Chapter 9 – Busted?
Heather motioned to the large brick house, which sat snow-covered on the side of the street. A small snowman decorated its front yard and Christmas lights glittered on its roof, door and windows.
Rukawa's eyes darted to the large building standing in front of the house.
'This is my neighborhood,' he muttered to himself, reminiscing the old days.
'Well here we are,' Heather said, grinning. 'This is our house.'
'Your house there?' asked Rukawa, pointing to the house. 'Nicole lives there…'
For a while Heather seemed startled. 'Huh? Ah…well…' she stammered [chibi- Nicole holding up a peace sign ^^] 'I…I'm staying here for the week!' she exclaimed. She then furrowed her brows. 'Wait…how did you know?'
Rukawa blinked.
[chibi-Rukawa 1: DO-AHO! *kicks chibi-Rukawa 2 on the butt*]
[chibi-Rukawa 2: Baka yarou! *hits back* It just popped out of my mouth!]
[chibi-Rukawa 1: Haiyaku! Make an excuse!]
'Anou…' Rukawa began, darting his small fox-eyes in all directions. 'Anou…'
Heather was eyeing him suspiciously. 'What?'
'Anou…the sign…the letter box,' Rukawa faltered, pointing toward the mailbox with the name "Stuart" engraved on it. 'I saw it…I saw… it'
Heather nodded, still watching him dubiously. Well after a while, she bought it when Rukawa showed no hint of…anything. 'Fine, let's go in find you some clothes,' she said. 'And I need to dress up too….bastard driver…I'm soaked!'
*
*That is bizarre…* Nicole thought to herself, leading Akira up to her room. *And I thought I almost got caught! What if Kaede found out? Well…darn!*
She swung the door open to her room. A dog suddenly leapt toward her, licking her on the face and knocking her down onto the floor. It wagged its tail happily, not even bothering take a look at Akira. It was a white Japanese Spitz. 'Ugh! Shiro…get off me!' Nicole cried out, picking herself from the floor.
Shiro obeyed, and stood beside Nicole. Finally it noticed Akira, and growled fiercely.
'Pretty late for that Shiro,' said Nicole, ushering the dog away. 'Shoo! Shoo!'
However, the dog had other plans. It circled Akira's feet and…pissed on his pants.
'K'so…' muttered Akira, almost into kicking the dog off the window.
'He likes you,' said Nicole, eyeing the dog sternly. 'He does that to people he likes…like an initiation. I'm telling you now, he does worse to those he doesn't like.'
Akira scowled at his pants, then forced himself to calm down. 'The name is Japanese,' Akira noticed, looking at the dog, which was merrily trotting away.
'Nicole, what can I say,' mumbled Nicole, gesturing to a chair. 'Wait there. I'd get you something to wear. And take off your shirt too. Go wrap yourself a blanket, you're going to get yourself a cold. Besides, you stink.'
He did what she said and settled upon the chair with a blanket around himself. 'This Nicole's room,' Akira said suddenly just as Nicole was about to open her closet.
'How did you know that?' she asked, spinning around, bewildered. *First he is Kaede's non-smiling friend, then he was a sleepaholic turned to Mr. Atomic Bomb when disturbed, then now he is the master of knowing everything? What is this person?* she fumed to herself.
He blinked at her stupidly then looked around. 'Anou…anou…' he was stuttering like a wild insane-asylum inmate. He pointed at the framed highschool diploma of Nicole. 'There…' he replied awkwardly, gesturing at the picture. 'Why we here?'
Now it was Nicole's turn to look for an excuse. 'Uh…we share the same room…' she answered, going back to rummaging through her closet for clothes. 'Darn he has so many questions…what is he? Oprah turned Japanese?' she hissed.
'You sleep together?' he questioned. When Nicole spun around, he was giving her THAT look.
[chibi-Rukawa with that devious what-mischief-are-you-doing look---hmm I think this would suit Hanamichi more…what do you think? Scratch it or leave it?]
*Who knew Mr. Ice knew how to think about the strangest things in the world like homosexuality?* she mused to herself. 'No, no, Akira…uhm…I sleep on the floor…on a mat…' explained Nicole wearily. She began throwing out the mess in her closet, and without her knowing it, accidentally hitting Akira.
When she turned around, holding up victoriously a pair of jeans and a long- sleeved shirt, she froze. [imagine Mitsui's look when he sees Hanamichi playing with Anzai-sensei's big belly] One of the feminine personals was in his hand. And he was too…naïve? to even have the grace to put it down.
*
'Where did they go?' Nicole asked Sendoh as they exited the theater. 'Heath! Akira!' she called.
Sendoh shrugged. *Hmm…what if Rukawa whisked that tomboy Heather to a private spot? Hahaha…he must be turning to a real man* he pondered. Deep in him he was grinning wickedly.
Nicole sighed. 'I do not believe this…' she said, her face falling. Rolling her eyes, she looked up at Sendoh and gave him that lost-puppy look. She was just adorable! Sendoh could feel butterflies in his insides. 'What are we going to do now?'
'Ru---aahh…Akira can take care of her,' he replied, smiling broadly.
[will this smile never end…gahhhh…]
'Well…let's take a walk. I want to reminisce the old days. I mean, a week isn't that long right?' she said wistfully. 'My memory is kind of rotten, you sure don't mind telling me our childhood stories now do you?' She clutched his arm and stared steadily into his eyes.
Sendoh wanted to get lost in her gaze. But in the sudden realization of what she suggested, he wanted to get lost. Period. He gulped, wondering how he was going to go about this situation. Rukawa never talked about his and Nicole's life as kids. Laughing sheepishly, he scratched his head. 'My memory is rotten too.'
'Okay. Don't you want to laugh of our childhood days?' she crooned.
'Anou…' he began, choosing the right words. 'Well…why don't we go for a walk? I might remember some in the way.'
*
Heather could not move a muscle. She just stared at him. Rukawa wondered why. Oh, and she was staring at what he was holding too.
'Nick?'
A tall brunette stood on the doorway, gaping at Rukawa and Heather.
*Nick? Who's Nick?* Rukawa asked himself, staring at the girl confusedly.
'A…Andrea…!' Heather blurted out, turning red all of a sudden.
'Who is this guy-with-no-eyes here?' the girl person Andrea asked, still bewildered. 'Nick, what the hell are you doing? What is he doing with your underwear? Why is he half-naked?' This girl from outer space was close to tears. Rukawa had absolutely no idea why.
Then his small eyes darted to the thing in his hand. Startled, he dropped it suddenly, and continued to stare at the girl.
'Is he…oh no…Nick…you did not…' Andrea was already crying.
'A…Andrea…look I can explain!' Heather cried out, chasing after the girl who already dashed away.
Heather motioned to the large brick house, which sat snow-covered on the side of the street. A small snowman decorated its front yard and Christmas lights glittered on its roof, door and windows.
Rukawa's eyes darted to the large building standing in front of the house.
'This is my neighborhood,' he muttered to himself, reminiscing the old days.
'Well here we are,' Heather said, grinning. 'This is our house.'
'Your house there?' asked Rukawa, pointing to the house. 'Nicole lives there…'
For a while Heather seemed startled. 'Huh? Ah…well…' she stammered [chibi- Nicole holding up a peace sign ^^] 'I…I'm staying here for the week!' she exclaimed. She then furrowed her brows. 'Wait…how did you know?'
Rukawa blinked.
[chibi-Rukawa 1: DO-AHO! *kicks chibi-Rukawa 2 on the butt*]
[chibi-Rukawa 2: Baka yarou! *hits back* It just popped out of my mouth!]
[chibi-Rukawa 1: Haiyaku! Make an excuse!]
'Anou…' Rukawa began, darting his small fox-eyes in all directions. 'Anou…'
Heather was eyeing him suspiciously. 'What?'
'Anou…the sign…the letter box,' Rukawa faltered, pointing toward the mailbox with the name "Stuart" engraved on it. 'I saw it…I saw… it'
Heather nodded, still watching him dubiously. Well after a while, she bought it when Rukawa showed no hint of…anything. 'Fine, let's go in find you some clothes,' she said. 'And I need to dress up too….bastard driver…I'm soaked!'
*
*That is bizarre…* Nicole thought to herself, leading Akira up to her room. *And I thought I almost got caught! What if Kaede found out? Well…darn!*
She swung the door open to her room. A dog suddenly leapt toward her, licking her on the face and knocking her down onto the floor. It wagged its tail happily, not even bothering take a look at Akira. It was a white Japanese Spitz. 'Ugh! Shiro…get off me!' Nicole cried out, picking herself from the floor.
Shiro obeyed, and stood beside Nicole. Finally it noticed Akira, and growled fiercely.
'Pretty late for that Shiro,' said Nicole, ushering the dog away. 'Shoo! Shoo!'
However, the dog had other plans. It circled Akira's feet and…pissed on his pants.
'K'so…' muttered Akira, almost into kicking the dog off the window.
'He likes you,' said Nicole, eyeing the dog sternly. 'He does that to people he likes…like an initiation. I'm telling you now, he does worse to those he doesn't like.'
Akira scowled at his pants, then forced himself to calm down. 'The name is Japanese,' Akira noticed, looking at the dog, which was merrily trotting away.
'Nicole, what can I say,' mumbled Nicole, gesturing to a chair. 'Wait there. I'd get you something to wear. And take off your shirt too. Go wrap yourself a blanket, you're going to get yourself a cold. Besides, you stink.'
He did what she said and settled upon the chair with a blanket around himself. 'This Nicole's room,' Akira said suddenly just as Nicole was about to open her closet.
'How did you know that?' she asked, spinning around, bewildered. *First he is Kaede's non-smiling friend, then he was a sleepaholic turned to Mr. Atomic Bomb when disturbed, then now he is the master of knowing everything? What is this person?* she fumed to herself.
He blinked at her stupidly then looked around. 'Anou…anou…' he was stuttering like a wild insane-asylum inmate. He pointed at the framed highschool diploma of Nicole. 'There…' he replied awkwardly, gesturing at the picture. 'Why we here?'
Now it was Nicole's turn to look for an excuse. 'Uh…we share the same room…' she answered, going back to rummaging through her closet for clothes. 'Darn he has so many questions…what is he? Oprah turned Japanese?' she hissed.
'You sleep together?' he questioned. When Nicole spun around, he was giving her THAT look.
[chibi-Rukawa with that devious what-mischief-are-you-doing look---hmm I think this would suit Hanamichi more…what do you think? Scratch it or leave it?]
*Who knew Mr. Ice knew how to think about the strangest things in the world like homosexuality?* she mused to herself. 'No, no, Akira…uhm…I sleep on the floor…on a mat…' explained Nicole wearily. She began throwing out the mess in her closet, and without her knowing it, accidentally hitting Akira.
When she turned around, holding up victoriously a pair of jeans and a long- sleeved shirt, she froze. [imagine Mitsui's look when he sees Hanamichi playing with Anzai-sensei's big belly] One of the feminine personals was in his hand. And he was too…naïve? to even have the grace to put it down.
*
'Where did they go?' Nicole asked Sendoh as they exited the theater. 'Heath! Akira!' she called.
Sendoh shrugged. *Hmm…what if Rukawa whisked that tomboy Heather to a private spot? Hahaha…he must be turning to a real man* he pondered. Deep in him he was grinning wickedly.
Nicole sighed. 'I do not believe this…' she said, her face falling. Rolling her eyes, she looked up at Sendoh and gave him that lost-puppy look. She was just adorable! Sendoh could feel butterflies in his insides. 'What are we going to do now?'
'Ru---aahh…Akira can take care of her,' he replied, smiling broadly.
[will this smile never end…gahhhh…]
'Well…let's take a walk. I want to reminisce the old days. I mean, a week isn't that long right?' she said wistfully. 'My memory is kind of rotten, you sure don't mind telling me our childhood stories now do you?' She clutched his arm and stared steadily into his eyes.
Sendoh wanted to get lost in her gaze. But in the sudden realization of what she suggested, he wanted to get lost. Period. He gulped, wondering how he was going to go about this situation. Rukawa never talked about his and Nicole's life as kids. Laughing sheepishly, he scratched his head. 'My memory is rotten too.'
'Okay. Don't you want to laugh of our childhood days?' she crooned.
'Anou…' he began, choosing the right words. 'Well…why don't we go for a walk? I might remember some in the way.'
*
Heather could not move a muscle. She just stared at him. Rukawa wondered why. Oh, and she was staring at what he was holding too.
'Nick?'
A tall brunette stood on the doorway, gaping at Rukawa and Heather.
*Nick? Who's Nick?* Rukawa asked himself, staring at the girl confusedly.
'A…Andrea…!' Heather blurted out, turning red all of a sudden.
'Who is this guy-with-no-eyes here?' the girl person Andrea asked, still bewildered. 'Nick, what the hell are you doing? What is he doing with your underwear? Why is he half-naked?' This girl from outer space was close to tears. Rukawa had absolutely no idea why.
Then his small eyes darted to the thing in his hand. Startled, he dropped it suddenly, and continued to stare at the girl.
'Is he…oh no…Nick…you did not…' Andrea was already crying.
'A…Andrea…look I can explain!' Heather cried out, chasing after the girl who already dashed away.