Thank you so much for your reviews! I really love you all for your support! School is starting tomorrow. Hopefully this will tide you until my next update.

Dedications in alphabetical: .CriMsonxLadY., Aihsire Atha, Alice, Byron Lancaster, cagallifangurl, Dhevz, eternalasucaga, Fii aka Ficchan, hellopanda23, Jodeist, Joker Oak, Katina Uchiha, kamille murasame, KazumiSakura, Litari Hatake, Miyu Nanami, mokonamodoki93, mrs. zala, patzie24, sakurayamato1, SaKuRaYukIe, Sandyx5, Sawagi-chan, The Blue Mask-cara, The Only Love For Soujiro Seta, trulyanimelover06.

Disclaimer: I do not own gundam seed.

… … …

Chapter 12

"Kira, I think you should see this first," Cagalli said as she handed the crumpled paper to Kira.

Kira looked at Shinn and Cagalli puzzled. He could feel something was going on. As Kira unfolded the paper to read its contents, he frowned, unable to believe what he just read.

"Huh?" that was Kira's response.

"It's a hate mail," Cagalli stated.

"I know what it is!" Kira quickly said. "But why? I thought..."

"WELL YOU THOUGHT WRONG KIRA!" Cagalli yelled. As much as Cagalli hated her popularity (she found it annoying), she also hated to be disliked. Nobody liked to be disliked.

"Kira, I think you should just hold that thought," Shinn laughed.

Smacking her brother and friend on the head, Cagalli said, "Yea, laugh all you want. You're not the target anyway."

"I wasn't the one laughing! Why are you hitting me?" Kira pouted childishly as he rubbed the spot on his head Cagalli had wacked.

"Because I feel like it," Cagalli retorted.

Cagalli then snatched the paper from Kira, taking a last look at it.

I hate you. Leave.

That was what the note said. Crushing the note back into a ball, Cagalli threw it into the bin. She was not going to give a damn about it anymore; it was just a minor hate mail. She was worried about it all day and look where it led her. Technically, it didn't lead her anywhere but it was still a waste of time and energy to worry about such a trivial thing.

At the Zala mansion...

Athrun returned home immediately that night. He needed a distraction to calm his nerves, or something that he could vent his feelings on. He took out his violin and walked in to his bedroom balcony.

He started playing. It was a slow and mournful tune that came from his very heart. In his song, he poured out everything: his passion, his love, his anger and resentment, his jealousy, and lastly his loneliness.

Athrun Zala was a lonely boy. He had lost his mother when he was six. And his father was never around; always busy working. Athrun had no siblings and very few friends. It was Cagalli who pulled him out of his misery and loneliness. She gave him the reason to smile again and make his life worth living.

Honestly, Athrun couldn't understand why he was bitter. He should be happy for Cagalli. He wanted to, but couldn't. The only thing Athrun thought he could do now was to stay away from Cagalli. If he couldn't give her his blessings, the least he could do was to not stand in her way of happiness.

... ... ...

It had been a few days since Cagalli received the note. She was now feeling more depressed than ever. It was not because of the hate mail. No. The one troubling her now was Athrun.

Athrun was becoming distant lately and she didn't know why. Athrun was no longer talking as much as he used to to Cagalli. For a boy with few words to begin with, he was now more or less a mute. And he no longer walked Cagalli to class or wait for her afterwards. Athrun didn't even join the gang in the cafeteria anymore. He would claim that he needed to go to the school library instead to catch up with his studies.

Cagalli knew that Athrun was avoiding her on purpose. She knew that but she did not have the courage to confront him about it. Instead, she continued moping about.

Cagalli was now on her way to the cafeteria. It was break time. She and Athrun went separate ways- Athrun to the library and she to the cafeteria. Break times used to be her favourite. With Athrun no longer joining her and the rest of the gang in the cafeteria, break time wasn't as fun anymore. Cagalli was now very eager for classes; she looked forward to all the classes she shared with him. Even though they won't talk much, Cagalli felt it was better than not seeing Athrun at all.

"Good morning my darling!" Yuna greeted her as he suddenly pooped out of nowhere and blocked her way.

"Bug off Yuna, I have no time to entertain you," Cagalli said monotonously.

"Oh don't be like this darling! I'll only take a second!" Yuna grinned.

"Fine, one," Cagalli said, literally counting one second.

"Oh I meant ten! Ten seconds!" Yuna said.

Rolling her eyes, Cagalli continued to count, "Two."

"Hey! You should start again from one!" Yuna protested.

"Three," Cagalli replied.

"Oh ok! Fine!" Yuna started to panic; he was running out of time. "Would you go with me to the Summer Dance?" Yuna quickly asked.

Cagalli stopped counting and stared incredulously at Yuna as if he was the biggest fool (which he was) in the world. "What?" Cagalli said.

"Would you go to the Summer Dance with me?" Yuna asked again.

"No," Cagalli replied.

"But why?" Yuna asked shocked.

"It's girl's choice. But of course, your pea size brain cannot comprehend that, so let me break it down for you," Cagalli spoke as if she was talking to a retard. "It means girls ask the guys to the dance. Not the other way round."

"So?" Yuna asked stupidly.

Sighing, Cagalli replied, "You don't ask a girl to go with you. You wait for her to ask you."

"Oh! I get it!" Yuna exclaimed happily. "Ok darling! Ask me! I'm ready to say yes anytime!"

"No," Cagalli said flatly.

"What? What now?" Yuna said.

"I don't want to go with you, so I'm not asking you." With that, Cagalli shoved Yuna aside and marched off to the cafeteria.

Yuna was about to give chase when someone stopped him.

"Follow her and I'll break your bones," Shinn threatened. Shinn looked absolutely frightening that Yuna gulped and ran away in the other direction.

"Cagalli! What took you so long?" Kira asked when Cagalli reached the table.

"Yuna was annoying me as usual," Cagalli replied.

"What? Where is he?" Kira was getting mad.

"It's alright Kira," Shinn walked in and said. "I've already taken care of him. That sissy is such a loser."

"And a retard too! He just doesn't understand when people tell him to back off. Seriously, if I lose a strand of hair every time I threaten and beat the crap out of him, I would have been bold by now," Kira added.

"So Cagalli," Lacus started. "Who are you taking to the Summer Dance?"

Cagalli shrugged. "I don't think I'm going at all."

"What? Why not?" Lacus and Mir asked together in alarm.

Everyone looked at Cagalli and expected the reason to be because of Athrun. It was partly true, but Cagalli was not going to admit it of course.

"It's not my thing," Cagalli replied.

"But that's not a good excuse!" Shiho exclaimed. "It's not my thing either but I'm still going with him!" Shiho pointed Yzac.

"Hey woman! I'm only going with you because you asked me. I just wanted to save your face!" Yzac said.

"Oh please! Who's saving whose face? I only asked you because I know no one else in the right mind would ask you!" Shiho retorted. "I was saving you from the humiliation of not getting asked at all!"

"Ok break it off you two!" Mir cut in. "Anymore of this and you two might just decide not to go altogether. And when this happens, I'm going to kill Dearka!"

"Hey! Why am I being dragged into this all of a sudden?" Dearka wailed.

Later on in the evening...

Cagalli was lying lazily on the couch watching television. The twins had just finished eating dinner and Kira was doing the dishes by himself in the kitchen. Cagalli was practically banned from doing any chores because that would basically mean more work for Kira considering how undomesticated Cagalli was.

"Click. Click. Click." That was the sound when Cagalli was flipping through three hundred over channels. After deciding that there was nothing nice on television, Cagalli trudged up the stairs and went into her room. It was only eight thirty in the evening but Cagalli decided to retire for the night.

Cagalli was lying in bed when Koneko snuggled up beside her. Koneko would always sleep with Cagalli. In the beginning, Cagalli found it weird to have something hard and cold snuggling up beside her. But after a while, Cagalli got used to it.

"Knock knock." There was a sudden knock on Cagalli's door. Instantly, Koneko jumped out of bed and started talking.

"It's Kira! It's Kira!" Koneko said in its mechanical voice. Koneko was able to detect Kira's presence.

"Yup, sis it's me," Kira said as he opened the door.

"Hello! Good evening! Good evening Kira!" Koneko greeted.

"Hello Koneko, why don't you go out and chase after Tori for a while," Kira suggested.

After watching the yellowish golden mechanical kitten run out of the room, Cagalli spoke, "I thought you're afraid of Koneko eating your Tori up!"

"Nah, I'm sure Athrun programmed Koneko in a way that it won't eat Tori," Kira replied.

At first, Cagalli flinched when she heard Kira saying Athrun's name. She has been a bit jumpy lately when it came to Athrun. But she recovered in a short while and retorted, "But that's not what you told me the last time."

"Yea I know, but listen," Kira said. "I need to talk to you."

"Aren't we talking now?" Cagalli said cheekily.

"I mean seriously," Kira's tone was grave. It was as if someone died.

"Yea sure," Cagalli replied as she moved over to the side of her queen size bed to make way for Kira to sit on the side.

"I know I've been a little protective of you..." Kira started.

Cagalli wanted to say that 'over' was a better word but she knew times like that was not meant for her little remarks.

Kira continued, "I want you to be happy. I want to protect you. You're my only sister. You're my twin. My life will be incomplete without you."

Cagalli remained quiet and merely listened to her brother speak.

"So to cut to the point, I want you to go to the dance. Ask Athrun to go with you. Don't worry. I won't harass him unless he really crosses the line. But then again, he's really a gentleman so he won't do it. Though it doesn't appear to the other girls, he really is one when it comes to someone he cares about. And Cagalli, I know he cares for you a great deal."

"But Kira," Cagalli finally said. "The dance is not..."

"I know it's not your cup of tea," Kira interrupted. "If you won't do it for yourself, then do it for me. We're twins. We do everything together. We see the dentist together, we go to the dance together and have double dates and yes, this is partly so that I can keep an eye on you. You were not in this school for the last dance and now that you are, I really like you to come for this one. I know I sound so cheesy and mushy and stuff, but I mean it. Hell, I even want to have a double wedding with you! There I said it! I'm officially the..."

"Best brother in the world," Cagalli finished the sentence before jumping on Kira to give him a hug. But of course, being Cagalli, she just had to ruin the moment by giving a remark. "You do know that being all sentimental and stuff is supposed to be the girl's job right?"

"Well someone has to take on that role since you won't do it," Kira replied.

After a while, Kira spoke again, "So what do you say? Are you going to ask him?"

"Well yea, I suppose so..." Cagalli said. "Kira?"

"Yes sis?" Kira replied gently.

"Do you think I like-like Athrun?" Cagalli asked out-of-the-blue.

"What?" Kira was caught by surprise.

"Well, there are many other boys in school. But you seem so sure that I would only ask Athrun," Cagalli replied.

"Well how do you feel about him?" Kira asked Cagalli.

"I don't know," Cagalli said, looking confused and sad at the same time. "I..." Cagalli breathed in deep. "I feel safe around him. When he smiles, I feel really warm and fuzzy all over. But when he ignores me, I feel terrible. I am really miserable these past few days. Athrun seem to be avoiding me on purpose. I can be wrong; it's just what I think."

Kira nodded as if he understood everything, which of course he did. Prodding Cagalli to continue, he said, "Go on..."

"And..." Cagalli took a deep breath again. "I didn't regret kissing him at all during the festival," Cagalli confessed turning into a bright crimson.

Now it was Kira's turn to take a deep breath. "I don't think you like-like him." Kira said. "I know you do."

The next day...

It was history class with Mr La Flaga and it was one of the few lessons Cagalli did not have with Athrun. Mr La Flaga was talking on and on about world war two. Or that was what Cagalli thought because she was not listening to a word the teacher was saying. Instead, she was pondering about the conversation she had with Kira the night before. She had asked Kira right before he tucked her into bed if Athrun would go with her to the dance. Kira said yes, but Cagalli was still sceptical. The dance was just a few days away and some girl had probably beaten her to it and asked Athrun first.

"Oh my gosh! Look at the window! Meer and Athrun are making out!" Miriallia suddenly shouted.

"What?" Cagalli suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and looked out the window. "Where? I can't see them!"

"Calm down! I was just joking!" Mir told her anxious friend.

Cagalli suddenly glared at her friend. "That was not funny you know," Cagalli said clearly annoyed.

"Sorry but class ended five minutes ago. You and I are the only ones left. You were spacing out again. What's up with you? Is it because of Zala?" Mir asked.

"What? Now that's just ridiculous!" Cagalli nearly shouted.

Looking at Cagalli's red face, Mir knew immediately it was false. "Don't lie to me! I know you were thinking about him. And what's with the big reaction earlier when I joked about Meer and Athrun making out?" Mir questioned Cagalli.

"T-That was... umm... that was..." Cagalli stuttered.

"Well?" Mir prodded.

Cagalli knew that the Mir would find out the truth sooner or later. So, she decided to come clean. "I'm going to ask Athrun to the dance," Cagalli said in one breath.

"Really? That's great! Oh my gosh thank goodness! I'm glad some sense finally went through that thick skull of yours!" Mir shrieked in delight.

... ... ...

"Cagalli! What happened? What took you so long?" Mir asked in alarm.

When Cagalli made her way alone to the table, she was horribly depressed; her eyes were all red and puffy. The gang wondered where Athrun was. Something must have gone horribly wrong. Athrun would have arrived with Cagalli had things worked out between them.

"I was too late," Cagalli said quietly.

Flashback:

Cagalli was in the library searching for Athrun. After the long conversation she had with Kira the night before and Mir's prep talk minutes ago, Cagalli decided that she was not going to waste anymore time and just ask Athrun to the dance already.

Suddenly, she spotted him. Athrun was at the most secluded side of the library. Cagalli was about to walk over to him when she noticed that he was not alone. Someone else was there.

"Really? That's great! I'm so glad you agreed Athrun!" Meer squealed in delight.

"Ok, so keep it down now would you? We're in the library for goodness sake," Athrun said annoyed.

"Sorry! I was just so excited and happy! I'll go now. See you at the dance! Bye!" Meer said less loudly this time. She then walked over to where Cagalli was standing very still, clearly in the state of shock.

"You're too late Hibiki. Athrun's finally agreed to go with me to the dance," Meer hissed. "By the way, I hope you can keep this to yourself. As much as I love the attention, I know Athrun does not." Meer then walked off smirking.

Cagalli stared at Athrun's back. She was devastated. She could not believe what just happened. She was too late. Athrun was going with Meer to the dance. Not her. A tear rolled down Cagalli's face. She was glad that Athrun's back was turned to her so that he would not see her pathetic state.

She tried to stop crying, but her tears won't stop flowing. She was hurting so badly. She had never experienced that kind of pain before, it was different. Cagalli put a hand over her chest, it was tightening. Unable to take it any longer, Cagalli ran away.

She wasn't thinking where she was going. She just let her legs take over. She soon found herself back there again. The old abandoned music room in the west block. The place had fond memories of her and Athrun. They had served their first ever detention there. Cagalli's mind was wondering off to Athrun again. Sitting at the corner of the room, Cagalli pulled her knees to her chest and buried her head in. She remained in that position for a quiet a while, crying.

End of flashback

"Oh Cagalli..." Kira stood up and gave his sister a hug. "This is my fault. I shouldn't have pushed you too hard."

"It's not your fault Kira," Cagalli said. "I guess it's just not meant to be..."

To be continued...

I really have no idea when I'm going to update next. I'm so sorry! But I will try my best to keep it regular. And don't worry because I will finish this story no matter how long it takes. I will not leave it hanging because I get irritated too when I read a story that will forever be incomplete.

And please review! Thank you in advance!