“Ishikawa Lilly.” The stern sounding voice came from the vice principal of the school who met the fragile looking girl half way as she stood. Hep resented his hand and she took it shaking lightly. “It's nice to meet you sir.” She said softly, her voice as flitting and trembling as a bird. “And you.” He replied, ignoring her discomfort.

She had been back in town a week, her mother had kept her room predominantly the same as it had been when she had left six years ago to live with Gramma and Granpop Ishikawa in their Kyoto home. The divorce proceedings had taken their toll on everyone. Her father had run off with another woman from work but he refused to admit to this when it came to the divorce, meaning her Mother had forked out a lot of money and spent a lot of time with solicitors and in court. Neither of their parents wanted their children around that negativity and so they had sent them away.

Her mother then had job problems and had to find a new place when their father sold their old one, 'All that takes time' she assured the children. Of course by the time it was sorted neither of them were in a position to move back and so they hadn't. Lilly's grandparents were struggling though, supporting them had drained a lot of their funds, Neo decided to move out and get his own apartment nearer the school. He'd said Lilly could join him but she thought it would be nice for him to have some freedom, besides, it meant she had a great excuse to go keep their mother company.

She was still adjusting, new town, new home and while they'd seen their mother regularly it was a bit different living with her again. In the hopes of making things less alien though her Mother had opted to send her to the school she herself had attended.

So here she was, her first day, with her bag with pens, pencils and notepaper on her back, her uniform crisp and neat, trailing behind the vice principal as if she were some kind of delinquent. “I am sure you will get yourself orientated around the school in no time, if not, the students are really friendly here, all you'd have to do is ask. Your time table is being printed out so if you come and get it from the office after you've registered then you will know where you need to go. Your mother assures me you know the school rules, please adhere to them at all times. The cafeteria serves hot and cold food twice a day and there are a number of extra curricular activities you can take part in. It is recommended all students have at least one but preferably two after school activities. Here we are.” He opened the door and let Lilly walk into her new classroom, not waiting to see if she had nay questions but shutting the door and rushing off leaving her standing, awkwardly, in the room.

The teacher greeted her enthusiastically and introduced herself before silencing the chatty class and introducing Lilly to the room. Lilly's brown eyes fell shyly to the ground as she introduced herself to the class, there were some snickering noises and a blonde girl in the back row didn't seem impressed. Finally she was dismissed to choose an empty seat and the home period began. Afterwards they were dismissed to first period, her classmates all filed out as she got her things together and she attempted to catch one of them, for whatever reason they didn't hear her and she was soon stood in the corridor utterly lost.

She found her way of course, eventually and got her timetable arriving late to class much to the smug look of her new class mates. School was going to be...interesting, she realised. Lilly had always been considered strange, of course she'd always had her brother to protect her from those who wouldn't be kind to her. Because of her large gentle eyes and her soft spoken manner she was always called things like rabbit or deer, people mocked her for it and thanks to her big brother she'd never had to look after herself.

By lunch time she had made no friends but had managed to get around the school without too much trouble. She had convinced herself it would be at lunch time she could make friends with her classmates, or anyone for that matter. Carefully she picked up her lunch; the vegetarian option which certainly wouldn't help with rumours, and made her way to the first table. “HI there, I'm Ishikawa L-”
“I'm really sorry the table is full.” The girl with the blonde hair interjected, it wasn't full of course, there were two free seats but Lilly just smiled and nodded, “Maybe some other time.” As Lilly turned the girl snickered with her friends, “She's so weird isn't she? Did you see how she was answering all the questions in Maths? What was she trying to prove?” There was giggles and other rumours. Lilly was pretty smart but she wasn't exactly socially apt, the divorce and upheaval had set her back even further. Lilly went to two other tables and received similar excuses before she sighed gently. In the corner of the dining area was an empty table and it seemed that was where she was headed.

As she walked the football team came in, one of the boys threw a ball for another and as they ran for it they bumped into Lilly tripping her and sending her lunch flying. The hall erupted into laughter even as the football player apologised profusely and helped her up. Tears stung the corner of her eyes, her lunch was ruined. Excusing herself politely she left the hall and head outside, the day was cool, not cold really, but due to the wind many people were either staying in or close to the building. Lilly made her way to a quiet part surrounded by the rose bushes and sat herself down, she'd been fighting tears all day but now, alone, she burst into tears, holding tightly to her mobile phone, the message 'Be brave!' dimming from the screen.

“And that is the basic history of the Roman Empire. Some key facts to remember are…” The history teacher continued with this presentation at the front of the class while students were either paying attention or off in their own little world.

One particular young man sat towards the middle of the classroom balancing a pen between his lip and his nose. The young blonde’s teal eyes stared more at the pen then he did at the teacher. That was until… “Kyo-san.” The teacher called out, grabbing Rayne’s attention. Rayne jumped to his feet and pulled the pen from his mouth. Knowing full well that the student was not paying attention, the teacher posed a question in which Rayne responded rather quickly. Much like his older brother Kenton, Rayne was rather intelligent and easily got through his classes. And luckily the teacher let him off with a single question and the blonde boy sat back down.

“You’re so smart Kyo-san.” One of the girls around him said, which another followed with the same form of comment. Rayne just gave them a polite smile before going back to playing with his pen.

Rayne Kyo could be explained in a few phrases mainly that he was kind, popular and trendy. Most importantly Rayne’s actions much reflected that of a puppy. He was playfully, attention driven, a space case, and never really understood the need of ‘personal space’. Some girls would refer to him as a ‘playboy’ because he never seemed to stay with one girl for too long but that wasn’t his fault!! All the girls seemed to think if he hung around them or put his arm around them that they were suddenly together. So when his attention was pulled somewhere else, they were magically heartbroken and bothered. Why? Well he didn’t know, all he knew was that something else got his attention.

It took a while before the final bell rang and the blonde lazily climbed from his seat before slipping his belongings into his bag. His phone buzzed in his pocket and Rayne pulled it out to check the screen –

Lilly’s first day is today. Make sure she’s alright. The text message came through from Neo as the time for lunch began. The hour break made for a nice lunch time and Rayne through his bag over his shoulder before texting his friend in response.

If she’s hasn’t found a lunch mate yet I’ll take her out to eat and see how her day has been. Rayne gave a quick reply back before leaving the classroom, not realizing that some people were actually calling his name.

Upon arriving in the cafeteria he noticed a figure that looked much like Lilly dashing out the front doors. A sigh left him as he watched her go. Some girls at the school were bullies, there was no doubt about that and something about the way she left told him she had just encountered some. His teal gaze flowed where her path most likely came from. A table full of giggling girls and who pointed towards the exit told him his guess was correct. However their actions didn’t last long when they realized Rayne was watching them. They attempted to get him to come to them by waving and gesturing. To which he shook his head and mouthed, “Mean girls” to them. The girls instantly pulled back from their actions and stared down at their table and even the groups that were once near their table backed off giving them distance.

Yes, this was the power of Rayne Kyo. He was beloved by all and if you crossed him, your social status was destroyed for quite some time. However the girls wouldn’t suffer for too long, he didn’t approach them or say it out loud so it just happened to be those who saw his lip movements who would be avoiding them for a while.

Pushing his way through the football team, he dashed outside and followed in the direction she most likely went. Soon he heard it, crying, a sound he hated. A gentle sigh left him as he slowly approached where she was sitting, her back turned to him.

Quietly, he set down his bag and placed himself behind her. Wrapping his toned arms around her body he pulled her the rest of the way to him, sliding her between his open legs and resting her back against his broad chest. “Don’t cry.” He said softly to her ear. “At least don’t cry alone. You know better than that.” His arms tightened around her. “You can cry now, I’m here. Then when you’re done we’ll go get some food.”

The hair on the back of her neck stood on end and it stifled her misery for a moment, it didn't prevent her from jumping as a bag quietly thudded beside her. Her eyes widening momentarily and her crying stopped. She wasn't sure what was going to happen but she knew it was unlikely to be pleasant, that was until she felt hands upon her shoulders. She stifled her own cries with a quiet little sniff and shoved her phone bag into her bag, wiping her eyes with the heel of her hands to try and hide the fact she had been crying at all.

No doubt most girls here would have known Rayne instantly, his scent, the shape of his hands and arms, his clothes or bag and maybe even the hair that fell across his face and brushed against them. Lilly, of course, had no such intimate understanding of Rayne. Still she knew it was him, even before he spoke, only two people could touch her and make her feel instantly safe and warm inside, one of them was Neo, the other was Rayne.

“Don't cry Lilly.” Rayne had been her brother's best friend when they were growing up, of course, Lilly secretly had considered Rayne -her- best friend too. She'd fallen over at the park when she was five and scrapped her knee and Rayne and Neo; in typical body guard style, rushed over to her, Neo had picked up a stick and was 'beating up' the bit of pavement she'd tripped on while Rayne used his sleeve to dab away the blood. “See, it's no so bad.” He'd smiled sweetly at her and she couldn't help but stop crying and smile back.

The words sent her right back to her childhood, although they sounded a little strange, turning her upper body just slightly so she could look up at Rayne her slightly reddened eyes widened. Was this really her brother's friend? The last of her quiet sobs stilled in her chest and she blinked, shedding the last few tears from her eyes. Panic swelled in her chest briefly, was this really even Rayne? He was so different now but his arms were still the same.

“I wasn't crying.” She was a terrible liar but she only ever lied to make sure others didn't worry about her, “I just got dust in my eye.” Absolutely the worst at lying, she never had been any good at it, perhaps though that had something to do with the way she had been raised. There is never anything so bad you have to lie about it. Her mother's words to her since before she could remember really. She wiped quickly at her face again and smiled up at Rayne, shifting a little in his arms so she could return his warm hug with one of her own.

Lilly rarely hugged anyone but when she did it was both arms and it meant something. She wrapped her slender arms around his shoulders and pulled him close a moment, burying her face into his neck as she had done when they were children. He smelled different and it tickled her nose but she didn't care. “I missed you Rayne-kun.” She whispered against his skin. The desire to take his advice and cry was huge, her tears hadn't just been because of the bullying, she still hadn't mourned her parent's divorce and break up, her mother moving on, moving away from her brother and father, any of it. The meanness of the girls had just tipped her over the edge of what she could cope with and opened the flood gates.

She managed not to break down again though, Rayne didn't need to see that today. So after what didn't feel nearly long enough she pulled back and looked at Rayne again, “You've grown up.” She said rather bluntly, reaching up to toy with one of his blonde locks, in a curious fashion, different hair cut. Dropping her fingers to his cheek, the tips rested gently just under the eyes as she canned them, he looks wiser too, she mused to herself. Glancing down at what she could see of him, he'd certainly filled out a bit too, she didn't remember him being this big. Of course the last she saw him they were still children rather than young adults. Neo had spoke to him a lot of course but he hadn't warned her of the difference physically. “Same you though.” She commented with a small giggle behind one hand.

The inappropriateness of the position didn't register with her, nor did the idea that people could misconstrue the intent and purpose behind the pairs closeness. Rayne was her childhood friend, they had likely seen more of each others body than anyone who wasn't family, days spent at swimming pools or running around in the yard, the usual childhood innocence which persisted with her to this day. “Lunch?” She'd almost completely forgotten that she hadn't eaten, as if on cue her stomach quietly gurgled it's approval at the idea. “Sure, where would you like to go?” She idly hoped he wouldn't say the canteen, she'd have rather avoided it for a little while if she possibly could.

A defeated sigh left Rayne as listened to her talk. First, she denied that she was crying and now she was speaking in the proper suffixes to him. As she examined his face with her fingers, he kept his arms around her holding her close. She seemed surprised to see him while her brother showed him pictures of her during some of their social media chats that way he could spot her in a crowd. Apparently her brother did not give her that same courtesy.

“Lily.” He said as he pulled his arms from around her and placing his large hands gently against her cheeks. “It’s Rayne. Not Rayne-san, Rayne-kun or any other suffixes. It’s just Rayne. We’ve known each other for too long to be formal. Please stop.” His tone was a strange mix of assertiveness and sadness. Something he used quite often to get his way and was something he had worked hard to figure out how to do.

A small laugh left him as he ran his thumbs along her face, “And stop lying, you know I can see straight through it. But enough about that,” He pulled himself to his feet and slung his bag over his shoulder before offering her a large hand. “Let’s go get some food.”

Pulling her to her feet, he laced his fingers into hers and pulled her back to the front of the school and to the parking lot to his car. “Alright, settle in.” He said as he locked the door with his key fob from his pocket and opened the passenger’s side door of his red Maserati with a cheesy and typical Rayne grin.

Looking down in embarrassment, Lily cringed as he spoke to her, she’d always been pretty timid and always used suffixes for people. It felt so rude just to call people by their name. Although he was right, they’d known each other for most of their lives, “I’m sorry Rayne-s...Rayne.” She corrected quietly. Her apology though wasn’t influenced by the wonderful guilt inducing tone that her old friend had mastered so fully but by the thought she had offended and upset him. She always tried to be courteous of his feelings, he was their best friend after all and he was so good to her.

She cringed further when he caught her out with her lie, she truly was terrible at lying. She looked utterly mortified as he brushed at the tears she thought she’d masked, removing the lingering evidence completely. “I’m s-sorry Rayne. I didn’t mean to lie... I just don’t want you to worry... I won’t lie again.” She uttered honestly. Colour having risen to her cheeks and her eyes turned down to her hands.
When Rayne moved she looked back up at him, her head tilted just slightly to the side in a somewhat quizzical manner as she watched him move away. He was a busy person of course and according to Neo he was beloved by the school, ’they had to find a replacement for me when we left, so I guess they settled on Rayne’ her brother had teased once. She’d always wanted to see how Rayne was doing but Neo had never wanted to show his sister the pictures of their childhood friend. He never said why but Lilly was sure he was just being over protective of both of them.

Reaching for her bag she was stilled by his offer of food, she’d utterly forgotten about lunch. Pulling her bag up her shoulder she was about to ask if it was ‘really okay’ to go with him when he helped her up to her feet. She giggled quietly and the grin caused by it stuck in place, as gentle and sweet as it always had been. “What shall we get?” She asked timidly but an air of excitement dancing at the edges of her tone. As they walked to the car she was oblivious to the looks she was getting from the people they passed. An almost skip to her stride and she asked about his family, brothers and parents, until they got to his car.

“Rayne-kun.” She forgot herself, her eyes wide in surprise, she’d never really much paid attention to the more...material... clues at the standing of the Kyo’s, happy to just play with Rayne and of course Kenton and Atsuma when they were interested. Kenton had been a little odd but no more or less so than her, so when Neo and Rayne grew tired of their princesses presence she’d colour with Rayne or just stare at Atsuma –he was a little scary, even then-. “It’s...” She didn’t seem to have the words for the car but one could tell it wasn’t what she was expecting at all.

When he opened the car door for her she slid in with a polite thank you, he’d always been good with manners, and settled herself into the rich exterior. It was like being in a whole different world to moments ago and the uncertainty and tenseness in her showed to some degree. When he climbed in the other side she plugged herself in and smiled at him. “Thank you, Rayne. I know you’ve probably got better things to do. Neo says you’re busy all the time with ladies, though I’m not sure what he means really.” Her nose scrunched slightly in her confusion, something that had never helped the look of bunny like innocence.

With mom being a brain surgeon and dad a successful mechanic, the Kyo family sat rather happily for money. And upon their children’s 16 birthday, they all got the choice of a vehicle and Rayne, always a sucker for red, chose this car as his 16th birthday gift. Sure it gained him a lot of popularity but he didn’t really mind; all he knew was that he loved his car and was very thankful that his parents to the time to invest in something like this for him!

He politely shut the door for her and dashed around the front of the car before sliding himself into the driver’s seat. Her comment made him laugh, a full hearted laugh that echoed through his car. His broad shoulders rose and fell with a shrug. “I don’t know what he means either. I seem to be popular but ‘busy with the ladies’ doesn’t quite make sense to me. Plus my fiancé’s back now so I don’t really have time for anyone else.” With that he started up the car and took them out of the parking lot.

Traveling through town they arrived at a Mexican restaurant near the school. “I hope Mexican food’s okay. I’ve been craving a burrito from this place. It’s literally…” He reached over and gently took her wrist before looking down, a small smile moved across his face as he turned his teal eyes upward to make eye contact with her. “Well I would say as big as your wrists but they’re actually rather small.” Taking her hand, he placed his palm against hers and rested his fingers against hers. The small smile turned into one of ‘aw’ as he looked at their hands. “Your hands are so small…” He said softly before leaning forward and giving her ring finger’s tip a gentle kiss. “So perfect.” He muttered softly before pulling back completely and leaving the car.

Walking around after shutting his door, he opened the passenger’s side door and offered her a hand. “Come on, lunch is on me as a welcome back gift.”

“You have a fiancée?” She gasped, why hadn’t Neo told her? Why was she only just finding out now? She’d missed so much. How did his parents react to that news? She couldn’t imagine at his young age they took it well. Besides wasn’t she supposed to be his wife? And then it dawned on her, a slow burst of understanding centred at her mouth which had formed an ‘O’, reaching her cheeks that turned a bright red and up to her eyes which were wide and shone with embarrassment. She giggled quietly and looked out the window to hide her face, “I didn’t think you’d remember that.” She explained quietly. It had always made her feel special when they were little but it had just been a game and most people’s memories of childhood faded after a while.

When they pulled up outside a Mexican restaurant she took in the store front with a small smile, as Rayne grabbed her wrist she turned back to him. His touch was odd, they’d held hands so often but this was different. Her eyes followed his fingers as they went from circling her wrist to putting their hands against one another. She giggled softly, “Well I’d hope so, I think I’d look very strange with large man hands don’t you?” It was strange to see the difference, their hands had never been so vastly different in size, when they were kids they were very similar. When he dropped a kiss to her ring finger she felt her chest thud heavily in her chest. For a moment she was confused and overwhelmed, what was that feeling in her chest? Why was she scared to move or breathe?

She broke from her mesmerisation when he opened the driver’s door, her eyes following him as he walked around the car and she shook her head so gather her thoughts. It was just nervousness right? She’d not seen him in a long while, that was why she was confused and worried about his reaction. When he opened the door to help her out she was ready, her bag back on her arm and a smile back on her face. “Are you sure?” She asked, though there was no hiding her excitement, she wasn’t sure that anyone would want to welcome her back so she hadn’t organised a party. A nice little private party with Rayne seemed much better though. Taking his hand she carefully slipped out of the car, making sure her bag didn’t bash into the door as she slipped away from it. “Alright...but can we get dessert too? I can pay for that if you want.”

As they stepped into the restaurant and made their way to the counter she was oblivious to anyone that may have looked their way. Too busy taking in the general appearance of the restaurant, hearing the music and chit chat of staff. She took a look at the menu as it was written near the door and looked up as a waitress approached, growing shy she dipped partly behind Rayne’s shoulder and looked back to the menu what would she order? Were they staying? She’d follow Rayne’s lead of course but it still meant she needed to choose something to eat, something that wouldn’t get her messy or be knocked out of her hand if they went back to school.

When they were alone and had made their orders she sighed lightly, “School... it isn’t like I remember it.” She finally said, “People are... mean.” She picked at a napkin lightly, starting to fold it, her concentration fully on it. While waiting for their food she folded the napkin into a cherry blossom and offered it to Rayne. “Thank you for being nice to me Rayne.” She said shyly. “I felt a bit lonely.”

When she got out of the car, Rayne refused to let go of her hand. Mainly because he had no desire to let her leave again. Her hand was so small compared to his and fit so wonderfully in his own that he couldn’t help but grin from ear to ear as they went into the restaurant. As far as he was concerned, one of his best friends and his fiancé just returned into his life and he couldn’t be any higher on cloud nine. There was a pep to his step most people hadn’t seen before because… well she was back!!

The waitress came to them, taking them to their seats as they arrived inside. The booth was a comfortable one and he finally let go of her hand before sitting across from her. “Yes we can get dessert, the restaurant’s desserts are delicious and no, you cannot pay.” He said in a playful tone but getting his point across. Rayne was nice, a sweet nice that most people enjoyed but when he wanted something he would get it in a nice fashion whether people realized they were giving it to him or not. A smile moved across his face as he opened the menu and skimmed over the contents.

After ordering their food, his gaze moved back to her. Her words, admitting the reason she was crying, finally left her lips. Reaching across the table, he cupped one of her small hands between his two large hands. “It’s not the same as when we were children.” He said with a nod. “People are now intentionally mean instead of unintentionally. But you will never be lonely again. I will always be with you and my brothers are happy to hear you’re back in town. Don’t worry though, not everyone is mean. I can promise that. There are some girls in the school who are very against the mean girls and you’ll find them soon enough.”

“I… uh…” For the first time in his life, Rayne Kyo was stumbling over his words, feeling nervous about something. “I have something… for you…” Removing one of his hands from her, he reached into his pocket and pulled out a tiny box. “I’ve been… saving this for a while, I hope you like it…” His voice was soft, unsure and filled with nerves as he placed the box inside of her hand and let go.

In the box sat a beautiful 1.75 carat heart shaped diamond ring set in gold. It wasn’t something fancy, it wasn’t big or extravagant but it was something that he hoped she would enjoy and find meaningful.

Lily was surprised that Rayne held onto her but she didn’t protest, why would she? They’d held hands most of their childhood, three little kids skipping down the path on a summer’s day grinning like the world could do them no wrong. Now wasn’t much difference, the pair walked together, Lily slightly reserved but the happy gait of her friend returned her own happy step and even a quiet giggle as they swung their clasped hands. She didn’t notice the difference in Rayne, how would she? All she knew was she was back and he made her feel like it was home again.

When the waitress approached she ordered a lemonade with her food and after a little nervousness ordered a sharer sundae for afterwards. Thanking Rayne and then thanking the waitress as well, handing back the menus with a gleeful, serene smile. She relaxed in her seat and once the lemonade arrived; complete with a curly straw, she took a delicate sip. This was what life should be like, good company, good food and nothing to worry about. He took her hand again and she smiled up at him, her eyes meeting his as he comforted her, his hands enveloped hers and were so warm. So of course she believed him, why wouldn’t she? Rayne never lied to her, never deceived her, never hurt her. “I’m sure they aren’t and thank you, I really hope I do meet them. I’m sure I will.” She said, trying to reassure him as much as herself. “Will they like me though?” She queried.

Though her words fell quiet when, of all things, Rayne started stammering. A good natured giggle left her lips, a small shake of her head, “Oh Rayne, what is it?” When he said he had a gift for her though her expression turned curious and she fell quiet. As he reached for something she turned her hand in his and gently clasped his fingertips. “A...present?” She asked as he slid her the little box, bringing the box and her hands close to her she looked it over. It appeared to be a jewellery box but she knew better than to assume. Carefully she cracked it open and as soon as her eyes laid witness to the trinket inside they widened considerably and colour filled her cheeks.

Now it was her turn to be speechless, she just looked at the beautiful creation inside, simple but elegant, sweet and glittering but not over the top. It was the perfect kind of thing for her, delicately beautiful, not over stated, not over played. She grinned slowly, delicately pulling the ring from the box and placing the box aside she turned t over in her hands, “How did you know my size?” She asked surprised, she attempted to put it on the right hands middle finger but the ring was slightly too tight there so she put it on the ring finger of the same hand. It fit perfectly and she inspected it silently a moment. Leaning over the table she wrapped her arms around his neck in a tight embrace. “I love it, thank you so much Rayne. It’s so beautiful.”

After a moment she kissed his cheek and sat back on her side of the table, rearranging herself and looking a little flushed as she caught the looks and gentle ‘aws’ of some of the people nearby. “Sorry.” She mouthed with a nervous giggle. Brushing her skirt down and looking at her ring she beamed, like the time he’d given her a shell from the beach or his ice cream when hers had fallen. “I... have something for you. I left it... well at my place, I wasn’t sure I’d run into you today. “ She confessed, carefully brushing hair from her face thereafter. “I have a little something for the rest of your family too, just as a sort of... thank you, I guess...” As if anticipating a pout, “You got the best present though.” She giggled lightly.

A small pout of disappointment moved across his face. Not because of her reaction, nor was it because she said she liked it or questioned its size. Simply because, as far as he was concerned, she had put it on the wrong finger but he mentally shrugged. Now was not the time to bring up something like that. Instead he needed to joy her company and have some fun. They can always talk about it some other time. But her excitement was more than what he could ask for.

His arms tightened around her as she leaned across the table and gave her back a gentle rub. A smile moved across his face as he settled back into his seat and watched her gush a bit over the ring. People around them gave ‘awes’ and ‘aws’ seeing the exchange by the two young ones but… well let’s face it, he didn’t care. He wasn’t doing this for show, he wasn’t doing this because he felt he had to, and this wasn’t happening without some form of meaning behind it.

Her response of giving him and his family gifts made him chuckle. “I’m flattered, and I’m sure my family will be too. Mom was super excited to hear you were coming back into town and Dad says he misses your laugh in the house. Atsuma grunted and Kenton grinned; so I’m assuming both of those are good signs.” Rayne grinned rightly as their food arrived and be begun to dig into his food.

“What classes do you have?” He asked between some bites.

Lily was concerned by the disappointed look on Rayne’s face, had she done or said something wrong? She wasn’t entirely sure, yet he still hugged her and held her as he once had. Once she was sat back down she admired the ring, it was amazing, something so nice on her hand, she was almost afraid of it. When he spoke of his family she couldn’t help but grin and giggle behind her hand gently. “I’m flattered, your parents were always so good to me.” She said stirring her drink before taking a small sip. “ Atsuma sounds like he’s barely changed, is he still helping in the garage?” She remembered Atsuma carrying spanners and pliers in the garage.

As the food arrived she thanked the server and waited for her to leave them to it before carrying on, “Is Kenton getting on better now?” He’d been...awkward as a child, not in a bad way but in a way that made it hard for him to make friends. She took one of the fries from her plate and delicately, taking a bite from her main meal she chewed thoughtfully. Of course he would ask her a question while she had her mouth full. When she finished she took another sip of her drink before answering. “I have to do some catch up classes, to plug some gaps in my learning. History, Geography and Maths mainly... but I opted to take an Art class this year, I got pretty good while I was away. There wasn’t much to do out there other than draw.” She admitted lightly. “What about you?” Lily realised she’d been quite remiss in asking after her friends health and life. “How’s your food?”

Her question about his family made him smile. She was always someone who seemed to care about others more than herself and while he admired that, he always found it rather saddening that she wouldn’t think of herself more often. “Atsuma’s still at the shop. When he graduates, he will most likely move into the little studio apartment above the shop and hopefully dad will retired.” He said with a nod as he took a drink before continuing. “He met a girl though, which is surprising for him. It’s odd that she liked him because he hasn’t changed much. I don’t know; maybe he’s different around her but, I don’t know. He seems happy and that’s all that matters to me.”

Then he went on to talk about Kenton. “Kenton’s been getting better. He’s trying to be more social and he made a friend!” His head rose and fell with a nod as he munched away on his food. “I’ve met her; she’s real nice and seems to actually care about him. It’s nice to see people are giving him a chance. I wasn’t sure at first with her but she seems to be dedicated to getting to know him. And I think people seeing him with more than just his brothers have begun to realize that he’s not a demon.”

“Oh and my food’s good. School’s going alright. Much better now that you’re back.” His pointed his fork towards her food. “How’s yours?”

Lily was; as always really, an open book. As he spoke of Atsuma the fondness she held for the family was obvious, along with the surprise and relief when it was mentioned that he had someone who cared about him. “I’m so glad, Atsuma-kun can be so scary but I always thought he might be secretly nice. I was just too scared to find out.” She confessed a little sheepishly. Taking a sip of her drink as she then went on to listen to Kenton’s life since she left. Again her face betrayed her emotions, Kenton’s sudden reversal in fate with women made her surprised but incredibly happy. He was a sweet person, a little unnerving due to his quietness and those eyes but he was sweet. To know he had a friend who didn’t care about the rumours and who Rayne approved of could only mean good things for the boy.

Lily blushed when she was considered a highlight of his term and giggled gently, “I was so nervous coming back but I’m really glad now.” She admitted, she’d thought that maybe he’d only remember her as that annoying girl that was always around. He was a grown up now and promises made when they were children might have been embarrassing now. “My food?” She said, looking back to it, she’d sort of forgotten about it while they were talking. Taking a mouthful she hid her mouth behind her hand as she chewed. “It’s delicious. Thank you for bringing me here.” She took a sip of her drink again and thought a moment quietly. “Hey Rayne-k... Rayne.” She corrected, “At... at the weekend mama wants me to go with her to dinner with her new partner... I... actually don’t worry.” She blushed looking back to her food and taking another mouthful. She couldn’t ask him to come with her, it would sound too much like a date and she couldn’t put Rayne through her mother’s questioning.

Her stuttering over a topic made him laugh softly and he reached forward, patting her gently on the hand. “It’s okay, I know.” With that he dropped the topic and they continued on with their meal. The meal was pleasant and interesting. They talked about what had happened during their times apart, how their families were and what they expected from school. It wasn’t long before lunch was over and they hurried back to school to their respective classes.

They did pass each other throughout the weekdays and there wasn’t a lunch time that Lily spent alone. Rayne was always by her side and it seemed a bit daunting for the rest of the female population to see Rayne so interested in another girl. Little did they know that ring on her right hand meant more than they knew.

Saturday evening rolled around and Rayne had grabbed his keys from his room and started towards the exit of the home. Kenton, who happened to be reading a book at the time, looked up from it. “Where are you going?”

“Dinner, see ya later.” Kenton called out as he shut the door behind him and skipped down to his car, the little chirp greeting him as he arrived.

Pulling into the driveway was Rayne’s smart smooth red car and stepping out was a Rayne she didn’t grow up with. The young man was dressed in a sharp crisp looking black suit, black undershirt with a gold tie, matching cuff links, belt and black shoes, his hair was styled in his normal fashion and in his arms was a bouquet of red roses. His car chirped as a signal that he had locked it and he strolled with conviction up the stairs.

He was here to be Lily’s date for dinner with her mom and her mom’s new partner. This way she wasn’t alone and he could spend more time with her, plus Rayne always looked good dressed up and he knew how to treat a lady. His rhythmic knock echoed through the house as he waited for the door to open.