Notes: Okay, really short chapter, and don't be surprised if it's complete crap (not even a flashback!). I just wanted to show you guys that I haven't forgotten about this! I know it's been a long time since I last updated, but I'm kinda stuck on this! Ouchie! I can't help it, I've got so many ideas for Trick Questions because, well, I'm not sure why, and it's completely irrelevant. Um, if you have any SPECIFIC little things that you think could be added to this fic and help to get me out of my slump, then just drop it into your review!



Disclaimer: r.i.p., i.l.k.e., and Bobby claim no ownership on: Yu Yu Hakusho (Togashi) or the lyrics from the song We Believe (by Good Charlotte).

Chapter 9: Test Me

Today was the day… The day… of the Molloy Scholarship test… The one that everyone wanted but just about no one got… especially not a full scholarship.

Today was December 11. There were 9 students from the graduating class of Our Lady of Fatima School: Kayko, Sarah, Ana, Hiei (who had to be dragged unwillingly to the site of the test—literally), Suichi, Yoko (another unwilling, who'd tried to escape out the back door before Suichi dragged him back by the collar), and three others (Michael, Michael, and Katie).

Was there competition between them?

Was that even a question?

Sarah had been studying up on math and English the night before, had slept early, and had had a great breakfast, as had Kayko. Sarah, Yoko, Hiei, and Suichi, however, had decided to tie up the phone line until about 10:00, when Shiori decided to get onto the line in her room and kindly remind the boys that she had to call the doctor.

"But it's ten, Mom," Yoko reminded her. "No one's on the phone at-"

Everyone heard him mutter something like, "Aw, shit, she got me again…"

"See you kids tomorrow…" Shiori trailed off, the smile in her voice quite evident.

"Bye! Seeya, guys!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever, I'm not going tomorrow, anyway," Hiei grumbled before slamming down the phone.

"Is it me or does he seem extra grouchy?"

"Yoko?"

"Yeah?"

"Why are you talking to me on the phone? We're in the same room…"

"…"

In any case, none of the four of them had had a spectacularly great breakfast (Hiei hadn't had any at all) and by the time they were let into the building, their stomachs were rumbling.

The test was… different. Take question #3, for instance:

(3. ) In Greek mythology, --------- was the name of the boatman of the river Styx

a.) Charon

b.) Ceberus

c.) Botan

d.) Phoebus Apollo

Sarah panicked. Greek mythology?! They were supposed to know Greek mythology!?

Hiei snickered. Botan, boatman of the river Styx? As in, Botan, that ditzy kindergarten assistant? Yeah, maybe in another dimension! It had to be… um… Ceberus?

Yoko rolled his eyes. He knew this. Phoebus Apollo, that was the guy. He thought.

Kayko skipped that question. Surely that was just a fluke one, a joke that some proofreader had put in just to confuse them.

Suichi and Ana had the same thought: Are they kidding? Charon, duh! Pluto, the god of the underworld, was also the last planet in the solar system. Pluto's moon, Charon, was named after the person who ferried dead souls across the river. Duh. Who didn't read Greek mythology?

"So, how was the test, guys?" Shiori Minamino asked, looking in the rearview mirror to see the children she had volunteered to drive home.

"Terrible."

"Easy!"

Stares.

"Pretty good."

Stares.

"You people failed, you know that?"

"Yoko, that's not really nice to say," Shiori reprimanded lightly.

"And in further news, another soldier was kille-"

"Shut that off," Hiei commanded.

"Like hell. I need to know this stuff," Yoko replied, and turned up the volume. The two of them, Suichi, and Ana sat around in The Silver Haired One's room, either watching TV, or reading CD booklets, or listening to music.

"What, are you going to become President?"

"Like hell," Yoko repeated. "I'm going to become Chief Justice of the Supreme Court. And one day, I'm gonna send your ass to jail."

"That's the exact reason why you'd be called Justice, right, Yoko?" drawled Suichi.

"Absolutely."

"And what could you do about the war, Yoko? Absolutely nothing."

"Em… Petition for an atom bomb?"

"Jackass!" Hiei responded angrily. Dad's over there…

"There's a woman crying out tonight/ Her world has changed/ She asked God why/ Her only son has died and now her daughter cries/ She can't sleep at night/ Downtown another day for all the suits and ties/ Another war to fight there's no regard for life/ How can they sleep at night/ How can we make things right/ Just want to make this right…"

The three boys stared at Ana.

She was watching the TV, headphones on her ears, disgust in her eyes as they played the destruction, the fiery destruction that had become so commonplace with each passing day.

"Don't you get so sick of politics? While they sit back in their wealth and warmth, they don't really do anything about anything. They watch this stuff on TV and they say, 'Too bad,' or they just count it. Like the loss of life is something that's meant to be counted. Like it's just a number to add to all of the other numbers. Like people only mean something when they're dead and gone…"

Silence.

"Ana?"

"What?"

"Do you know what they call your type of thinking?" Suichi asked.

"No…"

"Idealism," Hiei answered, and Suichi nodded.

Notes: To even take the Molloy Scholarship test, you've gotta have a 93 total average in 7th grade, and really high grades so far in the first semester of 8th grade. Then, you've also got to have really high standardized test scores. And just to let you know, they did actually have mythology questions on it (which completely blew my mind 'cause I love mythology). Also, about Hiei being smart: Okay, yeah, Hiei's a slacker. Doesn't mean he's stupid. Besides, class participation doesn't count for much in jr. high. In my experience, at least.

Yes. So, this was written while listening to the new Good Charlotte CD, and We Believe hit me hardest at the moment. In particular about the 'suits and ties'. I was feeling particularly antagonistic towards the gov't, to add to it. The 'justice' conversation: based on a real convo by some of the boys in my Bio class.

Replies:

lobs-stacey-ters, poltergeist report 101, slave2anime—Thankees! Many of 'em!

KuramaIsFine—Oh, yes. I have multiple personality disorder. Sensui, Gollum, and I all go to group counseling together. Isn't it unfortunate that all of us MPDs end up dead? Thanks for reviewing!

erosgirl—Thanks for your suggestions! As you can see, no real Karasu-Suichi interaction in here, but the only other scene that I've got planned out has got a lot of it…I think… Anyway, thanks again!