Step #13

Always Follow A Woman's Intuition

...\~/...

July 24th, 4:34 P.M.:

"Ripley, I want to tell you about the woman I love."

There was silence over the phone and for a moment there, his heart seemed to stop. He wished he could see her expression, to see whether it was hurt or upset. All he could hear were the loud chatter of the other customers at the mall, fast food workers yelling that there were samples, and chairs being scooted across the ground. He wanted her to say something, anything; heck, he would be okay if he could hear her breathing, but there was nothing. During this silence, he remembered the last two times he had told the women he cared about his story of Haruhi. The first was with Isabel Carter, a young woman he had bumped into at his favorite coffee shop, and had asked for her number. Their relationship had grown to the point he thought about settling down with her, but after he told her about Haruhi, her true self life suddenly became a reality: her having seven kids, already married, living outside of the state of New York, and that she was only conning him for money. The second was Deana, who was so beautiful, kind, and understanding. He had hated losing her.

He hoped he didn't have to make it a third.

Ripley was understanding, though, right? She had listened to him rant about things without judging him or questioning him. She needed to know; she deserved that much. Maybe once he told her what he was holding back, she would return it and tell him why she had been so quiet for three months. Hikaru sat there, listening to silence. What if she was crying to herself because she knew it wasn't her and it hurt. Hikaru felt his whole body ache at the thought.

"Ripley...please...say something." he pleaded, his voice cracking.

More silence.

What would he tell her? How would he word it to make it sound like he loved Haruhi, but still cared about Ripley? Or maybe it was more than just caring for her; maybe he was falling for her. Hikaru dug his fingernails into the tops of his hand, waiting for her to reply. Maybe she really was crying and didn't want to answer with a cracked voice with a possible chance she would sob into the phone? He felt like he was going to cry...

Then, she spoke.

"Tell me about her."

And he did. He told her about how Haruhi was the first person to tell he and Kaoru apart, but not because of the parts in their hair or the way they spoke, but their personalities, something that no one had done before. Over their time together, he started falling for her; loved her blunt personality, the way she would fret over the stupidest things, like missing sales at supermarkets or running out of rice, and her cooking. Hikaru relived the painful memory of Haruhi rejecting him when he told Ripley and how he battled for her when Tamaki had finally gotten over his trauma and accepted his feelings for her. "I've wanted her for six years, Ripley; I just can't think of a different girl for me. I'm picky because of her now. I always look for the blunt honesty she had, but girls around here don't have that. They just tell me what I want to hear and not what I don't. Haruhi always had a way of making me realize things and I loved that." Hikaru told her about how envious he was of Tamaki, but how he was happy for him and loved him at the same time. He was a walking contradiction, that's all he was. Haruhi was the reason why he and Kaoru grew up to be individuals, not the same, like they had planned on doing when they were kids.

"She sounds like a beautiful person." Ripley said softly.

Hikaru smiled, "She is. She truly, truly is."

There was a silence.

"But then I met you." he said. "You do crazy things to me, you know that?" he added with a laugh.

"No, I didn't know that." she replied.

"You do. You make my heart race every time you call or message me, you make me feel warm and give me butterflies. I laugh when I talk to you and you give me hope that I can get through these hard times. God, and your voice. I love how you say my name and the way you say 'Hika' in that adorable way you do. I want you and I need you, but I'm trapped, and you're my only way out. If...if you wait for me just a little longer...I'll be there...with you..."

"I want you, too."

And he started crying. He couldn't help but laugh as he watched the tears fall. He didn't know why he was crying; he didn't know if it was from sadness, happiness, or both. That's when he heard crying over the phone and he realized that she was crying too. A sob escaped her and from him as well. They were in sync and he heard Ripley give a small, weak laugh. "You fool, you made me cry too." He sniffled, wiping the tears, new ones taking place of the old ones. "At least we're crying together." he replied in a shaky voice. "I wish I was there with you."

"I wish you were here, too. I just...want to be with you." Another sob from her.

"We will...I promise..."

"Hika," She was so cute. "What are you going to do about it?" she asked.

"About what?"

"About Haruhi."

"I-I don't know."

"You should call her. How long has it been since you've talked to her? Two years? Talking it out is always the best solution. It's hard to make the first move; trust me, I would know, but it looks like she's not going to, so you'll have to. You've stuck yourself in this reality where you think Haruhi's mad at you and that's causing you to not do anything about it. She's not mad at you, though."

"And how do you know that?" he asked.

"Kaoru told me."

"Kaoru?! Since when has Kaoru talked to you?! How come you never told me?! How come he never told me?!" Hikaru frowned, shoulders slouching. Kaoru sneaking around his back and talking with Ripley made him uncomfortable and made him feel a little bit betrayed, but he was pretty sure his little brother was just making sure Ripley was good enough for him. Still though, he didn't like the fact Kaoru was talking to Ripley without his consent.

"We talk on a daily basis. And he's told me all your embarrassing stories!" For some reason, he pictured her with a devilish smile, one that could compete with his own. "Is it true that you stopped wetting the bed when you were eleven?" she snickered through the phone. He was glad that she wasn't around her roommates, especially Renee, or else he would never hear the end of it. They all had a tendency to tease him mercilessly.

Hikaru's face burnt with embarrassment. Now he really was going to scold Kaoru. "That's not true! Kaoru was the one that always sucked his thumb and he was a crybaby in elementary school, crying over the stupidest things! And...and...he-" He was cut off by Ripley's laughter. "What's so funny! Ya know, I can always call your brothers and ask for embarrassing stories!"

"Relax, he didn't say that. I made it up, but since you acted so defensive, I'm beginning to think I might've hit a sore spot..."

"You did not! It's all a lie!"

"I'd love to see your face right now! I bet it's hilarious!"

"You're so mean to me..." he pouted through the phone.

"Oh, you know I love you."

And that's when things got silent. His whole body felt hot and his face felt like it was about to burst into flames. He imagined his face was redder than a tomato, blush spreading out from his ears all the way to his toes. His heart beat against his chest and his body shook, his hand barely able to hold onto the phone it was trembling so bad. What did she mean by 'I love you'? Like, 'I love you as a friend' or 'I love you as a lover'? Ripley was choking on her next words, trying to find a way to explain herself, but all he could do was listen to her words echo in his head. He wondered if she was blushing just like him and he expected her to be doing so. He would've killed to see her red from head to toe.

"Did...you...mean...?"

"N-no! I meant...I-I, well...I mean... It was truly platonic! It...just..."

Platonic...?

"N-no, it's f-fine. I was j-just wondering..."

Platonic...

"I still think you should call Haruhi." Ripley said finally, interrupting the silence. "She'd be happy to hear from you."

"Why are you so persistent in me calling her? You know, most women would try and keep their love interests away from other women. Don't you want me all to yourself?" His voice came out more cracked than seductive, like he wanted it to be, but he figured he really wanted her answer to be 'yes, I do want you all to myself'. But the word 'platonic' kept bouncing around in his mind. That's not the word he wanted to describe their relationship. Platonic meant that they just had friendship and shared a mutual affection for one another. It made his head and heart hurt that after almost seven months with her, that's how far their relationship had progressed. "You're not trying to dump me off on another woman, right?"

"No, it's just...I want you to be happy. And if reconnecting with the woman you love makes you happy, then so be it. "

"Ripley..." This woman... "I can't...not alone..."

"I'll be right here." Ripley said soothingly.

...\~/...

He was going to do it.

He was actually going to call Haruhi.

Hikaru looked between the two phones in front of him. Ripley was on speaker phone, ready to listen to him talk to Haruhi over his home phone, which was placed to his left. Just the thought of hearing Haruhi's voice again made his heart race and his palms sweat. Hell, the first time he tried to pick up the home phone, it had slipped right out of his hand and clattered to the floor. Every time he would say he couldn't do it, Ripley would calm him down with soft words. Jesus, he was being such a wimp. Why couldn't he just call her?

"I'm going to do it."

"Go ahead. You can do it."

"Are you sure you want me to do this."

"Yes, I'm sure."

He was dialing the number, the phone shaking against his ear. "It's ringing..." God, he sounded like such a geek.

While the phone rang, he wondered what Ripley was thinking at the moment. He felt that what she said about him being happy was sincere, but he knew she was keeping a lot of things back. He had to admit, she was good at hiding her true feelings, and sometimes he would be convinced that she was fine, but MJ had coached him to never believe Ripley when the two words 'I'm fine' came out of her mouth. Ripley hated inconveniencing people with her problems, which led her to keep everything bottled up. Oh, you know I love you. She had let it slip that she felt something towards him. Hikaru sighed and he heard Ripley say something, but he couldn't make out her words at the moment. There was no way Ripley couldn't not be hurt at what he was doing at the moment, him talking to Haruhi while she listened. And just the thought of him being the cause of that hurt...well, it killed him on the inside. But he had to know...he had to know how she really felt about him. Not Haruhi, but...

"Ripley, do you lov-"

"Hello?"

It was Haruhi.

Holy fuck, it was Haruhi.

Hikaru slammed the phone back in the receiver, cutting off the connection.

"What was that?! Why'd you hang up on her?!" Ripley shouted.

"I can't do it! I'm a coward! I don't want to talk to her! I'm too chicken and you can't make me!"

"Hikaru, you can do it! It's just a phone call! Remember when I told you how scared I was to call you? Well, didn't I get over my fear?! You should too! Call her back!"

"Fine! I can do it!"

"Yes! Because beside the word 'manly' will always be 'Hikaru'!"

"Kaoru told you that story?" he asked.

"Yeah, one out of many."

"What else has he-"

"Hikaru, you're stalling! Call her!"

"Fine, fine, I'm doing it now." He dialed the number again and sat in silence, waiting.

"Hello?" It was Haruhi again. He could do this. Ripley was here with him. He could do this...

"Um...h-hey, Haruhi. This is Hikaru."

"Hikaru? Hikaru! I can't believe you called! I'm so glad you did!" She sounded so excited. He didn't know Haruhi was even capable of excitement. She had always been calm and level-headed about everything. Though, she was always get a shine in her eyes when she experienced a new type of food, like Spanish tapas. "It's been so long. What, two years, since the last time we talked? Wasn't it at the wedding?"

"Yeah, it was. So, uh, how've you been?" He really didn't want to talk about the wedding, especially when he acted so rude to everyone before and during it.

"I've been well. Classes have been a bit tough since I'm also dealing with a job...and Tamaki...but overall, good. We had lunch with Kaoru yesterday and he said you're taking summer classes. How have they been going?" He was actually talking to her. He had to wonder what they were actually going to talk about. He didn't think she would want to hear about his artwork or art classes since she was never into such things, and he couldn't talk about his newest video game, being reminded of a time when he showed her one of his games during one of her visits with Mei and Haruhi had nearly been bored to death. He had no job to tell stories about (his job at Nathan's had faded away after Hikaru got bored) and he didn't really go out with anybody. Overall, he was a boring person...

"They've been good. I'm taking another art class, English 101, and a computer operatives class."

"My co-workers make fun of me because I don't know how to use a computer."

"Oh, don't worry. I have a friend that's guiding me through all of it. She's a nerd, so computer talk is her second language."

"True dat. Whoops..." Ripley muttered a quick apology.

"Is someone there with you?" Haruhi asked. She was speaker phone too, so Ripley could listen.

"No! No one's here! Just me!"

"Hmm, okay... Have you done anything interesting lately?"

Hikaru felt like this conversation was going to go dead really fast because no, he hasn't done anything interesting. "It's been way too hot to do anything. Right now, it's a hundred and ten degrees with humidity. Over here, you step out for five seconds, and you're already sweatin' buckets." Then, he added with a laugh, "My friend's in the arboring business and she has to work in even hotter temperatures. Makes me thankful that I'm rich and don't have to work like her." Ripley was used to this kind of talk.

"Well, good for her for being a hard worker, unlike some people I know..."

"Hey, was that a jab towards Milord?" he asked with a laugh.

"No, that was a jab towards you. Tamaki has a job, remember?"

"Where would I work? Seriously, do you see me wearing a Mickey D's cap, asking if you would want fries with that?"

"No, more like a waiter or something along those lines. Or maybe sewage since you're full of it."

Hikaru let out a laugh, "Fitting, wouldn't it be? I may look into it!"

"Is it true that there are alligators in the New York sewers?" Haruhi asked.

"I don't know. That's a question you should ask Syd."

That response led to Haruhi asking about Syd and Johnny being together, which he told her about spying on their first date and helping Syd dress up for the occasion. That triggered a sequence of memories that they shared when they were in high school together and the two years after that. Haruhi asked if he had been on any dates; he told he hadn't been for almost seven months, which was the amount of time he had known Ripley. He was surprised that their conversation was going so well and before he knew it, they were sharing laughs and swapping stories, which led to more and more laughs. He felt a heavy weight lift and he realized that it was because of Haruhi and her uncanny ability to make him feel calm and relaxed. She listened to everything he had to say: his paintings, the people in his classes and how he wanted to befriend some, even the new video games he had been playing, which was a topic he thought would bore her, but she listened to him intently. It was like everything he had built up inside was released with each minute he talked to her. Hikaru loved this; he had wanted this for so long.

He didn't even notice his cell phone lose connection.

Ripley wasn't with him anymore.

He was alone with Haruhi, something he had wanted.

"And I met someone."

"Your friend that you keep on mentioning?" Haruhi questioned with interest.

Hikaru suddenly got very excited, straightening in his chair. "Her name's Ripley Barrett and I met her on Red Hue. She's going to be a game designer like me and she's a writer and already guaranteed me a autographed book." And just like he had done with Ripley when he told her about Haruhi, Hikaru let everything Ripley-related spill out. He told Haruhi about the Demonic Brothers and how he might've won them over, but they still gave him a hard time; he talked about how she was scared of the dark and bugs, how her laugh was contagious, and Ripley's obsession with the villains in comic books and video games. And she just listened to him ramble. He liked it. "She's an amazing person, and no matter how many times I tell her, she'll always deny it. I wish she would accept my compliments with a smile, rather than brushing them away."

"Sounds like she has some self-esteem issues."

"Yeah, but I'm trying to make her realize that there's no reason to have them."

"Do you love her?"

He avoided the question. "Look, Haruhi, I have to go. I have to finish up my assignment. Evening classes..."

"Hikaru...answer my question."

"Talk you later, hopefully!" And he hung up on her. Hikaru groaned, rubbing his hands along his face. He hoped she didn't call back, but he had called their home phone, so maybe they didn't have caller I.D. His chest felt like it was going to explode. He had talked to her. After two years of living in despair and sadness, he had actually picked up the phone and talked to Haruhi. She was still like she was back in high school, the same Haruhi he had fallen in love with. Oh God, he hadn't felt this happy in a long time!

That's when he noticed his cell phone.

Ripley wasn't on there anymore.

He called her and grinned when she picked up, "Hey, Hika..."

"I talked to her! I really, really talked to her!" he exclaimed into the phone. Hikaru jumped out of his seat and did a dance around the kitchen. "I actually talked to her! And she wasn't mad at me! We had a civil conversation and I didn't make a fool of myself! Haurhi said she was glad that I called and that she was going to visit sometime when her schedule opened up! Oooo, I'm so freakin' happy right now!"

"That's great! I'm so happy for you!"

He immediately stopped celebrating.

Something was wrong.

Something was very, very wrong.

"Ripley, have you been crying?"

"Yeah, remember when we cried together?"

"No, just now. Were you crying when I called you?" Her voice was quiet and she sounded congested. And he could hear echoes, like she was in a bathroom stall or something. "You were, weren't you? Don't lie to me, Ripley." Here he was dancing around and celebrating while Ripley was sitting in the mall bathroom, crying. "Please, tell me what's wrong? Why are you crying?" he asked gently. He wanted her to answer for once, to tell him what was spinning through her high-speed mind. For once, he wanted to act his part and be the one to soothe her and say calming words to her, like she did for him all the time. He heard her sniffle and a strangled sob escape her, like she had tried to keep it back. "Come on, baby, tell me what's wrong."

"Earlier, when I was talking to you, I escaped to the bathroom so Kit wouldn't bother me. And I lost connection, so I was going to go back out, but I hit my head on the handicap bar they have in the stall. It hurt like hell and I recommend you never do it."

"So, that's it? You're crying because you bumped your head?"

"Yes..."

He wasn't convinced. "Ripley, why can't you lean on me?"

"What?"

"I always tell you what's wrong with me and I told you about Haruhi. Do you know how scared I was to tell you because I've lost two very serious girlfriends by telling them about her and I didn't want to lose you? For once, I want you to tell me what's wrong, or is that too much to ask for? If we're going to be in a relationship in the future, we need to depend on each other to comfort one another. I've already made that commitment, so why can't you? I feel so useless when you don't tell me anything because I want more than anything to be there for you. Just, please...please, let me do that for you. Please..."

She was quiet. "What have your past girlfriends looked like?"

"Looked like? Why does it matter?" Okay, now he was confused.

"Never mind, it was a stupid question. Just...forget I said it."

"No, what do you mean?" he urged. "My last girlfriend was beautiful. I think she was even asked to model once."

He was careless in his words.

"...that's what I thought..."

"What are you thinking? You can tell me."

Over the phone, he could hear MJ calling out for Ripley. No, no... He didn't want her to go. He was finally achieving a difficult feat: breaking through Ripley's thick barrier. If they were going to be together, he wanted to train her to the point that she was comfortable in talking to him. "Wait, don't go! Why did you ask?! What are you wanting to tell me?!"

"Hika, I have to go." Click...

He let out a frustrated yell, staring at his phone. Why? Why did she ask that? Something must've been on her mind, but what?

Hikaru needed someone to talk to and fast.

That's it. He knew who.

He rushed out of his apartment after grabbing his sketchbook and keys.

...\~/...

"I knew you'd come around, Fruitcup. Couldn't resist me, could you?"

"Shut up, Salem, and answer my damn question."

"Touchy today, aren't we?" Salem sighed, stretching his arms on the back of the park bench. "It's hotter than nine Hells out here." he complained, scanning Central Park. People were walking around in tank tops and shorts, trying to beat the heat. Salem watched with a narrow gaze as a man dressed in a suit rushed by with a suitcase thumping against the side of his leg. He'd hate to be a business man today. Sweat rolled off his face, his tongue flicking out to taste salt. This heat was unbearable.

But there was one thing he hated more than the heat.

Hikaru's never ending staring.

It was like the kid was waiting for him to perform a miracle.

"What was your question again?"

Hikaru gave a frustrated sigh. "Why did Ripley say what she did?"

"Oh yeah, the 'what did your past girlfriends look like' question. Gotcha."

"And why did we have to come to Central Park?"

Salem was silent, looking at all the people walking by. For it being over a hundred degrees, people sure didn't seem to care. He did, though; he'd rather be in the air-conditioned kitchen at work. But no, his life couldn't be that freakin' simple. He just had to have Hikaru Hitachiin come by and practically drag him into a corner, begging for advice. Salem could feel Hikaru's golden eyes right on him and it was beginning to creep him out. This kid was annoying to the max.

"From one to ten, one being the worst-looking to ten being the best-looking, rate the girls you see pass by."

"Okay... That's a weird request..."

"Just do it."

Hikaru scanned the park, looking for any wandering females. His eyes landed on two women walking their way. "The one on the left a five and the one on the right a nine."

"Why?"

"Great, now he wants an explanation. A nine because she's medium-height, great legs, wears nice clothes, an awesome smile, and obviously takes great care of her hair. A five for the other one because she has bad hair and a bad dye job, her clothes look like she got them from a dumpster, and gross, her teeth are yellow and crooked. Obviously someone can't afford a dentist..."

"Here comes another girl. Her rating?"

"Seven. One, she's wearing clothes from mom's summer collection and they look good on her, and two, she's short, just the right height for girls."

"So clothes make the person?"

"You can always judge a person by their clothing. I mean, look at that girl! Bleck, definite two. Looks like dogs dragged her around in the dirt for a few days. And look at her skin! Does she not know what Proactiv is?"

Salem eyed Hikaru, his face straight. He listened intently as the boy rated girls that walked by, complimenting the ones that had a rank above five and acting condescending towards the ones that scored below. Hikaru was one of those people judged people off of looks, not personality, and that was what he was afraid of. The kid seemed to prefer short women to medium or tall heights and he based their character off of their clothes. Salem leaned his head back, now ignoring the kid's ill-mannered prattle. His stormy eyes watched the clouds go by, staring at the blue sky. Hey, Diana, he thought, blinking. Do you hear this kid? Isn't he unbelievable? No wonder that woman asked him that question... Are you thinking what I'm thinking, hun? You were always a good judgement in character.

"...listening to me?"

Salem didn't need to hear the whole thing to know what he said.

"No, not particularly."

"Then why did you ask me to rate women?"

The older man was quiet for a moment before reaching in his back pocket for his wallet. "Have you ever seen a picture of Diana?" he asked, opening his wallet and slipping out a picture. He handed it to Hikaru, waiting for his response. Hikaru's face twisted in disgust. "She's fat." That was his only comment.

"Watch what you say, Fruitcup, or I'll punch you. She was very sensitive about her weight and you have to remember that she can still hear you. I always said she was 'pleasingly plump'."

"I just say she's fat." Hikaru muttered. "Hey, look, a ten's coming towards us. Total hottie in my opinion."

There was silence between the two, a very awkward silence.

"I've always grown up around beautiful people." Hikaru started, gaining Salem's attention. The ash-haired twin looked bored as he explained. "Mom always told us that you could tell what kind of personality someone had based on their clothes. For example, I wear designer labels, so you can immediately assume that I'm wealthy, and that man over there-" Hikaru pointed towards a man standing at a hot dog stand. "-is obviously not rich. At most, I would assume he's a bank teller on his day off, or maybe a physics professor since I can see a physics handbook for teachers sticking out of his backpack." Hikaru looked forward, watching a woman jog by them. "Everyone in my family is beautiful, the people I went to school with were considered beautiful, and I was always helping the models that worked for my mom look gorgeous. My mom trained me to make people look glamorous and although my mom liked making the dullest of individuals beautiful, I always found them hideous because I knew what was under all tha t make-up."

"Should've figured you for a shallow bastard." Salem hissed.

"Whatever..." Hikaru sighed. "Are we done? I'm getting bored."

"Did your question get answered?"

"Nope, but I'll probably figure it out eventually."

Salem felt defeated. "You idiot, Ripley is probably a-!" He was going to say her rating, but he was interrupted.

"Hey, look, here comes a negative ten!"

Salem looked up to see Cassidy heading their way, looking bored. The older man went off and popped Hikaru a good one on the back of his head for ranking her such a low, degrading number. Salem stood up when Cassidy reached them, towering over her. "What do you want?" he asked.

"What's for dinner?" she asked, looking up at him.

"Something normal, but you'll probably make it really weird." Salem answered, snatching the beanie off her head.

"Hey, give that back!" Cassidy shouted, jumping up to get it, but Salem held it out of reach.

He turned to Hikaru, "You may be too stupid to realize it now, but you'll discover the answer to your soon."

Cassidy frowned, looking over at the twin. "Does this have to do with your girlfriend?" she questioned.

"She's not my girlfriend." Hikaru mumbled, a thick blush spreading across his cheeks.

Cassidy just stared at him for a moment before turning back to Salem. "Come on, I'm hungry."

"Alright, quit your whining, twerp."

And they left without saying good-bye.

Hikaru had a feeling they knew something that he didn't.

...\~/...

He had called Ripley, but got Renée instead, which was a surprise. She had put the phone on speaker so he could hear everything that was going on and what was happening over in their apartment...wasn't good. Renée had explained that Ripley had locked them out of their room (Ripley, MJ, and Renée shared a room) and they could hear Ripley talking to herself from inside, muttering things like 'I have to tell him' and 'No, I can't; I just can't'. Hikaru couldn't stand it when she talked to herself because that was when she really let all her thoughts escape. All the Barretts did it, he had come to find out, over a game of Call of Duty. Talking to themselves was their way of sorting out their thoughts, but Hikaru just found it weird.

"Did something happen between you two?" MJ asked. He could hear Dawn knocking on the bedroom door, calling out for Ripley.

"No, I don't think so." It wasn't his place to tell them about their 'Haruhi' conversation. "Does she do this a lot?"

"Lock herself in her room? No. Talk to herself? Yes."

"Tell her I'm on the phone." Hikaru suggested.

"Wait... Dawn, what is she saying?" MJ asked.

"Something about loss of appetite...sleep loss...mood swings...and the rest I can't hear." Dawn informed.

"Listen, Hikaru, we'll have to call you back. We need to coax Rip out of our bedroom." MJ said.

"Yeah...okay... See ya." And he hung up.

What the hell was going on with her?

...\~/...

Somewhere In The Bi-Polar Weather State:

July 24th, 8:28 P.M.:

She was talking to herself again.

It had always been a habit of hers and may be deemed crazy by most people, but it helped her sort out her thoughts.

She was debating with herself now on a very important topic.

Hikaru was experiencing weight loss, loss of sleep, no appetite for a majority of the time, mood swings, loss of interest in his hobbies, and more. Ripley always had to urge him and beg him to eat something, sleep, calm down when he got into his moods, and nag him to do his artwork over the phone, something he had once enjoyed, but he said was becoming boring and a big hassle. "Should I call him? I don't want to bother him... No, I need to. This is important. I need to ask him." she muttered to herself, rocking back and forth in her artist's stool. "C'mon, stop being a chicken and dial. No...no, it's too late. What if he's already asleep? I'll do it in the morning."

Ripley stood up, walked to her door, and unlocked. Opening it caused her roommates to spill in, falling into a pile. She merely stepped over them, mumbling to herself. "What's to eat? I want a PBJ... Ick, now I don't. Yes, I do. I love PBJs. No, I'd rather have cereal. Yeah, cereal sounds good."

"Rip, what are you doing?!" MJ called out.

"Getting something to eat!"

"There's spaghetti on the stove!"

"Thanks!"

Ripley nodded her head as she scooped spaghetti and meatballs into a bowl. "Yeah, I'll call him in the morning...afternoon. Hopefully he doesn't have classes..."

...\~/...

Next Day:

July 25th, 10:36 A.M.:

The phone rang in her ear as she waited for the call. She hated calling people over the phone.

This was important, though.

She needed to do this.

Something had to be done.

Finally, someone answered, "I swear to God, if you call one more time, I'll find you and shoot you in the fuckin' face!" a woman yelled into the phone.

Ripley started to panic. "I'm sorry! This is Ripley Barrett! And I need to-!"

Another voice entered the phone, but it wasn't directed towards her but the other woman.

"Obnoxious woman..." An annoyed sigh, followed by an equally annoyed, "Ootori."

This was important.

She needed to do this.

"My name is Ripley Barrett and I need to talk to you about Hikaru."

So, this chapter is very short, but I wanted to get it in before Band Camp, which I hope my teacher gives me a good saxophone this year... -_-' There wasn't much to do with this chapter, so that's why it's so short. The story starts getting good after this...or a least I hope so. Warning though, the next chapter will probably have little to no Hikaru in it because it's a Kyoya/Tara-centric chapter. PLEASE READ THIS! I'm very, very, VERY sorry about what I did with Hikaru's character and making him shallow, but if you think about it, mixed with his childish and bitter personality and the fact that he probably did grow up around beautiful people would most likely make him shallow. I hope you don't kill me bcause I fretted over adding it... D: And I'm very sorry!

Alright, and I have to thank you all for reviewing. My goal is 100 reviews or more and all of your reviews are helping me get there. Thank you! And chapter 14 might be up next weekend, but I can't promise anything.

Author's Note - Fin