"Amaris, you couldn't be mean to some random person who knows nothing about you." -Maiko Hayashi on multiple accounts of her friend's self-proclaimed coldness.

Gritting my teeth, I snatch up my towel and clothes, pushing through the adjoining door, not bothering to knock. The light is still on, and he's lying across his bed, reading. I ignore him as I stalk over to the bathroom. I wouldn't even be using this bathroom if Asuka hadn't insisted. As I close the door behind me, I gape at the inside.

I step inside and I turn towards the mirror mounted on the wall above the sink. The washbasin is set into the brown, marble counter. I assume Sebastien uses the wooden cupboard below for storing all of his bath products; I peek inside. I'm right. 

Jeez... What a house.

My cheeks flush a little when I take in the glass door shower. Swallowing, I take off my clothes and step inside. Oh, I didn't take up any of my bath things. Damn it! Clenching my fists, I turn on the water and yelp when the spray opens over my head. I guess I'm sleeping with wet hair tonight. I sigh as I lean against the wall. There wasn't a chance I was going to sleep early, anyways.

I can't believe Sebastien found the things I had used to write about him. I'd been in an even worse position than those girls I counsel these days. I'd had an extremely hopeless crush on him for three years. When I had entered Year 1...I had been extremely impressionable. Weak. Easy to please. I had been young, with unbelievably distorted perceptions of the world and reality.

Eventually, seeing how cold he was with others had helped me break away from the crush. Of course, breaking away from the group of people I used to be with during Year 1 had helped a lot as well. They'd been toxic people, especially Megumi.

My mouth twists a little when I think of her. She'd used to be my best friend. I had told her everything...but luckily I had withheld the crush I had on Sebastien from her. However, Megumi had figured it out. My actions, had apparently, spoken louder than words.

Megumi... I often wonder about what she was doing, these days. She had betrayed my trust, and after our friendship had been shattered, she had moved away. I hadn't heard about her in those three long years. Or was it four? Time was moving more quickly than I thought.

Maiko and I had actually been friends since Year 1 as well. She is the only one who knows about my crush on Sebastien. She had figured it out as well, but I had mustered up the courage to tell her about it last year. She had been overjoyed that I had been strong enough to see it was pointless.

Now, she could not approve more of me helping other girls from being brokenhearted from the same plaguing heartache. I wonder what she would make of this...? The idea of living with Sebastien... he still makes my heart race, perhaps too much. But I refuse to let myself be caught up with him again. 

I move off the wall, sighing. I look up at his bath products. Should I... Swallowing, I reached up and took down his body wash. Would he be upset? He doesn't have any soap and... Before I could overthink it, I squeeze just a little into my hands. The cold water feels amazing, and it helps to clear my head. The wash smells so good... it's intoxicating.

Switching off the water, I open the door and wrap the towel around myself. I'm really hoping Sebastien is asleep by now. I change into my clothes, towel-drying my hair. I hadn't brought a brush, and my hair looks awful. Just pray he's asleep. I open the door, but, damn my luck, he's still on the bed, reading. He doesn't look up when I step in.

"Um," I say, feeling honour-bound to tell him I used his things, "I used some of your-"

"I know. I could smell it from in here."

"Sorry."

He makes a non-committal sound. Furious, I walk over to the adjoining door. I put my hand on the door.

"Are you trying to get a head-cold?"

Huh? I turn to look at him.

"What?"

"You're not going to sleep with wet hair are you?"

I curse myself mentally when my heart skips. Is he concerned?  I chastise myself internally, projecting my bad mood. 

"How is that any of your business?"

"I don't want to be kept up at night by you coughing too loudly in the future. The walls are thin, you know."

This...!

"I apologise in advance," I snap.

I make to open the door again, and this time he doesn't bother me. I flop onto the bed, touching my hair. It is pretty wet... I lay back on the bed, curling up. I feel cold, but I feel too tired to reach for the blanket.

 Sebastien has tired me out. Shaking off the sleepiness, I force myself off of the bed, and I rummage in my duffel bag for my hair dryer. I plug it in the nearest outlet.

For a moment, I debate whether the noise might bother Sebastien. Then, I recall his obnoxious person, and I flip the dryer onto its loudest, highest setting.

"Ow!"

I flick it onto the lowest setting, rubbing my burnt ear with my free hand. Guess that's what I get for trying to get revenge on him. I brush my hair as it dries, and it's finally good enough to sleep with. I take off the dryer, and peek beneath the door. His light is off... was he asleep? Do I care? Frowning, I slip into the bed, curling up beneath the blanket. 

*

The next morning, when I wake, he was not in his bedroom when I knock and open the door. I open the door to the bathroom, and I jump back when I see him, standing in front of the mirror, toothbrush in his mouth.

  So this is how he looks when he just wakes up in the morning?

He turns and looks at me, amused. Am I blushing?  Rinsing his mouth as I stare, he presses the towel to his mouth.

"Are you going to keep gaping like a fish?"

Fish? A fish?!

"And your bed hair is terrible."

"Sorry I don't look like the cover of a magazine," I snap, frowning.

"Good, because those are the only girls I'd date."

"Like any of them would have you."

Sebastien laughs, and walks out of the bathroom. I frown at him before I stalk inside, closing the door behind me. But I'm frowning for more than one reason. My heartbeat had quickened at his quip about the girls he'd date.

*

"Are you sure you don't want any breakfast?" Asuka fusses.

I shake my head smiling. I made sure Suzana ate though. She seems to be coping well with the Oshiros. Then again, nothing much fazed Suzana. She had been forced to grow up too soon.

"I'm worried about you, will you at least take something to eat later?"

I laugh a little, shaking my head again. Asuka sighs, filled with motherly concern. The emotion is a bit foreign to me.

"Bas, come on, get her to eat something," Asuka complains, turning to her son, who does not even look my way, sipping his orange juice.

"How would anything I say influence her?"

He stands, taking his dishes to the kitchen. Looking put out, Asuka follows him. I sigh and sit at the table with Suzana and Kentaro. Akira, Sebastien's father, had left already for work.

"Are you sure you don't want to eat, nee-chan? You're worrying everyone," Suzana points out through a mouthful of toast.

I shake my head again. Asuka reappears, holding a wrapped parcel.

"Here you go Amaris-chan, it's a sandwich. Please eat it!"

I'm stunned.

"Oba-sama, you didn't have to."

"Nonsense! It will worry me if you don't eat."

While I'm still reeling from her actions, she continues speaking.

"Suzana-chan, would you mind walking with Kentaro to school? That way Bas and Amaris-can can go directly to theirs."

"But I want to walk with onii-chan!" Kentaro complains.

"Kentaro!" His mother reprimands.

"Of course, Oba-sama," Suzana says, picking up her dishes and walking to the kitchen.

Kentaro also takes his things to the kitchen. Sebastien had gone upstairs to get his things. I had already brought my things down.

"Oh, Oba-sama, I might be a little late coming home during the week. I have a part-time job."

"Really? That's rather impressive, Amaris-chan. What do you do?"

"Actually, I work at a hair salon not far from the school. I don't actually cut the hair much, but I'm learning as much as I can."

Asuka smiles, and the expression is filled with love. I'm surprised. I'm irritated when the moment is interrupted.

"You ready to go?"

I look up at Sebastien, who had taken the steps two at a time and was now standing and waiting.

"Wait, Bas! You have tennis today, don't you?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Will you go pick up Amaris-chan after tennis from her job? I'd hate for her to be walking alone."

"She's been doing it before."

Asuka's eyes narrow.

"Yes, and the kidnap rate in this country is getting higher every day. You'll walk home with her."

Sebastien didn't look happy, but Asuka was having none of it. She waves us all off, happily, as Suzana and Kentaro turn left and Sebastien and I turn right.

*

"So, how are we going to play this thing?" I ask him.

We had been walking in silence for what felt like hours. Although it was less than five minutes. I'm getting frustrated.

"You don't know me. We don't live together."

"Because then, rumors will spread, right?"

"Yeah."

I'm pleased I don't feel the clichéd sadness that he was going to pretend we weren't connected in any way. He's right, it would be easier that way. School is vicious. We are walking in silence again. I wrestle about for things to talk about.

"Um..."

"Yes?"

I don't know what to talk about! I'm generally not a talkative person, but I'm not going to walk in awkward silence for fifteen minutes every day from now on. 

"It...it's a nice morning isn't it?"

"I guess."

Yeah, Amaris, resort to the weather. Better observation: why is he making this so hard?!

"You...aren't very talkative this morning."

"Am I ever talkative?"

True. Then, neither am I.

"But I didn't get much sleep last night," he continues,  "There was an odd droning noise keeping me awake."

"Is that a fact?" I let grumpiness taint my tone. 

"Although it did get softer after the first few seconds."

"You know, chronic ear buzzing might be a sign of impending insanity."

"I'm not sure 'chronic ear buzzing' is even a thing."

"How would I know, I don't do biology!"

"Oh, yes, that's right."

I study him. He is doing all three sciences isn't he? He is also doing additional math, not unlike myself. We are in most of the same classes as well. It had been difficult, being around him for the past three years. I put up walls to keep him out. But now, we're living together.

My barriers had been the only means by which I had been able to distance myself from my crush. If I'm getting to know him better, can I keep up the hate campaign? 

A/N: Some surprising things to happen in chapters to come! I hope you'll comment and say what you think of what's happening so far!! <3 <3 <3 <3 What do you think of Amaris' story? What d'you all think might happen next? Tell me! I'd love to hear your thoughts!