NEW LIFE : A SECOND CHANCE

It was the first day of school in the year. Everyone that was heading to Sakura Academy couldn't wait to get there. In fact, most of the new students had been so excited that they couldn't really sleep the previous night and was ready to go way ahead of time.

After all, Kyle was the Student President and he would be greeting the new students at the gate. AT THE GATE!!

So everyone basically dressed up as much as one can dress up while wearing a school uniform and following school regulation hairstyles. Did that stop them from trying? Heck no. Light make up was done, but so slight that it would go unnoticed (or so they thought). Scented powder. Coy looks practiced in front of the mirro. The duck face, too.

You know, the usual.

"Urgh, I'm so hot," Kyle complained as he stood at the gate.

Kay looked at him, "It's 7am. The sun isn't up high yet. What nonsense are you spouting so early in the morning?"

Kyle grinned at her, wriggling his eyebrows, pointed at himself and said, "My dear sister. Hear me properly. I. Am. SO. HOT."

"Shameless," Kay muttered, hitting him on the shoulder.

"The real question is, though," Kyle started as he smiled and waved some students in, "Why are there so many students coming in so early? Didn't they get the memo that we're starting at 8am?"

"You mean the same memo that said you'd be here greeting them when they come in?" Kay asked back.

"Oh."

"Yes, brother. Oh," Kay replied, "I think the whole Kazuya episode has fried your brains."

"Perhaps," Kyle acknowledged, "I've never been on edge and made so many plans in such little time. So I guess taking a break by coming to school is good."

Kay laughed, "Only you would say coming to school is taking a break!"

"But it's true!" Kyle protested, "I work harder during school holidays than I do in school!"

Kay nodded, "You do have a point."

Kyle suddenly stopped one girl, flashing her his Million-Dollar Watt Smile as he said, "I'm so sorry, Belinda. But make-up, no matter how light, isn't allowed in school."

Then, he gently wiped her eyebrows and said, "Foundation is fine, but don't go drawing eyebrows, okay? You're beautiful without it, anyway."

Belinda just stood there, nodding, eyes wide open, "O-okay, I'll wipe it off now. I'm so sorry Student Council President Kyle."

"Gosh, that's a mouthful. Just Senior Kyle is fine," Kyle said, giving her another smile.

"Okay Senior Kyle, I won't do this again, Senior Kyle," Belinda said in a gush, the tips of her ears all red. She then practically ran to the bathroom, her heart beating in her chest while internally screaming, 'omigosh omigosh omigosh! Kyle talked to me! He touched me! I'm never going to wash my eyebrows again. Wait. I have to! NOOOOOOOOOOO'

"That was lethal, dear brother," Kay tsked at him.

Kyle gave her a slow smile, and proceeded to do it again to another girl.

[They're going to start coming to school with make-up again just to have you do that, you know] Kay admonished him.

[I know there would be some who would do that, but I won't be here tomorrow now, would I? Anyway, if I catch them again, I'd just give them really sad look at them while saying in disappointment, 'I thought you meant it when you said you wouldn't do it'.]

[You mean, you'd guilt trip them? That's mean, brother.]

[No. Mean is when I make them cry. This gets the job done and the message across much faster, don't you think?]

[I see your manipulative streak is coming out again]

[As long as it gets the job done, dear sister. Anything is fair game]

Just then, this rather energetic girl came rushing at them and grabbed Kay by the hands, "You're Kayla Smith, right? Right?? And you must be Kyle Smith!! Of course, you are. You're SO much more handsome in real life. I thought the Insta pics were touched up but it looks like it had been filtered down! Gosh. Don't you get mobbed or something?"

Kyle turned to look at Kay, who was busy trying to hold in her laughter.

"She's like the female version of Xing Han, isn't she? I mean, the old Xing Han," Kyle said then turned to her, smiling as he said, "Calm down, Betty."

"OH GOSH! You know my name!!"

"Er, yes. Your name tag says so," Kyle said with a grin.

She looked down and saw her name tag right and went, "Ooooh, I forgot. Hee hee."

"Beatrice is inside the Hall if you're looking for her. If you don't see her there, then she's backstage," Kyle told her.

"How did you know I was looking for her?! Are you a mind reader?! You are, aren't you?!" Betty gasped, staring at Kyle.

By this time, they attracted a whole lot of attention because of the ruckus that was being made. That, and the fact that Betty was monoplizing Kyle's attention and he wasn't smiling or greeting the newcomers in.

Kyle put his hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her forward, saying, "Beatrice told us about you and to keep an eye out for you. So, go. She's probably waiting for you. Couldn't stop talking about you either."

"Beatrice? Really? She's normally the quiet type," Betty said.

"Oh, you'll probably see that she's changed a bit," Kyle replied.

"Oh, okay. See you later then. Thanks! Bye!" Betty said as she rushed off.

"She reminds you of a rabbit, doesn't she?" Kay asked and Kyle nodded. Energetic and fluffy. Those two images stuck to their minds.

Suddenly, Kay's eyes widened and she turned to look at Kyle, "You don't think ...."

"Yes," Kyle confirmed.

"No, it's not possible!" Kay said, putting her hand on her chest.

"I disagree. It's very possible. Shall we make a bet?" Kyle asked, turning to face his sister.

"Against you? What? You think I'm stupid?" Kay huffed.

Kyle laughed and shrugged, "I can be wrong too, you know."

"Rarely," Kay said, "Poor Sam."

"Yes, poor Sam indeed," Kyle muttered as he watched the little bunny disappear into the Hall.

?? Backstage ??

"BEATRIIIIICCCEEE!!" Betty shouted, rushing over and slamming herself onto Beatrice.

Beatrice, who had been focusing on the documents in front of her, was shocked senseless for a second. When she realised who it was, she smiled and patted Betty on the head.

"You came so early?"

"Yes! I couldn't wait to see you!! And this Sakura Academy you've been raving about in your letters!! Thanks for helping move my stuff in. So sorry to cause you so much trouble. I should have been here to do it myself," Betty said with a pout, twitching her nose as she twirled her hair. A habit she had when she's feeling sad, nervous or guilty.

Beatrice gave her a warm smile, "It's not your fault that you had to stay back a few extra days. Your grandmother wasn't feeling well, right?"

"Yeah, but still ..." Betty said then she realised there was someone next to Beatrice. In her excitement, she didn't see anything or anyone other than Beatrice. She stopped her sentence and looked at the boy curiously.

He was really good looking, with his neatly cut hair, stylish black-rimmed glasses and eyes that were so clear and deep, she felt like she could drown in them. For some reason, she found her heart beating fast and the tips of her ears started feeling hot so she pulled on her twintails to cover them.

Beatrice noticed where Betty was looking and she gasped, "Oh, I'm so sorry. How rude of me. Betty, this is Samuel. He's the PRO for the Student Council. Samuel, this is my cousin Betty."

Sam was dumbstruck.

The moment Betty had walked through the door, he had noticed her. How could he not? She was wearing the school uniform properly, but for some reason, all he could see was this really, really cute bunny. A human bunny.

She had long hair which she tied high in two ponytails that cascaded down the sides of her delicate face. It reminded him of rabbit ears. The hair tie had these tiny white poms poms which just reminded him of a bunny tail. The way she twiched her nose was exactly as how a rabbit would do when it was eating.

She actually hopped over (she was skipping, but to Sam's eyes, she was hopping like a bunny).

At that moment, he had this sudden urge to just scoop her up and run away with her. No one should be allowed to see such cuteness!! No one but him, of course.

The moment that thought entered his head, he hit himself. Literally slapped his own cheek. What was wrong with him?

Sam, like anyone else, has a weakness.

His was that he loved really cute things. No, that's not right. He loved cute, fluffy things. Specifically, bunnies. The way their ears flowed down, the way their nose twitches, the way their fur is so soft, the way they just look at you with those cute little soulful eyes.

Sam couldn't keep bunnies in his home as his mother was allergic, so he made do with plushies of it. He didn't just 'like' rabbits. He adored them to death. So, seeing a human bunny kinda fried Sam's brain.

"Samuel?"

Sam shook his head, coughed and blinked rapidly a few times to try to get the image of a bunny away from his head. She's a girl. A human. A human girl. No matter how many times he said it in his head, when he looked at her, his mind went blank again.

He did, however, manage to croak out, "Pleased to meet you."

The little bunny gave this really dazzling smile as she answered in the sweetest voice Sam ever heard, "Pleased to meet you, too, Senior Samuel."

"Sam," he said automatically, "Only Beatrice calls me by my full name."

Sam meant that Beatrice was just too stubborn and rigid not to use his nickname but Betty took it to mean that Beatrice was someone special to him so only she could use his full name. Betty found herself feeling sad about that and she didn't know why.

Sam, on the other hand, wondered what made her suddenly look so sad and he wanted to hug her for comfort. He even found himself subconciously taking a step forward when she suddenly smiled and said, "Okay, Senior Sam! Got it! I'll go and sit down now, and not bother both of you."

Betty ran off, wanting to give them some private time. She should be happy that Beatrice has someone by her side but for some unexplained reason, she wasn't as happy as she thought she would be.

Sam watched her go, blinking rapidly and suddenly feeling like backstage was rather ... dreary. Still, the bunny had been right. There was work to be done. Sam went back to concentrating on the task at hand.