Disclaimer: We all know that it can never be ours. What's hers is hers forever.
The Diary of Akane Tendo
Chapter Six: Astrology
Tuesday, December 7, 12:30 am
Great. Sayuri is fast asleep on her bed and so is Yuka on her sleeping bag. But I am here in Sayuri's bathroom, sitting on the toilet lid with my head aching like mad, because Nabiki's voice won't leave me alone.
Maybe I've had too much of Bailey's and pizza… I read somewhere that nightmares can be induced by the stomach being too full. And in most cases, these happen to men. Sometimes they die, because apparently, nightmares are of the female gender and are attracted to males. When a guy's having a nightmare, his blood pressure shoots up and all that, until he reaches the peak of his nightmare and dies.
Luckily, it's my tummy that actually aches right now (and not my heart). And I'm not a boy, so haha. No death-inducing nightmares for me, just plain ones.
So here's a copy of the astrology thingy that Yuka researched over the internet a few hours ago:
Akane Tendo – Aries, fire sign: High adventure was made for people born under the sign of Aries. These impulsive and energetic rams live for the present, and combat every problem that comes their way with a forceful blow – so much so that they're willing to fight through every situation, no matter how pointless the battle is! You've got to love Arians for their enthusiastic, head-on approach to any situation, which makes them the excellent leaders that they are.
Aries reigns: the head
The pros: dynamic, independent, outgoing, pioneering
The cons: impatient, headstrong, pushy, aggressive
Love matches: Leo, Sagittarius, Aries
Love mismatches: Virgo, Scorpio
(Sayuri says: "No questions asked." I say: "I'm not impatient! I can totally wait for a long period of time!" Yuka laughs and Sayuri joins her.)
Ranma Saotome – Leo, fire sign: As lions are the kings of the jungle, Leos rule the zodiac with their impressive strength and nobility. Always dignified, these confident cats are never afraid to voice out their opinions, which can make them appear pretty arrogant and selfish to others. Always the life of the party, Leos love the spotlight, but won't try to grab people's attention if it'll make them look foolish. Proud and persistent, Leos will go to great lengths to protect the dignity they're famous for.
Leo reigns: the heart, back, spine
The pros: honorable, self-expressive, dramatic, generous
The cons: self-glorifying, insensitive, overbearing, dominating
Love matches: Aries, Sagittarius, Leo
Love mismatches: Pisces, Capricorn
(I say: "Nothing can describe Ranma more perfectly. Except that I don't think he's dramatic. He's shy about being too mushy and all that. And he may be confident, but he's not a cat. He's scared of them." Yuka says: "Generous? Ranma?")
Avery Hanabishi – Aquarius, air sign: Aquarians surf through life at a cool, calm, and collected pace. These level-headed water bearers operate on the mind-over-heart philosophy – always rationalizing first, and then acting on their feelings next. Despite their level-headedness, Aquarians are also unpredictable and a little schizophrenic – they can switch from unadulterated laughter one minute to serious sobriety the next. Aquarians genuinely want to make the world a better place, and do all they can to preserve their utopian, ivory tower ideals.
Aquarius reigns: the ankles, the circulatory system
The pros: innovative, friendly, tolerant, independent
The cons: uninvolved, emotionally detached, impractical, rebellious
Love matches: Gemini, Libra, Aquarius
Love mismatches: Cancer, Virgo
(Yuka says: "Avery doesn't really look rebellious." I say: "Of course he's not." Sayuri says: "And a little schizophrenic? The handsome face is just a façade, then… too bad he's in my list of prospective husbands in the future." I say: "He is not emotionally detached nor a schiz. And there is no façade, because what you see is what he really is.")
Is your love written in the stars? Check out which element you fall under, and see if your love's got it made!
Fire with Fire (meaning me with Ranma): THE GOOD: Fire always attracts fire. This is the epitome of sparks flying! THE BAD: Because Fire people love challenges so much, they have a tendency to get on each other's nerves. Exciting explosions can be dangerous!
Air with Fire (meaning me with Avery): THE GOOD: Without Air, there isn't any Fire! And without Fire, Air people don't get around to exploring their full potential. THE BAD: Screaming danger signs. While Fire people glow brightly when they're with Air people, the sheer energy can deplete and exhaust them.
You know what? I used to laugh at these astrology interpretations because they didn't seem to make sense… but now, it's totally different. It's like an all-knowing manuscript of people's personalities. Almost everything it says is true. And you know what's funny?
Ranma's my love match.
Avery isn't, but at least he's not exactly a love mismatch.
Last Saturday, I've been saying that Avery only sees me as a friend. But what happened in the memorial park totally changed that… and I'm scared that I'm going to have to hurt either Ranma's or Avery's feelings… or both of theirs, at that. Which is totally ironic, because haha, they still haven't asked me to the dance. I mean, I know I'm making a big deal out of the whole dance thing… but it is a big deal! Nabiki's speech back there in Loalde makes me feel sort of guilty already.
"What's wrong with me?" I asked Sayuri and Yuka after the computer has been shut down and the three of us sat in a circle on Sayuri's bed. I picked some pineapple bits from my pizza and left them on my plate.
"Oh, Akane," Yuka sighed, rolling her eyes. "You're ugly. Those duckie pajamas are, too."
I looked at her. I was used to being called ugly by Ranma, but hitting on my yellow duckie pajamas crossed the line.
"Yeah. You're fat and geeky and unpopular," Sayuri added.
Yuka gave me a flat look. "We're being ironic here, Akane."
"Then why isn't anybody asking me to the dance?" I asked quietly. I know that Nabiki had answered that, but now I want my girlfriends' answers.
The two smiled at each other eagerly. "We made a math thing today," Yuka declared, "called The Akane Theorem. It states that Akane Tendo is much too special for all the guys in Furinkan High. She is a goddess that not any man could just take hold of and possess. Male species simply cannot approach her and go, 'Hey there,' because it takes a man of her level, or above, for her to talk to him."
Uhm, that thing was really flattering, but it made me feel bad.
"First of all, that wasn't a math theorem, because it doesn't involve math," I started to rant. "Next, I don't want to be regarded as an intimidating girl to the guys. I mean, it's bad enough that Ranma calls me tomboy, and some boys see me as an unattractive muscle woman! With these facts at hand, I can attest that I am officially the most unfeminine, un-dateable member of the female species in Furinkan High. Thus, I can also deduce that the previously mentioned are the reasons why nobody's asked me to the Winter Dance yet."
Sayuri and Yuka ogled at me as if I were a caged gorilla with rabbis. A quarter true, because maybe my nostrils were flaring that time.
The former cleared her throat. "I don't know whether to call you a nerd, or a really good lawyer." She took a sip from her Bailey's bottle. "And you know what? You just answered your own question."
"What?" After the storm in my mind has ravaged all my organized files of thoughts, I didn't know what we were talking about anymore. I was that impulsive into shooting words with my motor mouth just to explain to my friends what I thought about stuff, that after everything, my state of mind was unstable.
"Why isn't any guy asking you to the dance, Akane? Well, I think those months of calling you names have finally paid off for Mr. Saotome. His teasing, which I believe is only just for his fun, has finally become a reality to you. You have finally submerged yourself in the fact that you are an ugly tomboy, and even Ranma himself knows that it isn't true!"
"Yuka's right. One of the signs of schizophrenia is being withdrawn from reality, Akane."
I singled out a pepperoni and slowly chewed it in my mouth. The horrible thing was that it tasted strongly of Ukyou's pancakes. I know that came out of nowhere, but remember: I was in an unstable state of mind. If I were a lion, I could have seen Yuka and Sayuri as chops of meat.
"So, uh," Yuka mumbled. "Maybe Avery and Ranma – one of which – oh just admit it, stop arguing – is your perspective date, because let's face it, you aren't going with Kuno or any of the jocks in any varsity – have their own reasons for not asking. A little patience goes a long way, Akane… Aries is impatient, but learn to extend the line just a little."
"The dance is in two days!" I complained. "Girls have secured dates weeks before, Yuka. That's reason enough to panic."
"Hmph. I thought you weren't going."
Sayuri was doing the I-am-really-tired-of-this-so-stop-it drama on me. I admit it worked that time. I thought the world was ganging up against me. And I was all, so this is what really happens when good sleepovers turn bad.
"I'm not," I countered. "I was just asking Kami-sama, anyone, for an answer to why everything's been wrong for the past couple of weeks. I'm not a bad soul, am I? Or ugly? What do I have to do to prove otherwise? I didn't do anything to deserve this. I'm having a life crisis, and I'm not even twenty! I–"
Before I could even finish, Sayuri and Yuka wrapped their arms around me.
"You don't have to prove anything, girl. You're more perfect that you think."
"Having a date to some dance isn't the measure of who you really are. You may or may not go, and it doesn't make you less of a person! Yes, you are making a very big deal out of this… we're all Days-of-Our-Lives-ey here. But really, Akane, the matter at hand is so not the drama. You have friends like me and Yuka. Your family. Let's throw Ranma in. And the closest to Prince William any guy could ever get, who is, no duh, Avery."
Then, I realized that it was like I was taken back a week ago to last Monday night, when Kasumi told me that many people love me and gave me this diary.
And it really did make me feel loved. It made me feel so, so much better.
"Thanks," I croaked. "Love you girls."
"So let's forget about this whole dance thing for tonight, okay? We have things to do. We have to finish this family size pizza. We have to survive a night of Truth or Dare. And we have to condition ourselves now, because tomorrow we'll be cramming for our Japanese assignment in the morning."
"Uhm, already made my haiku," I noted, remembering my haiku so full of negativity and sadness.
"Okay, then that goes out to me and Yuka, who are obviously not Akane Tendo and do not do their assignments early. So let the remaining hours of the night spell F-U-N, okay? Sleepovers are made for that, you know."
We all smiled.
I still so don't like the mysteries that surround this world, but some… well, let's say I've grown to love them. Like girls and their ability to make things all better when they are together. You know, with Kasumi at first, and then Yuka and Sayuri now. I just like the whole mystery thing about that subject.
So we played Truth or Dare while finishing off the rest of the pizza and popcorn. I kept choosing truth, so they took advantage of it and asked that if Avery were really in love with me, would I say yes to him… At first, I shook my head frantically.
"Oh, come on. The signs are everywhere, Akane"
"Well… sometimes," I began really softly and slowly because I was afraid that somebody was listening outside the window even though it was closed. "I feel like I'm falling for him." I could tell that the two were suppressing their squeals. I mean, hey, that's what girls do when a girl says that she's falling for a guy, or at least feels like it. "Oh, I don't know! It's just that he's so… nice and sweet and understanding and amazing and mysterious and beautiful… he cares for me so much, and no guy other than Dad could ever care for me as much."
"Are you aware that your eyes are all dreamy?"
"W-what?" I snapped out of my reverie of Avery and me chasing each other under a forest of cherry blossom trees.
"Look," Yuka said, holding my hand. "We're your girls. Tell us. Have you, by any chance, really fallen for Avery?"
Her voice was so serious and accusing that it was hard not to show an I'm-being-oppressed!-help-me face.
Sayuri giggled. "Because you two make a very pretty couple! Kami, Akane, the moment you and Avery became the talk of the school, your names never left the student population's mouth. If you two become an item, there will be no more World Wars or any Apocalypses!"
Yeah, but our names never leaving the student population's mouth also got me and Avery (and Ranma) into trouble. And it wasn't just the day that the word MOB dominated my life. So just to be safe, the best answer was probably no. But I didn't say that yet. NO. Because my mouth went all motor again and Ranma's face (from the point of view where he carried me home, and it made me utter a little sigh that was, I guess, unnoticeable) flashed in my mind again.
"I still have Ranma, though," my motor mouth went before I could put my hand over my mouth. The girls raised their eyebrows, the type where the form said that if I didn't continue talking, they won't let me join pizza night anymore. It was so not happening, so I gave in. "Because… uhm. Yeah. My sister told me that Ranma loves me."
"Loves." Yuka repeated. "Loves, or is in love with?"
As I tried to recall Nabiki's exact words, I realized that Yuka had a point. My father loves me, but Tatewaki Kuno is in love with me. Blech. "She said loves."
"All the same. Ranma totally has strong feelings for you. Nowadays, they are becoming more evident by the minute. Why, we won't be surprised if he starts tapping outside the window, and then we open it to find him playing a guitar and singing Crazy For You."
"Besides," added Sayuri to what Yuka just said, "he's your love match. Aries and Leo, together forever…" She said it with such sweetness and stickiness that I had to throw a pillow at her.
"Shut up," I giggled. "I mean, I'm not stupid. All those signs he's been giving to me for the past couple of days just made things more obvious. But then, all the names… plus the fact that we are not on speaking terms right now–"
"Whoah, wait. Why?"
Without thinking, I said the truth. "He and Ukyou found Avery and I cuddling in the memorial park. Oh, which is so not true! We were not cuddling! Ukyou just made it seem that way, the pancake-making witch. Now Ranma's sticking to her for some unknown, twisted reason I cannot dream about."
"Oh Kami, snaps for Miss Akane Tendo. You're going to die." Yuka was grinning when she said that, so I thought that she crazy. "I read somewhere that girls die the moment they reach perfection. And perfection, as that article defined it, is bagging a perfect guy's heart. You just captured two perfect guys' hearts, Akane! You're going to die tomorrow. Or right after we play this game."
"Are you doing drugs?" I asked, laughing, finally knowing the reason for the grin.
"No, really!" insisted Yuka. "Ranma was jealous. And he's not talking to you because he's too proud to admit that he's jealous or something. If not, he's not talking to you because he's scared that you'll just laugh at him. Remember that you are on top now, Akane… you have his heart in your hands – you can crush it or take care of it, and he cannot do anything about that. You have the power, girl!"
It was eye-opening and scary at the same time. "What if I do something to Ranma's heart and he can't recover anymore? I cannot just let that happen to… the love of my life?"
"He might as well be," remarked Sayuri. "No matter how you describe Avery as the perfect guy, Ranma always wins your heart. Even before you both knew you had feelings for each other. I mean, okay, Avery isn't a love mismatch of yours, but Ranma's a love MATCH. Epitome of sparks flying, remember? It makes all the difference."
"No, stupid, it doesn't have anything to do with astrology this time," Yuka interrupted. "Ranma and Akane are really, really, REALLY–"
"Okay, stop. I get it."
"So you're going to do something about it already?"
"Heck, no. Let fate take its course or something. Good things are bound to happen if I don't manipulate things. I care for Avery… and I care for Ranma, too. I care for both of them as I care for you and my family. Let's leave things at that for now, until something new happens."
Sayuri and Yuka have obviously gone to the point of no return, where they have just listened to my confession and there was no taking it back. Whatever I say, they have etched in their minds forever. And it made them so happy that they just nodded happily at what I said.
The next truth question was so good, that even though it was Yuka's turn to answer it, the three of us did. It went like this: "What do you think is the best way to die? Any death wishes?"
I know, right? This night is getting funnier and funnier with all those coincidences.
Yuka said she wants to die quickly, like somebody'd stab her with a knife or sword many, many times in a few seconds, that before she finds out someone's killing her, she's dead. On her funeral, she wants only a few close people to attend. And all of them have to wear white. Sayuri, on the other hand, wants a grand death, a la Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. She wants to kiss the poison on her true love's lips and they'd die together, and the whole city would be talking about it. And she wants everyone to wear pink on her funeral.
I said I wanted to die quietly. Like one of these nights, Death would just simply knock at the door of my room. I wouldn't really fight him, but if I had a date to the Winter Dance, I'll beg that he come back after the dance. If he doesn't give in, I'll seduce him (this caused a few loud laughs from the three of us). I don't really want a grand funeral, but I want Father, Nabiki, and Kasumi to be there. And I don't know why my mouth uttered it, but I said, "Ranma has to be there, most of all. And Avery. Oh, and you two."
So after Truth or Dare, and watching an episode of The Simple Life, we slept at eleven. After an hour and a half of battling with my blanket, I figured I just couldn't sleep and went here. In the bathroom. With Nabiki's voice repeating the word "Schizophrenia!" in a singsong tone in my head.
Oh, I hope I survive tomorrow.
Tuesday, Homeroom
I totally missed my morning martial arts training today. You know, the thing where I am welcomed by the Furinkan High Hentai Horde the moment I enter the gates of this school. I mean, yeah, the welcoming thing still happened (Kuno still blabbed the same lines, and so did his whole Kendo team and the Soccer and Basketball – the list goes on – varsities). But I wasn't the one who fought them off.
After a breakfast of French toast at Sayuri's place, the girls and I walked to school. When we were already halfway, a black limousine passed us by. And… you can pretty much guess what happened next. It went back and stopped right beside us. Even before the rest of the window opened, I knew who it was. Who else had a black limo driving him to school? Who else had beautiful green eyes?
"Ohayou," he greeted, getting out of the limousine.
I smiled. "Ohayou, Avery." Sayuri and Yuka made no efforts in concealing their excitement and squeals. "You know Sayuri and Yuka."
"Hello, ladies," he piped up brightly. "It's a nice day today, isn't it? The weatherman on NHK said that today will be sunny."
"Perfect…" Sayuri and Yuka sighed languorously, taking in each of Avery's sweet-sounding semi-British-accented words.
Just then, the limo left. I was half-expecting Avery to run after it, screaming Niles the butler's name, but he didn't. It was just a product of my twisted imagination anyway. Before anybody could ask, Avery explained. "Yeah, when I saw you girls, I suddenly wanted to have a morning walk. I realize I don't get enough exercise nowadays."
Reason enough. The two girls smiled dreamily at him as the four of us walked to school. It was sort of boring to walk quietly, so I told Avery about the welcoming. "Every guy in school rallies inside the gate, awaiting my arrival. And then they say the same things everyday, which is so, you know, blah. That the day will come that some guy's gonna be able to beat me, and that day is today."
"Beat you?" Avery asked. "Why do they want to beat you to go on a date with you? They can just ask you out, can't they?"
"Uhm, about that. You know Tatewaki Kuno? He started everything. I didn't want to go out with him because he was so arrogant and weird, and his words which are so ancient and totally incomprehensible. But he kept persisting, and so one day I just had to kick his ass. Everyday, the same thing, even when he fought me, too. Then sooner or later, he announced to the whole male population that whoever could beat Akane Tendo would be able to go out on a date with her. So here, I am forced to beat the testosterone out of a couple hundred guys every morning."
Avery laughed. I didn't see what was funny, but when his laugh cut down to an amused smile, I saw the hilarity of it all. "You are officially the most beautiful, wanted girl in Nerima," he said.
I was basking in his sweet compliment when we turned right and stopped. We were at the gates of Furinkan, and the challenged faces of yes, a few hundred guys in basketball jerseys, sumo wrestling underwear thingies, martial arts gis, etcetera. So there goes Tatewaki Kuno and his speech. And then their attention turned to Avery.
"What is this arrogant Hanabishi doing, accompanying thee, Akane Tendo? He deserves nothing less than a beating from us. That is, after our forces beat you first," Kuno proclaimed, pleased with himself. "And one of us will be thy knight, as thou will be the princess of the Winter Dance."
Those guys were fighting to beat me to become my date to the dance. Really, really tempting (I promise!), but ew. That's just improper and weird, which is so Kuno. "I'd rather go without a date, then," I grumbled, fearing inside that it would really happen. "Now who's up first?" I stepped forward and went into fighting stance as the hentais were preparing to advance.
"No, wait," Avery's voice spoke from behind me. I looked back, and he looked so… let's just say un-Avery-ish. He usually looked passive and gently blissful, but I saw a very familiar, daring look in his emerald eyes shining with determination, albeit he was still smiling. "I don't think it's right for you to fight all these men. It's not that I'm underestimating you, Akane, but really. Fighting you physically would be the most un-gentlemanly thing a guy could ever do." He stepped ahead of me and winked.
He winked, looked cute and heroic, and earned brownie points from me. But I was really, really worried, because Avery wasn't Ranma-macho (and it was then that I remembered why Avery's determined and confident face looked familiar – Ranma always wore that expression on his face), and I was so sure that the sumo wrestlers alone were going to crush his bones. Avery so didn't look like the athletic type.
But the mysteries of this world never cease to amaze me.
Who knew that Avery was a Taekwondo expert? WHO KNEW?
He didn't even use his hands in fighting Kuno and his Kendo cronies! He had his hands in his pockets and let his legs and feet do the fighting. He kicked back all the balls that the basketball players threw at him; he evaded the boxing club's punches and did a couple of Heron Sweeps under their feet to outbalance them; he jumped really, really high and step-pushed the sumo wrestlers, and they were so big and blundering that they fell like dominoes, one after another… and so on until the school's front lot looked like a battlefield with only one warrior left standing.
"I'm really sorry," he apologized sincerely to the groaning bodies. Then he turned around to me, Yuka, and Sayuri. "And I'm sorry, too. I know that was pretty violent, and maybe I just ruined the sunny day the weatherman promised–"
"My hero!" the two girls chorused. I don't really know what spell Avery casts to girls in this school – even Sayuri and Yuka who are so not the fresh-fleshed, giggly type of girls… well, become fresh-fleshed, giggly type of girls when Avery's there. I think I'm the only one immune to this (on second thought, my knees turn into jelly whenever he gazes at me).
"You know Taekwondo?" I asked while Yuka and Sayuri were drooling over their newfound knight. Taekwondo was a martial art that strongly emphasized the use of the legs and feet as weapons of defense, and what Avery did was SO Taekwondo.
"Got strong ankles," he answered nobly.
I chuckled and went ahead, hopping over the moaning boys scattered on the lot. Strong ankles and subversive? "Aquarians can be rebellious, after all."
"You said something?"
"Nothing, nothing," I waved it off. Just then, the bell rang. "Come on, we'll be late for class!" I had to literally drag my two girl friends because their minds seemed to float around cloud nine.
So that concludes my early morning. Now I need to stop this, because in ten minutes the math teacher's going to be here. And I need to sleep within those ten minutes because I slept at 2 in the morning.
Tuesday, Recess
RANMA'S JEALOUS!
Ranma was late because nobody woke him up (I always did, but I wasn't at home), so he arrived about three seconds before the math teacher did. And he didn't get caught because he didn't pass the corridors – he went through the window. He was panting when he took a seat behind me. And he looked… irritated.
He didn't even care that the math teacher was already starting his lecture. He tapped me on the left shoulder, so I turned my head left (I believe he did that on purpose, because he didn't want Avery, who was seated to my right, to know what he was telling me about). I gave him a questioning look. I mean, hello, he was the cold one. He wasn't supposed to be talking to me.
"Who fought off the Hentai Horde?" he asked.
"Why would you be asking that? They always get their butts kicked every morning."
"Yeah, by me and you. But those marks on Kuno's face don't look like your doing."
"Does it matter?"
"It does!"
"Why are you so irritated?"
"I was supposed to fight them for you."
His pupils widened and his cheeks turned pink. Seriously.
"I can fight them myself, thank you," I said snootily. My heart was drumming against my chest that time. Having been through that sort of situation, I thought I knew what was going to happen next. I wasn't really sure, but whatever. Ranma could be so predictable sometimes. But it didn't stop me form being surprised when he said it. Ranma does that to me a lot, the thing when I know what he's going to do, but never fails to astonish me.
"But it wasn't you who fought them," he continued his argument. "Who did?" His whisper was turning louder and louder that I was afraid he was going to burst any second.
"Avery did, okay?" I answered finally.
I faced the front and found that the teacher had already written two formulas on the board. I was about to take them down on my notebook when Ranma tapped me again.
"What?" This time, I was the one irritated.
"Why did you let him do it? Was he good, anyway?"
"I don't know. And yes. None of your business."
"It IS my business, baka."
And I was all, Oh, here we go again. After all those prince-and-princess-ey scenes, we're back to square one? Life really isn't worth living when things get rewound all the time, like some movie I'm sick of.
"Look, for all you know, I wasn't really in the mood to fight this morning, and Avery happens to know Taekwondo–"
"Oh, he knows Taekwondo now, does he? Well–"
"–so he fought them off for me because he is totally knight in shining amour material, and you have no reason to ask why he did it because you don't have a contract about beating the Hentai Horde up every morning anyway–"
"I'M JEALOUS, OKAY?"
"Tendo and Saotome! Buckets, now!"
So I wound up outside the classroom (with the whole class' eyes – and Avery's bewildered ones – following Ranma and me as we went out), carrying two bucketfuls of water, standing quietly by the corridor with Ranma beside me. I was angry and flustered and… tingly? We spent several minutes of staring out of the windows across the hallway. I myself counted 34 birds that flew by before one of us said something.
"Jealous," I snorted. But seriously though, I was really trying to hide the tingly, anxious feeling I was going through, which was sort of like badly wanting to pee, if I compared it to what a kid would be feeling. "Why would you be jealous?"
Ranma was pouting like a ten-year old. "I-I…" His frown was becoming more and more evident, and to me, so was his uneasiness. "I'm the strongest person here," he mumbled. It appeared to me that even he thought that it was a lame excuse. Well, you know Ranma.
"You're jealous… because you're the strongest?"
"I always fought them off for you."
"So?"
"He violated my rights."
I chuckled satirically. "And how, pray tell? It was never your right to fight the Hentai Horde off. Nor mine, for that matter. They just happen to need quantity and quality control, so I give them what they deserve."
"But still!"
"But still what?" I faced him and looked at him squarely in the eyes. And it was then that I became conscious of the fact that he had really handsome blue eyes. Like the sky between dusk and night, with a hint of ebony and violet. Really dark and flaming with hidden ire.
"You're going with him to the dance."
"So?"
"You're–"
"Uh, wait… I'm not going to the dance. Look–"
"–going with him, and that makes me jealous!"
"Jealous that I'm going with him? Haha, look, I'm NOT going!"
"Baka! You can't ju–"
He stared at me.
"You're not going to the dance?"
"No. And I didn't ask for Avery to beat the crap out of Kuno, either. So you go and have fun in the Winter Dance with Ukyou and her fusion of Japanese and American culture – those flat, evil pancakes. Because I can't make good pancakes to fight their evilness. I can't even make bad pancakes. I make the worst. Yes, I've accepted that fact already, so quit taunting me about it! And quit taunting me about being with Avery, because being my fiancé doesn't give you the right to do so and I have the power to choose with whom I want to talk with."
"But Avery–"
"Look, I don't really have enough energy for this. I slept really late last night, and if you don't want to end up carrying me home again at dismissal time, just go straight to your point."
At that moment when he didn't reply, I knew that he too was sensing that the talk he were having had no point at all. It started at the fact that he was jealous. If the talk ever continued, it would end there as well, like a loop in a computer system that would display "Welcome!" no matter what key you pressed. So, several moments later, the bell rang for English and the math teacher who was heading out of the classroom gave us permission to get inside the classroom already.
As we put down our buckets, Ranma whispered, "Just forget about what I said," before skidding into the classroom. And just before I was about to punch his head in front of me, a split-second flash of something sparked inside my head. Something like… missing, nostalgia, something. My fist hasn't touched that pigtailed head for such a long time already. Maybe I already forgot how to shout. It lasted for a split second, and it passed as quickly as it came, leaving me no time to think about it as I entered the classroom.
When I sat down and the class was waiting for the English teacher to arrive, Avery leaned over to me. "What happened?"
I heaved a sigh. "Fiancé matters. You know Ranma."
"Well, he seems to be a pretty nice guy. Matters about… love, I'm guessing?"
"Love?" It slowly registered in my mind. Loading… loading… loading… processed partially. "L-love? No, not LOVE. Something waaay too shallow, I'm embarrassed to let the world know about it." Yeah, something very, very shallow. But it was then when Avery said the L-word that I realized something: it was about love. I… I don't know how I know, but I just do (now I know how Nabiki feels).
"Is it just me, or do you two don't spend enough time together? As fiancées, I mean. I know that you live in the same house, so you practically see each other everyday… but you rarely have quality time together. It's something you need to share with the person you're going to spend the rest of your life with, you know."
I stared at him. At his bright emerald eyes. And then I realized that they were much too bright…
"Rest… of m-my life with?" I mumbled incoherently, for some weird reason.
So that made me look like an idiot, and thank Kami-sama that the English teacher arrived and saved my idiotic soul. Ranma didn't tap me on the shoulder anymore. And that is, I think, because he just told me that he was jealous of Avery, and that may be something embarrassing for a guy to say. Right? And that would mean that… his feelings for me are becoming evident now. Right?
But why didn't he ask me to the dance when he had like, the whole math period with me, alone together in the corridor? HUH?
No, no, enough about the dance. I'm not going, remember?
Let's just stop at HE'S JEALOUS and think about the whole thing, label prongs in the fork-like roads and stuff. Thinking about things other than he's jealous gives me a headache. I know that's so being in denial, but I don't want to go back to my suicidal self just because I don't want to have migraines anymore.
On the other hand… getting rid of migraines forever is very tempting.
Tuesday, World History
Spain's historic cities and fine beaches make it one of the most visited countries in Europe. Tourism is vital to the economy because, for its size, Spain has few natural resources. Behind its rocky Atlantic and sandy Mediterranean coastlines, most of the interior is a hot, dusty plateau broken by mountains. Good farmland is scarce and there is little rain, except in the north. During the 1500's, soldier-explorers called conquistadores created a huge empire in North and South America. Spain was one of the richest and most powerful countries in the world, until wars with other countries and economic problems brought a slow decline that lasted until the twentieth century.
Hola. Esto es para mi: Akane, deberías ir a que te viera un medico.
Mi: Para mí no, gracias.
Por favor. Er…
Mi: QUE? Algo mas?
Uhm, nada.
See? Even I intimidate myself. It's crazy. I'm crazy.
Tuesday, 8 pm, my room
Ever had the feeling that things are just happening too fast, that even writing everything in a diary won't make your brain keep up? Ever had the feeling that you think you're falling for someone, only to realize that you never really hit rock-bottom and stopped mid-way through the air, because of some implausible incident? Ever had the feeling that you think you're abnormal, because instead of being happy, you feel… different?
I have.
And this is going to take every ounce of my guts to recall and write.
Avery and I ate lunch together in the cafeteria with Sayuri and Yuka. Since the girls and I forgot to pack our lunches, Avery shared his food with us – honeyed toast, grapefruit, and black forest cake. The girls ate quite a number of servings of each because the food was undeniably tasty, but I only ate a slice of honeyed toast. I wasn't really in the mood, and the fact that Ukyou was spoon-feeding Ranma with her okonomiyaki, and that Ranma didn't seem to protest, didn't help.
After lunch, Sayuri and Yuka went to the ladies' room, leaving me and Avery in the cafeteria, surrounded by a 1-meter radius of silence, which was engulfed in a 10-meter radius of noise from the Furinkan High students relaying the latest gossip to one another.
"Let's go somewhere," he said, an inviting smile drawn across his lips.
"Where?"
"I… Somewhere. Just come with me." He took my hand and led me across the cafeteria to the door. Whenever Avery and I walked together, people would grow quiet and stare. That was exactly what we did, but the holding hands thing made them a bit… quieter. Like the silence was everybody's relayed gossip or something. And it made me very, very uncomfortable, because both our footsteps echoed inside the cafeteria. It was SO Twilight Zone, and I didn't even dare look back at Ranma. I just followed the direction where Avery, with his brownish blonde-haired and verdant-eyed glory, was headed.
He led me up a narrow flight of stairs to the school rooftop, where I once bumped into Kuno who asked me to the dance. When he opened the door, a cold gush of air swept around me. He closed the door behind us and leaned on the fence overlooking the school field. I followed him.
"This is Somewhere?" I asked lightly.
"Yeah, Somewhere. You seem awfully distressed nowadays…I really think you're frazzled. Fresh air always does everyone good."
"W-wait. Distressed?"
"Yeah. Like you're Superman and the world's fate is in your hands. It worries me, the fact that you're fretting about life too much. Because," he explained, putting his arm round my shoulders, "you should enjoy life. It's not a right, but rather a privilege. Kami-sama can take it away from you anytime. How would you feel if you spent the last day of your life drowning in misery?"
Completely aware of Avery's arm around my shoulder, I tensed up. And he totally noticed. That's why when I started talking, he went behind me and put both his hands on my shoulders, went all Swedish on me, and started massaging. "If I spent the last day of my life drowning in misery?" I echoed. His thumbs kneaded my nape. "I'd feel… uhm, depressed, I guess…" His hands spread out to my outer shoulders. "I-I know that sounds lame, but…" They went down to the middle of my back, pushing hard. I had to hold on to the fence. "…really. That's it. Lame." And down to my lower back where something went crunch. Then he withdrew his hand and situated beside me.
It felt really, really good.
"See, that's why you need fresh air," Avery said, hearing my long exhale.
"Why?"
"It clears your mind and body from tension. With the help of a little massage."
We both laughed softly. "Thanks," I said as another cold gush of wind blew towards us. I thought that it was one of the greatest mysteries of life, how you feel much more comfortable with a person you've only known for a week than people you've known your whole life.
"Hey."
"Yeah?"
"Ever wonder what might happen if Kuno and his… uh, sister go royal family on each other and do the incest thingy?"
Where did that come from? This guy was nuts. "You know Kuno's sister?"
"No… I just heard about her from the daily cafeteria gossip. I had no choice but take all the noise in, rather than shutting my system down."
"Uh-huh. Right."
"So… ever wonder what might happen if they marry each other?"
"Ew." Disturbing mental images, disturbing mental images. "They're going to have kids…"
"…as crazy like the two of them!" Avery continued, laughing hard. And it was really infectious. His laugh, I mean. I've never heard of him laugh like that before. "And you know kids from the royal family… because of genes and all that, they often end up…"
"…ABNORMAL!" I finished, laughing my butt off with him, until our eyes were almost in tears. It was a really nice feeling, laughing without a care in the world, without a care about my problems, without a care about anything. And I began thinking that the whole rooftop plan of Avery's was very effective. The veins in my body seemed to stretch happily, like an old man who's had osteoporosis for so long and was suddenly cured of it one day.
"Avery?" I piped up after our momentary mirth belted up.
"Hm?"
"You do know that you're my solace, don't you?"
He faced the horizon so the wind wafted against his face, blowing back his hair and exposing his intensely green peepers. A smiled crept up to the left side of his mouth. "How?"
"Well… oh, I don't know. Whenever I'm with you, I feel very… light. Because you don't have problems and your life is perfect, and that sort of infects me into thinking that I don't really have problems and the world is a nice, safe, comforting place to live in. I can be myself when I'm with you; I don't have to toughen up to defend myself from anything. And I'm… I-I'm thankful for that. Very much." I, too, was gazing at the horizon, so I didn't know what his reaction was.
"You're welcome," he replied, an appreciative tone evident in his voice. "But Akane, the funny thing is… I don't really find my life perfect. It was boring just a week ago, so how much more if mind-numbing perfection is one of its adjectives? And… well, I thank you for coming into my life because your presence has brought me to think like I've never thought before – sort of like seeing the world according to your eyes. Most of the time it amazes me, sometimes it drives me nuts…"
"Avery!" I softly slapped his shoulder. He gently nudged me on the ribs as we both giggled.
"No, really," he continued. "You're like a dose of… er… drugs. I once thought that my mind would always be clear no matter what, but when I met you, I found clarity boring. Now I have to make decisions in my life that I don't know what the effect of choosing them would be. I learned to follow my heart."
What he said just totally confused me. I had no idea what he was talking about.
"Here," he stated eagerly, handing me piece of folded paper. "It's pink stationery. I thought you might want it to come in pink, since your diary's of that color. Anyway, it's something that I want you to keep. You know, in case Kami-sama takes one of us away. You never know when it's going to happen. A-and… don't read it now."
Okay. So I know that the guy is much too paranoid about death (I would have liked to say that he just values life very much, but really, he had necrophobia, which is the fear of death or something), but wasn't it just sweet? I tucked the stationery in my pocket. And looked at him. Then blinked. Because I realized that he was staring at me intently the whole time.
"Decisions, huh?" was all that came out of my mouth.
"Yes, decisions, and hard ones at that," he answered, not breaking the eye contact. His eyes were so hypnotizing that it was hard for me to blink or stray. "You be the judge, okay?"
"Uhm, okay," I agreed, recognizing my own heartbeat. And somewhere, I knew that another set of heartbeats was jiving with mine. Closely.
"I have a friend from Tokyo. His name is… Hanamichi. Ironically, even though everybody wanted to be friends with him, he had no real friends. Until this girl named, uh, Sakura came into his life. They started hanging out, and he felt that she was the only one who could understand him. But one day, Hanamichi called me and said that a very big problem came up. He didn't know what was going on inside of him… he felt weird and tingly whenever Sakura was there. Soon he realized that he had already fallen in love with Sakura. And I told him to go for it, until he told me that Sakura already had a… a boyfriend. So I told him to not go for it, but then he told me that Sakura and her boyfriend didn't seem to be getting along at all. They weren't talking to each other and that made Hanamichi more confused. He said that if he didn't do anything, his guts couldn't take it… and if he did something, his guts couldn't take it."
It hasn't been fully absorbed by my brain yet, so I kept silent, understanding the words he had just uttered.
"So," Avery went on. "What do you think Hanamichi should do? You know guys from Tokyo, they always seem to be in a rush. He told me to help him with what to do – quick. I know it's really–"
"Tell Hanamichi to go for it."
"What?"
"Tell your friend to go for it," I repeated. I based my answer from a Mexican American soap opera I used to watch when I was ten years old. "Sakura would probably break up with her boyfriend, the way things are going. She would need a shoulder to cry on, and that would be Hanamichi."
His eyes looked confused (the eye contact was not broken yet. That was like, three minutes and counting). "You DO understand what I just told you, right?"
"I do," I said truthfully, thinking about Maria Constantina and Jose Fernando in the soap opera Mi Amor. "Trust me, I've watched soap operas. That's what they do, and they end up together in the end. Happily ever after."
And that was it. It happened. He did it.
Avery Hanabishi kissed me.
Author's Notes: I did say that the next update would be sooner, didn't I? I didn't just do it for the reviewers, but all the shy readers as well. Remember, it really wouldn't hurt to drop a line… really. (",) So yeah, Avery showed his true feelings for Akane already, and we all know that this would create a big problem because Ranma has fallen for Akane as well.
And ah… forgive my lame Spanish somewhere in this chapter, I'm still learning it. ;)
Oolalah, the end of this story will be decided by you, the readers! I've actually received some emails and some of them actually want Ranma to end up heartbroken. I don't really know about that, since I myself am an Akane-Ranma fan… but whatever. You decide. Please review this story… because its fate lies in your hands. (",) I need as much feedback as I could get. When the votes are tallied (a la American Idol, haha), it would finally come. The end of this fic, I mean.
Story Weaver1: Thanks! Nabiki's also going to play a bigger role than the "pep talk that led to nothing." After all, she is none other than Nabiki Tendo, who is sort of like Kim Possible who can do anything…
kenshinlover2002: If you've read this chapter, then you have the answers to why Ranma wasn't talking to Akane. Thanks a lot! (",)
Jace3: Thank you! Real competition, eh? It has just begun. Maybe Ranma will learn to grow up and snap out of the Peter Pan business.
avery hawke: As I have been saying for some time now, I have many shy readers. Craziness? Nah, it's just a mere matter of bashfulness, or maybe broken keyboards. And yes, I am definitely continuing this, so don't kill yourself! This is one fanfiction I am determined to finish. Not that I won't finish Changed Overnight, but as I said, I'm going to get this over with first before doing the next chapter of CO. Thanks for the praise!
The-Shadow002: Thank you so much. Here's a clue: for some reason, Akane's fate remains the same on the day of the dance. Nobody still asks her out, and the tiny guys are afraid to do so. Now, about Ranma and Avery… there's a big chance they aren't going to ask her out, either. So what happens? Read on. (",)
Ikerana: I'm glad you really like it, and yes, I will update soon.
Criticizer: Akane, short-sighted? Nah, I think that for the past week in the story, her perception of the world has broadened a bit. The homeless people are one thing, but the name of the minor planet in the asteroid belt near the Earth is another. As for the time allotted in each entry… maybe 5-30 minutes will do, depending on the length. And that's hardly a long period of time. Just like Mia Thermopolis in The Princess Diaries, Akane's really good in writing, so the whole diary thing doesn't take too much of her time and effort.
La Chica For the Fruit: Thanks! I will.
BTB: Thank you very much. Maybe I'm writing from my teenage experiences or something. Oh, those were the times – disordered thinking, heartbeats easily affected by mere coincidental instances, etcetera. (",)