New Friends
Part 1

By Mrs. Strata

"Han`a High, why oh, why won't you die?" Kento sang out loudly, breaking the crisp stillness of the morning. Cye grinned and joined him in the next verse of their song.

"Burn to the ground, have the principal bit by a hound!"

"Han`a High, why oh why won't you..." Both put their head together before filling the final note with a loud burst of noise.

"DIE!" They laughed and Ryo grimaced, covering his ears with his hands.

"Please you guys," he moaned. "Will you quit singing that dumb song?"

"But we like to sing it," Kento protested.

"Then don't do it when you're with us," Sage said. He looked around, worried. "Guys, Rowen didn't say anything about not going to school today did he?"

"Nope," answered Kento. "I'm sure he'll show up, he probably just-" At that moment, Rowen came tearing around the corner, jacket and case in hand, a piece of toast in his mouth. His shirt was untucked and his long blue forelocks hung in his eyes haphazardly.

"I'm sorry, I'm late guys," he panted, taking the toast out of his mouth. "I-I slept in again." The group laughed.

"See," chuckled Kento. "He just slept in again."

"Hey, it's not my fault I like to get a good night's rest," said Rowen, as he finished tucking his shirt in and buttoning his uniform. "Unlike, 'Mr. Up-at-the-crack-of-dawn' over there."

"How'd I get dragged into this?" cried Sage. "And besides, I like to be up and still have time to do my hair." He pointed to Rowen's rumpled locks.

Rowen tried to smooth his hair a little. "Yeah, I guess a style like yours does require you to be up early. It takes you, what, two, three hours to get enough hair spray to make it do that?" he teased.

"Very funny, ao boy," Sage grumped. "At least mine looks like I actually did something with it."

Rowen laughed and let it drop. It was his fault for sleeping in, but he had always had trouble getting up in the morning. They walked in silence, when Kento nudged Cye and grinned.

"How's about another round of the school anthem Cye?"

"Not again you two!" Ryo yelled. "What did we do to deserve this?"

"They've been singing?" asked Rowen, raising an eyebrow. "I thought we forbid they sing that song."

"It doesn't work," Sage sighed. "Unless we tied them up and pulled them along behind us, there's not much we could do."

"Rope. Remember to bring some tomorrow," Rowen said.

"And a sock or something to stuff in their mouths," Ryo added.

"Y'know, I'm beginning to think they don't like our singing Cye," Kento smiled. "Maybe if we keep it up, it'll grow on them."

Cye smiled before he and Kento once again broke into an uneven noise.

The auditorium was packed. Every seat taken and a few kids were made to stand. Ryo, Rowen, Cye, Kento, and Sage had all managed to get seats somewhere in the middle of this crowded mess and they were now eagerly awaiting the introductions.

"I feel rather sorry for these girls," commented Cye.

"Why?" asked Kento, squirming in his seat.

"Well I certainly wouldn't want to be up there in front of the whole school on my first day. The thought of it makes me sick."

"I guess introducing them class by class isn't practical," Rowen said, flipping through his chemistry book.

"I'm glad we got out of chemistry today," said Ryo. "Who on earth would enjoy that dumb class?" He suddenly noticed what Rowen was reading and sighed. Sage flipped his head back, then scanned the crowd.

Catching the eye of one of girls in his class, he winked at her. She blushed and then winked back. Sage smiled. It was just too easy.

"Attention! Attention students!" Principal Hojo tapped on his microphone. "Is this thing on?" A few of the students snickered. "Ah, it is on. Rippa na!" He shifted from one foot to another at the podium and cleared his throat. "As you know, we will be introducing two new students to Han`a High today." He turned around and motioned to someone behind the curtain of the stage. Two girls appeared, each wearing the uniforms of the high school. They walked up next to the podium and stood. Sage tore himself away from the girl he'd been flirting with and Rowen looked up from his book, glancing at the new students along with the other four. The first girl had fiery auburn hair, cut chin length. Her deep brown eyes looked straight out into the crowd, scanning it without flinching. She seemed unconcerned about the many numbers of people staring back at her.

The second girl however, seemed just the opposite. She stared at the floor, fingering her waist- length braid of dark hair. A gentle nudge from the first girl got her to look up. She had large hazel eyes, set out by her pale face. She bit her lip before looking back at the ground.

"Students, this is Selena Kujo," the principal pointed to the first girl, "and Venus Yasu." He pointed to the second girl. "Please show them around and make them feel at home. You can now return to your classes." He left the stage along with the two girls.

"Okay, I'm taking the dark haired one," said Kento. "Cye you want the red-head?"

Cye rolled his eyes. "Not wasting anytime are we Kento?"

"Hey, only a few hours before she sees pretty boy over there and BOOM, head over heels." Rowen, Ryo and Cye laughed.

"He's got a point," said Ryo. Sage shook his head, as the five of them started out the doors.

"I'm hungry," Kento complained. "Lunch is soon right?"

"Kento!" Cye shouted. "You and your eating!"

"Mr. Mori." Cye turned around, horrified to see sensei Kaga behind him.

"Um, yes sensei Kaga?"

"You know the rules, no yelling in the halls. See me after school."

Cye moaned. "Yes, sensei." He glared at Kento. "I'll get you for this," he hissed.

"Venus, you've hardly touched your food, are you okay?" Selena asked in concern, feeling Venus' forehead.

Venus tried to smile. "I'm fine. I'm just so nervous. I hate being in a new school." She looked at the large crowd of kids, talking and eating their lunches.

"I don't know, I kinda find it fun," said Selena, taking a bite of her sandwich. Suddenly, a girl about Selena and Venus' age sat down smiling brightly.

"Konnichi wa! My name is Saya. Mind if I sit here?"

Venus shook her head and returned the greeting.

"You're the new girls right? Oh, silly me, of course you're the new girls. Do you have anyone to show you around yet? I can do it for you. I can even introduce you to some of the students. Here I'll go around the cafeteria and tell you who's hot and who's not."

Selena raised her eye brows at the way Saya continued to talk without taking a breath, OR allowing either her or Venus to say anything.

"...and that's where he sits," she sighed.

"Who?" asked Venus and Selena in unison, following her finger to one table, where five young guys sat.

"Him," Saya sighed again.

Selena's short temper was getting the better of her. "Who?! There are five guys sitting at that table!"

"Oh, I'm sorry - the blonde one. His name is Sage. He's the hottest guy in the whole school! But," she let out yet another sigh, this one forlorn, "you wouldn't have a shot at him. Ayako has pretty much claimed him as hers. She gets really pissed if any girls besides her and her group talk to him."

"What about the others?" Venus asked, seemingly uninterested in the dramatic speech.

"Well, the blue haired one, sitting next to Sage, his name is Rowen. Real bookworm. Most intelligent of our whole school. Then the one sitting next to him is Ryo," she pointed to a kid with shoulder length black hair. "Now the one across the table, stuffing his face, that's Kento. A real class clown. And his friend Cye."

"He has beautiful eyes," Selena commented, staring at Cye. "Looks like he stole them from a puppy."

"He did," a voice said. Selena, Venus, and Saya turned around as an older girl sat down. "Or at least that's what Mom says. I'm Hase Mori, Cye's older sister. Nice to meet you."

"Same here," said Selena. "So, wanna tell us more about school?"

"Oh, I'd love to!" Saya cried. "See that guy over there..."

Venus gave Selena the look that said,"way to go".

Selena only laughed a little and tried to focus on the conversation.