couple, I guess there's not much I can do about it."

"Are you going?" Kerri snarled.

"Of course."

"With a date?" The question was direct and to the point.

Crystal scowled. "No."

"Well, at least I have a date then." A smirk crossed Kerri's pale face and she brushed a lock of hair from her eyes, "You done eating, Kamatari? I'm ready to go."

"Okay." He nodded, sliding out of the booth and picking up his trash, "Let's go, Sweetie." He looked over his shoulder, "So long, Crystal."

"Why do you hate her so much, Kerri? What did she do to you?" He asked her later as they wandered around the mall. She was still frowning, her face still darkened by hatred.

"Do you remember when I tried to kill myself sophomore year?" She asked quietly.

"Vaguely." He frowned, trying to recall just what circumstances had revolved around that situation. Every one had been in the dark about what happened to Kerri then, even Sojiro had no clue what had set her off.

"I had once thought Crystal was my friend. She listened to me and tried to give me advice and she acted like she was some one I could trust. Sojiro, he told me not to. He told me she was bad news. I was so happy to have a friend, I didn't listen. I was having a bad day and it only got worse when I found out what she'd been doing. When I found out…" She dropped her gaze to the floor, her dark eyes welled with tears.

"What happened? What did you find out, Kerri?" Kamatari asked her urgently. He had a feeling that what she was hesitant to say would reveal a lot about why she was the way she was.

"She was using it all against me, everything I told her. She made this webpage where every one else at school could read all the things I told her. They all just used everything against me. I went home that day and I filled the bathtub with warm water. Then I took my mom's box cutter and I got in the tub with all my clothes on. Mom found me later, unconscious, the water a brilliant crimson. She took me to the hospital and they saved me." She looked up, her eyes full of anguish, "I wanted to die and they made me live."

"Oh, Sweetie…I am terribly sorry." He looked devastated. How could any one do that to her?

"It was just like the song, Kamatari. It was just like the song…She stabbed me in the back. She took all of my feelings and threw them away. She took everything from me. Nobody cared. I wanted to know what I could do after I had died. I stopped caring. Nothing mattered any more. I still cry over it, but I don't really care. Nothing is real…" She began to cry, her tears running off her face and creating dark spots on her gray top.

"Sweetie, come here." He pulled her into his arms, hugging her close. "I understand. It's okay. I'm so sorry. I wish I had been there for you."

She rested her head against his chest, tears threatening to fall. "What did I do wrong? I can't stand it here. I can't get rid of the memories. I thought I was happy with you, but I can't forget. I can't erase it all from my mind and start over. I just…I…I want to be free…"

"You are free. That's why you're here now. That's why you're alive." He brushed back her hair, his eyes meeting hers, "That's why I am able to care so much for you…"

She stared at him, tears still dripping off her chin. He looked so serious; so intense. Her heart pounded against her rib cage and she felt like she could no longer control her own mind. "Thank you. Thank you for everything…" She sniffled, "For all of you love…Thank you."

"My love…?" He looked at her, perplexed. What is this? How does she get to me so much? He was falling. His heart was no longer his own.

"Can you do me a favor?" She wiped her eyes, "Can you kiss me once, just so I know what it's like?"

"But Kerri…" He was at a loss for words. How does she do this to me??

"I don't care who sees and what they think. I just want to know…" She looked at him pleadingly.

"Of course." Anything for you…"Close your eyes." He didn't want her to see him blushing. She readily obeyed, her eyes falling shut, her lashes wet with tears. He leaned towards her, his heart beating wildly. He hesitated for a moment, swallowing the lump rising in his throat.

Their lips met and he felt her tense slightly. Then she relaxed, leaning into the kiss. Her hands trembled and she steadied herself by clutching his arm. He drew back a little and she seemed almost reluctant to break their kiss.

That was amazing…She looked at him, a shaky smile on her face. But what if he doesn't feel the same way? What if that meant nothing to him? What if he did it just because I asked him to? I want him to mean it…Her heart ached.

She wants it! His brain felt ready to explode. She didn't want to let go. I'm in deep here.

Way deep.