Disclaimer: not owning anything at all except for Ri (ruri means lapis lazuli) the black Miko, and the character of Kelsie. I literally own nothing else.

Author's Note: Well, I would REALLY like to thank Snow Owl Queen, SawCyn-wroteSin, and Dark Magician Necromancer for reviewed. Tsk, tsk, how I've deceived you all. On with the fic!

Chapter 8: Paranoia

'-'

Class filed out and it was practically déjà vu. They left the class room to see the new girl looking for her locker. And of course, Dash is the first one to help her.

"Hey pretty, you look like you can use some help there" he said flirtingly.

"That is kind of you, but I take help from no one" Kelsie replied.

"So you're one of those independent kind of gals ain't ya?"

"No, I am one of those girls who do not take help from those who assume they can do such things as finding the number that is facsimile to the one on this paper that I have in my hand."

"Who with the what number?" Dash asked puzzled by her 'correct' way to talk.

"That is my point exactly. Now imbecile, please leave my sight. I am getting tired with your presence."

Kelsie left a puzzled Dash in the middle of the hallway.

"Wow, I have never seen anyone use wits against Dash. That's probably some kind of Dash-repellent" Tuck said, amazed with what they had just seen.

"Actually, I'm not surprised that it worked. Dash is so thick-headed that if you talk to him like that all the time, he probably'll be brain dead by the next day" Sam told them.

Danny didn't say anything. He was not only still sore, but he had other thing on his mind that was more important. He had to think about where Ri had gone, he was worried too since there was no sign of the Black Miko either. He now had to worry about the new school year and that he didn't mess up his sophomore year like he did with his freshman year. Yet at that point that wasn't his main concern. Ever since that dreadful May night, Ri had never left his mind for a second. Whether he was in school or at home, she never flickered from his mind. Even while he was sleeping she captivated his dreams. As much as he and his friends tried to get him to think of something else, Ri couldn't leave his mind.

"Danny" Sam called.

"What?" Danny said coming out of his trance.

"We have to get to class. Didn't you hear the bell?" Tuck asked him.

Danny quickly gathered his thing and hurried to the next class.

'-'

Danny was zoning in and out of attention in literature class. They had just started to read To Kill a Mocking Bird, and as much as he wished he could pay attention, he couldn't get himself to stop thinking about Ri.

"Mr. Fenton" the teacher, Mrs. Canino said suddenly.

"Uh, yes?" Danny said startled.

"If you have any issues, please solve them outside. The classroom is no place to be day-dreaming."

Danny got out of his chair and exited the classroom. Tuck and Sam were staring at him, wondering if their best friend was going to be Okay.

They knew that Danny really cared for Ri and had been sulking about after the Black Miko had drawn Ri into her cloak. They worried about him. He wasn't eating much, he always seemed tired, and he couldn't smile as their efforts to fix this became fruitless. He had gone into what seemed to be a deep depression that no one but Ri could fix. Had their friend for so long actually fallen in love with Ri?

Sam shuttered at the idea of it and stuck her nose in her book, started reading chapter two, and tried to forget the entire thing.

'-'

Danny stood with his back to the wall of the classroom. His mind was filled with things that he wished that he could just put them away somewhere (too bad he's never heard of a pensive: HP). He wished that he could just forget about everything. But he couldn't. For some reason, something told him that he needed to remember. He needed to remember everything that happened in the last eight months.

But I don't want to remember.

You have to remember said a voice in his head.

But why?

Soon, you shall see…

Why can't I know now?

It's too soon…

Why? Why won't you tell me?

You will know. Not now though. In three months you shall know…

Three months? Why in December?

Remember…

I DON'T WANT TO REMEMBER!!!

Danny threw a punch into the wall so hard he left a small dent.

"MR. FENTON!!!" Mrs. Canino yelled from the door of the literature classroom. "What is going on out here?!"

"Nothing ma'am" he responded.

"Well, are you finished? You have missed chapter two that you will have to read by tomorrow."

"Yes ma'am, I'm finished" he mumbled. He slowly let his feet drag him back into the classroom. The whole class' eyes were on him as he sat down in his seat behind Tuck.

"Danny" Sam whispered. "What happened?"

"I don't want to talk about it" he snapped.

"Sorry" she said, backing off. "I just wanted to see if I could help."

She turned back to face the board and started reading again.

Danny felt bad about snapping at Sam. After all, all she wanted to do was help him. He didn't even know why he was so cross. All his friends have been doing since May was trying to cheer him up, but he has ignored their efforts and hid from the rest of the world. It seemed to him that the world had turned on him. He wished that he could just run away from it all.

You cannot run away from life…

That voice was back in his head. The voice was familiar. As if he had heard it before…

Why can't I just take a break? Just leave it all for a while...

You cannot…

Why don't you explain?

Why should I?

Why don't you?

You are so garrulous. Just listen-

I'm tired of listening.

Maybe that is why things are not working out…

That's what you think…

I do not think, I know…

What makes you so sure of that?

I am always sure.

And what makes you sure that you're sure?

I am sure because I am always right…

If you're always right, then where's RI?

Why should I tell you?

Why not?

It is more congenial to watch you writhe.

What?

I say one thing, you hear the other…

"Danny" Sam said tapping on his shoulder.

"What?" Danny jumped coming out of another trance.

"Let's go!" Tuck shouted at him from the door.

"Not yet" Mrs. Canino said from her desk.

"What?" Danny repeated to her.

"I want to speak to you, alone" she said, noting to Tuck and Sam.

Sam and Tuck gestured to Danny that they would wait outside. They left and closed the door behind them.

"Have a seat" she said, pointing to the desk in front of her own. Danny took a seat.

"Mr. Fenton, even though that it is the first day of school and you are still weary because of summer vacation, that is no reason to phase out of my class" she said.

"Sorry ma'am" Danny mumbled.

"What was that?" she said with her hand to her ear.

"I said sorry" he repeated.

"Is everything alright? Are there any problems at home?"

"No, everything is fine."

"Well, please try to pay attention in my class, Okay?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Thank you. Now get to your next class, you are going to be late."

Danny gathered up his books and left the classroomto join Tucker and Sam. As they walked down the hall, Kelsie and him crossed paths (when this happened, it was one of those slow motion things). They held an unsettling stare that lasted for at least a few second before a knife-like pain struck him. He clutched his chest. It felt that his heart was being ripped out of him by some kind of invisible hand.

"Danny?! Are you Okay?!" Sam asked terrified.

"Dude, we need to get you to the nurse's office!" Tuck said, just as alarmed as Sam.

"NO" said Danny. "I'll be fine. No need to worry."

He had been telling everyone not to worry about him. Anyone who cared he told them not to.

So Mr. Fenton, trouble keeping your guard I see, said a voice. Well, it is being burdened by a poignant memory of a loved one. No matter. As long as I dilute your sense of security thing will be better on me and my plan…

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Here ya go, chapter eight. Well if you're wondering what happens in this chapter and that it has no meaning and that I should get rid of it, oh contraire. This chapter provides some vital information for this everyday chap. And Hi Mrs. Canino! Didn't I tell you that I would use you in my story? They're getting Soooooooo boring! Even my friend thinks so. She thinks that is why people don't review. I think she's right. But I am one away from getting ten reviews. Might not be a lot, but to me it is. Signing Off!!!