Hey everyone! :3

Sorry about my incredibly long break. D: I actually did have the rough draft of this written, but I had so much stuff to do (college stuff, finals, GRADUATION! xD) I didn't have time to rewrite it and post it. Also, I just got a new computer (graduation present, yaaay!), and I had to transfer over all my files.

So anyway. I'm posting this one first, and then I'll get to work posting new chapters of Fast Times at Odaiba High and The Pyramid of Darkness. In that order, probably.

ANYWAY. Thank you to my reviewers: anon, blessed-with-a-curse, Depthmon, The Illusionest, and ryukitjha.

Sorry again for the wait. Now, onto chapter three!

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Chapter Three: Introductions

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Her mother was talking to a man. Speed dating was over, so why was she still talking to a man? It was basically illegal. Rika was leaning against the wall still, arms crossed. She was ready to go already. This was not how she wanted to spend her Friday night. She was supposed to hang out with Jeri, Takato, and Henry tonight. And instead she was babysitting her mom and trying to escape middle-aged, leering perverts.

The boy she'd thrown her food on had stormed into the men's bathroom without so much as a glare in her direction. She had enjoyed this sight greatly. It had probably been the highlight of her night.

Meaning that this whole night was a disaster. Yes, yes, she wanted Rumiko to be happy – she had to keep reminding herself about that – but it was rather hard to watch her flirt with all these old men.

Okay, so not all of them were old. One of them was actually rather young – the one Rumiko was talking to now. But that wasn't the point.

Rumiko glanced over her shoulder to see Rika, who sighed impatiently. Her mother turned and said something to the man, then hurried over to her daughter with a wide smile. "Rika darling! I met the nicest man," she told her.

Rika wanted to shake her head, but it was hard not to notice Rumiko's flushed cheeks and glittering eyes. Damn it.

"His name is Akira. He invited us out for dinner – right now!"

"Sounds…great," Rika forced herself to say. At least she'd be able to see what this guy was like and if she should let her mom go out with him.

"And he has a son around your age with him. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!"

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"Ryo? Are you in here?"

Ryo was still trying to fix his hair in the sink, as he had been for about the last ten minutes. "Yeah, Dad…" he said mournfully. He couldn't get it to pile back up right. No matter what he did, it flopped down around his head in waves – the way his hair was naturally. He really needed to get waterproof gel.

"I thought I saw you come in here a few minutes ago," Akira said. "Are you sick? Did you throw up?"

"No, Dad…"

"Then how come you've been in here so long?"

Ryo glanced at his dad. "Are you serious? Dad, my hair!"

Akira looked at it. "I don't see anything wrong with it. It looks fine!"

His son gave something that sounded like a whimper and kept trying to tease his hair back into place.

"It looks better the way it is now, actually," Akira said impatiently. "Anyway, all set to go out to dinner?"

Ryo gave his hair one last attempt, then gave up and smoothed it down around his head so it didn't look so messy. "Yeah." He walked towards his dad. "Where are we going?" he asked with a hint of a smile. Okay, so that crazy girl had killed his hair, but at least he'd never have to see her again.

"Wherever you want. There's just one thing… I met this woman, and I invited her and her daughter to come with us," Akira said.

Ryo nodded slowly. "Okay," he said calmly. Not like it was his birthday or anything. But that was pretty much the way his dad was…

"It'll be fun. Come on!" Akira said, pushing his son out the door. They stood there a moment and Akira looked around. "Oh, there they are now," he said. He led Ryo over to a blonde woman, talking to someone else. The way she was standing, Ryo couldn't see who she was talking to… but that was all resolved in a matter of seconds as the blonde woman moved.

Rika stared at him, horrified. "You?"

Ryo was equally as shocked. "You!"

At the exact same time, they looked to their parents. "No way," they spoke in unison.

Rika glared at Ryo. "Don't do that," she snapped.

He snorted. "You did it, I didn't."

"I did what?"

"Whatever you're accusing me of doing!"

"Now, kids," Rumiko said with a laugh.

"You two already know each other?" Akira asked.

Ryo looked up at him pitifully. "Dad, please. I would really prefer to just have dinner with you alone." It was time to be honest. If it had been anyone else he would have lied and said it was fine, but there was no way he was going out to dinner with this maniac. She'd thrown food on him from a buffet table – who knew what she would do if she had a whole restaurant.

Rika was trying to convince her mother of the same thing. "I think it's too soon, Mom, if you want my honest opinion. If you go out to dinner with him, he's gonna get the wrong idea about you. And once men have the wrong idea about you, then they'll never respect you. Remember?" It was one of Rumiko's teachings. It was one of her lifestyle rules. It couldn't fail!

"Ryo, you're an adult starting today. So you need to think about other people's feelings instead of being childish. Rumiko and her lovely daughter Rika are coming with us," Akira told his son sternly. Ryo nearly died.

"That's so old-fashioned, Rika," Rumiko simply chided. "Do you want to be an old-fashioned woman who sits around waiting for a man to call back and worrying about what he thinks of her, or do you want to be a New Woman who defies standards and does what she wants without worrying about society?" Rumiko smiled defiantly. Rika gawked.

"Now introduce yourself to young Rika Nonaka," Akira instructed.

"You too, Rika," came Rumiko's voice. "I think you two will really like each other."

Ryo sighed. Okay, so they had gotten off on the wrong foot. But he kind of did like his hair this way. Maybe it would become his new style! If so, he'd have her to thank. In any case, he knew his father was right. He had to start acting like an adult if he wanted others to treat him like one. And that meant doing things he didn't want to if they made someone else happy. Namely, his father. Ryo didn't approve of his father dating or getting over his mother so quickly – it seemed quickly, anyway. And he wished his father's date didn't have this girl for a daughter. But maybe she wouldn't be so bad if they got the chance to talk. Maybe she was just nervous for her mother and that's why she'd been acting like a bitch. Maybe her mother was right and they would get to be friends – perhaps it was a stretch, but he was optimistic. He always gave people a second chance. Ryo smiled at her. "It's nice to meet you – properly. I'm Ryo Akiyama."

Rika's eyes narrowed. She didn't have to think about it. She knew how she felt. There was no way in hell she was even going to like him, despite what her mother said. She stared at him.

Rika's mother shifted. "Rika, introduce yourself," she hissed.

"No," Rika said, still staring at Ryo menacingly.

"Rika, you're being rude!"

"I don't care. Mr. Ryo Akiyama here is much ruder than anyone else on the planet."

"Ryo, were you rude to this nice girl?" Akira gasped.

Ryo shook his head. "No! Not at all."

Rika snorted. "Yeah right."

"Rika! Don't make a scene!" Rumiko cried.

"Ryo, apologize to her! Now!" Akira demanded.

I thought I was an adult, Ryo thought sarcastically. "I'm very sorry for any behavior you might have interpreted as rude," he said dully.

Another pause. "Rika, accept his apology and introduce yourself." Rumiko's eyes were wide.

"Why?"

"Because!"

"No."

"Rika!"

Rika looked up at Rumiko innocently. Her mother's face was red with embarrassment and her mouth was hanging open. Her eyes were wide and glossy. Oh god – it was the look she got before she started crying. She liked to cry to make Rika succumb to her. She never cried at home, only in public. Rika couldn't stand it. It made her feel so terrible, like she was the worst person on earth. Seeing the warning signs of Rumiko's crying did the trick this time, too.

Rika looked back at Ryo, violet eyes meeting cerulean ones. "I accept your apology," she said, as mechanically as he had apologized. "It's also nice to meet you, Ryo Akiyama. I am Rika Nonaka."

"There! Was that so hard?" Rumiko said with a giggle. Rika looked up at her smiling mother, amazed. Maybe she was an actress…

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End of Chapter Three: Introductions

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Sorry if that was kind of short. I'll update soon!

Please let me know what you think in your reviews.