Looks like I (of course) was wrong in thinking I could get stuff out weekly. But at least I managed to finish this chapter, even if its not all that great but it moves plot to say the least ^^` I have come to realize that this piece is gonna end up epic, 9 months is a long time...Well thanks for reading so far and if your still hanging in there. Thanks a lot!

"Oh how lovely." Kasumi said placing down the platter that was in her hand. Timing had a way of sucking when things were the most difficult, and this was obviously no exception. "Hello Mrs. Saotome." She smiled standing up to greet the older woman. I heard a vague splash behind us as I knew my father must have thrown himself in the pound.

"Hi there Kasumi I hope you don't mind my coming over unannounced like this, I was in the area..."

"Of course your always welcome." Mr. Tendo said casting a purposeful glance across the game board to the panda bear who was holding up a sign at him which I was angled so I couldn't see it.

"Thats so kind of you." She said kneeling down the place at the table which Kasumi had indicated. "Is something wrong dear? Your looking off." I felt color rise into my face, there was no way she could possibly tell, I mean any normal person wouldn't even know themselves, but none the less it made me embarrassed to think someone could see through my lame attempt at normalcy and tell that I was hiding a secret from everyone in the room. I wrung my fingers twisting them against one another under the table in an effort to channel all my nerves into that motion, I was never the best liar and even though it wasn't really lying telling half truths never really worked well for me either. I hadn't slept particularly well the night before and the lack of sleep must have made me look as good as I was currently feeling. I must not be answering quickly enough as all three more pairs of eyes feel on me.

"Um actually..." Something in me wanted to say what was currently grading on my mind, but of course that wouldn't really help and beside which it didn't seem right, in my mind and out loud I hadn't really yet admitted to myself what was going on and this was definitely not the time or place to spit out all the crap eating away at my subconscious. " Actually not really Mrs. Saotome." I said mustering the best gee-golly-its-so-darn great smile I could produce at the moment.

"You looked exhausted sweetheart, have you been sleeping alright?" This time I really did manage to smile, it was somewhat nice to hear such concern from an adult, with useless ones like my pop around I wasn't used to getting the time of day let along checking on me when I looked a little tired.

"Oh I guess not." I said with a shrug turning back to focus on the food in front of me which was suddenly totally unappetizing. "School stress and all that I guess." Yeah that was a creditable excuse for someone my age, and it seemed to satisfy her as she squeezed my shoulder lightly before turning back to the other woman at the table. I let out a breath I hadn't even realized I was holding and pressed my fingers to my temple with a sigh. Soon or later there was going to come a moment when I would have to face what was going on with me, and I knew it wasn't going to be an easy discussion. At least for this moment I was still free of to much questioning, but it was just a matter of time.

I excused myself after only eating the rice in front of me, this got me more scrutinizing looks but I knew I couldn't really stomach much more than that at this second. I rapped my knuckles against Akane's door, the day would be easier if she wasn't mad at me, besides which I felt bad for snapping the night before. None of this was her fault and she didn't deserve to have it taken out on her. I hit the door one more time before receiving a response.

"What do you want?" She held the door opened only enough to see through it, I leaned against the door frame in order at least see some of her face through the crack.

"To apologize to you, geez.." I muttered, sometimes she could be such a hothead! But I guess her bad mood was attributed to me, so.... "I'm sorry about yelling last night, it wasn't your fault I was mad. So yeah...I just didn't mean to, you know..." The door opened a little bit more, she leaned against the other side of the door frame facing me.

"Well I guess that was almost a good apology, at least for you Ranma." She gave me a half smile, I felt like whatever had been sitting on my chest since yesterday was at least a moving up a little bit giving me some much needed breathing room. "I'm finishing up math homework wanna come in?" I nodded waiting for her to move back into the room before following. "So whats up than? Not to sound like I don't wanna spend time with you or anything, but you don't normally come in here without a reason." True, not that I didn't like just coming in to hang out we just tended to end up other places.

"My mom is here." I told her, at least that was a truthful reason that was surely adding to my anxiety today. Though now that I thought about it, her appearance was somewhat useful in that no one would question why I had yet to turn back to a boy today...

"Oh, well thats not so bad is it?" She asked leaning against her elbow which was propped up on the desk. "I like when she visits. I know its stressful, but aren't you glad to see her?" I was happy for any chance I got to see my mother, though at the moment with everything else that was on my mind I just felt like there was already to much to have to think about. Though I guess it wasn't really fair to her that I was gonna avoid her just cause of something that wasn't in anyway her fault...Speaking of people whose fault it could be...P-chan was sitting, no more appropriately said hiding on Akane's bed behind a pillow watching me move through the room. Yeah you should worry, but I'm not gonna deal with you here stupid! All I needed was another fight about her beloved pet...I turned back to my friend who was now shoving her math book into her backpack.

"You ready for school Ranma?" School? Oh god it was a school day wasn't it!? Welcome distractions did seem to be throwing themselves in my direction today.

"Oh yeah, I'm ready whenever." I said standing up to follow her out of the room and down the stairs.

"Oh damn its raining." Akane said as we started out the front door and down the street towards our school. "At least you were already a girl today with your mom here and all that."

"True I guess." I shrugged from my spot up on the fence. She laughed hurrying up to make sure we didn't arrive late, it was just one of those days it seemed.

We blew through the gate just as it was closing. 7:30 exactly, at least we would be on time getting onto the grounds but more than likely we wouldn't get to home room before the teacher started, not that morning classes were all that important as our teacher was normally just having us fill out work sheets...

"Come on Ranma were gonna be late!" Yeah late...I hadn't even realized it was a school day when I woke up, shows how high up in the clouds my head was today...I sped up to catch her as she slide through the front door. "What is with you? I know you don't wanna be here and all that, its school, but whats up?" Again? Hm looks like I would have to try harder to pull myself together at least until I could figure out what I intended to do with...

"Oh its nothin...Ahh!!" I jumped back as hands grabbed onto my stomach and chest, without looking I was more than able to predict who was behind me. I grumbled miserably, really why today? Couldn't it have not been school, or at least couldn't he have backed off for at least a moment, though I don't think he had motion in his brain anywhere. I elbowed backwards dislodging the older boy from my body momentarily. "Gah! Why don't you go ahead of me so can get this loser off my tail." I shrugged to Akane who looked past my shoulder.

"You sure? Your gonna be late if..."
"Nah its no big deal." Being here was far better than sitting in class where I was sure to just daze out to the point that it was going to be useless for me to even bother being in the room. She looked about ready to argue but changed her mind, maybe it was obvious that just how close to breaking I was today and thankfully I could count on her to back down, at least most days. "Just lemme know what I miss ok?" She nodded before quickly heading down the hallway. I turned back to the boy on the floor near me, giving him a swift kick to bring him back around.

"Oh pigtailed goddess! Hast thou graced our school with your presence because of your undying love for me, Tatewaki Kuno!" Oh lord...I pressed my fist into my eyeballs rubbing trying to rub the stress out of them, or maybe it was an attempt to make him disappear which of course wasn't going to happen that easily. I run a hand through my hair with a huff before standing up and starting down the hall. "Pigtailed girl, art thou playing coy with me?" Oh yes thats exactly what I'm doing...

"Please not today Kuno." I muttered stalking faster through the sea of other students who were stopping to watch, the sport of me beating the crap out of Kuno was a great spectator one from what I could tell.

"What ever do you mean not today? There is no day like today for us to confess our undying love for one another my darlin..!" My fist collided with his face with out even turning around, seriously I couldn't even get into the school without being assaulted by him..A thought dawned on me, if I didn't decide what I was going to do soon I would be stuck a girl and deal with this every time I came anywhere near school, or anywhere Kuno happened to be which sometimes felt like everywhere I went...I pressed my eyes closed oh my god that would be unbearable, I would have to get this over and done with as soon as school was over before anyone could figure out anything was going on...The last thing I needed was everyone knowing I had done that with...Gah how embarrassing...I could vaguely hear Kuno's continued tirade as he circled me in a vain attempt to gain my full attention, which of course he rarely had as I wasn't particularly interested in how much he loved "his pigtailed goddess" or how we should got out.

"There is absolutely no way I will ever go anywhere with you!!" I spanned spinning around to face him to, as always, reject his aimless babbling rants and hopefully escape him long enough to duck into class.

"Don't jest in such a way my love, you mean not those harsh words you are throwing to hide you true feelings!" He began following me once again, hitting him again would have made sense but my mind was to busy wandering elsewhere to even give him much more than half a glance as I leaped quickly around a corner heading back in the direction of my home room. Crap...

"Look numb skull if you don't get out of my face this instant I'm gonna ram your stupid face into a wall so many times you'll be unrecognizable!!" I shouted rounded to completely face the older boy, a few other students around us laughed, yeah it was a slightly hallow threat really, I had no interest in hurting him at the moment I could hope that my words hurt his pride enough that he would sulk off until later today when he found me again...

"How could you use such scornful words with to your beloved!" AHHH!!! Any other day I could have taken his stupidity in stride, any other moment, with any other issue...I looked down at my female body feeling a shiver down run down my spin, the now coming familiar nausea that I associated with that stupid necklace attacked my system. I needed to get out of the school, I swallowed the meager amount of air that my body was allowing into my lungs, I'd never felt so helplessly and unable to compose myself before, than again I'd never even considered the possibility of...

"Hey Ranma!" My head shot up in the direction of the female voice which had just called my name. Scalding water poured over my shoulders and head, normally in this situation I would have been eternally grateful for the liquid which should change back to my original form. But of course I knew it wouldn't work. "Wow what the..?" I looked to the doorway where the people who had been trying to help me were staring at me with interest.

"Your still a chick Ranma?" Hiroshi said looking to his two companions as though they might have information he had somehow missed. Daisuke shrugged shaking his head at his best friend and looking to the girl between them as well. She knelt down to the ground where I hadn't even realized I'd dropped until she touched my hand placing the kettle down and brushing her brown hair from her eyes with her free hand.

"Its the thought that counts, thanks Ukyo." She scrunched up her face and opened her mouth to question as another voice spoke at my shoulder.

"Well thats an interesting predicament that you seem to be in isn't it Ranma?" Oh all the people to be standing here at this moment...Damn it.

Thats all for this chapter, hopefully I'll have another chapter out later this week to get back on schedule. Lemme know your thoughts or questions, thanks ~Arra