|4| firsts
. . . The first day the boys sat up, rubbed their eyes, and noticed Kimiko was a girl (the kind that was more than not-a-boy, more than lipstick and mascara and little plastic wrapped rolls Omi mistook for candy once, more than long, seemingly endless conversations on the phone at night) was the day a strange boy came over to the temple with a bouquet of lilies behind his back.
In hindsight, maybe their reaction was a little over the top. Then again, in hindsight, it really was Kimiko's fault for not warning them beforehand.
"I cannot believe Kimiko kept this a secret from us! As a Xiaolin dragon I expect her to know the world is not safe! We are her protectors and yet she neglected her responsibility to confide in us! She has failed as a teammate! With her weak girl arms and legs, she is easy prey for those on the side of evil!"
"I know you've been going on about settling the score with this guy when they get back, but if Kimiko was here right now –" Dojo muttered, watching through half-lidded eyes Omi pace frantically back and forth.
"Now hold up just a minute," Clay gripped the back of Omi's robes and hefted him easily over to his sitting spot. "If you're gonna blow another fuse, save it for that yellow-bellied scoundrel. Then again," Clay released his hold with a rather uncharacteristic grin and pounded a fist into the palm of his other hand. "You go ahead. Then I can get all the fun of introducing myself to that slime-faced weasel."
"Do you guys want to speak to Kimiko ever again or not?" Dojo sighed in exasperation. "Wait a minute, where'd Raimundo go?"
Omi and Clay fell quiet but none of them could hear anything other than the spring breeze and cricket chirps from the garden.
"Quick!" Omi suddenly cried. "Raimundo has already gotten a head start!"
Dojo groaned as Clay opened the door with a terrific bang and Omi, carrying on a high-pitched war cry, followed him out.
"Well! This is what happens when no one ever listens to me! Maybe if they hadn't been so busy laughing at the possibility of Kimiko meeting that kid a few days back, they wouldn't be –"
He paused. Everything outside, even the wind, was strangely quiet. He heard the gate swing open and snatches of Kimiko saying farewell. Then, in quick succession, there came the sounds of rocks crashing, wind howling, water crashing against the temple walls, a random cat screeching, and a deafening explosion. Dojo howled and huddled into a quivering heap. In a few moments, the echoes had subsided and he peeked through one eye towards the open door, heavy smoke obscuring his view.
"Hello?" he started, trembling, and then screamed when three bodies flew into the room, apparently stunned. Through the smoke, Kimiko strode in, eyes burning and a wilted lily dropping from her ear.
"Oh, um, hello! Kimiko? You look uh, nice. How'd it go?" Dojo laughed weakly. Kimiko didn't look at him as she passed by.
"Isn't it obvious there isn't going to be a second date?" she spat before slamming the door of the sleeping quarters shut.
That won't be the end of it, Dojo snarled to the three boys slowly regaining consciousness and, as he liked to boast every day after, he was right. Kimiko stomped on Clay's foot when he tried explaining the proper etiquette behind bringing home a boy for the first time, and when Omi tried to pipe up in his defense, he found the head of his Omi-bot on his pillow that night. Raimundo seemed to be the wisest of the three by avoiding Kimiko at all times, but unfortunately, despite Dojo's protests, Master Fung thought that was avoiding the issue. The meeting he arranged where he planned to act as mediator backfired ("literally," Dojo joked and Master Fung fixed him with a terrifying glower) when Raimundo made the mistake of claiming he should be angrier than Kimiko "considering –!" but he never finished and Dojo couldn't help but sulk that Kimiko could breathe fire much better than he, a pureblood dragon, could.
"But you're a girl –"
"Is this the first time you've noticed this?!" The boys tried to nod but couldn't look up and stared forlornly at their slippers as she stormed out.
"There is only one way to remedy this situation," Omi stated gravely the next morning, the porridge bowl Kimiko had unceremoniously tipped over his head a minute earlier sliding off. "We must apologize to Kimiko's boyfriend."
"He's not –"
"I suppose you're right, little partner."
"Hold on –"
"I will ask Dojo to arrange us a meeting place and time."
"How can you guys –"
"Sounds good to me. What'd you say Rai?"
"No! I say no –" he crossed his arms, "because - well because…well…I guess…ah whatever! Fine! But she's not his girlfriend alright?"
"Most definitely not!" Omi chirped and Dojo, reading the morning paper at the end of the table, snorted and turned the page. . . .
