A/N: This is my second FB fanfic. It might be a little strange at first, but it's because I based it on the role-play I have with my cousin. I actually started this story on Tuesday, the 12th, and I've gotten to page 11 on Friday, 15. Well, any way, I hope you enjoy reading this story as much as I've liked writing it!

Disclaimer: Ukari-chan: Me no own Furuba. cries Shizuko: It's okay. You still own this plotline and myself. Ukari-chan: Thanks, I feel better now! wipes away tear

Code:

" …": Talking

italics: memory

"Hey, Shizuko, can you help me with this?" my dear friend,
Narusu, asks me. She's balancing a tray filled with food on her arms. It wobbles and looks like it's going to fall. I rush up to her and relieve her of her tray. It's not that heavy. Well, maybe for a normal person it is, but I'm not normal. I'm under the Sohma family curse. Some members of our family are possessed by the vengeful spirits of the Chinese Zodiac, or the Juunishi. For some reason, when we're weak or hugged by someone of the opposite sex, we transform into our respective animals and I'm the tiger.

I live in a house belonging to my cousin, Shigure (the dog) along with Yuki-kun (the rat), who I secretly like, and Kyo, who is possessed by the animal who got tricked out of the banquet, the cat. Also, one day, a girl stumbled upon our secret, Narusu, and now is allowed to live with us, but she's not allowed to tell anyone.

Footsteps reach my ears. I turn to the doorway and see my cousin and Narusu's boyfriend, Kyo. Did I forget to mention the little detail that Narusu and Kyo are going steady? Anyway, he comes in.

"Hey, Kyo. Good morning," I say to him while placing some more food on the table. Narusu perks up and turns around at the name of her boyfriend.

"Morning, Shizuko," he says gruffly to me. He goes up to Narusu and kisses her on the forehead. It's not fair! I wish Yuki-kun and I were like that! Oops. Eh heh heh. I begin to blush a little and quickly go back to what I was doing. Stupid thoughts!

I hear the scrape of a chair as Kyo sits and then more footsteps. Watch it be Yuki-kun this time. I glance at the door and see that my assumption was correct.

"Good Morning, Shizuko. Good Morning, Narusu." I turn to him and smile. He smiles back and I blush.

"Shizuko, are you okay? You're red and you look a little flustered." He puts his hand on my forehead to check my temperature. I take a step back.

"I- I'm fine. I better go wash up before we leave." I take a few more steps while I talk, until I'm out of the kitchen. I lean on the wall, glad to be away from the kitchen…and Yuki-kun. I go upstairs to the bathroom that I share with Narusu. I wash my face and sigh. I look at my self in the mirror and my deep, blue-green eyes look back at me. My light ginger hair is all messy and I look like I just woke up. I open the cabinet and take out my tiger-stripped brush. I look back in the mirror and brush my hair until it shines. I go back into my bedroom and find a little purple hair scrunchie on my bedside table. I pull back my hair into a ponytail. Easy. Do I have everything I need for school? Dunno, better check. I open my book bag. Hmmm, let's see…binder? Check. Folder? Check. Homework? Check. Pencil case? Check. Picture of Yuki-kun? Wait, how'd that get in there? Blushing, I take out the photo to look at it. He looks so cute in this one! Of course, he always looks cute. Wait, what? I blush again.

"Shizuko, hurry up! If you don't come now, we're leaving without you!"

"Alright, alright! I'm coming!" I put the photo back in my book bag and put it on. I open the door and start down the stairs. I see Kyo and Narusu standing next to each other, looking a little impatient, and talking. And my mousey, I mean Yuki-kun, is looking at me like he's waiting. He's only being a gentleman, that's it. It's not like he's waiting for me because he likes me or anything.

"It's about time," Kyo grumbles.

"Shut up, you stupid cat." He glares at me and I glare back. Watch, he's gonna start yelling. As soon as we're on our way to school, he does.

"I'm not stupid! You're the stupid one!"

"What ever. Just stop ranting."

"I'm not ranting and I'm not stupid!"

"Su-ure you aren't."

"I'm not, you stupid tiger."

"Ri-ight. You're the one failing all classes, including art

and music, and I'm the stupid one. What-ever."

"Shut up! You're nothing but a stupid beast!" At that, I stop walking. Beast? Flash backs to when I was little. I was playing outside with my friends when a boy tripped over a rock and fell on me. I transformed and all the mothers screamed, picked up their children and ran off, calling me beast. I cried so much at the time and every time I hear that, I remember.

By this time, everyone had turned back to me. Kyo was the only one who knew about that…incident…in our little group. Tears form in my eyes as the memory comes flooding back. I put my head down and start to cry.

"Oh my god, Shizuko! Are you okay? Oh no," Narusu says, putting her arms around me shoulders. I lift my head. I can't talk, I'm sobbing too hard and my shoulders are shaking. Yuki-kun glares at Kyo.

"What did you say to her?" he asks sternly.

"N-nothing! Hey, why do you think it was me?"

"Because you were the last one to talk to her! It had to be you." Yuki-kun glares at Kyo again.

"I made nothing to her to make her cry!" Kyo says angrily. Actually, you did, but my voice is still not working.

"It's okay, it's okay," Narusu says, rubbing my back comfortingly. I take another deep, broken, sobbing breath. Come on, Shizuko. Calm down. Explain to them. I'm sure they'll listen and try to make it better. I take one more shallow breath. Okay, It's time to explain.

"It's not Kyo's fault. He probably forgot, that's why he said it." Everyone looks at me. Yuki-kun glares at Kyo again.

"I knew it was your fault."

"Shut up, damn rat."

"No."

"Guys, please. Let Shizuko explain," Narusu says, splitting up their fight.

"Sorry. Please continue, Shizuko," Yuki-kun encourages.

"Okay, I was crying because Kyo called me…a…beast." Yuki-kun glares harder at Kyo. "When I was little, something happened that my secret was revealed. I was playing outside with my friends when I was three. We were running around and a boy tripped over a rock and crashed into me. I transformed, causing all of the mothers to scream in fear. They snatched up their children and ran away, calling me a…a…a…beast. Kyo probably doesn't remember this, but I was too upset to go to training for an entire week. He had asked me what happened and I explained, but he must have forgot. It wasn't his fault. He didn't remember." By this time, my eyes are all watery again.

"Oh, Shizuko. We didn't know. Why didn't you tell us?" Narusu asks.

"I wanted to forget, but now I realize I never will." Narusu looks sad.

"Don't be sad, you couldn't have done anything about it."

"But that was a horrible thing to experience. I can't imagine someone being so cruel."

" I know how you feel, but it's the truth, and it happened to me." Oh no my eyes are watery again. I feel something warm around me, so I look and see Yuki-kun hugging me. I blush a little bit, no wait. Scratch that. I'm blushing a lot a bit. I can control though and it's nothing but a little pinkness.

" I understand what happened to you, Shizuko," he says, hugging me a little tighter making my little pinkness into a little deep pinkness.

"You do?" I ask, turning my head so I can see him.

"Yeah, something like that happened to me."

"Really? It must have been hard."

"It was, but not as hard as you must have had it."

"Yeah…Did your friends get their memories suppressed too?"

"Uh-huh. It was hard for me after that."

"Well, I'm glad that their memories were suppressed."

"Really? Why?" Narusu asks.

"Because, well, because of what their parents said and what they must have thought of me," I say, hanging my head.

"Well, it's okay now. That's in the past and you have lost of friends now." Narusu smiles at me. I smile back. She really knows how to cheer you up. I look down at my watch.

"Ahh! Oh my god! It's nearly 8:30! We're gonna be late!"

"Oh no! Come on, let's go!" Narusu cries, pulling on our arms. I've never been late to school before. It's going to ruin my perfect record. Oh well, there's a first time for everything. Not too heart-broken about the whole thing though.

We begin to run, trying not to be later than we already are. Soon, our school comes into view. I look at my watch, 8:29. Not bad. Class starts at 8:30.

"Come on guys! If we hurry, we won't be late!" I tell them. They nod and we sprint up the stairs to our homeroom. We throw open the screen door and fall through onto the floor." Everyone looks at us. I check my watch again.

"Heh heh. At least we're not late."