At some point, you learn to accept the fact that the people you wish wouldn't change, do.

Goodbyes hurt, but only mean forever if you let them.

Pictures never replace being there and nothing lasts forever

but you also learn to laugh until your stomach hurts,

act so crazy people think your high and live for the days with your best friends.

Just have fun; life's too short to worry about change.

Chapter Three: Attempt Two

I wearily looked at the clock by my bedside and I groaned at the time. It was 4:00 in the morning, why I was up this early, then your gonna have to ask my nerves. I can't sleep, eat, or even think! This was absurd! Have I no life? I didn't dare drink coffee though, I just didn't like that stuff.

"Stupid, Stupid, Stupid." I said to myself, while trying to lay back and get a few more winks in, but it was to no avail. I sighed and got up I had already taken a shower an hour earlier, I had actually woken up at three, but couldn't find the will to go back to sleep. It was pathetic really.

I walked downstairs to start cooking, Kyo usually got up earlier than I did, I guess it was a habit from his training, but that was only a guess. I tracked down the stairs already in my school uniform. I was pretty sure we'd have school today, the roads were semi-clear, only a few patches of black ice, the sidewalks were cleaned off, and even though it was cloudy there was now snowfall, which was somewhat of a disappointment.

I sighed once again. I've been doing that for a while now, It can't be good. I put on my apron again and started on breakfast. I always lost time while cooking, it passed the time and it was something I was good at. Although, I didn't realize the whole while there was someone standing behind me.

"Your up early." Kyo remarked dryly. If he's not much of a morning person, why wake up early? It was already 5:14. Still an hour or two before school started.

"Couldn't go to sleep." I said turning around to flash a smile at him.

"You sick?" He asked, under the gruff exterior, I knew he was worried, and I wasn't sure if I liked that or not. I was happy he was concerned about me, but then again...I'm always making people concerned about me...I'm not that weak of a girl.

"Nope, bad dreams." I said, not quite looking at him.

"So, anything to do with the new guy?" He asked, leaning against the door frame. I stiffened noticeably. 'Ugh, great. Now he's suspicious.' I thought to myself. I stopped moving around the spatula, and turned to face him.

"I guess you could say that." I sighed, keeping my eyes downcast.

"Well, so what the hell is it? Cause whatever it is, it's put you into a funk." He said. I could tell he was trying to look me in the eyes, but I refused to look up, I couldn't lie in someone's face. It wasn't one of my talents at all.

Then all of the sudden he was right in front of me, hand holding my chin to look up into his eyes. His eyes were filled with determination and concern. Not good. I wouldn't have anyone know my secret. This moment right here right now...made me think of how people treated me before.

Flash Back

Age Seven

"Eww, stay away from her, You might get sick." I was surrounded by a group of kids my age. All sneering looks thrown at me, from the front, the back, the sides. So many face.

"She's a disease!" said another one, they all started to mimick my coughing. I had already felt the burning shame heat up in my face, then the hotness of the tears flying down my face.

Age Eleven

"Tohru! Come play tag with us!" We were all outside, Me sitting on the swing, the rest of the kids playing on the field.

"Sure!" I said excitedly walking out into the field, but then I felt a sharp tug coming from behind me.

"Tohru! Honey, you can't play with them right now." Mom said, smiling sadly, she knew how bad I wanted this.

"But mom! I promise, If I get tired, I promise I'll sit down! Promise!" I begged.

"I'm sorry Tohru..." She said.

Age Fifteen

"Look at the poor child..." I could hear the whispers coming from the older people who huddled in their little groups, I was with my mom at a family reunion. I barely knew anyone there besides grandpa.

"She was always a nice girl with a big heart...I didn't think she had that big of a heart." I instantly knew what they were talking about, my 'disease' I hated what they said about it.

"Poor thing." Everywhere I went I heard whispers, I hated it.

Present

"Tohru! Tohru!" I felt someone shaking me back from my memories.

"Back!" I said happily, but when my nose started working, my face screwed up and looked around for the source of the smell...the stove.

"Ohmygosh! Did I do that!" I asked shocked. There on the stove were the pancakes I was making, burnt to a crisp black, and it seems as if the little kitchen towel hanging near it caught fire, which Kyo was trying to put out.

"I'm cutting you off, I'm sure the rat and the dog can handle one breakfast without a home cooked meal." he said wryly, and inside I was glad. How on earth could I have zoned out that much! GAH! I kept thinking about what would've happened if Kyo wasn't with me...there went our house.

"I'm so so so so so so so so so so so so so sorry!" I stressed the sorry while bowing 80 miles per hour.

"Relax, The house is still in one piece." He joked, 'Hah. Funny.' I thought sarcastically.

"Come on, let's go to the table." He said taking the lead, me following out to the main room. As we sat down, well in his case, lounged.

"So, back to what I was saying before. There's something your not telling me...us." He said, the fire strong determination back in his eyes. I was mid motion of looking down at the ground before he stopped me. "Don't look down." and I didn't.

"Kyo..." I said, I didn't want them to find out. I didn't want to hear the whispers again, the voices, the faces. I didn't want to see them again, ever.

"Tohru, it's obvious to everyone the downcast mood your in."

"Please..." I tried again. Kyo looked at me hard for a second, almost as to see if he looked deep into my eyes, he'd be able to bring out the truth. Then there was the overly long stretched out period of time of silence.

"You'll tell us when your ready?" He said finally, and I was glad. But now he knew something was up.

"Thank you." I said, smiling a watery smile, unknowingly.

"Keh." He huffed out crossing his arms, hah, I saw that blush that time, I giggled again.

All of the sudden Yuki came in. I jumped up to attention.

"Morning Yuki!" I said, and in no surprise he didn't respond, just shuffled into the kitchen looking at the ground, he gave off a very back off-y aura. Definitely not a morning person. I looked at the clock on the wall, hmmm, already 6:30...wow.

"We're going to be late." I said, shuffling my feet, wondering what was taking Yuki so long.

"Let's just leave him, he can catch up later." Kyo said gruffly, already off the floor and with his bag.

"but shouldn't we wait, we can't just lea-" I was cut off as he grabbed my bag and dragged me and it out the door.

"Too late now," he said. We made it to school a a little early, everyone was already here, but then again most people tried to get in earlier just to hang out with their friends, oh yeah, and sure enough as Kyo said, Yuki caught up with no trouble at all. The Sohmas are amazing, that's all I have to say.

"Tohru!" I heard Momiji as he ran up to me in the hallway, I hear Kyo sigh in the background.

"Hi Momiji!" I said, Haru behind him, in his own way of saying hi, Haru gave me the peace sign.

"Hi to you too Haru!" I said smiling.

"Tohru! Guess what?" Momiji bounced up and down.

"Umm, What!" I asked, Momiji always made a way to get me pumped.

"There's a new student! He's in your class too!" He said excitedly. 'Hmm, I new guy. That's not too often.'

"Who's the new guy? Is he here yet? I hope he's not one of the jerks, they're mean." I said, Haru just shrugged, but had a sinful looking smile on.

"It must've been sudden, the whole school would've known for a while if a new guy was coming. So, point him out to me!" I said thoughtfully. Momiji starting giggling and pointing over my shoulder.

"huh?" I said confused.

"Hmm, well I don't think I'm jerk." I heard a silky voice over my shoulder. My body stiffened so much that Haru and Kyo actually lifted a questioning eyebrow. My eyes glazed over, letting no emotion through. Ryou...he came in front of me almost pushing Momiji away.

"Can I talk to you for a minute." He whispered. I saw Momiji with shock in his eyes. He almost sent me a message through his eyes, saying 'You know him?' Once again the eyebrows went up. I didn't look Ryou in the eye...or at all. I didn't answer.

"Please, I just need to explain, just let me explain." He almost begged. He put his hands on my shoulder, and I cringed away. And he recoiled, a hurt look flash across his face, but I paid no attention to it. He looked down at my bag, it was bulging with heavy looking books, it was a burden to carry it all the way to school.

"I'm sorry, I have to get to umm..." I trailed off, I knew I was bad at lying, but wow. This puts me at a new level.

"Class?" Ryou helped out. I nodded and turned my back and walked. It hurt. It hurt to do that and the mean while reminiscing on the friendship, kinship we used to have. I felt like I was turning my back on everything I ever knew, but I couldn't walk far, for he grasped on to my uniform sleeve.

"Please, You don't realize what could happen if you don't get the proper help." He said, I almost winced, and he rose an eyebrow as everyone else was doing, oh god. Yuki and the others are still standing right there.

"Ah, I see." He smirked, I knew what he meant. The look he gave me told all, the look said, "ah, I see, they don't know, do they?"

I whirled on my heels and walked down the hall, forcing my self to walk at a reasonable pace, I was almost ready to bolt.

"See ya later Onigri!" He laughed as I walked off.

Momiji's Point of View

"What the hell just happened?" Kyo yelled at the new guy, Pushing him up against the wall. Not even Yuki tried to stop him, and Yuki was the President of the school. Actually Yuki looked just as mad as Kyo.

"Don't know what your talking about." this 'Ryou' person said cheekily. Haru, looked as if he was about to go black. We all cared about Tohru. She was one of us now, she was like an older sister, and it hurt all of us to see her like that.

"Fuck you!" Kyo said pushing him up against the wall more. I sank to the floor and huddled my knees close to my chest, leaning against the wall.

"How do you know her?" Yuki asked, in a cold calm way, that would have likely freeze the hearts of many.

"Aww, Can't see the resemblance?" The new guy was just so cheeky. I looked up at him confused.

"She doesn't have a brother!" I accused him of lying.

"Cousin." He smirked, I already didn't like this guy. Kyo and Yuki looked shocked. I was mouth open. Then out of no where, There was a large bang and crack. Just where Ryou's head was, was a large whole connected to Haru's fist.

"You better not be lying to us." Haru said comically. Ryou was fast, Too fast for an average guy we expected. Almost no one was able to dodge a punch from black Haru. Something was fishy about him. The new guy was already out of Kyo's grasp, and walking down the hall. He put up three fingers, and mouthed "Read between the lines."

"Shit!" Kyo cursed. Yuki looked dark. And Haru had already gone black I stood up.

"I want Tohru." I said tearing up.

Tohru's Point of View

On my way down the hallway I saw Uo and Hana running up to me. Uo was panting, and Hana was even worse. I looked on with concern.

"Are you guys okay?" I asked

"We need to tell you something!" Uo said straightening up.

"He's in the school..." I said sulllenly. Hana gasped, an expression she almost never used.

"So, you've heard I see..."

"No, I met him." I said, looking away.

"Tohru, we need to stay away from him, Somethings wrong with him, he's changed, believe me." Uo said in a matter of factl-y tone.

"Tohru, He's dangerous, You shouldn't be around him." Hana said, she sounded like an over protective mother.

"I know, Let's just forget about him, Like before, let's just forget again...please." I said looking down. I sort of didn't want to forget, I wanted to remember, I wanted things to go back to the way it was in eighth grade. The good times, but then again, I wouldn't have met the Sohmas.

"It's better that way." Hana said, We walked down the hallway in to our respective classes. But before I got to mine, Uo squeezed my hand for support and Hana hugged me.

"I don't want to remember..." I said sadly.

"We all don't, let's just try to get through the day." She said. Uo and Hana left and class had begun.

I wasn't able to talk to Kyo, Yuki, Momiji, or even Haru at all the whole day. I guess you could say I was almost avoiding them, or well I would've been avoiding them if I had seen them the whole day. But every now and then I thought I saw a whip of orange hair fly behind a wall, or a blonde little boy dash behind a group of taller people.

'Were they avoiding me?' I thought sadly, knowing that it was well a very likely possibility.

The end of the day came soon, I zoned out through everything. And before I knew it I was at the lockers packing up. I met up with Hana and Uo, but both had jobs to get to, For Uo her store clerk job, and for Hana, babysitting her brother. Then there was me, on my way to cleaning! Yay. I sighed, I still haven't seen any of the Sohmas at all. Maybe they're mad at me?

Yuki's Point of View

We'd been following her all day, trying to figure out what was happening, or to see if we could dig up anymore information. Uo and Hana looked like they knew exactly what was happening. And we didn't...I didn't like the thought that Tohru couldn't trust us with something. She's helped me, us, every Sohma more than she thought. I just wish she knew that.

"Momiji!" Haru hissed, Tohru had looked behind her again, and Momiji whisked out of view behind a group of people. We were pretty sure she knew someone was following her, but knowing her she didn't even give a second thought about it.

"So what do you make of it?" Haru asked me. I thought deeply.

"I'm not sure, but one thing for sure, She's either very uncomfortable around this 'Ryou' or she just actually hates him...I can't even think of Tohru hating anybody, much less anything." I said still thinking of other possibilities.

"I swear if that son of a gun did anything to her, I'll-" Kyo started, but then I gave him a pointed look and then glanced at Momiji. It seemed to shut him up.

Tohru's Point of View

I walked out of the school, still no sign of anyone. I walked across the street, and it was then when it happened. The coughing, spluttering, and crying. I gasped for air, feeling the burning pound in my chest and my face heating up. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't stand. I sank down to my knees right in the middle of the road. I coughed, It felt like something was blocking my lungs. It hurt...that's when I heard the honk of a horn getting pummeled rapidly, Then the headlight. I felt the silent tears stream down my face, coughs still taking over my voice.

'I'm so so sorry...' I thought, closing my eyes, slowly giving up, I couldn't move, I couldn't get up. The truck was out of control, as if sliding on ice. The pounding in my chest increased bringing on a new wave of pain as I cried out.

"TOHRU!" I heard a cry, his cry. 'I'm so so sorry...' I thought as the truck came into full view, only a few feet away until...Then right before it hit me, it happened, In one quick movement, he came into view, and pushed himself and me out of the way, at the last second. It took me a moment to realize what happened, the coughing still clogging my throat. I couldn't breathe...

The last thing I saw was Ryou's face clouded with worry, and Momiji crying over me. Yuki's horrified look, Kyo's shock, and Haru's sullen face.

"I'm so so sorry..." I said, before the blackness took over.

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