I do not own Princess Mononoke

Chapter 2 – Popularity's Tough

San put the dishes away as she ordered her two brothers to get their things together without breaking anything. She turned the T.V. off just as the reporter was trying to get through the mob of teens to the window of the limousine. She then approached the front door, and tapped her shoes on as she called for the two boys.

"Hey San, you think we might be able to get some popularity points with Ashitaka Eboshi?" Kai hopefully joked as they waited for the signal to change. San didn't want to think about it, at least not right now. The last thing she wanted was to have her two brother's clinging to a pop idol.

"No, you idiot, we simply take it! Think of the ---…" Taka was cut off by a swift blow from seemingly nowhere to the back of his head. He grimaced, and then scowled at his older sister.

"Shut it, both of you." She snapped in annoyance. It was getting really old, really fast. They traveled on in silence, with the occasional flirtatious glares some passing females gave her brothers, but she'd grown accustomed to it. They approached their school, and it seemed as thought the limousine made very little, if any progress since the last viewing from her T.V.

Faintly, as they proceeded closer, San could make out a shadowy figure sitting in the backseat of the stretched car. The driver was a bald, middle-aged man with an incredibly large mole on his face. Or was it a pimple? San couldn't tell from such a distance. What she could tell was that whoever was in the backseat, everybody wanted to know. By 'whoever', she meant Ashitaka Eboshi, of course.

"Cool! I wanna see him!" Kai ran ahead.

"Hey, me too!" Taka ran after him, leaving San in his dust. Despite their gleaming hair, the two melted into the mob around the vehicle harboring the famous star. She had to admit, it would be kind of interesting to see him up close and personal.

Concluding that the front entrance to the school was illogical, and impossible to try and fight her way through, she took the longer route towards the side entrance. As a habit developed from observing her mother, she closed her eyes, breathed in, and was going to breathe out, but before she could do that, something collided into her as she turned the corner of the building. More like, someone.

Whoever crashed into her was taller, and more built than she. Typical, seeing that it was a boy. While on the ground, she could only see his feet and the bottom of his uniform, which were the blue pants.

"I'm sorry about that." He had unusually polite speech for a teenager. "Here. Let me help you." He offered a hand in an almost monotone voice.

"It's okay, I'll handle it." She pulled her skirt down a little, and then proceeded to gather her things. As she stood up, she almost froze from surprise.

"You…" Was all she could really manage. Ashitaka Eboshi was standing before her, in all his glory as a high school student.

"You?" He repeated inquisitively. This boy was supposed to be the most suave and sexy model for teens today, but here he was in front of the school tomboy, repeating a single word, and forming it into a question. He even had the '?' expression on his 'sexy' face.

"Ah…" She tried to say his name, but his cell phone rang. He dug through his pockets, until finally pulling out a sleek cell, and putting it to his ear.

"Yes?" He answered into the receiver. "Yeah, I got there. I'm okay. Uh-huh. Yup. No problem. Really? I'll be on the look out then." He shut the phone closed, and put it away in a different pocket from which it originally came.

"Sorry, miss, but I have to find someone right now." He brushed passed her as the phone settled into the new location. He opened the door, and walked in, not even bothering to leave it open for her. Stunned just a little, she regained her stamina, and right before the door closed, she shouted, "My name isn't 'Miss' fyi!" But he didn't hear her, and even if he did, he probably wouldn't go back to ask her what it was. What just happened to polite speech and polite manners? Once you find out someone's a no one, out the door you go.

"Jerk!" She scoffed as she went back to the front to retrieve her two brothers. Wait. Think about it. If that was Ashitaka, then who was in the car just a second ago?

"It's Kaya Eboshi!" A girl screamed for the world to know. The truth is revealed alas. Kaya is the younger Eboshi, aspiring actress and teen model. The second child to be on Saki Eboshi's list of things to do. 'Joint Custody' suddenly flashed through San's head.

'I bet their whole family is a bunch of stuck-ups.' San continued to push through the crowd. She finally spotted her first brother, Kai looking bored, if not disappointed. She caught him mumbling something about it just being some girl.

"Where's Taka?" San looked around for the older brother. Kai shot her a look of disgust, and then directed his golden eyes towards the other sibling. San was shocked, and amused to see the cold-hearted, violence-loving boy she knew ogling over the younger Eboshi. He hid it well, definitely better than any other boy, but growing up with the boy, you just know some things others can't.

"Drooling over the Eboshi girl." Kai picked at his ear, and then turned around. "I'm going. Later." He walked towards the school doors, and once again, disappeared into the crowd. As Kaya walked on, politely responding to the fan's questions and introductions, Taka stayed back, stranded on the steps of the school. He looked down, as if defeated by loyal fans, and proceeded forward. San approached her younger brother, and gave him an encouraging smile.

"Don't sweat it. She'll notice you" San wanted to say, but that would sound unnatural for her. Instead, she rested her hand on his head, and then walked on. As she slowly trailed behind the mob, the door of doom came slamming in obstruction of her path.

"Dammit! Why is this happening today!" San cussed softly cussed to herself, and her unusually bad luck. The same familiar and slightly annoying voice came in earshot once again.

"Oh, it's you again." He said as he closed the door to the restroom. "Do you want help this time?" This time, there was a little arrogance in his voice, which did not suite San well.

"I'm fine." She pushed herself off from the ground as she did previously.

"Why do I keep running into you?" He questioned as he studied the door. 'running into you'! More like colliding. Or inflicting pain while passing by.

"I have no idea. Mind explaining why you have a way with doors?" She referred to when he brushed past her and let the door close. While brushing herself off a little, she looked up at him, but he was still studying the door she hit.

"I don't know. Perhaps it's an omen?" He offered an explanation. Please, an omen? She didn't have time to believe in old wives' tales like omens. It was just superstition.

"For what?" She asked with boredom. He paused, and his perplexed face looked as if he were contemplating something important. He then stared at her with serious eyes, and prepared for a response. His eyes were dark, and nicely shaped. He had a grasping pull with just his gaze alone. San steadied herself, and prepared for an explanation.

"For that…" He started. "I don't know, either." He finished. San turned her head in annoyance. He was a jerk, and absent-minded. End of story.

"Since I don't have a reason for continuing this conversation, I'll take my leave now. Later." San brushed past him, like he did to her. As she got to the stairs, he called, "Hey you!" but she walked on, pretending she didn't hear him. 'That'll teach ya.' She mentally fired back at him, chuckling evilly to herself.

Omens are meant to be taken seriously. San learned that the hard way. Only 5 minutes into first period started her misery and gloom towards a very cruel year. Ashitaka Eboshi was in her class, no, ALL her classes. Why was this world so very cruel? San tried to bury herself in her arms, but there was no escaping the wrath of Eboshi.

"Since Ashitaka-San has just transferred to our school…" The teacher started. Everyone knew what she was about to say, and all the girls were practically on the edge of their seats waiting for the words to come out. "He'll need a guide to show him around the school until he feels comfortable enough." She finished, but all the girls except for San's were raised so high, their navels were exposed.

"Actually…" Ashitaka politely started. "I would like someone who I know." She smiled at the teacher, and the willing volunteers. San was relieved that he already knew someone. That person could show him around instead.

"Oh? Who is this person? Do tell." The teacher encouraged.

"Her. Right there in the back." Ashitaka pointed to the back of the room.

"San Okina!" The teacher called attention.

"Yes!" San perked up.

"You will be assigned as Eboshi-san's guide to our school, seeing that you already made acquaintances with him." The teacher smiled at her. All the volunteers dropped their arms down in defeat and anger.

"Y-yes." San managed. '! That conniving jerk! He doesn't even know my name!'

"I'll be looking forward to it." He took a seat next to her. San groaned, and faked a smile.

"The pleasure's all mine." She weakly responded. 'Not.' Between the glares, stares, and whispers behind her back, San was practically willing to strangle every god-dammed Eboshi fan in the school. Which was everyone. Alas! Salvation during lunch came. San ditched Ashitaka amongst a mob of fans and headed towards her meeting spot with her brothers.

"So, you're the talk of the whole school now. Nice." Kai mocked as he stuffed his face with his lunch. She didn't have much of an appetite, and neither did Taka.

"It's not something I'm proud of. He's so…aggravating. It gives me a headache every time I think about it." San moaned as she rubbed her temples.

"Perhaps then, you need an Asprin?" A new voice chimed in. San's spine tingled as she cringed to look behind her. Him.

"W-what?" She questioned. Did he hear her? What she said about him?

"I heard you say you have a headache. If it hurts, you should go to the nurse or take an Asprin." He offered advice. Geez. This guy had no clue what was going on.

"It's alright. I'm okay now." San struggled to force a smile out in manners. Taka looked up at him as if he was going to say something, but Kai took the chance faster.

"Hey Eboshi-kun! Where do you live? It's like, a total secret to everyone." Kai pointed his chopsticks at him.

"Probably because it's supposed to be a secret. Put your chopsticks down, it's rude to point." San slapped his hand down. Ashitaka scratched his head, and then adjusted his school bag strap.

"A secret? Well, since I'll be moving out of my house soon anyways, I guess I could tell you." He contemplated more.

"You're moving out? What for? You're still in high-school." Kai asked San's question for her. He shrugged, and shifted his weight to the other foot.

"My mom says she doesn't want the reporters all over the family's limousine everyday, so I'm moving closer to the school in an apartment. So is my sister, but she 'll be in a different building." He explained. Oh. It was coming together now.

"So, you're living all alone? Just by yourself?" San asked, not that she was worried about him or anything, it was just curiosity. He nodded his head and replied, "nuh-uh."

"I'm going to have a roommate." He started to scramble through his pockets again. After a few seconds of searching, he flipped his phone open, and pressed a couple buttons. "A few minutes ago, my mom sent me a text message telling me who it was." He then turned the phone over to let San and her brothers read the message.

"Ashitaka-

Due to business negotiations, you will be moving into apartment 3d at the Fukadaya. Your roommate's name is San Okina. Please tell her at school."

"I'm your what!" San exclaimed. Just as surprised, her two brothers yelled, "She's your what!"

"Yeah, that's what I said…" He flipped the phone closed, and put in another different pocket.

A/N: All will be explained in the next chapter!