Never Stand Down Fraction 1: Better Than You
The sun beamed with the day, and Yusuke Urameshi just couldn't bring himself to go to school on such a day. Why, it would be an insult to the lovely weather for him to let himself be trapped inside all day long. So, Yusuke, along with Kuwabara, decided to be kind to the weather and not let themselves be locked up all day. For you see, Yusuke and Kuwabara were very sick, and the arcade was the only place in town that had any medicine to help them.
The two entered the arcade with Yusuke knowing all the while that Keiko would slap him good for ditching again. She always told him that he would never graduate if he didn't attend more. Yusuke knew she was right, but he didn't really care.
Soon the two were playing away, Kuwabara trying to out-play Yusuke and visa versa.
"I'm gonna beat you, Urameshi!" Kuwabara yelled with confidence.
"Not even in your dreams. You couldn't beat your way out of a paper bag," returned Yusuke cooly. And just as the detective said this...he died. Well, rather his character died. Kuwabara pointed and laughed at the cocky spirit detective.
"Ha! Beat you, Urameshi!"
Yusuke just stared, gaping at the screen that kept flashing GAME OVER. Yusuke jumped from his seat, ready to give Kuwabara a beating for laughing at him when...
"You know, you're not really good at that."
The boys directed their attention to the girl staring at Yusuke's GAME OVER screen.
"Sure, like you're any better," Yusuke said, trying to make out his defeat to be less than it was.
This girl had short dirty blonde hair about the length of Yusuke's. She had pale blue eyes and wore tattered blue jeans and a white t-shirt. She was also tall enough to be staring Yusuke straight in the eye.
"Ummm...I think I am," said the girl.
"Oh really?" Yusuke asked, egging her on. "I bet you aren't!"
"I bet I am!"
"You're on!"
"Get ready to lose!"
In moments, the two were locked in the heat of battle, mashing buttons, jerking control sticks, and fighting to best the other. They stared at the screen with the exact same posture; they were leaned over, eye balls practicly pressed against the screen. Kuwabara watched on as the two became more violent, giving battle cries and curses as needed. Suddenly Yusuke slammed his head against the screen and the girl jumped out of her seat yelling "Boo ya!"
"You lost to a girl, Urameshi!" Kuwabara mocked.
Yusuke simply groaned in defeat.
"Anyway," the girl said with a western accent. "You're pretty good."
"I can't believe I lost...to a girl..." Yusuke moaned, head still rested against the screen that once again flashed the words GAME OVER.
"Geez, is it that bad that I'm a girl? You oughta get out more. There are girls better than me around here." She gave a sheepish grin as she tried to make Yusuke feel even the slightest bit better.
"I think you killed his ego," Kuwabara stated.
"Well..." she began, thinking of what to do. "How about lunch to make up for it?" she shouted with pride for her idea.
Yusuke's stomach growled.
"I'll take that as a yes! C'mon boys! Let's get food!"
XXX
At the restaraunt, Yusuke and Kuwabara began eating everything they could. Hey, it was someone else's money. The girl just watched on with an eyebrow raised.
"You guys were hungry, huh?"
Kuwabara swallowed the bite of food in his mouth. "We never got your name."
"Oh, it's Roxanne," she answered.
"So, where're you from? You're accent's different."
"America." She paused. "And what's your name?"
"Kuwabara, and this is Yusuke."
Roxanne leaned back in her seat. "So I take it you guys are skipping class, too?"
Yusuke swallowed hard to get his rave out fast. "Cause teachers are all idiots!"
"I'm with you on that one," Roxanne agreed. She tipped her seat back onto one leg and put her hands behind her head, reclining. She yawned stretched as she continued watching the boys with a raised eyebrow. She would've asked more questions or made small talk or something, but the two boys' mouths were so stuffed full of food that she feared one of them(Yusuke more than Kuwabara) would have something the shout and not get all of their food down before spitting it across the table at her in a rant. She was relieved when Kuwabara swallowed all of his food before speaking.
"Where in America?" he asked.
"Pittsburgh," she answered, yawning again.
"Where's that?"
"It's like, up north, and it's kinda next to Ohio."
Both boys looked puzzled at her answer still. She shrugged inwardly and decided it would be better not to try to explain it to them. The bill was left on the table moments later by a cute blonde waitress that Yusuke couldn't help but whistle at, but then Kuwabara threatened to tell Keiko...
Roxanne raised an eyebrow at the bill. "My God can you guys eat." The boys didn't say anything. Besides, she said she would pay the bill, and they didn't have any money. "No problem." She stood and reached into her pocket. Just as she was retrieving her hand, the table behind them overturned with a horribly loud crash, knocking the two detectives out of their seats and onto the floor. They sat up just as the blonde-haired waitress ran over to them.
"Are you two alright?" she asked in a soft voice.
"Just fine," Yusuke grumbled.
"I'm okay," Kuwabara assured, trying to hang tough dispite the lump on his head. The two righted the table behind them along with their chairs before the waitress said anything more.
"So, how would you boys like to pay?" she asked with a smile.
"Oh, we're not paying," Yusuke said. He pointed to Roxanne over his shoulder. "She is." The waitress frowned.
"Who is?"
"She-" Kuwabara and Yusuke turned around, but Roxanne was long gone. His mouth dropped open. "That little-!"
"She stuck us with the bill!" Kuwabara fumed.
The waitress pasted a cute frown onto her face. "Well someone has to pay for all that food." Then a man, who was balding quite badly and wearing a dark business suit walked out from kitchen.
"What is going on out here?" he demanded hotly, his unibrow raising with his anger.
"These two boys here can't pay their bill, sir." The waitress twirled a strand of hair around her finger.
"It's not our fault!" Yusuke yelled in anger.
"Sure it's not," the balding man said sarcastically. "Your money just ran out the door."
"Well it did!"
The balding man sighed and motioned to the waitress. "Give these two a couple of aprons."
Yusuke and Kuwabara turned to each other.
"Aprons?"
XXX
Yusuke grumbled and growled, scrubbing the dish in his hand with such furiosity that Kuwabara thought he would break it in half.
"This is all her fault...I hate girls..." Yusuke grumbled more, dressed with rubber gloves on his hands, a hairnet in his hair, and an apron. Kuwabara was dressed the same.
"Hey, Urameshi, weren't you supposed to meet Keiko at the movies today after school?"
Yusuke simply let out a frustrated scream and smacked his head against the counter.
Meanwhile...
Hours later, Keiko stood outside the theater...alone...
"Yusuke, you JERK!"
XXX Poor, Poor Yusuke. What will become of Yusuke? What the hell was Roxanne's problem? Where is this all going? Read next time! Reviews are welcome.
NV Anarchy Child Formerly,
DWKitsune