Maria-sama ga Miteru 1. Chapter 1

_Angel in Disguise_

**Chapter One**

Yumi stared at the enormous building in front of her. Her eyes widened as they traveled over each and every detail with interest. This was going to be the school she would be going to for the next three years. She was currently seventeen years old and had managed to win a scholarship to attend Lillian, which had one of the best dancing programs in the country.

"Are you sure you have everything you need, honey?" Her mother asked Yumi, handing her daughter her second suitcase. Yumi smiled fondly at her mother and answered:

"No. Don't worry I haven't forgotten anything."

Her mother smiled as she caressed her daughter's cheek, saying:

"Be careful."

"Always." Yumi replied before hugging her mother tightly. The girl watched the woman walk back to the bus stop and get on the bus that arrived three minutes later. She waved her final goodbye to her only family member before entering the boarding school.

Sachiko looked at her reflection in the mirror. She applied as much make-up as she could to cover up the few bruises she had got. Once she was satisfied with her appearance the raven haired girl grabbed her bag and exited her room.

As she walked through the hallways of Lillian, Sachiko couldn't help but notice how deserted they were. She allowed a small smile to grace her lips as she basked in the glory of silence and peace. She had needed that. A moment when she wouldn't have to act like someone she wasn't; a moment when she wouldn't be forced to comply with other people's wishes or meet their expectations; just a small moment when she could be herself.

Suddenly something hit her and she fell to the ground. She had closed her eyes for a few seconds and apparently fate had used that small moment she had let her guard down and had decided to surprise her. Obviously someone had come running around the corner and as a result had ended up bumping into Lillian's star. And that was enough to destroy her little moment of tranquility.

Sachiko opened her eyes and glared slightly at the petite girl that was now rubbing her head and muttering something that reminded the raven haired girl of apologies, though she wasn't certain. She took in the small girl's appearance and couldn't help but scoff. Apparently she was a new student and was lost. Great. So much for having some time for herself.

"I'm so sorry. Are you hurt?" Yumi asked as she immediately went to Sachiko's side.

"I'm fine." Sachiko replied coldly, catching the girl slightly off guard.

Yumi was taken aback by the hostility of the look in the girl's eyes and the ice chilling effect her tone had on poor Yumi. Normally Yumi would just apologize and walk away because she knew that she was an airhead and a klutz, meaning most of the time when people or their belongings fell down it was her fault. But this once she had actually been paying attention to where she was going. It wasn't her fault that this girl had her eyes closed. After all, who walked with their eyes closed?!

"I think you should pay attention to where you are going next time. Some people around here don't tolerate such careless behavior and lack of attention to something as simple as walking properly." Sachiko said before getting up, dusting herself off and walking away.

Yumi sat there flabbergasted for a while before anger replaced her shock. After a few minutes of whispered threats and incoherent mumbles, Yumi managed to calm down enough to gather her belongings and start searching for her room. She had to admit that she had been lost but thanks to a very amiable blond girl, she had managed to find where the female dormitory was.

Yumi searched around and soon a triumphant smile graced her lips when her eyes landed on a room with the number 319. She put her suitcases down and fished out her key. Unlocking the door, she went inside and took in her surroundings. There were two beds, two desks, two closets and a huge window. The room was fairly nice, albeit a bit small, but it would have to do. She was here with a scholarship so it was natural that she would get one of the less pleasing rooms. After all, in order for this school to be on top it needed money. A lot of those green lizards actually and in order to achieve that, they needed sponsors. Plus the huge taxes for being able to attend Lillian were more than enough to satisfy the hunger of a few old hags.

Yumi noted how neatly one of the beds was made. Apparently her roommate had already been here. Yumi managed to prevent her thoughts from getting the best of her and her overactive imagination from escaping out of its chains. Once she was certain she had regained control of her mind, she started unpacking. After about an hour she was done. She then lied down on the bed with a contented sigh and decided it was high time she took a nap. After all, there was still one week left until school began but dance practice started tomorrow at seven a.m. Her director had kindly explained that if you were late or missed even one repetition without a valid reason, you could get into serious trouble or in Yumi's case – lose your scholarship. And that was something she did not want to happen.

"What are you doing here?!" Someone suddenly asked in a slightly frightened yet shocked tone. Yumi's face scrunched up when the annoying artificial light hit her face. She buried her face further into the warm pillow and refused to open her eyes. She was just about to fall asleep again when she remembered something. She had been alone in this room before she had fallen asleep and the voice that had questioned Yumi's reason for being in the room sounded all too familiar. It couldn't be the ice princess she had met earlier, could it? Looks like fate had decided to be cruel to someone else today as well.

"Oh no. Don't tell me this is your room?" Yumi asked scared. There were a lot of things she could cope with, but being forced to share a room with the ice princess wasn't one of them.

Sachiko's eyes narrowed slightly and Yumi could sense the irritation running off of her and crashing into Yumi's petite frame. The dark aura that had surrounded Sachiko was starting to scare Yumi. And if that wasn't enough, the icy chilling tone the raven haired girl's reply was said in would do the trick.

"Apparently. Otherwise I would not have a reasonable explanation as to why I am currently occupying it."

Yumi stared at the girl before her. It seemed as though she was stiff all the time and could not loosen up no matter how hard she tried. It seemed as though Yumi had nailed Sachiko on the head when she had decided to call her ice princess.

"To be honest I am not thrilled by the idea of sharing a room with you but it seems we don't have another choice." Yumi responded as she got up from the bed, went to her closet and started rummaging through it.

Sachiko huffed slightly, but decided that not speaking to the girl would do her anger good. After all, it was not the girl's fault that they had to share a room. It was the administration and she would make sure they were given a piece of her mind first thing tomorrow morning. This situation was going to turn into quite a predicament because having that girl here would make it harder if not impossible for her to hide her secret much longer. Sachiko really should stop calling her "that girl" or "the girl". What was her name again?

Sachiko pondered on the subject a bit longer, but soon found her efforts to be futile. It seemed they had not introduced themselves to each other during their previous encounter. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't all too proud of her behavior towards the poor girl. After all, it wasn't entirely her fault that Sachiko had decided to close her eyes and walk. Really, what had she been thinking? She hadn't. That was the problem. She hadn't been thinking and now she had to face the consequences of letting her self-control slip for the slightest of moments.

"I believe I haven't introduced myself properly. My name is Sachiko Ogasawara." Sachiko said suddenly.

Yumi's shoulders tensed slightly and she whipped her head around, her eyes wide with shock. She stared at the girl before her and couldn't help but be speechless at the abrupt change in her tone. It still lacked kindness, niceness and warmth, but at the very least it was mildly civil and Yumi couldn't help but smile slightly. It seemed as though with the change in the raven haired girl's posture and tone the whole atmosphere in the room had turned into something else, something better. And Yumi couldn't help but note how so magnetic a person Sachiko could be. The part that scared her, however, was the fact that she was starting to fall under Sachiko's spell.

"My name is Yumi Fukuzawa." Yumi answered and then moved towards Sachiko, offering her hand for her to shake.

Sachiko seemed a bit dubious at first but decided not to be rude and shook the girl's hand. She looked at the smiling face in front of her and her eyes widened slightly. She had never seen anyone so cheerful and open in her entire life. Most of the time people just stared at her with fake masks of civility and ended up whispering behind her back and cackling like witches when she had made the slightest mistake. Everything she knew was either serious or fake. She had never been given a true smile; at least not since her mother….

"Oh my…" Yumi started but immediately stopped and covered her hand with her mouth.

Sachiko's eyes widened slightly and stared at the girl before her. She couldn't have noticed, could she? No, there must be another reason for the sudden change in Yumi's facial expression. There was fear in her brown orbs and Sachiko found herself mildly interested in what could turn a cheerful smile into a frozen thin line.

"I forgot to call my mom! She must be so worried about me!" Yumi said as she went to her bag and immediately picked it up. She rummaged through it, while muttering something Sachiko could not fully comprehend. She stared at the girl for a while and found her interest dissipating by the minute. Apparently this girl was not going to be interesting or amusing. She was simply another boring person that would come and leave Sachiko's life just like all the others.

A triumphant grin soon formed on Yumi's face and she sighed in relief as she found her phone and fished it out of her bag. She quickly dialed her mother's number and waited for an answer. When none came, Yumi began to panic. Had her mother got so angry at her daughter that she wouldn't answer her phone when Yumi was calling? No, her mother would never do such a thing. In fact, she would be worried out of her mind and would probably have come here and have tried to search for her daughter. She was on her way here right now and could not hear her phone. Dread soon replaced Yumi's worried expression and all kinds of different scenarios as to how the events were going to play out started forming in her head, when someone suddenly said:

"She's probably asleep."

Yumi's head immediately went to the source of said voice and found Sachiko holding a towel and heading to the bathroom. Yumi's face clearly showed confusion. At her reaction Sachiko could only sigh and point to the clock on her nightstand:

"It's almost midnight." She clarified before going into the bathroom.

Soon the sound of running water replaced the silence in the room. Yumi could not help but sigh in relief. Despite how well she knew her mother, Yumi would've never so much as thought of that possibility. How had Sachiko managed to reach such a conclusion from just a few observations? Did she know Yumi that well? Impossible, you couldn't figure a person out completely by just knowing them for a few minutes no matter how good deduction and observational skills you possessed. Then how had Sachiko succeeded in finding out the right answer? Her mother, after all, always went to bed at ten and was asleep before eleven on most nights. Yumi swore her mother was like a robot programmed to do the exact same task every single day at the exact same time.

After a good ten minutes the door to the bathroom opened and Sachiko came out of it, wearing her pajamas. Her long hair was dripping slightly but not one drop reached the floor. Yumi wondered how that girl managed to make even something as simple as walking into a room so flawless and elegant. Could she really be a princess? That would explain the peculiar traits and parts of her behavior Yumi had noticed today. She shook her head, clearing it out of all those unimportant thoughts. She had been curious about a certain thing and she was going to get an answer no matter how long it was going to take her.

"How did you manage to figure it out?" Yumi asked.

Sachiko had moved to her closet and had opened it. She was now searching for something, probably another towel, as she said:

"Be more specific."

It wasn't a request. It was an order and Yumi found herself getting slightly angry. She knew she was quite compliant most of the time and even obedient when the situation needed such a reaction, but right now every fiber of her being was screaming at her to retort or at least tell Sachiko off. Who did she think she was that she could just boss Yumi around, act cold to her, act civilly to her and then switch back to ice princess mode in less than an hour?! Sachiko was definitely going to be a difficult roommate. And was probably the first person, aside from her mother, that had managed to make Yumi this angry with just a few words.

"Please."

Sachiko was now rubbing her hair with a towel. She was soon finished and proceeded to brush it. In order to do that she had gone to her nightstand and was now trying not to hurt her hair more than it was needed. Her movements halted, however, and her brows scrunched up in confusion. She was slightly bewildered by the reply.

"What do you mean by please, Fukuzawa-san?"

Yumi gaped slightly at the formal register but soon managed to recover. Her anger then increased slightly, when she saw that Sachiko had not even bothered to turn around and had started brushing her hair again. Wasn't the ice princess supposed to be at least polite and face others when they were having a conversation? Apparently not.

"I am your roommate, not your servant. The least you could do is ask me to do something not order me around! I deserve to be treated with some respect." Yumi explained, while crossing her arms and then added, "And that includes facing me when you're talking to me, ice princess."

The last sentence seemed to have the desired effect for it had gained Sachiko's full attention. The girl had turned around but something seemed off about her. Her glare was harsher, her jaw was tightened and her nostrils were flaring. She was pissed. And Yumi could not help but feel slight fear crawl inside of her, but she pushed it back into its hole and prepared herself to face Sachiko's wrath.

"I will treat you with respect when you earn it. As for the roommate situation, do not get your hopes up." Sachiko explained in the coldest tone she had used throughout the entire day. Her hand had gripped the brush so hard, her knuckles turned white and it hurt, but she didn't care. She knew what this girl was trying to do and wasn't just about to give her what she wanted so easily. No, she would make sure Yumi never managed to 'piss her off' as so many had tried before. A victorious smirk made its way onto Sachiko's face as she noticed Yumi's red face. Obviously she had won the first battle.

Soon Sachiko was finished with brushing her hair and stood up. She went to her bed and lied down. She noticed that Yumi had gone to the bathroom and was now probably showering because Sachiko could hear water running. The raven haired girl sighed in frustration. It seemed that no matter how hard she tried she could not keep her instincts or competitive nature for that matter at bay. Both were quite strong and she had to admit that defeating Yumi in banter was not as bad or insignificant as she had originally thought it was.

Suddenly the door to the bathroom opened and Yumi came back into the room in her pajamas. The pigtailed girl brushed her hair and then went to bed. She turned her lamp off and the room fell into darkness. Just as she was about to fall asleep, she heard someone murmur:

"It's late. I figured she was sleeping. You can call it a lucky guess."

Yumi's eyes shot open and she was just about to switch the lamp on and ask Sachiko whether she couldn't have just said it earlier, when it hit her. This was the first and probably last time in a long while Sachiko was going to be nice to her. Her eyes slightly widened when she noted how warm Sachiko's voice sounded when she decided to be kind. Soon her eyes returned to their normal size and as she smiled, Yumi said:

"Good night."

She soon fell asleep and didn't hear the softly whispered 'good night', coming from the other end of the room.

**Disclaimer: I do not own Maria-sama ga Miteru or its characters. This story was made for entertainment purposes only and I make no profit out of it. **

**A/N: This story has been nagging at me for what….six months****? ****Probably seven****? ****Maybe less****? ****I don't know. Point is, it's been a while and I finally got myself to write it. I hope you guys liked the first chapter. There will be more coming soon. Unfortunately, I can't give a specific date.**

**Also I just want to warn you that at first Sachiko and Yumi will act differently towards each other than the way they do in the anime. I can't make them become friends instantly. It will take time. Bear with me please! :D**

**Please review! **

**Until next time I update and/or post another story (possibly add a surprise chapter to one of them ***** hint * * hint *) my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~_


	2. Chapter 2

Yumi never was a morning person. And she never woke up easily. Those were a dangerous combination especially when you were forced to share a room with an ice princess that apparently had no trouble getting up early and be one hundred percent aware of her surroundings seconds after her eyes had fluttered open. And above all – she managed to look incredible despite the fact that she still had not combed her hair or even washed her face. And even though Yumi rarely succumbed to jealousy and the possibility of her admitting it was even lower and rarer, she could not deny the fact that envy had managed to crawl into her heart and plant her poisonous seeds. Why did the ice princess have to appear so flawless?

The sudden knock on the front door took Yumi off guard and she yelped slightly as her heart started beating frantically. Soon she managed to recover but couldn't help feeling slightly angry at the person who had scared her though unintentionally. She was soon in front of the door and opened it, ready to give said person a piece of her mind when she froze. In front of her was standing none other than the headmaster. Yumi's eyes widened and before she had a chance to pay her respects or ask what the director was doing here, Sachiko came back in the room fully dressed. The ice princess was slightly taken aback by the sudden intrusion but did not allow her surprise to stay on her features much longer.

"Pardon my intrusion but this is an emergency." The headmaster, Lilia Cortino, said as she made her way to Sachiko, grabbed her arm and turned around, dragging the shocked girl with her. Yumi could not understand what was happening and was about to do something when Sachiko and Lilia both shot her a cold glare and made her freeze in her spot.

"You are late for dance practice Miss Ogasawara. Miss Fukuzawa you are expected at the dance hall after an hour. Do not be late." Lilia Cortino explained quickly before she closed the door behind her.

Yumi just gaped at the closed door and stood there flabbergasted for about five minutes. She could not believe what she had just heard. Sachiko was a dancer as well? But what kind? Was she one of the amateurs or was she part of the so-called 'almost professionals'? If the latter was the case, then things were certainly going to be quite harder than Yumi had originally thought. Then a new question formed into her head: Why was Sachiko expected at the dance hall at six, while dance practice did not start until seven?

With that question in mind Yumi got ready for the day and ten minutes before seven she exited the room and headed for the dance hall.

Yumi sauntered past a few freshmen and sighed in relief when her eyes landed on two huge glass doors. Her hands trembled slightly and she forced herself to calm down. This was only her first repetition. '_There is no need to be nervous'_ was what she kept repeating to herself as she entered the huge hall. Surprisingly most of the dancers had their backs turned to her and did not even acknowledge her entering. It was not that Yumi expected all the people to gather around her, but usually when someone arrived at a place, at least somebody noticed them!

Suddenly her curiosity was piqued when she heard the soft yet sad song that was playing. Yumi wondered who was dancing to it and frowned when she could not even catch a glimpse of what was going on behind the dozen backs and heads that were currently serving the purpose of a barrier. Yumi sighed and gave up on trying to look past those girls. Her mind wandered to Sachiko's strange behavior that morning and above all – the ice princess' sudden departure. Why did the dance instructor need Sachiko that early in the morning? Couldn't the teacher have waited a little longer? Was Sachiko some sort of prodigy? Was she special in some way?

Some of the girls that had been staring at the person who was currently dancing behind those walls sat down next to Yumi. The pigtailed girl tried to ignore what they were saying but once her ears picked up on the mention of Sachiko's name she could not help but eavesdrop. After all, the ice princess was the perfect mystery and Yumi intended to solve it.

"I can't believe she's this good and she's only eighteen!" The brown-haired girl said.

"I know! She shouldn't be here. She should be famous and should be working with celebrities, not stupid teachers that can hardly teach her anything!" Her blond-haired friend replied.

Yumi snorted slightly at the exaggeration. Obviously this girl they were talking about was quite talented, but Yumi refused to believe she was of a professional's caliber. Therefore there was something the teachers here could teach said girl. The only problem was that Yumi could not see the connection between Sachiko and this girl. Were they friends? Was Sachiko in there with her, possibly learning or dancing alongside such perfection as the two girls had kindly exaggerated some poor soul to be?

Suddenly the door opened swiftly and a twenty-eight-year-old woman poked her head out of the room where the girls practiced. Yumi was broken out of her reverie and her eyes widened slightly when Sachiko exited the room as well. Their eyes met and soon all the pieces fell into place. Sachiko was not learning or dancing with the star of Lillian. She was the star of Lillian!

"Alright girls, time for dance practice to begin and stop ogling Sachiko!" The 28-year-old woman, possibly the dance instructor, told everyone.

A dozen groans, growls and complaints could be heard but none of them reached Yumi's ears or attracted her attention. They could not have done so for Yumi's eyes were glued to the slightly sweating and panting girl before her. Dazed brown orbs watched as small droplets of sweat trickled down Sachiko's forehead, passed around her mesmerizing eyes, trailed down her cheek, went past her luscious lips and went to devour her slightly red from all the physical exertion neck.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat and Yumi's head snapped to the direction of where the sound had come from. Her eyes widened slightly when she realized that she was the only one aside from Sachiko and the dance instructor that remained in the hallway. A slight blush from embarrassment adorned Yumi's cheeks and with an awkward, mildly incoherent apology, she got up and went inside the practice room.

She could not believe she had ogled Sachiko! What had possessed her to do such an audacious and above all humiliating thing?! How could she face the girl again when she knew Yumi had been staring? Could such a simple act lead to Sachiko's discovering her secret?! No, it could not. Sachiko may be intelligent, but she would not jump to conclusions so hastily and rashly, would she? No, she seemed like someone who relied on their common sense, rationality, logic and above all facts that she had witnessed herself in order to form a deduction or conclusion. Just as that realization hit her, only one thing was running trough poor Yumi's mind:

_I'm so screwed. _

Yumi nervously stepped inside the dance room and went to an empty corner where she put her belongings. She unzipped her bag and started searching for her water bottle. Yumi soon managed to find it and drank from it. After she was satisfied that her body temperature had decreased and her heart rate had slowed down, she put the water bottle back into her bag.

Suddenly someone clapped their hands and yelled something which Yumi could not hear for she was far too busy yelping and jumping from fear. She landed on her bottom quite ungracefully and winced at the impact. Her arm subconsciously went to her injured part and rubbed it slightly. She then sighed and fought the urge to give that teacher a piece of her mind. Normally Yumi was quiet and never started an argument, but she made an exception when someone scared her, no matter whether it was deliberately or not.

A hand appeared out of nowhere and Yumi's head whipped up and her eyes widened slightly. She was staring at a pair of beautiful dark blue eyes. A gentle smile adorned the girl's face and genuine concern was written all over her face. Once she realized she had been caught staring yet again Yumi mentally cursed and slapped herself. She was now back in reality and managed to stutter out an apology. Yumi accepted the offered hand and smiled once she was up.

"Thank you for helping me." Yumi said.

"No problem. Would you mind me asking what your name is?" The blue-eyed girl asked.

Yumi's eye twitched slightly at the formal address but quickly dismissed her annoyance. The girl had helped her and considering the way ice princess had acted, the girl before her was an angel compared to Sachiko.

"Not at all." Yumi smiled as she answered and offered her hand for the girl to shake, "My name is Yumi Fukuzawa. What is yours?"

"Shimako Todo. It is a pleasure to meet your acquaintance." The girl, now identified as Shimako, accepted Yumi's hand and shook it gently yet firmly. Yumi's eyes widened slightly at the precise combination of the two. This girl had excellent control of her movements. Yumi made the conclusion as she watched Shimako, having excused herself, went to talk to a dark-haired girl. Shimako's posture was impeccable. Her back was straight; her hands gently swayed back and forth, but always brushed the exact same spot.

_Are all of these girls this perfect__?_

Yumi could not help but call into question her place in Lillian Dance Academy. Yes, she was good. Yes, she had won a few competitions, but she had always been part of a group. From the way the girls treated each other, you could clearly see that there was rivalry between, if not all, then at least most of them, and that was something that made Yumi nervous. Sweat started forming and soon began trickling down her skin. Her eyes started watering. Breathing became harder and harder with each passing second. She wasn't good enough. She could never be good enough. With those thoughts on her mind, she started walking towards the doors. Just as she was about to exit the dance room, someone entered.

Everything happened so fast that Yumi did not realize she had fallen on top of Sachiko. Brown orbs met slightly irritated yet shocked cerulean. A few seconds passed before it hit Yumi how inappropriate and awkward their position was. Yumi's hands were on either side of Sachiko's head and Sachiko's hands were just above Yumi's breasts. Their chests brushed occasionally from their ragged breathing and one of Yumi's legs was in between Sachiko's. An awkward position indeed.

Suddenly someone cleared their throat and both pairs of eyes landed on their dancing instructor. The woman was clearly annoyed judging by the scowl on her face, which appeared to have grown, while Yumi and Sachiko were recovering from the initial shock.

"Excuse me ladies, but if you are finished observing each other, would you please untangle from one another and start warming up? There are other places and certainly better times to engage yourselves into such frivolous activities."

The last sentence made both girls blush slightly, though Yumi was having a harder time coping with what the teacher had said. Despite her embarrassment, she managed to get up and go to the back of the room and start warming up. From the corner of her eyes she noticed that Sachiko had done the same. What worried Yumi, however, was the scowl the raven-haired beauty was now wearing. A sinking feeling settled inside her heart and told her that it was not going to be a fun or easy for that matter first dance practice.

After about an hour of 'warming up' as the devil aka dance instructor liked to put it, all the girls were gathered in a circle and were waiting for their teacher to explain what they were going to do in today's lesson. The 28-year-old woman clasped her hands together and smirked. Her mischievous dark orbs landed on Sachiko, who internally groaned, but on the inside showed no trace of her growing annoyance.

"Since we have a few new students joining us this year, I suggest we start with introduction." The woman said.

Yumi groaned. She hated when she had to introduce herself. If she was requested to dance, she would do it, but go and stand in the circle and talk with all eyes on her was not something she enjoyed. It was actually an activity she loathed and avoided at all costs. Unfortunately, faking that she had a cold was out of the question and losing your voice suddenly would appear far too suspicious. She had no other choice. She would have to endure the slight discomfort her teacher had subdued her to.

"Who wants to begin?" The dance instructor asked. Seeing as no one had raised their hand, she frowned, then scowled. Just as she was about to point at someone, a girl raised her hand and waved it enthusiastically in the air. The 28-year-old woman sighed internally and motioned for the girl to come and stand in the center of the circle. Yumi watched as the red-head made her way to the requested place. As the girl was walking, Yumi could not help but observe how graceful her movements were. They were not as precise as Shimako's or as flawless as Sachiko's, but they were gentle and fluid, like those of an experienced dancer. Her eyes then wandered over the red-head's body. Yumi noted that the girl's figure was quite petite, an advantage for some kind of dances, but a huge disadvantage for other ones.

"Hello there. My name's Amari Chevelle Williams. I was born in Osaka, but moved to Tokyo because of Lillian Dance Academy. I've been living in Osaka for about a year now, which makes me seventeen years of age. I like to be called Amari. I'm quite friendly and energetic, but stubborn and outspoken. I abhor discrimination in all its forms. And yeah…. That's about it I guess." Amari ended what she was saying with a huge grin on her slightly tanned face.

Yumi could not help but smile along with that little ball of energy. It seemed as though one look at Amari made you want to smile. Yumi reached that conclusion because she had observed how most of the girls around her were either grinning, smiling or trying to fight off the smile that was tugging at the corners of their lips. Yumi's smile disappeared when her eyes landed on Sachiko's impassive face. Did ice princess ever display something different from boredom, annoyance, anger or contempt? Apparently not. Just as her mind was about to drift back to the incident that had occurred moments ago, the teacher pointed at Yumi to come and introduce herself. The pigtailed girl mentally cursed her wonderful luck, but complied. With a few nervous steps she managed to drag her unwilling and painfully stubborn body to the requested place.

"Um…Hi. My name is Yumi Fukuzawa." Yumi began but stopped. She did not know what to add. She did not want to tell a bunch of strangers anything about her background yet she did not want to seem rude. Debating what to add, she decided that it was best to go with something they all had in common – dancing. With a confident smile and determination in her eyes, Yumi added, "Ever since I was little, I've wanted to become a dancer and that is the reason why I came to Lillian Dance Academy. I do not have any particular nickname I wish to be called. You can address however you are comfortable with as long as I am fine with it as well."

Her half failed joke managed to make a few girls smile and some even chuckle. Yumi mentally congratulated herself on her success as she went back to sit on the floor. The next girls that introduced themselves did not manage to attract Yumi's attention. Only when a girl about her age with striking brown-gray eyes and dark brown hair went to the center, was Yumi's attention completely gathered. The mysterious girl had a superior smirk on her face and walked with elegance that could rival that of Shimako and dare she say it – Sachiko. Yumi's eyes widened when the girl's gaze fell on the pigtailed girl. Yumi could swear the mysterious girl's eyes held nothing but contempt and revulsion.

"My name is Toko Matsudaira. I have come here in order to make my dream come true like many of you. Please do not be fooled by the fact that all of you are at least one year my senior and do not underestimate my skills because if you do, then I assure you that you will regret doing so." The dark-haired girl, now identified as Toko, said. She stared with satisfaction at all the surprised and gaping faces. After she was finished gloating, she went to sit down. The only problem was that she sat right next to Yumi and whispered something into her ear; something that made the hairs on Yumi's neck freeze from shock and fear.

"If you so much as look at Sachiko-sama the way you did earlier today, I will personally make sure that you get expelled." Toko whispered, after which she got up and went to sit beside her beloved Sachiko-sama.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing except for my new OC Amira. **

**A/N: I apologize for the late update. School has been kicking my ass ever since it started back in September. Anyway, this chapter is not edited so please if there are too many mistakes let me know. I am just far too tired to do anything remotely requiring concentration and analytical thinking. **

**I hope you liked this chapter. I don't know when the next update will be. **

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,**

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


	3. Chapter 3

Yumi sighed as she flopped herself down on one of the armchairs in the hall, connecting the East and West Wings of the dormitory. She rubbed her forehead and her left arm. She had fallen quite badly and now had a bruise, courtesy of Toko. That girl was starting to get on Yumi's nerves. For the past two weeks Toko had done nothing but tormenting poor Yumi. The pigtailed girl did not know what Toko's problem was. Had Yumi done something with which she had triggered the girl's anger? Yumi knew that it could not be jealousy because she had not 'ogled' ice princess ever again. As pleasant as Sachiko was to the eye Yumi could not afford to lose her scholarship. She had caused her mother enough problems. She could trouble the poor woman any more and if putting up with a spoiled brat's bullying was going to keep it that way then she was going to do it.

"Is everything alright, Yumi-san?" Shimako asked as she sat on the other armchair. The blond-haired girl's concerned look was enough to make Yumi forget about Toko's torture and chastise herself for making Shimako worry about her.

"N-no. I-I'm fine." Yumi answered, mentally slapping herself for stuttering. That was a dead give away that she was lying, embarrassed or scared and currently it was the latter. She could not afford to let someone else find out. It could cause more trouble and possibly lead to an even bigger mess. It could make Toko angrier and probably drive her to hysterics. That girl was unpredictable, but most of all she was cruel.

"Yumi-san, I am going to ask you again and please tell me the truth this time." Shimako said.

Yumi sighed and closed her eyes. She shook her head, making Shimako frown. The blue-eyed girl sighed and got up. On her way to her room she advised Yumi to go to the nurse. She then added, "But if there is anything and I mean anything you need or if someone's bothering you, please do not hesitate to tell me or ask for help. Promise me you will do that Yumi-san."

Yumi smiled fondly at Shimako and nodded, while replying with the words:

"I will. And thank you Shimako-san for noticing."

Shimako's eyes widened slightly. She then turned around and a genuine smile graced her lips as she responded:

"Always."

With that she left, not noticing the shadows that had been creeping behind the nearby wall for the past few minutes. Yumi sensed them, however, it was too late. She was already alone and her muscles were aching and had been used and bruised all over. She could not run properly no matter how hard she tried. She could not even walk fast. She could only crouch, close her eyes and pray that the three girls were going to let her be. Unfortunately, their intentions were entirely different.

"Hello Yumi-san. How are you today? Does that bruise hurt?" Toko asked in a mocking tone. Her two minions, a red head and blond one sniggered. Yumi cringed at the sound. She knew what was soon to follow. However, she was not going to back down without a fight. That was why Yumi got up and tried to smile as politely as she could so as not to raise any suspicion, despite the fact that there was no one to be seen. But with this school and these kids you never knew who would happen to be passing by or eavesdropping at that very moment.

"No, I am perfectly fine Matsudaira-san. However, I thank you for showing such concern. I did not know you cared." Yumi said in the sweetest voice she could muster, while her heart was beating erratically in her rib cage.

The red-head chuckled and started moving towards Yumi, who took a defensive stance. The blonde snorted at Yumi's futile attempts at dodging the red-head's hands. Sooner or later they were going to get a good hold of those ridiculous twin tails. What were they anyway? Some five-year-old girl's messed up creation?

"That is enough Amy, Hillary. I will deal with her. You just hold her in place. Make sure she doesn't flail too much. Actually, you know what? Let her run. I like it when I can chase them." Toko ordered as she smirked.

The two girls, now identified as Amy and Hillary, did exactly as they were told. They let go of Yumi, who immediately ducked from their fists and started running as fast as she could. Unfortunately, her muscles had not recovered from all the stress they had been put under. That was the reason why she fell. She tripped over her two feet, lost her balance and collided unceremoniously with the hard wooden floor. Her forehead hit the surface rather loudly. Her whole head banged against the floor with such ferocity that it was a surprise it had not cracked. Yumi tried to lift her head, but found that she could not. The minute she opened her eyes she found she could not focus on anything let alone try to get up or run. Her head was thumping. Her body was trembling. Her limbs were shaking. Her muscles were burning from the pain. Her eyes were screaming at her to close them and let them rest. Her vision was becoming blurrier and blurrier by the second. The last thing she felt before succumbing to the consolation darkness was kindly offering was a pair of hands grabbing her by the legs and dragging her away to an unknown destination.

* * *

Cold water was splashed against Yumi's face for the hundredth time, shaking her out of her realm of nightmares back to the hell, called reality. Yumi's eyes shot open and the girl screamed in agony as she felt something sharp penetrating the layer of her already wounded skin. A small patch of blood started leaking down the purplish colored flesh, coating it with its blazing fire. Tears stung Yumi's eyes but she refused to let them fall. She flailed and struggled but soon found out it was useless. Her wrists and ankles were bounded by chains. There was no way she could escape from this torture without someone coming to her rescue or Toko calling out to the girls to stop. To Yumi's utter horror both seemed like an impossible option. The only thing she could do was close her eyes and wait for the pain to stop.

Toko winced and cringed when she saw what Amy and Hillary were doing to Yumi. She could not believe to what lengths those two were ready to go to just to have someone close to Sachiko's on their side and punish the girl that had managed to achieve the impossible – become their beloved Sachiko-sama's roommate. Inwardly Toko could not understand why those two hated Yumi so much. It was true that Toko too was jealous but she would never go to such lengths. She would never openly torture someone like that or inflict them such pain. Then why wasn't she stopping them? Simple. They had something she desperately needed and no matter the price she was ready to pay it as long as they kept her end of the deal.

_It was a gloomy afternoon. The rain had not stopped hammering down. Toko was sitting on her desk, watching the droplets cascade slowly down the window, then mysteriously disappear only to be replaced by new ones. Toko inwardly sighed. She kept thinking about the way she had treated the new girl. What was her name again__? __Ah, yes – Yumi Fukuzawa. To be honest, Toko did not despise the girl. She did not even know anything about her aside from the fact that the girl's name was Yumi, she was a decent dancer, had average looks and was here on a scholarship. Nothing more, nothing less. It was what everyone knew. The strings of Toko's heart slightly tugged at the pity and despair this situation was laced with. She had done it again. She had met someone who had interested her, but had acted the way she always did, effectively shutting them out of her life. Toko sighed as she reached out for her bag and started rummaging through it. After a few minutes she started to grow anxious and her movements became apprehensive. She became agitated by the second when she could not find the photo. Where was the damn thing__? __She swore she had put it in her bag right before leaving her dorm room._

"_Looking for this" Someone asked, shaking the picture right in front of Toko's agitated and shocked face. _

"_Give it back!" Toko screamed as she jumped from her seat and immediately tried to snatch it from the girl's arms. Said girl only smirked before she threw it at her friend with the words:_

"_Hills catch!" _

_The photo landed in the arms of none other than Amy who could not help but smirk and taunt poor Toko:_

"_Well, well. Lookie what we have here__?__ A photo of a sister, a friend, a lover perhaps__? __My, my Matsudaira-san I never knew you swung that way." _

_The mocking was true partially, but the former part was not. Toko stopped running from one girl to the other as they threw the photo between themselves. With a heavy sigh and lump in her throat she surrendered, telling them that she would do anything if they gave the photo back. The girls smirked and told her that they needed help to teach a certain new student a lesson. _

At first it had been nothing but verbal attacks, then they had become more physical, but now… Toko could not believe her eyes as Yumi cried out in pain as yet another swift kick was delivered to her abdomen. It landed perfectly on the spot she had previously been punched in. This time, however, something horrific happened. She coughed up blood. What was just a small line on one end of her chin soon created a duplicate at the other end. Amy and Hillary dismissed this as something trivial and continued their assault while Toko desperately tried to stop them. She could not allow this to go on. She had to do something in order to stop it. She could not prolong Yumi's suffering anymore. Unfortunately, the two girls were stronger than her when combined and they managed to push Toko away, sending her flying towards a stack of empty boxes. The fall hurt, her head hit the wall and was now throbbing, but the pain she was experiencing was nothing compared to that of Yumi. The next thing that happened shocked and greatly pained her. Amy stopped hitting Yumi, leaving Hillary to take care of the rest. The girl pulled something out of her pocket, along with a lighter.

"You did not keep your end of the deal. Therefore, you shall be punished." Amy said with a repulsive smirk on her face. She brought the lighter closer to the photo before she used it to set said photo in fire.

"No!" Toko screamed as she dragged her sore body to the now almost destroyed photo. It turned to ashes in a matter of seconds. Tears prickled down Toko's face as she rushed forward at Amy. The girl charged at Toko and managed to send the girl flying towards a wall yet again. The collision was hard, but did not knock Toko out, only brought her immense pain.

Suddenly a puddle of blood tainted the cold, wet ground, painting it a sickly colour of deep, bottomless red. Yumi was reduced to a coughing fit, effectively scaring even her attackers this time. Amy and Hillary took one last look at Yumi before immediately scurrying off. Toko cursed under her breath as she got up. She held onto the wall for support. Her head was spinning, a sign she might have a concussion. The girl huffed and cursed her luck and mental state yet again. She now knew how foolish it had been to believe that those girls were going to give her the photo back. How she wished she could go back and change everything, stop herself from agreeing to such a ludicrous plan. But now it was too late and Yumi was going to suffer the consequences from Toko's stupid actions.

Toko went to Yumi as fast as she could. She untied the pigtailed girl and ungracefully dragged them both down. She held Yumi as the girl kept coughing up blood. Luckily it soon subsided. Soon there was nothing left than another small puddle. Toko helped Yumi lean her head against the wall and watched as the girl struggled to stay awake.

"No need to. You're safe from harm's way. The two are long gone. It's only us here and I promise I will never hurt you anymore." Toko said as she brushed some of Yumi's sweaty bangs from her face. The pigtailed girl tried to move away but could only sit and pant, trying desperately to regain her normal breathing. She knew that all that blood loss was going to take its toll on her soon, but Yumi could care less. She was now far too angry at the three, mainly Hillary and Amy. The pigtailed girl now knew that Toko had had a reason to act the way she had.

"I am sorry Yumi, truly I am. I have no way to justify my actions and…" Toko tried to apologize, but Yumi interrupted her.

"Yes, you do. I'm not talking about what you said on my first day at school. That was just stupid jealousy talking. I'm referring to your actions after that. You never did anything too aggressive, hell your kicks and punches compared to those of the two gorillas were like a mother's caress."

"Hey! I can punch quite hard mind you!" Toko said as she huffed.

Yumi chuckled as she moved her head to look at Toko, amusement dancing in her eyes as she said,

"Sure you do."

Yumi then winked at Toko, causing the girl to blush. Toko was wondering what brought all this on and questioned Yumi's strange behavior and most of all her reaction. Why was she blushing damn it?!

"I can. Trust me Yumi-san when I say this. I rarely lie when it comes to my skills and abilities." Toko said.

"I've noticed." Yumi replied.

That piqued Toko's curiosity. Had Yumi been secretly watching her? The thought caused a small smile to form on the girl's lips. However, she immediately shooed it away. This was no time to go and fall for the person she had caused so much trouble and so much pain.

"How so?" Toko inquired.

"You weren't exactly being modest when we had to introduce ourselves. I'd say you're anything but modest, but I could be lying." Yumi explained.

"O-oh. I see." Toko responded, before asking, "Why are you being so nice to me? I'm the one that is the reason for this mess."

Yumi snorted before replying,

"No, you're not. If it's someone's fault, it's mine. I should've said something sooner, not wait for things to get worse, like usual."

The last two words were slightly muffled, but nonetheless Toko managed to hear them. Her curiosity was yet again piqued.

"What do you mean 'like usual'?" She questioned.

Yumi shook her head and brushed it off with the simple answer, "Doesn't matter. You'll find out soon enough."

"What do you mean?" Toko questioned, before adding, "That means spending time with you Yumi-san."

"I know what the words 'you'll find out soon enough' mean Toko-san. And I mean it if that's alright with you." Yumi explained before trying to get up only to stumble and fall back. Toko moved to catch but ended up cushioning the fall for Yumi. Both girls blushed a bright shade of crimson before getting up and staggering to the door. Somewhere on the way to the nurse's office Toko said that she would not mind spending more time with Yumi which made a small smile form on the pigtailed girl's slightly swollen face.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and make no profit out of this. **

**A/N: Sorry for the long wait and the mistakes. School's been kicking my ass again, but I've put up a fight myself. ****(smirks)**

**On your way out please **

**don't forget to review! **

**Love you!**

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers, **

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter Four

Yumi and Toko managed to reach the nurse's office. It turned out that nothing was wrong with Toko. She had only hit the wall quite hard and was going to have a headache for a few more hours because she had refused to take her medicine. Yumi, on the other hand, was a bit trickier. The girl claimed there was nothing wrong with her, but the nurse had been quite persistent, saying that she needed to stay in the infirmary in order to be observed.

"Everything will be fine. The three hours will be over in no time." Toko tried to reassure Yumi, who only huffed and closed her eyes, refusing to give any reply to her friend, although she had nothing to do with Yumi's current predicament.

The nurse came in after a few minutes. She smiled at Yumi and Toko. The woman walked towards Yumi's bed and sat on the edge of it, asking the girl to sit up.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" She asked.

"A gazillion." Yumi answered, smirking at the nurse's slightly annoyed expression. It seemed she was peevish, something Yumi was going to take to her utmost advantage.

"Now is not the time for useless humor, Fukuzawa-san. Please refrain from trying to make me angry or annoyed. Pestering me will only make both of our lives even more unbearable, whilst prolonging your stay here. Something, I am certain, that will dissatisfy us both."

Toko gaped at the exchange between the two and then tittered barely audibly when she noticed that Yumi's left eye was twitching. It was hardly noticeable, but it was there. And Toko could not help but feel somewhat privileged that she had been able to witness such a scene. This side of Yumi was definitely enjoyable and fun to be around.

"Fine." Yumi said as she sighed, then added, "Two."

"Correct." The nurse replied, asking, "Has your head been spinning?"

"No." Yumi answered.

"Has your headache worsened, got stronger or become unbearable?" The nurse inquired, smirking when she noticed that the girl before her was finding it hard to control her temper.

"No, no and no. Can I go now? Dance practice starts early in the morning and I do not want to miss it or be late." Yumi replied.

"Have you had any other complaints aside from what you mentioned when you first arrived late this afternoon?" The nurse questioned.

"No." Yumi answered, before asking, "Is that all?"

"Nope." The nurse responded, before enquiring, "Have any of you had any complaints or have hidden something that might be dangerous to your health in order to be able to attend tomorrow's dance practice?"

"No!" They both answered in unison.

"You are free to go then." The nurse said, smiling as she watched the two race towards the door and sprint down the hall. She chuckled. She had not had such amusing patients for quite some time now.

**The** two girls ran as fast as they could. They turned around the third corner and stopped to catch their breaths. Both were panting as they slid down the wall. Yumi was holding her chest with one of her hands, while Toko was finding it harder and harder to contain her laughter.

"What is so funny?" Yumi questioned when she had regained her normal breathing.

"Nothing." Toko answered before bursting into laughter.

Yumi's left eye twitched. She then eyed the girl suspiciously before saying:

"Doesn't seem like nothing to me."

"It-it, it truly isn't anything important." Toko managed to utter between her giggles.

Yumi eyed her suspiciously once more before doing the least expected thing – she laughed. She actually laughed truly, genuinely for the first time in a long while. It was a refreshing sound; a huge wave of rejuvenating energy filled her soul, chasing away the pain that had chained it when the accident happened.

Toko stopped laughing immediately choosing to do something else that brought an unfamiliar, yet not unpleasant feeling inside her heart – admiration and adoration. The girl before her appeared to have been keeping this wonderful side of herself hidden from everyone this entire time. Had Sachiko witnessed this sight? Had she ever heard the melodic laughter that was now resonating through the empty dark halls, filling them with light? Had she been blessed to behold the beauty that Yumi's dazzling smile, Yumi's unattainable glow, Yumi's unforgettable shining face, Yumi, Yumi, Yumi…. Toko could not help but call into question her sudden feelings. Had she started falling for the girl before her or had she already fallen? She furrowed her eyebrows, trying to find the answer and not noticing the sudden shift in the shadows at the end of the corridor and the sway of long, silky hair with the colour of the intimidating yet mesmerizing raven.

"**So** who was on the picture?" Yumi asked as she and Toko were now walking to her room. It was well past midnight and Yumi could not help but imagine how pissed ice princess was going to be after she had been woken up. The sight, however scary, could be humorous as well. After all, there was nothing more that Yumi enjoyed than making that flawless face turn into a scowl, a look of confusion and/or shock or resemble that of a gaping fish.

"I'm sorry Yumi-san but it appears we have reached your room. I must go now and try to get some sleep. Please do not be upset that I have not told you. It is simply to say… complicated and something that is quite frankly…. none of your business." Toko said before turning around and making the first steps down the hallway when suddenly a hand shot out and grabbed her wrist, making her spin around and crush against a quite familiar yet foreign chest.

Yumi was hugging her. Yumi was hugging her?! The emotion that spread throughout her body was unusual. She had never felt such an exhilarating wave of electricity shoot through her body just from a simple embrace, one that did not even last for more than a few seconds. So then why even after she had been freed from the heaven like touch that was purely Yumi could she shake off that unnerving feeling?

"I respect your decision, however know this – I think that after everything that happened today we became somewhat friends and I want you to know that I never abandon my friends Toko-san, no matter who they are or what they have done to me and vice versa. If there is anything, do your hear me, anything that is bothering you or will be bothering you in the future please do not hesitate to come to me. If there is something troubling you, please talk to me. Do not shut me out because Lord knows how lonely a life that constant mask might put you through." Yumi explained as she moved her left hand to her heart before adding, "You might be shocked at how well I know the feeling of loneliness, confusion, anger and hatred. It is a dark road Toko, one that might lead you to your downfall."

Toko managed to overcome her shock and found it hard to fight the urge to smile, embrace Yumi and dare she say it, kiss her! But that was something she should not do, could not do. She could just allow someone to enter her life, destroy her walls and turn her into a complete mess in a matter of hours! She could let someone in so easily and more importantly – she should not. What was Yumi to her anyway? A girl she had found interesting, beautiful, intriguing, amazing, incredible, mesmerizing and the list went on and on… No. Yumi was just someone she had met and had been forced because of the circumstances to spend a whole day with. That was all. Nothing more, nothing less.

"I appreciate the concern Fukuzawa-san but please refrain from addressing me so intimately. I prefer to be called Matsudaira-san by those who are merely acquainted with me. Please do not continue to fool yourself into believing that we have become friends just because we had been forced to spend time with each other today because of a mishap. Actually, we are anything but friends and I would be grateful to you if we keep it that way, mainly you. No more hugs, no more smiles, no more embraces, no more midnight conversations, understood?" Toko said coldly, clouding her face with a solid mask that almost crumbled immediately when Yumi mirrored her own and laced her voice with as much freezing civility as she could.

"Very well Matsudaira-san. If that is how you wish for our acquaintanceship to continue, then I would gladly contribute to the deal as well." Yumi replied with her bangs shielding her eyes from Toko's which were void of any emotion whatsoever. The girl then looked up, smiled and said through badly masked tears, "However, know that if you ever have a problem or just want to talk, I will be right here waiting for you Toko-chan."

With those last words of a promise that also meant a farewell Yumi entered her room, leaving a shocked Toko out in the empty hallways with only the light of the moon to guide her through the darkness she had enveloped herself in. Yumi shut her eyes tight as she fought against the tears when something happened.

Suddenly there was a warm hand on her shoulder and another on her cheek. The one on her cheek guided Yumi's tearstained face towards that of a surprisingly smiling Sachiko who had an unfamiliar emotion in her gaze – happiness. There was also something else in her expression but what it was Yumi could not place for she was now pulled into an embrace and shielded from all the pain by a pair of strong shoulders. Yumi rested her chin on Sachiko's shoulder, engulfing the scent of spring and roses from the blue-eyed girl's soft hair.

They stayed like that for a while before Sachiko was satisfied that Yumi had calmed down. She then pulled away and looked directly into grateful but still slightly taken aback beautiful brown eyes. Sachiko smiled at the girl before saying:

"Thank you for doing what I could not for the past seven years."

Yumi's eyes widened slightly. She could not understand what was going on. It was obvious from what Sachiko had just uttered that she and Toko had some kind of connection that had started long before they both joined Lillian Dance Academy. However, part of this new discovery was slightly unnerving because something had obviously happened in order to drive them apart. Could that problem still be bothering them? Was that the reason why the two acted coldly (mainly Sachiko) towards each other? Had Sachiko wronged Toko somehow or vice versa? Had they never spoken of the problem or perhaps they had not forgiven each other? And last but not least – why was the ice princess smiling, acting kindly towards her and had embraced her? Why was the damn red colour refuse to leave her face? And for the love of God why couldn't she stop reminiscing in the scent that still lingered in her nostrils from smelling Sachiko's beautiful hair?!

"Is everything alright?" Sachiko asked.

Yumi had so many questions but could not bring herself to ask them right now. It was late. She was tired and she was certain that Sachiko was as well. They could talk about this in the morning. Toko, Sachiko and all the stupid problems and responsibilities could wait until morning. She was going to sleep now.

"I appreciate the hug but I am really tired and can't deal with this right now. Can we please talk about this morning?" Yumi asked hopeful that Sachiko was just going to let it go and was not going to ask anything about Yumi's injuries, bruises and the blasted cut on her lower lip.

Sachiko eyed the girl before her suspiciously for a while before she smiled and nodded. She then helped Yumi get to her bed and tucked her in despite the girl's protests. The raven-haired beauty then went to her own bed and soon fell asleep, not forgetting to wish Yumi a half muffled by the pillow good night.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: A huge thank you for the reviews, follows and favourites. I hope you liked this chapter. Don't forget to follow, favourite and if you feel like it, leave a review. I would love to hear your thoughts on the story and some pointers on how I can improve.**

**Until next time I update and/or post a story my fellow readers,**

_~ QueenofRhymes ~ _


	5. Chapter 5

Yumi sighed as she tossed and turned in bed after three a.m. She could not believe she had allowed Toko to get under her skin like that. You think that after everything you've been through, you'd be able to learn that one fucking lesson – don't let your heart be exposed easily or else it might be snatched, then tossed aside like it meant nothing more to that person that the dirt on their shoes, something unavoidable, but disposable – but, of course, in Yumi's case that was not quite what had happened. Quite the contrary, she had just done what those words advised against and for who – a girl that could not care less about Yumi? There was only one conclusion after these three weeks of receiving the silent treatment from both Sachiko and Toko - Yumi was screwed. The only problem was that she did not understand why. In her opinion, she had done nothing wrong, only tried to be friendly and open her heart a bit to both of them and in the end it was disposed of, tossed aside, lying forgotten somewhere in the closet or the attic.

_I just don't understand. That night Sachiko had hugged me and had acted kindly and warmly towards me, but in the morning everything was back to normal. Everything was the way it was before – Sachiko was being her ice princess self again and I was forced to endure her spiteful comments or glares again. And during practice today she fucking ignored me. Before she at least acknowledged my presence, but now… I'm not even worth a glance or glare… When did I become so pathetic__?_

Yumi rose from the bed. She rubbed her eyes. It seemed she was not going to get any sleep. She looked ahead. A small smile formed on her lips. Sachiko was sleeping soundly tonight. Yumi sighed softly. It was a Friday night so she could sleep in tomorrow morning. She smirked. Perhaps she could practice a bit and then go back to bed. She was supposed to learn the choreography for a disco song. It was not Yumi's favourite genre of music but at least it was a fairly easy one. The only problem she was having was the constant spins during the end. She always lost her balance at the last one or spun it far too slowly both of which were unacceptable. She only had this weekend to practice and time was not on her side. She had a test on Monday as well. Yumi groaned on her way to the rehearsal rooms. The teachers just had to give her more homework and a test on Monday because she was on a scholarship and slacking would not be tolerated. How Yumi wished she could strangle those old hags but now that would be appropriate and she could lose her scholarship. Oh who was she kidding? She could go to jail for this! But it would be so worth it or perhaps it would not be?

Just before Yumi opened the door to the hall that joined all the rehearsal rooms she came to this conclusion: Her mind was messed up when it was sleep deprived and she loved every bit of its rare moments of insanity.

"Yumi-san?" Someone suddenly asked.

Yumi span around quickly and her eyes widened. She then sighed and gave the person before her a warm smile before addressing her:

"Yes, Shimako-san? What is it?"

"Nothing. I am just surprised to see anyone here this late. Sachiko-sama leaves around midnight and even she rarely practices on Friday nights." Shimako explained before going back to practicing her moves silently.

Yumi's eyes widened. She had been informed by listening to a few girls gossiping that Sahciko worked hard constantly but Yumi would've never guessed that that girl took dancing so much to hear had Shimako not just told her. A sad smile formed on Yumi's lips. It seemed that even the best needed to work hard in order to improve. A slight fire crept inside her tired eyelids as she vowed to practice every dance over and over again as much as she could. She had not fallen behind yet but with the speed she progressing Yumi estimated that soon she would be having problems keeping up and she did not want to face such setbacks because of leniency because Yumi was not lazy in the slightest.

"I will be leaving shortly Yumi-san." Shimako said as she got up and walked towards the table where the teacher's laptop was placed.

Yumi watched the girl with amazement as she started dancing. It was a slow and slightly sensual dance which involved graciously performed spins. Shimako moved around the rehearsal room raising her legs higher than Yumi had ever seen her. The girl moved her body completely in sync with the music. Her arms were not loose and neither were her legs. Her lithe form moved around the room, eliciting a gasp when it suddenly fell. Yumi's eyes widened and she immediately rushed to Shimako 's aid.

_Why did this happen__? __She was in complete control of her movements so then why did she fall__? __I saw no room for mistake. There was no chance for a mishap. Her movements were clear and precise. There seemed to be no pressure anywhere so it can't be the cause of injury so then why__?_

As if on cue Shimako answered Yumi's unvoiced question with the words:

"I must be tired."

Yumi sighed as she knelt down and helped the girl up. She then asked Shimako:

"How long have you been practicing Shimako –san?"

"I don't know. It seems I've lost track of time." Shimako replied as she thanked Yumi for helping her. The girl then went and turned the music off, grabbed her stuff and bid Yumi goodnight.

Yumi sighed. She was glad Shimako had not injured herself because of fatigue, but there seemed to be something off about that fall. Without music everything had been close to perfect but when it had been turned on Shimako had made a mistake and had fallen. Perhaps she still was not used to the slow pace of the melody. Another possible problem might be the lack of lyrics. Either way Shimako would be faced with a serious problem on Monday if she did not overcome her setback by Monday.

Yumi shook her head, ridding herself of those thoughts. She then went to the laptop and a slow, melodic tune filled the room, easing Yumi's nerves slightly. The girl smiled as she spread her arms and started stretching in complete sync with the music. She might not be of Sachiko's or Shimako's caliber yet but she was getting there and small moments like these were proof that no matter how much you practiced everyone had their flaws and skills that they lacked and Yumi was convinced that even though she was not perfect, she could easily progress with time. As her body started moving swiftly around the room and she lifted her legs effortlessly only one thing was running through Yumi's mind – the advice her mother and teaching instructor had given her long ago:

_Baby steps Yumi are the key to success. _

With a smile on her face Yumi began spinning slowly, she then increased her speed and by the end of the night she had managed to complete seven fast paced spins without stopping and had managed to land exactly where she had started from. The only problem was that the dance required not seven but eight spins and she had yet to perform eight circles flawlessly. Perhaps she was not going to be able to perform perfectly on Monday.

_Nonsense! I can't let myself think this way. If others have accomplished it, then so can I. _

With fresh resolve Yumi closed her eyes and took a rejuvenating breath of air before opening them the second the music began. She smiled and started dancing. Her movements were in almost perfect sync the whole time. Her kicks were just about the right height. Her arms were not flailing around aimlessly, but were rather at the exact place in the exact time. Yumi's smile grew as the seconds of her one minute dance started evaporating. It was huge when the last eight seconds came. As they started ticking Yumi inhaled and started spinning. It was the right speed and the right number. She landed almost perfectly. She only stumbled but did not fall. She had lost her balance only slightly and was panting. Sweat was rolling off of her in waves but she had done it. She had completed that dance with almost no mistakes.

"You put too much strain on your left leg when you land. That's the reason why you can't land correctly and make it seem flawless. That one simply mistake ruins the fluid of your dance. You may want to work on that." Someone suddenly said.

Yumi yelped in surprise. She screamed in shock and fell to the ground. Her eyes widened when they landed on a slightly chuckling Sachiko. Yumi's eyes widened slightly. That girl was laughing but why Yumi could not understand. Was she the cause of that radiant smile?

Suddenly Yumi remembered how frustrated she had been hours before for not being able to figure out the reason why she could not perform close to perfect but now knew. And it was all thanks to none other than Sachiko Ogasawara – the girl that was supposed to detest her and hate her guts.

"I don't mean to be rude but why are you helping me?" Yumi asked hesitantly as she got up and went to grab her towel. The girl rubbed the sweat off of her as she listened to Sachiko's answer.

"I can't stand people who have talent and make such simple mistakes. Plus, it is Saturday morning and I'm feeling generous today." Sachiko explained as she went to the right side of the room and started stretching.

Yumi choked on her water and her eyes widened. She looked at Sachiko in shock as she nearly yelled her question:

"D-did you just say morning?!"

Sachiko appeared to be slightly annoyed for having to repeat herself but did so nonetheless. Her answer was cold and indifferent, however.

"I believe that is what I said a few minutes prior."

Yumi's eyes widened further. She looked at the clock on the wall. It read 7a.m. She could not believe she had been practicing for four hours straight with almost no breaks. Yumi sighed. Perhaps she was a masochist or a workaholic, but she loved dancing so it didn't count. She hoped.

"How long have you been practicing Yumi-san?" Sachiko suddenly asked shocking Yumi slightly by the unexpected interest.

"A few hours." Yumi simply answered as she started packing her belongings. She grabbed them and added, "I'll be going now. I need to get some sleep."

"Have you spent the whole night here?!" Sachiko could not help but enquire, not being able to hold her curiosity and shock in any longer.

Yumi could not help but choke on thin air. Her eyes widened. She then started laughing hysterically. That reaction made Sachiko's left eye twitch slightly. She glared at the girl before her, having put under control her annoying nervous tic. She then waited patiently for Yumi to recollect herself. Pretty soon the girl managed to calm down and stop laughing completely, which surprisingly pleased yet saddened Sachiko, though the girl could not figure out why.

"Sorry for laughing like that. No, I woke up around three and could not fall back asleep so I decided to come down here and get some work done when it will be less if not lacking completely the word 'crowded' for a description. Man I'm rambling again." Yumi explained and ended with a nervous chuckle.

Sachiko looked questioningly at the girl before her but soon shook her head, ridding herself of unneeded for the moment thoughts. She frowned slightly when she looked at the guilty expression Yumi was no wearing. And Sachiko could not help but feel slightly angry. What had caused such a sudden change in Yumi's mood? Deciding to chance it, she asked:

"Is something the matter Yumi-san?" Sachiko asked.

Yumi seemed to snap out of whatever place or realm she had been in. She then looked up and smiled sadly at Sachiko as she shook her head. Sachiko frowned at the obvious but decided not to push. After all, she had downright ignored the girl for almost three weeks. Snapping back to caring for her after all that would be far too cruel and stupid. Yumi would think she was playing a game with her and that was the last thing Sachiko wanted or intended to happen.

"I should get going. I will see you around Sachiko-sama." Yumi said as she bid her goodbye and turned around to walk out of the door.

"Goodbye Yumi." Sachiko whispered as she watched the back of the girl disappear after the doors closed.

Just as Sachiko was about to resume her warm up someone came in to the room. At first she did not take notice of who had entered but when their eyes met only one emotion could be registered by her fast beating heart – shock. It was written all over her face as she asked:

"W-what the hell are you doing here?!"

**Disclaimer: I own nothing. **

**A/N: Thank you for the support and mariziramiraz – thank you for pointing out such a dreadful thing to me. Much appreciated! **

**Now onto another note:**

**Just who might this mysterious person be****? ****Keep in mind they have enough power to shock and leave even Sachiko Ogasawara speechless. Any guesses****?**

**Oh and Happy New Year guys! (Doesn't matter if you've already celebrated it or haven't. I just wanted to say it! :D) **

**Reviews****? **


	6. Chapter 6

"Y-Youko?!" Sachiko choked out before she started shaking her head unconsciously. The girl could not believe that she was standing before the only person who had once had so much power over her. She thought she was hallucinating. This could not be true! At least that was what her mind was screaming at her as the rational part of her brain tried to process the chances of Youko's actually coming back and having the courage to speak to Sachiko in person. After a few seconds common sense kicked in and screamed at her to run away. It yelled at Sachiko's heart for being so stupid as to wish to embrace the woman. It urged the girl to run away, but her feet were glued to the ground.

Her eyes were wide. Her lips were trembling. Her fingers were shaking with fear. Her blue crystals suddenly became smudged with fresh tears as she choked. A lone tear made its way down her face as she opened her mouth and closed it. After that she covered it with her hand as she shook her head once more.

"This cannot be true." She whispered between her fingers as more tears escaped the tight hold of her eyelashes and moistened the strangely dry skin on her face.

Youko smiled sadly at Sachiko as tears appeared in her eyes and reached out a hand to touch the one that was currently shielding the girl's mouth. At first it was a simple touch of the fingers, but then it turned into a tight grasp that promised more than just a simple encounter. It promised that it was hear physically and emotionally and that it was not going to leave again.

"It is, Sachiko." Youko whispered afraid that if she spoke too loudly she might scare the poor girl so much that she would run away before even having the chance to talk to Sachiko. After that Youko made a few steps forward and tentatively embraced Sachiko. She sighed in relief when the girl reciprocated it. They stayed like that for a while before Youko was certain that Sachiko had calmed down. That was the reason why she slightly withdrew and looked at Sachiko with a warm smile gracing her features. The expression was mirrored by Sachiko.

"I still can't believe you're back." Sachiko whispered.

Youko reached up with a hand and brushed a few bangs out of Sachiko's eyes as she replied:

"To be honest, neither am I."

Sachiko chuckled at that. Youko smiled as she watched the girl who had recently started crying smile that rare radiant smile that made it seem as though the room had been touched by spring sun rays. Youko's smile grew as she noticed that a small rosy colour adorned Sachiko's cheeks. It was very subtle but still it was present and even though it may sound selfish, Youko was glad that she still had such an effect on the girl in her arms.

Suddenly Youko's phone rang and she mentally groaned at whoever had had the stupidity to call her now at all times of the day. Quite reluctantly she withdrew completely from Sachiko and fished out her phone. She scanned the caller's ID with calculating eyes before she sighed and said:

"I'm sorry Sachiko, but I really need to take this call."

Sachiko nodded after which Youko asked:

"I'll call you later. Is your number still the same?"

Sachiko repeated the previous action with her head automatically as though she were not listening to the person who was speaking to her anymore and maybe she was not. Soon after Youko walked away to talk to whomever had phoned her and Sachiko was free to go back to rehearsing, but she knew that after what had happened, she would not be able to concentrate. After trying and failing to do so for the next thirty minutes the girl gave up on rehearsing for the time being and decided to go for a walk to clear her head.

The wind blew through long raven locks carelessly as it caressed them with a gentle hand. The winter rays were almost unnoticeable but still they managed to reach out a hand and take part of the girl's skin and succeed in warming it up. The sky was clear and did not make the weight on the poor soul's mind heavier. The trees were greener than they usually were for such a season. They watched silently as the girl walked, stopped, furrowed her eyebrows, turned around, then sighed, turned in the opposite way and continued walking. The series of actions were repeated several times, but still every small gesture, every change in expression was witnessed by no one aside from the trees surrounding her, the rocks that accompanied her every step, the wind that continued to stroke her hair and the sun that went on touching her skin, trying to calm her down.

Sachiko did not feel any of that. She had not even noticed that she was soon going to reach the library. She did no acknowledge the few students she had crossed paths with or those that had greeted her. Her mind was focused entirely on the things that had occurred prior to her coming here. She sighed as she put a hand on her forehead and brushed a few bangs out of her eyes. She closed her eyes as her hand remained there as though that stance was going to keep her from falling deeper into the abyss she had managed to escape from.

"Is there really no hope?" She whispered as she opened her eyes and smiled sadly when her eyes met the shining ball of energy that greeted her from far away.

_I thought she was not coming back. We… we even agreed on not keeping in touch simply because it would be pointless and it would only lead to more suffering for the both of us so then why… why Youko…__? __Why did you come back__?_

Suddenly Sachiko's body collided with that of someone else's. She staggered backwards and was about to fall to the ground when a hand grabbed her own and managed to drag her back up only for the girl to lean forward. She closed her eyes and braced herself for the inevitable collision with the earth but the impact did not come. Instead her face met that of elastic fabric and soft chest. A gasp and then a soft moan escaped the lips of the person who had saved her. Sachiko immediately opened her eyes and jolted back. Her eyes widened when she met those of Rei. The latter seemed to be finding it difficult not to moan once more. Sachiko's eyes widened even more as she gasped and asked:

"Oh my God, Rei, did I hurt you?"

Rei soon stopped clutching her eyes shut. She sighed before opening them and chuckling. She then waved Sachiko's worried hands off and said:

"I'm fine. No need to worry."

Sachiko looked skeptically at her friend, but soon decided to let it go. She sighed as her mind went back to what happened today. Her fears intensified tenfold when Rei spoke once more.

"The question should be whether you are alright."

Sachiko's eyes widened as she questioned not bothering to hide her concern and astonishment:

"W-what do you mean? Do rumours really travel that fast around here?!"

Rei chuckled at the girl's uncharacteristically fidgety and open about her inner turmoil behaviour. Normally Sachiko would not stutter, she would either not answer or avoid answering Rei's unvoiced questions altogether. With a deep sigh Rei answered:

"No, Youko was actually quite subtle about everything. If I hadn't seen her while she exited the main rehearsal hall and had confronted her, I would probably not be this informed."

Sachiko listened carefully during Rei's explanation. After her tired mind had digested every last bit of information a sigh of relief escaped the girl's lips. She then closed her eyes and did not bother suppressing the groan that soon came. A weary sigh then came out as she slid to the ground and allowed the tears to fall freely.

Rei's eyes widened. She immediately knelt down and embraced Sachiko. She allowed the girl to cry on her shoulder. Sobs wracked the tired body as it shuddered. Her heart started beating uncontrollably as wounds that had been stitched long ago were cut open with a knife that was still tainted with blood. The red liquid came pouring down along with salty trails of lava that burned the skin that was once flawless. Scars were torn open and turned into fresh wounds. Cuts marred the whiteness and purity. The innocence was stolen. The dead memories were resurrected. The pain was rekindled. The fire was lit up once more. The happiness was destroyed again. The small ounce of control that Sachiko possessed was shattered with the return of the person she had allowed to break her heart.

**Disclaimer: I own nothing.**

**A/N: Sorry for any mistakes I've made. Thank you for reviewing and for guessing. Hah, I bet few of you expected that. A small cliffhanger is always a nice touch, don't you think****?**

**Again thank you for following, favouriting and reading. **


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