Hey guys! Sorry about not updating in a while, I had the chapter typed up for a while. I was just too busy to post it… Okay, that's a lie. I was too busy watching Death Note TT^TT I think I have a little crush on L. Sigh, too bad.

Also, I have a correction to make. In the previous chapter, I had said that the survival rate was 20%, one out of five would survive. I went back and talked to 'Utau' again, and I had heard her wrong. There's a 2% survival rate, rather than 20%. So she has a one in fifty chance of surviving. I've gone back and edited, but I thought I'd let you know here so that you won't get confused.

Disclaimer: I don't own Shugo Chara. If I did it wouldn't be appropriate for children XD

Ikuto and I didn't speak on the drive home. We were both too wrapped up in our thoughts to make small talk. The silence wasn't awkward, but it was still a bit tense. I assumed that he was thinking about Rima, but his expression was innocently blank, so I couldn't be sure. On the other hand, perhaps he was distracting himself from thinking about Rima. Maybe he didn't want to think about the possibility of her death. Either way, he seemed distracted and I made sure that he wasn't breaking any traffic laws. I was thinking about Amu. What had she been doing over there in the corner? What had she slipped into her pocket as she approached the bed? Why had she seemed so smug and superior? What did she have against Rima? A short time later, when we arrived at home, I didn't have any more answers then I did when we were at the office. I sighed in frustration as I climbed out of the car. I slammed the door to vent, shaking the entire body of the car.

"Watch it, this car is my baby."

I glared briefly at my older brother, before I sighed and apologized. After all, this wasn't the car's fault. I patted the hood sarcastically.

"I'm so sorry; I didn't realize how hard I had closed your door!"

He rolled his eyes, and waved away my words. We entered the house and went our separate ways through our house. Why we needed so much space, I do not know. I strolled into the kitchen and glanced at the clock. It was only 5:45, and I had nothing to do aside from homework and obsess over Amu and her bizarre actions. I sighed and pulled a granola bar out of the cupboard. After eating it in two bites, I pulled out my Math homework and began to work on the order of operations and applying it while multiplying and dividing fractions. Man, I hated math, it was a stupid thing to be doing, seeing as I still hadn't come to any conclusions about Amu.

An hour later, my stupid math homework was done, and I was free to speculate about excuses I could make if Amu was 'somehow accidentally' injured. Ah, joyful thoughts. I was halfway through what I would say if she somehow 'fell' in front of a bus when I felt my phone vibrate. I took it out of my pocket and checked the caller ID. It was Rima.

"Hey, Reems."

"This is Rima's mother. Hi, Utau."

I facepalmed at my error. Why does this stuff happen at the most inappropriate times?

"Oh, hello Mashiro-san. How is Rima?"

"She's been transferred to Seiyo Hospital. Visiting hours end at 10, if you want to go see her before that."

Ikuto came downstairs and mouthed 'who's on the phone?'

'Mashiro-san,' I mouthed back.

He nodded and opened the fridge. I rolled my eyes at his turned back.

"Thank you, Mashiro-san. Ikuto and I will go visit her soon."

"Goodbye, Utau-chan." Rima's mother hung up before I could reply.

I joined my brother at the fridge and grabbed some leftovers from the previous night. Sticking them in the microwave, I checked the time as the food heated up. It was already 7:00, and I wanted to see Rima tonight.

After wolfing down the leftovers (with the help of Ikuto, of course) I told him what Mashiro-san had told me, and we drove to the hospital. It was around 7:30 when we got there, and the guest waiting room was almost empty. We approached a grouchy-looking woman in her late 30's behind the desk. She glared up at us from behind her glasses, her blue eyes icy.

"May I help you?"

I stiffened at her bored and annoyed tone. Man, rude receptionists bothered me.

"Yes, we're here to see Mashiro Rima-san."

She lazily flipped through her room list and ran her stubby finger down the page.

"Room 348, and visiting hours end at 10."

"Thank you very much," Ikuto said.

He grabbed my hand and together we walked to the elevator. I checked my watch hastily as he pushed the button for the third floor. It was 7:40, which meant that we had just over two hours with Rima. Hopefully, she would be alone (meaning: Hopefully, Amu wouldn't be there).

That hope dissolved as we entered room 348 and saw Amu sitting in the corner, watching some stupid soap opera on the television. Rima looked up as we walked in, and her face broke into a small smile. She waved and smiled. I waved back, and Ikuto said, "yo."

Rima and I rolled our eyes together at his 'cool' demeanor, and Amu stood up with a fake, bitchy smile plastered on her face.

"Well, now that Utau and Iku-kun are here to keep you company, I think I'll go visit the powder room."

I grinned an equally false smile as she exited the room, before relaxing my facial muscles and pulling another chair up next to Rima's bed.

"Hey, Reems. How's it going?"

"Not too bad. They're starting chemo as soon as my parents give the okay, which will probably be tomorrow."

I stared at her. She seemed different somehow, more aloof, as if this wasn't really happening. I knew though, when she actually looked straight at me, that it was just a brave act.

"Rima, stop. You don't have to pretend around me. What's really going on?"

She drew a deep breath and let it out shakily. She was very obviously terrified, and there was another emotion in her eyes.

"I'm scared, Utau. What if this thing beats me? What if I-"

I cut her off before she could finish.

"No, don't say that! You're going to make it through, you can do this."

"That's not what Amu seems to think. She acts like… well, like she's sort of waiting for something to go wrong."

I sucked in a breath quickly. So Rima had noticed, and I wasn't just going crazy thinking that Amu was out to get my best friend.

"Well, it doesn't matter what Amu thinks. Speaking of the devil, she's been gone a long time. I'm going to go see where she disappeared off to. Ikuto, keep Rima company."

Both Rima and Ikuto nodded as I stood up. I waited until Ikuto took my seat before leaving the room. I followed the signs that led to the bathroom. Amu wasn't in any of the stalls or by the sinks.

Well, maybe she got lost. You know that she's not the brightest. I nodded to the voice in my head and wandered aimlessly down the hallways, searching for her bright hair. I rounded a sharp corner and found her leaning against the wall on my right-hand side. She had something in her hand, which she quickly stuck in her pocket.

"Oh, Utau-chan! I wasn't aware that I had been gone so long that you came to look for me! I'll just be getting back then."

She breezed past where I stood frozen, the cogs turning in my head. This time, I had seen what she had hastily pushed into her pocket as soon as I looked at her. It was her cell phone.

So, I apologize for the very late update, I feel pretty guilty. So without further ado, review responses!

Ensign Meyumi

Yes, that's true. Of course, it's not Hanukkah now, because I take so long to update. And you're right, I went back and double checked. Thank you for bringing up the fact, I appreciate it very much. I'm sorry about your aunt.

Yes, I find Amuto is overused, so I cast them the parts that would keep them apart. It is quite AU, I find that Canon is harder for me to write.

Thank you for reviewing~

The Otaku You Fools

Checheche of course you are! Sorry for updating so late. Now we're even. I've also been working on crap. Makes sense. Yeah, I decided to portray the bitch as Amu because she fits the part the best. And I'm not just saying that because I hate Amu (though I do really hate her) but because the way they act in certain situations is the same. She even dyed her hair pink, so I thought it would work out really well. And I feel like if Rima and Amu weren't going to be best friends they were going to be bitter enemies. Well, 'Amu' and 'Ikuto' sorta had a thing for each other, but not anymore. And there will be touching moments, so prepare yourself. O.O uh… that's strange… well, I keep thinking I see a bird fly part the window, but I only notice cuz I'm watching my cat playing out on the deck. Well, the wait is over. Thanks for reviewing!

Wildappuruanimeheart101

-.-'' Thanks for that. Really. MWAHAHA CHINS! *threatening voice* do you have something you aren't telling me Wild? And seriously, me reading your stories is revenge. So don't get mad at me for that.

Hehehe drama is my forte, remember. There is much more to come.

No, I'm talking about Amu's annoyingness in the anime. And seriously, she's like, cheating on her 'boyfriends' the whole freaking anime! Also, they're in fifth/sixth grade and telling each other that they love each other? Seriously, they're too young to know that.

I'm fine with your freaking 'creepy clown', because I am quite creepy, aren't I? But DO. NOT. CALL. ME. THAT. NAME. I am serious.

Thanks for reviewing… I think…

Dymiely444

Thank you, and here it is!

Thanks so much everyone for reviewing! I really appreciate it. So, this is the end. See you next chappie!

~Rai