Chapter 1

"Eight Hundred Twenty three..." came a whisper from the far end of the
room. "Eight Hundred and twenty three, what?" nurse Callaway turns to face the
girl lying on the bed in the corner. "Cracks..." the girl smiles, still staring up at the ceiling. "That's as far as I got... lost count..." The joyous nurse chuckles. "Deary, are you really sick?"

Kairi sits up on the bed. "Well, I... Maybe, I mean..." Before Kairi could come up with a good excuse, the door to the nurses office swings open, and in came a boy, tall, with green eyes, and soft brown hair, long, that hung on his cheek, the rest pulled into a short pony behind his broad shoulders.

"Karu!" Kairi shrieks, jumping to her feet, and running to the boy, arms wide spread. 'Oh Karu! THANK YOU!!' she hugs him. "Never in my entire life have I been more happy to see you!!!!!" She whispers, before releasing him for air from the tight hug, letting him regain oxygen lost in the last 30 seconds.

"Kairi." He smiles. "Uh… Humphre sent me to..." Karu begins, but is inturrupted by nurse Callaway, who obviously notes the distressful look on Kairi's face. "Why, Karu, let George know that Kairi here is very, very ill..." Kairi blinks blankly at the nurse. She smiles awkwardly, nodding at Karu. Karu nods, and turns to leave. Kairi smiles, mouthing the words 'Thank you' to the her. The woman laughs "Now, now, George Humphre can be a huge pain in ones ass..." She smiles warmly, giving Kairi a wink. "Here…" She hands her a pass. "Now go..." Kairi giggles with glee. "Hurry to class, I hope you feel better..." Kairi nods, grabs her bag, and rushes out the door, running full speed down the hall to catch up to Karu.

She found him heading up the stairs of the giant castle-like-school. She halts at the bottom of the stairs, and watches as the boy, sharpie in hand, writes something on the giant oak banister. She folds her arms across her chest. "Takahashi..." she calls up the stairs. The boy quickly turns. "I caught you, huh?" Kairi says, walking up the enormous staircase, her hand tracing the railing. He looks at her, as she heads towards him. She smiles "You jumped…" She says, grinning. "Eh?" She shakes her head. "You thought I was a teacher, didnt you?!" He laughs. "Course not!" She nods. "Dont worry, Mr Takahashi, I wont turn you in..." He smiles. "Oh!" He adds. "I got a pass for ya!" He smiles, obviously trying to show off his witty charms. He waves it before her face. She smiles. "Really… Well, what will a second pass hurt?" He frowns. "Got one already?"

She opens the folded paper, reading the note. "Please Excuse Miss Imbrie, she has…." She shakes her head, a smile on her lips. "Karu, you are a devious tyrant! How did you ----?" He inturupts her. He pushes his hand to her lips. "Quiet, I stole em, they are looking for me right now!" She laughs, and rolls her eyes. He was clever, she had to give him credit for that. "C'mon, were twenty minutes late for Drama, we are watc---" He is cut short by Kairi, who blurts out. "Twenty minutes?! Twenty Minutes?! ONLY twenty minutes?! Twenty mi---" Once again, Karu's hand flies up to Kairi's mouth. "Okay Kairi, I heard the first one hundred times!" he lets her go, but one of those innocent smiiles crosses her face. "Actually, I only said it..." She counts out four fingers, then proceed's to shake them in Karu's face.

He laughs, and pushes her hand down. "As I was saying..." He starts as she motions that she is zipping her lips. He laughs. "Webber is showing CAT's in drama today. We'd better hurry..." Kairi gets excited. "I love that musical!" she pauses a moment though.
"Hey, Karu? What exactly did Humphre tell you he needed me for??" Karu rolls his eyes. "Probably another session..." Kairi stares at him. "I swear, that man went into the wrong field, he should be a psychiatrist not a history teacher..." Kairi found the comment funny, but, how did he know about Humphre already seeing her?

"Karu...What do you--" Kairi begins, but her thoughts are inturupted by Karu, who, is now laughing embarrassedly, hand raised behind his head. "Yeah, everyone sorta know's somethiing is up..." She stares for a moment. "Your not… suicidal…Are you?" She stares blankely, almost hurt. He laughs, the look on Kairi's face is priceless. "I didn't think so! Humphre just cant keep his mouth shut. I don't know Exactly what's up... but...?" He tries to smile, hoping he didnt hurt her feelings.

There is a silence, then Kairi turns away, her eyes wet. "Well...Do you need to talk?" He asks, sincerly, wishing to help his friend feel better... Kairi starts to head down the stairs. "Kairi?" Karu calls after her. She keeps walking down. Stair after stair, not turning back or saying a word... The halls are silent. Karu runs down after Kairi, worried he had said something to hurt her. "Kairi!" he calls after her as she heads for the large gate leading to the West wing. He stops following her after that, and heads for the stairs again...