I'M AMAZING!!!!!!!! WOOOHOOOOO!!!!!!! No matter what ANYONE says, this story is awesome-sauce, and you know it.

On a more serious note, this is my fourth story. I need ideas for Defying Gravity, but Half-Breed is in the process of being edited for publication. I'm on summer break, so MAYBE I'll be able to catch up. If anyone has ideas for what I should do, PLEASE tell me… PLEASE!!!!! PLEEEEEEEAAAASSSSSSSEEEEEEEE!!!!!!

I've got more stories on the way, such as one for Toradora, one for Naruto, one for Doctor Who, and perhaps something for Princess Tutu. But, no promises.

WARNING: There are very slight crossovers in this story: one of Amu's classmates is Ino Yamanake from Naruto, and Amu's roommate is Taiga Aisaka from Toradora! However, the crossovers are so slight that I didn't think it was worth putting the story in a crossover section.

Also…

SHUGO CHARA DOES NOT BELONG TO ME!!!! IT BELONGS TO ITS RESPECTIVE OWNERS (OF WHICH I DO NOT KNOW THE NAMES)!!!!! THANK YOU!!!!

I just had to put in the following quote, because it's really cool and it kind of fits the story.

…from the beginning of time,

In childhood, I thought

That pain meant I was not loved.

It meant I loved.

- Louise Gluck, "First Memory"

"Birthday girl? Are you coming or what?" Taiga Aisaka called to her roomate (A.N: I can't help it!!!! Taiga's just so awesome!!!).

"Give me a second!" replied Amu Hinamori. She brushed her hair out of her face, surveying her work. Her pink hair was tied in a pony tail which hung to mid-back. She had on a white, flowing, short skirt which complimented her long legs. She zipped up a bright pink sweat shirt, letting a little of her cute black tee show. Yep, this was definitely an outfit that someone who had just entered 17-year-old-dom would wear.

She exited the bathroom and flew through the door that Taiga held wide open.

"Tick, tock, tick, tock..."

Amu watched the clock impatiently, wishing that it would move faster. Science was the most boring subject ever.

"Only 20 more minutes," she tried to reassure herself.

This was her last class of the day.

"Everyone's probably organized some big party," she thought to herself, smiling slightly. On the inside, she felt like cheering, "I CAN'T WAIT!!" but she couldn't. After all, Amu had a reputation to uphold.

The intercom buzzed and the classroom fell silent, all heads turning to the small speaker hanging beside the blackboard.

The composed voice of the principal crackled through.

"Could Amu Hinamori please report to the principal's office? Amu Hinamori to the principal's office? Thank you."

"Ooh. Are you in trouble, Amu?" taunted Ino, a stupid blonde with exaggerated makeup (A.N: Who else could I have picked?!).

"Shut up," muttered Amu as she sauntered out of the classroom, pulling her bag over her shoulder. As soon as she was in the hallway, she frowned and stuck out her tongue. Why did the principal want to see her? She hadn't done anything, no really bad grades or stink bombs in the bathroom.

"Um… I'm here to see the principal?" said Amu as she entered the waiting room.

"Oh, you can go right in, Amu-san," stated the young secretary, giving the teen an encouraging smile.

Amu had her hand on the doorknob when the secretary said something else in a low voice.

"Hm?" Amu looked over her shoulder at the woman.

"You have all the luck, Amu-san. A handsome stranger never showed up at my school and demanded to see me when I was your age," sighed the secretary, face softening as she pictured some faraway dreamland.

Amu blinked. The wheels began turning in her brain. Without thinking, her hand slipped downward and the door opened wide open without a sound.

"Why, hello there, Hinamori-san. I'm sorry for disrupting your classes but your brother wanted to see you so very much," greeted the principal. She sat behind a great wooden desk, hands folded politely in her lap.

"My… brother?" questioned Amu, turning her head to look at the other person in the room.

"Yes, he…"

Amu didn't hear a word. She only had eyes for one person, the one who sat in the chair opposite the principal. Even though his back was turned, there was no mistaking him.

He stood and turned gracefully. At the sight of her, his face lit up for a moment, then assumed a customary smirk. "Hello, Amu Hinamori."

"You…" She gasped. Her mouth dropped open, forming a little O.

"I'm sorry it's been so long, but I was very busy. When I realized that your birthday was approaching, I just couldn't resist coming back to visit. I hope you'll forgive me."

Amu couldn't speak. Her body didn't want to function.

Silence reigned as he calmly waited for a response.

Sensing the uncomfortable air, the principal quickly spoke up.

"Perhaps you would like to go outside for a bit and walk around the grounds. I'm sure you'd both like some privacy."

He turned to the principal and nodded gratefully. "Thank you so much. I'm afraid that Amu must be in shock; as I told you, we haven't seen each other in six years."

His cold fingers wrapped around her wrist and he pulled her out, passing the curious eyes of the secretary, through the hallways, and out the door. Amu had no strength to protest.

When the sunlight hit her full in the face, Amu felt her body defrost, and suddenly she was angry. And hurt. And scared. And something else she couldn't admit to herself.

The man's smirk widened at the flashes of familiar emotions in her golden eyes.

Amu pushed back the other emotions in her head, making anger most prominent.

"You… You little… You little bastard!" she shrieked suddenly. Her arm flew in a wild ark and she heard the sound of skin hitting skin.

It was only when he put a hand to his reddening cheek that she realized that she had slapped him. She, Amu Hinamori, had slapped Ikuto.

As she recalled his name, the anger vanished to be replaced by a great bubble of hurt which welled in her throat.

"I guess I deserved that," Ikuto sighed. He looked the same as ever; raven hair as soft as a cat's fur, midnight eyes, and handsome features that so easily took her breath away.

"It's been six years! Six freakin' years!" she cried. Her hands balled into fists. Her nails dug into her skin, the only thing keeping her from bursting into tears. "Do you have any idea how long I waited for you?! And you didn't even bother saying goodbye!! Damn it, how could you have done that…?!"

His fingers brushed her hair away from her face, moving then to cup her cheek.

"I'm sorry," her murmured. "I'm sorry I hurt you. But if I'd stayed in this city a moment longer, Easter would've murdered me and my sister. We had to get out. I would have said goodbye, but they were watching your house and I didn't want to put you in danger. Besides, you wouldn't have let me leave!" He laughed, hoping that she would too.

At the sound of his laugh, the sound that she had longed for ever since his disappearance, she couldn't hold in her tears and she sobbed recklessly, throwing herself at him, wanting to scratch his eyes out. Somehow, his arms encircled her, his voice soft as velvet murmuring into her ear.

"Why? Why did you… You could've…" she muttered, hiccups breaking off each incoherent thought.

"I know. I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry."

Finally, the sobs became less frequent, and then they stopped altogether.

Ikuto held her at arms' length, studying her face.

"I never thought I'd see you all grown up. But here you are," he commented.

Amu felt a flush of pride color her cheeks. He had always been a head taller than her, but she had grown since then. She was pretty, popular with the boys in her class. At the thought of boys, her face fell.

"What?" he asked, smirking playfully.

"I'm dating Tadase," she whispered, fixing her eyes on her shoes.

His hands convulsed on her shoulders and he shoved them in his pockets.

Amu couldn't meet his eyes.

"I didn't know you were into charity," he said icily, his voice clipped.

She frowned, not catching his meaning. "Charity?"

"Pitying the worthless," Ikuto clarified. His blue eyes burned with a fiery rage, burning straight into her own.

"Tadase is not worthless! He's kind, and smart, and he respects me!" she spat, covering up her unhappiness with her want to protect her best friend.

"Do you love him?" Ikuto interjected, searching her face again for an answer.

"I…"

"Riiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!"

"That's the bell! I've got to get my books!" she said, spinning on her heel and dashing back into the school. She prayed that her stupid crying hadn't ruined her makeup as she opened her locker and peered inside, pulling out the books that she'd need over the weekend.

"Science, Chemistry, History," she muttered, placing each one in her bag with either little or no care. She stopped when she saw three eggs nestled in a corner of the bag, one blue, one pink, and one green. Inside were her Guardian Charas, napping. Thank God they'd been sleeping. Amu knew that Ikuto's appearance would have been very confusing if Miki had been awake. It was no secret that Miki was infatuated with Ikuto's Chara.

"Does that mean that I'm the same as her?" wondered Amu. "Am I infatuated with Ikuto?"

"Amu-chan!"

Amu turned at the sound of her name and waved as Yaya came pelting towards her.

"Amu-chan! Come on! We've got to get to get you ready!" exclaimed Yaya, bouncing up and down in excitement.

"For what?" moaned Amu. "Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it," she prayed silently. After seeing Ikuto, all she wanted to do was be alone.

"For your birthday party, of course!"

"She said it!"

"Come on!"

Amu closed her locker and followed Yaya outside. The red-head was positively glowing.

As they passed the gate, Amu saw a flash of blue. She turned her head, and saw Ikuto glaring at her from behind a nearby tree. She blinked, and he was gone.

"Amu-chan? Are you listening to me?"

"Yeah," muttered Amu.

COLLECTIVE CRITICISM, ENCOURAGEMENTS, AND FAVORITES ARE GREATLY APPRECIATED!!!!! THANK YOU FOR READING!!!!

Star-chan