Heh, sorry Gouki… I know I have a tendency to cut Hayate out of the fight scenes without meaning to. A real bitch sometimes, but he WILL fight, don't worry. It's just not who you would (well… I didn't… you might…) expect him to fight. S'okay, though. You can be angry about it ^_^ But he will! Hold me to it!

Ah. Escawing, it wasn't supposed to be that way… *sheepish expression* mostly on request though, I have written a few shounen-ai fics, but this one isn't supposed to end up like that. *Falls over* but, I'm glad you like it all the same.

Sorry, I can't respond to everyone today… (these updates seem to have gone back to daily… I guess I love you guys so much I can't stop updating!) but I have to go fruit and veg shopping with Mum. Fun, fun! But hopefully I get gerberas, so we're all good. Mmm, gerbera… ^_^

This chapter is called something weird and semi-cliché like always, but the AKA title is *drum roll* 'Mmm, ice-cream…'

Okay, I'm sorry. Oops, gotta go. Later!

*

Is he lying? Can I truly believe that he was telling me the truth? Or was it just to make me feel better?

He was lying on his bed, lost in thought. Ryu… I wish I could read you better. You probably guessed that I'm just putting on a front now. A nice happy front, so you and everyone else can think that I'm alright, well and truly gotten over it. But… I still feel so guilty. Perhaps it wouldn't have been as hard if you had told me straight from the start that I was a murderer. The fact that you saved it up until you knew it would hurt so badly…

Is that truly something a best friend would do?

He shook his head in frustration. Ryu is my best friend. A stupid comment isn't enough for me to break up our friendship. But… I wish I knew…

God, Ryu. That's one thing I can't stand about you. Even though we're supposed to be best friends, sometimes you're about as clear to me as mud in a beer bottle. Seriously, aren't friends supposed to understand each other? Isn't that what makes friends friends?

Nice happy front… nobody would ever know, except for you, Ryu. And I can't even tell if you did know or if you didn't know. That's how unclear you are to me. You're a good friend, but…

Dammit, Irene, why did you have to die? It's amazing how someone as lively as you could just suddenly die. Just like that. The next minute, after the crash, I turned around, and you were basically gone.

How do things like that happen? It's unbelievable. You certainly didn't deserve it, either. And all the people you've saddened with your demise… why couldn't it have been someone nobody cared about?

Like… like…

……

She played with a lock of her hair, pondering.

…Should I ring him? After all, he is going to be my date, but… it feels so wrong. I don't want to. After all… Hayabusa, one of the school's most popular guys, going dress-shopping with a stupid girl called Kasumi and a few of her friends? He doesn't even like me… right?

He won't want to come with me. Dress shopping would be boring for any guy, least of all Hayabusa. I don't want him to dislike me…

But what if I come in a dress he detests? He'll probably act all polite, but mentally wish that he had never come with me…

Why did I even ask him? If it were any other guy I wouldn't be worrying what they thought about me. It's just Hayabusa. I care what he thinks about me. I like him.

She pursed her lips together, toying with her phone. Today she, Tina, Hitomi and Leifang were going formal dress shopping. They had decided to leave it later so they could get the latest fashions, but… it's not even a week away. Perhaps we left it a little too late. I do wish Helena could come, though. But she's had to go back to France to be with her family.

Tina was going with someone she knew out of school. Hitomi was going with Hayate. Her brother, of all people. Leifang was going, much to everyone's amusement, with Jann-Lee, despite comments that they were only going because they were 'childhood friends'. She sighed. I should be happy that Hayabusa has given up his time to go with me. Especially since it hasn't even been a year. Since… Irene… fine. I know. I'll make my dress your honour, Irene. My tribute to you. I don't know how good I'll look in blue, but… I'll try.

"What about this one?"

"No, it clashes with your eyes,"

How do they do it? He was sitting down on a small stool, only pausing in his thoughts to nod as each girl modelled a dress in front of him. There must be at least hundreds of dresses in here. We're only on the thirty-second. How much longer will I be here for?

Actually, he digressed. Truth be told, Kasumi wasn't modelling anything. She was still clothed in her school uniform, browsing through another rack of dresses.

At least it's Tuesday. Father won't be home until late. If I'm lucky. If not, then… I don't know.

Leifang walked out, in a stunning black velvet gown that accentuated her shapely hips, her hair tied back with a black ribbon. "What do you think, Hayabusa?"

"I like it," he sat up, admiring the way the blackness of the velvet brought out her stormy grey eyes. "It makes your eyes stand out,"

To his surprise, she burst out laughing. "Most guys would be admiring my breasts or something, yet you admire my eyes. I like you,"

Her breasts? Was I supposed to be looking at that? I don't know… it isn't every day that I get hauled along to a formal dress shop, I suppose. Perhaps I need practise. Wait, no. I don't want practise at looking at girls' breasts!

He dropped his head into his hands. I'm confused. "It looks very… nice, Leifang,"

Another laugh sounded. "You're so cute. What do you think of this one?"

He glanced up. Very Tina. A short, above-the knee dress that tied up behind the neck, in a pale aqua colour. Her blonde hair gently caressed her shoulders as she batted her eyelashes seductively at him. "You like?"

"It suits you," he offered, not knowing what else to say. "I can't really picture you in something overly formal; you seem to have a more relaxed sense of the word 'formal',"

She grinned. "You sound like a girl, the way you critique clothes,"

He blushed. He couldn't help it. "I apologise,"

"No, it's good. Don't be sorry. In fact, it's very helpful. Better then your eyes popping out at my cleavage or something,"

"Uh, Hayabusa?" a soft voice came from the corner. "What do you think?"

Hitomi this time. She was dressed in an exquisite white strapless gown, which billowed out below the waist. She smiled shyly. "Do you like it?"

He nodded. "It's simple in colour, but still… elegant,"

She smiled, more relaxed. "Tina was right. You do critique like a girl,"

Leifang, now in a light green formal jacket and skirt, looked over to where Kasumi was standing, still browsing the racks. "Kas. Aren't you going to try anything on?"

The younger girl shook her head. "I chose my dress already. I forgot to tell you about it,"

"Kas!" Tina sounded indignant. "You what?"

"Sorry," the amber-locked girl apologised. "I'll tell you later,"

"Well, I like this one," Leifang pointed to the black velvet dress she had been wearing earlier, draped over the changing room doors. "What do you guys think?"

Tina nodded. "Very sexy. Besides, the fact a guy likes it is probably a good incentive,"

"It does bring out your eyes really well," Hitomi complimented.

"Yes. You should get that one, Lei," Kasumi added from behind her rack of clothes.

"What do you think, Hayabusa? Should I get this one?"

"I think so," he raised his head to look at her. "It suits you extremely well,"

"Hey! Give me that, girly! I paid last time!"

"Not a chance! Do you have short term memory loss?"

They had finished picking dresses, and were now buying ice-cream. She had already selected a small vanilla cone for herself, but it seemed that Tina and Hitomi were having a fight over whose turn it was to pay. She smiled, licking the sweet vanilla off her lips.

"So, Kas," Leifang, daintily licking a strawberry swirl ice-cream, nudged her gently. "What dress did you pick? Why didn't you show us, mores to the point?"

She glanced over pointedly at Hayabusa, who was sipping coffee, staring into space. "I want it to be a surprise for him, that's all. Remember when we went shopping last year and Irene bought that blue dress?"

Leifang looked confused for a moment, then her eyes widened as she saw the connection. "You're wearing that?"

She nodded. "He saw it on her and loved it, she said,"

"That could be either really great or rather risqué. You should be careful,"

"I know," she sighed into her vanilla cone. "But it's not so much for him as for me instead. I want to do it for Irene. You know, dedicate my time at the formal with her boyfriend to her. It sounds horrible, doesn't it? But I only mean the best,"

"Yeah, I can see that," Leifang smiled, dabbing her lips with a paper serviette. "I'm sure she'd love it. In fact, I'm certain. She'd say something like 'I'm so grateful I mean that much to you, Kasumi!' and hug you. I miss her,"

"Well, hello there, sisters!" Tina had returned, complete with vanilla cone, topped with sprinkles. "What are you guys talking about?"

"Nothing," she said hastily.

"Oh, well," Hitomi licked her chocolate ice-cream. "After this I should probably get going. I want to show my dress to my parents,"

"Yeah, me too. I have a stack of homework," Tina rolled her eyes. "Just because of the drama exam prep, too. It's really horrible. And the exam itself isn't for ages!"

"Three months," she reminded the blonde.

"That's ages away. We have plenty of time before then,"

Leifang, having finished her cone, stood up. "I better love you and leave you, guys. I have to be at work in exactly forty minutes, so I better start to get ready,"

She turned to Hayabusa. "Shall we?"

He turned to her slowly, almost as though she had woken him up from a trance of some sort, before a gentle smile played on his lips. "Yes, we shall,"

*