Peaches and Cream

Alright, now we're getting to the interesting part. And I'd like to dedicate this chapter to my friend who I based Emiko off of, because she helped me with my writer's block.

Translations.

Onee-(chan)(sama): This is a polite term the girls use for the girls in the group that are older than them. Literally translated, it means "Elder Sister", even though they're not sisters. It's just a more polite way to address friends who are older than you.

Onii-(chan)(sama): Same as the first one, but for boys. Means "Elder Brother."

Gomen/Gomen nasai: I'm sorry.

Arigato/Domo: Thank you.

Onigai: Please.

Baka: Stupid, or idiot, depending on how it's used.

I peeked around the doorframe of the classroom, apprehensively. I really wasn't keen on seeing my friends again after my outburst the day before, but my parents wouldn't let me skip school for anything.

Discreetly, I walked into the room and sidled over to my desk.

"Momo?"

I didn't even look up. I knew who it was. "Emiko, don't even get started on it."

"Momo, Gomen Nasai."

I sighed and smushed my face into my arm. "Yeah, whatever, Kaida."

"No, really. We shouldn't have gotten you involved when you weren't even there."

"Took you long enough to figure it out." I sat up and looked at my friends, who, I noted, were standing noticeably far apart. "Look, guys. I have an idea. If we really want to solve this, maybe we should spend a little bit of time apart from one another."

"I'm not following you," Ayame said, a question mark floating around her head.

"Sometimes when you spend a lot of time with someone, you get irritated with them more easily. We might be able to resolve this if we just go our separate ways for about a week."

Emiko looked at me with watery eyes and said, "But then I won't have anyone to Divine Punish-ify!"

I gave her the look of death, a.k.a., flaming eyes.

"Ah! Okay, okay!"

And with that, they walked back to their own desks and went about their business. I smiled inwardly, taking out my contraband gum and chewing contentedly.

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It was lunch break, and things were still somewhat hectic. I sweatdropped and walked over to Emiko, who was currently peeking out from behind the wall, staring me.

"Fangy," I said, "quit stalking me!"

"But I'm lonely! I don't have any other frieeeeeeends!"

I did a mushroom cloud sigh. "Then make some new ones."

"I can't! Everyone's scared of me!"

"They're scared of me, too, but I made a new friend."

"But you're not as scary as me!"

I thought on this for a few seconds. "True, I'm not a vampire, after all. But that's still no excuse for stalking me!"

"But, but, it's the only way I can NOT around you and BE around you and well… I was HOPING I wouldn't get caught…" She trailed off pathetically with little tears forming under her eyelids, before exclaiming, "I'm LONELY!!!"

This got to me. She was just so cute, how could I not help her?! She was using my weak spot. Stupid manipulating little cretin.

I sighed. "Okay, I'll help. But I need to find Ichigo."

"Ichigo Momomiya? That girl who's always falling asleep in class and shouting in her dreams? Hmm. It figures you would befriend fellow space case and loudmouth."

I sprouted swelled vein and said, "Just follow me and keep a low profile. If the others see you with me we'll never hear the end of it."

Emiko nodded and we began to search for Ichigo. We found her chatting with her two friends on the other side of the courtyard.

"Ichigo!"

Ichigo turned and waved at me. "Oh, Momo-chan! How'd it go?"

I laughed nervously. "Well, there is one thing."

Right on cue, Emiko poked her head out from behind me.

"Loneliness," I whispered.

"Ah. I see," Ichigo said, nodding.

"So, do you know anyone who might be able to make friends with her? As she said herself, everyone's scared of her because of her 'claims' of being a vampire."

Ichigo's eyes brightened and a wicked smile flashed onto her face. "I know JUST the girl! She doesn't go to this school yet, but she will next year, and she lives walking distance from here, just about two minutes away."

"Great! So after school then?"

----------

I looked up at the Chinese oriented house with a raised eyebrow. It was really out of place. I had never seen anything quite like it. Well, except for the fact that Emiko likes to wear the school uniforms of other nationalities in her free time, but that's different, sorta.

"So she's still in elementary school?"

"Yeah, but she'll be in our school next year."

Ichigo knocked on the door, and we were immediately pounced on by a yellow blur.

"Ichigo Onee-chan! You brought friends, na no da!"

"Purin," Ichigo laughed, "get off!"

The small yellow girl jumped off of us and did a back-flip before bowing to us.

"I am pleased to meet the friends of Ichigo onee-chan, na no da!"

Fangy stared, shocked at this boingy little girl, then tuned to me with a look of pure terror on her face. "Now SHE is as scary as me," she said, twitching.

"Momo, Emiko," Ichigo said, "this is Purin Fong. Purin; Momo and Emiko. Now… um…"

I stepped in at this point. "My friends got into a fight and we decided to spend some time apart to solve things but Emiko is lonely and needs a friend but everyone is scared of her and Ichigo thought you wouldn't be. Also, she's a vampire." I managed to say it all in one breath.

Purin stared at us for a moment, then glomped and Emiko. "Vampire-chan!"

"I think that solves things," Ichigo said, smirking as Emiko and Purin engaged in a spontaneous tickle fight.

"Too right," I laughed as we walked away.

"I've got to go work my shift at the café," Ichigo said. Then she muttered under her breath, "I guess there's no escape from Shirogane."

"What was that?" I said.

"Shirogane is my demonic boss," Ichigo said.

"How is he demonic?"

"He's ruthless and underpays us."

"Mm. Kind of like my karate teacher. But if he underpays you, why don't you quit?"

"I… kind of can't."

I raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

Ichigo sighed. "Would you be willing to believe something pretty farfetched?"

I laughed. "I believe in dragons! I'll believe anything, trust me!"

"Okay, then. This will be hard to swallow, but I'm…" She gulped. "I'm Mew Ichigo, and Café Mew Mew is our base of operations, which means I can't quit, even if our creator, Ryou Shirogane, only pays us ten dollars an hour. The reason I'm telling you this because we recently discovered a new threat which we're not powerful enough to defeat, so we created a new Mew Mew. And you're that Mew Mew. You have the DNA of a snow leopard in your system now."

I stared at the red haired girl next to me. "Wait… what kind of consequences would that include?"

"You believe me?! I thought for sure you'd think I was joking!"

"You just helped me with what was probably the biggest problem of my life! I trust you!"

"Well, to answer your question, the biggest consequence would be that you'll have to battle at any given time, regardless of what you're doing. Then, you'll have to work at the café part time to so that you'll be up to date with new missions. A mark will appear on your body to signify your alliance with us. And finally, you might have the same problem as me; you're animal features might pop out in your daily life when you get exited or scared."

I thought on this for a minute. "So that explains Wednesday night."

"What?"

"First I found a weird mark on my arm that I forgot about because I was under a lot of stress, then I had a nightmare and when I woke up, I had another dream that I had a tail and ears. Or, at least, I thought it was a dream then. But I guess--" I stopped short when something hit me. "Wait… if I have to work at the café, does that mean I have to wear one of those frilly maid's outfits?!"

Ichigo nodded as we neared the café entrance.

I sighed. "Well, I'll do it, but I won't like it." I shuddered at the idea of wearing all that lace.

We opened the doors to the café, and I prepared myself for what surprises lay ahead.

Woohoo! Cliffhanger! Gah, this chapter was a pain to write. I'll say it once again; REVIEW, DAMMIT! I hate not knowing what people think! Even if all you have to say is criticism, as long as it's not a flame, I'm fine with it! Flames will boil water for my hot chocolate. Anyone who reviews gets some of that hot chocolate.