Author's Note: THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER (unless I feel like writing an epilogue). It took so many years to right and so many hiatuses, but I finally finished it. For those who have been with me to the bitter end, thank you for your support and your patience. And for those who are new readers, thank you for making it through 20 chapters, that takes a lot of persistence! I hope you guys enjoy this final chapter. I've never completed a fanfiction before, but it feels good!

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Also, don't own the lyrics to Earth Angel.

Last time:

I didn't care if I had to run a mile in those killer heels. I couldn't believe my hair could be so shiny or soft. I only hoped that Aoshi would be able to run his hands through my curls before the night was through.

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Eight o'clock finally arrived and every part of my body had been primped. I had finally slipped into my dress and, after much argument, tied on modest two-inch heels. Kamatari had decided to focus on my eyes and therefore I had minimal make-up on my lips and cheeks, but an entire rainbow of colors around my eyes. I had forbidden her from using fake eyelashes (I could barely keep my real ones from falling into my eyes) and so she had gone a little crazy with the mascara.

After I threatened to wash my face, she finally toned it down and stripped off a few layers of eye shadow, eyeliner and mascara. I was relieved that I wouldn't be going to the dance with raccoon eyes. I was also pleased by how toned my arms looked, although I refused to tell Kamatari and Soujiro in case they made me do more push-ups or bicep curls.

Giving myself one last look-over, I was very pleased with the final result. I looked great, but I also looked like myself. I didn't look five years older or like a model, and for some reason this made me happy. Although I sometimes complained about my looks or my weight, truthfully I was comfortable with whom I was and I was glad that Kamatari had respected my wishes to stay the same.

"Oh Misao, you look so pretty!" Kamatari said. Soujiro nodded while knotting his bow-tie.

"Thank you so much, Kamatari. I can't believe I almost stayed at home! I don't know how I can repay you guys." I said, almost choking up. Like I said, I've been going through a very weepy time.

"Just make sure we're the hottest people at the dance!" Kamatari said, "Now no crying, or you'll ruin my artwork. And let's go, the dance started fifteen minutes ago!"

We hurried downstairs where, unfortunately, Mr. Shishio's car was waiting. Kamatari dove into the passenger seat while Soujiro and I squeezed our way into the tiny backseat. I tried hard not to make eye contact with my math teacher.

"You look nice, Misao," he coughed out, shocking me and angering Kamatari.

"Thank you, sir," I replied awkwardly while Kamatari adjusted her water bra and glared at me.

The car smelled like dust and chemicals and I felt woozy by the time we arrived at the school. The parking lot was packed and my heart jumped every time we passed a car that looked like Aoshi's. Then I remembered that I had wrecked his car and therefore he would probably have bought a different looking one.

"Aoshi won't know what hit him," Kamatari whispered to me before she threw open the gym doors.

I gaped at her, wondering how she had remembered my crush after all those weeks. She only winked at me and pushed me into the crowded gym. I took a deep breath, squared my shoulders and did what I can only label as a sashay into the room. I turned around to see if Kamatari had seen how fluidly I had walked in my heels, but both Kamatari and Soujiro had disappeared.

I felt myself starting to sweat and panic at being left alone to fend for myself. But then I gave myself a stern talking-to.

"Misao," I said to myself, "don't wimp out now! You look great, your dress looks great and you WILL have a good time. Don't let anything bring you down because you are a STRONG WOMAN!" I pumped my arms up and went to find someone to dance with.

Before, I would have been skulking around the punch bowl, hoping for someone to ask me to dance, but no longer. Maybe it was the new hair, or maybe it was all those female empowerment tapes that Kaoru had given me kicking in, but I was filled with a confidence that had not been there before.

I sashayed over to a nearby boy and tapped him on the shoulder.

"Whaddya want," he shouted, turning around with his fists raised.

It was Yahiko. I hadn't recognized him with all the strobe lights and his hair had given him a few extra inches so I had thought he was taller. When he realized I wasn't some bully that was going to dunk his head into the punch bowl, he lowered his fists.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you some upperclassman trying to mess with me," he said sheepishly, tugging at his collar. Then he did a double-take.

"Misao! Is that you?" He cried, before jabbing at my chest, "when did you get boobs!"

I saw red for a second and my hand rose to smack the life out of the brat, but then I remembered my vow to have a good time. Getting kicked out of the dance for violence did not factor into that equation. Instead of backhanding him, I merely batted his hand off my chest.

"Yahiko. If you promise to behave, do you want to dance with me?" I asked, making sure to smile.

He was clearly shocked by my pacifist ways and could only nod soundlessly.

Yahiko turned out to be a good dancer. Apparently, in a bid to make her son more popular, his mother had signed him up for dance classes two years ago. He had to quit after his classmates found out and started making fun of him, but he still practiced from time to time in the safety of his room. We had a great time on the dance floor and he taught me the robot, the chicken dance and even the foxtrot. When a slow song switched on, however, we both ran off the dance floor as if we were being chased.

Back at the punch bowl, I saw him staring at a girl who was sitting on the bleachers. She was also a freshman and, like Yahiko, had skipped a few grades.

"Geez, I know you've never been laid, but isn't it a little obvious that staring at her isn't gonna do the job?" I asked, reusing a line Yahiko had said to me in our first detention together.

He quickly turned around and pretended he didn't know what I was talking about.

"I have an idea," I said, then dragged him by the arm to the bleachers. I acted so quickly that Yahiko didn't start struggling until we were already in front of the girl he liked.

"My friend here, Yahiko, would like to ask you something," I said, before pushing Yahiko in front of me.

"Um, er, well, dance? Maybe?" He sputtered, rubbing his hands nervously on his pants. The girl smiled and nodded. Yahiko's face split into a grin so big he reminded me of the Cheshire cat. He stuck out his arm and helped her off the bleachers and onto the dance floor.

I dusted off my hands, happy to have created such an adorable couple. I should become a matchmaker!

"That was nice of you," a deep voice said behind me. I knew, as I always did, that the voice belonged to Aoshi. I didn't want to turn around because I was afraid of what I would do. My legs began shaking so badly that I had to sit down.

He sat down next to me, but I kept my eyes straight ahead. I couldn't look at him or I would strangle him, or worse, kiss him.

"You look nice tonight, Misao," he said softly. The way he said my name, as if he was blowing the steam off a hot cup of tea, made me shiver. "Really nice."

I couldn't even blink because my eyes had started to tear up, maybe because of the non-blinking, but most likely because even his voice brought up a hundred different emotions in me. Also, again, I was in a weepy phase.

I finally spotted Kaoru on the other side of the gym.

"I have to go," I said hurriedly, "my friends are here."

I walked away as fast as my high heels could take me, but I could still hear Aoshi say my name.

"Misao!" Kaoru called when she saw me rushing towards her, "you look so beautiful. Is that a new dress?"

"Huh? Oh yeah, I just bought it a week ago. Where's Kenshin?" I wanted to divert all attention off myself in case she asked me why I looked so shaken.

"Oh, he accidentally stabbed his hand with the pin in his boutonnière, so he's in the restroom washing his flower." Kaoru explained, using a voice that was both adoring and amused.

"That's Kenshin. So debonair one moment and so clumsy the next," I joked, hoping my voice sounded steady.

Kaoru laughed, before pulling me closer to give me a hug. "I'm so sorry I've been neglecting you, Misao. It's just that, being with Kenshin makes me so… I don't know, distracted. Anyways, I'm a horrible friend and I promise that I'll never pay more attention to Kenshin than you."

"You're so sweet, Kaoru," I said, touched by her caring words, "but don't worry, I understand. You and Kenshin are like soulmates and I think that I can share my best friend with him."

We smiled at each other and again my eyes started watering. Damn this weepy phase!

"Anyways, you look great too! Blue is such a pretty color on you," I finally said. Kaoru did look beautiful in a strapless blue dress that swished against her knees when she walked. She was also wearing a necklace I had never seen before.

"That's such a pretty necklace," I remarked and from the blush that spread across her face, I knew that Kenshin had bought it for her.

"It's a locket," she said, fingering the charm, "I haven't found pictures to put in it yet, but I was thinking about that picture of us when we were five."

I laughed, remembering the photo. "You mean the one where we're sitting together on that sandcastle…"

"That the kids who had been pulling my hair built?" Kaoru finished.

"I really kicked their asses, huh." I laughed, remembering the third-graders who had tried to push us around, but had wound up with bloody noses instead.

"You were always so violent," Kaoru said jokingly and I lightly punched her in the arm.

"Hands off my girlfriend," Kenshin said, emerging from outside. We both laughed and I asked about his hand.

"Eh, I've had worse," He shrugged, "but I managed to get the flower clean." He showed us the white rose, which was wet, but spotless.

There was a slightly awkward silence, which I ended decisively by saying, "anyways, I've got to find Kamatari and Soujiro. You guys go dance. I think a slow song is coming on." I wagged my eyebrows at them suggestively before turning to go.

Kenshin grabbed my shoulder. "Dance with us, Misao. We haven't seen you in weeks."

Something about his face made me realize he was being sincere.

"Okay, let's cut a rug!" I exclaimed, dragging them both into the crowd.

The three of us jumped around and made up dance moves for three songs until the DJ switched over to "Earth Angel," some old sixties song that I secretly adored. Come to think of it, most of the songs that had been played were oldies. Clearly our dance budget had not been enough to hire a DJ with more current tastes.

Earth angel, earth angel
Will you be mine?

My darling dear,
Love you all the time.
I'm just a fool,
A fool in love...
With you

I hugged both Kenshin and Kaoru before weaving my way out of the crowd, which was now made up of swaying couples. Looking back, I saw Kenshin and Kaoru holding one another so gently and, once again, I teared up. I wondered if my make-up was running from all the crying.

Earth angel, earth angel
The one I adore,
Love you forever,
And ever more

I'm just a fool,
A fool in love
With you.

I walked around the last couple in my way and couldn't wait to rest my feet when suddenly, Aoshi planted himself in front of me.

"Why are you ignoring me," he asked. Again, I looked everywhere except his face.

I fell for you,
And I knew
The vision of your loveliness
I hoped and I prayed
That someday,
I'd be the vision
Of your happiness

"Why are you talking to me?" I asked, focusing on the pleats of his shirt.

"Because you're ignoring me." He replied, as if that answered everything.

I tried to look for a familiar face out of the corner of my eye, but being so close to Aoshi made it hard to focus.

Earth angel, earth angel,
Please be mine
My darling dear,
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool,
A fool in love
With you

I felt the urge to say something biting and witty and then make a quick retreat, but something made me realize that I would regret it. I had to find the answers to all my questions, or they would keep me up at night until I went insane.

"Why did you break up with Tomoe," I asked, finally summoning the courage to look him in the eyes. I instantly felt like I had swallowed hot butter.

"Maybe we should talk outside," he said, taking my wrist and leading me out of the gym. Some how, between the dance floor and the hallways, his hand slipped from my wrist to my hand and when we stepped out into the brightly lit halls, we were holding hands. It felt like the most natural thing to me, like breathing or eating.

I could still hear strains of the song from the gym.

I fell for you,
And I knew
The vision of your loveliness

I hope and I pray
That someday,
I'd be the vision
Of your happiness

Aoshi leaned against a locker and loosened his collar. I noticed that although he was wearing a tux, he had neglected to put on a bowtie or a tie, which meant that there was no obstacle between my eyes and his beautiful collarbones. I mentally slapped myself for being such a creep.

Earth angel, earth angel
Please be mine
My darling dear,
Love you all the time
I'm just a fool,
A fool in love...

With you.

"I broke up with Tomoe because she was rude to my mother," Aoshi said, while undoing his cuffs.

I remembered what little I knew about Aoshi's mother. She was a single mother and often worked late. When Aoshi had mentioned her, I had noticed how his eyes and mouth had relaxed.

"It made me realize who Tomoe really was," Aoshi continued, his eyes a stormy black.

I decided against telling him about Tomoe's "Out of Order" sign scheme.

"She's not a bad person," I suddenly say, although at the same time, I wondered why I was defending my nemesis.

"I never said she was," Aoshi said, surprised, "she's just not who I thought she was."

I understood. Tomoe had made a character for herself. She was the school's angel; she was soft, feminine, gentle and nice. But I knew now that no one was that perfect, including her. She was just a normal girl. Did that mean that Aoshi had expected her to be perfect, but when she showed her flaws, he kicked her to the curb?

I asked him that, word-for-word.

"No, I knew she wasn't perfect, but I saw how desperately she wanted to be perfect and she struck out every time someone noticed that she wasn't," Aoshi explained, crossing and uncrossing his arms, "that's why she snapped at my mom. My mom had offered to stitch up a hole in Tomoe's jacket and Tomoe told her to stop pretending to be a real mother."

Aoshi was too disciplined to shake with anger; instead he tensed every muscle in his body until he reminded me of a jack-in-a-box. I was afraid to keep asking questions, in case I accidently tripped the switch that would set him off.

"Then why did you kiss me in front of her like that on the bus," I finally managed, making sure to keep my eyes on his face. I didn't want to look like someone he could scare or push around.

"In fact, why did you ask me out at all? I'm a freshman! You're graduating this year. You're wanted by every girl in this school, I'm…" I cut myself off before I got carried away.

"Do you remember that time in detention when you punched that guy who was bothering you?" Aoshi asked, his mouth almost curved into a smile.

"Yeah, Yahiko. We have a bit of a history of violence," I replied, surprised he remembered.

"That's not the first time I noticed you, but it was the first time I realized how rare it is to find a girl like you. You're so comfortable with yourself and your strength and you don't let anyone push you around or try to change you," he said, his voice getting softer with every word until I had to strain my ears to hear the last part. I felt my body temperature skyrocket and I tried to stay focused.

"When was the first time you noticed me?" I asked, clearing my throat from all the emotions that clogged it. I hoped he wouldn't say something like, "I noticed you on the first day of school when you knocked over everyone in the lunch line after you slipped on a tray."

Instead, Aoshi laughed and I shivered again. I had to control my body or he'd be asking me if I had a fever.

"I was in the third grade and my friend was picking on this little girl on the beach. I was trying to finish our sandcastle, but he wouldn't leave her alone, so I went over there to try and drag him back. As I was trying to pull him away, this other little girl came out of nowhere and tacked us both to the ground. Before I could get up, she had punched us both in the nose and was yelling that if we ever bothered her friend again, she would spank us. Then she sat on my sandcastle. I never forgot her."

I gasped. Before, I had never remembered the boys' faces, only their cries of pain and humiliation. Now, thinking back, I remembered them. One boy had red hair and a painful looking sunburn and his face had crumpled like a piece of paper after I had punched him, but the other boy was different. He had black hair and dark eyes and after I had punched him, he just looked shocked and almost amused, as if he were looking from the outside in and realized how funny it was for a third grader getting beat up by a kindergartner.

"That was you! Oh my god, I'm so sorry. I didn't know that it was only your friend who was picking on Kaoru," I exclaimed, for some reason rushing over and rubbing his nose as if the injury had been inflicted only seconds, and not ten years, ago.

Aoshi only laughed again and took my hand. As if they were vines, our fingers instantly intertwined and I felt his rough calluses rub against my palm.

"I was so heartbroken about that castle, but I was too embarrassed to tell my mom about it," Aoshi mused, before wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me closer to his side. My heart hiccupped inside my chest. I could faintly hear his heart beating too. It was much slower than mine was, but it seemed to be quickening. Or maybe that was only my wishful thinking.

We leaned against one another in silence for awhile. Suddenly, I remembered a question he had forgotten to answer.

"You never said why you kissed me in front of Tomoe. That was why I've been ignoring you and why I pretended to like Kens—" I stopped myself, but from the way Aoshi was smiling, I had a feeling he knew who I was talking about. I had to learn how to stop myself from giving out all my secrets.

Luckily he didn't touch on the whole "fake in love with Kenshin" situation.

"I admit that was tactless of me. I had a feeling that was why you were avoiding me; if I were in your shoes I would've done the same thing. But you have to believe me when I say that I didn't kiss you in front of her because I was using you. Maybe that was why she kissed Kenshin afterwards, but that wasn't my reason," Aoshi said.

I wanted to believe him, but I had seen how he had stared at the back of Tomoe's head before he had kissed me. Again, I told him this, word-for-word.

"I was reliving our relationship," Aoshi admitted, "but, not in the way you think."

"I remembered the good times, yes, but I finally remembered the bad times. The times she was rude to those who saw the cracks in her mask, the times she ignored people who didn't fit with her image, and how often she asked me if she was prettier than this girl or that model. And then I looked at you, sitting next to me and how secure you were with yourself even though you were four years younger than Tomoe. I don't know, I don't usually act on emotions alone, but that time I did. I was just happy. Happy to be with you, not because of who you weren't, but because of who you were. I don't know if that makes any sense." Aoshi trailed off, or he would have if I hadn't kissed him.

I don't know how long we kissed, although my lungs were burning by the time we separated. Granted, my entire body, both inside and out, was burning. I hadn't felt this happy in a long time. Sanoske was wrong; Aoshi didn't dump Tomoe because she didn't put out. And, most importantly, I was wrong. Aoshi hadn't used me as a scab or a tool. He really did like me for who I was, no matter how much younger I was or how popular he was. I wanted to dance. Then I remembered that since were at a dance, I actually could.

"Let's go back," I said, pulling Aoshi with me back into the gym.

He smiled and followed.

"I've never heard you talk so much before," I said, before we entered the fray.

"I've never heard you talk so little," he replied, brushing a curl from my forehead.

"Touché," I said, squeezing his hand with mine.

Out on the dance floor, it felt like we were the only people dancing. For once, my mind was completely silent. I guess it was overwhelmed by how close I was to Aoshi. However, the silence never lasts, and my mind started working overtime after only a few songs. In one of the choruses, I suddenly remembered a question that had driven me nuts a few weeks before.

"Aoshi," I said, "do you remember that time you asked me for the time after our first detention together?"

He murmured a "yes."

"Well… you were wearing a watch…" I said, practically on pins and needles waiting for his answer.

"You mean this watch?" He rolled up his sleeve and showed me the watch I had seen those weeks before. It was on a cracked leather strap and I could clearly see, even with the blinking lights, that the face was cracked and the hands unmoving.

"It was my dad's. My mom gave it to me after he died. It broke a few years ago, but I still wear it."

I sighed into his chest. So much for the possibility that he had asked me the time only to hear my voice.

"However, I do have a cell phone that tells me the time. I always have it on me, in case I get bored and need a game." Aoshi pulled the cell phone from his pocket. The time was clearly shown in bright green numbers on the front screen.

I grinned up at him and pulled his head down for a kiss. Inside, I was singing hallelujah.

A drunken junior couple bumped into us, but I barely registered it. It was true. If you were with the right guy, you forgot about the sweaty people around you, the outdated music, the cheap confetti and the sticky floor. Because those things no longer mattered. When you're in the arms of the right person, not many things do.

THE END

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THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR STICKING WITH THIS FANFICTION UNTIL THE END! I could have never finished this without my readers. A million hugs, kisses and thanks.

Love,

clamsofmacabre