JUST BREATHE
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 5.
~*~*~*~
"Here's your homework for today." Meilei called, as she entered Hilde's room. The curtains over the big windows were flung open to allow the bright mid-day sun in. Hilde was sitting up in bed, reading a book that Meilei had loaned her.
"Oh, thank you." She murmured, smiling at her new friend. Over the past few days, she and Meilei had become quite close, Hilde sharing all of her fears and hopes for the future, and Meilei telling her the same.
"So, has Heidi called today?" Meilei asked, jumping onto the end of the bed. Hilde laughed and shook her head.
"Not yet." She stated, looking over her homework. Meilei jumped lightly on the end of the bed, giggling for no particular reason. Suddenly, the girls heard a metallic *clang*, and then the hiss of something solid moving through the air. Meilei rolled her eyes.
"I swear, he's going to kill himself, one of these days." She muttered. Hilde looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, Kojii has been taught in the arts of sword-fighting all of his life. He tends to practice in the afternoons, after school. He does it in his room, but I am sure that someday, he is going to hurt something, whether it be one of his possessions, or himself." Meilei laughed lightly. Hilde jumped.
"You mean he is right next door?" She asked in slight wonder. Meilei nodded.
"Didn't mom tell you? When Kojii and I were small, we would fight a lot, so mother and daddy made sure to put one room in between us. You are presently in that room. My room's on the left side, and his room is just beyond this wall." Meilei stated, pointing at the wall above Hilde's head-board. Hilde gasped and looked quickly down at her papers.
*RING!*
"There's Heidi!" Meilei stated, her eyes sparkling for the conversation ahead; but for once, Meilei was wrong.
"Hello?" Hilde asked softly. There was a long pause, then:
"WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!"
"Akane?!" Hilde asked in shock, holding the phone slightly away from her ear. Meilei's eyes widened in shock, and she sat back to listen.
"It's me. Where are you?" The girl asked again, calmer this time. Hilde sighed.
"How did you find out?"
"You're my best friend. Friends know these things. But if you must know, I caught Heidi taking off her wig this afternoon. I used *your* cell phone to figure out her number, and called you. Why on earth are you doing this, Hilde?" Akane asked, her voice genuinely worried.
"Heidi asked me to. You see..." She went on to tell her friend about Heidi's plan, her trip to Japan, her illness, and the ultimate revealing of their secret by Meilei. By the end of the story, however, Akane was practically rolling on the floor laughing, at the antics of Kojii and his friends.
"So then, Meilei and I listened into one of his phone conversations with Jacob Terada. It went something like this: 'Oh my g*d! NO way, man!' 'Are you screwing me? That is not cool!'." Hilde laughed, as Akane continued laughing. Meilei was also giggling hysterically, her emerald eyes beginning to tear up from the suppressed laughter.
"Oh, no! Hill, mom just came in and I have to go. But I'll call back tomorrow, all right?" Akane asked in a rushed voice. Hilde agreed and then hung up the phone. The two girls took one look at each other and burst out laughing again.
"Mou (Gee), you two are annoying. Meilei, mom wants you downstairs." Kojii stated, coming into the room. Meilei shot him a glare and then left the room, winking at Hilde. This was the first time since her collapse that she had seen Kojii, so Hilde wasn't quite sure what to say to him. He stood uncomfortably in the doorway, not quite sure of what to do, either.
"I...I wanted to thank you for everything you did." She finally managed. Kojii's face turned pink and he frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"That day I got sick. Thank you for helping me." She whispered, afraid that another argument was coming. Instead, Kojii simply stared at her.
"You're acting strange. And you're getting chummy with my little sister. What is wrong with you?" He asked sharply. Hilde winced.
"Maybe I'm tired of fighting with you all the time. Maybe I find your sister *nice*, and I want to get to know her. Hey, you never know. Perhaps I'll continue fighting you someday, but for now, I'm calling a truce, whether you like it or not." She stated dryly, a strange boldness filling her. Kojii's eyes widened in shock, and then he smirked.
"Fine with me, Hiiragizawa. But this is going to make my life a whole lot more boring."
"Or a whole lot more interesting. You never know, Li." She commented, laughing a little. Now his smirk melted into a true smile.
"You might be right."
"Now get out of here, before I change my mind." She commanded. Kojii raised an eyebrow and his smirk returned.
"Oh, I'm scared!" He exclaimed, shutting the door just in time; a pillow hit the door with a *wham*, and fell to the floor harmlessly.
~*~*~*~
"Well, Heidi, it is nice to finally meet you."
Hilde looked up at the tall, smiling man above her and grinned. Syaoran Li, Sakura's husband, had just arrived home from a long trip to Hong Kong. After a week, Hilde had finally been allowed to come downstairs for short amounts of time. Today, she was going to be joining the family at dinner, something Meilei and Sakura both seemed to be thrilled about, for some reason; now she knew why. Syaoran was home!
"Nice to meet you too, Li-sama." Hilde murmured. Syaoran chuckled.
"Call me Syaoran. I hate formalities." He stated. Sakura raised her eyebrow at him.
"Oh, you do? Since when?" She snickered, her eyes twinkling at him. Syaoran growled and yanked her into his arms, dipping her low as he kissed her. Meilei and Hilde rolled their eyes at each other and grinned as the adults finally returned to their senses.
"Since now, apparently." Came a sarcastic voice from the doorway. The group turned and saw Kojii leaning against the doorjamb.
"Hey, dad. Welcome back." He said, walking over and giving his dad a 'manly' hug. Syaoran groaned.
"Since when were you taller than me, son?" He asked. The girls burst into giggles as they realized that indeed, Kojii was a bit taller than his father. The boy grinned and sat down at the table.
"Since now, apparently." He repeated, causing more laughter. But Syaoran's face was quickly sobering.
"Syao, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, as she took her seat beside him. Syaoran waited until they were all settled and eating, before he began.
"The elder's are getting restless. They want a leader who will stay in Hong Kong, at least for a few years, and keep the country steady. Mother's getting older, you know, and she is getting tired of doing my job." He murmured. Sakura turned fearful eyes towards him.
"They want us to go back?" She asked hesitantly. Syaoran shook his head.
"No. They want Kojii to go." He stated. Kojii choked on his food, Meilei spit out the water she had sipped, Sakura went deathly pale, and Hilde simply gaped.
"WHAT?!" Came two voices, Meilei's and Kojii's. Syaoran sighed.
"They wish for you to continue your college education there. To stay and take the work-load off your grandmother. I asked them to wait a few more years, just until you two were out of the house, so your mother and I could return for you, but they think it would be better if we stayed and did not rush home." He stated. Kojii put down his fork and looked thoughtful, while Meilei looked horrified.
"HIM?! Run a country? Are they crazy?" She shrieked. Syaoran smiled.
"No. Just suicidal." He countered. Kojii shot him a glare.
"Well, I was planning on going to college there anyway. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." He murmured, still looking thoughtful. Sakura had gotten over her shock, and was now looking proudly at her son.
"You will make a wonderful leader, Kojii. Just as long as it's only until your education is over. I couldn't bear to be away from you so long." She murmured. Syaoran nodded in agreement. Kojii grinned and nonchalantly continued eating his food.
"Yeah, but by the time it is time for me to return, you will be leaving and taking my place." He reminded them. Both of his parents frowned, while Meilei and Hilde laughed at their confused expressions. Kojii found himself watching 'Heidi' laughing, and smiled a little. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all...
~*~*~*~
"He's going WHERE?!?!" Heidi shouted in a triumphant voice. Hilde held the phone away from her ear and winced. There was a giggle on the other line.
"Heidi, calm down." Akane laughed. The three girls were using three-way calling, and Hilde was using the Li's phone line, to make things easier. Hilde had just told them where Kojii was going to be living for the next few years. In short, Heidi was ecstatic.
"He's going to China. The elders wanted..."
"What do I care what the elders wanted?! He's leaving! No more Kojii Li!!!" Heidi shrieked. Akane laughed again.
"I can tell she's happy. But Hilde, how are you? Are you feeling better?"
"After two weeks of being spoiled to death by the Li's, yes, I'm feeling fine." Hilde assured her. Then, another voice came onto the line.
"*We* didn't spoil you. Kojii did. He was the one getting all your homework this week." Meilei stated, a mischievous tone in her voice; she was on the line in her room. Heidi groaned.
"Your brother is becoming too close to my sister, Mei. That's not fair!" She complained. Hilde sighed.
"He's really nice once you get to know him." She commented timidly. Heidi growled.
"No, he's a monster! He and all of his friends!" Her sister insisted. Meilei let out a giggle.
"Um...just for your information, you seemed to be quite fond of Hiro last time I checked. He's the only one of the group you're civil to, and you blush whenever he's around." She informed them. Akane and Hilde began to laugh along, but it was obvious that Heidi did not find this at all funny.
"I...I don't like him! He's just nice to me, that's all!"
"Yeah, and alligators make good pets. Come on, Heidi. Admit it!"
"Fine! I like him, all right? But if you tell a single soul..."
"We won't!" The three other girls chimed, still giggling. Then Meilei went serious.
"I think he likes you too, Heidi. Whenever Hilde's talking with Kojii, Hiro seems to get really touchy and anxious, almost like he doesn't want to think that Kojii is competition. Since they think Hilde's you, he obviously thinks that you are falling for Kojii." She stated. Heidi stammered in anger.
"WAIT! Hilde is acting love-sick around Li? How could you, sis?"
"I'm not! I'm just being nice..."
"Yeah, if flirting is being nice." Meilei grumbled softly; but everyone heard her.
"WHAT?!?!"
"I am not flirting!"
"OH! My best friend has a crush!" Akane added, giggling hysterically. Hilde groaned while Heidi sputtered in rage.
"I swear, this is all going to end when I get there!" She hissed. Hilde winced at her sister's tone, and Meilei did as well.
"I know it is, Heidi. But please...be gentle when you break it to him. I don't want him to think I'm a complete prick." Hilde murmured. Heidi laughed saucily.
"Don't you mean, that '*I'm* a complete prick'?" She asked.
"You've got that right!" Akane crowed. The girls laughed and then continued to talk long into the night.
~*~*~*~
"HEIDI! YOU'RE BACK!" Bailey shrieked, throwing herself into Hilde's arms. Hilde giggled and rolled her eyes at Meilei behind the other girl's back.
"Yeah. How was life without me?"
"Dull. My brothers have no lives." Bailey complained, as the three girls entered the school. She seemed unfazed about the fact that Meilei was hanging around with them, now.
"I'm sorry, I know how you feel." Meilei commented, as she opened her locker, which was just a few down from Hilde's.
"Me too. Brother's are such pains." Hilde commented, silently apologizing to Yuki as she said this. Meilei seemed to understand her predicament, because she quickly changed the subject and they were soon immersed in a huge talk about...what else? Boys.
"Well, I hate to say it, but your brother Isaac is kind of cute." Meilei stated, blushing. Bailey wrinkled her nose.
"YUCK! Now, that Dean Paterson kid is hot!" She exclaimed. Hilde rolled her eyes and guessed what was coming next.
"Who is your crush of the week, Di?" Bailey asked eagerly.
"Hmmm...no one at the moment."
"Then you can have my brother!" Meilei giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Hilde's cheeks reddened and she shook her head, unable to say anything.
"Who can have me?" Came Kojii's voice. Meilei gave a laugh.
"Oh, we were talking about our crushes of the week, and when Hil...Heidi told me that she didn't have anyone, I offered you." Meilei stated in a triumphant voice. Kojii turned a dark red and he refused to look at Hilde.
"You're a cruel person, Meilei Li." He hissed. She laughed in delight.
"I know."
"So, who was your crush?" Isaac asked innocently. Meilei turned bright red and mumbled something about 'not telling you'. Hilde nearly laughed when she saw Isaac's face drop and his eyes loose their hopeful glint.
"Come on, Heidi." Bailey said quickly, wanting to leave before all their secrets were spilled out. Hilde watched the two girls make a quick get- away, and then she slyly leaned over towards Isaac.
"Meilei said something about liking a guy who's name started with 'I', and ended with '-saac', so you'd better go find him and beat him up, before he gets to her first!" She teased. Isaac's face turned bright crimson and Hilde made a quick get-away as well, her eyes twinkling with laughter.
"You're a cruel woman, Heidi Hiiragizawa." Hiro murmured, when he was sure none of his friends could hear him. But one did. Kojii shot him a searching look and then turned away, thinking about what had just happened.
His little sister liked one of his best friends. What were the chances of that?
~*~*~*~
"I can't believe it! Spring Term is so close to being here, I can almost taste it!" Bailey cried, her eyes sparkling. It had been just over two months since Hilde and Heidi had switched places. Hilde sighed as she heard these words, and tried to keep her heart from sinking. Beside her, Meilei patted her arm comfortingly.
When she had first come here, Hilde would wish for nothing more than to be back with her family again. But now that things had finally sifted into place, Hilde was dreading the thought of leaving.
"Yeah, another break with my family worrying over me." Hilde stated dryly, not in the mood to act like Heidi. Bailey giggled.
"And after Spring term...no more Kojii and co. to deal with!" Meilei squealed, just as her brother and his friends passed by them in the hall. Kojii shot her a dark look.
"Yeah, I'm off to China." He muttered. Hilde noted a bitter undertone in his voice.
"Aren't you excited? You have a chance to make a bit difference in everyone's lives there." She commented. Kojii's cheeks turned red.
*KOJII'S POV.*
'All right. I'm blushing just great! I just hope she doesn't see!'
"Yeah. I guess." I murmured, as Heidi fell into step beside me. Ever since our truce began, she has gotten a lot more decent towards me. And not just that...she seems a lot more patient, not to mention nicer, prettier, sexier...
'UGH! MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, LI!' I shouted mentally. Suddenly, I felt a soft hand on my arm, and I turned to see deep amethyst eyes gazing up into mine.
"Are you all right, Kojii?" Heidi asked softly. I couldn't help but notice that there was something different about her. Something in her eyes and the way they spoke what was in her soul. They seemed to almost pull me in, drowning me in their depths...
"Kojii?" Her voice was soft, and I shook myself and smiled.
"Yeah, fine. Why?"
"Because everyone else just went to lunch. They left you behind." She murmured. Heat rushed to my face again.
"Why didn't you go, too?"
"I didn't want you to wake up from your day-dream, and think that we had abandoned you!" She laughed. Her laugh was different too. Musical and sweet, almost like that song she had sung the day she got sick...
"So, are we going to go?" Heidi asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. I tried to smirk, but failed miserably, as my heart nearly pounded out of my chest.
"Sure." I muttered, still gazing down into her eyes. Suddenly, her's flashed with something I could only interpret as fear, and she moved away, her face quickly returning to its normal carelessness.
"Come on, Li." She laughed, walking away from me. Again, I couldn't help but notice the way her hips shook slightly as she walked, and how that lavender knitted dress she was wearing hugged her womanly curves so perfectly...
'LI, YOU NEED HELP!' My mind shouted. I groaned as I realized just what I was thinking, and who I was thinking about.
Could I possibly care for my enemy-turned-temporary ally?
'Yup, you do.'
This time, it was my heart talking to me. With a groan of torment, I quickly followed the being that had been so long my enigma, and who was now the object of my secret admiration.
'Note to self. See that psychiatrist that grandma suggested I visit...'
~*~*~*~
by: Daphne Li
Chapter 5.
~*~*~*~
"Here's your homework for today." Meilei called, as she entered Hilde's room. The curtains over the big windows were flung open to allow the bright mid-day sun in. Hilde was sitting up in bed, reading a book that Meilei had loaned her.
"Oh, thank you." She murmured, smiling at her new friend. Over the past few days, she and Meilei had become quite close, Hilde sharing all of her fears and hopes for the future, and Meilei telling her the same.
"So, has Heidi called today?" Meilei asked, jumping onto the end of the bed. Hilde laughed and shook her head.
"Not yet." She stated, looking over her homework. Meilei jumped lightly on the end of the bed, giggling for no particular reason. Suddenly, the girls heard a metallic *clang*, and then the hiss of something solid moving through the air. Meilei rolled her eyes.
"I swear, he's going to kill himself, one of these days." She muttered. Hilde looked confused.
"What do you mean?"
"Oh, Kojii has been taught in the arts of sword-fighting all of his life. He tends to practice in the afternoons, after school. He does it in his room, but I am sure that someday, he is going to hurt something, whether it be one of his possessions, or himself." Meilei laughed lightly. Hilde jumped.
"You mean he is right next door?" She asked in slight wonder. Meilei nodded.
"Didn't mom tell you? When Kojii and I were small, we would fight a lot, so mother and daddy made sure to put one room in between us. You are presently in that room. My room's on the left side, and his room is just beyond this wall." Meilei stated, pointing at the wall above Hilde's head-board. Hilde gasped and looked quickly down at her papers.
*RING!*
"There's Heidi!" Meilei stated, her eyes sparkling for the conversation ahead; but for once, Meilei was wrong.
"Hello?" Hilde asked softly. There was a long pause, then:
"WHERE IN THE HELL ARE YOU?!?!"
"Akane?!" Hilde asked in shock, holding the phone slightly away from her ear. Meilei's eyes widened in shock, and she sat back to listen.
"It's me. Where are you?" The girl asked again, calmer this time. Hilde sighed.
"How did you find out?"
"You're my best friend. Friends know these things. But if you must know, I caught Heidi taking off her wig this afternoon. I used *your* cell phone to figure out her number, and called you. Why on earth are you doing this, Hilde?" Akane asked, her voice genuinely worried.
"Heidi asked me to. You see..." She went on to tell her friend about Heidi's plan, her trip to Japan, her illness, and the ultimate revealing of their secret by Meilei. By the end of the story, however, Akane was practically rolling on the floor laughing, at the antics of Kojii and his friends.
"So then, Meilei and I listened into one of his phone conversations with Jacob Terada. It went something like this: 'Oh my g*d! NO way, man!' 'Are you screwing me? That is not cool!'." Hilde laughed, as Akane continued laughing. Meilei was also giggling hysterically, her emerald eyes beginning to tear up from the suppressed laughter.
"Oh, no! Hill, mom just came in and I have to go. But I'll call back tomorrow, all right?" Akane asked in a rushed voice. Hilde agreed and then hung up the phone. The two girls took one look at each other and burst out laughing again.
"Mou (Gee), you two are annoying. Meilei, mom wants you downstairs." Kojii stated, coming into the room. Meilei shot him a glare and then left the room, winking at Hilde. This was the first time since her collapse that she had seen Kojii, so Hilde wasn't quite sure what to say to him. He stood uncomfortably in the doorway, not quite sure of what to do, either.
"I...I wanted to thank you for everything you did." She finally managed. Kojii's face turned pink and he frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"That day I got sick. Thank you for helping me." She whispered, afraid that another argument was coming. Instead, Kojii simply stared at her.
"You're acting strange. And you're getting chummy with my little sister. What is wrong with you?" He asked sharply. Hilde winced.
"Maybe I'm tired of fighting with you all the time. Maybe I find your sister *nice*, and I want to get to know her. Hey, you never know. Perhaps I'll continue fighting you someday, but for now, I'm calling a truce, whether you like it or not." She stated dryly, a strange boldness filling her. Kojii's eyes widened in shock, and then he smirked.
"Fine with me, Hiiragizawa. But this is going to make my life a whole lot more boring."
"Or a whole lot more interesting. You never know, Li." She commented, laughing a little. Now his smirk melted into a true smile.
"You might be right."
"Now get out of here, before I change my mind." She commanded. Kojii raised an eyebrow and his smirk returned.
"Oh, I'm scared!" He exclaimed, shutting the door just in time; a pillow hit the door with a *wham*, and fell to the floor harmlessly.
~*~*~*~
"Well, Heidi, it is nice to finally meet you."
Hilde looked up at the tall, smiling man above her and grinned. Syaoran Li, Sakura's husband, had just arrived home from a long trip to Hong Kong. After a week, Hilde had finally been allowed to come downstairs for short amounts of time. Today, she was going to be joining the family at dinner, something Meilei and Sakura both seemed to be thrilled about, for some reason; now she knew why. Syaoran was home!
"Nice to meet you too, Li-sama." Hilde murmured. Syaoran chuckled.
"Call me Syaoran. I hate formalities." He stated. Sakura raised her eyebrow at him.
"Oh, you do? Since when?" She snickered, her eyes twinkling at him. Syaoran growled and yanked her into his arms, dipping her low as he kissed her. Meilei and Hilde rolled their eyes at each other and grinned as the adults finally returned to their senses.
"Since now, apparently." Came a sarcastic voice from the doorway. The group turned and saw Kojii leaning against the doorjamb.
"Hey, dad. Welcome back." He said, walking over and giving his dad a 'manly' hug. Syaoran groaned.
"Since when were you taller than me, son?" He asked. The girls burst into giggles as they realized that indeed, Kojii was a bit taller than his father. The boy grinned and sat down at the table.
"Since now, apparently." He repeated, causing more laughter. But Syaoran's face was quickly sobering.
"Syao, what's wrong?" Sakura asked, as she took her seat beside him. Syaoran waited until they were all settled and eating, before he began.
"The elder's are getting restless. They want a leader who will stay in Hong Kong, at least for a few years, and keep the country steady. Mother's getting older, you know, and she is getting tired of doing my job." He murmured. Sakura turned fearful eyes towards him.
"They want us to go back?" She asked hesitantly. Syaoran shook his head.
"No. They want Kojii to go." He stated. Kojii choked on his food, Meilei spit out the water she had sipped, Sakura went deathly pale, and Hilde simply gaped.
"WHAT?!" Came two voices, Meilei's and Kojii's. Syaoran sighed.
"They wish for you to continue your college education there. To stay and take the work-load off your grandmother. I asked them to wait a few more years, just until you two were out of the house, so your mother and I could return for you, but they think it would be better if we stayed and did not rush home." He stated. Kojii put down his fork and looked thoughtful, while Meilei looked horrified.
"HIM?! Run a country? Are they crazy?" She shrieked. Syaoran smiled.
"No. Just suicidal." He countered. Kojii shot him a glare.
"Well, I was planning on going to college there anyway. I suppose it wouldn't hurt." He murmured, still looking thoughtful. Sakura had gotten over her shock, and was now looking proudly at her son.
"You will make a wonderful leader, Kojii. Just as long as it's only until your education is over. I couldn't bear to be away from you so long." She murmured. Syaoran nodded in agreement. Kojii grinned and nonchalantly continued eating his food.
"Yeah, but by the time it is time for me to return, you will be leaving and taking my place." He reminded them. Both of his parents frowned, while Meilei and Hilde laughed at their confused expressions. Kojii found himself watching 'Heidi' laughing, and smiled a little. Perhaps she wasn't so bad after all...
~*~*~*~
"He's going WHERE?!?!" Heidi shouted in a triumphant voice. Hilde held the phone away from her ear and winced. There was a giggle on the other line.
"Heidi, calm down." Akane laughed. The three girls were using three-way calling, and Hilde was using the Li's phone line, to make things easier. Hilde had just told them where Kojii was going to be living for the next few years. In short, Heidi was ecstatic.
"He's going to China. The elders wanted..."
"What do I care what the elders wanted?! He's leaving! No more Kojii Li!!!" Heidi shrieked. Akane laughed again.
"I can tell she's happy. But Hilde, how are you? Are you feeling better?"
"After two weeks of being spoiled to death by the Li's, yes, I'm feeling fine." Hilde assured her. Then, another voice came onto the line.
"*We* didn't spoil you. Kojii did. He was the one getting all your homework this week." Meilei stated, a mischievous tone in her voice; she was on the line in her room. Heidi groaned.
"Your brother is becoming too close to my sister, Mei. That's not fair!" She complained. Hilde sighed.
"He's really nice once you get to know him." She commented timidly. Heidi growled.
"No, he's a monster! He and all of his friends!" Her sister insisted. Meilei let out a giggle.
"Um...just for your information, you seemed to be quite fond of Hiro last time I checked. He's the only one of the group you're civil to, and you blush whenever he's around." She informed them. Akane and Hilde began to laugh along, but it was obvious that Heidi did not find this at all funny.
"I...I don't like him! He's just nice to me, that's all!"
"Yeah, and alligators make good pets. Come on, Heidi. Admit it!"
"Fine! I like him, all right? But if you tell a single soul..."
"We won't!" The three other girls chimed, still giggling. Then Meilei went serious.
"I think he likes you too, Heidi. Whenever Hilde's talking with Kojii, Hiro seems to get really touchy and anxious, almost like he doesn't want to think that Kojii is competition. Since they think Hilde's you, he obviously thinks that you are falling for Kojii." She stated. Heidi stammered in anger.
"WAIT! Hilde is acting love-sick around Li? How could you, sis?"
"I'm not! I'm just being nice..."
"Yeah, if flirting is being nice." Meilei grumbled softly; but everyone heard her.
"WHAT?!?!"
"I am not flirting!"
"OH! My best friend has a crush!" Akane added, giggling hysterically. Hilde groaned while Heidi sputtered in rage.
"I swear, this is all going to end when I get there!" She hissed. Hilde winced at her sister's tone, and Meilei did as well.
"I know it is, Heidi. But please...be gentle when you break it to him. I don't want him to think I'm a complete prick." Hilde murmured. Heidi laughed saucily.
"Don't you mean, that '*I'm* a complete prick'?" She asked.
"You've got that right!" Akane crowed. The girls laughed and then continued to talk long into the night.
~*~*~*~
"HEIDI! YOU'RE BACK!" Bailey shrieked, throwing herself into Hilde's arms. Hilde giggled and rolled her eyes at Meilei behind the other girl's back.
"Yeah. How was life without me?"
"Dull. My brothers have no lives." Bailey complained, as the three girls entered the school. She seemed unfazed about the fact that Meilei was hanging around with them, now.
"I'm sorry, I know how you feel." Meilei commented, as she opened her locker, which was just a few down from Hilde's.
"Me too. Brother's are such pains." Hilde commented, silently apologizing to Yuki as she said this. Meilei seemed to understand her predicament, because she quickly changed the subject and they were soon immersed in a huge talk about...what else? Boys.
"Well, I hate to say it, but your brother Isaac is kind of cute." Meilei stated, blushing. Bailey wrinkled her nose.
"YUCK! Now, that Dean Paterson kid is hot!" She exclaimed. Hilde rolled her eyes and guessed what was coming next.
"Who is your crush of the week, Di?" Bailey asked eagerly.
"Hmmm...no one at the moment."
"Then you can have my brother!" Meilei giggled, her eyes twinkling with mischief. Hilde's cheeks reddened and she shook her head, unable to say anything.
"Who can have me?" Came Kojii's voice. Meilei gave a laugh.
"Oh, we were talking about our crushes of the week, and when Hil...Heidi told me that she didn't have anyone, I offered you." Meilei stated in a triumphant voice. Kojii turned a dark red and he refused to look at Hilde.
"You're a cruel person, Meilei Li." He hissed. She laughed in delight.
"I know."
"So, who was your crush?" Isaac asked innocently. Meilei turned bright red and mumbled something about 'not telling you'. Hilde nearly laughed when she saw Isaac's face drop and his eyes loose their hopeful glint.
"Come on, Heidi." Bailey said quickly, wanting to leave before all their secrets were spilled out. Hilde watched the two girls make a quick get- away, and then she slyly leaned over towards Isaac.
"Meilei said something about liking a guy who's name started with 'I', and ended with '-saac', so you'd better go find him and beat him up, before he gets to her first!" She teased. Isaac's face turned bright crimson and Hilde made a quick get-away as well, her eyes twinkling with laughter.
"You're a cruel woman, Heidi Hiiragizawa." Hiro murmured, when he was sure none of his friends could hear him. But one did. Kojii shot him a searching look and then turned away, thinking about what had just happened.
His little sister liked one of his best friends. What were the chances of that?
~*~*~*~
"I can't believe it! Spring Term is so close to being here, I can almost taste it!" Bailey cried, her eyes sparkling. It had been just over two months since Hilde and Heidi had switched places. Hilde sighed as she heard these words, and tried to keep her heart from sinking. Beside her, Meilei patted her arm comfortingly.
When she had first come here, Hilde would wish for nothing more than to be back with her family again. But now that things had finally sifted into place, Hilde was dreading the thought of leaving.
"Yeah, another break with my family worrying over me." Hilde stated dryly, not in the mood to act like Heidi. Bailey giggled.
"And after Spring term...no more Kojii and co. to deal with!" Meilei squealed, just as her brother and his friends passed by them in the hall. Kojii shot her a dark look.
"Yeah, I'm off to China." He muttered. Hilde noted a bitter undertone in his voice.
"Aren't you excited? You have a chance to make a bit difference in everyone's lives there." She commented. Kojii's cheeks turned red.
*KOJII'S POV.*
'All right. I'm blushing just great! I just hope she doesn't see!'
"Yeah. I guess." I murmured, as Heidi fell into step beside me. Ever since our truce began, she has gotten a lot more decent towards me. And not just that...she seems a lot more patient, not to mention nicer, prettier, sexier...
'UGH! MIND OUT OF THE GUTTER, LI!' I shouted mentally. Suddenly, I felt a soft hand on my arm, and I turned to see deep amethyst eyes gazing up into mine.
"Are you all right, Kojii?" Heidi asked softly. I couldn't help but notice that there was something different about her. Something in her eyes and the way they spoke what was in her soul. They seemed to almost pull me in, drowning me in their depths...
"Kojii?" Her voice was soft, and I shook myself and smiled.
"Yeah, fine. Why?"
"Because everyone else just went to lunch. They left you behind." She murmured. Heat rushed to my face again.
"Why didn't you go, too?"
"I didn't want you to wake up from your day-dream, and think that we had abandoned you!" She laughed. Her laugh was different too. Musical and sweet, almost like that song she had sung the day she got sick...
"So, are we going to go?" Heidi asked, her eyes twinkling with mischief. I tried to smirk, but failed miserably, as my heart nearly pounded out of my chest.
"Sure." I muttered, still gazing down into her eyes. Suddenly, her's flashed with something I could only interpret as fear, and she moved away, her face quickly returning to its normal carelessness.
"Come on, Li." She laughed, walking away from me. Again, I couldn't help but notice the way her hips shook slightly as she walked, and how that lavender knitted dress she was wearing hugged her womanly curves so perfectly...
'LI, YOU NEED HELP!' My mind shouted. I groaned as I realized just what I was thinking, and who I was thinking about.
Could I possibly care for my enemy-turned-temporary ally?
'Yup, you do.'
This time, it was my heart talking to me. With a groan of torment, I quickly followed the being that had been so long my enigma, and who was now the object of my secret admiration.
'Note to self. See that psychiatrist that grandma suggested I visit...'
~*~*~*~