~ Chapter 7 ~

Freshmen for a Day

                "What should we do, Tasuki no da?"

                "Whattya think?! Get her outta that bed!" Tasuki turned SD and grinned at me, baring his fangs. He then got ready to jump.

                "No Tasuki, don't do it no da!"

                "Time ta wake UP!" Tasuki leapt on the end of the bed where he stood and bounced twice before crashing into me, which I have to say hurt a lot. Sakura flew out of bed as well, but landed in a mess of blankets.

                "Would someone mind telling me what the hell that was about??"

                Tasuki sat up grinning again, adjusting his sunglasses on top of his head. "It's time to go ta school like ya said yesterday!" He then slapped my back, rather roughly, and I fell face-forward onto the carpet.

                "Tasuki-san no da …" I grumbled, my voice muffled.

                "All right, I'm up – I'm up," Sakura crawled slowly out of bed and got out another set of clothes.

                "I see you two got dressed …" She blinked as she stared at us. "I still need to – you two get in here!" And with one swift move, she dropped her clothes on her bed, and grabbed us both and shoved us in her closet. The closet was very tight. Tasuki fell on the ground and I stood somewhat.

                "I'll be done in a second, you two!" Sakura's voice came through the door.

                "I'm scared of the dark! Help me, Chichiri!" Tasuki grabbed my legs suddenly, causing me to wobble dangerously.

                "Tasuki no da! You know I can't do anything about that na no da …"

                Tasuki continued to whimper, all until the door opened. For Tasuki, it seemed as if the angels were singing down upon him as the light entered the very tight space.

                He lunged at Sakura and grabbed around her knees, just as he had previously done to me. "I thought I was gonna die!"

                "Tasuki, you know I wouldn't let that happen! Anyway I have to finish getting dressed – you two didn't get hurt in there, right?"

                "I don't know about Tasuki here, but I'm okay no da."

                Sakura just finished tying up her hair. Tasuki sat on the bed, staring at his tessen. I just did a quick meditation session, to gather my nerves, my typical routine. Tama, who was continuing to keep out of the way, slept curled on Sakura's bed next to Smoke.

                "Okay guys, I'm all ready … but you'll have to wait here. Maybe we can take the bus or you can teleport us again, Chichiri?" Sakura picked up her satchel-type thing and slung it over her shoulder.

                "We can teleport no da!" I giggled and patted my staff. "It's fast, and efficient no da!"

                Sakura stopped. "By the way, you should wear your kasa, Chichiri, if you're gonna bring your staff and kesa…"

                "What about my tessen?" Tasuki added. "I just feel incomplete without it…" Tasuki hugged it affectionately, getting strange looks from Sakura and I. Sakura coughed loudly, purposely.

                "Chichiri can keep it in his kasa, Tasuki. Anyway – my mother works in the same school that we're about to go to. This could be a problem … but if we just avoid her room, we should be okay!"

                Tasuki grumbled. "What do we get ta go already?!" He adjusted his sunglasses again.

                Sakura glared. "Chichiri, when I give you the sign outside this window, teleport outside … with Tasuki … right behind that bush over there, okay? We'll have to teleport right away after that … people could see us as they drive by," she advised.

                Tasuki hopped off the bed and adjusted his necklace and jacket, as Sakura left the room.

                "You're going on the bus? All right then …"

                "Later!"

                Sakura ran outside and hid behind the bush. She then gave Chichiri the signal: waving her arms wildly in the air.

                "There it is! C'mon, Tasuki no da!"

                "Yay!" Tasuki ran to Chichiri's side, and Chichiri grasped Tasuki's shoulder before vanishing to the bush, then to get Sakura and themselves to the school.

~~ Now, in the back of the school, near the field/parking lot

                "OW! Chichiri! Get offa my leg!"

                "But I can't no da! Sakura-chan is on my back no da!"

                Sakura scrambled to a standing position. "Sorry – sorry …" She brushed herself off. "You should put your stuff in your kasa, Chichiri … we'll go in now."

                I stuffed my things inside the kasa, strung it around my neck, as Tasuki and I brushed our new clothes off.

                Sakura started off near the side door. "C'mon guys, let's go. AND, one more thing: if anyone asks you where you came from, say you're from Japan or something … and about your kasa, Chichiri: if anyone asks you about that, say it's a keepsake of yours. If anyone tries to take it or something, you know what to do," she gave me the thumbs-up.

                "You got it no da."

                Sakura sighed deeply. "This should be the most interesting school day I will ever have."

                Fortunately, it was still early, so says Sakura. The halls were empty partially, except for a few wandering people, and those leaning over a pile of books, writing hurriedly. We walked briskly to a short hallway, ending with double doors. The walls had many colorful drawings on them, and the one Sakura stopped at was very pinkish in color.

                "Yes, yes – that is my artwork," she pointed out. "Now why don't we just sit here, since none of my friends are here we can kinda relax until things get hectic," Sakura sighed again, and held her forehead to calm herself. She took a seat right next to her wall, and Tasuki and I took a seat on either side of her.

                "My friends don't know you're here, of course, so they should have a reaction of some sort. Most don't know much about you, except for about two or three of them. This should be very interesting."

                "Da … we won't be much of a burden to you Sakura-chan no da," I paused, eyeing Tasuki who, once again, was adjusting his sunglasses. "… won't we, Tasuki no da?"

                "Nope."

                I shook my head and leaned back, I, too, pushing my sunglasses a little higher so it was right near my hairline – where my bangs start. "Whatever you say Tasuki."

                A few mintues later, and a very oddly dressed woman came around the corner, and did a quick double take on us, before opening the door across from where we sat. Tasuki jabbed Sakura questioningly.

                "That's my Art teacher. Her name's Mrs. Garcia, but I'm not liking her as much as I did," she sighed. "I'll have to tell her there will be two additions to the class today."

                So Sakura went inside. She was only gone for a couple minutes before returning.

                "It's okay – we can stay out in this hallway and draw a little if you'd like. We're working with clay models right now, but I don't have to today since you guys are here! Maybe this will have its perks …"

                "Drawing no da?"

                "I'll explain later, Chichiri … right now, I think you might be meeting one of my friends …"

                Around the corner came a girl with a lot of books. She had dark curly hair, and seemed shorter than Sakura. Tasuki hid behind Sakura, while I just kind of sat in my spot in confusion, not knowing what to do. Sakura coughed out of nervousness.

                "Um … hey, Joanna."

                She responded in usual fashion, but stopped and dropped all of her books. Yes, and her enormous satchel slung over her shoulder, which landed very hard on the ground.

                Sakura cringed. "So … what's up?"

                Joanna didn't move, but stared at Tasuki and I skeptically, then moved forward little by little. She started to laugh as if I were telling her some weird joke. Then she stopped and blinked.

                "HEY! Where's Mitsukake?!"

                Everyone blinked. "Huh?"

                "Oh, yes, of course Tasuki and Chichiri are here – but not Mitsukake?! What kind of crazy hallucination is this?!?" As Joanna raged, Sakura and Tasuki clung to each other like a couple of squealy schoolgirls, sweatdrops bigger than their heads.

                "Mitsukake no da?" I finally had the courage to settle the savage beast. "He's a spirit, now reborn into his new body, in the book of the Universe of the Four Gods no da."

                Sakura spoke up too. "Chichiri, she knows. Trust me … save the explanations."

                "Uh … okay no da …"

                "Someone tell me what's going on."

                "All right, all right …" Sakura facefaulted, narrowing her eyes at Tasuki. "Get offa me."

                There was a short pause, however, then followed by another few voices.

                "Hey you guys!"

                "Hi!"

                "Helloo everyone.."

                Sakura smacked her face. "Great … uh hey Jess, hey Kiera … hey Lindsay …"

                The girl with the short, brown curly hair blinked like Joanna had done. "HEY THIS IS JUST LIKE YOUR STORY!" She waved a thick assortment of papers in the air.

                "Hey! Gimme that!" Sakura snatched it away and stuffed it into her satchel. "That never happened." She coughed.

                "Oh … well hello anyway!" She looked around. "Where's Tamahome?"

                "How do ya people know who the Suzaku Seishi are?!" Tasuki yelled. I shushed him, and turned to Jess.

                "He's with Miaka no da …"

                "Damn." She walked off into another room. All blinked in confusion. A girl with black hair started to dance.

                "Kiera, please, you're scaring them already …" Sakura sighed, but Kiera kept her dance going.

                The girl with long, light brown hair was sitting on the ground, reading a book. She seemed to have said something.

                "Knew this would happen."

                "Well, I guess I'll just explain to Joanna, then."

                Awhile later, a weird chiming from the ceiling was heard, and large crowds of people collaborated in the halls, walking to wherever they had to go. Sakura said it was the bell to first period.

                "We have Art this period, which is right there – but we can just stay out here!" She smiled. "That's easy, right?"

                "What are your other classes no da?"

                Sakura tallied off on her fingers. "Well, I have Spanish next - a foreign language - then English, then Global Studies, then a lunch period – kinda like a free period – then Math – which totally sucks – then a period of Earth Science, which'll definitely get you down."

                Tasuki was, once again, fixing his sunglasses, doing some weird poses. "How does this look?" He said, grinning with a fang poking out.

                Sakura waved him off; both of us knowing this would go on for the rest of the day. "You look fine, Tasuki, really."

                Throughout that period, many people, who seemed to be friends with Sakura, asked about us – and she answered each question the same. By the time the bell rang again, Sakura was telling us we had to go to next period – Spanish class – where we would have to sit in desks and try not to disrupt – most on Tasuki's side.

                Period 2 – Spanish Class ~~

                "Okay everyone take out your homework – even though I know none of you would do it …"

                A large man at the front continued to mock taunt and joke with the class. Sakura, Tasuki, and I all sat in the back row. I had a hard time keeping Tasuki quiet, since he was liable to bust out into hysterical laughter, which I must add is extremely loud, and would not stop. I pushed up my sunglasses, which were falling a little.

                For the rest of the period, the sensei – or as Sakura said it, the teacher, spoke in a strange foreign language obviously called Spanish, and the class participated and spoke back. We just pretended to look like we knew what was going on.

                At the end, Tasuki and I jumped from our seats right away. We weren't used to sitting in these kinds of chairs like this. Sakura gathered all of her things.

                "English is next – Tasuki, you're doing great."

                Tasuki grinned again with his fangs at her. "This is fun!"

                "No da!"

                Even I had to agree.

                Period 3 – English Class ~~

                Nothing out of the ordinary in this class here – we sat in the back again. But we all had to read a strange, and very long and dull story called "Antigony." I could definitely tell that Sakura was not enjoying it at all.

                Tasuki whined under his breath, hunching his body over the book. "You go through this every day?" He whispered roughly in Sakura's direction. I absentmindedly blew stray hairs from my bangs out of my face.

                "Unfortunately."

                The rest of the day went on in this manner: going through crowded halls, getting looks and questions from passerby's, and class-after-boring class. All up until period 8: Earth Science.

                Mrs. Hughes, the teacher of the class, had turned off the lights and had a blown-up size of writing on a piece of transparent paper on a white side-down wall. The class also took out thick, white "books" with dangerous plastic over them. Sakura said we were going to have a lecture – and take notes. This meant we were to be as quiet as humanly possible – if we could stand the torture of going through at least forty minutes of monotonous drawl about weather conditions and how to plot them. I could tell Tasuki would have a hard time working with this.

                Fifteen minutes left of the class, and Tasuki was drooling all over our side of the desk. I had quite a hard time concealing Tasuki's behavior from Mrs. Hughes. Sakura and Joanna looked as if they would do the same, and I didn't quite know how much more of this I could take, even with my long attention span.

                Two minutes later, Tasuki woke without much noise. He was about to yawn, but I caught him and slapped his mouth closed, which surprised him and sent him fidgeting in his chair, thus toppling it over. I tried to use a quick spell, but Sakura saw me bring up my two fingers, grabbed my hand, and gave me the look of death. I must admit it was intimidating.

                  By this time, the whole class noticed Tasuki's sudden outburst and Mrs. Hughes just continued to lecture. Tasuki was so enraged that he reached for my kasa and pulled out his tessen, half choking me to death. He stood on the back shelf near the window and held up his tessen.

                "WILL YA SHUT UP ALREADY?!"

                Sakura dropped her pen, whilst Joanna continued her reserved slumber.

                "NO ONE CARES ABOUT CLOUD COVER AN' ALL A THA' SHIT! But yer not even listenin' ta me, either." Tasuki sweatdropped.

                "Well … anyway … REKKA SHINEN!" Tasuki brought the flames onto the chair that made him fall over in his rage, while everyone else scrambled. Sakura just threw the fire extinguisher at me, and I blew away, thanking Suzaku above that she had taught me how to use one of these babies beforehand.

                The fire out, I stood in the middle of a mass of chairs and tables, along with students and a charred teacher. Sakura hid her head underneath my kesa, which she pulled out from my kasa. Tasuki had dizzy eyes and had fallen over stiffly.

                "Oh my … no da …"

                Tasuki sat up, with a blanched face at first, then breaking out into a wide grin. "WOW! Let's do tha' again!"

                I sprayed the remaining bit of the contents in the fire extinguisher in his face. He sputtered.

                "Hey!"

                I sighed and took my kesa off of Sakura's head, stuffing it back into my kasa.

"Tasuki – shut up no da."

After Class ~~

"I'm surprised no one came in the classroom! What dumb luck!"

All three of us were just wandering the halls after Science class, 9th period being a free period today.

"I thought I was gonna have a heart attack from information overload … sheesh, what a nutjob!" Tasuki dusted off his sunglasses with his shirt. I grinned, despite how much havoc we had caused.

"It did make the class interesting no da!"

"Chichiri, I'm just glad this isn't going on my record," she laughed. "But still, Science class needed that … and I don't think it'll ever be the same."

Tasuki grinned. "Glad we could help." Sakura laughed again, but I had other thoughts.

"Ne, Sakura, where are all of your friends no da?"

"Prolly at my wall near the Art Labs … let's go."

On the way there, we passed a ton of different classrooms, a couple looking familiar, as we had visited them throughout the course of the day. But then we passed a large room with rows and rows of books. I looked again … it didn't feel like normal. I jabbed Tasuki.

"Do you feel any thing weird from in there?" I pointed as we walked completely past the long room. I turned so I could see his face.

"Well … now that ya mention it, it does feel outta the ordinary than from the other rooms in this place."

"What's going on, you two?" Sakura asked.

I jumped in. "Nothing, Sakura-chan no da. We were just talking about all the different rooms here no da."

"Really, huh?" She turned to look at us. "We'll have more than classrooms to talk about when we get home."