Chapter 3: Lunch
At El Chico's...
"Mmmm...these chips are good!" exclaimed Usagi, who was stuffing the tortilla chips in her mouth. Heero stared warily at her while she inhaled the entire bowl of chips the waitress at put on the table. Relena never ate this much...thought Heero, and then scolded himself for thinking about her again. He glanced at Duo and Minako, who were softly cooing at each other.
"What are you gonna order, baby?" Duo smiled lovingly at Minako.
Minako smiled back, "Order for me, Duo."
"Alright," Duo said softly. "You look really beautiful today, Mina."
Minako giggled when Duo used his nickname for her, "Thank you, sugar."
Usagi, who noticed the mushy scene as well as Heero, gagged on her chip. Heero couldn't stop himself from smirking. They glanced at each other, trying to hold it back, but burst out laughing anyways. Duo and Minako looked up, startled, and completely unaware of what Heero and Usagi were laughing about.
Makato stared enviously at Ami, who was shyly smiling and laughing with Trowa. I wish I was so lucky, she thought. Makato looked at her nervous date, and sighed. This guy will hardly talk, or even look at me! I know I'm not as pretty as the rest of the girls, but he could at least be decent enough to carry on a conversation!
Rei sat gloomily at the end of the table scowling at WuFei. WuFei, in turn, was blatantly staring at Ami, not trying to hide that she was the one he preferred. Rei shifted her legs underneath the table and kicked WuFei in the shin.
"OW!" he turned to glare at Rei. She looked at him innocently, "Oh, did I hurt you? I am so very sorry." Her fake sincerity quickly turned to an icy stare. WuFei just sulked and thought, Stupid woman, stupid woman, stupid woman...
Quatre could feel himself turning beet red. Geez, I'm starting to sweat too! Why, oh why, does this happen to me? I always get the intimidating women! A small voice in the back of his mind began to say, But all women are intimidating to you!
"Shut up!" Quatre said out loud, accidently.
"What did you say?" Makato asked.
"Umm...nothing!" stammered Quatre. He quickly rose from his chair. "Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Makato," he blushed.
Makato sighed, frustrated. "Sure, ok," she gestured that he could go. Why does he keep calling me "Miss" Makato? It makes me feel like an old hag! she thought. Quatre rushed off to the restroom.
Ami could feel WuFei's gaze burning into the side of her head. "Trowa," she asked, "what is his problem? Why does he keep staring at me like that?" It was getting really uncomfortable. She caught a glimpse of Rei. Smoke was pouring out of her ears, and her eyebrow was twitching, as sure sign that she was about to blow up. Oh no! thought Ami, Please, please, Rei, don't make a scene! But it was too late...
"You JACKASS!" fumed Rei. WuFei looked up, surprised. "If you like her so much, just go sit by her and don't make me WASTE MY TIME!!!" She stormed off to the restroom. An uncomfortable silence surrounded the remaining 8 people, until a gasp of pleasure came from Usagi as the food arrived, and everyone began talking again. Makato ran off to the restroom to find Rei.
"Rei?" Makato entered into the enclosed lobby in front of the men's and women's restrooms. She knocked on the ladies' room door, "Are you in there?" She heard a click as Rei unlocked the door. Makato went inside. "What happened out there?"
A dark shadow hung over Rei's face as she paced around the restroom. "Ohh, that jerk WuFei!" she plopped herself down onto the closed toliet. "He keeps staring at Ami! He doesn't even try to be nice to me!"
Makato stepped back and blinked, "You mean, you want him to like you?"
Rei seemed startled at this question. "Yes! I mean, no! No, I mean, I DON'T CARE!!" She scowled again, "It really doesn't matter to me."
"Well if it makes you feel any better, my date is scared to death of me!" Makato smiled a little. "He's probably going to stay in that restroom until lunch is over!"
"Yeah, well, so am I!" hissed Rei. "Come and get me when the date's over!"
Makato, frowning, left Rei alone in the restroom. Meanwhile, in the men's room...
"OK Quatre, you have to snap out of it!" Quatre told himself. "She's just a girl! She won't hurt you!" He nervously tried to talk confidence into himself. "But what if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm a dork! No, no, she seemed as nervous as me...but she's so beautiful! Why would someone that lovely like me? ACK! I can't do this!" (This little talk, as you can tell, wasn't helping much...)
Makato sighed as she watched everyone else at the table: Minako and Duo and their lovey-dovey talks ("Would you like the salt, baby? Thank you, sugar, you're soo wonderful..."), Trowa and Ami having an intimate conversation, even Usagi and Heero, who were busy making fun of everyone. Well, I might not have a nice date, but that's not gonna happen to Rei! Makato thought determinedly. She walked around to WuFei's seat and whispered in his ear, "I need to talk to you for a minute."
"You are talking to me, woman," WuFei said arrogantly.
Makato placed her hand softly on his neck, "Not here. Alone." Her gentle touch turned into a extremely tight squeeze, shooting jolts of pain through WuFei's spine. WuFei's eyes widened, but he kept his face calm as he rose from the table and followed Makato to the restroom lobby. "This is injustice," he growled.
In the lobby, Makato shoved WuFei into the wall. "What do you think you're doing, woman?!" he exclaimed.
Makato kept her voice to a whisper. "What am I doing? What are you doing?" she hissed. "You haven't paid attention to Rei at all during lunch!"
"That is none of your business, woman," WuFei hissed back.
"My friend is all of my business! Now you're gonna apologize to her and be decent for the rest of the date!" Makato ordered.
WuFei shook his head 'no'.
"Do it now," snarled Makato.
"How are you going to make me, woman?" laughed WuFei.
Makato leaned closer to WuFei and pressed her knee up along the upper part of his inner leg, dangerously close to something very dear to WuFei. "You wanna find out, China-boy?"
WuFei changed his mind.
Rei heard someone knocking on the restroom door. "Must be Makato again," she said softly. She opened the door, hoping the date would be over, but halted suddenly when she saw WuFei. Too weary from self-pity to be rude, she sighed, "What?"
WuFei had expected a full-blown attack from the dark-haired girl. He was quite taken aback. Her face was not full of anger anymore. It was full of...sadness. He had hurt her...but she had hurt him too! Physically! But hearing her soft voice, he forgot all that. "I came to say...," WuFei tried hard to spit the apology out.
"Say what?" Rei questioned him tiredly.
"That, I'm sorry," WuFei looked at his feet, but when he heard no response, looked up into Rei's brown eyes. He found himself lost for a moment.
Well, this was not what Rei had expected. He's actually apologizing to me?! Her mind spun, very confused. A minute ago, she thought she hated him passionately. Now, looking into his deep dark eyes, she wasn't sure...
"Will you come out?" WuFei asked.
Rei nodded, and stepped out of the restroom.
Makato beamed when she saw WuFei and Rei return to the table. And WuFei actually seemed sincere now! Makato was proud of herself...even though it'd taken a little threatening...
Duo was now talking to the entire group. "So, where do y'all wanna go now?" Usagi thought a little. She brightened when an idea popped into her head, "How about that carnival over at the park?" The group nodded in aggreement. The boys then paid the bill, and everyone continued outside. Duo put his arm around Minako, Heero and Usagi had their heads close together, thinking up something evil, and Trowa offered Ami his arm, and she took it. Suddenly Duo turned around and said, "Wait...where's Quatre?" Everyone turned to look at Makato.
"He's in the restroom," she sighed. "I'll go get him."
Quatre heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" his voiced squeaked.
"It's Makato."
"Omigosh!" Quatre said to himself. "What do I say?" He cracked the door open. "Yes, Miss Makato?"
"I just thought you'd like to know that we're leaving now, and we're going to the carnival," she said, with an edge in her voice. She turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Quatre called, stepping out of the restroom. "Is something the matter?"
"No, of course not!" Makato answered indignantly, her cheeks flaming red with hurt and anger.
Quatre wanted to slap himself. "Miss Makato, I'm sorry if I..."
"Just forget it," she cut him off, and quickly turned away again. "C'mon, everybody's waiting for us." They caught up with the group outside.
As they were walking along, Quatre thought he saw tears in Makato's eyes...
What? Did you think you'd know the ending already? I don't think so! Too much has to happen first! Sorry to keep stringing you along...please review! ^_^
At El Chico's...
"Mmmm...these chips are good!" exclaimed Usagi, who was stuffing the tortilla chips in her mouth. Heero stared warily at her while she inhaled the entire bowl of chips the waitress at put on the table. Relena never ate this much...thought Heero, and then scolded himself for thinking about her again. He glanced at Duo and Minako, who were softly cooing at each other.
"What are you gonna order, baby?" Duo smiled lovingly at Minako.
Minako smiled back, "Order for me, Duo."
"Alright," Duo said softly. "You look really beautiful today, Mina."
Minako giggled when Duo used his nickname for her, "Thank you, sugar."
Usagi, who noticed the mushy scene as well as Heero, gagged on her chip. Heero couldn't stop himself from smirking. They glanced at each other, trying to hold it back, but burst out laughing anyways. Duo and Minako looked up, startled, and completely unaware of what Heero and Usagi were laughing about.
Makato stared enviously at Ami, who was shyly smiling and laughing with Trowa. I wish I was so lucky, she thought. Makato looked at her nervous date, and sighed. This guy will hardly talk, or even look at me! I know I'm not as pretty as the rest of the girls, but he could at least be decent enough to carry on a conversation!
Rei sat gloomily at the end of the table scowling at WuFei. WuFei, in turn, was blatantly staring at Ami, not trying to hide that she was the one he preferred. Rei shifted her legs underneath the table and kicked WuFei in the shin.
"OW!" he turned to glare at Rei. She looked at him innocently, "Oh, did I hurt you? I am so very sorry." Her fake sincerity quickly turned to an icy stare. WuFei just sulked and thought, Stupid woman, stupid woman, stupid woman...
Quatre could feel himself turning beet red. Geez, I'm starting to sweat too! Why, oh why, does this happen to me? I always get the intimidating women! A small voice in the back of his mind began to say, But all women are intimidating to you!
"Shut up!" Quatre said out loud, accidently.
"What did you say?" Makato asked.
"Umm...nothing!" stammered Quatre. He quickly rose from his chair. "Please excuse me for a moment, Miss Makato," he blushed.
Makato sighed, frustrated. "Sure, ok," she gestured that he could go. Why does he keep calling me "Miss" Makato? It makes me feel like an old hag! she thought. Quatre rushed off to the restroom.
Ami could feel WuFei's gaze burning into the side of her head. "Trowa," she asked, "what is his problem? Why does he keep staring at me like that?" It was getting really uncomfortable. She caught a glimpse of Rei. Smoke was pouring out of her ears, and her eyebrow was twitching, as sure sign that she was about to blow up. Oh no! thought Ami, Please, please, Rei, don't make a scene! But it was too late...
"You JACKASS!" fumed Rei. WuFei looked up, surprised. "If you like her so much, just go sit by her and don't make me WASTE MY TIME!!!" She stormed off to the restroom. An uncomfortable silence surrounded the remaining 8 people, until a gasp of pleasure came from Usagi as the food arrived, and everyone began talking again. Makato ran off to the restroom to find Rei.
"Rei?" Makato entered into the enclosed lobby in front of the men's and women's restrooms. She knocked on the ladies' room door, "Are you in there?" She heard a click as Rei unlocked the door. Makato went inside. "What happened out there?"
A dark shadow hung over Rei's face as she paced around the restroom. "Ohh, that jerk WuFei!" she plopped herself down onto the closed toliet. "He keeps staring at Ami! He doesn't even try to be nice to me!"
Makato stepped back and blinked, "You mean, you want him to like you?"
Rei seemed startled at this question. "Yes! I mean, no! No, I mean, I DON'T CARE!!" She scowled again, "It really doesn't matter to me."
"Well if it makes you feel any better, my date is scared to death of me!" Makato smiled a little. "He's probably going to stay in that restroom until lunch is over!"
"Yeah, well, so am I!" hissed Rei. "Come and get me when the date's over!"
Makato, frowning, left Rei alone in the restroom. Meanwhile, in the men's room...
"OK Quatre, you have to snap out of it!" Quatre told himself. "She's just a girl! She won't hurt you!" He nervously tried to talk confidence into himself. "But what if she doesn't like me? What if she thinks I'm a dork! No, no, she seemed as nervous as me...but she's so beautiful! Why would someone that lovely like me? ACK! I can't do this!" (This little talk, as you can tell, wasn't helping much...)
Makato sighed as she watched everyone else at the table: Minako and Duo and their lovey-dovey talks ("Would you like the salt, baby? Thank you, sugar, you're soo wonderful..."), Trowa and Ami having an intimate conversation, even Usagi and Heero, who were busy making fun of everyone. Well, I might not have a nice date, but that's not gonna happen to Rei! Makato thought determinedly. She walked around to WuFei's seat and whispered in his ear, "I need to talk to you for a minute."
"You are talking to me, woman," WuFei said arrogantly.
Makato placed her hand softly on his neck, "Not here. Alone." Her gentle touch turned into a extremely tight squeeze, shooting jolts of pain through WuFei's spine. WuFei's eyes widened, but he kept his face calm as he rose from the table and followed Makato to the restroom lobby. "This is injustice," he growled.
In the lobby, Makato shoved WuFei into the wall. "What do you think you're doing, woman?!" he exclaimed.
Makato kept her voice to a whisper. "What am I doing? What are you doing?" she hissed. "You haven't paid attention to Rei at all during lunch!"
"That is none of your business, woman," WuFei hissed back.
"My friend is all of my business! Now you're gonna apologize to her and be decent for the rest of the date!" Makato ordered.
WuFei shook his head 'no'.
"Do it now," snarled Makato.
"How are you going to make me, woman?" laughed WuFei.
Makato leaned closer to WuFei and pressed her knee up along the upper part of his inner leg, dangerously close to something very dear to WuFei. "You wanna find out, China-boy?"
WuFei changed his mind.
Rei heard someone knocking on the restroom door. "Must be Makato again," she said softly. She opened the door, hoping the date would be over, but halted suddenly when she saw WuFei. Too weary from self-pity to be rude, she sighed, "What?"
WuFei had expected a full-blown attack from the dark-haired girl. He was quite taken aback. Her face was not full of anger anymore. It was full of...sadness. He had hurt her...but she had hurt him too! Physically! But hearing her soft voice, he forgot all that. "I came to say...," WuFei tried hard to spit the apology out.
"Say what?" Rei questioned him tiredly.
"That, I'm sorry," WuFei looked at his feet, but when he heard no response, looked up into Rei's brown eyes. He found himself lost for a moment.
Well, this was not what Rei had expected. He's actually apologizing to me?! Her mind spun, very confused. A minute ago, she thought she hated him passionately. Now, looking into his deep dark eyes, she wasn't sure...
"Will you come out?" WuFei asked.
Rei nodded, and stepped out of the restroom.
Makato beamed when she saw WuFei and Rei return to the table. And WuFei actually seemed sincere now! Makato was proud of herself...even though it'd taken a little threatening...
Duo was now talking to the entire group. "So, where do y'all wanna go now?" Usagi thought a little. She brightened when an idea popped into her head, "How about that carnival over at the park?" The group nodded in aggreement. The boys then paid the bill, and everyone continued outside. Duo put his arm around Minako, Heero and Usagi had their heads close together, thinking up something evil, and Trowa offered Ami his arm, and she took it. Suddenly Duo turned around and said, "Wait...where's Quatre?" Everyone turned to look at Makato.
"He's in the restroom," she sighed. "I'll go get him."
Quatre heard a knock on the door. "Who is it?" his voiced squeaked.
"It's Makato."
"Omigosh!" Quatre said to himself. "What do I say?" He cracked the door open. "Yes, Miss Makato?"
"I just thought you'd like to know that we're leaving now, and we're going to the carnival," she said, with an edge in her voice. She turned and began to walk away.
"Wait!" Quatre called, stepping out of the restroom. "Is something the matter?"
"No, of course not!" Makato answered indignantly, her cheeks flaming red with hurt and anger.
Quatre wanted to slap himself. "Miss Makato, I'm sorry if I..."
"Just forget it," she cut him off, and quickly turned away again. "C'mon, everybody's waiting for us." They caught up with the group outside.
As they were walking along, Quatre thought he saw tears in Makato's eyes...
What? Did you think you'd know the ending already? I don't think so! Too much has to happen first! Sorry to keep stringing you along...please review! ^_^