*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
More than just friends
Ryonan Girl
II – All Boxed up
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Sure, Sendoh dreamed about me. Rather than being touched, I was appalled with what he said . . .
*~*~*flashback*~*~*
"You dreamt about me?" I stammered. Of course I would be moved with the fact that Sendoh thinks of me even in his subconscious self.
He began coolly, "Yeah. Didn't I tell you I was rearranging my room last week?"
"Yeah . . . so what was I doing? Was I helping you fix your things in your dream?" I asked curiously, although that wasn't really the type of dream I had in mind.
I supposed it would be like a fairy tale, like Sendoh would rescue me from Donkey Kong (Uozumi). Sendoh would have a moustache and a red jumper on, then I would be taken captive by the big ugly gorilla. Oh, and I wouldn't be wearing pink, even if almost all princesses in fairy tales wear pink.
But Donkey Kong isn't even a fairy tale . . . But I don't care because the thought just keeps me vain and happy.
"No. Actually I kept you away with some of my stuff in a box, which I gave to the garbage collector," Sendoh told me.
For him, it sounded coooooool. For me . . . it was a horrible nightmare! Me? Kept in a box? Without much air . . . Left for days . . . Nothing to eat . . . Nothing to breathe anymore . . .
I glared at him, horrified. "If you weren't going to buy me food, I could have killed you by now."
Wasn't he sweet?
I decided I wouldn't have ice cream anyway, although it's my most favorite food in the world. I mean, I haven't eaten breakfast yet and I'm going to freeze my digestive system with ice cream? Then I won't be able to eat more.
But Sendoh had ice cream anyway. The dirty kind. The one that you buy on the streets. The one that makes you sick.
So he ate and I didn't. Inevitably, we had to go home early because Sendoh said something about his stomach complaining. I shot him a questioned look ("Are you that delusional that you think your stomach is talking to you?" I asked.). He just said that he wanted to go home already. All right. I already knew what he must do there. So I spent my weekends watching TV and fattening myself with chocolates while Sendoh was also stuck at home, abstaining from anything starting with ice and ending with cream. I would just see him tomorrow at school, if he ever comes around.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
I thought he would be absent from school today. But eventually, he said he was all right when I went to his room.
"Does your stomach still hurt?" I asked him, but not in a concerned way. I was obviously mocking him.
"No," Sendoh shot back, "I'm just hungry. You said I don't have time to eat breakfast anymore or else we would be late (and obviously we aren't)."
"Ohhhhhhhh . . ." I said wonderingly, ignoring his final comment. "Then let's buy ice cr . . ." (Sendoh gave me an agitated look) " . . . ab. Iced crab."
He stopped walking and stared contemplatively at me. I stared back at him challengingly, crossing my arms and looking as tough and cool as I can.
That's when it happens. Out of silence, we suddenly burst out laughing. Weird, but its our special way of showing our intimacy – that we have our own world, our own way of seeing things. We sort of do that when we were little kids – laugh brainlessly at the same time. I think it remained with us up to now.
We continued walking to school with a lighter mood. We were classmates actually, unlike the previous years, but we don't really talk a lot in class. He has his 'boyfriends' and my 'girlfriends' (no homosexual insinuations there!!!!!!!!!).
The closest girl friend I have is Yukino. I knew her way before but I only "spoke" to her two years ago. I didn't have a high opinion of her before that . . . and maybe it changed now . . . but only a little. Just kidding. I secretly like the girl . . . and she does like me too, naturally. We just show our friendship through fighting and screaming at each other.
It's never comfortable when you're with Sendoh. I don't know why, but wherever we go, all eyes seem to focus on us. Or on him. What does Sendoh have that I don't have? The porcupine hair? I admit, I get jealous sometimes with his popularity. But what would I do with popularity? Eat it?
As Sendoh and I reached the classroom, we were greeted by this amazing bunny girl.
Yukino jumped in front of us and shouted a perky, hyper, "HI!!"
I only creased my eyebrows in response. It's so early in the morning and she's getting all hyper?!
I tediously waved my hand at her while Sendoh raised his head and walked past her to consult his idiotic male lackeys.
"Yo, Hey, What's up? Mumble mumble mumble blah blah blah laugh laugh . . ." Idle boy talk.
"Don't you guys ever talk?" Yukino snorted.
I threw my bag on my desk. "Possibly," I muttered.
She (or It) rolled her eyes. "Then you must have a very exciting relationship."
"Yeah. Real dandy," I said, yawning afterwards.
"You didn't seem so sleepy when you were with Sendoh," continued Yukino.
"Nah," I plainly replied as to annoy Yukino.
"Wow," said Yukino sarcastically, "You're such a superb conversationalist."
I grinned at her. Then I saw him enter – the boy of Yukino's dreams . . . or nightmares.
"Hey there's Koshino," I said. "Go talk to him."
Koshino is also a basketball player. Wow. And he has this neat, ordinary hair that's parted at the middle . . . Hmm . . . What else about him . . . And oh yeah, he has this tenor voice that's even higher than mine. And Yukino and he fight a lot. This world is full of surprises, huh?
"Look what the cat dragged in," Yukino said mockingly.
"Look what the garbage collector forgot," Koshino answered nonchalantly.
That made me remember about Sendoh's stupid dream. Then I saw him laughing (with his lackeys) suddenly at what Koshino said. I was about to laugh too (Yukino looked disgusted), but then I thought of something implied in Sendoh's laughter . . .
"What are you laughing at?" I asked him casually, while Koshino and Yukino were busy devising comebacks.
He seemed confused with my question. His dumb boyfriends had no reactions because they had no brains.
"At Koshino?" he answered.
"Not at me?" I asked him, hence, I sounded stupid.
Then he laughed again, "Now I am. What's with you?"
What's with me? What kind of question is that?
"It's not I who dream of sick psycho dreams about my friends," I said crossly.
Sendoh snorted. "You're thinking about that again? Come on, it's only a stupid dream."
"A stupid dream you thought about," I said.
"It was in my subconscious . . ."
"Your subconscious. It means you don't know it but you want to do it."
"I did not think of putting you in a box and throwing you away!"
"If I know, you're secretly planning it!"
"Throw her to Koshino instead," Yukino added, "He smells like a garbage can already."
"You know that because you live in one," Koshino scoffed.
"Never mind," Sendoh muttered, walking away from us.
"What? You can't leave me just like that," I continued to argue.
"Teacher's there," he pointed, retreating to his seat.
So he was, walking into the room. I didn't renew our conversation but instead stomped back to my seat.
While the teacher starts to chatter tediously at the front, I was wondering if my shallow worthless life could just be turned into one big sitcom instead. . .
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
After dismissal time, I am obligated to go to the gym to manage our basketball practice, because I was the manageress of course. Duh.
My duties include bossing around people (I am sort of sub to the gorilla captain, because he is just so big and fierce, who is sub to the coach), writing stuff (I usually just doodle, so I look like I am checking out something serious), teaching newbies, etcetera, etcetera.
Yukino comes with me during basketball practice. She loves to watch, although she isn't a basketball addict like me. I think she's watching the jocks. Who's there to watch? Uozumi? Koshino? Um, Sendoh? There's no way she likes Sendoh!!! He's not her type. But what do I know about her type? But why do I care if Sendoh's her type? I mean it's not that I'm jealous or anything . . . I don't have to justify that I found Sendoh first. But I did! Never mind . . .
So she and I were walking to the gym . . . Tra la la la la.
"Hey Yuki," I started, "I was thinking . . ."
"So you do think," she gasped.
I snubbed her and walked on seriously. She said behind me, "You were thinking of what?!"
I smiled. "I only wondered why you go with me to the basketball practices. You don't even like basketball. You can go home if you want."
"Oh please . . . I don't want to go home. It's boring there," she said, "You're right! I hate basketball! I don't know . . . You just make it look fun. Like when you humiliate the basketball players . . ."
"Oh."
Yukino glared at me. "I was pouring my heart to you and you just say 'oh'?"
She was pouring her heart to me? . . .
"Oh," I repeated jokingly.
Then she heatedly smacked me on the head.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*
"Nanami!" Hikoichi shouted excitedly, holding up a mop, hyper as always. Among the freshmen, he must be the most interesting of them all. He writes notes ceaselessly and he worships all those with "superior" basketball skills, especially Sendoh. He's mad about Sendoh. He wants to be Sendoh. Putting it simply, Hikoichi's just a sweet, harmless nerd. Hmm . . . maybe he's like me but not quite. Really really not quite.
I smiled widely at Hikoichi but then turned stern. I noiselessly motioned at his mop and he, getting the message, continued to energetically mop the floor in all directions in hyper speed mode. His fellow freshmen only gawked at his newfound strength and his hyperactivity.
"What are you gaping at? Do you want flies to enter your mouths?" I said bossily, "Get to work."
"Yes ma'am," they chorused, military style. And they started to mop the court again, but none of them ever beat Hikoichi's top speed.
"Whoooaaaa," Yukino said triumphantly. "You sure know how to deal with things around here. Girl power!"
I snorted and told Yukino that I would just go to the locker room and change. When I returned, Sendoh, already changed, was there with the other sophomores. At least he had the decency to practice. He didn't practice the other times because of his excessive pride and stubbornness, I guess. Being the 'best' has its comedowns. Coach Taoka then takes his anger at me because he said that I should've nagged Sendoh because I'm the manager and I constantly see him (that's a fact . . . morning, afternoon, night). Once again, I've become Sendoh's loyal servant.
"What's wrong with him?" Sendoh asked, referring to Hikoichi, who was still zooming around with his mop.
"He's just being a loon as usual," Uekusa said.
"Hey guys, could you warm up already?" I softly said, approaching them.
They didn't seem to notice me at all, even Sendoh, which bugged me a lot ("Hikoichi's such an idiot." "Har har har blah blah blah."). I grew impatient and finally shouted ferociously, "I ORDER YOU TO WARM UP NOW", and then blared my handy whistle at them.
The club members covered their ears at this. They looked at my direction and suddenly hustled and immediately did various stretching exercises.
When I was about to marvel about the players' growing respect for me, it was only then that I sensed Uozumi behind my back.
"Good job," he said hoarsely, then walked past me to carry through my reign of bossiness.
After the warm up, Coach Taoka finally arrived after pursuing his odd elderly tasks. He initiated a practice game that included the essentials – Sendoh, Uozumi, Ikegami, Uekusa, Fukuda, Koshino and the others. Most of the freshmen I handled, and they didn't seem too happy about it because they want to be in the "All-Star" game in preparation for the coming Inter high games. I always tell them that they just have to be earnest with training so that once their time comes, they'd be better basketball players – and better men excelling in confidence, camaraderie, and patience (I usually change the virtues every time). But I think they don't buy that anymore. Like it or not, they had to train, train and train. And they obviously don't like it.
Sendoh's team didn't win by a point, which means Sendoh isn't taking things too seriously again. I hate it when he does that. He doesn't have to take everything for granted! What's the use of being good at something if you don't show it? But he is truly showing his support to his fellow teammates . . . I mean, winning every time wouldn't really boost any of their egos.
The practice ended at nightfall as usual. Training is tough! I guess I had to wait for the others to finish fixing everything and dressing up . . . For males they sure are pretty slow dressers. I fear walking home alone these days. There are stories about students, mostly females, being kidnapped and . . . God knows what happens to them afterwards. Maybe they're even mutilated, chopped into countless scraps, and then sold in the black market . . . AAHHH!!! No! I'm no good anyway. I have ugly feet . . . and rough skin . . . And I have long dirty fingernails! Who wants my head hanging in his living room?
Yukino doesn't normally finish the practices. She already said goodbye to me and went home with her other friends hours ago.
Finally, after dire and patient waiting, I finally spotted Sendoh, clad in his typical white shirt, heading towards me with his typical smile.
"So," he said, "Are you coming with me . . . or . . ."
"Hmmhmm . . . " was my tired reply. That meant a yes.
I rose up from the bench and with Sendoh by my side, walked out of the gym to the deceptive but serene night.
I wasn't talking to Sendoh much. Not that I'm tired of him. I'm just simply tired. Sendoh isn't too much tired. Like I said, he doesn't put a lot of effort in practices nowadays.
"Don't tell me you're mad," Sendoh told me with a note of teasing in his voice.
"With what?" I naturally asked.
"The dream," Sendoh answered plainly.
"Oh," I said, shrugging.
Then I sheepishly smiled. Was I that shallow this morning that I was worrying over a dream?
"Just promise me not to do that, in real life I mean," I continued.
"Suuuure," Sendoh said giddily. Then he suddenly pointed at something, "Hey isn't that a box?"
It was. Lying on the sidewalk was a big empty tv box, and it was big enough for me. And coincidentally, it was lying beside a trash can too.
"So what? You're going to put me in there?" I said sarcastically.
Sendoh suddenly smiled sinisterly. I shook my head, saying, "I told you not to try iiii . . ."
I was interrupted when Sendoh lifted me up and carried me as if I were a file case, and then he dumped me into the box. I started screaming hysterically but to no avail.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!?!?!?! DO YOU WANT ME TO DIE?" I screamed.
"You said you want me to put you in there," he laughed, as he started to slide the box down the sidewalk.
"OUCH!" I exclaimed, "I'LL ASK THIS ONE MORE TIME, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"
"Come on, it would be fun," Sendoh said.
"FUN?!?!"
And he continued to robustly push me down the sloping road, chuckling to himself like a madman.
I was scared at first, horrified, but now, I was beginning to have fun too. And I thought he was going to close the lid of the box and ship me off somewhere, like to Africa. It was like a carnival ride with a twist. And it's for free!
I laughed along with Sendoh and started cheering and yelling. Passers-by only threw questioningly looks at us but we didn't care. The night was ours.
At corner close to our homes, Sendoh stopped pushing and caught his breath.
"You're too heavy," he joked.
"Hey!" I said, then with a royal accent, "Go push, my box-pushing slave."
"I am dreadfully sorry, miss," Sendoh replied, panting. "Your box-pushing slave is beat. And that sounded like drug-pushing by the way."
"We look like we're on drugs anyway," I said frivolously, standing up from my crouching position and getting out of the carton. "Anyway, shouldn't we return the box you stole."
"We both stole it," Sendoh corrected, "It's our getaway vehicle."
I grinned. "So what do we do with it? Give it back."
We studied each other for a while, reaching a decision.
"Nah," we said in unison.
T.B.C.
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A/N: Another chapter done for the month of February! Hope it makes your Valentine's day a little happier. At least this shows I'm still gonna continue my story and hopefully give a satisfying ending to it.
This chapter was kind of cut short, but it seems a good way to end the chapter, I mean the box thing. It started with the box and ended with the box. What's with the box, you ask? Nanami's claustrophobic remember? So it's a horrifying thought for her to be stuck in a box (who won't be?).
Please review. I really want to know what you think about this chapter or overall, my whole writing style. Thank you thank you thank you thank you!