Alice Alive

By, KKYOKO

Chapter Nine: The Good Ones

I was able to leave the hospital after three days and a bit of crutches-training. By the last day I was able to hobble all the way to Shiori-san's room without getting tired. My leg still ached, but they gave me painkillers for that. Kuwabara visited me as he said he would and even brought his sister along. I was really happy to meet Shizuru. It was nice to talk to a girl closer to my real age, instead of middle-school girls. We made plans to hang out later in the week.

As for the electricity business, Kurama was acting like nothing happened. Then again, nothing really did happen, so I supposed it was fair and tried to push the business out of my mind. I still kept thinking about it though. I wasn't sure if I actually had feelings for him, or I just found him incredibly sexy. I've made those kinds of mistakes before in high school. And I really didn't want to repeat them.

Hatanaka-san also came to visit Shiori and me. He had a car, so he offered to take me home when it was time for me to leave the hospital. After a goodbye to Shiori, with promises to visit, I happily hobbled out of the hospital and clambered into Hatanaka's car. It was kind of a beat up brown thing, and it started roughly, but it seemed to drive all right. Hatanaka told me that he didn't drive it much. It was mostly for situations like this or when he was traveling and needed a car.

"You know," he began after a comfortable silence. "I wouldn't mind having you and Shuichi-kun come stay with me, but my place is pretty small. Do you think you two will be all right alone?"

I gave him a grin. "Don't worry. If any intruders come in to attack Shuichi-kun, I can swing my crutches at them."

He gave a light chuckle at that. "I suppose. Shiori told me that she wrote down my cell phone number beside the house phone. Call me if you need anything, all right?" he said, pulling up to the curb in front of the house.

I nodded and opened the door. "Thanks for the ride, Hatanaka-san!" I climbed out and hopped to pull out my crutches. He watched me to make sure I wouldn't fall over, but I managed fine. I closed the door and gave him a wave before swiveling around and making my way to the house. I heard him drive away as I climbed up to the top step and dug around for my key.

And then I realized I didn't have it.

"Well, shit," I cursed. I knocked on the door, hoping Kurama was home. Of course, I had no idea what time it was or if he was even in school right then, but he didn't answer. I knew he would have heard me if he were in the house. I cursed again and plopped down on the step. I was going to have to wait for him to come home.

I don't know how long I had been sitting there, cursing my fate, but eventually I felt the familiar energy signature of Hiei come within the proximity of my senses. Of all the people that could break into my house, he could probably do it with the most finesse and ease. The problem was, of course, convincing him to do it. I felt him stop on a nearby tree and wondered if he was debating whether or not to talk to me. Calling out would probably not endear him to me. Hiei could be like a wild animal sometimes. You just had to let him come to you.

His energy flickered and he was suddenly in front of me, stoplight red eyes flashing against his pale skin. His expression was contemptuous as he looked me over. "Where's Kurama?"

"Hi, Hiei," I said pointedly. "I'm not sure. He might have left a note inside about where he went." I looked down at my hands. "I'm locked out of the house, so I'm waiting for him to come back and let me in."

His eyes narrowed. He wasn't stupid.

"I suppose, considering you are a lot more athletic than I am at the moment, you could slide open a window upstairs and unlock the door, right?" I frowned. "But maybe you shouldn't go through Kurama's window. He might have set a trap or something. He's tricky like that."

He raised an eyebrow. "So you're suggesting that I break into your house? Tch," he scoffed. "Honestly, humans are the strangest creatures. What makes you think that you can trust me in your house anyway? Blind faith alone?"

"Are you hungry?" I asked, ignoring his sarcasm.

He blinked at me, surprised. "What does that have to do with anything?" he spat.

I shrugged. "I was going to offer you something to eat if you were. You probably wouldn't like Kurama's cooking. Unless you like a volcano in your mouth and crying, and nobody likes that. It's humiliating. Further proof that Kurama's a masochist, of course."

Hiei just blinked at me and shook his head. "Just tell Kurama that I'm looking for him." He turned to leave.

"No," I said flatly.

He stopped and twisted around to look at me. "No?" he demanded, eyes flashing. "What do you mean 'No'?"

"As in, if you don't break into my house and unlock this goddamned door, no I won't tell him you're looking for him," I snapped, folding my arms. This has just turned into a battle of wills. I knew that Hiei was extremely stubborn, but maybe this way I could at least win a little respect.

Hiei's jaw clenched in anger and the realization that threats would be useless on me, if simply for the fact that Kurama would defend me. He was angry now, especially because I was a human and way below in class. I wondered if Hiei would ever get over his outdated caste system. Perhaps I should attempt to smooth over the ruffled feathers of someone I hoped to be future friends with.

"Sorry, I don't mean to make you angry or put you on the spot or anything. I'm just tired," I offered peaceably.

His eyes raked over my injuries, but his expression did not soften. Instead he seemed to look more superior as he examined me. "I suppose your foolish tendencies to be reckless are what got you into this state? Can't say I'm surprised. Only a human would be suicidal."

"I'm not suicidal," I said, glaring at him.

"Clearly," he replied sarcastically. "That's why you're telling someone like me, 'no'."

I rolled my eyes at him. "What's it to you anyway? I don't remember you being my mother."

He folded his arms. "If Kurama says you're important, then you are. You're obviously useful for something."

I humphed. "So do you consider Kurama your comrade in arms now?" I asked.

He appeared thoughtful. "I suppose. 'Comrade' is a better term than 'friend' anyway. I don't have any particular desire for friends."

No you wouldn't, would you Hiei? "Well, friends will at least have your emotional as well as physical back, don't you think?" I asked. "Of course, there's no need to actually get emotional or anything, but it's nice knowing that there's someone you can just go be a guy with. And do mysterious guy things. Or something."

Hiei blinked at me. "Mysterious guy things?"

"Well, I don't know what guys do. I'm a girl, remember?"

Hiei sighed and I could see that he was getting tired of me. "Which window would be safest?" he asked.

I pointed out my window on the side and he flitted up and climbed in in the space of a blink. It was quiet for a moment, and then I heard the locks click behind me. I got my crutches under me as he swung opened the door. He stood aside as I came in and let the door slam behind me.

The house seemed a bit lonely without Shiori in it. I staggered into the kitchen and saw a note in Kurama's hand stuck to the fridge.

Alice,

I have after-school activities today so I won't be home until 6. Your homework is in your bedroom and there's a history test tomorrow.

Shuichi

I wondered why he signed his human name instead of his real one. Maybe he thought Hatanaka-san might come in and see the note too? I turned to Hiei, who was standing awkwardly in the hallway, and told him when Kurama would be back. I glanced at the clock and saw that there was a half-hour until he returned.

"Those herbs that Kurama used on you before," Hiei began, "where are they?"

I blinked at him. Now that he said something, Hiei was holding himself awkwardly. "Are you hurt?" I asked, creeping toward him. "Let me see."

Hiei scoffed at me. "Like I need your help. Just tell me where they are."

For a second, I wondered if Hiei was being kind to me in his own way. He probably knew that the salve was in Kurama's room and taking in my condition, he doubted that I would be able to climb the stairs properly without falling over. I knew Hiei's character well enough by now to know that his kindness was harsh. I gave him a slight smile. "On the bookshelf in Kurama's room, there's a hollowed thesaurus. In it there's a jar of healing salve. That's what he's used on me. Do you need bandages too?"

He gave me a skeptical look. "Where would those be?"

I was sure that Kurama had some bandages in his room, but I had no idea where. We also kept some in the kitchen's first aid kit. I went to the cupboard under the stove and pulled out the rather large white box and set it on the table. "If you get the salve, I'll help patch you up."

I heard him scoff again as he flitted upstairs. I ignored him and popped open the box, pulling out a roll of bandages and searching for a metal hook to keep them in place. He came back downstairs just as quickly and set the salve loudly on the table, irritated. I finally found the metal hook I was looking for and waited for him to take off his cloak. He swung it off and tossed it on one of the kitchen chairs. He wasn't wearing a shirt underneath, but I assumed that was because it was June and hot.

His stomach sported a particularly gruesome open wound, one that had seemed to stop bleeding only a while ago. It was likely because Hiei was a demon and had a much faster healing time. He unscrewed the lid of the salve and scooped out a large glop and spread it over the wound, without bothering to clean it or anything. Then again, with the combination of demonic healing powers and Kurama's epic salve, I supposed it wasn't necessary.

I unwrapped the bandages and decided I could reach his stomach easier if I sat down. Crouching was a bit impossible for me, even though Hiei and I were about the same height at this point. He moved closer to me and let me wrap the bandages around him.

In the anime, Hiei is shown with bulky, almost difficult muscles, but in reality he was much more wiry and lean. He definitely wasn't an eyesore, that's for sure. But then again, I am a grown woman here and have a lot more control over my blushing than the fourteen-year-old I looked like would. I thought about other things, like the history test tomorrow. Maybe if I pulled an all-nighter, I could ace it. I can't say that I'm not smart or sharp, but I'm not the kind of genius like Kaito Yuu is, for instance. I'm more common sense smart with an excellent memory than an Einstein, I guess.

I heard the front door open as I smoothed out Hiei's bandages and pulled them tauter. "Welcome back!" I called, pulling the bandages in another circle around Hiei's torso.

"I'm home," Kurama replied, coming around the corner and stopping at the sight of me wrapping Hiei up. He collected himself, probably realizing what he was actually seeing was much more innocent than what he thought at first.

Stupid Kurama.

I pulled the last of the bandages around and snipped the end with scissors from the box and used the metal hook to secure them. I think that I did a decent job since Hiei didn't criticize me.

"Hello, Hiei," Kurama said as Hiei picked his cloak back up and pulled it back on. "Would you like to stay for dinner?"

Hiei glanced back at me, probably remembering my remarks about Kurama's cooking. "I have better things to do than eat your horrible food, Kurama. Your human claimed that it's much hotter than necessary."

Kurama blinked and gave me a baffled look. I just gave him a sweet smile in return. "I can of course control the amount of spiciness if you are so adverse to it, Hiei," he said, ignoring me.

"Don't believe him, Hiei," I intervened, packing up the first aid kit. "He gets absentminded when he cooks and before you know it, he's dumped half a bottle of chili sauce in whatever he's making and then actually expects you to eat it. This is a man that puts cayenne in miso."

Hiei gave him an incredulous look. "In miso, Kurama? Really?"

"Perhaps you should cook, Alice, since you don't care for anything I make," Kurama said, looking miffed.

I rolled my eyes at him. "I don't have time for that. I have to study and play catch up, don't I? Someone didn't bring me my homework when I was in the hospital." I stood up and got my crutches underneath me.

Kurama sighed and picked up the jar of salve, dipping his fingers into it and rubbing it over my cheekbone. "Hold still," he told me when I winced. I wasn't expecting him to do that. "Of course I assumed that you would prefer to recover while you were in the hospital, and after informing the teachers of your plight, most of them will not expect anything to be turned in tomorrow. The history test will be postponed for you as well."

"Well, that's nice of them," I said grudgingly, letting him rub the salve over my cut up and bruised arms. "I still need to finish the homework anyway, so you should make something for yourself at least."

"You're not eating?"

I shook my head. "These painkillers kill my appetite. I'll eat something later." I really wasn't hungry, and Hiei was watching me like I was some interesting science experiment. It was kind of unnerving. I wanted to go upstairs and get started on my homework anyway.

Kurama finished with the salve and screwed the lid back on it. "If you're going upstairs, will you put this away?"

"Sure," I replied taking it from him and putting it in my pocket. Now to face my new nemesis - stairs. I had a general idea of how I should get up there. There was only one flight and I could easily toss my crutches up to the landing and scoot up backwards. It worked the way I planned it.

As I was making my way up while trying not to bang my leg on anything, I heard Hiei say, "Your dynamics with your human are interesting. Although, she's argumentative and stubborn enough she doesn't actually belong to you, does she? What is your relationship exactly?"

"Why are you so interested, Hiei?" I heard Kurama ask. His tone carried a note of teasing to it. "You don't even like humans."

Hiei didn't say anything, so I assumed that he was probably glaring at Kurama.

Kurama sighed and finally answered him. "I suppose we're friends." There was a pause. "In addition Hiei, don't assume because I don't actually own her, I won't protect her." I shivered. While I appreciated the chivalry, his tone carried a hidden threat that couldn't be ignored.

I wasn't sure how I felt about Kurama's defensiveness.

Going back to school was interesting. Although the other students had never really included me in anything, they had never really bullied me either - or tried to anyway. Now they were as helpful as they could be, especially the girls. I'm sure that they just wanted Kurama to look at them and notice how nice they were being to me, but I didn't really care what their motives were. I took advantage of the volunteering and used anyone who offered. Not that I was just taking their help out of revenge or anything, but it would also seem rude if I turned them down.

Kitajima was as friendly as usual, even though she had forgotten any feelings that she had for Kurama, she hadn't forgotten her friendship with me. She talked to me about what I missed in class, the latest gossip, and of course, my accident. Everyone seemed to want to know more about that. I think a lot of people assumed I jumped in front of the car like I was trying to kill myself. I reassured and told everyone that listened that it really was an accident and I couldn't see the car coming.

I caught up on my homework and passed my history test with a 96. History is, frankly, my best subject. Always has been, although my college biology classes were a close second. Having a good memory really comes in handy.

"Hatanaka is coming to pick us up today," Kurama said, standing over my desk as the bell rang. He plucked my bag from the desk's hooks. "Are you ready?"

I nodded, hopping up on my good leg and grabbing my crutches. "I'll ride in the backseat." I could stretch my leg out that way.

Hatanaka-san had been coming to pick us up from school whenever he was able to. It really amounted to a couple of days a week, but it eased the strain that my broken leg put on me and Kurama. What strain would Kurama have, you ask? He forbid me from crossing the streets alone ever again. Now he practically held my hand whenever we went anywhere. And if I wanted to go somewhere without him, he would insist on walking me there, and then insist on me calling him to pick me up. At first I thought he was just being ridiculous and didn't call him to let him know I was ready to leave a clothing boutique (skirts are much easier with a cast), so I made my way home on my own. When he saw me hobble in the front door, he gave me a kicked-puppy look. Like I hurt him so deeply, that he would never recover from the pain.

He was evil.

Kurama carried our bags and led me down the hallway; kids parting for us like the Red Sea. We made it out of the school eventually and Hatanaka-san was waiting for us as the gate. Kurama opened the back door for me and I more or less hurled myself in the car. I heard him chuckle as he closed the door and I pulled my crutches beside me, waiting for him to get in the front seat. Greeting Hatanaka-san, I straightened myself out and watched Kurama get in the car.

"Alice is excited," Kurama murmured to Hatanaka-san as he pulled off the curb. "She's going to see a friend today."

I was, in fact, going to hang out with Shizuru later. I wanted to get home and change out of my school uniform first. Sure the red was flattering, but it was kind of itchy, and there were school rules about wearing your school uniform outside of school. Like you're supposed to go straight home with it on, instead of going to hang out with friends.

"That sounds like fun, right Alice?" Hatanaka-san said.

They make me sound like a five-year-old. "Yep. We're just going to hang out at her house and visit. Her younger brother was the one who brought me to the hospital."

Hatanaka-san made a satisfied sound. "You'll have to be sure to thank them properly then."

"I will." In fact, I had gotten Kuwabara a Megallica T-shirt already. I found a bracelet that I thought Shizuru might like too. In Japan, it's common to bring gifts along with you when you go to visit people's houses. Kuwabara's gift was of the thank-you variety, naturally.

The car ride didn't last long since the house was only about seven blocks away from the school. Kurama and I got out of the car, thanking Hatanaka-san, and then went inside.

I tossed my crutches up to the landing and sat down on the highest step I could get to, glancing up at a chuckling Kurama. My glance eventually dropped into a mild glare and he stopped his incessant giggles.

"Sorry, Alice," he said, putting his hand down and fighting his smile. "You just look so funny scooting up like that. I couldn't help but laugh." He leaned over me as I moved up to the next step. "Would you like me to carry you upstairs? I know you're in a hurry."

My reaction was so abrupt and immediate that he must have been surprised. "No, I don't," I said, looking down at my lap, feeling the rough carpet underneath my palms. Of course I didn't actually mind him picking me up and all that, but last time that happened…there was a certain passionate reaction that could've ultimately damage our current relationship if I had acted on it. We were fine as we were now. I didn't want to mess things up because of something that might not lead to anything.

He straightened and set his hand on my head. His fingers dug into my scalp as he ruffled my hair. "See you when you're ready to leave then." And with that he walked past me and went into his room, closing his door behind him.

Somehow, I felt strangely disappointed.

Kuwabara's house was in another neighborhood, but it wasn't too terribly far away. It was about a twenty-minute hobble, or a fifteen minute walk for the folks without broken bones. Kurama walked me of course, but we didn't say much to each other. The silence was awkward, so I distracted myself by appearing to be incredibly interested by everything and everyone we passed. I glanced back at him a couple of times, but his expression was bland and unreadable.

We finally got to Kuwabara's house and Kurama handed me the gift bags that he had been carrying. With a smile, he rang the doorbell for me and left me there. "Call me when you're ready to come back," he said over his shoulder. Something flickered in his dark green eyes before he turned the corner around the Kuwabaras' gate and out of my sight.

I found myself frowning when Shizuru opened the door. She raised an eyebrow at my less-than-happy appearance. "What's wrong? You look like someone ran over your cat."

I stalled a moment, taking in Shizuru. Even though I saw her at the hospital, I didn't see her for very long. She was an incredibly tall person, just like her brother. Unlike him, she was a lot more slender. I bet if she could have been a model, if she wanted to. She was smoking a cigarette while her honey-brown eyes looked over me curiously. I realized that I hadn't answered her question.

"Oh, it's just my face today," I said, politely. "Don't take it personally."

Her mouth quirked in amusement and her eyes fell on the gift bag. "Come inside," she said, stepping back to let me in. "I'll take the bag. You really didn't have to be so formal."

I handed the bag to her as I came over the threshold. "More of a nicety, really. There's something in there for you and Kuwabara. I took wild guesses mostly, so if you don't like it, we'll just have to hang out more," I said, giving her a crooked grin as I slipped off my only shoe.

Shizuru chuckled and yelled for her brother.

"I'm busy!" he yelled back from upstairs. I could hear what sounded like a video game playing.

"Get your ass down here and greet our guest, baby bro!"

I heard him grumble and the video game stopped, like he paused it, and then his heavy footsteps hit the stairs. His face peered over the banister curiously, looking down at us in the entryway. "Oh, hi Alice. What are you doing here?"

Shizuru's bland expression turned stormy at his question, but I cut her off before she could start yelling at him again.

"I came to hang out with Shizuru. Also, I got you something I thought you'd like," I said pointing to the bag in his sister's hand.

"Oh cool! A present!" he exclaimed, thumping down the stairs. Shizuru cuffed him on the back of his head when he stopped in front of me. "Ow! What was that for?" he demanded, holding his head.

"Just expressing my affection for you, baby bro."

I snorted.

Shizuru passed me the bag, and I handed her the little box the bracelet was in, and then gave the whole bag to Kuwabara who immediately pulled out his new t-shirt.

"Oh cool, Alice! I love Megallica!" He held it up to himself and I'm glad to say that it looked like I picked the right size. "How did you know?"

I gave him a pleased smile. "You seemed the type. It's a thank-you gift for everything you did for me." I gave him a slight bow on my crutches.

Kuwabara turned bashful. "Aw, you don't need to thank me! Any decent person would have helped you out."

A surprised 'oh' came from Shizuru as she opened the box to see her bracelet. It was a twisted gold bracelet, understated but warm. Obviously, it wasn't real gold, as I am not made of money, but I could see that she like it as she hooked it around her wrist. When she looked up she gave me a half-smile that quickly disappeared under a deadpan expression. "I hate it," she said. "We'll have to hang out more."

Of course I knew she was joking and I pressed my lips together as I tried not to laugh. "Of course."

"I'm gonna go try on my t-shirt," Kuwabara said cheerfully, turning and running upstairs.

Shizuru glanced at my leg. "Let's go in the kitchen. Stairs are probably your kryptonite right now."

I found myself chuckling at the irony. "You have no idea."

Her eyes slid over to me as we moved further into the house. "That seemed awfully loaded. Wanna spill over some tea?"

I kind of did. "When's your birthday Shizuru?"

She blinked at me as we came into the kitchen. My question took her by surprise. "May fifteenth," she answered, pulling out a chair for me and turning to the stove. I plopped down at the little table, setting my crutches against the wall.

"You're a Taurus," I said cheerfully. "That's excellent. I like Taureans."

Shizuru turned back to me, mouth quirking in amusement. "You strike me as a Pisces, but you're a bit too confident for the norm."

"Close," I replied. "I am a water sign." I'm sure she could guess with that much and I gave her a slightly teasing smile.

"Scorpio," she answered promptly.

"Yup. My birthday's October twenty-ninth," I added, giving her a grin.

She chuckled as the tea kettle started to screech. Placing the cups on the table and dropping the kukicha tea bags in the cups, she carefully poured the boiling water over the tea. Shizuru moved with purpose, not actually quick, but like she was absorbing everything she was doing. Her movements were almost heavy and weighted. She finally sat down in front of me again. "So I would ask you if you want to talk, but I think you're the type to ignore those sorts of questions until you feel like answering them."

She was right. I mean, I did change the subject when she asked me the first time. I shrugged and didn't really answer her.

She changed the subject for me. "It must be frustrating to have a broken leg. The bruises seem to be completely gone though - you look a lot better than you did at the hospital. I really like that color on you, by the way," she said, brown eyes dropping down to the pink sundress I was wearing. "Brings out the blush in your cheeks."

I remembered then that Shizuru was a cosmetologist. I gave her a smile because I knew she was sincere. "Thanks. I don't normally wear dresses, but it's cool and easy to get over my cast."

She leaned forward, examining my face for some reason. "You would look good in blue too, because of your eyes. Though they're more of a sapphire than a bonnet blue. It works for you though - you're a frosty blonde."

I blinked at her. "Frosty?"

She leaned back. "Your skin is cool. I bet you don't tan well."

"I burn up like dry grass," I replied, poking fun at myself. "At the beach I wear SPF 900 and live under umbrellas."

She cracked a smile and took a sip of her tea. "How old are you again? You look fourteen, but you act like you're thirty."

Close again, Shizuru. "I'm fourteen now. I'm actually a little older than Shuichi-kun, even though we're in the same grade," I replied.

Her expression stayed neutral, but I think she suspected my mood had something to do with this 'Shuichi-kun'. "Who is he again?" she asked.

"My adoptive brother."

"The redhead that dropped you off?" She smiled at my surprised expression. "I was watching through the window. His mannerisms seemed nice enough, but I guess there was a certain deceptive aura around him. Not necessarily like he was lying, but like he was hiding something."

"Mm," I murmured, pressing my lips together. There is nothing I like better than breaking into someone's head and figuring out what makes them tick. After living with Kurama for more than six years now, I still haven't gotten as far as I would have liked. Shizuru could probably offer something that I was missing. "You've basically summed him up. Shuichi-kun is a difficult person to get to know. There are layers to him that I've never even seen, but as long as he trusts you, he plays nice."

"Sounds like he has trust issues," Shizuru said, lighting a cigarette. "Not that it's really a bad thing, but what happens if you lose his trust?"

"He becomes very vindictive," I replied, remembering the incident with Kitajima. "He'll purposely say things to hurt you."

Her expression remained neutral as she took a drag off her cigarette. "Sounds like he could be dangerous."

My brow furrowed thoughtfully. "Probably not in the way you're thinking. His anger isn't hot normally. He gets very cold when he's angry. So it isn't like he'll fly into a rage and beat someone up. And then there's the fact that he doesn't actually get angry almost at all. In fact, I've only seen him really angry once." I took a sip of my now-cooled tea. "It was because a girl he liked was put in danger. The situation turned out fine, but he was very angry at the person who he thought put her in danger for a very long time. Eventually, they forgave each other."

"What did he do that needed forgiving?" she asked curiously.

"He didn't trust the other person's judgment. That person was hurt because of it."

"He sounds protective of the people he cares about," she commented, taking another drag. "Kind of pigheaded though."

I laughed.

"How's your relationship with him?" she asked casually.

"Friendly at best," I replied. "I don't think we have a typical brother/sister relationship, as neither of us wants to be related to the other. We get along, but I could never see Shuichi-kun as a brother."

"Why's that?"

I found myself looking away. "I'm not really sure."

Shizuru leaned forward and ground her cigarette in an ashtray. "You know, Alice, I don't think it would be that unusual to develop feelings for someone you've been living with for so long. I only caught a glimpse of him through the window, and he's definitely easy on the eyes. I'm sure he has a charming personality to go with those looks."

I frowned. "You're right, but I'm not sure if I see him that way. I don't know if it's just a passing attraction, or if they're actual feelings. And for that matter, I don't know what he really thinks of me. I've been through things like this before where I was too stubborn to see that a guy I liked didn't like me back, for all that he was nice to me." My frown deepened.

A small smile appeared on Shizuru's face. "In that case, you've just got to let him make the first move. Give him as many openings and opportunities as you want, but never make the first move yourself. I think that's where you went wrong with the first guy. Shuichi strikes me as a traditionalist, so any advances you make on him probably won't do you any good."

Shizuru did have a point - even in this modern world we all lived in, there are still rules with dating. I know there are a shit-ton of articles talking about breaking said rules - and undeniably breaking them sometimes works - but for the most part, it's best to stick with the rules and stay as classy as possible. Like my mama said when I was young, "Girls don't call boys". Sometimes, it just looks desperate.

I nodded in agreement with Shizuru. "You're right again."

"You're a pretty girl, Alice. You know?"

"I know," I replied confidently. I have no doubts or illusions about my own appearance. Not to sound conceited, but I already know my good points and my bad points, and how to make the good ones more prominent. I know that my cheekbones are high, but I also know that I have virtually no boobs. I also know that I always look a little bit disheveled, and whether that's good or bad, I'm not really sure. Appearance is subjective, but I am confident in whatever charm my appearance holds to the opposite sex. "You don't have to build me up, Shizuru," I added.

She gave me a smile. "That's good."

We chatted for a little longer and Kuwabara came down later and showed me how his shirt looked on him. I told him that he would have to wear it to one of their concerts and he agreed whole-heartedly. Eventually, I looked at my watch and realized I probably overstayed my welcome. I had been there for two hours when I finally called Kurama.

He was quick picking me up, taking about five minutes, claiming that he had been in the area. Of course he hadn't, but he could move a lot faster without me lagging. I waved and said my goodbyes to Shizuru and Kuwabara and we left.

"Did you enjoy yourself?" Kurama asked me.

I forced myself to answer civilly instead of telling him that he sounded like my mom. "I did. What did you do today?"

His skin looked orange in the setting sunlight, and as he glanced at me to answer my question, his green eyes reflected the light. "I went with Hiei to do mysterious guy things."

"Eh, so he mentioned I said something like that did he?" I found myself pressing my lips together to keep from smiling. The fact that Kurama was teasing me said something. Also, if Hiei mentioned me too - what did that mean? He probably just found me entertaining. I wouldn't read too much into that.

"He did," Kurama replied. "I think he secretly finds you amusing."

"Well, that's interesting, I guess." I looked away and then glanced back at him. "What did you guys do anyway?"

He gave a little chuckle. "We just found a remote area and trained today."

"Oh," was all I said. This is the part in fanfictions where the OC wants to see Kurama and Hiei in action, but in actuality, I couldn't care less about watching them train. I've seen them in action in the manga and anime, and I was sure that I'd see them in action later as the timeline moved on. The fact of the matter is, I'm just not into fighting. Maybe when I was younger and had no real concept of death, violence wouldn't have bothered me, but after being a victim myself I couldn't handle things like that anymore. Not casually anyway.

Kurama looked at me again when we turned onto our road. "Shall we go visit Mother tomorrow?"

I nodded. "It's been a few days since we've seen her."

He 'mmhmed' in agreement. "I started rice in the rice cooker before I left. We've got a few things at the house, but I think we'll need to go shopping soon. We're running low on cayenne and miso."

I gave him a playful shove.

I tried to end this chapter several times, but every time I did, it felt like the wrong place. Alice wanted to continue. She's been talking to me more lately. Sometimes I just want to shove a sock in her mouth.

Also, I went and saw Priest and Bridesmaids today. Priest was good, but I would buy Bridesmaids on DVD or Blu-ray. I highly recommend seeing it and I laughed a lot. :)

Thanks to The Fool Arcana, animegirl1994, Reiko Tsuchikake, Kai-chan94, noface (get an account so I can reply to you properly!), KuramaEnzanBlues, and Anon (you get an account too!) for leaving me wonderful reviews that inspired me to keep writing. Thanks so much for giving me feedback!

The next chapter should be out next Tuesday as usual!