Disclaimer: Don't own YYH or the real person Katrina Kon. And this has a...moment. Tell me how you liked it. If you didn't like it, I might become totally mortified and delete it. Be honest, I have no confidence in this...

Chapter 35: Mixed Emotion

I reflect on everything that's happened lately, because it's getting kind of lonely, and smelly, in this garbage can. Perhaps thinking will take my mind of this goulash. That is sitting on my red skirt.

It's now been 4 whole days since Koenma told me he had to talk to Botan about what he called state affairs, and I've thought of little else than the secret of Lahri. But at least today, I will get my questions out of her whether she wants to or not. The Deceit Device or whatever, that Koenma ordered so many weeks ago, has finally arrived. Lahri won't escape this time!

Much as I hate to admit it, I'm almost missing my lessons with Genkai. Aside from those, I did absolutely nothing here. Now, that has finally been realized. There's nothing to do outside, because of that sinister fog, and inside, all Keiko and Mie want to do is talk to each other and me. I mean, I like friends who interact with me as much as the next guy, but still, it can get a little tiresome. Keiko has gotten interested in Japanese politics, of all things, and won't shut up about which candidate would be better suited to run Japan. Once I said to her face the guy that runs Japan can frickin' get assassinated over a slow fire, and she looked at me with hurt pride and didn't speak to me for the rest of the day. I don't know why. I mean, I didn't insult her, I only told her the truth!

And with Mie, well, she keeps apologizing for making me believe she was a Lesbian. It's as though she's afraid I've gotten ahold of a gun or something. And when she isn't apologizing, she's badgering me over Lahri. No matter how many times I say she's as shrouded to me as she is to her, she still isn't satisfied. She's sure I'm not telling her something, and she always asks 'I thought we were friends!' And when I asked her why she had Lahri get a Farina drug compound, she only says that Lahri got the wrong drug. I can't get anything else out of her.

So-o, this is why I am currently in the garbage can. I'm avoiding them all, but especially Mie. I always know she comes this way at around this time, so I am wisely staying hidden. I need two new best friends. One who isn't political and the other who respects the fact that I don't know everything about this case.

The strange thing is, Hiei and my brother actually fit those. Hiei is really calm and collected, while Kurama is brainy and is more focused on the events on hand rather than Jap emperors. Mie and Keiko are just…well, I've been around them, in the same room, for a long time. I am starting to think of them more as sisters than friends. Just a blah feeling. I know them, but I don't. And what's worst of all is that I can't tell them. They'd be majorly hurt.

A banana peel oozes its juices along my face, then running down to stain my orange shirt. This is disgusting. I'm getting out. Mie is obviously not coming. I stand up and stretch, then I peel trash from my body and clothes. Then, guess what happens. I watch, still sitting in the trash, as Mie walks around, along with Hiei. He sees me right away, and his eyebrows disappear into his little white headband, but he makes no motion, no gesture, to show that I am there.

Mie is too far the other way. She is gazing intently at Hiei, her brown eyes glowing with admiration. I notice she keeps reaching for his hand, but he smoothly pulls it away, either to scratch his arm, or to smooth his hair. It's such a funny cycle I almost laugh. Mie in love…who'd've thought?

Another thing is that she still doesn't seem to see me. Mie is talking way too fast and he only has to nod every couple of minutes. She's watching Hiei too hard, as though trying to memorize every freckle. Then Hiei cuts in. "Mie, I have to go to the tower now."

"I'll come with you!"

"A meeting of representatives of Koenma, okay?"

Mie shakes her head and sticks out her lower lip. "Awww…"

"I have to go," he repeats. He walks up the stairs, perhaps a little on the fast side.

I wait for my school-friend to leave, with her head still in the clouds,then I go after Hiei. I catch up to him on the way up. I start laughing hard. "Did I just see what I think I saw!"

"What?" he asks. Unfortunately, his slight blush gives him away.

"Don't what me, Lover Boy." I grin. This makes me sound like Flo when she thought my brother was my boyfriend.

"Well," The blush deepens a little more. "She wanted me to go out with her."

"And you said…?" I say, unsure of how I feel about the answer.

"No. You should know that. I just don't date."

"Really? Why? Mie's pretty cute, despite what she says on the matter."

"Nah. I told her I already liked someone, and she didn't take it too well, if you know what I mean. She still continued to follow me, though. Kept reaching for my hand, as you saw. Babbling like a cretin."

I stop dead in my tracks. I start to whisper, and his face comes closer to mine so he can hear. "OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH! THE TRUTH COMES OUT! HIEI-which girl do you like?"

He looks at me oddly. Then, he looks at me, and grows redder. I am shocked to realize that his face has grown VERY close to mine. He leans forward slightly to fill the gap. And kis-God, I don't even like writing it-kisses me on the lips. The shock travels all through my body. I've never been kissed like that. Never. I kind of twitch, rigid as a board.

I mean, of course my mom and probably my dad kissed me good night while I was very young, but it was always on my cheek or my forehead. Never on the lips! What is Hiei thinking? Why is he kissing me if he already has a girl he likes? Isn't he being a two-timer.

Unless...

Am I that girl?

He finally ends it, I guess because I was starting to get a sunburn from the temperature level on his face. He twitches, not unlike me, and then he stares in horror, mortified at what he's just done. I watch in a kind of slow-mo daze.He uses super speed and vanishes away.

I turn away, still in major shock. And I find Mie watching me. I slowly come to the conclusion that she must have seen that…whole…thing…

I grow red as my brother's hair. From the sappy way she was acting before, I expect her to run away crying, but she actually doesn't. She starts to speak. "He likes you?"

"I don't know anymore." It is the truth.

"Did my eyes deceive me? He kissed you?"

"You don't have to sound so surprised." I hate the accusing way she's looking at me.

"And you didn't tell me? That you guys were going steady?"

Oh no. Oh-no-oh-no-oh-no. Is this what everyone will think? "But we aren't."

She rolls her eyes disbelievingly. "I guess he told you I asked him out?"

"Yes."

"Well, if I had, like, known that you were his girlfriend, then I might not've embarrassed myself like that."

"I'm not his girlfriend," I say through gritted teeth.

"Why'd he kiss ya, then?"

"I guess he likes me. I dunno?"

Her face grows redder than mine, and not from embarrassment. What'd I say? "DAMN YOU! DAMN YOU! YOU GET EVERYTHING, YOU KNOW THAT? YOU TAKE EVERYTHING! YOU RUIN MY LIFE ALL THE TIME!"

"Wah-what?" I'm reminded of the time where I was shouting at Kurama, when I first turned into the panther accidentally. Only then, Kurama was trying to calm me, and I was the one shouting. Was this how ridiculous it sounded to him as well?

"WHAT! WHAT! YOU'RE MORE POWERFUL, SMARTER, PRETTIER, MORE ATHLETIC, YOU TOOK THE GUY I LIKE, YOU'RE DAMN EVERYTHING!"

This really is enough. "Listen to yourself," I say, my temper rising. "You hate me because you think you're inferior. And you know what, I think you are now. You just confirmed it. YOU'RE A GODDAM STUPID BITCH, WHO THINKS SHE SHOULD BE MISTRESS OF THE UNIVERSE! SHUT THE F-(censored) UP!"

Mie just stares at me, unprepared for an equally loud comeback. She just bursts into tears and runs out of the room. I don't care. She's probably running outside again, like she has been for all the time she's been here. Serve Her Royal Ass right. That BITCH!

Mie really has a lot of nerve. She's such a stupid crybaby, who thinks I should give everything I have over to her. Why is she always so jealous?

You know what, I don't need her anymore. Anyone who hates what I have is no friend of mine. Keiko and Botan and the others can easily make up for her.

And when Mie comes crying back to me, as she undoubtedly will, I won't be so forgiving.

55555555555555555555

I'm now in the hospital portion of Koenma's palace. I'm just watching Genkai. Every now and then she mutters something in her sleep, but other than that, she's totally unconscious. I hate both Lahri and Mie! I should have always seen Mie for who she really was, and as for Lahri, I should have left her to die as soon as I found out she had stolen my Commir. The two of them must have been best friends in another life.

I'm so glad the nurses made me take a shower before she let me in. I probably wouldn't have on my own and so now I'm all nice and clean. That's also why I'm falling asleep on top of Genkai's still body. I didn't get nearly all the sleep I would have liked.

Finally, I allow my head to drop onto her bedspread. It's seems as though I've been asleep for just one minute when Kurama barges in, and talks to the nurse very quickly. I hear her mutter something like "She's right there" or something. Kurama lets out what seems to be a sigh of relief and runs over to Genkai's bed. There he rouses me very rudely.

"Wake up, Kat. Wake up."

Grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr. "WHAT IS IT?"

"Just get up and I'll tell you."

Hm. My bro piqued my curiosity. I stand up, still rubbing the sleepies out of my eyes. "C'mon, what did you want?"

"Have you seen Lahri at all?"

"Hmmm. No. I would have thought you'd-"

"Damn. Then it's true. Kat, Lahri's gone."

A/N Evil cliffy! Read Review! And this was my first time writing romance; but even so, don't get your hopes up for any make-out sessions or lemons. I don't do that. Just ask any of my friends. I am the most un-un-un-romantic person I know. I don't even say the word make-out! I can only write it. And RebelWriter, I hope you're happy that I wrote it! yuck...