A/N: I can't believe I'm doing this. I mean really, really can't believe it. People, your persistence has won me over, and due to your requests I have decided - GRUDGINGLY - to re-post Matchbox.

GAH. I really don't like this story anymore. I mean, I wrote it in my early high school years! It's so...so...GAH. But you guys keep asking for it, and I've finally caved. I'm editing it as I repost it, just enough so that I don't shudder violently in horror every time I open up the document. Your feedback is welcome of course, but if someone comes on and flames this fic, well, I WROTE IT WHEN I WAS FOURTEEN. SHAZZAM.

Then again, it's sort-of-kind-of-MAYBE nice to revisit these characters and stuff. But only SORT OF :)

That being said, I don't own Yu Yu Hakusho, and please proceed to read.

Persisent Alarms Result in Raving Teens

"Good morning folks, it's another chilly day in Tokyo and you're sharing it with your favorite morning announcer, Jerry! Let's get those kids up up up and out of-,"

The sudden break in the silence was abruptly silenced by a tan fist slithering out of the bundle of covers. The bundle of blankets then proceeded to flop over and snuggle further into the mattress.

Ahh, peace.

"No accidents on the roads today so all should be clear on your way to work-,"

With an agitated growl a head poked out of the mountain of covers and slammed down with heavy force on the poor unsuspecting clock. Lupin glared at it for a full minute, having a stare down with the glowing green numbers. Finally, satisfied it would keep quiet, she again rolled into her warm colours.

"In sports today the Kyoto Spitfires stole the g-,"

"FINE!!"

Lupin stumbled out of bed and flicked the radio off once again before moving in a weary daze to the washroom. Yawning and rubbing her eyes, Lupin brushed her teeth quickly and threw on a pair of black pants, along with a white blouse. Lupin always kept her black gloves on. A little smile flitted over her features as she then put on her black fisherman's hat.

Sock-sliding out of her room, Lupin made it down the hall and to the kitchen. As she walked past the table, she kissed her fingers and pressed them to a picture frame casually, as she did every day.

"Morning onii-san, kaa-san, otou-san," she said, opening the fridge and peeking inside. She stuck her tongue out in distaste at the options available and shut it again. Lupin picked up her waiting book bag and strung her headphones around her neck, glancing around the empty house once before turning and walking out the door.

Before stopping quite abruptly.

"MY SHOES!!"

Like a black blur Lupin tore back into the house and to the living room, immediately spotting one white sneaker. Hopping on one foot she searched around frantically for the other, tripping over the couch in the process.

"Here shoe-y shoe-y shoe-KYA!!" Lupin glared at the couch as her shoe was finally put on, and then groaned in the hopeless search for her other. The wagging of a tail against the pale carpet caught her attention, and she looked up at the big black husky sitting in the kitchen doorway.

With her shoe.

"Kohaku!" Lupin yelled, scrambling up. "Give me that!"

As soon as he saw his mistress coming, Kohaku gave a loud 'woof' and dashed away out the door.

"KOHAKU! You get back here!!"

Disregarding everything Lupin tore after the dog, who was running flat out down the street, tail wagging like mad. Damn, that dog could run! Lupin soon found herself jumping fences, clearing garbage pails, and narrowly getting run over by a few cars in the private streets of her neighborhood.

All the while yelling at the dog like an idiot.

"KOHAKU WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO WALK STRAIGHT FOR DAYS!!"

Kohaku, of course, was oblivious to whatever she was saying in that weird human language of hers and continued running. Coming within attacking distance of her target, Lupin leaped up with a loud battlecry and pounced on Kohaku mid-stride, clamping her arms around the thick torso of her pet and digging her one protected foot into the concrete. Pulled to a halt, Kohaku sat within her embrace, tail still wagging happily.

"That would be mine," she said, grabbing the toe of her sneaker. But, of course, Kero decided she was playing tug-of-war.

She really had to send this dog to military school.

"No - come on - give - me - the – shoe," suddenly they both let go of the shoe at the same time, making it fly down the sidewalk. Kohaku yipped cheerfully when his master growled at him. Lupin crawled after it, muttering irritably, and reached for the battered footwear. Just as her fingers touched it, she noticed the pair of feet sitting just behind the shoe.

Huh?

Slowly, Lupin turned her purple gaze upwards to meet a pair of eyes that literally caused her to shy away. Dark green orbs bore into her own. They were sharp, calculating, focused.

Deadly.

"Sorry," she murmured quickly. She dropped her head a bit, and without waiting tore her gaze from his own and turned back around, hopping back to Kohaku as she put her shoe on. She shivered, but didn't look back.

That man was scary.

"Lupin!"

Lupin looked up towards the girl waving her down. "What, terrorizing strangers now?"

Lupin mock-glared at her classmate, watching Kohaku trot off after assuring his master

had an escort.

"Very funny. What's up?"

Mukashi-san shrugged, slipping her hands in her pockets as they walked down the street to school. "We have that presentation at the private school today, right?"

"Joy," Lupin answered unenthusiastically. She folded her arms over her chest and looked up at the overcast sky. "How I'd hate to go to a private school."

"I know what you mean," Mukashi-san smiled in response. "I don't think a private school would suit you either, Kouyuu-san. You're too much of a rebel."

"'Rebel'," Lupin repeated, disgruntled. Mukashi-san giggled as they entered the school's front doors, and Lupin smiled back at her. Mukashi-san was one of the few people in the school that didn't stutter when Lupin spoke to them. The black-haired girl wasn't sure if it was because Mukashi was unaware of Lupin's reputation, or if she just didn't care, but Lupin appreciated it in any case.

As they entered the hallway, a couple of other girls in their year waved to Mukashi-san, but reared back a bit when Lupin glanced absently in their direction.

"G-g-good morning, Mukashi-san, K-Kouyuu-san," stammered one girl with pigtails. Lupin looked at them for a moment before focusing on Mukashi-san, who greeted the girls cheerfully.

"Jaa, Mukashi-san," Lupin raised a hand in a small wave goodbye. "I'll see you later."

"Okay, Kouyuu-san, see you in class!"

Lupin walked away from them, ignoring the girls' voices behind her as they whispered nervously to Mukashi-san.

"Mukashi-san, why were you walking with her?"

"Are you in trouble?"

"Do you owe her money or something?"

"Nani? Kouyuu-san is very kind!"

With a small sigh, Lupin found her locker and switched shoes before pulling her books from the shelf and walking to her next class. As usual, she found her seat near the window and waited for class to started, doodling absently on her notebook. She glanced again at the overcast sky outside, and sighed.

Just another day, she thought boredly.

Finally the bell rang, signalling the end of school, and Lupin slowly got her books together as the rest of the class scrambled to get out of the classroom. Finally, she tucked her books under her arm, rubbing the back of her neck and stifling a yawn as she made her way to the door, as usual the last one out. As soon as she stepped outside the threshold, a long arm dangled a coffee just above her head. Instantly grasping the coffee with a surprised 'oh?', she followed the arm to the tall body of Kouyuu Kisuke, her elder cousin, leaning against the wall outside her classroom with a decidedly flat expression on his face. Then again, his face always looked like that.

Lupin blinked at him. "Kisuke!" she said in surprise, as she brought the warm coffee cup to her chest and shut the classroom door behind her. "I thought you had practise tonight?" Kisuke only blinked at her, bland expression still in place. He was an incredibly good looking bad-boy, much to the delight of the school's female population. There wasn't much Kisuke hadn't gotten into trouble for at school, and this year alone he had already suffered three suspensions, two of them in-school. Much to the displeasure of Lupin's aunt and uncle, Kisuke's parents and head of their family, Kisuke was often called the black sheep of the family even though he was supposed to eventually be head of it. Despite this, Lupin had never known her cousin to be mean or cruel, at least not to her; he always appeared so mellow to her. But even she couldn't deny Kisuke's complete disregard for school work, or family affairs, or even in becoming family head at all. In fact, the only thing Lupin knew Kisuke to be dedicated to was the piano. It was his passion.

"Cancelled," Kisuke pushed himself away from the wall and fell into step next to her, as they made their way down the emptying hallways. "Sensei's got a cold."

"That's too bad," Lupin commented, but couldn't completely wipe the smile off her face. She hated Kisuke's strict piano teacher, a strict old woman that treated Kisuke like dirt. She didn't know how he could stand the woman's constant ridicule every day. Lupin took a sip of the coffee and savoured the warmth that sloshed over her tongue. "Mm…this is good. Guatemalan, right?"

"Sure," Kisuke shrugged and lifted his hand to sit on Lupin's head. He ruffled her hair through her hat. "Isn't that presentation today at Meiou?"

"Aa," Lupin agreed, glaring vehemently at him as she paused to remove her hat and reorder her hair. Kisuke was still staring at the path ahead absently, oblivious to her dirty looks. "In a half an hour. I was about to walk there now. Did you want to come?"

"I'll walk you there," her cousin said, shoving his hands in his pockets. "Besides, your sense of direction is absolutely hopeless so there's no chance you'd be able to get there in time on your own."

"Nani?" Lupin demanded irritably. "That's a complete exaggeration! I couldn't possibly get lost from here to Meiou Private School, it's only three blocks away! And don't ridicule your own flesh and blood so offhandedly!"

"Age four, got lost in the grocery store trying to eat all the free samples," Kisuke said in a bored tone. Lupin leapt back. "Age six, got lost at the waterpark. Age twelve, got lost on the first day at your new school, which was only three minutes from your house, age fourteen-," A pile of textbooks connected with the back of Kisuke's head.

"I get it," Lupin muttered, struggling to hold all of her textbooks with her coffee occupying one hand. Kisuke rubbed the back of his head absently and stared at her from beneath his black bangs. Lupin glared back and marched out the school doors. "Come on, we're going to Meiou."

"Meiou's the other way," Kisuke muttered as she turned left onto the sidewalk. He trailed slowly after her. Lupin turned on her heel, face red.

"I KNEW THAT!"

Chapter one done.

GAH.

onii-san - big brother

okaa-san - mother

otou-san - father

san - honorific, used for someone you would consider above your station, or someone you're acquaintances with, also used in place of Miss, Mr, Mrs, Ms, etc