Feh. Really, the things I do. This is actually an anime movie, so I didn't have it on my list. I bet you guys are thinkin, "She's never going to get all that anime off of her list!" And, you may be right. I keep getting distracted. But, since this IS anime, and even though it isn't officially on the list, I am obliged to write it because I had a great idea for it.

Also, another note on that damned list. I think the more anime I eliminate from it, the more I put on. As for anime movies, I'd have to write all about Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke, Castle in the Sky, The Cat Returns, etc...the list goes on forever.

So, without further ado, I present...Kay-chan's The Way You Help Me!

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Chihiro was adapting to her new life, her new home, and her new school quite well. She had made a few friends, and in the first few weeks of moving, she had been enthusiastic to help her parents unpack all of the cardboard boxes they had brought with them from their last home. Her parents, of course, had notice the change, and were very glad Chihiro had matured into a young lady, even if she was still a little moody at times.

3 months. She had been living in her new town for exactly 3 months. She had been in school for only 2 months. And for the past month, Chihiro had been having vivid dreams of Haku, Lin, Yubaba, No Face, Zeniba (or Granny, as Chihiro liked to call her), and all of her other friends from the bath house. Some of the dreams were memories, and others were just like dreams. Chihiro had had to tell herself several times that her adventures at the bath house hadn't been a big, unbelieveable, dream.

So, that morning as she got ready for school, Chihiro replayed last night's dream in her head. It had been the memory of her last, parting moments with Haku. She had asked him if they'd ever see each other again. He had promised her they would. But could she really believe that? Slinging her backpack over her shoulder, Chihiro smoother her school uniform and picked up a piece of toast from a smal pile on the table. Chihiro looked at the piece of toast and wished she had waited to brush her teeth. It didn't really make sense for her to brush her teeth and then eat, now, did it?

"Chihiro, honey, you better be getting to school soon! You don't want to be late, do you?" Chihiro rolled her eyes at her mom, and then shouted back, "Yeah, Mom, I'm leaving right now!"

Chihiro pulled on her shoes and was ready to wlak out the door when her mom appeared and gave her a big hug. "Don't forget, your father and I have to work late today, so you'll be home by yourself for an hour or two. I'll hurry home, though, okay?"

"Okay, Mom," Chihiro said through her mouthful of toast. Pulling open the door, Chihiro waved and said, "I'll see you later." Mrs. Ogini waved back and then shut the door once her daughter reached the sidewalk.

Chihiro hummed quietly to herself as she walked to school, devouring her toast in the first 2 minutes. Her bookbag was heavy, and that slowed her down a bit. Luckily, her school wasn't that far away. From a few blocks down, the girl could already see large groups of students heading through the large oaken doors to the elementary school. Looking to her left, Chihiro gazed down into the valley of condos easily seen from the school's high vantage poit. Sadly, she thought, That's where they filled in the Kohaku River. Haku and I would be able to live so close if it weren't for all of those people living there.

As Chihiro turned the corner to walk into the school, she was startled with the loud announcement of the late bell. Jumping, she frantically ran past the oaken doors her classmates had entered through and skidded down the hallways, up several flights of stairs, and down an annoyingly long corridor, only to stop in front of her classroom door.

Slamming open the door, Chihiro immediately started apologizing for being late. "Mr. Namatsuki, I'm really, really, REALLY sorry for being late, I--"

Mr. Namatsuki waved his hand impatiently. "Go sit down, Chihiro," he said in a bored voice. "You're late just about every day, you should know the drill by now."

Several kids snickered as Chihiro turned red. Taking her empty seat in the second row down, and to the right side (closest to the door), Chihiro dumped her bookbag at her feet and attempted to to calm her breathing. Mr Namatsuki continued on with what he was saying, as though the whole thing hadn't happened.

"And, as I was saying, we're going to have a new student this year." Chihiro's head popped up. She stared expectantly at the door, as though the student had yet to come in. "This, class, is Haku Nushi." The class clapped, and Chihiro realized her mistake. Her gaze wandered to the front of the class, where a boy around her height with shoulder-length black hair stood, staring back at her.

"Haku..." she whispered. There was no doubt about it, it was definitely Haku. Unfortunately for Chihiro, the boy next to her heard her whispered remark and took no time in shouting, "Aww...Chihiro's madly in love with Haku! You know what they say, it's always love at first sight!"

Mr. Namatsuki threw the boy a dirty look and the entire class grew silent, after a good bout of laughter. "Well then, Chihiro can just show Haku around the school then, huh?" Snickers abounded, but Haku's and Chihiro's eyelock did not break.

Mr. Namatsuki pointed out a seat in the back of the room, almost as far away from Chihiro as possible, it seemed. "That, Haku, may be you rseat. Now, I'd like the entire class to take out their Math books, and turn them to page 67. Today we'll be learning how to solve multi-step equations..."

Chihiro watched Haku as he made his way to his new seat, her eyes never leaving him. Lucky Haku, she thought. You got the window seat I've been wanting for so long. But, Haku, tell me. Why are you here?

Chhiro shook her head to clear it and rummaged in her backpack for the Math hardback. Turning to the correct page, she dazed off, putting on a fake face of concentration as she pretended to take notes. I have to show him around the school, she thought lazily, so when we have to go to our next class, I'll ask him. Maybe we'll have classes together. Or maybe I should wait until lunch to ask him, so that we have more time. I can't wait to talk to him! Those three months, what has he been doing? And why the heck is he here? Well, isn't he free from the bath house? I guess that means he can leave whenever..."

"Chihiro!" Mr. Namatsuki barked. Chihiro sat up straight. "Yes sir?" she asked half-heartedly.

Mr. Namatsuki sighed. "Please, please pay attention in class." Chihiro's face drooped, and she muttered an apology. "And while you're at it, answer number 21 on page 73."

Chihiro found the problem. "Eh?" she asked quietly. Mr. Namatsuki looked at her expectantly, so Chihiro sighed and answered the question to the best she could. "Well, after you times 5 by -4, you get u + 12 -20. Then you subract 12 from both sides and u -8."

Mr. Namatsuki smiled at Chihiro. "That's a good try, Chihiro, but you forgot one thing. Because you subracted 12, and 20 was already a negative, you add a negative and a negative together, so the answer would be -32. You just got switched up a little."

"Oh," Chihiro uttered. She had forgotten that. But, even Mr. Namatsuki had said it. She had been close.

"Now, Yamaki, please do number 22." Mr. Namatsuki continued the class, and this time Chihiro actually tried to pay attention. That was, until she felt eyes watching her. Turning her head slightly, Chihiro looked into the back of the classroom and came face-to-face with Haku. The boy was staring at her with his calm, green eyes. Then, as though ignoring her, he turned and looked out the window, where the valley of condos were clearly visable.

Chihiro frowned and looked down at her textbook. Was Haku mad at her? Was he trying to ignore her, to make her feel bad? Chihiro could have cried right then, but she held back her tears. She was already made fun of by the rest of the class enough. Besides, even though Haku had seen her cry before, and had even cried with her when he rememebred his real name, Chihiro did not want to cry in front of the boy. It would make her feel weak. Weaker than she knew she already was.

When the bell rang, Chihiro was miserable. She had spent a lot of her energy on keeping in tears, and she wordlessly gathered all of her books and dropped them into her bookbag, picking that up to and walking with the rest of the class to the door. A hand stopped her right before she was about to go through, though.

"I hope you don't mind showing me around," a quiet voice said. Chihiro tingled. That same voice had played through her head several times the night before, and the whole of the month.

Chihiro turned to look up at Haku. "Of course not!" she said in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. Her breath hitched in her throat when she saw the sadness in Haku's eyes. Had that emotion been there earlier? Chuckling a little to easy her own feelings, Chihiro asked, "But can I put my bookbag in my locker first? I don't want to carry it around." Haku nodded his head to show he didn't care, adn then the two stepped out into the hallway that was already full enough with students rushing to get to their next class.

"So, Haku, what's your next class?" Chihiro asked when they reached her locker. Putting in the combination and opening the door, Chihiro almost dropped her books when it was slammed shut right in her face.

"Hey, Chihiro," Akito asked, leaning up against the locker to the left of Chihiro's. Haku frowned from Chihiro's right, and Chihiro was stuck in the middle. "Whatcha doing with this new boy? Why don't you come hang out with me during lunch, kay? Get away from that weirdo over there?" Akito nodded in Haku's direction, but the black-haired boy was emotionless.

Chihiro scowled in Akito's face. "Hey!" she said. "I just got that open!"

"I know, that's why I closed it," Akito grinned. He loved it when Chihiro was mad at him, because her face was so cute. That was why he, the school bully, chose to pick on her specifically.

"Dummy," Chihiro mumbled, getting to work on her lock again. While she busied herself with opening the locker, Chihiro asked Haku again, "Haku, what was your next class?"

Haku responded this time in his low, calm voice, "Science." It was all he uttered.

Akito laughed at Haku's short response. "You are one weird kid," he told Haku. Chihiro listened to Akito's comment and it made her mess up the last number on her lock. Growling, she turned to Haku and pointed down the hallway, to the right. "The Science room is the last one on the left. I'll meet you there in a minute, because I have that class too." Then, she turned back to the lock and started again.

"I can wait," Haku said quietly. Akito laughed again. Chihiro looked up from the lock and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, I'll probably make you late!" Haku shrugged his shoulders, as though it didn't matter, and leaned against the locker to Chihiro's right.

Akito raised his eyebrow at this and asked in a mocking voice, "What? Are you trying to be cool like me, little man?" Akito slicked back his shiny, dark brown hair, and Haku felt the urge to twitch at the disgusting sight.

"No," Haku replied, a defiant look on his face. "I can't think of one reason I'd like to be a person like you."

Chihiro opened her locker with a resounding, "Ahah!" She was completely oblivious to the stares Akito and Haku were giving each other. Taking out her books, Chihiro shut her backpack into the locker and grabbed Haku's hand, pulling him off in the direction of the Science room. They entered the room just as the bell rang.

"Chihiro! What's your excuse this time?" Mrs.Nakamura asked the girl. The teacher hadn't taken roll call yet, so she did not know they had a new student.

"Locker troubles!" Chihiro said quickly, pulling Haku with her to the only open lab counter. The Science room also doubled as the Chemistry room, so everyday students had to manuever their way around beakers, test tubes, and the dangerous chemicals sometimes left out by the earlier class's students.

Mrs. Nakamura sighed. Chihiro was always late to her class, and everyday she had a good excuse. Mrs. Nakamura always believed Chihiro, because she had witnessed some of Chihiro's troubles herself. The older woman knew how Chihiro was Akito's favorite "plaything". Reading the names for roll call, Mrs. Nakamura just went on with class as though Chihiro had actually been on time. At the bottom of the list was a new name, however.

"Haku Nushi? Who the heck is he?" Nakamura looked up from her clipboard and finally noticed the boy that had come in with Chihiro. "Oh. I see we have a new student. Who's in charge of showing him around?"

Chihiro raised her hand shakily. Mrs. Nakamura should have known; it was sort of obvious because the two had walked in together. "Alright, Chihiro, you get to tell him all the rules and guidelines...things of that nature." Addressing the rest of the class, Mrs. Nakamura clapped her hands and announced, "Today we'll be pairing up to create 3-D replicas of DNA." Groans were heard throughout the room, but the artists in the class just smiled and shook their heads at their silly classmates.

Mrs. Nakamura let the kids choose their own partners, and Chihiro instantly turned to Haku. "I'm so glad you're back!" she whispered. Haku's eyes grew wide, and then he let a small smile play on his lips.

Chihiro caught Mrs. Nakamura looking in her direction, so she immediately started to list off the class rules. "Um, so, the first rule in here in that you shouldn't touch anything unless your told to, and you shouldn't do anything unless Mrs. Nakamura says so. Ah, and always get your homework done, listen in class..." Chihiro breathed in a sigh of relief when Nakamura looked away.

Going back to their previous conversation, Chihiro asked Haku, "So, why are you here? Is everything at the bath house alright? Or did you leave there?"

Haku shook his head and put a hand on Chihiro's shoulder. His voice was dead serious wen he said, "Chihiro, there's something I need to ask of you, but not right now. I don't want to risk anyone else overhearing, and we need to work on whatever project Mrs. Nakamura has planned for us."

"How about we talk about it during lunch?"

"Yes, that'll work. So, what's DNA?"

Chihiro's stomach flipped. "D-DNA?" she asked faintly. "Well..."

Chihiro had a lot of explaining to do...

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Aw, poor Haku. He's going to have a hard time understanding everything, because I don't think they had things like electronics and algebra in the spirit world. So, in the next chap, you'll learn why Haku is in Chihiro's world. Also, could someone tell me his real hair color? I thought it was green at first, but because he would be made fun of in school, I decided his hair was more of a dark brown. Googling it, half the pictures his hair is brown, the other half it's black. So, I stuck with black, because Akito's hair is brown.

By the way, Akito's an OC, but he doesn't have any romantic ties to the story. Even if he's a major character. (Shush, I never said that.)