Hey Soul of Green Dragon, I understand how you'd rather read the main story instead of the mini chapters. points to her friend I blame you Kyou-chan! Anyway, I plan on changing the mini chapters into an actual story soon. goes and hides in a hole, feeling ashamed

Chapter Thirteen: Everything is a tangle of knots

"Damn it! This shitty paint just won't come out of my hair!" Duo was hunched over a sink in the boys' locker room, washing out his hair before he changed into another school uniform.

"Must you use such foul language?" Yuki was drying his hair with a towel.

"Yes! As a matter of fact, I do. It's your fault that that fight started in the art room, and now we have detention…" Complained Duo while scratching his scalp to get the paint out.

Yuki sighed and left the locker room in search of another school uniform. After washing his hair at least eight times, Duo finally got all the paint out. He dried his hair in a towel and strode out of the locker room in the direction of the laundry room. Turning a corner he ran into Yume, who pushed Duo away before he transformed into a rat.

"You got me all covered in paint now!" Yume growled.

"Sorry!" Duo apologized sincerely.

Relena peeked her head out of the girls' bathroom but neither Duo nor Yume saw her there. "Oh well, at least you didn't transform in the hallway, that would be hard to explain." Yume sighed and rubbed her head as if she didn't feel well.

"You okay?" Duo inquired with concern, lifting his hand to try and help Yume in some way.

Brushing his hand aside roughly, Yume gave Duo a sharp look. "Leave me alone. It's none of your business. Why should you care anyway?" Yume started pacing to the nearest exit out of the school, wiping off what paint she could with tissues.

"Maybe because I do care!" Duo snapped and tried to follow Yume.

Yume spun around and looked down into Duo's cobalt blue eyes. "I suggest that you forget about me before you hurt yourself."

"Huh?" That didn't make any sense to Duo at all. But before Duo could question her more she barged out of the school.

Guilt swelled up inside him. Duo didn't mean to get Yume so angry. What was her problem today? Maybe it had something to do with her being called into the office? The only sound that echoed through the halls was Duo's feet dragging along on the ground. Washing his hair had taken so long that it was already halfway through second hour. Proves just how bad the paint is. The laundry room smelled very clean and Duo changed into a spotless school uniform. Not motivated to get to class in a hurry, Duo trudged through the halls until the third hour bell rang.

"Maxwell!" Someone snapped when Duo entered his third hour class.

"What now?" Duo groaned and sat at his desk.

"Pathetic Maxwell, I heard you got detention for finger painting with nutcase Ms. Dressman." Wufei sneered.

Duo glared at Wufei through his long bangs. "Piss off, Chang. Don't you have other people to bother or too afraid a Yankee chick will stop by and kick your ass?" Duo grinned smugly when he saw that he had gotten to Wufei.

"No…" Wufei walked right past Duo without meeting his eye and muttered. "Just wanted to apologize for the other day…" Wufei sat at a desk near the back of the class along with a couple of his thickheaded cronies. When Duo whipped around to gape at Wufei was looking out the window.

Around the middle of last hour, Duo came to the decision that he would stop by Yume's apartment that evening to try to find out what was wrong.

There was a chilly breeze that afternoon. Most of the leaves were fallen and dead by this point. Duo stared up at the sky daydreaming while he kept his hands warm in his jacket pockets. Several things were making him wonder today, like about Wufei apologizing to him. Last time Duo checked, that wasn't the type of thing Wufei would be caught dead doing. Yume was also acting strange, sure she could be a real bitch sometimes but she was being colder than usual. And what about what Mr. Perfect, Prince Charming Yuki, had said. Why should Duo stay away from the Sohmas? I mean, sure, they were slightly nuts, what with Shigure and Hatori kidnapping him and Akito scaring the shit out of him. Plus Kyou, always trying to pick a fight with him. Well… okay, maybe there were several reasons why Duo wouldn't want to go near the Sohmas. But Yuki didn't have to order him around.

Something caught Duo's foot and the concrete sidewalk came up and met Duo's face with a loud thud. "Ownch… " Duo slowly picked himself up off the concrete and blood dripped down his nose. Speaking of his nose, it was a little smashed in but not broken.

"Ahhh… the sweet scent of someone's blood. It reminds me of a certain day when I smashed pottery into someone's eye…" A voice whispered from the twilight shadows.

A violent shiver went down Duo's spine, but the source of the voice couldn't be found. "Holy shit… what was that…?" Wide and frightened cobalt blue eyes scanned the area but the street was empty.

"Hey Yume-chan!" Gin called from the balcony above. "The rat boy is down below! And oh my god! He's hurt! Call 911!" Duo sweat dropped at Gin. "Can… you… hear…me? He's dying Yume-chan, hurry!"

Looking up at the balcony, Duo saw Yume lean over the balcony in a hurry and look down to see everything was fine. Agitated at Gin for being summoned in such a manner for nothing, Yume gave Gin a dirty look and disappeared from the balcony. A moment later she was stepping out of the apartment complex and leading Duo in to stop his nosebleed.

"Why are you here?" Yume demanded while forcing him to tilt his head back and gave him a tissue to hold up to his nose.

"Um… uh… well… er… I was worried… and I wanted to see if you were done with the report…" Duo explained lamely.

"Why should you worry about a tough chick like Yume?" asked a quiet voice of someone Duo didn't recognize behind him. Duo leaned his head back further to see an upside down face with no expression. This guy looked about fifteen and had white hair with a black hairline. Suddenly the memory of Yume and the white haired guy replayed in Duo's mind. Who was this guy?

"Well… I guess I shouldn't went you put it that way…" Duo narrowed his eyes at this punk. "I don't think we've had the pleasure of meeting before. I'm Duo Maxwell." Duo gritted his teeth.

"Hatsuharu Sohma." Hatsuharu looked down on Duo. "You might want to stop leaning your head back so far or you'll red out."

"Red out?" Duo stopped looking at Haru upside down and turned to face him.

"It's when all your blood rushes to your head and you faint." Haru explained simply.

Gin had been unusually quiet, which was something Duo picked up on right away. She looked up when she saw Duo staring at her and then looked away.

A folder with papers in it was shoved into Duo's face. "There's the damn report since you care so much." Yume snapped.

"Huh? What?" Duo blinked several times.

"Just get out." Yume turned away from him and stood beside Hatsuharu. "And I suggest you stop chasing after me."

Duo furrowed his brow. "Look, damn it! I can't help it if I feel this way about you!"

Hatsuharu gave Duo a dark look before he snapped. "Ever think that Yume might be taken?! You are such a pansy! At least walk out of here like a man with your head high! You're bothering her enough anyway!"

This caught Duo by surprise. Hatsuharu didn't seem very violent when they first met, sarcastic but not violent. Duo backed away. Gin looked over at him sympathetically. "Duo, get out of here before Black Haru beats up on you!"

Duo backed away further and decided to take Gin's advice. He left in a hurry but not like when Heero was shooting at him. Come to think of it, him and Hatsuharu had the same kind of temper. Duo stared down at the sidewalk while walking home. Things were getting too complicated. Why did things have to be so confused and mixed up? Things just keep building up, but hopefully someday, it'll all add up…

TO BE CONTINUED

Sorry about the chapter, I'm really tired while writing it. Any suggestions or comments for me? You know what to do if you do.