Sorry this took so very very VERY long to update… I haven't had much time to type anything really this summer. But now I'm listening to AFI and everything's good. MISS MURDER! Whoo. I love that song.

This is where I shall plug my MySpace RPG. PLEASE somebody JOIN! Link in my profile, and Rin, Tohru, Kyo, Momiji, and Hatsuharu are taken. Your help would be appreciated, since it's a lot more fun with more people.

Thank Edakumi for this chapter because this was actually AFTER The Sohma Game in order of update, but she wanted the next chapter sooner than that!

Secret Nine

Secret Number Nine: I get scared easily.

You should've seen me the first time I tried to watch The Ring.

I fell asleep twice in math class that week because I couldn't go to sleep at home.

After all of the commotion had died down as much as it was going to, it dawned on me that I would have to go home eventually. It also dawned on me that night was falling, Chang had most likely served my punishment, and it was my turn to cook dinner.

"I… I have to go home," I told Yuki. He had brought me to the dining room and we were sitting there drinking tea.

He chewed on the inside of his cheeks, succeeding in looking cute, while he thought.

"Do you want to go home?"

"Hell no," I blurted out. Of course I didn't want to, but what about Chang? I couldn't just leave him there with angry mom.

"I could… maybe… that is… ask Shigure if you can stay… for the weekend?"

"I… I don't know. Do you think Shigure would suspect that I know the secret?"

"Shigure is too oblivious to pick up on anything," Yuki smirked.

"Am I now?"

Shigure walked in with his own cup of tea and sat down beside Yuki, across the table from me.

"Yeah, actually," Yuki rolled his eyes.

"Um… Shigure-san? I'm really sorry I barged in like this… I hope I haven't caused too much trouble…" I mumbled, staring at my tea cup like I expected it to start turning back flips.

"Oh no, no trouble at all! It's perfectly fine with me if it makes our dear Yuki happy."

"Can Eri stay over? For the weekend?" Yuki asked like it was something that was asked everyday.

Shigure stared at Yuki, wide-eyed.

"What's that look for?" Yuki snapped darkly.

"What are you planning on doing, over night?" Shigure asked.

Yuki's face turned bright red and I was sure mine was too. "Not like that, you dirty pervert!" Yuki hit him on the back of his head, standing up.

"Fine, fine! I don't care, Yuki-chan. As long as it is okay with her parents and no children are created in my house.

"Oh stop!" Yuki yelled, and stormed up the stairs.

"Umm… I'm sorry again. Ojama shimasu," I bowed my head, which I should have said earlier but was too preoccupied.

"It's not trouble, really," Shigure smiled. Then suddenly his face because dark as I stood up to follow Yuki. "But if I were you, I'd stay at this house as short as you possibly can. This house holds dark secrets, none of which you can relate to."

"O-O-Okay," I stuttered. "Um… can I use your telephone?" I asked just to change the subject.

"Oh, absolutely. It's just through the kitchen and down the hall," Shigure's smile became bright again.

"Thanks… heh…" I said, and ran to that phone as fast as I could.

Once there, I wasn't sure what to do. If I called the house, mom might have answered, and I certainly did not want to talk to her. But Chang and I didn't have cell phones and he might not have been home anyway.

I put the phone down again, too afraid to use it. I would just have to pray that Chang wasn't there and everything was okay.

I turned and walked back into the kitchen, only now a girl was in there cooking. I recognized her from my chemistry class.

"Tohru Honda?" I said, and she looked up in surprise.

"Y-yes?" she stammered. "Can I help you with something?"

She probably didn't know who I was. "I'm… Eri. I'm in your chemistry class."

"Oh, she smiled, pretending to know who I was while I felt embarrassed. "Uh, I don't mean to be rude, but how did you get in here?"

"I'm with… Yuki," I replied.

"Yuki?"

I nodded. She stared at me like I had just told her I was here to murder her. "Why are… you here?" I asked.

"Oh! Well… I… um…"

"She lives here."

Kyo was in the doorway.

"Are you… a family member?" I asked.

"Oh… no… I'm not!"

"She lives here because she got nowhere else to go, so get your damn nose out of it," Kyo snapped at me, and I nodded, blinking back tears.

"Kyo… you don't have to be rude…" Tohru blushed quietly.

"She lives here because she knows the secret, god dammit! With any luck Shigure will find out you know too and you'll be out of our hair."

I didn't understand. Why was he being so mean? I hadn't done anything to him! Unless he was just angry that Yuki told me about the curse?

"Gomen…" I started.

"Kyo-kun, when you say it like that it seems like you're mad!" Tohru shrieked, almost cutting her hand while chopping an onion.

"I am mad. I'm mad I met you! It's always about you!"

"I'm sorry but I don't know what you're talking about…" I mumbled, ashamed without knowing why.

"His diary. Yuki, I mean. You're all he ever writes about anymore. Past three days I've had to read about how damn pretty you are! It's sick!"

Tohru and I looked at him for a minute before Tohru started giggling and I blushed so hard I thought I'd fall over.

"You read Yuki-kun's diary, Kyo-kun?" Tohru asked through her giggles.

"Well he hides it under his bed, I mean, is there a more obvious place? You should read some of the angst that kid can come up with."

I stepped forward a few times. "I think… I'd better… go find Yuki…"

"I'll find him for ya," Kyo decided. "Just… I don't know, talk to Tohru or somethin'."

Kyo darted up the stairs and I just kind of looked at Tohru for a minute.

"It's sad, isn't it?"

Tohru set her knife down but didn't look up.

"I mean… for the Sohmas. They're cursed… and there's no way out."

She was crying, and I thought I might've cried too.

"Tohru… where are they're parents?" I asked. It had been bothering me. "Yuki and Kyo's, I mean."

"They… they abandoned them."

My eyes widened and I steadied myself by placing a hand on the kitchen counter.

"And Kyo… his mom… passed away."

"Because of the curse?" I whispered, and she nodded.

"I can't imagine how sad it must be," Tohru said quietly as another tear fell onto the cutting board, "to never be able to hug your mother."

I thought about my mother. Sure, she had a temper problems, but sometimes… sometimes she was okay. Like when she didn't say anything, or before dad left. No matter how upset she was about my father leaving…

…she never abandoned us.

"I never realized…" I whispered, clenching my fist into a ball. "Yuki's so popular at school. And you're the only one who ever found out.

Tohru nodded and Yuki entered the kitchen, followed by Kyo. I ran to Yuki, my eyes red with tears, and threw myself into his arms until he turned into a rat.

"I'm sorry. For everything," I apologized, holding him in my hands.

"Please, Eri. Don't pity me."

So… did you like it? Reviews would make me smile.

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