I'm going to get straight to the point, because I just wrote a long exaggerated note for Seamstress and the Prince:
There are lots of errors in this story. I do not know if I can fix them in future chapters. I want to rewrite it, but I know I never will, especially with this being my final year of high school, and college rapidly approaching. I am sorry it has to be like this, and I really wish I could give you guys the story you deserve. Until I am able to do that, please take the unfinished chapter I had for this story:
…
"You two are straight-up sadists."
Amu and Rima exchanged pleased looks at Kukai's remark. Ikuto had not said one word to them since arriving, but his killer glares were more than enough,
The four teenagers had gathered in the classroom after school to finish the final touches on their maid café. The festival was in a matter of days and they were just doing some last minute details, including the one thing the boys had done their hardest to avoid, which was trying on their maid outfits.
The ones that Amu had gotten at the shop weren't enough to satisfy the girls so they agreed, with the pinkette's Charas as help, that they would make their own costumes. Miki and Su had all been too happy to pitch in.
"Don't be rude, Kukai," said Rima, smirking. "You two have never looked more attractive."
The blue spade in Amu's hair vanished as she pulled on the last stitching on Ikuto's dress, a satisfied look on her face. "And done! You two look great; don't you think it turned out really well, Rima?"
"Absolutely," agreed the blonde, snapping a picture with her phone before the two boys could react. "This is some good blackmail material."
"Sadists," repeated Kukai. "My best friends are sadistic, evil little girls."
Rima and Amu raised their eyebrows.
"Who are you calling little?" They asked, glaring at him so fiercely that he cowered and backed off.
"Don't piss them off even more, you idiot," said Ikuto, speaking at last. He had his arms crossed, looking as pissed as ever. "Who knows what else they'll force us to do?"
"Oh, please," exclaimed Kukai dismissively. "What else could they possibly do?"
Rima smiled cruelly. "Well…it'd be a shame if these pictures got online, ruining whatever pathetic reputations you have."
"And…there is such a thing as a maid bikini," continued Amu, sharing the same cruel smile as her best friend. It was scary how well the two got along.
"You wouldn't dare," said Ikuto, glaring at her. He received a smug look.
"I got you in that maid outfit, didn't I?" The pinkette remarked.
Ikuto suddenly smirked. "Well, I did enjoy having your hands all over me. But are you sure you wouldn't be jealous of all the girls ogling at my body?"
Amu scoffed. "As if I'd be jealous of that, idiot!"
"Anyways," interrupted Rima before the two of them could start arguing again. The amount of times Amu and Ikuto had a 'lovers' quarrel' in the last few weeks was absolutely ridiculous. "There is one other thing we need to discuss."
"What's that?" Amu asked curiously. "I thought we had everything covered."
"Everything but the entertainment itself," pointed out Kukai. "I mean, you and Ikuto haven't even agreed on a song to perform and the festival's this week!"
"First of all, neither of us agreed to the stupid thing in the first place," said Ikuto.
"And secondly, why does it have to be us?" Amu asked, almost whiningly.
"Because you two are currently the most popular male and female in the school so putting you together is the only thing that makes sense," replied Rima.
"Also, Kukai is gifted in soccer – I'll give him that – but he's a hot mess when it comes to more classical talents such as music, which is what we agreed the entertainment would be. Amu is one of the best singers in chorus, even rivaling that Barbie doll, Hoshina Utau, and Ikuto is a prodigy when it comes to the violin."
"So what's your excuse?" Ikuto asked curiously.
The blonde rolled her eyes. "I just don't want to do it," she replied as if it was obvious.
"That's Rima for you," muttered Kukai.
Ikuto shook his head; the blonde was too much trouble. "I'll do it, whatever. Just get me out of this dress."
"Don't move!" Miki exclaimed as she and Su hurried to examine him. "We're not done yet!"
The blue-haired teenager groaned quietly, ignoring his Chara's snickers.
"Okay, so Ikuto's admitted defeat," remarked Kukai. "What about you, Amu?"
Amu sighed. "Fine, I'll do the stupid thing…but I get to pick the song."
"I don't care," replied Ikuto nonchalantly.
Rima smirked. "Great; now…Miki, Su, please get the boys out of their costumes – after I've finished taking these pictures – and let Ikuto and Amu get to work. We have only the rest of the week to get everything else finished."
"Yes, ma'am," exclaimed Amu's Charas, saluting the blonde before returning to the task at hand.
Meanwhile, up on the bookshelf sat a certain blonde-haired guardian. El scribbled furiously in her notebook, never taking her eyes off of her target: Hinamori Amu.
"Utau-chan will be pleased," she said quietly.
…
"Alright, Hoshina-san, we'll take a break now," said her vocal coach just as his phone rang. "Oh, please excuse me."
He left the room just as El flew in.
"Utau-chan!" She exclaimed.
The blonde singer sighed. "What, El? I told you not to come back unless you found something useful."
"I did!" El insisted.
"I doubt it," snickered her sister, Il.
Utau raised an eyebrow. "Alright, let's hear it then; and remember: if it's not useful, I'm going to kick you out again."
"Y-Yes," replied El, slightly nervous. She began by listing off unimportant things, like what Amu had done before class or what she had for lunch. Utau began to tune her out, and was about to cut her off until, "Hinamori Amu is forcing Ikuto-kun to perform with her on stage for the school festival."
Utau was instantly focused again, staring hard at her Chara. "Is that right?" She asked, though it came across as more of a demand. El didn't notice, or care.
"Yes!" She exclaimed excitedly, happy to have something useful for her bearer. "And he's being forced to do awful things by her!" Well, that maid outfit did look awful on him.
Utau narrowed her eyes. "…really now?" She received a nod and the blonde bit down sharply on her bottom lip, enraged at the thought of yet another person controlling her precious brother.
"Alright, El, you can come home for tonight for not screwing up."
The teenage girl ignored her manager coming in as she began to brainstorm furiously as to how to destroy Hinamori Amu.
…
"No, no, no!" Rima exclaimed. "You two sound awful."
"Well, gee thanks," muttered Amu. "It might have something to do with the fact that it's one in the morning and we're still in school, being forced to do this."
"You're a cranky one," remarked Ikuto, though he looked no better than she did.
Rima had insisted on the group staying after school to practice the pair's routine for the festival. They had only three days to make it perfect, after all.
"Oh, shut it, you stupid cat."
"I'm not the one with paint in my hair."
Yesterday during the outfit fitting, Amu had felt like somebody was watching her and had been paranoid for the rest of the evening. Now she wondered if she had been cursed by the gods or something. All day, she had been bombarded with various pranks and misfortunes including a bucket of paint falling on her. Luckily, she had managed to wash most of it off but she highly doubted she could wash the remaining splotches from her hair by tomorrow morning.
Amu consciously petted her hair, glaring at Ikuto. "I said to shut it!" She snapped, waking up Kukai who had passed out hours ago.
"W-What? Are you guys still going at it?" He asked groggily, running his hand through his hair. "What time is it?"
"About one am, almost two," replied Ikuto, sighing as he placed his violin down in its case and began to pack up.
"And what are you doing?" Rima demanded. "We still need to practice!"
"We have three days to practice; it's late and I'm going home," said Ikuto flatly. His stepfather was going to be pissed, not that he really cared.
Amu glanced over at her sleeping Charas. "I agree; I have to go and try to wash this paint off anyways. Besides, if I sing any more, I'll lose my voice."
"I have a game tomorrow…" Kukai added in cautiously, aware of the short blonde's short fuse.
Rima, however, merely sighed. "I guess you won't get any better running on three hours of sleep. Fine. Go home; we'll meet in the classroom after school."
"Thank God," exclaimed Kukai, bolting out of the room. "Sleep!" Daichi sleepily trailed after him.
"Okay…well…" Amu began, fixing her bag over her shoulder as she looked out the window at the dark sky. "I guess…I'll see you guys later. Rima, is your dad coming to pick you up?"
Rima nodded. "What about you? You're not walking home, are you?"
"Well, my parents are probably in bed by now and I'd hate to wake them."
"You can't go outside alone this late, you idiot." Rima glared at her friend.
"I don't have any other choice, do I?" Amu countered.
"My dad will drive you home."
"We live miles from each other; I am not going to be an inconvenience to you and your father."
"I'll walk her home."
Rima and Amu looked over at Ikuto, surprised. Amu's relief was evident.
"Really?" She asked hopefully. "Thank you! Come on, let's go!"
Ikuto smirked. "My, Amu, are you that eager to get me alone?"
"Ikuto, your head's not getting too big, is it?" Amu asked sweetly in return.
"Can you two stop flirting for once?" Rima asked in her usual deadpan tone. "Ikuto, you bring Amu home. Amu, you call me when this guy starts to do things to you. Now, goodnight."
The blonde and her Chara strode out of the room, leaving the two abnormally haired teenagers alone. They exchanged looks and began to get their things together.
"Don't forget to lock up," reminded Amu as Ikuto closed the door behind them.
"I know, relax," replied Ikuto, twisting the knob to make sure it was locked. "So where do you live?"
"On the other side of town."
"And you wanted to walk home?"
"What? Don't tell me you're scared of the dark, Ikuto."
"More like the dark's scared of him, nya," joked Yoru, snickering as he clung to his bearer's shoulder.
"I can't imagine anyone scared of this little kitty cat," remarked Ann, reaching over and bopping Yoru on the top of his head as the two teenagers left the school and began to walk down the road.
"I can't imagine anyone scared of a cheerleader," replied Ikuto, smirking at the pinkette who puffed out her cheeks, which flushed pink, and rolled her eyes at him. "What? You have nothing to say to me, Amu-koi?"
"Stop calling me that, you stupid cat," muttered Amu, crossing her arms. "Actually, why do you call me that? We're not dating and you barely know me."
Ikuto hummed softly. "Maybe I'm secretly in love with you and I just automatically call you that because I want it to be true."
Amu actually stopped and stared at his back for a few seconds before she huffed and ran to catch up with him.
"Don't say stuff like that, you idiot," she exclaimed. "No one will take you seriously if you pull crap like that."
Ikuto glanced at her. "Maybe." He looked forward again, seemingly bored with how the conversation had gone.
A few minutes of silence, he asked, "So if I barely know you, and you barely know me, why are you trusting me to walk you home? For all you know, I could be leading you to some underground casino or something to sell your body."
Amu's face screwed up in disgust. "You're revolting. What makes you think of that? In any case, you're unfortunately the only hope I have to get home. Besides, if someone comes for me, I can push you at them and run to freedom."
"She really wouldn't do that," whispered Ran to Yoru, who was snickering.
"No…Amu-chan would try to save Ikuto-kun from the dark, dark world he has been trapped in," remarked Miki, sighing.
"It's what makes her so radiant," added Dia brightly.
...
Again, I apologize for this, and I hope you all will be able to understand.
