Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but I do own this story and Suzuki.

I decided that I would re-write this story to alter the plot slightly. Plus, y'know, I just wanted to improve it, since this was my first story and my skillz have improved since then.

Enjoy!

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It was a warm day for spring. The sky was a calm, serene blue and the cherry blossom trees were in full bloom. A girl walked slowly along the pavement toward the large building ahead of her, the scent of the trees heavy in the air.

Suzuki looked up at the large grey building, which was to be her new school. Drumming her fingers nervously on her backpack, she headed for the gates. Girls in blue and boys in black flocked around outside, chatting and running around. Nobody seemed to notice Suzuki, which she didn't mind at all.
She glanced down at her uniform, feeling very self-conscious. Because it had been fairly warm, she was wearing the white school T-shirt and white shorts. Suzuki noticed all the other girls were wearing mini-skirts, and shuddered. She didn't like skirts. She wondered if anybody else would notice that she was wearing something different from all the other girls.

Glancing at a slip of paper she was holding, which told her what and where her new homeroom was going to be, she headed for the stairs, trying not to catch anybody’s eye. She pushed open the doors to Kawaia High and stepped nervously inside.
It was pleasantly cool in the corridors, which were fairly empty since everyone else wanted to be outside. But somehow, there were still a few petals from the trees outside swirling around in the breezy corridor. She smiled a little, brushing her hair, which was reddish-brown, out of her face.

Suzuki suddenly heard a crackling noise and looked down to see the tip of her shoe was on a fat yellow book.

Somebody must have dropped this... Sasuki thought to herself, bending and picking up the book. She dusted off the dry grass from her shoe off the book and looked at the name,

"Tohru Honda, Class 2-D."

Suzuki was just about to open the first page of the book, when there was a sudden squeal behind her and before she could turn to see who it was, a girl with brown hair smashed into her, sending them both onto the floor.

"EEK!"

"Ow!"

They both stood up, rubbing the backs of their heads in embarrassment.

"I'm sorry!" they gasped together.

The girl shook her head, looking slightly dizzy. Suzuki noticed she was wearing frilly yellow ribbons at either side of her head, standing out against her long brown hair. Sasuki wrinkled her nose slightly, so the new girl wouldn't notice and get upset, but personally she thought the ribbons looked silly on someone of the girl's age.

"No, really, it was my fault!" Sasuki said, standing up and holding out her hand.

"Oh, it was mine, really! But are you okay?" the girl asked, accepting it as Suzuki nodded.

The girl smiled,
"I'm Tohru. Tohru Honda. I haven't seen you around here before, are you a first-year?"

Suzuki shook her head,

"No, I just transferred here." she held out the notebook, unable to think of anything to add to her previous statement.

"I, um, I found this on the floor. I stood on it, but the grass came off."

Tohru smiled even more broadly, taking the book and bowing quite low.

"Thank you so much!" she gushed. "I can't imagine how I didn’t notice I dropped this! Thank you, um.."

"Suzuki Sayuma." Suzuki grinned, a slight flush coming to her cheeks. They both were about to say something, when two boys came up to Tohru, one with silvery hair and the other with bright orange hair, the former looking calm and the other wearing a bored expression.

"Miss Honda, there you are." the silver-haired boy said, smiling at the sight of Tohru. That's when Suzuki saw it. When she looked at the boy, she immediately felt a strange tingling sensation that she was all too familiar with. She saw nothing for a moment but rats.
Dozens of them, all over the place. She could hear their small feet scrabbling, and saw the glow of their eyes. She blinked and they were gone. Looking at the orange-haired boy, her skin prickled. Purring filled her ears, and she saw cats, the lingering scent of milk filling her nose.

"Ugh..." Suzuki mumbled, feeling dizzy. She grabbed the edge of the windowsill she had been standing against, feeling suddenly hot.

"Suzuki, are you alright?" Tohru asked, alarmed at how pale her new friend had gone.

"Yeah..." Suzuki said, relieved, the smell fading. "I’m fine."

The silver haired boy looked concerned, his dark violet eyes looking straight at her.

"You went awfully pale just now, are you sure you don't need to see the nurse?"

Suzuki nodded. Tohru suddenly smiled again, and put a small hand on Suzuki's shoulder,
"Ah, Suzuki, this is Yuki and Kyo Sohma." she turned to Yuki and Kyo, "And Yuki, Kyo, this is Suzuki Sayuma."

Yuki smiled and bowed,

"It is a pleasure to meet you, Miss Sayuma.” he said. Kyo looked uncomfortable and just muttered,

"Yeah, Hi."

Yuki’s so polite! Suzuki thought to herself. She sneaked a glance at Kyo. And both boys are so... cute. Then she cringed a little bit. She wasn't used to thinking stuff like that, but she couldn't help it.

Then suddenly there was a clipping of footsteps behind them, then she heard a joy-filled shout.

"TOHRU!"

A small blond-haired boy suddenly rushed towards them, and he stretched out his arms to give Tohru a hug, when Kyo knocked him out of the way, looking irritated.

"Idiot! How many times do I have to beat you up before you get it?" Kyo yelled, his eyes flashing with annoyance.

"Waah! Somebody, Kyo hit me!" the kid whined, and Tohru flapped her arms trying to calm everyone down, but it didn’t seem to be working very well.

“By the way, Miss Sayuma, this is our relative, Momiji Sohma." Yuki interjected, "Momiji, this is Suzuki Sayuma."

Momiji at once stopped crying and smiled happily to Suzuki. She smiled awkwardly, taken aback.

"Hi, Suzuki! It's so great to meet you!" Momiji said, as though he had heard stories about Suzuki for years. Suzuki nodded, a genuine smile on her face now, and Tohru was clapping her hands. But Suzuki thought for a fleeting instant that she saw something strange. She shook it off. It must be because I'm nervous.

"Good morning." A boy suddenly said, appearing beside them. Suzuki's jaw almost fell open. He was the best-looking boy she had ever seen, with white hair and black roots and sombre grey eyes. Suzuki felt herself turn red, and she tried not to look at the boy straight in the face.

"Hello Haru." Yuki said, a slightly exasperated look on his face.

"Hatsuharu, I'd like you to meet our new friend Suzuki Sayuma." Tohru said, happily. "Hatsuharu is another relative of Yuki and Kyo." Tohru explained cheerfully to a slightly puzzled Suzuki.

"Well, Suzuki Sayuma, it is very nice to meet you." Hare said politely, bowing. Suzuki went even redder and stuttered,

"Oh no, it's so nice to m-meet you."

Suddenly a shrill ringing from far away sounded, Tohru turned to the group,

"Well, there's the bell!" she said, grabbing Suzuki by the hand, "Come on, Suzuki! I'll show you where your homeroom is!"

"Thanks, but you really don't have to, I’ve already got-" Suzuki started to say, but Tohru began pulling her eagerly away,

"No no, I insist!"

Momiji waved frantically at Tohru, Suzuki, Yuki and Kyo, the two boys both walking somewhat slower then Tohru.

"Bye! We'll see you later!" Momiji called to the retreating backs of the four, smiling. He then turned to Haru,

"The new girl seems really nice, huh?" he asked, happily.

"Yes." Hatsuharu muttered, watching Suzuki and Tohru walk away, "I wonder..."

---

I wasn't expecting to find some new friends so quickly! Suzuki thought as Tohru virtually dragged her to her new class. Tohru’s… nice. A bit of an airhead, I guess, but nice all the same. And Yuki and the others have been so nice. Well, except Kyo, but maybe he is shy or something...

"This is it!" Tohru beamed, pushing open the door, "And at lunch, would you like to meet my friends, Oou and Hana?"

Suzuki nodded, happy to have a distraction.

"Sure, why not? What are they like?"

"A Yankee and a psycho." Kyo said, causing an embarrassed look to cross Tohru's face.

A psychic, huh? Maybe I could ask her about-

But Suzuki's thoughts were interrupted as a shout from inside the classroom told them to get inside. So Suzuki sat next to Tohru after explaining to the teacher that she was new, and yes, she did need a notebook and began to work. It started to rain shortly after a few minutes, though the sun still shot through the clouds.

After school, Suzuki began to feel the familiar knot twist in her stomach. She had to go to work, but what was she going to do from there? It's not like she could go home anymore, after all-

"Suzuki, are you okay?" Tohru asked, as Suzuki had shut her eyes and started knuckling her forehead, apparently unconsciously.

"What? Yeah, I'm fine." Suzuki mumbled, though she didn't sound very convincing. She suddenly noticed something and looked around.

"Oh, where's that other boy...Kyo?" she asked, looking from Tohru to Yuki.

"That idiot is getting chewed out for not doing his homework again." Yuki replied, closing his eyes as he said it and sounding disdainful. "Don't worry about him, Miss Sayuma."

"Um...yes." Suzuki said, frowning slightly with confusion. It was obvious Yuki and Kyo did not think much of each other, as they seemed to like calling each other "Stupid cat" and "Damn rat".

Suzuki snapped out of her daydreaming when she suddenly remembered that she was going to be late for work.

"Well, I have to go to work." Suzuki said, trying to inject some enthusiasm into her voice. "I'll see you later, then."

"Bye!" Tohru called, waving. Yuki nodded.
"Yes, goodbye, Miss Sayuma."

But as Suzuki turned to walk towards the exit, Kyo suddenly walked out of the classroom.
"Hey, you didn't need to wait with Tohru, you damn-"

He didn't notice Suzuki, and they collided, and there was a suddenly flash of orange smoke.