Chapter 8

The sun lighted the floor. Macchi's hand twitched as she felt her hand heat up. She opened her eyes slowly as the light hit her eyes. She turned over to the right side of the bed, Lyserg was still there, surprisingly. Macchi turned her whole body toward him. He was facing straight up with one arm across his chest. "Hey you awake?" Macchi asked him in a whisper. Lyserg's eyes twitched and he opened them half way.

"Yeah….I think so." Lyserg yawned. Lyserg tried to prop himself up and his body fell back into the bed. Macchi tried to smirk and she rolled out on her side.

"I think my bed is too comfortable." Macchi complained. Lyserg looked over at Macchi's direction.

"Why you say that? I think they're all the same." Lyserg said. Macchi got up pulled out a white tank top and some green shorts. Lyserg just look back up at the ceiling. "So, what you gonna do today?" Lyserg asked. Macchi shrugged as she got the tank top on.

"I dunno. I think I'll go shopping with Pilica or something. I heard yesterday the girls were going out today to shop at that 'new' mall. I guess you'll be here by yourself." Macchi said quoting the 'new'. She already had put on the green shorts and got and went to the door. Her head turned around back to Lyserg. "Will you be ok today?" She asked. Lyserg sheepishly nodded. Macchi smiled and opened the door. The door closed as she left. Lyserg continued to lie in her bed. At first he remember how he was afraid he was taking too much room, then too little. Lyserg couldn't sleep by her, but after a while, she seemed to be a part of him. Lyserg lifted himself from the bed and went back to his room. As he walked back to his room he began to think. He began to really think.

'What is love?' Lyserg first asked himself. The answer was never easy. 'How do you know if you're in love? What if it's just a flick?' Lyserg questioned himself further. He opened his door. 'How can you tell which person who really love and whose just a friend?' Lyserg continued. He made up his mind. The only way to find out was to ask others.

"Macchi, hurry up." Pilica yelled at Macchi. She ran to van with a blue shirt and khaki pants on. She had scandals on, which weren't hers, actually, she didn't whose they were. Macchi jumped into the car panting.

"Ok everyone here?" Jun asked. She looked at the rear view mirror. The four were in the back and Anna was on the passenger seat. Jun started the car and started to drive to the mall. Pilica continued to squeal as they went down the road.

"We…are finally going to the mall!" Pilica squealed. Macchi just looked at her.

'What is so great about shopping?' Macchi thought. She then remembered the main objective today. She needed to find out what love really was. She had a faint idea of what it was. Love to Macchi; was wanting to be with someone with the rest of your life. Macchi was now thinking if there was more. She looked outside the window and watched the scenery slowly changed. Then it popped in her mind! She wasn't suppose to be riding in the car. She shrugged, no big deal, she could take another hit from Faust.

Lyserg hopped out the shower and walked back to his room. He began to think who to ask first, or who was here. He thought Ren would be the best choice. He seemed quite matured. Lyserg put his shirt on and pants too, and went to the main dining hall. Lyserg navigated through the hallways looking for anyone. Ren was walking the over way, he was dragging his feet and looked like he always did.

"Hey, Ren." Lyserg said cheerfully. Ren shot a glance at him, striking immediate hostility to Lyserg.

"What you want?" Ren sneered back at him in the nastiest tone he could use Lyserg felt like backing up in case Ren blew a fuse.

"Um…I just wanted to ask you something." Lyserg said. Ren seemed to calm down a bit.

"Alright what is it?" Ren asked him. Lyserg kind of blushed. Ren got a knot in his stomach. 'He better not ask about love.' Ren thought in disgust.

"Um…how would describe love?" Lyserg asked. Ren's inner thoughts were right. He sighed and began to think.

"First off, love is nothing. Marriage is solely to get the woman's possessions." Ren said, his voice terse and strict.

"Um…ok, but if wasn't for that reason, what do look for in girl?" Lyserg then asked.

"She must be ability to prove her worth and sexuality to me." Ren said. Lyserg continued to be spellbound by the barbaric responses.

"Ok…so how do you know if you're in love?" Lyserg asked. He tried to keep a smile, but he couldn't help but be sick. Ren remained silent for a moment, thinking. He never really thought about such things. Such things were left to his parents in providing a marriage.

"Well…I guess it be how loyal she was. If could commit herself to me, then she is worth my commitment to her." Ren answered. Still Lyserg was unhappy with the answer, but it was a start.

"Ok, well thanks." Lyserg said and began to walk off.

"This wouldn't happen to be about Macchi, would it?" Ren asked. Lyserg gulped.

"Er…maybe." Lyserg muttered. Lyserg faced was pure red. Ren shook his head in despair.

"I won't comment any further." Ren said. Lyserg's head turned around. Ren was walking down the other way. He stopped right before a turn.

"Just so you know…I think love is this feeling you get inside of you. No matter what that person does or says or looks like, you still want to be with her." Ren said. He turned left and continued to walk away. Lyserg pulled out a notepad. On it he wrote;

Want to be with her no matter what.

Commitment.

He closed the notepad up and walked toward the main dining hall, the long way around. Ren grumbled to himself as he walked down the hallway. 'I still think Lyserg should kill her.' He thought.

"Finally! The mall!" Pilica squealed. Jun parked in a space, but was too close to the adjacent car on the passenger side. Everyone piled out of the car, with Macchi last. Pilica and Jeanne ran into the mall like folic little girls. Tamao and Anna just walked in as normal people. Jun locked the car and followed behind Macchi. Jun didn't know Macchi very well. She figured know be a good time to get to know her, that was without the other girls around her.

"So Macchi, how are things?" Jun asked her. Macchi blew her hair and put her hands in her pockets.

"Ok I guess." Macchi said, somewhat depressed. Jun knew something was wrong, she didn't know what.

"Is…something wrong? Ren be picking on you?" Jun asked. Macchi chuckled to herself.

"No, I'm not worried about pint-squeak. Jun, I want to know what you think love is." Macchi said. Jun thought about for a minute.

"This wouldn't happen to involve a boy?" Jun asked. Macchi shrugged.

"And if it did…" Macchi said, a small smile shot through.

"Well…I am arranged to a man back in China, so I never was able to explore the world of love." Jun said. Macchi figured as much.

"What is the guy like?" Macchi asked.

"Oh he's quite kind and tall. He is a descendant of a line of shaman like my family, the Taos, but his family is much smaller."

"So what you like about him." Macchi asked. Jun was curious what drove this little girl. Jun thought love was something you didn't need to worry about until you were twenty or older. At Macchi's age, their views were often short-sided. Jun looked down at the girl.

"Well…I say I like because he's very kind and he is willing to help me through my problems." Jun said. Macchi simply nodded.

"Really? That's cool." Macchi replied. Jun just nodded as well.

"So what about you? Jun asked. "Do have someone you consider special?" Jun asked. The electric doors slid open and they both walked through them.

"Well…Hao of course." Macchi said. "He's evil and he likes to torture people." Jun just looked at the girl confused. Could someone really love someone a monster. "Ha! Just kidding!" Macchi joked. Before Jun could reply back, she was gone, back into the stew of the crowd. Jun shrugged and went to the nearest shoe store.

Lyserg entered the main dining hall and found Horo, eating away his poptarts. Horo took a huge bite of his frozen treat.

"Chocolate Sundae…" Horo shuddered. Horo looked up to see Lyserg going into the kitchen. When Lyserg came out her had some toast. Horo smiled. "Wise choice to not take my poptarts." Horo said. Lyserg chuckled with him.

"Yeah I figured that out a long time ago." Lyserg said. Both nodded and laughed. Then Lyserg put on more of a straight face. "Horo I need to ask something on a more serious matter." Lyserg said. Horo put down his food and leaned back. In the back of Lyserg's mind, he had several doubts. Horo was the complete opposite of what he was and all their views were parallel with each other, but like he had any other choice?

"Sure go ahead." Horo said. He seemed completely relaxed.

"Well…I want to know what you think love is." Lyserg asked. Horo eyes widened and he busted out laughing.

"You can't be serious! I'm the master of love. I'm your manual of Love 101." He boasted. Lyserg felt like he could actually get something useful out of this, possibly. "Ok…love, despite all you think it is, is all in the body." Horo said. Lyserg pulled out his notepad and began to fake taking notes.

"The girl has to have a good body. You know, good breast size, a nice waistline, a great neck, cute eyes, smooth hair, and velvet smooth legs." Horo said explaining his dream girl. Lyserg didn't write a single word he said. All he wrote down was;

Has decent looks…

"Ok…but you know beauty is skin deep and only lasts for so long." Lyserg corrected

him. Horo smirked and chuckle.

"True, but admit it. The first you look at a girl what do you look for? Her looks, it's the first and lasting impression." Horo stated. Lyserg had to agree on that. The first time he say Macchi he would have to admit he went far too much off of sinful lust.

"Ok thanks." Lyserg said. Horo smiled back.

"Hey no problem." Horo replied back. Lyserg got up and finished off his toast. He though he saw Faust in the study. He could provide the best explanation, but there was still Ryu, Hao, and Yoh. He decided not to ask Hao because Lyserg feared Hao would get suspicious. And Ryu...well he was Ryu.

Macchi walked into a bookstore. Jeanne had her nose into one of those god forsaken million-page novels. Macchi looked at the selection. Everything had a girly title, like "Chasing After Her", or "The Horse-keeper and the General's Wife". Then she saw the manga, in all it's 200 paged glory., but that could wait for now.

"Hey, wazzup?" Macchi asked breaking Jeanne's concentration. Jeanne put her book aside and looked at Macchi. She got a butterfly in her stomach, if Pilica saw her with Macchi, she freak.

"Quite well." Jeanne responded.

"Ok, let's cut to the chase. What do think love really is?" Macchi asked. Jeanne turned around and looked back at the love novels.

"Oh, love is such a wonder thing we have. The bond between a man and a woman which will do anything to be with each other." Jeanne answered. Macchi didn't understand half the words Jeanne just used.

"Ok…well thanks. Just wanted to see of what you thought it was." Macchi said in the most polite way she could.

"Does having a man call you every second considered love?" Jeanne asked. Macchi shrugged. She didn't know, Jeanne just gave her the most complicated explanation and she needed another to answer her question.

"No…no it's not. Although that does show he is thinking about ya." Macchi said. Jeanne smiled and nodded.

"Well, ok. Thanks." Jeanne said. Macchi left Jeanne and went to the manga selection, picking up the first Naruto issue she could find. Jeanne glanced over at Macchi. 'Man I wished she leave.' Jeanne thought.

Lyserg continued to navigate the hallways. He turned a left, but stopped. He seemed to be heading in circles. He looked back the way he came, and to the left to see Yoh. Yoh looked up and walked toward him.

"So you lost?" Yoh asked him. Lyserg was surprised he knew, but that was Yoh for you. "Just head straight that way and it's the opened door with a light." Yoh said pointing down the hallway Lyserg planned to go down. Lyserg was just going to ask his question by Yoh was way ahead of him. "Love's just one of those things that you can't explain. You know when you're in love or not. It's an inner feeling inside that tells you; 'She's the one.'" Yoh passionately said. Lyserg was shocked that Yoh knew the question.

"How did you know?" Lyserg asked shocked. Yoh scratched the back of his head.

"Um…well you already asked Ren caused I asked him and I thought you be going to Faust next. Lucky guess?" Yoh said. Lyserg nodded still shocked.

"Wow. Thanks Yoh." Lyserg said. He pulled out his notepad and wrote for number four; 'An inner feeling.'

"So, are you wondering if you love some girl?" Yoh asked. Lyserg blushed only slightly.

"Well…yeah." Lyserg said. Yoh patted his back.

"Well good luck then." Yoh smiled. He walked back to his room, probably to attend to the baby. Lyserg looked down the hallway and there was the light just as Yoh said. Lyserg walked to the light and peeked into the door. It was the study and there was Faust sat in a chair. Faust looked up for a slight second and saw Lyserg

"Ah, Guttentaugh Lyserg." Faust said. Lyserg just looked at him confused.

"Gluentag?" Lyserg said. Faust then sat there silent again and then burst out chuckling.

"Oh, sorry about that. Seems my German tongue got the best of me." Faust joked. Lyserg laughed a bit as well. It was a bit funny, but Lyserg had something more important to do that crack jokes.

"Hey Faust. Can I ask you some things about love?" Lyserg asked. He was blushing again. Faust smiled and put his book down.

"More dating tips?" Faust suggested. Lyserg shook his head and pulled out his notepad.

"No, more on the lines of 'What it is and how you know it.'" Lyserg said. Faust nodded and closed his eyes. Probably to remember his dear Eliza and how he felt.

"Ok let me ask you a few questions. First, do you think about her almost all the time?" Faust asked. Lyserg blemished and sat down.

"Well…yeah, most of the time." Lyserg answered. Faust nodded his head and checked a little tally in his head.

"Is this someone that you don't mind being around?"

"No, don't mind at all."

"Are you willing to commit yourself to help her in anyway you can?"

"Be there and done that."

"Does she have decent looks and cute eyes?" Faust then asked. Lyserg was shocked. Here Faust was on a role asking these deep questions then out of the blue with one of Horo's theories.

"Does that matter?" Lyserg asked. Faust thought for a moment and nodded.

"Of course it does. It sparks the relationship with the girl. What you think made me devote myself to Eliza?" Faust said back.

"Looks are a lasting impression." Lyserg answered. Faust nodded and picked up his book.

"It's Macchi, isn't it?" Faust asked. Lyserg's felt his heart skip a beat again and he knew his face be cheery red. "She's quite a nice girl, it's just none of us have forgiven her for her past." Faust continued. "If she's the one, then you need to tell her straight out about how you'll feel." Faust said. Lyserg nodded in response.

"Um…any suggestions on that part?" Lyserg asked. He felt so embarrassed having to know just to say.

"Sure, I'll tell you some guidelines." Faust said and Lyserg went writing away.

Macchi walked into an Old Navy store, a new outlet store they were trying there, carrying her bag from the bookstore, the video game store, and the cosmetic store, but all she got from that store was some red lipstick. Macchi couldn't stand the smell of that place. People spraying the worst perfumes and all the blasted smelling candles, made her sick. Macchi went to the back looking at shirts and tank tops when she spied pretty much the last piece of the puzzle, Pilica. Macchi scratched Anna because she was with Tamao the whole time and it would be impossible to get her by herself, not to mention Anna was just down right mean. Pilica was picking out some sky blue tees, getting the smallest size possible know to mankind or better yet, womankind.

"Hey Pilica." Macchi said. Pilica saw Macchi at the corner of her eye and just wanted to run away, but not with these sales she wouldn't.

"Oh…hey." Pilica said, her attention more to the clothes.

"Hey, you got any ideas about what makes guys want to fall for girls or visa versa?" Macchi said.

"Oh that's easy. Looks. All looks." Pilica said. "Like…the only guy I would ever go out with would have to be five eight, have big biceps, that sexy chest, and more important those dreamy eyes." Pilica described her dream boy. "And that be Ren all the way." Pilica finished. Macchi almost burst out laughing.

"You like pint-squeak? That's gold." Macchi laughed. Pilica pouted and put her hands on her side

"Sure, like the guy you like can compare?" Pilica tested Macchi. Macchi shrugged it off.

"In terms of psychopath, nope. He may not be a hulk, but I like him for that. At least my man thinks about me, what about yours? Does he ever send you flowers? Send you cards? 'Thinks' about you?!" Macchi came right back. Pilica blushed and looked away.

"Well…um…no…but I…I haven't really…um told him yet." Pilica muttered. Macchi saw a sweet deal coming her way.

"So you need some help?" Macchi asked. Pilica shook her head furiously.

"N-no! No! You'll ruin it for me!" Pilica said back. Macchi sighed and began to walk the other way.

"Oh really? That's too bad, cause I have this friend who used this book." Macchi said. She held up her 101 ways to Win a Guy's Heart from Another Girl in the air. "She said it worked wonders." Macchi said in a sexy bedroom voice. Pilica grabbed the book from Macchi and read it.

"This…this could really work! Wow, thanks." Pilica thanked her, not believing the words that came from her mouth.

"Hey no problem. What are friends for anyways?" Macchi said. She walked off to the cash register with a few shirts. She sighed as soon as Pilica was out of her range. "About time I got rid of that damn book." Macchi said to herself. She placed her items on the register. 'Besides, I won't need it anymore.' Macchi then thought to herself.

Lyserg's fingers were sore to the bone and his pencil needed to be sharpened again for the third time.

"And that's it." Faust finished. Lyserg looked at the fifty pages of notes he took.

"That's it?! How am I suppose to remember all this?!" Lyserg asked. Faust chuckled himself again. The wonderful days of youth all over again.

"They're guidelines, not rules. Just follow a few of them and you'll get your message out. And most importantly…" Faust said.

"Be yourself." Both Faust and Lyserg said. Lyserg nodded and folded up his mini notepad.

"Ok, thanks Faust." Lyserg said. Faust was about to pick up his book, but something hit him.

"So when's the big night?" He asked. Lyserg stopped in his tracks.

"Saturday…" Lyserg said in a weak voice. He knew he was a cherry red again in the face.

"Tomorrow? I think you should give her a little appetizer tonight then the main course tomorrow. That's what I would do." Faust suggested. Lyserg nodded.

"I'll think about that." He answered. Lyserg went to his room to practice his lines.

"Hey Macchi. So how was your date?" Lyserg asked. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and shook his head. "No…that won't do." Lyserg corrected himself. Lyserg put on more a lady's man face. "Hey, how you doing?" Lyserg asked himself. Lyserg quickly went out of that. He tried a more relaxed position. "Hey, wazzup?" Lyserg asked. He shook his head again. "Macchi…I want to tell you something." Lyserg though for a moment, but shook his head. Too long for an opening, and Macchi may have gotten Hao. He sat down and put his hands on his head. He was already suffering from a major headache. He looked at his watch. It read six P.M. He threw himself on his bed. "Man…I've been practicing lines for the last three hours! And I'm so hungry." He looked at the schedule of duties. Lyserg had trash duty, which he took care of after Macchi left and between the meeting of Horo and Yoh. Macchi had cooking. Lyserg rubbed his eyes and looked at the schedule once more. "No way!" Lyserg yelped. He never had her cooking because he took her night the last time, but he was expecting to bring a barf bag. He heard a car pull up. It had to be the girls. Lyserg braced himself for the worst night of his life.