Yes, I am hopefully back, though I am not promising anything. To clarify a few things, they met in August and it is now in December, with only two weeks to Winter Break.

Stiff formalities were the only words exchanged between Daine and Numair for several months. A few embarrassing run-bys happened occasionally, usually leaving one if not both of the members involved flustered and blushing for hours. Evin noticed this, but didn't want to interfere. He didn't want to push Daine to where she would stop trusting everyone again. Evin was the first to break through her barrier, but that feat had taken him 2 months to complete.

Perin was overjoyed to see the two of them far away from each other at all times. He would have reported Numair right away to get revenge for Daine going off with him if only Daine wouldn't also get repercussions. The Dean wouldn't believe Perin if he only said that Numair was acting inappropriately with a student when he would also withhold which student it was with.

Numair took these months without Daine hard. He tried to get out and see the world (Okay, so not the world, more of like multiple one-night stands), but it didn't stop the Bus Token girl from wandering into his head.

Daine had the same situation for the most part, excluding the one-night stands. She spent all her extra time with Perin, trying to keep busy. She felt awful for not being a devoted girlfriend, but also couldn't keep her Professor out of her head. The rides on the bus were the most excruciating. There was a silent agreement that Numair would sit in the back and Daine in the front, to limit the amount they would have to see each other. That is until one day, where are story picks up…

Daine's day so far had not started off well. She woke up late because Perin had turned off the alarm clock, so she ran to the bus, through the rain, without a raincoat, soaking her sweatshirt. When she got onto the bus, so reached into her pocket, only to find that her tokens were missing. I put them in my raincoat because I knew it was going to be raining today!, she though angrily. She got into the same argument with the bus driver that she had only 3 months before. Little did she know it would be the same in more than one way.

Numair, on the other hand, wasn't late because his alarm clock was shut off. He purposely slept through it, trying to mentally prepare himself for a class with Daine. Numair got up and was ready for work. He stepped onto the wet pavement, enjoying the onslaught of water drops landing on him. He walked swiftly to the bus, making sure to go around puddles so his pants and shoes would not get wet.

Numair stepped onto the bus and handed the bus driver his bus tokens and took his seat in the back. The bus went off to its next stop, the doors opening after it finally arrived. The people piled in, until he heard a familiar voice arguing with the bus driver. He smiled at the absurdity of it all, considering it had been exactly three months since the day they first met.

Numair stood up and walked down the aisle. He wordlessly handed the driver the tokens and pulled the wet brown haired, stubborn chinned girl to his seat in the back of the bus. Numair said jokingly, "Just think of what you would do without me here. You would be standing on the side of the road, drenched, with no way to get to school, sweet." He added on this last part, not to tease her as last time, but more of as an inside joke between friends.

Daine looked up at her savior, only to realize it was the guy she was trying to forget about. She chuckled at the joke they shared, and quickly added, "Stop calling me sweet," in a fake exasperated tone. Daine realized what she just did and froze, blushing, waiting to see what Numair would do.

Numair simply picked up his finger and put it to her lips, saying what he said three months ago, "Don't worry, it will be our little secret." With that, the tension broke. Everything was back to normal for the most part. No longer were met glances broken by blushing, nor sentences stopped when the other walks by. They acted as friends, for that was the best they could do to describe the situation they were in.

Numair asked how Daine had been and she replied that she had ran out of money to pay for college and her apartment, so she had moved in with Perin. He couldn't help but feel the familiar jealousy rise from his chest. He didn't let it show to Daine, however, not wanting to damage the fragile relationship they had finally rekindled. When Daine asked how he had been doing, he simply said how it was annoying that he couldn't talk to his best student he had had in years, especially when he wanted to ask her to be his private student. Daine froze at this in shock. She said, once she had withdrew from the shock of it all, "Really, me? Isn't there someone else better than me?"

Numair quickly replied, "No, there isn't. You have one of the highest grades I have ever had in this class. You go above and beyond my expectations. And you can somehow control Evin. You are amazing in more than one way. Why wouldn't I want you to be my private student?" Daine froze, yet again, absorbing all he had said. "You don't have to choose right now if this is what you want to do. Just give me an answer before Winter Break."

Perin was glad to see Daine happy again. That is, until he saw the man she was walking down the hallway with. It was the despicable Numair, the one man that he truly despised. But he would never let Daine know that.

Evin, on the other hand, was overjoyed to see that they hand finally made up and were now on speaking terms again. It was awkward when your best friend asks you to ask the teacher a question so they don't have to when in any other class, they raise their hand without a second thought to ask their question. And quite a few times, Numair would ask a clarification for what the question was and he would have to relay what Daine was whispering to him. Often this would end in Evin asking Numair to wait for a second and him turning to Daine so he could actually hear what she wanted him to say.

Class came and went. Daine remembers talking to Perin at one point, promising to be home for dinner. But she couldn't really concentrate fully on anything except for Numair and her being back on talking terms. She walked up to Numair after everyone had left and said, in a quiet whisper, "Yes," and then ran out the room, her blush rivaling the color of a tomato. Numair caught up with her and asked, "When do you want to start?"

"Whenever is fine with me."

"Well, how about we go over to the zoo and start our lessons today?"

"I have to work until 6, but after that I am free."

"Great, I'll pick you up there." Numair walked off , not needing directions, since the barn was owned by Onua, his long time friend.

Daine happily went off to work. It seemed that she was barely there, but what seemed like the few minutes she was there, she couldn't wait to see Numair and start her lessons. She was always fascinated by animals and loved them ever since she was a child. Daine had grown up in Hope, a small town by the freezing sea. This town had one street. She lived off about a 20 mile snow machine ride off that small street with her mother until everything turned wrong. The door opening ripped her from the memories that were resurfacing.

Onua came out and greeted Numair, giving him a hug. She stepped back and said, "You had better take care of her. She is one of the best stable hands I have had in years."

"Don't worry, I will," replied Numair. Daine grabbed her coat, leaving her horse jacket in the tack room, shouting a goodbye behind her. Numair opened the door for her and walked around the car and into his black Mercedes Benz car. He turned to her and asked, "Are you hungry?"

"I am, but shouldn't we just go to the zoo? It is right next door." The zoo was right next door. From the barn, you could hear the baaing from the sheep in the petting zoo, the trumpets of the elephant and the growls of the snow leopards and Siberian tigers.

Numair replied, "If you are hungry, we had better feed you. I can't have my student die of hunger on her first day. Also, I realized that I need to give you the text book we work out of. It would be kind of useless to go to a zoo when I can't actually show you what the animals look like inside. Anyways, I know of a great place to go." He pulled out of the small dirt parking lot in front of the barn and drove off down the street.

Don't expect frequent updates right now. Until I can get a beta or something like that, it will take a while for my creative juices to wield a product. But I am trying, slowly but surely. Also if you have an idea for what you want to happen, fill free to ask me and I will most likely find a way to put it in. Thanks to all of my reviewers. It was your reviews that guilted me into continuing.