Katsuya walked into his parent's bedroom that afternoon after Stephanie had departed. He brought over to Tohru a cup of water since she wasn't feeling very welland her pregnancy was reaching it's peak.
"Mom" he said softly and she opened her eyes with a smile.
"Hi Kaye."
"How are you feeling? Any better?"
"Oh this cold is making me feel very tired. I'm sorry I left in the middle of lunch like that."
"It's okay. Stephanie and I understand that you don't feel well" he sat down on her bed close to her and handed her the cup.
"Thank you" she replied taking a sip, "Is your father back yet?"
Kaye shook his head and then saw her worried expression.
"What's that really all about mom?" he said seriously.
"What do you mean?"
"C'mon mom. Sakura, Takara, and I know something's up. I mean he and Uncle Yuki have been going up to Tokyo for practically two weeks now."
"I really don't have any idea" Tohru shook her head but then saw his expression of non-belief, "I really don't" she insisted.
"Are you sure?"
"I've asked your father several times son, but he's very evasive with me too."
"Okay" Kaye relented a bit disappointed.
"Maybe you should ask him yourself?"
"Maybe I will" he nodded.
"So how are things going with you and Stephanie?" she replied changing the subject, "The dreams I mean?"
"The dreams?" he paused, "Well the dreams have taken and interesting turn."
"Have they?"
"Yea. I honestly can't wait to find out what happens next."
"Hmm. Well has anything similar been happening?"
"Similar?" he raised an eyebrow.
"You know? Things that happen in her dreams, are they happening in reality?"
"Well" Kaye paused again, "Maybe. But I don't really know for sure."
"Perhaps you should ask her. By the way why did she leave so early? I thought she was staying for dinner too?"
"Oh her brother called. It must have been an important family thing."
"Oh I hope it's nothing too serious."
"I don't think it is" Kaye reassured her.
(Next Scene)
In fact there was nothing to worry about. It turned out that Stephanie's mother and stepfather were going out of town for a couple of weeks and due to Stephanie's predicament she had undergone a month ago, her mother wanted to make sure that her daughter was safe. After Stephanie and Sam assured them both that they would all be fine, they left and Stephanie wandered upstairs where she found her younger sister Sophie in her room staring forlornly at the floor with a sad expression. Stephanie stared at her for a moment with concern and then tapped lightly on the doorframe.
"Soph" she said loud enough for her to hear.
"Huh?" Sophie looked up in a daze.
"Mom and Keiichi just left."
"Oh really" she nodded and then looked back down at the floor.
"Is something wrong?" Stephanie asked coming into the room.
"Mnm."
"Are you sure? You look awful sad."
"I'm not sad" she shook her head, "Just confused."
"What about?"
"Nothing" she turned her head away.
"Come on Soph. This is me you're talking to" she knelt down, "You can tell me anything. Now come on" she took her hand gently, "What's bothering you?"
"Well" Sophie looked up hesitantly into her sister's caring eyes, "I don't know. I don't know how to say it."
"Okay" Stephanie replied, "Maybe I can guess. Is it a big problem?"
"Kinda. I don't know" she shook her head.
"All right. Is it something Sam or I did?"
"Mnm."
"Is it because mom's going away?"
"No. I'm happy that she and Keiichi are going" she looked at her directly.
"All right. Well it's obviously not a problem that has to do with here. How about school? Is something wrong at school?"
At the mention of the word Sophie lowered her eyes again and placed her head onto her knees.
"Okay it's school. Did you have an argument with one of your friends and now you're not talking?"
"Mnm."
"Are you getting bad grades?"
"No."
"There's a teacher you don't like?"
"Uh uh" she shook her head again.
"Well Sophie you're going to have to give me a little hint. The only thing I've got left is you're having trouble with another student."
"It's not so much as trouble, but a problem."
"Are they picking on you?" she placed her hands on her shoulders lovingly.
"Mnm. It's not like that. I was already getting picked on."
"What do you mean?"
"I haven't been completely honest about school."
"Okay. How do you mean?"
"The only people I am friends with and it's only because you're Kaye's girlfriend is Takara and her cousins."
"But how can that be? You have a lot of friends who go to the park?"
"Those are my friends from last year," Sophie said standing up, "They go to different schools now. This year hasn't been going very well for me at all."
"Oh. Because you're in middle school now."
"Mhm. I don't have any other friends. And you know they are a year younger then me, so it makes me look weird."
"I see. So your problem is that the girls who are your age pick on you?"
"Mnm" Sophie shook her head and sat down on her bed, "I'm used to that."
"Now I'm all confused again" Stephanie chuckled slightly, "If it's not the girls then what's got you so" Stephanie paused, "Oh. I think I understand."
"What do you understand?" Sophie looked worried.
"Sophie you're going to be thirteen right?"
"Mhm" she nodded.
"Wow. You're my baby sister and I completely forgot you're growing up. This problem of yours has to do with a boy doesn't it?"
Sophie averted her eyes and nodded slowly.
"Someone you like?"
She nodded again.
"Someone you really like?"
"Mhm."
"Is he your age or older?"
"He's my age. And he's so cool."
Stephanie grinned.
"Why don't you tell me a little about him?"
"You wouldn't mind?" she looked up into her eyes.
"Mnm."
"Well I saw him the first day of school. You see I had heard about him but he was in a different class last year so I never saw him before. And ever since then I just can't stop thinking about him."
"It's your first crush. It's hard to forget those."
"Do you remember your first crush?"
"Hmm. I was about your age. He wasn't interested in me though" she shook her head.
"All the girls really like him. He's got a huge fan club."
"Well that could be a problem. Boys with huge fan clubs are hard to talk to."
"And whenhe's not with them, he's with those friends of his performing magic tricks."
"What did you say?" Stephanie jerked up her head.
"Magic tricks" Sophie repeated, "He's really good at them."
"Just out of curiosity Sophie, what is this boy's name?"
"You probably already know him since you're Kaye's girlfriend and you met them all. His name is Raiu Sohma."
"Raiu" Stephanie chuckled again, "I should have known. Well have you ever talked to him?"
"Oh no" Sophie shook her head, "I don't talk to hardly anybody. I'm very quiet at school. That's why they pick on me."
"Well I don't think he would ever pick on you. Raiu's a very sweet kid. A bit strange but sweet just the same."
"Oh I wouldn't dare talk to him. Yesterday I spent the entire time behind a bush just watching him. Whenever he looks my way I turn my head because he makes me blush and I get awfully pink. He makes me so embarrassed."
Stephanie chuckled.
"Well I think you should try talking to him. Get to be his friend first."
"I've tried to. But the other girls always get in the way."
"Do they now?" Stephanie grinned slyly, "Well Sophie I think that there might be a way to help you with your problem, which happens to be those girls."
"What's that?"
"I'll tell you in a little while. In the meantime, why don't you keep trying to talk to him? And maybe if you're lucky you'll get the opportunity to tell him how you feel too."
"You think so?"
"You never know" Stephanie winked and then stood up from the bed.
"Thanks Steph" Sophie grinned slightly, "For the talk I mean. It helped."
"That's what I'm here for" she nodded and then walked out into the hall heading for the stairs to make a quick call to Kaye's house.
(Next Scene)
The next morning Stephanie walked briskly to Katsuya's house and picked up Takara as had been discussed the night before. She relayed to Takara what she had heard and Takara readily agreed to help in any way she could. When they arrived at the middle school the young girl turned to the older one.
"Don't worry Stephy. Krysta and I will do all we can to help with Sophie. Hitomi won't be much help because you know how she feels about Raiu, but it's a one sided thing."
"Mhm" Stephanie nodded with a grin.
"Not that I really know how Raiu is going to feel. He likes getting all the attention from those girls."
"Well we shall see" Stephanie replied, "I think he can surprise you. He's a Sohma after all."
"Mhm" Takara nodded, "Got to go. See ya later to tell you how it went!"
No problem" Stephanie agreed as Takara ran off and she turned to head in the direction of her own school.
(Next Scene)
At break time Takara told Krysta the plan and she agreed excitedly promising to leave Hitomi out of it if they could help it. They ran over to the spot where Sophie was watching Raiu from behind the bushes. He was surrounded by a bunch of girls who were giggling as he performed another magic trick with a flamboyant wave. They rushed over and startled Sophie a little that she took a step back.
"Hi Sophie" Takara replied.
"Hi" Sophie said back slowly, "What's up?"
"We just wanted to know if you wanted to come walk with us?" Krysta replied.
"Me? Why?"
"Because you're our friend that's why" Takara said back taking her hand, "Come on" she dragged her away from the bush and out into the open.
On the other side where Raiu was standing he turned to one of his two friends who were standing beside him.
"Hey Kenji" he whispered, "Who's that cute girl who's with Takara right now?" he asked.
"You know her Raiu" Kenji replied surprised, "She's that American girl. The mayor's stepdaughter."
"I don't believe I've ever seen her look like that before" he shook his head.
"That's because she's got her hair up in braids today" Sosuke his other friend shook his head, "But I will say you can actually see her face today. She's usually got it bent over her desk."
"She's definitely a book worm" Kenji grimaced.
"Hmm" he scratched his chin thoughtfully, "I don't mind book worms so much" he began to stride over to his cousins.
"Oh look" Krysta spoke up, "Raiu is coming over."
"What?" Sophie became pale at once and then before they knew it, she had dashed back over to her bush out of sight.
"Sophie!" Takara replied, "Oh Hi Raiu" she said.
"Weren't there three of you?" he asked
"Uh" the two girls looked at each other; "Hitomi was here," she answered.
"Uh" he grimaced, "But I thought that I saw. Never mind" he shook his head, "If Hitomi is around I'd better go" he sprinted back towards his friends and the crowd of girls.
"Well that didn't go to well" Krysta replied.
"No I don't think so" Takara agreed as Hitomi appeared in the courtyard and had stomped over to the crowd of girls, pulling Raiu out by his ear angrily, "And now she's back so we've run out of time."
"Well what are we supposed to do now?"
"Let's go talk to Sophie" Takara suggested and then the two of them ran over to the bushes where the little girl was now squatting down and staring at the ground, her cheeks flushed, "Sophie?"
"I'm sorry I didn't mean to run away like that," she whispered, "You probably think that I am weird."
"No" Takara shook her head as Krysta and she sat down, "We know why you ran away."
"You do?"
"It's so obvious" Krysta said until she saw Sophie's horrified expression, "Well to us I mean," she added.
"Oh. Go on."
"You like Raiu don't you?" Takara said.
Sophie lowered her head and nodded slowly.
"Well we think that's great" Krysta replied wrapping her arm around Sophie.
"You do?"
"Mhm" Takara nodded, "The thing is I think Raiu saw you. I think he came over to talk to you."
"Oh I doubt that. No one ever noticesme because I am too quiet. Besides I wouldn't even know what to say even if he did talk to me" she heard the bell ring, "Time for class" she lifted herself from the ground, "Don't worry about me" she added, "I'll be fine."
"What are we going to do?" Krysta shook her head with a shrug of her shoulders.
"Hmm. I might have an idea. But it's gonna take some trickiness on our part. You interested?"
"Always" Krysta grinned and they shook hands.
(To be continued…)
Authors Note: Hey guys! This is another two-part chapter! See you later for the next!
Part Two: Krysta and Takara set out to make Sophie's feelings known to their playboy cousin. Find out what happens next time!