The first day of school dawned bright and chilly for Tohru, who was already down in the kitchen serving breakfast to Shigure. Why he was the first one up for breakfast she was not sure since he didn't have to go to school, he didn't need to be up but he assured Tohru that he was feeling fine and wanted to get some of her delicious food before everyone else ate it, to which Tohru blushed.

Yuki and Kyo awoke to an argument that was going on between Tina and Penny.

"I found your skirt, and by the way you threw the wrong one out the window, genius."

"Where are the rest of my clothes?"

"You have a skirt in your closet."

"You know I am not going to wear that one, it's as short as before."

"Of course it is as short as before, you need to get over this whole self conscience thing Penny, your nearly seventeen."

"Who are you to tell me that? What? You want me to be conceited or something?"

"Did I say that? NO. I want you to enjoy yourself-"

"Where are my clothes?"

"Look out the window."

"You...didn't..."

"Oh, but I did."

"You! How could you! Now they're dirty and there isn't enough time to clean them and-"

"You have clean clothes."

"AAAAAHHHHH!" Penny yelled, slamming open the door to Tohru's room and nearly knocking into Kyo, who had come to tell them to pipe down. Penny's face looked mad but when she looked at him as she past he saw a sadness in her eyes that confused him. It was only a skirt. Then again if someone tried to force him into a skirt, he wouldn't be too happy either. His eyes followed Penny who went into the bathroom and slammed the door, to the girl standing with her arms folded with a smug look on her face. Kyo looked at her, trying not to stare. He had thought Tina was nice...he went back to his room to get ready, shaking his head slowly from side to side in amazement. Tina was now evil in his book, her yelling would haunt his dreams.

"Is something wrong?" said a tired Yuki, rubbing his eyes while looking into Tohru's room. Kyo shut the door when Tina started to explain how she right and Penny was wrong. Evil. Ten minutes later Kyo went down stairs and had breakfast, watching in amazement as Tina practically hung on Yuki's arm as he ate. He was looking at her in a whole new way.

"Has anyone seen Penny?" asked Tohru when she noticed her spot was empty.

"She is upstairs still, she," Tina said it quietly as though she didn't want to embarrass her. "She is throwing a tantrum." Tohru looked worried but then someone asked for more food and she eagerly went to give it to them. A twinge of annoyance caught Kyou when he saw this but he tried to push it out of his mind.

When everyone began to head out the door, Kyo realized he had forgotten his jacket and went upstairs to grab it. As he shut the door to his room he heard a noise in the bathroom and wondered with shock whether Penny was still getting ready. Girls took such a long time with their make up and junk.

He knocked on the door and it opened to show Penny sitting on the closed toilet looking glum in her short sleeved shirt and shorts she wore as pajamas.

"Penny?" Kyo asked, wondering if something was wrong. She looked up in surprise and gave him an unconvincing half smile.

"Do you need to use the bathroom?" she asked, standing up.

"No...but you look like your going to be late for school."

Penny sat back down. "Don't wait up, I don't feel up to it."

"Nervous?" he asked, leaning onto the counter next to her.

"I guess..." she said truthfully, though he could tell there was something else.

"It isn't about that stupid skirt, is it?" he asked almost incredulously.

"Stupid is right." she said, pulling her legs to her, it was a chilly morning. "Stupid skirt that stupid Tina used her stupid hands to make it stupider and shorter inch by stupid inch." and then softer "It doesn't help my nerves, wearing something I am not comfortable in. I'm not her, I don't want to be her, I don't think I have ever even envied her in any way. Why does it matter to her if I am different, not a 'follower of her." she tightened her grip on her legs, black hair fanned out over her shoulders, blue eyes staring at the bathtub.

"Is there anyway to um...I don't know how to fix stuff like that...can you wear one of Tohru's?"

"There to small, and even shorter. I already tried." she smiled at him "Thanks though."

He thought to give her his jacket, she looked cold, but thought she might take it the wrong way, as most girls would. Tina would. Evil.

"So if I don't show up, will they send a group of angry people from Science to come and get me?" she joked.

"No, just an angry Shigure."

"Shigure? Angry? I haven't known him that long but is it possible for him to be mean and mad?"

"No, just whiney and worried."

"Oh, now I HAVE to go, I wouldn't want that. From now on I will probably have someone checking on me to make sure I'm coming. That'll be a nightmare."

"I'll volunteer if you promise not to take forever with your hair and make up." he said rather roughly.

" I don't wear make up thank you very much!" she said defensively. She then dropped her voice to an angry whisper. "And I would appreciate it if you wouldn't tell Tina that, or she'll be bugging me about that too."

"Only if you go to school."

"I would think you of all people wouldn't care."

"It wouldn't bug me except that if anyone finds out I knew you weren't coming and didn't make you, they'll get on my case about it. And besides, today is when we choose partners in Science and I would rather not have one of Prince Yuki's fan club members claiming me so that they can pump me for information. And I doubt that you would want some random guy who tells you horrible pick up lines and gawks when Tina makes you wear the 'stupid skirts.'" He almost smiled, knowing he had won.

"I doubt anyone would gawk at me." Was the only thing that she could say without sounding even stupider or like she was fishing for compliments.

"And hurry." he said as he watched her run to her room. She was out in a couple minutes and Kyou, pretending to be a critic looked her over as she tried to put on the jacket that came with it.

"It isn't that short." he said, trying to look serious. Penny rolled her eyes and ran down the stairs to grab something to eat. Within ten minutes of her going into her room, Penny and Kyo were walking down the lane through the forest.

"Crap woman, you take forever." Penny punched his arm and ran through the forest, Kyo close behind yelling "That was a cheap shot!"

Meanwhile

Yuki, Tohru, and Tina had reached the town where their school was when Tina noticed a group of girls walking on the other side of the street. The girls kept glancing their way, making Tina uneasy. This was probably some of Prince Yuki's fan club. She decided to act uninterested in Yuki, though it was hard to do that when he was soooooo cute. It was then that she began to realize that knowing Yuki might cause problems at school.

Yuki noticed that Tina wasn't walking next to him, but had sped up to walk in front of Torhu and him.

"Is something wrong?" Yuki asked. He didn't notice the girls on the other side of the street, being so used to them.

"Oh, it's nothing. Hey, we aren't going to be late, are we?" she tried to change the subject.

"No," said Tohru, checking her watch. "We have a little bit."

Tina gave the fan club another glance before slowing down to walk with Yuki. Oh well, he was cute, they could deal with it, and so could she. So far school wasn't looking as bright as it had the night before...

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