"Come back real soon!" Sasami yelled as Yukinojo took off.
It was about a month since Sasami had used the tablet, and everyone else had managed to fight any temptations. Recently Kiyone and Mihoshi had received an order to fly out and report to the Galaxy Police Headquarters. So, having said their goodbyes, Kiyone had closed the doors, and was waiting for Mihoshi to give the order to leave. But Mihoshi was already in tears.
"Oh, Mihoshi, get a grip! We won't be gone that long." Kiyone sighed.
Mihoshi sniffed one last time. "Oh yeah."
She wandered over to the control console. "Yukinojo?"
The little robot popped out. "Good day, Mihoshi!"
"Hi, Yukinojo. Could you get me a cup of coffee?"
Kiyone growled. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Mihoshi looked blank, before turning back to Yukinojo. "Oh, and one for Kiyone, too. Please."
Kiyone sighed. "Yukinojo, what Mihoshi means is that we're ready to leave for HQ, so if you please."
"Gotcha! Seatbelts on everybody!" he chirped.
"But I still don't have my coffee!" Mihoshi grumbled as she sat down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As they watched the ship fly off, Ryoko, who was sitting on the steps outside the house, chuckled. "Wonderful. Two less people in the fight for-"
"-Ryoko? Were you even listening to me?"
She was shocked out of her plotting session by a sharp pain in the back of her head.
"Ow! What was that for?" Ryoko turned around, but her anger was quickly diminished when she looked straight into the eyes of Tenchi.
"See? I told you I could get her attention." said Ayeka, who was standing behind Tenchi, wearing a rather smug look.
"You know, you didn't have to kick her." Tenchi said.
Ayeka just sniffed. "Didn't I?" Then she walked into the house.
"The nerve of that prissy little-" Ryoko started up, but was pushed down by Tenchi.
"Don't even think about it. It's too early to start trouble already. Besides, Washu wants you in her lab."
While Tenchi was talking, Ryoko watched Sasami go inside with Ryo-oki, and decided that now would be a good time to make use of the peace.
"Oh, I'd love to help her, but I think Ayeka really hurt my head. It's throbbing so badly! How can she expect me to do anything with this headache? That Ayeka.she's so mean, don't you agree?"
"Well, she did kick you pretty hard." Knowing that he probably shouldn't, Tenchi couldn't help but put on a slightly concerned face.
"Exactly! Tenchi dear.go and get me an ice pack.I feel kind of dizzy.actually, no. I wouldn't want to trouble you.I'll go get it myself."
Ryoko stood up, and tried to look as shaky as possible. When she saw Tenchi get up too, she took one step towards the house, then stumbled, falling backwards towards him. Just as she had hoped, he caught her.
"Oh.Tenchi, I'm so sorry. I'm worse than I thought!" she said, dramatically holding a hand to her forehead. "Just let me get up and try again, and then I think I'll go in for an early night. A little rest might make all of these funny, dancing patterns go away."
Even as she said this, she made no move to get up, instead pulling herself closer to Tenchi.
Just another inch.
Something slapped her in the face.
"OWW!" Ryoko looked over to the house when she heard Ayeka's hysterical cackle.
"Hah, she looked a bit dazed, Tenchi, so I thought I'd snap her out of it for you!" Ayeka flew into hysterics again.
Ryoko looked down, and saw one of Ayeka's slippers lying on the ground.
"Ooo, just you wait 'till I get my hands on you!" Ryoko struggled out of Tenchi's arms, and ran straight for the door. Just as she was approaching the door, Ayeka sidestepped. Ryoko screeched to a halt, right in front of an impatient Washu.
"Where have you been?" Washu frowned. "I thought I asked for you to come down to my lab?"
"I was about to," Ryoko quickly composed herself. "But Ayeka started throwing things at me, so-"
"Just come now!"
Washu reached up and pulled Ryoko along by the ear into the lab, with her protesting all the way.
"Ha, serves her right!" Ayeka scoffed, and turned to Tenchi. "Don't you think so?"
Tenchi sighed. "Is anything the matter, Ayeka?"
"What? Why, nothing. Why did you ask?"
"Oh, no reason."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When they climbed out of Yukinojo, both girls had to rush to the toilets to tidy themselves up before anyone came up to speak to them.
"Tell me again." Kiyone said, as she desperately tried to mop off the large coffee stain on her blouse, "How much coffee did you try to get into one cup?"
"Uh, I don't remember," Mihoshi replied, watching Kiyone. "More than one cup could hold, though."
"No. Really?" Kiyone paused for a moment to glower at Mihoshi, before scrubbing harder than before. "Oh, could you have done this at a worse time?"
"Well, at least it's still wet, I guess."
"Hmm, and hopefully it will come off without a trace."
Suddenly, the door opened. "Why, Kiyone! How long as it been?"
Kiyone cursed under her breath, and looked up. "Mitsuki, hi! Great to see you!"
"Well, what a mess we're in!" Mitsuki commented.
"Yes, well." Kiyone looked down to see how bad she really looked. She gasped. Although she had wiped away the stain from when the coffee that had run down her front and puddled in her lap, it had left a rather large wet spot. She looked up, and saw that Mitsuki was on the point of laughing. "No, no, no! It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh?" Mitsuki managed.
"What? It's only a c-" Mihoshi started. Kiyone looked at her accusingly, and Mihoshi saw the wet patch. She instantly started laughing.
"Thanks Mihoshi." Kiyone muttered, and turned back to Mitsuki. She had gone.
"Oh nooo! She'll spread it around the station for sure!"
"Look on the bright side!" Mihoshi tried to cheer Kiyone up.
"What bright side?!" Kiyone snarled. "I look like I've wet myself!!!"
"Well, they say any publicity is good publicity."
Kiyone restrained herself from swizzling round to slap Mihoshi, and said through clenched teeth, "I don't think they meant this kind of publicity, though."
After they had sat under the dryers for a while, hoping against hope that no one would come in, Mihoshi and Kiyone came out from the bathroom, nearly looking as if nothing had happened.
"I wonder how many people Mitsuki told?" Kiyone muttered to herself.
"Kiyone, hi again! I see we've cleared ourselves up." Mitsuki wandered over from the vending machine to gloat.
"Oh, Mitsuki, I'm glad I found you!" Kiyone ignored Mitsuki's last remark and ran up to her. "How many people have you told? It wasn't what it looked like! Mihoshi spilled coffee down me, and I was just washing it off."
"Oh, right, uh huh." Mitsuki nodded, but still had that expression about her.
"Really! But." Kiyone wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Mitsuki.how many people have you told?"
"Only a few."
"How many is a few?"
Mitsuki shrugged. "About five, I guess."
Kiyone sighed with relief, and Mihoshi grinned.
"See, I told you it wasn't as bad as you thought!"
"Of course." Mitsuki carried on. Something in her tone made Kiyone anxious.
"What is it?"
"They were the gossipy sorts. Who knows how many people they've told?"
Kiyone stared disbelievingly at Mitsuki, who smiled. "I'm sure you'll get it all sorted out, though, Kiyone."
With that, she walked off. As she did so, she met up with one of her many friends. Before they rounded the corner, Kiyone heard Mitsuki say, "You'll never guess what happened to Kiyone!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ryoko, sugarplum, come here!" Washu called in sugary sweet tones.
"Slave driver." Ryoko muttered. Washu had been calling her sickening names, and had her running errands up and down the lab, almost ceasingly. And, what was even worse, she had no way of knowing what Ayeka might be doing upstairs with Tenchi!
"I heard that, dear, and you really shouldn't be so mean! Now come to your Mommy, and give her a hand!"
"I'm coming already!" Ryoko put down the pile of papers she was carrying and teleported over to where Washu was laying under a large machine. It looked like a computer, kind of. Although Washu was hidden under the metal, her voice floated out.
"Ah, Ryoko sweetheart, pass me that wrench."
Ryoko looked down. "You mean the one by your head?"
"Yep, that could be the one."
Ryoko said nothing for a moment. "Why don't you get it, then? It's within your reach!"
"'Cause my hands are full, buttercup."
"Bet they're not."
"Oh? Wanna see what happens when I take my hands away?"
"Go on then."
"Alrighty, but you asked for it.sweetie." Washu pulled her hands out from under the machine, and held them out for Ryoko to see. For a moment, nothing happened. Washu pushed herself out from under the computer, grinning smugly. She scratched her nose, and then sighed.
"You know, I've been wanting to do that since.about.when I couldn't. Funny that, isn't it."
Ryoko paused. Still nothing happened. "See? I told you nothing w-" Suddenly, a large jet of oil came from a pipe somewhere under the machine, narrowly missing Washu but hitting Ryoko full in the face. As she spluttered to spit out the oil from her mouth, Washu laughed.
"And I told you that my hands were full!"
Ryoko gargled something. Washu pushed herself back under the machine, and gradually the oil slowed, then stopped.
"Would you care to repeat that, Ryoko?" Washu called. "You sounded like you had something in your mouth."
Ryoko was glad that Washu couldn't see her right now. She was drenched in the black oil, and she looked like she'd crawled from, well, an oil pit. Or something.
"I said," Ryoko grumbled, as she spat out the last of the oil, "turn it off!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kiyone tried her best to ignore the funny stares she got as she and Mihoshi walked to the cafeteria. They had made their report to their superior, and Mihoshi had been complaining that she felt hungry.
Kiyone had at first refused; she couldn't stand the stares and whispering much longer. But her own stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble. So, she agreed to some fast food, and then off.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Kiyone, wait a minute."
"What, Mihoshi?"
"I need to go to the toilet."
"But we were in there only this morning."
"But I didn't need to go then. And now I do. Please, wait for me!"
"Can't I just meet you in the cafeteria?"
"Um, okay. I'll be back real quick." Mihoshi went back the way they had came, with a funny lopsided run.
As she walked through the doors of the cafeteria, Kiyone bumped right into Mitsuki and her friends.
"Oh, hi Kiyone." Although she managed to keep a relatively straight face, her friends wore the unmistakable look of a suppressed smile.
"Mitsuki." Kiyone, although she smiled, wanted to spend as little time around Mitsuki as possible right now.
"Hey, where's.uh, Mihoshi, isn't it?"
"Yes. She's in the toilets." As soon as the words passed her lips, she knew she had let herself in for it.
"Oh. You don't need to go?" Mitsuki smirked. From the corner of her eye, Kiyone saw Mitsuki's leg kick the guy behind her in the shins.
"Ow.I mean, probably because she went earlier." This caused a few snickers.
"I already told you, Mitsuki, Mihoshi spilled coffee down the both of us, and I was trying to wash it all off!"
"Sure you were. Why didn't Mihoshi have large wet patches, then?" questioned another woman.
"Because she's so annoyingly lucky, stuff like that never happens to her!" Kiyone screamed. "Whatever should rightfully happen to her always happens to me! I'm the one suffering having her around! She's the biggest jinx in-"
She stopped when she saw Mitsuki biting at her lip. Kiyone spun round. Mihoshi was staring watery eyed at her.
"Oh, Kiyone, I didn't know you felt that way." she croaked.
"No, Mihoshi, I didn't mean it!"
"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to get through the doors." Mitsuki pushed her way through, followed by her friends.
"Kiyone, I'm so sorry you feel that way. I mean, I knew you didn't like me, but-"
"Mihoshi, please. I never meant any of it!"
"Then why were you yelling it out like that?" A single tear rolled down Mihoshi's cheek. "Excuse me, I think I have to go to the toilet again." With that, she ran back down the corridor.
Kiyone knew better than to follow her. But when she turned, the cafeteria had gone quiet, and she was aware of eyes looking discreetly at her. She sighed, and went to find somewhere she could be alone for a while.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mihoshi sat sobbing behind the toilet door. "I can't believe it. Kiyone's always groaning at me and stuff, but she's never called me all of it in one go!" she wailed.
There was a knock at the door. "Hey, hurry up in there. I have to go."
"Sorry. I'll be out in a sec." Mihoshi wiped her face on the sleeve of her jacket, and opened the door.
The young woman standing outside looked very sympathetic when she saw Mihoshi's puffy eyes. "Here now, what happened? Wanna talk about it?"
"No, I'm okay, really." Mihoshi assured the stranger with a smile.
"Don't be silly. You've been crying. Come on, I'm somewhat of an agony aunt for my friends back at home. I'm sure I could help you in some way." The young woman put her arm round Mihoshi's shoulder.
"Well, okay. My best friend's really mad at me. She's yelled at me loads of times and complained about me-"
"Wait. She's your best friend?" she said, surprised.
"Yeah. Anyway, she seemed more upset at me than usual, and well."
"Why does she get so mad?"
Mihoshi began to wail again. "She say's I'm a jinx, and that I'm holding her back. Stuff like that."
"Oh, please, shhhhh! Don't cry again. You make funny noises when you cry, do you know that? Boo hoo!" She started making funny noises until Mihoshi giggled.
"Do I really make those noises?" she managed between half sobs and giggles.
"Nope. Just thought it would cheer you up! But, if you want my opinion, you should dump this girl as your friend. She's obviously not very nice if-"
"Oh no! No, I'd never do that! Kiyone's my best friend ever! Even if she complains about me a lot, I know that I'm her friend too. At least, I think so."
"Really? Oh, then.maybe if you acted more professional and careful around her?"
"But I already do!" Mihoshi began to sob even louder, and body shook every time she sobbed.
"Then maybe just a little harder? Just until she's calmed down. Can I ask who she is? Maybe I know her."
"Well, don't tell her I talked to you or anything."
"Of course not. Our secret."
Mihoshi chewed her lip a bit before saying "Do you know.Kiyone?"
The woman frowned. "Is she the one who wet herself?"
"No, she didn't! Mitsuki just thought that!" Mihoshi assured her. "I accidentally spilled coffee on her, and she were in here trying to wash it off before we made our report. Then Mitsuki came in, and saw the wet patch where Kiyone had been trying to clean her lap, and, well, one thought led to another."
"Oh, I see. So, this whole thing wouldn't have been this bad if it wasn't for this Mitsuki girl."
"Well, she was already pretty mad at me for spilling it in the first place." Mihoshi said dubiously.
"But she wasn't exploding at you, was she?"
Mihoshi shook her head.
"Well.maybe you should equalise it." Her eyes gleamed. "Play a trick on Mitsuki, a really good one. Then when Kiyone finds out, she'll be glad to see Mitsuki so embarrassed that she'll forget all about the coffee incident."
Mihoshi put her head to one side. "That doesn't sound like a very agony- aunty type thing to say."
"Who told you I was an agony aunt?" the woman frowned.
Mihoshi frowned back. "You did."
"Oh." She shrugged. "Well, I'm not. But that's a nifty idea. Hmm.the Galaxy Police Agony Aunt.I could even make a bit of money." She carried on talking to herself as she went into the toilet.
Mihoshi turned the thought around in her head. "Maybe she's right. I bet Kiyone would like me again after I did that. But how." Then the answer struck her. She called her thanks to the woman before she swallowed the tablet.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ehhhhhh! This isn't the end of the chapter - it was just getting waaaaaaaay too long. *sweatdrop* The rest will follow! *yawn* But now, I'm gonna go to bed. G'night!
It was about a month since Sasami had used the tablet, and everyone else had managed to fight any temptations. Recently Kiyone and Mihoshi had received an order to fly out and report to the Galaxy Police Headquarters. So, having said their goodbyes, Kiyone had closed the doors, and was waiting for Mihoshi to give the order to leave. But Mihoshi was already in tears.
"Oh, Mihoshi, get a grip! We won't be gone that long." Kiyone sighed.
Mihoshi sniffed one last time. "Oh yeah."
She wandered over to the control console. "Yukinojo?"
The little robot popped out. "Good day, Mihoshi!"
"Hi, Yukinojo. Could you get me a cup of coffee?"
Kiyone growled. "Aren't you forgetting something?"
Mihoshi looked blank, before turning back to Yukinojo. "Oh, and one for Kiyone, too. Please."
Kiyone sighed. "Yukinojo, what Mihoshi means is that we're ready to leave for HQ, so if you please."
"Gotcha! Seatbelts on everybody!" he chirped.
"But I still don't have my coffee!" Mihoshi grumbled as she sat down.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
As they watched the ship fly off, Ryoko, who was sitting on the steps outside the house, chuckled. "Wonderful. Two less people in the fight for-"
"-Ryoko? Were you even listening to me?"
She was shocked out of her plotting session by a sharp pain in the back of her head.
"Ow! What was that for?" Ryoko turned around, but her anger was quickly diminished when she looked straight into the eyes of Tenchi.
"See? I told you I could get her attention." said Ayeka, who was standing behind Tenchi, wearing a rather smug look.
"You know, you didn't have to kick her." Tenchi said.
Ayeka just sniffed. "Didn't I?" Then she walked into the house.
"The nerve of that prissy little-" Ryoko started up, but was pushed down by Tenchi.
"Don't even think about it. It's too early to start trouble already. Besides, Washu wants you in her lab."
While Tenchi was talking, Ryoko watched Sasami go inside with Ryo-oki, and decided that now would be a good time to make use of the peace.
"Oh, I'd love to help her, but I think Ayeka really hurt my head. It's throbbing so badly! How can she expect me to do anything with this headache? That Ayeka.she's so mean, don't you agree?"
"Well, she did kick you pretty hard." Knowing that he probably shouldn't, Tenchi couldn't help but put on a slightly concerned face.
"Exactly! Tenchi dear.go and get me an ice pack.I feel kind of dizzy.actually, no. I wouldn't want to trouble you.I'll go get it myself."
Ryoko stood up, and tried to look as shaky as possible. When she saw Tenchi get up too, she took one step towards the house, then stumbled, falling backwards towards him. Just as she had hoped, he caught her.
"Oh.Tenchi, I'm so sorry. I'm worse than I thought!" she said, dramatically holding a hand to her forehead. "Just let me get up and try again, and then I think I'll go in for an early night. A little rest might make all of these funny, dancing patterns go away."
Even as she said this, she made no move to get up, instead pulling herself closer to Tenchi.
Just another inch.
Something slapped her in the face.
"OWW!" Ryoko looked over to the house when she heard Ayeka's hysterical cackle.
"Hah, she looked a bit dazed, Tenchi, so I thought I'd snap her out of it for you!" Ayeka flew into hysterics again.
Ryoko looked down, and saw one of Ayeka's slippers lying on the ground.
"Ooo, just you wait 'till I get my hands on you!" Ryoko struggled out of Tenchi's arms, and ran straight for the door. Just as she was approaching the door, Ayeka sidestepped. Ryoko screeched to a halt, right in front of an impatient Washu.
"Where have you been?" Washu frowned. "I thought I asked for you to come down to my lab?"
"I was about to," Ryoko quickly composed herself. "But Ayeka started throwing things at me, so-"
"Just come now!"
Washu reached up and pulled Ryoko along by the ear into the lab, with her protesting all the way.
"Ha, serves her right!" Ayeka scoffed, and turned to Tenchi. "Don't you think so?"
Tenchi sighed. "Is anything the matter, Ayeka?"
"What? Why, nothing. Why did you ask?"
"Oh, no reason."
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
When they climbed out of Yukinojo, both girls had to rush to the toilets to tidy themselves up before anyone came up to speak to them.
"Tell me again." Kiyone said, as she desperately tried to mop off the large coffee stain on her blouse, "How much coffee did you try to get into one cup?"
"Uh, I don't remember," Mihoshi replied, watching Kiyone. "More than one cup could hold, though."
"No. Really?" Kiyone paused for a moment to glower at Mihoshi, before scrubbing harder than before. "Oh, could you have done this at a worse time?"
"Well, at least it's still wet, I guess."
"Hmm, and hopefully it will come off without a trace."
Suddenly, the door opened. "Why, Kiyone! How long as it been?"
Kiyone cursed under her breath, and looked up. "Mitsuki, hi! Great to see you!"
"Well, what a mess we're in!" Mitsuki commented.
"Yes, well." Kiyone looked down to see how bad she really looked. She gasped. Although she had wiped away the stain from when the coffee that had run down her front and puddled in her lap, it had left a rather large wet spot. She looked up, and saw that Mitsuki was on the point of laughing. "No, no, no! It's not what it looks like!"
"Oh?" Mitsuki managed.
"What? It's only a c-" Mihoshi started. Kiyone looked at her accusingly, and Mihoshi saw the wet patch. She instantly started laughing.
"Thanks Mihoshi." Kiyone muttered, and turned back to Mitsuki. She had gone.
"Oh nooo! She'll spread it around the station for sure!"
"Look on the bright side!" Mihoshi tried to cheer Kiyone up.
"What bright side?!" Kiyone snarled. "I look like I've wet myself!!!"
"Well, they say any publicity is good publicity."
Kiyone restrained herself from swizzling round to slap Mihoshi, and said through clenched teeth, "I don't think they meant this kind of publicity, though."
After they had sat under the dryers for a while, hoping against hope that no one would come in, Mihoshi and Kiyone came out from the bathroom, nearly looking as if nothing had happened.
"I wonder how many people Mitsuki told?" Kiyone muttered to herself.
"Kiyone, hi again! I see we've cleared ourselves up." Mitsuki wandered over from the vending machine to gloat.
"Oh, Mitsuki, I'm glad I found you!" Kiyone ignored Mitsuki's last remark and ran up to her. "How many people have you told? It wasn't what it looked like! Mihoshi spilled coffee down me, and I was just washing it off."
"Oh, right, uh huh." Mitsuki nodded, but still had that expression about her.
"Really! But." Kiyone wasn't sure if she wanted to know the answer to the question she was about to ask. "Mitsuki.how many people have you told?"
"Only a few."
"How many is a few?"
Mitsuki shrugged. "About five, I guess."
Kiyone sighed with relief, and Mihoshi grinned.
"See, I told you it wasn't as bad as you thought!"
"Of course." Mitsuki carried on. Something in her tone made Kiyone anxious.
"What is it?"
"They were the gossipy sorts. Who knows how many people they've told?"
Kiyone stared disbelievingly at Mitsuki, who smiled. "I'm sure you'll get it all sorted out, though, Kiyone."
With that, she walked off. As she did so, she met up with one of her many friends. Before they rounded the corner, Kiyone heard Mitsuki say, "You'll never guess what happened to Kiyone!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
"Ryoko, sugarplum, come here!" Washu called in sugary sweet tones.
"Slave driver." Ryoko muttered. Washu had been calling her sickening names, and had her running errands up and down the lab, almost ceasingly. And, what was even worse, she had no way of knowing what Ayeka might be doing upstairs with Tenchi!
"I heard that, dear, and you really shouldn't be so mean! Now come to your Mommy, and give her a hand!"
"I'm coming already!" Ryoko put down the pile of papers she was carrying and teleported over to where Washu was laying under a large machine. It looked like a computer, kind of. Although Washu was hidden under the metal, her voice floated out.
"Ah, Ryoko sweetheart, pass me that wrench."
Ryoko looked down. "You mean the one by your head?"
"Yep, that could be the one."
Ryoko said nothing for a moment. "Why don't you get it, then? It's within your reach!"
"'Cause my hands are full, buttercup."
"Bet they're not."
"Oh? Wanna see what happens when I take my hands away?"
"Go on then."
"Alrighty, but you asked for it.sweetie." Washu pulled her hands out from under the machine, and held them out for Ryoko to see. For a moment, nothing happened. Washu pushed herself out from under the computer, grinning smugly. She scratched her nose, and then sighed.
"You know, I've been wanting to do that since.about.when I couldn't. Funny that, isn't it."
Ryoko paused. Still nothing happened. "See? I told you nothing w-" Suddenly, a large jet of oil came from a pipe somewhere under the machine, narrowly missing Washu but hitting Ryoko full in the face. As she spluttered to spit out the oil from her mouth, Washu laughed.
"And I told you that my hands were full!"
Ryoko gargled something. Washu pushed herself back under the machine, and gradually the oil slowed, then stopped.
"Would you care to repeat that, Ryoko?" Washu called. "You sounded like you had something in your mouth."
Ryoko was glad that Washu couldn't see her right now. She was drenched in the black oil, and she looked like she'd crawled from, well, an oil pit. Or something.
"I said," Ryoko grumbled, as she spat out the last of the oil, "turn it off!"
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Kiyone tried her best to ignore the funny stares she got as she and Mihoshi walked to the cafeteria. They had made their report to their superior, and Mihoshi had been complaining that she felt hungry.
Kiyone had at first refused; she couldn't stand the stares and whispering much longer. But her own stomach betrayed her with a loud grumble. So, she agreed to some fast food, and then off.
She felt a tap on her shoulder.
"Kiyone, wait a minute."
"What, Mihoshi?"
"I need to go to the toilet."
"But we were in there only this morning."
"But I didn't need to go then. And now I do. Please, wait for me!"
"Can't I just meet you in the cafeteria?"
"Um, okay. I'll be back real quick." Mihoshi went back the way they had came, with a funny lopsided run.
As she walked through the doors of the cafeteria, Kiyone bumped right into Mitsuki and her friends.
"Oh, hi Kiyone." Although she managed to keep a relatively straight face, her friends wore the unmistakable look of a suppressed smile.
"Mitsuki." Kiyone, although she smiled, wanted to spend as little time around Mitsuki as possible right now.
"Hey, where's.uh, Mihoshi, isn't it?"
"Yes. She's in the toilets." As soon as the words passed her lips, she knew she had let herself in for it.
"Oh. You don't need to go?" Mitsuki smirked. From the corner of her eye, Kiyone saw Mitsuki's leg kick the guy behind her in the shins.
"Ow.I mean, probably because she went earlier." This caused a few snickers.
"I already told you, Mitsuki, Mihoshi spilled coffee down the both of us, and I was trying to wash it all off!"
"Sure you were. Why didn't Mihoshi have large wet patches, then?" questioned another woman.
"Because she's so annoyingly lucky, stuff like that never happens to her!" Kiyone screamed. "Whatever should rightfully happen to her always happens to me! I'm the one suffering having her around! She's the biggest jinx in-"
She stopped when she saw Mitsuki biting at her lip. Kiyone spun round. Mihoshi was staring watery eyed at her.
"Oh, Kiyone, I didn't know you felt that way." she croaked.
"No, Mihoshi, I didn't mean it!"
"Sorry to interrupt, but we have to get through the doors." Mitsuki pushed her way through, followed by her friends.
"Kiyone, I'm so sorry you feel that way. I mean, I knew you didn't like me, but-"
"Mihoshi, please. I never meant any of it!"
"Then why were you yelling it out like that?" A single tear rolled down Mihoshi's cheek. "Excuse me, I think I have to go to the toilet again." With that, she ran back down the corridor.
Kiyone knew better than to follow her. But when she turned, the cafeteria had gone quiet, and she was aware of eyes looking discreetly at her. She sighed, and went to find somewhere she could be alone for a while.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Mihoshi sat sobbing behind the toilet door. "I can't believe it. Kiyone's always groaning at me and stuff, but she's never called me all of it in one go!" she wailed.
There was a knock at the door. "Hey, hurry up in there. I have to go."
"Sorry. I'll be out in a sec." Mihoshi wiped her face on the sleeve of her jacket, and opened the door.
The young woman standing outside looked very sympathetic when she saw Mihoshi's puffy eyes. "Here now, what happened? Wanna talk about it?"
"No, I'm okay, really." Mihoshi assured the stranger with a smile.
"Don't be silly. You've been crying. Come on, I'm somewhat of an agony aunt for my friends back at home. I'm sure I could help you in some way." The young woman put her arm round Mihoshi's shoulder.
"Well, okay. My best friend's really mad at me. She's yelled at me loads of times and complained about me-"
"Wait. She's your best friend?" she said, surprised.
"Yeah. Anyway, she seemed more upset at me than usual, and well."
"Why does she get so mad?"
Mihoshi began to wail again. "She say's I'm a jinx, and that I'm holding her back. Stuff like that."
"Oh, please, shhhhh! Don't cry again. You make funny noises when you cry, do you know that? Boo hoo!" She started making funny noises until Mihoshi giggled.
"Do I really make those noises?" she managed between half sobs and giggles.
"Nope. Just thought it would cheer you up! But, if you want my opinion, you should dump this girl as your friend. She's obviously not very nice if-"
"Oh no! No, I'd never do that! Kiyone's my best friend ever! Even if she complains about me a lot, I know that I'm her friend too. At least, I think so."
"Really? Oh, then.maybe if you acted more professional and careful around her?"
"But I already do!" Mihoshi began to sob even louder, and body shook every time she sobbed.
"Then maybe just a little harder? Just until she's calmed down. Can I ask who she is? Maybe I know her."
"Well, don't tell her I talked to you or anything."
"Of course not. Our secret."
Mihoshi chewed her lip a bit before saying "Do you know.Kiyone?"
The woman frowned. "Is she the one who wet herself?"
"No, she didn't! Mitsuki just thought that!" Mihoshi assured her. "I accidentally spilled coffee on her, and she were in here trying to wash it off before we made our report. Then Mitsuki came in, and saw the wet patch where Kiyone had been trying to clean her lap, and, well, one thought led to another."
"Oh, I see. So, this whole thing wouldn't have been this bad if it wasn't for this Mitsuki girl."
"Well, she was already pretty mad at me for spilling it in the first place." Mihoshi said dubiously.
"But she wasn't exploding at you, was she?"
Mihoshi shook her head.
"Well.maybe you should equalise it." Her eyes gleamed. "Play a trick on Mitsuki, a really good one. Then when Kiyone finds out, she'll be glad to see Mitsuki so embarrassed that she'll forget all about the coffee incident."
Mihoshi put her head to one side. "That doesn't sound like a very agony- aunty type thing to say."
"Who told you I was an agony aunt?" the woman frowned.
Mihoshi frowned back. "You did."
"Oh." She shrugged. "Well, I'm not. But that's a nifty idea. Hmm.the Galaxy Police Agony Aunt.I could even make a bit of money." She carried on talking to herself as she went into the toilet.
Mihoshi turned the thought around in her head. "Maybe she's right. I bet Kiyone would like me again after I did that. But how." Then the answer struck her. She called her thanks to the woman before she swallowed the tablet.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Ehhhhhh! This isn't the end of the chapter - it was just getting waaaaaaaay too long. *sweatdrop* The rest will follow! *yawn* But now, I'm gonna go to bed. G'night!