Chapter 3

The only thing that my mom was mad at me for was that I was home so close to curfew. She was glad that I got my homework done for once.

The first place I always go to when I reach school is under the tree where we all meet. By all I mean Momoko, Miyako, the Takashima brothers, and me. It's just kind of something that we started doing after the first week of school. I guess you could say that we claimed that area for ourselves.

"Kaoru! How was your weekend?" Miyako asked.

"Um good, if you consider being lazy good," I smirked.

"If you had nothing to do, you could have come to the mall with Miyako and I!" Momoko complained.

"Why would I go to the mall with you? All you guys do is shop!"

"Shopping is fun!" they said in unison.

"Uh huh…" I rolled my eyes.

The boys just kind of looked at us. Probably wondering how we were all friends because we were pretty different. Momoko and Miyako were so similar and then there was me, but somehow we were all friends.

"Come on girls, we should get to class," Brick said taking charge.

Momoko went with Brick and Miyako went with Boomer. Of course I had to go with Butch.

"Matsubara, how are you guys friends?" Butch asked making small talk.

"Well one day in preschool, Miyako was being bullied by this kid, Mitch. He took her favorite toy one day. So Momoko and I basically had the same idea but kind different approach. My idea was to beat the shit out of him and her idea was to give him a stern talking to. It ended up me beating him up while she gave him a talking to. Since then we've been friends."

He nodded and watched as I opened my locker. I pulled out my books and then shut the locker to find Butch had left me, not that I was upset by that or anything, I'm just saying…

When I reached my first class I took my seat and saw Butch just kind of chilling in his seat behind me.

"You're not going to talk to those girls?" I asked gesturing at the group of girls looking over at him.

"Nah, not right now at least," he smirked.

Damn, I hated that smirk. It always seemed like there was something behind it but I could never figure it out.

The bell rang and class began. The teacher droned on about something and I could hardly pay attention because it was so boring. I swear I almost fell asleep.

Before the class ended the teacher made and announcement. "Next Friday is the school dance! Don't forget to come, it will be fun!" She called after us as we began to pack up. (I guess you could say this dance is like a homecoming except with no homecoming queen or king)

"You go to dance?" Butch asked awkwardly.

"You trying to be a caveman?" I shot back sarcastically. Before I let him defend himself I said, "Nah. They are the same almost every time and then I'll have to wear a dress and get all semi-fancy and that just really isn't for me. You going?"

"Nah, I agree with what you said."

We walked to the next class in silence.

"Kaoru, I already know what you are going to say but I say you're going to that dance! We already have money set aside for your ticket!" Momoko barked before I even sat down.

"Yeah and I have a few choices for dresses too!" Miyako chimed in.

"No way in hell am I going to that dance!" I glared.

"What else would you do?" Momoko asked eyeing me.

"Um hang out?" I improvised.

"With who?"

"Butch?" I said the first person that came to mind.

"Huh?" I heard his confused voice.

"You, me, hanging out next Friday right?" I said as casual as I could.

"Oh yeah, right," he played along.

I gave him a quick look of me saying thanks.

"Oh! I get it!" Of course Momoko would take this the wrong way.

"Momoko! It's not like that!" I tried to say. What's the point? She can think whatever the heck she wants.

"So Brick, you want to go to the dance with me next Friday?" A small blush crept up on her face.

"Yeah," Brick responded, trying not to sound too excited.

"Miyako, you want to go with me?" Boomer asked shyly. I swear if that boy spoke any quieter, no one would have heard him.

"Of course!" Miyako beamed.

"Why would you spend money and lots of time on some stupid dance that is only going to last a few hours?" I asked.

"Kaoru! Dances are excuses for us girls to get all dressed up and feel pretty!" Momoko said as if asked the stupidest question in the world.

I rolled my eyes and continued to eat. I didn't want to get more into this.

"So, are we really going to hang out on the night of the dance?" Butch asked me during study hall.

"Yeah, I guess. Otherwise Momoko and Miyako will call me a liar, mainly Momoko."

"Sweet. Your house or mine?"

"Well you can't meet my mom or my brothers… they would go berserk…"

"Why?" he asked as he finished the last of his math homework.

"Mom will embarrass me and Dai is a little over protective since dad is away on a wrestling tournament. Shou… he just kind of follows what ever Dai does… so my house is out."

"Understandable I guess, though it would have been cool to meet your family," he smirked.

I rolled my eyes and then checked the clock. 3 minutes to go! I gathered up my bag and slung it over my right shoulder.

"Anxious to leave?"

"Hell yeah, its only freaking Monday and I just want today to be over," I groaned.

"You had that bad of a day?"

"No, its just… school and I don't get along all that well."

Butch chuckled at that last remark. "Happens even to the best of us."

"The hell's that suppose to mean?"

"I'm no stupid Kaoru," he started.

The bell rang in his mid sentence so we got up and went to where our lockers were.

"I never said you were but…"

He rolled his eyes, "Never mind… Just go enjoy your Monday afternoon."

"I will!" I said stupidly. He just laughed at me and walked down the other hall towards his locker.

What the hell was that Kaoru? You even make no sense to yourself sometimes…

"Dai! I'm home!" I yelled loud.

"I heard the door open so I assumed it was you," he said trying to now to go back to the peace and quiet he had before I came home.

"Well I could have been a burglar."

"Doubt it. Surprisingly this area doesn't get many robberies."

True, this area was not the best part of town to live in but it wasn't good. It was in the middle.

"I shall ignore you and go on the computer," I said and started to climb the stairs, two at a time.

"What business do you have on the computer?"

"None of your business," I replied flatly before shutting the door behind me.

Dai was right though; I didn't really have any business for me to want to get on the computer. I guess I could chat with Miyako and Momoko; they are always on.

Kaoru logged in (if you don't know, I'm lazy and I don't make up screen names)

Momoko: Kaoru, you're on? You never get on.

Kaoru: yeah, yeah I know, I'm just stalling so I don't have 2 do my HW

Miyako: Kaoru! You should do your homework!

Momoko: yeah. You may not think so but homework is important.

Kaoru: yeah, yeah, whatever.

Miyako: so how do you like the Takashima brothers?

Momoko: I think I'm in love with Brick 3

Miyako: Boomer is really nice

Kaoru: Butch is a pain

Momoko: then why do you hang out with him?

Kaoru: I don't hang out with him!

Miyako: you're always with him

Kaoru: I have every single class with him!

Momoko: well then why would you hang out with him next Friday?

Kaoru: because I don't want to go to the dance

Momoko: well there are probably a lot of other people not going to the dance that you could hang out with

Kaoru: Oh shut up! Now you're the pain!

Miyako: Boomer told me that Kaoru hung out with Butch at their house last Friday

Momoko: KAORU!

Kaoru: What?

Momoko: if you like Butch just say so!

Kaoru: I DO NOT LIKE BUTCH! MIYAKO!

Miyako: I'm sorry!

Kaoru: God now I know why I don't ever get on here

Miyako: I didn't mean to…

Kaoru: fine, whatever. I'm leaving

Kaoru logged off

I then logged off before they could question me anymore. I didn't like Butch and that was that. Really, why do I even bother talking to them? All they do is make me mad. Is it really so bad if I try to become friends with Butch? Sure he annoys the hell out of me but he's interesting that way. Oh my head is hurting from thinking all about this… I can't think of this right now… I then made my way to bed thinking I was only going to take a nap until diner time.

A/N: ok so I have changed the story a lot… hope you don't mind!