HIYA!!! Here´s Chapter 4, I hope you like it. I haven´t been getting enough
reviews lately, so PLEEEAAAASE review if you want to see another chapter .
Chapter 4
"All right, that´s it for today, everyone!" Huriko called, as they finished the scene. "I´ll see you again tomorrow evening!"
Ranma plodded home along the fence, not waiting for Akane. He looked back just as he turned the corner, and saw she was just coming out of the school. She was laughing at something Ryoga had just said.
Akane looked up and saw Ranma standing at the corner of the fence. "Hey, Ranma-" she called, starting towards him, but he had already turned and carried on home at a brisk jog. She shrugged. Fine, if he didn´t want to walk with her ...
She laughed, and ran to Ryoga, who was barely out the door of the school when he was heading in the wrong direction. "Ryoga ... it´s this way ..."
"Ranma, are you feeling all right?" Kasumi asked, worriedly. Ranma was only just picking at his second helpings at dinner. Usually, he would be onto fourth helpings by now.
Well if he doesn´t want it ... Genma signed, eyeing the plate greedily.
"I´m fine," Ranma muttered. He began eating again. P-CHAN was sitting in Akane´s lap, being fed by her. The little "piglet" was looking unusually contented, even for himself. Ranma knew why that was. Ryoga had been on cloud nine ever since he´d got the part in that STUPID play. Stoopid play, Ranma thought, darkly. Plays were a lot more trouble than they were worth, in HIS opinion.
Akane looked up. "Ranma, would you stop glaring at P-Chan," she snapped. "What´s wrong with you tonight?" She hugged the little black pig.
Ranma stood up. "I´m not hungry," he declared. Genma swiped the discarded plate as he left the kitchen.
The Tendo family stared after him. "Oh, my," Kasumi said (much to everyone´s surprise). "He ... didn´t even finish his second helpings? Do you think he´s ill, Mr Saotome?"
He´s fine. It was a mystery how Genma managed to hold up a sign and eat from both his AND Ranma´s plate at the same time. Don´t worry about him.
"Oops, didn´t see ya, "P-Chan"," Ranma said, sarcastically.
The piglet´s angry squeal as Ranma bumped his foot against it/kicked it drew Akane´s attention. She came out of her room into the hall and snatched the pig up.
"Ranma!" she exclaimed, angrily. "Stop being so mean to P-Chan! First you glare at him all through dinner, and now you keep hurting him! Look, he´s scared stiff of you!" She glanced down at P-Chan, who instantly stopped poking out his tongue at Ranma and put on a hurt, sorrowful look. "See?" she said, looking up again. The pig´s sorrowful look instantly snapped back into a poked-out tongue.
Ranma stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It´s the pig´s own fault; it keeps gettin´ in my way," he muttered.
Akane made a face at him. "I know this is still about the play," she snapped. "Stop sulking about having to do something you don´t want to do for once, or at least stop taking it out on P-Chan!" She stomped back into her room, slamming the door behind her.
"I am NOT sulking!" Ranma shouted after her. "Stoopid tomboy," he muttered, heading for his own room. "Stoopid Ryoga ... and STOOPID play ..."
Mr Huriko stared down at the figure in front of him at the practise the next evening. "And who are you, ghoul?"
"Who are you calling a ghoul?" the old woman snapped up at him.
"Is Shampoo great-grandmother," Shampoo smiled, sweetly.
Huriko groaned, inwardly. "And ... what did you say you had in mind, Miss Shampoo?"
"Shampoo hear about other terrible accident that girl who understudy mallet g - Akane - have last night," Shampoo said. "Shampoo be understudy for her now she no have one."
"Yes ... another accident with a mysterious old woman with a stick," Huriko said, slowly. He looked at Shampoo´s great-grandmother, a little old woman with a stick, but saw the look on her face and decided not to comment. "But ... Miss Shampoo," he continued, "you are already cast as Carlotta. If, in the unlikely event that Miss Tendo would not be in the play, we wouldn´t have a Carlotta."
Shampoo beamed. "Oh, Shampoo already think of that!" she said. "That why she bring great-grandmother! Great-grandmother understudy Shampoo as Carlotta lady!"
Huriko looked at Cologne again, trying to imagine the shrivelled-up old woman as the diva Carlotta. "But ..." he began, "but ... this IS supposed to be a SCHOOL play ... with ... um ...you know ... young people ..." he trailed off.
"Are you saying," the old woman began menacingly, "Are you saying that I look OLD?!"
"Nnnononononono," Huriko sputtered. He had a nasty feeling that yet another accident involving an old woman with a stick was looming up ahead in HIS future. "But ... um ... you must admit that you are ... er ... perhaps a little older than most of the others ..."
Shampoo crossed her arms. Not again, Huriko thought, desperately. "Teacher man do what Shampoo say or -" she began, loudly.
"Yes, I know, I know," Huriko interrupted, desperately. "Or you´ll refuse to be in the play." He sighed. "All right, then ... we´d better get your great-grandmother a script, and Miss Shampoo, you´d better learn the role of Christine as well as yours."
Shampoo´s temper evaporated instantly. "Oh, you very nice teacher man!" she exclaimed, happily. "Shampoo go get script for Great-grandmother ..." And they were gone.
Huriko collapsed. "What a diva ..." he groaned.
"WHAT?!"
Akane was, to put it lightly, distressed to find out who her new understudy was. "But - but Mr Huriko," she protested, glaring at Shampoo, "I thought she was going to be Carlotta! She can´t be my understudy as WELL!"
Huriko wiped his brow. "Please, Miss Tendo, it´s complicated, but - um, in the current circumstances -"
"Oh." Akane crossed her arms and turned to the Chinese Amazon girl. "I guess you threatened him ´till he gave up, huh? You and your "mysterious old woman with a stick"-"
"You stay out of this, pervert girl!" Shampoo growled. "Was very unfortunate accident and Shampoo very upset to hear!" she snapped. "Was no Shampoo fault and Shampoo only want help because she NICE girl, no like girl who hit peoples with mallet all of time -"
"OH REALLY!" Akane growled. "Well at least I don't go around poisoning people with various potions -"
Shampoo sniffed. "Shampoo hear mallet girl cooking taste poison anyway," she snapped.
"Girls!" Huriko cried, desperately throwing himself between them before Akane could lunge herself at Shampoo. "Please! I beg you! Save the fighting until after the practise for once!" He stepped back. "Now; Miss Shampoo will be your understudy, Miss Tendo, as well as being Carlotta, and that's final. Do we all agree, Tendo?"
Akane carried on glaring at Shampoo, but nodded, sulkily. Shampoo stuck out her tongue at her, gleefully.
"Well then," Mr Huriko said, loudly. "Shall we begin the rehearsal?"
"Well, well, groom; Shampoo said you would be here."
Ranma froze. He spun round. "What're you doin´ here, old ghoul?" he sputtered. "Shouldn´t´ya be off plottin´ to get me to marry Shampoo or somethin´?"
Cologne grinned. "Aha . I am here to be in the play," she said, smugly. "I am my Shampoo's understudy."
Ranma crossed his arms. "So I guess this is part of your latest plot, huh?" he sighed. "What're ya gonna do this time?"
"Hehehehehe," Cologne cackled, "wait and see, groom." And she headed off towards her granddaughter.
Ranma sighed and headed for the seats. This place just kept getting better and better.
"All right, people," Huriko called, from up on the stage, "we'll take it from the beginning of Act 2 ."
Ranma sat, watching the practise, listening to Cologne muttering as she began memorizing the part of Carlotta. He had a feeling things could only go downhill from here .
A/N: And that's another chapter finished! By the way, I can't believe you've all stopped reading my story! Have you forgotten me . sniff . (Begins flowing in Soun-style tears) I've hardly had ANY reviews . if you want to know how it all ends (yes, I've got down the plot for the last few chapters now!) you'll have to review harder, people . (Brightens) Anyway, THANK YOU to those of you who HAVE reviewed, I REALLY appreciate it, keep it up! Talhonjik.
Chapter 4
"All right, that´s it for today, everyone!" Huriko called, as they finished the scene. "I´ll see you again tomorrow evening!"
Ranma plodded home along the fence, not waiting for Akane. He looked back just as he turned the corner, and saw she was just coming out of the school. She was laughing at something Ryoga had just said.
Akane looked up and saw Ranma standing at the corner of the fence. "Hey, Ranma-" she called, starting towards him, but he had already turned and carried on home at a brisk jog. She shrugged. Fine, if he didn´t want to walk with her ...
She laughed, and ran to Ryoga, who was barely out the door of the school when he was heading in the wrong direction. "Ryoga ... it´s this way ..."
"Ranma, are you feeling all right?" Kasumi asked, worriedly. Ranma was only just picking at his second helpings at dinner. Usually, he would be onto fourth helpings by now.
Well if he doesn´t want it ... Genma signed, eyeing the plate greedily.
"I´m fine," Ranma muttered. He began eating again. P-CHAN was sitting in Akane´s lap, being fed by her. The little "piglet" was looking unusually contented, even for himself. Ranma knew why that was. Ryoga had been on cloud nine ever since he´d got the part in that STUPID play. Stoopid play, Ranma thought, darkly. Plays were a lot more trouble than they were worth, in HIS opinion.
Akane looked up. "Ranma, would you stop glaring at P-Chan," she snapped. "What´s wrong with you tonight?" She hugged the little black pig.
Ranma stood up. "I´m not hungry," he declared. Genma swiped the discarded plate as he left the kitchen.
The Tendo family stared after him. "Oh, my," Kasumi said (much to everyone´s surprise). "He ... didn´t even finish his second helpings? Do you think he´s ill, Mr Saotome?"
He´s fine. It was a mystery how Genma managed to hold up a sign and eat from both his AND Ranma´s plate at the same time. Don´t worry about him.
"Oops, didn´t see ya, "P-Chan"," Ranma said, sarcastically.
The piglet´s angry squeal as Ranma bumped his foot against it/kicked it drew Akane´s attention. She came out of her room into the hall and snatched the pig up.
"Ranma!" she exclaimed, angrily. "Stop being so mean to P-Chan! First you glare at him all through dinner, and now you keep hurting him! Look, he´s scared stiff of you!" She glanced down at P-Chan, who instantly stopped poking out his tongue at Ranma and put on a hurt, sorrowful look. "See?" she said, looking up again. The pig´s sorrowful look instantly snapped back into a poked-out tongue.
Ranma stuffed his hands in his pockets. "It´s the pig´s own fault; it keeps gettin´ in my way," he muttered.
Akane made a face at him. "I know this is still about the play," she snapped. "Stop sulking about having to do something you don´t want to do for once, or at least stop taking it out on P-Chan!" She stomped back into her room, slamming the door behind her.
"I am NOT sulking!" Ranma shouted after her. "Stoopid tomboy," he muttered, heading for his own room. "Stoopid Ryoga ... and STOOPID play ..."
Mr Huriko stared down at the figure in front of him at the practise the next evening. "And who are you, ghoul?"
"Who are you calling a ghoul?" the old woman snapped up at him.
"Is Shampoo great-grandmother," Shampoo smiled, sweetly.
Huriko groaned, inwardly. "And ... what did you say you had in mind, Miss Shampoo?"
"Shampoo hear about other terrible accident that girl who understudy mallet g - Akane - have last night," Shampoo said. "Shampoo be understudy for her now she no have one."
"Yes ... another accident with a mysterious old woman with a stick," Huriko said, slowly. He looked at Shampoo´s great-grandmother, a little old woman with a stick, but saw the look on her face and decided not to comment. "But ... Miss Shampoo," he continued, "you are already cast as Carlotta. If, in the unlikely event that Miss Tendo would not be in the play, we wouldn´t have a Carlotta."
Shampoo beamed. "Oh, Shampoo already think of that!" she said. "That why she bring great-grandmother! Great-grandmother understudy Shampoo as Carlotta lady!"
Huriko looked at Cologne again, trying to imagine the shrivelled-up old woman as the diva Carlotta. "But ..." he began, "but ... this IS supposed to be a SCHOOL play ... with ... um ...you know ... young people ..." he trailed off.
"Are you saying," the old woman began menacingly, "Are you saying that I look OLD?!"
"Nnnononononono," Huriko sputtered. He had a nasty feeling that yet another accident involving an old woman with a stick was looming up ahead in HIS future. "But ... um ... you must admit that you are ... er ... perhaps a little older than most of the others ..."
Shampoo crossed her arms. Not again, Huriko thought, desperately. "Teacher man do what Shampoo say or -" she began, loudly.
"Yes, I know, I know," Huriko interrupted, desperately. "Or you´ll refuse to be in the play." He sighed. "All right, then ... we´d better get your great-grandmother a script, and Miss Shampoo, you´d better learn the role of Christine as well as yours."
Shampoo´s temper evaporated instantly. "Oh, you very nice teacher man!" she exclaimed, happily. "Shampoo go get script for Great-grandmother ..." And they were gone.
Huriko collapsed. "What a diva ..." he groaned.
"WHAT?!"
Akane was, to put it lightly, distressed to find out who her new understudy was. "But - but Mr Huriko," she protested, glaring at Shampoo, "I thought she was going to be Carlotta! She can´t be my understudy as WELL!"
Huriko wiped his brow. "Please, Miss Tendo, it´s complicated, but - um, in the current circumstances -"
"Oh." Akane crossed her arms and turned to the Chinese Amazon girl. "I guess you threatened him ´till he gave up, huh? You and your "mysterious old woman with a stick"-"
"You stay out of this, pervert girl!" Shampoo growled. "Was very unfortunate accident and Shampoo very upset to hear!" she snapped. "Was no Shampoo fault and Shampoo only want help because she NICE girl, no like girl who hit peoples with mallet all of time -"
"OH REALLY!" Akane growled. "Well at least I don't go around poisoning people with various potions -"
Shampoo sniffed. "Shampoo hear mallet girl cooking taste poison anyway," she snapped.
"Girls!" Huriko cried, desperately throwing himself between them before Akane could lunge herself at Shampoo. "Please! I beg you! Save the fighting until after the practise for once!" He stepped back. "Now; Miss Shampoo will be your understudy, Miss Tendo, as well as being Carlotta, and that's final. Do we all agree, Tendo?"
Akane carried on glaring at Shampoo, but nodded, sulkily. Shampoo stuck out her tongue at her, gleefully.
"Well then," Mr Huriko said, loudly. "Shall we begin the rehearsal?"
"Well, well, groom; Shampoo said you would be here."
Ranma froze. He spun round. "What're you doin´ here, old ghoul?" he sputtered. "Shouldn´t´ya be off plottin´ to get me to marry Shampoo or somethin´?"
Cologne grinned. "Aha . I am here to be in the play," she said, smugly. "I am my Shampoo's understudy."
Ranma crossed his arms. "So I guess this is part of your latest plot, huh?" he sighed. "What're ya gonna do this time?"
"Hehehehehe," Cologne cackled, "wait and see, groom." And she headed off towards her granddaughter.
Ranma sighed and headed for the seats. This place just kept getting better and better.
"All right, people," Huriko called, from up on the stage, "we'll take it from the beginning of Act 2 ."
Ranma sat, watching the practise, listening to Cologne muttering as she began memorizing the part of Carlotta. He had a feeling things could only go downhill from here .
A/N: And that's another chapter finished! By the way, I can't believe you've all stopped reading my story! Have you forgotten me . sniff . (Begins flowing in Soun-style tears) I've hardly had ANY reviews . if you want to know how it all ends (yes, I've got down the plot for the last few chapters now!) you'll have to review harder, people . (Brightens) Anyway, THANK YOU to those of you who HAVE reviewed, I REALLY appreciate it, keep it up! Talhonjik.