Author's Note: This is Chapter 7. Please read and review. Thank you! :D
Chapter 7: Secrets Uncovered
One day, after class, Takato and Jeri were walking arm-in-arm while holding a paper. Henry and Rika saw them as well.
"What's that, Takato?" Henry asked.
"Oh! This is the paper about the dance this Friday night…" Takato said and pasted it on the wall. "Of course, I'm going with my one and only Jeri!"
Jeri just blushed at Takato's comment about her.
"Oh yeah! The dance you're talking about!" Henry replied.
"Yeah! How about you, Henry?" Takato asked. "Who are you going to the dance with?"
Rika waited anxiously for Henry's answer. She knows that he will ask one of the girls that like him.
"I don't know, Takato…" Henry replied simply. "I was thinking of asking Rika…"
When Rika heard about Henry's answer, she instantly felt a tinge of disappointment inside. But she dismissed it for a while.
"What about you, Rika? Who are you going to the dance with?" Jeri asked.
Rika just shrugged. "I don't know, Jeri. Maybe I shouldn't go…" she just said.
"But you need to have a date for the dance!" Jeri suggested. "You can always go with Henry!"
Rika and Henry both blushed and looked away.
"Uh… I don't know, Jeri. I don't have time for such mushy or crappy stuff. I'll think about it…" Rika declared.
"Fine! Suit yourself!" Jeri added. "Come on, Takato!"
Henry and Rika just watched their brunette friends scamper off.
"Anyway, Henry! I gotta go…" Rika replied plainly.
Henry nodded and they parted ways. He instantly went to Rika's locker and put something inside it.
"How I wish that you'll say yes, Ri…" Henry said to himself and locked it and went away.
Afterwards, Rika went to her locker and found something inside. It was a stuffed fox and a handwritten note.
"Will you go to the dance with me?"
Rika thought of many boys who would do that. She knows that only one person knows her lock combination. She began to be elated when she concluded that the sender was Henry. The mere thought of her dancing with Henry brought back the dream that she had a couple of weeks ago. But, she studied the nature of the handwriting in order for her to be sure.
"It is Henry's handwriting, alright… He is the only one who knows my lock code and this handwriting belongs to his as well…" Rika thought and spoke up. "Yes, I will, Henry Wong."
Since she did not want to have any other people suspicious, she returned the stuffed fox in her locker and put the note in one of her notebooks.
"That should do it…" Rika thought. "Now to find the sender…"
She closed her locker and fixed herself. Moments later, she heard a voice.
"So, who are you going to the dance with, Nonaka?" a girl asked. Rika recognized her as one of the girls who had a crush on Henry.
"That's none of your business!" Rika retorted.
"If you're thinking of going with Henry, then snap out of it. He's going with me!" the girl returned. "Just because you're the model's daughter doesn't mean you have the right to get all the handsome guys!"
Rika played cool and sneered for a moment. "Oh really?!"
"Really…" the girl answered again.
"Okay…" Rika was not ready to give up until she showed the note that he asked her to go with him. "Then explain this!"
The girl was shocked to see the note with Henry's handwriting. "Henry asked you out?!" she said.
"Yup! I found it in my locker. I know that's him because he's the only one who knows my lock code!" Rika said deviously.
The girl became pale and ran away. Rika just shook her head in shame for the girl.
"Tsk! Tsk! Pathetic flirty girl!" Rika said as she returned the note to her notebook and took the stuffed fox into her bag.
Meanwhile, Henry was sitting on the bench when Rika spoke to him.
"You're asking me to go to the dance with you, Henry?" Rika began.
"Uh yeah… Hope you won't mind… What's your answer?" Henry replied.
"Yes." Rika said in reply. "I'll go to the dance with you… I know it was you because number one, you're the only one who can open my locker and number two, you've got a handwriting fit for a girl!"
Henry laughed at Rika's description towards his handwriting.
"Wow! Thanks, Rika!" Henry said, nearly overjoyed.
"You're welcome!" Rika said. "I'm wondering, all of the girls Henry could ask out… Why me?"
Henry noticed that his girl companion was spacing out. He waved a hand in front of her face.
"Hey, Ri! Are you okay?" Henry asked her.
"Yeah! I'm fine!" Rika answered. "I'm just thinking…"
"Penny for your thoughts?" Henry said.
Rika sighed. "Oh well. There's no way I could hide it. Especially from you…" she said.
"Then what is it?" Henry asked.
"Why did you ask me to go with you?" Rika asked. "You can ask anyone because you're handsome as every girl here in our school would say…"
"I don't want to get anywhere with them…" Henry said, straight to the point. "I prefer your company rather than them…"
Rika flushed at that remark. Ever since the day she started school here, she was never without Henry. They would always separate whenever they go to their respective houses and also, she was with him when they set up Takato and Jeri. Though they were always together, she could not bring herself to tell her feelings to him because he might think differently about her and mistake her for some giddy girl like the ones who had crushes on Henry.
"Wow…" Rika remarked. "Even if I'm cold and heartless as anyone would say?"
"You're not cold and heartless, Rika. You're just having difficulties in opening up to other people. I'm already happy that you opened up to the tamers and to me."
Rika eventually smiled. "Maybe it's time that I let him know what I really feel about him…" she thought. "Thanks, Henry. You really do understand me."
"You're welcome!" Henry chuckled.
Then they saw another couple by the names of Ryo Akiyama and Alice McCoy walking happily.
"Hey guys!" Ryo greeted.
"Hey, Ryo! Hey, Alice!" Henry returned the greeting.
"So, are you guys going to the dance?" Ryo asked.
"Yeah!" the two answered in unison.
"Who are you guys with?" Alice added.
"I'm going with him…" Rika said, indicating Henry.
"Whoa! You're such a lucky guy, Henry!" Ryo teased. "You beat the hundreds of guys out here!"
"Heheh! Thanks!" Henry said. "How about you two?"
"Well of course! That'll be our second date, right Princess?" Ryo said and looked at Alice for a moment.
"Yes!" Alice said in delight.
Rika laughed at Ryo. He used to bug her and now, he is already dating a girl who was not a member of his resident fan girls. She wondered if she could end up like Alice, dating a guy who really likes her.
"Oh well! We gotta go, guys!" Ryo said. "See you!"
Henry and Rika watched the two walk off. This was the second time they saw a couple walk off from them. Rika eventually got out of her sight-seeing and stood up.
"Where are you going?" Henry asked her.
"I'm going home, silly! It's already past three!" Rika answered.
"Oh! I forgot! I'll be walking you home, Rika…" Henry said.
Rika could not do anything with regards to Henry's chivalry acts so she went along with what he wanted to do.
Then the two started to walk home. They were happy that they will be going with each other to the dance.
After minutes of walking, they eventually reached the Nonaka residence. They saw Mrs. Nonaka outside just about to enter the house.
"Oh hello, Rika and Henry!" Mrs. Nonaka greeted.
"Hello, Mrs. Nonaka!" Henry said and bowed with respect.
"Mom…" Rika said.
"I have to go now, Rika. I'll see you tomorrow!" Henry said good-naturedly.
"I'll see you too, Henry!" Rika said casually so that she would not make a scene in front of her mother.
When Henry was out of sight, Mrs. Nonaka began to ask Rika. "So, are you two just friends or more than friends?"
Rika blushed and looked away for a moment. When she recovered, she gathered all the possible reasons for her mother.
"We're just friends, Mother…" Rika said simply. "Who am I to assume that we're more than friends?"
"Oh really? How about the time you ate at his house and the times he always walks you home! So, he's your suitor then!" Mrs. Nonaka remarked.
Rika's eyes went wide as plates. "Oh great!"
The mother-daughter's conversation was interrupted when Grandma Seiko opened the gate.
"Oh! There you are, Rika and Rumiko!" Grandma Seiko said. "I've been waiting for you! You're just in time to eat sushi!"
Rika's stomach grumbled at the thought of sushi. "Maybe I could use one. Today's class was a hassle to me!" she complained.
Then they entered the house while Grandma Seiko locked the gate.
Henry eventually got to his apartment with a smile on his faceand saw Suzie along with Mrs. Wong.
"Hi, Mom!" Henry said.
"Hello, Henry!" Mrs. Wong replied. "You better come inside!"
Henry did what he was told. He went inside and sat on the couch as well as his ten-year-old sister.
"So, how's youw day, big bwother?" Suzie asked mischievously. "I saw youw wide smile!"
"Fine…" Henry answered.
"Nothing kinky happened?!" Suzie added.
"You're only ten years old but you sure can imagine things!" Henry groaned.
"Answer my question, Henwy!" Suzie chuckled. "I wanted to know why you'we happy!"
Henry decided to admit the truth that he asked Rika to go with him to the dance on Friday since his sister will spill it out of him no matter how hard he try keeping it as a secret.
"Oh well… I asked Rika to go with me to the dance this Friday…" Henry replied. "That's why I'm happy. Because I'm with the dance with the person I really know."
"Wow, Henwy!" Suzie chuckled. "Anyway, at least, you didn't ask any wandom girl from youw school! And also, Wika's vewy nice! Hope that she can be your giwlfwiend someday, Henwy!"
Henry just smiled. "Someday…" he echoed.
Then, Henry fidgeted his phone and sent Takato a message.
"I'm going to the dance on Friday." he said.
On the other hand, Takato received the message and replied.
"Nice! With whom?"
Henry sent again another text message.
"With Rika. :)"
Takato's eyes became wide but just settled down after he read it.
"Enjoy! :P"
Right after receiving Takato's message, Henry chuckled. "Of course, I will... HAHAHA!"
Meanwhile, at the Nonaka residence, Rika was fixing her bag when she saw the stuffed fox.
"You remind me of Renamon… I shall call you Renamon…" Rika said and eventually giggled.
Moments later, Grandma Seiko went inside Rika's room. Rika was surprised since she did not notice her grandmother walk in.
"Grandma! You almost gave me a heart attack!" Rika said, aghast.
"Sorry, dear. Anyway, who gave you the fox?" Grandma Seiko asked, feigning interest.
"Henry… He asked me to the dance this Friday…" Rika said.
"And how did you feel?" Grandma Seiko said.
"I felt funny… I was happy that the guy I liked…" Rika said. When the last sentence registered in her mind, she clamped her mouth in alarm.
Grandma Seiko laughed at Rika's facial expression. "You cannot hide anything from me, Rika. Please continue your sentence, dear." She said.
Rika sighed. "Promise me that you won't laugh, Grandma?" she said.
"I won't laugh, my dear!" Grandma Seiko answered.
"Alright… I was happy that the guy I really liked asked me to go to the dance with him…" Rika replied.
"So you like Henry?" Grandma Seiko asked.
Rika nodded. "Yes, Grandma. He is the reason why I feel this way. I had feelings of liking for him…" she said.
"Then why don't you tell him, dear? It's nothing bad!" Grandma Seiko said.
"I'm afraid to be rejected, Grandma…" Rika said. "I'm happy with the things right now. I just don't want to lose it… especially our friendship…"
"Giving relationships a try makes it more exciting, dear!" Grandma Seiko advised. "You must tell him!"
"I will, Grandma… In due time!" Rika said. " But please, don't tell this to my mom… She'll be totally freaked out when she learns about this!"
"I won't tell except that you have a dance on Friday!" Grandma Seiko said and winked at Rika.
"Oh no!" Rika said, face-palming herself. She already knows what is bound to happen before the dance. Her mother will make her up.
Grandma Seiko just chuckled and went out of Rika's room.
That evening, Takato just got out of Jeri's house because her family invited him to have dinner with them. He saw Kazu on the way home.
"Hey, Chumley! I'm going with Nikki on Friday!" Kazu declared.
"Congrats, Kazu!" Takato teased. "How about Kenta?"
"Oh, he's going with Lily… The one he had as partner in history?" Kazu said.
"Yeah, I remember her…" Takato said. "Looks like the five guy tamers are going to the dance after all!"
"Did Henry get a date?" Kazu asked. He knows that Henry has not found a date for the dance.
"He's going with Rika." Takato replied, remembering that Henry told him about it.
"Whoa! Of all girls in our school, he's with Rika this Friday?!" Kazu chuckled.
"Yeah. But it looks like Henry likes Rika as his date for the dance. Most of the girls were surprised that the one he picked was not a member of their so-called 'tribe'!" Takato replied with a chuckle.
"But if you ask me, I'd prefer a girl I know rather than a girl on the street! So I'd go for Rika, of course!" Kazu remarked. "What about Ryo?"
"He's going with his girlfriend Alice, duh?!" Takato pointed out.
"Oh man! I forgot!" Kazu said. "Gee. He's really lucky. But no worries, Nikki and I will get there!"
"Why aren't you with Kenta anyway?" Takato asked.
"Kenta's with Lily… The two had been hanging out with each other ever since history ended!" Kazu added.
"Wow…" Takato said as he and Kazu walked together.
Back at the Wongs at the same moment, Suzie wanted to ask something very personal to her brother Henry.
"So, Henwy, one question. Do you or do you not like Wika?" Suzie urged. Though she was only ten years old, she certainly can get teenage imaginations because of her older sister Jaarin.
"What?" Henry asked with blushes now appearing on his face.
"Do you like Wika?" Suzie asked.
"What makes you think that, Suzie?" Henry asked again. His blushes are still consistent.
"If you don't like Wika, you wouldn't have asked hew to go with you to the dance you'we talking about." Suzie explained.
Henry became silent. From his reaction, Suzie could tell that she is right.
"Aww! Big bwothew's got a cwush on Wika!" Suzie chuckled. "It's okay, Big bwothew! I knew you liked hew since you always go to hew house, you like whatevew she does and something like that!"
"Is it really that obvious, Suzie?" Henry asked embarrassingly.
"It is, big bwothew!" Suzie chuckled and hugged Henry. "It's okay! I'd like Wika rather than any othew giwl that I don't know!"
"Thanks, Suzie…" Henry smiled.
