Konbanwa, minna-san. §sighs§ Sorry about the very late updates. I was planning to update sooner, but I've been once again, caught up in personal problems. And now, you add the fact that guys in my classes are starting to notice me… -.- Pbbt. But yeah.. I'm going to be busy for the rest of the school year. My school is having a lot of events going on. I'll try to update. But you can't count on it much, knowing my long updates. Sorry. Well, this is the last chapter of SOS. Hope you enjoy… I really wanted more people to read this. I think in my own opinion, it's one of my best works. Please recommend it to others if you can. I would very much appreciate it.
Disclaimer: I. Do. Not. Own. CCS. Bug. Me. About. It. And. You. DIE!
Dedication: To the wonderful and loving Alyssa…
"Hmm! So tell me, girls… what's all THIS about?" Hayashi-sensei said sharply.
"Uh… oh THAT, Hayashi-sensei? No big deal." Replied Reina. Hayashi-sensei scanned the paper.
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--The following three students must come to the faculty room THIS INSTANT! Li Syaoran, Kinomoto Sakura and Daidouji Tomoyo!--
That's when things got REALLY messy…
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Hayashi-sensei slapped the paper harshly on a table.
"What is the meaning of this!" Syaoran and Tomoyo stood, staring awkwardly at the walls, with Sakura in between them in a rouse.
'The once clandestine dating service we began at school is now in for some VERY serious trouble.'
" 'We'll find you a wonderful lover! First class option 5000 yen, normal option 3000 yen.' That's pretty bold of you, don't you agree?" Hayashi-sensei alleged.
"H-H-Hayashi-sensei…" Tomoyo, Sakura and Syaoran started to say with sweatdrops dripping everywhere.
"WE'RE SORRY! Please forgive us!" They all got down on their knees traditionally and begged in front of Hayashi-sensei.
"HMPH! You know how much I'd like to let it go, but what would the other teachers say, hmm? Suspension! Possibly EXPULSION! How sad…" The dating trio immediately stood up and raised their hands in fear.
"PLEASE! We'll do ANYTHING you want! Just spare us the pain! The Awful Pain!" they pleaded. Hayashi-sensei pushed his glasses a little higher up the bridge of his nose.
"You'll do… anything?" He asked quietly.
"You will? Anything?" Tomoyo, Syaoran and Sakura froze in their positions with thousands of sweatdrops.
"Um… yeah… sure."
"Is that a solemn promise? IS IT! Then we can make a deal." Hayashi-sensei took out a picture of a beautiful lady with lower-back honey brown hair and sparkling ocean blue eyes.
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'"Sugihara Mayuko-san. Twenty-five years old. Find her a boyfriend. Otherwise, I'll have no choice but to report your behavior. You are NOT to EVER mention my name to her. Are we on the same page?"'
Hayashi-sensei's words rang through their minds, as Syaoran, Sakura and Tomoyo walked down the quiet street to the daycare where Mayuko works at.
"Sheesh! I didn't expect THAT of all things. Can't be too hard, can it?" exclaimed Syaoran.
"Mayuko-chan wa kirei desu ne? Is she some kinda friend of his or something?" Sakura wondered aloud, as she looked at Mayuko's picture held in Syaoran's hand.
"I dunno. In any case, this should be freakin easy." Syaoran murmured.
"After all, a woman like this can get any man she wants!" he exclaimed as he ran ahead with Tomoyo and Sakura chasing after him.
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"I won't hear any of this! Why should I agree to even MEET a man introduced to me by STRANGERS, much less go on a DATE with him!" Mayuko rejected. Syaoran, Tomoyo and Sakura once again are covered with sweatdrops.
"Uh, well, it's…" Sakura trailed off.
"Th-th-the modern way to do things, you know?" Syaoran finished for her.
"WHO PUT YOU UP TO THIS! Oh, I know! It's my rents back home isn't it! They INSIST I come back home and get hitched! I keep telling them that I HAVE a boyfriend already! And yet they want to break us up!" Shrieked Mayuko uncontrollably. Sakura stared at her with blank eyes.
"………………………… HUH! You already GOT your man!" Syaoran shot out.
"Why, of course. Isn't it obvious? His name's Hayashi Takeo and he's twenty-six! Teehee. The best part of him is that he's a high school biology teacher!"
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"OI! Hayashi-sensei! Are you like, EVIL or something!" Hollered Sakura all the way all the start of the hall, as Hayashi-sensei was in the almost near end of the other, about to enter his classroom. He turned his head around with curiosity written over his face.
"She's going out with YOU! If you wanna break up or something… just DO IT YOURSELF! Don't be such a COWARD!" Sakura stomped all the way over to him.
"But… we're not going out! I never said I love you. We didn't even have casual sex, and I NEVER EVEN FLIRTED WITH HER! You see; THAT'S the problem." Takeo sighed and opened the classroom door, motioning Sakura to go in.
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"So she's stalking him!" Syaoran and Tomoyo burst out as they were walking to the daycare again after school.
"I don't freakin know! I mean; she SEEMS normal! It's not out of control… not YET. He told her he likes someone else, but the phone calls NEVER stop and the mail NEVER stops coming."
"OOO! That's just what a stalker'd do!" Tomoyo said with dotted eyes. Syaoran and Sakura stared at her for a moment. Then they all sighed.
"……… This won't be easy after all… but… EXPULSION! Urgh…" They all groaned.
"What other choice do we have!"
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The sign read: Kaede Daycare
"GET OUT OF HERE! How DARE you barge in on my workplace like this?" Mayuko screeched as a crying boy came up to her.
"Waahhh! Reiku's picking on meeee!" he bawled.
"Gomen nasai! But we just got some new data on these AMZINGLY HOT men! And…" Sakura trailed off once more.
"Can't you SEE! I'm BUSY now! Besides, I'll never date ANY man except my dear Takeo-koi!"
"Have mercy on us, please!" All three of them got down and held onto Mayuko's foot.
"LET GO OF ME!"
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Mayuko was walking home from work, when she felt mysterious auras behind her. She turned around to see Syaoran, Tomoyo and Sakura with dating books, peeking from behind a pole.
"GO! GO AWAY!"
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Mayuko was shopping at the local grocery store, when she heard papers shuffling behind her. She turned around to see Tomoyo, Syaoran and Sakura kneeling down with books above their heads.
"LET ME BE!"
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Mayuko was going to open the library door. Only too see, once again, none other than Sakura, Tomoyo and Syaoran once more with books in front of them. She pushed them out behind her.
"Leave me alone! Go away and DON'T come back! DON'T MAKE ME CALL THE POLICE!" She bellowed with a red face and four anime veins. The trio stared at her with big eyes.
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"Hey… does this make us the ones who've got a stalking problem?" Syaoran asked bluntly as they walked away.
"Oh no…" moaned Tomoyo.
"If we get to know her, she may listen to us. Perhaps our professional conduct is outputting. Like we're door to door salesmen, conning the elderly… Maybe I should go alone next time?"
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"Bye Mayu-sensei! We'll see you tomorrow!" the kids waved goodbye, as Mayuko saw them off. Sakura cautiously approached her.
"H-hi there. I'm back. How are you today? I come in peace!" Mayuko stared at Sakura with a weird look and got out her cellphone.
"Let me see… 911…" Mayuko started dialing. Sakura panicked and looked around for a child.
"Um.. OH! Such a cute little boy!" Sakura started to play with him.
"So… you like kids?" Mayuko asked.
"Of course! Doesn't everyone? Well… not really everyone…"
"I like them too! Someday, I wanna be the mother of Takeo's children. I hope they look like him." Mayuko answered with a genuine smile.
"And that's why I don't need your service."
"Mayuko-chan… you really love Hayashi-sensei, don't you?" Sakura asked quietly. Mayuko turned around to face her and smiled once more.
"I'm mad for him! For so long, it was just unrequited love. A schoolgirl crush. In high school, we hung out… But he always had a girlfriend. Still, I just couldn't give him up like that. I was so very overjoyed when he turned to me at last!" Mayuko smiled bigger.
"D-Did he really turn to you?"
"What do you mean about that?" Sakura turned red.
"Uh… um…"
"What about you then? You're in high school. Do you have a special someone?" Sakura looked at Mayuko with saddened eyes. Slowly, she began to respond.
"Yes… I do. But, you know… he cares for someone else… Not me" Sakura let a silent single tear slide down her smooth cheek, thinking of the moments Syaoran had with Tomoyo, and how happy they'd looked.
"You should steal him. That's what I did. I… I did what I…had to! I loved him so much… that it felt like… like I was losing my mind."
'Look at her… so lost. Kind and pretty… Just a sweet, normal woman. But she's lost her heart and soul! Why is that? Because she fell in love, and now she's crazy in love with him.'
"No guys to push on me today?" Mayuko broke Sakura's train of thoughts.
"If you like kids, come by anytime. But no lists of "hot" men!" Sakura watched her with pained eyes.
'Just look at her… so lost!'
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Sakura walked slowly into the dating agency.
"Any progress? How did it go?" Syaoran asked.
"Eh?"
"Eh janai!" Syaoran stared with dotted eyes.
"We could just flee the country…" Tomoyo dawdled.
"Don't forget! You have a job to do!" Syaoran scolded.
"Yes… but… it's just that…" Sakura had those pained eyes again.
"Well, I can't help but feel sorry for her…"
"We've no time for sympathy! Cut it out!"
"But I can't help it! She loves him, that's all! What's so WRONG about that!"
"SHE'S A FREAKIN STALKER FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! That's what's wrong!" Syaoran howled at her. Sakura began pulling on her auburn locks of hair.
"But she loves him! Don't you SEE!" She cried back at him.
"Oh, come off it! He's trying to do the right thing! It's a real drag when a girl you don't care girl comes after you and doesn't STOP!" Sakura stood, frozen in the spot. Her eyes widened.
"Oh? It is? Then…" Syaoran cut her off.
"Then what about THIS! This mess is all YOUR fault!"
"…Huh?" came Sakura's reply.
"WHAT!" Syaoran yelled.
"Not ME! It's HAYASHI-SENSEI'S!"
"No. It's you! It's YOU!" Syaoran said with great force. Sakura eyes began to brim with tears.
"JUST FORGET IT!" She turned around and ran out of the club room.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran called after her with dotted eyes and question marks above his head. Tomoyo stared at him with a -.-''' look.
"Sakura has the wrong idea. At least that's what I think." Tomoyo said quietly.
"Huh? About what?" Syaoran stared at her with dotted eyes.
"You're so dense!" Tomoyo stared at him with another -.-''' face.
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'I loved him so much, that it felt like I… like I was losing my mind.' Thought Sakura as she ran to go see Mayuko.
"We had out first date here. He ran up, half an hour late, drenched in sweat! He's not really very deep… but he's so cute about it! He likes watching anime all the time! I call him when I need to hear his voice. He's so bashful that he gets angry with me!" Mayuko dialed Takeo's number.
"See how he is? He won't answer. He just doesn't get women at all! Teehee!"
'So in love. It's all your fault… your fault that I'm this way.'
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"We need to give up on this one."
"Wha…?"
"It's so obvious that she's overscrewed. I'll go talk to Hayashi-sensei and let him know we've had it. You need to stay away from that insane woman!" Syaoran told Sakura.
"B-but… I can't just QUIT on her and stop helping! I'll talk to her about it! She's a wonderful person! You just need to give her a chance!" protested Sakura.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran yelled. He got up from the table and looked into Sakura's eyes.
"Don't worry! I won't drag you any further into this!"
"Sakura! That's not the point! Don't you even see? I'm worried about you! You're in over your head!" He yelled once again. Sakura's eyes widened, as she looked downward.
"Oh. I am, am I? What would you, of all people know, huh! You… You've got nothing to worry about!" Here eyes filled with tears; Sakura ran out of the clubroom.
"SAKURA!" Syaoran called after her with exasperation.
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"Hayashi-sensei, you need to handle this girl on your own. She's crazy about you! It's made her a basket case! You can't just force her on us like this!" Syaoran outbursted, staring at Takeo with rage firing intensely in his eyes. Takeo stared calmly back at him.
"…You said you'd do it. I was counting on you guys." Takeo said quietly.
"Oh, cut it out. You can hire a detective or call the police."
"She was always more concerned about others than her own self. We were good friends. I never wanted this… for her… to be in such pain… all because of me…" Takeo's voice started shaking.
"But you see… it's started to get out of hand…" Takeo handed Syaoran an envelope.
"Eh? What's this?" questioned Syaoran.
"Open it with great heed…" Takeo warned.
"Don't get cut. The mailman delivered it to my girlfriend's apartment."
Syaoran's eyes widened as he open the letter. It read 'Stay away from Takeo!' with a small razor inside. Syaoran stared with dotted eyes.
"A razor…" Takeo turned away.
"I'll go to the police today. I'm sorry about all the trouble." And with that, Takeo left the room, leaving Syaoran sitting in there with a look of aggravation.
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"Yesterday, the police stopped by. They came to tell me to stay away from Takeo. And also from his girlfriend, or face I'll face legal action." Mayuko said inaudibly as she poured tea. Sakura listened to her with care.
"It was a nightmare. They thought I was a stalker or something! I… I-I don't understand it. Takeo's girls… that's me! And she has even the smallest nerve to act like she's his. How can anyone possibly do that?" A tear slid swiftly from he eye onto her light blue sweater.
"Takeo… he would never send the police after me!" Mayuko pulled on her hair and her knees started giving away.
"Shh, Mayuko, please calm down! You have to listen to me. Just listen! Please… You have it all mixed up! Y-You… Ypu're not Hayashi-sensei's girlfriend! You have to understand that fact!"
"What!" Mayuko exclaimed with tears running down like a stream.
"No… No! No! No! NO! How can you even SAY that!" Mayuko screamed as she pushed Sakura away into the wall.
"GET AWAY FROM ME! Just LEAVE ME IN PEACE! Go on! Get out! Get out of here! Just leave me alone!" Sakura slumped against the wall.
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Sakura walked slowly away from the daycare. She looked back with tears running down. She decided she might as well give up and turned back forward, about to walk on. That is, until she heard a sound of glass breaking coming from the daycare. Sakura stopped in her tracks and fully turned around.
She walked back to the daycare door and opened it.
"Mayuko?" Crunch. Came a sound of broken glass being stepped on. Sakura went inside and looked around. She saw Mayuko's hand in a sea of blood. Sakura's eye's widened. Her knees gave away and she screamed.
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Syaoran and Takeo ran down the halls of the hospital to the room where Mayuko was in. They saw Sakura sitting on a bench outside the room.
"Sakura!" Syaoran called. Sakura looked up with big frightened eyes filled with tears.
"Is she…" Takeo started to ask Sakura.
"You must be Hayashi Takeo-san. We need to talk." A policeman walked over, holding up his badge.
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"…And so she's stable for now." Finished the policeman.
"Can I see her?" Takeo inquired.
"That's… not a very good idea." Sakura spoke up.
"But…!"
"What good can you do? Can you save her? Has she ever really heard a thing you've said to her at all? It's all up to her now. She'll finally have to cope with this… on her own from now on." Sakura informed. Takeo sat down in irritation. He started grabbing his hair and mumbling things to himself.
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(d/n: at this point, if you could go to h t t p / x y d I r e c t . c o m / m a r m a l a d e b o y p a g e / d o w n (underscore goes here) s o n g s . h t m and listen to the song Saigo No Yakusoku, it'd be very much appreciated. And plus, it matches the scene, and you'll be able to get another good anime song to add to your collection, or start one if you don't have one yet! Thanks! If you can't play it right away, you can download it first and then continue reading. ;) If not, then you'll just have to make do without the music. §sighs§ Oh well…)
"All I wanted to do was help." Sakura murmured as she and Syaoran were walking outside to bring her home.
"So mixed up! Her SOS signal and my own intercepted. I just wanted to help her. To make her see…" She trailed off. Syaoran slowly got closer to her and wrapped an arm around her for comfort. But Sakura pushed him away.
"Please… don't be kind to me. I don't know why, but it hurts. A lot. I'm so tired of all this hurt." She mumbled and ran off, leaving Syaoran standing there alone, lost in his own thoughts.
'SOS… SOS… SOS… Why won't anyone ever help me? I'm in such pain. Please, won't someone just…'
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Sakura held gently onto Mayuko's hand with both her own. Mayuko's eyes opened. Tears leaked out of Sakura's eyes.
"Hey… I'm still here… For what it's worth. I'm sorry that I wasn't any help at all…" Sakura whispered to Mayuko. Mayuko looked art her with serene eyes.
"I've always dreamt of him… ever since I was back in high school. I was such a little nerd. I took on all the tasks that no one else wanted to do. One day, Takeo said to me, "You work so hard. I admire that." That was all it took for me to fall hard for him. I was in love. But we were only friends, so how could I tell him? Then he started going out with someone. It hurt so much, but whom could I tell? There was no one. So I held it in. I just held it all in. I'd talk to him in my mind, explain why it should be me dating him, and not her. Over and over. I couldn't stop. You have to… you have to share what you feel. If you bottle it up, it has nowhere to go, and you'll only end up hurting yourself even more."
By now, Sakura literally had a puddle of tears forming between their cupped hands. She raised one up to wipe her tears.
"He sent us to you! I'm sorry, Mayuko. Hayashi-sensei was the one who sent us to you."
"…Huh?"
"He didn't want the police after you! That's why he sent us. Hayashi-sensei wanted to give you a new future… to set you free, without causing your poor heart any more pain."
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'After crying her eyes out, she said she'd return to her family and start a new life.'
Sakura slowly walked towards the dating agency from the hospital.
' "You have to share what you feel…"' Mayuko's voice rang through her ears. She picked up her pace and began to run towards the agency.
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"So where'd Sakura go off too?" asked Tomoyo.
"She's visiting that batty woman again! She's so busy feeling sorry for others, and then she gets hurt! It's insane!" Syaoran retorted.
"So… that's what's got you all jittery for these past few days." Tomoyo stated obviously. Syaoran looked up from his book with an annoyed face.
"Am I right? Or is it that… you're still hung up over me? I hope not. You must know by know! Back when I was in seventh grade, I made it CRYSTAL clear that I just wasn't attracted to you! Nope! No way! Not at all! It's not just my fear of men! It's not!" Tomoyo joked. Syaoran fell down anime style.
"I'm not into you anymore anyway! That was four years ago! I'm SOOO totally over it! It was my folly of youth!"
"And yet you… you still wanted to be there for me, right? You didn't want to let me suffer all alone. You're really too kind, Syaoran. I'm perfectly fine now. I can fight against my own will. I'll be alright. Really, I honestly will. It's time that you've moved on. Isn't there someone else you're worried about now? Go on then. Go on to her! Go towards the path that leads to her! Do you need me to push you so you fall along it? Is that it?"
"No. It's okay. I can handle it on my own." He started to run off to find Sakura. Tomoyo looked after him with kind eyes.
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'So many things to cope with on your own. So many hurts… and no one can rescue you. I know that now. I know it with all my heart. And yet… that's why… I want you next to me!'
Sakura ran until she was out of breath. She stopped dead when she saw Syaoran heading her direction.
"Syaoran! Is that really you! There's something… I need to say! Something I need to tell you!" She called to him, as he got closer and closer.
"… I know. I can feel it." And with that, Syaoran stretched an arm and grabbed Sakura close. He embraced her with his warm, loving arms. Sakura blushed as her tears finally stopped. She looked up from his chest and straight into those amber brown eyes of his.
"Aishiteru. Aishiteru desu. Hontou wa aishiteru de-" (d/n: I love you. I mean it. I really do love yo-) Sakura was cut off by a passionate kiss from Syaoran. She closed her eyes, and kissed him back, with all of her love for him. They both broke apart and looked into each other's eyes.
Sakura, being a little more courageous this time, went and kissed Syaoran and let down her tears of not hurt anymore, but her tears of happiness and joy.
'I want you next to me…'
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"Phew! Alright! It's nice and clean!" Sakura said with pride as she stepped back from the club door and looked at her hard work.
"Hayashi-sensei won't report us to the school. He's looking the other way. Now.. TIME TO MAKE MORE MONEY! No wait! Time to help more students find love!" Sakura announced to no one in particular as she went inside and took a seat.
"Sakura! Here I am!" called Sukiya.
"We're all set for you Sukiya! I've got a AAA list of beautiful men just for you today!"
"Ooh! Thank you so much!" Sakura ran her index finger along the spines of the books to look for it.
"Wait… Hmm?"
"Tomoyo! Have you seen my AAA book anywhere?" Sakura asked, popping her head out from the doorway to the other room, where Tomoyo sat reading… the AAA book! Sakura marched over and grabbed the book's top from behind Tomoyo. Well, she tried. But Tomoyo wouldn't let it.
"I've made up my mind. I'm going to step up to my own plate. I'm not running away anymore. No more manhating!" Sakura's eyes glowed… her whole BODY glowed! She stared at Tomoyo with tears plipping and plopping out of her eyes and onto the table. Tomoy sweatdropped.
"Now what Sakura?"
"My fileeeeeeeeee!" Sakura whined like a baby.
"NO! MY fileeee!" Tomoyo argued back, also like a baby. Sakura ran to the other room, where Syaoran and Takeo were talking with even more plip-plopping tears.
"Syaoraaaaaaaannnn! Tomoyo stole my AAA boooooooook!" She whined once more as Tomoyo latched onto her whole arm, not letting her go any further. Syaoran and Takeo stared in amusement. He just smiled at his loved one. Things will all go uphill from now.
No matter how long I wait, love just won't find me. If this sounds like you… don't give up! Visit our club! You don't have to cope with life all on your own any longer. Our devoted staff is here for you!
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WOW! I actually finished a story! §feels proud of self§ Well, it was a three part story anyway. §sweatdrops§ I hope you all enjoyed it! And please review! I've checked my stats and TONS of you went to my chapter pages… but I only got 17 reviews! I would really much appreciate it if you reviewed! Reviews always get me going! And who doesn't want reviews anyway! They RULE!
I hope you liked the song too! I know I do! It's one of my favorites! Compliments to the composers and singer of the anime version of Marmalade Boy. I love that manga and anime. §happy face§ When I first starting typing this last chapter, I was really depressed and down. But now that I'm done, I'm happy! It should really be the other way around. I'll miss writing this story… But hey! It's gotta end sometime, you know!
§sighs§ So much for angst… There WAS some angst… But not as much as I originally was going to put in. Go out and check my other stories! I should be putting two oneshots sometime… soon. If you want me to. Or I can wait until after Summer vacation, if I have time. Up to you. 4421 words and 11 pages! I think my second or third longest amount of writing. Wow… §dizzy eyes§
Thanks again for reading and REVIEWING everyone!
That's right. Push that button. You know you wanna.
Lub,
Kiari