It was towards the end of junior year and Natsuki and I had been going out for over two years. We were both comfortable in our relationship and the school had moved on to bigger and better scandals. Most of those involved our resident prince, Reito, who was a shoe in for student council president.

Allow me to explain how the elections worked. At Fuuka academy the student council practically ran the school and as such were elected officials. Unlike standard elections, however, one didn't run for a particular office. At the end of the elections whoever had the most votes was elected president, second most was Vice President and so on down the list.

Natsuki had apparently been thinking about it. "You should run for student council, Shizuru."

"Me?" I didn't see myself as a popular girl, though thinking back on it I realize that many of the students had respect for me. Partly because of my public relationship with Natsuki, but mostly because of the few times I used my, as I called them, 'lawyer powers' to get either me or Natsuki out of trouble. Like the incident with us and the lipstick.

-IPR-

Me and Natsuki didn't get to see each other much in those days, so we used to sneak off to the restrooms during lunch and make out. We were sure to pick one far away from the cafeteria so no one ever used it. We had been going there for some time so, on this particular day, I guess we got careless.

We were making out like we always did when we heard a flush and, before either of us could react, one of the teachers stepped out of a stall and looked straight at us. I imagine we looked the sight, both of us out of breath, hair missed up, both of Natsuki's hands on my rear. The silence was deafening. "What on earth are you two doing?"

"Umm ... well ..." My mind reached for something, anything that could explain away how close we were. Then I remembered that I had worn lipstick that day. "You see, I was helping Natsuki apply her lipstick. Apparently her mother is never around and didn't show her how."

"Really?" The teacher looked skeptical so I grabbed Natsuki's head and shoved her lips into mine, held them there for a good minute then let her go. My lipstick now stained her lips and my lips smiled. "I see, but how do you explain her hands being all over you?"

"This is a co-ed bathroom, so Natsuki was holding my dress down for me while I helped her, in case any boys walked in."

The teacher looked at us suspiciously, and to this day I don't know if she put it together what we had been doing. What she did was shrug, wash her hands then left shaking her head. "Kids these days, so weird."

After she left, me and Natsuki shared a good long laugh, both at nearly being caught and at how foolish that teacher must be to believe all that. We still used that bathroom after that, but we never saw that teacher there again.

-IPR-

"Yes, you. I think you would be perfect for it. You're dad taught you all that lawyer stuff, you're smart and everyone loves you. You'd be great."

"No," I waved her away, "no one would vote for me."

She leaned in close and gave me a quick kiss. "You have at least one vote, babe."

I smirked at her. "It's too bad your vote doesn't count."

She pouted. "And why doesn't it count?"

I leaned in close and gave her a quick kiss. "Because everybody knows you're biased. I'll see you at lunchtime."

We split up to go to our classes. I sat down in my seat and took my school books out of my bag. I had been running the thought of running for student council through my head ever since Natsuki had mentioned it. I was weighing the pros and cons of having the position when a huge pro was thrown into my lap by none other than Reito. He had been talking with a few other students on his way in and I heard him mention rooting out 'undesirables' as he put them. I don't know what made me put two and two together: maybe it was the tone he used, or maybe it was the look he shot me when he sat down, a look that said 'you know who I mean'. Either way I knew then that he meant Natsuki and that I had to beat him in the election.

The election was all I could think about that day, even when the bell rang and I put my book bag in my locker because I was staying at Natsuki's apartment that night, even on the walk to her motorcycle and even when she walked up and we kissed. She must have sensed something was off because she asked, "Is everything okay?"

"What if I told you that I was thinking of running for student council?"

"I already told you I thought it would be a good idea. I'll help you any way I can." She handed me her spare helmet and helped me onto the bike. "If you're the student council president, does that make me the First Lady?"

I held on tight as she kicked the engine on. "I don't think it works like that. We'd have to be married."

She laughed aloud. "Then I'll have to ask you to marry me."

-IPR-

I lay in bed that night next to Natsuki who was sound asleep. I was thinking about the election and couldn't sleep. My mind was turning with schemes and plans to take out my adversaries. You may not know this about me because I don't look like it, but I can be a real shark when it comes to competitions. I see them as games, and I play the game very well.

When I was in middle school we had a competition where the students broke off into teams and had to present a group report on a book we had read, 'Of Mice and Men'. I don't really remember the report my group gave, it wasn't memorable. What was memorable was how, through manipulation and undermining, I had systematically ruined all of the other team's presentations making ours the best in the class. I don't remember the prize, I think it was longer recess that week, but I remember bringing those other people down and how it had made me feel so powerful.

I approached the student council election in the same way, plotting who would run and how I would bring each of them down. Reito was the first and, oddly enough, the easiest. I even planned against Natsuki, though I never told her I did. It would have killed me, but I would have destroyed her to win.

Natsuki stirred and nuzzled against me, murmuring in this way that I always found adorable. I decided then that I would do whatever it took to protect her.

-IPR-

The next day everyone was talking about the election and how Reito was sure to win. Natsuki and I entered together and saw Reito surrounded by a mob of supporters and sycophants. Natsuki looked worried. "He seems really popular. How are you going to beat him?"

"Who, him? He's easy." I approached and held my book bag in my hand. "Excuse me, I have a letter for Reito's girlfriend." Several girls turned to me in answer, then looked at each other angrily. It devolved into hair-pulling and name-calling and most of the people around him backed away. The look that Reito shot me in that moment could have killed so I shot him a smile. I looked at Natsuki, "There, he's taken care of."

"That was brutal. You're definitely going to win this." We turned a corner and found Yukino putting a poster up on the cork board. "Yukino, what are you putting up?"

"Posters for Haruka. She's running for student council."

"Wait, Haruka's running for student council?" I started laughing. "How is she going to do that. Half the students are afraid of her."

"Fear is a strong motivator, and people look for strength in their leaders. A lot of students will see that and vote for her."

It was a surprise to me. Out of all the scenarios I had envisioned this wasn't one of them. I had no plan against Haruka and Natsuki was right, fear is a great motivator. I had to do something about her and fast, but first thing was first, I had to put my name on the ballot.

I left Natsuki in the hallway and stepped into the administrative office. The secretary sitting behind the counter took notice of me and smiled warmly. "Hello, how may I help you?"

"I've decided to run for student council."

"What is your name?"

"Shizuru Viola."

She shuffled through the papers on her desk and wrote my name down on one of them. "Okay, you're all set. Good luck."

I returned the smile and headed for my first class where Reito was already seated. "That was mean of you, Shizuru. I'll have to find someway to get you back."

"While you're figuring that out, I'll be in the president's office. I'm not going to let you win."

"Then let the games begin."

Haruka walked in with Yukino in tow and approached my desk. "So, you're running too. Good luck, but I'm going to be president."

Reito laughed in his haughty way. "You, Haruka? It'll take more than Yukino's vote to win the presidency. Who else do you think is going to vote for you?"

Haruka was red in the face when she spun on him. "More people than will vote for you, Kanzaki, or do you think anyone will vote for an elitist jerk."

Reito smirked. "An elitist jerk with a great head of hair and a winning smile. That's all it takes to win these things. Confidence."

Haruka slammed her fist on his desk. "I'm confident that I'm going to kick your butt, Kanzaki. How will they vote for you when you have two black eyes?"

"I'll just say I was attacked by a barbarian and everyone will vote for me. What about you, Shizuru? You're precious Natsuki won't be enough to get you the presidency."

I laughed. "You think I need her to destroy the both of you. I could defeat you with my hands bound. Just be ready for war, because I'm not backing down."

This would be the last time the three of us would speak until after the election.

-IPR-

The race grew rather heated after that. Reito had gotten back at me by attacking my relationship with Natsuki. He had convinced several of the girls in my class to 'confide' in her that I had come on to them. Natsuki dismissed them with a shrug and told me about it later. I was happy she trusted me, but irate that Reito would go that far, so I decided to go after his family.

When a student didn't show up to enough classes a call was placed to their parents. I set up for one of those calls to be placed to Reito's mom. I didn't see her reaction to the news, but I had a front row seat for the aftermath. When she was through with him I thought we were all going to see him cry, but he kept his composure long enough to get to the car that waited for him. His numbers didn't recover after that.

Haruka was the only one of us who ran a clean campaign, and by clean I mean she didn't openly attack either of us. That didn't stop her from verbally berating us at every opportunity. At any given opportunity she would go off about how Reito was a 'pompous ass' and how I was a 'weak-willed woman'. She had started to gain support from many in the class, but there were many more who saw her as a blowhard. She lost a lot of ground when a rumor was spread that she was bullying some of the younger students. As much as I want to take credit for it, I had nothing to do with it.

It was the day of the election and all three of us sat in class and anxiously awaited the results. Ms. Sanada stood before us with the results in her hands. "This election was interesting. I've never seen one get so personal, but the results are in. Shizuru, you'll be the new student council president." My heart soared when I heard that. "Reito, you'll be student council Vice President, and Haruka will be head of the disciplinary committee." Reito and Haruka seemed to accept their loss with pride. At least if they had a problem with it they never mentioned it to me.

Both Reito and Haruka approached my desk and Haruka shook my hand. Seeing as we had to work together for the next year it was better that we got along. "Congratulations, Shizuru. You deserve it."

"Yes, congratulations. Sorry about going after Natsuki."

"You're just sorry it didn't work." I shook his hand and we both started laughing. "But I forgive you. It will be good to work with both of you in the coming year." I couldn't wait to tell Natsuki.

I finally got to when we saw each other at lunch time. I was eating in the cafeteria when she sat down next to me and I kissed her and asked, "So, how does it feel?" She looked at me questioningly. "To be dating the student council president, I mean."

"You won?! Congratulations." I never told her that she had been the reason I wanted the position, it just never came up.

I grabbed her hand and was surprised to feel a velvet box in it. She handed the box to me and I opened it, revealing a beautiful gold ring with diamond inlays. I stared at it for a good minute before I noticed she wore the exact same ring on her hand, only hers was silver. "Wha ...?"

"It's a promise ring, Shizuru. I promise to love you from the time we wake up to the time we go to bed, from today until the end of days and beyond. I want you by my side forever. So will you stay with me, Shizuru?" I was speechless. I don't know what I expected, but it wasn't this. She mistook my surprise for hesitation, however. "Is this a bad time?"

"Yes." She looked somber and right after that I realized what I had said. "No, yes to the ring, Natsuki. I want to be with you forever."

She took the ring and my hand. "Do you promise?"

In one day I had achieved two of my personal goals. My smile threatened to leave my face. "I promise." When she slid that ring onto my finger I thought my heart would explode. I felt that promise with all my heart and soul. Even now, in this place, I can feel her with me.