Kimiko paced up and down in the living room, fuming. Her father had received a phone call at that precise moment and she had had to leave. She was swearing fluently under her breath with only the occasional word getting through.
" … Jack Spicer … Papa … idiot … marriage … ridiculous!" she suddenly stopped and stamped her foot down, "Why did I make that stupid promise to meet him?"
There was a ring at the door and Kimiko swore loudly as her father went to answer it. Kimiko knew who it was before they even entered. Something made her want to run and hide while she still could. However, before she could come to a decision on whether or not she should run for it, the door opened and two people entered with her father.
"Daughter, this is Amber and James Spicer." Said her father, gesturing her forward.
She bowed and they bowed in return.
"They have travelled from America to meet you and introduce you to their son." Said her father.
"We've waited a long time to meet you!" Said Amber Spicer, smiling, flicking her red hair over her shoulder.
"Jack!" Called James Spicer, "Get in here and introduce yourself!"
Kimiko held her breath, praying for a miracle as a figure dressed in back, with bright red hair, pale skin and bad eyeliner stumbled through the door way, dragging his feet and looking grumpy. His red eyes darted upwards and he steeped backwards.
"Whoa!" He shouted.
"Jack, this is Kimiko Tohomiko." Said his mother.
"Please be polite Kimiko," Said her father, "We will be in the other room should you need us."
Kimiko forced a smile and bowed in mock politeness until her father and Jack's parents left the room before standing straight upright and glaring at Jack Spicer.
"It's you!" Cried Jack, backing against the door, "You're the one they want to force me to marry!"
A look of mixtured relief and fear darted across his face, making it look slightly lopsided.
"Yeah, would you look at that!" Said Kimiko, slumping into a chair.
Jack sat in the chair closest to the door in case he had to make a run for it. His eyes darted over Kimiko's face. She looked both sad and tired and at the same time a little frustrated.
"Are you okay?" asked Jack.
"Do I look okay?" Snapped Kimiko.
Jack let out a little, girlish scream and hunched up in his chair.
"You look sad!" he said.
"Uh, duh!" Said Kimiko, rolling her eyes.
Jack stared at her for a moment and then stopped hunching in his chair.
"Why is your dad trying to force you into this?" Asked Jack.
"He's not!" Said Kimiko angrily and Jack screamed again. Her face softened again, "He's giving me he choice. I'm confused, I either marry you (which is just disgusting) or our company doesn't get its financing and we go bankrupt, but papa said he'd find another way of paying."
Jack watched her carefully.
"But he's not going to force you to marry me?" He asked hopefully.
"No," Sighed Kimiko.
"Good … not that marrying you would be terrible but, being married to one of your worse enemies doesn't do you much good." Sighed Jack.
Kimiko glared at him.
"You don't want to either huh?" she asked, almost warningly.
"No!" Said Jack, "I'm only seventeen. I don't want to get married! Yuck!"
"Good" Said Kimiko.
"Then we're agreed."
"Definitely"
"Yes"
"Good"
"Good"
They sat in silence for a few minutes, trying not to meet each other's eyes.
"Nice place you got …"
"Don't try and make conversation!" Snapped Kimiko.
"Sorry," Said Jack.
Jack glanced at Kimiko, praying that this meeting would end soon.
"What will you and your dad do?" asked Jack.
Kimiko shook her head.
"I don't know." She whispered.
Jack stared at her. He didn't get along with her, he hated her friends and although she as pretty, he hated her attitude, but he felt sorry for her and let the strange desire to help her.
"You know … we could always get divorced once your company is off the ground." Said Jack, trying to be helpful.
"Don't-even-suggest-it!" Said Kimiko, stiffly.
"I'm sorry I already did," Said Jack, raising his hands as though she was pointing a gun at him.
"Divorce would bring dishonour." Said Kimiko, "It happens, but it's not to be taken lightly!"
"Right," Jack, rolling his eyes, "but … it's not like we'd really be married or anything. Just … sort of … pretending to care."
"What did I just say?" Shouted Kimiko.
"I'm sorry!" Said Jack quickly.
Kimiko closed her eyes and searched her heart for inspiration. She knew that her father would never find another way of making money in time, especially after he'd become so defensive after Pandabubba … hold on!
"How come my father didn't recognise you from when you and Pandabubba tried to take over our company?" she said suddenly.
"Oh that!" Laughed Jack, edging away from her nervously, "He never saw me. Pandabubba is an easy guy to hide behind."
"Oh really?" Said Kimiko, obviously not seeing the funny side of it.
Jack backed off instantly. He looked at her, terrified that she'd attack him any minute.
"So what are we going to do about this marriage thing?" He asked.
Kimiko ran a hand through her purple streaked hair.
"I don't know." She whispered.
"The divorce idea sounding tempting now huh?" He said, joking around.
Just for a second, Kimiko actually smiled. It was sounding tempting and it would help her father …
"I hate the idea of it and I really hate you!" she said, "But I'm not sure I have a choice."
Jack stopped laughing and stared at her open mouthed.
"I was only joking!" He gasped, starting to choke.
"I know," she said quietly, "But if I do this then my father's company will be safe."
"And we'll be married!" Shouted Jack.
"And we'll tell no one!" Said Kimiko suddenly, her eyes shining with an intense fierceness and anger, "Not Omi, not Clay, not Raimundo, not Wuya … no one!"
"Wuya ran off with Chase Young," Said Jack, "No worries there."
"And in the mean time, neither of us leave Japan!" Said Kimiko, harshly.
"What seriously?" moaned Jack.
"SERIOUSLY!" Shouted Kimiko with great force.
Jack stared at her in disbelief.
"Please tell me you hit your head or something." Said Jack, "We're enemies e-n-y … e-n-m … e-n-e … whatever. Where're not supposed to do that sort of stuff! It could ruin our reputations! I'm not doing it!"
"You're going to get money from my father's company when you inherit it through marriage!" Said Kimiko.
Jack suddenly stopped trying to remember how to spell 'enemies' and smiled.
"Money eh?" He said.
"And all you have to do is sit pretty, act normal and pretend you hardly exist until we're married and divorced. Just sit on a shelf like a little, freaky looking doll." Said Kimiko.
Jack considered this for a moment and nodded holding out his hand. The parents walked back in at that moment.
"You've come to some arrangement?" Asked James Spicer.
"In a manor of speaking, yes," Said Jack, "We'll do it."
He leaned sideways and whispered to Kimiko.
"Just like a little freaky looking doll right?"
Kimiko nodded.
She smiled to herself that she'd got what she wanted. A quick solution and no one even had to find out about it. And Jack, just a little 'Coin-operated-boy', you put a few coins into the bargain and he works the way you want him to. Clean and simple, unless her friends showed up, but how likely was that? They probably didn't even care that she was gone.
"We've got to go and see if she's okay!" Said Raimundo.
"I don' think she'll like us turnin' up on her doorstep when she said that she wan'ed to go alone." Said Clay.
"Clay is right Raimundo. You are once again, being too impatient!" Said Omi, shaking a small, yellow finger in Raimundo's direction.
"So we're just going to sit here while Kimiko has to deal with some crisis?" Asked Raimundo.
Omi and Clay both looked at each other and then back at Raimundo before nodding. The sunlight was shining onto Raimundo's face as his head fell and his eyes fixed dazedly on Clay's boots. What is Kimiko really needed some support?
"You're worried about her aren' you?" Asked Clay, laughing.
"Shut up!" Said Raimundo, "So are you guys!"
"Yes, but you are worried that she won't come back and the last thing she'll remember about you is that you broke her very expensive games consol!" Said Omi, shaking his head in disapproval.
"Back off baldy!" Said Raimundo, "What do you suggest we do if you're so smart!"
"I suggest we wait until Kimiko returns and tells us what happened," Said Omi in a 'matter-of-fact tone', "And should she not return within the next week, then we shall call and see if she is returning. If she is not then we shall go to Japan to say our goodbyes face to face!"
Raimundo and Clay looked at each other and back down at Omi. His plan made sense at least.
"Okay, one week!" Said Raimundo, "But that's it!"
Dojo touched down at this moment and shrank down to his smaller size, slithering across the gravel garden path towards to temple doors. Omi, Clay and Raimundo all ran out to meet him.
"So when is she coming back?" Asked Omi.
"I don't know kid," Said Dojo, "We didn't talk much. She just kept on reading that letter all the way there. Over and over, she must have read it a thousand times by the time we touched down. She was looking real concerned when she went in to see her dad. I didn't see her again."
"Poor Kimiko," Said Clay, pulling of his hat again.
They all stood in silence, looking at the ground and at each other's shoes. (Except Dojo who was already at ground level and didn't wear shoes. Obviously.)
"One week," Said Raimundo quietly, "One week and no longer."
He turned and walked into the temple.
Omi, Clay and Dojo looked at each other.
"You don't suppose he …" Began Dojo.
"Banish the thought my friend!" Said Omi, "Banish the thought."
(A/N) Please tell me what you think Thanks for reading. Lots of luv, Becky.