Slightly AU, I suppose. Based on the manga. Enjoy!
I disclaim TMM.
…..
I was in biology class, digging for a pencil in my pink backpack and humming a quiet tune. Everyone was chattering about animatedly before the teacher came in, creating a sort of static noise. I caught little snippets of conversation that rose above the rest.
"…Did you watch the news last night?" said one girl, her voice low in a conspiring whisper.
"Ya, the mews totally annihilated that monster!" Her friend exclaimed in awe.
"They're so cute, too. It's not fair," The girl responded in a mock pout. Her friend laughed and I tried to hide my blush. Somehow, I could never get used to the second hand praise us mews received.
"…And dude, I was so stoned…" A guy droned on, dragging his words. I tsked to myself. Poor guy, he'll regret that when he's older.
"Did you study?" One girl asked anxiously. My attention was caught and my ears perked. I sat up straighter, and turned towards the people behind me.
"Nah… You?" A guy responded. He looked hopefully at the girl, as if her not studying would somehow better his chances.
"'Course!" She responded smugly, "This is supposed to be a hard one," I chose this moment to step in.
"Hard what?" I asked, trying to keep the panic out of my voice.
"You don't know!" She asked, aghast. My blank stare was a good enough answer. Thankfully, she decided to take pity on me, and her expression of obnoxious surprise relaxed.
"We have a test today," She whispered, almost to the point of reverence. I could feel the blood run from my face and my feet turn cold. 'Test? I didn't know there was a test! Crap, this is my worst subject, too,' before returning to her earlier conversation the girl looked as if she had bit into a lemon of mock sympathy. I guess that was for my behalf…
However, nothing less of an hour long fire drill could have wiped the frozen horror off my face as I turned around in my seat stiffly to face the board. Mr. K--none of us knew what the K stood for-- walked in briskly, the room turning quiet in his wake. He wore the usual jeans and brown suit jacket over his cotton shirt; he was the youngest and newest teacher in the school. A stack of packets was in his hand, bound tight by a rubber band. Looking at the rubber band, the gears in my desperate mind began to turn; may be if it broke and shot at someone's eye, it could cause a liability crises and the test would be cancelled! I concentrated on the rubber band, a now strong believer of the "force" (I was never a fan of Star Wars). 'I could send it flying at Diasuke—I never like him anyways,' Of course, the band never did break, even when I said, "BREAK" out loud. All that did was turn a few heads my way.
Mr. K finished talking, I didn't even know he had started, and began to pass out the packets. I looked down at my desk where a packet now lay innocently. A block of ice rested in my stomach uncomfortably and a bead of perspiration ran down my temple. I stared at the florescent white page, feeling as if it was mocking me. I was having a staring contest with a sheet of paper. Oh great, now I've really gone off the deep end…
"Momomiya-san," I literally jumped 2 feet when the insistent voice broke my trance. I looked up to see Mr. K arch an eyebrow over his sunglasses in my direction and gesture pointedly at the test in front of me. Was that a smirk? I gulped and gave a nod so stiff I could hear my bones creak from the movement. I grabbed my pencil with clammy hands and began. My pencil lead broke with a defiant snap before I had a chance to write my first initial. I glared at my now-useless pencil like it was the core of my problems. I had a sudden image of me holding up my faulty pencil to my parents, explaining to them that it was because of this dysfunctional utensil that caused me to fail the test. Would they fall for it? No, they wouldn't. With an exasperated sigh I stood and made my way toward the sharpener located across the room; at least a mile away. If my footsteps were as loud as an entire orchestra as they hit the aluminum floor in the silent room, then the pencil sharpener itself was a rock concert made complete with the raving audience.
When my pencil was finally sharp and when I had finally returned to my seat, I was exhausted. I tried to focus on the task in front of me, but the skritch skritch skritch of everyone's pencils distracted me. Like their intelligence was making me stupid. Was the clock always this loud? I looked up at said clock and nearly swallowed my tongue. I quickly set to work on the test with new vigor with only 30 minutes left of class.
I was writing out the first essay question out of five when the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Everyone shifted and stretched out of their seats, looking pleased with themselves. I was writing furiously now, my letters becoming more and more illegible in my frantic rush to finish. I saw two hands set themselves on top the tiny desk and splay out flat as the figure leaned across the desk. I kept writing.
"Momomiya-san," His voice was teasing, "Time's up,"
"Please, Mr. K," I stopped writing, the pencil poised in my hand, "Please, I need to finish this," The voice that came out of my mouth sounded disgustingly pathetic. There was a silence, and I realized that the entire class hand left for their lunch break. My stomach churned nervously, though from what I had no idea. I felt the test packet swipe away from under my hands, and I looked up to see Mr. K walking nonchalantly back to his desk with my test in hand. My shoulders slumped, defeated. Slowly, I rose from my chair, zipped up my back pack and headed toward the exit.
"Momomiya-san," I turned, Mr. K was at the white erase board, writing notes for the next class, "There's always next time," His back was to me, but I could hear the smile in his voice. He was teasing me!
"Isn't there extra-credit I could do?" I asked him.
"No," He said simply. I glowered at the back of his head, the black hair shimmered green in the florescent lighting. No? That's it? Never one to give up easily, I shifted the heavy back pack on my shoulders and strolled over to him. He kept writing on the board and I couldn't tell if he was looking at me or not because of the sunglasses over his eyes. He wore them constantly, fueling rumors left and right about what he was trying to hide.
"Mr. K," I addressed him in the most business-like tone I could manage.
"Hm?"
"I need help," The words had to be pushed out of my mouth though gritted teeth. Stupid pride.
"Oh?" It was only one syllable, not even a word, but I could hear the cynical laughter loudly in my head.
"Is there a tutor I could reach or…" I trailed off. He had stopped writing on the board and was now at his desk, straightening papers. I felt like throwing him through a wall.
"Mr. K!" I'm still here you moron! Thankfully, I have a well behaved tongue, if not brain, that knows when to shut up.
"Just study,"
"I have been studying!" I told him. I've been studying my ass off, keeping all my grades up while battling chimera animas every other day!
"Momomiya-san, why are you so tense?" He was finally looking at me, and I felt like screaming. Instead, I said,
"Senior year is just like that," I sighed. He nodded absently and looked at his watch.
"Well, I'm going to lunch," And he started making his way toward he door. Wait, you weirdo, I'm not finished yet! Before I knew what I was doing I had grasped his jacket to stop him.
"Wait!" I said, if a bit too dramatically. He turned, and I let go of his jacket abruptly, embarrassed.
"Come over after school, I can help you then,"
"Really?" I asked, doubtful, but he was already gone. I ran out the room and looked down the long hallway, but there was no trace of him. I didn't have time to think of his inhumane speed for it was then that my cellphone started to beep and flash animatedly. I flipped it open and put it to my ear.
"Hello?" I asked, fatigued.
"Where the Hell are you?" Ryou blared.
"What do you mean?" I asked, though my heart had sunk in dread as realization came, "Where are you?" I dropped my heavy backpack and dashed down the hallway toward the nearest exit.
"Tokyo Tower,"
"I'm on my way," I clicked the phone shut and jumped on some garbage cans and then onto the school's roof. "Mew Mew Strawberry. Metamorphosis!" I felt my spine grow into a tail and my human ears disappear as furry ones popped out. My senses became more acute and the colors around me enhanced as the pupils in my eyes lengthened. My mew costume replaced my school uniform and I let out a meow, just for fun. I then leapt off the school's roof and ran toward Tokyo Tower as fast as I could.
…..
TBC
