Haruhi's Birthday

Chapter 4

Kyon and Mikuru loaded their cart with gothic decorations. Bats, black doilies and fake spider webs were flung into the cart faster than a hungry man can scarf down a cheeseburger.

Meanwhile, Mikuru seemed to have something on her mind. She searched up and down the store, as if she was looking for something special (other than gothic decorations of course). "Oh," she sighed.

"What's up Mikuru?" Kyon asked, trying to be friendly.

"Kyon, I can't seem to find Haruhi a present. I mean it was on short notice. If only I had some more time!"

"Uh, aren't you a time traveler?" Kyon whispered. "Doesn't that mean that time is on your hands?"

Mikuru looked at him as if he just said the second stupidest thing in the world.

"I mean," Kyon elaborated trying to save himself, "Can't you go back in time and tell yourself that Haruhi is going to declare that is her birthday suddenly?"

"No. You don't play with time like that."

"I mean…We went back in time before though."

"When?"

"We visited Haruhi in middle school and helped her right lines on the school field remember?"

"No."

"Yeah, you fell asleep. That was your older self. But anyway we fell asleep at Yuki's house overnight for three years."

Mikuru was quiet. "Let's just check out Kyon."

They went to the check out line and realized two things.

They did not have the receipt to exchange the decorations.

They had no money.

And Kyon couldn't call Itsuki because he had the esper's phone in his back pocket. "Crap!" Kyon thought. "Okay, you stay here with the stuff, I'll go find Suzumiya's handyman." He said to Mikuru.

"Fine Kyon, Hurry back."

"Aww man," Kyon thought to himself as he ran out the store. "I looked like a total fool in front of Mikuru. Stupid time travel…" Kyon thought about the places that Yuki and Itsuki could have gone. "Publix." He thought. "That means that they could not have gone too far." Kyon jogged down the crowded street. He kept bumping into people, which of course slowed him down. By the time he got to Publix, he could see Yuki and Itsuki walking out. Once he caught up to them and explained the situation, all of them headed back to Party City.

When the trio entered Party City they were surprised.

"Haruhi?" Both boys asked.

"In the flesh," the SOS Brigade leader said as she flipped her hair. "What were you thinking Kyon, leaving Mikuru all alone? Lucky I came here to check up on you guys or else Mikuru could have been in danger!" Haruhi was hugging Mikuru as if she was a plush doll. "I see that you've got the decorations. By the way Itsuki, your phone died. I kept calling but it went straight to voicemail."

Wow, thought Kyon, Haruhi doesn't want to believe that I hung up on her and ignored her calls.

"Sorry, Miss Suzumiya," Itsuki answered. "Kyon is horrible with responsibility."

"Yeah," Miss Suzumiya agreed. "It's actually too bad. Did I show you the out fit that I found for Mikuru?" She dug into the cart and revealed a very racy devil girl outfit. "Cute huh? Just in time for Halloween."

"That's next month." Kyon stated.

"SO?" Haruhi stated as if Kyon was an idiot. "I think its cute. I was gonna get a punk rock outfit and put Yuki in an angel outfit. We would look so cool. Kyon can cosplay as Edward Alrich from Fullmetal Alchemist and Itsuki can be Sasuke Uchiha!"

"I thought it was a GOTHIC VAMPIRE THEME!" Kyon said.

"Fine, we'll all wear fangs."

"Why'd you come to check on us anyway?" said a very annoyed Kyon.

"I wanted to make sure that everything was alright because the phone went dead. I knew you guys would go to Party City, and I needed to find costumes anyway. Kyon make sure you but all this stuff alright? I'll be over there looking at some more costumes."