My thanks to Nano Kunitachi. I hadn't thought anyone was actually reading my story. :)

Momiji strode through the halls whistling absentmindedly, using the last minutes of his study hall period to walk to class unhindered by the usual crowd of students. Suddenly he slowed down as he passed a slightly ajar classroom door. Through the window he could see that it was occupied by a teacher talking earnestly to Namie.

Momiji curiously slowed his pace again to practically a stop so that he could listen in.

"—not exactly pleased with the work you've been doing lately," the teacher was saying.

Namie's voice was steady, but Momiji could just hear a slight note of worry underneath the calm. "I know, it's just been… a little hard recently."

"I'm aware of the difficulty," the teacher replied with a sigh. "But really Namie, if your grades continue to drop much more you are going to start to have a serious problem."

"I understand," Namie said softly. "I'll try harder, I promise."

The teacher sighed again and there was a long pause. "I don't know Namie," she finally spoke. "Maybe I should call your father in."

"No!" This time Namie's voice was louder, sharper. "No," she continued hastily. "No, no, no, you don't have to do that! I mean, he's really busy. " Her words took on a note of pleading now. "Please, I'll work harder. I'll bring my grades back up. There's no need to trouble my father with this right now."

"Well alright," conceded the teacher. "I won't call him yet, but if you don't—"

The bell rang, cutting off the teacher's last words and Momiji was reluctantly swept down the hall and away from the door by a flood of students, still wondering about the seemingly endless mysteries surrounded Namie.

OOO

The conversation was also on Namie's mind as she set out her books on the small library table. She would to better, and she planned to spend her lunches in the library until then. Picking up her history homework and scanning the long list of dates and names she was had to memorize, Namie felt her heart sink. How the heck was she supposed to do this? History always fell at the bottom of her priorities and now she was so behind catching up seemed impossible. Namie rested her head in her hands and let out a sigh.

"Sleeping again?" a chipper voice interrupted her thoughts. Namie peered through her fingers to see the boy from the day before, Momiji, grinning at her.

"No," Namie picked up her history homework again. "Just working."

"But it's lunch! Aren't you going to eat something?"

"I'm not hungry," lied Namie, over the slight grumblings of protest that were coming from her stomach. "Besides, I have to get this done before the next class."

She focused on the paper, trying to shut the blond boy out. Instead of leaving her though, Momiji perched himself on the corner of the table. After a minute more of being ignored, he reached out and plucked the paper unceremoniously out of Namie's hands.

"Hey!"

Momiji scanned the paper with an interested expression, quite oblivious to Namie glaring at him. Who was this guy? For someone who Namie didn't know more about than his name, he was astonishingly forward. And friendly. He kept smiling at everything.

As if to prove this thought, Momiji looked up at her again with a thousand watt smile. "Oh this is what you have to do? Well then that's not so bad. Come on, lets go have lunch."

Namie watched him hop off the table, nonplussed. "What? I told you I need to work."

"You'll think better on a full stomach," Momiji shrugged. "Besides, you're in my history class so I can help you."

Namie shot him a doubtful look.

"Unlike some people, I do my homework the night before at home and I've finished the assignment." Namie narrowed her eyes and Momiji grinned again. "Come on, I'm good at history!" When she cast one more hesitant look at the books on the table, Momiji winked and waved the paper still in his hand at her. "Besides, I've still got your homework and if you want it back you'd better come with me to the cafeteria."

Still frowning, Namie could think of no reply to that as she slid her books back into her bag and followed him out the door.

Disclaimer: Fruit's Basket and its characters belong to Natsuki Takaya