Chapter 97

Len.

"So...what happened, exactly?" Yuma asked me in a low voice as we left the school.

I looked at Rin, who was looking out into space and holding my hand as tightly as she could without crushing it. She smiled back at me and nodded.

"It's okay," I said to Yuma, "I mean, it was okay either way, but as it turns out, we're not related after all."

"Heh," Yuma looked at us as a warm smile crept up his face. Gumi leapt at Rin and wrapped her arms around her friend. Yuma tousled my hair and I laughed, pulling away.

"Okay, okay!" I said between laughs. He punched my shoulder gently.

"This is a big deal," he said softly, "Don't you feel it? Relief, like a load off your chest, a gentle breeze against your face?"

I paused and glanced at Oliver. Neru was chatting animatedly with him, but his gaze was set on his shoes. He met my eyes suddenly and offered a small, sad smile.

"Yeah," I replied, walking up to Oliver, "I do feel it."

"See, they've all had Slurpees before, right Len? Rin?" Neru kept talking and looked at us.

I nodded and looked at Oliver. "Hey."

"It's okay, Len," he smiled again, "I get it. You don't need to thank me."

"Yes, I do," I said, "But that's not why I'm talking to you right now."

Oliver blinked. "Then what..."

"You're not alone," I smiled, "Don't be like this. I know you're down, but look."

I gestured towards Neru, who was texting intently before looking up at us. "Sorry, did you say something?" She frowned.

I shook my head. "It's nothing," I said as she reverted her attention back to her phone, "Right, Oliver?"

He paused before nodding. "Right," he said, "Let's hurry to Rin's place."

Rin yawned again and rested her head on my shoulder. Our walk slowed down and we were lazy shadows agains the slowly setting summer sun. We padded sloppily, lazily, our figures crashing into each other and fingers entwined.

Rin was exhausted, but she was radiating happiness. I could see the sorrow in her eyes, and I couldn't begin to understand how she felt, losing Ren and then learning about the similar fate of her true parents.

"Len," she said softly, looking up at me. Streaks of golden sunlight cut across her bright blue eyes and reflected off of her blond hair, kissing the thin cloth of the white bow that was fixed into her hair, "I'm hurt, really, really hurt. My parents are gone. They're all gone."

I pulled my hand out of hers and stroked her face gently. "Rin..."

"But it's okay," she smiled as I inched my face closer to hers, our lips just grazing each other, "Because I've still got you."

I was caught in her spell, about to kiss her when a polyphonic ringtone shattered the serenity. Gumi yelped and looked at all of us apologetically before putting her phone to her ear.

"Hello?" She frowned, "Yeah, I'm with Yuma and...okay...and Oliver and Neru..."

"Who is it?" I asked. Yuma shrugged.

"Okay, we'll do it," Gumi said before hanging up and looking at Yuma, "That was my mom. She wants to meet you and, er, Oliver and Neru, like, right now."

"What?" Oliver frowned, "But she knows me, right?"

Gumi grinned innocently. "Please, she says it's an emergency!"

She grabbed Yuma's arm as he grabbed Oliver, and Neru clung onto Oliver's other arm.

"Hey, wait!" She yelled as Gumi dragged them all away.

"Sorry!" Gumi apologized as she hurried down another street.

"Hey, isn't Gumi's home that way?" Rin frowned and pointed in the opposite direction, and that was when it hit me. They were being called over to help with the party.

"I don't know," I shrugged, "Hey, I just had an idea."

"An idea?" Rin looked up at me and I winked at her.

"You know, since it's just the two of us now," I smirked, "How about we finish that kiss first? Then I want to show you something."

Rin's eyes showed just how tired she was, but regardless, she smiled and nodded. I was starring to feel bad about making her go through all this. All she wanted to do was take a nap. And besides, I just said that that I wanted to show her something, but my mind was blank. I just said that to buy the others some time.

"I'm waiting," she sang, pulling me out of my thoughts. She looked up at me with a small smile and I nodded, running a thumb across her ivory flesh before pressing my mouth against hers for a short but sweet kiss. We closed our eyes, eyebrows relaxed, for the two seconds during which our lips met, and pulled away slowly, mesmerized.

"Never gets old," she giggled, her cheeks red. I chuckled and took her hand. It was then that I realized where I wanted to take her.

"Never gets old," I repeated.

Miku.

"Jeremy, carry him!" I ordered, pointing at Kaito, who sat on my bed. He was wearing a dark blue shirt, a long sleeved black windbreaker, black pants and his signature scarf. I was wearing a simple teal dress with sleeves that reached halfway past my elbows and grazed my ankles. Kaito had said that it looked cute, so there's my reason for wearing it.

"Princess, I'm supposed to carry you," he frowned, "Not the other way around."

I shook my head. "You're injured, " I said, "And you're too heavy for me to carry!"

"Give it a try," he smiled. I frowned.

"I don't want to drop you," I said slowly.

"Jeremy will catch me, right, Jeremy?"

Jeremy stood solemnly behind me, nodding in response to Kaito's question.

"See?" Kaito said, "Go ahead, Miku. Normally, I wouldn't want my princess to do this, but I know you want to!"

I rolled my eyes. "This is going to be the weirdest thing ever..."

I walked up to the blue haired boy and hooked an arm around his back, gripping his side with one small hand. Grunting softly, I hooked my other arm back and around his knees and pulled him up against my chest.

"This is awkward," I said with a groan, nearly dropping Kaito. Jeremy swiftly took his from my arms and lifted him as though he was a feather.

"Okay, fine, whatever," I said, leaving the room with my boyfriend-carrying butler dutifully trailing behind, "Let's go. We're already late!"

We headed downstairs and out the house. Jeremy the chauffeur waited in the limo, idling as he flipped through a newspaper. Once he caught sight of us, he put the paper down and hurried to open the doors.

"Hey, Miku?" Kaito asked as Jeremy the Second gently put him down on the porch steps. I pulled Kaito close so that he could use me as a support.

"What's the matter?" I asked.

"Can I drive?" Kaito grinned. I blinked.

"Y-You don't even have a license!" I sputtered. He looked at me with wide, innocent eyes, making me blush and succumb to his wish.

"Fine," I said under my breath, "Jeremy the chauffeur, get the everyday car out!"

"The 'everyday car'?" Kaito smirked. I sighed.

"That's what we call it," I said, "Hey, it's not as flashy as saying the 'Mercedes.'"

"A Mercedes?" Kaito's eyes lit up, "You got a new car?"

"Yeah, the Ferrari's kinda being borrowed right now," I shrugged, "I know you loved it when my parents picked you up in that one for our sleepovers."

"This one's better!" Kaito pulled away from me and limped down the steps, nearly falling flat on his face in front of the jet black vehicle. He scrambled to the driver's seat, little groans of pain escaping him.

"It's the head injury," I said to Jeremy the Second, who nodded.

"Please take care, Miss Miku," he said, "We wouldn't want you injuring your head as well."

"Oh, please," I hurried after Kaito and got into the front seat beside him. Jeremy the chauffeur handed him a key ring, and Kaito snatched it excitedly.

"Chauffeur, get in the back!" I ordered, "We need a professional here, just in case."

"Aw, come on, princess!" Kaito kissed my cheek, "Rin's house is only a few blocks away. That's like, a five minute drive!"

"Knowing you, a lot could happen in five minutes," I said with a small smile, "As crazy as this is, I trust you. Just don't get us killed, and I won't break up with you."

That got him really serious. "Don't you worry," he said as the car rumbled to life, "I'll be careful. I think."

Haku.

What was I supposed to do? Dell persisted, running after me, even as I approached the street crossing. I tried to ignore him, but I really couldn't.

"Listen!" I snapped suddenly, spinning around right on the edge of the sidewalk, cars speeding this way and that behind me, "There is nothing I would love more than to come back to this school tomorrow, and to continue teaching students, but at the same time...I don't want to please you! Y-You put Oliver through so much pain! Forget about me, forget how I feel; that boy is broken! He wanted to fix things, he has an innate desire to help, to solve problems...but you crushed him! By firing me, you crushed him!"

"Ms. Yowane, I wasn't paying attention to..."

"No, listen!" I yelled, taking a step back. Motors roared and horns honked, "You didn't even pay any attention, did you? Did you even take note of how I stopped drinking? Did you even take note today, as I talked to Rin and Len? Didn't you notice that I was completely sober?"

"Haku, I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," Dell shook his head furiously and I took another step back. That was a bad idea. I cried out slightly as I lost my balance, falling back into the busy traffic.