Stuck-up Beauty, Reformed Beast, by Raberba girl

Part 8 (Motoko)

"Motoko! Where are you going?"

"I'm going on a DATE, Mother!" I scream. Just the sound of her voice cranks my irritability meter all the way up to ten. Mother storms into the front hallway, and I force myself to be poised. "So," I continue calmly and haughtily, "I won't be around for dinner. Have fun without me."

"You're supposed to tell people when you're going to do things like that, Motoko! By the way, you look beautiful."

I smile. I know I do. My clothes accent my figure perfectly, and they strike a good balance between attractive-sexy and attractive-nice. My hair and make-up are perfect, everything is perfect.

"Too bad you're going to waste those good looks on some bum you found on the street."

"Mother! How could you?!"

I am already irritated enough by the way he managed to dupe me into this stupid date. First he shows up, all flowery and apologetic and beautiful, and it turns out the witch and that two-timing rat gave him my address, and...and...

He looks so much like Yuki it hurts.

He played on my old feelings for Yuki. I could kill him.

So why am I going to the movies with him instead?

The doorbell rings. Mother moves to get it, but I am faster. I would prefer to play coy girl-games, but I would be so ashamed for that jerk with the looks of an angel to see my mother's ugly face.

"Mother," I hiss, "get back in the kitchen."

"Why shouldn't I see your new toy?" Mother says indignantly.

"My what?"

"I'm still your mother, after all, and I have the right to send him packing if he doesn't meet my approval."

"I'm in COLLEGE! I'm an ADULT! I can make my own decisions!"

That's about when the knocking starts, very irregular, as if whoever is knocking is bored and is trying to amuse himself by tapping out the notes to a song. I angrily rip open the door and there he is, with a handsome dark stranger standing behind him.

Aki-jerk smiles at me. "Hello, Motoko. You look lovely. I will do my best to keep you angry tonight, so as not to lose the effect."

"Shut up!" I fling the door wide open and whirl around to face Mother. "There, Mother! There's my bum off the street!"

"Ah." I am horrified to discover that she is smitten. "You're wrong, he's a prince. Don't trust him, Motoko, he probably means to carry you off as a spoil of war."

His eyes are widening, and that horrible admiring look is creeping across his face. "Actually, I'm not as polite when I'm making a conquest."

I can't stand this. My mother and my horrible date are practically flirting with each other, each in their own special twisted way. I slam the door shut and push past him and his friend. Then I stop when I see the car.

'Oooh...very nice...I WANT this car.' I turn to Akito in amazement. "You actually drive this thing?"

"Only into telephone poles," he laughs. "No, that's what Ha'ri is for." He points at his tall-dark-mysterious friend.

I cannot believe what I'm hearing. "You mean you're not even driving us? You're bringing a baby-sitter on a date?!"

He leans his head on Tall-Dark-Handsome's shoulder and smiles. "Yes. Isn't he cute?"

"No. No! I refuse! I'm not fourteen years old anymore, I won't be accompanied everywhere I go!"

"You hear that, Hatori?" Akito turns to his friend, his eyes shining happily. "She won't be accompanied everywhere she goes."

"You were right," Ha'ri (Hatori?) says in a quiet, sexy voice (why didn't he eat my ice cream?). "She is like you."

"I'm driving! Let's go, Akito, and get it over with." No way I'm going to waste perfectly good honorifics on him.

Akito nods to Hatori and follows me to the garage. Hatori knocks on the front door again - I suppose he plans to kill time here and chat with Mother or something until he has to drive his baby home.

I fume all the way to the theater and during the first fifteen minutes or so of the film. My wonderful date is acting crazy: choking on popcorn, laughing at the taste of soda, wondering out loud why the screen needs to be so big. It's like this guy has never seen a movie before.

I sink into the seat and pretend I don't know him. I don't think it's working, especially when he turns to me and says that I am the most beautiful girl in the world.

I could die of embarrassment.

It's a pretty good movie, though. A lot of parts make me laugh, yet it's still intense enough that even Akito gets sucked in and is able to watch quietly and attentively after a while.

When the credits start rolling, Akito leans back in his seat and sighs. I look at him, and am alarmingly charmed to see such a calm, happy expression on his face.

"That was good," he says softly. "I want to do that more often."

"Do what?" I ask, confused.

"Do this. See a movie."

"How often do you go out?" I ask, annoyed. He's acting like this is his first time seeing a movie or something.

He is silent for a moment. The lights have come on, and people are drifting up the aisles out of the theater.

"I think you would be surprised to find out how many things I haven't done before, or have not done often." He is not looking at me, but watching the screen. I gaze at him, unsettled. What is it about this guy? Suddenly he's gone all vulnerable, making me feel protective. How stupid.

"I thought you said you didn't have a girlfriend."

We both look up. Some girl is standing in the aisle near Akito, looking at him with a miffed smile.

Akito looks at her. "I never said I didn't have a girlfriend," he answers finally. "Though I admit I didn't have one when I talked to you."

I stand up, jealous. "Who are you?" I ask the girl.

to be concluded...