~ Chapter 23 ~
Apartment Found
"Let's just get there, find the apartment, and then do the changing around no da …"
I eyed him suspiciously, but went along with it. "Obviously, we'll have to teleport."
Mits stood up. "Right … I'll leave a note." She ran over the refrigerator and picked up the Dry Erase marker and started writing on the white board. I sighed. She was going to do the same thing I did … ? Oh, good move … take me as a role model. But, if that's what had to be done to go, then by all means, do it.
She was finished in a matter of 3 seconds. I looked up curiously to see what the heck she could have written so quickly …
"There!" She said, and put the pen back.
We all sweatdropped, because on the board was in big letters: "'Bye!" That was it … ?
"All right … we ready no da?" He laid down his kesa on the tile floor and stepped in the middle of it. Mitsukake gently placed Tama on the kitchen table and stroked its fur.
"Now … you behave nicely from now on, you hear?" He pat its head, as it looked at him mournfully. "I'm sorry … but I have to go. You can stay here…they'll just think you're a stray that wandered in." Tama's whiskers drooped, but inside he knew all-too-well that he couldn't argue with his master. It sat obediently on the table and watched him walk onto the kesa with the rest of us.
This was it. The last of this house … this town … this neighborhood. We were going to continue living in the heart of New York. Not like I was disappointed with that fact, I mean, I was going with four of my other friends. This was going to be a lotta fun …
Our bodies started to get sucked into the kesa, until eventually disappeared from sight all together.
WHAM!
"ITAI!!" Tasuki screamed in my ear. I would have said the same thing if I hadn't have fallen right on top of him. Oops … I shrugged it off as I looked around me. Mitsukake, Mits and Chichiri were all sprawled out over each other as well, as it was a pretty tight space in this alleyway. I got up.
"Hey … where'd yeh take us, Chichiri?" I slowly peered out into the sidewalk and into the bright sunlight. Tall buildings, shops, and people everywhere … at least we knew we were in the right place. Chichiri got up followed by the rest, and peered out as well.
"Well, I was aiming for a good spot where some nice-sized apartments are located no da … I think we're – pretty close no da."
"We're gonna need a damn big apartment ta fit all of us, y'know…" Tasuki peeked through our shoulders. Mits broke the little gathering by shoving us all flat out into the sidewalk.
She brushed her hands off. "NOW I can see!" She deliberately stepped all over the three of us, pretending to not know a thing. Mitsukake tried his best to step around us, when that was totally impossible because we blocked the entire passageway.
"W-would yeh … STOP FRIGGIN' STEPPIN' ON ME???"
She looked down. "Oh!" She took another step, as to get a better look. "I didn't even see you guys down there! Sorry!" She stepped off casually and stood next to Mitsukake.
"OKAY!!!" I got up and brushed myself off. "Can we GO already?! I'm tired of this!!" I dragged my flattened body ahead of the group.
~~ After 20 minutes of searching …
I stopped and looked up at a large white house, with a "For Rent" sign out in front. "Success!!" I couldn't believe our luck!!
"Nice!!"
"It's perfect!"
"…and right on the outskirts no da! It's not as busy here no da!!"
"I better get a room with a lock …"
I slapped Tasuki on the back of the head. "Oh, come on!"
Chichiri clapped his hands together, gathering us to order.
"There's a phone number on the sign … let's call and arrange a meeting with the landlord as soon as we possibly can!"
"…Like now?"
"If we can! We have no where else to stay no da!"
There was a pause as we looked around for a payphone. There was one a little ways down the street. "Down there!"
Mits gave Chichiri the seventy-five cents he needed and dialed the number. It rang three times before a middle-aged sounding man picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
Chichiri spoke in his lowered, less-used voice. After all, he WAS the oldest of them all, right?
"Yes, Hi … I would like to rent out the entire house you have out for … um … rent?" God, he didn't sound very convincing…but I guess the guy bought it, because the conversation furthered. After a bit, he hung up and grinned, going back to his old self.
"Bought it no da!"
We all blew a sigh of relief that we didn't know we were holding.
"Jeez … I thought you were going to slip with a 'no da!' or two!!" I said, exasperatedly.
Tasuki butt in. "Soooo … when're we seein' this guy??"
"Right now no da!" He rubbed his hands together. "Let's get started na no da!!"