Tap, tap, tap

"KAZUHA, I SWEAR IF YOU TAP THAT PENCIL ONE MORE TIME-"

This was our usual routine. After school, since both of our parents were working, I stayed at Heiji's house. My dad insisted on that. Being in the police department seemed to make him more paranoid about the dangers presented to a teenager. (Having my mom die at an early age didn't really help much.)

I grinned wickedly at Heiji from where I was sitting across the kitchen table. He returned with a don't-you-dare glare.

"Careful, your face might permanently stay that way," I warned.

He continued glaring.

Dear Heiji, after being friends for thirteen years, there are certain things that you should have learned about me. One being that stubbornness is one of my gifts. So, simply glaring will not stop me from annoying you. Sincerely, Kazuha.

"You're composing a mental letter about how incredibly stubborn you are?"

P.S. I seem to have forgotten that you have this really weird way of managing to figure out what's on my mind.

"What's the point of writing a mental letter, anyway?"

I shrugged and continued with my homework.

Fifteen seconds later…

Tap, tap,

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap, tap,

Tap, tap, tap,

Tap, tap, tap, tap-

SNAP!

Heiji stood over me, breathing heavily. In his hands were the broken fragments of my pencil.

"YOU. SO. OWE. ME. A. PENCIL." I stamped out.

"You were getting on my nerves!"

"Then, you need to start working on your anger management issues," I told him.

"No, I don't. THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH ME BEING ANNOYED BY YOU CONSTANTLY TAPPING YOUR PENCIL!"

I rolled my eyes and went back to staring ruefully at my homework. In my head, a vegetarian dinosaur walked into Heiji's home, knocked him on the head, picked up my homework in its mouth, and chewed it until it was unreadable and therefore impossible for me to work on.

"But I know that you tap your pencil when you're thinking hard," Heiji said slowly and thoughtfully. GASP. Heiji was actually thinking! (And not thinking logically or strategically like in school or when he's solving a case. You know, thinking as in being thoughtful and considerate and sensitive…okay, I'm going to stop now.)

"Yeeaaahhhh," My response.

"You want me to help you?" he offered.

"You what?" Being the graceful person that I was, I managed to fall off the chair and land on my arm. Hard.

"You're that surprised at me helping you?" Heiji smirked in amusement.

"No! I just- OW (censored word)!" I sat up, holding my left arm.

"Whoa, are you okay?" Heiji was instantly next to me.

"I've always thought that that was a rhetorical question," I sniffed.

"Let me see," he gently turned my arm so that it was palm up before running his hands up and down, feeling for the injury. To my mortal embarrassment, I could feel my face flush. And where his hands were in contact with my skin, I felt this curious tingling sensation. And it was warm. His hands felt really warm against my skin.

He let go of my arm, and suddenly, everything seemed unexplainably cold.

"You just might be the clumsiest person I know," Heiji said sighing.

Why, thank you. That's such a sympathetic thing to say to your best friend when she's injured.

"I mean, who falls off a chair and breaks their arm?"

"It's broken?"

"Well, I'm pretty sure it is. We should go to the hospital anyway."

I stood up and followed him out the door.

Well, this day just keeps getting better and better,

Hi everyone! Hope you like the story! In the actual series, Kazuha's mother isn't dead, but she isn't really mentioned, so for the sake of my story, I killed her (sorry!) You will find out how later. Anyways, COMMENT, REVIEW! Please?