AN : Thank you for actually clicking that next button. I'm so happy :)

DISCLAIMER : I do not own Special A or Fruits Basket!

Chapter 2

'Wow Tohru, this food is good.' Shigure said with food in his mouth.

'Shigure, it's not polite to talk with your mouth full.' Yuki lectured.

Tohru Riku and Kyo sweatdropped

'So, do you cook often?' Shigure asked now that he had swallowed the riceball.

'Every day. Father insisted I learn.' Tohru explained. 'Even though I'm useless, my cooking is mediocre is what he would tell me.' her smile turned to a frown.

What a thing to say to a child… Shigure thought.

Riku patted her gently on the shoulder. 'I'm sure that Father means well, for example being mediocre means there is room for improvement right?'

Riku. You don't understand me.

'That is true, Riku.' Tohru agreed.

No it's not. You're supposed to be perfect, Tohru.

The rest of supper was eaten in silence. Tohru excused herself and went to wash up. Kyo returned to his room again whilst the other three boys went to the living room to watch the match.

After she cleaned up, Tohru returned to her room. She sat on her desk and wrote.

February 4th

Everyone seems friendly here, especially Yuki. Kyo has been in his room all day, so I don't know what to think of him just yet. Although, she reminds me of Annie. An explosive temper and a bad attitude. Just like a cat. Shigure is pleasant as always, he loves my cooking already and he has such a jolly attitude, I can't help but smile when I'm around him. Yuki has already helped me a lot. He came with me to the store, carried the bags, cleared up the table to help. He helped me a lot. I hope we can be friends, but for now, I have to study. My grades are slowly dropping and I can't deal with that.

Tohru finished and picked a folder out from her desk. She studied until night and she changed to her pyjamas and headed to the bathroom to brush her teeth. When she got back, she went to do her rounds as usual.

'Goodnight Shigure. Thank you ever so much for taking me in.' Tohru thanked.

'It's nothing. I'd love to look after you as help for your mother.' Shigure explained.

Tohru moved on to Yuki.

'Goodnight Yuki. Thank you for the help today.' Tohru said.

'No worries. I'm glad I could help.' he smiled. It was a warm smile, one that looked like it didn't appear very often. Tohru noticed this and couldn't help but smile herself, it was a meaningful smile, one that hadn't been used in a long time.

And finally, Kyo.

'Goodnight Kyo.' Tohru said nervously.

'Whatever.' he grumbled.

Tohru plastered another fake smile on her face and returned to her room. She lay on her bed thinking about school before she drifted to sleep.

'Hey, Daddy! Daddy! We got our results back today!' Tohru called, running into the house with a piece of paper flapping in her hand.

'Oh really? How'd you do?' her father had asked.

'On Maths and Literacy I got 100%' Sara gulped, 'but I got 98% on Technology.'

Her father walked towards her slowly. 'Do you think this is acceptable?' he hissed.

'No…' she muttered.

'NO IT'S NOT!' he barked, gripping Tohru by the hair.

Tohru screamed. It felt like he was pricking her with a thousand red-hot needles.

'I'M SORRY! I'M SORRY DADDY! LET ME GO! PLEASE!'

He smirked. 'And why should I do that?'

'It hurts Daddy! It hurts!'

'It hurts, huh?'

Her father laughed and with a movement of his arm, Tohru was crumpled on the other side of the room screaming in pain clutching her arm.

The memory shifted, and a new one replaced it.

Tohru's snapped open. 'Where am I?' she spotted her father, 'Ah, Daddy!?'

He grabbed her neck tightly. 'You tell anyone about this and you'll be dead, you hear me?' he growled.

'...Yes Daddy…' Sara wheezed.

He punched her but he didn't remove his grip. 'I came to visit you. You should be grateful.'

'...Yes...Daddy…' she was now running out of oxygen.

He let go of her neck and instantly she gulped in the air, clutching her neck.

'I COULDN'T HEAR THAT!' he roared.

'YES DADDY YES! YES DADDY!' she screamed.

'NOW TELL ME THAT THING AGAIN!'

'I'M WORTHLESS AND UNWANTED! I AM USELESS AND I'M A BURDEN.'

'Yes…' he encouraged, 'now go back to bed.'

He hit her and everything went black.

Tohru sat up in bed. Yuki was stood by her side.

'Ah! What are you doing in here!?' she jumped.

'You were screaming but Riku is still asleep so I came to check on you.' he explained.

'Ah, thank you very much for worrying about me, but I'm fine.' Tohru worried.

You really are a burden, Tohru.

'Really. It's no trouble at all.' Yuki said.

It is. You cause trouble for everyone. You are a burden.

'As long as you're okay, I'm happy.' he grinned.

A light flush covered her cheeks and a tint of light pink touched her cheeks slightly.

Why do you care about me?

He doesn't.

'Hehe, thank you.' she giggled.

Once the four had arrived at school, Kyo and Riku went off to the other class and Yuki and Tohru made their way into class 1-D through the sea of students. Tohru rolled her eyes and continued to the back of the room as usual. As she walked around the crowd, someone from the centre of the crowd spotted her.

'Tohru, is that you?'

Tohru turned around. She was very surprised, most popular people would avoid her. She saw the boy and was confused, she can't remember him from anywhere.

'Who are you?' she asked, confused.

As he opened his mouth to reply, the bell rang and the students found their seats.

'Welcome back, class. I hope you had a great summer holiday and you are ready to learn again.' Miss Hark said.

This year, I will do well. I must try.

'As you can see we have a new student. Why don't you tell us something about yourself?' he gestured for the boy to talk.

Tohru couldn't remember. She knew she should know but she just couldn't think.

'Hello. My name is Kei Takishima-' This is when it cut off for Tohru. The name, it couldn't be. After all this time. He came back. Why did he come back?

Sara's POV

Takishima. My eternal rival. I have known him for a long time, and ever since our first meeting, I have sworn to beat him. I never have but I know I will. When we were twelve, Takishima had to move far away and he left me alone. Since, my grades have been slowly dropping and I have slowly closed up. It's disappointing, but I know all of this has to do with him. Kei Takishima.

Tohru had zoned out. She was deep in thought and hadn't listened to the rest of his speech. She looked very stressed and couldn't concentrate all day. So many thoughts ran through her mind, and the majority of them were negative.

What if he finds out where I live now?

He is going to become really pushy...

He will embarrass me!

My grades can rise.

I can talk like normal.

I can challenge him again.

By lunch, she was completely distracted. Tohru as usual found her spot in the garden and sat down to eat her lunch. She looked at the plants and smiled. Seeing plants gives her the carefree mood to go about her day happily.

'I knew you would be here.'

Tohru jumped a foot in the air at a voice. It's always her, alone.

'Miss Second Place.' It was Kei.

'Don't call me Second Place, Takishima! I'm not second place anymore!' She shouted, mostly from being alarmed by her scare.

'Huh? Where are you then?' Kei asked. He looked puzzled.

'I'm somewhere in the thirties. I haven't bothered checking yet.' Tohru explained.

Kei folded his arms at her. Her bad attitude was irritating him.

'To be honest, I don't care. I've given up looking. I mean, why bother checking if you are in an awful position?'

'What have you done with Tohru?' he demanded.

'Huh?' Tohru looked at him as if he was crazy.

Kei knelt down beside her holding her shoulders. He looked into her cobalt blue eyes. 'This isn't the attitude of the Tohru I know. What do you think you are doing, acting like this?'

Tohru broke eye contact and stared at the floor in dismay.

'Tohru, listen to me. I want you to get up the top again by the first test. So I challenge you.' He pointed a finger at Tohru and Tohru looked at him, stunned.

'If you get to number two, (Of course you won't reach number one as that spot belongs to me,) you have to do as I say for a whole day.'

Tohru was very surprised at this. She hadn't heard those words in years.

'I challenge you!'

And it was normally her that would say them too. She had to accept any challenge she faced and if she lost she would have to face the consequences as promised. And to top this off, they both had to play fair, or she wouldn't be happy with the victory.

'Very well. I accept your challenge.' she replied confidently, waving a fist.

Kei grinned. 'Sounds like Miss Second Place is back!'

'DON'T CALL ME SECOND PLACE!' Tohru screamed.

At dinner that night, it was quiet.

'Tohru, who was that you were hanging around with earlier?' Kyo asked.

Tohru beamed, 'Oh, that was Kei Takishima!'

'TAKISHIMA!?' Riku yelled, almost falling off his chair.

'Mmhmm. THE Takishima.' Sara nodded.

She sure is talking. Riku thought.

'If you don't mind me asking, what sort of friendship do you have with Kei Takishima?' Yuki asked, curiously.

'Ah, we're rivals. Ever since I was small, I have sworn to beat Takishima. He moved away when I was twelve and now it looks like he's returned.' Tohru explained.

'Ah, there's also another new classmate in our class.' Riku said.

'Who?' Tohru demanded.

'Annie Redwood.' Riku said.

No way. Why is Annie here?

When Tohru was little, the three were born as triplets. Due to their family secret, Annie was separated at birth. They only ever saw each other at the new year's family meetings. And the two despised each other.

'THAT STUPID CAT!?' Tohru screamed. 'Why would she come here?'

'Only God knows.' Riku calmed her down. 'Just try not to think about her and get some sleep.'

...

The next afternoon.

...

It was after school and Tohru was walking down the corridor.

Stupid Takishima. She thought. He won again.

That's when she came face to face with Annie. Annie didn't know that she came here and dropped her bag at the sight of her twin sister. Annie then charged towards her and aimed a blow at the side of Tohru's head. Tohru easily caught Annie's arm mid punch and secured her grip. With her other hand she seized Annie's throat lifting her into the air and slamming her into the lockers.

MONSTER.

'What are you doing here?' Tohru growled. Annie struggled, but Tohru wouldn't let go.

'I SAID WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE!?' She roared.

'...The same...as you...I'm here to learn…' Annie whezed.

'Why did you come here?' Tohru asked.

'...There was...no where else…'

Kyo was walking across the corridors to head home. Kyo hated school, he didn't want to stay in this building any longer. As he turned the corridor, he saw Tohru holding Annie against the locker by the neck.

'TOHRU! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING!?' he yelled as he ran to the scene. 'LET GO OF HER!'

'Okay.' Tohru let go of her throat and Annie collided with the lockers before falling to the floor. Tohru smirked at the sight of her, gasping for breath willing herself to live. Tohru raised her hand in the air to aim a punch at her sister who was still on the floor, sitting there helpless. Annie could only pray. Kyo watched in horror at the Tohru he thought was quiet and collective. He knew what he had to do. She swung her arm, but a hand clenched around it. It was Kyo's. Tohru shot a death glare at him, warning him to let go, but he didn't. So she pivoted on the spot, and before he knew it, Kyo was flying across the corridor and Tohru was onto her sister again.

Sara grabbed Annie by the shirt. 'Get up.' she ordered, as she pulled her onto her feet. Annie was exhausted already.

'STUPID CAT!' Sara screamed, 'THIS ISN'T OVER!'

She turned and left, leaving a very scared twin sister behind.

'Ah, are you okay?' Annie asked making her way to Kyo.

'Yeah. Ya know, your sister's pretty good at that stuff.' Kyo said, rubbing the back of his head.

'Pfft! Yeah, she's only the best girl at martial arts in the country! But I will beat her!' Annie retorted.

'What!? Best in the country!?' Kyo exclaimed.

'Yeah, I'm sorry to have to drag you into this.' Annie said.

'It's alright. Well I've got to get going, see you around.' Kyo explained, as he turned away and headed home.

AN : Thank you for reading (if anyone actually did read this) !