Operation: DINNER

Chapter One – The Beginning of a New Term

"Now Kuki, dear. Remember what your grandparents said this weekend."

Kuki sighed and nodded, "Yeah mom…"

Mrs. Sanban grinned, "You will tell him, won't you?"

"Yeah, I will..." Kuki replied, irritated.

She turned her head and stared out the car window. It was Monday, the beginning of a new term and her first day as senior at Cleveland High.

Usually Kuki would be excited to go to school, especially after being away the whole summer vacation, visiting her grandparents in Japan; she'd usually be full of life, energy and excitement but not today.

She'd usually be super excited to see her friends… and she is… just not as much… especially Wally… how will she ever tell him what happened this vacation.

She bit her lip nervously, what will he think? And what will his reaction be? He'll probably be mad at her and disappointed… and she'd hate that!

She loved all her friends… but she always had this special place for Wally. What will she do if he hates her? She shook her head as the thought came up.

"Oooh! I am so excited! I can't wait!" her mother, Genkei Sanban, exclaimed from her seat, behind the steering wheel.

Kuki glanced at her, "I know mom…"

"You are going to tell him, right? I don't think your grandparents will be too pleased if you don't!"

Kuki rolled her eyes, "I won't forget mom! Stop worrying…"

She sighed and saw her school coming into view. She let out a breath and looked at all the teenagers arriving at school.

The car slowed down and turned into the parking area. Her mother scanned the area for a spot and quickly parked the car.

She turned to Kuki, who was simply staring at her own hands, fiddling with her skirt.

"Good luck, Kuki! Have a splendid day as a senior!" Genkei grinned.

Kuki smiled slightly and quickly kissed her mother on the cheek before jumping out of the car. She waved as her mother drove off and sighed, when her mother was finally out of view.

"Kuki! Hey!" Kuki quickly turned around and smiled as she saw her friend, Abigail Lincoln, running towards her.

"Abby!" she cried happily and embraced her in a hug when she finally got to her. Abby embraced back,

"How've you been, girl? How was your vacation?" Kuki smiled and let go,

"It was… okay…" she raised an eyebrow, "And you?"

Abby grinned, ear to ear, "I had the best vacation ever!"

Kuki laughed and they started walking to the school gate, "Oh? And why was it so great?"

Abby blushed slightly, "Well, you know we went on that group trip thing?"

Kuki nodded, she had been invited to go on that trip with her friends, Abby, Wally, Nigel and Hoagie, but she couldn't go… thanks to her grandparents wanting her to visit the whole freaken vacation!

"Well,-" Abby continued, "Wally and Hoagie were hanging out the whole time, so I had some alone time with Nigel!"

Kuki's eyes grew wide, "And?" she asked, curiously,

"Well…" Abby smiled, shyly, "We kinda… kissed and stuff…"

Kuki's jaw dropped and she said, "What?" but it came out as a mere squeak.

"I know!" Abby cried, "Isn't it great?!"

Kuki's eyes were filled with excitement, "Yeah! And so, what now? Are you guys together or something?"

Abby grinned, "You could say that…"

Kuki gave a cry of happiness and grabbed her hands, "Abby! This is great! You guys are finally together! That's just so cute!"

Abby blushed, "Yeah… now we just gotta get you and Wally together!"

Kuki blushed and turned her face away, "Err… yeah…"

Abby frowned in confusion, "You still like him, don't you?"

Kuki looked at her and quickly said, "Of course!"

"And you're still single, right?"

Kuki nodded, "Yeah! Obviously!"

Abby smiled, "Then what's the problem?"

Kuki shook her head, "It's stupid, actually… You see, I… err… I…" She gulped when suddenly someone grabbed Abby from behind. She screamed in shock.

Then the person turned her around to face him. She gave a sigh of relieve as she saw it was Nigel, she grinned and lightly punched him in his stomach,

"Don't do that! Numbuh Five told you not to sneak up from behind and grab her!" he grinned, "I couldn't resist…" she giggled and gave him a kiss.

"I've missed you…" Nigel said, softly,

"You saw me yesterday!" Abby raised an eyebrow,

"Precisely!" Nigel cried out, she laughed and gave him a hug.

Nigel looked up at a smiling Kuki, he smiled, his sunglasses beaming in the sunshine. "Well-well, good morning Kuki! I haven't seen you in a while!"

She giggled, as he gave her a quick hug then walked to Abby and put his arm over her shoulder,

"So what do you think?" he grinned, pointing to Abby and then himself.

Kuki simply grinned, "You two are SO cute together! I think you should marry on a beach! And then maybe have seven children!"

Nigel's eye twitched and Abby's jaw dropped, Kuki burst out laughing

"I'm joking! You guys should've seen your faces!"

Nigel shook his head, clearing his throat and adjusting his sunglasses. Abby blushed and quickly said, "Err… yeah…"

Kuki was still laughing when someone, suddenly, covered her eyes from behind her and a very familiar Australian accent whispered, "Guess who?" she gasped, realizing who it was, and touched his hands,

"Wally!" she cried happily, he let her go and she turned around to face him.

He looked down at her, grinning. Kuki's eyes grew wide; Wally had gotten a lot taller over the vacation and hotter! She couldn't believe it was him, but she still knew it was.

She threw her arms over his shoulders, embracing him in a tight hug. He, of course, embraced back.

"Wally!!" she cried, happily,

"Hey Kooks!" he said, blushing and finally letting go of her.

"I've missed you!" She giggled and grabbed his hands, "How have you been?!" she asked, smiling.

He shrugged, "I've been… okay…"

She tilted her head to one side, "Just okay?"

He nodded, "Yeah…" he looked at their hands, just realizing that she had grabbed his and was holding them. He cleared his throat, turning even more crimson. "Err… Kuki?"

"Hmm?" she asked, smiling, then realized what she had done, she let go of his hands and blushed,

"Umm… sorry about that…" he scratched the back of his head, shyly, "It's okay…"

Nigel and Abby exchanged looks and grinned, "Hello Wally!" Nigel broke the awkward silence.

Wally turned to Nigel and Abby, "Oh!" a slight grin spread across his face, "It's the two lovebirds!"

Nigel and Abby blushed and started mumbling unrecognizable word.

"How've you been?" Wally asked, raising and eyebrow,

"Quite al right, thank you!" Nigel said, calmly.

Wally, grinning, shook his head and turned to Kuki, "So how was your vacation?"

She froze, suddenly remembering what had happened, she blushed, turning her head. "Err… it was… fun…" she said, shyly.

Wally frowned, but decided not to ask questions. "Uum… okay…" Kuki nodded, awkwardly.

"Hey, you guys! Isn't that Hoagie?" Abby pointed behind Wally, they turned to see Hoagie, chatting to a blonde girl.

Nigel narrowed his eyes, "Isn't… isn't that…?"

"Cindy!" Abby finished his sentence for him.

"Cindy?" Kuki asked, curiously, "Who's Cindy?"

"Well, we met her while we were on the trip… Hoagie has the hots for her but she… uuh…" Wally scratched his arm, awkwardly.

"Yes…?" Kuki asked, looking at him.

"She likes Wally and she keeps stalking him!" Nigel quickly said, not really having patience.

"Oh…" Kuki frowned, and turned her head so nobody could see it.

"Yeah…" Wally chuckled.

"Guys!" Hoagie suddenly ran up to them, "What's up?" he asked, coolly.

"Hey Hoagie…" the four said in unison.

He raised an eyebrow and glanced over at Nigel and Abby, "Oh yeah! I forgot! You two are together!" he grinned and made kissing sounds, but stopped as he received a punch from Kuki,

"What?" he asked, shocked, "That's very mature, Hoagie!" she said, sarcastically, which made him frown.

"Sorry! Hey, did you guys see? Cindy came to our school!" he said, excitedly.

They nodded and looked at Cindy, who was standing at the cheerleaders.

She saw Wally and winked, waving at him. Wally blushed and, awkwardly, waved back.

Kuki could feel a stab of jealousy going through her; did this new Cindy girl come here for education or for Wally? Obvious answer! She told herself.

She frowned and was about to ask Wally if he liked Cindy, but was stopped by the bell. They groaned and started making their way to class.

--

Kuki stepped into her math class, sighing as she realized she'll be having maths at Mrs. Peterson, the well-known Bitchy teacher of the school.

She took a seat at the back of the class and started taking her books from her schoolbag. When she looked up, she saw Abby walking to her, smiling.

Kuki grinned, "We have maths together?" she asked, happily.

"Looks like it!" Abby said, sitting at the desk next to Kuki's.

Then Wally and Hoagie stepped into the class, "…Math's at Mrs. Bitcherson! What in cruds name could be worse?!"

The class had been dead quiet, so when Wally came into the class, they all heard what he said, including Mrs. Peterson.

He froze as he discovered the sudden silence, he stared at the class and then looked at Mrs. Peterson, "Err… hi…?" he said, smiling awkwardly at the teacher, who had turned red of anger.

Kuki snickered at seeing Wally's guilty face, 'He is SO cute!' she thought, but her thoughts were cut off when she heard a fake laugh coming from the front of the class, she scanned the class to find Cindy sitting in front, flapping her eyelashes at Wally.

Once again, Kuki felt that stab of jealousy overcome her.

"Mister Beetles! Take a seat and I don't want to hear another word from you, you hear me?!" Mrs. Peterson cried, angrily.

Wally nodded and turned to face the class. He gasped softly as he saw Cindy blowing a kiss at him, he walked passed her, rolling his eyes.

Hoagie also saw her and grinned, sitting next to her, "Well, hel-lo!" he said, in a flirtatious voice. Cindy sighed, disappointed, she had hoped Wally would sit next to her.

Wally saw Abby and Kuki sitting in the opposite corner, he waved, "Hey Kuki!" he screamed, excitedly,

"MISTER BEETLES!! TAKE A SEAT!!" Mrs. Peterson's voice drilled through their ears.

He quickly sat on the first open seat, which happened to be next to ex-Numbuh 86, a.k.a. Fanny Fulbright.

She grinned at him and he gave a quick scream as he saw her braces.

"Aaarggh!!" he jumped, slightly, "What the crud…?"

"WALLABEE BEETLES!! ONE MORE WORD AND IT'S THE PRINCIPALS OFFICE FOR YOU!" Mrs. Peterson looked like a kettle, you'd expect steam to burst out of her ears at any moment.

Wally turned in his seat to look at the al ready pissed of teacher. "Sorry! Jeez! Oh, I mean… err… my deepest apologies ma'am!"

Kuki and Abby snickered at this but was cut off by Cindy who faked a giggle and turned to Wally, "You are so funny, Wally!" she winked, which made Kuki clench her fists.

'Aaarrgh! The bitch has to die!' she thought,

"You too Mrs. Bennington! Just because you're new here, doesn't mean you can't visit the principle on your first day!" Mrs. Peterson shrieked, Cindy quickly turned to her front.

Kuki grinned, 'Ha! Take that!' she thought, happily.

Wally then turned and looked at her, she caught his eye and they both turned away and blushed.

She smiled and giggled when she heard Hoagie talking to Cindy about 'him being funnier than Wally'. She shook her head.