Akio the Dragon Master- Now you've got "Run for your Life" stuck in my head again! Lol.

DevilsPrincess- Thanks! I actually had very little confidence in my last chapter—for Miho's part, at least. I thought I didn't put in enough description. That exact sentence you pointed out -- "Wearing a big grin – and the school uniform" -- is, to be precise, what I believe is called a zeugma. Chalk one up for English, huh:D Thanks for telling me that you like how I'm keeping my characters in canon.

Leona Scarlet- You're welcome! Cool translation. (sweat drops) I thought you had let your cat walk on the keyboard at first... He he. I like rain! My grandparents are on their way to Wales for a vacation right now. Be on the look out for Canadians from New York! o.o;; Well, I didn't do it from America... Domino City is in Japan, so I did it from that. I checked a time zone map on the Internet... And thanks for reminding me about the whole football thing. What, exactly, is rugby (such a cool word)? Eh... And no! It's not bothering me at all! Thanks for pointing that out, I'll fix it.

"The dog is walking.

"The dogs are walking.

"The dog and I are walking.

"The dog was walking.

"The dogs were walking.

"The dog and I were walking.

"I walked."

"Very good, Gardner," Ms. Jono professed. "Hm… How about… Wheeler, you can do the next batch, can't you?"

"Uhm…" Joey was still rummaging through his binder, looking for the homework he could've sworn he had put right there… "Sorry, miss…"

Tristan let out a tacit arm and stretched his sleeping arms.

"Oh! Yes, Mr. Taylor, you will read the answers?"

Tristan sweat dropped. 'Mr. Taylor' sounded like the name of a janitor or a brand of preschool toys. "Um… Sure."

Tristan read his answers aloud:

"The c… c-c-cat was meowing…

"The c-cat did meowing…

"The fats neowed in unison…"

A series of giggles spread like magic dust around the classroom.

"The cat meowed.

"I went to Becky's to pet her fat…"

Rampant laughter struck the classroom like lightning. Tristan shut himself up into a tiny, closed shell and kept reading.

"The cats were meowing… and I listened to the cats meowing?" Tristan finished, flourishing his answers with a verbal question mark.

Ms. Jono nodded. "Number nine was also was meowing, but other than that you got it correct… Just don't get so nervous when you read. I don't think Americans are going to commiserate with you when you mix up your F's with your C's."

Several students kept sniggering. Ms. Jono glared at all of them. "All of you, worthless dogs, finish the rest of the worksheet!"

The class hunkered down and got busy. Miho stole a glance at Kaiba, who was seated next to her. Last year Kaiba had anti-socially placed himself at the back of the class; this year, they had a new seating chart that left Kaiba in the middle of the classroom, but still with a seat by the window. Not that he ever took advantage of it; Miho had never seen him look out the window.

"…Nosaka! What do you think you are doing?"

All of the heads in the room swiveled towards Miho, eager to see what it was that she was getting yelled at for.

Miho's animated sweat drop dangled from her ponytail. "Uhm… what exactly is it that you think I'm doing, miss?" she inquired.

"I think that you're staring at Mr. Kaiba."

The entire class made the poof sound, the one that one makes when they are trying to repress a laugh and a simple tch will not suffice. Miho and Kaiba's faces were both beet red.

"Um… sorry, miss…"

"Don't apologize to me," Ms. Jono said mercilessly. A cruel smile creased her make-up'd features. "But please do apologize to Mr. Kaiba."

"I'm sorry, Kaiba."

"Facing him."

Miho turned and looked at Kaiba's spiffy new shoes that were just like everybody elses. "I'm—"

"At his face."

Miho's blush worsened in intensity. Her gaze slowly rose to Kaiba's face. He was looking at her gruffly, willing her to just say it so that they could get all this meaningly crap over with.

"I'm sorry Kaiba," she said, and she started blushing all over again. Another round of sniggers raced around the room.

"Kaiba?" Ms. Jono asked, snapping her fingers as if she was some Jazz lady in one of those Jazz night clubs.

"Apology accepted."

"Good. Now…" Ms. Jono sent a glare raging out over the room. "GET BACK TO WORK!"

Once again, the class hunkered down and got to work. Miho kept her head down, to avoid being seen.