Subaru Sumeragi, 13th head of the Sumeragi clan, sat dejectedly in his desk at the back of the room and stared moodily out the window. He failed to understand why his grandmother would send him to America, of all places, for training. He missed the streets of Tokyo, missed his sister, but most of all he missed- but he stopped that thought with a frown, shaking his head slightly to dispel it. He knew he shouldn't miss Seishiro, not at all. He remembered the charming man from that day long ago under the cherry blossoms, remembered what he had been doing there. Maybe it was best that he spend time away from home. If will wasn't enough to keep Subaru away from the Sakurazukamori, he thought, distance would have to do. "Ah, Su- sub…" the teacher called in an unsure voice.
"Subaru," he told her dejectedly. He could pronounce their names; it would be nice if the teachers put a little more effort into saying his.
"Ah, yes, well, what's your opinion on the book?" Subaru bit his lip, his English was good, but it wasn't quite up to Jane Austin novels. He'd tried, but the first chapter of Pride and Prejudice was just beyond him, let alone the first 10.
"Um… I thought…" that there was too much dialogue and nothing they said made sense anyway, he finished silently. But I can't say that!
"I thought it sucked!" called a boy from across the room, "All they did was sit around and talk about crap. I thought you said it would be funny."
"Uh, well…" Subaru began to suspect his English teacher didn't have much of a backbone.
"It was funny, James, you're just too stupid to understand it," a girl's voice came from the back of the room.
"Alex!" the teacher called reproachfully, but she looked relieved none the less. Subaru glanced back at the girl, catching a glimpse of long brown hair and hazel eyes. She winked at him, then turned back to James.
"The book was chalk full of dry humor and innuendo, I mean, have you heard her father talk?"
"Her father?" he looked confused.
"Mr. Bennet,"
"I thought that was her neighbor,"
"No, that's the Lucas',"
"What?"
"y'know, Mrs. Collins,"
"Who?"
"I think you proved your point," Subaru commented. Alex turned and looked at him, her eyes narrowed slightly.
"Do you?" he swallowed, sensing a slight aura around the girl. He couldn't tell exactly what it was though.
"Yeah, I do,"
"Getting back on topic, Miss Moore, Mr. Sum- Sume…"
"Sumeragi," he said, leaning back into his chair with a sigh.
After school Subaru started off in the direction of the apartment he was staying in when he noticed the girl from English class leaning against a tree trunk in front of the school. Wanting to get to know the first person he's come across in the school with power, he walked over to her. Before he could say anything she turned and looked at him.
"They use cherry blossoms as curses in the Seelie court, you know," she told him, "they say it makes for a beautiful death." Subaru paused, taken a little aback.
"What's the Seelie court?" he asked finally.
"A gathering of fey nobility. I prefer the Unseelie court, personally, at least they're honest."
"Fey? Like fairys?"
"No,"
"Oh." He glanced at her, deciding to be direct, "how did you know-"
"It's pretty obvious," she said, looking him up and down.
"Pretty obvious that I'm some monsters prey?"
"That's one way of putting it,"
"What's another?" She smiled.
"It's pretty obvious that you're in love."