Sunday was the only day in the week when Hillary got the slightest feeling of having some spare time, and she put it to good use. She stood at the far end of her room, analysing her campaign poster drawing from afar, trying to pick out some flaws. 

She had drawn a portrait of a younger version of bellona, her house mascot, to the right margin, her face slightly covered by a few strands of brown hair in a loose plait, a long purple cape flying in the wind and making up the lower border of the poster. The house symbol was at its centre. The chart had a yellow background with red and black writings. The words, 

Vote for  MeiraMaveric

 M ultivalent

E ifficient

I nclusive

R esouresful

A ccountable

I have the ability YOU are looking for,

I am the reflection of YOUR thoughts.

Vote for someone who'll be YOUR voice,

Vote for someone who'll stick with YOU,

Vote for someone YOU won't REGRET!

Vote for MeiraMaveric!!! Ko

PS: Don't worry, you're making the right choice ;D

Hillary had decided to keep the writing to a minimum. She understood that her schoolmates had a very small attention span. And her house mascot and symbol drawing grabbed all the attention that was needed for them to read the few lines accompanying them. She thought of showing the poster to her parents but decided against it. She knew her father would tell about it to whoever will listen to him (she did have a rather embarassing experience in that) and given the whole anonymous thing, it felt wrong to let anyone know of it. They could know of it when she wins and if not, at least she could pretend that nothing was wrong...

She carefully rolled up her poster and put it next to her backpack. Two weeks had passed since the school started, and her AP classes were starting from tomorrow at eight. She was taking up three subjects this year, Chemistry on Monday and Wednesday mornings, Biology on Thursday and Saturday mornings and macroeconomics on Monday and Thursday evenings . 

Having completed the poster for now, she sighed loudly. "Fun time up", she thought ruefully as she eyed the stacks of books she had to go through by the evening.

******

Hillary was planning to put the poster in the teacher's cabinet before the janitor came in, at seven forty-five. Honestly, tomorrow was supposed to be the first day of putting up posters and from what she had heard, hardly anyone had put in their posters. She didn't want to be too soon, but on the other hand it was a perfect time to grab attention and the longer the voters see your posters, longer they'll remember.

******

Tyson flopped down onto the bed with a sigh. He was utterly bored. Max wasn't dropping by today and Ray was supposed to be at the flower shop the whole day. And that was because Mariah was going out with her friends. That was one thing he didn't get, how could they pull in favours with each other if they weren't even talking with each other! And when he had asked him, Ray said "It's a bit complicated." As though it explains anything.

It was days like these that he missed Hillary the most. She always spent some time during the weekends at the dojo. Her fiesty temper would have at least kept the dojo alive and awake. The dojo hadn't been this quiet in months. He missed the action and adventure filled days, and then immediately regretted it. Look what all that adventure led to in the end, he thought darkly. Two most important people in his life almost killed. He got up from the bed suddenly. He wouldn't think about it now. 

He eyed the trigonometry homework on his bed. He had hardly solved ten questions since morning and the assignment was due tomorrow. Another reason to wish Hillary was here... She would have gotten him through this homework days ago. Math and science got a lot easier when Hillary was around to explain it to him. He wondered how he planned to get through the year without her by his side. Morbid thoughts again, he thought, thinking of taking a break, not that he had been studying anything in the first place. Thinking of what to do... He quickly came up with an idea.

Tyson thought of annoying Kai. He had pulled in sick the last three-four days and had been in his room locked up all the time. He had also gotten rid his bandages. From what he had heard from Ray, the wound was nothing more than a thin line now, hardly visible against his pale skin. The only thing Kai had been doing since then was look into his computer. Even now, if he tried hard enough, he could hear the faint click-click as Kai typed into his laptop. Whatever he was up to, only he knew.

He quietly tip-toed across the corridor and knocked on Kai's door before opening it. Kai was sitting on the bed, propped up against a pillow. Another one was on his lap, on which he had placed his computer. Kai didn't even look at him. "Go bother someone else Tyson. I'm busy."  "But there's no one around. Grandpa has gone for grocery shopping and Ray and Max aren't coming today!" He whined.

Kai sighed as he closed his laptop. Tyson did a short tap dance in his mind itself. Small Victory Part One successfully completed, he mentally noted. "Then go complete your homework or that election poster." Tyson was surprised at this. He had told no one about his plans to contest. Then how did Kai know of it?

 "How did you-" he started, but then Kai raised an eyebrow questioningly and he remembered that there was no use asking. This was Kai, he knew stuff about you without you ever telling it to him. "Nah, I'll first see what the others do, before getting started on my own. And as for homework... Could you help me with the trigonometry part?" He said the last part in a rush, not thinking though it thoroughly. There was no way he and Kai could survive in the same room alone, working side by side, without the temptation of strangling the other overcoming them. As Max jokeed around, it was only a matter of 'when' that would happen, and not an 'if'. 

Kai looked surprised at this. "Is that why you're here?" He asked, his tone telling him plainly that he didn't believe him. Tyson just shrugged, not giving him any answers, giving Kai a taste of his own medicine. There was a tense silence for a minute or so before Kai gave in. Before Tyson could do anything embarrassing, Kai came up with his conditions. "If I'm the one whose teaching you, you'll have to give all your attention. I won't repeat anything and for every stupid question you ask, I'll make you run an extra round of the playground when we resume official practice."

Tyson's excitement reduced a little. Maybe coming here had been a stupid decision after all, but since he had already dug himself a grave, he might as well as bury himself in it. Anything to get rid of the trigonometry homework that lay on his bed since this morning, he thought. "I'll bring the books", he said rushing to his room, but not before seeing the look of regret slowly overcoming Kai's face. 

Tyson consoled himself by thinking that he wasn't the only person who dug themselves a grave this afternoon. So, they might as well as bury themselves in it.

******

Laura checked her appearance in the small pocket mirror, quietly smacking her lips so that the maroon lipstick would spread evenly, before glancing back. Kai was sitting in one of the back corner seats near the window, reading something. The classroom was scarcely occupied. Their AP Chemistry class started in a few minutes. All right, you can do this, she thought as she made her way to the back of the room. A few glanced her way, but none of their attention stayed on her for long. 

"Hey there!" She said, twisting a small lock of hair in her hands. She suddenly felt self conscious. She had never liked school uniforms to begin with, even though their uniforms were far better than the uniform in other schools. She hoped she looked pretty today. 

Kai had swept more than half the girls off their feet since the first day of his arrival and she had heard it from rumours that he was a hardcore player. Well, she mused, he certainly had the qualities of one, thinking of his lean built physique, brains of a valedictorian, casual handsomeness and definitely the flirtatious smirk he gives the girls around him. 

Yet, two weeks since school started, he wasn't in a relationship, even though he had recieved plentiful advances. Yep, Kai was certainly play boy material, and still very much unhinged. Well, she planned on changing that soon. And make him fall for her hard, just  

******

Kai wasn't in a mood to chit-chat that morning. He had spent his entire patience reserve yesterday evening in tutoring Tyson. He was sure that Tyson had been far more cooperative than he had ever be with Hillary, but still he wasn't used to talking so much. And then he had gone and pulled in another night-out, losing himself in his laptop screen.

He was tempted to tell whoever it was to just go away until he realised who it was. Laura  stood in front of him with a coy smile. Oh, he had been expecting her to approach him since last week, all right. He knew it was only a matter of time, given the way she side glanced at him, thinking that he wasn't seeing and all that.

 He had just hoped that she would have chosen a better time. But he also supposed he couldn't blame her for that, that's what he gets for keeping a stoic face the whole time. "Hey there, I'm Laura."  Only a fool could have been in this school  and still not heard of Laura Yong, the sexiest girl in Tokyo West. She was in his class and he had noticed that almost all the boys have a thing for her. She knew to weild herself to get the reaction she wanted, sweet when she wanted to get things done, threatening to anyone who annoyed her.

And the most important detail he ought to know about her was that she loved a chase. Well, she'll have to compromise this time, because there was absolutely no way that he'd chase a girl.

"Hn", he answered, quirking an eyebrow in respose. She pushed back a tiny strand of fog grey hair that cascaded down her back, her confident facade slightly lowering. "Miss Kennedy had given me your notes to refer for a doubt I had in English. I thought of returning it to you personally." She stressed at the last word a bit, but didn't linger too long. He didn't deign her with a response. She continued, "I hope you don't mind but I read a few of your essays. They're wonderful." She said, brightening up to make her point. 

Kai felt a flare of annoyance at that. In fact, he did mind someone snooping over his essays. He'll have to have a talk with Miss Kennedy soon. "Hn", he answered again. 

She was silent for a moment, obviously thinking of a way the break his single syllabled answers. "So... How many AP classes are you taking this year?" She asked, one hand slightly gesturing around the classroom. Sometime between asking him questions, she had leaned in on his desk, a bit closer than was appropriate for a casual talk like this one. He shrugged, "All of them", he answered  non-chalently. "What?" She gasped, looking taken aback by this revelation. A good number of their classmates turned in their direction, to see what the noise was about. Kai rolled his eyes as Laura face flushed with embarassment as she lowered her voice. "That's astounding." She said with something close to awe in her voice. This was her first genuine expression since their conversation started. Kai smirked at this. Kai-1, Laura-0. 

He had been the first to break her facade. And beneath the fake accent and sultry voice, she really was prettier when she was being genuine. Though, for that matter, how could he have the rights to judge someone for not being genuine.

******

"How do you plan on-" Laura started, but was rudely interrupted when someone's bag handle got caught to one of the chairs beside Kai and the bag snapped open. All the books fell to the ground, creating quite a scene. A flash of light brown shoulder length hair and red uniform was all she could see as the girl swore and quickly started picking up her belongings.

Two-three guys standing near her even lent her their hand. The class went back to their own worlds and Hillary stood up, thanking the two boys who had helped her, a light pink tint on her cheeks, completely oblivious to how she had interrupted such an important conversation for Laura. She didn't bother helping her, and neither did Kai.

"Look, look, who we have here, Miss Upstart herself." She mocked. It was then that Hillary noticed her with surpris, how dare she! "Oh, I didn't think you'll bother yourself by coming to school at such an ungodly hour Yong! I heard it interferes with your beauty sleep. And good morning to you too!"she sassed back, smiling merrily. She moved to take a seat in one of the front rows. Such a nerd! Laura started again.

"I suppose you couldn't even walk into a class without causing a scene, can you Hillary?" She called out again, standing straight now, a hand on her hips, feeling superior as she planned on basking in Hillary's humiliation . A good number of people had turned to look their way by then, their instincts sensing the drama unfolding in front of them. 

Hillary stopped for a moment, and giving her a side eye, she asked, "And I suppose you couldn't wait a single week before hooking up with someone new, could you? Weren't you sitting on Alabaster's lap in the cafeteria earlier this month? Didn't you just dump him last week because you wanted to snog Asher instead? Yet, here you are. Leaning so much on his desk, almost showing off your cleavage with  the first button open." She retorted, looking mildly disgusted at the notion.

******

The entire class erupted in laughter and wolf whistles at Laura's expense. A few even cheered Hillary 'good one!'. Hillary, unlike Laura, didn't bask in the applause directed her way, instead turned ahead and took her seat in one of the front rows.

 Laura, on the other hand, looked so mortified that even he, the cold-blodded Kai Hiwatari, felt bad for her. She had buttoned up her coller in microseconds, glaring at everyone who made an eye contact with her. The laughter soon died out. She cleared her throat awkwardly, not really knowing how to break the ice between them.

He realised with an intensity that the girl's ego was hurt. And if he didn't do something now, the girl may not approach him at all. That was not something he wanted. He wanted to play the game she was devising in her head, and beat her in her own game. So he stood up in his place, leaning close to her ear, and huskily whispered. "Let's skip the small talk next time. Both of us have heard enough about each other to know exactly what we want..." He said, pulling away. 

Laura shivered slightly, a small smirk of her own playing on her plump lips. Kai wasn't even her boyfriend yet, and things were already getting interesting, she thought. Kai, on the other end, loved the heady feeling of being able to have a desired effect on somebody. And honestly, who could best handle a tease like her other than a player like himself ? 

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A/N : Hey there... How's this? Please share your thoughts, even if you feel lazy to to type it out (because I get this feeling all the time!!). Vote, comment and share it with all your friends whose interested in this fandom!