2 Chapter 2

Beep…Beep…Beep…Beep…

Takashi's brain struggled to awaken as the incessant beeping of the alarm clock assaulted his ears. He flailed his hand until he hit the offending device, turning it off.

"TAKASHI! Get up! You're going to be late for school!" his mother called from downstairs.

The boy shot up in bed as he gasped a huge breath. His pulse was pounding and he could feel the adrenalin racing through his veins like it did when he fought the undead. His head swam as he tried to stand, legs entangled in the bed sheets causing him to crash to the floor.

"Owwww…" he muttered as he raised his head and looked around the room…his room.

Sights began to rush in on him as he took in everything around him. Books on the shelves, video games piled on the floor, a brand new gakuran school uniform hanging on a hook on the wall.

He focused on the uniform as he lay on the floor blinking. What the hell? he thought, as his door slid open to reveal his mother, alive and frowning at him.

"Takashi, what are you doing on the floor? Get up boy, first day at a new school is not the time to be late!"

New school? First day? Takashi's mind swirled as he thought back over the events of the last few…he sat up quickly and cried out, "SAEKO!"

Now his mother wore a puzzled look, "Saeko? Takashi who is Saeko? I thought Rei was the girl you're close to?"

Takashi groaned and held his pounding head in his hands, his mind racing and not knowing what else to say, he replied, "A dream, mom; nothing more than a dream...or maybe a nightmare."

She knelt down and touched his forehead with the back of her hand. "It doesn't feel like you have a fever, did you stay up too late?"

He shook his head, "No I went to bed early, but this dream was so vivid, I thought it was real for a little bit."

She patted him on the shoulder as she got up, "Well it happens that way sometime. Now get up and get dressed. Rei will be mad if you don't show up on time for your first day at her school."

He nodded as she left the room. Dream huh…maybe, but it seemed so real…she seemed so real.

After getting dressed, Takashi headed downstairs to breakfast. After gulping it down he headed out the door and down the street toward the train station. Looking around on the platform he found Miyamoto Rei leaning against one of the support poles. Standing in front of her was Igou Hisashi, his best friend.

A funny sick feeling washed over Takashi as he saw the pair standing together. He stopped and watched as he felt adrenalin dump into his system again. His head spun again as reality wavered before his eyes as he went cold all over.

Rei left me for Hisashi… he thought, and then Hisashi died the first day of the outbreak!

He grabbed the pole next to him and closed his eyes trying to get his balance back.

"Takashi what's wrong?" he heard Rei ask as they came closer.

"Dude you look sick, are you okay?" Hisashi asked with real concern in his voice.

Takashi looked at both of them for a moment before shaking his head, "Just had a dizzy spell there for a moment, had a weird dream and fell out of bed this morning."

"Well come on," Rei said as the train pulled into the station. "We need to catch this one or we'll be late and I don't want that the first day of the semester!"

Takashi sighed and nodded as the doors opened and everyone flooded onboard. After a twenty minute ride, they got off and headed up a tree-lined street to the school. Once they passed through the gates, the first years had to submit to a uniform check before entering the lobby where the shoe lockers were. After changing to inside footwear, they walked down the hall to the big notice boards that told which class they had been assigned to.

Takashi quickly found his student number. "Class 1B for me," he said.

Hisashi frowned, "I've got 1A, looks like we're split up this time."

"Come on, I'll show the two of you your class rooms and before I head upstairs to mine," Rei said as they started towards the first year rooms were on. After finding Takashi's room, Rei and Hisashi told him they would see him later and went on down the hall.

Takashi watched after them for a second before going into the class. After looking at the seating chart on the blackboard, he turned to find his desk. Hanging his book bag on the side, he looked around to find…Hirano Kohta sitting few seats away.

Takashi's world reeled again and he sat down suddenly, lowering his head as he gasped for breath.

I shouldn't know him! I've never seen him before! Why do I know him and everything about him!

"Ex…excuse me, are you alright? You don't look well," a male voice asked.

He looked up to find Kohta standing nearby, waving his hand Takashi stood back up.

"Ah…Hi…uh…sorry…hello I'm Komuro Takashi. Sorry, I've just been having some dizzy spells this morning."

The heavy set boy nodded slightly before bowing, "Ah…I see. Oh! I'm Hirano Kohta."

"It is a pleasure to meet you Hirano-san," Takashi said with a smile.

Hirano looked surprised at the statement, but before he could say anything else, his eyes widened and his mouth fell open, as he focused his gaze behind Takashi.

For just a second Takashi wondered what was going on with the boy until it hit him. A smirk crossed his face as he turned around to find Takagi Saya standing in the isle frowning at him.

"Ohayo Takagi, so, I see we are together again," he said.

"Who's this?" Saya asked in her blunt way.

Takashi smiled, "Hirano allow me to introduce to you one of my oldest childhood friends, Takagi Saya. Takagi this is Hirano Kohta."

Saya glared at Takashi and raised one eyebrow before nodding slightly to Kohta. "Ohayo Hirano."

Takashi turned back to Kohta who was standing dumbstruck, eyes wide and mouth open. Takashi leaned over and said quietly, "Say Ohayo, Kohta-san."

"O…OHAYO Takagi-san!" Kohta blurted out. "I am pleased to meet you!"

Saya just stared at him with a stunned look on her face.

Takashi rubbed his hand over his mouth to cover a snicker. Wait a minute…why didn't I get dizzy when I saw Saya? he wondered.

Saya's eyes narrowed as she watched Takashi's face go from amused to thoughtful. "Is something wrong with you? You look like you're actually using your brain for once."

"Ah…Komuro-san had a dizzy spell a minute ago. He didn't look well at all, Takagi-san," Kohta told her.

Saya frowned and glared at Takashi with one eyebrow up as Takashi waved it off. "I had a weird dream last night and fell out of bed this morning, been dizzy off and on since then."

For one brief second Saya looked concerned and then blew it off, "Well quit staying up so late playing stupid games, baka. Pull yourself together and get ready, we have to go to the opening ceremony as soon as the sensei checks roll." With that she turned and stomped off to her seat.

Takashi just shook his head and then glanced at Kohta. As he expected, the boy was staring after Saya with a dumb-struck look on his face.

"Hey Hirano, you okay?" Takashi asked.

"A goddess…" Kohta mumbled before shaking himself all over and focusing on Takashi again. "Ah…Komuro-san, please excuse me for asking this, but is Takagi-san your girlfriend?"

Takashi almost laughed out loud, but held it back to just a chuckle. "Me and Takagi? Oh no, like I said she's just my childhood friend. For some reason she and I have ended up in every school and class together since kindergarten. Oh, and don't pay attention to the way she acts, she's been grumpy and bossy for as long as I have known her."

Kohta nodded slightly, as a brown haired boy walked up and said, "Komuro? So we're going to be in class together again huh."

Takashi focused on the boy, but frowned when he didn't recognize him. "Morita? Sorry I didn't recognize you for a moment." That's because the last time I saw you, your hair was blond and pulled into a Mohawk…and then you were one of the walking dead, Takashi thought.

"Yeah, 'cuz it's been a whole two weeks since we last saw each other," Morita frowned. He locked eyes of Hirano. "Oh, who's this?"

Takashi made introductions and then they all sat down as the teacher came into the room. After standing, bowing, and greeting the teacher, roll was called and the class filed out to the gym and the opening ceremony.

Takashi had to hold in his laughter several times as he watched Kohta try his damnedest to not stare at Saya.

Being in class 1B, their group was near the middle of the floor while Takashi could see Hisashi, in 1A, closer to the stage. Looking to his left towards the second years, he saw Rei wiggling her fingers in greeting to him.

He saw Saya look around and glare at him from two rows ahead as Hirano stood almost in front of him.

"Dude looks jumpy man," Morita muttered from beside Takashi, motioning to Kohta.

"He just met Takagi for the first time," Takashi replied sotto voce. Morita nodded in understanding.

The principal came on stage and began the normal speech of how happy he was to see new faces and proud he was of the school.

I wonder if he really knows what goes on here, Takashi thought, right before another small wave of sickness washed over him. This time it was only a slight spell and after blinking several times, it cleared up.

After twenty or thirty minutes, the principle wrapped up by introducing the student council, who in turn, introduced the leaders of various clubs.

Takashi's head came up as he heard, "And now our championship kendo club!" Five people walked out on stage, Saeko was the third in line.

Takashi's eyesight narrowed to a point that focused only on her. The wind seemed to roar around him as he watched her bow with that slight smile on her face that he knew so well. He staggered forward a step and reached out his hand as he called out, "SAEKO!"

Saya spun around in shock to stare at him, just as he blacked out. "Catch him!" she cried out as he felt hands grab him.

Darkness engulfed him.

000

Takashi slowly awoke to look into the pretty eyes of Marikawa Shizuka. "Shizuka…" he muttered as he reached out and patted her on the cheek. "My favorite nurse…" he said before drifting back into unconsciousness.

"Aww, how cute! I just might keep this one!" the buxom blond said as she pinched Takashi on his cheek.

"Wait, what did he say?" asked Saya who was standing nearby.

"He called me by my first name!" the woman told the girl. Then she got a thoughtful look on her face, "But I wonder how he knew it? I just started this week and I don't think I've ever seen him before…"

The nurse shrugged her shoulders and continued to work on the boy. She pulled a temperature strip off his forehead and wrote the results down before checking his blood pressure for the third time. Finishing, she turned to Saya.

"So what's wrong with him?" the pink haired girl asked.

"I don't know, Takagi-san. All of his vital signs are right where they should be, and he does not seem to be anemic. His pupils are right for someone who is simply unconscious, but maybe exhausted. Has he been getting enough sleep lately?"

Saya glared at the nurse, "I wouldn't know! I haven't seen him since middle school let out two weeks ago!" She thought for a second, "Though he did say he had a weird dream last night and someone else told me he was having a dizzy spell this morning."

Shizuka stood for a minute thinking with her left arm under her huge boobs, and her right hand on her chin where she was tapping the corner of her mouth with her index finger.

You can almost see the hamsters running on their wheel in her head! Saya thought as she watched. And how the hell can she even get around with those melons she's toting! Saya was no small fry herself in the chest department, but the nurse was gigantic.

"Does he use any drugs or drink alcohol, Takagi–san?" Shizuka asked.

Saya's anger flared as she opened her mouth to scream at the idiot nurse, but then paused; the woman was just doing her job after all. "NO. He might have had a beer a time or two, but as far as I know Takashi has never touched drugs, alcohol or even smoked cigarettes for that matter."

Shizuka nodded, "Well I had to ask, but to be honest he doesn't have any tell-tell signs of usage. Plus a simple blood test would show anything like that. Do you have any idea when he last had a full checkup?"

Saya shook her head, "No I don't. Can you think of anything that might be causing him to be dizzy and act confused like this?"

The woman's face darkened, "Baring a chemical imbalance, the next thing I would look at is a brain malfunction like a stroke or a tumor."

A cold shiver went through Saya as she heard this. For all his faults, Takashi was her oldest and possibly her best friend. She knew she rode him hard and treated him harshly, but it was only because she wanted to see him do better, to be better than he was. Saya liked him, though she would never admit it to anyone, but in the back of her mind she always kept that thought that someday, maybe, there might, could be, a relationship between them. If something was to happen to him…she would have no one.

The nurse sighed, "Well for now, let's let him rest and I'll see how he acts when he wakes up." She patted the girl on the shoulder, "Go on back to class for now. I'll send for you if something happens."

Saya nodded, "I'll come back when classes are over if I have not heard from you."

She glanced at Takashi once more before going out the door…and running head-on into Saeko.

"Ah!" Saya exclaimed as she backed up quickly. "Excuse me!"

The tall girl smiled slightly and nodded, "No, it is my fault for blocking the door. Busujima Saeko, second year and vice-captain of the kendo squad."

Saya bowed slightly, "Takagi Saya, first year."

Saeko's eyes narrowed, "Takagi…my father knows a Don Takagi who was his student in sword. Would you be related?"

Saya nodded, "That would be my father, senpai."

"I see. Excuse me Takagi-san, but do you know the boy that collapsed at the opening ceremony?" Saeko asked.

Saya nodded again, "Komuro Takashi. He and I have gone to school together since…well…ever since we have been going to school."

"I do not know the name. They said he called mine out before he collapsed, I was curious why. I thought if I could see his face, well, maybe we had met somewhere."

Saya blushed slightly. For some reason she didn't want the beautiful girl to see Takashi, but there was no excuse not to. Opening the door she pointed to where he was lying on a bed near the window. "That's him, Senpai."

Saeko focused on the figure for a minute and then shook her head, "No, I do not believe we have ever met. He does not look familiar to me at all."

Saya closed the door and shrugged her shoulders, "I don't know. If he was some kind of kendo fan I would think he might know the names of the school's team members, but as far as I know the only sport he has ever paid attention to is baseball."

"Is he going to be alright?" Saeko asked.

Frowning, Saya looked back at the door, "The nurse doesn't know yet, senpai. I know he was having dizzy spells this morning, and said he had some crazy dreams last night, but sensei cannot find anything wrong. She wants to let him rest for now and see how he feels when he wakes."

Saeko looked thoughtful for a moment, "I have heard of something like that with a blow to the head. It has happened in my father's dojo when one of the students got to zealous in their attacks."

"Marikawa-sensei thought about that, but says there doesn't seem to be any evidence of it," Saya told her.

"Hmm…" Saeko murmured. "Well I will go back to class then and check with you at a later date. It was a pleasure to meet and speak with you, Takagi-san. I hope to do so again."

Saya blinked for a second before bowing again, "It was also a pleasure to meet you, Senpai."

The older girl smiled and headed back down the hallway as Saya started the other direction. Arriving back at the class room, she found the students in the process of passing out textbooks and doing paperwork for the teacher. After telling the teacher what she knew about Takashi, she headed for her seat.

There she found a pile of textbooks on her desk in a neat stack. She looked around puzzled as Kohta stepped forward bowing slightly several times before speaking.

"Ah…uh…Takagi-san, I hope you don't mind, but I collected textbooks for you since you were out helping Komuro-san. I tried to make sure to get you good quality ones that were not roughed up or written in."

Saya stood staring at the chubby boy for a minute before coming out of her trance, "Um, thank you…Hirano isn't it?"

The boy smiled and bowed again, "Yes ma'am, Hirano Kohta. Umm, if you don't mind me asking, how is Komuro-san?"

"Still resting," the girl replied as she scanned over the books before filling out the receipt. "How do you know him, Hirano?"

"Oh, we only met this morning, but he seems like a nice person."

Saya thought about it for a moment, "Well I guess he can be. Thanks for helping with the books. It would be a real pain to deal with the leftovers."

"Y…Your welcome! If I can help in any way please let me know," the now red faced young man answered.

Looking around, she found a pile of books on Takashi's desk also. Looking back at Hirano, she asked, "Did you collect books for Takashi also, Hirano?"

Kohta shook his head, "No Takagi-san, Morita-san handled that."

"Morita?" Saya muttered as she looked around. The boy sitting in front of Takashi's seat waved his hand at her.

"Hello, Takagi. 'Morita' I've only spent the whole of last year in class at middle school with you!"

Frowning, Saya shook her head, "I don't remember you, sorry…"

Morita sighed and hung his head, before looking at Kohta, "Am I that forgettable? Maybe I need to die my hair blond and get a Mohawk. What do you think, Hirano?"

Kohta snorted and tried not to laugh out loud, "It would definitely make you stand out, Morita-san!"

"Yeah and it would go with my rock and roll image!" Morita said as he played air guitar while Kohta snickered.

Saya just shook her head and tuned the boys out while organizing her books and paperwork.

000

Later that afternoon, Saya came back from putting books into her assigned locker and saw Rei standing at the classroom door looking in. The ginger haired girl noticed Saya and walked over to her.

"Takagi-san, someone told me Takashi passed out at the opening ceremony this morning. Where is he?"

Saya just stared at her for a minute thinking, You didn't notice?! He's supposed to be your boyfriend!

"Yes, I'm surprised you didn't notice with the commotion it caused. He's in the infirmary. The nurse said she wanted him to rest and she would send word if there was a change."

"Oh, okay so he must be okay then. I'll check in on him this afternoon. I've got to get to soujutsu club right now and you know how the senpais get when you're late."

But you're his girlfriend; shouldn't you be rushing to his side? Saya thought, but for once kept her mouth shut. Instead she nodded and said, "I'll let you know if anything else happens, Miyamoto."

Rei nodded and ran off down the hall towards the martial arts dojos.

Saya pinched the bridge of her nose under her glasses and shook her head before walking back into the classroom. Most of the other students were gone to check out the clubs that were recruiting, but there were a few still around.

Hirano was one of them. He was at his desk with his head down as three boys walked past. One of them looked down at him and sneered in distain.

"Fucking worthless otkau!" Saya heard the boy say under his breath.

She stopped and looked at the boy's backs as they went out the door. Turning back toward the desks she noticed Kohta's head looked lower than ever.

It's not my business! It's not my business! It's not my business! She thought as she stopped beside Takashi's desk. Looking around she saw Takashi's book bag but none of the books that were there earlier.

"Hirano, where did the books that were here go?" she asked as she looked around towards him.

Kohta sniffed a second before replying, "Umm…he…Morita-san took them and put them in his locker. He told me he would make sure Komuro-san got them tomorrow."

Saya noticed the boy did not raise his head enough for her to see his eyes. His long hair hung down shading them which gave him a very creepy look, a very darklook.

"Okay, well then I'm going to take his book bag and go to the infirmary and check on him."

Kohta sat up straighter as she picked up her and Takashi's stuff. "Umm…Takagi-san? I know I just met the two of you today, but do you think…would it be alright for me to go with you? I mean…I would like to know how he is doing myself."

Saya thought about this for a minute. She could think of a hundred reasons why for him to not go, but it all boiled back down to 'we don't know you'.

Sighing she gave in, "I guess it would be alright, but don't walk to close to me! I don't want people thinking things! I don't even know you!"

"Y…Yes ma'am!" Kohta said as he got up and grabbed his stuff.

Saya huffed and stormed off down the hall with Kohta almost trotting behind to keep up. She did notice he stayed off to one side and behind her about a meter back. Good! She thought. He at least listens when you tell him something!

It only took a few minutes for them to arrive at the nurse's office. Saya swung open the door and froze as she walked through. Her mouth fell open and her eyes bulged as she saw Shizuka crushing Takashi's face to her huge chest while patting him on the head and talking.

"That's a good boy! Just rest your head and nursey will make it all better!"