Utagaibukai
Peach Girl Fanfiction by Yohko.

Chapter Fourteen: It Starts

"Time had passed a lot quicker than Momo had expected. Toji, Sae and Chi went about their own way, Momo and Kairi did the same. After Momo had slapped Chi, the whole school was treating her like trash. Everything from pushing to tripping, the humiliation never ended. The intentions were obvious but everything was done to look accidental. One girl went so far as to spill her drink all over Momo in the cafeteria. Momo didn't care thought, she'd dust herself off and keep going, as if it didn't bother her at all. Toji admired her maturity with the situation although he never stood to stop them or help her, Sae and Chi made sure of that.
The drew nearer and the school dance finally arrived.
The school gymnasium was decorated nicely, and everything was prepared. All the classes went sent to the gym at different times on different days so that everyone would have contributed to the dance decorations. The dance took place on a Friday night at 8pm, finishing at 11pm. The DJ was set on the gym stage, tables were set up along the walls for snacks and drinks, with plenty of room to dance with all the latest club light affects.
Sae had deemed herself as "free-for-all". She decided that she would come to the dance alone: that way everyone would have equal chances to dance with her. Chi would be accompanied by Toji, and Sae would casually sit with them. Momo and Kairi were going together.

"Momo, hurry up!" Kairi yelled to Momo's room. He was waiting at the front door for over an hour now. "We're going to be late!" Kairi stood in black dress pants and a dress shirt. His pants were normal, not baggy but not tight, and his shirt was simple enough with all the top buttons undone to show off his chest and a metal cross necklace resting on the bare chest showing. His hair was gelled and styled in such a way it didn't look like wet hair stuck in place, but regular hair spiked all crazy, something new with the hair wax he bought. It was messy and a pain, but it gave good results. Kairi also wore the cologne his dad let him use, his whole life Kairi never knew the name of it, he just knew he liked it. To top it off, he wore a light yellow flower above his left breast pocket and held a similar flower for Momo to wear around her wrist.
"Chotto matte!" Momo yelled back at him as she frantically fixed herself in the mirror.
"Well hey, if you're having such a hard time getting dressed, don't wear anything at all~!"
Momo blushed in anger and modesty, "... pumpkin!!"
Kairi giggled to himself just as Momo walked to the door, "happy?"
Momo stood in a two-piece black dress. The skirt was somewhat poofy and came to just about her knees, and her top was a black spaghetti strap. Her hair looked the most impressive, she had it up in assorted ties and turns, it looked professional, like a real mind-boggling puzzle. Her make up was simple, much like her gown, a little mascara and eyeliner, nothing really. She wore black stockings to match the black knee-high boots she would wear, and a simple silver chain necklace similar to Kairi's cross chain.
Kairi was practically frozen in place with shivers going down his spine. He resisted the pumpkin urges within him and shook his head for some sense to kick in. Unable to say much of anything else, he simply held out the wrist-rose in it's small plastic container.
Momo looked a little surprised as she stepped down to where he was and took the box. She opened it and examined the beautiful flower. She looked back at him, noticing he wore the same light yellow flower. She smiled appreciatively and gently slid it on her right wrist, admiring it for a minute.
Kairi sighed, relieved with the pleasant result. He had been in that flower shop for hours trying to pick out the flower that best resembled Momo's personality, outer and inner beauty. The sort of amazing blond hair color that you question if it's real, and the look of casual but very pretty. The one he got matched her perfectly, and really complimented her gown. Speaking of which, the two of them looked really great together. They really matched, and the both of them couldn't help but notice that as they looked at each other.
The both of them look away and clear their throats, trying to hide the small blush on their faces.
"Ready now?" Kairi reached for the front door.
"Wait," Momo put on her black knee-high books and did up zippers, Kairi waited and watched. When she finished she stoof up and looked at Kairi. "Thanks," she said.
Kairi blinked, the door was slightly open now, "for what?"
Momo looked to the side for a moment before facing him again, "for everything. I don't think I ever really told you, but it means a lot to me." Momo went on her tip toes and gave Kairi a sweet and gentle kiss on the cheek. She walked out the door, where a taxi driver was waiting for them.
Kairi was more in shock than Momo would have ever imagined. His hand slowly raised to his cheek and gently touched it, the sensation of Momo's lips against his cheeks still hot. They had kissed on the lips before, but that was never from Momo's free will on Kairi's part. He stole her kiss and then she needed to save his life. He did come back to reality, and he closed the door behind them. He hot in the taxi quietly and they drove towards the school.
Momo was nervous. Kairi noticed her constantly biting her bottom lip and tapping her hand on her lap. Kairi smoothly and casually slid his hand to her lap and held her anxious hand, "don't be nervous, Momo." Momo stopped and looked to him, he was looking back at her with a warm smile she had grown to love, "it'll work out, trust me."
Momo smiled in return, not realizing the blush appearing on her face. Kairi quickly removed his hand and cleared his throat, but Momo looked at her hand and her blush grew deeper. His hand was so warm, and the night was so cold, it comforted her. Suddenly she gasped lightly and mentally kicked herself. Kairi may be her only friend, but he's a pumpkin! Momo forgot such thoughts and feelings towards Kairi and focused on the night ahead. "Finally," Momo thought to herself, "Toji will understand..."

They arrived at the school and Kairi paid the driver before he drove off. Most of the students were just arriving as well. As people from their school, and some Momo didn't know, walked their way into the school gymnasium. Momo saw from the corner of her eye, people pointing at her and talking amongst themselves. Momo sighed heavily, it had been a very emotionally stressing week for her to undergo such humiliation at school, an additional night could very well kill off the small shred of strength she had left.
Almost as if Kairi sensed Momo's sudden tension, he put his arm around her shoulders and motioned her forward, "don't lose your cool, Momo. We're getting to the best part..."
Momo raised her chin and they walked forward, "I know."
Of course, the first thing they see on walking in is a big group of guys formed around Sae. Sae wore a long one-piece light green dress that fit snugly to her body figure, as well as the two matching green hairpins she always wore. Her hair had more style to it than usual, and she wore a pearl necklace around her bare neck. Her skirt was too long to know what shoes she wore. All the boys around her were already reserving who got to dance with her and when, but Sae made her way through to sit down at a table.
Momo gasped, as Sae sat at a table that had Toji and Chi sitting together alone. Toji looked amazing to Momo, just like he always did. His hair was messed up and somewhat gelled, he wore a formal white button-up dress shirt with some ruffles in it, black dress pants and a casual black dress coat. His dress shirt was unbottoned about halfway, revealing a shapely chest that Momo always admired looking at during swim class.
Chi, however, didn't match Toji at all to Momo's surprise. She seemed like the type to make a matching couple to a dance an essential. Actually even more to Momo's surprise, Chi wore the exact same dress as Sae but pink, and she could imagine both of them getting angry over it, with a matching pink purse, and her hair up in a matching pink tie.
Kairi motioned Momo to another table, "try not to make any eye contact."
Momo nodded her head silently as they sat down at an empty table. Some of Kairi's friends joined them with their dates, Momo didn't really know them well enough to make conversation. It killed her not to look over to another table of attention, but Momo bit her bottom lip and bared the pain of not knowing just what they were doing. However, their entrance did not go unnoticed.

"Look who it is," Chi looked mockingly towards the table where Momo, Kairi and his friends sat at. Sae looked almost too amused. Toji also looked but his focus turned into a cold stare that Momo swore she could feel on her back. "Why am I now surprised to see little miss Blondie sitting with other years?"
Sae over exaggerated a mocking laugh, just loud enough for Momo to hear.
Toji turned his stare to the table he was sitting at, his face looked angry and sad, but he said nothing.
Both Chi and Sae exchanged looks of approval as they noticed some people pointing at Momo, laughing and whispering.

Momo closed her eyes painfully. She felt every eye, every point, every sneer, all of it. Why? Why must they torment me? Suddenly Momo realized a flaw in their plan she hadn't thought of before. She grabbed Kairi's arm and pulled him close to whisper in his ear, "what if someone humiliates me before we ca-"
"Momo!" Kairi whispered back harshly, "nothing is going to happen. Just keep your cool, and do not let them win."
"But..." Momo replied quietly.
Kairi shook his head and looked at her seriously. "There's no way you're going to bail now Momo. Now when you've worked so hard this past week to prove yourself. Not when you've planned this entire evening to show everyone the lies. Not when you're ready to finally show Toji everything... Not after we worked so hard. Momo, you're a lot stronger than I could have ever imagined. Don't bail on me now."
Momo felt herself blush lightly and she fought back tears. Kairi helped her realize that this wasn't simply herself anymore. Kairi was as much involved as she is. The rumors affected his reputation drastically, and his date list decreased amazingly. He lost friends and half his popularity was out the window. Yet, he never said a word about it. Momo quietly nodded her head and Kairi smiled warmly just as the lights went down.
"Well," he winked to her before turning to the DJ stage, "here we go."