*poking Tamaki doll with stick*

hi guys... *pokes* thanks for the Tamaki doll aurora, I'm just slightly reluctant to touch it... It's Tamaki.

Did you say it talks? *locates string on back and pulls* "I'm Tamaki-licious!"

O.O o.o =.= o.o O.O

Um... Um... Um...

*screams and runs away*


I'd had extensions specially for today, and though they'd reached my waist, I'd put them into rollers the night before the ball we were having, and had ended up with lovely loose curls that I twisted into a bun and pinned down. Of course, some curls escaped, but it looked okay... and I finished of the look with the rose.

I slipped my dress on, as well as the black heels I'd been given, and then applied very little makeup... because half my face would be hidden anyways.

When I put the mask on and looked at my reflection in the mirror, I couldn't help but smile.

It was like a fairytale... a masquerade ball, and I'd be swept of by prince charming.

Only problem was, a lot of invites were sent to guys in the school too, so I would have to search through to find my prince charming first. Luckily, I knew exactly what he was wearing, as I had decided what it would be.

"Saori, are you ready? The guests are arriving." called Tamaki, approaching the curtain I was behind.

"Nearly... I just need an opinion."

I walked out, still getting used to the heels and trying not to step on my dress, and stood in front of Tamaki. He looked me over, only blushing slightly, and then he smiled.

"You look beautiful as always Saori, now, I think we need to be getting outside."

I laughed as he extended his arm, but took it anyway and let him lead me outside.

"We have a lot of people to entertain tonight..." he said quietly, his purple eyes darting around the room from under his mask.

"Don't worry... half of them will entertain themselves." I laughed, as I watched groups of girls mix with groups of guys, all laughing and chatting and dancing.

"Well... I'd better let you go and enjoy yourself." he smiled, nudging me in the direction to where Takashi and Honey were entertaining a group of young girls. Honey was bouncing around and laughing while Takashi listened to a few girls chatter away nervously.

He kept looking up, and when he spotted me, he smiled warmly, but the girls he was standing with thought he was smiling that them, or about something they said, and went completely girly and giggly.

I slowly made my way towards him, but I felt a tap on my shoulder and turned to see a young man in a black outfit and black mask smiling slightly at me. He had flaming red hair, and I could just see bright green eyes behind the mask.

The only thing that seemed strange about him was the scar on his lower lip that stretched to just above his chin... only a centimeter or two in length, but it still seemed out of place.

"May I dance with you?" he asked quietly, and for a moment, I thought I recognized his voice... but I brushed off the uneasy feeling building in my stomach and nodded slowly.

We danced to the first song in silence, not breaking eye contact the whole time... I was trying to read him, and I swear I'd seen him before, but I couldn't remember.

My head was hurting thinking about it, and I hadn't even bumped it this time.

When the second song started up, we just continued to dance, but this time he spoke.

"How have you been?"

He sounded almost shy... and I felt even more suspicious.

"I've been fine, thank you. And you?"

"Good, good... I've made improvements." he almost whispered, and he smiled sheepishly.

"In what?" I asked, not being able to help myself.

"You... you don't remember? When they said you'd hit your head hard, I didn't know it was that bad."

What the hell was he going on about?

"Pardon?"

"W-well... at the other ball... you'd hit your head. Ootori and Morinozuka said you'd passed out, but I didn't think it would have caused memory loss..."

I looked him over... then it clicked. The red hair and green eyes and the scar... Kyouya had said they'd left him in hospital.

It was Danno...

Crap, crap, crap.

"I... I have to go." I said quickly, turning and trying to make my way over to Takashi, but I felt him grab my wrist.

"No! Please, please, I want to apologize!" he said hurriedly, and when I looked at him, he seemed panic stricken, as if they'd beat him again... which they probably would...

And I couldn't let them do that.

What he did was bad, but I won't have them stooping to that level again, not on my account.

"Fine. But be quick." I hissed. "not here though... come on."

I took his wrist, and I pulled him to the other side of the room, away from the dancing and happiness and we stood inside one of the doorways.

"Why have you even come here? They could get so pissed off!" I said, taking my mask off.

"I want to say sorry... What I did at the other ball was totally out of line, and I really do feel bad!" he said, pulling his mask off.

"Danno... it's fine... you were on pot or something, and probably other stuff..."

"I was... I'm off it now, and I want to say I'm not usually like that. I'm glad they had a dig at me, 'cos I don't think anything else could've got through to me."

He really did look sorry, so I smiled.

Let bygones be bygones.

"It's fine... put your mask on though, in case someone comes to find me."

He did as he was told, and I slipped mine on, then, just as we were about to go back to the party, the twins and Kyouya walked around the corner into the doorway where we were and glared at Danno.

"I though I told you not to come back here." sneered Kyouya, taking a step forward and looking pretty damn menacing... even I shuddered.

"I-I wanted to apologize!" squeaked Danno backing away from Kyouya and the twins, who had flanked Kyouya.

"Guys, stop! He was just saying sorry." I said, doing my best to stand in between them all.

"Move Saori." snapped Hikaru.

"We don't want to hurt you." growled Kaoru.

"Just get out the way and let us deal with that piece if shit." snapped Kyouya, glowering at Danno.

I stayed in place, and Kyouya just scoffed, moved forward and made to move me out of the way, but I grabbed his wrists.

"Don't you dare Kyouya Ootori. Don't you dare." I hissed at him, staring him in the eyes.

"Just move Saori. Don't make me go about this the hard way." he hissed back, gripping my wrists even as I had his, and pushing me back.

"Kyouya, leave him alone! He's said sorry!"

"That doesn't change what he did to you! Have you forgotten that easily?"

"No. I haven't. But I forgive him for what he did. And if I can get over it, why can't you?"

He was silent, but he continued to try and out stare me. I wasn't about to give up, and eventually he just scoffed and walked away, forcing his way through the twins and storming off somewhere.

"Saori...?" I looked at Kaoru.

"What's up Kaoru?" I asked softly... and for a second, he just gaped.

"Nothing... Just so long as you're okay." he finished.

"Yeah... and we expect to see you in at least five minutes. Or we'll come back." hissed Hikaru.

"'Kay." I said, then watched them both walk away.

"I... I should go, huh?" asked a glum Danno.

"I think so. I'm sorry he's such a hard head... he's really a good guy inside... he just doesn't realize it."

"Yeah... I think he really cares about you..."

With that, he raised his hand in goodbye, and turned, walking down the hall by himself.

I looked down at my feet and sighed.

"Yeah... maybe he does..."


Oh, cliff hanger-ish! How truely exciting!

I'm not gonna go back to the doll... he shall be burned by the stake.

I'm listening to Evanescence, Breathe no more... I love Amy Lee's voice, it's just so pure...

Anyways, what will happen? Review and find out!

(still kind of a filler in... my bad guys)