You Belong With Me
"I messed up badly, I don't even know what I did," Tai shrugged.
"It seems like you and your sister have a way of effortlessly striking people's nerves. It must be hereditary," Izzy remarked.
"Yeah, she told me…she feels horrible about what she said, you know?" Tai looked over at him.
"What did Kari say?" Mimi picked her head up.
"It's nothing," Izzy shook his head.
"Please, it couldn't have been nothing if he goes in the opposite direction when she shows up," Yolei scoffed.
"Okay, there's at least one too many people in this conversation! I thought we were talking about Tai's little problem here," Izzy squirmed away from Tai and Mimi.
"We are. I'm just offended that you're still not talking to Kari," Tai crossed his arms.
"Were you guys mad at each other?" Mimi asked.
"Don't fall for it, Mimi. We're fine. We reconciled, there's nothing that needs further reconciling. This is just Tai redirecting attention away from his current dilemma, which he initially wanted to talk about," Izzy put his hands on his hips.
"Oh yeah. They're my ride and die girls," Mimi mockingly said. "No wonder she's pissed!"
"What? You're not thinking she's jealous, is she? That's silly!" Tai scoffed.
"Honestly, it would make sense as to why your past relationships have failed," Izzy shrugged.
"What do you mean?" Mimi asked.
"Previously, Tai's girlfriends would be concerned about Sora…but now, they get to be jealous of his female coworkers. There has to be a pattern here," Izzy rubbed his chin.
"Duh! The pattern is that Tai is too friendly with girls," Mimi repeatedly smacked the back of her hand against her chest.
"Okay, that could have been said without the inappropriately offensive hand gesture," Izzy crossed his arms.
"Sorry. But honestly, how could that not be any more obvious?" Mimi frowned.
"Maybe because we're guys?" Tai shrugged.
"Girls are confusing. I was raised to be cordial, but at the same time, are people mistaking what I consider common courtesy as a sign of flirtatious interest instead?" Izzy asked.
"Let's say it's safe to assume that's probably gotten you in trouble once at least," Mimi winced.
"What? When?" Izzy gasped.
"Hey, it's my turn!" Tai cleared his throat. "But seriously, Izzy has a point! How do you know what the right amount of friendly is? Like I wanna be nice to everyone, but I don't want to lead anyone on, or make anyone jealous like this asshole," Tai jerked his thumb at Izzy.
"What? When have I-"
"Shut up, Izzy. Do you always talk about yourself? Alright boys, I think I have an idea! I'm gonna throw a mini seminar on how to win a girl over and keep her," Mimi nodded.
"Cool, I'd be interested in that. How much would it be?" Yolei put her hands on her hips.
"Uh…twenty bucks?" Mimi shrugged.
"Great! Let me know the details when you have it figured out. By the way, Izumi. This seminar is mandatory, so you'll have to go too, or I'll cut your hours," Yolei mimed cutting the air with scissors.
"Great," Izzy flatly said.
"Hah hah," Tai laughed.
"Hey, you're showing up too. You're the reason for this seminar. I'll talk to Miki," Yolei threatened Tai.
"Hah hah," Izzy mocked Tai.
"I already have three people interested! I'm so excited! Yay, I need to spread the word! TTFN!" Mimi excitedly skipped away.
"Yay," Tai pressed his lips together.
"Hey TK, what brings you in today?" Sora raised an eyebrow.
"I'm looking for some advice and I think you're the only one I can trust," TK bit his lip.
"Aww, I'm flattered. So sure, how can I help?" Sora said as she folded sweatpants.
"I think I might have a crush on one of our friends," TK winced.
"Oh?" Sora raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, I know. It's so weird…we spend a lot of time together, but I don't know what to do. I kinda want to take things further, but at the same time, I don't want to make things more awkward. You already see how that worked with Kari and Izzy, and I don't know if I'm ready to make that same gamble," TK wrung his hands.
"Oh…I see. That can get kind of intimidating," Sora pouted.
"Well, do you have any ideas of what to do?" TK bit his lip.
"I would definitely wait it out. Look for signs to see if she likes you back, or wants to give you a chance. Unfortunately, if you ask me, I think she has another guy on her mind, but you could always see. I always thought the two of you would be cute together," Sora paused.
"Huh?" TK turned red.
"It's okay, I won't tell anyone you like Kari. Your secret is safe with me," Sora winked.
"Oh, yeah. That's right. It's Kari," TK blushed. "So what do I do?"
"Well, look for signs that she's interested. Body language gives away a lot. For example, girls who like someone will find an excuse to touch a guy, even if it's a small touch on the arm or shoulder. Then there's also eye contact. Too much or too little can be a sign, but if she likes you, she'll probably want to be close in your personal space. Honestly, I feel like you'll know once you experience it," Sora nodded.
"Has it happened to you yet?" TK asked.
"No. Boys are so much harder to read," Sora huffed.
"Oh, is that so?" TK nervously laughed.
"Yeah, it's like you guys are secret agents when it comes to that. It's so frustrating. I guess that's why you have to make the first move. Good luck," Sora smirked.
"Thanks…," TK sighed.
"You're welcome. Anytime," Sora smiled.
"Hey Meems, what are you up to?" Matt raised an eyebrow.
"I am advertising a love workshop to help hopeless guys like Tai and Izzy get a girl. Thinking about it, maybe you could benefit from it too," Mimi handed Matt a flyer.
"Oh brother, you've got to be kidding me," Matt looked at the flyer in amusement.
"What? I've known you boys for a couple of months and I think it's a fair assessment to say that you guys are clueless when it comes to treating girls right. After all, Tai only started seeing Catherine and they're already having problems! Think of this as something that will help you guys out in the future," Mimi shrugged.
"Why are you charging $20 to go to this workshop?" Matt scoffed.
"A girl has to make her money somehow," Mimi said.
"Fair enough. But don't you think $20 is a bit steep?" Matt raised an eyebrow.
*vrooom*
"Oh god, what do you want?" Matt groaned.
"These," Joe held up a flyer. "This event was not approved by the mall office."
"Ugh…seriously? Is that really a thing?" Mimi huffed.
"Yes," Joe and Matt said in unison.
"Look, I'll streamline the process and approve the event, on the condition that I get to attend this workshop for free," Joe said in a serious tone.
"Really?" Mimi and Matt said at the same time.
"Yeah…I could use a little help in the love department," Joe bashfully said.
"You know this workshop is being held by a high-school girl, right?" Matt crossed his arms.
"I'm a college freshman and part-time mall cop, as you may have noticed. I'm a bit desperate," Joe winced.
"Well…I guess we have a deal," Mimi gingerly shook Joe's hand.
"Thank you. I'll see you at the event," Joe rolled away on his scooter.
"Yikes, that hurt to watch," Matt made a face.
"Yeah. I don't know what I signed up for, did I?" Mimi wiped her hand on her skirt.
"You know what? Count me in. I think I'm gonna enjoy this workshop," Matt smirked.
"Wow, I didn't even know that was possible!" Barbie Q gasped in awe.
"Oh yeah, anything is possible in New York City," a boy ran his fingers through his freshly-styled wavy blond hair.
"Uh, hi. What's going on here?" Davis stood in front of the booth.
"Hey Davis! This is our classmate Michael! He's from New York City and he's so interesting!" Suzie Q gestured towards the fashionable blond boy.
"Hi Davis, nice to meet you," the blond boy coyly smiled.
"He's the guy we told you about who's been in throuples!" Barbie Q excitedly said.
"Girls, come on! That's not all I've done! You haven't told him about my shoplifting adventures or sneaking into adult nightclubs either?" Michael gasped.
"Wow, you seem to live the highlife," Davis remarked.
"You have no idea. Right now, I'm juggling through three sugar daddies. They think I'm nineteen, and they think they're the only one I'm seeing. So much things to do, so little time to do it. It's not easy being me, but it's so worth it. Check out this Rolex. I can't read the time, but isn't it beautiful? It's worth $150,000," Michael stretched out his wrist.
"Wow, that's almost worth as much as a house," Davis nodded.
"So, anyways the girls told me you're having a little problem. You can't decide whether you like tacos or sausages, am I right?" Michael smirked.
"Uh, I could eat both. They're not my favorite foods but-"
"Oh geez, you're not that smart are you?" Michael huffed.
"Excuse me?" Davis's jaw dropped.
"Let me spell it out in clear terms. So, you don't know if you're gay or not, is that right?" Michael pinched his fingers together.
"Oh, no. I'm pretty sure I know," Davis shook his head.
"Oh my god, really?" the girls eagerly leaned over the counter.
"So what's the verdict?" Suzie Q asked.
"I like girls. Particularly a certain girl. Always have, and probably always will," Davis held up a felt heart.
"Huh, isn't that interesting," Suzie Q pursed her lips.
"Well, I guess I came here for nothing," Michael popped his gum.
"If the last couple of days taught me something, I guess it was that I would do anything for her, even dig through the trash for an ounce of her love. The universe does not want us to be together in any way possible, and yet I keep fighting it. I even tried helping her out with her stupid crush, only because I wanted to make her happy. She doesn't like me, but I can't get over her no matter how much I tried. I wish she could see that I'm the one who understands her, I'm the one who's by her side. Why can't she just see that she belongs with me?" Davis squeezed the heart in his hands.
"Because she doesn't like you," Michael yawned.
"Don't listen to him! Just you wait, one day she'll wake up and find what she's truly been looking for has been here the whole time," Barbie Q said.
"Oh, so you want him to wait until she comes to him? How pathetic is that!" Michael scoffed.
"Hey, girls! Would you mind hanging this on your booth?" Yolei handed the girls a flyer.
"Love workshop with Mimi? By any chance, it wouldn't be a Mimi Tachikawa, would it?" Michael smirked.
"Actually yeah. That's the one," Yolei nodded.
"Hah, that's gold. She should be the last one holding a workshop. We used to go to school together and let me tell you, she was a loser with a capital L-O-S-E-R. All caps, such a dweeb," Michael put his fingers in the shape of an L on his forehead and stuck his tongue out.
"You mean the Mimi who is obsessed with pink and girly things?" Davis asked.
"Ah, I see she hasn't outgrown that. Such a child. You know what? I think my mall visit is just about to get more interesting," Michael took the flyer and crumpled it up in his hands.
"Come on, we need more seats to fill the seminar," Tai pleaded.
"Forget it. I'm not paying $20 of my hard-earned cash to help someone who refuses to get a job tell other people bad love advice," Kari crossed her arms.
"Fine! If I buy your seat, will you go?" Tai asked.
"You already know how I feel about this," Kari clenched her fists.
"I don't know. I'm thinking of going," TK said.
"You're kidding," Kari gasped.
"You'll be the only one not coming. Won't that come off as weird?" Tai asked.
"So? She's not my friend. She's your friend," Kari said.
"Wow, you don't really mean that, do you?" TK gasped.
"Yes, I do. We never hung out on a one-on-one basis. We don't really have anything in common except for trying to get the same guy's attention, and I don't think that's necessarily grounds for friendship material," Kari gritted her teeth.
"Whoa, hold the ropes! You're not saying that she likes Izzy, are you?" TK gasped.
"What the heck does he have that we're missing?" Tai scoffed.
"It's not social skills. It's not like it matters, he's too stupid to read the obvious signs. And apparently, so are you guys," Kari threw her hands in the air.
"Whoa Kari, what is into you? Are you on your…you know? That lady time?" Tai whispered.
"I am not on my period, you idiot!" Kari yelled.
"I think she's just been spending too much time with Zoe. Zoe's a bit intense," TK crossed his arms.
"Look, I'm not gonna pay $20 for her to have a lame excuse to hit on someone for 'educational purposes', cause that's what's probably bound to happen. I'm done with this conversation," Kari got up from her chair and walked off.
"Wow, I guess we really upset her," TK frowned.
"TK, you don't think Kari's right, do you?" Tai paused.
"What do you mean?" TK asked.
"I know Kari's in her feels right now, but she's also rational. You don't think that Mimi made this whole thing up to, you know…?" Tai shrugged.
"I think it's more likely that Mimi decided to do this to make some quick cash. She's just in her feels. Remember all the rumours people would say about me and Kari? We were just platonic, but that didn't stop people from speculating. Guys and girls can be just friends," TK said.
"I guess you're right," Tai hummed.
"Walking the streets with you and your worn-out jeans, I can't help thinking this is how it ought to be. Laughing on a park bench, thinking to myself, 'hey, isn't this easy?' And you've got a smile that could light up this whole town, I haven't seen it in a while since she brought you down-"
"Psst, you busy?" Sora hid behind a fake tree.
"Kinda…what?" Matt put his guitar down.
"I know TK would be really upset with me if I told you, but please don't tell him I said anything. I just don't know who exactly to talk to about this," Sora bit her finger.
"Are you sure it's a good idea that you're coming to me then?" Matt smirked.
"Come on! Please, don't be an ass! For me?" Sora clasped her hands together.
"Okay, fine. What is it?" Matt huffed.
"So, he came to my store and he told me he was having love problems, and I assumed it was Kari…but when I made some comments about her, he started acting funny. Like uncomfortable," Sora shrugged.
"Did he say he was having love problems with Kari specifically?" Matt cocked his head to the side.
"No, he just said he was having problems with some girl that he's friends with. But I have a feeling that it actually isn't Kari," Sora wagged her finger.
"So what? That would narrow it down to you and Mimi? Unless he knows someone else?" Matt scoffed.
"That's the thing! I think it is Mimi…that just sounds like a recipe for disaster," Sora winced.
"I dunno. I could see them working well together," Matt rubbed his chin.
"Seriously?" Sora made a face.
"Yeah. There's something about the two of them. I think they could be a good match. I ship it," Matt shrugged.
"Great, well this conversation was useless," Sora scoffed.
"Not necessarily. If anything, now I know I can't trust you with secrets, but please feel free to share any more that you have," Matt smirked.
"Screw off," Sora flipped him the bird and stomped away.
"Rude. Didn't even give me a dollar for interrupting my song," Matt shook his head and put his guitar back on.
"Kamiya!" Miki barked.
"Oh no…it can't be good if you're using my last name. What's up, Miki?" Tai groaned.
"One of my dear mall friends told me that you were supposed to attend a seminar after work today and to make sure you show up?" Miki put her hands on her hips.
"Ugh, you can tell Yolei I'll be there," Tai huffed.
"So what is this seminar about?" Miki flicked the flyer in her hand.
"Supposedly my friends think I need help keeping a girl happy since I pissed Catherine off. I didn't even know what I did wrong," Tai shrugged.
"If you don't know what you did wrong, then you clearly need to go. In fact, I'm curious to see what this seminar has to offer," Miki rubbed her chin.
"I highly doubt it's much. Keep in mind, it's being held by a sixteen-year-old girl," Tai flatly said.
"Oh boy, maybe I should sign up. Something tells me this will be a disaster," Miki raised an eyebrow.
"I don't mean to throw my friends under the bus, but whenever one of us is involved, I don't expect it to be much of a success. It makes for good entertainment though," Tai whistled.
"Hey Tai," Catherine walked over to him and smiled.
"Hey Catherine! What a nice surprise! What are you doing here?" Tai nervously smiled.
"What do you mean? Didn't you plan to go out to the Soft Rock Cafe after our shifts tonight?" Catherine held up her phone.
"Tonight? Did I say that?" Tai gulped.
"Hey Catherine, I'm so sorry but we have a last-minute mandatory work meeting that we all have to attend," Miki interrupted.
"What?" Catherine gasped.
"Really? When did this happen?" Megumi whined.
"Yeah. We're all attending this workshop. It's mandatory, as per the email I received. I'm sorry Tai, but we all have to be there," Miki held up the flyer.
"Aww man, I had plans," Tai pretended to be disappointed.
"Me too…I was supposed to do grocery shopping," Megumi whined.
"I'm sorry, but you'll have to reschedule. Unless you'd rather lose your job," Miki shook her head.
"No! I'll attend the workshop! Workshop is fine," Megumi gulped.
"Yeah, same…no problem here!" Tai eagerly nodded.
"Very well. I'll let my superiors know," Miki walked away.
"You forgot, didn't you?" Catherine smirked at Tai.
"No! Honestly, I didn't!" Tai blushed.
"Then why did you ask why I'm here?" Catherine crossed her arms.
"Well, I just assumed that we would meet up at your job? I mean, my place isn't nowhere as cozy as yours. At least you have seats," Tai shrugged.
"But you don't want to stop by the cafe anymore, remember? I'm just trying to meet you halfway," Catherine raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah, duh!" Tai nervously laughed.
"Very well, you got off lucky this time…well 'lucky'. But don't forget next time. And dinner will be on you, it's the least you could do. Have fun," Catherine teasingly squeezed Tai's face and walked off.
"Thanks for saving me back there, Miki," Tai said as soon as he managed to catch his breath.
"Yeah, no problem. Only thing is now we all probably should show up to this dumb thing, so your praying mantis of a girlfriend doesn't bite our heads off for lying," Miki smirked.
"What? Are you saying you're scared of her?" Tai gasped.
"Yep, I'm going to waste $20 on some inexperienced teenage girl's rant to avoid dealing with that. That sounds about right," Miki filed her nails.
"What she said," Megumi nodded.
"Come on, she can't be that bad," Tai smiled.
"I don't know. She seems nice, but there's something about her. Listen, ever since you guys started talking, I haven't seen you smile as much and I take that personally," Miki poked him in the chest with her nail file.
"Miki's right. There's something different about you, but in a sad way. I don't think I like it either," Megumi sighed.
"It's kinda funny you guys say that, because I feel different. I thought it was just that new skincare line we got in, but I guess not," Tai shrugged.
"So this is where you're going to have it?" Izzy frowned.
"It's the best Joe could do without raising suspicion," Mimi proudly stood in front of an abandoned Limited Too.
"You mean Joe, the security guard? How did that happen?" Izzy raised an eyebrow.
"Turns out he could use some of my wisdom. I shake his hand, he shakes mine. Can you believe this is all coming together so soon?" Mimi wrapped her arms around Izzy's bicep and rested her head on his shoulder.
"Nope, still having a hard time. Do you have a plan? We only have a couple of hours to have everything set up," Izzy looked over at her.
"Of course! I've been thinking about this as soon as I made up this idea! Everything's inside!" Mimi pointed inside of the store.
"Great…," Izzy winced.
"Hey look, it's Kari!" Mimi pointed at Kari.
"You say hi, I'm gonna go start setting up," Izzy walked inside the store.
"Hey Kari! Are you gonna come to my workshop tonight?" Mimi excitedly asked.
"No. I can't spend the money," Kari shook her head.
"Oh. I understand! Maybe if this one works out well, you can come to a future one! It would be cool! Everyone else will be there," Mimi smiled.
"Yeah, maybe…," Kari looked over at the storefront to see Izzy aimlessly rummaging through boxes.
"Shoot, silly me. I probably should go help him out. He's so smart, but sometimes he can be a bit clueless, right?" Mimi giggled.
"Yeah, you have no idea, huh?" Kari clenched her jaw.
"Alright! I'll see you around! Bye," Mimi waved and hopped into the store. "Soooo Izzy, what gives?"
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Izzy dropped a box.
"What was with you back there? And don't ask me what I mean. I'm talking about how you and Kari are being weird with each other," Mimi jerked her thumb outside.
"Oh…that," Izzy shrugged.
"Well?" Mimi flipped her hand up.
"She said something pretty offensive to me a while back. She made a comment that kind of hit me in a sensitive area- and I'm not sure if she even knows it, but it almost seems like she said it to hurt me on purpose. I didn't know how to react, so I called her an asshole. It wasn't my proudest moment, and I feel horrible about it. She apologized, but I still don't know how to feel about the situation. I don't know if I really forgive her, but I don't like how I reacted either. We knew each other for so long, and I don't even know what I did for her to even say something so hurtful to me," Izzy shrugged.
"Wow, I didn't know. We don't have to keep talking about it if it makes you uncomfortable," Mimi reached for his hands and interlaced her fingers with his.
"I'd prefer that for now. Maybe I'll disclose it when I feel more comfortable, but right now, I don't," Izzy gently squeezed her hands and let go of them. "So what are we going to do with all of this stuff? You really got prepared for tonight."
"I know…do you think I've got too big for my head?" Mimi bit her lip.
"I don't know what to tell you. You sure shot for the stars," Izzy flicked his fingers against a smart board.
"Wow Mimi, you sure know how to shoot for the stars," Sora peeked through her goody bag.
"Thank you! As you can see, in everyone's bag is what I call the good kisser's essentials: lip balm, minty gum, breath mints, and a lip scrub for the night," Mimi proudly held up a bag.
"Oh…so that wasn't sugar candy?" Matt winced.
"I mean, it's made with sugar?" Mimi shrugged.
"That doesn't mean it's edible, you dingus," Tai flicked Matt on the back of his head.
"Shouldn't it be edible if it's so close to your mouth?" Matt licked off the remaining lip scrub.
"He's got a point," TK nodded.
"Those days where you argue about having different parents go out the window in times like these," Izzy shook his head.
"When do we start learning about the…you know, important stuff?" Joe timidly raised his hand.
"Actually that's a good question. What's something you'd want to know?" Mimi asked.
"For example, how do you know if a girl likes you back for starters? I don't want to keep pursuing something if there's no chance," Joe asked.
"Stop talking to her and see if she makes the first move. See if she reaches out or talks to you first, because if she likes you, she'll notice you're pulling back," Mimi nodded.
"I don't know. If one of my crushes stopped talking to me, I would probably take that the wrong way and not bother," Miki shrugged.
"Yeah, I'd have to agree," Sora nodded.
"I don't know. I feel like it would drive me crazy, I need to know what's up," Megumi slammed her hands on the table.
"Look, someone agrees with me," Mimi nervously laughed.
"Hold on, Mimi. You're saying one thing, but you have other girls saying something else. Are you sure you know what you're talking about?" Tai frowned.
"I'm surprised any of you would ask a question like that," Michael raised his hand from the back of the class.
"Michael," Mimi stood frozen with wide eyes.
"Hi Mimi, nice to see you here," Michael smirked.
"You guys know each other?" Davis stupidly asked.
"What are you doing here?" Mimi stammered.
"Just came to stop by, and boy is this gold. Honestly, where do you get off giving love advice? Did you even ever have a boyfriend before?" Michael sneered.
"Yeah, totally. I have one right now," Mimi crossed her arms and put her nose in the air.
"Really? Since when?" Matt made a face.
"Uh, he lives in Canada so none of you guys have met him," Mimi paused.
"What's his name?" Miki smirked.
"Uh…Pierre Bouvier?" Mimi turned red.
"If you ask me, that sounds completely made up," Tai frowned.
"Oh, I wish you could meet him, he couldn't be sweeter, it's such a shame he lives so far away," Mimi dramatically said.
"I think you should stop while you're ahead," Izzy winced.
"This is kind of sad," Matt shook his head.
"He's real, I swear!" Mimi protested.
"I'll show you a picture of her in middle school and then you tell me if she's telling the truth," Michael pulled out his phone to show a photo of Mimi with messy hair, braces, and glasses. She wore a butterfly shirt, cowboy hat, and highwater pants with suspenders.
"That's not me!" Mimi yelled.
"Is that a backpack with wheels in the picture?" Matt zoomed in on the photo and laughed.
"Shut up," Mimi clenched her fists.
"That's right, it's a backpack on wheels. You guys wanna see a picture of her when she got a bad perm?" Michael laughed.
"I have to go. Leave me alone," Mimi shoved the boys out of her way and ran out of the store.
"Well shit…I hope she doesn't expect to keep our money after this," Yolei whistled.
"That was completely unnecessary, boys. You didn't have to make fun of her," Sora crossed her arms.
"What? She might have went through a minor makeover, but deep down inside, she's still a little dork. You can't ever hide that, no matter how hard you try," Michael cackled.
"Excuse me, I think I should leave too," Izzy got up from his seat and walked out.
"Great, everyone's leaving. This isn't good," Joe gulped.
"I'm sorry, but I think it's safe to say you got ripped off. If you want to know how to really score with the ladies, you'll want to listen to me. I've dated two people at the same time," Michael smirked.
"Oooh, tell me more," Yolei whipped out a mini notepad.
"Not only did they know about each other, they didn't care either. We all ended up dating each other," Michael shrugged.
"Is that even possible?" Joe gasped.
"That's what I said!" Davis exclaimed.
"This is my cue to leave," Sora said in disgust.
"Nah, I'm staying. Gotta learn the tricks so you don't get played," Miki smirked.
"Ooh yeah, that's a good idea," Megumi nodded.
"Mimi, are you okay?" Izzy asked.
"No…," Mimi whined. "Please, take me somewhere we can be alone. I'm so embarrassed."
"Come with me. We can hide out in my store," Izzy sighed and motioned her over.
"Thanks. You're the best," Mimi sniffled and wrapped her arms around his bicep.
"He's just a jerk, don't get worked up about it," Izzy said.
"I know. But why did he have to embarrass me like that?" Mimi frowned.
"Some people are only happy when they make others miserable, I guess. For what it's worth, I don't think any different of you," Izzy said as he lifted the gate open to the store.
"Thanks," Mimi crouched down and slipped under the gate.
"I have to shut off the security alarm, but at least you can hang out in the back for as long as you need," Izzy locked the gate down and walked to the stock room.
"Alright," Mimi followed him to the back and sat down at a countertop.
"So how did you guys know each other?" Izzy leaned against a wall.
"We went to school together. He was one of the popular kids, and I thought he was being nice and just wanted to be friends with me since I was new. Looking back now, he and his friends just wanted a personal monkey to laugh at," Mimi crossed her arms.
"He's such a jerk. I'm sorry you had to go through that," Izzy shook his head.
"Sometimes, I still get that feeling because of him. Like no one really wants to be my friend, they only want to be around me because they need someone to laugh at," Mimi shrugged.
"I can relate," Izzy smirked. "But rest assured, it's not like that with our friend group. We can all pick on each other from time to time, but the difference is we don't try to make each other feel bad. We all do silly things occasionally. I used to have a rolling backpack too. I think it was the same color."
"That wasn't mine," Mimi turned red.
"Okay, sure. I believe you," Izzy smirked.
"I swear! But if you want to know something secret, I really don't have a Canadian boyfriend," Mimi bit her lip.
"Really? You don't say," Izzy sarcastically said.
"I guess the whole Pierre Bouvier name was a bit over the top, huh?" Mimi sheepishly smiled.
"Yeah, it almost sounds a bit made up," Izzy smirked.
"If you think that's crazy, you should hear all the expectations I have for Pierre," Mimi said.
"Knowing you, I bet he's got a lot to measure up to," Izzy scoffed.
"Depends. He just needs to be someone I can take home to my dad. I like a guy who's a bit rough around the edges, but he's different when it's just the two of us- almost sweet and romantic. I want to feel like I can be my complete self around this Pierre, if I ever find him. And of course, I have to find him attractive," Mimi smiled.
"That sounds like something from a fantasy. If you want, I'll get you a blanket from the sales floor, maybe you'll find him in your dreams," Izzy remarked.
"Come on, don't be such a drag! I know he's out there! He's probably even closer than I think," Mimi slapped him on the chest.
"Okay. If you find him, I'll give you $100. But you'll have to wait until you're absolutely sure, so you can't just claim it hours after meeting this dream guy," Izzy snorted.
"Is this a real bet?" Mimi smirked.
"Crap, I guess…," Izzy sighed.
"I'll be $100 richer, just you wait," Mimi teasingly poked him on the nose.
"So how exactly do I know if it's the real deal or not? I swear I feel like I'm in love with everyone, guys, girls, I just find people attractive, for the most part. But I want more than physical attraction," Yolei asked.
"So…anyone like to pitch in here before I add my two cents here?" Michael nervously smiled.
"Well, considering you kind of overthrew the original speaker and ran her out of her own workshop, we thought that you would be the all-knowing expert on this topic," Matt smirked.
"You make me sound like a monster! Look, I just didn't want you guys to be ripped off by some fraud," Michael scoffed.
"Everyone's had an awkward stage, so what?" Tai shrugged.
"Not everyone. I've never been a dork, look at me," Michael pulled sunglasses out of his jacket and put them on.
"Okay, so you're proof that some people just have longer awkward stages than others," Matt smirked.
"Stop it, I'm cool dammit!" Michael slammed his hands against the countertop.
"I dunno, you're acting a bit too hotheaded to be cool," TK smirked.
"You guys are impossible! No wonder you hang out with Mimi! You're all a bunch of nerds too!" Michael angrily stormed out of the room.
"Well, that was a dud," Joe sighed.
"Did you really expect much from tonight?" Miki turned over at him.
"I brought a new notepad for today," Joe held up a small notebook.
"Oooh, I don't know what's sadder. You expecting to take notes, or Tai's friend with a cowboy hat and a wheelie backpack," Megumi whispered.
"Come on, she was probably in middle school at the time. You only stopped playing with Calico Critters until last year," Miki smirked.
"I don't play with them, I collect them. Huge difference," Megumi turned her nose up in the air.
"How adorable," Tai smirked.
"Stop making fun of me! I think they're cute, okay?" Megumi pouted.
"Just like you," Miki pinched her on the cheek teasingly.
"Hey Kari, what are you doing here? The mall's closed," Sora walked over to the water fountain in the middle of the mall.
"Right, silly me," Kari forced a smile.
"Is everything okay?" Sora sat next to her.
"How come there's so many classes on how to attract a person, but none on how to get over someone? I think that is just as important, don't you think?" Kari took in a deep breath of air.
"Having love problems?" Sora asked.
"I'm having problems, but without the love. I'm so tired of people asking what's wrong with me, I just want to get back to normal. Like he's not even that great anyways. He's stupid," Kari bit her nail.
"Oh. I see," Sora pursed her lips. "I guess it happens to all of us. Sometimes, it just doesn't click, but one day you'll find someone else who could be closer than you think," Sora winked.
"Is there something you know that I don't know?" Kari raised an eyebrow.
"I didn't say anything," Sora teasingly said. "But if you want any tips on getting over someone, just remember, he's a normal person just like your brother is. He's definitely not perfect, there's gotta be things you don't like about him. It also doesn't hurt to start trying out new hobbies and start making new friends."
"Okay, I think I'll try that. Thanks Sora. You have some good advice, you should hold your own workshop," Kari said.
"Thanks. I probably should have considering how this one went…some obnoxious American kid invaded it and now he's talking about his interesting relationships. Can you believe that he was in a 'throuple'? That's when three people are in a relationship at the same time," Sora said.
"People can do that?" Kari winced.
"Apparently so. I don't know how people have the time for having one significant other, but two? Goodness gracious," Sora shook her head.
"Dang, I kinda wish I didn't miss that course after all," Kari shrugged.
"You honestly were better off. I wish I missed it," Sora sighed.
The next day…
"Hey girl…so since that workshop was a total bust, can I get my money back?" Megumi timidly asked Mimi.
"How did you know where to find me?" Mimi gasped.
"Well, if you're not by the food court, I figured you're always here. Hi Tai's friend," Megumi waved at Izzy.
"Hi Megumi," Izzy droned.
"Okay…well, I guess since you asked nicely, you can have your money back," Mimi sighed.
"Thanks! You're the best! I'll have Miki come on by later! You'll still be here, right?" Megumi asked.
"Yep, I'll be here," Mimi sadly nodded.
"I swear you're here more than I am, and I'm the manager," Yolei narrowed her eyes at Mimi.
"Are you gonna offer me a job?" Mimi excitedly asked.
"You and Izumi working together? As if I'd be dumb enough to let that happen," Yolei scoffed and walked off.
"What did she mean by that?" Mimi frowned.
"You don't necessarily have the best track record with the store managers in this mall," Izzy shrugged.
"That's not good, because I think I need to go back on a job search soon. I don't think this freelancing is for me," Mimi sighed.
"Hey Mimi, the girl at the makeup store said I could ask you for a refund from the workshop," Joe awkwardly smiled.
"Are you serious?" Mimi gasped.
"No disrespect, but in my opinion, you shouldn't get your money back if you're desperate enough to pay for love advice from a teenage girl," Izzy remarked.
"Fair enough. But I'll have to write you a ticket for insubordination. You can pay me directly in cash, but I also take personal checks in my name, or you can money transfer me," Joe stuck a ticket to Izzy's shirt.
"Twenty dollars? Seriously?" Izzy raised an eyebrow.
"I have to get my money back somehow," Joe shrugged.
"Here….now please leave. I have to get back to work," Izzy grumbled.
"Okay," Mimi and Joe sheepishly said.
"Mimi, you stay. You owe me a 20," Izzy grunted.
"Really? I only have 16 dollars and a button?" Mimi shook her coin purse.
"I guess it's time for you to go through the classified ads again," Izzy tapped his fingers against the register countertop.
"Great, here we go again," Mimi whined.
"Hey Mimi, quick question," Izzy looked up from his register.
"Yeah?" Mimi played with her hair.
"Didn't you say that Joe got to attend your workshop for free?" Izzy pursed his lips.
"Oh yeah. Why?" Mimi asked.
"I'll be right back," Izzy angrily stormed out of the store.