Legal Note: N/A *************************************************************************************

Chapter Twelve: Ranma

I tossed and turned all night, and yet I still haven't slept one second. Why can't I just sleep peacefully? Akane used to be in a dream here and there, but now she's just the only thing my mind can think about besides my stupidity. I mean, how could I say I hate her? I don't even remember saying it! That thought never went through my head once. It just came out as if I preprogrammed my head to do that when I complimented her. The strange thing was that I ain't tired one bit. I've been up twenty-five hours and still I ain't tired.

I sat up and shouted silently. I so wanted to kick something so I stood and punted my father into the backyard through the window. That didn't help. I need one of those thingies that when you squeeze the eyes and tongue bulge out.

"Ranma, what's wrong?" My mother was awake now. That punt would wake up most anyway.

I could tell her, but if I say it all the wrong way she'll try to say I'm not a man. I have to say this right or I'll be dead. "It's Akane. She's mad at me again and it really gets on my nerves."

"Akane?"

"I'm no girl so maybe you can help me with her." Why didn't I think to ask another girl what to do with Akane? They know what girls like after all.

"Well, I suppose a man must know how to please his fiancée." I don't know why, but when she called Akane my fiancée I wanted to punch her. Did I really have such a defense mechanism (as I've heard it called) that would bring me nearly to the point of hitting my own mother for saying something so simple? No wonder Akane always hates me. "What did you happen to do this time?"

"I, I said I loved her cooking, but" I didn't want to say it. No, no it hurt to say it, but I guess I hafta. "But then I said I hated her." My mother looked at me with that glare that says I should know better than that. "I tried to tell her I slipped up and that I liked her, but she wouldn't listen." As always.

"I see, no wonder she's mad at you." She looked sort of disappointed in me. "How could you say such a cruel thing Ranma? Is that what Genma has taught you?" Now, now even my mom is mad at me. Is every girl I like always going to hate me while the ones I get tired of hang around. "A man must not show emotions that are girlish, but they should not be so cold-hearted."

"Okay, okay! I know all that! Now how do I fix this mess?"

"Can you?" I don't think so. I can't get Akane back now can I? She hates me after all. I can't be forgiven for telling her that I hated her. If it were something simple like, I called her a moron it'd be easy, but not this. I wasn't engaged to her anymore. She said so herself after hitting me with that table yesterday. "You'll have to start all over again Ranma."

"Start, all over?" How far back we talking? I wish I could go back to before me and Pops got to the Tendo's home and then it would be a lot easier to start over. My dream, Akane and I were watching fireworks. That's what I need. A good fireworks display and some other corny crap I find out from some magazine. There's no doubt I can't restart then. "Mom, do you have some money you can lend me?"

"Oh, I'm afraid not dear, but I'm sure Nabiki would lend you some." Argh! A loan from Nabiki is like selling your soul to the Devil. But it's for Akane! I'll just have to go through with it.

I darted up and went on a search for Nabiki. I finally found her watching TV and I was able to get a decent loan from her and all I needed to do was be rented out for two hours. Since I know it'll probably only be me being bought by the school's teams I let it go. I can play baseball and whatever else just fine. With new funds I was ready to start on Operation: GetAkaneBack (title subject to change-Hey, it is a corny name after all) and then I'll never have any problems again.

I just wonder where Akane is. She's not in her room and not anywhere in the house, and I bought a box of fireworks, flowers, and chocolates-with some pocket change I might add. She just is nowhere and I have the fireworks all set up too.

"Oh, Ranma." Kasumi was placing some clothes out to dry.

"Kasumi, where's Akane?" She looked away and I got this chill. She ran away! That's the only possibility. I just have to review the evidence: 1. No Akane. 2. Kasumi's look. 3. Her room seemed empty a bit. 4. She was really pissed. "Kasumi where did she run off to?"

"She didn't want me to say."

"You have to tell me!"

"No, she never told me. She knew I'd tell you so she didn't tell me. She just said she was leaving on a training trip." She was telling the truth.

"When did she leave?" I might just be able to catch her.

"An hour ago."

"By foot?"

"I think so."

I turned and ran off in the direction of Osaka. That's where I think she would go seeing that she mentioned wanting to visit there soon. If I ran all-out I should be able to catch her in ten minutes. That's if she's walking slowly.