Aw yeah! Chapter 2 is here! Well, I'll stop talk- er typing, so you can enjoy the story!
It was noon now and still no sign of Akari. Chase looked left and right. No customers either. 'Is today Sunday?,' he thought, 'Did he come to work even though it was closed? No, it can't be. Today's Saturday, isn't it? Let's see today is the last day of summer, so...yeah! Today is Saturday. If that's the case, then where is everyone?'
"Chase!"
"Ahh!" The boy dropped his glass of orange juice. "Akari, don't sneak up on me like that!"
"What do you mean? I came in and waved at you. I've been here for quite some time." The girl sat on the counter facing Chase and stared at him with her bright, honey-colored eyes.
"Oh, I guess I didn't notice." Chase bent down and started cleaning up the mess. "Akari...I'm your best friend, right?"
"That's a strange question, but yes! We're buddies, remember?" She showed him her left ring finger. There was a tiny blue ribbon tied to it.
"You still wear that?"
"Yeah, it's a symbol of our friendship, a sign, an emblem. You gave it to me. It shows an alliance between us...a special bond we have." Chase smiled softly at her. He stood back up.
"Akari, why do you wear it on your ring finger?"
"This ribbon shall forever stay on my finger, Chase. It's not going anywhere. I'm never going to wear a ring on this finger, and I'm definitely not getting married."
"Yet."
"Sure...you think that, but I'll think differently." Chase chuckled. "Chase, why did you ask me? Those two questions..."
"Just a precaution." Akari slid off the counter. "So, what do you wanna do today, Akari?"
"I don't know..." Chase stared down at her. "Is there still some of that orange juice left?"
"Heh, yeah." Chase took out a clean glass and poured some into it. "There."
"Thank you!" She happily accepted it. "Chase, let's go play a game!"
"A game? What kind of game?"
"I think we should play hide n' seek! I've never played that game before...but I've heard of it!"
"Okay, sure, but first we have to find some people to join."
"But, first I must finish this delicious juice!" Akari finished the rest of it and placed the glass on the counter.
"Okay, now let's go." Chase opened the door.
"But, first I must learn how to play!" Akari declared.
"I'll explain it on the way."
---
Everyone stood in front of Ben's tree in the Maple Lake District. The wind was blowing and the sun was shining brightly.
"Okay, I'm sure everyone knows why they're here," Akari began although it was hard to hear her voice over the sound of leaves blowing in the breeze, "If you don't know, it's because-"
"We all wanna play hide n' seek!" yelled Chase.
"Yes, that. Thank you, Chase. So, let's decide who will be it."
"Yes, Akari. Let's all settle this in a mature fashion...Luke's it!" Chase pointed toward the bandanna boy.
"What?! No way! I hate being it!" He yelled as his big blue bangs moved with the wind. "I ain't being it! Why me?!"
"I said and I quote, 'let's all settle this in a mature fashion'. You're obviously the least mature out of us all." Chase stated.
"What?!" Luke wasn't too happy about this decision.
"Actually, that is kind of true," said Kathy.
"Luke, if it makes you feel any better, I'll be it," said Akari.
"Akari, no. You've never played before, so you can't be it."
"Well, Chase, then I think we should see who WANTS to be it. Who here actually wants to be it?" said Akari.
"I guess I'll be it," said Candace.
"Candace, you don't have to force this upon yourself."
"No, it's fine. I'm fine with it."
"You know there are a lot of people playing. I don't think one person could find us all," said Kathy, "How about we play in groups of two? That way it's easier to play."
"Anyone in favor of Kathy's idea raise your hand!" Akari started counting each hand that went up. "Then it's official! Everyone go find a partner."
"Akari, do you want to be partners?" asked the shy girl.
"Sure, Candace!"
Chase turned to his left. "Well, since Akari has found a partner already, Luke? How about us two friends as partners?"
"Everyone else has found a partner, so sure pal! We'll dominate!" Luke held his fist in the air.
---
"Candace, where do you think everyone is hiding?" asked Akari.
"I-I'm not sure. You can choose where we go search for them first."
"Okay, follow me!" Akari took her hand and led her to her idea of a good hiding place.
The two of them crouched down under a table. They were upstairs in the library at Town Hall.
"A-Akari? Why are we up here? I don't see anyone, and how is hiding going to help us find people? I-I'm sorry, I'm just confused."
Akari whispered to her, "Candace, let me explain. I know you don't see anyone right now, but I'm one hundred percent sure that if we hide here, people will come."
"How do you know if people will come up here?"
"Because this is a good hiding place." It really wasn't. The only hiding spots were behind the bookshelves, under the tables, and well...just standing in the middle of the room, which wouldn't be the best idea.
"Akari, are you sure?"
"Shh...I think someone is coming." It was like a ghost town. It wouldn't be shocking if a tumbleweed came rolling by. Akari squinted her eyes. "I think I see someone."
A head popped out a little. You could see some hair, but it was hard to identify who it was. Then it showed more, and you could clearly tell who it was. When the person saw that the coast was "clear" or so it seemed, he came out of the shadows. "Hmph, can't believe Chase just ditched me like that. How could he not think that this would be a good hiding place? Well, I don't need him. I'll win this on my own. Then he'll wish he never left." Akari tried getting up, but...THUD! She hit her head against the table. "Who's there?"
Akari rubbed her head and stood up. "Ah-hah! We found you!" She pointed at him with her index finger. "..." There was an awkward silence between the three of them. "Well, you're caught..."
"I don't get it how did you guys get in here? I asked Gill if he saw anyone come up here."
"Yeah...well, that's because I came in through the window, and how Gill didn't spot Candace coming through the door I don't know. Maybe, just maybe, it's possible that Candace is just so shy that people don't notice her."
"Whoa, wait a minute. You climbed a tree to get here? You couldn't have just taken the stairs? This is a two story building. You could have gotten hurt!"
"Yeah, what of it?" Luke slapped his forehead.
"Whatever, at least you're okay. You guys should go find the others."
"Okay!" Akari gave him a big smile; Luke couldn't help but smile back.
"Akari...don't do anything stupid!"
"Define stupid."
"Anything Chase or I wouldn't approve of."
"Wow, you sound like my dad or something. That's not like you, Luke, but 'k!" She waved to the blue-haired boy and took Candace downstairs.
"Akari, Candace? How did you two get in here? I don't recall you two coming in," said Gill.
"That's because I'm a ninja, Gill! A ninja!" She grinned.
"Uh...okay? Candace?"
"She climbed in through the window," answered Candace.
"Ground floor or top floor?"
"Top."
"Akari, do you realize how dangerous that is!"
"Yeah, I already got the speech from Luke, so not now. We're playing hide n' seek!" The two girls left.
'Hide n' seek?' Gill thought, 'How childish!...Winning this bet will surely be a challenge for me.'
Akari led Candace to Caramel Falls.
"Akari, wh-"
"Shh...Toby might be here..." She tiptoed over to a tree. Candace stood there without saying another word. Akari popped her head from behind. There she found a sleeping Toby. She lightly tapped his shoulder.
"Hm?" He woke up.
"Candace, look! I caught the elusive Toby! A rare species of fisherman indeed!" Akari said in a really good British accent. She went back to her normal voice. "Can I keep him? I promise to take good care of him! I'll feed him and love him everyday!"
"Um, A-Akari, I don't think you can keep him as a pet."
"Aww...please Mommy?"
"Uh..." Candace tried holding back her laughter. She found it strange that Akari called her "mommy," but she already knows that Akari is just weird like that. She just gets into things and overdoes it.
"Akari, maybe you should listen to um, your 'mommy'." Toby chuckled. "I'm not an animal that you can just keep as a pet."
"Aww...please?" She gave him a cheesy but adorable smile.
"Heh, now that's just too cute. We'll talk about it at a later time." The calm boy yawned. It was like his yawns had magical powers. They were so relaxing that they could probably make anyone fall asleep. Of course, Akari's hyperness wasn't affected by his drowsiness. Candace rubbed her eyes and yawned as well.
"Now, Toby, I was only kidding. I'm not actually going to keep you as a pet."
"Then why did you beg?"
"I thought it would be fun...also I didn't think you would agree."
"Okay, then...you go find the others...I think I'll stay here for a while...catch up on some Z's..."
"Okay, bye Toby! Uh, we should probably get going now. Candace looks like she's going to collapse and start sleeping." Akari started pushing Candace to another area of the island.
They were now standing in the Sundae Inn. They had to find as many people as they could quickly, for they were running out of time. Akari hastily moved over to the kitchen hoping she would find Chase, her best buddy in the whole world. But, the boy wasn't there. Nobody was there to be found. Either that, or Akari just sucks at finding people.
"Hey, I resent that! You- uh...voice that's narrating my entire life!"
"Akari, who are you talking to?" asked Candace.
Akari lowered her voice. "Hm, not only is this voice narrating my life, but it seems that no one else can hear it. Of course, there are times where not even I can hear this voice and times where not I but certain others can hear. I think I may go insane! How come I never hear this voice? But, when the voice just said that last part about me, I heard that! That's the only thing I heard!" Akari held her head.
Candace stared at Akari as if she were crazy. "Akari, are you gonna be okay?"
"I'll be fine!" She lied and pushed her hair out of her face. It was always constantly falling and getting in her way. "Not to be pessimistic, but I think everyone else made it to home base. Maybe we should go check."
"Agreed."
---
"Hey, what took you guys so long?" Kathy waved to them. "How many people did you find?"
"Uh...well...you see..."
"Two," said Candace.
"Yeah, that's basically it. We found Luke and Toby."
"Oh...that's okay! It must have been hard! Everyone else made it back safely!"
"Oh...I see..."
"Don't feel bad, Akari! Luke and Toby were the only two who were found, so that means they probably had bad hiding places. When everyone was trying to find a place to hide. Chase just stood in one place and watched Luke as he started panicking. He was all like, 'Oh God, Chase, I forgot what we were supposed to do! Were we supposed to find Candace and Akari? Or are they supposed to find us? I don't know where to hide!' You should have seen him." Kathy was always trying her best to make Akari happy. She was like an older sister to her.
Akari laughed. "That makes me feel better. Toby was found because he was sleeping."
"See? Luke was awake, and he was found! That makes him really bad. Sometimes he can be pretty dumb."
"Yeah, but Luke is nice too! I talked to him for a bit! Then we found Toby, and I talked to him, too."
"Maybe you should have spent less time socializing and more time seeking."
"Yeah..." Akari shrugged. "Oh well!"
"That was fun! We should do this again sometime!" said Owen.
Everyone said goodbye to each other and thanked Akari and Chase for organizing such a fun game of hide n' seek. It was late now...8:00 to be exact.
"Chase, where were you hiding?"
"Why? Did you miss me?" he smirked. Chase loved teasing Akari like an older brother would.
"Well...yeah." Chase's face became concerned.
"You okay?"
"Huh? Yeah, of course I am! Why wouldn't I be? Course, I am a little bummed..."
"What happened?"
"I can't keep Toby as a pet." Chase started laughing. He always loved that about her. She could be so serious about something. Something another would find silly. Akari was like the younger sibling Chase never had.
"Akari, you make me smile...all the time..."
"Even on its darkest days?"
"...Even on its darkest days. You make my world so much brighter."
"You have a world? Because if you have one, I want one too. I'll name it 'Chase is my best buddy in the whole universe, so I dedicate this place to him Land,' and there will be an amusement park with roller coasters and other rides! But, I'm afraid of heights, so I don't think I'll be riding one."
Chase kept laughing and laughing at her strange thoughts. "Maybe you should go for a shorter title."
"Okay...I'll name it 'Chase Land,' but the original name will always be the real name to me!"
"Fine, and I'll name my world 'Akari Land.'"
"Yay, I'm special! Chase? You're my best buddy, and you will always be my only buddy!"
"If I'm your only buddy, then why am I your best buddy?"
"Because you're the only one I have, so who else could be my best one?" She smiled. "You're also my worst one, my first one, my last one-"
Chase frowned. "I'm your worst one?"
"I'm only kidding. You'll never be my worst buddy!...Even if you are the only buddy I have! You'll only be my only buddy and my best buddy!" Akari hugged him tightly. "Chase...I love you..." Chase hugged her back.
Don't let go...I don't want this moment with you to end...not yet...
Okay, don't ask about that ^ ending. It was just to get in the mood. Sorry to end it like this. I just thought it would be good place to take a break. See you guys in Chapter 3!
