THE LONG AND WINDY ROAD:
STRANGER
Disclaimer: I do not own Tokyo Mew Mew. It belongs to Mia Ikumi and Reiko Yoshida. . It really sucks how we can't do songfics, and originally it had lyrics in it but I had to take them out. Anyway it was partly inspired by "Stranger" by VersaEmerge, if you wish to check out the song. Anyway…don't sue me and enjoy.
"Ichigo!"
Ichigo whirled around to face whoever was calling her name and was caught in a hug. "Masaya!" She smiled. No one would care if her cat ears would pop out now. It had been seven months since the aliens left, and there had been no enemies since. Maybe the occasional chimera anima now and then, but that was it. "I missed you." Masaya's reply was a gentle kiss on the cheek. The bell rang, and Masaya said, "I should go." He released Ichigo from his embrace. Ichigo sighed. "I love you. See you later," she said. She caught a glimpse of Masaya's smile, but this time it had a hint of something else in it.
Ichigo sprinted to class the next day and slid into the room just as the bell rang and Ogawa-sensei, her teacher, walked in. "Momomiya-san! Why are you tardy? It's the second day in a row you've been late!" he asked.
"Gomen…" She set down her new back-to-school messenger bag and pulled out a binder and pencil pouch. Masaya was in none of her classes this year, Ichigo remembered quite randomly. She sighed. Maybe it's a good thing Aoyama-kun's not in any of my classes. It would be sort of awkward, because I'm just not as in love with him as I used to be. I guess our long distance relationship didn't work so well. Ichigo and her mom left England three months before Aoyama-kun, so they had to resort to email and video call. The absence had left their relationship a bit strained.
"Momomiya-san!" Ogawa-sensei's voice interrupted her thoughts. "Who won the battle of Waterloo, please."
"Battle of Waterloo." She thought hard. "Um...Napoleon?"
"I see you've taken the time to learn one fact. Miyataki-san! What was the Congress of Vienna?" Miyataki Homura, track star, class overachiever and Ogawa-sensei's favorite, rattled off the information as fast as she could talk. It's not fair you're good at everything. You're smart and hardworking and athletic and, well, smart, and I'm not any of those. Masaya is, though. He has all those qualities, but do I still love Masaya? I don't know...
Ichigo greeted Moe and Miwa outside the mall. "How's it going with Masaya?" Moe asked.
"Good," she replied. "He ditched me for the second band." She laughed.
Miwa frowned. "No. what really happened? What really went on with you guys lately? You're not as fangirly as usual."
"I saw him for the first time since I left today. We kissed right before the end of lunch. And you guys know my mom and his parents were supervising us in England."
"Are you still hot for him?"
"Um…sure. He's a good guy, unlike some others and he's probably the only one my parents would let me go out with…" Unlike Kisshu. It was a stretch getting Dad to let me go out with Masaya. Kisshu would definitely be disapproved. And I'm done sneaking around. Considering myself, he'd probably find out, and I'd be screwed.
"Come on, let's go guy-scoping. I'm tired of shopping. Ichigo, you have a boyfriend already. No flirting for you."
I love my friends, but it's going to be hard to tell them who I'm really in love with. Hopefully we won't play any Truth or Dare or have any long, close girl-talks. They're too stuck on Aoyama-kun. After all, they were the ones who wanted me to go all the way on Christmas last year. (A/N: Episode 37)
Ichigo turned the idea around in her head that night. Do I break up with him then? I know I'm sort of needy, but if I don't love him them should we still go out? If we break up then who do I go out with? Do I love him? Not really. In fact, I love Kisshu but I just couldn't admit it to myself when I had the chance. Aargh!
That night she dreamed she was on a date with Kisshu. It was almost everything she wanted. I want to break up with Masaya and contact Kisshu again. I don't know how. Or if I should.
"So you don't love him anymore? And you want to end the relationship?" asked Zakuro.
"Well…" Ichigo trailed off.
"Long-distance is kind of hard. Me and Pai, we promised to keep in touch but we haven't communicated for a couple months. It's natural that you'd get cold feet after a long distance. Why don't you ask him out?"
"But I don't love him anymore. I would just be wasting his time. And..."
"What? Don't say you want to go out with Kisshu. He's a pervert and a jerk. Remember what he did to Momoka-chan?"
Ichigo sighed. "That's exactly what I was thinking. Anyway, he's not as bad as you think. When we were battling Deep Blue, he refused to kill me and died in a duel with his leader instead."
"Okay then. Maybe Kisshu's changed. But I still think you should consider your options a little more carefully. If you don't want to go out with Aoyama-kun, then you need to talk to him."
"But are you saying I should break up with him?"
"Think. Ask him out. Talk a little more and see how it goes. Then talk to me, and don't take love advice from Moe and Miwa."
Ichigo strolled through Inohara Park, holding hands with Masaya. "So, you said you love me?" she tried to sound lighthearted.
"Of course I do. But do you love me?"
Ichigo giggled and kissed Masaya, still wearing the mask of love. They walked through the park. Ichigo thought hard. Is this really right for me? Is Aoyama-kun my fairy tale prince? I'm definitely more of a good person when we're going out. Now that we had to do long-distance I've reverted back to my old, aimless self. I don't listen to the right people. Do I? They sat down on a bench hidden by bushes. Masaya put his arm around Ichigo's shoulders. "Sorry if I sound ignorant, but exactly how do you feel about me?" she asked.
"Ichigo, I love you. I love your outlook on life and the way you're honest with yourself and me, rather than trying to be someone you think others will like. Why?"
Honest? Geez, I'm such a liar. "I don't know. I was just curious."
"Okay then. How about you?"
Here goes nothing, thought Ichigo. I can't bring myself to tell him how I really feel. It will hurt him too much, and I don't want to be that mean. Time to lie again.
Ichigo brushed her hair before leaving for school. She felt her head split in half as she analyzed the two sides of herself, one good and one bad. The good side was the one she'd been listening to more often as she was with better people, but the bad side fought to take control. It was the part of her that wanted to break up with Masaya and see if Kisshu still wanted to go out. She decided to look into herself. But whenever she followed her impulses, she ended up doing something stupid. Like sinking into quicksand, and she was sinking lower and lower. What's wrong with me? Why can't I be set free from this? I shouldn't be thinking these thoughts. I should love Aoyama-kun rather than reject him for a guy who doesn't even live on my planet. So what should I do?
Review please! I want feedback. In fact, I love feedback. Flames are welcome, unless you're just flaming for the sake of flames itself. If not then they will be used to heat my magical story oven so I can write better stories.
