Mrs. Urameshi looked as surprised as Kuwabara when she recognized him. "You're Kuwabara, aren't you? Urameshi's friend?"
"Rival," Kuwabara corrected automatically. "Yes, ma'am."
She smiled. "Ma'am isn't necessary. You can just call me Atsuko."
The idea of calling Urameshi's mother by her first name seemed incredibly weird, and went directly against what his parents had taught him. "You can check out first," Kuwabara said politely.
She moved ahead and started unloading frozen dinners onto the counter for the cashier. "I haven't seen you in ages," she said. "How have you been?"
"Fine," Kuwabara answered. It really had been a long time; the last time Kuwabara had seen her, his own mother had still been alive. Kuwabara probably wouldn't have recognized her if she didn't look so much like Urameshi.
"Yusuke tells me you're going to the same middle school as him," Atsuko said.
"I am," Kuwabara replied, wondering just how this situation could get more awkward.
"You're total is—" the cashier started, but Atsuko interrupted him.
"Hold on, I've got one more thing coming," she said. She scanned the aisles. "That boy had better hurry though."
That boy? Does she mean?
And then there he was, walking towards them with a case of beer under each arm.
"It's about time, Yusuke!" Atsuko said. "At least your little friend here has kept me company while you were taking your sweet time."
And it just got more awkward.
Words: 237
AN: So, I'm thinking the new update day will be Saturday. That should be easier for me to manage than Monday updates.