Happy Easter, guys! I completely forgot! Oh well… here's where the Easter puns come out. Yeah, I'm so 'bunny' *cough* funny, sorry… a clown car? That had me, err… 'cracking' up… because it was 'eggsactly' what I was thinking.

Fine, fine… I hear you all screaming, clutching your ears in pain as lame pun after lame pun comes out of my mouth. I'll stop, just because I love you all so much, and it wouldn't be much of a point to having this story if nobody read it, would there? Besides, those earmuffs were for a reason! Put 'em on, don't be… 'chicken'…

Yeah… before you guys shoot me, I go.

And… I can't wait for my little surprise! *Evil grin* You won't expect it, (I'm hoping…) tee hee! A plot twist! Moo ha!

Mmm, chocolate… but as Hikari already knows, I've had too much of that…

I agree, either Ken or Ryu has to go, only problem with that is that my friend has a *thing* for Ken and she swore to poke me endlessly if I got rid of him. Either that or Ryu! *GASP* So… I dunno, I guess we'll see…

*

He only just managed to stagger to his room without falling flat on his face, even using the wall as added stability. The day had just been like a distant dream, fogged with the large, fluffy clouds forming inside his head, clouding his senses.

What are you playing at?

Oh, that's right. I fell onto Hayate… poor Hayate. Certainly he wasn't expecting to turn around and grab me. I just… I can't remember. That's about as far as my memory goes.

He dropped his bag onto the floor, nearly falling over in the process, instead stumbling over to his bed, flopping unceremoniously onto it, closing his eyes.

Was Father being serious when he told me to leave? In a way, it would be wonderful to leave. No more Father. But I don't have anywhere else to go. Like it or not, Father is the only family I have left now. So what to do?

Solution: Start on English literature homework.

He picked up a pen, toyed with it thoughtfully for a moment, threw it angrily across the room, sighed, went to retrieve it, turned on his laptop, and began. A creative story written in the style of Mary Shelley, expressing dark, deep themes. He raised an eyebrow at the sheet. He could do that.

Several hours had passed, and he triumphantly finished the last paragraph, briefly scanning over it again to make sure that the grammar was correct.

Dear sister, I feel that I cannot face the trials that our plan entails, nor live up to the expectations that I am expected to uphold as the senior of the family. Alas, I regret to inform you that this will be the last correspondence from me, as I seek to find a better place.

Your loving brother.

He scanned over it again critically. Sure, it does sound like Mary Shelley's style of writing. However, it does sound a bit bleak.

Then again, it was supposed to be bleak. So what is my concern? I suppose it's just that I don't want to attract any wariness from the teachers. They're on my back enough as it is.

He sighed, massaging his temples in a deft, circular motion. I wonder why Father asked about Ayane? What's his sudden interest in her? There has to be an ulterior motive. What does he want from her? I don't trust him as far as I could throw him.

A bitter laugh escaped his lips. Of course, it would be more likely for him to be throwing me. Perhaps I'm just lucky that he hasn't as of yet.

For some reason, his thoughts jumped to his friend. Hayate. Have you told your father about that maths test result yet? I'm sure he won't be angry. At least, I hope he wouldn't be angry. It's sad in a way. Every single other subject, you fare excellently, but in math…

He picked up his phone, dialled his friend's mobile number.

"Heya," Hayate greeted amicably. "What's up?"

"Does something need to be up for me to ring you?" he retorted, sharper then he had intended. "I apologise. I rang to converse with you, not to snap at you,"

"No problem," Hayate accepted the apology breezily. "Is something wrong? You sound… kind of… upset about something. I'm not sure if 'upset' is the right word for me to be using, but something does sound up,"

"Nothing… important,"

His traitorous mouth stumbled over the words. 

"Sure mushrooms," Hayate snickered.

"What do mushrooms have to do with anything?" he exploded into the phone.

"Whoa, chill," He could almost picture his friend holding up both hands in amity. "I didn't mean to hit a nerve. I just like mushrooms, is all. Now, what did you ring me about?"

"Being honest? I don't know," he ran a hand through his hair, still holding the phone, before rummaging through a drawer, finding a bandanna and tying his hair back. Most was compliant. At least something was going his way.

"Don't tell me. You were bored, and thought… gee, I'm bored, so I'll resort to desperate measures, I'll ring Hayate?" his friend asked. "How are you feeling, anyway? I have the homework, not that there was much, but I thought you'd like it,"

"Thanks," he muttered, sighing as several more stands of hair fell back into his face. "I'm fine, don't worry about me,"

"I would have believed that earlier if you hadn't passed out onto me," Was the brisk response.

"You shouldn't care so much,"

He had no idea where the unyielding, brash statement had come from. Normally, he would have dismissed it as him being in a bad mood, but now, he didn't know.

"Well, if you want me to totally ignore you next time you sound like you're upset, just say the word and your wish is my command,"

Hayate, usually good-natured, patient Hayate, was losing his patience. He could hear it.

"Look, I might as well go. All I'm doing is making us both angry,"

"Wait," Hayate intercepted before he could truncate the call. "Don't go. Something's up,"

"Don't worry about it!" Annoyance was creeping into his voice.

"Meet me at the park in five. Bye," Before he could protest, the phone went dead. He stared at it for a few moments, before standing up and walking down the stairs. Perhaps it would be more interesting then being at home, if nothing else.

*