A/N: hello people, I'm sorry it took me so long to update but for some reason all the reviews you send don't go to my e-mail so I am never reminded that I need to update. But do not worry now that it's Summer I will be updating more often (hopefully), Thank you all so much for the reviews!
The Tunnel of Hate
"We're going to a carnival on your school grounds?" Kurama said as they walked down the streets. Yusuke nodded.
"But…why?"
"I just feel like it," Yusuke stared off into space, "besides, I don't want to go back to Kurama's cabin yet."
"Me neither," said Auree, smiling to herself, "I kind of like it better in the human world. You can walk down the street without risking your life."
"You have a point there," said Keiko, "have you ever been to a carnival before?"
"Nope," Auree looked up at the sky, "This will be a first time."
"It will be so much fun!" Keiko's eyes lit up with excitement, "They have the best food and the best rides."
"Sounds great!"
"And…" Keiko blushed slightly, "I heard they're having a tunnel of love this year." Yusuke glanced over his shoulder at her and smiled.
Keiko he thought to himself we might be the only ones riding the tunnel of love. He glanced at Auree, then at Kuwabara
"Well, I'm not staying very long," said Kuwabara smugly, "I was going to go see my buddies and hang out for a while."
"Okay," Keiko said, still flushed with excitement.
"What are you and Hiei going to do?" Yusuke asked Kurama. He shrugged.
"Probably just watch you humans make fools of you selves," said Hiei coldly, "Riding on childish attractions is not on my priority list."
"Fine! Jeez!" Yusuke backed away, "Don't bite my head off!"
"There it is!" said Keiko, pointing at the lot behind there high school where several rides were set up.
"Come one! Let's go!" she grabbed Yusuke's arm and ram towards it. The others followed.
"I'm bored already," said Auree looking around her at the rides, "None of these look the least bit exciting."
"Suit your self," said Yusuke as he and Keiko walked off. Kurama and Hiei walked over to the concession stands and Kuwabara disappeared in the crowed. Auree frowned.
"Some friends you are," she walked over to the games and watched other people win prizes
How stupid this is, she thought. She watched an eight-year-old throw a ball at a tower of bottles I could wing every time on any of these games
"Hello miss!" came a cheery voice from behind her. A man in the game booth next to her beckoned her closer. He was about her age and slightly small for a boy. She walked over and leaned on the counter.
"What do you want?"
"I was wondering if you'd like to play a game of darts," said the man gesturing at the wall behind him, which was covered with small balloons, "Only a dollar."
"How many shots do I get?"
"Keep shooting until you miss."
"Really?" Auree thought about it.
"And if you beat the record, you get $100 in cash."
"What's the record?"
"104 shots"
"I'll do it!"
"Ten bucks for a salad?" Kurama asked calmly, "Isn't that a little expensive?"
"I don't care if it is," said the man behind the counter, "You either take it or leave it."
I might just have to grow my own thought Kurama, rolling his eyes.
"A bunch of lettuce with some dressing isn't worth ten dollars," Hiei muttered to him.
"Shall we negotiate?" Kurama said to the man who was very cross at people who questioned him and his food.
"Negotiate?" he said slowly.
"Yes. About your price," Kurama nodded at the menu, "How about five dollars instead of ten?"
"I say it's thirteen now," said the man shortly.
"Kurama sighed, "Don't you think that's a little ridiculous?"
"Look," said the man, "I've been out here all day selling my food and you're the only customer who's complained. Now either pay for a salad or leave!"
Hiei frowned, "I don't think my friend or I will want to leave."
"I don't care!" said the man, "I'll get you kicked out of here by security if I have to!"
Hiei pulled his sword out of its sheath. He held it out in front of himself so it gleamed in the afternoon sun.
"Now," he pointed it at the man's chest, "Give my friend his salad and we'll be on our way."
"Oh, I'm so afraid of some cheap plastic sword," the man said sarcastically. Hiei swung his sword so fast, it was nothing but a blur. The man stood paralyzed in fear for a moment. Then, his apron fell to the ground in tatters.
"Cheap plastic toy nothing," Hiei pointed his sword at the man's chest again, "Now are you going to give us the salad, or shall I reduce you to shreds of flesh."
"Here!" the man thrust a bowl of salad into Kurama's arms, "Just don't hurt me?"
Hiei smiled and slid his sword back in his belt, "Come Kurama, we can eat over there."
"There's a good way to get out of paying for your food," said Kurama as they left the man standing at his booth pale-faced and wide-eyed.
"Just share the salad with me," Hiei said as they sat down at a picnic table.
"So bored," said Kuwabara as he sat on a bench watching people mill past him, "I wish my friends would get here."
"I know something you could do until then," said a voice in his ear.
He jumped, "Urameshi, don't sneak up on me like that!"
"Oh. Sorry," Yusuke said, not sounding very sorry at all, "So are you going to ask me what this something you could do is?"
"No," Kuwabara leaned back, "I don't trust you."
"Well, I wouldn't have told you any way 'cause it's a secret," said Yusuke with an evil little grin.
Kuwabara narrowed his eyes, "Now I definitely don't want to know what it is."
"Aww. Come on!" Yusuke begged, "It'll be fun! I promise."
"No thanks."
"Please!"
"No."
"Are you scared?"
"No!"
"I think you are."
"I am not!"
"Yes you are."
"No I am not!"
Yusuke smiled, "Then let me give you this surprise to pass your time."
"Fine! Give me the stupid surprise!" Kuwabara stood up and glared at Yusuke.
"Hold still," Yusuke pulled out a blindfold and quickly tied it over Kuwabara's eyes.
"Hey!" Kuwabara reached up to take it off.
"Don't!" Yusuke grabbed his arm, "You can't see it until the very last moment."
"Why not?"
"Because if you saw it before the very last moment it wouldn't be a surprise," Yusuke started pulling him through the crowed, "Now try to keep up with me." Kuwabara allowed himself to be pulled past people and other things he couldn't see.
Why did I let him talk me into this? He thought as he stumbled along. Finally, Yusuke shoved him in a seat. The seat seemed to be moving as though floating in water.
"Urameshi, am I in a boat?"
"I…um…can't tell you," said Yusuke as he backed away, "Now stay here while I go get your surprise. And don't take off the blindfold." His voice got farther away until Kuwabara couldn't hear him any more. Kuwabara noticed that the seat he was sitting on was hard, like plastic, and smooth. He ran his hand along its edge until it hit a wall. He put his hand over the wall and felt…
"Water," he muttered to himself, "I am in a boat, but why? What is Urameshi up to?"
"Yes!" Said Auree triumphantly as the 103rd dart popped a balloon.
"Here you go." The man handed her another one. She carefully took aim and POW! 104 balloons.
A crowd had gathered around by now to watch her attempt to break the record. They cheered and applauded
"One more miss!" said the man, "And you'll be 100 dollars richer!"
"100 dollars here I come!" Auree picked up the last dart. She took aim at a neon green balloon in the right upper corner.
Don't miss, she thought to herself, Don't miss. Don't miss. Don't miss. She drew back her arm and…
"Hiya Auree!" Yusuke had appeared out of nowhere. Auree jumped just as she threw the dart. It sailed through the air, as though in slow motion. Closer to the board, and closer, and closer. Auree held her breath and… The dart hit the board with a sharp tick! It had landed no more than ½ an inch away from the green balloon. Auree's jaw dropped.
"Oops," Yusuke laughed, "You missed."
"Sorry, miss," the man pulled the dart out of the board, "Looks like you won't me walking away with 100 dollars today."
Auree's fists clenched and her eye twitched as she turned to glare at Yusuke.
"Uh-oh." Yusuke backed away.
(AN: you are going to have to forgive me for the major errors from here on out, because I finally got my own computer and I have to get used to the keyboard. The keys are very stiff and the delete button is very very small. So please forgive me!)
On the other side of the park, Kuwabara was just pondering why he was in a coat when he heard a loud voice.
"YUSUKE!"
"That sounded like Auree," he turned towards the voice. Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps and Yusuke jumped panting into the boat next to him.
"Urameshi, where's my surprise?"
"Wait for it," Yusuke panted and tensed up.
"I'M GONNA KILL YOU!" Auree's footsteps could be heard coming closer. She rounded the corner and jumped into the swan shaped boat after Yusuke. Yusuke jumped out and pushed the boat away from the dock with his foot. Auree was about to jump after him when the boat lurched and she fell backwards onto Kuwabara's lap. Kuwabara ripped off his blind fold and stared at Auree for a second. She was yelling curses at Yusuke who was still on the dock.
"Auree! Get off me!" he shoved her off his legs and she fell to the floor of the boat, "What are you, some sick-minded freak!"
"What are you doing here?" Auree picked herself up off the floor, "And where are we?"
Kuwabara looked around. They were in a swan boat big to hold two people about to go into a heart shaped tunnel with a sign above it that said…
"Tunnel of Love!" he turned to glare at Yusuke, "My surprise is the Tunnel of Love!"
"Have fun you two1" yelled Yusuke, waving with a satisfied smile.
"What!" Auree stared at the sign, "Tunnel of Love! I'm going through the Tunnel of Love with you! Eww! What kind of sick underworld have I been sent to?"
"Feel free to jump out." Said Kuwabara smugly.
Auree looked down at the murky water, "No, I don't want to ruin my clothes."
She sat down as far away from Kuwabara as she could get and glared at the tunnel, "When I get out of here, Yusuke is dead."
Then, slowly, they entered the tunnel and were engulfed in darkness.
"It's dark," said Kuwabara.
"I noticed," said Auree sarcastically.
Pink and purple hearts shaped lights began blinking.
"Ugh. Too sappy," Kuwabara leaned against his side of the boat. He looked to his right and saw a dark figure on the other side of the tunnel.
"Another boat!" he jumped up and leaned over the edge to get a glimpse of the people in the boat. Auree looked across from her seat too. It was a couple about their age. They were squished together in the middle of the seat and were holding hands.
Kuwabara sat back down, "Dang! I was hoping it was Urameshi and Keiko."
"Yusuke was the one who got us stuck in here, remember?" said Auree. At this point, the couple started kissing.
"Ugh!" Kuwabara said in a disgusted voice, "Get a room!"
Auree's eye twitched, "Eww!" She shuddered and looked away.
"Can't this thing go any faster?" said Kuwabara. Auree looked over at him and an evil grin spread across her face.
"Auree, why are you looking at me like that?"
"Oh, no reason." She turned back around. There was silence for a few moments. Kuwabara watched her warily, then looked away. Suddenly, he felt a hard shove from behind.
"What the-?" SPLOOSH! The next thing he knew, he was in the water beside the boat with Auree leering down at him.
"WHAT WAS THAT FOR!" he yelled angrily as he shook the water out of his hair.
"You wanted to go faster, right?"
"Yeah. So?"
"Well, start paddling buddy!"
"What!"
"I didn't stutter," she stretched across the seat and laid back to enjoy the ride.
"I hate you." Said Kuwabara, holding onto the side of the boat.
"The feeling's mutual."
"I can't believe it worked!" Yusuke jumped up and down in joy, "Now they'll have to talk to each other!"
"Unless they spend the whole ride in an uncomfortable silence," said Keiko.
Yusuke shrugged, "Oh well. I'm just glade it worked."
They were waiting on the dock for Auree and Kuwabara's boat to come back.
"Glad what worked?" Kurama and Hiei had just walked up behind them.
"My plan!" said Yusuke, "I tricked Kuwabara and Auree to ride the Tunnel of Love together!"
"That was idiotic," said Hiei, "They might kill each other in there and you'll be left without part of you spirit detective squad."
"I never thought of it that way," Yusuke turned to look at the tunnel, "Maybe you're right, but it's too late now.
"Here comes their boat," said Keiko pointing at the tunnel. The boat emerged from the darkness. Auree was lying on the seat, her feet up over the side.
"Well, Auree's not dead," said Yusuke.
"But where's Kuwabara?" said Keiko.
"Auree! What did you do?" Yelled Yusuke from the dock. She looked up and smiled.
"I didn't do anything, Yusuke." She said innocently.
"Then where's Kuwabara?"
"Oh. Kuwabara fancied a swim," she smiled even more broadly.
"FANCIED A SWIM!" Kuwabara's head peeked around the back of the boat. "YEAH RIGHT! YOU PUSHED ME IN!"
"Do you hear something?" said Auree, cupping her hand to her ear. She kicked out with her foot and hit Kuwabara's head.
"Ow!"
"Oops! Sorry. Didn't see you there."
"That's it!" Kuwabara hoisted himself onto the dock and stood up, dripping wet, "I'm leaving!"
"Leaving? So soon?" Yusuke grinned, "But you and Auree were just getting friendly."
"Friendly nothing!" spat Kuwabara. "I'm not going anywhere near that…that…."
"You're still a little rusty on your insults," Yusuke said pointedly.
"Good-bye!" Kuwabara stalked off as Auree got out of the boat.
"You know, Yusuke," she said folding her arms across her chest, " I have been debating whether to throttle you or not that whole boat ride."
"Really now?" Yusuke chuckled, "Was the ride fun?"
"After Kuwabara was removed from the picture, I found it quite relaxing," she walked in front of him, "But you still ruined my chance at winning 100 dollars and tricked me into riding in a love boat with the one person I have the most."
"Well," he backed away, "you know what they say. Forgive and forget."
"I find that hard to do, Yusuke."
"Really? That's interesting," he backed away some more. Auree advanced.
"And now," she stopped, "I'm going to…GET YOU!" She jumped at him, eyes flaring and arms outstretched.
"AUUGH!" Yusuke jumped back, but the dock didn't go back that far. He fell into the water with a SPLOSH! He surfaced and turned to glare at Auree who was rolling on the dock in laughter.
"You should've seen you face!" she howled, "You really thought I was going to hurt you!"
"Ha-ha. Very funny." Said Yusuke sarcastically.
"You did look pretty funny, Yusuke," said Keiko with a smile, "She really had you going there."
"Shut up!" Yusuke pulled himself out of the water onto the dock.
Kurama smiled, "It's amazing how fast we've accepted Auree."
"Hiei blinked, "She may prove valuable in future battles, but she's still a delinquent teenager."
There I'm done with that chapter. It was 23 pages, 23 PAGES! That's a lot of typing for me. But now you have something to read and review (please review! please please please! Even if it's just to say I need to update more I don't care! I just want to know that there are people reading this SO PLEASE REVIEW! Begs
Next chapter: the demon cheerleader