Author's Note: -jaw dropped- Wow... I take away the preview and get oodles of reviews! Just for that, you get two updates today darlings! =3 How wonderful you guys are!
Gothbear100: No worries on not reviewing the last one before the last one dear. You review when you can. Its all the damn people that follow or favorite, but do not review, that gets me riled. -.- I review every damn story I read! Why can't they? . Warning, Kimmy's poetry is not all that great. I cannot write poetry and considering she is crafted from my brain-juices, I feel they won't be all that remarkable. And I really think it is not poetry honestly... I think the closest was the last chapter at the beginning. I don't remember. -shrugs- O.O I've actually had some of my guy friends burst into the house and steal me before. Yes, that is technically considered 'stealing someone' in my book. It is where the inspiration for that tidbit in the chapter came from. -.- Oh, you don't have to actually throw someone a real birthday party, just pretend its there birthday! XD Enjoy the chapter and thank you for your gracious compliments!
Cloud Strife Final Fantasy VII: I'm glad you enjoy sweetheart! Keep reviewing! =3
Yuu: Nope, no preview on the last one because no one likes to review any more. But, since so many on this one I will gladly put a preview.
WhiteOokamiKiss: Aww, I'm glad you're loving my story dear! =3 In regards to so many OCs being handled well... if you pay attention in some chapters, you'll realize I completely forgot some of them. . I TRY to handle them well though. I honestly think I put in TOO MANY OCs... oh well... Read on darling!
tsuki-shinigami: O.O Wow, thank you for the hyper and sweet review, darling! I'll try to respond to all of it... It's a Syusuke story, but with major twists at the end so Akaya won't be getting Kimmy action. The girls will be developing crushes and you'll be seeing that soon enough. =3 I have a special someone for Serenity I think fits her completely opposite attitude. You'll see! -winks- Never apologize for writing so much in a review! -le gasp- All authors should value reviews, no matter how random, hyper, funny, or etc they are! I certainly do! Sorry it took so long to update, but read on! =3
Mel: I learned all the honorifics (kun, san, sama, etc) online. Try googling 'japanese honorifics' and you should be able to learn some stuff about it. I have been working on honing them since 2007 though, so good luck! Read on!
Chapter Ten:
Shopping
"Our final dawn is but a kiss on the horizon," Kikumaru finished up our poem dramatically, showing a sunset in the background on the slideshow. I smirked, knowing I used that line from my signature move.
The class began clapping and Syusuke and I stood up from our seats to bow, sitting down immediately following.
"Wonderful!" the teacher clapped. "Perfect marks! Wonderful job Kikumaru-san, Fuji-san, and Kimmy-chan!" She was beaming, "Next up is Serenity and Akio."
They make their way to the front of the room, removing the large blanket from the things that had remained hidden throughout the class. An electric guitar, microphone, amps, and a small drum set were revealed. Serenity grabbed the guitar and stood at the microphone while Akio took to the drums.
"No sir, well I don't want to be the blame. Not anymore, it's your turn to take a seat, we're settling the final score. Why do we like to hurt so much?" Serenity begins singing That's What You Get by Paramore, except twisting the song to be a bit harder and sound more ragged. It sounded really good, "That's what you get when you let your heart win. Who-oa! That's what you get when you let your heart win! Who-oa! I drowned out all my sense with the sound of it's beating. That's what you get when you let your heart win! Who-oa!"
They finished up and the class clapped, cheered. She declared that she did not write it, but instead the lyrics are inspiration of the heart and goes into a heartfelt and short speech. The teacher bought her trick, scribbling down perfect marks for the two of them. Of course Serenity would pull something like that, but still make exemplary grades in the process.
:{Out of Focus}:
Study Hall came quicker than I had thought, and now Serenity and I had begun to scour the school for any sign of our darling little Paige. Tomorrow night, Seishun was hosting a dance and we were in desperate need of formalwear.
"You just didn't want to do your assignment so you copied Paramore," I snickered. "Great job. Nice speech; the teacher bought it."
She gave a coy smile, "They never suspect the intelligent ones to be deceivers. How quaint."
"KIMMY! SERENITY!" We turned to see Paige hollering, making our job all the easier. We walked up to where she was sitting with Kikumaru. "Did you two know about that costume dance?"
"Yes. We're going shopping this afternoon."
"I think all the other girls are going in groups to get their costumes anyways," I shrugged. "We were just looking for you to see if you wanted to go."
"Yeah, I better since I don't have anything to wear," she sighed. "If I would have known there would be a costume party I could have brought a whole box of clothes just for it! Oh, and whose paying for our clothing?"
"Coach Lilly already spoke to Grandpa and he's approved as long as we each keep it fairly cheap. It's our Christmas presents coming early," I grinned. "Which is good for us. Natalie, Trinity, and Harmony are having their managers send some of their saved up tennis money."
"Good!" Paige clapped her hands enthusiastically. "What time are we leaving?" It was weird, having a costume contest right before Christmas.
"Right after school, of course. Meet us at the front gates of our house. Coach should give us our money then." Serenity moved to walk away with me.
"Oh!" I turned around and squeezed Kikumaru. "Hug-buddies!"
He grinned, hugging me even tighter back before I hurried to catch up with Serenity. She would leave me behind in a heartbeat if it meant taking away from her study time.
"Do you normally encourage him?" she laughed as I jogged up beside her. "Hug-buddies?"
"Yeah, well he's adorable and really fun to hug," I shrugged, not really knowing how else to explain it. "You should try it sometime. Of course, I'm sure you'd rather hug someone like- oh maybe, Yagyuu?"
She glared at me, "Shut up."
"I'm ri-ight!" I sing-song, dancing. Before I know it, Serenity was chasing after me while I sprinted across the school grounds. People were watching us like we were strange, or in awe because Serenity was laughing hysterically, showing an emotion other than apathy.
:{Out of Focus}:
"Who are you two going with to the dance?" Paige was slurping on a candy-flavored smoothie, butterscotch or something of the like.
I knew who I wanted to go with, mainly because I would rather accompany the dance with a friend rather than a stranger. I had already asked him, but had not received an answer yet, "I asked Kirihara, but he hasn't said anything yet." I had not broken the habit of saying his last name, no matter he had shook me near being dizzy forever to make me get in the habit.
"I mentioned the dance in third person's perspective to Sanada and he laughed. Yagyuu cannot because of tennis practice," she shrugged too.
"So you're dateless?" Paige shoved the straw in her mouth quickly, trying to cover up her embarrassment at asking. "You know Eiji is really dependent on going and he needs a date."
"Oh really?" Serenity contemplated for a minute, running a thumb over her lip in thought, "I need to ask him something then."
"Syusuke kind of needs a date too you know," Paige rounded on me suggestively. "Come on Dragon-Lady, actually pry yourself away from your eviler half and go with Fuji for once eh?"
I glowered, flinging some of my peanut-butter flavored smoothie at her, "Don't talk about Kirihara like that, Rainbow Stockings. And don't call me a Dragon-Lady or I'll make you run so long your legs give out on you!"
"Then I can't play in the tournament."
"Oh no, you'll be able to play," I smirked. "But if Kirihara can't, then I'll see if Syusuke would be okay with me being his date. I don't like that word."
"We know!" she wiggled around, making the merry-go-round we sat on move.
"So who are you going with then?" Serenity stared her down, hoping to embarrass her instead. "Is his name Kunimitsu per chance?"
"Per chance it is," she blushed. "Eiji is trying to get him to go with me, but I doubt he will."
"He has to take someone, as the tennis captain," she calmly sipped on her drink as I spit mine out.
"You mean as a captain you have to take someone?" I groaned, slapping my head painfully. I realized just how badly that hurt after it was too late, "Fine, you know what, I'm not going to be happy with this if Kirihara can't go. I'll force him to!"
"Sure you will. That Devil-Boy does whatever he wants!" Paige snickered, causing me to finally catapult forward and throw her clear from the merry-go-round, though I was grappled and was forced to go along with her. We landed smack in a pile of mud.
She slammed mud in my face, nearly getting it in my open, laughing mouth. All three of us laughed even harder as I returned the favor and push it back in her face. It was the cake war all over again, though this tasted way less delicious.
"Coach Lilly is going to hate us when we get home covered in mud," I grumbled, chuckling under my breath.
Paige deadpanned, "And we get to walk down the busy street like this."
One day soon I would have to tell my team about everything I have hidden from them, probably after the tournament. I really did not want it to separate us during one of the biggest moments of our lives when we needed each other the most.
"Let's get home. I have things to do," I scurried them out of the park, saddened that my smoothie had been killed in the fight. Paige did not have one either and complained the whole way home about it, her whining falling on deaf ears. We had effectively learned long before how to tune the girl out.
:{Out of Focus}:
"OOMPH!" I nailed the final ball at the opposing wall. I had been working on a new move over the past few weeks and had finally perfected it, at least in my opinion.
"Looks good," Kirihara sprawled on the ground of the tennis courts, though I joined him a few minutes later to steady my heavy breathing.
In two nights, I would be forced to put on a dress and attend a costume dance. I did not know if he would be going with me or not. I just really hoped so at this point.
"So are you going to that dance with me?" I calmly asked, fiddling with my shirt and pulling it down.
He looked like he had just been slapped, "I can't." My heart stopped in my chest, face paling. "Sanada is making us practice tomorrow afternoon. Yagyuu kind of wanted to go with Skylar, but could not either." He saw through my smiling face, the façade placed up, "I'm sorry, and I'll try to make it if practice ends soon. Alright?"
"Sure," I handed him the ticket I was saving just for him, one I had received free as a tennis regular. "Just try and come all right?"
"I swear," he stood up and pulled me to my feet, walking towards the exit to the park, "I'm sorry again."
"No worries Akaya. Just try and be there. I have to bring someone else though, considering I'm a captain. I have to have a date. So in return, just don't be angry, alright?" He offered me a nod, though I was running off before I could see it.
:{Out of Focus}:
"What are you doing in here?" I had just crawled through the second-story window, surprised to find Paige sitting in there with Serenity.
"Just thinking about what to do with the costumes shoe-wise and such," she held up three brand-new lollipops. "They didn't give us these as Candy Girls, so I dug into my secret-stock."
I laughed loudly, setting my stuff down and began to peel off my sweaty clothing, "Only you!"
"So is Kirihara your date?" Serenity set down her brush, "Or did he decline?"
"He said he had practice," I clambered into my pajamas. I would take my shower in the morning, considering just how late it was already, "But he's going to try and show up later on. I gave him the ticket I got extra."
"Hang on," Paige flicked some buttons on her cell phone, programmed to work internationally. Another perk of being United States champion and a traveler of continents for our sport!
"HELLO PAIGE-CHAN!" Even holding the receiver two feet from her ear, we could still hear the frantic greetings of Kikumaru.
"Hey Eiji, is Syusuke still dateless?"
Oh so that's what she was doing! I could not hear what Kikumaru replied, but by her growing smile I figured it was positive news.
"Yeah, so we need her a date. Can you swing it?"
Though I would have preferred Kirihara's companionship, if only for a male friend to accompany me, Syusuke would be a perfect candidate to substitute him.
"FUJIKU!" Kikumaru screamed for his friend again, audible once more to Serenity and me. I guess they were staying the night together. That was eerily convenient, "YES!" I did not understand what that 'yes' meant exactly.
"'Kay thanks! What time you going to be here tomorrow with the guys?" Paige twirled her fingers in her hair. She flipped her phone closed after a few more words and a sweet farewell to the loveable maniac.
"I take it I have a date?" I leapt backwards onto the bed.
She repeatedly nodded, beaming, "Uh-huh! And he's way cuter than Kirihara!"
"Oh shut it Paige!"
I'm updating another chapter for all you lovely reviewers! Keep reviewing like this and the previews at the end of the chapters will continue!
Next in 'Out of Focus':
Who would have thought I would have such a good time with Syusuke! The costume dance might have sounded a bit silly at first, but now... I can understand why Seishun would do such a thing! It really brought people together... Not to mention some time alone with the one man that had seen my weaknesses at their shining moment. Wait, is that Kirihara? Uh oh...