I saw the sky in you... what do you see in me?

The radio sang to her, serenaded her with thoughts and memories and she just laid in bed, immobile. Her alarm clock had gone off over an hour ago, and still hadn't been turned off. She couldn't bring herself to get up and walk and hit the little circular off button or the long, slender snooze button or any other button for that matter. All she could do was listen and learn and fall in love. Kind of like school, which had already started by now.

She'd missed another day, and for good reasons. At least, they were good to her. The school probably wouldn't deem "lovesickness" as a good reason for absence. Although, she was sure Yao or Kiku had called her in sick with some kind of excuse.

In the distance she heard the front door close, a dim thump and tick as it was locked. Her brothers just left, she guessed. Nice to know they were so concerned with whether she was going or not. Also nice to know they were keeping up their traditional lateness. Also nice to know they were keeping up their traditional lateness, which they (or at least Yong Soo) called being "fashionably late." Although it wasn't really all that fashionable.

Slowly she sat up, the radio songs turning into ads for Geico and Trojan condoms. They were rather useless since she couldn't drive and didn't even have a boyfriend.

She stretched, still incredibly tired, despite having slept for over twelve hours before her alarm interrupted. That always happened, and she hated it.

Slipping her robe on over her pajamas, she stepped out into the deserted hallway. The sun peered in through windows and doors and into the corridor as she groggily waddled by, making her way through the empty living room and into the kitchen, where her two oldest brothers sat quietly.

"Xiao Mei," the eldest one said, sipping his tea.

"Hi Yao," she muttered, preparing for the incoming "you should be at school" speech, and also for cereal.

"Meimei, school is important, and if you keep missing days, you're not going to pass any of your classes," Yao lectured, "and I refuse to let you live here unless you get into college."

"I know," Mei said, pouring chocolate cereal into a shallow bowl. "You give me the same speech every time I don't go, I know."

"I'm not so sure you do."

Kiku turned the page of his newspaper.

Having added milk to her cereal and gotten a scratched-up spoon out of the silverware drawer, she began back across the kitchen and down the now-slightly-dimmer hall to her room.

Putting the bowl down on her cluttered desk, she opened the window and climbed through onto the large roof-area inches below it. Gingerly, she reached back through and pulled her cereal out onto the red shingles with her.

Beside the window sat a young man – probably about her age – with light hair and violet eyes, eating licorice out of a small tin lunchbox. He wore a school uniform made up of plaid pants and a dark blue sweater. Every few seconds he'd flick a bit of candy towards a small black and white bird at the edge of the roof, and the bird would take it and happily eat it.

Mei sat down on the opposite side of the window, picking up her cereal and eating.

"So," the boy said.

"So," she repeated.

"You skipped again." He took another bite of licorice.

"So did you."

"Only because you did."

She smiled, spooning some of the mushy chocolate flakes into her mouth and staring out at the city view. This was why she loved third-floor apartments.

The boy closed his lunchbox, and upon realizing there was no more food, the bird he'd been feeding flew away.

He looked at her. "So, what's the plan for today?"

"Dunno," she sighed, "probably more of the same." She paused to look at him. "Unless you have an idea."

"I might." He smiled.

"Mind sharing?"

"We could head to Blue Bean."

"We did that yesterday."

"I like Blue Bean. They have good pastries."

"It has nothing to do with the cute server girl? And how she winked at you?"

He chuckled. "Not at all." His gaze turned back out to the red and orange cityscape. "I think she had a lazy eye anyways."

"Sure," she laughed, reaching over to punch his shoulder. "She was totally checking you out, and you know it."

"She may have had a unibrow," he continued. "Looked kind of plucked."

"Or shaved, could've been shaved."

"So you agree?" He grinned.

She rolled her eyes and stood up, stretching, empty cereal bowl beside her. She almost wanted to just go back to bed. Although it'd been made obvious that even if she did, she wouldn't get any sleep.

"Care to come in?" she asked, crouching and slipping her legs back through the open window.

"Yeah, sure."

The two worked their way back into Mei's room, and just as they both got settled, there was a knock at the door and Kiku peeked in.

"Mei I have – Oh, hello Emil, when did you get here?" he asked, but quickly moved on. "Anyways, Mei, a letter came for you. From your school." He passed her the envelope. She could already tell it was another one from her English teacher, berating her for not being there, as he did with all his students. She tossed it uninterestedly, landing it in a nearby laundry basket.

"Thanks," she said. "Oh, and can you take this to the kitchen for me?" She held out her empty cereal bowl.

Kiku looked at it for a moment and frowned.

"I'll give you some of Emil's licorice if you do," she bribed. Emil, who had quietly opened up his lunchbox again, looked confused.

The Asian man smiled. "Of course, my dear little sister."

Mei plucked a couple of her shocked best friend's candies and passed them to her brother. "Thanks."

Kiku nodded and shut the door. Emil glared at her.

"I don't have an infinite supply of those, you know," he scowled.

"Wouldn't know it from the way you eat 'em." She stole another couple pieces and popped them in her mouth. He sighed resignedly, closing the tin case and sitting down in her desk chair.

"So," she started, "I'm assuming you stopped by school before making your way over here?"

"Of course," he deadpanned.

"...And?" she pressed, taking a seat opposite him at the edge of her bed.

He sighed again, although more exasperatedly. "He was there, obviously. With his girlfriend, also obviously."

Mei frowned. Another reason for not going to school. If he didn't have that – that – psychopath for a girlfriend... Well, she still probably wouldn't have a chance. He was, after all, Alfred Fucking Jones, the most popular, good looking, perfect upperclassman at her school – with an equally attractive and popular upper-class girlfriend. She also happened to be a psychopath willing to stab anyone, male or female, who stepped within six inches of her "prize." Prize meaning she won him, by default, thanks to being fucking scary. Although she was also very pretty, which, Mei was sure, helped.

Quite obviously, she had developed a crush on the blond senior. A big one.

But that was beside the point. She looked down to her sock-clad feet. "Oh."

Emil looked away from her, choosing instead to stare intently at the cottage cheese-like drywall above.

"Anyways," she finally spoke up, "if we're going to Blue Bean, I should probably get dressed." He nodded, getting up and heading out the door to give her privacy.

She stood and dived into her cluttered closet, pulling out a random pair of pants, a t-shirt, and a jacket. Hastily, she threw them on and slid into the connected bathroom to brush her hair and teeth. She found, as always, that one curly strand that refused to straighten, popping up off her head and bouncing around no matter what she did. It sort of reminded her of a cat toy.

Emil waited patiently for her outside the door, and once she was ready, the two made their way out to see that both Yao and Kiku had left for whichever classes they had today (both being in college, neither of them had to leave as early as their younger siblings). Outside, it was bright and sunny and other college students passed idly, biking, boarding buses, or heading to class on foot. Everything headed down the angled street towards Yellowbrooke Avenue at the base of the hill, beyond which laid the college.

The pair, rather than following the traffic, began the short distance to the top of the paved hill.

"Think anyone will notice we're absent again?" Emil asked. "Besides Mr. Kirkland."

Xiao Mei laughed. "Uh, well... Mrs. Hedervary – I mean, Ms. Hedervary?" Their history teacher, a young brunette who was both a confident teacher and a master at detention-dealing, had gotten divorced several months ago. Since then, there had been a few issues regarding her title, as well as more disciplinary actions towards senior boys who, for some reason, thought she'd "go for them."

"Maybe, I mean, she seemed to like youquite a bit," he said. It was true, though she was pretty sure the only reason the woman had taken a shine to her was because she knew more flags than just the American one, and was willing to raise her hand about it.

"Anyone else? Like, anyone who isn't a teacher?" she asked. Honestly, she couldn't think of one, as the two of them really didn't hang out with anyone else. At least, not seriously.

"Well..." He thought for a moment. Admittedly, it was less like a moment and more like an amount of time long enough for them to reach the top of the hill. Which was longer than a moment.

At the top laid the downtown area, which, ironically, was at the top of the mountain-like street. The area was mostly made up of decades-old buildings that had all been turned into little shops or eateries. Of those eateries, the most successful was Blue Bean Cafe, located just south of the former town square.

The two entered the cafe, which was dimly lit by sunlight and weak hanging lamps. College students dotted the room, along with the occasional stressed-out businessman or blue-tooth-headset-wearing woman.

"I'm gonna go sit down, you go ahead and order the usual," Mei said. Emil nodded and headed toward the counter. She found a comfortable place at a small table near the back, where there was a great view of the front windows.

Emil came back with two drinks and a small danish.

"One iced chai latte for you," he said, placing the drink and sliding it to her, "and a... whatever this is for me." He set the drink down on the table carefully. "The waiter gave me a drink for free and... refused to tell me what it is," he said a little fearfully. The waiter, a young man with glasses and a striped, low-cut top beneath his company apron, simultaneously winked and blew Emil a kiss when he glanced over. Emil shivered and looked away.

Mei laughed. "Wow, they reallylike you here."

He frowned and sighed, laying his head on the table. He poked the strange pink beverage sadly. "This is probably spiked with Rohypnol or something," he mumbled.

She smiled sympathetically, and turned her attention to the rest of the cafe. It seemed kind of under-crowded, which was highly unusual. Normally several tables were occupied for hours at a time, including the one they were currently at.

The little bell on the door rang, signaling someone coming in. She looked to see who it was and – oh, sweet Jesus.

In strode Alfred F. Jones, girlfriend under arm and confidence just radiating off him like a nuclear explosion.

Mei's heart stopped.

a/n: HEY GUYS, GUESS WHAT? I TTLY CAN'T WRITE A GOOD ONESHOT WITHOUT TURNING IT INTO A CHAPTER FIC GUYS.
HEY GUYS, GUESS WHAT? THIS TTLY WON'T BE UPDATED VERY OFTEN 'CAUSE I'M A LAZY FUCK GUYS.
HEY GUYS, GUESS WHAT? I'M TTLY JUST PUTTING OFF WORKING ON PS AND ADO BECAUSE I'M A FUCKING WHORE GUYS.
HEY GUYS, GUESS WHAT? TAICE IS MY OTP GUYS.