9- Sleepover

"We're moving the library to the Office!"

"Tohru-chan, calm down. It's probably just so Kyo-kun won't have to sleep in the living room anymore, or on the roof when there's a Sohma visiting." I finish getting dressed and put my hair up.

"Okay! Let's do this!" We go to the library and help the guys move books. We all grab a stack of books and start downstairs.

"Tohru-chan!" She trips and falls down.

"Honda-san! Are you okay?"

"Yes, but Shigure-san's books."

"I told you, you didn't have to help!" I set my stacks down and help her up.

"She's only moving those books…"

"So we can turn Shigure's library into your room."

"I didn't ask for her help." Yuki-kun drops his books on top of Kyo-kun. "Damn rat!"

"Perhaps if you'd just die, you'd be reincarnated as something more pleasant."

"You're the one with the messed up personality!"

"Tohru-chan, are you okay? That was quite the tumble."

"I'm fine." I help her pick up the books and I put half the stack on mine.

"Hey you two! If you have time to fight, you're not working hard enough!"

"You should speak for yourself, Shigure-san. You've only carried three little stacks out of there while we're doing the brunt of the work."

"This stack is lighter, Honda-san."

"Thank you." She takes the stack from Yuki-kun and I put the rest of her original stack on mine. We finish getting the books to the office and start putting them on the shelf.

"Take that moron!"

"Kyo-kun, you're damaging the books."

"Look at that! I filled a shelf faster than you!" I hit him on the head.

"You idiot! If you damage the books, you've destroyed the point of this whole thing!" The doorbell rings.

"They're here!" Tohru-chan and I run to the door and let Hana-chan and Uo-chan into the house.

"This is Uotani Arisa-san! And this is Hanajima Saki-san!"

"They're our best friends!"

"'Sup."

"Hello." Shigure-san waves at them and Kyo-kun glares at Uo-chan.

"Hello." Three days ago, Tohru-chan and I decided to tell them about our living arrangements. Of course they insisted on checking it out to make sure it was suitable for Tohru-chan.

Uo-chan knows that I can take care of myself, but Tohru-chan is so gullible and easy to hurt, they want to make sure it's okay for her. When we asked Shigure-san if they could spend the night, he said yes, and asked what kind of girls our friends were. Of course the sourpuss Kyo-kun had to say that they were a Yankee thug and a psychic freak.

It took a minute to explain that to Shigure-san, but he was fine after that. So it was decided that they would spend the weekend at our place.

"Are you out of your mind, Shigure? I don't think this is a good idea. That Goth girl sees waves or something."

"Que sera, sera. Everything will be fine. Really Kyo you worry too much."

"No, Shigure, you really are out of your mind."

"Please make yourselves at home."

"Inu." The three guys flinch. "Over there."

"Eh? Ah, oh! You're right. Bad dog! You can't come in here!"

"Baka Shigure-san." We sit down at the dining room table.

"Hey, you're Shigure-san right? What do you do for a living?"

"Oh me? I'm a Novelist."

"You're a novelist?"

"Tohru-chan…" She gets excited and surprised over the littlest things. It's because she doesn't pay attention to a lot of things.

"Why are you so surprised?"

"You never asked did you?"

"What was it? Belles Lettres?" Shigure-san holds up a book.

"Yep. That's right. I write these. Oh. I'm sorry. Wrong one. This. This is the real one. This is one that I put out on a lark."

"Doesn't that still mean you wrote it?"

"That's amazing!" I touch my forehead, waiting for the usual fight to end.

"What's so amazing about being a perv?"

"For once I agree with you."

"To think I've been living this close to a novelist!"

"Honda-san, you'd better stop or he'll get a swelled head."

"Doesn't Shigure already have a swelled head?"

"Oh yea! I just thought of something really fun! Please wait here a minute!"

"Tohru-chan?" She runs out of the room and Shigure-san gets up.

"If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. You kids have fun."

"Mina-chan, you and Tohru seem pretty used to living here."

"I'm glad and I understand why you were worried about telling us. But, we swore on Kyoko-san's grave that we'd look out for Tohru."

"Maybe that wouldn't be a big deal to some people. But Tohru-chan was our first friend."

"We love her."

"There have been plenty of times when she stuck up for us. So this time, not having the chance to return the favor…it's a big deal to us. We didn't realize Tohru was suffering all by herself. Some friends we are. We really let her down."

"She wouldn't worry about stuff like that."

"Honda-san isn't the type to see her life as a glass half empty."

"Huh?" The door slides open and Tohru-chan walks in.

"Sorry for the wait. Let's get started! Dai Hin Min!" she holds up a deck of cards and walks to the table.

"That's a great idea Tohru-chan!"

"A continuation of our last match? Excellent. I'll cream you again, Orenji-kun."

"Keep talking punk. If I win, you have to dye your hair black."

"Fine. If you lose, bleach your hair some more so it turns white."

"This is my natural color!"

"Urusei, Bakayaro. That is his natural color though, Uo-chan…Yuki-kun! You cut the deck!"

"Oh, okay." We play the game for a while.

"You bastard! Why don't I teach you a lesson?"

"Uo-chan!"

"I'd like to see you try, bitch!"

"Kyo-kun! Stop that!"

"Shut up, Minako!" I sit down and sigh.

"I have a winning hand."

"I knew you'd be good at this." Yuki-kun wins, I rank second, then Hana-chan, Uo-chan, Kyo-kun, and Tohru-chan loses.

"Good game guys!"

"You're one to talk! You got second!"

"It was still fun!"

"Oh! Guess what today is!" I glare at Tohru-chan. "It's Mina-chan's birthday!"

"Really?" I nod. It's Halloween, my birthday is on Halloween.

"What is your problem, Tohru-chan? You know I hate my birthday!" I get up and run to my room. I didn't want to celebrate my birthday, that's why I only told Tohru-chan and Oka-san. Someone knocks on my door. "Go away!"

"Minako-san, can I come in?"

"Go away Kyo-kun!" the door opens and I throw my pillow at him. "I said go away!"

"Hey, just 'cuz you're pissed about Tohru telling everyone about your birthday, don't take it out on me. I'm just worried."

"Why would you of all people, be worried about me?" He sits on the end of my bed and looks at me.

"You're worse at dealing with people than I am."

"You're right. You draw people to you and you get along with them pretty well. It's natural. I have such a short temper, I can't deal with anyone."

"I didn't mean it like that. Why do you hate your birthday?"

"All the bad things happen to me on my birthday. My parents died, I lost my home, a giant storm flooded my shelter, and I got kicked out of school for two months. The only good thing that's ever happened on this day was when Kyoko-san took me in."

"Well, nothing bad has happened today."

"Yea it has. You decided to worry about me. I don't want people to worry about me. I can handle my own problems." I snatch the pillow out of his hands and bury my face in it.

He touches my back slightly. "Go away. Let me mope alone." The bed shifts and I hear the door open and close. I look up and notice that Kyo left. It's for the better I suppose. I lie down and stare at the ceiling.

"Morning."

"You're an early riser." I shrug.

"The sun's up."

"Guess it comes from living so long outside huh?" I stop moving and glance sideways at Kyo.

"Oh. Good morning, Yuki-kun!"

"Hey, Yuki."

"You…you that is…" Ara…Yuki just fell forward and his head landed on Kyo's shoulder…and Kyo isn't doing anything? That's strange.

"Sohma-kun isn't a morning person is he?"

"Morning, Tohru-chan."

"Morning."

"Wake up, Damn it!" Why does Kyo look terrified? I sigh and help steer Yuki out of the kitchen and towards the stairs.

"But I'm impressed, Kyo-kun. Even though you wanted to hit him, you wouldn't attack Sohma-kun in his sleep!"

"That's not quite it…he's even stronger when he's sleeping." Oh. I think that Yuki can make it back to his room like this, sleep-walking. I head back to the kitchen and dig through the fridge for milk.

Not here…I hear a crunch and look back. "And that means he's always going easy on me. He's thick-skinned and cold-hearted. He doesn't even have to try! I hate that damn ra…" Yuki punches him square in the jaw, sending him flying back.

Kyo catches himself and freaks out. "Hey! You weren't asleep?" Tohru-chan catches the milk carton and I get pissed.

"Your stupid voice woke me up."

"Fine, damn it. See if I care! But I'm taking you down one these days, you hear me? I won't stop until I defeat you!"

"What are you babbling about this early?" I crack my knuckles.

"Kyo…"

"What?"

"Since when is it good to drink all of the milk from the carton, Neko-chan?"

"Oh dear. Sorry. If I'd known you were gonna want some I would have…"

"Excuses are not allowed." Everyone backs up and I break down. I walk over to Kyo and punch him in the gut before walking to the fridge to start working on breakfast.

"Damn, she's pissy."

"I wouldn't say things to piss her off anymore than she already is. She might poison your breakfast, Kyon."

"A cat and a mouse…" I glance back at Hana-chan and Uo-chan. "That's what they're like." Few. For a minute there, I was worried she had figured something out. "See? They're always fighting. Wasn't there a cartoon like that?"

"Tom and Jerry?"

"Still, it seems like this house is pretty fun. If anyone had hurt Tohru-kun…I was thinking of all the things I would do to them…yes, all of them…"

"What things?" Yuki and Kyo stare at Hana-chan and I chuckle.

"Don't worry about her. She's more talk than action about that. But it's more dangerous to piss her off than me. Now! Tohru-chan put down the trash can and everyone out of the kitchen!"