Hey guys, here is the first chapter of a rewritten version of one of my old stories, 'dancing ever after'...enjoy!

Chapter one – I'm not that girl

Aiko Hinamori.

The name echoed throughout the halls of the prestigious Seiyo Academy, school of music for boys. Never before had a boy been accepted so late in the year; they always came at the start of school, when they were eleven. Yet at sixteen, Aiko Hinamori was coming to the school, to sing, play, dance; whatever took his fancy, for he was in the top class. Only the best got into the top class, and they usually had to work their way up. So how was it, how could it be that one new guy got there on his first day? He hadn't even arrived at the academy yet, and his name was already on the top of the class board, next to the one name that could make everyone jealous, some even swoon;

Tsukiyomi Ikuto.

"Mama, please don't make me do this."

"Amu sweetheart, you wanted to come, and they don't accept girls! Besides, your hair looks sweet tucked up in that cap darling."

Amu sighed at her mother's attempt to cheer her up; she may have wanted to come to seiyo, but the fact that she was going disguised as a boy was not improving her already drab mood.

"Mama, a boy looking sweet at my age is not a good thing- papa the steering wheel!"

As they neared the school gates, Tsumugu had lost control, neglecting his duties as driver, and flinging his arms around his daughter in the back sobbing, causing the car to veer of the road and into a ditch. Midori quickly leaned over, madly spinning the steering wheel and turning the car back onto the gravel drive. Amu glanced through the expensive blacked out windows to see about fifty boys, all of her age and younger, ogling at the car with their heads stuck through the iron bars of the gates. She slid down in her seat moaning, as her sister Amu began to sing 'ten green bottles' in excitement.

Why me?

The car drew up outside the gates, and Ikuto smirked as a man and woman exposed themselves to the staring crowd, smiling as they opened a door and a boy slowly trudged out of the vehicle, looking as though he would rather be anywhere but here. Ikuto didn't blame him; the stares would get on anyone's nerves, and this boy probably didn't want to be here in the first place if he only came now. A younger girl, possibly about seven or eight leapt out after the boy, flinging her arms around him.

"Onee-chan, let's go, quick quick!" This earned muffled laughter from the crowd, hearing the now bright red boy referred to as 'older sister'.

"Onii-chan Ami, its onii-chan."

"Ok onee-chan!" she sang, and tugged at her brother's hand.

The second the boy got close to the gates and the guard swung them open, his once flushed face became cold and calm, glancing with golden honey eyes at the boys in front of him.

"Excuse me. My sister and I are trying to walk, and you are blocking the path." He sent them a death glare as the girl giggled and stuck her tongue out. They strode past us, the parents now dithering behind unsurely as they followed. Ikuto noticed the father had tears running down his face.

"My poor poor...but how will…he …can't believe you're…" the mother patted him as the walked past Ikuto, and he caught snippets of their conversation.

"Its fine tsumu…e'll be…after all, no-one plays violin and piano better than A…"

Ikuto smirked as they continued past him; so Aiko was a violinist too? Well, Ikuto thought as the crowd slowly started to move back up towards the school, eyes still fixed on the retreating backs of Aiko and Ami; this should be interesting.

"Here is your timetable and dorm room number; I hope you will excel and be very happy here at Seiyo."

A man with blue hair and kind eyes smiled down at Amu as she gazed blankly back portraying nothing of the turmoil that was going on inside her. The head master's name plate on his desk said Aruto Tsukiyomi, and several violins hung on the wall, labelled and with cases propped beneath them. Behind his desk was a wide window which, by glancing out of, you could see most of the school grounds, stretching on for miles until they reached a forest. An absurdly large fountain was just below on the grass, spurting waters that glittered different colours from the bright lights that were shone on them from the base. Even in the mid-morning sunlight you could see it as a dazzling jewel amongst the trees and shrubbery, flecked with sparkles from the sun overhead. Amu could only imagine what it must be like in the evening or at night; the curfew was so late that she had a feeling she would see a lot of it in all its splendour and majesty.

"Now then." Tsukiyomi's voice broke through her dazed thoughts as he pulled out a list of names. "I have a list of people who could show you around, help you out a bit seeing as you're new…ah, here we go." He jabbed his finger at a name, showing her the slip of paper.

"Ikuto Tsukiyomi?"

"That's right, my son Ikuto." He smiled at her and handed over three sets of uniform and some PE kit. Amu smiled as she looked at the trousers and shorts that she held in her hands; her old school uniform had been kilt style miniskirts, and it was nice for a change and to be able to dress like a guy. Her friends Utau and Rima had helped her go shopping for tomboyish clothing to wear when she wasn't in uniform, and she was quite pleased with how boyish she looked. They had even gone as far as to strap her chest down, and add padding round her stomach and waist so her hips were less curvy and defined. The outfit was highly uncomfortable, but it was definitely worth it; she only had to last a year, and then she could go to the unisex university for music and art she had been looking at. Amu's mother smiled behind her at her daughters hidden emotions; she was one of those few and fortunate people who could see right through the cool and spicy façade, and though neither of them knew it yet, as was Aruto. He could tell how nervous Amu was, and though he couldn't work out that 'he' was a girl; he still knew that there was something about her that he couldn't quite understand.

Ami and Tsumugu happened to be locked outside where they could do no harm by calling Amu 'onee-chan' or 'My darling little sparrow.' When Amu and her mother exited the headmasters study and walked back to the gates to say goodbye, Ami and Tsumugu were in tears. Ami clung onto her sister as if she would never let go, whilst Amu, gasping for breath, promised in her normal tone instead of the 'guy voice' she had been using, that she would see her again in a few months at Christmas. Amu watched sadly as her parents finally drove away into the distance, leaving her behind at the school. She had a feeling that her father would be trying to force Midori to turn around and come get her, bringing her back to the all-girls school she had attended. Her phone rang as she remembered what her mother had said about having a bit of independence from her protective father, who believed that if you went to an all-girls school you remained innocent until the age of thirty; he had yet to meet Rima and Utau when they weren't putting on their innocent young girls façade. She answered the phone only to yank it away from her ears as her father's screaming almost caused her ear drum to collapse.

"Got enough food have they fed you properly oh my little sparrow if you're rooming with a boy I'll come take you away right no -" In the distance, Amu saw a car swerving madly around on the road, and she could tell from the faint shrieking noises as she calmly hung up that her parents were having some kind of battle over the wheel; she half hoped Tsumugu would win and bring her home.

Her phone rang once again, and she answered yelling,

"Dad I'm fine please stop -"

"Amu?" she heard Utau's voice on the other end and giggled quietly.

"Oh, hi Utau."

"I have gossip. Guess who Yaya is dating?"

"Who, who?"

"Kaname! From the guys school across the road!" (A/N: NOT from vampire knight XD)

"No way! Hamasaka? Oh my god! I have to call her like, right now!" she hung up and was dialling Yaya's number when;

"You know, you really sound like a girl when you get all excited like that." A husky voice that reminded her of someone sounded out behind her, and she turned trembling to face the hottest guy she had ever seen in her life.

"This is our dorm room." Ikuto stared at Aiko as he glanced around the expensive suite like a rabbit caught in headlights.

"Our?"

"Sure. You got this dorm room, which happens to be mine." He smirked. "It's the best seeing as my dad owns this place and all." Amu gazed once again around at the big breezy room, with adjourning doors off the side; thank god the shower and bath were in a different room that could lock instead of just in the bedroom like the other cramped dorms, or she'd be in so much trouble. The room they were in had gold skirting boards, and golden silk curtains. For some reason it was not how Amu expected Ikuto's room to be, even though there were many instruments carefully arranged, as well as a three cream sofa's and a wide screen television, complete with game consoles and a four massive shelves of DVD's. Ikuto looked around the room with distaste.

"Its classy, but not my style. This is Tadase's choice of room décor. We each designed a room, and I got the main bathroom, which is much nicer and far more relaxing."

"We? How many people stay in this dorm?"

"The top five students, however it seems they have extended it to six for you, and added another bed into the bedroom."

Amu let out a breath, and Ikuto stared at her. This guy was strange, why was he so disappointed and nervous to get the best room? So what if he was sharing, if he was in any other room he'd have about ten students to room with.

Aiko walked over to the piano, and Ikuto followed, watching as he sat down and began to play and sing. He voice was quite light, but unnaturally deep. It was high pitched for a guy, but it sounded as though he was trying to make his voice low; it didn't sound like himself singing.

(A/N: I own these lyrics)

"Don't have to stay away all alone

I'll be with you even when there is no

Light at home

If you really want to know how a relationship's planned

I will show you if you just take my hand

Oh whoa I'll be there

I'll be there for you

When your world is grey

When the towers you built

Collapse around your face

I'll be there for you

When your world is turned to dust

I'll be there for you

The person you can trust

I'll be there

Don't have to struggle through this life

I'll help you when you're feeling like

There's too much strife

And you just need someone to love till the ends of the earth

I'll be that gi-"

Amu paused for a second and her hands slipped before she quickly rescued her slip up in the lyrics

"that guy

Oh whoa I'll be there

I'll be there for you

When your world is grey

When the towers you built

Collapse around your face

I'll be there for you

When your world is turned to dust

I'll be there for you

The person you can trust

I'll be there

Even if you feel like nothing else is real

I'll be there

Even when those friendships crumble to the ground

I'll be there

And even if you feel like happiness is out of reach

I'll be there to take your hand and-"

Amu was interrupted by four boys entering the room loudly and flamboyantly.

"I mean, he looks so girly"

"I heard he's staying in our ro-"

They were cut off when they saw Ikuto glaring, and Amu, or, Aiko as they knew her, staring at them.

"I was enjoying that."

"Purple b-b-banana!" It was two days later, and the boys sat in a group on the floor, watching Amu and Ikuto as they battled intensely, faces red and puffed out, words barely distinguishable. Amu stuffed another marshmallow in her mouth, as she underwent the 'entrance test'; her pass into her roommates gang, the guardians. She was almost there; one more marshmallow would make twenty, and she'd be home and dry. Ikuto rapidly shoved another 'mallow into his already bulging jaw, and managed to yell out the sacred words;

"P-pwurple banana!"

Amu reached for the last sweet in the packet, pushing it into her aching mouth;

"PYPLE B-ANANA!"

Ikuto slapped her on the back as she struggled to swallow the remnants of the food, almost choking in the process and flushing bright red as the boys pulled her into a group hug, slapping her back continuously. If this was what boys did in all their spare time, she reflected, then who were people to say that girls showed no initiative? Better to waste your time putting on makeup than to waste your time stuffing yourself with marshmallows. That's what Utau would have said anyway; Rima would have simply commented about it not being funny. But even though she knew it was a guy thing, and she shouldn't have enjoyed it, she couldn't help herself; guys really knew how to enjoy themselves!

"So Aiko, what instruments do you play?" A boy with prince like blond hair and a charming smile asked her, breaking through her train of thought. He was dazzling, and she felt her insides melt; yet somehow there was something about him she didn't quite like.

"What? Oh Uh…Violin, guitar; classic and electric, piano, cello, clarinet, and I sing."

Kairi nodded approvingly from behind his book, as the others exclaimed in surprise.

"You do even more than Ikuto!" Amu turned to Ikuto, surprise over taking her previously calm expression.

"Really?" Ikuto nodded unhappily, a slight frown creasing his forehead. It looked uncharacteristic on him; his face was the sort that remained calm and never seemed to frown. She had never imagined him to be the sort to get worried over not being the top student – Although, she had never heard him play, so had no idea whether or not she was better.

She opened her mouth to ask him about it before the bell rang and Kukai grabbed her wrist.

"C'mon man, we need to get to lessons and – wow, your wrist is skinny dude!" he raised Amu's wrist in the air as all the boys examined it carefully.

"All bony."

"And feminine!"

"Yeah, dude, you have completely girly hands, I mean, your nails are like practically manicu-"

"Does it honestly matter what his nails are like?" Ikuto's piercing shout broke through the jumbled voices of the other boys, and Amu dropped with a yelp as they let go of her hand. Ikuto pulled her up by her arm, and she gingerly rubbed it behind his back as he turned to the other boys in a protective stance.

"He can't help it if he's a weed, now just leave it so we can go to-"

"Weed? I'm no weed!" Amu's voice exploded out behind him, and he turned to see a death glare being sent straight at him. He gulped and backed away; it was the exact death glare girls gave him before slapping him when they realized they'd been cheated on.

"I'll show you who the weed is. A showdown, 7pm sharp!" She turned and crossed her arms, completely forgetting that all of the boys, let alone Ikuto, were all physically fitter and stronger than her; though she hated to admit it, it was true. And she had just challenged him. He cocked his head on one side, a glare forming on his face now – how dare another guy, one that hadn't yet stolen his title, yell at him when he was trying to help!

"Ok then Aiko, I'll choose this 'challenge', and we'll see who wins." A smirk reserved especially for when occasions such as this arose lit up his face and he put one hand on his hip. "We'll go to the death wires, and see who crosses first."

Amu stared blankly at him, before a look of realization crossed her face as she remembered exactly who she was pretending to be. Aiko. Not Amu. Which meant that whatever the death wires were, she was pretty sure they were for people like Ikuto, who probably worked out and had practiced on them before.

"Ok, so what the hell is a death wire exactly?" she tried to keep her voice low, to avoid it rising in panic. The others stared gormlessly at the scene unfolding before them as though it was the latest episode in their favourite soap. Amu could almost picture them clutching the popcorn buckets to their chests and sipping pop frantically. It was then that Kukai stepped forwards, his eyes wide as he spewed words as fast as he could.

"The death wires are these wires on the edge of campus that stretch over fifty meters of thorny, wiry mess that's all over the ground below! The head decided it was a good way for people to take out their anger against one another and you have absolutely nothing to keep you on their except your arms! It goes ten meters high and if you fall-"

He broke off with a grimace here, and scratched his head as he thought through how to put it kindly.

"Well, if you fall…lets just say its not pretty. Only one guy before ever fell, and that was cause a massive gust of wind blew at his wire and it snapped."

Amu's eyes widened, and she hiccupped loudly. It was something she always did when she was scared, and right now, it was taking all her willpower not to flush red.

"You're not backing out, are you Aiko?" Ikuto's voice penetrated her mind freeze, and she jutted her chin out as she turned to face him, her stubborn nature once again getting the better of her.

"Not on your life Tsukiyomi."

I want to back out. I want to back out!

Amu felt like screaming her thoughts out as she stood on top of the high platform, most of the school staring at her; including half the faculty. Ikuto stood parallel to her on a platform identical to hers, 'mentally preparing himself', as he had put it before starting up.

How had she gotten herself into this?

How was she supposed to stick this through? She had never climbed so high in her life! And that was only up a ladder! The wind tugged at her cap, threatening for it to fall, and she jammed it on tighter, securing the band she had placed around it earlier, for the sole purpose of keeping it on.

What Kukai had neglected to mention was that the entire death trap was surrounded by pine trees, so she and Ikuto would be completely covered from view the second they had climbed at least a meter. The wires sloped near the end so that for the final half, both wires joined together; basically, there could be no ties, and if one decided to cheat…no-one could be blamed. If the winner claimed it was an accident, no-one believed, but everyone went along with it. Kukai had kindly decided to yell these things at her as she was climbing, and she had faltered, almost shooting straight back down the ladder and to her dorm. But there was no going back now.

The bang from the starting gun startled her from her thoughts as Ikuto immediately began to crawl along the wire, dangling upside down as he scooted along it at a slow pace. Amu took a deep breath as she too slung herself onto the wire and followed as fast as she could. The wind rocked the wires dangerously as she clung to them, slowly levering herself along with her eyes shut as tight as she could. She opened them a crack and knew that they were out of sight, and of earshot. Ikuto was watching her from the other wire, a lazy grin on his face as they both pushed themselves along.

"Hey roomie!" he called softly; quiet, but loud enough for her to hear over the wind. "I dare you to look down." She tossed her head, squeaking as the wire rocked and she realized it was not the best move. She slowly twisted her head and glanced over her shoulder, almost letting go as Ikuto laughed cheerfully. It was worse than she'd imagined. Wires criss-crossed in every direction, ending in sharp edges and points that were rusty from age, and lethal. Bushes were grown all over, and although from this height they looked comfortingly soft, Amu knew that they were covered with thorns that were almost as bad as the wires. A few baby tree's were growing, but as far as she could tell, they weren't doing so well in the death trap that Amu had somehow landed herself in. She bit her lip and closed her eyes again and just tried to keep her arms and legs moving.

After a while her eyes opened again and she almost smiled. Hey, this isn't so bad! I'm almost at the end, I must be, but that means-

"Yo." Ikuto's voice directly next to her ear startled her, and they rocked dangerously as she realized the were right next to each other, and the wires were about to morph into one. Glancing down, she also realized that the horrors below were at their most horrendous, and she was almost finished. Catching Ikuto by surprise, she made a sudden dash, and that was when the lethal gust of wind became a fully fledged storm. Amu did not like storms.

They were both hanging there, frozen with Amu about a head in front of Ikuto as they dangled on the wire, suspended, and neither showed any sign of moving. The rain pelted down, and soon both were dripping wet, yet neither moved. Both were waiting for the other to take the lead. Ikuto finally acted, moving cautiously forwards, and Amu took one hand of the wire to do the same.

That was when the lightning struck. It hit a nearby tree, and startled Amu badly. She yelped and slipped, both hands leaving the wire and she hung there, Ikuto frozen above her. She quivered as he reached a hand towards her as-

Another bolt of lightning hit a tree even closer, and Amu left the wires completely. Ikuto reacted like the lightning that flashed and flickered around them; his hand shot out to hers, and he grabbed a hold as they swayed dangerously, one wire holding the two bodies. If Amu had been heavier, Ikuto reflected later, the wire would have snapped. But in that moment, the only thing Ikuto could think of was Amu's face as her cap fell off. One of her hands caught it, but made no move to jam it back on. There in the storm, with rain and wind lashing around them as the sky darkened, Ikuto could think of only one thing.

Aiko…is…a girl?