Chapter 1: School again

Blossom's P.O.V

Today is our first day of school! Another year of hanging out with the girls, studying hard and, of course, fighting crime. Quite a good perspective, isn't it?

I walk five minutes from my house to the school with my little sister Kuriko, who is now ten years old. However, she is still as mean, always trying to steal my sweets whenever she can. Oh, man!

I'm already at the school's main gate, where they are waiting for me: my best friends, Miyako Gôtokuji and Kaoru Matsubara. At first, we may seem like your normal girls trio, but secretly the three of us form the superhero group that defends Tokyo City from the forces of evil: the Powerpuff Girls Z!

I just love being a superheroine! My favourite anime genres are the super-sentai and the mahou shojo, but I never thought I could get superpowers too... My alter-ego is Hyper Blossom, Miyako's is Rolling Bubbles and Kaoru's is Powered Buttercup. Together, we are able to defeat many baddies, such as Mojo Jojo, the Rowdyruff Boys... or even Him!

"Hi Momoko!" Miyako says with her sweet and polite voice when she sees me "Ready for the new school year?"

"Of course!" I answer.

"What a pain in the butt!" Kaoru says "I just hope it was summer again, and do absolutely nothing except going to the beach and playing videogames"

"Man, Kaoru, don't be such a party crasher" I reply "Let's enjoy it to the fullest! Remember, now that we're fifteen, we're now teenagers"

"Is it supposed to be fun?" Kaoru answers sarcastically.

"It sure isn't!" Miyako intervenes "Yesterday morning, I was looking on the mirror when I noticed a brand new spot on my face. It's horrible, I feel so embarrassed..." she says, while staring at her feet.

I hug her, while saying: "It doesn't matter, Miyako. We'll always love you, no matter how many spots you have. Believe me, Kaoru and I will have also in no time"

Kaoru grins, and the three of us laugh together. Suddenly, I hear a loud noise right behind me, and when I turn around I see a short girl with copper-coloured hair and a tight purple dress. Much to my chagrin, she is none other than Himeko Shirogane, the town's most rich and spoiled girl. The three of us pretend not to see her, and she also does. I just hope we're not in the same class again this year...

"Good morning, my dear peasants" she says.

I don't have to look at Kaoru to know she's incredibly angry: both she and me hate Himeko, both in her human form and as a villainess, when she's called Princess. Miyako is the only one that can stand her, but we know she's more than capable of driving our blonde friend mad (and that's not precisely easy).

When she enters the building, I sigh in relief, and glance at my watch:

"Girls, it's almost half past eight" I say "Time to go in"

The two of them nod, and we also head for class. This year we enter upper-secondary school, so we take the stairs that lead to the second floor. I search my name in the lists outside each room, until I finally find it.

"Come here!" I shout "I found it!"

Miyako and Kaoru run towards me, and I point at the student list:

"Look, here we are: Akatsutsumi Momoko, Gôtokuji Miyako, and Matsubara Kaoru. We're all in Year 10, Class C!"

"I can't say I'm surprised" Kaoru smiles.

"You're right, the Headmaster always puts us together for the sake of the city" Miyako adds "I'm happy of being a Powerpuff"

"Me too!" I reply.

I sit at the back, between Miyako and Kaoru. I start to take my books and my case out of my bag when someone familiar sits at the front.

"Please tell me it isn't Himeko standing there" Kaoru begs.

"Actually, she is" I whisper.

"Girls, she really isn't that bad" Miyako replies, pretending to be annoyed.

I sigh and continue emptying my schoolbag: Himeko just ruined my seemingly perfect day. I'm still spaced out when Ms. Keane comes in.

"Well, boys and girls" she says "Here we are, another year together! I'm gonna check if everyone's here today. Akatsutsumi Momoko?"

"Yes" I reply, standing up and then sitting down again. She keeps saying names, and after Miyako and Kaoru are called out, I hear:

"Sakamoto Yôsuke?"

It can't be him! Sakamoto, the prankster boy whom I fell in love with... and he pulled a joke on me. Stupid boy. Could this day get any worse?

"Shirogane Himeko?"

Well, in fact it can. Princess stands up and begins talking about her newest dress made by a top designer. However, that doesn't explain why she still looks like a clown.

"Now that we're done" continues Ms. Keane "I'd like to introduce you to the three new students. Boys, come in!"

The door opens, and they come in: a redhead, a blonde and a dark-haired guy. When I see them, I almost stop breathing.

It's them. The Rowdyruff Boys. I'm sure of it.

I look at my friends, who seem to be as shocked as I am.

"Miyako" I whisper "It's them!"

"It can't be" she replies, but she looks rather unconvinced herself "We destroyed them in Egypt, remember?"

"Yeah, I do, but..."

"Don't tell me I kissed them for nothing!" Kaoru intervenes.

"They are the Mochizuki brothers: Sôu, Takumi and Kairi" Ms. Keane continues "Let's give them a warm welcome"

Everyone greets them, but then I notice something: they sure look much older than when Mojo created them... Then, they should had been 10 years old, more or less. However, now they are teenagers, just like us. How can that be? And where have they been this two years?

"Sôu, you can sit in front of Momoko. And I suppose your brothers would also like to sit next to you?"

"Yes, please, Ms. Keane" says the redhead, who must be Sôu a.k.a. Brick. He sits in front of me; his brother Takumi a.k.a. Boomer sits in front of Miyako; and last, Kairi a.k.a. Butch sits in front of Kaoru.

I get the feeling that this is gonna be a very long school year.

Bubbles' P.O.V

That boy, Takumi, is very handsome. And perhaps he is a really nice person. But if Momoko is right, he is a Rowdyruff, and better far than close.

Suddenly, while Ms. Keane is busy writing our new timetable on the board, he turns around and whispers to me:

"So your name is Miyako, right?" I nod "Pretty name..."

"Thanks" I reply, while feeling my cheeks burning.

"Wow, do you also like drawing?" he asks, while looking closely at the quick sketch I've just finished in my notepad. It shows Momoko, Kaoru and me in the beach, because we actually spent most of our summer holidays together in Izu.

"Yes" I answer.

"Me too!" he says "We have to work together in art class, Miyako. Is it fine by you?"

"Of course" I answer, and he gives me a smile. I don't really know how to react, so I begin reading the timetable. When he finally turns around again, I can't help but to sigh in relief.

He may be Boomer, a nasty little boy who flipped my skirt and said all kind of rude things to me, but I sure am nervous when talking to him.