Chapter Five

"How is this possible?!" Kyo demanded, slamming Shigure's door shut behind him.

Shigure blinked at him in confusion. "How is what possible? What are you slamming my door for?"

Kyo took a deep breath and sat down across from Shigure. "I saw Rei when she was out on her walk, and she was falling down that steep hill, you know, the one off in that direction?" Kyo explained, pointing. "Anyway, I… I jumped after her, because I didn't want her to get hurt. When we got to the bottom, she landed on top of me, and I was even holding on to her, and… I didn't change!"

Shigure smiled knowingly. "Ahh… This is a surprise… How nice!"

Kyo blinked in confusion. "So… do you know why…?" He trailed off.

"Oh, of course I do. It's part of being the cat. As your current guardian, of course I was told. Kazuma would know too."

"Well, what is it then?" Kyo demanded, getting irritated.

"Oh, I can't tell you. It might influence your decision about her." Shigure said with an official nod. "I'll tell you when the time is right."

"Fine, I'll just go ask Master then!" Kyo growled, springing to his feet.

"I wouldn't suggest it," Shigure advised. "He won't tell you either, you'll just get angrier."

Kyo growled in frustration and stalked out of the room, going to sulk on the roof.

XXX … XXX

"Rei?" Shigure called, knocking on the door of the room that Tohru and I shared. I called for him to come in and the door slid open a bit, his head poking into the room. "I just thought I'd let you know, two of our cousins are going to be visiting today."

"Okay, sounds like fun," I said with a grin. "Who are they?"

"Momiji and Hatsuharu, they're a year younger than you, Tohru, Kyo and Yuki."

"Okay. Shoo off then, I'm changing clothes."

Shigure blinked at me. "Why? Those clothes are perfectly fine."

"Not for meeting people! Do you want me to make a bad impression?" I asked, looking shocked and horrified, but mostly faking it because I wanted him to get out.

"All right, all right, I'm going," He grumbled, and shut the door behind him.

I looked through my small wardrobe, wishing I had more to choose from. At least, since it was all new, most of them were pretty much considered nice. After a moment's deliberation, I slid into a black mini-skirt, a green tank top that matched my eyes, and a white jacket. I made a mental note not to go outside today, so I wouldn't get the jacket dirty.

I brushed through my hair and washed my face, killing time until the new Sohmas showed up. Once I ran out of things to do, I just kind of stood and stared out the window. Kyo was out in the yard practicing some kind of fighting move, and I watched in amusement. A breeze blew through the window and I closed my eyes against it, enjoying the tickling feeling it brushed across my skin.

After a little while I stepped away from the window and looked into the mirror again, I started fidgeting with my hair, my clothes, making sure I looked nice. Once I couldn't fix anything else, I just stood there and stared. Have you ever gotten that feeling, the one where you completely recognize the person staring back at you in the mirror, but at the same time, you have no clue who she is?

That's the feeling I was getting. I didn't understand it, and it made me kind of sad. I cast my gaze away and tried to shove the thoughts away, but I couldn't stop thinking about that feeling. Why did the girl in the mirror look so different now? Just because my hair was an inch or so shorter… Why does the girl in the mirror look so much happier in this one, than she did in the one at home?

"Rei!" A voice called from downstairs. "Rei, c'mere!" Tohru called again.

I made my way slowly down the steps, and didn't look up until I reached the bottom. Standing in front of me were Shigure, Yuki, Tohru, Kyo off to the side, and two boys that I could only assume were Momiji and Hatsuharu. I blinked. Hadn't Shigure said that they were only a year younger than us? One was short and blonde, and looked like he could be starting middle school. The other was tall, with ridiculous black and white hair, and was kind of scary.

The blonde one bounced up and down in excitement. "Oh my gosh, she's so pretty!" I blushed slightly as he ran over to me and tugged my arm. "My name is Momiji!"

"Oh, um, thanks… Nice to meet you." I glanced up at the other boy. "So… you must be Hatsuharu, then?"

He nodded, took a step closer, and held out his hand. "Nice to meet you. You can just call me Haru."

I took his hand and shook it, giving him a cross between a half smile and a smirk. "You too… and nice hair."

"It's his natural color," Tohru pointed out.

My eyebrows raised incredulously. "You're kidding me. Is that even possible?"

Haru smirked. "You want me to prove it?"

"NO!" Kyo and Yuki yelled out simultaneously.

I blinked in confusion at them. "Why? What does he—"

"Trust me," Kyo said, giving me a look. "You don't wanna know."

"Um… okay…" I murmured, and looked around, unsure of what to do now.

Shigure walked into the room at that moment. "Ah, it would appear the gangs all here. I'm assuming that you've all been introduced? My Rei, don't you look lovely? You definitely have the legs for that skirt!"

My eyes widened and I blushed furiously, half-stepping behind Tohru. Kyo, Yuki, and Haru all smacked Shigure.

Momiji looked ponderingly at me. "He's right, you have pretty legs!"

I blushed even harder. I just got complimented on my legs by a boy who looks like he could be a boy that I baby-sit… That's weird.

Yuki was giving Momiji a look, Haru seemed amused, and Kyo… looked like he was about to explode. A vein pulsed angrily in his forehead, and his fists were clenched.

"Oh, hey, Kyo," Haru intervened before Kyo could start bullying Momiji. "Didn't you say there was something you wanted to talk to me about?"

"What? Oh, yeah," Kyo said, cast a quick glance at me, and then looked back at Haru. "Come on, I don't want everyone listening in."

I watched him go curiously, and shook my head, deciding if it was something he wanted me to know, he'd tell me in his own time.

Momiji pulled me out of my thoughts, dragging me into a deep conversation about his favorite anime.

XXX … XXX

"… And I didn't transform," Kyo concluded. "Shigure knows what's going on, but he won't tell me. Master knows too. Apparently they need to wait until the 'right time,' whatever that's supposed to mean."

Haru looked thoughtful. "Well obviously, Rei is special somehow… So don't do anything to piss her off. It would suck if you found out what's going on just to lose her."

Kyo bristled. "Why does everyone think I'll inevitably ruin things by doing something stupid?!"

"Nice use of a big word. And you have a tendency to jump into things, you can't deny it. Just play it cool, wait it out. You'll figure things out eventually."

Kyo just grimaced and walked back inside.

XXX … XXX

"Oh, I know, I know!" Momiji squealed, bouncing up and down excitedly. "Rei should come with us to the last week of school, and then she could come to the Summer School Dance!"

"Oh, that would be so much fun!" Tohru exclaimed. "Will you come, Rei? Please? You could meet Hana and Uo!"

"Um…" I said, biting my lip. "Yeah, I s'pose it could be fun. But how am I gonna get in? I don't think they'd let someone attend for just the last week…"

"Don't worry about that," Shigure put in. "I'll call the principal and tell her that Tohru has a guest that will be coming with her for the last week."

"Oh, thanks Shigure." I said with a smile. "So, what's the deal on this big dance?"

Momiji clapped his hands. "It's a huge school-wide dance to celebrate school getting out! They always have one on the last day, and it goes until way late in the night!"

I blinked. "How do you know? Isn't this your first year in high school?"

"They told us all about it in class," Haru explained

"Is it formal?" I asked, hoping it wasn't. I obviously didn't have a formal dress, and I didn't want to make them buy me anything else.

"Semi-formal," Yuki muttered.

I smiled to myself, mentally going through my wardrobe and picking the perfect thing.

"Ohmigosh, Rei, are you gonna wear…." Tohru trailed off on her question, her eyes having a slight glint to them.

I grinned and nodded. "But you definitely have to wear…"

"Oh, no, I couldn't!" She said quickly. "Besides, wouldn't it be weird if we…"

"No, no, no, it would be sweet. We'd have one of those walking in and time just stops moments, where everyone is all like… you know?"

"Do you think? Yeah, I suppose… this is going to be so great!"

Haru blinked in confusion. "Anyone know what they're talking about?"

"Rei has corrupted our Tohru," Yuki said matter-of-factly.

"Our entrance has to be dramatic," Tohru said, leaning towards Rei as she spoke. "Should we like, choreograph it? So we do it right?"

"No, no, no," I said, shaking my head and leaning in to our mini-conference. "It has to be like, natural. Trust me, it'll be fabulous!"

"Definitely," Tohru said, smiling. "Besides, who needs a date to look amazing?"

My eyes lit up. "Oh my gosh, this is a date dealio? Yuki, you're asking Tohru to go, right?!" I asked, turning to him.

He blushed and stuttered. "Well, I, uh, if she, um…"

Tohru blushed as well. "Oh, he doesn't have to, if he doesn't want to," She said shyly.

"Well, I was planning to tomorrow anyway…" Yuki muttered. "Tohru, would you like to go to the dance with me?"

Of course, Tohru had a bit of a spasm, spouting nonsense about how he didn't have to ask just because I'd suggested it and so on and so forth.

"Tohru!" I said loudly, grabbing her by the shoulders so she'd look at me. She stopped talking and stared with wide eyes. "Just chill out and answer the man already."

"Y-yes," She stuttered.

"Isn't that interfering?" Kyo asked skeptically.

I just shrugged and shook my head. "Not when it would've happened eventually anyway."

"Wait, what day is it today?" I asked suddenly.

"Sunday," Haru replied.

"Yay!" Momiji cheered. "School tomorrow!"

"But… Don't I need a uniform?" I asked.

"You can borrow one of mine, of course!" Tohru exclaimed.

I smiled excitedly. I could hardly wait.

Again with the sucky ending to a chapter… sorry. Reviews appreciated!