Chapter 3: Rate Me
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Statement made to save one's ass: We own nothing but our burned CDs, bootlegged anime episodes, copyright infringed stories, and the clothes on our backs. No where in our possessions is there the rights to Rurouni Kenshin, or any other random anime/cartoon we've ever written about. So don't sue us. You won't get much out of it.
A/N: Sorry for the delay with all the stuff. We were having a bit of computer trouble with chapter two, so we divided into separate parts. We're really not technologically adept. It took us forever to figure out how we could get the stuff up here. Sorry about that, guys. Anywho, you probably don't care about that and are more interested in seeing who pulled up in the Civic, and why Misao has to "look out." So here you go:
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::BONK::
Misao toppled over as she was hit in the head by the volleyball.
"Miss Misao, are you okay?" asked Kenshin (A/N: why do people ask you if you are okay RIGHT AFTER you have been injured . . .?).
"Yup, I'll be fine . . ." she muttered woozily as Kenshin helped her stand. The blonde name Amanda (who had started the game) brushed sand off the shorter girl's back. Misao made a face. "I just got sand down my shorts," she complained to no one in particular as they continued with their game. She walked away, cleaning sand off her braid and fixing the pink bow that tied on the end of it. The girl was so preoccupied with getting sand off that she ran smack dab into a tall figure.
"Aoshi-sama! I thought you weren't coming!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, well, Kenshin's father forgot to buy my tea again, so I had nothing to do. I could not even meditate, as he listens to loud music when he makes his pottery," the Japanese man replied.
"Oh. That's nice . . . Why are you wearing black at the beach? Don't you have swim trunks or something? I thought you were on the swim team."
"I am on the swim team, but we use Speedos."
Misao's eyebrow rose a little at THAT mental picture. "Sounds . . . fun. Well, anyways, there are sodas in the coolers, Kenshin and Amanda have a volleyball game going, and Yahiko seems to be chewing on Sano's head. Come on, be social! I promise, it won't hurt too bad," she laughed as she trudged off through the sand.
Aoshi grimaced at the word 'social,' but he followed the perky little brunette anyway. They passed a suspicious looking Katsu, who now appeared to be lighting firecrackers into one of the metal trash bins.
Some of the party had decided to go swimming, Megumi, Tsubame (and Yahiko), and Sanosuke among them. Megumi took off her skirt and top to reveal a tasteful pink/purple bikini. Tsubame was sporting a one-piece (she's a bit bashful) while Yahiko dove in wearing his dark green trunks. He belly- flopped. Nice going.
A group of girls down by the breaking waves gave little gasps as Sano removed his white shirt and the bandages underneath. He was mostly healed anyway . . .
Megumi looked over at the prattling airheads as the said comments like "gorgeous arms" or "abs you can wash clothes on!" and "I think he's a nine!" with a dry look of disdain. Sanosuke noticed the girls babbling about his MuScLeS, so he casually flexed. Smiling at the resulting giggles, he took off his red sunglasses that he always wore on the back of his head and threw them onto his crumpled shirt. Megumi rolled her eyes and strolled slowly to the water's edge, only to get splashed by the enthusiastic Sano running out in the water.
Saltwater dripped from her bangs as steam started to come out Megumi's ears. "YOU SKINNY LITTLE ROOSTER!!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!" she cried as she chased him down the surf.
"HAHA! WELL, IF I'M THE ROOSTER, YOU MUST BE THE FOX THAT WANTS TO HUNT ME DOWN!!!" Sano called back, all too pleased with himself and his 'wittiness.'
Megumi finally stopped her angry rampage and returned to the rest of her friends. The party was a good one, with many people coming and going, and everybody seeming to have a good time playing volleyball, eating, swimming, or just doing random socializing (that can mean anything from talking to making out . . . tee hee). She lay on a beach towel and started sunbathing with Tae.
The sun was getting lower in the sky; it was a bit after seven. One cooler only had melted ice (we like to call it water) remaining and Sanosuke, now clothed once again in his shirt and ever-present backwards red sunglasses, tried to sneak up and dump the contents on Kenshin's head. Kenshin had left the volleyball game and was starting to roast hot dogs by the growing bonfire. Unfortunately, Aoshi was also sitting by the bonfire. He was content just to burn things. Now, do you remember how Sano has bad aim? Well, he missed Kenshin's head. In fact, he conveniently missed the redhead altogether. However, the water DID manage to get Aoshi smack dab in the face. He turned to stare at the now-apprehensive Sano.
"Sorry there, Aoshi. Didn't mean to splash you. That was for Kenshin," he remarked as he dropped the empty cooler and moved to back away quickly.
Aoshi continued staring as he stood up and stepped away from the fire. He then said coolly to the taller person, "It's all right. It's just water."
Obvious relief flashed across the "rooster's" face. No, he wasn't chicken; he just didn't want to get in a fight with Aoshi. Aoshi knew where he lived. In fact, Aoshi lived in the same house as him. A fight with one's housemates is not a very good thing. Misao and Kaoru breathed again from their positions by the table and they continued putting hot dogs on skewers. Then Aoshi did something no one saw coming.
He took off his shirt. It was wet anyway, and he draped it over a chair to dry. The chattering group of girls had moved from the surf to the fire, and they gaped at this new specimen of Maleness. "I give that a nine point five . . ." muttered one girl as Aoshi stood only in his black jeans.
"Are you joking?" asked another. "That's a ten."
Megumi and Tae had joined Misao and Kaoru over by the hot dogs. Megumi gave a little snort of mirth as she commented to her home girls, "Sure, he's not that bad looking, but they have a better chance of getting with one of the X-Men than with the Ice Man over there."
The other girls agreed. They roasted their hot dogs, some people doing it slowly over the embers, others putting it full on in the flames until they bubbled and charred. Mmm, delish. Sano, now over his little "Aoshi's gonna kill me" phase, was doing his hot dog the second way. But leaning over the fire was dangerous when he had his shirt open, so he took it off. Now standing in only his white swim trunks and red sunglasses, his back faced the four girls and Tae said to the others, "What's that tattoo on his back? I haven't seen it before . . ."
Katsu walked up from behind his girlfriend and put his arms around her. "It's Aku," he whispered into her ear, but loud enough for her friends to hear too.
Misao looked confused, as did the other girls. "But that means 'Evil.' Sano isn't a bad guy like that, is he?" she asked, twining her braid around her fingers.
Katsu lifted hi head from Tae's shoulder and said to the group, "It's a long story. Just know that he wears it in remembrance. Why do you think he lives with Kenshin?"
Tae turned her head to him, about to ask a question, but he simply smirked and said, "Well, I'll be back later. I have mayhem to cause and a system to bring down. Later, my lovelies."
"I'll bet," Kaoru agreed as Katsu disappeared into the fading light of the setting sun. "Do you know last year he set off a total of four stink bombs in Japanese class? It was nasty . . ."
Tae gave a smile, saying, "That's my boy. Always rebelling against 'the system.' You know, I partially blame Sanosuke for that. He encourages."
The four girls laughed at this, with Kaoru adding, "Yeah, he was in Japanese calls with us too. Mr. Sasaki called the two of them the 'problem corner.'"
"But what did Katsu mean about him getting that big tattoo in remembrance?" inquired Megumi. "And I've never asked why Sanosuke lives at Kenshin's. Aoshi too."
Misao looked down and said, quietly so no one else overheard, "I know some of it. Not much. I just know that Sanosuke ran away from something a few years ago, but I don't know from where or what or anything. I just know the only guy who would give him a place to stay was Kenshin's adoptive dad, Seijuro Hiko. Now, about Aoshi, he came from Japan when he was thirteen, but he came illegally and he didn't have anywhere to go. And Kenshin was volunteering at the YMCA, remember Kaoru?"
"Yeah, I remember," answered Kaoru.
"Well," continued Misao, "when Mr. Hiko went to pick up Kenshin one day, he got to talking to a boy staying there, and it turns out they knew similar people, and you know how Hiko is with his countrymen. And then, Kenshin knew him from the YMCA, and knew he wasn't a loony, and so now all the guys are in the same house."
Three brunettes were gaping at the skinny girl, their faces seeming to flicker as light from the fire illuminate their disbelief amongst the darkness. Megumi gasped out, "How do you know all that?!?!"
Tae added, "Yeah, I mean, Aoshi doesn't even have any accent or anything. How could you tell?"
Misao shrugged as said, "Sano tells me stuff. Only certain stuff. And you know Kenshin never lies if you ask him a direct question. But you can't tell anyone! We aren't supposed to know!"
Megumi stared. "You little weasel! What else have you found out?"
Misao glared at the name calling. "Only that you do--"
Just then, Kenshin walked up!
The girls stopped talking and looked at him.
"Uh, hello. What were you ladies talking about?" he asked.
"Uh, we uh . . ." Misao began nervously.
"We were just rating the guys. You know, on how cute they are," Kaoru covered for her.
"Oh really . . ." said Kenshin. "Are you going to rate me?"
Kaoru smiled. "Oh yes, I'll rate you." With that innuendo that only she and Kenshin could comprehend the two walked off down by the shore . . .
A few seconds later, fireworks started shooting off around Tower 7, and Tae's eyes widened. "That has to be Katsu. Oh my gosh, he's going to get arrested . . . AGAIN . . ." and she ran off down the beach, yelling to Tsubame to get her stuff together because they had to leave. Quickly.
Megumi looked at her watch. "Oh CRAP! I have to be at Dr. Gensai's office early tomorrow, and then, frickin' A. I'm sorry Misao, I have to go!"
"Oh, it's cool. I hope you had fun!" the perky sixteen-year-old said as she gave the taller girl a hug, totally unfazed that she had just heard Megumi so close to swearing. After Megumi left, Misao remained standing by the hot dog buns all by her lonesome, so she went over to the fire, where Sanosuke was sitting alone, lighting his marshmallows on fire (that group of giggling girls had slowly approached Aoshi, and he moved away from them. Then they got a little closer and he scooted a little farther away. Then they came closer still, and this continued until Aoshi was quite a distance from the fire. He doesn't like being touched. It's just a thing).
"Hey, Sano."
"'Sup."
"Your marshmallow is melting onto the wood."
"I know. I like them that way."
" . . . Don't you get splinters?"
"Not usually."
"Okay then. Where's Yahiko?"
"Last I saw him, he was hogtied and Katsu was burying him. It looked like a fun thing to do, so I didn't stop him."
"Oh," she pulled out her own marshmallow on a skewer. "He the only one left besides us?"
"That we can see. I have no idea what Kenshin and Jo-chan are doing. Frankly, I don't ever want to know. Oh, and Aoshi's fleeing from the beach babes over there," Sano jabbed his thumb in the other man's direction.
She peered around Sanosuke to see the dark Asian man scurrying. "He's not real sociable, is he?"
"That's an understatement."
Misao frowned at Sano's lack of nighttime enthusiasm. "Something wrong?"
"Nah, just tired," he finally pulled his marshmallows out of the flames, only to look at them for a bit and stick them back in. "That, and school starting always bums me out."
"You don't even really go to school."
"Hey, I show up most of the time . . . some of the time . . . occasionally . . . well, I show up!"
"Have you seen my grandfather?" she changed the subject.
"Not since he ran off after the French chic--"
"MISAO!! I'M GOING TO BE HOME LATER!! GET A RIDE FROM SOMEONE!! CIAO!!!" yelled Okina as he rand down the beach, chasing after "les femmes jolies."
Misao sighed and stood up brushing off her jean shorts. She looked around for someone with a car; it was almost time for the beach to close.
"Don't look at me, Ninja Girl. You know I don't drive. I'm waiting for Katsu to come out of hiding. Tae's Camry is still sitting over there. I think her car is full, though. She'll end up taking home Yahiko. You're shit out of luck."
"Thanks for caring," she kicked him in the shins.
Aoshi walked back into the fire's light after threatening to throttle anyone who followed him. The group of girls just assumed he was gay and left. He pulled on his shirt and looked at Misao.
"The beach closes at ten. Aren't you supposed to go home?" he asked brusquely.
"Can't. No ride. I'm stuck here. It's fine, though . . . I hear sand is really comfortable once you get used to it . . ."
Sanosuke just rolled his eyes and went to look for Katsu and the big pile of Yahiko.
Misao was cleaning up the area, taking some of the things to her grandfather's Previa (she jacked his keys; oh yeah, and she only has her permit, and thus cannot drive alone) and leaving others for Kaoru to load into her car when she finished . . . whatever she was doing. Aoshi silently helped with some of the manly lifting and carrying. When they had cleaned up, he stood there and asked, "So I take it I'm driving you home."
"That would be nice. Thank you, Lord Aoshi," she smiled at him while she stole his jacket and put it on. Zipped up, it was still too big for her. Only she would EVER get away with stealing from him. He stalked toward his car, and she hurried to keep up with his long strides.
Meanwhile, Sano stepped on something squishy.
"GET OFF ME, YOU ASS!"
"Oh. Hey, dude, the explosions are dying down over by Tower 7. Time to go," Sanosuke said as he helped Yahiko out of the sand and his ropes.
Katsu ran up to them, Tae following, still smiling, and Tsubame brought up the rear while frantically trying to hold on to all of their belongings.
"Wait for it . . ." said Katsu.
Tsubame looked at her watch. As soon as it turned '10:01' a huge sparkler shot into the air.
Katsu smiled. "My work here is done. Let's go home," he said, and they trooped off toward Tae's car.
Sanosuke looked back once at the melee of officers and lifeguards over by Tower 7 and said, "Take that, government pigs."
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A/N: Nice. We hope that was long enough for all of you. It better be, because that was pretty long. Yeesh. You like? YOU REVIEW. Thanks. Hey look, it's DEAN!!!
::Dean strolls by::
Well, that was fun. Guess what you all get to look forward to NEXT CHAPTER!!!!
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! YAY!!!!! YAY FOR SCHOOL!!!!
Chunks: Oh, shut up. (Zippy bounces off)
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Statement made to save one's ass: We own nothing but our burned CDs, bootlegged anime episodes, copyright infringed stories, and the clothes on our backs. No where in our possessions is there the rights to Rurouni Kenshin, or any other random anime/cartoon we've ever written about. So don't sue us. You won't get much out of it.
A/N: Sorry for the delay with all the stuff. We were having a bit of computer trouble with chapter two, so we divided into separate parts. We're really not technologically adept. It took us forever to figure out how we could get the stuff up here. Sorry about that, guys. Anywho, you probably don't care about that and are more interested in seeing who pulled up in the Civic, and why Misao has to "look out." So here you go:
-
-
::BONK::
Misao toppled over as she was hit in the head by the volleyball.
"Miss Misao, are you okay?" asked Kenshin (A/N: why do people ask you if you are okay RIGHT AFTER you have been injured . . .?).
"Yup, I'll be fine . . ." she muttered woozily as Kenshin helped her stand. The blonde name Amanda (who had started the game) brushed sand off the shorter girl's back. Misao made a face. "I just got sand down my shorts," she complained to no one in particular as they continued with their game. She walked away, cleaning sand off her braid and fixing the pink bow that tied on the end of it. The girl was so preoccupied with getting sand off that she ran smack dab into a tall figure.
"Aoshi-sama! I thought you weren't coming!" she exclaimed.
"Yes, well, Kenshin's father forgot to buy my tea again, so I had nothing to do. I could not even meditate, as he listens to loud music when he makes his pottery," the Japanese man replied.
"Oh. That's nice . . . Why are you wearing black at the beach? Don't you have swim trunks or something? I thought you were on the swim team."
"I am on the swim team, but we use Speedos."
Misao's eyebrow rose a little at THAT mental picture. "Sounds . . . fun. Well, anyways, there are sodas in the coolers, Kenshin and Amanda have a volleyball game going, and Yahiko seems to be chewing on Sano's head. Come on, be social! I promise, it won't hurt too bad," she laughed as she trudged off through the sand.
Aoshi grimaced at the word 'social,' but he followed the perky little brunette anyway. They passed a suspicious looking Katsu, who now appeared to be lighting firecrackers into one of the metal trash bins.
Some of the party had decided to go swimming, Megumi, Tsubame (and Yahiko), and Sanosuke among them. Megumi took off her skirt and top to reveal a tasteful pink/purple bikini. Tsubame was sporting a one-piece (she's a bit bashful) while Yahiko dove in wearing his dark green trunks. He belly- flopped. Nice going.
A group of girls down by the breaking waves gave little gasps as Sano removed his white shirt and the bandages underneath. He was mostly healed anyway . . .
Megumi looked over at the prattling airheads as the said comments like "gorgeous arms" or "abs you can wash clothes on!" and "I think he's a nine!" with a dry look of disdain. Sanosuke noticed the girls babbling about his MuScLeS, so he casually flexed. Smiling at the resulting giggles, he took off his red sunglasses that he always wore on the back of his head and threw them onto his crumpled shirt. Megumi rolled her eyes and strolled slowly to the water's edge, only to get splashed by the enthusiastic Sano running out in the water.
Saltwater dripped from her bangs as steam started to come out Megumi's ears. "YOU SKINNY LITTLE ROOSTER!!!! I AM GOING TO KILL YOU!!!! AHHHHHH!!!!" she cried as she chased him down the surf.
"HAHA! WELL, IF I'M THE ROOSTER, YOU MUST BE THE FOX THAT WANTS TO HUNT ME DOWN!!!" Sano called back, all too pleased with himself and his 'wittiness.'
Megumi finally stopped her angry rampage and returned to the rest of her friends. The party was a good one, with many people coming and going, and everybody seeming to have a good time playing volleyball, eating, swimming, or just doing random socializing (that can mean anything from talking to making out . . . tee hee). She lay on a beach towel and started sunbathing with Tae.
The sun was getting lower in the sky; it was a bit after seven. One cooler only had melted ice (we like to call it water) remaining and Sanosuke, now clothed once again in his shirt and ever-present backwards red sunglasses, tried to sneak up and dump the contents on Kenshin's head. Kenshin had left the volleyball game and was starting to roast hot dogs by the growing bonfire. Unfortunately, Aoshi was also sitting by the bonfire. He was content just to burn things. Now, do you remember how Sano has bad aim? Well, he missed Kenshin's head. In fact, he conveniently missed the redhead altogether. However, the water DID manage to get Aoshi smack dab in the face. He turned to stare at the now-apprehensive Sano.
"Sorry there, Aoshi. Didn't mean to splash you. That was for Kenshin," he remarked as he dropped the empty cooler and moved to back away quickly.
Aoshi continued staring as he stood up and stepped away from the fire. He then said coolly to the taller person, "It's all right. It's just water."
Obvious relief flashed across the "rooster's" face. No, he wasn't chicken; he just didn't want to get in a fight with Aoshi. Aoshi knew where he lived. In fact, Aoshi lived in the same house as him. A fight with one's housemates is not a very good thing. Misao and Kaoru breathed again from their positions by the table and they continued putting hot dogs on skewers. Then Aoshi did something no one saw coming.
He took off his shirt. It was wet anyway, and he draped it over a chair to dry. The chattering group of girls had moved from the surf to the fire, and they gaped at this new specimen of Maleness. "I give that a nine point five . . ." muttered one girl as Aoshi stood only in his black jeans.
"Are you joking?" asked another. "That's a ten."
Megumi and Tae had joined Misao and Kaoru over by the hot dogs. Megumi gave a little snort of mirth as she commented to her home girls, "Sure, he's not that bad looking, but they have a better chance of getting with one of the X-Men than with the Ice Man over there."
The other girls agreed. They roasted their hot dogs, some people doing it slowly over the embers, others putting it full on in the flames until they bubbled and charred. Mmm, delish. Sano, now over his little "Aoshi's gonna kill me" phase, was doing his hot dog the second way. But leaning over the fire was dangerous when he had his shirt open, so he took it off. Now standing in only his white swim trunks and red sunglasses, his back faced the four girls and Tae said to the others, "What's that tattoo on his back? I haven't seen it before . . ."
Katsu walked up from behind his girlfriend and put his arms around her. "It's Aku," he whispered into her ear, but loud enough for her friends to hear too.
Misao looked confused, as did the other girls. "But that means 'Evil.' Sano isn't a bad guy like that, is he?" she asked, twining her braid around her fingers.
Katsu lifted hi head from Tae's shoulder and said to the group, "It's a long story. Just know that he wears it in remembrance. Why do you think he lives with Kenshin?"
Tae turned her head to him, about to ask a question, but he simply smirked and said, "Well, I'll be back later. I have mayhem to cause and a system to bring down. Later, my lovelies."
"I'll bet," Kaoru agreed as Katsu disappeared into the fading light of the setting sun. "Do you know last year he set off a total of four stink bombs in Japanese class? It was nasty . . ."
Tae gave a smile, saying, "That's my boy. Always rebelling against 'the system.' You know, I partially blame Sanosuke for that. He encourages."
The four girls laughed at this, with Kaoru adding, "Yeah, he was in Japanese calls with us too. Mr. Sasaki called the two of them the 'problem corner.'"
"But what did Katsu mean about him getting that big tattoo in remembrance?" inquired Megumi. "And I've never asked why Sanosuke lives at Kenshin's. Aoshi too."
Misao looked down and said, quietly so no one else overheard, "I know some of it. Not much. I just know that Sanosuke ran away from something a few years ago, but I don't know from where or what or anything. I just know the only guy who would give him a place to stay was Kenshin's adoptive dad, Seijuro Hiko. Now, about Aoshi, he came from Japan when he was thirteen, but he came illegally and he didn't have anywhere to go. And Kenshin was volunteering at the YMCA, remember Kaoru?"
"Yeah, I remember," answered Kaoru.
"Well," continued Misao, "when Mr. Hiko went to pick up Kenshin one day, he got to talking to a boy staying there, and it turns out they knew similar people, and you know how Hiko is with his countrymen. And then, Kenshin knew him from the YMCA, and knew he wasn't a loony, and so now all the guys are in the same house."
Three brunettes were gaping at the skinny girl, their faces seeming to flicker as light from the fire illuminate their disbelief amongst the darkness. Megumi gasped out, "How do you know all that?!?!"
Tae added, "Yeah, I mean, Aoshi doesn't even have any accent or anything. How could you tell?"
Misao shrugged as said, "Sano tells me stuff. Only certain stuff. And you know Kenshin never lies if you ask him a direct question. But you can't tell anyone! We aren't supposed to know!"
Megumi stared. "You little weasel! What else have you found out?"
Misao glared at the name calling. "Only that you do--"
Just then, Kenshin walked up!
The girls stopped talking and looked at him.
"Uh, hello. What were you ladies talking about?" he asked.
"Uh, we uh . . ." Misao began nervously.
"We were just rating the guys. You know, on how cute they are," Kaoru covered for her.
"Oh really . . ." said Kenshin. "Are you going to rate me?"
Kaoru smiled. "Oh yes, I'll rate you." With that innuendo that only she and Kenshin could comprehend the two walked off down by the shore . . .
A few seconds later, fireworks started shooting off around Tower 7, and Tae's eyes widened. "That has to be Katsu. Oh my gosh, he's going to get arrested . . . AGAIN . . ." and she ran off down the beach, yelling to Tsubame to get her stuff together because they had to leave. Quickly.
Megumi looked at her watch. "Oh CRAP! I have to be at Dr. Gensai's office early tomorrow, and then, frickin' A. I'm sorry Misao, I have to go!"
"Oh, it's cool. I hope you had fun!" the perky sixteen-year-old said as she gave the taller girl a hug, totally unfazed that she had just heard Megumi so close to swearing. After Megumi left, Misao remained standing by the hot dog buns all by her lonesome, so she went over to the fire, where Sanosuke was sitting alone, lighting his marshmallows on fire (that group of giggling girls had slowly approached Aoshi, and he moved away from them. Then they got a little closer and he scooted a little farther away. Then they came closer still, and this continued until Aoshi was quite a distance from the fire. He doesn't like being touched. It's just a thing).
"Hey, Sano."
"'Sup."
"Your marshmallow is melting onto the wood."
"I know. I like them that way."
" . . . Don't you get splinters?"
"Not usually."
"Okay then. Where's Yahiko?"
"Last I saw him, he was hogtied and Katsu was burying him. It looked like a fun thing to do, so I didn't stop him."
"Oh," she pulled out her own marshmallow on a skewer. "He the only one left besides us?"
"That we can see. I have no idea what Kenshin and Jo-chan are doing. Frankly, I don't ever want to know. Oh, and Aoshi's fleeing from the beach babes over there," Sano jabbed his thumb in the other man's direction.
She peered around Sanosuke to see the dark Asian man scurrying. "He's not real sociable, is he?"
"That's an understatement."
Misao frowned at Sano's lack of nighttime enthusiasm. "Something wrong?"
"Nah, just tired," he finally pulled his marshmallows out of the flames, only to look at them for a bit and stick them back in. "That, and school starting always bums me out."
"You don't even really go to school."
"Hey, I show up most of the time . . . some of the time . . . occasionally . . . well, I show up!"
"Have you seen my grandfather?" she changed the subject.
"Not since he ran off after the French chic--"
"MISAO!! I'M GOING TO BE HOME LATER!! GET A RIDE FROM SOMEONE!! CIAO!!!" yelled Okina as he rand down the beach, chasing after "les femmes jolies."
Misao sighed and stood up brushing off her jean shorts. She looked around for someone with a car; it was almost time for the beach to close.
"Don't look at me, Ninja Girl. You know I don't drive. I'm waiting for Katsu to come out of hiding. Tae's Camry is still sitting over there. I think her car is full, though. She'll end up taking home Yahiko. You're shit out of luck."
"Thanks for caring," she kicked him in the shins.
Aoshi walked back into the fire's light after threatening to throttle anyone who followed him. The group of girls just assumed he was gay and left. He pulled on his shirt and looked at Misao.
"The beach closes at ten. Aren't you supposed to go home?" he asked brusquely.
"Can't. No ride. I'm stuck here. It's fine, though . . . I hear sand is really comfortable once you get used to it . . ."
Sanosuke just rolled his eyes and went to look for Katsu and the big pile of Yahiko.
Misao was cleaning up the area, taking some of the things to her grandfather's Previa (she jacked his keys; oh yeah, and she only has her permit, and thus cannot drive alone) and leaving others for Kaoru to load into her car when she finished . . . whatever she was doing. Aoshi silently helped with some of the manly lifting and carrying. When they had cleaned up, he stood there and asked, "So I take it I'm driving you home."
"That would be nice. Thank you, Lord Aoshi," she smiled at him while she stole his jacket and put it on. Zipped up, it was still too big for her. Only she would EVER get away with stealing from him. He stalked toward his car, and she hurried to keep up with his long strides.
Meanwhile, Sano stepped on something squishy.
"GET OFF ME, YOU ASS!"
"Oh. Hey, dude, the explosions are dying down over by Tower 7. Time to go," Sanosuke said as he helped Yahiko out of the sand and his ropes.
Katsu ran up to them, Tae following, still smiling, and Tsubame brought up the rear while frantically trying to hold on to all of their belongings.
"Wait for it . . ." said Katsu.
Tsubame looked at her watch. As soon as it turned '10:01' a huge sparkler shot into the air.
Katsu smiled. "My work here is done. Let's go home," he said, and they trooped off toward Tae's car.
Sanosuke looked back once at the melee of officers and lifeguards over by Tower 7 and said, "Take that, government pigs."
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A/N: Nice. We hope that was long enough for all of you. It better be, because that was pretty long. Yeesh. You like? YOU REVIEW. Thanks. Hey look, it's DEAN!!!
::Dean strolls by::
Well, that was fun. Guess what you all get to look forward to NEXT CHAPTER!!!!
GOING BACK TO SCHOOL!!!!! YAY!!!!! YAY FOR SCHOOL!!!!
Chunks: Oh, shut up. (Zippy bounces off)