Ayame grinned as the blushing girl stood up and walked away with a piece of paper in her hand. Anontheraddition…she's really cute for a freshman…like Natsuki…but Shizuru is drop-dead gorgeous…but then again Natsuki had that whole rebellious thing…but Shizuru still is sexy…oh my/freshman these days just turn me on.

Kara sat in the empty chair, with a raised eyebrow. "Oooh, getting some girlies aren't cha?"

Ayame laughed. "Basically, yes."

Kara laughed, beckoned a waitress, and asked for a beer.

The pretty girl blushed, and stuttered, "O-oh…m-ma'am, w-we…d-don't serve b-beer here…"

Kara pouted, "What's with the stutters?"

The girl waved her hands frantically, scratching the back of her head before gulping. "N-no, its just that you two are…"

Kara smirked. I see, she thinks we're sexy-

"…quite old for this place, it kind of freaked me out."

Ayame and Kara dropped out of their chairs and scurried to the corner in despair.

"We're getting old…"

Grace walked by, looking at the two, then the waitress. "Can I get a juice?"

"Uh, sure, hold on, what kind?"

Grace broke down into tears, "I DON'T KNOW!!?!?! WHY!!! YOU'RE RUINING MY WHOLE LIFE!!! I SHOULD REPORT THIS TO YOUR MANAGER!!!"

The girl started to whimper, "No! Please, don't!!! Anything but that, here, I'll get you and your friends free drinks on the house, Boss keeps a few drinks in the ba-"

Grace recovered and smiled elegantly, "Oh, how kind of you. Now please go along, some people have jobs to attend in half an hour."

Ayame looked up from her corner. "But why would you drink beer then- and I have a year of high school still, I don't have a job yet! And neither do you! Plus the party!"

Kara pouted. "Its something me and Grace started, we get a drink before parties so we don't fall asleep. For some reason, when I'm a tad bit buzzed, I pay attention to my surroundings more. I say it's a good thing."

"It doesn't make sense…" Ayame scratched her cheek. "But anyways, Kara-san, Grace-san, I asked you two to come down here before the party to you something…about my future."

Kara tilted her head. "What?"

"Can I move in with you guys? I mean, the college is closer to you guys than were I live…" And, Shizuru does visit Natsuki frequently...hehehe...

"Okay. Sweet, I can plan more experiments and rituals…I mean…more parties now!" Kara yipped.

The waitress brought three cans, Ayame kissed her cheek, and she scurried off with her face bright pink.

"Cheers."

"Merry Christmas."

--

Hisa sighed, walking with Ayuki in the snow. The two walked in silence. "I'm sorr-" the girls both started, but stopped.

The two had recently got in a fight about Hisa's teasings and Ayuki's stubborn attitude.

"Sorry…I tease you too much, I'll stop." Hisa muttered, her breath making a little cloud in the cold.

"No! I mean…you can still, just not as much…y-you know…and I'm sorry…I guess I do talk back too much…I don't really think before I say things…"

Ayuki smiled.

"You're cute when you smile…"

Thanks…

The two blushed.

--

Shin and Ryu sighed, going shopping with Kiana and Anzu was definetly not a good thing. Especially when they both were mad at each other.

But how long could they stay mad?

"What did Trent want anyways…"

"Oh…just some party tonight…"

"Wait…so you're not going to Kara's party?"

"No…its not like that…he promised to leave me alone after…"

"Oh…what happened between you two anyways?"

Anzu looked down at her black jeans, playing with the end of her blue shirt.

"W…we used to go out."

Kiana looked at Anzu in surprise, almost dropping the clothes in her hand onto the floor. "Y-you did?!"

"Yeah…"

The two looked back at the clothes in an awkward silence, before Kiana pressed Anzu into the matters again. "S-so…did you love him?"

"…Yes…"

"Then why'd you break up with him?"

"He proposed."

Kiana's jaw dropped to the floor, not literally, or she'd be the girl from the Grudge, but it opened pretty big for an 'o' of surprise.

"W-what happened?"

"I wasn't ready. I had too many doubts. I didn't want to get pregnant. Plus, I can't leave Ryu…"

Kiana's eyes softened, and she bit down on her lip, preparing to ask the worst question. "D-do…you still love him?"

"…I don't know. Honestly. I know I love him, but…I also know I'm not in love with him. I can't stop loving him though, because we did have happy memories. But now…I had lost that spark that used to be there."

"Spark?"

"Yeah...but…I think I found it again…"

Kiana smiled, turned, and said, "Well, I hope you have fun at the party tonight."

Yet she was not aware of that one salty tear running down her cheek.

--

Kazuko, Kenju, and Priscilla met up with Shin and Ryu at McDonalds, and invited them over.

Shin sat next to Priscilla, who was grinning widely at them.

"This isn't fair, I'm the only girl."

"Don't be worried. People will think you're a cute dyke, or a female pimp."

Kazuko snickered, "Pris is a play-yahhhhhh!!!"

All of them laughed.

Ryu wiped a tear that ran down his cheek after another round of laughter.

--

Natsuki sighed, banging her head on her desk in her room, mad at what she did last night, or what had happened.

What's going on, do I like Shizuru like…that? Am I really like that? I know our friends accept Kazuko, so they'll do the same to me, but… but what about everyone else?

Is Shizuru even like that? Then why did she kiss me if she's not? Was it friendly, or mutual?

A million other questions ran through Natsuki's head, before she rolled around again, looking up at her ceiling.

"I guess I'll find out tonight…"

She got up and pulled on a black t-shirt with the an urban design on it, putting on blue jeans, and putting on flappy Converses.

Picking up her acoustic guitar Kiana gave her, she started to play a random song.

"I…I should make a song for Shizuru…"

--

Geez…what was I thinking?

Shizuru blushed again, looking at herself in the mirror. She wore a blue skirt and a crème-colored pull over that revealed her white tang-top's left strap and her creamy white skin. Tying half of her hair, and putting on some eyeliner and powder, Shizuru stretched up, yawning, and getting up to go to her bathroom.

Her house was so lonely.

It was quiet.

She like it when she spent nights at Natsuki's, since there would be loud music from Kiana's room, or Kiana yelling, or Natsuki and Kiana fighting…

It was lively.

And cozy too.

Shizuru liked her home too, but only her room, her father's study, the garden, and the library.

The only peaceful places.

But it was quiet.

And inside Shizuru, she felt her heart buzz, and a cold pit tie one of the tightest knots in her stomach, tighter than any moment she has lived through.

"I'll find out tonight at Kara's…"

Shizuru sighed, felt tears, and went to the bathroom to see if she needed to fix and make-up.

------------------------------

TBC.

Calm before the first wave of a storm and whatnot