Hey everybody! Here is the next chapter, I'm surprised I was able to get this chapter done...we have a ton of testing practice right now -_-. Anyway I hope you like it! :D

I had a part time job at the inn with Mai and Chihaya. My mind was on other things so I wasn't quite paying attention to the food.

"Eh! Hikari!" Mai screamed.

I looked at her "What's wrong?"

"The stir fry is on fire!" Chihaya looked and panicked too.

I looked over "Huh, look at that...wonder what happened?" I said.

Both of them looked at me like I was crazy, I grabbed an oven mitt and put the burning food in the sink.

Smoke rose up "Mai, can you make sure the fire alarm doesn't go off?" She grabbed a magazine and waved it over the fire alarm.

"What is up with you?" Chihaya asked.

"Sorry, just kind of day dreamy today. Sorry about the stir fry."

"It's fine, that is only one dish you've burned. Mai has burned all of her dishes...or ended up putting moldy material in the food."

"Hey! I'm trying!"

"You are better at eating the food Mai, I've told you a hundred times. You can't even make toast right."

"I'll show you!" She took out a piece of bread and put it in the toaster.

"So anyway, how the heck are you so calm." Chihaya asked.

I smiled and winked "A friend told me that you should always be prepared for anything, don't panic if you can handle it."

"Sheesh well that would take some time...though I think I should be used to seeing things burn up before me when Mai is cooking."

"You're not funny Chi!" She snapped.

I flicked him on the head "Be nice please Chi. She is trying."

He chuckled "Fine...oh and Mai?" He pointed at the toaster which was now smoking.

"Told you." He grinned. I slapped him with a magazine.

"Now it is your turn to make sure the alarm doesn't go off."

He chuckled and went over to fan the alarm and I helped Mai with the burnt toast.

"Don't give up, I burned everything at first too." I smiled.

"Yeah." She tried to smile.

"I have a friend with the same name as you...actually she is my foster mom. She runs a bakery where I live. Maybe you can ask her for advice, I will be visiting them soon."

Her expression brightened "That would be so neat!"

"On the other hand! Have you seen Gill lately? He has been acting funny when I talk to him." Chihaya said still waving the magazine over the alarm.

"How is he acting...pissed Gill...shy Gill...depressed Gill...any of those?" I asked.

"No, he has been acting really weird...like if I mention your name he gets all red and stuff. This morning all I said was if he had seen you and if he knew where you were, then he got all red and said he didn't then walked away...well ran away."

"Huh, I have no clue. I will talk to him later to find out."

"Fine, hey can I stop now? My arm might fall off if I do this forever." He did a silly grin.

"Yep! Go ahead."

He sighed in relief "so when are you going to see your parents?"

"Probably in a week or so, they said I could invite some friends."

"How many?"

"Hmmm I'm bringing You, Gill, Mai, Kathy, Ose, Mark, and Chelsea. Roomi said she was going somewhere with Kotomi and her grandma, and Lena said she was busy with some of her animals. Mark and Chelsea already know...I told Kathy and Ose this morning, I just told you two, now I need to talk to Gill anyway."

"Alright...well, he is at town hall most of the time so personally you know where to find him."

"Plus he knows I'm armed." I smirked, Chihaya got wide eyed.

I giggled "Kidding, I don't like violence...for various reasons."

I walked slowly to town hall, enjoying the warm sunlight. I heard birds chirping, I wanted to yell about how nice today was. I opened the door and saw Elli.

"Oh...um hi Hikari." she said my name really loud.

I stared at her "Um...right...where is Gill." Part of me knew she was either warning Gill that I was here or Yuki. This was the only exit in town hall so I had either one of the cornered. I leaned against the door just in case.

"Um...he might be upstairs..."

"Can you please go get him?" I asked and smiled.

"Um...okay..." She looked around but just stood there.

I sighed and giggled "Gill you can come out from under the table. Elli wasn't the smartest choice for you to use as a cover."

I heard a groan and he appeared from under the counter.

I looked at Elli, she nodded and left the room "So what is up with your new attitude? Chihaya told me you've been acting weird."

He refused to look me in the eye, which worried me "Can you talk?" I asked. I noticed he was red, I walked over and put my hand on his forehead, he got redder.

"Do you have a fever?" I asked "You shouldn't come here if you have a fever."

I pushed my hand away "It's nothing." He still didn't look me in the eye.

"What is wrong then? Did I do something to make you mad?"

"I'm not mad!" He said frantically when he looked me in the eye his whole face was red.

"Then what's wrong?" I asked tilting my head. He sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. Next thing I knew, he bent down and pressed his lips against mine.

"Nothing...I just love you." he whispered, then continued to kiss me.

I blushed slightly "Um...is that something you should get all worked up on?"

He chuckled "No, I guess not." He smiled, a real smile that I didn't see very often.

I smiled back "Oh yeah, I'm going to visit my foster parents in a a few days, can you go?"

"I don't have any plans so sure."

I smiled "Great! Thanks."

We were quiet again for a bit longer now. I hated when those moments came.

"Oh um...can I ask you something?"

"What?" He turned to pick up some folders and put them in another drawer.

"I met this woman when I was little...she said she lived here..."

"There are a bunch of woman here so I think you might need to be a bit more specific." He turned his head and smiled at me real quick, then went back to looking through folders.

"Well...I actually haven't seen her yet...I'm not sure if she moved with her family or not...um..." I thought for a second "Was there a woman named Akina that lived here?"

He stopped "Yeah." was all he said.

"...do you know what happened to her? Did she mo--"

"No...she died a while ago." He still had his back turned.

"Oh...um...alright." I looked at the ground.

"Why did you ask?" He asked.

"I met her when I was 7, she helped me a lot. She said before she left that I could visit sometime, and meet her family."

"Huh, so you were the one she mentioned." I almost didn't catch what he said.

"Were you friends with her?"

"No..." He turned to look at me, expression serious, a hint of sadness in his eyes "She was my mother."

I blushed, I was so stupid. I had never noticed how much he looked like her, plus she said she had a son, it seemed so obvious now.

"Oh...um...sorry." I looked at the ground.

He walked over to me and patted my head "It's fine, don't say sorry."

I tried to smile "Your mom was a really nice person."

He smiled again, then wrapped his arms around me "Thanks."

"Chelsea! Can you help get the animals in? It will start pouring any minute now!"

"Coming!" She helped bring Cream and Miki, while I got Koji and Miley. The reain started coming down right when we left the barn, we took off for the house. When we got inside, we were soaked. After dinner we said goodnight and I collapsed on my bed. I breathed into my pillow and sighed. The sound of rain hitting the house was all I heard.

BAM!

I yelped then looked for my ipod. Another BAM came again and I almost screamed this time. I grabbed my ipod then hid under my covers, turning the ipod up to the point where I couldn't hear the thunder. Ever since I was 7 I was terrified of thunder. Every time I heard it, a flashback of that guy hurting me and countless other things flew in my mind. Now, every time there was a storm, I would hide. I shuttered at the thought. I took a few deep breathes and tried to sleep.

Well there you go! Yes I figured out that Hikari's step mom and Mai have the same name...I decided to just go with it. Anyway I hope you liked it! Please comment! :D