Author's Note: WOW! So many reviews in such little time! I guess I really should update faster, ne? Also- for my wonderful loyal readers, please be sure to check out my latest Fruit Basket Fanfiction, Not As It Seems. I think you will like that one!
Also, thanks a bunch for such good suggestions! And, yes, I thought it was high time that our wonderful Hatsuharu and Momiji should appear. Now then, in this chapter- Jennifer finally has to make up her mind, and choose who to go to the dance with. Will it be Seta Ryotso? Or will it be . . .well- I'll let you read and find out. I wouldn't want to spoil a good ending!
Domo Arigato for reading, and I'll see you all soon!
Disclaimer: you know the drill
CHAPTER ELEVEN: An invitation (of sorts)
The day before the dance, chaos reigned. Jennifer later told Tohru in the bathroom that the reason all of the third year girls had been chasing her the other day was because they had been spying on her- and they saw Seta Ryotso ask her to the dance.
"You're going to the dance with Seta-san!" Tohru exclaimed, "That's great!"
"Well, not really," Jenny said, leaning against the tile wall, and blowing some hair out of her face, "Those fangirls rushed me and chased e across school before I had a chance to reply."
So that day at school, the classes were buzzing. Would she go with Seta? Would she refuse as usual?
Jennifer just did her best to try and ignore it.
What's the big deal? She thought, he's just a boy- nothing special. And it's just a dance. I've never even been to a school dance before. I wouldn't know what to do! I don't even want a date, really-
I really would like to go with-"Ouch!" Jenny exclaimed as she bumped into someone, "Oh! I'm sorry, Hanajima-san! I didn't see you there!"
"It's quite all right," Hana said calmly, "I can tell you are in deep thought about something. Is it anything I can help with? Your waves are quite erratic- you are nervous about something?"
"Sort of," Jenny sighed, and she told Hana everything about how she felt about the whole dance fiasco.
"-and I really just want to go with my friends, like you and Uo-san, Tohru-san, the Sohmas- everybody! But I don't know how I can turn Seta-san down without getting jumped by the fangirls on the way home."
"I see your problem," Hana said, "But I think your answer will come sooner than you think."
Hana motioned over Jennifer's shoulder. Jenny looked, and saw Seta Ryotso walking down the hall towards them.
"I will do what is necessary," Hana said mysteriously before she walked away.
"Huh?" Jenny said confused.
"Jeni-chan!" Seta called out, waving to her, "There you are! I was looking for you!"
"Hey," Jenny said smiling nervously, "H-How are you, Seta-san?"
"I was waiting to talk to you," Seta told her, giving her his most dashing smile.
"About what?" Jennifer asked, though she knew the answer.
"About the dance, naturally," Seta said, taking a few steps closer to her, "I'm afraid I was never able to get your reply."
Jenny took a few steps back from him, feeling uncomfortable with how close he was getting, "Oh, um, well-"
"You are a very pretty girl," Seta cut in, moving closer to her again, "and I would be honored to have you at my side. Go on- come to the dance with me."
Jenny moved back again, her heart pounding. She was feeling increasingly nervous about how close he was getting- and the look in his eyes. Seta had green/gray eyes that most girls loved- but Jenny was beginning to fear him. There was a look in his eyes reminiscent of a snake, hypnotizing his prey before a kill.
"Well, you see Seta-san, I. . .I-um…"-Just spit it out! She told herself-"Idon'tthinkIwanttogotothedancewithyou!" Jenny said quickly.
Seta flinched, as though he had been slapped, but his face grew dark- and he reached out and grabbed Jenny by the wrist- hard.
"Ah! That hurts!" Jenny cried out, but he only squeezed harder, and he leaned down, his face dangerously close to hers, and he spoke in a low, malicious voice.
"Listen, I am not giving you the option to refuse. I said I wanted to go with you, so you're gonna go! Most girls would jump through hoops to be my date, but you! You may have played hard-to-get before, but you're in the big leagues now! Give me one good reason why you can't go with me! I know for a fact that you don't have another date- so what is it? TELL ME!" Seta growled, clasping her wrist tighter, until she could feel her fingers go numb.
"Get off of her!"
"Ah!" Jenny gasped, looking around.
It was Kyo.
His vivid orange hair was tousled and messy, and he was breathing hard as droplets of sweat began to appear on his face. He had obviously run all the way there.
"We're busy," Seta sneered ,"Come back later"
"I said get off of her!" Kyo yelled.
"Make me." Seta taunted.
"Fine! YOU ASKED FOR IT!" Kyo screamed, running at Seta.
Kyo pushed Jenny out of the way before landing a drop-kick right in Seta's face. Seta landed hard on the floor, a trickle of blood coming down his nose. Seta stood up, sniffled, and wiped his bloody nose on his sleeve.
"You stay out of this, Sohma!" Seta ordered, "What's this got to do with you, anyway? It's none of your business!"
"Yeah, well, you made it my business when you hurt my date because she wouldn't go to the dance with you." Kyo answered coolly, standing in front of Jennifer, guarding her.
"What?" Seta asked.
"What?" Jenny muttered softly to herself.
"Jennifer," Kyo stated matter-of-factly, wrapping his arm possessively around her waist, and taking her other hand and bringing it close to his chest, "is my date for the dance…Got it?"
Jenny blushed at the way Kyo held her- and at the obvious way he called her by her first name only- but didn't move away from him. He's my ticket away from Seta! All I have to do is keep my mouth shut, and we can get out of this no problem!
"Fine," Seta spat, "Then I'll look forward to seeing the two of you there, won't I? Just to be sure you're really going. Don't be late!"
And Seta walked off down the hall.
Kyo sighed, dropping his hand from her waist, but he held up her other hand, inspecting her wrist.
"That BASTARD!" Kyo vented, feeling her wrist for fractures, "I knew he was a jerk, but what a MAJOR jerk! Hurting you like that! Your wrist is fine- no sprains or anything. Lucky I got here as soon as I did. If Hanajima-san had told me any later. . . Anyway- why didn't you tell me you were having trouble with Ryotso? You can't handle everything by yourself, you know . . . He could have really hurt you . . ."
"I'm sorry. . .I don't mean to cause trouble. . ."Jenny said, looking blearily down at the tile floor.
Kyo sighed, still holding on to Jenny's hand. "C'mon- let's get out of here. We're being watched by fangirls as we speak. But you know. . .I'm sorry I blurted out. . .y'know- that you were my date for the dance-"-Kyo blushed deeply, looking away, and trying to act casual-"- It was just the only answer I could think of so he'd leave you alone. But the thing is- We're gonna have to go along with this if you want to keep Seta off your case."
"Go along…?"
"Well, Seta's gonna be looking for us at the dance, right?"
"You mean-!" Jenny beamed up at him, "You'll really go to the dance with me?"
"Yeah- I guess I'll have to, now that I've gone and opened my big mouth to Ryotso," Kyo grudged, though he grinned a bit, too at the smile on Jenny's face, "I can't be knocking down every guy you turn down for a date."
Jenny, noticing a few fangirls glaring at them from down the hall, gestured towards them, and went, "Uh. . .Sohma-bocchan?" meaning that maybe they should go ahead and go home.
Kyo looked at the fangirls and blushed. Man- I gotta do something! Those girls are looking for some sign to see whether she and I are really. . .together. And she knows it, too- but what does she want me to do? Does- does she want me to k-k-k-kiss her? But what if she doesn't? I can't hug her- Argh, but she doesn't know about the curse yet, so that could be what she wants! Damnit, can't those stupid girls just leave us in peace?
"S-Sohma-bocchan?" Jenny repeated, thinking maybe he didn't hear her.
Kyo looked down onto Jenny's expectant face, and his heart started to race. Crap- she knows they're not gonna leave, and I know it, too- at least not until they see something. I gotta do something- ANYTHING- to prove to these stupid girls that she's my date for the dance! I better do it soon- Damn- here goes-
Putting on an air of cool casualness, Kyo gave Jenny a careless, "Oh, okay," Before he leaned down, and lightly kissed Jenny tenderly on the cheek, trying to make it as convincing as possible. This was NOT what Jenny had been talking about at all, and she froze in shock. The fangirls squealed and ran off, undoubtedly to spread the news.
"Looks like they bought it," Kyo commented, quickly turning around and leading Jenny down the hall, not letting go of her hand, nor letting her see just how bad he was blushing, "C'mon, let's get out of here and go home already. This whole thing's got me exhausted."
Jenny gave a small smile, holding back her tears of joy, since she knew Kyo wouldn't like to see her cry. He kissed me- to make those fangirls go away. He did that for me- he saved me from Seta, and he's even going to take me to the dance- just so Seta will leave me alone. Sohma-bocchan, you don't know how much this means to me. . . His hand holding hers was strong and comforting, and she was glad that he did not let go.
"Thank you, Sohma-bocchan," She said genuinely.
Kyo just rolled his eyes, but he gave her hand a slight, caring squeeze.
"Whatever," he said, "Just keep out of trouble, okay? I can't keep running behind you for every little thing."
"Okay. . .I will. . ."
My Two Cents: EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE! ((squeals, then smiles)) Well- wasn't that nice of our little Kyonkichi? KYO-KUN TO THE RESCUE! Bet you didn't see that kiss coming did you? I just love how Kyo gets the wrong idea about everything. But I think that--sceretly--he was just trying to justify kissing Jennifer, by saying it was so Seta would leave her alone. Speaking of Seta, I tried to make Seta a real ass-hole- what do you think? Did I do a good job on that? Well- tell me how you feel- and be sure to check out my newest fanfic, Not As It Seems- it's a fruits Basket fic, too, and it has CROSSDRESSING in it! Well- next chapter is the dance- Just WAIT until you see the outfits I've picked out for Tohru and Jennifer! Until then, this is Q. Montgomery, signing off! ((salutes))