A small note on this one: i divided chapter two into different parts, since all of it is part of what happened before chapter one. it's also written in third person; i did it on purpose, so don't flame me for switching tenses and screwing with your heads (lol; j/k. about the screwing with your heads part, anywho ;p )

DarkFlame136

Two

I bet you're wondering what the hell is going on. So was I after I woke up on this wacky-ass planet a day or two ago, but I'm getting ahead of myself. Time for a flashback, peoples:

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i.

The three girls were sitting on the benches in the schoolyard. Classes had been over since 15 minutes ago, but they usually hung out for a while. Both Hitomi and Artemis seemed lost in their own thoughts. The latter was stretched out across from Hitomi gazing at the sky through the trees, while the other was staring towards the track. Kaoré , however, was absorbed in polishing one of her larger knives with her uniform jacket. The was she angled the blade caused it to catch the sun's rays and reflect them off to the side--right in the direction of Artemis' face.

She frowned. "Kaoré , unless you're trying to give me a cataract or two, could you PLEASE put that away?"

"Gomen, Autumn," she flipped it up her sleeve faster than the eye could follow. Faster than normal eyes, anyway. She gestured towards Hitomi. "What's with her? She's spacing out a lot these days."

"Something's going to happen. I don't know what or when, though," Hitomi said in a detached voice.

"Hopefully I'll get that pay-raise," Kaoré dreamed.

Artemis rolled her eyes and sat up. "Hey, Kanzake, what's up?"

Hitomi, visibly startled, managed to stammer the reply, "What? Nothing!"

Kaoré looked her in the face. A few seconds later, she said, "I still think he's a prep."

"Amano-sempai is NOT a prep!"

"Actually, he's kinda nice," Artemis pointed out.

Kaoré sniffed. "When he's not being a prep…"

"Don't you have to be at work, Vari?" Hitomi asked a little too pointedly.

"I'm driving. I have a few more minutes to kill. Do either of you want a ride home?"

Hitomi paused. "Well…we both have practice, and I think mine's going to run past five."

"I have my 'blades. I'll skate home," Artemis shrugged.

Kaoré winced. "I don't see how you can even THINK of more exercise after all of those drills. Just give me a call when you pull a muscle or something."

"Or throw up from all those aerial maneuvers," Hitomi laughed.

"That's ok; I think I'll go watch you hyperventilate if we get finished early," Artemis got up; the other two did as well.

They stood staring at each other. None of them thought too much of it, but each felt as if would be a while before she saw even one of the other two.

Hitomi broke the silence. "Until next time?"

"Assuming Kaoré doesn't get arrested for carrying those knives!" Artemis joked to break the tension.

"As if you don't carry any on you," she smiled. Her eyes, though, were troubled. 'Why do I feel so uneasy?' she wondered.

"I still don't see why you need them," Hitomi shook her head. "I'm surprised neither of you has been caught with those."

Artemis and Kaoré exchanged a quick look. "Emergencies."

"And families with odd hobbies," Kaoré added. "See you later, Hitomi. Artemis." She starred towards the parking lot after hugging them both.

Left by themselves, all they could do was stare.

*What do you…?!* Artemis spoke privately to Hitomi.

*I don't know. She almost NEVER calls you that* "Whatever's going on," she said out loud, "we both need to get going. Good luck with gymnastics, Autumn."

"Thanks, but it's just practice. Well, Buena suerte con corrido." Seeing Hitomi's confused gaze, she laughed. "I said 'good luck with running, track', whatever. And…tell Amano-sempai and Kaorichan I said 'hi'. Almost as an afterthought, both girls hugged each other. It was similar to Kaoré 's embrace, but with something else added to the "be careful" and "see you later".

Though neither would admit it until much later, the last thing Hitomi and Artemis communicated to each other was "I'll miss you."