"Keep your head up and your arms out; you never know what may fall into your life."

-Unknown

Ari

…

'Serves me right for doing something nice,' I thought bitterly as I marched to school, clutching the cross around my neck like I would hold a flotation device if I was drowning. My Aunt knew I was mad, but was kind enough not to press me for details. I suppose Kyo wasn't entirely wrong in thinking. It was strange that someone would just decide to be kind to someone on a whim, but I was a strange person so it fit. Besides, he didn't have to be a jerk about it. I normally wasn't that friendly to people… but he seemed like he needed a friend.

I found my locker almost robotically and exchanged my messenger bag for a book bag filled with knowledge filled books. When I closed my locker I saw a very flustered Kyo standing near me. When he caught my glance he stepped closer.

"You're right to be... mad at me. You can waste your time if you want… I mean… I won't stop you from being friends with me… and if you want to be mad at me you can do that too. Hell, hit me if you want, kick me through a wall… I suck at this apology stuff…" He managed to get out. I got the impression that he didn't apologize very often. I thought for a moment. Kyo seemed a lot like me; hot-headed, easily ticked off, and once they're mad it's impossible to keep your mouth shut. I figured he wouldn't even be apologizing if he didn't feel bad.

"I forgive you," I told him and he looked shocked. For as angry as I could get sometimes and how well I could hold a grudge, I gave myself credit for being pretty forgiving.

"You don't hate me?" He asked in disbelief.

"No," I laughed. "I don't hate you and I'm not mad at you anymore. Let's start over," I smiled, setting down my book bag and holding out my hand. "I'm Ari. Nice to meet you."

He smiled. He had a beautiful smile. "I'm Kyo. Nice to meet you too."

…

Kyo

…

"I'm so glad you're not upset anymore. I like to see a happy Kyo!" Tohru smiled as we sat down, again the first at the table.

"What's up with that Ari girl anyways?" I asked her, knowing that if anyone else was at the table I would not have asked.

"No one knows much about her. Not even Uo and they're close friends. I know she's amazing at sports and that she's good at Science. She's really nice too," Tohru said apologetically, sorry she couldn't tell me more. Uo, Hana, and Yuki sat down right as Ari got out of line. "Ari! Want to sit with us?" Tohru called. Ari smiled and nodded, making her way over to our table. The only open spot was next to me.

I thought about what Ari said, and she was right. She was one of the only people who talked to me as Kyo, not as Yuki's cousin. I didn't know why she cared, but she did. And maybe… maybe I could care for her back.

"Hey, everyone." Ari smiled as she sat down.

"Hey. How many applications have you gotten so far for the martial arts club?" Uo asked and I remembered the people she was sitting with yesterday. They must want in her club.

"Not many, actually. Out of those five yesterday only one girl and one boy actually joined. I tend to scare people off." Ari laughed.

"Kyo loves to fight. He's a black belt. Yuki too." Tohru smiled.

"Yes, Yuki told me the other day. How about it, Prince? Up for a match?" She grinned at Yuki who laughed.

"No thank you, miss Ari, I have far too much on my plate with the student Council elections," Yuki smiled.

"How about you, Kyo? You could stop by tonight and see if you might want to join. It's really just a place for us to practice on each other and learn new moves, but we have a lot of fun with it." Ari smiled and I nodded.

"Sounds fun." I smirked. 'Yes, the more I practice the better I get! Then I can finally beat that Damn Rat!' I thought to myself and Ari laughed. Tohru was giggling too. I guess my face was displaying my thoughts plainly enough.

"You look excited," Ari smiled. "Anyways, it starts at four, ends at five.

"Look out, Carrot top, Ari kicks ass." Uo grinned.

(later)

"Kyo, I need you to stay here for a bit." Mr. Osono said after class.

"Just catch up when you can. Room 303." Ari said, smiling as she walked out.

"Alright, I just need you to fill out these papers, and take these home and have your guardian sign them. And I have some papers that should catch you up with that all we've covered so far. Don't worry, it's not much. It you have problems with anything just come to me, or to Ari. She can explain things just as well as I can." Mr. Osono laughed. It was half an hour before I filled out everything that I needed and got all the papers sorted out.

"Can I go now?" I asked, trying not to sound irritated.

"Yes, go. I'll see you tomorrow." Mr. Osono laughed and ushered me out.

"Room 303." I said to myself as I looked for the room where the club met. I found it and walked in. There were about a dozen of people in there besides Ari. All of them sparing in various locations throughout the room and all of them looked like they knew what they were doing.

"Taka, keep up your defense. It looks shaky. Rina, space your feet further apart. Your getting knocked off balance too easily… Yeah, there you go!" She instructed, smiling as she critiqued. "Hey, Kyo." She smiled, walking over to me. "What do you think? They're amazing, aren't they?" She smiled, looking like a mother hen.

"They are, but I've heard that you're really good too." I smirked.

"Would you like to see for yourself?" She smirked right back. "I'm not busy. I can fight you right now."

"Yeah! Bring it on!" I smirked, happy for a match. I'd just have to be careful or I'd transform.

"Clear the space. I have a challenger." Ari said, barely above normal talking level, though everyone cleared the way as if she had shouted angrily. "Thank you. Taka, Sorin, would you mind moving all the mats to the center of the room?" She asked and the two biggest boys in the room collected all the fighting mats from around the room and put them together in the middle, making one big arena. "Take off your shoes, please." She smiled and I took them off. I fought better barefooted anyways. "I'm sure I don't have to tell you this, but I want a fair fight. I won't use dirty tricks on you, so don't use them on me. Ready?" She asked and I nodded.

I couldn't force myself to think of Ari as a real opponent, though. She was just so beautiful and so slim, I thought I might break her in half if I hit her too hard. 'I'll take it a little easy on her.' I thought as she ran at me, instantly throwing strike after strike at me. She was strong, I gave her that much, though I managed to block her well enough. She kneeled to the ground, doing a low, scything sweep with left leg. I jumped to avoid it but she was in the air and attacking me again before I even landed. I blocked her first few hits, throwing in a few hits of my own which she blocked easily. 'Okay, maybe taking it easy on her wasn't the best idea.' I thought as she jumped into the air and high kicked me, hitting me hard in the side with her foot. She jumped behind me, kicking me forward. I lost my balance but did not fall. Before I even knew what happened she was in front of me again. She struck me in the shoulder once and then put all her strength into a strike at the center of my chest, knocking me backwards. I fell, her falling with me, but right as I hit the ground she pulled her knees forward, landing with one knee on either side of me, one hand still on my chest and the other balled up into a fist directly in front of my face. She looked angry.

"I hope you learned your lesson. Don't take it easy on me just because I'm a girl. Don't feel alone, though. Every guy in this room learned the same lesson." She smirked grimly as she 

gracefully leaped to her feet and offered me a hand. I took it and she pulled me up. Something confused me, though. She was too close to me when she landed. I should've transformed. I was glad I didn't… but I should have.

"That's enough for today, I think. We'll finish off a little early. Taka, Sorin, put up the mats if you would." She asked and they nodded. Taka patted me on the shoulder as he came to collect the mats.

"You are definitely not the first one to make that mistake. Don't worry about it, though." Taka smiled.

"You're bleeding." Ari said, turning her attention to me again. She was looking at me neck. I felt and sure enough I felt something wet on my neck. My fingertips were red when I pulled them away from my neck. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you. I've got a first aid kit. It you sit over there I'll get that taken care of." Ari said. I nodded and sat down.

"Any pointers, Ari?" A girl about half my size asked Ari. Though I seemed to remember seeing her hold her own against some of the older, bigger students.

"You're doing great, Suteki, just remember to swing your body when you punch and aim for the side of the stomach, not the waist, when you do a side kick." Ari said and Suteki nodded before leaving with the other students.

"Later, Ari." Taka said.

"Yeah, don't kill anyone before next week." Sorin grinned as he left.

"I promise nothing." Ari called after them, smiling as she walked over to me, digging a first aid kit out of a cabinet before sitting next to me.

"I'm sorry… for taking it easy on you… just because you're a girl." I said without looking at her. It was the second time I'd apologized to the same person that day, a new record for me.

"It's alright. I know you learned your lesson. No one takes it easy on me twice." Ari grinned and I smirked.

"Yeah, that's for sure." I said. She was vicious, and I got the feeling that she wasn't attacking me as hard as she could have.

"Hope I didn't wound your ego too much," Ari grinned, leaning closer to me and wiping the blood off my neck.

"It's my fault," I sighed and it was true. If I had taken her seriously I might have won, or at least not looked like such an amateur in front of her and the rest of the club.

"Well you did better than half the guys that fought me for the first time. I'm impressed, honestly. So what do you think? Gonna come back next week?" She asked, dabbing something wet on my neck. It stung, so I guessed it was antiseptic.

"Yeah, I guess. The practice will help me," I shrugged.

"Great! I'll bring you an application paper tomorrow. It's just so I can have your information on file, and all that fun junk," She said, smiling as she gently placed a band aid on my neck, her fingers brushing up against my skin. It felt like an electric shock ran through my whole body and I shivered. "All better," She grinned as she kissed her thumb and pressed it against the band aid. I forced myself not to blush. "Come on, let's get out of here," She smiled, grabbing her book bag and walking downstairs to the lockers.

"Shit, it's raining." I said, already feeling weak.

"I love the rain. It's beautiful," Ari grinned as she shoved her book bag into her locker and pulled out her messenger bag. She dug out an umbrella. "Afraid to get wet?" She smirked.

"No, I just don't like it," I said. I couldn't exactly tell her that I hate the rain because I transform into a cat when I'm hugged by a member of the opposite sex, and cats hate getting wet.

"Here, I don't need it," She said, handing me the umbrella and walking off. "See you tomorrow," She grinned as she ran into the rain, disappearing around the corner before I could say goodbye. I smiled as I opened the umbrella and walked out into the rain.

.O.O.O.O.

Hope you liked it. I liked writing this chapter. Reviews would be appriciated.

-Rosetta