For Leona, Irrevocable Truth, and Nikki, EzMouse. Because they are an awesome power couple in the kingdom of Amicus. Hrrhrr.

Now, I introduce to all of you the Kubler-Ross model.

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She frowned.

Hotaru sat on the rim of the roof, her tangled legs swinging over the small breezes that passed by, her short ebony hair flying unknowingly behind her. She hiccuped continuously as more tears threatened to pour down on her face. She was shivering; the harsh winter breezes pushed on her body violently, making her rock every now and then. Do I deserve this?, she asked herself again and again.

No. I don't.

Stage One - Denial

She stood up and brushed the dust off her night gown. Yes, she hadn't changed into something more warm. She didn't feel the need to after she found out about—the horrible news. She looked down from her high position. She wasn't going to jump, she knew. Though thoughts of it kept recurring with the idea that the physical pain would be nothing in comparison to what she was going through right now.

S-Stupid Hotaru!, she scolded herself, hiccuping one more time, you call other people stupid? Look at what you're doing! You think it's the end of your life? You know better! She took a step back, a sign of how thoughts crossing her mind were dizzying her. Would she be taking a literal big leap? Or would she instead choose to live on, facing everyday with an act of normality, that she did not feel anything at all inside? She closed her eyes, inhaling the crisp misty scent of the night. She'd miss it, wouldn't she? She'd miss everything.

Even that blond bastard, she admitted bitterly, clenching her fists.

Ever since news that her best friend and the guy she liked had formed some sort of relationship suddenly surfaced and circulated, she locked herself in her supposedly cozy triple star room which proved to be not so comfortable after a few days of isolation. She spent her nights crying, ignoring the continuous knocks and the worried shouts she would hear from the other side of the door—the most prominent one was from her best friend. She knew she'd had to go out someday soon.

Soon being a week and a half later, this very night, just so that she could get a whiff of fresh air. In comparison to the humid atmosphere forming in her room, this was refreshing. She was crying, she knew, but no one would dare go out to follow her anyway. Having new threats rising, the higher ups noted a curfew and noncompliance could lead to something disastrous. Hotaru didn't fear anything anymore. She's lost the only two things she found precious to her in the academy, what else is there to take? Her alice?

She opened her eyes, the clouded moon reflecting colorfully on her amethyst orbs. Her lips formed a pout as she felt a presence somewhere behind her. Not looking back, she asked, "Wh-Who's there?"

"It's just me, Imai," a rough yet velvety voice coughed out. "I thought that the sky would be nice tonight."

Hotaru couldn't argue—indeed the sky was absolutely tantalizing. "Yeah," she mustered enough courage to mutter. "It is."

"It's not the only thing here that looks rich, isn't it, Imai?"

"Fuck off, Hyuuga," she spat back, turning her body around to face him. "I don't need to feel more crappy."

"Is that so?" He raised a cocky brow up. "Does that mean you'll be in the mood for it tomorrow or the day after? Because from what I've been hearing lately, and seeing now that you've chosen to get out of that stuffy room of yours, you're the one who's giving shit loads of shit."

"Shut up!" Hotaru screamed at him—that is, if you would call it a scream at all when her voice was practically croaking. "You do not know a single thing I am going through right now."

Stage Two - Anger

"So you really think I'm that heartless, Imai," Natsume chuckled as he pocketed his hands. "Hate to break it to you, but I'm human." He pretended to gasp, rolling his eyes.

"It's human to be like this, Hyuuga. So really, go fuck off."

"You said that already," he bluntly pointed out. "But did I go away? No."

"One more and I'll shoot, Hyuuga," she threatened.

"You don't even have your gun with you, Imai. What the hell would you shoot with?"

Natsume was right. She didn't have any form of defense with her. She pursed her lips bitterly. The nerve of that arrogant bastard! "You're not the one who had their best friend go on with someone you actually cared about so much, Hyuuga. If anything, I think you're here to mock me because I look so vulnerable!"

She breathed. "Here, are you happy?! I'm messed up! Is that what you wanted to hear? Fuck it!"

Hotaru hid herself from his penetrating gaze and mentally slapped herself. An idiot she was! Natsume was always in love with Mikan, wasn't he? And she telling him that he doesn't understand was…quite just not possible. She frowned at how wrong she turned out to be. "I'm sorry. It's just that I, well, you know—"

"Yeah, I know." Natsume cut off, making Hotaru stare almost befuddled at him. "Mikan wouldn't talk to me about it. But she looks like she's really worried about you."

"Knowing the idiot, I'm sure she's more worried for you."

Natsume laughed halfheartedly. "I highly doubt it. But sit down, Imai. I'm sure you need someone that'll listen to you."

Hotaru threw him a wary look. "Are you sure you're Hyuuga?"

"Hn. Be grateful that at least you're spending your last moments with me."

So he was expecting me to commit suicide!

"You're really full of yourself, aren't you?"

"Chill Imai, I only said that because it's almost midnight."

Hotaru shrugged off her thoughts of his veiled selfishness and confessed, "I would do anything to turn back time."

Stage Three – Bargaining

"Does that include giving up all your money?" Natsume asked with a queer smirk.

Hotaru almost choked, but admitted anyway, "Maybe. Literally, money can't buy you happiness. Guess I had to learn that the hard way."

"And?"

"Ruka confessed to me a few years ago. I told him to go away because I was building something for the festival. Mikan never told me that she liked him, so I was…you know. I was always sure that she liked you."

"Yeah, she told me."

"She did?"

"Do I have to repeat myself, Imai?"

"No," Hotaru replied in a more stoic voice. "But, what happened? Everything was almost perfect. They would've fallen into place, wouldn't they? I just wish that…"

"That what, Imai?"

"…that the blond bastard would die," she started to weep, clenching her fists and sobbing bitterly.

Stage Four – Depression

"You know what, Hyuuga? You suck. You and the whole world sucks."

"Sucks what?"

"Fuck yourself."

Natsume blared out an exasperated sigh. "What the heck, Imai? I'm trying to help here and you go all PMS-emotional? I think you need a freaking psychiatrist or something."

"Wow. More than twenty words from you," Hotaru meekly said. "None from Nogi."

"Why are you getting all hyped up on Ruka anyway?" Natsume asked, clearly irritated.

Hotaru frowned and turned away from him, looking back at the previous site she enjoyed before he came. "I'm depressed."

"Now that isn't obvious," he commented.

"Why aren't you feeling anything? You're in love with the baka, the baka goes off into a relationship with your best friend; you stay impassive. Now that's seriously messed up."

"I'll get over it," Natsume said, crossing his arms against his chest. After hearing no reply from the girl, he continued, "And I guess you should too."

Stage Five – Acceptance

Natsume was right. Hotaru wouldn't dare admit it out loud, but one way or another, he was right. The raven-haired conceited male counterpart of a bitch who had this weird fascination for girly prints was actually…right. She wouldn't accept that he would always be right, but she'd do with the one about moving on.

Ruka Nogi was a guy. He was just another one of them. Cross out the part where she was once upon a time in love with him, then maybe there was nothing else to compare. He had girly looks, sounded like a castrato fresh from castration, and had a really deep connection with a rabbit.

He was…weird.

And truth be told, if Natsume didn't indirectly point that out (even if Ruka was his best friend) Hotaru might have contemplated heavily about jumping off.

And right now, the thought to her was excruciatingly terrifying.

The big clock tower at central town struck midnight, sounding out the large chimes. The silence passed for a few more minutes, none of them budging albeit the cold winds. Hotaru continued to sit still, shivering through the thin dressing.

"Hey Cinderella," Natsume called, making Hotaru look. "You're like your best friend."

"Why?"

"You keep on dropping things. Not skirts like her, but you get what I mean."

"No, I don't."

"Your shoes. You dropped them at the door."

Oh.

Oh.

"Hey Imai," Natsume called again with a small smirk. "You're like your best friend."

"I'm absolutely sure that I'm not like the idiot, Hyuuga."

"Whatever you say, Imai," Natsume shrugged, walking back to the door. Hotaru stayed stationary, her eyes following his retreating figure. "Did I say Imai?" Natsume asked when he was at the door, when Hotaru finally got off the ledge.

"What of it?"

"I meant stripes," Natsume replied, closing the door behind him.

Now, in normal circumstances, Hotaru would have chased after him or would have thoughts of charging him for such a crime against her. But it wouldn't have been fair, would it? She owed him now.

She smiled.

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Story Word Count: 1,894 words.

This is a month overdue! The first one I wrote is in my missing USB--which I assume won't be appearing anytime soon. The second one is in my dead laptop--yes, it's with the rest of my dead files. I'm sorry if this sucks so much. ._. It's full of curse words because...my best friend made me do it. Bad, bad Javier. D: Anyways, that's just it, I think. I suck at proofreading my own works, so let me know if you see any errors or something and you will be given much love for it. I suck at writing, too. XD

I am inactive right now because my laptop is dead. I'm so sorry. :(