Rumpleteasza: Ai. You asked for it... And here it is. Have fun, darlings.
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Chapter Fourteen – Five Cinderellas And Seven Prince Charmings
Tai checked his watch for the fifth time that minute, tapping his foot impatiently. "Where are they? They're fifteen minutes late! If they don't get here soon, I'm going home."
"Boy, aren't you the real Prince Charming," Joe said sarcastically. "They'll be here. Knowing Mimi, she'll want everyone to be fashionably late."
"Fashionably late is one thing, annoyingly late is another," Tai growled.
The six boys were waiting in the lobby of Odaiba high. Matt was already inside with the rest of his band, waiting for their call. Chart music drifted out of the auditorium and brightly-coloured streamers were hung everywhere about the softly-lit building, making it quite unlike the school they knew. Students in evening dress wandered past them, some in couples, some alone, some in groups. Each of the boys were secretly extremely glad they'd agreed with the girls to go in a group, meaning they didn't have to go through the trauma of asking anyone to be their date.
"Wait," Izzy said, peering out the double doors into the night. "I think I can see Mimi's dad driving through the gates."
Joe joined Izzy at the door. "Yep, that's Mimi's dad alright, but I can't see the girls. Isuppose the windows are tinted."
"Finally!" Tai said, blowing out his cheeks. "They certainly took their time!"
"Well, at least I finally get to give Jun a piece of my mind!" Daisuke said angrily as he, TK and Cody reached the door too. The boys heard a car door slam, some voices calling goodbye, and the darkened car drove off again leaving five figures standing on the lawn.
TK squinted. "There are some people coming towards us, but it's too shadowy to see them properly."
"That's definitely them," Daisuke said disgustedly. "I can hear Jun giggling."
"It doesn't sound like her normal giggle," Izzy frowned. "Less high-pitched and ear-splitting."
"If it looks like a hydra and moves like a hydra, it's a hydra," Daisuke replied disdainfully.
Izzy raised an eyebrow. "Do you even know what a hydra is, Dai?"
"They've all joined hands again," Cody said in amusement.
A smile tugged at the corners of Tai's mouth. "I'm kinda looking forward to seeing what they've done to Sora. Bet they painted her up like a clown, poor guy."
"Girl," Joe reminded him sternly.
"Whatever, Tai dismissed impatiently. "No matter what anyone says, she's been one of the guys for too long now for me to ever start thinking of her as a gir-" he broke off abruptly as the five girls, smiling and chatting, walked into the light.
Six pairs of eyes popped out of their sockets. Six chins hit the floor.
Sora wanted to die laughing on the spot when she saw the change in Tai's expression. It took all of her self-control to keep her grin to a mild, feminine smile as she and the others crossed the road. She could tell the rest of the girls were having trouble controlling their laughter as well.
"Evening," she said silkily, keeping her posture straight but relaxed. "Lovely warm night, isn't it?"
She'd waited all her life to hear Tai's response. He couldn't even speak properly. "Sor- what the- you look- how did- where did you- that- that's unreal!"
"I'll take that as a compliment." She said without missing a beat, her eyes twinkling through her soft eyeshadow.
Along the line, Joe and Izzy were staring with their mouths hanging open, Cody was shaking his head in wonder, TK was spluttering incoherently and Daisuke had actually fallen back onto the floor.
Having got his voice back, Joe stuttered a few of the many compliments that came to his mind to Mimi, who blushed prettily and winked. Sora couldn't blame Joe for looking a little dazed as Mimi took his arm and guided him through the door into the hall. If Mimi wasn't a work of art tonight, she didn't know what was.
"Jun!" Daisuke managed to get out. "No! There's no way you're Jun! Who the hell are you? What have you done with my sister!"
Izzy, blushing furiously as he turned away from and equally pink Yolei, nodded at Jun with a smile. "He's right, Jun, that's incredible."
"You look very nice, Jun," Cody said, still looking as if he wasn't quite sure this wasn't a joke, and the real Jun wasn't hiding in a bush somewhere ready to leap out and pester them about Matt again.
Sora smiled as she saw Jun's face. She'd never seen her look happier, not even when she got her first autograph personally from Matt. :That's a pretty good sign: she thought with an inward grin.
Daisuke was still shaking his head at Jun in disbelief. "No way. Nu-uh."
"Shall we?" TK said shyly, offering his arm to Kari, who blushed and moved to accept.
"Hey!" Daisuke yelled, abandoning Jun and rushing towards them. "Not so fast! I was gonna ask Kari!"
"Well, I already did," TK pointed out.
"No way, TC!" Daisuke protested, offering his own arm to Kari. "Right, Kari?"
"I-" Kari began, but she was cut off as TK and Daisuke started squabbling at the top of their voices.
"Fine!" Daisuke said angrily after a minute of scuffling. "One arm each, ok?" TK nodded, disgruntled, and returned to his place at Kari's side.
"Does Kari get any say in this?" Yolei inquired sarcastically.
"That ok with you, Kari?" Daisuke asked quickly.
Kari rolled her eyes and took one of their arms each. "Alright! Let's just get inside before the whole dance is over!"
Giggling a bit, still aware of the fact Tai was goggling unabashedly at her, Sora shared a private look with Kari, Yolei and Jun before following Mimi through the doors to the auditorium.
Rumpleteasza: Ok, the next couple of chapters are MUCH longer, so I'll post them separately and not in pairs again. Hope you're having a giggle... I have COMPLETE writers block at the start of chapter 17, and I have NO IDEA how to finish it. But I expect that will be the last chapter, anyway. So not much more to wade through, don't worry. ;
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