"Yuki! Kyo! Breakfast!" Tohru shouted up the stairs. Kyo walked into the doorway panting and promptly took a seat at the table. Yuki steadily walked down the stairs, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. He dropped himself into the seat next to Kyo at the table. Tohru brought steaming plates of eggs and toast, and yet another piping hot platter of pancakes.
"Mmm… Yummy…" Yuki mumbled in his sub-conscious state. Everyone served themselves an equal portion, (Tohru making sure some was left for Shigure), when she noticed that Kyo was taking only half the portion he normally would.
"Kyo, is there something wrong with the food?" Tohru asked deeply concerned. Kyo looked from his plate, back to Tohru, and back to his plate again. After a long pause Kyo finally realized what was being asked of him.
"Oh no! Tohru don't think that. Its just that I have that eating contest with that damn Yankee coming up so…" Kyo rambled on.
'Kyo that's not a very good excuse… I think I have an idea about why you aren't eating. It's the love bug, and Arisa is responsible for it,' Tohru thought intently to herself. Kyo looked up and saw Tohru looking at him with a clever smile etched on her face.
"Tohru the food is perfect," Kyo concluded with a soft smile.
"Good!" Tohru said cheerfully. The three teenagers finished their breakfast and carried their plates to the sink where Tohru would clean everything. The boys went back to their bedrooms. Just as everyone stopped moving and Tohru finished cleaning, the phone rang.
"I got it!" Tohru yelled as she approached the phone.
"Hello?" Tohru answered hesitantly.
"Hey, Tohru? Its Arisa, how are you?" Arisa Uotani spoke loudly into the receiver.
"Oh I'm great! How about you?" Tohru asked in an excited tone.
"I'm fine. I did want to ask you something though. Since me, you and Hana are all going to the Summer Festival; I was thinking we should go to the mall today to shop for outfits. Do you think the guys would let you escape the house for just a couple of hours?" Arisa practically commanded Tohru to come, but in a teasing way.
"Oh yeah I'm sure that would be fine. Except for the money. You see I haven't been to work for a long time because of the past events. And I haven't really had that much time to—" Arisa jumped in immediately.
"Don't worry about it… My dad just gave me 500 dollars to burn. Its all worked out," Arisa stated proudly.
"Oh no, Arisa! That would be way too much! I couldn't take money from you and not give you anything back in return! I'll just come along for the company. I have plenty of clothes to wear," Tohru tried to argue back.
"Tohru if you don't let me buy you clothes you want… I am going to make sure that your outfit is the most glamorous and expensive thing that is bought at the mall," Arisa threatened calmly. This sent Tohru into a frenzy.
"NO! Ok, ok! I'll let you buy the clothes for me, ok? Just don't spend a lot of money!" Tohru screamed frantically.
"Alright," Arisa said chuckling, " We'll meet up at my place in a couple of hours then?" Arisa said gradually ending the conversation.
"Uhm…. Sure thing. Well better go get my chores out of the way so everything will be done," Tohru said officially ending the phone call.
"Buh-bye," Arisa said putting the phone back onto the receiver.
"Arisa don't you think it was awfully cruel to threaten our little Tohru like that?" Saki asked.
"Well it was the only sure way she would go. I feel bad for pushing her into doing these things but she has to get away from work and that house sometime," Arisa said as a soft smile spread across her face.
Tohru sighed and finished cleaning every last spot of the kitchen and living room. Shigure peeked out of his office.
"Tohru, who was that on the phone?" He asked nervously.
"Oh, it was Uo. Can I go out later this afternoon?" Tohru replied while finishing dusting of the TV.
"Uh yeah sure… Whatever you like," Shigure permitted. He was looking frantically from side to side.
"Uhm, Shigure? What's the—" Tohru was cut off by a loud crash near the front door.
"SHIIIIIIGUUUUUURRREEEEE!!!" Mii shouted as she crashed into the hall.
"Oh, Mii, always a pleasure. Would you like some tea?" Shigure asked snickering to himself. Mii decided to take a calm approach today.
"Shigure… You do understand that the next 300 pages of your book were due two weeks ago, right?" Mii said closing her eyes and taking in a calm, soothing breathe.
"Oh really? Maybe its because you didn't come by that I forgot," Shigure said turning back into his office.
"NO! SHIGURE!" Mii cried as tears of frustration streamed down her cheeks. Shigure smiled triumphantly.
"Hah, Mii when will you realize you will never be able to win?" Shigure laughed slowly making his way back to his office. Mii followed him into the room, head bowed down in shame. Tohru stared blankly at the door of Shigure's office.
"Well I guess I'm off then," Tohru said to herself.
"Off to where, Miss Honda?" Yuki questioned as he strode down the stairs.
"Saki, Arisa and I are going to the mall to shop for outfits for the Summer Festival," Tohru replied as she slipped on her sandals.
"Oh. Well have fun," Yuki replied sullen. He had wished to take Tohru to town for the day. Tohru was halfway out the door when she suddenly turned back inside.
"Oh and Yuki?" Tohru called inside.
"Yes?" Yuki quickly replied.
"Please call me Tohru. We have known each other for quite a long time," She requested with a smile. Then she walked out of the house and shut the door behind her.
"Tohru…" Yuki muttered under his breathe, a smile breaking across his face.
Tohru approached the door to Arisa's apartment. She didn't really know what was considered a "mall" outfit, so she threw on a ripped, mini, jean skirt and a light pink tank top. She left her hair down because she didn't feel like tying it up today. The sun shone brightly through the white clouds and the weather was warm and breezy, a perfect day. Tohru opened the door slowly and found her friends sitting on the couch watching TV.
"Hey, Tohru," Arisa jumped off the couch to greet her friend.
"Ah Tohru, you look simply lovely today," Saki said standing slowly. Saki was wearing a pair of black jeans that were ripped at the knees and a skintight black tee shirt. Arisa was wearing skintight hip-hugger jeans that flared at the bottom and regular sneakers. She wore a gray midriff tank top that had black designs curling around the middle.
"Well we better get going, I'm getting bored just standing here," Arisa said grabbing her car keys and walking out of the door. Everyone went outside and piled into the car. Soon enough, they had arrived at the mall in the center of town. The three girls walked through the large rotating doors.
"Ok, where do we start?" Tohru asked. She doesn't get to go to the mall very often.
"Hmm, the festival isn't going to be formal, so what were you thinking about wearing?" Arisa turned towards Tohru. When Tohru turned up with know answer, Saki jumped into the conversation.
"I think I have an idea where we could look for an outfit for Tohru," Saki said as she walked up to them, pretzel in hand.
"What do you have in mind?"" Tohru asked, wondering what Saki had planned.
"This," Saki said dragging Tohru into one of the stores.
The outfit that Arisa and Saki had picked out for Tohru was a pair of long skintight jean shorts. They were an adorable faded blue and fit Tohru's figure nicely. The shirt was a light, teal, sleeveless shirt, reaching about her mid thigh. The shirt had a brown flower pattern scattered across the top. Arisa had picked out a glimmering, jade green halter-top and dark blue flared jeans that slipped off her hips to the perfect place. Saki had an off-the-shoulder black shirt that had shimmering swirls that braided across the hem of the shirt up to below her belly button. Then she had tight shorts that reached a little below her mid thigh and folded over at the bottom.
"We look so beautiful!" Tohru exclaimed in glee.
"Now, off to buy shoes and jewelry," Arisa said handing each person their bag of clothing. They stepped into each of the many shoes stores the mall had to offer and tried on about every single shoe that was in sight of them. Tohru had picked a pair of simple and comfortable brown flip-flops. Arisa chose a pair of three-inch wedge heels that had green ribbons that strapped up her leg. Saki had chosen a pair of black and white skater sneakers to complete her punk look.
"Our outfits are going to rock the whole festival!" Arisa shouted in the middle of the food court.
"Arisa. You bought quite a nice outfit, but what of the eating contest you proposed to Kyo?" Saki said munching on a slice of pizza.
"Uh, uhh, Kyo?" Arisa sputtered. A deep blush her cheekbones.
"Aww, Arisa you like Kyo-kun!" Tohru exclaimed with happiness.
"N-no! It's not like that!" Arisa cried covering her face.
"Then why are you blushing?" Saki pointed out. Tohru looked towards Arisa and starting to giggle.
"Uo, its nothing to be ashamed of. You don't have to hide it. I think Kyo likes you too!" Tohru said, a huge smile spreading across her small face.
"R-really?" Arisa looked up. The red started to fade from her face.
"I-I mean, gah! Can we just change the subject please?" Arisa sighed defeated. The color was returning to her face as quickly as it had left.
"I wouldn't be surprise dif Kyo liked you back either, Arisa. Whenever you two are together the wave signals I receive are in perfect harmony with each other," Saki said as they walked out to the car and drove home.
"Yuki! I'm home!" Tohru called as she walked into the house. It was late when she got home. The smell of takeout filled her nostrils as she opened the door. Tohru walked into the living room and saw Yuki dozed off on the couch. She went up behind him, bent down and gave him a soft kiss on the cheek.
"Yuki, I'm home," Tohru said again softly. As Yuki stirred out of his sleep smiling.
"I'm going to put my stuff away and then go to bed, okay?" Tohru smiled then bent down to kiss his cheek again. After she raced upstairs, shopping bags in hand.
"Uh… Ok?" Yuki chuckled and suddenly realized what just happened. He jumped out of his seat on the couch and sprinted up the stairs, taking them two at a time. He approached Tohru's bedroom door and pushed it open only to find her lying on the bed snoring softly. He smiled and shut the door quietly.
"Goodnight… Tohru," Yuki whispered to himself.
"Why don't you just tell her?" Kyo asked walking down the hall towards his room.
"What do you know, stupid cat?" Yuki lashed out in frustration. Although this only happened on rare occasions, and Yuki hated it, Kyo was right.
"Yuki Sohma," Motoko murmured to herself as she rummaged through her closet trying to find the sexiest outfit she owned.
"Yuki, you will be my love. Mine and only mine forever and ever," Motoko thought out loud.
"I will do anything for you," Motoko spoke as she rolled the ruby red lipstick across her full lips.
"And Tohru," She said bending down to a photo and kissing it, leaving a print of her lips.
"You are no longer going to seduce him anymore than you have. You are going down," She smiled maliciously as she adjusted the picture on her bedside table. She crawled into bed a flicked off the lights, thoughts of Yuki filling her mind.
Sarah: ooooooh!! next chapter is the big SUMMER FESTIVAL!!! what drama will unfold...?
Tohru: I hope everyone has a good time and is safe.
Yuki: -thinks- I hope I get to kiss Tohru
Motoko: YUKI!!!!! YOU ARE MINE!!!