Hey all! Sorry for a little later update, but I've been busy with auditions for my school's incredibly competitive Drama Fest auditions. I finished the callbacks yesterday, so keep your fingers crossed for me (I will know what play I'm in tomorrow!).
I wanted to wait to post this until I finished chapter 6, but I haven't really had time to, so you guys may have to wait a bit for the next chapter. I HAVE worked on it, but it and the last chappy were/are hard. The plot is really starting to complicate, and I don't want to post something I'll regret later. I have to make sure I get it just right.
So, this chapter...well, let's just say that it was emotionally draining to write, which is why I had to write it in small increments. Even so, I'm not sure I portrayed everything exactly as I would have liked. You know how you picture things in your head, and people see it in a totally different way? I hope it turned out alright...I feel sorry for Eri, but man, Kogoro REALLY gets the raw deal. Poor guy...oh, well, in the future he's going to do plenty of things to deserve it (grins).
YumeTakato: I'm glad you like (smiles)!
Brood Mayran: BROODY-CHAN!!! You reviewed!!! I'm almost happy enough to forgive you for killing off my Seto-kun in your latest fic...notice I said 'almost'. You were very bad to do that!!! BAD! (hands her the Sirius Black plushie of forgiveness) Now you are truly forgiven. I didn't know you liked DC! That's great, I'm a newbie-ish person sorta. I got into it about 2 1/2 months ago. I love it now, of course (grins).
tively-split: I love you!! You always write the most eloquent/helpful/interesting reviews. Would you consider beta-ing for me?
tamashiipurizuma: Man, that is SOME name. Anyway, I'm glad you love it. It is my new baby.
PRIVATE : (laughs) Yeah, maybe I should do that...the 'voice' would be funny in Kogoro's mind...he would try to punch it or something! And I'm glad you think this cheers up the DC section. Ran/Shinichi is starting to depress me, I thought people might rather read a new concept that's funny!
Katana-Jake: Thanks for putting me on your favs !
Oh, yeah, I'm going to run out of lyrics for this fic, so I will start using different songs' lyrics. 'Something So Right' has a few more, though!
Some people never say the words "I love you"
It's not their style
To be so bold
Some people never say those words "I love you"
But like a child
They're longing to be told, mm
-Paul Simon, "Something So Right"
I am going to find out what he's doing, even if it kills me.
So that's why I'm shadowing Kogoro. I think people have been staring at me, there's no doubt that me 'stalking' him looks, erm...strange. But its not like I'm following him because I...
Well, maybe a LITTLE.
What I can't figure out is WHAT THE HELL he's up to. What can he possibly be doing at school 40 minutes early? He's always complaining that it starts too early, in fact, most days we're running late.
Obviously he's doing something he doesn't want me to see.
Now he's walking inside. Thank God he is, I've been fighting the urge to yell at him for his bad posture. Oh, well...I can always do that later.
Shadowing someone is hard work. It's good that Kogoro is oblivious to his surroundings most of the time, or he might've noticed he was being followed.
Now I'm inside the building, too. That's funny...it looks like Kogoro is heading for the early morning koto classroom. But that can't be...wait a minute!
That's an ALL GIRL CLASS!!!
Well, I guess here goes. I mean, girls make this so much more embarrassing, but who else can I ask?
Here they come, in their giggling little group. Thank God Eri doesn't hang out in one of those, I would go even more insane than I already am.
"Um, excuse me..."
Have I mentioned this is really, REALLY embarrassing?
They're giggling. They have probably been giggling all morning, but they have to giggle more at me. Hell, they probably giggle in their SLEEP.
"Yeah?"
It's one of the few un-giggly ones. Finally, some sanity.
"Hey, aren't you Kogoro Mouri?"
That's another one. And low and behold, the one I thought was sane is giggling too. WHAT'S SO FUNNY ABOUT THAT???? It's my name! They're all giggling!
"Um, yeah..."
Yes, I am Kogoro.
"Look, this is kind of embarrassing...do any of you know Eri Kisaki?"
MORE. GIGGLING. It's, if it's even possible, INCREASED.
"Hehehe...yes, I know her...hehehe...why...hehehe...?"
Deep...breath. Count to ten. Feng shui (sp?).
"Well, you see...um, how can I put this...?"
I have no idea...
"What, are you going to ask her to that dance thing?"
"Hehehe...yeah, you two are legend!"
...I hate the biological process of blushing. How the hell do these random girls know about 'us', but we don't???
"Um, we are?"
"Oh, of course! So, what do you need?"
A HUGE aspirin.
"Well, I was wondering..."
WHAT THE HELL IS HE DOING?????
Why is he talking to those girls??? And why are they giggling???? And why is HE BLUSHING???
Grrrrrrr...it's times like this when supersonic hearing would REALLY come in handy.
"...Do you know what her favorite kind of flowers are?"
I think I will start a petition to outlaw giggling FOREVER.
"Oooooooooooo, that is, like SO SWEET!"
I am not 'sweet'.
"...But like, sorry, no."
The other girls look so excited. What, don't they have lives of their own? Or can they only meddle in mine?
One of the other, less stupid-looking girls is looking very thoughtful.
"Why don't you try the flower-arrangement class?"
"Yeah, I mean, they would know about that sort of thing!"
All of them are giggling again, but that one girl is right. Plus, I think Eri knows a few of the girls in that flower-arrangement class.
I guess it's worth a shot.
"Oooooooooooo, that is, like SO SWEET!...But like, sorry, no."
No. Way. It CAN'T be!
But it is...
ALL THAT BASTARD WANTED TO DO BEFORE SCHOOL WAS ASK EVERY STUPID GIRL HE COULD GET HIS HANDS ON TO THE DANCE!!!!!!!!!!
When I get my hands on him...
I mean, the NERVE!
Here I am, hopelessly IN LOVE with him, and he's asking EVERY OTHER girl to the dance.
Behind my BACK.
I'm a fool...I really am.
It's not Kogoro's fault...he has every right to like other girls. I mean, it's not like he's my boyfriend or anything!
But I wish he was.
Wait a minute...yesterday he was getting all jealous over whoever I liked.
So he can just flirt with any girl he wants, huh?? And I can't with any guy????? Oh, is that it?????
Ooooo, he is SOOOO dead.
"...So, you don't know? Oh, that's too bad..."
20 minutes, 3 classrooms later, I am still ignorant about what kind of flowers Eri likes. On the bright side, I have heard enough giggling to last a lifetime (maybe I will never have to hear that sound again?)
I also have this really bad feeling. You know, like when someone is watching you, and you get that vibe? It's like that. It's a familiar glare vibe, too...weird...
Well, last class, last hope.
This is the Go club. Man, talk about boring! But I think there are a few 'smart girls' in this club. The kind of people ERI would like and talk to.
"...Um, so you don't know?"
Crap.
Well, that was my last hope. Now I'll just go and get some flowers, and she'll be allergic to them or something. Or they'll be her least favorite color. Or they'll-
"Roses. Pink Roses."
What the-
"Yukiko???"
Those STUPID, STUPID girls! I hate them! I hate them I hate them I hate them!
Okay.
I'm calm now.
I don't hate them.
...Much.
But I can't believe them! As soon as Kogoro left for wherever to meet his quota for girls asked to the school dance, I emerged from my hiding place behind the lockers to follow him. None of the girls saw that I had heard their conversation, so they had the gall...
"Hey, Eri! Are you looking for your Kogoro?"
"He's a real sweetie, isn't he?"
What the hell is that supposed to mean??? Has he been doing MORE with these girls??
And now they're positively twittering.
Must...resist...violent...jealousy...
Wait a minute...
Why should I be jealous all for a heartless moron like Kogoro? I'm a sensible girl, what's the point of falling in love if it's not the right person? There are plenty of guys that would KILL for a date with me, I'm sure. Yeah...
But of course, they're all afraid of Kogoro.
Ergh, I think I'll go back to stalking Kogoro. It involves less thinking...
"Roses. Pink Roses."
"Yukiko?"
Yukiko Fujiyama. Eri's long-time 'friendly rival', she's basically the princess of popularity here at Teitan. I know her through Eri, obviously, they like to compete with each other.
She's pretty; sometimes I like to flirt with her to annoy Eri. As Eri's not around, though, I see no point to do it right now.
She's smiling and giggling now, but its not annoying when she does it. She's also smart (but of course, nothing on Eri), not a ditz. She does some acting (she's on this soap-opera type-thing. She claims it's not 'serious' enough for her, which I think is weird, cause' its about people killing/having affairs with each other. Seems quite serious.) and modeling--which is polar opposite of Eri. That's why they're 'rivals'. Queen of Wisdom vs. Queen of Divas (or something like that).
"Hehehe...she likes pink roses, Kogoro. She told me once...I think I was teasing her about you."
I. Hate. Blushing. Just thought I'd restate that.
"Hehe...very funny, Yukiko. You know there's, er, nothing going on between me and Eri..."
I'm a great liar.
"You're such a bad liar, Kogoro. Besides, if you don't like Eri then why are you asking people about her favorite flowers?"
Hm. She makes a fair argument...time for (more of) my extraordinary lying skills!
"...Birthday?"
"It's in six months."
Smooth. Real smooth.
"You don't need to deny it, Kogoro. Everyone besides you two knows. It's actually pretty ridiculous."
EVERYONE???? Is that why those damn girls were giggling like they were on something?
"...Really?"
She's nodding.
"Oh...um, well..."
Yukiko is really restraining herself...geez, it looks like she's about to burst. Haha, laugh it up.
"It's okay, Kogoro, really...I mean-hehe-no one's expecting...heha-you, the guy, hehe...to get it first-oh, forget it! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU GUYS ARE SOOO STUPID!!!!"
-.-;;;
Okay, Yukiko, you can stop laughing at my freaky relationships and me now.
Really.
Stop.
NOW!
"Yukiko, THIS ISN'T FUNNY! I'm really serious about this...I don't want to screw it up!!"
"Hahahaha...I'm sorry, Kogoro-kun, but it's just so...I mean, it's so obvious that Eri likes you! Haven't you noticed how absolutely incredibly irritated with you she gets every time you flirt with other girls or skip class or anything? That's a sure sign that a girl likes you, she cares about you!"
Wait a minute...it is???
"Um, I thought that yelling meant that the girl was, I dunno, angry with you. Call me crazy, but screaming and nagging don't strike me as very affectionate."
Yukiko rolls her eyes.
Typical girl.
Always thinking they're all superior and stuff.
Yukiko's gonna go for some genius or something, I bet.
"My, you boys sure are THICK."
You and Eri are RIVALS? I swear, she says that quote-for-quote all the time!
"It's so obvious! You two bicker like an old married couple, for one thing."
ERI AND I?????? MARRIED??????????
Pfft.
Yeah, RIGHT.
That would never happen in a million years.
Where IS he?? I can't believe I lost him! When I see him, I swear I'll-
"Thank you so much, Yukiko-chan! You're a life saver!"
........................................YUKIKO????? He didn't-she wouldn't-oh, I can't wait to hear this!
"Anytime, Kogoro-kun."
..................
.........I can't believe it...that Yukiko...and Kogoro...would...
"You won't tell Eri, will you?"
I've heard enough.
Eri ran down the hall, away from Kogoro and Yukiko.
Yukiko...pretty, perfect Yukiko. Of course he would want to go with HER to the dance...
She quickly swallowed her tears. Staring at her feet, she watched the stray ones fall on her shoes.
How could I have been so stupid? So blind? So-
"Something wrong, Kisaki?"
Eri looked up suddenly.
Tokoro?
It was Tokoro, the smartest and most popular boy in school. And almost every girls' crush.
He smirked.
"You look upset about something." He said, almost smugly.
"What do you want?" she answered, rather coolly.
Raising an eyebrow, he smirked even wider.
"I've had my...eye on you for a while, Kisaki. It's only natural for the smartest boy in school to like the smartest girl, right...?"
Eri nodded mutely. She was a little disoriented from being upset with Kogoro and didn't seem to understand what Tokoro was hinting at.
"You're so pretty, Eri...we're just right for each other, aren't we? Perfectly compatible..."
Her eyes hardened, then a grim look crept onto her face.
"Yes, Tokoro, I agree with you completely."
Wiping her face, she looked up into his eyes with a determined gaze.
He was a handsome boy. Dark haired and tanned, with gray eyes, it was amazing how he had been born with such looks and so intelligent. Eri bitterly thought of how different he was from Kogoro.
"I wanted to ask you something...would you accompany me to the Valentine's Day dance? I could...show you a good time."
As if by second nature, Eri clasped the silver locket around her neck, remembering the day she got it.
"Here, Eri...this is for you. I know I screwed up and forgot your birthday, but I wanted to make it up to you..."
"Oh, Kogoro! It's so pretty! And the picture...hehe, it's from that time when you took me to that fair in 8th grade!"
"Remember that? You forced me up on to that damn Ferris wheel!"
"Yeah...you were such a chicken, I practically had to DRAG you up there! Though I have to admit, when it got stuck I was pretty afraid as well..."
"It's a good thing I was there to comfort you."
"You were more scared then I was, baka! But, well...if you hadn't been at my side..."
"I'll ALWAYS be by your side, Eri..."
Liar...
She let go of it.
"Fine. I'll go with you."
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! WHAT THE HECK IS ERI DOING???? HOW CAN SUCH A SMALL THING HAVE TURNED SO RIDICULOUS?? WHY AM I WRITING IN CAPS??? Oh. Cause the CAPS BUTTON WAS TURNED ON. Darn. AgAIN. Stupid caps button.
Anyway, yeah, if anyone thinks that Eri hearing Kogoro and Yukiko talking and misinterpreting it is weird, well...yeah. Sorry about that. I think it could happen! Plus, there needs to be conflict! And Kogoro and Eri misunderstanding each other! But no worries, as this fic is humor/romance (hinthappyendinghint)! So YAYNESS for that!