New Life: A Second Chance

Kay thought back to the night before. They had returned to Sakura Academy in the evening, after spending time with their parents and sending them off.

As Kay walked through the door, Sarah had been lying down on the bed, reading a book. She practically threw her book aside and jumped off the bed, running over to Kay.

"You're back!! That's so great!! How's Kyle?" Sarah asked worriedly.

Kay smiled and patted Sarah's shoulder, "Don't worry. He's fine."

"I saw his hands bandaged. IS it bad?"

"No," Kay replied, "Just the normal rope burns. He'll be back to normal in another few days."

Handing her a beige coloured paper bag, Kay said, "Here. For you."

"For me? What is it? Wait. It's not my birthday. Why did you get me this?" Sarah asked as she took the bag.

"I didn't," Kay answered as she walked to her closet, "Kyle did. It's a 'thank you' for Saturday, and for yesterday as well. You accepted the delivery of all of my clothes."

Kay was touched as she looked inside her closet. Sarah hadn't just accepted the delivery, but she had unwrapped them all and put them in the closet.

Sarah, after hearing what Kay had said, almost dropped the bag. This was from Kyle? She nervously opened the bag and peered inside. It looked white and blue. She reached in her hand and took it out, gasping a little. It was a blue floral printed sleeveless summer dress. She touched the material, feeling its softness and placed it upon her front as she stood in front of the mirror.

It was so beautiful.

"Go on, put it on," Kay said.

Sarah excitedly went to the bathroom and did so. As she slid into the dress, she marveled at how soft and cooling the material was. What made her more amazed was the fact that it fit her perfectly. The skirt reached just above her knee, which she liked. The tapered waistline wasn't too loose or too tight and it hugged her figure just nice. The V-neck was also not too low and her small pendant necklace was just at the right height.

How could he have picked such a perfect dress? Not only did it fit her so well, the cutting was also very good on her. She also loved soft, pastel colours and the blue floral patterns on it was just right. She twirled around and gasped again. The fact that the shirt flared up and out so beautifully, like a flower blooming, was something that she absolutely adored in a dress.

"Stupid Kyle," she muttered as she looked at herself in the mirror. She would have loved any gift from him and would treasure it like it was the most precious thing on Earth. This, however, was beyond precious. To be able to pick such a perfect dress meant that he knew her well. Not just her taste but also her body.

She blushed at that and she slapped her cheeks hard, "Kyle's not a pervert! He's just observant!"

Still, it made her both happy and sad to get such a gift from Kyle. He would be such a perfect boyfriend.

"Come on, let's see!" Kay urged her from their room. The moment Sarah walked out, Kay took a picture.

"You look so adorable!!" Kay said, smiling, "Kyle's got a good eye indeed."

"It's lovely," Sarah said then went back in to change back into her pajamas.

*・°☆...:*・Back to the Present .:*・°☆...:*・

"So you're asking me if she liked it?" Kay said as she took out her phone, then showed him a picture, "What do you think?"

Kyle took the phone and looked at it. Sarah was smiling shyly, her face aglow as she was wearing the dress and was at the bathroom door. She looked very sweet in the dress and was just as he had pictured it. The moment he saw the dress, he knew that it would be perfect for her. He's glad that he did have a good eye in this, at least.

"She looks happy," Kyle commented, handing back the phone.

"She's more than happy, dear brother," Kay said then asked, "What do you think of Sarah?"

"Sarah?" he mumbled distractedly as he rummaged through his gifts, "She's a nice girl. Why?"

Beatrice's ears perked up the moment Kay asked the question.

"Urgh, Kyle," Kay complained, "Can't you use another adjective? You're always saying girls are either nice or creepy. Sarah's my best friend! Can't you be more descriptive or something? How do you find Sarah as a girl?"

Kyle looked up at her, frowning as he asked, "Huh? What do you mean? How do I find her as a girl? Normal?"

"Honestly, brother," Kay said exasperatingly, "I don't know whether you're truly dense about what I'm asking or whether you're just stupid."

"That's the same thing, you know," Sam pointed out.

Kay rolled her eyes, "I know that, Sam. DUH."

"Why don't you just ask properly then?" Kyle complained, "Are you seriously asking me if I like Sarah more than a friend?"

"No, dear brother," Kay said, "I know very well you don't; but I AM wondering if you subconsciously like her more than most girls. After all, you know what they say when a guy buys a girl clothes. It's because they want to take it off."

"OH GOD, KAY! You did NOT say that!!" Kyle stood up, pointing a finger at her, then sat back down as he said, "FYI, if I wanted to take a girl's clothes off, I wouldn't need to buy her the clothes in the first place. It's easier to just take off whatever she's wearing at the moment."

"BOOM!" Xing Han shouted suddenly, "Kyle 1, Kay 0."

"Shameless," Kay retorted.

Meanwhile, Beatrice's face was beet red. When Kay had said that, she started staring at her gift with wide eyes. Then she heard Kyle's voice, "Don't mind Kay, Beatrice. She's just playing around."

Then Kyle 'glared' at Kay, "Now see what you did? You made Beatrice uncomfortable. She's probably never going to wear that blouse now!"

"Oh gosh, no Beatrice! I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I was just teasing Kyle, really! Please, don't think anything about the gift. It really is just a 'thank you' for all your help," Kay said desperately, trying to convince her.

"Kyle 2, Kay 0," Xing Han said with a laugh.

Kay tsked at Xing Han.

Kyle just grinned at Kay, wriggling his eyebrows then started sorting the pile of gifts on his table. His hands may be still be bandaged, but his fingers weren't. So he carefully and gingerly started opening them. All of them had cards, of course - who wouldn't want Kyle to know where the gifts came from?

Kyle would read the names on the cards then open the gift. Most of them were chocolates though some were ointments or cute gauze wraps. He laughed at that as he thought how cute that was. Still, there was a problem. He can't possibly eat all of this now, could he?

Why DO girls give guys chocolates anyway? It's so sweet. One or two is fine once in a while but when you have this whole pile. Kyle sighed. Why couldn't it be potato chips? He could go through tubs of those ... then increase his exercises to get rid of the calories. It was worth it! Chocolates though? Urgh.

"You know, Kyle, it's going to be tougher on you next year," Xing Han commented as he came by.

"I know," Kyle said as he opened yet another gift, "Kay already listed out all the work I gotta do."

"Pfffft. I'm not talking about THAT!" Xing Han said as he took one chocolate and popped it into his mouth, "I'm talking about Valentine's Day."

Kyle's hands stopped moving and then his face paled a bit.

"Yes, that is true," Sam commented, pushing his glasses up his nose, "You'd better have a good damage control plan laid out. Last year was horrible."

Kyle gulped, then said, "Can I stay home that day? Please?"

"NO!" shouted all of the other Elite Five members.

"We are NOT going to have to deal with the mess while YOU are safe and sound elsewhere," Ali shouted.

"Yeah, after all, WHO is the one that decided to suddenly go all out and show THAT," Kay said, outlining Kyle's face and body with her hands, "in a suit yesterday?"

"Hey! That wasn't my idea! It's mum's fault!" Kyle protested.

"But you didn't have to look so damn hot in it and act so cool in it," Kay pointed out.

"Make up your mind. Was I hot? Or cool?" Kyle grinned.

"That's not the point!" growled Kay, "Stop trying to change the subject!"

"It was worth a try," mumbled Kyle as he continued unwrapping the gifts. He would put the chocolates in one pile, medicine in another and the gauze in a box.

"Do not worry, my brothers! And sister," Xing Han said, as he patted his chest like a gorilla, "I will make sure this bearer of doom attends that day. We shall not suffer in silence!"

Ali stood up, patting his chest as well as he said, "I will help you! I will come early that day and make sure to stake out right outside your door should that Bearer of Doom try to escape!"

"I'll bring the rope," Sam said helpfully.

"Brother!" Xing Han said, putting up an armed fist.

"Brother!" Ali replied, banging his armed fist with Xing Han.

"Brother!" Sam said unexpectedly, putting up an armed first as well. Xing Han and Ali looked at each other and went to Sam, linking their arms around each other as they fisted the air and said together, "BROTHERS!"

Beatrice ignored the weird scene, accepting it like it was normal and asked, "Why? What happened last year?" Nothing happened this year; not that she knew of. What had happened at their last school to get them all worked up?

"Nothing," Kyle said innocently.

"Yeah, nothing - like World War II is 'nothing'," Xing Han said.

Now everyone else in Sage Class was curious. What could have been so bad?