A/N: I really DESPISE rushing like this, but... im just OCD or something and i want x-mas to be as close to the holidays as possible. thanks SO much for the reviews! I luv it when u guys review me! Review again cause i need to know if i screwed up in a chapter... and yes, u'll find out what happened... eventually...

Chapter 7

Sensei Smith is one of the most boring teachers I have ever met. He is also one of the most interesing males I have ever met. Strange how he contradicts himself like that. He stands in front of the class, using his duck-like voice to talk to us about how women get pregnant or something, then tells us to study the notes for homework. Like we even bothered to take notes. Then, on the second term, I sometimes talk to him after class... by complete accident. All I have to say is 'good-bye' and we have an entire conversation on spagetti. It's insane, really. He's a nice guy, but... boring as all hell.

It was kind of natural that I didn't pay attention to him during class. I was actually looking at the one white spot on the blackboard. Yes, it was very... intersting. Every now and then, I would glance up at Satoshi to see if he was... I don't know... alive. He was, but he wouldn't look happy. Then, I'd look away again, feeling more guilty than before. I was angry that I couldn't gather the strength to ask him for help when he was the one that had offered.

I finally sighed quietly, annoyed with myself, and tore off a piece of paper from my "notes". I wrote:

I need help with math.

on the little scrap and held onto it. I should have passed it to him, but for some stupid reason, I didn't. God, I don't like myself very much. Instead of passing it to him, like I should have done, I continued to stare at my little white dot. That is... until Sensei Smith used me in one of his examples.

"Harada-san," Sensei Smith called on me and I perked my head up. He was smiling and motioning for me to stand and come over to him. "Would you like to volunteer? I'm trying something new today."

"Uhh..." I blinked, but stood anyway. I walked over to where he was pointing at, then saw the curious looks of the students. "Umm... what am I doing again?"

Sensei Smith ignored me. "Now, lets talk about SEX." He purposefully emphasized the last word so all of us were paying attention. "More importantly, let's talk about SEX before marriage." I saw Satoshi's eyes go wide as he stared at his paper, then slowly picked his head up to look at me. Both of us looked sorry. The class members looked at each other, unsure of what to say.

"Sensei Smith," a student raised his hand. "Why are we talking about that?"

"We all agree that Harada-san is an attractive girl, correct?" Sensei asked the class, ignoring the boy.

A few students mumbled things I couldn't hear. I felt my stomach fall... off of a building... that was ten times higher than Mt. Everest... and maybe two feet taller than that. My body temperature rose to a dangerous level, and I covered my face with my hands. Sensei Smith, being the stupid teacher he is, continued.

"Actually, Harada-san is very attractive, isn't she? I'd go as far as saying that she is beautiful." He then chuckled. "Well, with the exception of her few stitches."

Everyone in the class nodded or shrugged, actually becoming a bit used to it. I wasn't. Not at all. My hand shot up to touch the small bandage that covered part of my forehead.

"Now, when most guys look at her, they begin to think things," Sensei Smith was still smiling. "What types of things do you think they think?"

"She is hot!" I heard one boy shout from the back of the room. Everyone chuckled, but I felt my knees give out. This was so embarassing. Once that kid shouted, everyone jumped in. I heard things like:

"She's pretty."

"She is one sexy female."

"I want to bang her so bad!"

Dear God... are you there? It's me, Risa. I don't know if you know, but... I'M BEING MADE A FOOL OUT OF! Oh, this is so wrong in so many ways...

I shook my head, not even the slightest bit flatered. I couldn't lift my head and I could feel my shoulders slumping. For a second, I wondered what Satoshi's face was like.

"Stand up straight, it'll be fine," Sensei Smith whispered in my ear, patting my shoulder.

I felt so angry... and fine at the same time. Damn that contradicting man. I lifted my head the slightest bit and glared at him. His reassuring smile was strangely calming to me and I sighed. I dragged the hands away from my face and shook my head, pursing my lips and straightening my posture. The guys began clapping at my "bravery".

"Yes, yes, those are all good examples," Sensei Smith said. "That last one I heard. Talking about banging her..." Everyone laughed as the one kid blushed and said a meak: "Oops." I rolled my eyes and looked up at the ceiling.

I hate you, I thought, cursing the gods above.

"No, no!" Sensei said. "That's fine. That's fine. Well, for now it is. If you say that to her in the halls, you might be charged with sexual harassment. But in here, it's fine." The guys hollered and I put one hand above my eyes. Sensei Smith's hand was still on my shoulder so he just gently pushed the hand away. I don't know why I let him do that, but I did... and I didn't like myself for doing it. "Now... tell me... why did I chose to repeat that one sentance?"

"Because it's true," one boy said a little too loud. The class laughed and I found myself giggling. Not like I was flatered by the comment, but... it was just a little funny. Other boys said other stupid things and before I knew it, the entire room was roaring with laughter.

Sensei Smith, however, had not laughed as hard as the boys did. He knew something that no one else in the room knew. He took a breath, realizing that he might completely ruin the class' fun. "Now, I'm going to tell you a little bit about Risa, ok?" Everyone applauded and Sensei Smith continued.

"Risa and her boyfriend just broke up, after only several months," he began thoughtfully. "She broke up with him... because she is pregnant with his child. He took her out clubbing, had sex with her, then left her. He told her that he would not take care of her child."

As soon as he said this, the entire class grew quiet. They blinked at him and he just shrugged. His smile was fading into a sad one and he looked at me. None of this was true, but I knew where he was going with it all. I was quiet. I couldn't even dare to look at what Satoshi's reaction was.

"And!" Sensei went on, turning to the class. "She could very well have an STD. And she's being sexually harassed by more than half of the student population. Did you know that?" The class stared. I swallowed and closed my eyes. "She shows all the signs, you know. How can you not see it?"

"Her skin isn't purple," one girl said shyly.

"Ah, but that only comes along after it's too late. HIV can lay hidden inside a body for years," Sensei Smith commented. "Pregnancy, on the other hand, you can tell. Not in the first month or so, but later on, you can."

The erie silence that he left us in were possibly the longest quiet moments in my life. I finally gained enough strength to glance over at Satoshi. He was glaring at his book, but not really reading what he had written. He gulped as his eyes shifted from object to object, thinking about what Sensei had said.

I looked up at Sensei Smith, and saw that he was no longer smiling.

"I wonder," Sensei said softly. "When you see this girl walking down the halls, will you still think the same thoughts?" He paused, looking around the class. I felt his grip tightened on my shoulder as everyone looked at their feet ashamed. "This is what sex before marriage can do to you."

The bell rang and all of us jumped. There was a scramble where all the kids were grabbing their papers, books, and backpacks, and jumping down the steps. I felt Sensei's hand move from my shoulder and I inhaled deeply.

"Thank you for a good class, ladies and gentleman!" Sensei smith called, somehow appearing at his desk. "Homework is to study the notes. Have a good day!"

The students exited the room in almost silence, a few murmuring things here and there. I waited for all of the kids to pass by, and continued to breathe. I walked over to my seat, slowly picked up my things, then walked back over to Sensei. He was doing his work, quietly signing papers and grading projects. I didn't move for a while, even when the second bell rang, signaling that we should be in out next class. I was surprised that he let me stay.

"Yes, Harada-san," Sensei said after another moment of silence. He looked up from his papers and removed his glasses. He only wore them when he was reading anyway. "What can I do for you?"

"That..." I cleared my throat and caughed a bit. "That was a very good lesson today, Sensei. I... just wanted to say thank you... for teaching us that." Why I was saying these words was just beyond my comprehension. Yet, I said them, and I meant them. Although I don't know why I was saying them now. I could have easily said them tomorrow or something. Strange how life works.

Sensei Smith smiled sadly at me and nodded. He took out a packet of green slips of paper and began writing information. He was writing me a pass to my next class. As he sloppily wrote his signature, he glanced at his watch and raised an eyebrow. "And I suppose you need a pass too, Yitoren-san?"

My mouth fell open and I turned my head to the door. There he stood, leaning against the frame, book in one hand. He was just standing there... waiting. I thought he had left long before then. Satoshi nodded his head and stood upright. Sensei Smith held out two slips of green paper and I took them. He gave me one last smile, nodded, then waved his hand, dismissing me. I closed my open mouth and walked away from the room. Satoshi followed close behind.

Hey... how did Sensei Smith know he was there anyway? He was looking at his watch!

"What the hell were you doing!" I exploded once we were a safe distance from Sensei's room. Satoshi, who had been walking beside me, without saying a word. He flinched, surprised that I had burst at him. "Why didn't you leave!"

Satoshi looked a bit lost for a moment, then shrugged. "We need to set up a time for math." I must have looked like he had grown three heads becuase he rolled his eyes. Reaching into his pocket, he took out the small piece of scrap paper that I had written on earlier. "I found this." I opened and closed my mouth, trying to find words to insult him, but I couldn't say anything. I finally just shut my mouth and quickened my pace.

"Well, whatever," I huffed. "My cell's on that paper so call me when you're free..."

"Hey, wait..."

I felt his hand close around my elbow and squeaked. Yes, I squeaked. Like some... rat or something! I just full out squeaked. I whirled around and faced him, my face flushing red. He was just looking at me... again. When was he not staring at me like that? It was becoming annoying. I found myself glaring at him, but we said nothing. I didn't realize it, but I was staring into his eyes... and I couldn't look away.

Was it just me or was he a little close? Oh, yes. He was definitely closer than I thought he was. I thought he didn't like human contact...

"I need my pass."

I blinked, confussed. He glanced down at my hand, then back to me. Or my eyes, I should say. I looked at my hand and found that I was indeed still in posession of his pass. I fumbled with it for a second, because he was still holding onto my one arm... and for some weird reason, I didn't want to move that arm. I finally shoved his pass in his one hand and looked away. He didn't thank me or anything, just nodded and turned to leave. When his hand left my arm, it left an empty sort of feeling... it was a little cold.

"Good job in class today," he called before he turned a corner. My eyes shot up at his smaller figure, and saw him looking right back at me. Why were we always looking at each other anyway? It was so stupid! And annoying... and odd... and stupid! "You handled yourself well."

"Uhh... y-you too," I stammered, unsure of what else to say. He left then, turning a corner and leaving me to stand in the hallway... all by myself.

It wasn't my scar that scared him off, was it?

A/N: A litte more serious than other chapters, but... in the next chapter... WTF? Yitoren-san and Risa are on a date! Oh, oh, it's just the rumors... or is it? Yes, it is... no, seriously, it is. It says so in the chapter! Geez, guys! Stop wishfully thinking! But why would the rumors have started in the first place? Now, that is the question...