Okay...
This shall be my last update in China.

Four days later I'll be on a plane back to the U.S.

Again, sorry about the lateness... x.x

Photos
"Okay, um… Great!" I exclaimed, trying to sound as normal as possible, "So I'll just… Go ask her about how she knows you… Bye!"

I quickly ran out of the house, ignoring anyone who stared at me.

Why are you like this?

Because I want to be.

He's just another boy.

But there's something different 'bout him.

Get over him.

I will… Just gimmie some time…

I slowed down to a walk, after making sure I was no where near my house.

After making sure I was no where near my house, I noticed a couple of things.

I forgot my bag, which held my keys, cell phone, and money.

I had no clue where I was.

So, in other words, I was hopelessly lost.

I groaned, but continued to walk straight ahead.

Soon I found myself in the woods, or a forest, of some kind.

I shrugged and continued to walk.

My parents were probably on another trip, so it didn't matter what time I would come home.

Shai was… Somewhere…

And Ivy…

Well Ivy wouldn't be visiting me anytime soon…

I sighed, and started to run again.

I continued to run, until the trees covered the moon, and I was completely lost.

I mean like, completely.

I ran until my knee hit something. Then my hip hit it. Then my elbow hit it.

I went down with bad words shooting out of my mouth.

A bunch of paper like things fell down with me.

Groaning, I rubbed my knee with one hand, and pushed myself up with the other.

I turned around and glared at the… lump in front of me, it was too dark to see what it actually was.

And then…

I kicked it.

But the lump like thing was obviously made out of stone…

So I succeeded in only bruising, perhaps breaking my toes.

"Damnit!" I swore loudly, clenching my teeth together.

You need to get home soon.

I will... I'm going now.

I picked up a couple of the paper-like things on the ground, because I wanted to burn them later for the pain the big lump caused me.

XOXOXO

"Jo! What the hell are you doing here?"

I gasped for breath.

I had finally escaped the forest slash wood of doom, only to bump into Shai.

In the middle of the night.

"Do you know what time it is?" She yelled at me, I could see a vein popping in her forehead, "You're not supposed to be out at a time like this!"

"You're out." I muttered back, getting a headache from her yelling.

It was a wonder someone didn't call the police.

"Yeah well…" Shai's voice trailed off.

I hated when she acted like… The mother I would've had…

"Anyway, I'm lost, cold, in pain, and helpless. Mind giving me a hand back to my house?" I said to her, poking the bruise on my elbow and wincing.

Shai nodded, "Sure, but tell me what's in your hand."

I blinked, and looked down. I forgot I was holding the papers.

In the dim moonlight, I could make out that the 'papers' were actually photos.

And in the photos there were a pair of crimson eyes that I knew very well.

"Umm… Photos. I was picking them up… Um… My father wanted them, there um…" I started to talk really quickly, only pausing to take a couple of breaths.

Shai politely made me shut up before I could finish though.

When I say politely shut up, I mean slap a hand over my mouth and flick me on the forehead.

"Damn… You sure are grouchy today…" I growled at her, rubbing my forehead.

She was silent, strangely silent.

I shrugged; I had my own problem to deal with.

We walked in silence.

"Why are you so nervous about the photos?" Shai suddenly piped up, turning her head to look at me.

"Because um… My father's doing this top-secret thing… And um… It's really important that no one can see it… So… Um… No one's allowed to see i-"

"Jeez Jo. When was the last time we kept something from each other?" Shai started, she seemed a bit annoyed, "Are those pictures really pictures of your boyfriend? And you and him in sexual positions?"

I could tell she was sarcastic, but to keep her from asking anymore questions, I sacrificed my pride. And perhaps my fake virginity…

"Yes."

A shocked silence followed my word.

"Can I see them?"

The sound of my gagging followed Shai's words.

XOXOXO

"Hey um… Red?"

"Hn."

"Really sorry about running out on you a bit ago," I stuttered, poking my pointer fingers together, "I had to um… Well… I um…"

He stared at me, obviously I was not going to come up with anything believable so I just stood there poking my fingers together.

Tell him about the photos!

But I didn't get to see them yet!

Tell him!

I mentally groaned at my conscience, but stuck my hand into my left pocket, making sure the folded up photos were still there.

"Um… Red? While I was out… I found something…"

He stared at me, not bothering to talk. Man, he was getting his old self back and his old self really wasn't a talker, eh?

"Oh my god! I must've dropped them somewhere!"

I made a big, and most likely fake looking, thing where I stuck my hands in my pockets, took them out, and had this, fake, look on my face of complete, fake, surprise.

"What are you doing?" He muttered at me, now looking at me as if I were crazy.

With the way I was acting, I would've thought I was crazy if I could've seen myself.

I opened my mouth, and a nervous laugh escaped. "I… Well… Um… G'Night!"

I quickly climbed up the stairs, no; I bounded up the stairs, and ran into my room. Slamming the door, and locking it, I threw myself onto my bed.

"Gosh…"

XOXOXO

Why didn't you show him!

Wow, are you mad or something?

I'm trying to help you get rid of another ghost! Why didn't you show him?

Yep, my conscience sounded really pissed.

… What's wrong with you?

Nothing…

You're hiding the photos from him.

No I'm not… I'm… Keeping them a secret… That's all.

Whatever… Don't you want to get rid of him?

No…

What?

I um… Just… um… Forget what I said. Really.

Fine…

After making sure I cut off all connection with my conscience, if that was possible; and making sure Red had disappeared out of the house, I took out the photos one by one.

I unfolded the first one, and sucked in my breath.

Red was there.

Obviously.

The red headed dude was there.

The one that used to live here.

There was another boy with raven black hair.

He was the one I saw before the first time I blacked out.

There was yet another boy with orange hair.

He was also a boy I saw before I blacked out the first time.

They all looked as if they just finished fighting with someone. Their clothes were ripped here and there, mud, dirt, and… Blood? Whatever, random stuff stained their clothes as well.

All four of them held some wounds, like scratches and stuff like that. The orange haired dude was being held up by the red haired dude and the black haired dude though. It seemed the orange haired dude had hurt his leg or something.

All of them were smiling though.

I slightly smiled after seeing the photo, and placed it next to me, on the bed.

I reached in my pocket and pulled out another photo.

This one had Red, the orange haired dude, the black haired dude, and Yukina.

The orange haired dude was holding Yukina's small hand in his large one, and was on one knee, proposing or something.

When I looked closer, it seemed the orange haired dude was proposing!

Hm… This was sort of confusing.

Red was in love with an engaged slash married girl.

I reached into my pocket again and pulled out the last of the photos.

It had a ton of people in it.

Well not a ton, but a lot.

Yukina, Red, the other three boys that were with Red in the first picture, a brown haired girl, a blue haired girl, this brown haired dude… And… Genkai! Which was rather surprising 'cause, no offense to her, I didn't think she had a life outside the temple.

So…

A lot of people knew Red…

I just had to ask these people some casual question about Red.

Yes…

How could you be casual when asking about a dead friend?

Yes…

I do believe I need to think this through some more…

XOXOXO

"Jeez Shai! Where are we going?" I whined, crossing my hands, trying to stop them from ripping off the blindfold on my face.

"Just wait!"

I mentally rolled my eyes, but continued to walk.

Shai was showing me a surprise today.

I'm hoping she wasn't going to take me to see anything perverted…

I mean, just because of yesterday.

"Ta-da!" She explained, and ripped off the blindfold for me.

I gasped.

It was Genkai's temple.

"What are we doing here!" I hissed at her.

I had missed a lesson yesterday.

Because I overslept.

I also missed school yesterday.

Luckily today was Saturday.

Shai started to fake whine, and got fake tears in her eyes. "I… I was going to introduce you to some of my friends… I didn't want you to be all lonely and all…" She sniffed, wiping away the fake tears.

I sighed, and grinned at her. "Thanks" I said, and then pushed her, just for fun, "Introduce me to your friends!"

She nodded, and took a few steps. Suddenly she stopped, and then turned to me. "Okay, here. One of their friends recently died so please, please, don't mention anything about death." She whispered quickly to me, whilst shaking me rather hard by the shoulders.

Because she was shaking me, I couldn't get out words out, so I just nodded furiously.

She sighed with relief and let go of me.

"Thanks a lot Shai." I muttered, rubbing my shoulders, and glaring at her.

She gave me another smile. "So… Let's go in and meet the rest of the gang!"

And then…

A scream broke the calmness of the area.

It came from the forest.

And belonged to a female.

Perhaps…

Yukina?

You know the drill.
Read&Review Please.

Hei Huo