Fine. It's been forever, I admit it. After aimlessly trying to make this less sucky, I totally reinvented a character, forgot key character traits, and ruined the whole thing- so here's the original. Enjoy!

She had wondered aimlessly after class looking for the bathroom. By the time she had the sense to ask someone for directions, all the teachers had left and club meetings began.

Gah, they should really have some signs around here...

Mari rounded the corner and came across a strange sight. A tall boy was adjusting a thin wire at the base of the door. It snaked up the frame to a small bag of something that looked like flour. A few particles snowed down into his silver hair, but he didn't move to brush them off. This felt like a situation where Mari would usually walk away from, but a steadfast urge coming from her bladder drove her to creep up behind him.

"Where's the restroom?"

Mari saw his finger slip a tiny bit, sharply tugging the flour bag- he jerked his head up anxiously. It wobbled, but didn't come crashing. He relaxed. The powdered wheat, however, had different plans: she saw the miniscule tilt forward, then forward, then...

"I'd get up if I were you."

His 'Eh?' was buried in white powder.

"I'm sorry, I should've said something," Mari said, a slight bit guilty. But he was the one pranking innocent bystanders. She still moved to pick up the dropped bag on the floor, powdering her fingers in white. The boy, however, made no move to dust himself off. Instead, he was eyeing her with a strange look in his eye: mischievous, curious, and a slight bit respecting at the same time.

"Well played. Niou Masaharu." He stuck out a white hand.

"Oh, well, I-I wasn't trying-"

Niou took her hand and shook it vigorously anyway, giving Mari a handful of flour and a flashy smile which she didn't particularly like.

"Of course, nobody messes usually messes with me."

"Oh, well," Mari jerked her hand out of his, politeness running short. "I wasn't trying to mess with you. Now, if you'll excuse me-"

She tossed him the empty flour bag and turned on heel to find someone more useful when-

"You're lost, aren't you?"

He was already scooping up flour from the floor and sifting it back into the bag.

Mari wondered who would win: her pride or her body. "Look," she spread her white hands, "I'm just looking for a toilet, okay?"

His face looked a bit hurt at her sharpness. "Well, you could've just said so."

I did say so. By the way, that fake sadness looks like constipation.

"Here, I'll lead you; it's right outside." He got up, rebalancing the bag onto the door, neglecting the pile of white still on his head. He flashed her another one of those irking smiles. "Rikkai has a strange building layout," he explained, holding the door for her. "Closest ones on the first floor are these ones outside."

The air outside was just beginning to smell a bit like autumn. Mari shivered in her skirt and pulled her blazer a little tighter. They approached a squat brick building. Mari began feeling uneasy. The whole thing seemed so wrong.

"I don't know, Niou, I-I really don't think this is right-"

"Sure it is. I've been to Rikkai-what? Three years now? I'm positive. Now off you go."

"But, I really don't think this is the girls' bathroom. There's a man's sign..."

"Didn't you hear? It's drag year."

"Oh...wait-drag year?"

And scene.

This was so embarrassing.

"How's tutoring going, Renji?" Bunta snickered, tying his shoes. "I hear you're doing history and German with the new girl, Hikari-something."

"Girl, Renji?" Yukimura smiled. "Is she pretty?"

Pause.

"Her comprehension level of German is to be improved, though her overall intelligence is extremely high."

Bunta rolled his eyes. "She's pretty."

"Pardon me for saying, Marui-san, but you find every girl attractive."

Pause.

"I bet she's a nerd. All frizzy hair and glasses."

"Kirihara..." Sanada growled.

"S-sorry."

"Is everyone free for an extra practice session on Friday afternoon?"

"We have another scheduled tutoring block."

"Could you possibly reschedule with her after? And it wouldn't hurt to meet-"

Two sharp raps on the door startled Mari out of her self-pity. "Renji, is that you?" she called automatically. Pause. Whispering.

"Yes."

Mari rolled her eyes.

"Come out, please."

"I can't." Pause. More whispering.

"Why?"

"Because I'm embarrassed."

"Hardly a reason."

"Would you consider pride a reason?" Another pause.

I'll have to face them eventually. She sighed. "It's open."

The slant of light landed right on her face, and she squinted to make him out. Renji had changed and wore an ugly yellow set of clothes. Behind him, a few curious heads broke the light. "What're you doing in here?"

I thought we settled this. "I was just looking for the bathroom," she replied. "Very sorry for intruding."

Renji stuck out a hand instead of offering her a reply, though maybe it was basically the same thing. After a second, she took it and he guided her out. She blinked at how bright it was in the room. A few guys stood around pretending she wasn't there. Another few stared openly (Rikkai-people...). And yet another few exchanged knowing looks to one another.

Silence.

Oh, so awkward. Could she just ask to leave?

Silence.

Maybe if she just waited, someone would initiate conversation.

An open mouth, a breath, and then closed.

Oh, man, this was worse than Nori with a dirty diaper.

But dirty diapers had to be changed sometime, right?

"Hi. My name is Mari."

Silence.

Work with me here, people...

"Wait, you're Hikari Mari?" This came from a familiar-looking boy with the purple eyes. She felt a flush coming over again remembering the...

"Yes. And you are?"

Mari watched him exchange a knowing look with another boy. It looked like they were sharing a silent laugh.

"Marui Bunta," violet eyes twinkled.

She cocked wide eyes in his direction. The words What's so funny? danced on her tongue. Rule number one: don't question it. Did she have something on her face or drool on her shirt? Mari discreetly looked at her collar. Clean.

Suddenly, the door popped open. A boy with a tan, bald head poked his head in. "Buchou, practice is ready to start-oh," he boggled his eyes at Mari, flitting a questioning look from Renji to her. With horror, she realized she was still holding his hand. Mari jerked away a little too sharply.

"I-uh-I was just leaving. Thank you. Very sorry. Very sorry." Mari bowed a few times before ducking out under the stunned boy's arm through the door, breaking into a run after breaking the corner of the main school building: direct violations of rules one and three, oh my stupid head...let's just go home, never return, maybe study a bit...with the books...

...that I left at the library. Oh, hasn't this day been long enough already?

Mari's lip trembled, and she could hit herself for being so weak.

She ran through the halls back to the library, intent on ripping into room, grabbing all the books and running five blocks home-who cared if the books fell into a rain drain somewhere along the way- steal a shower, and study through dinner. Yes: that sounded like a good plan. And with her books exactly as she'd left them, Mari awkwardly scooped up all five and struggled with reopening the door when something caught her eye.

It was small and made out of brown leather, lying on the ground where it had most likely fallen out of a certain person's pocket.

"HAHA I told you; she was cute!"

"Bunta, please. There's more than just a face-"

"She was holding your hand, Renji!"

"100% chance she was unaware." He stared thoughtfully at the flour dusting his hand.

"Don't you think she was pretty, Jackal?"

"Ah-ah-I-"

"Who was pretty?"

"Where were you, Niou? ...Is that flour? You missed the whole thing!"

A smile. "No, I really don't think I did."

Review? :)