Authors Notes: Hey Guys! I'm really, really sorry about not updating earlier!! I have just been so busy and all! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy chapter 10!

Chapter 10- A shocking discovery.

Kenshin made his way down the halls of his high school that was flooded with frantic Freshmen, Sophomores, Juniors, and Seniors. His face was flushed a deep red; the image of that certain morning burned into his mind. Kaoru, no doubt, had followed after him, still angry and fuming. He sighed, knowing that he couldn't avoid the wrath of her forever. He just prayed that she would cool down by the time he would run into her.

He made way to his locker without ramming into anyone too badly. His worst inning was when he bumped shoulders with one of the Senior football players and to his luck, a sarcastic statement, the player didn't seem to be in the brightest mood. After that happened and Kenshin picked the last of the school's yesterday cafeteria lunch from his shirt, and the dirty napkins from his feet, he managed to make his way to his locker without smelling like garbage.

He opened his locker and then heard a shrill voice pierce his sensitive ears. It wasn't like a high pitched sound, but it still gave Kenshin a head ache that was sure to last.

"Ken-san! Oh! I haven't seen you in for ever!" Kenshin sighed and shut his locker and looked at her with an obvious annoyed look. She just continued to smile, un phased.

"Megumi-dono, could you please tone it down a little? I'm not feeling too snazzy, and someone...I'm waiting for someone." Kenshin quickly thought up an excuse to keep Megumi away from him, but unfortunately it didn't work.

"Oh! Are you alright? Do you need some help? I can escort you to the nurse if you like! How about that?" Megumi questioned him eagerly, linking arms with him and letting off a dreamy sigh.

Kenshin's eye began to twitch frantically, prying his arm away from hers. "No, no. I'm quite alright." Kenshin answered, putting his hands up in defense. Megumi with looked at him concerned, cocking her head to the side.

"But you just said you weren't feeling ok." She answered, pointing her finger at him accusingly. Kenshin then jerked back, mentally cursing for her keen memory.

"Er…well I lied." Kenshin said bluntly. Megumi then glared at him and placed two hands on her hips.

"You know what? I think you're just saying that to avoid me!" She said with a snap of her voice. Kenshin rolled his eyes mentally.

"Oh no! Of course not! I would never do that!!" Kenshin's mind replied as his voice said something a little more appropriate.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean it that way. I just don't want to really be with anyone at the moment. I just want to be left alone. That's all." Well that's kind of a lie. I…want to be with Kaoru right now.

"Oh! Well if that's all, then I'll see you later, babe!" Megumi with blew a kiss to him and walked down the hall way in all her glory. Kenshin sighed in relief.

"Note to self: Never let Megumi-dono call you 'babe'…bleck!" Kenshin sighed and leaned up against his locker for support. He just wasn't in the mood for all this… 'attention' he was getting. Pushing off of his locker, he turned around and undid the lock, and opened his locker.

Sighing, he placed his bag into his locker and closed it effortlessly. Turning to his right, about to walk down the hall, he spotted just the someone he was trying to avoid. Kaoru.

'Kaoru!'

He quickly ducked behind a corner and peeked his head out to see her walking by. To his surprise she was not alone. Walking side by side to her was a boy that he had seen once or twice. Her facial expression was something different than what he expected. Her face held bubbly laughter and a relaxed hue.

Kenshin didn't know why, but his blood began to boil. His eyes then formed into small slits and gleamed with a molten gold. His hand began to clamp into a tight fist and his mouth curved upward into a sneer. He then suddenly stepped out in front of them and soon, his mind processed what was going on. He was jealous. Extremely jealous.

Kaoru saw him and stopped in her tracks.

"Kenshin!"

Kenshin then turned his head to meet the gaze of the young man that had somehow hitched his arms with Kaoru's.

"Who's this…?"

Kenshin hesitantly unclamped his fist and fixed his eyes so they weren't so narrow. But his eyes were still blazing a glittering gold.

"Oh, how rude of me." The young man was the first to speak. He unlinked his arms with Kaoru and Kenshin snorted to himself as the young man held out a hand to shake. His bluish green eyes gleamed with mockery and smite as his unnaturally silver hair were brushed from his eyes with his free hand.

"My name is Enishi Yukishiro. Pleased to meet you." Kenshin reluctantly took his hand into his grasp and shook it only once. Kenshin barely managed to throw a thin smile onto his face as he nodded.

"The pleasure's all mine. I'm Kenshin's Himura." Kenshin tried as much as he could to sound friendly. Luckily, he seemed pleased with the greeting and took his hand back. Kaoru's sweet voice erupted.

"Um…Kenshin, Enishi and I met a little while ago and we-" Kenshin then interrupted her.

"Kaoru, could I talk to you for a minute in private?"

Kaoru looked at him and nodded. She looked back at Enishi.

"Hold on. It'll only be a minute."

He smiled and replied,

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

Kenshin then pulled Kaoru around the corner, his hand linked around her thin wrist. Once they were around the corner and out of Enishi's sight, Kaoru yanked her hand away and glared at Kenshin.

"What is wrong with you? Do you have any respect for others at all?"

Kenshin glared at her and fought back.

"Kaoru, who the hell is that guy? And don't talk to me about respect! That was enough respect I could give to that guy and he sure as hell isn't getting any more than that!"

Kaoru looked at him and shook her head.

"You just go about judging people, not even getting to know them! He is the most kind, sweet, considerate, and funny guy that I have met, so you have no right to talk!" Kaoru snapped back.

Kenshin jerked back, eyes widened. Was she saying that he was a better person than himself…?

"Kaoru…w-what do you mean?" Kenshin was almost afraid to ask.

"You heard me! He is a wonderful guy so I wouldn't be talking!" She crossed her arms over her chest, confirming the comment.

Kenshin's eyes then turned from a serious, stern hue to a hurt, and broken color. When he heard her say that, he felt as if his importance didn't mean anything. And apparently that was true by the way Kaoru had just told him.

He then backed up and leaned up against the wall.

"So that's it…"

Kaoru finally realized what she had just said and uncrossed her arms and quickly looked over at him.

"Wait…Kenshin, I didn't-…I wasn't meaning it-" Before Kaoru could finish what she was saying, Kenshin turned his head to the side and hid his eyes with his long, fiery bangs.

"You should go back to Enishi. He's waiting…" He then turned tails and left, walking down the hall silently.

"Kenshin…I…I'm sorry…" Kaoru called out to him as she reached out to him urgently.

"…What ever…" The muffled reply echoed down the hall as it met Kaoru's ears.

'What did I just do…Why…?' Kaoru looked down and buried her face in her hands.

"I'm so stupid…" Kaoru's voice cracked with a chocked sob as she shook her head. If only she worded it differently. If only she didn't say anything at all. If only Kenshin were still by her side…

-

Kenshin walked down the hall in utter silence. His fists were clenched tightly and woven into the tight fabric of his jean pockets. His mouth was curled up into a snarl as his molten gold eyes were buried under the fiery bangs of his flaming hair.

"Damnit…"

Kenshin cursed to himself quietly.

"Why was I so damn jealous of that guy…?" His questions were answered but the answers weren't what he wanted to admit just yet.

"And Kaoru…why the hell would she say that about that…that…bastard!"

Kenshin's anger grew the more he thought about Kaoru and Enishi. Kenshin raised his fist to punch the wall when a chirpy voice interrupted him.

"Kenshin-san, is there something the matter?"

Kenshin's fist in mid stride of striking the wall, his eyes still hidden, Kenshin tried to dampen the rage that was burning within him. He revealed his eyes after successfully stowing away his anger for the moment.

He slowly brought down his fist back into his pocket and looked into the cobalt eyes of his friend.

"No, Soujiro…I'm fine. Just a little uptight." Kenshin's response was low and lifeless.

"Uptight? I would say you were a little more than uptight! You were about to pummel the wall with your bare fist and you say you're just a little uptight? What's wrong?" Soujiro's smile never wavered as he challenged Kenshin, running a hand through his short brown hair smoothly.

"Yeah…just uptight…" Kenshin took a deep breath and brought his shoulders downward into a more relaxed position.

"Gee…you seem more angry than uptight. The games are coming up and you're the best player we have! We don't want you to mess up and get hurt over some minor problem." Soujiro's concerns for his friend still didn't diminish Kenshin's anger.

"I know, Soujiro…thank you. I promise I'll be alright, don't you worry." Kenshin tried to lace a smile onto his face but it failed as he saw how Soujiro didn't buy his act for one second.

"Kenshin, you're not fooling me. Tell me, something that's got you this down has to be serious…" Soujiro's smile then slowly disappeared off his face.

"..Alright…I'll tell you. But promise me that you won't tell anyone else."

With a smile and a nod, Soujiro complied.

"Promise!"

That's all for now! Please review! :D