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It is precisely this capacity for TB to lie dormant that is haunting some chest specialists. They believe that the NHS has been dangerously complacent in failing to learn all the lessons of the huge 1992-93 TB outbreak in New York, which has cost hundreds of millions of dollars. They say TB surveillance has been slack, infection control in hospitals poor, and that the whole problem has not been taken seriously enough.
Privy to the latest research, these experts suspect there is a great deal more TB being spread in Britain than is suggested by official figures. They fear that in a few years, TB, which John Bunyan called "captain of all the men of death", could again be a serious killer, particularly since strains resistant to drug treatment (MDR TB) are now in circulation.
This is not the official view. Developing countries and parts of the United States may have seen dramatic increases in TB, but most professionals, proud of Britain's good reputation for public health, believe the NHS has cracked the problem. The statistics seem to bear out their confidence. Although the number of notified TB cases in Britain rose during the Eighties after falling for the previous 40 years, the figure has stayed steady at around 5,600 new cases for each of the past three years. So, although there is concern that homelessness and rising deprivation provides a breeding ground for TB, the statistics suggest no need for concern.
But the early signs of NHS failure are showing up in people with low levels of immunity (in particular, people with Aids). They are developing the age-old symptoms that claimed so many historic figures, from Keats and Shelley to Nicolo Paganini, in the "white plague". The immuno-suppressed are to TB what canaries were to miners, predictors of unseen dangers. Whereas a healthy person infected with TB may take 30 years to develop the actual disease, someone with HIV can fall ill within a fortnight.
Their susceptibility was demonstrated in 1995, during serious outbreaks of tuberculosis among Aids patients in two London hospitals - St Thomas's and Chelsea & Westminster. In each case a patient had been present on the ward suffering from tuberculosis. By coughing, the patient infected others with multi-drug resistant (MDR) TB. Several died.
Paul Mayho, 26, is one of the few who survived the Chelsea & Westminster MDR outbreak. Eighteen months later, he is still on six TB drugs plus an injection three times a week. "I'll be on medication for the rest of my life. I lost my home, my partner, I was locked in a room for three months. At one point I was given 10 weeks to live. When you already have Aids, it is the equivalent of having two potentially fatal illnesses." The side effects of the drugs are nasty. "Streptomycin makes my face go numb. I suffer terrible insomnia. One of the drugs can cause psychosis if there is a build-up."
Old friends who are HIV-positive shun him, even though he is no longer infectious. "They are frightened of the disease. It's very lonely. I've not found anyone who understands how I feel. Completely filthy. I'm full of such anger about the way I was infected." You can almost hear Keats's own angry line: "Youth grows pale, and spectre thin, and dies."
There have been other unpublicised outbreaks in NHS hospitals. Dr Anton Pozniak, senior lecturer at King's College School of Medicine in south London, has documented one such hospital outbreak. It went unnoticed until months later when scientists spotted that a group of people with TB had a strain with the same molecular make-up - they had all been in that hospital around the same time.
These outbreaks could have been worse. In one hospital in Argentina, 162 patients went down with MDR TB over a three-year period. Some had a TB strain resistant to 10 drugs. Most are dead. The NHS has seen nothing on this scale.
During outbreaks, it is difficult to discover how many people have been infected, beyond the Aids patients who actually develop the disease. There is a skin test, which reveals exposure to TB bacteria, but it is of little help. Most Britons give a positive reading because the test reacts to the childhood BCG vaccination - an injection providing limited protection against TB. In short, until people get sick, we don't know how much newly- transmitted (and possibly drug-resistant) TB is dormant in the population.
So you would expect great attention to be paid to the health of the "tuberculosis canaries", not least because of their vulnerability. Yet we have little reliable information on the incidence of TB disease within this crucial population. Notification rates of tuberculosis in people with HIV may be as low as 30 per cent, according to a paper published a year ago in the British Medical Journal by Dr Meirion Evans, a leading consultant in communicable diseases.
The reason for such reticence is the desire among HIV doctors to respect their patients' privacy. Dr Pozniak explains: "If these doctors notify a case of tuberculosis to public health officials, then it means the patient must be followed up at home and contacts traced. They fear that the confidentiality of the patient with HIV will be broken."
However, preliminary data from an important new study involving several London hospitals is filling out the picture of what may be happening. Dr Richard Coker, a consultant physician specialising in TB and HIV at St Mary's Hospital, London, has discovered a worrying increase in the proportion of HIV-positive patients who have developed TB in the past three years. Dr Coker said: "Last year less than 10 per cent of HIV in- patients being looked after in St Mary's were being treated for TB. This year, half of my HIV in-patients have a diagnosis of TB."
In short, TB infection seems definitely to be on the increase. The TB canaries - the HIV population - are the first victims of NHS failures. "Our preliminary findings suggest that TB control in Britain is not as good we thought it was," says Dr Coker. "This could portend badly for the future. As a healthy person, I may have been exposed to MDR TB. If, in 20 years, I get leukaemia or become immuno-suppressed for other reasons, my TB may activate and I will be sick with an infection which is not susceptible to drugs. This will be as a direct consequence of what is happening now."
Dr Coker's fears are supported by the findings of Dr Diane Bennett at the UK's Communicable Disease Surveillance Centre. People with HIV are 100 times more likely than the general population to develop TB. And when they do, it is 1,000 times more likely to be MDR, the new, drug-resistant strain of TB whose presence suggests recent infection.
How did we get into this mess? First, the public health system moved too slowly. Despite the rapid rise of tuberculosis, including MDR, in third world countries, monitoring at British ports has been inadequate. The port authorities are supposed to tell public health officials to follow up all immigrants planning to stay here for more than six months. But active TB cases are slipping through, says Dr Peter Ormerod, chairman of the Joint Tuberculosis Committee of the British Thoracic Society. "It's an immigration system, not a public health system, with only a quarter of all new immigrants referred to port health units." This is worrying because some immigrants are infected with TB. We know this because the incidence of active TB in black Africans in Britain rose by 135 per cent between 1988 and 1993.
Dr Coker recalls the case of a Somalian man. "He told immigration officers that he had been diagnosed in Somalia with TB. After he went through immigration, he was sent off to a holding building for immigrants. Then he went to two hostels where there were other refugees. He finally turned up with us, because he was severely unwell. By then he had been here for a month and was subsequently diagnosed as having pulmonary TB and as HIV-positive. Many people will have been unnecessarily exposed to TB."
Dr Peter Davies, a leading TB physician at Sefton General Hospital, says: "We have also created the conditions for the spread of TB in hospitals. It is wrong that people with HIV are more often than not being nursed on the same infectious disease wards as TB patients. They may be in separate cubicles, but people will still walk out and mix in day rooms."
Another problem is the availability of nursing care in the community. TB treatment, even for drug-sensitive strains, can involve a six-month course of drugs. If the patient does not comply properly, a more virulent, drug-resistant strain of TB might evolve. In the case of such drug-resistant TB, a patient may, like Paul Mayho, become totally friendless and isolated. Unless a nurse is available that patient may not carry on treatment.
Yet, according to Dr Peter Ormerod, there is a serious shortage of TB nurses. "What happens in a town where you have 150 TB cases a year and one TB nurse, who has six weeks holiday a year? The TB doesn't go away when she's not there."
The NHS is belatedly taking action. Guidance will shortly be published on a nationwide strategy. Some hospitals are considering building geographically separate facilities for TB and HIV patients. A pilot project is under way at Heathrow to improve the monitoring of immigrants, with electronic messaging to doctors replacing the old snail-pace system of tipping them off. New systems are being put in place to protect patient confidentiality so that doctors dealing with HIV-positive patients will improve notification of TB cases.
But all this is being done five years too late. We have yet to calculate the personal cost of this delay. We know that many HIV-positive patients may have died earlier than they otherwise would. In a few years, we may find there are more victims, in the general population, who may spend years in treatment that could have been avoided.
It's a story that is familiar in the history of TB. Machiavelli hit on the truth in The Prince when he remarked that "consumption in the commencement is easy to cure and difficult to understand; but when it has neither been discovered in due time nor treated upon proper principle, it becomes easy to understand and difficult to cure."
The author's 'Tuberculosis - America's Health Riot' is published by the Harkness Fellowship of the Commonwealth Fund for New York.
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What I do
With no need for money, and no more people pursuing to gain a bunch of power, a lot of construction has been done. Since there was no more need for multiple businesses, we took them all down. Now, in each town there is only one of everything: one clothing store, one restaurant, one grocery store, one movie theater, etc. There is still plenty of variety within these categories.
What does one do with their life when they have no job and no money to spend? Well, they have fun. You can go anywhere you want, with no money. Just hop on that plane that takes you some place awesome and see what happens. Enjoy life, with your families and friends. Do whatever it is that you want to do. And if there is a job that you absolutely want to do, then you can do it. You go to more schooling to learn it, then you go work with the Versatiles. You don't get paid, but you do get to enjoy working, if that's your passion. And there are quite a few people that I have seen working alongside with the Versatiles.
I chose to not go into a career. I chose freedom. I am nineteen and have already traveled to every country in the world. I haven't been to each state or anything insane like that, but I have done a good amount of traveling so far. I did not move far from my parents after moving out. I moved to the next town over, Phoenix, Arizona. I love the heat, so I wanted to stay in Arizona, but I didn't want to stay in the same town as my parents. They begged me to not go, so I made them a compromise of just moving one town over.
My friends chose different paths. Two moved out of state, one out of country, another is going on a three-year cruise and one went to school for a further education. My friends and I used to be very close, but once we were able to move out on our own, we all split up. They never bothered to contact me and I tried getting a hold of them for the first year, but then gave up. And here, in my new home, with my new life, I have yet to make any new friends. I am okay with that, though. I love what I have made of my life.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
SailNet Community (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/)
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- - Tradewind yachts - St Vincent (http://www.sailnet.com/forums/chartering/2552-tradewind-yachts-st-vincent.html)
Tradewind yachts - St Vincent
Going to St Vincent in beginning of Dec. Anyone having experience from Tradewind yachts at St Vincent?
Tradewind yachts - St Vincent
Chartered with them in the BVI''s. Very laid back. Older boat with some minor problems that they could & could not fix. For the most part okay.
Wife and I have chartered with Tradewinds, Sunsail and North-South and perfer Sunsail. Will be doing so again in 4/02 from St. Vicent.
Good luck & good sailing.
Tradewind yachts - St Vincent
I''ve booked a one way charter from St Vincent to Martinique in November 2002. I''d be very grateful to benefit from your experience. Perhaps you could share your itinerary with me. I''m still collecting ideas and charts, etc.
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7pc. Microfiber Reversible White, Purple and Pink, Lilac Vines Design Comforter Set. Full Size
Product Information
This 7pc. reversible lilac vines themed comforter set includes 1 comforter, 1 bed skirt, 3 decorative pillows, and 2 shams. This beautiful reversible comforter set has one side that is white and lined with pink and purple vines. The reverse side is purple with horizontal stitching. Machine wash with cold water on gentle cycle, tumble dry on low. Wash and dry separately or in a large capacity commercial machine. Full Comforter 86" x 88", 2 Shams 20"x26" Each, Bed Skirt 54" x 75", 3 Decorative Pillows. Microfiber
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judge flees the pressures of professional and family life for a job as a short-order cook.
Alexander Knox Judge Thomas Bailey
Ann Sothern Peggy
George Tobias Mike
Sharyn Moffett Nan
Florence Bates Chita
Frieda Inescort Evelyn Bailey
Myrna Dell Mrs. Joan Winthrop
Ian Wolfe Hector Brown
H.B. Warner Chief Justice Hayes
Martha Hyer Catherine Bailey Struthers III
Paul Everton Superior Court Judge (uncredited)
Alexander Knox Screenplay
Boris Ingster Story
Boris Ingster Screenplay
Boris Ingster Director
The Judge Steps Out


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A/N: Since Fanfiction.Net went bitchy on me. I have to re-post my story. There won't be many changes so unless you liked this story so much and want to re-read it, then go ahead! I hope to get back to my 820 something reviews before. I felt so appreciated and now I feel like crap. I'm sick, FF.Net took down my story and I have tests tomorrow. Damn. Anyhoo, for those who haven't read Some Kind of Feeling, please read and enjoy!
Some Kind of Feeling.
Chapter One.
~*_*~ Wednesday.
" Hey girlie boy. Where's your skirt!" Harry ignored him and kept going on to his locker. He never paid any mind to Ron's taunting. The tall, red headed football player wasn't worth getting suspended.
Harry Potter, was a fourteen-year-old freshman who only stood at the meager height of 5'6. His raven black hair reached just past his shoulders and for the most part was always held back by a leather thong at the base of his neck. Behind his wire-framed oval glasses, were a pair of spectacular Emerald eyes that were entirely too expressive.
Harry wasn't what one would call popular. He had one friend and she was almost as invisible as he was. He never really went places and was almost always found with his nose in a book or playing around on a keyboard somewhere. Unlike most he didn't exactly have a style of dress. He usually only wore what was comfortable. At the moment he was dressed in a dark green button down shirt and khaki pants. The shirt was a little too big, making him look smaller much to his disgust. He must have picked up one of his brother's shirts.
He waved to his best friend, Hermione who was at her locker next to his. Hermione Granger was one inch shorter than he was with untamable curly brown hair and warm brown eyes. She was a plain girl and rarely wore any make up except for the occasional lip gloss. She was dressed in Denim Capris with a tan quarter sleeved shirt and clunky sandals that showed her light blue painted toenails. She smiled at Harry as he stopped and dropped his book bag.
" Hey 'Mione." He greeted, unlocking his locker.
" Hey, you look tired. You okay?" She asked with concern.
" Yeah. Just couldn't get to sleep tonight. I got that test in Algebra today." He grimaced. I hate math." He said. Hermione giggled a little.
" I'm sure it's just nerves. You studied with me remember? I doubt you'll fail." She assured him. She gathered her load of books and shut and locked her locker.
" Yeah, I suppose you're right." He said, gathering his own books. He locked up his locker and walked with Hermione to Homeroom.
" Suppose? Harry, you know I'm right." She said jokingly. He smiled at her. He didn't really understand why people outcast Hermione. She was smart, sweet and definitely not ugly but she wasn't the prettiest girl at school either. He probably wouldn't ever find out why either.
They walked into homeroom and sat down in the back, by the windows, the farthest from the door. Having to smell Pansy Parkinson's strong perfume all homeroom, wasn't something they were willing to put up with. Harry opened the window before sitting down in the seat next to Hermione's.
" Okay, class, listen up!" Their homeroom teacher, Mrs. Trelawney, a strange lady with too much make up and jewelry, said. " We have a new student joining us today." She said happily. " Mr. Malfoy."
" Malfoy?" Hermione said in surprise.
" What is it?" She looked at Harry and leaned over to whisper in his ear.
" Lucius Malfoy is one of the richest men in the town. His family has been around forever, basically, but his son was going to a private school of the arts somewhere in London." She exclaimed.
They stopped talking when the boy walked in. Several people stopped breathing and gaped in awe at the 6'1 blonde. His pale blonde hair fell into his grayish blue eyes sexily, causing most of the girls in class to giggle, including Hermione, earning a weird look from Harry. His skin was unblemished and lightly tanned. The Black T-shirt fit him like a second skin, stretching over broad shoulders and finely toned stomach muscles. He wasn't bulky, not like Ron Weasley who weight lifted. But the blonde had nice sized muscles and a lean build. He wore tight black leather pants that hugged his hips and loosened at the bottom, his boots hiding under them.
' Wow . . .' was the one word that hung in everyone's mind.
" Class, this is Draco Malfoy. I expect you to treat him with respect." Mrs. Trelawney warned. She turned to him with a sweet smile. " Why don't you go find a seat, dear ." He nodded and scanned over the room. People were waving frantically at seats next to them but the blonde ignored them. Harry squeaked when grayish blue eyes landed on his. He walked elegantly over to the table in front of Harry, startling the class because no one ever sat that close to the invisible boy before. Even Hermione looked surprised.
" Hey." His deep, velvety voice caused the girls in the class to giggle again, and even some of the boy's. The other boy's glared at the blonde. They knew he'd be competition for their girlfriends and didn't like it.
" Um . . .Hi." Harry said shyly. He felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He wasn't use to people actually talking to him, besides Hermione. Draco smiled and turned around in his seat for announcements.
Harry stared at the back of Draco's head curiously. He could tell this boy would be popular. So why did he talk to him?
It was first period; Art class for Harry, Hermione had Journalism so he was pretty much alone for the class since he didn't talk to anyone in it, with the exception of Mr. Black.
" Good morning Ems." Mr. Black greeted. Mr. Black was one of the type of teachers that student's loved. He was funny, smart and acted like a kid at times. His shoulder length black hair was held back by a black rubber band and his warm blue eyes twinkled happily at his Godson.
" Hey, Siri—er Mr. Black." Harry corrected, smiling apologetically. He was really close with his Godfather and used to calling him Sirius. Mr. Black waved it off.
" Go take a seat, Har. I gotta take roll call then I want to see what you've done so far." He said.
" 'Kay." First period art class was rather full so most tables were full of friends chatting. He spotted a table at the very back, next to the row of windows and the paint sink and cabinets. No one was at that table so he made his way over to it and set his books down before walking over to the cabinet with his Art project in it. When he returned to his seat with his project he noticed a pair of gray/blue eyes and blinked in surprise to see Draco Malfoy staring at him from the table next to his. Draco was at the table with Seamus Finnigan, Hogwart's biggest flirt, and Dean Thomas, one of the most talented artists.
Harry looked away from Malfoy's gaze but Malfoy didn't look away. He kept on observing the small dark haired boy. Draco didn't know what it was but there was something about the teen that caught his eye. It could have been his bright emerald eye's that caught his attention or it could have been his shyness.
" Hey, Draco?" He forced his attention away from the lone teen to Seamus who was giving him a strange look.
" Seamus, who's that?" He decided to ask, looking back at Harry.
" That? That's Harry Potter. He's a nobody." Seamus said. Draco watched as Harry tensed, obviously having heard what the sandy haired boy said. Draco frowned at Seamus. " What? Don't tell me you want to . . .mate, he's not worth it. He doesn't talk to anyone but that know-it-all Granger." Seamus said. Draco's frown deepened.
" Have you ever tried talking to him?" Draco asked icily. Seamus looked startled and attempted to find an answer for his question but no words came to him. " I thought so." Draco said. He looked back at Harry to see the teen looking at him with complete shock and curiosity. He winked at Harry who blushed heavily and looked back to his work, still blushing. Draco chuckled softly and looked over his schedule.
Just as the bell rang, 20 minutes later, Mr. Black asked Draco and Harry to stay behind. The two teens walked to the front of the room.
" Draco, do you know your way to your next classes?" The teacher asked. Draco shook his head. " In that case, Harry, can you show Draco to his next classes? Your schedules are just about the same."
" Okay." Harry said quietly.
" Thanks, kid." Harry smiled a little and he and Draco started off to their next class together, Ethnic Studies.
Harry sat next to the windows at the very front of the room and was surprised when Draco sat next to him. He gave the tall blonde a question stare to which Draco answered smoothly.
" You're the only one I sort of know so . . ." He trailed off.
" I don't mind." Harry said softly. " I'm just not use to it." Draco was about to ask what he meant when the late bell rang. He'd have to save his question for later.
Harry was putting his books and notebooks from the last five classes away in his locker when someone tapped him on his shoulder.
" Ack!" He whipped around and stared in shock at Draco's laughing form. " W—What do you want?" He asked, his cheeks coloring a little.
" I'm sorry for scaring you, I just realized a little while ago that we haven't been properly introduced." He held out a hand. " I'm Draco Malfoy." Harry looked from Draco's outstretched hand to his handsome face and to his hand again. Harry hesitantly shook hands with the blonde, noticing how pale his skin was compared to the blonde's. Harry could tell that Draco was a strong person just by his firm grip. It was much different from his own, almost delicate grip.
" I'm Harry Potter." He said softly.
" It's a pleasure to meet you Harry." Draco said. He brought Harry's hand up to his face and placed a light kiss on the back of the pale hand.
" Erm . . ." Harry blushed brightly and his heart pounded in his chest at the gesture. " I-It's nice to meet you too." He squeaked out.
" Harry?" Hermione came to a stop a couple of feet away from the two boys, having just seen what she saw, she was quite shocked. Harry turned to see Hermione looking thoughtful and shocked and pulled his hand out of Draco's grip quickly.
" Er, 'Mione! Hi." He laughed nervously, still bright red.
" Who's your friend?" Draco asked. Hermione got over her shock quickly and walked up to Draco, extending a hand.
" I'm Hermione Granger, Harry's best friend." She said. He shook her hand.
" I'm Draco. It's nice to meet you." He said, letting go of her hand. " I was just about to ask Harry if he wanted to have lunch with me. You are more than welcome to join if Harry agrees." Harry shifted nervously. He looked at Hermione pleadingly but she only glared at him with a look that said ' You better say yes.'
" Okay." He said, giving in. Draco smiled widely, showing off perfect teeth. " I just need to get my books first." Draco nodded. After Harry got his books the three of them walked to the cafeteria where they got their food and headed to a table outside, by a tree that provided shading from the sun.
" You know," Hermione began, halfway through their lunch. " I have to say thank you. " She said. Draco took a sip of his diet coke.
" Why?" He asked, putting his bottle down.
" Well, since you're new you wouldn't really know." She said a-matter-of-factly. " Me and Harry aren't really . . .popular so we don't really talk to other people unless it's necessary. You look like you were pretty popular in your old school." She said.
" Well I was—"
" So why do you want to hang around us nobodies for?" Hermione asked. Draco glanced briefly at the boy next to him before answering the girl.
" I may have been popular in my old school and I might be popular here but I don't give a damn. Even at my old school I didn't care if you were gothic, popular a nobody or a punk. You are who you are." He said truthfully. Hermione's eyes lit up with a newfound respect for the blonde. She had thought he would be the same as every other person in the school. Obviously she was wrong. And how glad she was to be wrong.
" Thank you." She said.
" You don't need to thank me, Hermione. I'm just being me." He said with a small smile.
Harry chewed thoughtfully on his sandwich. He wanted to believe Draco but all his life he had been outcast from school society. Draco was practically defying the laws of schoolism by hanging around with them. Why would he do that? And why the hell did he kiss his hand?
" Harry?" Hermione's voice snapped him out of his thoughts. " Lunch is over now. You don't want to be late for Spanish." She said. He nodded.
Finally school was over. Maybe once he got home, he'd finally find some semblance of normalcy. He stuffed his homework into his book bag and went to find Hermione who always walked home with him. They only lived around the corner from each other. What he found was Hermione and Draco waiting by her locker.
" Um . . ." He said, letting his presence be known.
" Hey Harry. " Hermione greeted. " Draco offered to give us a ride home." She said happily. Harry gave her strange look.
" It's no trouble, I live around your area so . . ." He said. Harry sighed. It was hard trying to resist those gray/blue eyes.
" Okay . . .but aren't you only fourteen?" Harry asked, giving him a calculating look as they headed to the parking lot.
" No, I'm sixteen. I started school a year late and even if I didn't I'd at least have a permit by March since my birthday's in February." He explained.
" Oh, that explains it—oh wow!" Hermione explained. " You have a Porsche, Cayenne Turbo . . .," She said, looking at the sport utility with envy. The car was silver with a tan leather interior and looked brand spankin' new. " Did you buy it with your own money? They're kind of expensive."
" No, My father bought it for me on my sixteenth birthday last year. I'd much rather have a normal, not so expensive car but he insists." He said, shrugging. He pulled out the keys and unlocked their doors before walking over to the right side and climbing in. Harry sat up front and Hermione sat in the back. " Seatbelts." He said, buckling his own up. After everyone was buckled up he started the car up.
" So where do you live?" Hermione asked after a while.
" Little Hangleton." He said.
" Really? So do we." She said. After 13 minutes of comfortable conversation between the three (mostly between Hermione and Draco), they arrived at Hermione's house first.
" Bye, Hermione." Harry said. Hermione jumped out of the car and gave her friend a kiss on the cheek.
" Seeya Harry, Thanks for the ride, Draco."
"No problem, see you tomorrow." She waved at them as she walked up to her house and they drove off. The ride only lasted five minutes since Harry lived just around the corner. Draco stopped in front of Harry's house.
" Well . . .thanks for the ride." Harry said quietly.
" No problem, I only live next door." Draco said, smiling. Harry blinked in surprise, only just remembering that people had moved in a couple of days ago. How could he miss someone like Draco? He wondered.
" Oh, okay." Was all he could think to say. Just as he opened the door and was about to step out, Draco grabbed his arm. Harry looked back nervously. " Um, yes?"
" Go out with me Saturday."
" Excuse me!?" Harry exclaimed, raising his voice for the first time since he met Draco and blushing.
" Go out with me Saturday." He repeated, resisting the urge to laugh at the shocked expression on Harry's face. He could tell Harry was going to say no. The boy probably didn't know what to do if he said yes anyway. " I'm not giving you a choice." Draco said grinning. Harry contemplated this. He had only just met Draco today and already the older teen was asking him out on a date. Wasn't everything suppose to get normal once he got home?
Harry sighed in defeat. He wasn't going to debate over this. He had a feeling Draco wouldn't take no for an answer anyway. Besides, what harm could it do to go out on a date? It probably would only be a friend thing anyway.
" Fine, can I go now?" Draco let go of his arm and he got out of the car, slinging his book bag over his shoulder.
" See you Saturday." Harry shut the door and walked to his house as Draco pulled into the driveway. He walked into his house with mad butterflies fluttering around in his stomach, knowing that for the first time in his life he'd be going on a date. He dropped his book bag in a chair by the door and froze as a just realized something.
' What the bloody hell am I going to tell mum and dad?' He groaned and smacked his forehead.
" Harry?" His father was standing in the living room doorway with his arms crossed over his robed chest. He hadn't bothered to get dressed all week since he had been sick with the flu, thanks to his wife.
" Yes, Dad?"
" Why don't we go talk in the kitchen." It was not a suggestion. They walked to pristine kitchen with white tiled floors and white marble counters and cabinets. Harry sat at the island in the middle of the spacious kitchen while his father poured them some juice. James Potter sat a glass in front of his son and sat next to him on one of the spinning stools.
" What did you want to talk about?" Harry asked, drinking half the glass.
" Who was that boy whose car you got out of?" James asked. Harry nearly choked on his juice.
" Um, someone from school, he just moved here remember?" James nodded. " He offered to give me and 'Mione a ride home." He explained but his father wasn't really listening.
" A Malfoy, who wouldn't remember." His father scowled, clutching the glass tightly. He seemed to be remembering something he'd rather not remember, and mumbling unintelligible things.
" Dad, are you alright?" Harry asked worriedly. He had never seen his father so tense before. James snapped out of his daze quickly and smiled at his son reassuringly. " I think you need to lay down for a while, dad. You're still not well . . ." Harry said warily. James sighed and nodded.
" I'll go do just that." He said getting up. " Oh! And your brother's coming home today." He said, stopping at the kitchen door.
" Why?"
" He didn't give me any details. Only that he'd probably be here a while."
" Okay dad, go get some sleep." He told him, smiling forcefully. Once his father was out of the kitchen, Harry dropped the forced smile and let his head drop on the kitchen counter with a 'thump'. " Ow." He said weakly. While most people would be at least a little bit happy about their older siblings coming home, he was not. Jake Potter was a 24-year-old boxer, standing at 6'2 with his father's blue eyes and his mum's fiery hair. He was muscled to perfection and very intimidating when he wanted to be. For Harry, this was a nightmare because Jake Potter was thee most over protective person in the whole of Britain. Harry was sure of it.
When Harry first met Hermione, Jake had intimidated her into tears. Harry was only lucky that Hermione never gave in and eventually passed his brother's inspections. That was only because she had potential to be just as protective. Harry froze a moment and groaned in realization.
What will his brother do when he learns about Draco?
Harry had just gotten out of the shower, clad only in a pair of red boxers, when he heard the knock on the door. He hurriedly dressed in a pair of loose gray pants and a black t-shirt before running down to greet his brother. Despite the fact that Jake would probably maul Draco if he ever found out, he still missed him dearly. Harry hadn't seen the man in almost two years. He walked into the living room to see Jake, standing as tall and proud as ever, greeting his parents.
" . . .I've missed you too mum." Jake said, picking up Lily potter and hugging her tightly. He put her down again, laughing a bit.
" I'd hug you son, but I'm only just getting over this flu. I doubt you want to catch it." James said, adjusting his glasses a bit.
" 'S'okay Dad, I know you love me." He grinned. Harry walked into the living room with a playful pout and his hands on his hips.
" What? Can't say hi to me anymore?" He said sulkily. Jake laughed heartily and scooped his brother up in a gigantic hug, swinging him around once before setting him down again. " Erk . . ." Harry said dizzily. Jake grinned and mussed up his brother's hair. " Hey!"
" Good to see you, brat." Jake said. Harry rolled his eyes.
" Jake why don't you go get settled in. Dinner should be ready soon." Lily said. " We're having fettuccini Alfredo." She said, going back into the kitchen.
" Mmmmm . . . Food for ma belly!" He sang. Harry laughed a little and helped his brother with his suitcases. Once they got to his old room, still decorated in blue and tans with several posters of famous boxers on the walls, they began unpacking. On the right wall was a shelf full of medals and awards for school academics and boxing wins. Most were silver medals and gold medals. There was a desk with a computer and a stereo system next to the window and a bookshelf in the corner with books on all kinds of things.
" Why do you have so many bags, Jake?" Harry asked, putting away some of his brothers clothes. Jake didn't reply but his expression saddened some. " . . .Did something happen between you and Carmen?" Harry asked slowly. His brother had gotten married to Carmen West when he was 19 and they had been a happy married couple for six years. Carmen was a wonderful woman and Harry liked her because she was carefree but also a hard worker, the perfect person for his older brother. She was exactly like him.
" We . . .got divorced." Jake said solemnly.
" What!? When? How? Why?" Harry asked in shock. Jake plopped down on his bed and Harry sat next to him.
" We divorced last week. She said she couldn't take moving around all the time and seemed to think that I loved boxing more than her!" He exclaimed, sounding as if what she thought was the dumbest thing he had ever heard. He rubbed at his eyes and sighed again. " I, uh, haven't told mom or dad yet but when we divorced she got the house. I got the car." He slumped his shoulders, something he hadn't done since before he became serious with boxing. Harry wrapped his arms around his brother in a comforting hug.
" It'll be ok, you know. " Harry said softly.
" Yeah but I loved her. I would have retired from boxing for her." Jake said. Harry hugged him tightly. He was almost as good as the best boxers out there and was still going places. Jake must have really loved Carmen if he was willing to quit his life long dream. Jake sighed and smiled at his brother. " Thanks for listening, little one. I really needed to get that out." He confessed.
" You're welcome. Just make sure you tell mom and dad soon. They don't like when we keep secrets from them." Harry said.
" Don't worry, I'll tell them soon but right now, I'm hungry." Jake said. So the two of them walked down to the kitchen where dinner was already placed at the table.
" Oh, I was just about to call for you two." Their mom said. Everyone settled down for dinner, said their grace and started up light conversations. Harry smiled to himself. Draco would remain a secret from Jake for now, he could only hope Jake wouldn't kill something when he found out.
Later that night, Draco lay in his bed with Harry on his mind. He smiled to himself when he thought of the date on Saturday. He hadn't originally planned on asking the shy boy, it was one of those one-second decisions, but Harry was different than any one he knew at his old school. He was shy and quiet and easily embarrassed. It was like he wasn't use to people but with the way Seamus explained who he was; the emerald-eyed teen probably wasn't use to people.
' Looks like I'll have to help him with that.' Draco vowed. He closed his eyes and fell asleep with a smile and a plan.
A/N: No real changes. For those who haven't read this yet please review!


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Matthew Riddle
Staff Economist
Matthew Riddle is a Staff Economist at the Center for Popular Economics. He is currently pursuing his graduate degree in economics at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst.
Focus: Economy, Environment, Americas
Related Resources:
- Economic Impact of the CLEAR Act (Policy Library)
- Cap and Dividend: How to Curb Global Warming While Protecting the Incomes of American Families (Policy Library)
Last Updated: Mar 25, 2010


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the b tokyo hachioji, Hachioji
- Free WiFi
Main amenities
- 196 guestrooms
- Breakfast available
- Bar/lounge
- Fitness center
- 24-hour front desk
- Air conditioning
- Daily housekeeping
- Front desk safe
- Laundry service
- Conference space
- Luggage storage
For families
- Refrigerator
- Private bathroom
- Free toiletries
- Daily housekeeping
- Laundry facilities
- Hair dryer
Top spots nearby
Recommended by this property
- Tokyo Summerland (8.8 km)
- Yomiuriland (16.4 km)
- Mt. Takao Cable Car (7.5 km)
- Mount Takao (9.8 km)
- Sanrio Puroland (8.6 km)
- Ajinomoto Stadium (16.4 km)
- Ghibli Museum (20.9 km)
- Hachioji Castle (8.2 km)
- Showa Kinen Park (7.4 km)
the b tokyo hachioji, Hachiojifrom NZ$53
- Standard Twin Room, Smoking
- Early Check-in 1pm & Late Check-out 1pm, Smoking, Superior Single Room
- Single Room, Smoking
- Deluxe Twin Room, Non Smoking
- Deluxe Double Room, Non Smoking
- Early Check-in 1pm & Late Check-out 1pm, Non Smoking, Standard Double Room
- Standard Twin Room, Non Smoking
- Superior Queen Room, Smoking
- Single Room, Non Smoking
- Deluxe Twin Room, Non Smoking
- Single Room, Smoking (Early Check-in, Late Check-out)
- Deluxe Double Room, Non Smoking
- Superior Room, Non Smoking (Queen)
- Early Check-in 1pm & Late Check-out 1pm, Smoking, Standard Double Room
- Early Check-in 1pm & Late Check-out 1pm, Non Smoking, Superior Single Room
- Superior Single Room, Non Smoking (15 square meters)
- Standard Double Room, Non Smoking
- Superior Double Room, Non Smoking
- Standard Twin Room, Non Smoking
- Superior Single Room, Smoking (15 square meters)
- Standard Twin Room, Smoking
More great choices
At a glance
Key facts
Hotel size
- This hotel has 196 rooms
- This hotel is arranged over 12 floors
- Check-in time 5 PM-1 AM
- Check-out time is 11 AM
Required at check in
- Credit card or cash deposit required
- Government-issued photo ID required
Travelling with others
- No cribs (infant beds)
- Pets not allowed
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in public areas
- Free WiFi and wired Internet access in rooms
In the hotel
- Buffet breakfast (surcharge)
- Bar/lounge
- Fitness facilities
- Conference space
- 24-hour front desk
- Dry cleaning/laundry service
- Laundry facilities
- Luggage storage
- Year Built 1987
- Safe-deposit box at front desk
In the room
- Air conditioning
- Bathrobes
- Slippers
- Private bathroom
- Deep soaking bathtub
- Bidet
- Free toiletries
- Hair dryer
- Pay movies
- Satellite TV channels
- Desk
- Free WiFi
- Refrigerator
- Daily housekeeping
Recommended hotels
the b tokyo hachioji, Hachioji's small print
Also known as
- b hachioji
- b Hotel hachioji
- b hachioji Hotel
- b tokyo hachioji Hotel
- The b Hachioji Japan - Tokyo Prefecture
- b tokyo hachioji
- the b hachioji
The Japanese Ministry of Health, Labour, and Welfare requires all international visitors to submit their passport number and nationality when registering at any lodging facility (inns, hotels, motels, etc. ). Additionally, lodging proprietors are required to photocopy passports for all registering guests and keep the photocopy on file.
Optional extras
Buffet breakfast is offered for an extra charge of JPY 1200 for adults and JPY 600 for children (approximately)
We have included all charges provided to us by this hotel. However, charges can vary, for example, based on length of stay or the room you book.
What's around the b tokyo hachioji, Hachioji
Getting around
- Tokyo (HND-Haneda) 65-min drive
- Tokyo (NRT-Narita Intl.) 96-min drive
- Keio-hachioji Station 2-min walk
- Tokyo Hachioji Station 6-min walk
- Tokyo Keio-katakura Station 25-min walk
Recent reviews
Excellent 4.1 /5 from 92 reviews
The service is unbelievablely friendly. For some reason they gave me both early check in and late check out which was the wonderful. Room was very nice but a little tight. I was only allowed one key which was not ideal since I was staying with a friend who was on a different schedule than I was.
Non smoking room, but smell of smoke from building.
Great location and very friendly staff. The room was clean and large for Tokyo. The only fault is the breakfast is not the best.
This was my 2nd time staying at this hotel on a business trip. On the day of check out, I had everything all packed in the morning ready to go. At around 11:15 AM, the phone rang twice but I was in the bathroom wasn't able to answer. Then 5 minutes later, someone knocked on the door even though I had the Do Not Disturb sign up. A stocky man stood outside the door and said "check out time is 11 AM". I responded "okay", but he repeated once again "check out time is 11 AM". I said "okay, okay...", then he looked at me and slowly walked away. I looked at my watch and it was 11:23 AM. I stayed at hundreds of different hotels around the world over the years, and never had this happened before...ever!!!
The location of this hotel is super convenient. There are hourly express bus from both Narita and Haneda airport that drops you off right across from the hotel, and going back is just as convenient. The two main subway that connects Hachioji is both within 5 minutes walking distance from the hotel, and from there you can get to downtown Tokyo and anywhere in Japan. There are shopping malls and all kinds of restaurants around the hotel. If you have to have your Starbucks to start your day, there is one across from the hotel and 2 more down the street. You will never go hungry or out of shopping ideas in the area. The rooms are very typical of Tokyo that is small but clean and comfortable. The only turnoff from staying here is that hotel management seem to be very strict about check in and out time. I arrived at 2 PM and was told that check in is at 3 and will cost 1,000 yen extra. And when I was packing up my luggage getting ready to check out, I got a call at 11:15 AM telling me that it's time to go. I will definitely stay at this hotel again provided that they keep the rate low.
Is the description of this hotel not correct? Tell us


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The Ripple Effect: Lessons Learned About Secondary Traumatic Stress Among Clinicians Responding to the September 11th Terrorist Attacks
- First Online:
DOI: 10.1007/s10615-012-0384-3
- Cite this article as:
- Pulido, M.L. Clin Soc Work J (2012) 40: 307. doi:10.1007/s10615-012-0384-3
- Citations
- 392 Downloads
Secondary Traumatic Stress (STS) symptoms experienced by mental health clinicians who treated clients for issues related to the terrorist attacks of 9/11 were intense and unprecedented. An exploratory study, using qualitative techniques as the primary information gathering method, was conducted to gain a better understanding about "indirect" exposure to terrorism. Twenty-six mental health clinicians participated in this research effort. As part of this study, questions regarding STS were explored. STS levels among clinicians who provided care to victims of 9/11 were high 30 months after the attacks. Most clinicians lacked experience providing disaster relief mental health care. Availability of supervision and agency support was described as "weak;" however, peer support was deemed helpful. Over the past decade, progress has been made in addressing STS issues. Implications are included for social work practice, disaster mental health administration, funding sources and policy. Recommendations for future research are identified.


text:
MMA Forum - UFC Forums - UFC Results - MMA Videos (http://www.mmaforum.com/forumindex.php)
- Training & Nutrition (http://www.mmaforum.com/training-nutrition/)
- - My Testosterone Levels are Raging out of Control!!!! (http://www.mmaforum.com/training-nutrition/20535-my-testosterone-levels-raging-out-control.html)
My Testosterone Levels are Raging out of Control!!!!
I don't know whats going on but I feel like my Test levels are at an all time high. I have way too much energy to control, I feel like an animal in the gym and I have a sexual appetite that would make a pornstar jealous. I know this is kind of random but anyone know what this could be from? Possibly my hormones peaking???
uhhh it depends whether yr ingesting something you probably shouldn't be
if not it's probably just ordinary unless yr like 45 or something
I don't take anything that would do that
maybe its not Testosterone just checking
I kinda was getting the same way when I started training again. I think its more of gaining confidence and ego from lifting. Also putting myself back into shape sparked energy and a "go" I didnt have before. But I dont have problem controlling mine. Maybe if you have alot of sex it will calm down.
It could be from a million different things, but I say enjoy it while it lasts.
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Made from durable steel, Adorns? Cockerel Weathervane with Wall Bracket will not only make a decorative exterior embellishment but will act as a reliable wind reference too! Containing all the necessary attachments, affix to a garage, garden shed, fence post or wall and watch as the speed indicator cups and cockerel spin as the wind changes. A traditional, timeless design suitable for all styled houses.
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Size: W52 x D40 x H80cm
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Francesco Totti's record-breaking goal earned Roma a 1-1 draw with Manchester City in the Champions League on Tuesday, exposing the English club's struggles in European competition again.
The goal canceled out a fourth-minute penalty won and converted by Sergio Aguero and put the Italian club in command of a likely race with Premier League champion City for second place in Group E behind Bayern Munich. Roma has four points from two games, three ahead of City and two behind Bayern.
"We have shown tonight we are at the height of this group," Roma coach Rudi Garcia said. "We played against the champions of England, one of the richest teams in the world ... and my team played with personality and a certain confidence."
Totti — playing as a lone striker in front of a lively Roma midfield — celebrated his goal with the familiar thumb-sucking routine that has followed so many strikes down the years. He broke the record held by Manchester United great Ryan Giggs, who was 37 years and 9 months when he scored against Benfica in 2011.


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Day two round-up.
Test your knowledge.
Don't miss the moments that matter in 2017/18 campaign.
iLukas faces Jack Grealish on FIFA 17. Watch here to find out the winner.
Rachel Stringer is back in the driving seat as she takes our full-back on a drive as he chats about claret and blue life…
Jack Grealish earns final day point.
Come down to Villa Stores
Shop online
Make a tactical change
*The extracts on this page are taken from various newspapers and media outlets. They do not necessarily reflect the views of Aston Villa.
Sunday Mirror: Aston Villa will slap a £25million price tag on Christian Benteke to scare off any club that gets serious about buying their brilliant young striker. Tottenham, Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool have been linked with the 22-year-old Belgium star, who hit 19 goals in his first Premier League season. And Spanish giants Atletico Madrid are among Continental clubs keen on Benteke, who put off talks about signing the double-your-money £40,000-a-week contract that Villa put in front of him in May. But boss Paul Lambert has been given the backing of owner Randy Lerner to play hardball over the future of his star front man, who has three years left on his contract. Insiders say that any club will be told to start talking at £25m, and include some extra clauses.
Sunday Mirror: Aston Villa are targeting Belgium player Nacer Chadli as a new way of trying to keep Christian Benteke. Villa have joined a host of clubs chasing FC Twente winger Chadli, who only has a year left to run on his contract. And Villa hope that if they could sign Chadli it may help convince Benteke to stay at least another year. Fulham, Tottenham, Liverpool and West Brom have also been tracking Chadli, who scored 16 goals for Twente last season. Although Chadli has played on the wing for Twente, Lambert wants a creative spark to play in the hole and would consider moving the 23-year-old inside.
Daily Star on Sunday: Tottenham will have to cough up a staggering £25million to land Aston Villa ace Christian Benteke this summer. Villa plan to slap that hefty price tag on the Belgium striker, 22, in an effort to put off a number of big guns chasing his services. As revealed in the Daily Star Sunday last weekend, Spurs head the queue but need to off-load expensive misfit Emmanuel Adebayor before making any move. Other clubs monitoring developments surrounding Benteke, who returns for pre-season duty at the end of this week, include Arsenal, Liverpool and AC Milan. However, if and when they come calling over the next few weeks, they will find that Villa are in no mood to do business.
Sunday Mercury: Brad Guzan reckons Aston Villa's young defence no longer needs looking out for after a season of rough and tumble. The goalkeeper believes the baptism of fire last term has transformed Paul Lambert's Premier League rookies into capable performers who are ready to make amends for their previous struggles. They will no longer look like boys playing against men, insists Guzan, because of the strength they have gained out of adversity.
Sunday People: Aston Villa have not yet had any enquiries over Darren Bent. They are willing to sell the former England striker for £8million. Newcastle are the latest to weigh up a bid, but so far Villa have heard nothing. Bent, 29, is their record signing as he cost £18m plus add-ons when he joined in 2011. But last season the forward started just 12 matches, and boss Paul Lambert has no plans for him as a regular first teamer next term. Lambert's main focus is on securing the future of Christian Benteke.
Sun on Sunday: Aston Villa have yet to receive a single offer for Darren Bent. Boss Paul Lambert hopes to sell the striker but is waiting for a firm bid. Newcastle are favourites to land ex-England striker Bent, who would be available for £8million. But if there are no takers, Villa face the prospect of still having the player at the club for the start of the season — although he would be left in the reserves.
Goal.com: Aston Villa defender Antonio Luna says he "can't wait" to begin the season with Paul Lambert's side following his transfer from Sevilla. The defender is part of a raft of new faces at Villa Park with the Midlanders also bringing in Leandro Bacuna, Nicklas Helenius, Jose Okore, Jed Steer and Aleksandar Tonev so far this summer. Villa have a tough start to the season travelling to Arsenal on the opening day before a visit from Liverpool, but Luna is relishing the challenge.
Sky Sports: New Aston Villa recruit Antonio Luna is relishing the prospect of starting his Premier League career with games against Arsenal and Liverpool. Highly-rated left-back Luna, 22, joined Villa on a three-year deal from Sevilla earlier this month after catching the eye of manager Paul Lambert with his performances in Spain. He is looking forward to experiencing English football and knows he will have to hit the ground running after the fixture list gave Villa a trip to Emirates Stadium on the opening weekend followed by a home clash with Liverpool.
Best of the Rest
BBC Sport: Blackburn Rovers have cancelled the contract of Portugal international Nuno Gomes by mutual consent. The 36-year-old striker had 12 months remaining on the two-year deal he signed at Ewood Park in July 2012.
Sky Sports: Yossi Benayoun's agent has confirmed that West Bromwich Albion are among several clubs interested in the midfielder. The Israel international has been released by Chelsea this summer following three years at Stamford Bridge and is now considering his options.
BBC Sport: Chelsea's midfielder Marko Marin will spend next season on loan at Spanish club Sevilla. The 24-year-old German, who signed from Werder Bremen for £7m last summer but missed the start of the season through injury, made just 16 appearances.
Villa part company with Dr Jozef Venglos


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AU modern day fic Sasori/Deidara, Kisame/Itachi - reference to other pairings (Kakuzu/Hidan, maybe others as story progresses); Yaoi, M for lemons, kink(sado-masochism), reference to eating disorder and misuse of prescription drugs, and violence. . .
This fic is going to be long-winded, with lots of witty banter and humorous dialogue between the characters, not a total angsty emotion-fest like some of my other fics. Some of it will be third-party POV, some will be Deidara's POV, and some will be Sasori's POV but I will always note which it is, to avoid confusion.
Full Summary; As young children in elementary school Deidara Iwa, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Sasori Akasuna are classmates. Deidara is a happy and outgoing child, loved by his classmates for his magnetic personality, and especially by his self-assured best friend Kisame. His unabashed puppy love crush for the redhead knows no bounds, much to the dismay and embarrassment of the shy Sasori, who has always wanted to blend into the background.
This cycle continues through elementary and middle school, Deidara and Kisame becoming inseperable friends who share ideas and secrets, his puppy-love crush having developed into full-on declared adoration. The blonde feels as though through the years he has made decent progress at what he considers his mission in life - picking through the icy wall that makes Sasori so cold and distant. But when the scorpion moves away without saying a word to anyone before their freshman year and ceases all contact, it leaves Deidara depressed and unfulfilled, his social butterfly personality withering into a shell of his former self. Kisame picks up the pieces, restoring the blonde to his former functioning self with great time and effort.
Now 7 years later at the age of 22, Kisame and Deidara are about to be sophomores at Konoha University, and are leasing a two-bedroom apartment nearby. Deidara is happy, healthy and functioning alongside Kisame and their other friends. But when Sasori (alongside his sarcastic stepbrother, Itachi) and Deidara are reunited at orientation for the school, they are forced to face memories and regrets both had pushed aside for the sake of self-preservation. Kisame, who has a much harder time being civil to Sasori attempts to put his energy in keeping them apart, but is more than distracted by his budding relationship with Itachi. . .
Will Sasori realize his feelings for Deidara, overcome the obstacles and convince the jilted blonde to give him another chance?
"See you tomorrow, Deidara!" A girl with choppy pink hair said shyly, clasping her hands behind her. The bell signaling the end of the school day (and the beginning of a short segment of freedom) had just let out it's shrill howl on a Tuesday afternoon. Unbeknownst to him, her cheeks were colored an unhealthy shade of maroon.
"You too, Sakura." The blonde fourth-grader said distractedly, waving a hand, before snatching up his backpack and bounding out the door. "Hey, Sasori!" He called out, resulting in the short redhead speeding up his gait. Deidara caught him easily, his wiry child's legs taking long strides in the hallway, the other children's pleasant faces passing him as a blur. "Hey, so that test today was a total killer, I can't believe you aced it! You're really smart!" He let the words flow from his mouth just as he had imagined saying them to his classmate on his daydream at his desk when he was supposed to be reading White Fang. No biggie - He'd just watch the movie to get caught up.
"I know." Sasori answered, eyeing the excitable boy apprehensively, clutching his notebooks closer. His staggering shyness and social awkwardness made it easy for the other kids to tease him, or brush him off as 'that weird redhead', calling him names or sometimes ignoring him completely, which he considered heaven on Earth. The complex test the teacher had given them that day had stumped every student but Sasori, who had scored an easy 100%. . .
"So maybe next test I'll copy off you, huh?" The blonde joked, poking his arm pointedly, trying to goad a reaction off the bashful scorpion. Sasori didn't answer, only stared hard at his shoes, a light blush creeping over his cheeks, still slightly round with baby fat.
They had reached the front entrance of the school, where parents drove into the lane with their cars for their children to pile happily in the car, chattering about their day. It was a covered patio, shielding the students and attendants from the sun and occasional rain. Sasori tapped his foot impatiently, eyes darting from car to car, waiting for his father's car to appear to save him from this. Why did Deidara, king of the classroom, one of the most popular students in their grade, insist on paying attention to him and try to make him hold a conversation? Why couldn't the blonde be like everyone else and let him fade into the background like he preferred?
He knew for a fact that boys like Deidara Iwa, Kisame Hoshigaki, and Kiba Inuzuka were not really supposed to want to talk to boys like him. Nothing personal, that was just how school (and life) were. It had never occured to him to want friendships or a social life, because those were simply things he had never had. Can't miss something you never had. And although technically the three of them were all in the same social group, or "clique" as he sometimes heard them called, he did prefer Deidara's open and trend-setting personality to Kisame's intimidating brutality or Kiba's conceited snottiness.
Unperturbed by the lack of response, the cheerful student continued. "Anyway, I just wanted to tell you how really cool it was for you to do so well."
"Thanks." Sasori replied, having nothing else to say.
Deidara seemed satisfied with this response, shifting his weight from one clunky sneaker (this season's Nike) to the other. "You should do laps with us in gym instead of by yourself. It's more fun exercising in groups!"
Sasori heaved a quiet sigh, glancing down at himself subconsciously. Deidara had already leaned out, his adolescence quick and merciful, granting him with long limbs and a rangy torso. He was already several inches taller than Sasori, whose body still seemed to be blooming, thick and pudgy with childhood roundness remaining from his younger years. He had only grown an inch since last year, third grade. And just like last year, he was the shortest boy in class much to his own horror and the other boys' glee. And the shorts and tshirts they were forced to wear for gym highlighted it cruelly.
He remembered with brilliant clarity a day when 'changing out' (the term the school used for changing into a p.e. uniform before gym class in the locker room), one of his classmates had pointed out the fact that just like their female counterparts, Sasori's chest was beginning to swell with unfortunately placed fat.
"Look, guys! Akasuna is growing tits bigger than Haruno and Yamanaka!" Kiba had nearly doubled over in laughter at his own deliciously sharp wit, several other students laughing as well. Sasori didn't consider himself as having a sensitive nature, but at that moment in time, he would have welcomed death with open arms and a dull gratitude. In the next moment, all eyes and attention had gone away from him and his jiggly pre-pubescent body, and focused back on Kiba, who emitted a loud cry.
"Ow! What the Hell, Deidara!?" His back hit the steel lockers with a crack, but it didn't occur to him to hit back - Not to Deidara Iwa, whose best friend Kisame was the best fighter in the school and whose popularity granted him the ability to disagree or argue with anyone he desired and still come out on top.
"Take that back, what a dickish thing to say!" The blonde chided him. The other boys eyes had widened at Deidara's use of a 'bad word', but did not comment. Things like that were what made him cool in the first place. Kiba had murmured a half-hearted apology and nobody had commented on the scorpion's weight again, but he felt as though he would never forget the feeling of all that laughter and disgust and disdain all directed at him.
"No thanks."
Deidara frowned slightly at this, but shrugged. "Well if you want to, you can. I'll make sure nobody says anything to you." He brushed his shaggy blonde bangs out of his face, having already made the decision, even at this young age, to grow his hair out long like the rock stars he saw on television, much to the exasperation of his mother.
Sasori was more than aware of the fact that he would have gotten teased about three times more than he already did if Deidara hadn't gained the admiration and acceptance of their classmates, and for some vexing reason did not like it when they made fun of the red-headed outcast and was not shy about expressing it. Before Sasori could decide whether to answer this, or continue in silence, Kisame Hoshigaki had sprinted up to them, grinning widely at Deidara.
Deidara supposed he had a crush on Sasori, or was in love with him and that was why it was always the redhead he was thinking of when a love song came on the radio or when he was a movie with two people kissing. Yeah, so stuff like that was supposed to be stupid and only for girls, but he couldn't help how he felt. Not that he would ever tell; He was fairly sure if he told one of his friends they would probably laugh themselves silly. And if he ever told Sasori, he may make mock vomiting noises of disgust, or pretend like nothing had been said at all. He wasn't sure which would be worse, but as brave and uncaring about what people thought as he was, he was not willing to risk finding out.
He was aware of the fact that Sasori was considered 'weird', and 'fat', and a 'freak', but he simply did not care what the other students thought of him, or that he was slightly overweight. When love came before puberty, it came in waves so clear and pure and potent it threatened to smother him. He felt foolish and silly and exalted, all mixed together in a heady brew that he could not even begin to understand but welcomed into his heart with a brash tenacity. The feeling was huge and inarticulate, leaving him feeling joyful yet sometimes, in those rare times, embarrassed and insecure.
"You ran out so fast, Dei, I didn't get a chance to give you. . . This!" On the last word, the taller yet male held out a multi-colored bouncy ball between his thumb and index finger.
"Aw yeah, Kisa thank you!" The blonde snatched it instantly, holding it to his chest before giving it a monster bounce on the ground, nimbly catching it in his palm again. "I didn't think Mr. Umino was going to give this back to me after it hit Ino in the head!" He laughed, azure eyes sparkling.
"I took it from that jerk's desk when he wasn't looking." The brunette said proudly, puffing out his chest slightly. Finally seeming to notice Sasori standing there, his smile dimmed slightly, noticably to Sasori but not Deidara, who was preoccupied. "Oh. Hey, Sasori." He emphasized the name.
"Hi." The scorpion answered, understanding his place with only a small amount of resentment. He had observed a few times already, Kisame Hoshigaki met hostility with insults and sometimes fists. Best just to play nice. Deidara was oblivious of their mutual dislike for one another, and no doubt would have been upset by it. "My dad's here." He whispered, gripping the straps of his plain black backpack tightly before racing off to meet the small car.
"Bye, Sasori!" Deidara called loudly, waving his arm in a wide arc, watching his classmate slam the car door before focusing his attention back on the shark. "What?" The blonde asked loudly, after he turned to observe the brunette's cocked dark brow.
"Nothing." Kisame said lightly, holding his hands palm-out. "Jeez." The blonde continued to stare at him inquiringly. "It's just that I don't really get why you hang out with that freak." He continued carefully, but sugar coating wasn't exactly a specialty for a 10-year-old boy, and especially not for one as blunt as the shark.
"Sasori isn't a freak." Deidara visibly bristled. "He's cool."
"In what way?" He asked incredulously. "He doesn't play sports or do anything cool." To the ultra-active shark (who would, years later, only be able to attend college due to a scholarship in football), playing sports was the epitome of cool. And the quiet bookworm scorpion was anything but good at sports. Not even the dumb games they were forced to play in gym, like dodgeball and four-square.
Deidara frowned, but paused in thought. "I don't know." He lied, feeling his face heat up and hoping it didn't show. "But I think he's cool. So stop making fun of him." He insisted, sulking. Kisame opened his mouth to argue but the blonde's pleading sapphire eyes stopped him.
"Whatever you say." Kisame heaved a sigh, rolling his eyes dramatically to the sky.
*o*o* Four years later *o*o*
"Everyone needs to have their lab partners by the end of this week." Ms. Yuhi reiterated to the 8th-grade class, glancing around at them. Nearly every pair of eyes was locked on the round wall clock, the seconds agonizingly slow in ticking to the time they were waiting on.
When the bell rang, Sasori closed the book he had been reading with a snap and picked up his backpack from under the wooden desk. Before he could pick up the carefully stacked pile of papers from his desk to carefully slide into his organized bag, Deidara plopped down on his desk, ass and legs effectively crumpling and wrinkling the papers. The redhead pinched the bridge of his nose as if willing away an oncoming headache before glancing up into mischeviously sparkling blue eyes, lined with black makeup.
"Deidara, would you like to be my lab partner?" Both males looked over at one of their female classmates, her platinum blonde hair pulled back in a high ponytail.
"Ino, I already asked him!" Sakura snapped, holding her fists on her hips. "He told me he wasn't sure yet! If anyone is going to be his partner, it will be me!"
Deidara grinned, tossing his mop of bright locks behind him, his stylishly edged bangs falling back into place over one of his eyes. Not that he was interested the least bit in either of them, but it sure was an ego boost. "Actually, ladies. . . " The blonde cleared his throat, pausing for dramatic anticipation, immensely enjoying the way they both leaned forward, hanging on his every syllable. "I want Sasori." He paused again, eyes flicking to the ceiling. "As my lab partner. If he will have me." He ended the last sentence with a questioning tone, cocking his head toward the scorpion.
Sasori didn't really have a choice in this particular matter, considering most of the other boys in their grade thought he was strange and wouldn't want to spend the extended amount of time with him that this project would require, and most of the females hated him solely based on the interest Deidara showed in him. "Fine." He shrugged one shoulder, wincing against the twin choruses of disappointed 'Aww!' . . .
Deidara seemed unfazed, inspecting his fingernails closely, his eyes narrowed as if looking for a miniscule piece of dirt. Sasori sighed, glancing at the clock again. The four of them were the only ones remaining in the classroom, not counting the teacher, who seemed more intent on something she was reading on the computer. "Could you get your ass off my papers? I'd really like to go home now." The redhead requested quietly, glaring when the blonde stretched luxuriously, lifting his arms above his head, his Sex Pistols tshirt lifting with the movement, exposing a strip of his toned stomach before settling back down to the waistband of his tight jeans. Sasori's eyes flickered to the cream-colored flesh unconsciously, making his glare more intense, his cheeks coloring.
Sasori had finally, finally, grown a few inches in the last 18 months, his height now nearly mirroring Deidara's, their eyes parallel with one another when standing face-to-face. He had lost a handful of pounds with a half-hearted diet and exercise regime, and the remaining ones were distributed nicely throughout his taller frame, leaving him at a now average size, even some slight muscle definition in certain areas. With a grateful sort of relief that his awkward preteen days seemed to be over, he was slightly more comfortable with the awkward teenager days to come, not that he felt any older. He hoped he would not feel like the chubby outcast picked last for dodgeball for the rest of his life.
"I suppose." He relented with a mock sigh, slipping off the desk with little grace. "So here's my cell number." He scribbled it on the top of a graded exam paper, the bright red 100% shining like a beacon in the top margin. Sasori folded it in half, effectively hiding the number from the two girls, whose necks had craned with no subtlety, apparently trying with all their might to see and memorize the digits. "Call me tonight and we'll work out the details of the project. It counts for 25% of our grade."
"I know."
"And, I actually need the points." Deidara laughed softly, slinging his bag behind him on one shoulder. "As long as we do well on this, I should finish out this class with a C+."
"I can help you study." Sakura suggested. "I have an A, you know!" She said loudly, silently beaming at Ino's envious growl. Ino was hardly a better student than Deidara, she could provide him with no help in this, and so for this round in the battle of vying for the popular blonde male's attention, Sakura had won.
"Thanks but I'm good." The blonde said kindly, giving the pink-haired girl an amicable smile. "Sasori has the highest grade in class, an A+. So if I need any pointers, I'll just pick them up from him." Sakura frowned and Ino snorted.
Deidara took a deep breath, letting the familar butterflies in the deep, low part of his stomach flutter in anticipation before rapping three staccato raps on the wooden front door of the small and modest Akasuna residence. He heard rustling movement inside and automatically shifted nervously, hooking his thumbs in the front pockets of his jeans.
Sasori opened the door slowly, copper eyes narrowed suspiciously as if he had forgotten about the time the two of them had scheduled to meet and work on their project. This wasn't the first time; It had already been nearly two weeks since the first time Deidara had gone there but each time it was the same. Not paralyzed with nervousness or fear but more than a little uncomfortable with being there. It wasn't often that he worried about looking foolish or saying something stupid, but when he did, it was usually around the scorpion.
Sometimes the redhead's parents were there, sometimes they weren't. Deidara liked it a little better when they weren't solely because Sasori seemed more at ease when they were gone. His mother seemed to be very sick, the father constantly carting her around to doctor's appointments and specialists. The blonde didn't ask for further information on this, since Sasori seemed to tense when it was mentioned.
They had finished their assignment already, miles ahead of the other students in class, the only work remaining were what Deidara had deemed 'final touches', mocking a genuine interest in having a perfect project. Truthfully, he just didn't want all the private time he had shared with the scorpion to end. He had loved Sasori for as long as he could remember, but spending all this time with him and getting to know him even better was like a personal state of bliss for him.
"So how come you don't ever hang out with anyone from school?" They had finished the minimal amount of 'touching up' for that day, and were now lazing on the back lawn in the Akasuna property's privacy-fenced backyard, Sasori leaned against a massive oak tree, Deidara stretched lazily out on his back in the cool grass, hands hooked behind his head.
The air was summer crisp and just a bit chilly, ripe with the promise of autumn coming. The breeze teased the leaves in the tall tree before calming to a stagnant pause. The temperature was perfect for jeans if you were prone to a high body temperature, or a coat if you were prone to a low body temperature.
"Why would I want to? Our school is full of bimbos and idiots." Sasori shrugged, taking a deep drag off the filtered menthol cigarettes that he and Deidara shared lately, before passing it to the blonde. At 14, doing anything that was rebellious or taboo appealed to them, and smoking fell into that category nicely, and was easy to hide.
"Does that mean me, too?" The usually confident blonde's self-esteem faltered a little. He couldn't bear the thought of the scorpion thinking of him in that way. Deidara rolled over onto his stomach, staring at the other boy with a mixture of bemusement and inquiry.
The corner of the redhead's mouth twitched, but he didn't answer, glancing up into the sky, now tinged with pink and orange. "You're like their leader." He took the cigarette gratefully when it was passed back to him.
"That doesn't answer my question." Deidara insisted, pouting, forcing Sasori to notice (not for the first time) that the blonde's lips were unusually full for a male.
"I don't think of you in that way." He relented, pulling his knees up closer to him, in a move that screamed vulnerability and emotional guard.
"How do you think of me?" Deidara asked softly, glancing down at the emerald grass, his fingers plucking at it nervously.
"What do you mean?"
"You know what I mean."
Sasori did know what he meant, of course. He crushed the end of the cigarette on the ground before flicking it away. "I don't know what to say."
In a swift move, the blonde crawled over to the tree, leaning his back against it as well, the sides of their bodies smushed together in a deliberate effort for closeness. Sasori didn't move, but stiffened slightly. "Just say the truth."
"I don't think of you. Or, I try not to, to put it more accurately." Sasori admitted, blushing slightly, which he despised.
"Why do you try not to think of me?" Deidara asked excitedly, not caring that he wasn't acting 'cool' or 'coy'. Unlike the scorpion, guarding his emotions and feelings wasn't something that was always on the forefront of his mind. But when you grew up with ridicule and criticism coming from every side, you became hardened and shielded yourself without even meaning to.
Sasori heaved a sigh, shifting away, attempting to get on his feet. Deidara's hand shot out, gripping his arm. "Answer me." He insisted, his sapphire eyes locked firmly with the redhead's honey copper orbs. Sasori frowned, yanking his arm away in a harsh jerk.
"No." He snapped out, glaring. Why had he even said anything? This was so stupid. He felt embarrassed and idiotic for even having this conversation in the first place. "Just forget it."
In a move full of desperation, pent-up frustration and immaturity, the blonde grabbed his arms again, momentarily stopping the scorpion while he caged him against the tree, knees spread on either side of him. Their faces inches apart, the tips of Deidara's sunshine hair brushing against Sasori's lips and chin, the blonde's thighs and arms on each side of him, apparently hoping to hold him against his will.
"I'm not the out-of-shape kid I used to be." Sasori warned lightly. "Don't make me hurt you, Deidara."
"You already are." Deidara growled, wincing when the redhead gripped his arm like a steel clamp to try to pry him off. "Why won't you just talk to me? You're being ridiculous. You don't have to act like some emotionless big shot all the time!"
"I'm not acting!" Sasori snarled, losing his temper and shoving his classmate hard, the feminine-looking male landing on his rear, hard. "Stop acting like some lovesick idiot! You don't have to feel bad for me just because I got made fun of when we were kids!"
"I'm not acting, either, you clueless moron." Deidara snapped, but the temper had ebbed out of him. He really thinks I act like this because I feel bad for him? He's so clueless about how incredibly hot he is. . . "I don't feel bad for you."
"You wanted to be my partner because you knew nobody else would want to be, right?" Sasori asked, eyes narrowed, but his expression had softened slightly.
"You really are an idiot, Sasori." Deidara whispered, heaving a sigh, sitting up on his knees again. "You really don't know why I wanted to be your partner? Why I always want to pair up with you in class?" When the redhead continued to stare at him in question, the blonde inhaled deeply, anxiety causing his pulse to stutter in it's steady throb.
Their lips met for an instant and clung, despite the blonde's intentions to kiss his love for just a moment, wanting to test the waters. After all, Sasori had barely given any indication of interest in him, and even the small amount of suggestion there had been was so slight, it was more than possible of just being some figment of Deidara's lovestruck imagination. Tentatively, and with the timidness of two people who had never kissed anyone before, their lips touched again, moving together slowly.
Deidara's suspicions (and hopes) that the redhead did harbor romantic (or at least sexual) feelings for him were confirmed when Sasori deepened the kiss, his hands sliding up to lightly grip the sides of the blonde's face, his fingertips twitching in anticipation and uncertainty of where to go next.
They were kneeling, their bodies slightly swaying because of the breeze and because their minds were dizzy, whirling with thoughts of what they were doing.
"Do you understand now?" Deidara panted softly, finally breaking contact and leaning back. His mind swam as fiercely as his bloodstream, his cheeks pink with heat.
"I've. . . Always known that." Sasori said slowly, though even as he said it, he wondered if it was true. Had he known?
Both their heads whipped around, hyper-aware of the foreign noise. It was the front door, all the way on the other side of the house opening and closing. "My father's home." Sasori snapped, shoving Deidara unnecessarily again, the blonde hissing a curse as he landed sorely.
They scrambled to their feet, Deidara smoothing his hair carefully, taking slow, deep breaths to steady his heart rate. He prayed silently the redhead's father wouldn't notice anything was amiss.
His prayers seemed to be answered, because when they walked into the house, all innocent smiles, Mr. Akasuna greeted them with little to no interest, and retreated to his bedroom, mumbling something about Sasori's sick mother staying the night at the hospital. He was apparently just coming home for a change of clothes and heading off again.
The moment ruined now, the two males eyed each other awkwardly. "I should probably go." Deidara admitted, lowering his lashes over his crystalline eyes.
Sasori hesitated, furrowing his brow. "I guess so." He shrugged, as they watched his father go out the door again, giving a small wave as a goodbye. "You could stay, if you wanted. . . For a little while."
Deidara's eyes flew back up from their gaze on the floor. "Really?" He asked, running his hand through his glossy, well-kept hair in a nervous habit that would stay with him well into adulthood.
"If you want." The scorpion shrugged, feigning disregard and casualness. He was blushing again, an unbearably annoying (and as far as he was concered, feminine and submissive, which he did not consider himself in the least) habit that he despised with every fiber of his being, but that would also follow him into adulthood. One could not help their bodily functions, no matter how obvious it made you, or how you hated it.
Their eyes met and stayed together until the blonde's small, even teeth showed in a dazzlingly handsome grin.
Their project (which had been based around ancient weaponry and how modern weapons had evolved from them; For example, today's brass knuckles were inspired by an ancient Roman battle glove, a cestus), needless to say, had gotten a perfect score and Deidara had breezed through by the skin of his teeth, scoring a B- as his final grade for the year.
The remainder of the school year came and went in a flash of secret meetings and desperate, urgent kisses and promises and feelings, none of which were public knowledge to anyone but Sasori, Deidara, and Kisame, who the blonde could have no more easily kept a secret from than God. The blunt and good-natured shark was his best friend, his confidante, and his advisor and although Kisa did not care for the redhead in the least, he was genuinely glad to see his best friend so blissfully in love. Deidara had loved the calm and guarded male for as long as the shark could remember. . .
When the next school year started, they entered as anxious freshman, clinging to the familiarity of each other, like the eye in a hurricane. Deidara faced it all with a boldness and tenacity that none of their other friends recognized, only Kisame, who had nursed him back from the depths of despair and despondency only months before with an unmatched loyalty that nobody but the two of them would ever know. When Deidara had been nothing but a heartbroken teenager, his beautiful blue eyes hauned and empty, his parents and other friends had not noticed and had not been there to pick up each shattered piece and restore it to it's shining originality.
And when his body weight dropped dangerously low, his arms and thighs like spindly twigs, his torso showcasing his protruding ribs like a trophy, his health became the brunette's sole focus in life. For reasons he could not (and maybe would never) understand, he loved Deidara with all his heart (with the unquestioned fierceness that only came from two children and grew as they did) and protecting him, 'fixing' him, being his 'partner in crime', giving him advice and taking advice from him as well was just second nature to Kisame.
His heart had been so utterly broken by Sasori's leaving, that the will to continue with life and normalcy held no appeal for the blonde. The thought of going back to school, when he knew the redhead would not be there, seemed a fate worse than death. Even now, after all Kisame's effort and amateur therapy, he knew he would never truly be happy again, but he would be content, with a heart-wrenching defiance.
When someone asked about Sasori Akasuna (and it happened often; hated as he might have been, he was known by the other students well enough), his breath hitched and his chest panged, but Kisa's hand would touch his shoulder or arm reassuringly, and the pain would dull as if he had taken a pain-repressing medication. Nobody noticed this, as the two of them had wanted. Deidara couldn't bear for anyone else to know his heart was gone, his will for life and love demolished as easily as dried leaves crumbling to dust.
The last time they spoke of it, was a cool night not unlike the one when Deidara had his first kiss with the scorpion, the breeze sometimes a gentle caress, sometimes a sharp ribbon of frigidity. It had been 3 years, nearly exactly, and the last shred of the blonde's hope that Sasori would come back had died quietly long ago, like the last smoldering ember of a campfire. He had not mourned it, and did not think of it often. But on cold nights like this, when it was just the two of them, the memories came back like a reel of stillshots in his mind.
The city park was empty at this hour of the night, the only sounds the rustling of running squirells and other nocturnal creatures. The two of them sat on the tall brick wall that separated the two sections of the park, Deidara swinging his legs idly to a steady rhythm he was not aware of.
They were Juniors now, feeling on top of the world. They were beloved by their classmates, lusted after by both males and females, envied by both as well. Even their teachers seemed to have an affinity for them, giving them lenience and allowances on their grades. Deidara was student class president, Kisame an invaluable player on the school's football team even just as a Junior.
"He never even told me he was leaving." He commented softly, his breath showing in the night air. He shivered a little, rubbing his arms lightly and immediately felt Kisame's arms come around him, wrapping him in a jacket. The letterman jacket that he was so prideful of, earning his spot as a running back on the school's football team with his impressive size and skill at the sport, relishing each victory. He loved the sport, and loved his position on the team, and at the school. They both did. "Thank you, Kisa." He mumbled gratefully.
Popularity for them was never fully appreciated, because they had never known anything else. Their outgoing and charismatic personalities had earned them that much, served them usefully, as social status was so important in high school. Just as how their relationship was never fully understood by their peers, some assuming that they had casual sex or even possibly a secretive romantic relationship, but that was just simply not the case. Their love for each other was completely unadulterated, like that of brothers.
"Do you still miss him?" Kisame asked quietly, tilting his head in question, his miniscule brown eyes searching for a sign of hurt on his companion's face, watching as his classmate put his slender appendages through the arms of the jacket, sizes and sizes too large for him, but warming him considerably.
"Sometimes." He admitted, peering back at him through bright bangs. "I'm so stupid." He smiled serenely, his eyes cloudy with sadness. Serenity and introspection were not exactly common for Deidara; He was by no means an idiot but intelligence was not exactly a trait he boasted. He wasn't wise, and he wasn't level-headed, and that was okay with him, but when it came to these matters, Kisame sometimes felt like he was seeing a different person behind those azure eyes.
"Not stupid." The shark corrected him. He could tell when it weighed most heavily on the blonde, but when he was with honest with himself, had to concede that he did not know what heartbreak was like, since he had never experienced being in love.
"Silly, then." He reiterated, shaking his head. "I guess I just always thought he would be there. He always was there. . ." He trailed off, sighing, and let his head rest on the larger male's shoulder, his lengthy, blonde locks flowing down the brunette's chest. "No wonder my relationships always fail." He laughed a little, wistfully, referring to the handful of boyfriends he had over the years, short flings or sweet little romances that had all ended amicably, all merely lacking what Deidara had needed most.
"Sasori may not have as much to do with that as you think." Kisame said, laughing lowly. "Yours have been more successful than mine!" Some of the shark's had not ended on such friendly terms, but he took it all in stride, cheerful and positive by nature, never one to mope or whine.
"Maybe we're both destined to be alone." Deidara mused, but the sadness was gone from his voice. He too was positive by nature, despite the circumstances.
"Not alone." Kisa disagreed, grinning. "You'll never be alone, not as long as I'm here."
So that's the prologue, the next chapter will begin the actual story with them at the age of 22 as sophomores at college. I love the aspects of this story, and Deidara and Kisame's relationship is one of my favorite parts. And yes, I know it's a farfetched stretch for Deidara to be student class president in high school as a rocker who wears eyeliner but it's for the purpose of the plot, deal with it, stranger stuff than this happens in fanfiction!
Also, I was vague on the details of what Deidara goes through as far as his depression on purpose, you will find out details as the story progresses(:
I'm really excited about this fic, and I can't wait to continue it. Please review, it's important to me to get feedback on this! And if I feel like nobody's reading this, I won't have a reason to continue it!