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"Hotaru-san? Hotaru-san? Um- we need to get ready for school, you'll be late-"
Hotaru groaned, and threw her pillow over her head to smother that insufferable noise.
"Oi! Green-eyes! get up! If I have to go to school, you do too!"
Hotaru lifted her head long enough to deliver Kyo another evil glare. "If you wish to see through the end of high school, you will let me sleep."
He rolled his eyes at the grumpy girl. "yeah whatever, I get worse from that damn rat. You don't scare me."
Yeah whatever. Hotaru thought, her eyelids proving too heavy for her again.
She could still feel Tohru hovering by her bed.
"Miss Honda?" Yuki's voice.
"Oh Yuki! Thank goodness! Hotaru-san wont wake up, and we are going to be late for school."
Yuki peered at her. "Miss Mitaki-san? You really need to wake up- we need to show you how to get to the school from here, and we aren't prepared to be late-"
Hotaru rolled over and promptly fell out of her bed. Acting as though nothing had happened, she stood up groggily and trailed into the bathroom.
"Is it cruel to laugh at what just happened?" Tohru said once Hotaru was out of earshot.
"Don't worry, miss Honda. She just- isn't a morning person. Lets go down for breakfast."
Hotaru came down the steps with her eyes closed. Maybe if my eyes are closed, my body will think its sleeping…. But Hotaru's foot got caught on an unexpected step, and she tumbled the rest of the way down on her backside.
"Oof." She breathed, winded, rubbing her lower back. "who put that there?"
Kyo started yelling at her. "Well if you didn't have your eyes closed, you wouldn't have fallen on your ass!"
Hotaru scowled. She stood up and slowly treaded over to where Kyo was standing. Her Face ended up three inches from his.
"Uh-" he looked very uncomfortable. Hotaru slowly lifted her finger, and smiled at the boy, making sure they kept eye contact. She brought her finger to the very middle of Kyo's eyes, smirked, and pushed firmly.
"Ack!" he exclaimed, falling back out of balance.
"Oof!"
Hotaru's smirk widened. "Now who's fallen on their ass? A word of warning, Orange-cat, you do not want to mess with me in the mornings." She turned to Tohru and Yuki, who were gaping at the scene in shock. Tohru was watching Kyo, probably eager to see if he was alright, and Yuki, well, he just looked impressed. "Nice going miss Mitaki-san." He in turn, smirked at the cat as they were making to walk out the door. "Stupid cat." He said.
Kyo growled. "Damned green-eyes." he muttered, then jumped up, and reluctantly followed the group out he door.
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"Now, Miss Mitaki-san," Yuki said quietly to Hotaru as they stepped into their homeroom class, "Now that you are a member of the zodiac, you must be very careful around boys. If you hug them, then you will transform, and that is something we would all love to avoid."
"Sure Yuki." She said.
"L-O-V-E WE LOVE YUKI!"
Hotaru's eyes widened in shock.
"SO miss Mitaki, what are you doing so close to the prince? How dare you! Get away from him! He might catch something!"
Hotaru glared at the fan club girls, then turned to Yuki in amazement. "Yuki-kun, YOU'RE the prince?"
See, Hotaru had been attending this school for a fair few months, but her classes were always in a different wing. She'd heard of the "Amazing Prince Yuki" but she had never seen him face to face. She didn't even think to make the connection!
"Of course he's the prince! Where have you been for a year? Head hidden in a dumpster?" The other two fan club girls laughed manically as Minami (at least she thought that was her name, she never paid attention to these cheerleading freaks,) stood triumphantly sneering at Hotaru. She hated these types of people, always putting her down, did nothing for her confidence. So-
"OW!" Minami shrieked. "You poked me in the eye! How dare you!"
Hotaru's two fingers were still in the eye prodding position, and she smiled. "Now that you understand not to make fun of me, I would kindly ask you to leave me alone."
Hotaru hated being shy, so when people drove her into a corner like that, she did the only thing she could do. Look strong, and poke people in the eye. Or- something like that.
Minami started wailing, clutching her eyes. "Oh Minami! Are you okay? Lets get you to the nurse!" so the wailing Minami was dragged off to the nurse by the other two fan club members.
Yuki sweat dropped. "Well, that is one way of getting rid of them."
"I can't believe you are the famous prince!" Hotaru said, examining Yuki over. "I would hate all that attention, how do you cope?"
"Not very well, I must admit. But I-"
"Hey, girly, loved how you stood up to those fan club girls!"
"Yes, that was quite an amusing display."
"Huh?" Hotaru stared at the two Girls that had approached her, one tall, with blonde hair, she looks like a biker, and the other, who looked, for lack of a better word, like a witch.
The tall one laughed. "Oh sorry! Did our dear Tohru not introduce us? She said you were prince Yuki's cousin, is that right?"
"Uh," she turned slowly to Yuki, before addressing the blonde once again. "I guess, we are."
"Fairly distant though." Yuki said smiling.
"Mm hmm. So anyway. My name is Arisa. Pleased to meet ya!"
"A pleasure." Hotaru said quietly, alarmed at all the attention.
"And my name is Saki Hanajima. We are best friends of Tohru's. hope to be good friends with you also?"
Hotaru was amazed at Saki's monotonous hypnotic tone, and deep, wise eyes. "Um, yeah, sure."
"Great! You can sit with us then!" Hotaru looked back at Yuki uncertainly, but he just smiled. I guess they're nice enough, it might be good to have a few more friends…
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"Put your pencils down, the quiz has ended."
Hotaru sighed and stretched. She hated pop quizzes. Always failed. Always.
She closed her eyes and stood up. Looking around for a familiar face, she caught orange-cats eye. Hmmm. I think I'll skip out on hanging out with him.
She packed up her bags slowly, still really tired from the morning, and she turned to go out the door. But she bumped into someone.
"Ah!"
POOF.
Kyo spotted this, and yelled. He jumped up from the desk while the boy still had his eyes closed from being winded, grabbed Hotaru's clothes, and dashed out the door.
As he was running, he groaned. I hope no-one saw that! He thought, scowling. I'll take her to that damned rat. He'll no what to do.
He stopped when he saw Yuki standing with Tohru and her friends, and waved madly.
He caught the rat's attention, who scowled. "Idiot." Yuki muttered under his breath.
Kyo frantically pointed to the school uniform in his hands.
Yuki merely quirked an eyebrow. What is that stupid cat doing now?
Kyo rolled his eyes, and unfolded some of the clothes, to reveal a madly twitching sea horse.
Oh no. "Um, miss Honda, something's come up. Would I be able to leave you here for a few moments?"
Tohru beamed up at him. "Sure Yuki."
He nodded, and walked up to the cat.
"Here, take her." Kyo shoved the bundle into Yuki's hands, and stalked off, hands stuffed into his pockets. Yuki rolled his eyes at thestupid catand gently took the bundle of clothes into a nearby empty class room.
Closing the door, he set the uniform and Hotaru down on the table.
"Um, miss Mitaki san?"
"What the hell am I?" she said, muffled by all the clothes.
"A dragon. Well, what is meant to symbolise the dragon. A sea horse." He heard manic rustling. "I suppose you bumped into a guy." She didn't reply, but he carried on anyway. "no-one saw, did they?"
Hesitant silence. "I don't know. But what if they did?"
Yuki chewed his bottom lip, and looked down. "I-"
POOF.
Yuki turned instinctively, as Hotaru shrieked, "IM NAKED!"
"Yes, when we transform back, we are completely naked."
"Great." She muttered, throwing on her clothes. This is just perfect.
After she had finished dressing, Yuki turned to talk to her face to face. "About what you just said, Mitaki-san, about what would happen if someone did see,-"
"Yuki?" Tohru walked in peering around her. "Is everything alright?"
Yuki smiled. "Of course, miss Honda. We just had a little miss-hap."
"Oh! You transformed Hotaru?"
Hotaru looked away. I don't want to talk about it, much less with her… she had no idea why, but there was something about Tohru that she just, didn't trust. She didn't like feeling that way, because she was sure that Tohru was a lovely girl. She was sure she'd get over it in time.
Tohru looked sad. She doesn't want to talk to me.. She thought.
"Miss Honda, we'll be out in a second."
"Okay Yuki!" Tohru brightened up, and left the classroom.
Yuki turned to Hotaru, who was still staring fixatedly at the floor. "Miss Mitaki, I think it best if Shigure were to explain this to you, we are very late for our next class."
"Okay." Hotaru mumbled, feeling withdrawn and hopeless once again. A sea horse? I thought I was meant to be a fiery dragon! Man, was I cheated. Sea horses are useless. Much like me, I guess..
"And, try not to bump into any more boys today."
She looked up at Yuki, and smiled slightly. "I'll try." He nodded, and walked out. Hotaru sat on the desk, watching after him. That could have been a disaster. How stupid am I! I've already been told about bumping into guys, but I am so stupid and clumsy, I can't help it! Hotaru jumped off the table and stormed out of the classroom. Need to get my bag.. she thought. Useless, useless useless!
Well, that was the next chappie, I hope you guys are enjoying it so far! Remember, four reviews!