Time to begin?

I have never,ever in my life seen so many flashing lights.
Neither have I seen so many flashed out smartphones at the ready to snap picture after picture of me holding a bag of trash before the school bus arrives.

3 HOURS LATER

"What do you mean?"
"I mean that I couldn't walk out my door this morning to take out trash without a small mob of photographers snapping away!Why would they be doing that when all I did with you was eat and talk briefly."

My eyes stay on Kenshin who looks at me not wholly surprised but a bit angry when he sees the pictures that were posted online with the caption:
"The new hope of the scholastic world falling for the heroine of a story time mess?The Ito dojo heir Kenshin Ito was spotted with a young,little known writer with a dark reputation...."

I saw him pause after reading that and he knelt down to look me in the eye,since we are on the rooftop and I took to sitting in the little chair a janitor left for us to share since we are both hiding always from everyone."I am not surprised that we were followed or that you had a picture taken but the article was too much I agree.If you want,if this is too much for you I will leave you alone and find another way to accomplish my goal.I genuinely did not think it fully through that you would be followed so quickly but I should have known better,for that I am sorry."

The post hangs on my head,I don't even answer Kenshin and when the school bell rings I only say this to him.
"Disguise yourself well and come to the book store.I will go over the idea I have to help your cause but do not for one minute think that be chased for me is okay.Got it?People need help and if I can a little loss of my morning time can be dealt with."

"Did you see it Yukihana?I tried to contact the sites and have the post taken down but they will not do it for anything.All they said was that if I had a better bit of news then contact and I am too boring for that, so mission failed.I am sorry."
I undo my long braid and try to think as Arata is speaking and I try to ignore the odd feeling I am feeling about being in the spotlight over a nothing happening.

"You know you could do so much better if you would only look anywhere else Double Eyes."I turn to after hearing her voice again and what I see is a bit of pain in her eyes.
Oiha looks actually hurt and I try to find the source of it .I see that even the others in her group except Sokako,are giggling about it infuriating Oiha terribly enough for her to flee.
Arata was indeed not looking at her,he was looking at me.

"What is the matter?"
My voice comes out awkward and sharp because of last night and I try to stamp that down a bit but fail because bluntness is my curse in life.

"Just...You are so beautiful and have no idea at all.You are afraid to even look at me all day and now here you are breaking my composure with a simple twist of your long hair."
My jaw apparently isn't going to stay in place all week now.

Did I take some magic serum or is something in my fruit sodas making guys 'In' to me suddenly?
"I can't think straight with my hair tight okay?I am not some dirty movie girl trying to'Break your composure'.I am in a weird place right now."

Arata slowly joins me by the window and I hastily turn my long hair to the side to be as 'Calming' as i can be right now.My eyes scan the window and out into the world around and below as kids and teens file in and out,teachers are guiding students in various sports and some are multi tasking so hard just like the kids here.
Most of them do not have much and do not have high prospects of higher education or money to go for a dream.
Like me.

"That swordsman isn't your fantasy swordsman Yukihana.He is real and flesh not someone you made up in your head and going to lead to a fantasy life.You know that right?I admire you for trying to help the kids like you and I,even in a way I admire him for seeming to be genuine about it but....Think about it.You and him will have to be together to promote your plan right?That means photos and stories and everything becomes as bright as the sun to everyone.Can you handle that?"

"Can I?"
His mom texts him and he leaves with a soft tap to my head while I stare at my book bag,at the notebook of my fantasy stories.
Those were really book versions of everything I ever wanted in a man,in a heroine.
MY DREAMS.
It almost seemed like destiny in a way when Kenshin came here,His proposal like a call to arms for my dream too.
But I am an hidden girl on the inside,one that has sinned and does not wish it to me be more public knowledge than it is now.It will taint my cause if I continue this.Won't it?

Will I make things worse because I want it all?
I took something precious and now I am supposed to still be happy and have my dreams when I I took someone else's from them?

"You could try.Isn't that what redemption is that you write on and on about?"

I jump so hard I bang my knee against the window then back up into the desk that Arata was leaning on and I am barely keeping nice from the desire to rant in pain.

"What are you saying?Do you suddenly now of ,All times want to help me?Be friends again after leaving me alone to deal with what happened?"

"I-I just think that you have a good opportunity to make things right unlike either of us did back then.Also,that man is a prince and you should not let that go.Not for ANY REASON.Not for ANYTHING."

Sokako backs away and out of the classroom.I watch as her curls bounce away,recalling times we did each others hair when our moms would be out shopping for clothes or bickering over our fathers.
Times when we just had no one else to talk to that understood the love for that one boy band that everyone else that was unentertaining.

"I missed you Sokako..."

1 HOUR LATER

Kenshins eyes are simply glowing as he looks around the store,I am in shock that he blends in sort of well.
He wears a pair of light colored jeans and a anime T-shirt with a denim jacket and his hair is a mess in the front almost entirely obscuring his features to my hopefully not obvious displeasure.

"I love it here.It has been a long time."

"When did you even come here?I have been here for the better part of my life and haven't seen you here,AND I do not remember you signing my petition so I would like a story on both."

"Does that mean we are compatriots in a goal?"
His smile.
That simple could probably stop wars if he just asked nicely and the guy knows it and it is annoying but in a cute way to my idiocy.

"If you can deal with MY story.I have no intention of being a heroine of my own story without honesty.It will come out and possibly affect you and the goal badly.So,before I tell you my plan.Do you want my story?Once heard you may well have done of me."

I don't know why I feel so nervous so fast,I am looking into his eyes and I am afraid so much he will say no.

"Anything for you,Lovely Wordsmith.Anything."

Those eyes.

"You actually mean that?"

Kenshin stretches out his hand to me,open palm up towards my hand but not touching it.Leaving me in full control of the next moments.

I don't even think about.
Which is a first for me.