Yuna had a hard time getting the flour out from her hair. Rikku and Lulu had lent her a helping hand, yet instead, their hands patted the flour into her hair, making the tawny strands lighter.

"It looks like I have lice!" Yuna laughed, brushing the lumps of flour out from her hair. Lulu sighed as she checked her friend's hair for the last time, yet felt her mouth curve into a rare smile as she saw Yuna laugh happily with Rikku. How long has it been since Yuna laughed so loudly? It was indeed true that she would have to give her life up to save the Spiran people, and Yuna had been oddly quiet the past summer. Perhaps this new boy, Tidus, was having a good influence on her.

"Hey Lulu, Yuna, wanna go to the mall today?" Rikku asked, stuffing her clothes in her locker hastily. Lulu immediately replied "No," and smiled as she saw Rikku's bright smile curve into a frown. Yuna shook her head no, stuffing her clothes into her locker, located near Rikku's.

"I've got to go work," Yuna stated simply as she headed over to the mirror to check if her hair looked fine. Lulu shook her head as she sat down on a bench nearby, stretching her long, graceful arms.

"You actually still work in that pharmacy? You don't receive decent wages though, Yuna."

"I'm earning enough money to help support Uncle Cid's transportations. And anyway, I don't care about the wages. Seeing the happy smiles of the customers are rewarding for me," Yuna smiled, tying her hair in a ponytail. She preferred keeping her hair down, but she didn't want the other students to assume she had lice or flour in her hair.

Lulu shook her head lightly as she smiled. It was always like Yuna, thinking about others before herself. She wondered to herself if she would ever be like Yuna, always wanting to please the people around her. Lulu indeed did not like people, ever since she was a little toddler. People were liars, in Lulu's mind. When she first became friends with Rikku and Yuna, she was amazed at how pure-hearted they were. Wakka...was another story.

Rikku yanked Yuna and Lulu's ponytails, whining about going to the mall. "There's the Welcome-Back-To-School dance next week! We need to get ready!"

Lulu snorted, entangling Rikku's fingers from her ponytail. "Dances are stupid."

"No they aren't! You get to know the new people! I love dances!" Rikku said happily, continuing to pull on Lulu and Yuna's ponytail.

"And I love Sesame Street," Lulu replied sarcastically, once again entangling Rikku's fingers from her ponytail. She did hate dances, although many boys had previously asked her to go to the dances with them.

"Come on Lulu! You said that you had fun at a dance last year!" Rikku whined, now tugging Lulu's sleeve. Lulu irritably pulled her sleeve away from Rikku.

"I don't like fun."

An exasperated sigh escaped Rikku's mouth as she shook her head. "We all need fun, Lulu!"

"No we don't."

"Yes we do!"

"No."

"YES!"

"No."

"YES!"

"Be quiet, Rikku. I can't concentrate on hating dances."

"LULU!"

"I'll hex my moogle on you if you don't shut up."

A gasp was heard from Rikku as she immediately shut up. Lulu's Moogle was known to be very violent with others.

Lulu's burgundy eyes brimmed with amusement as she looked at Rikku, who was cowering behind Yuna. "I didn't know you were such a scaredy-cat, Rikku," she smiled rather teasingly.

"I can be a scaredy-cat, but I still attract the boys!" Rikku boasted, putting on her sweetest smile. Sure, she was a very attractive girl, and Rikku was fully aware that she was. Lulu was pretty, but she was too dark. Yuna was pretty, but she was too shy. A girl attractive was someone like her - bright, bouncy, and cheerful.

"Boys stick to you because you're simple-minded, Rikku. Soon you're going to be pregnant three times with three different men and you're going to regret the fact that you had sex with seventeen men." Lulu smirked. Rikku's face immediately twisted into horror and fear as she clung on to Lulu, choking her.

"I DON'T WANT TO BECOME PREGNANT WITH THREE DIFFERENT MEN!" she wailed, squeezing Lulu's thin waist tighter and tighter with each word that Lulu squeaked.

"Fine! Fine!" she managed to squeak out, gasping for air as Rikku let her go. Lulu's normally pale face was a vivid shade of pink, and Rikku stuck her tongue out in glee as she saw this.

"You know Lulu? You should get hugged by someone like Wakka more often; you look much better and pinker now!" she mused, laughing. Yuna bit her lip in order to keep herself from laughing, for Lulu didn't look like herself with a pink face and tangled hair. A small giggle escaped her mouth, but she immediately put her hands over it when Lulu glared at her with her fierce burgundy eyes.

*****

Yuna felt self-conscious when she saw Tidus laughing as he came out from the boys' locker room. Yuna had never been so self-conscious, but she somehow felt more self-conscious that she ever felt in her life. Was it because of Tidus?

She shook her head as she pushed Tidus out of her mind. Tidus wouldn't hang around an unpopular girl like her. He's got the looks, the personality, and the award-winning smile. He'd probably join the so-called "popular group" in no time. Besides, Yuna knew that her friends would drift away as soon as they find out the "real" Yuna.

Stepping out of the locker room, she stared at the huge roof of the dome that was Besaid High's gym. It was fairly new, only built five years ago. The roof of the dome was full of lights, so bright that it was like a twin to the sun. The gym was beautiful, Yuna had to admit, but she hated the gym. She hated the artificial lights, the dome shaped gym, and the music the teachers played in the gym were loud enough to pop Yuna's eardrums.

Realization hit Yuna fairly quickly when the people of Spira cheered without effort that Calm was brought about. Little Yuna had expected the people to be cheering excitedly, their eyes sparkling with happiness as the relief of Calm shone above them. Yet the people around her were getting on with their daily schedules, as if nothing happened. Some even seemed bored of life. The same day the Calm was brought, twenty people committed suicide.

Those people made Yuna angry, for her father, Braska, died trying to let the Spiran people get on with their daily lives. Her father died so that the people wouldn't have to fear Sin, yet some of the people were wasting their lives her father had protected. What made Yuna even angrier was the fact that her father's death was being wasted. Her father had died for his people, and that was how some of the goddamned people were acting!

After Braska died, Yuna was placed in an orphanage for a short while until her father's trusted friend, Kimahri, a Ronso, was placed as her guardian. The three years Yuna lived with Kimahri was peaceful. Kimahri was strict, even stricter than her father, but his smiles were most rewarding. Whenever Yuna brought home her masterpieces of art, or her tests marked "Excellent!", Kimahri would give her one of his rare smiles. Yuna loved Kimahri, and Kimahri became a father figure to her. Though she was a half- blood, he a Ronso, there was a bond between them that went over the wall of different species.

Yuna's life once shifted as Kimahri was placed as the head of his tribe. The parting between the "daughter" and the "father" was brief and quiet, yet there was much talking between the two silent figures. They didn't need words to communicate, for their bond went beyond that. Mount Gagazet was far away from Bevelle, and Yuna knew she wouldn't be able to see much of Kimahri. She still remembered Kimahri's large hand patting Yuna's brown hair, a large figure smiling above her.

Bevelle was full of bad memories, but Yuna continued to live there, even after Kimahri left. Their house, with only two rooms and a kitchen, was now occupied by Yuna. Although the house was small, it seemed even smaller after Kimahri left. Memories of her father, mother, and Kimahri flooded Yuna's mind everyday. Yuna still remembered coming home from school and sitting on the old sofa, staring at her parents' pictures for several hours.

Yuna had almost been expelled from Bevelle Middle School, due to her school behavior. On her report cards, the words "antisocial", "low self-esteem", "Posttraumatic Stress Disorder" filled the white sheet of paper. The students often called her a mute, a depressed child, and a half-blood. Yuna denied being a mute and a depressed child, yet she could not contradict that she was a half-blood, for she was indeed a half between a Yevon Catholic and an Al Bhed.

None of the teachers and students in Bevelle Middle School had given Yuna the respect she deserved. Sure, she was a half-blood, the lowest beings in the pyramid of people, and sure, she was close to a mute. But even if she was a half-blood and a mute, wouldn't she receive at least some kind of respect?

The school scarcely cared when she decided to go to Besaid High School instead of forwarding to Bevelle High School. Yuna had been really excited when she learnt that her family on her mother's side lived in Besaid. Cid, Aniki, and Rikku had warmly welcomed her in their family, and for the first time, she actually felt that she fit in. Cid and his kids were both Al Bhed, just as her mother had been. Being pure Al Bhed, they were considered slightly above the half bloods, but not by much.

Aniki had helped her forge her past history so that her traces of being a half-blood were cleverly disguised. She was a new person, a full Yevon Catholic, who was an ordinary person in school. Aniki and Rikku were also considered Yevons in this school, thanks to Aniki's superb ability to hack into computers using Al Bhed Machinas.

Memories and worries of death clouded Yuna's mind as she did the routine pushups for her gym class. Even if she were to go to the temple of Zanarkand alone and die alone, would anyone care? Probably not.

She had some respect earned for her by her father, by those who believed in the old religion. Hundreds of years have passed since Yunalesca first fought Sin, and hundreds of years have passed since a legendary summoner was thought to have defeated Sin for good. Yet Sin came coming back ever ten years with the power of the final aeons summoned by the past summoners. Yu Yevon and Yunalesca had been defeated, yet Sin came coming back. There was no definite theory on why Sin came back, although Yuna had heard that Sin was coming back from the power he had taken from the guardians who had accompanied the summoner, as a result, killing them as well as when the summoner summoned the Final Aeon.

Thus, guardians fled for their lives when appointed by a summoner. Yuna was still lucky that Lulu and Wakka were still her guardians, and she never ceased to believe in them, yet a small part of her heart told her that they would probably back down when the Time came. It pained Yuna to think like that, yet it was reality for her to embrace.

Would the people respect her when she defeated Sin? She hoped so. Perhaps it was a dream, for the people to be cheering wildly in the streets when Sin was defeated. But she could dream, couldn't she?

*****

Wakka had gobbled up most of Tidus' cookies, calling them the most wonderful work of art.

"Brudda, these are real scrumptious, ya? Who made them with ya?"

"Yuna and I made them," he replied proudly, munching on his last cookie. He however stopped when Wakka gaped at his half-eaten cookie as if it were some worm cookies.

"Y-yuna made them?" he stuttered. When Tidus nodded, Wakka seemed to be making a decision whether to empty the contents in his mouth, or swallow it.

"Why? There's good, aren't they?" Tidus asked, looking at Wakka curiously. Wakka unenthusiastically chewed the remaining contents in his mouth, not wanting to hurt Tidus' feelings. Chappu had made horrible cookies a long time ago, and Wakka still remembered the bitter taste in his mouth as he ate one of them. Lulu had also eaten one of Chappu's cookies, and promptly threw up after eating one.

But these cookies were actually good, and if he had the promise that he wouldn't be suffering from a stomach, he would actually enjoy them.

"Ya know brudda, that Yuna got an F in Home Ec. last year, right?" he asked, wondering whether Tidus knew that or not. Judging by the surprised look on Tidus' face, he didn't.

"She made these horrible cookies last year and we all threw up after eating of one 'em," Wakka laughed, recalling the day he had eaten one of her cookies. They looked good, yet they had the same bitter taste as Chappu's cookies, maybe even worse.

"She's good at making cookies though!" Tidus insisted, brushing his hands on his pants. Wakka laughed again as he poked Tidus in the stomach.

"You must be having a good effect on Yuna-girl, brudda. Hang out with her, will ya? She doesn't like people."

He then twisted his face, furrowing his eyebrows in deep thought. "Actually, she loves her people, but she doesn't really communicate, ya know what I mean?"

Tidus nodded, for he did sort of comprehend what Wakka meant. By watching Yuna today, he noticed that she was very shy, but she didn't seem to hate the world around her. She was a nice girl though; very different from the girls from Zanarkand. Especially the girls he had dated in the past. Wakka had informed him that once he was on the Blitzball team, he would get to the pick of his girls, ranging from cheerleaders to nerds, just like back in Zanarkand.

"Hey brudda, who're ya taking to the Welcome-Back-To-School Dance?" Wakka asked, curiously looking at Tidus in a funny way.

"It's still the first day of school, brother."

"I know, but..." Wakka leaned over, almost whispering. "You're not taking Lulu, right?"

Tidus shook his head violently, backing away from Wakka. "Why would I take her? I hardly know Lulu!"

Wakka sighed of relief, putting his hand over his large chest. "I'm glad, brudda."

Raising an eyebrow, Tidus asked "Why?" and had to control his laughter when Wakka blushed.

"W-well, n-n-nothing, juss that..." Wakka stammered, pausing to think of an excuse to tell the smirking Tidus. "Lu's like a sista to me, ya?"

Tidus nodded and smiled, although the unconvinced look was still apparent on his face. Wakka blushed and scratched his head, hoping to hide his true intention of asking Tidus that question. However, Wakka wasn't a very good liar and Tidus easily found out his intention.

"You like Lulu, don't you? I mean, you ask about her, you glance at her every second, then you blush when you look at her...admit it, brother, you like her."

"N-n-no! I don't! Lu's like a sista to me, I've told you that, ya?" he denied, shaking his head until his famous hairdo became lumpy.

"Naw, I don't believe you," Tidus laughed, heading for the door, leaving Wakka blushing madly.

"Brudda! I don't like 'er!"

*****

The unit they started Physical Education was on basketball, and Yuna just happened to hate basketball. It was more of Rikku's type of sport, running around and getting all sweaty. Yuna preferred activities that didn't require too much running and moving, thus basketball was not the sport for her.

Nobody on her team would pass the ball to her anyway, although she ran up and down so that the teacher wouldn't catch her not participating in class. Lulu was even bolder, not bothering to run across the court. Rikku was a natural at this sport, earning most of the points her team made.

"Come on Yunie, Lulu! RUN!" Rikku shouted, dribbling the ball across the court and making a neat lay-up shot. Yuna and Lulu shook their heads, scarcely paying attention to the game. Yuna caught Tidus making an incredible shot across the room, and mused the fact that he too was a natural at this sport.

"Lulu...look at him; he's great at basketball..." Yuna pointed to Tidus, who was making the rounds of high-fives with his teammates. Lulu smiled slyly, nudging Yuna's shoulders.

"My little Yuna seems to have a little crush on someone..."

Yuna shook her head defiantly, bi-colored eyes meeting burgundy ones. "I just thought that he's great at basketball, Lulu..." she said quietly, hoping her face wasn't too pink. Yuna herself was a great actor, and hardly anyone noticed whether she was feeling sad or angry, yet she had the most problem trying to mask her blush. However, she seemed to be improving for Lulu didn't notice her blushing.

"Wakka's good too," Lulu mused, looking at Wakka making a three-pointer. "Too bad he's a little chubby in the stomach."

"YUNA, LULU, GET BACK IN THE GAME!" the teacher, Mrs. Panteour yelled, spraying spit all over the place. Yuna and Lulu meekly got back in the game, pretending to participate while paying little attention.

"So...what's happening between you and Seymour?" Lulu asked within pants, running up and down the court. Yuna didn't answer, but pretending to pant hard, running around the court in order to avoid the question.

"I'm...we're...doing fine, Lulu. Just fine." She murmured, hoping to convince Lulu out of her concern. Yet Lulu didn't seem convinced, and Yuna didn't blame her, for she wasn't convinced at her own answer.

Even Yuna didn't know why she went out with Seymour in the first place. He was handsome, and he was nice, in his own way. Yuna couldn't bring herself to love him, yet she couldn't bring herself to break up with him. Was it fear? Yuna herself didn't quite know. Seymour was indeed a force to be reckoned with, and no one actually survived going against Seymour. She was really surprised when Tidus stood up against Seymour this morning. Perhaps he might have a chance to go against Seymour and plunge him off his throne.

"If that slime-ball tries to even touch you, call me and I'll hex him with my Moogle," Lulu said fiercely, the stern look in her eyes rising again. Yuna couldn't help but stifle a laugh as she saw her eyes.

"Oh Lulu, I'm perfectly fine! Seymour's a nice person once you get to know him!"

Lulu growled, a fierce look upon her face. "He's still a slime-ball..."

Yuna smiled and nodded, taking a glance over to the court across the room. There, Tidus was looking in her direction. Yuna couldn't help but blush and turn away from him, once again pretending to concentrate on the game. She'd never blush with Seymour, but somehow, Tidus made her blush in so many ways: the way he smiled at her, the way he looked at her, and the way he even talked to her. Was this friendship taking a turn?

*****

A/N: I had the worst case of writer's block these past few weeks, and I'm close to failing Algebra in my school --; So I'm really really sorry if I didn't update fast enough, although Chapter 5 is on the way. Thanks, and please review xDD