"C'mon Shakon!" Satsuna urged. "You have to!"

"No, I really don't." Shakon answered.

"You know you're great at it!" Rei also badgered.

"I know, but I don't want to." Shakon was getting annoyed now.

"Why? Because people are watching?" Satsuna asked.

"No, because I don't want to." Shakon answered, twitching a little.

"But that doesn't explain why." Rei retorted.

"It doesn't matter why." Shakon said. "Just back off."

"No, and we won't until you do." Satsuna said matter-of-factly.

Shakon sighed. "I can't win, can I?" She asked.

"No!" Rei and Satsuna answered together.

Shakon muttered something under her breath as she walked over to some teens that were holding a small "street dance" competition. They were doing solo and duos and were all having a great time.

"Hi." Shakon said to a girl sitting on the side. "Can I join?"

The girl raised an eyebrow. "Why? So you can try to turn some guys on?"

Shakon smirked. "No, so I can dance."

"Whatever." The girl turned her attention back to the current boy who was doing a combination of break dance and street dance.

Shakon was impressed. Those moves are tight. She thought. I have trouble with them, but he can do them perfectly.

When he was done, the girl Shakon had talked to spoke. "It seems the whore wants a chance." She said, obviously thinking a lot of herself.

Shakon took offence. "Why does everyone believe that disgrace to women-kind on everything?"

The group of teens laughed. "Nah, she was just kiddin'. A boy with silver hair commented. "We know she's a bitch, don't worry."

Shakon sighed with relief and smiled. Glad I found some people in this school who think so… come to think of it, we never did pick on this group of kids. I guess that's 'cause they weren't scared of us…Shakon mused her thoughts.

During the lunch hour, Shakon met everyone in the group and grew to like them all. Rei and Satsuna had watched on the sidelines. Rei was a little jealous every time Shakon talked to the silver haired boy whose name was Izumo. But he was able to get over it when he saw that they were just friends.

"So, you really do work at that club?" Izumo asked.

"Well, yeah. But I don't do the skanky stuff that Linea said I did." Shakon replied.

"So, you dance there, huh?"

"Yup! Sure do! I'm doing it tonight actually."

"Awesome. I'll be there."

"You don't have to."

"I know. But I know what it feels like to be up stage, and I wanna see how good you really are."

"Alright!"

"Yeah, see, I work at the club on Saturday nights, so…"

"Oh, I didn't know that."

"Well, you didn't know me, 'till today."

"True."

"She seems to be getting along with them all, huh." Satsuna asked Rei.

"Yeah. I'm glad to see she's making friends." Rei replied.

Satsuna glanced at Rei. "You're not disappointed that she's in a different group, are you?" She asked, seeing Rei had one of those "unreadable" expressions on his face.

"No." Rei answered. "I knew that she wouldn't want to hang out with us forever."

"I see…" Satsuna said, looking back to the other teens. "What's on your mind?"

Rei glanced at Satsuna quickly. "Well, I would have liked the time I spent with her to have been longer… Even if it were only another day."

Satsuna smiled. "Aw, that's cute."

Rei was confused. "What?"

Satsuna looked at Rei with a grin on her face. "You like her!"

"Of course, she's my friend." Rei said.

Satsuna rolled her eyes. "No, I mean you like her."

Rei blushed. "No… that's not it…"

Satsuna perked an eyebrow. "Oh? Am I wrong?" She asked.

Rei sat on a bench. "No. I guess you're right… but I know it's pointless… because she only likes me as a friend."

Satsuna smirked. Right as usual. "Why do you say that?"

Rei sighed. "I just do."

Satsuna sat next to him. "Well, with that attitude, you'll lose her." She said. "You should at least try to keep a positive outlook."

Rei nodded. "I guess so."
Satsuna smiled. "I'll talk to her for you, if you want."

Rei looked at her. "I guess that's a good idea. Yeah."

Satsuna laughed. "Then I'll do that for you!" Aw man, why do I have to do all the "so-and-so likes you crap"? She thought.

Later on, after school, Shakon and Satsuna were walking home together as they lived relatively close. They were laughing because Shakon had pulled a joke about why there was school on Fridays since almost everyone skips school that day anyway.

"Hey, I gotta talk to you about someone." Satsuna said, taking up a new subject.

Shakon smiled. "Someone?" She asked.

Satsuna nodded. "I know of someone you like… like likes you." She informed.

Shakon flushed a pink tinge. "Really? Who?"

Satsuna smirked. "It's Rei." She said. "And he wants to know… how you feel for him."

Shakon's eyes widened slightly. "Rei does?" She asked in disbelief.

Satsuna laughed. "Yup! He told me while we were observing you at lunch today."

"Oh." Shakon started to think about the new information. Rei liked her? Rei liked her? The one guy who could have any girl in the school wanted Shakon. How bizarre.

"Well, what about you?" Satsuna asked eagerly.

"Me?" Shakon said, pointing to herself.

Satsuna sweat dropped. "No, the invisible girl behind you. YES YOU!"

Shakon laughed. "Well, Rei is… my friend. And I like him as that… but that doesn't help this much, does it?" She asked her friend.

"No. No it really doesn't." Satsuna answered. "You like him as a friend, this was already confirmed. But do you like him as more than a friend? This is the question I want you to answer."

Shakon smiled. "Unfortunately, it's a question I don't have an answer to." She said.

Satsuna smiled as well. "You need time. Just think about it." Satsuna started joking around. "After all, he's kinda cute!"

Shakon was a little wierded out. "Shut up." She said.

"Oh! You think so, don't you?"

"I said shut up!"

The two girls laughed their asses off the rest of the way home. "See ya later." Shakon said, walking into the door to her apartment.

Satsuna walked the rest of the way home and was greeted by her brother, Karu.

"Some guy's been phoning non-stop the past half hour." He said when Satsuna was removing her shoes.

"Who was it?" She asked.

Karu shrugged. "He said his name was Max."

Satsuna was confused. "Max? He phoned?" She asked, grabbing the phone.

"Yeah, he asked if you could phone him back." Karu said.

Satsuna went upstairs with her bag and the phone. She closed the door to her room, put her bag down by her desk. She sat on her bed and dialed Max's number.

"Hello? Max speaking."

"Hi Max. This is Satsuna."

"Oh! Satsuna! I've been waiting for your call. Are you going to that club tonight?"

"Uh, yeah. Are you?"

"Yeah! Do you wanna go together… maybe…?"

Satsuna blushed slightly. "Together? Yeah, that sounds like fun." She chirped.

"Great! … Should I pick you up?"

Satsuna smirked. "Do you know where I live?"

Max laughed sheepishly. "No…"

Satsuna snickered. "Alright, grab a pen and paper and I'll give you the address." Oh gosh, Max and me... No, it's not a date... it's just an outing! Yeah... that's it...

Satsuna gave Max her address, said her goodbyes, and hung up the phone. As she did, a thought dawned on her. "Wait a minute… What am I gonna wear!" Satsuna dove into her closet in search of the perfect ensemble.

Meanwhile, Shakon sat on her computer chair and checked her email. There was a few from her dance crew with the normal "Hey, let's give it our all" good luck emails. She always enjoyed those.

And when she logged onto her AIM, she saw that Rei was logged on. She drew a deep breath and double clicked on his screen name.

hiddensprite: Hi

goldentiger: Hi

hiddensprite: How are you?

goldentiger: Alright I guess… You?

hiddensprite: Okay. Y'know, Satsuna and me had the strangest conversation, walking home.

goldentiger: Oh? What were you talking about?

hiddensprite: You.

goldentiger: So, she did talk to you for me, then…

hiddensprite: Yeah, she did… Rei, I don't know how to answer.

goldentiger: Answer?

hiddensprite: I have to say whether I return it or not… But I don't know right now…

goldentiger: Oh. I get it. You need more time?

hiddensprite: Yeah. Sorry

goldentiger: Hey, it's alright. I understand.

hiddensprite: okay… are you gonna come tonight?

goldentiger: To the club? Yeah, I was thinking I'd drop by.

hiddensprite: Awesome. It'd be reassuring if all my friends were there.

goldentiger: Speaking of which, how'd it go at lunchtime today?

hiddensprite: It was great. All of them have jobs at that club too. Just on different nights.

goldentiger: Wow, it's quite a popular club then, huh?

hiddensprite: yeah. Anyway, I'm gonna start getting ready.

goldentiger: Alright. I'll see you there.

hiddensprite: Definitely. Bye

goldentiger: Bye

hiddensprite has logged off

Shakon turned to her closet and got out her dance outfit that she had washed the previous day. She laid it on her bed, went over to her desk and put on some make-up. Just a little bit of foundation, concealer, pink lip-gloss, and a chestnut coloured eyeliner. She also put in big silver hoop earrings, and silver studs in the rest of the holes (5 in all).

She brushed her hair and de-frizzed it with a little bit of product. She curled it just slightly in little ringlets.

Then she changed into her jeans, black mini skirt, white t-shirt, and black tank top. She also put on the hat that matched. Then she went in front of the mirror and looked at her reflection. "Well, I'd say that this is a job well done." She said, admiring herself. She then dug out her rubber soled black shoes and put them on. She dug out some pre-recorded techno-pop mixes that she had finished doing that week on her computer and put them in a bag. Then, she ran out the door and took the bus to the club. Tonight is the night I change my reputation forever. She thought to herself, getting off the bus when it reached her stop. I'll never get my old one back, so I had better make a better one tonight. If not, then I'm so screwed for the rest of high school.