Deny

Lie. Don't tell him what really happened. Came the helpful, initial thought that sailed through the girl's mind, and made her blurt, "You're sick."

Kenji blinked and flinched as another spasm of pain seared into his already-pounding head. "Yes, that much I guessed by this immense migraine I have right now…" he managed to reply, gritting his teeth in effort to clear away the dizziness that was beginning to cloud up his vision. Wh-what else happened? How did I get sick?

Unknown to him, her face twisted into a look of worry, but then she quickly wiped it away and with too much faked enthusiasm, she piped, "Don't worry, I'll go get you some aspirin for that!"

She simpered off towards the kitchen, slightly relieved to be out of the sight of his curious and equally confused expression at her unusual attitude. The Kenpo student noisily opened and closed cabinets so that her friend wouldn't think of asking her any questions during that brief period, and retrieved a small bottle of the medicine. Popping off the cap, she poured a couple capsules into her palm, and filled a cup with water before strolling back to the living room, handing the ninja what she currently possessed in her hands. He glanced at her gratefully, and quickly dumped the two pills into his mouth, downing them with the cold liquid inside the cup, drinking every drop as though thirst was driving him with need. Giving the glass back to the girl, he sighed in relief when the coolness of the water temporarily distracted him from his pain, but then it hit him with an unexpected roughness, and he grimaced in discomfort.

Standing by quietly, Uriko drew her attention to chewing her bottom lip, worrying that he would question more about his ill condition, and that she hadn't had enough time to think of additional excuses. It'd been nearly impossible for her to fall asleep the night before, and she had spent most of the hours tossing and turning in her bed, still trying to soothe the flames of passion lingering within her nerves. Fed up with her failed attempts at succumbing to slumber, or forgetting about her earlier embrace with the male zoanthrope, she finally went downstairs to her living room, and watched over him for a while. She had still been scantily dressed in her nightwear, the same thin white shirt that he'd flung aside during their embrace, and cream-colored undergarments that he tugged down with unrestrained urgency.

All she brought was a summer jacket slung loosely over her shoulders to prevent her from getting too chilled by the cool weather. While the teenage girl had been staying by his side during the night, she painfully realized that her fiery emotions, invoked by her schoolmate, had not ceased with each passing moment, as she'd hoped it would. The young feline secretly yearned for him to suddenly wake up sometime in her surveillance, and reach his arms out to hug her, hold her against his body tightly. But of course, nothing of that sort happened, and maybe a small part of her was relieved with that outcome too, as she didn't want their platonic relationship to be ruined. Protective instinct made her observe him until the first rays of a newborn day peeked through the shades covering the surrounding windows, when she hastily retreated to her room on the second level, waiting to hear signs of him awakening. It was then that she had hastily thrown on a clean light blue tank top and pair of matching jeans before descending back to where her friend was.

"So…" he started to say just as she began to turn and head back to replace the cup, "I got sick."

She stopped, pivoting around to give him a sympathetic look. "Yup. I think you must've been strolling outside too late; I found you wandering around the porch last night, so I brought you inside."

A strange feeling nagged at his mind, as though silently contradicting her statement. "Oh?"

"Uh huh. 'Scuse for a minute…" the auburn-haired girl adverted her attention away and agilely strode over to her kitchen, disappearing from his sight.

"…Huh."

Releasing a heavy breath, Kenji laid back against the couch's arm behind him, an irking inquiry persisting his consciousness, making his eyes narrow into slits in curiosity. Out of the corners, he furtively glanced to the side, peering at the area where his companion had left, a solemn thin line betraying his lips when he tried to smile at the thought of her taking care of him, as he did to her when she was injured herself. The pounding in his head began to cease, soothing his rigid tension, and he inwardly thanked the quick and efficient effects of the medicine. But the corners of his mouth refused to quirk up, and instead he frowned, baffled in wondering why he felt so disturbed, why his conscience sounded a quiet warning tone within his mind. In reflex and response to that, he waved his hand into the air, seemingly like he was trying to swat a bug flying around, making a noise of amusement come from a couple feet away.

"Is there a fly somewhere in here?" He heard his friend inquire.

"What?" he was startled, but then quickly recovered, looking straight foreword instead of at her, in case she would be able to see through his fib by his eyes, "Oh, uh, I thought I saw a mosquito, that's all. I… hate insect bites."

"Yeah, I know," she grinned faintly, sitting down onto the soft carpet floor nearby his location. "…Other than that, you feeling okay?"

"Ah, don't worry about me," she replied dismissively, shaking her head. "Need anything else? More water? Another blanket? TV Guide and remote control?" You and me in my bedroom? Realizing what she had thought, the girl shrieked inwardly and scolded herself.

"No, I think I'll be alright," he assured with a small smile. "Although I'll take you up on the TV thing. I wouldn't mind soaking in some radiation for a little while of entertainment."

She giggled lightly at his slightly pathetic attempt to joke, and retrieved the remote from the side table, pressing the power switch to flick on the television. "I'm game."

*****

"What in the Holy name of Gandhi happened?"

"I'm telling you, he was gonna puke! Puh-lease, you think I wanted him to ruin my expensive Chantel dress with his barf? We-ell, unless it was with another source of… bodily fluids, teeheehee…" A sly, provocative giggle.

…I did not need to have that information shared. "Alright, alright…" Lean fingers went to rub at tensed up temples. "…Madam. Do you have an escort to the widely popular social event taking place a week from today?"

"What? You mean the prom? Of course, duh! Who do you think you're talking to, the loser of the school? But you know, it was kinda hard trying to decide who to go with between Ian, Chris, Jason, Elliot-"

"Wonderful. Congratulations on your luxury of being presented with multiple partnering options. However, would you rather be accompanied by one of those ruffians, or object of many of our female schoolmates' eye?"

"You know who the only person I'd turn them down for is! Ohgami with that hot bod of his… Sexy Kenji-kun… Goddamn it, I was so close yesterday! You and your stupid beer! If it weren't for that shit, I could've taken him right then and there! At least he didn't reek of alcohol, now that would've been a total, complete turn-off."

"That purpose was served by the magnificent beauty of vodka, my fellow scholar." A satisfied smirk. "He never recognized or realized the cause of the effects that I am sure he must have suffered later. The innocent, naïve little fool."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever… It's still your fault that I didn't get to bag him! Ooh, I bet he's still sweet and pure - how I'd love to be the one that snags his luscious virginity…"

"Alright, whatever it is that you please. If you can somehow manage to convince him to attend the prom with you, that would provide an avid excuse to consummate your relationship with him the same night."

"H-Huh?? Oh, yes! Yes!! Why didn't I see that earlier! Hey wait, but isn't Kenji-kun smitten by that little snotty girl of yours, the Nonomura chick? If he was gonna go to the prom, you know he'd be taking her there before any other girl at school!"

"Exactly, I had thought the same, so you and I, we must work together to separate their friendship long enough for us to step in, and claim our respective desired bystanders."

"What? Damn it, speak normal English, will ya? Throw in some slang, 'cause I don't understand that fancy babble!"

"Let's break them apart and take the remaining pieces! There, is my proposition simplified enough for you!"

"OK, Jesus! Chill out! I get it, I get it! All right, that sounds like a good plan to me! I'll go for it. But hey… how do you think we're supposed to crack through their supposedly rock-solid friendship?"

"A quite simple procedure shall assist in solving our dilemma…"

"Hey! Normal English please!"

*****

"Read a book."

"Too hot."

"Go to the movies with Erika."

"She's working."

"Clean the house. Surprise your mother."

"Bor-ring!"

A slightly irritated frown crossed Kenji's brows, but he spoke evenly, "You're being very difficult, Uriko."

"Yeah, I know. Blame the weather. It's too early for it to feel like summer right now!"

He agreed with that last statement, for the heat was distorting his concentration, as well as drawing his patience quite thin. It was the late afternoon, and his headache had thankfully cleared up with the hours of sleep that had consumed the majority of his energy that morning. But the hot weather foreshadowed the upcoming days of the approaching summer season, promising discomfort and more periods of whining and complaints. Restlessly sprawled upon the cushions of the couch, sitting across from his female companion, he lazily glanced at the thin blanket that had covered him at night that was now lying on the floor. The ninja's eyes traveled over to look at his friend, watching her yawn listlessly, her back sliding off the arm of the sofa and her form descending into a laying position.

An idea came to him just then, and he could have hit himself for not thinking of it earlier. "Let's go to the pool and swim."

Her expression brightened. "Swim? Oh God, of course! I can't believe I didn't think of that!" She jumped up and enthusiastically charged toward the stairs leading up to her room, calling over her shoulder, "The heat must be really getting to me; let's leave before my brain turns into mush!"

"Wait! Hey! I don't have trunks with me!"

"No prob!" he heard her voice reply to him faintly, "You left a pair here the last time we went swimming - I washed it and put it away somewhere, just give me a couple minutes to find them!"

Sighing, the cyan-haired teenager swung his legs over the edge of the couch, and arose from his seat, standing up and raising his arms above his head to stretch his tensed muscles. He was glad that he had felt well enough an hour ago to return to his home and grab a shower and change into a new outfit, since he was planning to stay at his friend's house until dusk fell. Throughout the day, brief flashes flickered in his mind, provoking him with mere segments of a puzzle that he wanted to, but couldn't solve. Kenji assumed they had relevance to what had happened to him the night before, but there was no reason for him to doubt his friend's explanation, right? Yet still, an internal instinct lurking deep within his subconscious-ness urged him to recall everything that had occurred, and he obliged, as he wanted to find out for himself.

Ever since he was nine years old, the young mole had always doubted his past, wondered what his life had been like before Tylon captured and brainwashed, then him trained in the art of Ninjutsu to be used as a weapon. But after being rescued from the corporation by the barely grown teenage Yugo Ohgami, the poor little boy's life had been looking better and his heart had gained human emotions. Then, all too soon, everything Kenji had worked hard to maintain was shattered by the appearance of a certain estranged scientist, and his terrorist group, that was seeking zoanthropes to perform inhumane, bestial experiments on. Kidnapped to serve the purpose of being an assassin for the deranged man, he lost every aspect of his morality and conscious thought, always only concentrating on his new assignments, killing his ordered targets.

Thankfully, he was rescued by the nurse girlfriend of his "brother" Yugo, and returned home to where he tried to again reclaim his former steadily improving life. During his unfortunate period of being an assassin, he'd come across a young girl and her master that had both been searching for her mother, as well as the leader of the terrorist group, the Zoanthrope Liberation Front, or ZLF. Her wide chocolate-colored eyes hid her fear well as she courageously stood up to fight him, and didn't even whimper or show any signs of tears when he defeated her, not entirely with ease. The two had been entangled in a ferocious battle, her persistence and love for her mother driving her onward, and the effects of the brainwashing and his master's commands fueling his own determination to dominate over her.

The dark-haired ninja remembered the cute, bluntly outspoken words she blurted before they fought that had temporarily wavered his hard resolve. She called him young and handsome. Even when the girl had never seen him prior to their encounter, she hadn't cocked up a critical brow in his direction, and instead had complimented him. After the second battle, when her Kenpo instructor had taken her place and defeated the teenage assassin, he retreated back to his hideout and wondered why a perfect stranger would show him any kindness. When the whole mess of the ZLF had cleared up weeks later and Kenji once again started living his life over, he was merely walking through the hallways of his school, and bumped into another student one day. Both sets of their textbooks collided and clattered noisily to the floor, and he silently picked all of them up, keeping his own tucked under one arm while his free hand offered the remaining to the other bystander.

That moment, when he looked up into a pair of familiar twinkling brown eyes, glanced at the girl with long auburn hair curling around her waist and a friendly smile gracing her soft pink lips, everything for him changed drastically.

"Hey! Sorry, not trying to be rude and break this conversation up or anything, but we gotta go now or we're gonna miss the bus ride home!" Another female that had been standing nearby spoke, presumably her friend.

"Aw, it's OK Erika, you can go ahead, I'll just wait for the next bus! I'm gonna talk to this boy; he's… a long lost friend." The first girl giggled when she saw his eyes widen at her little white lie. When the impatient student left, she suddenly grew shy and timid as she introduced herself, "Hi, I'm Uriko. I don't know if you remember me… but…"

"I remember you." He answered simply, quietly, unsure of what she wanted from him. "I am sorry for running into you. I promise that I will be careful and pay more attention from now on."

"Oh, don't worry about that!" He still recalled when she flashed him an adoring, killer smile. "It was just an accident, I'm sure! Hey… where do you live?" Hesitantly, he told her, and she responded with an eager grin, "Great! I'm nearby there. Wanna walk home together? I wouldn't mind having a new friend," she chuckled, "Especially a cute one like you!"

The male teenager was wagered tongue-tied by her energetic show of enthusiasm, and found himself only able to numbly nod to answer her request. The two had slowly became friends, at first with much reluctance from him, the solemn, loner attitude that soaked every pore and inhabited his expressions. She leisurely wore down his sure, solid shell of protection, and grabbed his hand, tugging him out of the dark shadows and ominous clouds, leading him into her world of bright activities and sunlight. Like a newborn bud, all it took was time, patience, and good-natured nurturing that brought the first colorful petals to grow into a beautiful, proud and tall flower. Granted, he didn't possess the enormous ego of a typical high school jock, since he was innocently naïve in the ways of adolescent socialism and didn't know most of the female students were pursuing him.

But at least he wasn't the mute protagonist he had been at the beginning of freshman year anymore; he had friends now, and limited knowledge of how to get along and interact with his fellow peers.

Shaking his head free of his reminiscing state, Kenji sighed and absentmindedly ran a hand through his cobalt bangs, the same plaguing question passing by in his mind, Where would I be now if I hadn't met Uriko that day…? Still that quiet, tentative boy who would rarely speak outside of home, whispered about and mocked behind turned backs? He frowned in distaste, mentally scolding himself, …No; I don't want to think about what ifs. The present is what is important now. Only I can control my life and decide where to go from here. …As long as I still have Uriko by my side as my friend.

"Okay, Kenji! Ready now!" Approaching footsteps accompanied the voice that vocally expressed relief that came from the direction of the stairs, and he patiently awaited his friend's arrival. She bounded into the living room seconds after her announcement, with the thin black strap of a small duffel bag casually slung over her shoulder, still in her normal day outfit. With a joyous smile curving her delicate lips, Uriko caught his curious look, and answered knowingly, "Our swimming stuff's in here. We can change later, before we get into the water, right?"

His partial smirk was encouraging. "Anything you decide, I'm fine with."

"R-Really?" In a sudden mood change, she seemed timid just then, "Then… then would you mind if we went to the lake instead of the community pool? I mean, being a Sunday afternoon, there's probably gonna be a lot of people there, and we'll have to be cramped in a tiny pool with a bunch of other students from our school, and…" she cut herself off, looking down in embarrassment.

In a flash, he remembered that his friend was often shy with the concept of swimming in public view, where people watching her could be critically cruel, since she was barely short of a beginner. In fact, the male zoanthrope helped teach her how to swim at least a couple times a month, to try and help her overcome the initial cat fear of water. "That isn't a problem with me, Uriko. We can go to the lake instead, it's a lot more private there."

There was visible relief in her facial expression at that moment. "Whew… thanks, thanks a lot for understanding." She beamed happily. "Okay, now that that problem is solved, we can leave now! Come on, we need to cool ourselves off before the sun disappears and reminds us of how close the new school week is to starting again!"

"Since you're so eager, I suppose you'll be elated to know that we'll be back in school in less than twenty-four hours," he teased her with a quick wink. "But you're right about one thing; let's go before the sun retreats into the hills, and it gets too cold for us to swim anymore."

"Less talking and more walking!" She ordered, grabbing her companion by the arm and striding over to pull open her front door, pushing him outside and turning back around to securely lock the tall wooden frame.

He chuckled. "Lead on, kitten."

The girl stiffened for the slightest moment at the friendly nickname, long enough for him to notice, but then recovered before he could inquire what was wrong, and piped, "Alright, sheesh, let's go already!"

Slipping her hand into his, she tugged him into a slow jog, picking up the pace as she deliberately taunted his running speed, challenging him to a race without actually speaking the words. With a confident smile, he took her on, and the two darted toward the thick ringlet of tall trees in the not-too-far off distance, surrounding an area of cool water awaiting newcomers to join in.