"No, it's not a complex sort of thing. It's a common sense sort of thing."-Author Unknown.

I'm making tiny sounds of disbelief. Suzana glances at me, but before she can say a word, Sebastien's father bounces into the room. He's a short man, rounded in his middle age. He looks quite pleasant; Sebastien got his eyes from his father, although his were concealed by glasses.

"Hello! Amaris-chan, Suzana-chan, it's so good to see you! Ah, I see you've met Bas! He goes to your school, doesn't he, Amaris-chan?"

"Yes," I say, gritting my teeth, "We've been in the same class since we started high school."

"I can't imagine why we haven't talked more," Sebastien murmured, a dark twinkle in his eyes.

The door behind Asuka opens, and I blink. A tiny version of Sebastien walks out, his grey eyes staring up at me belligerently.

"Oh yes, this is my younger son, Kentaro!" Asuka says delightedly.

I smile at him, and I bend to introduce myself.

"Hello, Kentaro-kun! My name's Amaris."

"I know that. Mama told me you and your sister were coming."

Well it's easy to see where he gets his rudeness from...

I turn to Suzana, who is clearly lost in her own world. I glare at her, and she snaps out of it.

"Pleasure to meet you all."

There's a small pause of silence.

"Well, Amaris, I'm doing my homework so..." Kentaro trails off. 

Before Asuka can rebuke him, I smile at him. 

"That's alright Kentaro-kun! We can talk again later."

"I have a lot of homework to do."

I blink. I'm not used to such brusque children. Most children like me. But this one was looking at me as though I had stolen his favourite toy. 

"Kentaro!" Asuka snaps. 

"It's true, mama! Maybe onii-chan can help me with it!"

"No, I want Bas to take the girls' things upstairs. You should have started your homework earlier, Kentaro!" Sighing, Asuka turns to me. "I'm sorry, Amaris-chan."

"It's nothing," I reassure her, pity pricking my heart seeing Kentaro's glassy eyes and scrunched up face. "Kentaro-kun, if you'd like, I could try to help you, or my sister could-"

The child, who is not even chest height to me, spins on his heel and pins me with a fierce look. I'm startled.

"I don't need help from you!"

Kentaro stalks back through the open door, slamming it behind him. Asuka sighs, looking troubled for a moment. The cloud passes. 

"Well then, Bas, could you take up their things?" Asuka asks her son.

Sebastien nods, and scoops our bags up effortlessly.

"I'm sorry for the trouble," I say, truly feeling awkward. Asuka shakes it off.

"No, not at all. Despite how it looks on the outside, the house actually only has four bedrooms. I've set up the spare room for Suzana-chan, but it's quite small. Bas' room was actually made up of two, with an extra one for all his books so...I converted that into your room, Amaris-chan! I'm so sorry," Asuka wailed. "Don't worry there's a separator for the rooms!"

I...I....

"Thank you for going through all that trouble. I'm sorry."

*

I drop backwards onto the bed, stretching out. It had been strange, being around and interacting witha family after being alone for so long. Suzana and I had eaten lunch with a family properly for the first time in years. It had been a novel experience, ever much more so because of how long we had gone without such a simple familial routine.

For all of Asuka's worry, my new bedroom is a lot more comfortable than my old one was. It's a great deal bigger as well. True, books lined the entire wall on one side of the room, but the screen door let light filter in during the day, bathing the room in sunshine. Although, now at night, with the curtains drawn, the only light was from the bedside lamp.

The bed itself boasted a plush mattress, with matching pillows; again, more than I had expected. I have half a mind to snuggle into the downy covers there and then, and sleep.

I remind myself that I have to shower. I toss my arms back over my head, staring at the ceiling. I'm a little bit...skeptical, of practically sharing a room with Sebastien.

 The adjoining bathroom is in his room, and for some reason, Asuka had insisted I would be able to use it. Suzana wasn't much luckier. She was sharing a bathroom with Yuuki, but at least their rooms didn't adjoin.

What a crazy family.

I close my eyes, feeling a wave of exhaustion wash over me. I don't even want to shower, a first for me. Before I can fall asleep though, the adjoining door to the rooms opens. I jolt upright on the bed, staring up at Sebastien.

"Haven't you heard of knocking?" I query, sealing in my anger.

"It's my room," he points out, walking straight over to the bookcase.

I glare at him as he surveys his collection. He's taking his damn time! Pausing, he turns back to look at me.

"Something wrong?"

Yes. You.

"You already have a book in your hands. What are you here for?" I snap.

Sebastien lifts the book in his hands, as though he had forgotten he had taken it up.

"Oh. Yes. I thought this one might interest you, so I brought it over."

He leans against the bookshelf and tosses the book over to me. It isn't a novel. It is burgundy bound leather...No way. My eyes widen and I flip the book open, my cheeks colouring red. This is...this is...

"You're quite talented with a pencil. I like your drawings. I also like your story ideas, very creative."

Maybe he hadn't seen...

"You had no right to read this," I say, my voice tight, and angry.

"I would agree, except, I was stunned to see how many times I starred in the story ideas. Nice sketch of me that you drew, as well."

I jump to my feet, cheeks blazing, fists clenched. I stalk over to him.

"I wrote those a long time ago! Since the first year of high school! A lot of things have changed! You're a cold hearted bully!"

"Ah, but you have a crush on this cold hearted bully, don't you?"

I so desperately want to hit him. Or throw something at him. But I don't.

"Maybe in the past."

"Then why does this conversation affect you so much? If you felt nothing for me, you'd be quite calm."

"I'm embarrassed! No one reads this! For you to do so...and without permission...it is..."

"You left it under your desk at school. I took it up for you, and I also locked up the classroom, because you forgot."

I did...?

"But, I was surprised, after the outburst you had on Friday, to find out your feelings."

This...I can't even think of an epithet fitting enough.

"I sympathise with them. I understand what it feels like to like a guy you think is pretty cool, only to realise he's a cold hearted jerk. I'm trying to protect them."

"Are you sure you're not trying to keep me for yourself?"

"You-!"

Smiling, Sebastien turns and selects a book from the case, then looks at me again. I haven't moved. I'm still where I was, shaking with anger.

"The bathroom's all yours, if you want to take a shower."

I tell him nothing as he walks back to his room, still with that smile on his face.

A/N: Did anyone see it coming? What do you think will happen next? Please, please, please, tell me what you think!!! Anything at all :) Oh, yes, 'onii-chan' is one way of referring to one's elder brother in Japanese. It's quite a common term :)