-- Partners? --
-- Part 01 --
Minako Aino - a.k.a. Leader of the Jai Mikoi Fan Club
13 years
1-3, Seigaku
Marry me Jai!
Sleepless you lay in your bed, looking up at the ceiling, pounding about a final problem ...
Partners ...
You had your dress, you had the shoes, you had the right date, but the most important seemed to be missing. You sighed and pulled out a pillow from under you. You plopped it down over you, trying to shut out the thought and just sleep.
But it didn't work ...
You kept on thinking about it.
Saya and Miko.
They'd come together, which was alright, but that you would maybe be have to come alone? Or even worse, with someone, who you couldn't stand?! There had to be someone ...
Someone ...
Your eyes started slipping.
The room turned darker.
You vision blurred.
... You fell asleep ...
But not before a single thought - a person - went through your head.
I wonder ... If maybe he would ...?
Groggily, you opened your eyes as light shone in through the windows onto you. You muttered something lowly, cursing over having to get up early, just to get to school.
You slung your feet over the bed and onto the floor, where you searched for your slippers. They didn't seem to be there, so you dropped to the floor, looking under the bed.
Not there ...
Ah? You scratched your head, then where? You felt something fuzzy under you and you scrambled to your feet. You sighed. There ... You had sat on them. Shaking your head, you pulled on the two pink, rabbit-shaped shoes onto your feet and then you hurried down the stairs, still in your nightgown.
Your parents didn't seem to have gotten up yet, so you ate your breakfast in wonderful silence. You poured lots and lots of milk onto your cornflakes, so it reached up to the edge. Then you started eating, after your stomach had growled angrily at you.
You snatched your father's newspaper, since he wasn't there - so, why not? You opened up on the first page and started reading. It wasn't really that exciting, something about ...
Well, you never really did understand it, because shortly after you started spacing out - thinking about the problem from the day before. You had gotten an idea, you remembered, but ... you had forgotten again. You sighed, dipping down the spoon.
Just as you took it up to your lips, you shocked looked back onto your dad, who had spoken up - or rather, yelled up. "Good morning!"
"What's so good about it?" You muttered, picking up your spoon from the floor. But before you were able to use it again, a maid had snatched it away and replaced it with a new. That's what I call service ...
"Oh, you don't know?" He asked smiling and sat down at the head of the table. He reached out to the paper, and you pushed it closer to him. He spread it out onto the table in front of him, and started reading, knowing it was pissing you off.
"What?" You sneered.
"Oh." He looked back up at you. "Have you-"
"Hey, sweetheart!" Your mom had arrived ...
You rolled your eyes.
The idiots are back together ...
"Hi mom ..." You muttered and started eating again, or rather swallowing the flakes quickly, wanting to get away as fast as possible.
"You've found a date yet for the ball?" She asked, leaning over the table to you. You just bored looked back at her, shaking your head. Her mouth dropped. "Really?"
"Yes ..."
"Well, we could probably-?" She started, but you cut her off, already knowing what she'd say.
"I can find someone myself."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes." You finished the last spoon and left the table. "See you later."
You ran up the stairs and slammed your door after you, leaning against it. You let out a sigh. You'd rather come alone than having your mom and dad conjure some punk. Even though they were good at picking hotties, but ...
You'd hear about it the rest of the year from your dad, that was sure.
Suddenly you remembered.
That smile ... Perhaps he would? If you asked nicely ...
"Worth a shot."
"Hi, Jai-kun!" Minoka ran towards you, and you paused, smiling back at her. Somehow, you had over the morning come in a great mood. Probably because your mom had hit your dad the morning with the car ...?
Nah!
Well, what ever had gotten you happy, you weren't even annoyed as you got somewhat tackled by Minako in a hug. "Good morning to you, too, Minako-chan." You said, smiling, as she once again had let go. "Everything good?"
"Yeah. Oh, by the way, you still remember we had a date this weekend, right?"
Date? You thought, slowly, trying to remember if you had been drunk or something, promising anything like that! Then it hit you, helping her with math. "Yes, of course. This weekend. Don't worry, I'll be there."
Even though it was the day before the ball.
"But not for too long, I'm afraid."
"No, no, that's fine."
She smiled and waved goodbye, as she ran for class.
The bell rang.
Slowly, you raised your head from the desk, as you had pretty much used the two hours of history to sleep. You stretched and looked around. People had already stood up and were in the middle of packing their books together.
You did the same, yawning. You glanced at the teacher; it didn't seem he had noticed you at all, which of course was lucky. But then again, he was old enough to not even recognize if he was wearing anything at all ...
It was weird, he was still teaching.
You shook your head and stuffed your (unused) books down into your blue bag, which you afterwards slung over you shoulder. Then you picked up your racket-bag.
It was time to get to practice - and time to ask him.
"Oi, Jai-kun!" Reiku ran up next to you, as you had left class and was on your way down the hall to the tennis courts. You didn't stop, but turned your head to the voice. You raised an eyebrow, as she out of breathe caught up with you. "Perhaps you should try tennis, to do something about that stamina of yours." You asked her, only joking though.
"Actually ..." She said, looking down blushing. "I was thinking about doing so - since I'd like to be as good as you."
You waved both hands at her. "I'm not that good-"
"Yes, you are!" She said, looking up at you again. Then she smiled. "I know you are. And then ... I was thinking, if you'd maybe have time to- if you could, help me?"
You blinked quickly, staring blankly at her. Huh? You didn't see where you were going, so you walked directly into the door.
Smack!
You hit the ground and just sat there. Reiku giggled and reached down, grabbing your hand. With her help, you got up onto your feet again. "Since when did that get here?" You asked, confused.
She laughed. "You alright?"
"Yeah ..." You looked back at her.
"Well-" she blushed again, but kept eye-contact with you. "Perhaps this weekend?"
You somewhat felt your heart sink. You couldn't ... And you really wanted too! "I'm sorry."
"Oh!" She furiously fumbled with her bag pack. "It- it's fine." She reassured you.
You laughed in your head of her behaviour, but knew, it was you, who should reassure her.
"I'm sorry- but I can't this weekend."
"Huh?"
"You got to remember, I'm helping you with math Saturday, and Sunday I got something to do. But," you patted her head. "Next weekend again?"
She looked like her life had reached the best second in her life. "R-really?!"
"Yeah, of course."
You opened the door and stepped outside into the sun. Then you walked for the tennis-courts, Reiku right after you, still looking like a tomato in the head.
"Thanks ..." She muttered.