Clean Up Rewrite:
Prologue: Yes
A/N: The Title Clean Up is no longer apt, as it now takes place three years later. I don't know why, but this sounds best to me in the present tense.
Takeru Takashi picks his cellphone up off his desk, and holds it at arms length, grimacing at it. All the while, he fidgets with a pendant around his neck.
The pendant has a symbol on it, and to the boy, the symbol means, and is, Hope. He's tempted to reminisce over the pendant and it's long history. It had been three years since he'd since the world that had been the pendant's source.
But he has more important things to do. More important things to do that were more difficult than anything he could ever reminisce over. This was saying something, because he'd risked his life to save two worlds before. And after he'd done it the first time, he'd done it again.
But that kind of bravery comes naturally to the boy. The courage required here, that is, the courage required to ask Hikari Kamiya to tomorrow's dance, was something else entirely, and it doesn't come naturally at all.
So here he stands, grimacing at a cellphone he held at arms length, nervous as cell, and TOTALLY unsure of what he is going to say. He opens the cellphone, and dials the first two numbers of the girls phone number.
And then he closes the phone. What if she isn't near her cellphone? What if she'd preferred to be asked in person?What if she says no? What if it hurts us as friends? The boy thinks
It doesn't matter. He decides, and then, with a firm resolve, but not such a firm grip on his phone, he hesitantly dials the girls number and, with a trembling hand, presses "talk"
The phone rang a few times. The boy's nervousness increases.
"Hello?" Kari asks, apparently breathless, as if she's just run up a flight of stairs to get to her cellphone.
"I was thinking-" He begins
She cuts him off playfully, "That's a first."
"We should go to tomorrow's dance together. As a couple." He continues, undeterred, "If that's something-"
"Are you finally asking me out?"She asks, cutting him off again.
"Yes." It's tough to say that, even though he's been trying to say it the whole time he's been on the phone with her.
"Then yes, I will."
