Rooster, Isamu: 33; Dragon, Ryu: 32; Dog, Masa: 32; Snake, Kisho: 32; Monkey, Keiji: 27; Horse, Seiko: 25; God, Haruko: 20; Boar, Takai: 17; Cat, Natsu: 16; Rat, Miki: 16; Cow, Tani: 15; Bunny, Akina: 15; Sheep, Satu: 9; Tiger, Kiyoshi: 9
Chapter 11: The Project.
Miki stood outside of Ran's house, her arms folded. Why was she there? She just wanted to turn and leave right then, she couldn't stand being in the same spot as...
"Why the hell am I here?" asked Natsu, shifting his backpack. Miki grumbled.
"Because we have to work on a project you stupid cat. Use your brain," she said, walking towards the door.
"I'm not a stupid cat, you damn rat. I do use my brain when I damn want too," he hissed. She rolled her eyes as she knocked on the door. There was a rustling sound inside and the door opened quickly, Ran panting. Dogs and cats ran between her legs and began to run outside. They ran through Natsu's and Miki's legs as they escaped the house. Ran brushed some of her hair from her eyes, her hidden hand soapy and wet. Miki held back a snicker as she looked at Ran.
"Cats... hate... water..." panted Ran. Natsu rolled his eyes. No kidding... "Come in, come in." Ran moved from the door, allowing the zodiac members to enter the house. The house smelled of cherry and cinnamon. The door shut and Ran smiled. "Follow me," she said.
They walked up the stairs, pictures covered the walls from baby pictures to drawings. As they got closer to the top of the stairs, a soft pounding noise was heard. Ran gave a groan as they walked to the end of the hallway. The door swung open and the soft pounding noise became louder. Miki covered her ears, her eyes closed. Udo jumped around the room, his head banging to the music.
"Udo!" shouted Ran, trying to get the fidgeting boy's attention. No use. "UDO!" shouted Ran, yanking the radio chord from the wall. The music stopped and Udo hopped around the room for a few seconds and looked up. He came to a stop as he saw Ran, Miki and Natsu staring him down.
"Um... Hi," he said, scratching the back of his head. Ran rolled her eyes.
"Why didn't you wait until I was here before you entered my room?" Ran asked as she dropped the chord. Udo fell onto the pink colored bed and shrugged.
"Because your computer is cooler than mine and your room is bigger so I figured we'd work in here," he explained, his feet wiggling. Ran rolled her eyes as Miki and Natsu entered the room. Ran shut the door and sat on the bed.
"Okay, so how are we going to start this project off?" asked Ran, looking at Miki and Natsu. Miki swung her backpack off her shoulder and onto the ground.
"Well, I picked up some books from the library so I figured we could start with these and then use the Internet as well." explained Miki, pulling out several books.
"I call Internet!" cried Udo, jumping off the bed and jumping into the computer chair in front of Ran's computer desk. Ran rolled her eyes.
"Okay, so guys get the Internet and we get the books," explained Ran, getting up off the bed. She grabbed a notebook and sat on the bed. Miki dropped the books upon the bed and sat down with them. Natsu just stood there, unsure if he should stand or kneel. Ran looked over at him and smiled.
"You can sit on my desk.. I don't mind. It won't collapse, I promise. Udo sits on it all the time and it has yet to collapse." explained Ran, returning her attention to the book. Natsu looked at Udo, an unsure look upon his face. He didn't like Udo... didn't like him much at all. He felt... threatened by him but he didn't understand why. He inched closer to Udo, but didn't dare to sit down. Miki looked up and glared at him.
"Sit down you stupid cat," she said, flipping the page in her book. Natsu twitched a little and glared at her.
"I'm not a stupid cat, you stupid rat," he spat, sitting on the desk in a huffy mood. He looked at Udo, who was watching him. Udo began to snicker and looked back at the computer.
The room was cast in silence as time passed by. Soon, Ran spoke up,
"Wow.. this is an interesting fable,"
"Which one?" asked Miki, slowly flipping through her book.
"Its about how the Zodiac animals got together for a banquet but the rat told the cat it was the day after it was suppose to be and the cat missed out on the banquet... explaining why the cat isn't in the zodiac," explained Ran. "I never knew that," Miki secretly rolled her eyes. She knew this... it was nothing new.
"Its a really neat fable. Just shows you that cats are stupid creatures," said Miki, tossing her book to the side. Why must they get this subject? Why wouldn't they get the western civilization or how knitting was involved... but the Chinese Zodiac?
"Cats are not stupid. They are smarter than rats," spat Natsu, glaring at Miki from the desk.
"Then why was the cat tricked out of going to the banquet?" asked Miki, her voice growing louder from her calm tone.
"Because he thought the rat was his friend and was stabbed in the back." retorted Natsu, standing up.
"Why would a rat ever be friends with a cat? What a stupid assumption," said Miki.
"The rat is just a low creature having to trick people out of things just so he can get what he wants. The rat will die alone and always dies alone and so will you," shouted Natsu. Natsu breathed heavily, out of breath. Miki just sat there, the last words lingering over her head. The rat will die alone and always dies alone... and so will you. She closed her eyes, tears threatening her eyes. She didn't want to be alone... she wouldn't be alone... Ran felt the tension in the room and looked at Udo.
"Find anything yet Udo?" she asked. Udo looked over at Ran.
"No... no matter how many times I put in Chinese Zodiac nothing on it comes up," said Udo, going back to the computer. Ran scratched her head.
"Thats weird, let me see," she said, getting up from the bed. She leaned over Udo's shoulder and rolled her eyes. She hit him upside the head. "You idiot, its spelled z-o-d-I-a-c. Not z-o-d-e-i-a-c. Stupid," she said. Udo smiled bashfully and typed it into the search engine.
"Thanks sis," he said.
"So, I was thinking for the visual we do a poster board?" suggested Ran, shuffling through her papers. Miki closed her book gently.
"I was thinking we could make a mobile of a sort... having a round object in the middle and the animals of the zodiac attached to it," Miki explained, drawing out a rough sketch. Ran bent over the sketch and nodded her head.
"Yes... yes that works nicely!" she said, smiling.
Natsu had his arms crossed as he sat on the desk. He watched out of the corner of his eye the sites that Udo surfed. Udo's eyes began to droop as he stared at the monitor. The monitor is flickering... thats annoying... Isn't there anything interesting on the internet... He clicked on a link and his eyes went wide. His hand shook and grabbed Natsu's knee.
"What the hell.." spat Natsu, looking at Udo.
"Lo... look." he said. Natsu turned his attention to the monitor and his eyes widen.
"Wha... are you crazy!" he said. Udo began to click around the site, Natsu began to sweat. "Are you stupid..." he whispered. His arms loosen as they glanced over some pictures.
"You guys think thats a good idea?" asked Ran, looking over at the boys. She saw them hovering around the monitor, and she tilted her head. "Guys?" she asked. Miki looked over at the guys. She got off the bed and walked over to them.
"What you looking at?" she asked as she looked over Udo's shoulder. She gasped. "YOU STUPID CAT!" she shouted, slapping Natsu over the head. He jerked away from her, rubbing his head.
"What the hell," he said. Udo's eyes shifted quickly, moving the mouse to the x button and clicking it.
"You are a perverted cat that deserves to die," she spat, hitting Natsu's arm hard. He growled.
"Back off rat," he hissed, trying to shove her.
"What were they doing?" asked Ran.
"They were looking at a porn site!" Miki shouted. Natsu's face turned red, as red as his head. Ran clinched her fists.
"Udo you pervert! I should tell mom on you! If she looks on my computer and sees those links in my history log it will be your head!" shouted Ran, tugging Udo's ear. He let out small yelps of pain.
"Ran, please, it was an accident... stoppppp!" he cried.
"You stupid cat! You are such a pervert. Why do you want to look at naked women?" Miki spat, glaring at Natsu. His face turned redder and he looked away. How was he suppose to answer the question? Its a man's urge, or I never seen one before, or maybe because I can? He refused to say any of the answers, he just kept his mouth shut. There was a second of silence then,
"I'm going home," rang two voices. The two turned towards the door and began to walk towards it.
"Come on guys, we still have a lot to do!" cried Ran, trying to grab Miki's arm to keep her.
"There is no way I can work with such a stupid person," she spat. "I'm sorry Ran, we'll have to rescheduled for another day," she explained.
"Come on dude, don't be a wuss," said Udo, trying to calm down Natsu.
"Don't talk to me," he hissed, glaring at Udo. Ran and Udo watched as the fuming zodiac members walked towards the door.
"Hey! Take the door one at a..." SMACK "...time..." said Ran, rubbing her head. Udo tried not to laugh as he watched Miki and Natsu wiggle around in the doorway, both of them stuck. The two began to wiggle furiously.
"You stupid cat! Watch where you put your hands"
"You should look where you are going, you damn rat."
"I swear, you will never live today down, I will beat your sorry butt later"
"Bring it on you ass." Pop. The two finally squeezed through the doorway. Udo kept laughing as he heard the two bicker all the way outside. Ran sighed and slapped Udo upside the head.
"You are your stupid boy urges," she said, sighing. "Get out of my room."
That stupid cat, I can't believe he has the nerve to look at... that stupid filth... Thought Miki as she slid open the door to the house. She slid her shoes off and walked calmly into the kitchen. Her stomach was growling and she needed to eat something. Miki began to search the refrigerator, trying to find something to satisfy her stomach. She pulled out the jelly and sat it on the counter. She pulled the bread and the peanut butter from the cabinet next to the refrigerator and began to make a peanut butter sandwich. She smiled to herself as she made it... her parents always made her peanut butter and jelly sandwiches.
Masa softly walked down the stairs, trying not to do his biggest petpeeve... sounding like an elephant walking down the stairs. He stopped as he heard a soft hum from the kitchen. He turned and looked in. He smiled as he watched Miki make herself a sandwich. She had always loved peanut butter and jelly sandwiches when she was young. He cleared his throat, the humming suddenly stopping.
"Where were you young lady?" he asked, trying to sound like a father. Miki sighed. Why must she be broken from her daydream? She screwed the peanut butter lid back on as she spoke.
"I was over at Ran's and Udo's house, doing research on the Chinese Zodiac," she said, twisting the bread bag and putting the twisty tie back on it. Masa scrunched his eyebrows in confusion.
"The Chinese Zodiac... but you know all about it, why study it?" he asked, leaning against the door frame. Miki sighed as she put the bread, peanut butter and jelly back where they belonged.
"Its for a stupid project. We had to get into groups of four and I ended up in a group with Ran, Udo and..." she stopped, not wanting to say her third partner. "Natsu... We had to draw out a paper that would have our project on it... and we got the Chinese Zodiac. It wasn't my idea," she said, cutting her sandwich. She made her way to the table and sat down. Masa watched her but something clicked inside his head.
"Oh, I'm suppose to tell you that you and Natsu are suppose to bring Satu and Kiyoshi home next weekend for the day. It will only be Sunday day and then they go to school the next day and go home, thats all." explained Masa. "So what are we having for dinner?" Miki glared at Masa.
"Why me and Natsu? Why can't it be you and me? Why does this stupid cat have to get into a mess of things... and be in this house for a night?" she spat, standing up.
"It was Haruko's orders, we can't go against them." said Masa. Miki grabbed her plate and stomped up the stairs.
"Make your own dinner!" she shouted before she slammed her door. Masa rubbed his head.
"Why must she sound like an elephant going up those stairs?"
Natsu shuffled his feet as he entered the gates of the Sohma estate. The sun was covered by clouds, and there was a cold feeling as he entered. He hated this house, he hated everyone in it... he only cared for one person and that was Isamu, the rooster. Natsu looked up so he could go up the stairs but stopped. There in front of his was Haruko and Isamu. Natsu was confused, he didn't know what was happening.
"Isamu..." he said, a confused look upon his face.
"Hello Natsu," said Haruko, Isamu being quiet as he stood there. "Why were you out so late? Its almost dark,"
"I had to work on a project..." Natsu said quietly.
"With who?"
"Udo... Ran... and... Miki," he said, the last name almost a curse. Haruko cracked a grin. Haruko steps aside and Natsu walks up the stairs tensely, not wanting to looked Haruko.
"Oh, by the way. Next week, you shall be helping Miki look after Satu and Kiyoshi at her house, I hope you don't mind." said Haruko, a grin upon his face. Natsu twitched.
"Alright..." he said, going against everything inside his mind. Haruko smiled. Natsu began to walk but was caught by Haruko's words again.
"Also... while you watch the two younger children... you will stay at Masa's house... you are no longer welcomed at this estate," said Haruko. Natsu twirled around, his eyes wide.
"How... but.." he choked out. "Isamu?" Natsu looked at Isamu, his eyes wide.
"I'm sorry... Natsu..." said Isamu softly, his eyes cast down. Natsu looks between Isamu and Haruko and storms off towards his room. Haruko smiled as he watched the young cat run off. Isamu knelt on the ground, his head cast down. I'm sorry Natsu... Haruko looked at Isamu and grinned. My plan is working... soon, the rat and the cat will hate each other... forever and I will live like I should... and so will everyone else...
Author Notes: That took me a while to finish, I got writers block and couldn't remember what I wanted to write... I hope you liked the chapter, it was a little boring at the beginning. I didn't want to write it, but there were things I needed to get out into the open so my story could go on. I'm proud with myself, I have the whole outline written for this story now and there are so many parts that I just wanted to jump to while I wrote this chapter, but I wrote them all down soo... lol. I hope the next chapter won't take so long. Its entitled Eye of a Child See-ya soon:)
