A/N: Well then, here's another chapter. It's not as long as I thought it was going to be, and personally I don't like it as much. Well, I guess it's alright. I don't know, I'll leave it up to you to decide. Thanks to Gagboy for the review. Obviously, I don't own Gundam seed. Enjoy.

Stella tapped her pen against the book on her desk. Sighing deeply, she returned her attention back to the teacher at the front of the class. History was always so boring. This was this class' first lesson, and she was already bored of it. Her stomach growled. Her eyes shifted once more, this time they rested on the old analogue clock. She smiled. There were only a few more minutes until the end of class.

Period five always felt so long to her. This was probably because it was the period before lunch, which was at about eleven A.M. It was quite early, but it worked. After lunch, there were five more thirty-minute periods, five minutes between them to give the students time to get to the classroom, and after that was time to go home at five-to-three. Stella smiled as she shifted about in her seat. Only a few more hours remained. Only a few more hours until she could go back home.

She threw her attention back at the clock. Only three more minutes left.

'Come on clock,' Stella muttered, 'hurry up.'

'Stella.' The girl nearly jumped out of her skin as she quickly looked towards Mr. Morassim. 'Is there something you would like to say to the rest of the class?'

'No sir,' her voice was quiet, and her eyes didn't meet his own.

'Well then, would you mind keeping your goddamn mouth shut! Now, where was I... ?'

Stella looked down to her desk, not looking up. Not meeting the eyes of the easily irritated man. Waiting as the time ticked away, and counting every tick that came from the clock.

'Just a few more minutes,' she mumbled more melancholy than before. She would have gladly waited for the class to end. Unfortunately, another in the class would not allow this. The boy in the desk behind her's tapped on her shoulder. She ignored him at first, but he was persistent as he continued to tap her shoulder, continued to pester her. Finally, she submitted and turned to meet his eyes.

'Hey, don't worry about him. He's just cranky that most of the students here are richer than he is,' Stella turned away from the boy without a response. He looked her body up and down as best he could, before grinning to himself, 'your name's Stella, right?' Her response was a simple nod, 'How about after this, the two of us hang out?' Once again, Stella didn't answer. 'What do ya say?'

'I don't know what she says,' he jumped at the voice as he spun around to face it's owner. The voice belonged to the boy behind him. The redhead's feet rested on his desk, and his uniform was messy. It didn't take much to tell that he wasn't paying attention to what their teacher was saying, 'but I say you should shut up. Your nasally, high-pitched voice is giving me a headache.'

Stella turned to face the boy, and as she did, she recognised him. He was in her homeroom class, but what was his name? Clotha? Cloto? Clotho! That was it! Clotho Azreal was the name Miss Ramius had read on the class' roster!

'Nobody asked you,' the boy snapped at the redhead.

'No shit.' The redhead responded with little enthusiasm. 'You think anyone cares? However, I think I speak for everyone when I say she ain't interested. Now be a good little faggot, and go to the bathroom and pump away at that half-inch flap of meat you call a dick, like you do every day.'

The two continued their argument as Stella twirled her thumbs in anxiety. One last tick came from the clock before the school bell sounded. Quickly, she gathered her belongings, jumped up, rushed past the students who were making their way to the door, and rushed outside. She hurried through the hallway, hoping to make as much distance between her and the classroom as possible.

'Hey wait!' an arm suddenly slung around her frame, causing her body to instantly tense up. The boy had caught up to her already. 'I thought we were going to hang out?'

'No. I've gotta go. I-I-I... '

'What do you have to do? I've seen you around before. You just sit there alone like some kind of weird outcast loser. It's sad really. I'm offering to help fix that, so why are you turning me down? Come on; just follow me to my brother's car. I'll make you glad I did?'

Stella's breathing became heavy, and her eyes widened.

'Come on. Stop being such a stubborn little-'

Stella let out an ear-shattering scream. It was blood curdling, and filled with horror. The boy suddenly jumped back, letting her go as he did.

'Shit! What the fuck!' Stella spun around and scratched at his face with her nails. Her screams intensified as if to cover his. Her fist slammed into his face, sending him to the ground, groaning in pain. She proceeded in stomping his face, her eye still filled with terror.

Down the hall, students came to a halt at hearing the screams. Clotho however did not. Curiosity getting the better of him, he took off to the scene in a semi-jog.

By the time he arrived at the scene, the boy was curled up in the foetal position, whimpering and crying like a baby who had been dropped to the floor by a careless caregiver. Stella was rocking back and forward, tears now rolling down her face. Clotho examined the boy, smirking silently.

'You really did a number on the stupid moron, didn't you?' No response. Clotho turned and faced her. He approached, and bent down to meet her eyelevel. The look in her eyes, buried beneath the fear, there was something else... He knew it. He had seen that look in Shani's eyes a few times. When he got that spark that she had now... He shivered. It still scared the shit out of him. She looked through him as she continued to rock. Did she even know he was there? He clicked his fingers in front of her. No response. He shrugged it off. There was nothing he could do. He stood, and turned to leave, but before he could take a single step, a hand grabbed his ankle.

'Please don't leave!' She frantically pleaded, 'if you do, then the bad man will come back, and then he'll... he'll... ' her rocking intensified, and her eyes grew wider. Clotho looked back to the boy, and then to her.

Come back? She beat the bastard half to death. What did she mean by come back? He ran a hand through his hair. Damn it, if he were late, then Orga and Shani would probably beat his ass. Damn it, the easiest way would to bring her with him, and explain it to them.

'Don't worry. I'll protect you from the bad man.'

Stella's rocking stopped, and she looked up into his eyes, 'you... you well?'

'Yes, come with me, and the bad man won't hurt you.' He pulled her up. He turned, took a few steps before looking over his shoulder. She wasn't following. She was just standing there, that look of fear still plastered over her face. Clotho rolled his eyes as he realised what he had to do. He quickly took her hand in his, 'this way,' he stated as he began to head down the hall, the girl only a step behind.

The students began to fan out, making a more reasonable path for Shinn to pass through. Walking, he half-heartedly took the school's sights in. The students passed by, lacking any care in the world what so ever. They were so naive. So ignorant.

So lucky...

How he wished he could live like that. He wished he could go back in time to those days. If only for a day. No, if only for a minute. If only he could see their faces one last time... He sighed as he walked, his voice crackling as he did. He should stop thinking about them. It hurt. God fucking damn it hurt. His throat burnt and tightened. His eyes grew unbearably heavy. His chest ached so much. Damn it, why did he have to think about them. He needed to calm down. Relax. Fuck, why couldn't he relax?

He couldn't let Rey or Luna see him like this. They had their own damn problems to worry about without him adding his to the list. What the hell kind of friend would he be then? The worthless, pathetic kind. People like that do not deserve friends. He came to a halt.

He doesn't deserve friends...

His fist clenched. Just shut up. Just stop thinking. His pace started again. If he couldn't clear his mind, then he would just have to distract it.

Rey and Luna would be waiting for him at the cafeteria, as usual. Hopefully the food was better this year than the last. Increasing his pace, he began his way to the cafeteria. No one looked to him. No. They continued with their lives. Speaking amongst them about various ramblings.

'Miss Badgiruel is such a bitch. She gave me detention on our first day... '

'And he's got another date with her tonight, even though he knows I want to go out with her. He's just a selfish prick... '

'No joke. I heard she's totally pregnant... '

'Twins man. At the same time! And they were totally getting into each other... '

Shinn wasted no time in crossing the pathway. He didn't want to keep them waiting, after all. As the cafeteria drew closer, he increased his speed.

'Let me go!'

He came to a stop. That voice was desperate. Whomever it belonged to, they were in trouble. He hurried, following the voice. As he closed in on the cafeteria, he saw three individuals, one of which was being held by his shirt by one of the others.

'If you wanna get free, then give me my money. It's been four fucking months!'

Shinn's eyes narrowed. The one threatening the boy... .He recognised him. His blond hair... He knew who he was. The blond was the one who tripped him earlier that day. His eyes shifted to the third individual. He was also recognised as the green haired one that was behind him earlier. He was in the same position as before. Standing back, aloof, listening to music, and wearing a look on his face that told Shinn that he wasn't even paying attention to the outside world. If he wanted, he could slip past. Just turn a blind eye. However, if he did, then what kind of person would that make him?

'Leave him alone!' Shinn ordered, stepping forward. It was too late to do anything differently now. He had already thrown himself into the situation. The blond's eyes quickly shifted to the newcomer. They didn't remain on him for long as they returned to the boy currently soiling his pants. The blond snarled in disdain before throwing him to the ground.

'I'll give you until tomorrow. If you don't have my money then, then you'll be sorry. Got it?'

The boy quickly nodded his head before crawling away. He jumped to his feet and took off in a sprint, passing Shinn without looking back. Shinn watched as he left, before returning his gaze to the blond, staring at him in contempt.

'What's your problem! Why do you always have to try and make people suffer!' Shinn growled. The blond looked over to him with a smirk. Before Shinn could react to this, he charged at the dark-haired boy, and lunged his fist at his abdomen. There was no chance in hell that he could react in time, and the sudden strike slammed into Shinn's body. He fell to the ground, clutching his stomach in agony. He bit his lip as to prevent a scream from escaping his mouth. It hurt. It hurt like nothing he had ever felt. Physically, at least. He heard laughter and footsteps approach him.

'Congratulations dipshit,' Shinn looked up, meeting the eyes of the blond, 'you should feel lucky. I needed a new bitch since my last one skipped town, and it looks like you just applied for the role.' Saying that, he kicked him in the side with enough force to cause him to roll over. He groaned, earning laughter from the blond as he and his brother turned and made for the cafeteria.

He lay there for only a few seconds before rising to his feet and brushing the dirt from his uniform. How much time had he wasted now? He glanced at his watch on his right arm, and his eyes widened greatly. What had only felt like a few seconds, had apparently been a good five minutes. He'd kept Rey and Luna for long enough. Hurrying, he made his way to the cafeteria.

Waiting patiently, stepping forward with the line as it moved, Kira stood, holding the cold metal tray.

'How long is this damn line?' Kira turned his head, spotting his agitated sister, Athrun behind her. 'Everything good's gonna be taken!'

'Since when do they have anything good?' Athrun asked.

'Alright. Everything digestible is gonna be taken.' Cagalli corrected.

Kira grinned to himself. Things were getting better here. If only the same could be said at home. He still barely remembered the two of them were there. It didn't matter though. That form of neglect was what made him what he was today. It made him independent. It made him strong. It meant that he could take care of him, and his sister. It readied him for the real world. In a way, he should thank him. The line continued to move, and the three drew near the counter.

'So, you think the food's gonna be any good for a change?' Kira heard someone ask.

The voice, he recognised it. Popping his head out so he could see, his eyes were drawn to the two individuals that joined the end of the line. Both of them were in his homeroom class. Those two were the eldest of the Azreal brothers. What were their names again? Kira pondered for a few seconds. Finally, the information he was searching for struck him. Orga and Shani, right.

He turned his attention back to the line; remarkably, there were only a few left in front of them. He waited patiently as they took their food, paid, and left. He stepped forward and glanced over the questionable meals before him. There weren't many dishes left. He wasted no time. First, he took a bowl of ramen, most likely instant. For such an upper-class school, one would think they could get some good food for a change. Kira moved up and took a dish of salad, and a tuna-salad sandwich. Deciding that this was enough, he moved to the cashier, who, after examining it, ran it up on the cash register.

'Six-dollars eighty,' the girl quickly summed up. Reaching into his pocket, he removed his wallet and opened it up. He removed his credit card and handed it to her. Passing it through the machine, she returned it to its owner. Moving on to his last stop, Kira looked down at the cutlery offered. Chopsticks, plastic forks, plastic knives, and plastic spoons. Keeping his meal in mind, he chose the chopsticks before leaving the line and waiting for Athrun and Cagalli to purchase their meals. They finished soon enough and joined Kira. The three made their way to the nearest table, before claiming it for their own. They took their seats, and looked down at the meals.

'Well,' Athrun begun, taking his fork, and skewering a tomato in his salad. He slowly raised it to his mouth, before clasping his teeth around it, and taking it into his mouth. He chewed slowly, before swallowing.

'How is it?' Cagalli asked.

'Well, its eatable,' he replied, 'and it's better than nothing.'

Kira's eyes remained focused on his food, only shifting away as he heard the sound of seats shifting against the cold lino. The seat next to them had been claimed by two individuals, the blond and green haired Azreal's. His eyes remained on them for a few seconds before returning to his own business. He took his chopsticks, as Cagalli took her fork. The three slowly, willingly, yet reluctantly, began to eat.

The cafeteria was loud as Shani and Orga chose their table, their questionable meals set before them. The main dish was a grey substance that was either a liquid or a solid. Which one it was though, that was difficult to tell. On the side of that was a dried and probably ancient salad. Probing it a few times with a fork, Shani quickly pushed the tray away. Disgusting. The food was as bad as always, it seemed. He didn't need that shit. He looked over to his brother. Orga tasted the grey substance. As it fell down his throat, he grimaced, and too pushed it away. Apparently, it tasted as bad as it looked.

'What kind of sick fuck would feed someone this shit?' Orga questioned. He received no answer from Shani, who attached his headphones to his ears, and turned his music on.

'The food still looks like it came from Waltfield's ass, I see.' The voice came from behind him. Shani recognised the voice, so there was no need to turn around to face his younger brother.

'Who's the girl?' Orga asked, his eyes glancing from his brother, to the blonde connected to his hand. Shani turned this time, his eyes gazing at the stranger. Travelling up from her feet, to her waist, to her chest, finally resting on her face. For a moment, only for a split second, their eyes met. She quickly glanced away. Her magenta eyes were reddened, obviously tear strained. 'So, who the hell is she?'

Clotho went about telling the two exactly what had happened. While he did, Stella was released from his grasp for the first time. Slowly and gingerly, she took a seat next to Shani. He looked over to the girl beside him. The girl made him curious. She shifted nervously as she turned her head in his direction. Again, there eyes met, and again, she quickly looked away. She kept doing that, but why? Did he make her uneasy? Did he frighten her? Did she think he might try to do something? With all these people around? Surely, she didn't think he was that stupid, did she? Her lack of trust was understandable. If the two met alone in a dark alley, he would understand if she wanted to panic, scream, and run for her life. However, here, she didn't need to worry. Even if he would try something, he wouldn't do it in such a public place.

'I like your eyes.' She said, her compliment snapping his attention as a foot would snap a twig. The comment was random, and difficult to believe. His eyes? His mismatched, miscoloured eyes? His eyes that he was taunted and mocked for having throughout the entirety of his life? Was she serious, or was this simply some kind of bizarre joke?

Clotho came to an end of his little story, finally taking a seat beside Orga. The blond looked over to the newcomer. She felt his gaze on her, and slowly, her eyes met his, before looking down to her hands.

'Do you have a name, girl?' Orga asked.

She was silent for a few seconds...

'Stella,' she answered with a quiet voice.

Once again, Shani looked her up and down. Clotho would have no reason to lie, yet it was so difficult to believe that this girl was capable of beating someone so thoroughly. He looked away, already having taken her image in and created a mental picture of the girl.

'Time's being wasted here,' Orga stood, 'Clotho; we're taking the western side of school. Shani, the east is all yours.'

Shani didn't verbally respond. There was no need. Orga's instructions were always effective, and so they were to be followed if they hoped to meet their weekly quota. He stood and made his way out of the cafeteria, completely unaware of the girl following him.

Exiting the cafeteria, Shani's eyes examined his surroundings, taking it all in. The east was his, so that meant that he would-

'Can I come with you?' He stopped suddenly. That voice belonged to Stella. Had she followed him? Why would she do that? He turned to face her, her eyes looking to him in anticipation. Why would she want to be around him?

'Do whatever you want,' Shani replied as he turned. Selling while she was around could prove quite difficult. Not impossible though. He began to walk, Stella not far behind.

'What's your name?' her voice asked. As before, it easily overlapped the music in his ears.

'Shani,' he replied with little effort.

He started to walk, and she followed as a loyal dog would follow its master. He would occasionally glance back and see her. Inquisitive eyes looked on at him. He looked away from her. What did she want from him? Perhaps she needed to entertain herself. Distract her from any of the mandatory father-child beatings that were struggling to heal. After all, that was the father s job, just as it was the mothers job to tend to their wounds. She was a strange thing, this girl. She followed silently as he walked. Stopping finally, he turned to face her.

'What do you expect from me?' he asked finally. Her expression was questioning.

'Nothing.' She replied. It was a simple answer, yet one that prompted another question.

'Then, why are you following me? Don't you have friends to be with?'

'No,' she replied with another single-word answer, one that Shani wasn't expecting. A girl like her would normally have a handful of idiots surrounding them. He turned again. This girl was definitely strange. What else was there that lurked within this girl? It was strange coming from him. Uncharacteristic of him. Nevertheless, this girl, for one reason or another, interested him.

Kira, Athrun, and Cagalli finished finally. They stood, and took their dishes to the kitchen s window. The workers took them, leaving the three to get on with their lives. Exiting the building, they began to walk aimlessly about the school's grounds.

'So, now what?' Cagalli asked, 'We have ten minutes left.'

'And god knows there's never anything interesting around,' Athrun added.

'The gym's probably open, we could see what's happening there.'

'Eh, there's never anything interesting there.' Cagalli stated.

'I guess,' Kira replied. Finally, the group came to a wooden seat, and as they did, they sat.

'This place hasn't changed a bit,' Athrun stated. 'As boring as always.'

Kira closed his eyes, allowing the sun to beat down on his eyes. Opening them finally, he frowned. The green haired Azreal brother passed by. He seemed to be everywhere he went lately. He was in the same English class as well. The greenet wasn't with his brother though. This time he was with a blond. Her small frame suggested that she was only half-way through puberty. Most likely a Sophomore. Why was she with a senior like him? Did they really know each other? From first glance, it seemed like the two would be too different to get along. The girl was clearly trying to engage him in conversation. He seemed to have an extremely introverted personality.

The two wondered off, leaving Kira's mind as they did.

'How long do we have left?' Cagalli asked. Kira looked to his wrist.

'Seven minutes left.' Kira replied. All this time, and it had only been three minutes. The time passed slowly, the only thing to occupy them was to talk amongst themselves.

'You think dad's coming home today?' Cagalli asked him.

'I wouldn't count on it,' Kira answered. Knowing him, the chances of him coming home tonight were near non-existent.

'How about you?' Cagalli turned to Athrun, 'What are you doing tonight?'

'Nothing. But I figured that I'd hit the town this Friday.' Athrun answered, 'Cagalli, you want to come?'

'Don't have anything else to do?' she nonchalantly replied.

Kira stared to his watch, waiting for the time to tick away. The last minute struck. Seconds piled upon themselves, though Athrun and Cagalli were oblivious to it. The last few seconds passed. Ten... nine... eight... seven... six... five... four... three... two... one... Kira stood from his seat. Cagalli was about to ask why he did this, but before she could, the sound of the school's bell cut her off. The remaining two stood, and followed Kira's example.

'What do you have next,' Athrun asked. Kira stopped, remembering his timetable,

'We have Japanese.' Kira replied as the three made their way to their next class.