Mariko woke up with a start, shining with sweat and gasping for breath. She raked her bangs back and sighed. "Maybe it was all just a dream," she said. But even she knew she was kidding herself. What exactly was going on with Kaito and Teru? Weren't they her best friends? Didn't they trust her...? Then four little words popped into her head. "I love you, Mariko!" She blushed, then shook her head to try to get the words out of her memory.

Feeling hurt and betrayed, she took a quick shower and changed. She glanced out her window, and seeing that the coast was clear of both Kaito and Teru (which was a little strange, since they usually got up before her), she hefted her backpack over her shoulder then walked out of the door. Usually she would be excited to see them, but today was different. Last night confused her more than any math quiz--"Oh, shoot!" she hit herself in the head as she realized she didn't cram enough for the test that day. The little dispute in the yard had distracted her, and if she remembered correctly, she had fainted, so all of that time . . . gone. She groaned, completely forgetting about last night as she agonized over what she was going to do about that test. She was already failing enough in that class, and now? She was doomed. But in more ways than one. . . .

Kaito was startled by the sound of the door opening beside him. He had paced outside of the door waiting for her to wake up, to see if she was okay, and shaking his hands through his hair thinking, "Crap, now what am I supposed to do?" He ended up sitting down and slumping against the wall by her window and falling asleep that way, having dreams about running from his old house to an empty and abandoned playground, thinking he had ran all of those memories into the ground with what he did. With what him and Teru did. Right... it wasn't all his fault.

He looked up and caught sight of Mariko leaving to go to school and jumped to his feet, "Wait Mariko!" He caught her arm. "Um," he let go and put a hand behind his head. So wasn't like him... They usually all walked to school anyways, Mariko happy as usual and Teru and Kaito occasionally (more than occasionally) arguing. Despite the fact that this was extremely awkward, Kaito knew that walking to school with Mariko now would hold a much greater importance. It wouldn't take long for word to get out about what happened. About how she knew... He and Teru had already talked about it, now all that was left was to at last tell Mariko the truth. "I'm walking to school with you," Kaito announced, not giving her time to argue about it or run away. "There's something you need to know."

As soon as she heard Kaito calling her name, she tried to speed up her walk, but he still ended up catching up to her and grabbing her arm. Ugh, he's found me. Hopefully Teru won't find me too, she glanced around, and seeing no sign of her other neighbor. When Kaito let go of her arm, she instantly pulled it back to her and held a hand to her heart, which was racing like crazy. It only beated faster when he announced he would be walking with her. She had opened her mouth to argue, but he had probably knew that she would try to resist and gave her no time to do so.

And so she continued to walk to school, wondering what exactly what it was between her and the two she had called her best friends. But now she didn't know what exactly to call them. They obviously couldn't trust her enough to tell her about any of this business. What's more, they had known each other for years, and they had been lying to her the whole time? Had they lied about more than just this? "Fine, what? What exactly have you been hiding from me?" she said, continuing to look forward. It had come out a little more shakily than she had wanted, but she willed herself not to cry.

Damn, she sounded like she was about to cry. Kaito had been with her for so long, he knew that tone. Her brave, stubborn, yet heartbroken voice. Without her even having to shed a tear he wanted to reach out and touch her face and tell her that he was sorry, but he knew it wasn't the right time. And he wanted to tell her he hadn't wanted to hide the truth from her, but that would have been a lie. Not because he hadn't trusted her. She was the only person he trusted. And that's why he couldn't tell her and risk losing her. Ugh, but somehow he couldn't say that aloud. Yet again, not now. He gulped as he walked beside her, his eyes on her.

"Not without Teru here." He told her. "Just," shoot, his hand was moving to brush her cheek on it's own. Stop it! He let it fall back to his side. "Just wait. He'll be here in a minute I'm sure. He probably knows I'm having this conversation with you as I speak, and he'd kill me if he knew I said something without him. Um, well I mean not literally." Kaito spewed the last words out, covering up the part about him and Teru killing each other. He wanted to slap his forehead.

Teru spent a lot of time in bed that morning. He certainly wasn't sleeping, that's for sure. In fact, he was simply staring at the ceiling. He hadn't gotten any sleep last night. The night before replayed over and over in his head, a constant reminder of what an idiot he had been. Why could Kaito always get to him like that? Why did it have to be a race for Mariko's love? God, they screwed up. He knew it. And a large part of his heart feared catching up to his longest and closest friend. Things were never supposed to work out this way.

No matter how much Teru wanted to lay in bed and pretend the night hadn't happened, he knew he couldn't. He forced himself from the bed, knowing there were dark circles under his eyes. There was nothing he could do about it though, so he threw on clothes and shoes before heading out the door. His skin soaked up the morning sun, and his eyes adjusted to the brightness of the outdoors as he saw two figures up ahead. Two figures he'd seen for more than half of his life. His stomach felt like it was twisting into knots that just kept getting tighter. He swallowed past a lump in his throat before mustering up the courage to run ahead to catch up to them.

As he stepped into line beside them, he exhaled. Honestly, he was completely at a loss for words. What could he say at this point? A shy "hey," escaped his lips. Kaito seemed to be just as uncomfortable as he did. However, it broke his heart to see Mariko's expression. Yes, she could hold herself together fine. But it was the subtle frown at the corners of her mouth and the way her eyebrows pinched just a little that showed she was unhappy. Teru took a silent deep breath and held it, waiting for someone else to speak first.

"Okay, I'll wait," she sighed. Yesterday, Mariko would've laughed at the way Kaito was acting. It wasn't often that he acted that awkward, and it always amused her to see him in such a fashion. But Mariko couldn't do that now. Especially when he had mentioned Teru and killing in the same sentence. Now she was thinking that they did indeed try to kill each other everyday, and the usual argument turned into something much more in her head. Did they do this even before she had met them? Maybe that was why they had fought all those years back in middle school.

Then she heard Teru's voice and nodded in acknowledgment, but she kept her gaze ahead of her. Looking at them both now would only make her break down. "Alright, now you both need to tell me exactly what's going on. But please . . . don't lie to me, anymore," she paused, then whispered, more to herself than anything, "I don't think I could take it . . . ."

Kaito's eyes grew darker as Teru approached, as they always unconsciously did. He listened as the angel boy mumbled a shy hello and Kaito crossed his arms over his chest, feeling a chill fall over the three that wasn't really there. An awkward silence pleading for someone to say something. "Right," Kaito said, realizing it might as well be him. They couldn't talk here though. They were walking past a small alley that ran between two houses. He put his hand behind Mariko's shoulder and guided her into the alley, feeling bad for pushing her around so much in one day due to his nervousness, he tilted his head for Teru to follow. The alley was a little cramped. But there was enough room for them all to stand at least a few inches away from each other.

"Sorry about this Mariko," he apologized, "so sorry. But no one can hear this. Truth," Kaito closed his eyes for a moment and inhaled. "Truthfully. I've been wanting to tell you the truth for a long time. I'm sure so has Teru... But if you knew the truth... Ugh, the truth. The truth is. I'm a demon. It's probably hard to believe but..." he clenched his fists and struggled to get it out. "You couldn't know this because it would only bring you trouble, but since you saw yesterday... Well you might face some difficulties ahead Mariko. But don't worry, cause I'll be there for you. And so will Teru. Despite the fact that we both don't really get along, we've agreed on that." Kaito gulped, glad to get that off of his chest but worried what she might think. "Uh Teru," Kaito said, turning his face away from Mariko, nervous to look at her. "You explain..."

Following them into the alley, Teru bit his tongue, literally, the entire time that Kaito began the explanation. He knew that his part wouldn't go on forever, and that he would soon have to speak as well. His heart dropped a little further as that time came. His teeth dug a little deeper into his tongue, before he finally let go. He cleared his throat, inhaled, and tried to spit out the truth the best he could.
"Well," he cleared his throat, "first, I'm so sorry. I've never felt so bad. But I promise I'll be right here for you every step of the way too." His mind willed himself to keep going, but his lips didn't want to work with him. He forced the words, trying not to let the expression on her face get to him. "I'm the opposite of Kaito. I'm an angel. And it's... it's going to get harder," he spoke through a lump in his throat now. "We messed up, and now you're going to be in danger. Not because of what we are!" He suddenly exclaimed, making sure that was clear. "He and I would never hurt you. But, you've got something valuable now. Well, you are something valuable now, I mean. Your blood," Teru tried his damn hardest to keep his voice from shaking, "is something that can make Kaito's kind much stronger than they should ever be."

He took another breath, trying not to unload on her just how dangerous things would soon become all at once. "But like Kaito said; we'll be with you. We'll protect you. Nobody's going to hurt you," he assured her. He desperately wanted to take Mariko in his arms and squeeze her tightly. He didn't want her to have to face what would come next. Teru just hoped that she wouldn't reject the two of them. If she didn't understand the danger she would be in, if she didn't understand how much she would need both of them... He simply hoped that she would accept their help willingly.

Mariko admittedly felt very nervous when Kaito guided her into an alley. Was it really that serious? On second thought, when she had stumbled upon their fight, it had looked pretty serious. Then she began to wonder what exactly they were fighting over. It must have been very important if they weren't fighting like they usually did. But maybe they fought when she wasn't around.

As Kaito started talking, she looked up at him through her eyelashes, her eyes widening when he mentioned that he was a demon. But what was this about her facing difficulties? Wasn't it already difficult enough that her friends were lying to her this whole time?! After Kaito had finished talking, she turned to Teru, combing through her hair with her fingers. Nervous habit. Then he had mentioned he was an angel, and her eyes grew wider. Maybe that would explain why the two never seemed to get along. As he continued to speak, he also mentioned something about her being in trouble. She only wished that they had clarified what exactly this "danger" was.

"But, you've got something valuable now. Well you are something valuable now, I mean. Your blood."

That seemed to send an arrow straight through her heart. They hadn't been with her because she considered them her friends...? All this time...? She laughed, but it wasn't a happy or humorous one. It was bitter, and if you listened well enough, hurt. "So you haven't been with me for me? You've been with me because my blood is valuable?" She rubbed her eyes, with a sad smile and a trembling lip. She pushed by Kaito and Teru. "All this time . . . haven't you guys been my friends?"

"Don't be..." Kaito gritted his teeth and walked behind Mariko as she pushed past them. He had feared she'd reject the present them, now that she knew what they really were. It didn't hit him that she might question everything up to that point. Maybe it was a stupid assumption, thinking that she'd trust in their friendship despite the fact that they had been keeping something like that from her. Right, it was definitely a stupid assumption. "I'm a demon Mariko. Not an actor! Your blood could make one of my kind ten times more powerful than they already are. If I haven't taken advantage of our friendship all this time. If I haven't given into the temptation of taking that power all to my self by now. Then isn't it obvious that that isn't what I want? That I have no other reason for being with you other than just being with you?"

He felt angry and frustrated, at something he couldn't exactly name. "But like Teru said. There will be others of my kind that try to take advantage of and hurt you. They want that power Mariko. And the angels, well they'll also do anything to stop us demons from obtaining that power. Our meeting was completely incidental. But now I'm here to make sure nothing happens to you. I'd rather call that fate." He smiled a little, the idea lightening his heart a little bit despite his frustration.

Teru nodded along to what he was saying. "Kaito's right. If he was out for the power, he would have taken it long ago, and we would be fighting a lot more often than we do now. We both met you and fell for your personality--you were there, you've watched both of us become your closest friends. It was sincere. Please don't ever think that we were never your friends. You're everything to me," he paused, felt a flicker of frustration and then added: "and probably Kaito, too." May as well avoid pushing Kaito's buttons now. Damn. Teru wondered if he'd actually miss that.
And again, he felt his whole existence fight against the next words he said: "And I have to agree with him... We met you for a reason, Mariko. And that reason wasn't power."

The lump that felt lodged in his throat had faded now, and what replaced it now was determination, which focused on not letting Mariko walk out of his life this way. Focused on keeping her safe. Because after all, soon that would be all the mattered to him anymore.

Mariko stopped in her tracks, right at the edge of the alley as Kaito began to speak again. Kaito had made a point. He definitely was not an actor. He may have said a few things that weren't completely true, but typically she was able to see right through him. But other than that, she had to think. Why wouldn't he have taken advantage of her already? Once she thought back to all those times spent with him and Teru, she couldn't think of one time where he didn't have the chance to hurt her. And during that boyfriend business back in middle school.... That was definitely a time where she was stripped wide open, and especially vulnerable.

Then as Teru began to speak, she started to feel like a complete idiot. They were still the same people she had known for all these years; she had just seen a side of them she hadn't known about. She almost wanted to laugh when Teru had started agreeing with Kaito. She knew it must have been hard for both of them to try and work together for her sake. But at that thought, she only started to feel worse. They were only trying to help her, and she was just being a total jerk to them. She gulped, as she started to feel her eyes water again. "W-we're going to be late to school," she muttered, close to a whisper, as she started to walk again.

Kaito sighed, relieved at Mariko's suggestion, even though the idea of going to school had never caused him any sort of joy before. Good, she still wanted to walk to school with them. She didn't run away. Although he had a feeling she was still upset, he understood that this was going to be difficult for her and knew that the longer they sat around and discussed it, the more upset she could become. Maybe they would be able to talk about it more after class. "Right," he said, "let's go." He followed beside her, at a little bit of a distance, watching her expressions closely.

(Short post XP, but couldn't think of what else to write.)

Teru didn't say anything, but followed along with the two of them. He really didn't know what to say. He would just annoy her if he kept apologizing after this.
The school came into view shortly thereafter, and he dreaded all the worries that would come to his mind while he was away from her at his classes. Before they parted ways to go to their classes, he sighed, deciding to offer something. "Maybe we should make plans after school today... in case there were things left unsaid this morning. How about we all meet at my house after school?" He asked. Usually, he'd only invite Mariko and Kaito would just tag along, but this time he knew he was inviting both of them.
"Worst case scenario, we sit in silence and do our homework," he continued. "I guess that would be semi-normal, right?"

Mariko managed to get to school without having to say anything more to the two, and she felt very relieved for that. She wasn't in the mood to talk, especially since she was so close to breaking down earlier. She was still feeling bad about everything she had said, and only wished that she had been more understanding to their situation instead of treating them like traitors. When she was about to go to her class, she stopped to listen to Teru and nodded. "Alright. I . . . guess I'll see you both later. . . ?" she trailed off into a question before shaking her head and turning to go back to class.

((Urg, long post XP, been planning on writing it for a while but never got around to it. Don't know if you were planning for anything to happen while they were at school, but Kaito's ready for it :D)

Kaito didn't know what to say to comfort Mariko. He knew this wasn't going to be easy to accept, and he didn't want her to feel like she was in the wrong for being confused and hurt. But he wanted her to trust him as well. He ran a hand behind his neck and watched as she walked off, already thinking about what he was going to say when they would meet after school at Teru's house. He wanted to say something to her now, as she turned her back, but he noticed a familiar face walking in his direction. A tall girl with a head full of bouncing curls dyed blonde, and her uniform's skirt hiked up a little higher to make her legs seem long. She watched Mariko as they crossed paths. When she reached Kaito, her usual, bright, white smile spread across her face.

"Hey," she said, slowly. She stood on her tiptoes and threw an arm over his shoulder, leaning into him. She was never one for modesty. "Meet me on the roof later?"

Kaito didn't have time for later. In fact, he hadn't even been planning on going to class (not that he ever really did). If something were to happen while Mariko was at school, it was best to be somewhere he could act fast without having to explain. Plus, there was something devious in Haine's voice. Not her usual tone for when she just wanted to fool around. Kaito leaned over and whispered in her ear. "How about now?"

Haine batted her lashes. "Fine with me," she took his hand and led him behind her.

The metal door from the rooftop's stairwell slammed behind them as they stepped out into the breeze. Haine led him around the corner and pressed him to building before kissing him on the lips. She liked to be in control. But he could care less about what she liked right now. Kaito spun her around and pinned her against the wall, his hand pressing into her collarbone. "Alright," he said to her, his tone serious. "What do you really want? I saw that look you gave her earlier."

Haine struggled. "Ugh, what look? Get off of me!" She pushed him back and tried to storm off but Kaito caught her arm. She faced him and raised her eyebrows. "You messed up didn't you?" She piped. "She knows doesn't she." Her devious smile returned. "You going to play her hero? What about your parents, huh? You know your 'mother' has been searching for someone like her for years for your brother. She told me to keep an eye on you. Ever since you moved into that apartment. She knew you were keeping a secret. And it's her. What's her name? Mariko?"

"Shut up Haine!" Kaito yelled at her and it echoed against the walls, making her shrink back a little. Kaito tightened his grip. "Tell them and I'll kill you."

"Wow," she frowned. "You've really turned your back on us. You want the angels to get to her first? Are you stupid? They'll just kill her in order to keep her away from us. What a waste. Might as well put her to use..."

"She's not a thing. That's why I turned my back on you and my family. You treat everything like an object. Everything is your property," Kaito frowned and narrowed his eyes. He tried to keep his expression fierce, but he couldn't stop the flicker of pain that flashed across his face. He pushed her hand away from him and she stumbled backwards. "Go on. Do what you want. Just know that I will stop you."

She scoffed and rubbed her wrist. "Geesh," she sneered as she looked up at him, her eyes hurt but determined. "Fine. I personally have no need for her. I won't tell your mother or brother a thing... But I'm sure they'll find out on their own. And that angel you were walking with this morning," she shook her head. "I'm the least of your worries."

She walked off back into the school stairwell and slammed the door behind her. Kaito sighed and sat down on the edge of the roof, looking towards the highway. He'd just sit there until school was over. He needed some time to think.

Teru said goodbye to Mariko and, though he usually ignored him, Kaito too. The only reason he had come to school was to meet with Mariko, but now that he was going to spend the next few hours alone, he almost wished he'd ditched all of his classes by the end of the day. Through every class he went to, he was sitting there tapping his pencil on his notebook and plaguing himself with guilt. It was useless.
It wasn't until a few classes later that he began to wonder. How long would it be before the demons would be after her? The minutes that passed seemed to last forever. It terrified him. She could be in danger this minute, and he wasn't there. He wondered if he should skip the rest of his classes to keep up with her.