"Alright measuring time! Kids line up here! Oh wow, you've grown five inches!"

"Big deal, I'm still taller than you!"

" Hmph…"

"I'm a pony!"

Much to Cheren disagreement, his lips twisted into a rather pleased smile. In return, the leather-clad girl smiled back warmly, until she realized that the mud and dirt left a rather "unfortunate" looking stain on Cheren's backside. Her lips twitched, and she burst out laughing.

"Cheren! I can't breathe!" She gasped wiping tears from her eyes. Cheren raised one of his perfectly groomed eyebrows, ( being the a son of a rather successful businessman had its perks you know) " What do you mean exactly?" Then he looked down and bit his lip in anger.

"Oh nice, real mature Touko!" He said examining the damage to his tailored jeans. "You know how much these cost me?" He said clenching his fist, "MORE THAN THAT BIKE!" He screamed, voice cracking at the last syllable. That of course, only sent Touko into more fits of hysterical laughter.

"Aren't you, like, twenty?" She said mockingly poking his stomach.

"Shut it, Touko." The bespectacled trainer muttered through gritted teeth.

"Alright, alright, I'm done." She said placing a hand on her childhood friend's shoulder. "Let's get lunch, like we planned, okay?" Touko said grabbing his hand and semi-dragging him off in whichever direction she thought the restaurant was.

Cheren didn't budge from his spot and planted his feet firmly on the ground. Well, he tried to plant his feet in the ground, but converse do not offer much in the sole department. "Um, what are you doing? I thought we were eating? " Touko asked still clinging furiously to her friend's arm. " Cheren sighed and adjusted his glasses,

"Number one, that's the wrong way, Number two, I'm not going anywhere without getting these pants cleaned, especially not in public. Remember the last time I went out with a stain like this on my pants?" Cheren said with an intense glare. Touko rubbed her chin for a moment then said,

" Wait, was that the time with the duck-"

Cheren cut her off mid-sentence, " Yeah yeah, that time. We don't want a repeat of that." He said quickly dismissing the subject.

Touko snorted, "That was awesome, but I can't believe that one kid-""We don't discuss this subject," The raven-haired boy shot her a warning glance, "Ever." He said sternly; oh how he prayed she could forget that incident.

Touko shrugged, "Well, I'm hungry. Let's clean your ass and get going." She said silencing him with a wave of her hand. "Touko?" The brunette spun around and faced her unfortunate friend, "Huh?" Cheren smirked, "You're going the wrong way."

"Cheren, really? I didn't even go that fast!" Touko said while stomping her foot mildly irritated. She folded her slender arms across her chest, "Just because I might've gently touched another car and possibly ran three red lights doesn't mean you were going to die." She said staring into Cheren's utterly horrified ice blue eyes.

Cheren slowly turned his head to face the girl, "What I witnessed back there was not driving," He took a shuddering breath, "What I saw back there, was chaos and death." He slumped back in one of the brightly colored plastic chairs that scattered the floors of the Laundromat. He placed his pale hand on top of his chest, " Still alive," He whispered to himself all the while a very annoyed Touko hungrily gazed at the petite café next door.

A few minutes of pure silence passed that was filled with Cheren's life flashing before his eyes and Touko fantasizing what kind of sandwich she was going to order. "I don't what what's more unbelievable, the fact that you had a spare pair set of clothing in your backpack, or that I survived," Cheren said, finally breaking the silence. "I mean, I knew you were paranoid, but to the extent that you would have an extra set of clothing in your backpack? That's just-"

"I'm weird like that, is that a problem?" Touko butted in defensively.

"Wise," Cheren finished with a quick smirk. "Next time, don't cut me off, it's quite rude," He said pushing his glasses farther up on the bridge of his nose.

"Fine," Touko mumbled, gaze still fixed on the donut sign hanging above the small café. Cheren poked and fiddled with the pants Touko had given him to wear while his were at the wash. They were well-worn cameo capris with threadbare spots speckling the knees, not his first choice in fashion, but it was much better than going pant-less.

A loud BZZZZZZT interrupted Cheren's thoughts as he watched Touko dash over to the dryer where his trousers had just finished drying. "Cheren your pants are done, we can eat now right?" She said with her royal blue eyes sparkling at the thought of a meal.

Cheren laughed to himself, "If only she had put this enthusiasm into her schoolwork, then things would've been a little different." He quickly rushed into the nearby bathroom and changed into his no- longer soiled jeans. "All right Touko, we can leave now."

"OH ARCEUS FINALLY!" Touko bolted up from her seat and ran out the door as fast as she could, darting across the busy intersection like suicidal Pachirisu. Cheren stood there dumbfounded as to how she managed to not get horribly mutilated. "I guess that girl can make miracles happen every day," he said with a surprised smirk and the faintest tint of red in his cheeks.