Rachel silently sat on the very top of the toilet, her feet on the closed lid below her. She looked through her fingers at her feet. A fly buzzing above them then around her, escaping under the door.

Her eyes slowly looked up at the door when she began to hear footsteps, sighing a bit when she heard the high pitched sound that had to be a student, the sound walking away from the bathroom.

She moved her hands from around her face and down to her stomach. Biting her lower lip a bit as she swallowed. Her throat felt raw. She held her stomach tighter, keeping in the feeling to upchuck what little she ate at lunch.

Once again her eyes moved towards the door at the sound at footsteps. She felt her chest tighten, holding her breath as the footsteps entered the bathroom. She tried to breathe but her lungs betrayed her. Holding her breath as whoever had entered quickly did their business. Her eyes following the sound as the person began to wash their hands. She finally released the air bottled up as the footsteps faded out of the bathroom and down the school hall.

She gasped for air. One hand moving up to her collarbone, squeezing her shirt. "dammit..." she thought. She leaned her head against the tiled wall. It's cool feeling on her face made her feel a bit better. Helping to forget about the stomach ache a bit.

She began to hold her breath again at the sound of more footsteps. Holding onto her shirt tighter once again.

"Rachel? Raaaachel!" said a familiar voice from out in the hall. She slowly turned her eyes towards the door at the sound of her name being called. It began to get closer but the voice stayed in a low tone, not wanting to attract too much attention. She heard the footsteps into the bathroom, saying the same thing as before.

"here..." she called back with a cracked voice. She sounded more pathetic then she wanted to. "what are you doing here! the teacher doesn't suspect anything but you know better than to just skip classes!" it said back. The tone of the voice showing she was irritated, possibly getting worse.

"sorry..." Rachel said. Sitting back up, but her stomachache coming back. "I just don't feel very good..." she admitted. Looking down to see shoes from under her little door. Rachel took her hand from her collarbone and unlocked the door. Tucking it back under her other arm by her stomach. The door opened slowly as Catherine peeked through.

"you do look pale" Catherine said. Her tone no longer irritated.

"Is she in there?" came another voice from outside the bathroom. Rachel growled lowly, Catherine only barely hearing it.

"what's he doing here..." Rachel said. Forgetting about her stomachache as she stood up. Catherine stepped back out of her way so Rachel could walk past her.

"he saw me walking around and wanted to help" Catherine said. Defending him.

"what time is it?..." Rachel said. Avoiding the topic. She walked to the mirror and raised one side of her upper lip a bit. "I do look pale..." she thought.

"what's going on!" said the voice from outside the bathroom once again. Rachel couldn't avoid him forever.

"it's just a girls bathroom! there's no one else in here so just come in!" Rachel snapped at him. looking back over at Catherine who meet her look with narrowed eyes.

"fine fine" the voice said. Rachel sighed when she was right about knowing who it was. Signals face had light streaks of blush over his cheekbones. He kept his hands in his pockets, though he was fidgeting.

"geeze, if you're that uncomfortable just go back outside" Rachel said. Trying to keep her tone light so Catherine wouldn't keep glaring at her.

"I-I'm fine!" Signal said. His eyes darting around Rachel, then over to Catherine.

"thanks for helping me find her" Catherine said. Smiling enough to show some of her top teeth. Signals blush grew along his cheekbones. His smile looked rather pure, almost childish. Rachel just felt out of place again. She moved her eyes away from Signal and back over to the mirror.

Rachel didn't hear the bell that announced school was over. She was to far from reality.

"Rachel? Rachel?" Catherine called for her once again. Placing her hand on Rachels shoulder. Shaking her back into reality.

"school over?" Rachel asked. Moving away from Catherine and Signal a bit, breaking Catherines hold on her.

"yea. you sure you're ok?" Catherine asked. Her eyes asking the same question. Rachel smiled. Without having to see it she knew it looked fake.

"yea, I'll ride the bus today ok" Rachel said. Quickly picking up her backpack and walking out of the bathroom. Getting lost in the crowed before they could stop her.

The bus ride home was mostly a blur. Her stomach began acting up again. She wouldn't ever admit it, but while around Signal she actually didn't feel so bad. She shook her head. Trying to get any thought of Signal out of her mind. It only made her feel sicker.

Rachel walked off the bus slowly. Walking to the mailbox as she heard the bus drive away. No mail. "mom must've gotten it..." she thought. She walked over the little not longer really white bridge that was to the right of the mailbox. She stepped as lightly as she could, though the bridge still creaked to her unliking.

She heard the TV on and didn't really bother to say a hello back. She just grunted a bit. Walking into the kitchen and quickly getting a glass of sweet tea. Escaping into her bedroom quickly before any questions could be asked. She sat in her uncomfortable computerchair-in-trainning. Sitting her cup next to her keyboard. She quickly had the computer online. Checking just her e-mail. Already finished with her drink.

She got up and walked to her bed on the other side of the room. Plopping down on the very messy covers. She hadn't noticed just how tired she was until she woke back up. Picking up the clock and turning the light for it on. It read 8:26pm. She sighed, once again growling.

Getting up and changing into sweats before quickly walking out into the back yard. Down to where her mothers dogs where. She looked over them with the flashlight she had grabbed before walking out the door. "hope you all are fine until tomorrow..." she muttered.

She hadn't noticed it before...but the lights from the empty house next to her where on. Moving the flashlight from the dog pins to the little bit of woods in between the houses. "I'm just dreaming...that sounds right..." she told herself. Her curiosity began to get the best of her though. Not able to stop herself as she began to walk through the trees to the house next to her. The was no car in the driveway. Everything still looked locked up like before...but almost ALL the lights where on.

She swallowed was little bit of fear she felt. Walking up the 3 steps that led to the top of the porch. She saw a figure walk past the screen door and all the fear she swallowed down came flying back up in a scream. Dropping her flashlight as she fell back on her butt. She heard a crash from inside the house. Her scream must have scared whoever was in there. She scrambled for the flashlight, but couldn't take her eyes off of the screen door. The door to her right flung open. By the time she had her head turned around whoever was inside the house was now in front of her. She blinked then fell back down once again.

"S-SIGNAL!" was all that could come out.

"Rachel! what are you doing here!" he said. obviously as surprised as she was.

"THIS IS WHERE YOU LIVE!" she yelled. Reaching for the flashlight but Signal already had it in his hand.

"where the hell did you come from!" he asked. Holding his hand out for her to take but she ignored it. Rachel stood up on her own and brushed her butt.

"I live next door!" she spat back. since Catherine wasn't around she could glare at him all she liked.

"you...do!" he asked, confused.

"didn't you notice the BUS stop in front of my house!" she asked. Waving her right arm in the direction of her house.

"well since we're on this subject, YOU didn't notice Catherine drive into this driveway?" he said. His tone bordering on irritated and surprised.

"...a bus is bigger" she said. Her eyes narrowing more as she bit her lower lip. Crossing her arms since it seemed he wouldn't be giving her flashlight back.

He sighed. His face softening. "look, I don't want to fight" he said. Putting his hands up. Looking down with a smile.

Rachel wouldn't buy it. She kept her arms crossed and her defense up. "who said you could live her..." she muttered out.

"I woke up here. no one's said I couldn't live here" he said. Putting one hand up in his hair. Letting out a slightly nerves laugh, hoping she would ease up.

"...everything just works? uuuggg" she groaned. Putting two fingers on her forehead while her thumb was on the top part of her cheekbone. She heard him laugh more and looked back up at him with her right eyebrow raised.

"sorry" Signal said. His arms waving in front of him. "your just looked funny" His teeth where perfect. She hadn't really noticed it before. She couldn't help but stare at him. Not even noticing the sound of something running from behind her.

Signals smile disappearing, his face turning into a surprised look. Rachel quickly began to turn her head to see what Signal was looking at. A black shadow like figure quickly began to run from the corner of the house and up to the porch. she saw Signals arm move around her shoulders. Pulling her around behind him. Once again her lungs betrayed her. She held her breath as the figure jumped up into the light.

"it's ok Pulse, it was just Rachel" Signal said. Pulse was in a fighting stance, but quickly eased up. Rachel caught her breath, coughing slightly. "he came out of nowhere..." Rachel thought. Her eyes slowly moving up Signals back. She bit her lower lip again as she moved her head around Signals shoulder.

Pulses face looked exactly the same from the anime. His long back hair tied back in a low ponytail. He wore all black, as usual. His satin shirt was neatly tucked into his well-ironed dress pants. A brown belt holding his pants in place. His pants fell perfectly over his black dress shoes. Rachel quickly looked back up at his face when he spoke.

"You didn't come back inside so I decided to look for you" Pulse said. His voice sounded much harder than Rachel remembered. Signal took a deep breath and let it out forcefully.

"you have good ears, you should have used them better" Signal spat out. His arms crossing while his eyes narrowed at his older brother. Rachel began to feel sick again. "great...TWO of them..." she thought. While she had the chance she snatched her flashlight out of Signals hand.

"I'll see you in school..." she muttered. Turning away from both of them to walk down off the porch. Signal quickly reached out to stop her, his hand landing on her shoulder.

"sorry about my brother" he said. She turned her head a bit to look over her shoulder at him. He was smiling like before. Rachel just nodded back. Fighting the shiver that wanted to make it's way up her spine. She quickly walked down the steps and back into the woods. She fought with herself the rest of the night. Not wanting to think about why anime characters where showing up, but it just wouldn't leave her mind. Finally she thought she would get some peace with sleep but even her subconscious betrayed her. She dreamed of anime characters all night.

In the morning she was rushing as usual. She got an e-mail in the morning from Catherine. She wasn't going to be picking her up today. Dame colds. She grabbed her backpack and zipped her jacket right before walking out the door. It was getting colder, which she really didn't mind. As she walked off her wooden porch and around the cars she saw someone familiar. Signal and Pulse where standing on the road in front of her rock driveway. Signal was waving, the edges of his lips curved up just slightly. Rachels lower right eye twitched a bit. "right...not a dream"

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haha no preview bwahahahaha XDD

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mmmm sorry this took so long Xb and sorry Signal smiles so much. it was just cute and and...yea it's rather out of character but then again I like it. don't worry, his pigheadedness will shine through. this is gonna be one looooooooong story yay I have more random stuff to do! X3 I hope everyone likes the slight change in writing style. I've been reading more and more books and I think it's helping...though I really don't think I'm not very good at this 000 I'll try and write the next chapter quicker next time! thank you all for reading!
PS: I might rewrite the first chapter, it kinda bugs me ,