The next morning, Maria woke up with a massive headache that would rate seven on the Richter scale. It was a beautiful Sunday morning,
but she just couldn't get into the swing of things. Genki and Kurama insisted that she eat breakfast, but she just couldn't do it. Genki
decided that Sundays would be a good day for her to rest from her training sessions which would start going on after school every day as
well as all day Saturday. After taking some Tylenol, her headache subsided to a dull roar. The boys offered to take her out and show her
around the town, and that was just fine in her mind. If she was going to live here, she needed to know the area.
"Just let me change real quick." She told them, heading to her room.
Once inside, she walked directly to her closet and stood looking in it for a bout a minute before deciding what to wear. She pulled her
simple white cotton dress over her head and picked up her blue flip flops and headed to her dresser. She had a piece of costume jewelry
she really liked and it was a perfect match to her outfit and eyes. It was a light blue with three descending flowers on a silver chain.
Sitting on her bed, she put her shoes on and tried in vain to clasp the necklace around her neck. After several attempts, she walked down
the stairs to get help. The boys saw her and stared long enough to make her uncomfortable.
"Take a picture, it will last longer." She said irritably.
"Wow…hehe, you look pretty." Kuwabara said reaching out to touch her. Hiei took the opportunity to punch the oaf in the back of the
head and send him flying to the ground. First Yukina now Maria, damn baka. He though.
"Do you need help with that?" Kurama asked motioning to the necklace in her hand.
"Yes please."
He fiddled with it for a few seconds and then he had fastened it. The group started out for town, waving goodbye to Genki as the
descended down the steps. Maria lagged behind the group a little and Kurama slowed down his pace to match hers. They walked in
silence for a while and about one mile away from town, a voice flitted through his head. Now is a good of time as any to ask, do it before I
change my mind fox. Kurama smiled and decided why not?
"Maria?" he watched her snap out of her day dream and look at him. He took a breath to steady his nerves. Was he nervous? About
asking a girl on a date? Well I am certainly out of practice on this one. He thought.
"I was wondering if you would like to go out some time?" he waited for her answer, not sure what to expect. She did not speak for a few
moments and he grew even more nervous. Finally, she looked up at him and smiled.
"I would like that." She said.
" How about tomorrow evening at seven?"
"That would be wonderful." She said.
"Hey, what are you two talking about so intently back there?" Yusuke demanded.
"Oh, the weather, and how stupid you look in those ridiculously tight pants." She said airily. The whole group laughed and heckled him the
rest of the way into town. They stopped by the arcade, a few stores, and finally at a burger joint called Greasy Joes.
The food really lived up to its name. Maria could barely get it down. She smiled as she listened to the idol talk of her companions and
smiled a little, feeling better than she had since family had taken a turn for the worse. Died, she made herself think, they died. She heaved
a breath and focused her attention on what the boys where talking about.
"I'm just saying, when the hell am I ever going to use factoring trinomials out side of school?" Yusuke was saying, flinging his arms
exasperatedly.
"I have offered to help you several times Yusuke. If you want to pass out of high school you have to learn it." Kurama said.
"He is beyond help." Hiei scoffed, looking out the window.
"Shut it shorty."
"What was that detective? You really do have a death wish."
"Not here guys, please." Maria said, hiding a smile.
Hiei looked at her and then shrugged and turned back to his food. He never can say no to his family members. Kurama thought with a
mental chuckle. He must have smiled because Maria was staring at him intently. He looked away quickly and stared out the window. This
was defiantly a new feeling for him. Usually, he could stair a girl down no problem, but then again, most of the time he did not have
feelings for them. Before he knew it, it was time to head back to the temple. They gathered up the few items they had purchased and left
the restaurant. It was around noon, but they all had things to do. Maria and Kurama had to finish up some homework, Yusuke had a date
with Kekio, Kuwabara wanted to get home to take care of his sick kitten and Hiei…well no one ever knew what Hiei was up to.
A little while later, Maria and Kurama where sitting at the table in the kitchen going over the math homework due on Monday.
"Arrg, I hate this crap!" she moaned, dramatically throwing her pencil on the table.
"You will understand it. Just give it some time." He said smiling.
"Easy for you to say, you already know this crap! In fact, you probably invented it." she said with an accusatory glare.
"I am not THAT old." He said laughing.
"How old are you?" she asked.
"I lost count a few hundred years ago." He said airily, pushing the pencil back into her hand.
They spent the rest of the evening doing homework, eating dinner, and finally, it was time to go to bed. Maria waved goodbye to him from
her window as he drove away.