"Hey, Kyouko-san, can I talk to you?" it was Moko- san was tapping on the doorframe of Kyouko's dressing room and behind her little Maria-chan, clutching a voodoo doll to her chest. Kyouko looks up from her new script and smiles.
"Of course, come in you two."
She enters and shuts the door just after Maria dashes into the room and immediately climbs into Kyouko's lap. Moko-san looks over at her dear friend for a minute, trying to conceal her worry.
"Kyouko-san, are you making enough money? …do you need a loan?"
"What?" a little taken aback, "No, I am perfectly fine as far as financials go. Why? What's going on?"
"A gas bill was just sent to my house yesterday. It was addressed to you, but I opened it thinking it was mine." She pulls an envelope put of her pocket, "Kyouko-san, if you don't pay your bills they might send a mechanic over to disconnect your gas."
Kyouko shakes her head. "That is ridiculous; I always pay my bills early. I always stop by the bank to deposit my check on the 3rd Tuesday of the month before. I always remember to do this because on my way home from work I see the weekly farmers market. And I stop by and buy fruits. "
Maria cuts in. "But you just said that you only deposit your check once a month." She gets gently shushed.
"Then on one of those Tuesdays, I feel the need to I go to their public bathroom to buy a tampon-just in case. On the cover of the tampon dispenser there is a company logo that looks like the logo of my bank but upside-down. This reminds me to stop by the bank after work." Kyouko finishes confidently, "And since my little gift of nature has not arrived yet the deposit and therefore the bills cannot be late."
Moko-san rolls her eyes at her friend's simplemindedness while Maria looks a little bemused. She pulls a stiff paper out of the envelope and hands it to Kyouko. "Whatever your systems, according to this your payments are six weeks late. They probably have not called your house yet because of your ridiculously perfect credit. You still need to check with your bank accountant."
Kyouko scoffs at the lecture, as she looks over the letter and Maria pulls Kyouko's arm downward so that she too can study the letter. Kyouko chuckles, "Look, Maria-chan, this", she points to one figure, "was my last payment. Here is the date I stopped by the Farmers market and bank. Which means that the next date should have been two Tuesdays ago, except that the bank does not remember my…visit… two tuesdays ago... What's today's date?" She looks up and locks her eyes on the electronic calendar on her wall. She looks back at her confused friends with a terrified expression exploding across her now pale cheeks. "Oh …my gosh. Guys, I am eight weeks late!"
Maria corrects her. "No, Kyouko, your last payment was just due two weeks ago." Moko's confusion leaves her and her face also turns pale. "No! I mean…" Kyouko looks down at her slim body parts that were visible from under Maria's frilly black dress. "Guys, I am eight weeks late."