Rin giggled. "Okay, you'll be miffed to hear this! Next class is ..."

She was interrupted by a voice at the door. "Well, well. Look who it is. I never expected to see you here."

The two girls stiffened and turned around. At the door was...

Marou gasped. She couldn't believe her eyes. Leaning against the doorframe was−

"NERU-CHAAAAN!" Marou then proceeded to ignore the color of her uniform and yank Neru into a death hug. Neru groaned.

"Oooooooow…. Marou, still the-OOF- same amount of strength I-argh- see."

Marou released her, pouting. "Why haven't you been texting me?"

Neru rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly. "Well, about that, er …. My parents, er, took my phone."

Rin giggled. "I'd hate to see the phone bill."

Neru whipped around and glared at Rin. "Oh, look who else is here. Little goldilocks. Still struggling through the woods of mental illness, I see."

Rin snorted. "I'd rather be that than a blond ripoff of Mama Bear."

Marou glanced at them nervously. "Um, now, now ..."

Rin and Neru shrieked at the same time: "HOW CAN YOU BE FRIENDS WITH THIS BITCH?"

Marou sighed and muttered, "It's gonna be a looooong day ..."

~::*::~::*::~

5th hour (science): Rin and Neru turned each others' hair different colors, resulting in them having detention.

6th hour (independant study): Marou was introduced to Gumi and Luka, and got along with them instantly. Was a little nervous around Mika, their small best friend, who was constantly watching her with ice-blue eyes.

So we return in 7th hour ...

"ALRIGHT, LISTEN UP, YOU LITTLE BRATS!"

Meiko-sensei, the grumpy music teacher, scowled at the class. Marou, who was sandwiched between Mika and Len, whispered behind her hand, "Is she always this angry?"

Len sighed. "Except for New Years, when she's dead drunk, pretty much yeah." Mika nodded in agreement.

"KAGAMINE! DETENTION FOR WHISPERING UNDER YOUR BREATH!"

Len jawdropped. "B-but, Meiko-sensei-"

"NO BUTS! LITTLE BRAT! I'M NOT AS DRUNK AS I LOOK!"

"Wait, Meiko-san!"

Meiko glared at Marou. "WHAT, newbie?"

"I was the one talking. Give me detention instead."

Meiko smirked. "Oh, I've got something far worse than that."

"Eh?"

"Sing! Now! In front of the class!"

Marou was speechless. Mika and Len looked at her in sympathy. Finally, Marou regained her voice.

"Wh-what song, Meiko-sensei?"

"Hmm ..." Meiko rubbed her chin in thought. Finally, she snapped her fingers. "Right! Let's Do It, from Angel Note!"

Marou stared. I didn't know she played hentai stuff ...

"Up here, newbie! I want EVERYONE to hear you!"

Marou gulped and got up. Slowly she walked to the front of the room and sat on the stool that Meiko was pointing at.

"Urr ..."

"NOW!"

Marou gulped again. Then she opened her mouth and began to sing.

Chiisaku kagayaku, demo totemo tsuyoi hikari

Keshite kesu koto nado deki wa shinai no ...

To her surprise, the instrumental was played by a girl with long teal pigtails at the piano in the corner. As Marou glanced at her in surprise, the girl turned around and mouthed, Keep singing! So Marou began to sing again, her voice as lilting as a blooming rose,

Shinjite kureru hito tachi no omoi

Hitotsu qutsu atsume katachi ni shiteku

Nanika ni michibikareta kakegaenai deai,

mikata ni tsukete umarekawatta!

Without signal, a voice joined in with Marou's. Len.

Chiisaku kagayaku, demo totemo tsuyoi hikari

His sister's melted into their duet.

Ai no chikara wo ete motto kagayaku

The rest of the class joined in with their song, the bad singers, the good singers, all melted into one beautiful voice with many different tones.

aku ga towa naraba ai mo mata towa ni tsudzuku!

Makenai kokoro idaite mirai no tame ni ...

LET'S DO IT!

The girl with the teal pigtails continued playing the instrumental, and with a final chord, the piano eventually faded into silence, along with the choldren's voices. Meiko sensei was just sitting there, stunned at the brilliance of the song. Finally, she gulped and snapped out of it.

"Marou-san." Marou flinched slightly. "Come to me after school. Don't forget."

Meiko-sensei cleared her throat. "Anyway ..." Her voice reverbrated off of the walls in the silence of the classroom. She scowled. "Since you little ingrates actually sounded like a misuc class for once instead of a screeching bunch of birds, free time for the last twenty minutes!" Meiko got up and slithered off towards her desk, grumbling something about sake.

"Marou-chan! You were soo awesome!" Len high-fived Marou as she came to sit back down. Even Mika was smiling a little.

"You weren't that bad," she said softly, turning away.

"Marou-san!"

"Great job, Marou-san!"

"Not bad, shorty!"

"ROOOU-CHAAN!"

Rin plowed through the crowd that had gathered around Marou. She yanked her into a death hug. Marou groaned.

"Ooooowwwww ... Rin, I'm not gonna be able to sing anymore if you break my collarbone!"

"Whoops!" Rin let go of her quickly. "Sorry, Rou-chan. Heheheh."

Suddenly Marou remebered the girl at the piano. "Eh, be right back, guys ..." She squeezed her way through the crowd to the piano, and to her surprise the girl was gone. "Hmm ..." She turned back around and headed back to her seat.

"What's wrong, Rou-chan?" Rin asked in response to her friend's confused look.

"Hn? Oh, nothing, Rin-chan..." Marou glanced back toward the piano, once more.

I have to find that girl so I can thank her ...

~::*::~::*::~

After class ...

"Sensei-sama?" A student cautiously inched into the music room.

"Huh? Oh, it's you. What is it?" The brown-haired sensei closed her book and turned to face the student, who was now standing in front of her desk.

"Do you really think ... that she's ... er ..."

The sensei laughed, displaying surprisingly white teeth for an alchoholic.

"Is THAT what you're in here about?"

The student shook his head slowly, reaching up to brush blond bangs out of his eyes.

"I just don't want her brought into this unless it's completely necessary."

The sensei sighed, opening her book to where she had left off.

"We'll just have to find out after school, Len-san."

The student nodded and headed toward the door, pausing at it briefly.

"Thank you, Meiko-sama..."

Starri: FORGIVE ME!

Len: What's she so upset about?

Rin: It's been more than two days since her last update.

Teto: *munches new bread from reviews* What's so bad about that?

Rin: She's seen so many abandoned stories that left off in cliffhangers, so she vowed to do an update every two days ...

Starri: NOOOOO! *explodes into dust*

Marou: *walks in* What's happen- WHOA!

Len: *pokes at ramains* who's gonna write us now?

Starri: *is healed at the mention of writing* THE STORY MUST GO ON! *grabs superpen*

Marou: =.= Well, she wasn't dead after all. *under breath* Shit.

Mika: *stares*

Starri: Thanks to my reviewers! And btw I DID add your OC, Mika! But I'm sorry, she has to fall in love with Kaito's twin brother cause I want Rin to be with Kaito ...

Rin & Kaito: EEEeeeehh?

Starri: Yes, Rin, with KAITO. I think y'all make such a cute couple 3

Len: Err ... please review! I'm going to throw my sister a Very First Boyfriend party if you do :D

Mika: *stares* Yes, R&R. Or I'll be in your bedroom staring at you for a month.