DISCLAIMER - see chapter one
"Misao! Misao! Where do you think you're going!" a blonde haired woman demanded as the young girl ran through the kitchen, roller blades in hand, her long black haired braided, a red cap over her head backwards. She wore baggy black combat trousers and T-shirt, black elbow and kneepads already secured,
"To the park!" she called in reply as she sat at the back door pulling on her skates, fastening them quickly as the middle aged woman entered the kitchen, a frown on her usually attractive features as she put her empty coffee cup on the sideboard,
"I told you, you're grounded!" she snapped as she approached the door, the young girl already on her feet ready to head down the garden path, "I will not have you skating like a manic through the streets and acting like a teenaged boy!" she added harshly, she young tomboy glaring back at her,
"Get lost and stop trying to act like my mother!" Misao snapped as she turned and skated down the path, flinging the gate open roughly, ignoring her foster mother's shout as she skated away, her wheels rolling smoothly across the pavement as she went, weaving in and out of the afternoon crowd as she headed for the ramps, barely looking as she crossed the road,
"Misao!" Kaoru's voice called. Misao skidded easily to a stop and looked over her shoulder as Kaoru came towards her on a scooter, one foot pushing herself along as the sleek two wheeled platform glided along the path, her hands steering it as she caught up to Misao,
"Headed my way?" Misao asked with a grin as Kaoru stopped beside her, nodding with a smile before they continued their way, Misao going slow to keep to Kaoru's speed, easily weaving her way through the crowd, many of them frowning in annoyance as they passed,
"Hey! Weasel!" a loud male voice shouted, the nickname making Misao's eye twitch as she turned to the tall slim teen that skated towards them on a skateboard, his trousers and open shirt both white and his dark spiky hair held out of his face by a red strip of material, a mischievous grin on his face as a came along side her, the breeze blowing back his open shirt to reveal a well toned torso,
"You are so dead bird head!" Misao snapped as she glared across at the tall man, who merely grinned and sped up, his long legs carrying him into the distance, "Hey! Get back here!" the short girl shouted as she poured on speed, leaving Kaoru behind giggling,
"Kaoru!" a soft voice called. Kaoru put her foot down and stopped, turning to see a red haired teen skating towards her on a skateboard, a smile on his face as he slowed to a stop beside her, "Sano certainly was fast today." He commented as he flipped his board into his hand and walked beside Kaoru, who slowly pushed herself along beside him,
"Yeah, he raced off with Misao close behind." She replied with a bright smile, allowing a comfortable silence to fall between them as they went, slowly getting closer to the skate park. "So…how have you been?" Kaoru asked awkwardly after a while as they turned a corner, walking down some stairs, Kaoru lifting her scooter with ease, the wind rustling her short skirt,
"Ah, okay I guess…and you?" he asked awkwardly as they reached the bottom, seeing the ramps in the distance, a small figure with long braided hair skating back and forth on the ramp, a white clothed figure sitting on the edge watching her. Kenshin stole a glance at the girl beside him, trying to remember exactly what their argument had been about, not that it made much difference now.
"I've been fine…great in fact, I met a nice guy the other day." she confessed with a smile, not knowing how hard those words hit Kenshin as he stopped and watched her scoot ahead, not realising she had lost him, another guy? So soon? He thought in disappointment as she paused and turned back to him. He dropped his skateboard and began skating forward,
"That's great…later." He said with a forced smile as he wheeled by, not looking back at the blue eyed girl behind him, her long black ponytail swishing back and forth in the breeze, those eyes looking slightly confused as she got off her scooter and collapsed the bars, picking up the compacted metal frame and headed to the ramps, Misao hopping off the U shaped ramp and skating across the small park, jumping up and sliding across the grind bar.
"Kaoru!" she called with a wave as the taller girl sat on the grass beside the ramps and watched, waving back at Misao as she watched her slide up and over small slopes, gliding around effortlessly, and she wasn't the only one who was watching. Across the park was a young woman watching Misao carefully, obviously older than Kaoru, perhaps twenty-four years old, but no more. At the top of the largest U ramp Sano sat watching the older woman with a far off look as Kenshin rode back and forth on the ramp, making the occasionally spin or grind as he reached the end of the ramp, sometimes catching air and coming back down perfectly.
"Careful Misao!" Kaoru called as the small girl shot into the air from one of the slopes, coming back down and landing effortlessly on one wheeled foot, skating around near Kaoru and wheeling backwards with a lively grin,
"You worry too much Kaoru!" she called as she did a reverse grind across one of the bars, the woman opposite watching in amazement, finally applauding, catching Misao's attention, and her suspicion immediately.
"That was amazing." The suited woman complimented as she stepped over the knee high bar that acted as a barrier to the ramps and walked over to Misao, who had stopped and was now looking at the woman with distrust, "My name is Takani Megumi, I'm the manager of Shinomori Aoshi." She introduced, handing Misao a small card with her name and office number on it. Misao looked at the card suspiciously,
"Makimachi Misao, what do you want?" she asked rudely, seeing the older woman's eye twitch slightly at her brusque attitude. The activity of the ramps had stopped, Kaoru watching the exchange from her place on the grass while Sano and Kenshin watched from the top of the ramp, Sano dangling his legs over the edge while Kenshin crouched behind him leaning on his shoulder.
"In short, I want you to partner Shinomori-san, with your skill you would be perfect!" Megumi replied, trying not to let the eagerness creep into her voice as she spoke, but from the puzzled look Misao gave her she had the feeling the girl had no idea what Megumi was talking about,
"Who is this 'Aoshi'? And partner him at what?" she asked in confusion, confirming Megumi's thoughts. Megumi gave her an incredulous look,
"He's a world famous ice skating champion! He came first in the Japanese finals and second in the world ice dancing championship!" she replied enthusiastically, Misao giving her a blank look at first until she caught on and grinned before laughter burst from her small form, almost sending her to the ground as she lost her balance,
"Ice dancing? With the skimpy skirts and leotards? No way! Not a chance! Did you look at me before you decided to come over?" Misao laughed, Megumi nodding in agreement as the girl slowly calmed down and rolled forward a little as she straightened up,
"I admit it would be difficult to make you look the part, but," she began, cut off by Misao's glare,
"And just what is that supposed to mean? If I wanted to I could pull off a mini-skirt, but I have absolutely no desire to try, so why don't you take your ice skating and shove it up your!" Misao shouted heatedly, cut off as Kaoru restrained her, having seen the look in Misao's eye and making her way over quickly,
"Okay, I guess you have your answer Megumi-san, excuse us." Kaoru interrupted hastily, dragging Misao away, the smaller girl skilfully staying on her feet even as she fought against Kaoru's pull. "Misao! Calm down!" Kaoru soothed as Megumi walked away, snapping her phone open as she went.
"But Kaoru! You heard what she said! Talking about me as if I'm just a little dirty street kid!" she snapped, her eyes flashing dangerously as she sat on the grind bar watching the retreating form of Megumi, who was bust talking frantically down the phone to someone.
"Don't take it to heart, she doesn't know you." Kaoru replied firmly as she laid a hand on the smaller girl's shoulder, both of them shortly joined my Kenshin, while Sano had disappeared, or not…Kaoru thought as she watched Sano approaching Megumi from a casual distance, but it seemed she brushed him off as she walked on, barely sparing a glance for him.
"Misao, you alright?" Kenshin asked in concern as the girl gradually calmed down, nodding her head but still too angry to speak.
"Hey Kaoru, can I crash at your place tonight?" Misao asked after a while as the other two sat on the ground together, comfortable but awkward at the same time. Kaoru looked up as if she hadn't heard and Misao repeated her question,
"Well…um…sure, I guess." She replied, obviously thinking about something,
"Hey, why's everyone so glum over here?" Sano asked as he joined them, seeing Misao was still calming down, Kaoru was looking troubled and Kenshin was looking down, jeez, what a crowd…he thought as he sat on his skateboard and rocked back and forth, "So…who's up for going out on the town? My treat." Sano offered grinning,
"Sanosuke, I've never known you to pay for anything," Kaoru said suspiciously, quite the opposite in fact, she thought as she looked at the older teen, who sat grinning as he rocked back and forth,
"Well, let's just say I got lucky." He replied ambiguously as he looked around awaiting replies, turning to Kenshin and giving his leg a nudge,
"Hm? Oh, I'm in." he replied absently, obviously still down about his recent break-up with Kaoru. Sano slapped his shoulder approvingly, taking a side-glance at Kaoru as he did so,
"Good man, good man, there are sure to be plenty of women just waiting for us to lay them." He said, noting Kaoru's jaw tighten a little as she clenched her teeth in disapproval, maybe even a little jealous,
"We're in." She snapped with a blush as she looked at Sano's grinning face, looking at Misao who sighed and nodded in agreement.