Black Rose: Book One

"The first thing you must know is that there are two separate classes here at Cross Academy: Day class and Night class."

"Okay." Yumiko nodded as they reached the top of the stairs.

"Day class is...well...day class. You're going to be in Day class. All of your classes are during the day. Your dorm is the Sun Dorm, the building that we're in. You're not allowed to be found outside of it before six in the morning and seven thirty in the evening. It's for your own safety so please do not violate the curfew."

"Okay."

"Night class is...the advanced students." Yuuki spoke carefully. She had seen Yumiko sitting close to Kaname. She didn't show any fear but she had to agree with Chairman Cross; they didn't know how she would take it so they didn't tell her. "They're fairly nice and friendly, but it is preferred that you not bother them when they go to the main building for their classes."

"Why?" Yumiko asked as they approached a door.

Yuuki took out a key and unlocked it, then pushed it open. She turned to Yumiko and pressed the key into the girl's hand. "Well...the way I look at it is that they don't bother us during the day when we have our classes so why would we bother them? It's very rude."

Yumiko nodded. "I understand."

Yuuki smiled and hugged her with one arm. "Good! Now don't lose that key. It's your room key..." She looked into the empty room. "Well, your roommate has already left." Yuuki gently pushed Yumiko into the room. Yuuki spotted the uniform laying across on the bed like Kaien had said and went to pick it up. Yumiko stared at the open door...and closed it. Behind the closed door, she felt a sense of security. She couldn't explain why...but she preferred it to be closed. Yuuki didn't notice this. She whirled around and held up the uniform with pride. "Okay you go shower and put this on."

Yumiko only nodded and took it. Yuuki went to a dresser and took out a under shirt, bra, and panties. "Thank you, Yuuki."

Yuuki only smiled. "Here we use community bathrooms."

"A group of showers and toilets?"

"Closed for privacy." Yuuki reassured her. "This isn't a military school."

"Oh."

After Yumiko had showered and changed, Yuuki took her down to the school cafeteria in the Main Hall. Although she was offered a wide selection of breakfast foods, Yumiko settled on a cherry poptart and a carton of 1% milk. Yuuki sat with her and animatedly talked about the teachers she would meet. By the time they finally got to class, they were almost a half hour late. Yuuki handed the teacher the note.

"Thank you, Yuuki. Go take your seat."

Yuuki bowed and walked up the stairs. Yumiko's eyes followed Yuuki up the stairs...and noticed the sea of faces staring back at her intently. Quiet whispers filled the room.

"Attention!" The teacher tapped the edge of his desk loudly with a ruler. "This is..." He looked at the note. "...Yumiko. Everyone please welcome her to the academy."

Everyone mumbled their own version of a greeting and went back to whispering. The teacher placed a hand on Yumiko's shoulder. "Go find a seat."

A boy stood sharply. "Since I am the class president I will look after our new student."

Yuuki looked at him and stood as well. "If I may, I would like to look after her."

The boy turned to her. "What are you talking about? It's always been the class president's job to give a tour of the school campus to the new student."

"I know but..." Yuuki searched for words to explain the delicate situation. "...well it would just be better if I took that responsibility."

"As a prefect, I'm sure you have way more important duties than to play tour guide." He turned back Yumiko. "Please. Allow someone who has time for you to show you around."

"Akio--"

"Cross!" The teacher barked. "He has a point and you two are holding up my class."

Yuuki's head dropped in defeat and she sat down. Yumiko walked up the stairs and sat down next to Akio. Akio slid a few sheets of notebook paper and a pen over to her, then continued with his notes. "Welcome to Cross Academy, Yuuki."

"Thank you..."

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

When math class let out for lunch, Zero dragged Yuuki off somewhere. Originally, Yumiko intended to stick by Yuuki's side since she was the only one who truly wanted to be in her company. However, she was left with....

"I'm guessing by the bored look on your face that you've seen the cafeteria before?" Akio looked back at Yumiko. She only nodded. "Well, here it is again then."

A group of kids rushed up to Akio and began chattering wildly about the Night class. Yumiko stood there quietly waiting for him to return his attention to her...but it seemed as if he had forgotten about her. Since they were standing a few feet from the entrance of the cafeteria, soon they became surrounded by students. Her heartbeat quickened. She looked around at the sea of faces. Sweat beads began to collect on her forehead.

Thump, thump.

Her heartbeat pounded in her ears. Voices grew louder with each second as she was pushed and bumped by somebodies.

Thump, thump.

She took several deep breaths in an attempt to calm herself.

Thump, thump.

The voices grew louder and she was pushed harder. It grew hot and she tugged at the collar of her jacket.

Thump, thump.

She began to pant and covered her ears. She wanted it to stop. She wanted it all to be quiet. She wanted....she needed....

Thump, thump.

"What's her problem?" A boy asked.

Thump, thump.

Somewhere...someone was laughing. She could hear it. Very faintly, there was someone...no...a group of people were laughing at her.

Thump, thump.

"Stop it." She whispered. The insane laughter kept going, as if whatever that had caused them to laugh was just too funny to stop laughing.

Thump, thump.

"Please...please....stop it!" She screamed at the top of her lungs. She looked at the crowd who was looking back her in silent shock. Her chest rose and fell with panicked breaths. Those eyes...those faces...She shook her head.

"Yumiko, are you okay?" Akio took a step forward but Yumiko stepped back.

"I...I'm sorry." She shook her head as tears fell. She turned and took off running.

"Yumiko! Wait!" Akio yelled after her.

People became a blur as she rushed by them in a full sprint. She didn't know where she was going. She just wanted to escape the laughter. She didn't care if she left school grounds. She just wanted to escape the crowd...the one that swallowed her whole and made her....a nobody. She pushed open a door and the bright sunlight temporarily blinded her. She immediately recovered as her eyes adjusted to the light and kept running. She didn't even hear someone calling after her any more.

'No one really cares...not really...they pretend...but in the end...all I am is a girl with a name.' She didn't even pay attention to her surroundings. Everything was a blur to her. 'I'm just another face with a name...who can't remember a friendly loving face...someone to make me feel...human.'

She tripped over a rock and fell. She examined the knee that came in contact with the ground and sighed when she saw that she was okay. She stood and looked around. Nothing looked familiar.

"Oh...right. Nothing looks familiar....because I don't know anything." She hugged her knees and looked around. She felt so alone...a tiny rock...just a pebble in a huge pond. Unnoticeable. Unimportant.

"...Who really cares?" She wondered aloud, talking to herself. She stood and looked around. She wanted to hide. She would rather deal with being alone; she would rather isolate herself in her own little world...than to deal with being rejected by "the crowd". At least in her little world...she had one friend...herself...well, at least she could get to know herself.

She found a nice secluded patch of grass and sat down. It was pretty comfortable outside. Warm, but not so warm that she felt hot in her jacket. There was a light breeze that carried the scent of lavender in the air. It made her drowsy. She laid back and watched the clouds drift by lazily overhead.

"Who really cares...when I talk?" She continued to speak to herself. "What I feel? What I say?"

'Nobody...not really...'

"Who wants to take the time?...I would like...someone to heal me with some empathy....that I can't find..."

'Nobody...not really...'

"Maybe I'm invisible to the world..." She thought about the faces. Did they really see her? Or did they see Yuuki...Akio...did they wonder why they were talking to themselves? "Is there anyone in the world...who thinks of me as more than just a hopeless cause?"

She remembered the looks that she had received....from those who knew her story thus far. Pity.

"Maybe the world is not my block...my stoop...my life...my dreams..." She closed her eyes. "My anything....." She felt herself become sleepy as her eyelids became too heavy to open. "I'm alone in a big empty space...with..."

'Nobody...not really...'

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Yuuki looked around the classroom. Yumiko hadn't made it in yet. She waited patiently beside Sayori, her best friend, waiting patiently.

"Who are you waiting for?"

"Huh?" Yuuki blinked and looked at Sayori. "What?"

"Don't pretend you don't know what I'm talking about." She didn't look at Yuuki. "I know you better than you think. You came to class on time. Rare. You didn't put your head down and fall straight to sleep as usual. Rare. You're looking around the classroom. All the signs say you're looking for someone." She finally turned to Yuuki. "And since Zero is sitting behind us, I'm sure you're not looking for him." She pointed at him with her thumb.

"I can hear you." Zero glared at the back of their heads.

Yuuki chose to ignore him. "The new student. Yumiko. She has this class..." Yuuki looked around. "But she isn't here."

Akio walked into the class room and took his seat...alone. Yuuki's eyes bugged out and she jumped up. "Akio? Where is Yumiko?"

Akio looked highly uncomfortable with the question. "Ah! About that..." He chuckled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. "You see...she freaked out at the beginning of lunch and took off. I tried to follow her but the lunch crowd separated us. By the time I made it out to the courtyard in one piece...she was gone."

"KYAAAAA!!!!" Yuuki screamed. "YOU LOST HER?!!! YOU'RE THE CLASS PRESIDENT AND YOU LOST HER?!?!"

The boy seemed to shrink down into his seat. "Well it was the lunch crowd. You know how they can be--"

"I TRUSTED YOU WITH HER AND YOU LOST HER!!!! WHAT KIND OF CLASS PRESIDENT ARE YOU?!?!"

"Cross! Please take your seat. Class has begun." The teacher scolded her. She gave Akio one last lingering death glare before returning to her seat. She tried to pay attention to the math lesson but...her mind was on Yumiko. She wondered where she was. She wondered if she was okay. Tons of possibilities...but she honestly didn't have a clue.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Aidou stood beside Kain, studying the sleeping girl. "I wonder if she's simply skipping class." He turned to look at Kain. "Those prefects usually are aware of such things."

Kain merely shrugged and pushed his hand through his hair. "Or she could be new and got lost. I haven't seen her before...at least, from this distance, I don't think I have."

A smirk curved Aidou's lips. "Why don't we take a closer look and see?" He muttered and moved forward. Kain sighed and followed the blonde. Usually when his cousin as a question like that, it was always rhetorical. Aidou had a nasty habit of making group decisions.

Aidou looked down at the peaceful sleeping face....and quietly gasped. "Kain...it's the girl we rescued."

"Ah...then I retract my earlier statement." He looked at his watch and shoved his hands into his pockets. "We should get back to the dorm. Everyone should be getting ready to go to the Main Hall. We also have to get through the Day class crowd."

Aidou didn't react as if he had heard his cousin. He knelt down beside her...reached out and pushed her hair away from her neck. "Sleeping so soundly...yet I can almost taste--"

"Aidou." Kain said firmly. "We should go."

Aidou pouted and looked over his shoulder, his big blue eyes pleading. "Just a taste? She won't even notice--"

"Aidou." Another voice was even and cool.

They both looked up to see their dorm leader, Kaname Kuran, standing there patiently with his bodyguard, Seiren.

"Kaname-sama?" Aidou stood sharply. "We--"

"Why aren't you getting ready for class?" He looked down at the girl. "Yumiko."

"Yeah! She was just laying here." Aidou looked down at her, happy to have the attention off of him.

Kaname looked at Kain. "Pick her up. We'll take her with us to the gate so that Yuuki and Kiryu can take care of her."

Kain nodded and moved to her. He bent down and lifted up into his arms. Immediately, Yumiko began to stir. She opened her eyes and looked around. Kain stood and put her feet on the ground. She looked at the group.

"What are you doing here?" Kaname asked.

"Are you skipping?" Aidou eyed her suspiciously.

Yumiko looked down at her feet.

Kaname stepped forward and stared at the top of her head. "You are. That's not allowed."

She didn't reply.

Aidou moved over and put an arm around her shoulder. "Ah, Kaname-sama. Don't be so hard on her. I skip all the time and--" He suddenly stopped, realizing he had said too much. "Ah!!! Well, that's besides the point. She can walk with us to the gate. We can get to know her better."

Kaname gave Aidou a warning glance and turned on his heel. "Very well. Let's get moving....I'm sure Yuuki will be relieved to see her new friend is okay."

Yuuki looked at his back as he walked away. 'Friend?'

Aidou looked at her shocked expression. "What? Is the concept of friendship foreign to you?" He gently pulled her into step beside him as they continued to walk, keeping an arm around her shoulders.

Yumiko didn't know how to respond to the question.

"It's okay. Friends are good to have." He smiled broadly as he waved the hand holding a book. "In fact, my name is Aidou and I'll be your friend too."

She looked at him, clearly overwhelmed with the idea.

He misunderstood her expression. "Ah. I understand how you must feel. Many girls from the Day class would kill to be in your shoes..." An idea struck him but he kept moving. "...and if they found out such a thing they would be so jealous of you."

"Jealous...of me?" She looked positively shell shocked.

"Of course! Don't you know who I am?" He pulled away and posed. "I am Aidou "Idol" Hanabusa!"

Yumiko simply stared at him. His face fell.

"You...don't know who I am do you?" She shook her head. He sighed, put his arm around her, and kept walking. "Ah, but you will find out quite soon, I assure you."

They came to the Night class crowd waiting at the gate.

"Kaname-sama!" A boy that she recognized as Ichijou rushed towards them. "There you go wandering off again..." His words trailed off as he looked at Yumiko. "Where did she come from?"

"It's of no importance." Kaname stated and walked past him.

"...Okay then." Ichijou shrugged and followed behind him. If the dull roar coming from the other side of the gate and Yuuki's voice clearly ordering people to move back was any indication...then there had to be a small army waiting for them. A whistle blew insistantly followed by Yuuki's firm orders.

"This shall be fun! It's the best part of my day." Aidou's chest puffed out. "Greeting my fans!"

Yumiko noticed a long haired, platinum blonde staring at her. "What is a human doing on our side of the gate?"

"Ruma." Kaname glared at her. She instantly turned away from Yumiko and faced the gate with a huff.

"Just asking."

'Human?...Isn't she one too?' Yumiko wondered. There was a loud creak and the gates slowly began to swing open.

Aidou's arm hugged Yumiko closer. "This will be very interesting." He allowed some of the other students to walk ahead, deliberately placing himself and Yumiko in the middle of the crowd.

"Idol-sempai!!!"

"Shoot me, please, Aidou!!!"

Girls clamored and screamed at the mere sight of him. Yumiko felt herself once again become a nobody...until...

"Hey...who is that beside him?"

"Isn't that the new girl? What's her name?"

"Her name is Yumiko! I had her in my history class this morning!!"

"HOW IN THE WORLD DID SHE GET TO HIM?!?!"

She looked at the girls. They didn't look happy to see Aidou so close to her...but it was recognition. A smile formed slowly and she briefly giggled. Aidou stopped waving with his free hand and looked at her. Seeing her smiling...he smiled too. She loved the attention that being with him gave her.

"Enjoying yourself?" He whispered.

She looked up into his eyes...and smiled a bit wider in response.

"Good." He leaned over and kissed her ear. "Good day then."

A whistle blew and suddenly they were separated. "Idol--I mean--Aidou!!! You know you aren't to get so close--"

"Ah, calm down, will you? I wasn't even thinking about doing that." He cut his eyes at Yuuki and Zero. "You prefects are too uptight. I was just making my new friend feel welcome." He looked at Yumiko and waved. "Later."

"Bye..." She whispered returning the gesture.

They watched as the Night class continued walking. Yuuki immediately went back to ushering the Day class girls to their dorms.

"Where were you today?" Zero asked bluntly.

Yumiko looked up at him and, upon seeing his disapproving glare, looked back down at her feet.

"Well?"

She didn't respond. He sighed with frustration.

"Fine. Don't answer. But I advise you to enjoy your freedom while you can. Once you actually go to the class and enroll...they'll mark you absent and notify Headmaster Cross of your truancy."

"Okay."

He seemed satisfied to get something out of her and dropped the subject. "Also..." He put a hand on her shoulder to make her look up at him. "Stay away from the Night students."

She started to ask why but he turned and walked off. Yuuki rushed back over to Yumiko and hugged her. "Do you know how worried I was about you today??! I literally screamed at Akio in class today and then spent the remainder of the school day looking for you. Were you with the Night class the whole time?"

"Er...no. I was asleep somewhere back there." She pointed to the area she had been in. Yuuki stared blankly.

"Well...please don't take off like that again. It's not safe for you to do that." Yuuki grabbed Yumiko's hand and lead the way back to the Main Hall. "You missed dinner. Are you hungry?"

"No."

"Oh...well I guess I could take you back to the dorm--"

"Can't I stay with you?" Yumiko stopped walking.

Yuuki looked at her. "Well...no."

Yumiko looked crushed. "Oh...well why not?"

Yuuki was startled by the question. How would she explain that??

"Well, I actually have night duties as a prefect and am not allowed to let anyone 'tag along' with me. Otherwise, I'd let you come." She smiled broadly and put an arm around the girl's shoulders. "Besides...I don't get much sleep because of these duties...it's no fun really. Hey! But if you get sleep then you can help me stay awake in the classes we have together tomorrow. That is your duty."

Yumiko smiled. She had a purpose! She nodded. "Yes...sempai."

"Good. Now, do you remember how to find your dorm room?" Yumiko nodded. "Then hurry. I don't want you breaking curfew."

She didn't even have to repeat herself. Yumiko had already taken off.