Ato sat nervously in her seat as Ryu entered the classroom. Rumor had it that he was going to ask her out. She had been waiting for this since that day in the forest when she fought him and they ended up kissing. Ato was only disappointed that it took him so long to do it…. IF he did it. Ryu sat down in his usual seat next to Kiyo and behind her. Halfway through the class, Ryu tapped her on the shoulder. "Ato," he said. "You know, I like you, a lot. I was wondering if you'd like to go to the movies with me and then maybe to dinner tomorrow night. Would you?" Ato turned around in her seat and let out a series of squeals of happiness that, Ryu assumed, where giggles. She composed herself, put on the best casual face she could, and turned to face him. "I would love to go to the movies and dinner with you." Ryu smiled broadly. "Great! How about 7:00 tomorrow?" Ato had lost the ability to speak and just nodded her head.
That afternoon, Ato did something she never had done, nor ever planned to do in her lifetime: she called a meeting of her girl friends in the bathroom. "Ok," said Bera. "what is this about? I don't feel good and you've called me here for one of those happy girl meetings that the popular girls have. OH MY GOD!" she exclaimed, pointing openly at Ato. "YOU'VE BECOME POPULAR AND YOU'RE HERE TO TELL US YOU CAN"T HANG OUT WITH ME ANYMORE!" Ato looked at Bevy and Bevy had the blankest look on her face ever. "I'm actually here to tell you that Ryu asked me out. We're going out tomorrow night at seven." Bevy said flatly, as Ato thought she would, "Congratulations." Bera acted, as Ato thought she would, like she had been announced supreme ruler of the universe. "OH MY GOD ATO! THIS IS SO HUGE! (See Bevy I told you he would ask her out! I knew!) WE HAVE TO HELP YOU GET READY! WHAT WILL YOU WEAR? WHAT WILL I WEAR? OH GOD I HAVE NOTHING TO WEAR!" Ato slapped Bera so hard, she spun three times on the spot. "Get a hold of yourself," Ato said, calmly. "And when you do, then you may speak. And when you speak, you will speak as calmly as I am speaking now. Understand?" Bera, her hand holding the spot where Ato slapped her, nodded her head silently.
"What I need from you guy's," Ato continued, "is for you to help me prepare for this date. I don't need you put any negativity in my head because I will end whatever is going to happen. You know me. I think the worst if you put it in front of me." Bevy looked as if she'd rather do anything but help Ato become all GLAMOROUS for her date. Bera looked like she was holding back everything she wanted to say with great difficulty. Ato looked at herself in the mirror. All the thoughts that she thought could only come with the input of her friends came flooding in. What if they broke up? Would their friendship survive? What would that do to their other friends? What if a temptation gained control of one of them? With a big sense of dread, Ato left the girls bathroom followed by Bevy and an excited looking Bera.
The next night, while Bevy curled Ato's hair and Bera sat on the bed, (she had been doing Ato's nails but had did them SO badly that both Bevy and Ato thought they'd save time without her help), Ato was nervously watching the clock. It was 6:47. "Ok," Bevy said. "At the end of the date, when he walks you to your door and says 'I hope you had a good time tonight,' what do you say?" Ato looked as though she would throw up. "Um…" she stuttered for a while before she said, "I had a great time. Goodnight." Bevy had a look of mentoring satisfaction on her face. "THEN YOU SMOOTCH HIM!" Ato and Bevy looked over at Bera and she looked like she had just spilled a cup of her liquefied soul. She was saved the trouble of explaining herself by a new arrival. Kiyo arrived in a flash of lightning. "Is everybody happy?" Bera suddenly tensed up and left the room muttering something about "was" and "water". Kiyo acted like she hadn't left or indeed had been in the room. "So," he said walking up to Ato, "are you excited about your date?" Ato looked at him like he was a slightly amusing child. "Yes and I'll thank you not to mention it."
They heard car pull up outside and a short time away, the doorbell rang. Ato sat bolt upright, suddenly aware of everything around her. Her hair…done. Her nails…dry. Her outfit (long black skirt and a red Tee-shirt)…flawless. As she rushed to the door, she didn't notice that her friends had disappeared. She opened the door and there stood Ryu, wearing a multicolored shirt and a pair of blue jeans. "Hi," she said breathlessly. "Hi," he responded. "Ready to go?" without a word, Ato walked out the door and got into the car. As it pulled off down the street, Bevy, Kiyo, and Bera materialized at the door. "Look at our little girl," Kiyo said to a smug looking Bera. "Don't touch me, Iori" she said disdainfully. "If that is your wish, Bera dearest." And with that, Kiyo disappeared in a flash of lightning. Bevy looked at Bera with a confused look and Bera simply said, "I don't want to explain," she said quietly and retreated into the house. Bevy simply turned and shut the door with a look that said I don't want to know.
In the movie theater, Ato took a seat in the middle of the theater while Ryu went to go get popcorn and soda. She looked around the room in search of something to ease her nerves. In front of her, a woman took a blue pill from a pharmacy bottle… Just then, she noticed Ryu coming down the row with two soda's and (to Ato's surprise) one big popcorn. As he took his seat, he smiled at her and she smiled back. As the movie started, she reached in front of her and took five of the woman's pills while saying, "Hey do you mind if a borrow a few of these? Thank you!" She popped all of the pills into her mouth and took a long gulp of soda. She looked at Ryu's face and said to his bewildered expression, "That lady said I could have some aspirin." In the middle of the movie, Ryu made a motion as if to try and hold her hand. Ato had moved her hand a little and Ryu retreated. Then, Ato made to grab his hand, and he moved a little. Finally Ryu grabbed her hand and they stayed that way for the rest of the night.
They left the movie at around 10:00 and decided to forgo dinner. As they pulled up in front of Ato's house, Ryu looked at her, but Ato was determined not to meet his gaze. She had had a great time but she felt too embarrassed but the pill thing to look at him. He go tout of the car and opened her door for her. She stepped out and walked toward her house. At the front door, Ryu turned to face Ato. "Well," he said. "I hope you had a good time tonight." Ato smiled slightly at the thought of what Bevy said earlier. "I had a great time." Ryu smiled broadly. "Goodnight then and I'll see you tomorrow."
Ato nodded and almost turned to leave but Ryu leaned in and kissed her on the cheek. They smiled at each other for a while then, Ryu turned to go. As he go tin his car and drove off, Ato thought to herself, Tonight wasn't so bad. She opened the door, went inside, shut and locked the door, and walked upstairs. She ignored Bevy, Bera, and Kiyo who where sitting on the couch with looks of glee on their faces. She went in her room and locked the door. She fell silently asleep on her bed, content with herself and the fact that, somewhere, Ryu was doing the same thing.