Of course, Yukie was wrong. By the end of the day, numerous people had come up to me and asked me about the, "Kiss," And like Satomi had said, the gossip had spread like Wildfire. They even targeted Kiriyama with questions, and honestly, I felt that was the worst that could happen.

What if he thought I spread the gossip?

I hated this. I hated it SO much. I was never a gossip, drama kind of girl. Gossip was like a plaque that ate away at your reputation, leaving bits of calamity behind.

There were probably other Kiriyama crushes out there, and knowing some of the girls at this school, they would fight back.

Not being the least bit kind either.

I sighed and mumbled a few profanities as I pulled on my polyester shirt and shorts for gym. I hated sixth period. Gym was one of my least favorite classes, me not being very athletic. And, we had two other classes in there with us; Class A and C.

As we did our workout exercises, I saw Coach Ayashi pulling out a rack of volleyballs and saw the two other coaches setting up the net. I inwardly groaned as I did jumping jacks, the final exercise. When we all finished I jogged towards Haruka, who was chatting quickly with Yukie. "Oh, Chisato, we think we know who started the gossip!" Haruka whispered urgently. I felt my stomach flip over and my eyes widened, "Who?"

Satomi caught my gaze and said, "We aren't entirely too sure, but Mimura told us that Yutaka told him about the kiss, and when we asked Yutaka if he knew who told, he said that Keita had heard Kazushi Niida and a few other soccer boys talking about a class A girl telling them."

"And we figured that she must have been a Kiriyama lover." Yuka piped up.

I rolled my eyes and brought my palm to my face, "Figures."

The five of us jogged along side each other around the gym, Haruka's features brightening when she saw the volleyball net, "Oh sweet! I LOVE volleyball!"

My features twisted and I grumbled, "You would…"

-----
I stretched my arms over my head, standing in position on one side of the court.

I guess I'll try… maybe this'll get my mind off of, you know who.

When suddenly it hit me. No, really, it hit me. A ball, smack dab in the back of my head. My hand reached up and I rubbed the sore spot. That couldn't have been an accident. Whoever threw it, threw it hard. I spun around; my eyes narrowed, and bottom lip being bitten. I saw her.

Hoshi Haroshima the Class A slut smirked her prettied lips, and tossed her dyed, platinum blonde hair back over her shoulder. "How do you like that, Shorty?"

I couldn't believe it. That skank had the nerve to throw that damn ball at me! I knew exactly what she was playing at…. It was her. She spread that stupid rumor, and now she was getting me back for stealing her man! But I hadn't done anything! I hadn't stolen anyone! I told him I liked him, and he marched on out of there without a single damn word!

"Hey bitch, watch it!" I heard Haruka cry out to Hoshi. Hoshi shrugged, and said smiling at me, all lip, "Sorry bout that." And she skipped off with her usual group.

I wanted to drop dead right there. I felt humiliated, and stupid, even if not many people had seen what had happened. This was what it was like to be screwed around as a toy of Gossip.

Shit.

Total, complete, SHIT.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-

Before ninth period had started I saw Izumi-chan walk up to Kiriyama, and ask him something; what she was asking him about was a little too obvious, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I continued to watch. I saw Izumi's lips moving, and then Kiriyama's face keep its cold, hard look.

His head slowly moved side to side, and I saw his mouth move to the obvious word, "No."

I almost rolled my eyes and turned back to the front of the room just as Mr. Hayashida strolled on in, the bell ringing loudly. "Okay class, take out your spirals, and open to a clean new page. You're all taking notes today." Our class groaned in unison, including me, as I reached down for my bag, when a small, neatly folded piece of paper landed right in front of me. I glanced up, and quickly grabbed it, pulling my spiral from my bag, and straightening up. Under my desk, my hands quickly started to fiddle with the note until it opened, and I peered down to read it.

"Chisato

I heard about what happened in the gym. Hoshi is a bitch, so just forget about it. Do you think it was her that spread the gossip?

Mim."

I felt the familiar flutter of my heart when I read his name. I was slightly surprised by the reaction, but reached up and ripped a corner off of a page in my spiral, scribbling the words down quickly.

"Ya. Yukie and the girls all think it was her, too. I'm sure it was." I folded the letter, and looked around until I spotted Mimura sitting in the row next to mine, a desk back. His eyes met mine immediately, and I saw his lip pull up into a smirk from under his hand. I returned a smile, glanced at the front to make sure that Mr. Hayashida wasn't paying attention to us, and tossed the note to Mim. I turned back to my spiral and opened it, pretending to scrawl words onto the sheet, when really, I couldn't force myself to not think about Kiriyama, and Mimura, and Hoshi. Too much had happened that day, and I was getting a headache from it. Yet, I couldn't stop thinking about it, and asking myself questions.

Will Kiriyama get mad?

What's gonna happen with Hoshi?

If Hoshi likes Kiriyama, then why would she say that we were kissing?

Wait… is it Hoshi after all?

I heard a paper land by my feet, and I knocked my untouched pencil down to the floor, leaning over to pick it up, and snatch the note along with it.

"Ha. I wouldn't be surprised. But I always thought that she had the hots for Shuya and me, not to sound conceited or anything. She might of just been being a hoe like usual."

I smiled to myself, but then thought about his words carefully. Maybe it really wasn't her. But then, why would she have hit me with the ball? What if someone else had spread the gossip? But… if it was a Kiriyama lover, then why would they have spread gossip about another girl kissing their crush? What if… what if it was a me hater?

My eyes scanned over my desk and I ripped out another piece of paper, twirling my pencil with my little feminine hands before writing,

"You know, I've been thinking… maybe it wasn't Hoshi after all. I can see what you mean, too, even though I never knew she liked you. It might have been someone else. Maybe even a boy."

I folded it, and underhanded it to Mim's desk, actually writing down a few things from the board, but then going over things in my head again.

It COULD be a boy, after all. But who? What person would say that stuff? It just didn't make any sense. I reached down for the paper that landed by my feet, hardly even checking to make sure that Mr. Hayashida wasn't watching, and unfolded it, scanning over the note.

"So your saying it could be a you hater?"

I smiled and wrote down under his own words,

"My thoughts exactly."

I tossed it at him.

A few minutes later, I got his note.

"Do you know anyone that would hate you?

I tore out a piece of paper, and wrote my response.

"I don't know. I don't know why anyone really would, I haven't done anything. Hell, if anything, Kiriyama was the jerk."

I passed it to him. He replied with another note.

"Oh ya, what happened?"

I replied.

"It's a long story."

I passed. He responded.

"And I've still got time."

I felt my cheeks grow warm when I remembered what had happened in first period. Was the usually cocky Mimura being sincere? I sighed heavily and decided to just suck it up and tell him. But remembering made a small lump of sadness curl up in my stomach when I remembered Kiriyama's reaction to my confession. Unfeeling…

I wonder if he would kill anyone without any remorse.

Oh well. I waved the thought off dismissively with a shake of my head, and started to write,

"Well, I Like Kiriyama, and decided to te--…" I stopped, remembering the full situation. I remembered. I told Kiriyama that I was mad at him because he stole Mimura's rightful place in my heart. And there I was, talking to Mimura back and forth, and I didn't even like him anymore. Well, maybe I did.

But just a bit.

I continued to write after I thought about what I would say.

"–ll him. I asked him to come with me to the gym, and that's where I told him--."

"Note passing?" I heard Ms. Hayashida say, and next thing I knew, the note was lifted from my desk, and being scanned over by Ms. Hayashida. My face burst into red hues and I glanced back at Mim, whose eyebrows were raised high to his hairline and his mouth was pulled into a scowl.

"Huh. Well, I like Kiriyama, and decided to tell him. I asked him to come with me to the gym, and that's where I told him." Ms. Hayashida recited out loud to the whole classroom, which burst into laughter. The redness on my face snaked down to my ears and neck and I think my back was red as well.

"No more note passing please." The teacher smiled, tossing the piece of paper in the waste basket. Students turned to look at Kiriyama and myself, still giggling and whispering. I couldn't look away from my notebook. I didn't even bother turning around to see Kiriyama's expression.

Blank, most likely.

After class, I got up, and power walked right out of there, not turning back. I couldn't believe that my note was read out loud! I almost wanted to blame Mim for asking for the story, but knew that it wasn't his fault. God, I felt like such an idiot.

"Hey!" I heard someone call out. I turned and saw Mim, his face twisted in an apologetic smirk. "I'm so sorry about that, I shouldn't have bugged you into telling me"

I just waved my hand and smiled up at him.

"You didn't bug me. Besides, it's not your fault. Don't be sorry." He smirked his usual mischievous smirk, and nodded, "If you're sure."

"Oh ya I am. I'm just happy that it was ninth period, now I can leave this dreaded place."

When another voice came. A voice that made my heart pound, and my cheeks redden and made my legs fall out from underneath me. After the short pain that I endured, I couldn't help but to still like him… maybe it was his eyes. Ya, definitely the eyes. Those are what got me stuck in this mess, after all. "Chisato."

I liked how he said my name…

I turned to be greeted by Kiriyama, who stood about a foot from me, his eyes dragging me in the moment I met them.

"Yes?" I asked a bit too lightly. Mimura was eyeing Kiriyama with slanted eyes.

Wait, wait, wait. Hold up. A glare?

"Could I speak to you in private, please?" Kiriyama asked me, his head cocking to the side slightly. I budged a smile and glanced at Mimura, who was still…. Glaring at Kiriyama, and then said, with too much bounce, "Sure."

I hated myself for how whenever I got really nervous my voice got high and I got too happy.

Just another boy crazy syndrome side effect, I guess. Or maybe it was just me.

It was probably just me.

Kiriyama nodded, turned and starting to walk away, so I figured that I was supposed to fallow him. I turned and waved at Mimura, who didn't look my way, and quickly fallowed after Kiriyama. He brought me to the gym, and I felt my stomach clench a bit. I was nervous, and felt embarrassed to be alone with him again. After I thought about being alone, I turned and looked around to make sure that we really were alone, and then Kiriyama turned to look at me. I stopped and stood there, waiting for him to start talking. And when he did, I regretted fallowing him at all.

"I would much prefer if you left me out of the lies that you have started to spread, and kept out of my business." He said. Dead, no emotion. Maybe that's what made it hurt the most. "It's quite obvious that you… feel some form of attraction towards me, but I would prefer it if you kept it to yourself. It's bothersome." Another slap in the face.

My hands were shaking from behind my back, and I could feel my eyes welling with tears. No… I wouldn't let him have the last word, and then just skip on out of there like the high and mighty bastard that he was. So just as I saw his foot turn, I stamped my foot down, and bit back my tears. His eyes trailed back up to meet mine and I tried to ignore the weakness and numb feeling that spread throughout every fiber of my body.

"Well you know what Kiriyama?" My voice trembled, but he continued to stand there, so I continued, trying to sound tough, and in the least bit strong.

"I don't like you like I thought I did, so don't flatter yourself! You're a complete jerk! And guess what else? I didn't spread any of that stupid gossip! YOU'RE the one who should be keeping to themselves! Now go screw yourself because you're gonna be lonely your whole dull, no feeling life!!" And with that, I stood there, trying to catch my breath. I felt good. I felt on top of the world.

So why was I crying?

Because I had lied to myself.

Didn't like Kiriyama my ass.

I nodded, and tried to smile at him like I had just won but I couldn't budge one. He still stood there. I knew that I should've walked out of there, but I looked at him, when finally, he started to speak.

"Why are you crying? If you don't feel anything towards me, then why are you crying? Unless, of course, you were lying." My stomach lurched and my expression dropped, I could feel it.

"Well, because… I just… I get really, I dunno…" I stuttered, wiping my eyes with the back of my hand and sobbing.

"I'm just sorry, okay? I just wish that I could hate you…" I cried and sobbed, and sniveled. My bottom lip was caked with snot, and I probably looked like a sniveling baby. I was humiliating myself, but I didn't care. Kiriyama was just a stupid boy and my stupid girl feelings got to me.

I heard him sigh, and then there was a shuffling noise. I heard him walk towards me, and then I looked up.

A handkerchief?

I looked up to meet his eyes. His black bangs fell just above them, and I swear, there was a twinkle in those bottomless eyes.

Like a star in pure black space. I reached up with my tear damp hands and took it, bringing it to my lips, still looking at him, waiting for him to speak again.

Almost hoping that it wasn't over.

He simply nodded, and said quietly, "Alright." And he left me there, wiping my nose and eyes with the slightest smile on my face.

=D LOL. SO. I continued it, and it's not over yet. I hope you liked it. It was a little rushed near the end, but I had fun writing it. Hope you like reading it.