Chapter Six: The Date Box
That evening Shigure was practically glowing at the news of the dance.
"Oh it's so wonderful. We had some school dances when I was growing up? So who are you going with Kyo?" he asked.
"I. I don't know! I haven't even thought about it!" Kyo shouted.
"You won't have to" Yuki replied cynically.
"Huh? Why not?"
"You'll see in the morning" Yuki sighed, "I don't really know myself, but by tomorrow we'll all know."
"Hmm. Intriguing" Shigure added.
"Have you even thought about this at all you damn rat? What if some girl gets too close and then poof! Instant cat and rat! What then?" Kyo retorted.
"Oh yea, that will be a problem won't it?" Tohru replied.
"Don't worry Miss Honda. I've been to some dances before and know how to handle it. The stupid cat here will have to fend for himself."
"What was that?" Kyo shouted.
The two of them began to argue while Tohru and Shigure watched. Tohru was now in deep thought. She hadn't considered what a danger the dance would cause the Sohmas and was now a bit concerned.
**********************************************************
The next morning Kakeru walked into the office with a large shoebox tucked under his arm. He placed it on the desk with the nametag in bold letters staring Yuki right in the face.
"What is this?" Yuki asked, a ballpoint pen in his hand.
"Read it" Kakeru replied enthusiastically.
"DATE BOX? What's it for?"
"Well I had an idea. Since everyone is required to go to the dance and is required to have a date I figure a date box is the sure fire way that everyone will be able to attend and everyone will have a date."
"I don't. Uh I don't understand."
"Well it's simple Yuki. We have two boxes. One for the third- years and one for the second-years, right?"
"Uh huh?"
"We place every girls name in the boxes. The guys pull out a name and that is the girl they go to the dance with. We have an even amount of students as far as the records go. So this afternoon the boys will pull out the name and on Thursday they reveal to the girl who they are. What do you think?"
"Uh. Are you sure about this? I mean what if they end up with someone they don't like?"
"That's impossible. If they really end up with someone like that then we will redraw. As for you and President Takei you guys can pick your dates since you are presidents."
"Oh gee thanks. Well" Yuki sighed, "It's not the worst idea that I have ever heard, but still."
Kakeru took that as a good sign and smiled.
"Great! Then I'll take care of everything! Don't you worry Yun Yun! It'll be excellent. You wait and see!."
"I can hardly wait" Yuki sighed again as his excited vice president snatched up the box and ran out the door.
**********************************************************
That afternoon an announcement was made and all the guys gathered in the school courtyard. The girls watched from over on the grass. Some of the girls were whispering excitedly. Tohru, Uo, and Hana just watched with interest. Kyo was standing behind two of his friends with a disgruntled look on his face. In front was a small table with the box. Kakeru was standing behind the table with a huge grin on his face.
"Okay fellas step right up! One at a time! And pull your dream date out of the box!" he shouted.
"This is stupid" Kyo muttered.
"C'mon Kyo Kyo it's fun" one of his friends said.
"Don't call me that."
Each boy took their turn and pulled a name out of the box. They looked at the slip of paper. Some of them frowned but shook it off; others were thrilled. When it was Kyo's turn he took out the slip of paper and didn't even look at it. Instead he just stuffed it into his pocket.
"Okay boys!" Kakeru called to get their attention when he had drawn his slip, "Don't forget in the morning come back to this table. You'll see why then. And you can't reveal who your date is until tomorrow. See you then!"
"Whatever" Kyo replied as he walked back into the school building following his friends.
"I wonder why Yuki didn't draw?" Miho said to Minami.
"Yuki's not drawing" Mai answered.
"What?" Miho and Minami exclaimed.
"I heard it this morning. He gets to pick his date."
"Oh. So if one those boys doesn't have us, then he could pick us or President Matoko?" Minami asked.
"Actually President Matoko is already going with someone" Mai said.
"Huh?" they both exclaimed again.
"She told me yesterday that Makoto Takei asked her and she accepted."
"President Matoko is going with President Takei?" Minami stuttered.
"Uh huh. Any way who do you think we'll get?" she smiled at the two stunned girls.
********************************************************
Kyo walked silently home with Tohru and Yuki. Tohru was talking away with Yuki while Kyo just listened in. Yuki watched him with a frown on his face. When they arrived home they did their homework in the sitting room and then they cleared up for dinner.
"So Yuki" Shigure asked as they sat down and Kyo and Tohru were getting the dishes, "Have you asked anyone to the dance yet?"
"No" Yuki shook his head.
"Well that's a shame" Shigure smiled mischievously, "You could go with um" he moved his head in the direction of the kitchen.
Yuki looked at him his face turning a little red. Then he shook his head furiously making Shigure drop the subject for the moment.
**********************************************************
That night Kyo was working at his desk and remembered he had some trash to empty out of his pockets from his school uniform. He pulled the bits of trash out of the left pocket and threw them into the wastebasket. Then he pulled the small slip of paper out of the right pocket.
"Oh wait" he stopped himself, "This isn't trash."
He stared at the back of the slip a few moments then took a deep breath.
"Got to do it sometime" he sighed then turned the slip of paper over.
The slip of paper slipped out of his hands and floated to the ground as he slid to the floor and placed his face on his knees.
"This is the worst thing that could ever happen" he replied to himself as he gazed at the slip on the floor.
**********************************************************
Authors Note: Hey Guys! I know I said that Changes and Feelings was the title of this chapter but I needed another chapter to make it an even 12 so I came up with the idea of the date box and a little cliffhanger for you till the next chapter. Hope you liked it. And I know it's a little silly of an idea for a dance but I thought it was kind of a unique way to handle it so there you go.
Next Chapter: Changes and Feelings
The guys reveal their dates and Yuki learns more about the mysterious Machi Kuragi!
That evening Shigure was practically glowing at the news of the dance.
"Oh it's so wonderful. We had some school dances when I was growing up? So who are you going with Kyo?" he asked.
"I. I don't know! I haven't even thought about it!" Kyo shouted.
"You won't have to" Yuki replied cynically.
"Huh? Why not?"
"You'll see in the morning" Yuki sighed, "I don't really know myself, but by tomorrow we'll all know."
"Hmm. Intriguing" Shigure added.
"Have you even thought about this at all you damn rat? What if some girl gets too close and then poof! Instant cat and rat! What then?" Kyo retorted.
"Oh yea, that will be a problem won't it?" Tohru replied.
"Don't worry Miss Honda. I've been to some dances before and know how to handle it. The stupid cat here will have to fend for himself."
"What was that?" Kyo shouted.
The two of them began to argue while Tohru and Shigure watched. Tohru was now in deep thought. She hadn't considered what a danger the dance would cause the Sohmas and was now a bit concerned.
**********************************************************
The next morning Kakeru walked into the office with a large shoebox tucked under his arm. He placed it on the desk with the nametag in bold letters staring Yuki right in the face.
"What is this?" Yuki asked, a ballpoint pen in his hand.
"Read it" Kakeru replied enthusiastically.
"DATE BOX? What's it for?"
"Well I had an idea. Since everyone is required to go to the dance and is required to have a date I figure a date box is the sure fire way that everyone will be able to attend and everyone will have a date."
"I don't. Uh I don't understand."
"Well it's simple Yuki. We have two boxes. One for the third- years and one for the second-years, right?"
"Uh huh?"
"We place every girls name in the boxes. The guys pull out a name and that is the girl they go to the dance with. We have an even amount of students as far as the records go. So this afternoon the boys will pull out the name and on Thursday they reveal to the girl who they are. What do you think?"
"Uh. Are you sure about this? I mean what if they end up with someone they don't like?"
"That's impossible. If they really end up with someone like that then we will redraw. As for you and President Takei you guys can pick your dates since you are presidents."
"Oh gee thanks. Well" Yuki sighed, "It's not the worst idea that I have ever heard, but still."
Kakeru took that as a good sign and smiled.
"Great! Then I'll take care of everything! Don't you worry Yun Yun! It'll be excellent. You wait and see!."
"I can hardly wait" Yuki sighed again as his excited vice president snatched up the box and ran out the door.
**********************************************************
That afternoon an announcement was made and all the guys gathered in the school courtyard. The girls watched from over on the grass. Some of the girls were whispering excitedly. Tohru, Uo, and Hana just watched with interest. Kyo was standing behind two of his friends with a disgruntled look on his face. In front was a small table with the box. Kakeru was standing behind the table with a huge grin on his face.
"Okay fellas step right up! One at a time! And pull your dream date out of the box!" he shouted.
"This is stupid" Kyo muttered.
"C'mon Kyo Kyo it's fun" one of his friends said.
"Don't call me that."
Each boy took their turn and pulled a name out of the box. They looked at the slip of paper. Some of them frowned but shook it off; others were thrilled. When it was Kyo's turn he took out the slip of paper and didn't even look at it. Instead he just stuffed it into his pocket.
"Okay boys!" Kakeru called to get their attention when he had drawn his slip, "Don't forget in the morning come back to this table. You'll see why then. And you can't reveal who your date is until tomorrow. See you then!"
"Whatever" Kyo replied as he walked back into the school building following his friends.
"I wonder why Yuki didn't draw?" Miho said to Minami.
"Yuki's not drawing" Mai answered.
"What?" Miho and Minami exclaimed.
"I heard it this morning. He gets to pick his date."
"Oh. So if one those boys doesn't have us, then he could pick us or President Matoko?" Minami asked.
"Actually President Matoko is already going with someone" Mai said.
"Huh?" they both exclaimed again.
"She told me yesterday that Makoto Takei asked her and she accepted."
"President Matoko is going with President Takei?" Minami stuttered.
"Uh huh. Any way who do you think we'll get?" she smiled at the two stunned girls.
********************************************************
Kyo walked silently home with Tohru and Yuki. Tohru was talking away with Yuki while Kyo just listened in. Yuki watched him with a frown on his face. When they arrived home they did their homework in the sitting room and then they cleared up for dinner.
"So Yuki" Shigure asked as they sat down and Kyo and Tohru were getting the dishes, "Have you asked anyone to the dance yet?"
"No" Yuki shook his head.
"Well that's a shame" Shigure smiled mischievously, "You could go with um" he moved his head in the direction of the kitchen.
Yuki looked at him his face turning a little red. Then he shook his head furiously making Shigure drop the subject for the moment.
**********************************************************
That night Kyo was working at his desk and remembered he had some trash to empty out of his pockets from his school uniform. He pulled the bits of trash out of the left pocket and threw them into the wastebasket. Then he pulled the small slip of paper out of the right pocket.
"Oh wait" he stopped himself, "This isn't trash."
He stared at the back of the slip a few moments then took a deep breath.
"Got to do it sometime" he sighed then turned the slip of paper over.
The slip of paper slipped out of his hands and floated to the ground as he slid to the floor and placed his face on his knees.
"This is the worst thing that could ever happen" he replied to himself as he gazed at the slip on the floor.
**********************************************************
Authors Note: Hey Guys! I know I said that Changes and Feelings was the title of this chapter but I needed another chapter to make it an even 12 so I came up with the idea of the date box and a little cliffhanger for you till the next chapter. Hope you liked it. And I know it's a little silly of an idea for a dance but I thought it was kind of a unique way to handle it so there you go.
Next Chapter: Changes and Feelings
The guys reveal their dates and Yuki learns more about the mysterious Machi Kuragi!