"Catch this! Heads up now! Watch out!" I heard the elder man say, while he tossed inventory over to his coworkers. I dodged them, trying to evade the fish smell before it lingered on me. Maybe walking through the perfume reeked RD would calm the smell. Oh no, last time I did that I came out smelling like feet. I got far enough away from the docks, sighing heavily as I piled into the crowd towards the school.

So many students attended, and yet, I only knew so little of the population. I probably met new people every two days. That I was thankful of, but this new year was nerve-wracking. I had so much more homework, and I missed my old classes. Where the people weren't so nervous. In these rooms, everyone stared with their different colored eyes, their bodies stiff with anxiety.

Why was it so awkward this year, when we already knew each other? I groaned and pushed through the doors with Raito by my side, heading for our lockers and then our first class. Dance. That class wasn't so bad. I had many people to socialize with, and it was pretty laidback. For now. So I chilled with Raito until the bell rang, and I had to go for my next class. Chemistry.

I couldn't stand the teacher, nor could I deal with the fact I had NO ONE in the room. I mean, there was Sen, but he was too busy with his other friend to notice me. And everyone else I knew looked so awkward and frozen it didn't matter if I said hi or just looked. They'd probably have fainted. "Alright kiddies! We're learning notations today!" El said in a delightful voice, dropping into a chair on the projector, drawing out her pen and going over the lesson.

"Shit..." I hissed, and looked around at my materials. I forgot my calculator. And the lesson needed it. "ID card Inochi," El stuck her hand out. I passed it over and borrowed the object from her spare drawer, slugging back to my seat. "I can't believe you," Sen hissed with a mocking sneer. I shot a glare, and he shrank back and went to his work, muttering an apology. Sen was a gentleman no doubt, and he was pretty cute to boot. A good friend of mine, but around his 'boys' he was completely lost.

I shrugged away the boy talk and sank into my seat quietly, jamming at the buttons without a clue of how to work them. X...y...-1? What the hell did that do? ANS? I set it on the binder and looked at the clock. two minutes left. Thank god...

I quietly slid my stuff in order to leave quickly. If El caught you packing up before she ordered to, it was hell. The bell rang and I slammed the calculator on her desk, snatching my ID and dashing from the room. Finally it was lunch. I could eat in some peace. Well, kind of. I walked back from the lunch line with Al and Raito, to find our group split into three. Us being the third. We perched against the lockers in a little circle, polishing off our food for thought.

I had history next, which wasn't all that bad, it was kind of a relief for the day. I had some friends, and made some new ones already. I strolled to class with Lex and J-Kai, talking about skirts and how Lex and I couldn't wear them. I had too much butt and curves to pull off a skirt like J-Kai could.

"I'll see you after class!" Lex called to me. I wouldn't see J-Kai since I had to get out of the premises before the rush came. It was hard to get around all the commotion when I stayed back. I pushed into the air conditioned room and found Dare's eyes on me with a smile. He shook his head and turned away teasingly, while I said my greetings to Cale. "Hey Cale," I smiled, and waggled my fingers. I loved his curly hair, and hated how it was so short.

"Hey Inochi," he smiled, and turned to meet Wood behind him. Wood gave a small smile to me, and I did one in return. We'd met, but I barely knew the guy. I found Tei in the back corner away from me, her arms crossed, lips twisted in a prissy way. After what Raito had been telling me she was saying about her, I had no respect for the sorry bitch. I'd lost half of it when she pulled a slut move on one of Kami's best guy friends.

"No! No!" I turned to see Dev waving at me in a panicky movement. "No?" I asked. "Yeah! I'll call you that. I need a pencil. Now!" I glared, and shoved the mechanical one in his face. "Stop bugging me," I hissed. I could tolerate Dev to a point. He got pretty annoying with his arrogant gangsta style. "Alright class, start drawing your title pages!" Cane Sensei said aloud, setting the box of markers out for all of us. While I scribbled my blue into my poorly drawn globe, I heard a 'psst' sound from behind me.

Thinking it was Dev, I turned in annoyance and looked at him. "Over here Chio," I turned to see Dare staring at me with his deep brown eyes, hand outstretched. "Can I borrow the green?" I felt my heart flutter in my chest. This was such a kindergarten scene, but it was the epitomy of adorable. The last time I could remember sitting around and asking for colors was back in kinder years. I found myself spacing, when he snapped me from my trance. "Chio!" he hissed.

"Oh, sorry. Sure," I passed him my color, and spun back, sinking into my coloring in embarrassment. I hated how he made my heart race, and feel so light. Trae only made it a heavy rock, like whatever I did was fail. "Thanks," he said, and I turned back to watch him color. To make it seem like I wasn't staring, which wasn't really my intention, I struck small talk with Rest next to me. "Do you have any idea what to draw?" I asked with a small, forced laugh.

He turned and looked at me blank, before glancing back at his page. "Er...well...I'm doing the Three Masons," he said easily, smiling a little. It struck me with a little shock he knew about that. Not that I thought he was stupid, he just didn't look like the type with much interest in this stuff. But I was no judge, so I retracted the thought and just pursed my lips. "Hm...nice choice. I think I'll stick with a globe and flag." I smiled, and he chortled quietly, turning back to his page.

"Chio," I heard Dare whisper, and I turned to see him waving the green at me. I glanced down to his page for a second, took the green, and turned back to mine. It was the same. He'd done a globe and flag, only they were ten times better. I thought for sure he would have come up with something more creative. He was part artist.

"Really? You couldn't do any better than that?" I said with a sneer. "I screwed up my flag!" he wailed. "Che, perfectionist..."

"Copycat..." he grunted, and smirked. Let's just say him and smirk together was a nice combo. It wasn't cute. it was gorgeous. But then it was gone. Dare couldn't hold a straight face to save his life. Last time he did, he pulled a sexy expression for two seconds before bursting into laughter. He couldn't do it. He could not make a blank face whenever I saw him.

That class flew with fun and chit-chat, before I gunned it out the door. "Chio's running!" Dare hollered, watching me and my five binders race out of the classroom at the bell. I jumped for my locker and heard Kami scream my name from behind. I didn't have time to see who was behind me, only that I almost slammed their face in with my geometry workbook. His eyes widened to plates as he ducked from my swing. "Sorry!" I yelled, and ran through the crowd, finding Lex and Raito waiting for me at the hill.

"I told you you'd make it," Lex smirked. Raito rolled her eyes, "it was your stupid piss break the first day that cost us."

"SHUT UP! I had to pee," I whined, and leaned on her shoulder. Raito laughed and patted my shoulder, while the three of us strolled away from the school. Today was pretty weird, but it wasn't horrible. Maybe my classes wouldn't be that bad. I still had a good while to tell.