Disclaimer: You know the drill

Author's note: I am sooo happy that there are two people that like my story! I never got so many reviews for my last story! Thank you for reading! I really appreciate your comments, and I do wish you would keep reading and reviewing!

Chapter Five: Making Friends, Losing Family

The first day of school went as well as Jenny could expect. Luckily, she was never alone in her classes. In every class, one of her new housemates was there with her. This was especially helpful, since one of her greatest fears was not knowing anybody. However, Jenny got the distinct impression that the people in the hallways were talking about her. When she would walk to her next class, the students never seemed to want to walk by her, and as she passed different classrooms, she noticed that even the teachers would gawk out of the doorways. It got even worse when she actually made it to class; heads turned as she walked to her seat, and people would occasionally look around to stare at her. The absolute worst part, though, was when the teachers would ask her to introduce herself to the class.

Jenny normally didn't mind public speaking, but there was just something about having about twenty other kids just staring at her while she tried desperately to come up with something to say. The classes themselves, however, were not at all as bad as she expected them to be. The math class was basically the same material as at her old school, and other subjects, like Science and English, all looked to be fairly within her academic range as well. She was actually starting to look forward to the coming year.

The main thing she was not looking forward to was lunch. In all of her high school experience, lunch had always been the deciding factor in a person's social circle. She was fairly certain that this was also true in Japan, especially at a co-ed school, and she was not looking forward to being in the cafeteria, her food on her tray, looking despondently around at the different people, and hoping someone would invite her to sit with them. This was the well-known downfall to being "the new kid".

And that was the way it happened- the bell rang, Jenny trooped over to the cafeteria, got her food, and there she stood, looking around with very little hope. However- just as she was about to turn away, and find some place to eat alone, she could heard a voice call out above the chatter, "Jeni-kun! Jeni-kun, over here! Come sit with us! Jeni-kuuuun!"

There was Tohru, standing up and waving her over. Jenny smiled, and headed over. As she approached, she noticed that aside from Yuki and Kyo, there were two other girls sitting at the table. One was blonde, and fairly tall, and the other had raven hair and black eyes, wearing a very somber expression.

"Jeni-kun," Tohru introduced with a smile, "this is Arisa Uotani-san,"-she gestured to the blonde, who gave a small wave-"and this is Saki Hanajima-san. Guys, this is our exchange student, Jennifer Maiso-san"

"Pleased to meet you both," Jennifer greeted.

"Nice to see you, too," Uotani returned.

After a moment, Hanajima added, "Yes, I feel most at ease now. Your waves are much more pleasant than I could have hoped for. I am glad that it is you who is Tohru's new friend."

Tohru had told Jenny about her friends, so she wasn't all that surprised to hear Hanajima-san mention her denpa waves.

"Thank you very much. It makes me glad to hear that," Jenny replied.

"So what's it like to be an exchange student?" Uotani-san asked, "Do you like it here?"

"Oh, yes," Jenny assured, "I like it very much here! Being an exchange student is so much more exciting than I could have imagined! I love meeting new people, and I cant wait to see more of everyday life in Japan."

"Well, I'm just glad that you're not one of those stuck up girls," Uo commented, taking a bite of rice, "The last thing we need in this school is another phony. I like you, though. You seem so…what's the word I'm looking for?"

"Independent?" Hana offered.

"Yeah," Uo continued, "independent. You're not one of those girls that has to fit in with everybody else. You do your own thing. I respect that."

"Yes," Hanajima said, "You seem very comfortable with who you are."

"Is that why you're wearing the boy's uniform?" Uo asked.

"Um- well, you see-" Jenny tried to explain, but Tohru cut her off.

"I really like it!" she exclaimed, "It really looks good on her, doesn't it?"

"It's definitely individual…" Hanajima said, nibbling on some chicken.

"You're right, Tohru!" Uo said, "It really does make a statement, doesn't it? Very chic."

Jenny just smiled, and ate her lunch. She was very glad she had made new friends, and that not everyone in the school thought she was a complete idiot for wearing the wrong uniform.

"Well, I really just wanted to try this one out," Jenny told them, "I think I'm going to wear the girl's uniform from now on."

Hanajima and Uotani nodded understandingly, and when lunch was over, they departed to go to their classrooms. There was just Literature and History before they could all go home. Fortunately, both Hana-san and Uo-san were in her Literature class, and Yuki turned out to be in her History class.

"You're a very good student, Maiso-san," Yuki commented after the final bell rung. Packing up her books, Jenny gave a small laugh.

"I'm really not," she said, walking with him out the door, "Not normally anyway. I suppose I'm really working hard now so that I can stay here. If my grades are too low, I have to go back home."

Yuki and Jenny met up with Kyo and Tohru at the front of the school, and the four friends walked home together. Jenny smiled the whole way home. It had been a great day, and she loved the feeling of walking home and talking with her new, wonderful friends.

When they finally arrived at the house, Jenny said, "I'll just go put my things away," before disappearing upstairs to her bedroom.

Shigure stepped out into the hall, his face troubled.

"Oh, I thought I heard you come in," Shigure greeted, trying to put on an air of casualness, "But where has Jeni-kun gone?"

"She went upstairs," Yuki answered, "to put her books away. Why do you ask?"

"Well-" faltered Shigure, then he sighed, "look, I don't know quite how to tell you this, but something rather unfortunate has happened…"

"What?" Yuki and Tohru answered at the same time.

"What is it Shigure?" Kyo demanded, "Spit it out- what happened?"

Shigure sighed deeply before answering, "Jeni-kun's parents are dead. I just received the phone call."

"What?" Yuki asked breathlessly.

"Wh-What happened?" Tohru inquired tearfully.

"Her mother and father," Shigure said quietly, "went out to dinner. On the way back to their car, a man robbed and shot them both before fleeing the scene. They were…Her parents- they were killed instantly…"

This left the room in a very heavy silence, with each person lost in their own thoughts. Finally Yuki spoke up.

"Well, I think that the hardest part now," Yuki said gently, "is deciding who is going to tell Maiso-san."

Kyo- who had remained silent until now- stood, and told them, "I will," walking over to the staircase.

"You will?" Shigure asked incredulously, "But why?"

"Yes," Yuki added, giving Kyo a penetrating look, "Why would you volunteer for so difficult of a task?"

Kyo merely looked into the distance for a while, thinking. Finally, one phrase came to mind, and he said it aloud:

"No matter what, I gotta do what's right."

And he left them there to go up the stairs, and deliver the bad news to Jennifer.

My Two Cents: Awwww- Isn't that sweet? You know, I actually hadn't planned on having her parents die, but it just seemed to fit. I don't know what I'm going to do with the story line from here though, but I'm welcome to suggestions! So review, and tell me what you think!