I really enjoy writing this story, ya know that? So, here's chapter three, and chaper four is half way done out in my head. Thanks to y'all for reviewing. It really means the world. Well, anyhow, on with the show!

Chapter III

The bell had just finished ringing when Mr Tanaka arrived back in the lab. Most of the students had already left, Kenny was still in the process of shoving his book back in his bag. A few of the lazier kids were still hanging around in the back, but that was it. Kenny heard Mr Tanaka sigh, and watched the man take his seat behind the desk.

"Kenny, would you mind if I had a word?"

Kenny nodded and stepped up to the teachers desk, slinging his bag over his shoulder. The last few stragglers made their hasty exit. Mr Tanaka was obviously in no mood for more trouble.

"Kenny, I'm sorry."

Kenny blinked, and stared at the older man through his thick curtain of brown hair. "Pardon?"

"For what just happened. I shouldn't have gotten you involved. You aren't hurt, are you?"

Realization dawned on Kenny, and he quickly glanced away. "No, Mr Tanaka, I'm not hurt. It's okay, really. I understand why you couldn't go yourself. I'm fine," he paused, and then added; "Is Kai alright?"

Mr Tanaka shook his head, and gave his glasses a little shove with the ball of his thumb. "I don't know, Kenny. Well, you'd better get off to your break. I'm sorry, again."

Kenny nodded, and stepped outside. He paused briefly in the corridor, and lent against the wall. Everyone in the staff seemed so uptight these days. All Kai had done was give him a shove. It wasn't like the other boy had attempted to really hurt him. He knew the rumours circulating around Kai. Robbary, attempted suicide, violence, the list was endless. But they were just rumours. Rumours didn't often have a solid base in fact. They were just stories to scare the first years.

Someone had to be the victim of bad press. Kai just looked like the kind of guy to do all this shit. He looked the part and he played it rather well. None of this meant anything. Unless the teachers weren't telling the students something.

Kenny sighed, and pushed away from the wall. He still had to go to his locker, and maybe eat a snack. He wondered where Kai was, whether Miss Nakawaga had actually taken him for the rest of the day. Funny, the first person Mr Tanaka thought off was Miss Nakawaga. The school councilor.

What did the staff know about Kai that the rest of them didn't? Maybe the rumours, some of the rumours, were actually ... he shook his head. Not likely. No-one could do that amount of shit and still be only sixteen. He sighed again.

He wanted to go see Miss Nakawaga. He wanted someone to talk too.

xXx

Kai hadn't moved yet, except to take a few small sips of tea. Hanako was very close to snapping at him again. Never before ... it was just so infuriating to know that someone was in pain, and to know you could help them, and then to not be let. Kai's red-brown eyes flickered every so often to his shoulder. His school blazer was ripped, and she had noticed a few dark stains. His knee looked bloody too.

Someone was hurting Kai. The boy had attempted suicide, but she knew he wasn't cutting. He wouldn't hurt himself, and it didn't look like he'd fallen either. She stared at him, he stared at his tea. She'd have to ask sooner or later.

"Kai, what happened?"

The boy gave something very close to a snort.

"Tanaka threw me out."

"Mr Tanaka, Kai, and he didn't throw you out. Why did he ask you to leave?"

The boy shook his head, and put his cup on the table. "What? You mean he didn't tell you when you were having your little heart to heart outside the door?"

He was leaning back in the chair now, and he'd crossed his legs. Hanako took a deep breath before continuing.

"No, Kai. He didn't tell me. Why did Mr Tanaka ask you to leave?"

The boy shrugged, barely hiding a wince. She sighed, and quickly took a different track.

"Why were you late this morning, Kai?"

"Alarm didn't go off."

"Kai ... " she warned, slowly counting to ten.

"What? Not everything about me is out of the ordinary. My alarm didn't go off."

Okay, she'd have to take the direct route.

"What happen to your uniform?"

"Fell."

"Where."

"Way to school. I was in a hurry, and it is slippy outside. It's raining, in case you hadn't noticed."

"Are you hurt?"

He shook his head, his blue streaked face becoming vagually angry. He wasn't the only one, Hanako decided. She slowly ran a hand through her thick, black curls. This was getting nowhere.

"Kai," she started again, deciding to refer back to what he'd said the day before. He mightened be able to find a way around that, he'd said it himself.

"Kai, you said yesterday that if you'd wanted to be called a 'fuck up' you'd have just asked your grandfather. What did you mean by that?"

Kai was now white under the ruined blue face paint. Instantly she realised that bringing that up might have been dangerous.

"S ... shut up." He sounded very angry now, and just slightly nervous. She could tell he was well on his way to breaking something.

"Kai, calm down. It was only a qu ..."

"Just shut up! Alright, shut up!"

Hanako took a steading breath. Getting him worked up was not what she'd had in mind. She sighed gently, and settled back into her chair.

"Alright, Kai. I'll shut up, but only when you start giving me proper explainations. Until then, it's me asking all the questions. One or other of us has to be silent, judging by the way these sessions are going. Since you want it to be me, start talking."

She stared at him. His eyes were blazing, and his fists were clenched.

"Why the hell do you want to know so badly?!"

She raised her eyebrows. She knew all she was doing was getting him more upset, but he let things slip when he was upset. It was a bad way to go through this, but Kai needed help, and she needed information before she could do that.

Kai, apparantly, had had enough of this. He raised his arm again. This time, she wasn't having any.

"Kai. Don't. You. Dare."

He blinked, but dropped his arm, looking alarmed.

"Sit back down, right now."

Now he looked confused, obviously not remembering having gotten to his feet. He sank back down, slowly.

"No more lies, Kai. What happened, this morning? Did your grandfather hurt you? Did he make you late?"

Every word she spoke was an order, demanding him to answer. He was shaking all over, and he looked tense enough to snap any minute. She waited, watching him. He refused to answer.

She hung her head. "Kai, you don't want to talk to me, do you? I can't help you till you do. Do you want to stop these sessions? Should I have a talk with your grandfather myself?"

His reaction was not the one she'd expected. She'd expected a fit of rage, him to yell, attempt to break something, be at least angry. Instead, his head snapped up. He looked more upset, then angry.

He didn't bother to yell. He just jumped from his seat and ran. She stood up and attempted to go after him. Kai was already halfway down the corridor by the time she reached the door. She knew she couldn't catch him, but she ran anyway.

Luck however smiled. Kai ran straight into somepne at the bottom of the hall. Both persons fell, Kai ending up underneath the other person. She smiled, until she saw who this other person was.

"Kenny?!"

So, Kai and Kenny meet properly next chap. I know this is moving very slowly. I'm sorry. So, comments anybody?