-Little authors note: I'm sorry but, being still in high-school, I know practically nothing about college. Therefore, forgive me if I've written something that doesn't sound like college to you at all. And if some of you DO know about college, well please tell me about it, because I'm going to write a lot more about it and I'm somewhat too lazy to do research (-and anyway, what results would you get if you typed "how college works" in google, eh?-)

…two years later, and worry be banished from your minds! I have seen college with mine own eyes (not there yet though, sadly) and help is no longer required. Unless anyone is inclined on giving me some insider details, to which I wouldn't say no… ;)

Chapter 2: About cats and dogs

Soon after, the bell rang and we went off to our separate classes. I had chosen the richer program, with science and arts, because I really had no idea what career I would like follow. I wanted to keep doors open for myself until I knew what threshold to cross. I had a math class, and for the next hour and a half, I filled in little grids with answers that came to my mind with surprising ease. There was nothing but grief that could make you drown yourself in studies so you didn't have time to feel the pain. Yet as soon as the lessons ended I ran out of the classroom, relieved. Having nothing to do till my next lesson after lunch, I decided to explore a bit. Yet I hadn't taken two paces before I spotted something that made me do a double take: a nice, shady spot under a tree with a wide trunk that accommodated my back perfectly. I leaned against it, staring off into space with contemplative satisfaction. Warm sunlight fell on my cheeks and face, turning everything into a golden blur, and soon, my eyes drifted closed, and lulled by the quiet rustle of leaves and the wind playing in the grass, I fell asleep.

I was shaken awake an unknown amount of time after by two small hands, and when I opened my eyes, moaning about "injustice" and 'bothering", my gaze met that of two ocean blue eyes, like bright lights shining at me from above. I jumped away with a start, only to realize that it was Umi looking at me.

"Oh! Kyo-kun! Did I scare you? I didn't mean to, really, I'm sorry! I was just so happy to see you! Are you mad at me? I apologize, I am really sorry!" she cried, her resemblance to Ritsu striking as she spewed out an ocean of apologies that made me crack an unwilling smile. As her eyes filling with tears, though, I drew back, slightly alarmed. The realization came upon me suddenly and piercingly: I didn't want this girl to ever have to cry. I felt like my heart would break if she did.

"Oh, no, it's…its ok Umi-san!" I rushed to reassure her. "You just scared me a little bit, that's all."

"Oh, thank you! But I promise I won't do it again. And you looked so much like a cat, curled up under the tree there", she said, smiling awkwardly but with unexpected warmth in her voice.

I tensed, then told myself to relax: I wasn't cursed anymore, and whatever reference to a cat she had made was completely innocent and had no deeper, hidden meaning.

"Thank you". I answered without really thinking. She stared at me with a puzzled expression. "I mean", I explained, "thank you for comparing me with a cat. It's my favorite animal".

Once upon a time, I had hated cats, cursed their very nature, which had become part of mine. Disgusted by the fact that I was haunted by the spirit of one. But now, that wasn't the case anymore. It's strange how many things you find out about yourself when you don't have that shadow hanging over you and your free will.

"Oh, you love cats?" she asked, delighted. "They're really my favorite animals too, you know! When I was younger, I always wished I had been born in the year of the cat!" A strange nostalgia crept into her eyes, clouding them over as she gazed into the distance. Her voice changed, intermingling pain and a kind of quiet thoughtfulness. "And then, I realized I was somewhat lucky not to be born then…or maybe…I don't know…" She flushed. "Cat people are strange, but they can be so nice, too. Cat people…they're…they're so…I…", tears had started filling her eyes again, but tears that seemed to come from deeper down, as if from a hurt spot she had never shown anyone. A hurt spot that couldn't heal.

I put a hand on her shoulder. She lifted her head towards me.

"I…I must seem awfully silly, crying like that over nothing." But was it really nothing? Was that expression really unknown to me? Had I really never seen this girl before? I had my doubts, but just then, I didn't want to think about it. I had come here to make a new life, not dwell in the past. And this couldn't really be the person I was hoping it was. So there! No use! Forget about it, Kyo, I told myself. And tell the girl something nice before she starts crying again.

"Hey, everyone goes through tough moments! Damn, I had quite a lot of them in the past. And even if remembering them makes you cry, you always have to think that they're gone, and they can't harm you anymore."

I was babbling utter nonsense and I knew it, but it was really the first thing that came to my mind, and I had never been good at mental support.

"Oh…the memory, it, it didn't hurt me, I was just, sad because I miss…well…"

DAMN! I had said the wrong thing! Now she was probably even sadder. I cursed myself in silence for what I had done. Well, I didn't really curse myself; I had had enough of being cursed already to never get into that kind of mess again, but I did feel like a completely useless klutz. DAMN IT, Tohru, where are you when I need you?! Where's your kindness, the gentle inspiration that radiates off you in waves…? Where are YOU? I thought as I quickly tried to come up with something better. Stupid, STUPID Kyo! Meet the first girl in five years to make you feel like less of a lowlife than you are, and you just HAVE to mess up.

Umi surprised me though.

"But thank you for the kind thought, Kyo-kun. It's nice to know that you care about my feelings."

WHAT? I had just said something totally wrong and she was thanking me for it…? But nonetheless, the kind words cheered me up. I could face her again.

"Hey, I still have a while before my next lesson, so do you want to get some lunch?", I offered as brightly as I could. I had to make up to her somehow, and if words couldn't cut it, I hoped a bowl of ramen might.

"I wouldn't want to impose!" she cried, shocked even as the hint of a blush crept into her cheeks. "I'm flattered you're asking, but I really don't think I can accept…"

Maybe it was her reaction, or I had just reached a state where I desperately wanted to please the frail girl before me, but whatever it was made me bold enough to press harder.

"Come on, you know you want to" I urged, trying to conceal my excitement behind furrowed brows. "Don't waste my generosity…"

She started at that, and I could swear I heard her chuckle shyly.

"A…alright then. If it's okay with you."

"Of course it is" I muttered. "I'm the one who asked…" I was starting to regret this as we walked side by side, trying to avoid looking at each other as much as possible.

We found a little restaurant in a quiet corner, and we sat down at a table next to a large glass window.

"What would you like…?" I asked uneasily, wondering if I had enough money in my wallet to pay for it.

"I don't really know…" she answered, and I could feel my cheeks turning an angry red. Great. Just great. Why did I get all the stupid ideas?!

"Well, are you hungry? I prodded, annoyed. She blushed.

"N…not really. I'm sorry…I don't mean to…" she fumbled with a napkin, not looking at me.

"You could have said so!" I burst out, standing up and making my chair fly backwards. Heads turned. My face flushed a tomato red as I picked my chair up and squirmed back into it, trying to make myself small and unnoticeable. Customers turned back to their conversations, but now I could feel their gazes work around us as if we were a sore spot.

"S…sorry" I mumbled. "I didn't mean…"

"It's alright" she blurted out at the same time as I was giving my apology. An awkward silence stretched between us. She was looking around the restaurant with a polite kind of curiosity, her hands mildly folded in her lap. I stared at her, wondering how to start a conversation, and about what. Yuki would have been so good at this, but I was at loss for words. I was probably the most boring guy on the planet. Any other person going out—and I suppose this WAS what people generally call going out—with Umi would already have started a passionate discussion about one thing or the other, but I sat there mute. Pathetic!

The waiter came over to our table to take our orders, and we both rushed to decline, cutting each other off as we fumbled for excuses. The waiter left, obviously ticked off.

"Ummm…" Umi started, chuckling nervously.

The next thing I was planning on doing would probably be even more pathetic, but I didn't know what else I could do to get myself out of this mess. Before she could say anything, I cut her off quickly.

"I need to make a phone call" I rushed to my feet, jumping out of my seat and nearly running to the other side of the room and the phone booths. I could feel her eyes on my back, probably full of shock, maybe hurt. I was too angry and pissed off at myself to care. I would hurt her now only to make everything better when I came back, I thought, trying to calm myself down enough to dial. This was to be expected, of course. It wasn't my fault that I had been boxed up in the reclusive routine that had been my existence for most of my life, not my fault if I could never build proper ties with anyone because of my curse and the loathing in everyone's eyes when they looked at me. How was I expected to know what to do, to act appropriately? Really, she was expecting too much from me, thinking I would be able to entertain her conveniently. That's what I kept telling myself as I put one foot before the other, but I couldn't build up enough anger against her to actually leave. Somewhere deep down, I wanted this to go well, or at least better than it was now.

The only way for that, and I wasn't happy to admit it, was to call somebody who could really help. Sadly, that person was none other than the filthy piece of flirtatious scum…SHIGURE!

Seems like I ended up changing quite a lot in my attempt to straighten out my mistakes. Hope it's okay :)