CHAPTER 4! Itz up....
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Dear Journal,
I just had the MOST HORRIBLE moment of my life.
Lina just found you. My journal. My thoughts. ABOUT HER!!
WHY ME?!?! Well, I'm not getting anywhere by mourning,
so time to move on...to the next question. WHAT DO I DO NOW?! She gave me a note that fit inside the book...and it
said to meet her in the hotel lobby tomorrow night. By
tomorrow, we're going to be in another city, and we might
be forced to camp out! Even if we go to a hotel, what if
it doesn't even HAVE a lobby?! Grrr....Before my head explodes,
I think I'll take a nap or meditate...This is WAY too much stress
for me to handle!
Zel

Zel closed his book, and fell back into bed.

"Why did it have to end up like this?" He whimpered.

"Why? Was it supposed to be like this? Am I supposed to be humiliated, confused, and worried? Is this the way we'll end up together?"

The silence in the room left Zelgadis feeling uncomfortable, for once. He needed an answer.

"I might as well get some sleep..." He muttered to himself.

Just then, the floor outside his bedroom door squeaked, and the shadow of someone's presence was clearly seen under the door.

"Who is it?" Zel called out.

~Please, L-Sama, please let it not be Lina. I can't face her like this, I've got to get it together...~

A masculine voice answered.
"Hey, Zel? It's me, Gourry."

Zel breathed a sigh of relief. "Hang on a second."

He got up, put on his slippers, and made his way to the door.

He was greeted with a tired grin from the blonde man, and invited him inside.

"So...What's up?" Zel asked.

Gourry plopped onto Zel's bed.
"Well...I just came here to see if you wanted to talk. When I went in my room, I looked back at you and you looked as if you wanted to jump off a cliff or something. I should be asking you 'What's up. '!"

Zel facefaulted. "Eh...U-um...Weelllll, you see...I, um, sorta keep a journal, right?"

Gourry seemed to hang on his every word. "Uh huh....And?"

"Well, Lina came across it, and it had some stuff about her in it that she shouldn't have read..."Zel explained.

"Ohhhhhh...," Gourry stated, "You wrote that her chest was too small, didn't you?"

Zel did yet another facefault.
"I should've known..."He muttered.

"No, Gourry, I didn't write anything like that. I wrote about my...feelings...for her." Zel blushed.

"Oh. THAT sorta thing..."

Gourry paused to ponder. "You know what, Zel?"

"What?" Zel responded, expecting another stupid comment.

"I don't know a lot about that kinda stuff. But I do know a lot about Lina, and I can tell she really likes you. I just wanna let you know that if you need anything, like to talk or something, I'll be there. I may not be too brainy, but I can listen." Gourry stated.

Zel was shocked. That was TOTALLY not what he expected.
"Thanks, Gourry. I'll remember that."

Gourry removed himself from the bed, and headed for the door.
" Remember, guys need to talk to guys once in a while. G'night, Zel"

Zel smiled. "I will. G'night, Gourry."

Gourry closed the door.

Zel got into bed. "Thanks..."

"Anytime."

~*~
Xelloss was evilly chuckling to himself.

"Heh heh! This would make for a really good yaoi lemon!"
~*~


Zelgadis awoke the next morning with all the memory of the events of yesterday, unfortunately.

It seemed as if a black rain cloud was hovering above him. He wouldn't talk to anybody, and mainly tried to avoid Lina. (AN: Awww...Zelly's just shy!!) and when they did make eye contact, it was brief, and it ended with them both blushing insanely. Xelloss had noted this..

Another little eye-contact incident had occurred, and Xelloss used this as the perfect opportunity...

"My, my, we all seem so flirtatious today, don't we?" questioned Xelloss, referring to Lina and Zel.

This caused them both to look like they wanted to run, far, far, away.

Xelloss smirked as he sipped at his tea.
"Hmm...I wonder if it has anything to do with that BOOK I gave to Lina to read last night..."

At this, Zelgadis rose to his feet, and walked over to behind the chair of the giggling, unsuspecting mazoku...


And started choking him.

Choking him so much and so hard, that no blood would get through the mazoku's veins.

So much and so hard that he probably got a vertebrae twisted in there, somewhere. ~.^

Lina was cracking up, and this sort of relieved the tension in the room.

Amelia, however, looked distraught and confused.
"Wait, Mr.Zelgadis, what book? What are you guys talking about?"

She got no response.
Everyone was laughing.

"...Am I missing something?"

Gourry was laughing almost as hard as Lina.

When Zelgadis finally let go of the blue faced monster, he laughed, as if he were satisfied, and went back to his seat.
"You deserved that, mazoku."

Xel had caught his breath quickly...Too quickly...
"Well I guess I did. I had fun though. Thanks for my nice little massage, Zelly. ~.^"

They sat there for 5 minutes, either looking distraught, satisfied, happy, joyous, and then Xelloss was ...Xelloss. Not much to describe there.

Then Zel said the final thought.
"I'm going out to do some shopping. I need some new things. Meet up with you guys later tonight." He stood, and headed towards the exit of the restaurant.

Gourry decided to follow suit.
"I need to get a sword sharpening kit."
Amelia didn't need a reason. She just got up out of her chair and left.

That left Lina and Xelloss.

Just as Xelloss was getting thoughts, Lina rose.
"Later, Xel!" As she stood and walked, no, RAN out of the cafe.

Xelloss just smiled to himself.
"~Nobody likes me, everybody hates me, I think I'll eat a-"

Xelloss sees some plates full of food coming out of the kitchen.

"-TuRkEy!!"
His mouth waters, and he dives head first for the chefs holding the huge turkey.
//~*~\\

Zelgadis walked from shop to shop, gathering his needs for the road.

"All right," Zel sighed, as he ran through his mental list of things he's gotten, " I got my blanket, my new cape, clothes, that new rock polish, my variety coffee pack, 2 gallons of fresh water, and...candles...Oh, crap. Forgot the candles."
Deciding on what to do next, he started searching for the next store that at least sounded like it sold candles.
"Hmm...Peaches and Cream: Play for Him and Her..." Zel's face turned beet red. He looked around at the other stores, which were all book stores or clothes stores, and decided.
"Aw, what the hell."
And he entered the store.

The atmosphere was...Well, erotic and playful. The walls were red, and the shelves were packed with varieties of toys, clothes, and candles...ah, candles. That's it.
"Alrighty. We are getting somewhere." Zel muttered to himself.

He made his way over to the candle section. He smelled each of the candle's unique scent.
~Mmm...Rose...~ He thought as he picked up the black candle. ~I'll get this one.~
He continued to search. He came across a bright fire-engine red colored candle, and gently picked it up and smelled it. In two seconds, the scent had intoxicated him with thoughts of passion and...something that smelled good. Extremely good. And suddenly, the image of Lina popped into his mind. Lina, wrapped in black silk, draping off her shoulders, almost beckoning him. Then Zel snapped out of it, and looked at the candle's label.
~Heh...Sex On the Beach...~ He grinned guiltily. ~I'm getting this, too.~
He wandered around the store, looking at the interesting...toys...and something caught his eye.
It was a beautiful crystal, shaped into a three-dimensional diamond, tied onto a silky, black cord. The one word that came to mind was 'Lina.' He looked at the price tag. It was a little expensive, but so beautiful, Zel didn't mind. It was worth it.

He made his way over to the store clerk, and started to proceed with his check out. He was getting his money out of his pocket, when he noticed another customer came into the door. It was Amelia. He unconsciously put that thought aside, then did a double-take. ~Oh, shit! Amelia's here!!~ He tried to hurry up the sales clerk. "Ma'am, I must be going now," He said, "I have a date to attend." The clerk looked up and winked at him. She was a teenage whore. "I believe ya, that's why ya' here, ain't it?" She glanced at the necklace.
"Oh, you got the new necklace! They're great. Here, hun. You'll be needing this." She handed him a piece of paper. Zel looked at her with a questioning glance. "Instructions." She stated.
Zel blushed, and Amelia finally noticed that he was in the store.
She ran into the back of the store, ashamed that she had been seen in such a place.
But...What was Zelgadis doing in a place like this?

Zel finally exited the store, and head towards the direction of the Inn.
On the way, he passed Gourry, said a casual hello, and continued on. But Gourry was a little curious as to why Zel was carrying a bag from a sex toy store. That thought obviously didn't stay in Gourry's mind for long. No thoughts ever survive for long in his head.

Zel entered the hotel, checked in, entered his room and flopped onto his bed.
And he took a deep, long breath, then sighed.
~I am pathetic.~ He thought. ~I'm so whipped on Lina that I don't know what to do with myself.~

He rolled onto his stomach, and took a glance at the bag. He got up, grabbed the bag, and sat back down on his bed.

~ I wonder what she meant by instructions...~

He took hold of the paper, and started reading:

How to Use Your You-Know-It-When-They-Show-It Charm Necklace.

~Jeez, long title.~

What you have purchased is a rare crystal amulet which tells what a person is feeling.
I bet you're thinking, 'Aw, man, not another ripped-off mood necklace!!' But we will prove that your money had been spent well.

~Hmm...~

This necklace, also known as the love amulet, will change different colors, depending on the feelings the wearer is expressing or feeling towards someone else. This is the color code, do not forget this, for in the time it works, you will need to know how to decode your lover's feelings.

Gray-I'm sad, lonely.
Blue- I despise you.
Green-I'm not into your kind-
At this one Zelgadis cringed. If that showed up if he put it on Lina, he would never be able to show his face to her again.

Purple- We're friends, just friends.
Pink-Flirty, i'm not sure.
Magenta- I guess I'm serious. I like you.
Red- I'm in love with you.

Well, there's your color code. Remember it well, and Good luck to you!

-The Express Yourself Amulet Company.

~This is perfect!~ Zel thought. ~ I won't even have to ask, because the necklace will show me! And plus, it's a beautiful gift. It's absolutely perfect.~

Zel sat there, and fell back onto the bed, a big smile plastered on his face.
And he drifted off into the world of dreams in the middle of the afternoon.

~*~
heh heh, I'm sry for endin it but it was too long of a chapter! I'll have da next 1 up in a sec. Aight?????

What will the necklace show? What will happen later tonight? Will Zel get accepted or rejected???

Sora wa himitsu desu!! ~.^