The next morning was Monday, first day back to school.
"This is perfect. I like the way this school system works cause you usually get in the same classes as your friends just because you're in the same grade." Kamiko said as she read her schedule at the breakfast table, her mouth full of milk and cereal.
"May I please see?" Oliver requested. Kamiko handed him the schedule to see.
"At least this year we stay on just one level of the school." Johnny said as he munched on a piece of toast.
"They must've changed it from last year 'cause I was on all four floors." Enrique stated.
"Let me see your schedule." Kamiko asked and took the schedule from Enrique's hand. "Lets see... you're in all of my classes too. What luck." She cheered as she stuffed another spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
"Oh great. Just don't start making out in the back of the classroom or something." Johnny complained.
"Quit your whining!" Kamiko looked at her watch, "Ruki should've been down here by now... I wonder what's taking her."
"Why didn't she come down with you?" Oliver looked up from the schedule paper to ask.
"She was getting ready when I left and said to go ahead without her. We have to go to the building in ten minutes." Kamiko said before she picked up her bowl and slurped up the remaining milk.
"Who cares? She's probably upstairs crying about something else. We should just leave her here." Johnny said, irritabley.
"Shut up, Johnathan. I promised her I'd go with her to class since we're in the same class room anyway." Kamiko said, looking at the schedule in her hand.
"There she is." Oliver said, looking toward the entrance way.
Kamiko looked over her shoulder and watched Ruki approach, "There you are. I almost thought you weren't gonna show."
"Were you crying again? Heh. That's pretty pathetic, even for a little girl." Johnny smirked.
"Ignore him. Have a seat, want something to eat? I can go something for you if you want." Kamiko offered.
"No thanks, I'm fine." Ruki answered.
"No breakfast? Are you crazy?" Enrique suddenly said.
"I never have breakfast..." Ruki blinked.
"No breakfast? No wonder you're so airheaded. Well, at least partially the reason." Johnny amused himself with his teasing.
"Johnny, put a sock in it." Kamiko hissed and turned back to Ruki, "Are you really sure you don't want any breakfast?"
"I'm sure." Ruki nodded.
"Ok ... " Kamiko said, unsurely. She suddenly stood up, "Ok guys, lets leave early so we can dibs the best seats!"
"What a great idea! I'd like one of the front seats." Oliver said as he stood up.
"I want the back corner. Any back corners left open go to me, got it?" Johnny made clear.
"I'll take center back with Enrique." Kamiko agreed. She looked down at Ruki who was just standing up herself, "Where do you wanna sit?"
"I think I'll sit up front with Oliver.." Ruki turned to Oliver, "-- if you don't mind that is..."
"Not at all! I'm glad I won't be the only one of us up there." Oliver smiled.
"Great then, lets go." Kamiko announced.
The five marched out the front doors to the highschool. A few others were already on their way there too.
Enrique held Kamiko's hand as they walked, "I sure hope we're going the right way. With four different school buildings who knows which one to go to anymore."
"I'm sure this is it. I double checked one of the maps inside before I came downstairs for breakfast." Oliver said.
"It better be. If we come late we'll be stuck with the worst seats in class all year!" Johnny moaned.
"Stop complaining back there, Carrots!" Kamiko instructed.
"I'm not complaining, and don't call me Carrots, doofus!" Johnny ordered back.
"Please don't fight, not this early in the morning." Oliver sighed.
"Yeah, Johnny... we're all tired of hearing your voice." Enrique grinned.
"Pfft, why's everybody ganging up against me all of a sudden?" Johnny sighed as he put his arms behind his head.
"Because ... you're a pain." Kamiko said, simply.
"I'm no more pain than you are." Johnny glared at her.
"You wanna bet?" Kamiko looked over her shoulder at him.
"Sure, whatta ya wanna bet?" Johnny challenged her.
"I'll bet you my desert this evening that the teacher will get annoyed with you before she gets annoyed with me."
"Fine then, desert it is. We'll see who comes out the winner here." Johnny grinned, confidentally.
"Too bad one of you is gonna lose desert, though I'm sure Johnny is gonna be the one going without desert tonight." Enrique smiled with amusement.
"Of course you side with your stupid girlfriend!" Johnny growled.
"Look, all I'm saying is you have a way of getting along with people ... or should I say, not getting along with people. You just get under everyone's skin, that's all." Enrique explained.
"That's all?" Kamiko raised an eyebrow, "No no no, there's much more than just that. But we won't go there... yet." There was an evil sparkle in Kamiko's eye.
"Well, here it is you guys." Oliver said as they all stopped to look up at the building.
"It looks kinda like a freakin' motel inn." Johnny frowned.
"It's kind of an old building, but they've already started building a new one. It should be open next year, the down side is it's a bit further away. We'll have to take buses." Oliver explained.
"Well, lets see." Kamiko pulled Enrique inside with her, the other three following.
"Woa, this place must be ancient." Enrique said as he looked around.
"Yeah, it's totally empty too." Johnny added.
"That's perfect, lets go find our room. It should be on floor one, room 145." Kamiko said as they looked for the elevator.
"This place is... kinda creepy." Enrique said as he looked around, following Kamiko.
"Somebody needs to turn on the lights..." Johnny said, sounding fearless.
"It is kinda dark. Ruki, are you still with us?" Oliver looked over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm here." Ruki answered, quietly.
"Stay close to us, this place is a riot, from what I've heard, when the bell rings." Oliver said.
"Uh, Ok..." Ruki said, her voice a bit fearful.
"What, you aren't afraid of this shabby old dump are you? You've probably lived in something simular, except much smaller. Like a shack or something." Johnny mocked somemore.
"Ignore him, Ruki." Oliver told her as they approached the elevator.
"Here it is." Kamiko said, "All aboard!"
"Are you sure that thing is safe?" Enrique looked at it, skeptically.
Johnny walked up beside him, "Yeah, it looks like it's rusted over. And if it does move, it'll go crashing through the ground with just two people on."
"Come on, don't be a scaredy cat!" Kamiko provoked.
"Tch, a scaredy cat, eh?" Johnny stepped on.
"Well, here goes..." Enrique said as he got on. He looked at Oliver and Ruki, "You two coming or what?"
"Uh, I think I'll take the staircase up..." Oliver said. He peered at Ruki who appeared to be hiding behind him, "You wanna come with me?"
Ruki looked up at him and nodded.
"Ok then you guys take the long way." Kamiko granted.
"We'll meet you there." Oliver said and turned around, "Come on Ruki. The staircase is probably somewhere down this hall." Oliver and Ruki disappeared around the dark corner.
"O---k, here we go." Kamiko pressed the one on the panel. She waited.
"I don't think you pressed it hard enough." Enrique said and pushed it harder. The light behind it turned on, "See."
"Thank you, Enrique." Kamiko said, flirtatiously.
"Oh please!" Johnny interrupted from the corner. "Wait 'til lunch or after school or something, I don't wanna see this."
Kamiko glared at Johnny, "I'll beat your head in first."
"I'd like to see you try." Johnny laughed.
"Just ignore him." Enrique sighed, "Maybe he'll disappear and fade away or something."
"That would be a miracle, but here's hopin'!" Kamiko agreed.
Meanwhile, Oliver led Ruki down the dark hallway.
"This place is kinda creepy when it's empty, isn't it?" Oliver said as he looked around.
"Are you sure it's not this creepy when there people here?" Ruki asked, staying close.
"You'd think when there people here there would be lights on... but I might be wrong." Oliver continued to search for the staircase.
"Oliver...?"
"Yeah?" Olivered looked over his shoulder at her.
Ruki looked up at him, her face pale with fright, "Do you get the feeling something is following us...?"
"Uh..." Oliver looked past her, into the darkness, unable to see anything but the past two classroom doors on either side they had just passed. "Well, I don't see anything." He looked down at her, "Are you scared?"
Ruki managed a slight, crooked smile, "Me? Scared?"
"Come on, the staircase should be nearby." Oliver continued forwards, the only sound heard were the tapping of their shoes.
"I hope so..." Ruki muttered to herself.
As they continued to trot, an unsancrinized pair of tapping joined them, not matching either of their feet.
"Oliver...?"
Oliver's eye shifted about as he searched, "Yeah?"
"Do you hear that?" Ruki whispered.
Oliver gulped, "I do... Whatever you do, don't look back."
"Can I hold your hand?" Ruki requested.
Oliver was a bit stiff, "Yeah."
Ruki took his hand, feeling slightly better and making Oliver feel slightly better too, but it wasn't enough to send the heeby jeebies away.
"There it is. The staircase." Oliver said, "Remember, don't stop, keep going no matter what. We'll get there alright if we don't panic, Ok?"
"Yes, Ok..." Ruki trembled with fear as they began to climb the rubber-topped stairs.
"Even paced.." Oliver reminded her.
Ruki took a hard swallow as they reached the sixth step, "I think it's following us..." She whispered.
"It's Ok... Just hang on..." Oliver held his breath. "We're almost at the top... Our room should be on this side of the hallway too."
"I hope..." Ruki bit her lip.
They reached the top and walked to the first door to see the room number, "250?!" Oliver exclaimed. "How is this possible?"
"Do you think our room is on the second floor?" Ruki asked.
"I don't know... This is so strange." Oliver stared at the number as if it were a monster. He sighed, somewhat frustrated, "We'll keep walking down this hall, if there's another staircase that goes up, we'll go that way in hopes that our number is up there. And maybe if we're lucky we'll catch the others on the elevator."
Ruki followed Oliver, the other pair of shoes still making their way up the steps.
"Do you think we should run?" Ruki asked.
"No, it would provoke whatever's following us to run after us..." Oliver replied, "Just stay calm. We'll get there Ok..."
"Do you think the others are as lost as we are?" Ruki looked up at Oliver for an answer.
"I wish I knew..." Oliver replied, unsurely.
Meanwhile...
"Man, I can't believe this stupid thing got stuck!" Johnny moaned as he sat in the corner of the elevator.
"No kidding." Kamiko sighed.
"Hey, wait, what if we pull open the doors. Maybe if we're lucky we can climb out of the step-out place." Enrique suggested.
"Johnathan, get off your butt and help Enrique pull the door open!" Kamiko ordered.
"What?! And you think you don't have to help?"
"I'm a lady, of course I don't have to help." Kamiko batted her eyelashes.
"That's a load of crap!" Johnny protested.
"We don't have time to argue, get over here Johnny!" Enrique growled as he attempted to push the doors apart.
"Gah! Stupid girls..." Johnny muttered as he pulled on the opposing door.
"Come on guys, I know you can do it!" Kamiko cheered.
"Shut up, you're ruining my concentration!" Johnny growled.
"And talking is helping?" Enrique looked at him skeptically.
"If I don't say anything she won't shut up." Johnny sighed, annoyed.
Suddenly the doors bursted open and Johnny and Enrique flew in opposite direction.
Kamiko stood up, "Wow, it opened by itself. Guess it was stuck."
"Hey look up there, that must be the second floor." Johnny stood up. "Somebody gimme a boost so I can climb up."
"Ah ah ah, ladies first." Kamiko shoved him aside, "Would you help me, Enrique?"
Enrique got up and rubbed his head, "Uh, yeah." He walked over and kneeled by her, putting his hands together. "We're gonna have to do this quickly, or you'll break my hands."
"Will do." Kamiko nodded and put her foot in his hands.
"Ready?" Enrique pulled her up.
Kamiko jumped for the opening and squirmed out, "Whew. All clear." She went back over and leaned in, "Who's up next? Enrique, why don't you come. You're taller, I don't think I'd be able to reach Johnny."
"What?!" Johnny snarled.
"Yeah, Ok." Enrique reached up, struggling to grab her hand.
"Johnathan! Give Enrique a boost!" Kamiko ordered.
"Yeah right!"
"Wait, I have an idea." Enrique got off his tiptoes, "Johnny, climb up on my back and you go up first."
"Alright, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Johnny seemed pleased and climbed onto Enrique's back, easily climbing up without Kamiko's aid.
"Johnathan, go find something to help Enrique out with." Kamiko told him.
"Why do I have to go?" Johnny protested again.
"Because, you're supposed to be the fearless gladiator of Glasgow. So live up to your name for once!"
"Ah what would you know?" Johnny trotted off down the dark hall to find something.
Kamiko looked into the elevator at Enrique, "Johnny just left to find something to help us with. Hopefully there'll be a hose or something around."
"A hose? This place is so old, I doubt it has fire exstinguisher's built in."
"Well, there's always hoping." Kamiko sighed.
Johnny wandered down the hall, "Pfft. Live up to your name. What the heck is that supposed to mean?" He suddenly stopped, seeing two figures coming. "What's that?" He waited a moment until the two were revealed to be "Oliver!" and Ruki.
"What're you doing here Johnny?" Oliver walked up to him, "And where the other two?"
"The elevator got stuck and so did Enrique. I have to go find something to get him out with." Johnny crossed his arms. "Say, do you hear that?"
Oliver's face dropped, "You mean it wasn't just our imagination?"
Johnny's face suddenly turned blue as the tapping continued.
Ruki clinged to Oliver's jacket, afraid to look back.
"Uh oh..." Oliver slowly looked over his shoulder. "AAAHHHH!!!"
"WAAHHH!!!"
"EEEEE!!"
All three dashed off down the hall, screaming.
"WHAT IS THAT THING??!!" Johnny yelled as he ran.
"I DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WANNA GET TO KNOW!!" Oliver replied, not far behind Johnny.
Kamiko looked up as she heard the three screams and saw them coming, "What on earth?!"
"What the heck is that?" Enrique asked from inside the elevator.
"The gladiator is screaming like a little girl." Kamiko sighed.
The three screeched to a halt by Kamiko.
"Ghost!! There's a ghost!" Johnny wheezed as he pointed down the hall.
"A ghost?!" Kamiko started cracking up, "HAHAH a ghost?! Eheh ...." She stopped to study the thing getting rapidly closer. "GHOST!!!!"
"Ghost?!" Enrique exclaimed from inside the elevator.
"GHOST!!!" The four uptop exclaimed simultaniously as they huddled together. "AAAHHHHH!!!!!"
The ghost stopped and began to laugh. The four continued to scream while Enrique tried to see what was going on.
"I sure had you going this time." The ghost said.
The four stopped.
"What?" Johnny blinked.
The ghost pulled off its white sheet.
"ROBERT?!"
Indeed, it was Robert, and he was laughing almost hystarically.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The lights turned on.
Ruki dropped to the ground, panting.
"That was cruel and unusual, Robert!" Johnny growled.
"It was funny and amusing too." Robert laughed.
"Boy you really had us going." Oliver chuckled.
"I did, didn't I." Robert nodded, pleased with his preformance.
Kamiko knelt next to Ruki, slightly chuckling, "Are you Ok?"
"I ... think so.." Ruki said inbetween breaths.
Enrique walked over to them, "What was that all about?"
Kamiko looked at him, "What?! How'd you get out?"
"The elevator turned back on." Enrique raised an eyebrow.
"You mean to tell me you planned this whole thing?!" Johnny looked at Robert.
"Uh-huh. Senior prank." Robert smirked.
"Ugh!" Johnny retorted.
"Well, this is kind of an awkward way to meet but, before I forget, Robert this is Ruki. She's boarding with me. Ruki, this is the ghost, or also known as the famous Robert Jurgin. He's from Germany." Kamiko explained as she looked down at her friend.
"Nice to meet you." Ruki got to her feet and shook Robert's hand, "My mother was German. I was staying with my grandmother there before I came here."
"Is that so? Where does she live?" Robert asked with interest.
"Altenstein. Do you know it? It has some old castle ruins up on the top of the hill."
"Yes, I know that place. I actually bought that land with the castle remains not too long ago." Robert recalled.
"You bought it?" Ruki exclaimed with alarm.
"Yes. They didn't have enough funds to rebuild it anyway so by purchasing it I aided in the cause."
"They're rebuilding it...?" Ruki blinked.
"It's more like rebuilding the ruins how they had been so it doesn't calapse further but it's still very expensive. But it's no dent in my wallet." Robert answered.
"I see..."
"Forget about the stupid castles, we still have to go get dibs on best seats!" Johnny interrupted.
"Right. Lets go find our room then." Kamiko agreed.
"I'll be seeing you later then, I need to go to the other building." Robert mentioned before they left.
"See ya, Robbie. Come on, lets go guys." Kamiko turned back to the others and led them to the other end of the hallway. "Here it is, 145." She twisted the door knob and the medal door swung open. She reached in and felt around the wall until she felt the light switch. "And there was light! And Kamiko saw that it was good... Woohoo!" Kamiko ran to the back and jumped into her seat. "Perfect."
"About time we got here." Johnny snorted and went with Enrique to the back.
Ruki wandered to the farthest seat from the door and sat there. Oliver followed and sat beside her.
"This is gonna be great." Oliver said cheerfully.
Other people began to come in to take their seats. Before long the entire room was full, but the teacher still hadn't shown, nor had the bell rung.
"I wonder where she could be..." Oliver tapped his finger on his chin.
Ruki shrugged and looked down at her desk. Her eyes turned big and she jumped back and out of her seat.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a spider on my desk!" Ruki staired at the brown spider, who wasn't doing much at the time.
Oliver jumped up, "A spider?!"
Kamiko stood up in the back, "Alright, I'll take care of this!" She stomped up to the front to Ruki's desk and prepared to smash it with her fist.
"Wait don't smash it, at least not with your bare hands!" Ruki stopped her.
"What? Why?" Kamiko looked at her.
"That's a brown recluse, it's poisoness you know!"
"Whatta you want me to do? Step on it?" Kamiko asked, annoyed.
"Get outta the way, I'll kill it!" Johnny said, shoving Kamiko aside.
"This is gonna be interesting." Kamiko snickered.
Everybody watched as Johnny climbed up on the desk and the jumped on the spider, causing the desk to calapse just as the teacher was in the doorway. Everybody held their breath and then began to laugh.
"HAHAH!! Way to go, Johnathan!" Kamiko cracked up.
"Excuse me, young man, but there is a rule about climbing up on desks." The teacher warned as she walked over to him.
"There was a brown recluse on it, what was I supposed to do?" Johnny remarked, crossing his arms.
"Don't make excuses, get in your seat now!" The teacher ordered.
Johnny grumbled as he walked back to his seat with Kamiko behind him snickering. When they reached the back, Kamiko poked Johnny in the arm, "Looks like you just lost your desert!"
Johnny gave her a death glare but said nothing.
Ruki helped the teacher carry the broken desk to the corner of the room. "I'm afraid we don't have any extra desks at this time, so you can just pull your chair up to the side of my desk and sit there until we have it replaced." The teacher said.
"Thank you." Ruki nodded and went back to get her chair.
The teacher stood behind her desk, "Alright, everybody quiet. I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Ms. Spzielman and I'll be your teacher for the entire year. Now a few of you have already managed to get on my bad side..." She eyed Johnny in the back, "But, I'm sure you'll have a chance to redeem yourself sometime before the year ends."
Ruki dropped herself in the seat by the desk and looked up at the young teacher to listen.
"I'm hoping because there are only 22 of us here, that we'll be able to do plenty of fun activities, so long as you behave, I'll do my best not to make this a snore for you. So, first off, I'd like to pass out the book and workbook we'll be using for this year." Ms. Spzielman looked at Ruki, "Would you pass these out for me?"
"Sure." Ruki stood up and took the handfull of books.
"Thank you so much, now, what's your name?"
"Ruki."
"Ruki, how nice." Ms. Spzielman turned to the class, "Ruki is going to be handing you a book. You'll need to put your name on the list on the inside and I'll come around to see what number you have. You'll be responsible for returning the same book number in at the end of the year, and if you don't, there's a fee. There's also a seperate fee to pay for the book if it's ripped or lost, so take care of your books." Shes instructed.
Ruki went around, handing the books one by one to every student, occassionally having to go back to get more.
"Now while Ruki does that, let me take role call." The teacher looked at a list of names and began to call them out.
After Ruki finished passing out the large text books, she grabbed all the workbooks and passed those out as well.
"Any questions?" Ms. Spzielman asked after finishing role call. "Good, now that everybody has their text book, I'd like you to open to page seven, please."
At the end of class, everybody left to lunch with their workbooks in hand.
"I can't believe it, homework on the first night!" Johnny complained.
"Stop whining! This is way easy stuff. We can do it together at dinner." Kamiko said.
"That's a great idea." Oliver said as they walked down the hall with the rest of the other classes.
"Of course it is, I thought of it." Kamiko grinned, haughtilly.
"Where do we go after this?" Enrique asked.
"Lets see." Kamiko pulled out her schedule from her notebook. "Room 127. It's at the other end of the hall."
"And after that?" Oliver looked over Kamiko's shoulder, trying to see.
"Room... 166." Kamiko replied.
"What? That's upstairs though." Enrique sighed.
"There four floors here, but this building is only for freshmen and sophomores, right?" Oliver looked at the others for an answer.
"Yeah. That means Room's 251 through 299 are all on the fourth floor. That's so messed up!" Kamiko replied.
"No kidding." Johnny growled, "No wonder they're in a hurry to finish the new building, maybe they'll actually have the numbers right!"
"Quit complaining, Johnathan. You're the biggest whiner I've ever come across." Kamiko teased.
"Oh yeah right." Johnny shook his head.
"Say, do any of you know where that paperwod came from that hit me?" Kamiko looked at her friends. "Ruki! You little troublemaker! That wasn't you was it?"
Ruki chuckled, "No, but I know who it was."
"Really? Who?" Kamiko looked down at her friend.
"It was the kid who sits against the wall on the left side, third seat from the front."
Kamiko blinked.
"He had brown hair and the top was bleached and he looked--"
"Like a druggy?" Kamiko finished.
"...Yeah, sort've." Ruki answered.
"I'll personally pound him if he tries to flirt with you again." Enrique growled.
"Ooohh, getting a little defensive, are we, Enrique?" Johnny snickered.
"Hah, I'll be sure to give it to you when you get a girlfriend!" Enrique laughed back.
"As if that will ever happen." Kamiko chuckled.
Johnny crossed his arms, "Hmph, like I'd care either way. I don't want a girlfriend anyway."
"Now you know that's a lie!" Kamiko turned around to look at Johnny, walking backwards now.
"And how would you know?" Johnny put up a fist.
"I can see it in your eyes." Kamiko grinned, mischieviously.
"You're full of crap, you know that, right?" Johnny crossed his arms again.
"You only wish that were true." Kamiko sneered.
Down in the lunch room, they stood in line with trays, waiting to get something to eat.
"Hey Ruki, why don't you have a tray?" Kamiko looked behind her at Ruki.
"What? Oh, I'm not hungry."
"Not hungry? Are you crazy? You haven't eaten anything all day! You have to be hungry!"
"Uh, no.. I'm just not hungry." Ruki shrugged.
Johnny leaned forward so Kamiko would hear him, "Peasant girl here is used to not eating three meals a day, why should she start now if she's gonna be going back to one meal a day--if she's lucky, that is."
"Johnathan MacGregor, that's gonna cost you your lunch desert for the next week! Hand it over!!" Kamiko demanded.
"Pfft, yeah right. I've already lost my desert for dinner, there's no way I'm giving up my lunch desert too." Johnny refused.
"Then you better zip the lip and leave Ruki alone!" Kamiko sighed with frustration.
"Hey if I didn't remind you of the truth, who would?" Johnny continued.
Kamiko twisted around, "That's it!" She pushed Ruki aside and took the desert off Johnny's tray, "No desert for you, young man until you learn to treat everybody equally with respect regardless of their social class!"
"Hey! You can't just take my desert, you brat!" Johnny growled.
"Yeah well yannow what? I just did!" Kamiko shouted then turned to Ruki, "Come on, lets go find ourselves a table." She walked off, Ruki following at her heels.
"That's just great!" Johnny snorted.
Kamiko walked Ruki to a table with Enrique, "Hey, where's Oliver?" Kamiko asked as she set her tray down.
"I dunno, he said he had to go do something." Enrique shrugged and ate a french fry.
"Huh, go figure." Kamiko sat down, Ruki taking a seat next to her.
"Where's your food, Ruki?" Enrique asked, eating another french fry.
"I'm not hungry." Ruki rolled her eyes, uneasily.
"Not hungry?" Enrique looked at her skeptically, "How could you not be hungry? You haven't even had breakfast."
"I'm just not hungry." Ruki shrugged.
Kamiko leaned over, looking at Ruki from the corner of her eye, "You're not anerexic are you?"
"What? Of course not." Ruki answered, a bit surprised at the question.
"Ok. I'm sure you're still getting used to this place, I understand." Kamiko nodded and sat back in her chair.
"Eheh..." Ruki chuckled, weakly.
Johnny slammed his tray on the table, "Ok Kamiko, I want my desert back now!"
"Too bad, you can't have it." Kamiko taunted him.
"You took his desert?" Enrique asked.
"He was making fun of Ruki, I had to take drastic measures." Kamiko shrugged, innocently.
"Drastic measures?! I hardly call that drastic measures, that's more like stealing." Johnny accused.
"Why don't you just go get another one?" Enrique looked up at him, munching somemore on his fries.
"You're only allowed getting one, don't you know!" Johnny growled.
Ruki stood up as if she wanted to say something.
"What's up, Ruki?" Kamiko asked, looking up at her.
"Nothing. Just... standing." Ruki shrugged.
"Give me my pudding!" Johnny demanded.
Kamiko shoved a spoonful of it in her mouth, "Never!"
"Um..."
"Take another bite and I'll shove it all in your face!" Johnny threatened.
"Ooo, that's your pudding wasted, not mine." Kamiko reminded him, pointing at him with her spoon.
"Hey.. how about you just.. take my desert, Johnny?" Ruki offered.
"Say what?" Johnny glared at her.
"I'll go up there and get you what you want so they don't think you're trying to take seconds and you can just leave Kamiko to her food." Ruki explained.
"Ruki, you can't be serious!" Kamiko objected.
Ruki looked at Johnny, "So, what do you say?"
Johnny gave her a suspicious eye, "What's the catch?"
"Huh? The catch? There's no catch..." Ruki chuckled, becoming a bit nervous.
"So, the little peasant girl wants to buy the rich and famous Johnny MacGregor a pudding? Can you even take the extra bill?" Johnny snickered.
"You shouldn't worry about it anyway." Ruki rolled her eyes, a bit tired of the jokes, "So do you want the pudding or not? Or do you want something else maybe?"
"Why do you wanna get me desert?" Johnny crossed his arms.
"Well why not?"
"I can give you a hundred reasons why!" Kamiko volunteered, "I'll give you a whole list of reasons!"
"Shut up, Kamiko and stay out of it!" Johnny ordered.
"I think Johnny wants that desert whether he admits it or not." Enrique grinned.
"Ugh, fine, but you should consider this an honor, not a routine or a good will deed!" Johnny said and began to march to the front where the food was.
Ruki shrugged and chuckled, shortly following.
"Geez, she really didn't have to do that." Enrique said in surprise.
"She really shouldn't have done that. Johnny won't feel bad for pushing her around now because he'll still get his desert... from her." Kamiko added with a sigh as she took the last bite of the chocolate pudding.
When they came back, Johnny set his pudding cup down with a triumphet smirk, "Hah! Even though you took my pudding, I still got desert!"
"Don't you feel special?" Kamiko looked at him from the corner of her eyes.
Johnny sat down behind his tray, "Getting food from a peasant girl isn't what I'd call special or honorable, but that can just be our little secret." He took a spoonful of his pudding.
Ruki sat next to Kamiko again, "Yeah, we'll be sure to announce to everyone at graduation that in the 9th grade, Johnathan MacGregor got pudding from a peasant girl. Yeah that's gonna make everyone in shock, especially considering the 'peasant girl' wasn't a peasant." Kamiko raised an eyebrow.
"Say anything and I'll destroy you!" Johnny growled.
Kamiko laughed, "Destroy me, huh?"
"You heard me." Johnny put another spoon of pudding in his mouth.
"You have such a way with words." Enrique chuckled.
Johnny muttered something as he licked his spoon clean.
"Aren't you even gonna say thanks?" Kamiko asked, expectantly.
"What?" Johnny looked up from his chocolatey mush.
"You owe Ruki a thanks." Kamiko glared at him.
"Hah? Me? Thank her? She should be thanking me!" Johnny replied as he made sure to have gotten every last bit of pudding out of his cup.
Kamiko burst out in laughter, "She owes you thanks?"
"Of course! I let her buy me a pudding." Johnny said as if she had forgotten.
"Johnny, get serious. You know you wanted her to." Kamiko narrowed her eyebrows, a bit frustrated.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Johnny growled.
"It has to do with everything! You wouldn't have had a pudding if it wasn't for her! Say thanks, Johnathan!" Kamiko ordered.
"Hmph, yeah right." Johnny pushed the empty cup of pudding aside with the rest of his things.
"Hey, you know what? By tomorrow, they'll have the cafeteria set up like it was last year. Guess they got behind because of the other building's construction." Oliver suddenly said.
"Like last year? Finally! I'm tired of serving myself." Kamiko nodded.
Ruki looked at Kamiko, "What was it like last year?"
"Well, to sum it up, it was pretty much like eating at a restaurant." Enrique answered for Kamiko.
"Oh ... like .. McDonald's or something, no?" Ruki asked.
Johnny laughed, "Like McDonald's?! Who the heck eats there?"
"Not like a fast food restaurant, you know, like a place where you sit down, you order something to eat and the waiters bring it to you when it's ready." Kamiko explained.
"You mean like a fancy restaurant?" Ruki seemed surprised.
"Hardly fancy." Kamiko chuckled, "But I guess for you it would be."
"Peh, commoner." Johnny mumbled under his breath.
"You gonna help in the back again, Oliver?" Enrique looked at his friend.
"I hope so."
"Oliver makes the greatest dishes!" Kamiko looked at Ruki to expand, "He always helped the chef in the back. In fact, I heard he did most of the work rather than the chef."
"That's a lot of cooking..." A sweatdrop slid down Ruki's face.
"Oliver can handle it." Enrique said with confidence.
"You bet! Besides, when they get that set up, we'll have an hour lunch." Oliver added.
"An hour??" Ruki asked, again in surprise.
"What did you think? We'd eat in fifteen minutes?" Johnny looked at her as if irritated by her presence.
"Uh well ... that's how it was when I went to school in America .." Ruki blinked.
"America is a place for poor people to find work so they can at least have a cardboard box over their head." Johnny snorted and took a drink from his Pepsi(™).
"You do realize America is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, don't you?" Oliver pointed out.
"What're those Yankee morons gonna do? Attack with pitch forks? Please! Europe has the greatest traditional gun militia. You can't fight guns with freakin' pitch forks!" Johnny said, ignorently.
"Augh, Johnny. You will never learn if you're so arrogant." Oliver sighed.
"Whatever. I could beat any American with my eyes closed." Johnny went on.
"Oh really ..." Ruki felt the need to comment.
"Silly Ruki, leave the Scots to their skirt wearing traditions and we'll see what they think when they find the updrafts they have in America." Kamiko snickered.
"Hey! They're kilts! Kilts! Not skirts, kilts!"
"Ohh, whatever. They're all the same to everyone else..." Kamiko sighed in a mocking manner.
"Geh!!" Johnny growled as the bell rang.
"Well, lets scatter off to class. Remember room ..." Kamiko pulled out a piece of paper to double check, "Room 127."
At the end of fourth period, Ruki and Kamiko decided to split from the guys and walked home on their own.
"So, what did you think of the first day?" Kamiko asked, the wind slightly playing with her skirt from behind.
"Interesting.." Was the only word Ruki could think to describe it.
"It was wasn't it? Aren't the guys a riot?" Kamiko giggled, apparently amused.
"Uh, yeah.. especially Enrique." Ruki teased with a weak chuckle.
"Enrique's adorable." Kamiko smiled to herself, "I couldn't ever imagine going out with anyone else."
"Yeah, you two.. really look good together." Ruki agreed.
"What about you? You probably have a boyfriend back in the US, don't you?" Kamiko looked at her with expectation.
"What, me?" Ruki laughed, "No. Nobody would wanna go out with me. Not then and not now."
"Why not?" Kamiko asked, curious to see what her reasoning behind this was.
"I'm just not the type anybody would want to be with, I guess. Not much to it really." Ruki shrugged it off.
"Well what makes you think that?" Kamiko eyed her with skepticism.
"Uh well ....." Ruki tried to come up with something for a moment, "Well.. look at the way Johnny's treating me. You don't think that's unusual for me do you?"
"You mean it is?"
"It's not really impor--"
"Hey you guys! What'd you run away for?"
Kamiko stopped Ruki as she looked over her shoulder to see Enrique running up to them. "Oliver said we could go ahead without you."
"Oliver didn't bother asking me." Enrique said as he put his arm over Kamiko's shoulder, "Heya Ruki. What's up?"
Ruki looked up at the sky, "It's looking pretty clear today.."
"Huh?" Enrique looked up, "Oh yeah. Right."
Kamiko snickered.
The three began to walk again. "So, what were you guys doing while I stayed after class for that paper wod that hit the teacher?" Enrique asked.
"We've been walking the entire time. That sure was short term." Kamiko looked at him.
"The teacher said he'd let me off easy since it's the first day. But if it happens tomorrow or anywhere between now and the end of the year, it's four hours of detention." Enrique explained.
"You better watch yourself then. If you're not around to take me places after school, I might have to dump you for Oliver since he never gets in trouble." Kamiko threatened.
"What?! You can't be serious!!" Enrique exclaimed, apparently alarmed.
"I'm just teasing, sheesh. I make one lousy joke and you fly off the handle." Kamiko chuckled. "So, how long is Johnny in for?"
"Johnny didn't get as lucky as I did." Enrique snickered, "He's already got detention all week."
Kamiko burst out in laughter, "That's a whole weeks worth of extra ice cream for me!"
"Hey look, there's Oliver." Enrique pointed.
Kamiko smacked his hand, "Don't point! It's rude!"
"I wonder what he's doing over there..." Enrique said, thoughtfully.
The three walked over to Oliver who was kneeling in front of a rose bush, "Hey Oliver, what're you doing?" Kamiko asked from behind.
Oliver looked over his shoulder at his friends, "Oh, Mrs. Walkinston asked me to look at this rose bush. She said she thinks it's dying, but it just needs to be trimmed. It's running out of room to grow." Oliver clipped a twig with a rose on the end of it, "There, that outta do it."
"You're such a goody-goody, Oliver." Kamiko smirked helplessly.
Oliver stood up, "That outta fix it up real nicely. I'll leave these here for Mrs. Walkinston to pick up." Oliver dropped the trimming equiptment on the ground in front of the bush.
"Who's Mrs. Walkinston?" Ruki asked Kamiko.
"The principle. Mr. Goody-Goody Pants here is always helping around." Kamiko answered.
Oliver turned around, "So, I guess we can go then."
"Hold up, Romeo. What're you gonna do with that rose?" Kamiko asked, pointing it out.
Oliver looked down at the red rose he had just clipped, "Oh. I'll give it to Ruki. You can put it in a vase and water when you get back to your room." He said, surrendering it to the shrimp standing next to Enrique.
"Wow really? Thanks!" Ruki took it from him, her gratefulness apparent in a beaming smile.
"Isn't that cute." Enrique chuckled, a bit mockingly, "Well, lets go then, Kamiko."
"Where you going?" Ruki asked, a bit worried to be away from Kamiko.
"Everyday after school we go for a stroll in the park." Kamiko answered, "Aren't you jealous?" She teased. "You just go back to the room, I'll be back in a while."
"A while...?" Ruki asked weakly as she watched Kamiko and Enrique walk off.
"Do you think you can make it back to your room on your own?" Oliver suddenly asked.
"I don't even know if I have my card on me.." Ruki said, searching any area where a pocket might be.
"Oh, well that's bad ... How about you stay with me 'til Kamiko gets back then?" Oliver offered.
Ruki blinked a moment, "Are you sure it's Ok? I don't wanna be a pest or anything..."
"No, it's Ok. I'm heading back to my room anyway, I can give you a vase to put your flower in too. Wouldn't want it to wilt, would ya?" Oliver added with a smile.
"Of course not..." Ruki tried to return the smile but found it difficult in this uncomfortable situation.
"Great, lets go then." Oliver said and began to lead the way.
Ruki sighed and followed shortly.
As they walked Ruki stared at her feet, seeing Oliver only enough to be able to see where he was going. Oliver looked over his shoulder at her, "So, what do you think of the school so far?"
"The school is great. A lot nicer than I could have even imagined." Ruki answered, looking up.
Oliver stopped so she could catch up, "Well I'm glad you like it. I hope we helped make you more comfortable with your new surroundings."
Ruki nodded as Oliver walked with her again, "Yeah, you've helped a lot.. thanks a million."
"Any time, I'm just glad I could help." Oliver smiled and opened the front door for her.
"Thanks.." Ruki stepped inside and waited for him. "Boy this place is crowded..."
"Most of the kids just hang out here for a while after school. Everyone else is probably either in their room or outside." Oliver signaled for her to follow as he walked toward the elevator.
"Just like a normal school..." Ruki said more to herself.
"Just because this is a private school doesn't mean the kids aren't pretty ordinary." Oliver said as he stepped into the elevator, having heard her anyway. He pressed six on the floor panel as Ruki stepped in.
"Er, I didn't mean it like that... I was just expecting something else I guess." Ruki frowned.
Oliver smiled, "Don't worry about it, I understand."
Ruki managed a slight smile, glad he wasn't upset over her stupid comment.
The elevator didn't stop until it reached the sixth floor. When they stepped out Ruki was surprised to find a single person wandering around the hall. "This floor looks so different when it's empty..." Ruki said, peering down the hall toward her own room.
"The room is this way." Oliver pointed down the opposite hall and began to walk down it while Ruki followed. Oliver stopped at a door about half way down the hall and slipped his keycard in, then twisted the knob and opened the door, "Come on in."
Ruki nodded, "Thank you." She walked inside, Oliver closing the door behind himself as he followed. Ruki looked around, the room was decorated quite differently from her own.
"Johnny'll probably be here after detention." Oliver said as he laid his cardkey on the table.
"Great..." Ruki muttered sarcastically to herself.
"Make yourself at home. You can watch some TV if you'd like." Oliver walked into the next room.
Ruki looked around for the remote and spotted it on the bed that would have been her own if this had been her room. She picked it up and flipped the TV on.
Oliver called from the other room, "Would you like some tea?"
Ruki got up and went to the room he was in. It was a small kitchen beyond the dining room, "What kind of tea?"
"It's just some ice tea. Would you like some?"
"Yes please."
Oliver handed her a cup, "There's some sugar in the bedroom if it needs more."
"Thanks." Ruki nodded and walked back. She took a sip, "Mmm, I love ice tea."
Oliver followed, "Oh yeah? Enrique and Johnny both don't like it at all and Kamiko doesn't care for it either, but I think it's a perfectly delicate recipe with a complex scent and taste."
Ruki giggled a bit.
"Of course, I don't use the tea bags." Oliver bragged a bit.
Ruki appeared interested, "You don't?"
"Of course not. I mix all my own herbs to make it. Does it taste like a store brand?"
Ruki looked at it, "Come to think of it, no."
Oliver smiled, a bit proudly, "The finest chefs in the world wouldn't even consider using tea bags. It leaves a bitter taste of the bag in it, which also gives it almost a dry feel."
Ruki blinked, thinking over his statement a second, "You're right. It does." She took another sip. "I guess that leaves only one thing left to say, your ice tea is perfect!"
Oliver nodded, "Of course it is. I'm not the top chef in France for nothing."
Ruki chuckled to herself with a grin, amused with how boastful he had suddenly become.
Oliver sat at the table by the bed Ruki sat at while she switched the channel.
"Is there anything you wanna watch?" Ruki asked.
"No, you can watch whatever you want." Oliver answered and took another sip from his tea.
"Oh, hey, can I have something to put this rose in?" Ruki suddenly said, looking at the rose on her lap.
"Oh yeah, it's a good thing you reminded me." Oliver left his cup on the table and walked off.
Ruki continued to channel surf, assuming Oliver had gone to get a vase with water in it. When he returned, he had a shiney, white, porclin vase with a golden rim at the top and flowers painted around the center. Ruki stood up, "What a pretty vase."
Oliver took the rose from her and put it in the water in the vase, "Yes, it is. I got this from my grandmother. It was a birthday gift. Here you go, you can have it."
"What? Really?" Ruki asked with surprise, hesitating to take it.
"Yes, I think you would take good care of it." Oliver said with a nod.
"Wow... thanks.." Ruki took the vase, then looked up at him, "Are you really sure it's Ok?"
"I'm positive." Oliver smiled. "You can put it on the dresser until you leave. It should be safer there than on the table."
Ruki nodded, "Ok.." She walked to the dresser and carefully put the vase down on the bare, wooden surface.
At that moment there was a knock on the door. Oliver got up and opened it, "Johnny, you're finally out of detention, huh?"
"Yeah yeah." Johnny walked in, "Where's Enrique?"
"He and Kamiko went for a walk, as usual." Oliver said and shut the door.
"Pfft, go figure." Johnny looked at the TV, "Who's watching this?"
Ruki stepped up, "I am."
"What's she doing here?" Johnny turned to Oliver for an answer.
"She didn't have her card key with her, so I invited her to stay with me until Kamiko and Enrique came back." Oliver explained to Johnny.
Johnny laughed, "What a ditz! You forgot your card?! Man, that's rich." Johnny put up his hands to count on his fingers, "You're a peasant girl in a wealthy school, you don't eat breakfast or lunch, you're terrified of any kind of bug, you're anti-social AND you don't remember to bring your cardkey when leaving your room. What are you, just stupid?"
Ruki's face turned dark, "You know what?! Even if I was considered stupid I'm still a whole lot nicer than you, you big jerk! All you do is pick on people who try not to hurt anybody's feelings, but you wouldn't even know how to do that! I might not have as much of money as you do but I have enough kindness to make up twice as much! And have you ever considered maybe I prefer to have a little to eat here and there rather than three large meals in one day? Or maybe because I'm 'anti-social' I don't find it easy to eat in front of others?! Especially jerks like you who can only point out all the easiest things to make make fun of in people, who's constently judging people. AND I DIDN'T FORGET MY CARDKEY EITHER!! I saw you take it and put it in the garbage can in the hallway! And you know what else? I'm sick of listening to you, so either you straighten up or you'll regret ever having said a single word to me. Got all that?!"
Oliver and Johnny blinked, shocked by this sudden outburst.
"Oh and one last thing Johnny..." Ruki took her cup of tea and threw it at him, spilling its contents all over his clothes, but the cup rolled on the floor, unharmed.
"AAHH!! MY FAVORITE SHIRT!!" Johnny exclaimed, looking at the mess on himself.
Ruki heaved a sigh, turned around and left the room, closing the door with a slam.
"Aahhh!! That's just great..." Johnny growled, looking at his stained shirt.
"Oh my.." Oliver ran off and came back with a towel for Johnny, "I'll be right back." Oliver rushed out the door and looked to the left down the hall; no one. He looked to the right and saw Ruki walking away. "Ruki, wait!" Oliver ran after her and walked next to her, "Ruki are you Ok?"
Ruki didn't reply, only looking away to hide her tear stained face.
"Ruki...?"
She suddenly stopped and covered her face with both hands, unable to hold back her sobs.
Oliver put his arm over her to comfort her, "I'm sorry, Ruki..."
Ruki remained silent, save for the cries she was unable to hold back. She stood there a moment, trying to control herself, and managed to speak again, "I shouldn't have said those things..."
"It's Ok, if you hadn't have stood up for yourself, Johnny wouldn't have stopped. I don't think he'll be bothering you again." Oliver answered.
Ruki shook her head, "No it wasn't right... I should've kept myself under control."
"You held out longer than most." Oliver admitted. He pulled her hand away from her face, "Why don't you come back with me to the room and wash your face, huh?"
"I can't ever face him again... Johnny is the most heartless and mean person I have ever met.." Ruki wiped away a tear from her face with her other hand.
"Listen to me, Ruki, I'm sure Johnny won't bother you anymore. You scared him half to death."
"No, I just... I wanna go home." Ruki sank to the ground, sitting on her legs.
Oliver knelt next to her, "Don't say that. We'd all miss you if you left! And who would sit with me up front in class?"
Ruki sniffled and looked down, "I don't know ...."
"See? You don't wanna leave. You'll be fine, you just need to rest for a while, alright?" Oliver turned Ruki's face to his own, "Alright?"
Ruki was silent a moment before replying, "Yeah.. Ok..."
Oliver pulled Ruki up with him as he stood, "Now, lets go get your face washed off." Ruki nodded with another sniff as Oliver walked her back to the room.
Johnny was busy lounging around on the bed, watching TV too occupied to notice Ruki had been crying, "It's about time. I thought you'd both run away or something!"
Oliver whispered to Ruki which way the bathroom was and where the washclothes were, then sent her off and turned back to Johnny, "So, did you get your shirt dried off?"
Johnny sat up, "Does it look like it?"
Oliver couldn't help but grin, "Here, how about you take it off and I'll put it up to dry."
Johnny pulled his wet shirt over his head and handed it to Oliver in a crumple.
"Too bad this tea stains..." Oliver sighed as he walked out of the room.
"Yeah, too bad, no more tea making for you." Johnny snorted.
Ruki stepped out of the bathroom just in time to meet Oliver coming over, "Oh no..." She took the shirt from Oliver and looked at it, "Look at his shirt! I totally ruined it! Oh this is terrible..."
"Don't worry about it, Johnny has plenty of other shirts." Oliver replied.
"No, I feel terrible!" Ruki gave it back to Oliver and ran past him, stopping in the living room to remember which way to the bedroom. She ran through the doorway into the bedroom and saw Johnny laying there, focused on the TV. "Johnny, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your shirt! You don't know how utterly wretched I feel."
Johnny raised an eyebrow at her.
"Please tell me what I can do to make it up to you..." Ruki pleaded.
Johnny sat up, "What?! You mean to tell me you throw your cup at me and spill tea all over my shirt and then leave with a fit, and now you wanna make it up to me?!"
Ruki ran over to him and sat on her heels in front of him, her hands clasped together, "I didn't mean to go off like that on you. I'm really very sorry, won't you please forgive me?"
Johnny stared at her for a second with a solemn expression, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Huh...?"
"You're too much!" He laughed.
Ruki blinked, cluelessly.
"Well now.." Johnny crossed his arms over his bare chest and peered at her, thoughtfully, "I'm sure there's something you can do for me."
Ruki waited for him to come up with something.
"Lets see. First off, get off your knees, you look like you're begging." Johnny ordered.
Ruki stood up.
"I'm sure we can come up with something like civilized people." Johnny raised an eyebrow with amusement.
Ruki raised both eyebrows, waiting for the worst.
Johnny rubbed his chin, "How about... you can be my personal maid."
"Personal... maid?"
"You heard me.... I get tired of doing everything myself anyway." Johnny replied.
"Uh.. I don't mean to ... bug but.. that's a little much don't you think...? I mean.. I was thinking... I'd buy you a new shirt or something ...?" Ruki explained, nervously.
"Huh?" Johnny looked at her, his grin fading, "What are you putting a limit of what I can ask now?"
"No it's just ..." Ruki rolled her eyes, trying to think of the right words.
Johnny chuckled, mischieviously, "You got yourself into this mess but I'm not gonna let you out of it."
"Johnny, how could you be so heartless?" Ruki sighed, hopelessly.
"Heartless? You're such a wreck, you can't take care of yourself at all! If it wasn't for Kamiko you probably wouldn't have even found your room!" Johnny said, somewhat irritated.
"Ah ..." Ruki scratched her head, blushing from embarressment, "Well.. I guess you're right about that much..."
"Of course I'm right! You're such a wimp, how can you expect to not be picked on if you're so easy to push around?" Johnny said as a matter of factly.
Ruki looked away, "I... don't know I.. guess...."
"You're truly pathetic you know that?" Johnny laid back down on the bed.
"Yeah ... I know." Ruki dragged herself back into the dining room and sat at the table in silence.
Oliver walked out of the bathroom after having called somebody to pick up the dirty shirt. "Now that that's taken care of... Ruki? Why're you sitting here?"
Ruki didn't reply.
Oliver walked over to her, leaning to look at her, "Are you Ok?"
"I just wanna be alone for a while..." Ruki sighed.
Oliver's expression turned somewhat sad, "Oh.. Ok..." He left the room and went into the bedroom, leaving Ruki alone as she had wished.
"What's up?" Johnny looked at Oliver from the corner of his eye.
"I called the washing service. They said they're coming by to get your shirt." Oliver explained.
"Not that that'll help much." Johnny sighed, exasperated.
"Well, guess we'll see." Oliver shrugged.
"If you hadn't let that stupid girl in here this wouldn't have even happened." Johnny snorted.
"She said she was sorry..." Oliver said as he sat down.
"Sorry isn't getting that stain out of my shirt." Johnny sternly answered.
"Maybe not but... maybe you should be a little nicer to her. Your being mean was what made her throw her tea on you in the first place." Oliver reminded him, staying calm.
"Pfft, she shouldn't be here anyway. This is a school for well-off kids, not slum dwellers!" Johnny hissed.
Oliver sighed, hopelessly.
There was a knock at the door.
"I'm coming!" Oliver shouted and got up. He opened the door to find Enrique and Kamiko standing there.
"Hey!" Kamiko said and walked in, "What's up?--Where's Ruki?" She looked around, not seeing her anywhere.
"In the other room..." Oliver answered, closing the door as Enrique walked in.
"Hey Tarzan, what're you doing with your shirt off?" Enrique raised an eyebrow, studying Johnny over.
"Penny over there threw tea all over me." Johnny snorted.
Kamiko stomped into the room, "JOHNNY YA BIG JERK!!"
"What did I do now?!" Johnny asked, sitting up.
"I think we need to have a little talk about attitude! Maybe if you'd give 'Penny' a chance you might find that you might actually would like her!"
"Me like her? Not in this life time!" Johnny retorted.
"I'm serious, Johnathan, if you do one more thing to hurt Ruki I'll be telling the principle. And you know he is tight with my family! He'll kick you out in the snap of a finger, and you know what that means don't you?" Kamiko threatened.
"Gosh dang, what the heck're you pickin' on me for?"
"The same reason you're picking on Ruki! Now stop and be nice!" Kamiko growled.
"FINE. Geez!" Johnny snorted and crossed his arms.
"Go and apologize now."
"What?! She's the one who threw hot tea on me!"
Kamiko gave him a death glare and replied through gritted teeth, "I said apologize now."
Johnny growled and got up, walking out of the room.
"Uh hey wait, you might want a shirt." Enrique shouted after him as he dug through a drawer and tossed him a shirt.
Johnny turned around, "What?" but his inquirements was muffled as the shirt landed in his face. He pulled it off from around his neck and put it on then went in the direction of where Ruki awaited in the other room. He mumbled to himself, peeved at his compulsory assignment. Peeking around the corner, he gathered himself up with another livid snort and wandered into the dining room.
Ruki was sitting at the table with her head down and buried in her arms. Johnny pondered a moment how he would put this without losing his dignity and pride that he worked so hard to protect, but seemed to be watching it crumble before him anyway. He muttered one last curse at Kamiko and sauntered over to Ruki.
"Hey Penny." Johnny said from behind her, his hands buried in his pockets and his shoulders slightly slumped.
Ruki didn't raise her head, "What... do you want..."
Johnny scowled, "Well ya could have the decency to look at me!"
"...Why should I?.. So you can belittle me somemore? Oh sure, sounds like a great idea to me!"
Johnny rolled his eyes to the corner, "Of all times you have to be difficult now?"
Ruki suddenly lifted her head and turned around to look directly at him, "Now?! I have never been difficult until now. You know what? You're the one who's been difficult all the time. So you know what? Yes, I'm going to be difficult now." She turned back around into her previous position.
"Good grief! You're such a ..." Johnny growled and clenched his teeth in frustration, "brat!"
"Thanks for your opinion but you might as well tell it to the wall." Ruki said in a muffle tone.
"Hmph, fine!" Johnny turned around and walked back to the bedroom, more angry now than before he left.
"Did you apologize?" Kamiko asked expectantly.
Johnny dropped in a chair, "No."
"And why not?" Kamiko inquired, still irked.
"She wouldn't let me!" Johnny defended.
"How can she not let you? Now get back in there and don't come out until you've apologized!" Kamiko ordered.
Johnny leaped to his feet in protest, "Why do I have to listen to you, Miss High and Mighty?"
"Because I still have your priceless CD, now get going!" Kamiko pointed toward the dining room.
"I hate you." Johnny mumbled and went back. Instead of going to the dining room, however, he dropped in another seat around the corner, not caring whether he ever left or not.
Kamiko sighed, hopelessly, "He's so stubborn. It really gets under my skin."
"It's just like Johnny not to apologize." Oliver reminded her, "Even if he knows he's wrong."
"Well he's gonna have to grow up and learn how to apologize because three out of four times he is wrong." Kamiko declared.
Johnny rolled his eyes at Kamiko's comment as he continued to evesdrop on the conversation.
"Yeah well, he'll learn eventually ... hopefully anyway." Enrique added.
Johnny crossed his arms and grunted, "Yeah right."
"Johnny?"
Johnny looked up to see Ruki standing before him.
"I'm ready to make a treaty." She said.
"A treaty?" Johnny raised an eyebrow, "I said nothing about a treaty."
"No matter, I'm ready to make one anyway. I'll stay out of your way as long as you leave me alone."
Johnny stood up, "That's not the problem."
"Then what is ...." She looked up at him, not realizing he was several inches taller, "uh .. the problem?"
"Just you being around in general is the problem!" He replied, impatiently.
"Well what am I supposed to do then?"
"Leave!"
Ruki looked down and paused for a moment, "...I can't leave. My parents worked too hard to be able to send me here for me to just get up and leave." She looked back at him, "I'm sorry, Mr. MacGregor but I can't do that."
"What?"
"You'll have to find a different way to deal with it." Ruki pushed passed him and walked into the bedroom.
"Ruki? Are you O---..." Kamiko watched Ruki walk right out the door before finishing, "k...?" She quickly persued Ruki out the door. "Ruki! What're you doing, what's wrong?"
"Nothing I just wanna go to our room please."
"Speaking of which, I thought you were going to our room in the first place?" Kamiko wondered.
"I... misplaced my cardkey. I'm sorry." Ruki sighed.
"Ah don't worry about it, we'll have Gustav get you a new one." Kamiko assured her, still struggling to keep up. "Slow down, girl!"
Ruki suddenly stopped and turned to her.
"Why're you stopping?" Kamiko raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry. I don't know where I'm going." Ruki laughed at herself.
Kamiko burst out into laughter, "You're too much Ruki. Lets go." She led the way back to the room.
"Uh what was that all about?" Enrique looked at Johnny.
"Pfft. Treaty. I'll give her a treaty soon as I get her kicked out." Johnny grumbled.
Enrique blinked, "What do you have against Ruki so much? What'd she do to you?"
"Of course you wouldn't understand! You're the worst player I've ever seen!" Johnny accused.
"Hey guys, no need to get violent." Oliver interjected.
"No need to take out your anger on your pals, Johnny!" Enrique replied, upset.
"Whatever, I'm going back to my room." Johnny said as he left.
Enrique and Oliver exchanged clueless expressions, both wondering what Johnny was so wound up about.
"This is perfect. I like the way this school system works cause you usually get in the same classes as your friends just because you're in the same grade." Kamiko said as she read her schedule at the breakfast table, her mouth full of milk and cereal.
"May I please see?" Oliver requested. Kamiko handed him the schedule to see.
"At least this year we stay on just one level of the school." Johnny said as he munched on a piece of toast.
"They must've changed it from last year 'cause I was on all four floors." Enrique stated.
"Let me see your schedule." Kamiko asked and took the schedule from Enrique's hand. "Lets see... you're in all of my classes too. What luck." She cheered as she stuffed another spoonful of cereal in her mouth.
"Oh great. Just don't start making out in the back of the classroom or something." Johnny complained.
"Quit your whining!" Kamiko looked at her watch, "Ruki should've been down here by now... I wonder what's taking her."
"Why didn't she come down with you?" Oliver looked up from the schedule paper to ask.
"She was getting ready when I left and said to go ahead without her. We have to go to the building in ten minutes." Kamiko said before she picked up her bowl and slurped up the remaining milk.
"Who cares? She's probably upstairs crying about something else. We should just leave her here." Johnny said, irritabley.
"Shut up, Johnathan. I promised her I'd go with her to class since we're in the same class room anyway." Kamiko said, looking at the schedule in her hand.
"There she is." Oliver said, looking toward the entrance way.
Kamiko looked over her shoulder and watched Ruki approach, "There you are. I almost thought you weren't gonna show."
"Were you crying again? Heh. That's pretty pathetic, even for a little girl." Johnny smirked.
"Ignore him. Have a seat, want something to eat? I can go something for you if you want." Kamiko offered.
"No thanks, I'm fine." Ruki answered.
"No breakfast? Are you crazy?" Enrique suddenly said.
"I never have breakfast..." Ruki blinked.
"No breakfast? No wonder you're so airheaded. Well, at least partially the reason." Johnny amused himself with his teasing.
"Johnny, put a sock in it." Kamiko hissed and turned back to Ruki, "Are you really sure you don't want any breakfast?"
"I'm sure." Ruki nodded.
"Ok ... " Kamiko said, unsurely. She suddenly stood up, "Ok guys, lets leave early so we can dibs the best seats!"
"What a great idea! I'd like one of the front seats." Oliver said as he stood up.
"I want the back corner. Any back corners left open go to me, got it?" Johnny made clear.
"I'll take center back with Enrique." Kamiko agreed. She looked down at Ruki who was just standing up herself, "Where do you wanna sit?"
"I think I'll sit up front with Oliver.." Ruki turned to Oliver, "-- if you don't mind that is..."
"Not at all! I'm glad I won't be the only one of us up there." Oliver smiled.
"Great then, lets go." Kamiko announced.
The five marched out the front doors to the highschool. A few others were already on their way there too.
Enrique held Kamiko's hand as they walked, "I sure hope we're going the right way. With four different school buildings who knows which one to go to anymore."
"I'm sure this is it. I double checked one of the maps inside before I came downstairs for breakfast." Oliver said.
"It better be. If we come late we'll be stuck with the worst seats in class all year!" Johnny moaned.
"Stop complaining back there, Carrots!" Kamiko instructed.
"I'm not complaining, and don't call me Carrots, doofus!" Johnny ordered back.
"Please don't fight, not this early in the morning." Oliver sighed.
"Yeah, Johnny... we're all tired of hearing your voice." Enrique grinned.
"Pfft, why's everybody ganging up against me all of a sudden?" Johnny sighed as he put his arms behind his head.
"Because ... you're a pain." Kamiko said, simply.
"I'm no more pain than you are." Johnny glared at her.
"You wanna bet?" Kamiko looked over her shoulder at him.
"Sure, whatta ya wanna bet?" Johnny challenged her.
"I'll bet you my desert this evening that the teacher will get annoyed with you before she gets annoyed with me."
"Fine then, desert it is. We'll see who comes out the winner here." Johnny grinned, confidentally.
"Too bad one of you is gonna lose desert, though I'm sure Johnny is gonna be the one going without desert tonight." Enrique smiled with amusement.
"Of course you side with your stupid girlfriend!" Johnny growled.
"Look, all I'm saying is you have a way of getting along with people ... or should I say, not getting along with people. You just get under everyone's skin, that's all." Enrique explained.
"That's all?" Kamiko raised an eyebrow, "No no no, there's much more than just that. But we won't go there... yet." There was an evil sparkle in Kamiko's eye.
"Well, here it is you guys." Oliver said as they all stopped to look up at the building.
"It looks kinda like a freakin' motel inn." Johnny frowned.
"It's kind of an old building, but they've already started building a new one. It should be open next year, the down side is it's a bit further away. We'll have to take buses." Oliver explained.
"Well, lets see." Kamiko pulled Enrique inside with her, the other three following.
"Woa, this place must be ancient." Enrique said as he looked around.
"Yeah, it's totally empty too." Johnny added.
"That's perfect, lets go find our room. It should be on floor one, room 145." Kamiko said as they looked for the elevator.
"This place is... kinda creepy." Enrique said as he looked around, following Kamiko.
"Somebody needs to turn on the lights..." Johnny said, sounding fearless.
"It is kinda dark. Ruki, are you still with us?" Oliver looked over his shoulder.
"Yeah, I'm here." Ruki answered, quietly.
"Stay close to us, this place is a riot, from what I've heard, when the bell rings." Oliver said.
"Uh, Ok..." Ruki said, her voice a bit fearful.
"What, you aren't afraid of this shabby old dump are you? You've probably lived in something simular, except much smaller. Like a shack or something." Johnny mocked somemore.
"Ignore him, Ruki." Oliver told her as they approached the elevator.
"Here it is." Kamiko said, "All aboard!"
"Are you sure that thing is safe?" Enrique looked at it, skeptically.
Johnny walked up beside him, "Yeah, it looks like it's rusted over. And if it does move, it'll go crashing through the ground with just two people on."
"Come on, don't be a scaredy cat!" Kamiko provoked.
"Tch, a scaredy cat, eh?" Johnny stepped on.
"Well, here goes..." Enrique said as he got on. He looked at Oliver and Ruki, "You two coming or what?"
"Uh, I think I'll take the staircase up..." Oliver said. He peered at Ruki who appeared to be hiding behind him, "You wanna come with me?"
Ruki looked up at him and nodded.
"Ok then you guys take the long way." Kamiko granted.
"We'll meet you there." Oliver said and turned around, "Come on Ruki. The staircase is probably somewhere down this hall." Oliver and Ruki disappeared around the dark corner.
"O---k, here we go." Kamiko pressed the one on the panel. She waited.
"I don't think you pressed it hard enough." Enrique said and pushed it harder. The light behind it turned on, "See."
"Thank you, Enrique." Kamiko said, flirtatiously.
"Oh please!" Johnny interrupted from the corner. "Wait 'til lunch or after school or something, I don't wanna see this."
Kamiko glared at Johnny, "I'll beat your head in first."
"I'd like to see you try." Johnny laughed.
"Just ignore him." Enrique sighed, "Maybe he'll disappear and fade away or something."
"That would be a miracle, but here's hopin'!" Kamiko agreed.
Meanwhile, Oliver led Ruki down the dark hallway.
"This place is kinda creepy when it's empty, isn't it?" Oliver said as he looked around.
"Are you sure it's not this creepy when there people here?" Ruki asked, staying close.
"You'd think when there people here there would be lights on... but I might be wrong." Oliver continued to search for the staircase.
"Oliver...?"
"Yeah?" Olivered looked over his shoulder at her.
Ruki looked up at him, her face pale with fright, "Do you get the feeling something is following us...?"
"Uh..." Oliver looked past her, into the darkness, unable to see anything but the past two classroom doors on either side they had just passed. "Well, I don't see anything." He looked down at her, "Are you scared?"
Ruki managed a slight, crooked smile, "Me? Scared?"
"Come on, the staircase should be nearby." Oliver continued forwards, the only sound heard were the tapping of their shoes.
"I hope so..." Ruki muttered to herself.
As they continued to trot, an unsancrinized pair of tapping joined them, not matching either of their feet.
"Oliver...?"
Oliver's eye shifted about as he searched, "Yeah?"
"Do you hear that?" Ruki whispered.
Oliver gulped, "I do... Whatever you do, don't look back."
"Can I hold your hand?" Ruki requested.
Oliver was a bit stiff, "Yeah."
Ruki took his hand, feeling slightly better and making Oliver feel slightly better too, but it wasn't enough to send the heeby jeebies away.
"There it is. The staircase." Oliver said, "Remember, don't stop, keep going no matter what. We'll get there alright if we don't panic, Ok?"
"Yes, Ok..." Ruki trembled with fear as they began to climb the rubber-topped stairs.
"Even paced.." Oliver reminded her.
Ruki took a hard swallow as they reached the sixth step, "I think it's following us..." She whispered.
"It's Ok... Just hang on..." Oliver held his breath. "We're almost at the top... Our room should be on this side of the hallway too."
"I hope..." Ruki bit her lip.
They reached the top and walked to the first door to see the room number, "250?!" Oliver exclaimed. "How is this possible?"
"Do you think our room is on the second floor?" Ruki asked.
"I don't know... This is so strange." Oliver stared at the number as if it were a monster. He sighed, somewhat frustrated, "We'll keep walking down this hall, if there's another staircase that goes up, we'll go that way in hopes that our number is up there. And maybe if we're lucky we'll catch the others on the elevator."
Ruki followed Oliver, the other pair of shoes still making their way up the steps.
"Do you think we should run?" Ruki asked.
"No, it would provoke whatever's following us to run after us..." Oliver replied, "Just stay calm. We'll get there Ok..."
"Do you think the others are as lost as we are?" Ruki looked up at Oliver for an answer.
"I wish I knew..." Oliver replied, unsurely.
Meanwhile...
"Man, I can't believe this stupid thing got stuck!" Johnny moaned as he sat in the corner of the elevator.
"No kidding." Kamiko sighed.
"Hey, wait, what if we pull open the doors. Maybe if we're lucky we can climb out of the step-out place." Enrique suggested.
"Johnathan, get off your butt and help Enrique pull the door open!" Kamiko ordered.
"What?! And you think you don't have to help?"
"I'm a lady, of course I don't have to help." Kamiko batted her eyelashes.
"That's a load of crap!" Johnny protested.
"We don't have time to argue, get over here Johnny!" Enrique growled as he attempted to push the doors apart.
"Gah! Stupid girls..." Johnny muttered as he pulled on the opposing door.
"Come on guys, I know you can do it!" Kamiko cheered.
"Shut up, you're ruining my concentration!" Johnny growled.
"And talking is helping?" Enrique looked at him skeptically.
"If I don't say anything she won't shut up." Johnny sighed, annoyed.
Suddenly the doors bursted open and Johnny and Enrique flew in opposite direction.
Kamiko stood up, "Wow, it opened by itself. Guess it was stuck."
"Hey look up there, that must be the second floor." Johnny stood up. "Somebody gimme a boost so I can climb up."
"Ah ah ah, ladies first." Kamiko shoved him aside, "Would you help me, Enrique?"
Enrique got up and rubbed his head, "Uh, yeah." He walked over and kneeled by her, putting his hands together. "We're gonna have to do this quickly, or you'll break my hands."
"Will do." Kamiko nodded and put her foot in his hands.
"Ready?" Enrique pulled her up.
Kamiko jumped for the opening and squirmed out, "Whew. All clear." She went back over and leaned in, "Who's up next? Enrique, why don't you come. You're taller, I don't think I'd be able to reach Johnny."
"What?!" Johnny snarled.
"Yeah, Ok." Enrique reached up, struggling to grab her hand.
"Johnathan! Give Enrique a boost!" Kamiko ordered.
"Yeah right!"
"Wait, I have an idea." Enrique got off his tiptoes, "Johnny, climb up on my back and you go up first."
"Alright, that's what I'm talkin' about!" Johnny seemed pleased and climbed onto Enrique's back, easily climbing up without Kamiko's aid.
"Johnathan, go find something to help Enrique out with." Kamiko told him.
"Why do I have to go?" Johnny protested again.
"Because, you're supposed to be the fearless gladiator of Glasgow. So live up to your name for once!"
"Ah what would you know?" Johnny trotted off down the dark hall to find something.
Kamiko looked into the elevator at Enrique, "Johnny just left to find something to help us with. Hopefully there'll be a hose or something around."
"A hose? This place is so old, I doubt it has fire exstinguisher's built in."
"Well, there's always hoping." Kamiko sighed.
Johnny wandered down the hall, "Pfft. Live up to your name. What the heck is that supposed to mean?" He suddenly stopped, seeing two figures coming. "What's that?" He waited a moment until the two were revealed to be "Oliver!" and Ruki.
"What're you doing here Johnny?" Oliver walked up to him, "And where the other two?"
"The elevator got stuck and so did Enrique. I have to go find something to get him out with." Johnny crossed his arms. "Say, do you hear that?"
Oliver's face dropped, "You mean it wasn't just our imagination?"
Johnny's face suddenly turned blue as the tapping continued.
Ruki clinged to Oliver's jacket, afraid to look back.
"Uh oh..." Oliver slowly looked over his shoulder. "AAAHHHH!!!"
"WAAHHH!!!"
"EEEEE!!"
All three dashed off down the hall, screaming.
"WHAT IS THAT THING??!!" Johnny yelled as he ran.
"I DON'T KNOW BUT IT'S NOT SOMETHING I WANNA GET TO KNOW!!" Oliver replied, not far behind Johnny.
Kamiko looked up as she heard the three screams and saw them coming, "What on earth?!"
"What the heck is that?" Enrique asked from inside the elevator.
"The gladiator is screaming like a little girl." Kamiko sighed.
The three screeched to a halt by Kamiko.
"Ghost!! There's a ghost!" Johnny wheezed as he pointed down the hall.
"A ghost?!" Kamiko started cracking up, "HAHAH a ghost?! Eheh ...." She stopped to study the thing getting rapidly closer. "GHOST!!!!"
"Ghost?!" Enrique exclaimed from inside the elevator.
"GHOST!!!" The four uptop exclaimed simultaniously as they huddled together. "AAAHHHHH!!!!!"
The ghost stopped and began to laugh. The four continued to scream while Enrique tried to see what was going on.
"I sure had you going this time." The ghost said.
The four stopped.
"What?" Johnny blinked.
The ghost pulled off its white sheet.
"ROBERT?!"
Indeed, it was Robert, and he was laughing almost hystarically.
Everyone heaved a sigh of relief. The lights turned on.
Ruki dropped to the ground, panting.
"That was cruel and unusual, Robert!" Johnny growled.
"It was funny and amusing too." Robert laughed.
"Boy you really had us going." Oliver chuckled.
"I did, didn't I." Robert nodded, pleased with his preformance.
Kamiko knelt next to Ruki, slightly chuckling, "Are you Ok?"
"I ... think so.." Ruki said inbetween breaths.
Enrique walked over to them, "What was that all about?"
Kamiko looked at him, "What?! How'd you get out?"
"The elevator turned back on." Enrique raised an eyebrow.
"You mean to tell me you planned this whole thing?!" Johnny looked at Robert.
"Uh-huh. Senior prank." Robert smirked.
"Ugh!" Johnny retorted.
"Well, this is kind of an awkward way to meet but, before I forget, Robert this is Ruki. She's boarding with me. Ruki, this is the ghost, or also known as the famous Robert Jurgin. He's from Germany." Kamiko explained as she looked down at her friend.
"Nice to meet you." Ruki got to her feet and shook Robert's hand, "My mother was German. I was staying with my grandmother there before I came here."
"Is that so? Where does she live?" Robert asked with interest.
"Altenstein. Do you know it? It has some old castle ruins up on the top of the hill."
"Yes, I know that place. I actually bought that land with the castle remains not too long ago." Robert recalled.
"You bought it?" Ruki exclaimed with alarm.
"Yes. They didn't have enough funds to rebuild it anyway so by purchasing it I aided in the cause."
"They're rebuilding it...?" Ruki blinked.
"It's more like rebuilding the ruins how they had been so it doesn't calapse further but it's still very expensive. But it's no dent in my wallet." Robert answered.
"I see..."
"Forget about the stupid castles, we still have to go get dibs on best seats!" Johnny interrupted.
"Right. Lets go find our room then." Kamiko agreed.
"I'll be seeing you later then, I need to go to the other building." Robert mentioned before they left.
"See ya, Robbie. Come on, lets go guys." Kamiko turned back to the others and led them to the other end of the hallway. "Here it is, 145." She twisted the door knob and the medal door swung open. She reached in and felt around the wall until she felt the light switch. "And there was light! And Kamiko saw that it was good... Woohoo!" Kamiko ran to the back and jumped into her seat. "Perfect."
"About time we got here." Johnny snorted and went with Enrique to the back.
Ruki wandered to the farthest seat from the door and sat there. Oliver followed and sat beside her.
"This is gonna be great." Oliver said cheerfully.
Other people began to come in to take their seats. Before long the entire room was full, but the teacher still hadn't shown, nor had the bell rung.
"I wonder where she could be..." Oliver tapped his finger on his chin.
Ruki shrugged and looked down at her desk. Her eyes turned big and she jumped back and out of her seat.
"What's wrong?"
"There's a spider on my desk!" Ruki staired at the brown spider, who wasn't doing much at the time.
Oliver jumped up, "A spider?!"
Kamiko stood up in the back, "Alright, I'll take care of this!" She stomped up to the front to Ruki's desk and prepared to smash it with her fist.
"Wait don't smash it, at least not with your bare hands!" Ruki stopped her.
"What? Why?" Kamiko looked at her.
"That's a brown recluse, it's poisoness you know!"
"Whatta you want me to do? Step on it?" Kamiko asked, annoyed.
"Get outta the way, I'll kill it!" Johnny said, shoving Kamiko aside.
"This is gonna be interesting." Kamiko snickered.
Everybody watched as Johnny climbed up on the desk and the jumped on the spider, causing the desk to calapse just as the teacher was in the doorway. Everybody held their breath and then began to laugh.
"HAHAH!! Way to go, Johnathan!" Kamiko cracked up.
"Excuse me, young man, but there is a rule about climbing up on desks." The teacher warned as she walked over to him.
"There was a brown recluse on it, what was I supposed to do?" Johnny remarked, crossing his arms.
"Don't make excuses, get in your seat now!" The teacher ordered.
Johnny grumbled as he walked back to his seat with Kamiko behind him snickering. When they reached the back, Kamiko poked Johnny in the arm, "Looks like you just lost your desert!"
Johnny gave her a death glare but said nothing.
Ruki helped the teacher carry the broken desk to the corner of the room. "I'm afraid we don't have any extra desks at this time, so you can just pull your chair up to the side of my desk and sit there until we have it replaced." The teacher said.
"Thank you." Ruki nodded and went back to get her chair.
The teacher stood behind her desk, "Alright, everybody quiet. I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Ms. Spzielman and I'll be your teacher for the entire year. Now a few of you have already managed to get on my bad side..." She eyed Johnny in the back, "But, I'm sure you'll have a chance to redeem yourself sometime before the year ends."
Ruki dropped herself in the seat by the desk and looked up at the young teacher to listen.
"I'm hoping because there are only 22 of us here, that we'll be able to do plenty of fun activities, so long as you behave, I'll do my best not to make this a snore for you. So, first off, I'd like to pass out the book and workbook we'll be using for this year." Ms. Spzielman looked at Ruki, "Would you pass these out for me?"
"Sure." Ruki stood up and took the handfull of books.
"Thank you so much, now, what's your name?"
"Ruki."
"Ruki, how nice." Ms. Spzielman turned to the class, "Ruki is going to be handing you a book. You'll need to put your name on the list on the inside and I'll come around to see what number you have. You'll be responsible for returning the same book number in at the end of the year, and if you don't, there's a fee. There's also a seperate fee to pay for the book if it's ripped or lost, so take care of your books." Shes instructed.
Ruki went around, handing the books one by one to every student, occassionally having to go back to get more.
"Now while Ruki does that, let me take role call." The teacher looked at a list of names and began to call them out.
After Ruki finished passing out the large text books, she grabbed all the workbooks and passed those out as well.
"Any questions?" Ms. Spzielman asked after finishing role call. "Good, now that everybody has their text book, I'd like you to open to page seven, please."
At the end of class, everybody left to lunch with their workbooks in hand.
"I can't believe it, homework on the first night!" Johnny complained.
"Stop whining! This is way easy stuff. We can do it together at dinner." Kamiko said.
"That's a great idea." Oliver said as they walked down the hall with the rest of the other classes.
"Of course it is, I thought of it." Kamiko grinned, haughtilly.
"Where do we go after this?" Enrique asked.
"Lets see." Kamiko pulled out her schedule from her notebook. "Room 127. It's at the other end of the hall."
"And after that?" Oliver looked over Kamiko's shoulder, trying to see.
"Room... 166." Kamiko replied.
"What? That's upstairs though." Enrique sighed.
"There four floors here, but this building is only for freshmen and sophomores, right?" Oliver looked at the others for an answer.
"Yeah. That means Room's 251 through 299 are all on the fourth floor. That's so messed up!" Kamiko replied.
"No kidding." Johnny growled, "No wonder they're in a hurry to finish the new building, maybe they'll actually have the numbers right!"
"Quit complaining, Johnathan. You're the biggest whiner I've ever come across." Kamiko teased.
"Oh yeah right." Johnny shook his head.
"Say, do any of you know where that paperwod came from that hit me?" Kamiko looked at her friends. "Ruki! You little troublemaker! That wasn't you was it?"
Ruki chuckled, "No, but I know who it was."
"Really? Who?" Kamiko looked down at her friend.
"It was the kid who sits against the wall on the left side, third seat from the front."
Kamiko blinked.
"He had brown hair and the top was bleached and he looked--"
"Like a druggy?" Kamiko finished.
"...Yeah, sort've." Ruki answered.
"I'll personally pound him if he tries to flirt with you again." Enrique growled.
"Ooohh, getting a little defensive, are we, Enrique?" Johnny snickered.
"Hah, I'll be sure to give it to you when you get a girlfriend!" Enrique laughed back.
"As if that will ever happen." Kamiko chuckled.
Johnny crossed his arms, "Hmph, like I'd care either way. I don't want a girlfriend anyway."
"Now you know that's a lie!" Kamiko turned around to look at Johnny, walking backwards now.
"And how would you know?" Johnny put up a fist.
"I can see it in your eyes." Kamiko grinned, mischieviously.
"You're full of crap, you know that, right?" Johnny crossed his arms again.
"You only wish that were true." Kamiko sneered.
Down in the lunch room, they stood in line with trays, waiting to get something to eat.
"Hey Ruki, why don't you have a tray?" Kamiko looked behind her at Ruki.
"What? Oh, I'm not hungry."
"Not hungry? Are you crazy? You haven't eaten anything all day! You have to be hungry!"
"Uh, no.. I'm just not hungry." Ruki shrugged.
Johnny leaned forward so Kamiko would hear him, "Peasant girl here is used to not eating three meals a day, why should she start now if she's gonna be going back to one meal a day--if she's lucky, that is."
"Johnathan MacGregor, that's gonna cost you your lunch desert for the next week! Hand it over!!" Kamiko demanded.
"Pfft, yeah right. I've already lost my desert for dinner, there's no way I'm giving up my lunch desert too." Johnny refused.
"Then you better zip the lip and leave Ruki alone!" Kamiko sighed with frustration.
"Hey if I didn't remind you of the truth, who would?" Johnny continued.
Kamiko twisted around, "That's it!" She pushed Ruki aside and took the desert off Johnny's tray, "No desert for you, young man until you learn to treat everybody equally with respect regardless of their social class!"
"Hey! You can't just take my desert, you brat!" Johnny growled.
"Yeah well yannow what? I just did!" Kamiko shouted then turned to Ruki, "Come on, lets go find ourselves a table." She walked off, Ruki following at her heels.
"That's just great!" Johnny snorted.
Kamiko walked Ruki to a table with Enrique, "Hey, where's Oliver?" Kamiko asked as she set her tray down.
"I dunno, he said he had to go do something." Enrique shrugged and ate a french fry.
"Huh, go figure." Kamiko sat down, Ruki taking a seat next to her.
"Where's your food, Ruki?" Enrique asked, eating another french fry.
"I'm not hungry." Ruki rolled her eyes, uneasily.
"Not hungry?" Enrique looked at her skeptically, "How could you not be hungry? You haven't even had breakfast."
"I'm just not hungry." Ruki shrugged.
Kamiko leaned over, looking at Ruki from the corner of her eye, "You're not anerexic are you?"
"What? Of course not." Ruki answered, a bit surprised at the question.
"Ok. I'm sure you're still getting used to this place, I understand." Kamiko nodded and sat back in her chair.
"Eheh..." Ruki chuckled, weakly.
Johnny slammed his tray on the table, "Ok Kamiko, I want my desert back now!"
"Too bad, you can't have it." Kamiko taunted him.
"You took his desert?" Enrique asked.
"He was making fun of Ruki, I had to take drastic measures." Kamiko shrugged, innocently.
"Drastic measures?! I hardly call that drastic measures, that's more like stealing." Johnny accused.
"Why don't you just go get another one?" Enrique looked up at him, munching somemore on his fries.
"You're only allowed getting one, don't you know!" Johnny growled.
Ruki stood up as if she wanted to say something.
"What's up, Ruki?" Kamiko asked, looking up at her.
"Nothing. Just... standing." Ruki shrugged.
"Give me my pudding!" Johnny demanded.
Kamiko shoved a spoonful of it in her mouth, "Never!"
"Um..."
"Take another bite and I'll shove it all in your face!" Johnny threatened.
"Ooo, that's your pudding wasted, not mine." Kamiko reminded him, pointing at him with her spoon.
"Hey.. how about you just.. take my desert, Johnny?" Ruki offered.
"Say what?" Johnny glared at her.
"I'll go up there and get you what you want so they don't think you're trying to take seconds and you can just leave Kamiko to her food." Ruki explained.
"Ruki, you can't be serious!" Kamiko objected.
Ruki looked at Johnny, "So, what do you say?"
Johnny gave her a suspicious eye, "What's the catch?"
"Huh? The catch? There's no catch..." Ruki chuckled, becoming a bit nervous.
"So, the little peasant girl wants to buy the rich and famous Johnny MacGregor a pudding? Can you even take the extra bill?" Johnny snickered.
"You shouldn't worry about it anyway." Ruki rolled her eyes, a bit tired of the jokes, "So do you want the pudding or not? Or do you want something else maybe?"
"Why do you wanna get me desert?" Johnny crossed his arms.
"Well why not?"
"I can give you a hundred reasons why!" Kamiko volunteered, "I'll give you a whole list of reasons!"
"Shut up, Kamiko and stay out of it!" Johnny ordered.
"I think Johnny wants that desert whether he admits it or not." Enrique grinned.
"Ugh, fine, but you should consider this an honor, not a routine or a good will deed!" Johnny said and began to march to the front where the food was.
Ruki shrugged and chuckled, shortly following.
"Geez, she really didn't have to do that." Enrique said in surprise.
"She really shouldn't have done that. Johnny won't feel bad for pushing her around now because he'll still get his desert... from her." Kamiko added with a sigh as she took the last bite of the chocolate pudding.
When they came back, Johnny set his pudding cup down with a triumphet smirk, "Hah! Even though you took my pudding, I still got desert!"
"Don't you feel special?" Kamiko looked at him from the corner of her eyes.
Johnny sat down behind his tray, "Getting food from a peasant girl isn't what I'd call special or honorable, but that can just be our little secret." He took a spoonful of his pudding.
Ruki sat next to Kamiko again, "Yeah, we'll be sure to announce to everyone at graduation that in the 9th grade, Johnathan MacGregor got pudding from a peasant girl. Yeah that's gonna make everyone in shock, especially considering the 'peasant girl' wasn't a peasant." Kamiko raised an eyebrow.
"Say anything and I'll destroy you!" Johnny growled.
Kamiko laughed, "Destroy me, huh?"
"You heard me." Johnny put another spoon of pudding in his mouth.
"You have such a way with words." Enrique chuckled.
Johnny muttered something as he licked his spoon clean.
"Aren't you even gonna say thanks?" Kamiko asked, expectantly.
"What?" Johnny looked up from his chocolatey mush.
"You owe Ruki a thanks." Kamiko glared at him.
"Hah? Me? Thank her? She should be thanking me!" Johnny replied as he made sure to have gotten every last bit of pudding out of his cup.
Kamiko burst out in laughter, "She owes you thanks?"
"Of course! I let her buy me a pudding." Johnny said as if she had forgotten.
"Johnny, get serious. You know you wanted her to." Kamiko narrowed her eyebrows, a bit frustrated.
"What does that have to do with anything?" Johnny growled.
"It has to do with everything! You wouldn't have had a pudding if it wasn't for her! Say thanks, Johnathan!" Kamiko ordered.
"Hmph, yeah right." Johnny pushed the empty cup of pudding aside with the rest of his things.
"Hey, you know what? By tomorrow, they'll have the cafeteria set up like it was last year. Guess they got behind because of the other building's construction." Oliver suddenly said.
"Like last year? Finally! I'm tired of serving myself." Kamiko nodded.
Ruki looked at Kamiko, "What was it like last year?"
"Well, to sum it up, it was pretty much like eating at a restaurant." Enrique answered for Kamiko.
"Oh ... like .. McDonald's or something, no?" Ruki asked.
Johnny laughed, "Like McDonald's?! Who the heck eats there?"
"Not like a fast food restaurant, you know, like a place where you sit down, you order something to eat and the waiters bring it to you when it's ready." Kamiko explained.
"You mean like a fancy restaurant?" Ruki seemed surprised.
"Hardly fancy." Kamiko chuckled, "But I guess for you it would be."
"Peh, commoner." Johnny mumbled under his breath.
"You gonna help in the back again, Oliver?" Enrique looked at his friend.
"I hope so."
"Oliver makes the greatest dishes!" Kamiko looked at Ruki to expand, "He always helped the chef in the back. In fact, I heard he did most of the work rather than the chef."
"That's a lot of cooking..." A sweatdrop slid down Ruki's face.
"Oliver can handle it." Enrique said with confidence.
"You bet! Besides, when they get that set up, we'll have an hour lunch." Oliver added.
"An hour??" Ruki asked, again in surprise.
"What did you think? We'd eat in fifteen minutes?" Johnny looked at her as if irritated by her presence.
"Uh well ... that's how it was when I went to school in America .." Ruki blinked.
"America is a place for poor people to find work so they can at least have a cardboard box over their head." Johnny snorted and took a drink from his Pepsi(™).
"You do realize America is the wealthiest and most powerful country in the world, don't you?" Oliver pointed out.
"What're those Yankee morons gonna do? Attack with pitch forks? Please! Europe has the greatest traditional gun militia. You can't fight guns with freakin' pitch forks!" Johnny said, ignorently.
"Augh, Johnny. You will never learn if you're so arrogant." Oliver sighed.
"Whatever. I could beat any American with my eyes closed." Johnny went on.
"Oh really ..." Ruki felt the need to comment.
"Silly Ruki, leave the Scots to their skirt wearing traditions and we'll see what they think when they find the updrafts they have in America." Kamiko snickered.
"Hey! They're kilts! Kilts! Not skirts, kilts!"
"Ohh, whatever. They're all the same to everyone else..." Kamiko sighed in a mocking manner.
"Geh!!" Johnny growled as the bell rang.
"Well, lets scatter off to class. Remember room ..." Kamiko pulled out a piece of paper to double check, "Room 127."
At the end of fourth period, Ruki and Kamiko decided to split from the guys and walked home on their own.
"So, what did you think of the first day?" Kamiko asked, the wind slightly playing with her skirt from behind.
"Interesting.." Was the only word Ruki could think to describe it.
"It was wasn't it? Aren't the guys a riot?" Kamiko giggled, apparently amused.
"Uh, yeah.. especially Enrique." Ruki teased with a weak chuckle.
"Enrique's adorable." Kamiko smiled to herself, "I couldn't ever imagine going out with anyone else."
"Yeah, you two.. really look good together." Ruki agreed.
"What about you? You probably have a boyfriend back in the US, don't you?" Kamiko looked at her with expectation.
"What, me?" Ruki laughed, "No. Nobody would wanna go out with me. Not then and not now."
"Why not?" Kamiko asked, curious to see what her reasoning behind this was.
"I'm just not the type anybody would want to be with, I guess. Not much to it really." Ruki shrugged it off.
"Well what makes you think that?" Kamiko eyed her with skepticism.
"Uh well ....." Ruki tried to come up with something for a moment, "Well.. look at the way Johnny's treating me. You don't think that's unusual for me do you?"
"You mean it is?"
"It's not really impor--"
"Hey you guys! What'd you run away for?"
Kamiko stopped Ruki as she looked over her shoulder to see Enrique running up to them. "Oliver said we could go ahead without you."
"Oliver didn't bother asking me." Enrique said as he put his arm over Kamiko's shoulder, "Heya Ruki. What's up?"
Ruki looked up at the sky, "It's looking pretty clear today.."
"Huh?" Enrique looked up, "Oh yeah. Right."
Kamiko snickered.
The three began to walk again. "So, what were you guys doing while I stayed after class for that paper wod that hit the teacher?" Enrique asked.
"We've been walking the entire time. That sure was short term." Kamiko looked at him.
"The teacher said he'd let me off easy since it's the first day. But if it happens tomorrow or anywhere between now and the end of the year, it's four hours of detention." Enrique explained.
"You better watch yourself then. If you're not around to take me places after school, I might have to dump you for Oliver since he never gets in trouble." Kamiko threatened.
"What?! You can't be serious!!" Enrique exclaimed, apparently alarmed.
"I'm just teasing, sheesh. I make one lousy joke and you fly off the handle." Kamiko chuckled. "So, how long is Johnny in for?"
"Johnny didn't get as lucky as I did." Enrique snickered, "He's already got detention all week."
Kamiko burst out in laughter, "That's a whole weeks worth of extra ice cream for me!"
"Hey look, there's Oliver." Enrique pointed.
Kamiko smacked his hand, "Don't point! It's rude!"
"I wonder what he's doing over there..." Enrique said, thoughtfully.
The three walked over to Oliver who was kneeling in front of a rose bush, "Hey Oliver, what're you doing?" Kamiko asked from behind.
Oliver looked over his shoulder at his friends, "Oh, Mrs. Walkinston asked me to look at this rose bush. She said she thinks it's dying, but it just needs to be trimmed. It's running out of room to grow." Oliver clipped a twig with a rose on the end of it, "There, that outta do it."
"You're such a goody-goody, Oliver." Kamiko smirked helplessly.
Oliver stood up, "That outta fix it up real nicely. I'll leave these here for Mrs. Walkinston to pick up." Oliver dropped the trimming equiptment on the ground in front of the bush.
"Who's Mrs. Walkinston?" Ruki asked Kamiko.
"The principle. Mr. Goody-Goody Pants here is always helping around." Kamiko answered.
Oliver turned around, "So, I guess we can go then."
"Hold up, Romeo. What're you gonna do with that rose?" Kamiko asked, pointing it out.
Oliver looked down at the red rose he had just clipped, "Oh. I'll give it to Ruki. You can put it in a vase and water when you get back to your room." He said, surrendering it to the shrimp standing next to Enrique.
"Wow really? Thanks!" Ruki took it from him, her gratefulness apparent in a beaming smile.
"Isn't that cute." Enrique chuckled, a bit mockingly, "Well, lets go then, Kamiko."
"Where you going?" Ruki asked, a bit worried to be away from Kamiko.
"Everyday after school we go for a stroll in the park." Kamiko answered, "Aren't you jealous?" She teased. "You just go back to the room, I'll be back in a while."
"A while...?" Ruki asked weakly as she watched Kamiko and Enrique walk off.
"Do you think you can make it back to your room on your own?" Oliver suddenly asked.
"I don't even know if I have my card on me.." Ruki said, searching any area where a pocket might be.
"Oh, well that's bad ... How about you stay with me 'til Kamiko gets back then?" Oliver offered.
Ruki blinked a moment, "Are you sure it's Ok? I don't wanna be a pest or anything..."
"No, it's Ok. I'm heading back to my room anyway, I can give you a vase to put your flower in too. Wouldn't want it to wilt, would ya?" Oliver added with a smile.
"Of course not..." Ruki tried to return the smile but found it difficult in this uncomfortable situation.
"Great, lets go then." Oliver said and began to lead the way.
Ruki sighed and followed shortly.
As they walked Ruki stared at her feet, seeing Oliver only enough to be able to see where he was going. Oliver looked over his shoulder at her, "So, what do you think of the school so far?"
"The school is great. A lot nicer than I could have even imagined." Ruki answered, looking up.
Oliver stopped so she could catch up, "Well I'm glad you like it. I hope we helped make you more comfortable with your new surroundings."
Ruki nodded as Oliver walked with her again, "Yeah, you've helped a lot.. thanks a million."
"Any time, I'm just glad I could help." Oliver smiled and opened the front door for her.
"Thanks.." Ruki stepped inside and waited for him. "Boy this place is crowded..."
"Most of the kids just hang out here for a while after school. Everyone else is probably either in their room or outside." Oliver signaled for her to follow as he walked toward the elevator.
"Just like a normal school..." Ruki said more to herself.
"Just because this is a private school doesn't mean the kids aren't pretty ordinary." Oliver said as he stepped into the elevator, having heard her anyway. He pressed six on the floor panel as Ruki stepped in.
"Er, I didn't mean it like that... I was just expecting something else I guess." Ruki frowned.
Oliver smiled, "Don't worry about it, I understand."
Ruki managed a slight smile, glad he wasn't upset over her stupid comment.
The elevator didn't stop until it reached the sixth floor. When they stepped out Ruki was surprised to find a single person wandering around the hall. "This floor looks so different when it's empty..." Ruki said, peering down the hall toward her own room.
"The room is this way." Oliver pointed down the opposite hall and began to walk down it while Ruki followed. Oliver stopped at a door about half way down the hall and slipped his keycard in, then twisted the knob and opened the door, "Come on in."
Ruki nodded, "Thank you." She walked inside, Oliver closing the door behind himself as he followed. Ruki looked around, the room was decorated quite differently from her own.
"Johnny'll probably be here after detention." Oliver said as he laid his cardkey on the table.
"Great..." Ruki muttered sarcastically to herself.
"Make yourself at home. You can watch some TV if you'd like." Oliver walked into the next room.
Ruki looked around for the remote and spotted it on the bed that would have been her own if this had been her room. She picked it up and flipped the TV on.
Oliver called from the other room, "Would you like some tea?"
Ruki got up and went to the room he was in. It was a small kitchen beyond the dining room, "What kind of tea?"
"It's just some ice tea. Would you like some?"
"Yes please."
Oliver handed her a cup, "There's some sugar in the bedroom if it needs more."
"Thanks." Ruki nodded and walked back. She took a sip, "Mmm, I love ice tea."
Oliver followed, "Oh yeah? Enrique and Johnny both don't like it at all and Kamiko doesn't care for it either, but I think it's a perfectly delicate recipe with a complex scent and taste."
Ruki giggled a bit.
"Of course, I don't use the tea bags." Oliver bragged a bit.
Ruki appeared interested, "You don't?"
"Of course not. I mix all my own herbs to make it. Does it taste like a store brand?"
Ruki looked at it, "Come to think of it, no."
Oliver smiled, a bit proudly, "The finest chefs in the world wouldn't even consider using tea bags. It leaves a bitter taste of the bag in it, which also gives it almost a dry feel."
Ruki blinked, thinking over his statement a second, "You're right. It does." She took another sip. "I guess that leaves only one thing left to say, your ice tea is perfect!"
Oliver nodded, "Of course it is. I'm not the top chef in France for nothing."
Ruki chuckled to herself with a grin, amused with how boastful he had suddenly become.
Oliver sat at the table by the bed Ruki sat at while she switched the channel.
"Is there anything you wanna watch?" Ruki asked.
"No, you can watch whatever you want." Oliver answered and took another sip from his tea.
"Oh, hey, can I have something to put this rose in?" Ruki suddenly said, looking at the rose on her lap.
"Oh yeah, it's a good thing you reminded me." Oliver left his cup on the table and walked off.
Ruki continued to channel surf, assuming Oliver had gone to get a vase with water in it. When he returned, he had a shiney, white, porclin vase with a golden rim at the top and flowers painted around the center. Ruki stood up, "What a pretty vase."
Oliver took the rose from her and put it in the water in the vase, "Yes, it is. I got this from my grandmother. It was a birthday gift. Here you go, you can have it."
"What? Really?" Ruki asked with surprise, hesitating to take it.
"Yes, I think you would take good care of it." Oliver said with a nod.
"Wow... thanks.." Ruki took the vase, then looked up at him, "Are you really sure it's Ok?"
"I'm positive." Oliver smiled. "You can put it on the dresser until you leave. It should be safer there than on the table."
Ruki nodded, "Ok.." She walked to the dresser and carefully put the vase down on the bare, wooden surface.
At that moment there was a knock on the door. Oliver got up and opened it, "Johnny, you're finally out of detention, huh?"
"Yeah yeah." Johnny walked in, "Where's Enrique?"
"He and Kamiko went for a walk, as usual." Oliver said and shut the door.
"Pfft, go figure." Johnny looked at the TV, "Who's watching this?"
Ruki stepped up, "I am."
"What's she doing here?" Johnny turned to Oliver for an answer.
"She didn't have her card key with her, so I invited her to stay with me until Kamiko and Enrique came back." Oliver explained to Johnny.
Johnny laughed, "What a ditz! You forgot your card?! Man, that's rich." Johnny put up his hands to count on his fingers, "You're a peasant girl in a wealthy school, you don't eat breakfast or lunch, you're terrified of any kind of bug, you're anti-social AND you don't remember to bring your cardkey when leaving your room. What are you, just stupid?"
Ruki's face turned dark, "You know what?! Even if I was considered stupid I'm still a whole lot nicer than you, you big jerk! All you do is pick on people who try not to hurt anybody's feelings, but you wouldn't even know how to do that! I might not have as much of money as you do but I have enough kindness to make up twice as much! And have you ever considered maybe I prefer to have a little to eat here and there rather than three large meals in one day? Or maybe because I'm 'anti-social' I don't find it easy to eat in front of others?! Especially jerks like you who can only point out all the easiest things to make make fun of in people, who's constently judging people. AND I DIDN'T FORGET MY CARDKEY EITHER!! I saw you take it and put it in the garbage can in the hallway! And you know what else? I'm sick of listening to you, so either you straighten up or you'll regret ever having said a single word to me. Got all that?!"
Oliver and Johnny blinked, shocked by this sudden outburst.
"Oh and one last thing Johnny..." Ruki took her cup of tea and threw it at him, spilling its contents all over his clothes, but the cup rolled on the floor, unharmed.
"AAHH!! MY FAVORITE SHIRT!!" Johnny exclaimed, looking at the mess on himself.
Ruki heaved a sigh, turned around and left the room, closing the door with a slam.
"Aahhh!! That's just great..." Johnny growled, looking at his stained shirt.
"Oh my.." Oliver ran off and came back with a towel for Johnny, "I'll be right back." Oliver rushed out the door and looked to the left down the hall; no one. He looked to the right and saw Ruki walking away. "Ruki, wait!" Oliver ran after her and walked next to her, "Ruki are you Ok?"
Ruki didn't reply, only looking away to hide her tear stained face.
"Ruki...?"
She suddenly stopped and covered her face with both hands, unable to hold back her sobs.
Oliver put his arm over her to comfort her, "I'm sorry, Ruki..."
Ruki remained silent, save for the cries she was unable to hold back. She stood there a moment, trying to control herself, and managed to speak again, "I shouldn't have said those things..."
"It's Ok, if you hadn't have stood up for yourself, Johnny wouldn't have stopped. I don't think he'll be bothering you again." Oliver answered.
Ruki shook her head, "No it wasn't right... I should've kept myself under control."
"You held out longer than most." Oliver admitted. He pulled her hand away from her face, "Why don't you come back with me to the room and wash your face, huh?"
"I can't ever face him again... Johnny is the most heartless and mean person I have ever met.." Ruki wiped away a tear from her face with her other hand.
"Listen to me, Ruki, I'm sure Johnny won't bother you anymore. You scared him half to death."
"No, I just... I wanna go home." Ruki sank to the ground, sitting on her legs.
Oliver knelt next to her, "Don't say that. We'd all miss you if you left! And who would sit with me up front in class?"
Ruki sniffled and looked down, "I don't know ...."
"See? You don't wanna leave. You'll be fine, you just need to rest for a while, alright?" Oliver turned Ruki's face to his own, "Alright?"
Ruki was silent a moment before replying, "Yeah.. Ok..."
Oliver pulled Ruki up with him as he stood, "Now, lets go get your face washed off." Ruki nodded with another sniff as Oliver walked her back to the room.
Johnny was busy lounging around on the bed, watching TV too occupied to notice Ruki had been crying, "It's about time. I thought you'd both run away or something!"
Oliver whispered to Ruki which way the bathroom was and where the washclothes were, then sent her off and turned back to Johnny, "So, did you get your shirt dried off?"
Johnny sat up, "Does it look like it?"
Oliver couldn't help but grin, "Here, how about you take it off and I'll put it up to dry."
Johnny pulled his wet shirt over his head and handed it to Oliver in a crumple.
"Too bad this tea stains..." Oliver sighed as he walked out of the room.
"Yeah, too bad, no more tea making for you." Johnny snorted.
Ruki stepped out of the bathroom just in time to meet Oliver coming over, "Oh no..." She took the shirt from Oliver and looked at it, "Look at his shirt! I totally ruined it! Oh this is terrible..."
"Don't worry about it, Johnny has plenty of other shirts." Oliver replied.
"No, I feel terrible!" Ruki gave it back to Oliver and ran past him, stopping in the living room to remember which way to the bedroom. She ran through the doorway into the bedroom and saw Johnny laying there, focused on the TV. "Johnny, I'm really sorry, I didn't mean to ruin your shirt! You don't know how utterly wretched I feel."
Johnny raised an eyebrow at her.
"Please tell me what I can do to make it up to you..." Ruki pleaded.
Johnny sat up, "What?! You mean to tell me you throw your cup at me and spill tea all over my shirt and then leave with a fit, and now you wanna make it up to me?!"
Ruki ran over to him and sat on her heels in front of him, her hands clasped together, "I didn't mean to go off like that on you. I'm really very sorry, won't you please forgive me?"
Johnny stared at her for a second with a solemn expression, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Huh...?"
"You're too much!" He laughed.
Ruki blinked, cluelessly.
"Well now.." Johnny crossed his arms over his bare chest and peered at her, thoughtfully, "I'm sure there's something you can do for me."
Ruki waited for him to come up with something.
"Lets see. First off, get off your knees, you look like you're begging." Johnny ordered.
Ruki stood up.
"I'm sure we can come up with something like civilized people." Johnny raised an eyebrow with amusement.
Ruki raised both eyebrows, waiting for the worst.
Johnny rubbed his chin, "How about... you can be my personal maid."
"Personal... maid?"
"You heard me.... I get tired of doing everything myself anyway." Johnny replied.
"Uh.. I don't mean to ... bug but.. that's a little much don't you think...? I mean.. I was thinking... I'd buy you a new shirt or something ...?" Ruki explained, nervously.
"Huh?" Johnny looked at her, his grin fading, "What are you putting a limit of what I can ask now?"
"No it's just ..." Ruki rolled her eyes, trying to think of the right words.
Johnny chuckled, mischieviously, "You got yourself into this mess but I'm not gonna let you out of it."
"Johnny, how could you be so heartless?" Ruki sighed, hopelessly.
"Heartless? You're such a wreck, you can't take care of yourself at all! If it wasn't for Kamiko you probably wouldn't have even found your room!" Johnny said, somewhat irritated.
"Ah ..." Ruki scratched her head, blushing from embarressment, "Well.. I guess you're right about that much..."
"Of course I'm right! You're such a wimp, how can you expect to not be picked on if you're so easy to push around?" Johnny said as a matter of factly.
Ruki looked away, "I... don't know I.. guess...."
"You're truly pathetic you know that?" Johnny laid back down on the bed.
"Yeah ... I know." Ruki dragged herself back into the dining room and sat at the table in silence.
Oliver walked out of the bathroom after having called somebody to pick up the dirty shirt. "Now that that's taken care of... Ruki? Why're you sitting here?"
Ruki didn't reply.
Oliver walked over to her, leaning to look at her, "Are you Ok?"
"I just wanna be alone for a while..." Ruki sighed.
Oliver's expression turned somewhat sad, "Oh.. Ok..." He left the room and went into the bedroom, leaving Ruki alone as she had wished.
"What's up?" Johnny looked at Oliver from the corner of his eye.
"I called the washing service. They said they're coming by to get your shirt." Oliver explained.
"Not that that'll help much." Johnny sighed, exasperated.
"Well, guess we'll see." Oliver shrugged.
"If you hadn't let that stupid girl in here this wouldn't have even happened." Johnny snorted.
"She said she was sorry..." Oliver said as he sat down.
"Sorry isn't getting that stain out of my shirt." Johnny sternly answered.
"Maybe not but... maybe you should be a little nicer to her. Your being mean was what made her throw her tea on you in the first place." Oliver reminded him, staying calm.
"Pfft, she shouldn't be here anyway. This is a school for well-off kids, not slum dwellers!" Johnny hissed.
Oliver sighed, hopelessly.
There was a knock at the door.
"I'm coming!" Oliver shouted and got up. He opened the door to find Enrique and Kamiko standing there.
"Hey!" Kamiko said and walked in, "What's up?--Where's Ruki?" She looked around, not seeing her anywhere.
"In the other room..." Oliver answered, closing the door as Enrique walked in.
"Hey Tarzan, what're you doing with your shirt off?" Enrique raised an eyebrow, studying Johnny over.
"Penny over there threw tea all over me." Johnny snorted.
Kamiko stomped into the room, "JOHNNY YA BIG JERK!!"
"What did I do now?!" Johnny asked, sitting up.
"I think we need to have a little talk about attitude! Maybe if you'd give 'Penny' a chance you might find that you might actually would like her!"
"Me like her? Not in this life time!" Johnny retorted.
"I'm serious, Johnathan, if you do one more thing to hurt Ruki I'll be telling the principle. And you know he is tight with my family! He'll kick you out in the snap of a finger, and you know what that means don't you?" Kamiko threatened.
"Gosh dang, what the heck're you pickin' on me for?"
"The same reason you're picking on Ruki! Now stop and be nice!" Kamiko growled.
"FINE. Geez!" Johnny snorted and crossed his arms.
"Go and apologize now."
"What?! She's the one who threw hot tea on me!"
Kamiko gave him a death glare and replied through gritted teeth, "I said apologize now."
Johnny growled and got up, walking out of the room.
"Uh hey wait, you might want a shirt." Enrique shouted after him as he dug through a drawer and tossed him a shirt.
Johnny turned around, "What?" but his inquirements was muffled as the shirt landed in his face. He pulled it off from around his neck and put it on then went in the direction of where Ruki awaited in the other room. He mumbled to himself, peeved at his compulsory assignment. Peeking around the corner, he gathered himself up with another livid snort and wandered into the dining room.
Ruki was sitting at the table with her head down and buried in her arms. Johnny pondered a moment how he would put this without losing his dignity and pride that he worked so hard to protect, but seemed to be watching it crumble before him anyway. He muttered one last curse at Kamiko and sauntered over to Ruki.
"Hey Penny." Johnny said from behind her, his hands buried in his pockets and his shoulders slightly slumped.
Ruki didn't raise her head, "What... do you want..."
Johnny scowled, "Well ya could have the decency to look at me!"
"...Why should I?.. So you can belittle me somemore? Oh sure, sounds like a great idea to me!"
Johnny rolled his eyes to the corner, "Of all times you have to be difficult now?"
Ruki suddenly lifted her head and turned around to look directly at him, "Now?! I have never been difficult until now. You know what? You're the one who's been difficult all the time. So you know what? Yes, I'm going to be difficult now." She turned back around into her previous position.
"Good grief! You're such a ..." Johnny growled and clenched his teeth in frustration, "brat!"
"Thanks for your opinion but you might as well tell it to the wall." Ruki said in a muffle tone.
"Hmph, fine!" Johnny turned around and walked back to the bedroom, more angry now than before he left.
"Did you apologize?" Kamiko asked expectantly.
Johnny dropped in a chair, "No."
"And why not?" Kamiko inquired, still irked.
"She wouldn't let me!" Johnny defended.
"How can she not let you? Now get back in there and don't come out until you've apologized!" Kamiko ordered.
Johnny leaped to his feet in protest, "Why do I have to listen to you, Miss High and Mighty?"
"Because I still have your priceless CD, now get going!" Kamiko pointed toward the dining room.
"I hate you." Johnny mumbled and went back. Instead of going to the dining room, however, he dropped in another seat around the corner, not caring whether he ever left or not.
Kamiko sighed, hopelessly, "He's so stubborn. It really gets under my skin."
"It's just like Johnny not to apologize." Oliver reminded her, "Even if he knows he's wrong."
"Well he's gonna have to grow up and learn how to apologize because three out of four times he is wrong." Kamiko declared.
Johnny rolled his eyes at Kamiko's comment as he continued to evesdrop on the conversation.
"Yeah well, he'll learn eventually ... hopefully anyway." Enrique added.
Johnny crossed his arms and grunted, "Yeah right."
"Johnny?"
Johnny looked up to see Ruki standing before him.
"I'm ready to make a treaty." She said.
"A treaty?" Johnny raised an eyebrow, "I said nothing about a treaty."
"No matter, I'm ready to make one anyway. I'll stay out of your way as long as you leave me alone."
Johnny stood up, "That's not the problem."
"Then what is ...." She looked up at him, not realizing he was several inches taller, "uh .. the problem?"
"Just you being around in general is the problem!" He replied, impatiently.
"Well what am I supposed to do then?"
"Leave!"
Ruki looked down and paused for a moment, "...I can't leave. My parents worked too hard to be able to send me here for me to just get up and leave." She looked back at him, "I'm sorry, Mr. MacGregor but I can't do that."
"What?"
"You'll have to find a different way to deal with it." Ruki pushed passed him and walked into the bedroom.
"Ruki? Are you O---..." Kamiko watched Ruki walk right out the door before finishing, "k...?" She quickly persued Ruki out the door. "Ruki! What're you doing, what's wrong?"
"Nothing I just wanna go to our room please."
"Speaking of which, I thought you were going to our room in the first place?" Kamiko wondered.
"I... misplaced my cardkey. I'm sorry." Ruki sighed.
"Ah don't worry about it, we'll have Gustav get you a new one." Kamiko assured her, still struggling to keep up. "Slow down, girl!"
Ruki suddenly stopped and turned to her.
"Why're you stopping?" Kamiko raised an eyebrow.
"Sorry. I don't know where I'm going." Ruki laughed at herself.
Kamiko burst out into laughter, "You're too much Ruki. Lets go." She led the way back to the room.
"Uh what was that all about?" Enrique looked at Johnny.
"Pfft. Treaty. I'll give her a treaty soon as I get her kicked out." Johnny grumbled.
Enrique blinked, "What do you have against Ruki so much? What'd she do to you?"
"Of course you wouldn't understand! You're the worst player I've ever seen!" Johnny accused.
"Hey guys, no need to get violent." Oliver interjected.
"No need to take out your anger on your pals, Johnny!" Enrique replied, upset.
"Whatever, I'm going back to my room." Johnny said as he left.
Enrique and Oliver exchanged clueless expressions, both wondering what Johnny was so wound up about.