Thanks for the reviews, people! Here's the special mention! Rie Mizuki! Thank you so much for all of the suggestions and reviews. You are the best! Always the one of the very first to read and review and has the most spectacular advice! I don't know if the story would be this way without your great help! Now…On with Chapter Eight!
Disclaimer: I do not own Beauty Pop or any of its characters. Or Pocky or Excalibur-pop (huh?). Just read.
Kei's POV
"I gotta get that new snack! I'll be back, Occhi!" I called over my shoulder. He wasn't there. No one was.
They left me all alone…
I slumped out the door.
I know school is out, but still…
The street wasn't crowded so I found my store easily. It was the one with the cupcakes on display.
SOLD OUT! The sign blazed over the cardboard stand that once held the delicious snacks.
Nothing is going like I want it to today! I'm going to go find Naru-Naru! He can get some snacks!
I marched out of the store. He couldn't be to far from the college or his house. They were in the same direction anyway.
"…mi!" I heard. I turned and saw Kiri-chan running past me.
"Narumi!"
Eh? Kiri-chan called Naru-Naru, Narumi?
I followed her. Naru-Naru had to be nearby. She wouldn't be calling him otherwise. I hid behind a pole.
Naru-Naru!
Kiri-chan ran up to him and tried to hand him something. I could tell that Naru-Naru wasn't happy.
Did she hand him some scissors? Money? Snacks?!
I crept closer. I could hear their voices, but not what they were saying.
Naru-Naru sounds…sad?
I looked down at my jeans.
What would make Naru-Naru sad?
I heard his voice go up in volume. "Ow."
Is Naru-Naru hurt?!
I took a few steps closer. Kiri-chan was talking. She had a very soft voice, so it was hard to make it all out.
"You didn't…amount…medicine…" was all I caught.
Medicine? Did Naru-Naru not use some medicine right? What does he need medicine for anyway?!
Naru-Naru was obviously whining, but it wasn't sincere whining. He sounded kind of… happy? I squinted and stepped even closer. It looked like Kiri-chan had his hand…
What is Kiri-chan doing? Is she putting medicine on him? Is that his hurt wrist?!
I watched as Naru-Naru mouthed, "Thanks." I knew that Kiri-chan would pretend not to hear, and then Naru-Naru would get mad and storm off. It happened a lot of times before.
I smiled when she looked confused, and then slammed into the pole in surprise as he bent down and whispered something to her.
No yelling?! Naru-Naru yells at everything! Even Kiri-chan!
I rubbed my forehead and watched them walk in different directions.
So…Naru-Naru's wrist is still hurt? And Kiri-chan knows? And Naru-Naru didn't yell? My head hurts…I should go to Occhi's…
I made sure that Kiri-chan and Naru-Naru couldn't see me, and I ran to Occhi's. He had ideas AND snacks.
Snacks…I need those definitely…
Still Kei's POV
I burst into Occhi's bedroom. It was spotless except for his laptop and a few official looking papers that were next to it.
"Occhi! I need snacks!" I announced before I dive bombed onto his (spotless) bed.
He didn't look up from the window. He just nodded slowly.
"What do you have to eat?" I whined. He turned to me, but was still focused on his thoughts.
"…Go look in the pantry…I think I have…" he trailed off and returned his gaze to the window. I rolled off the bed and snuck to his laptop. It was an email page.
"I must consult the rest of the S.P. about this request. I'm sure that you will hear positive results, and I look forward to the opportunity.
Kazuhiko Ochiai
President of the S.P. Club"
Hm? A request?
"Hey, Occhi! What's this?" I called. I clicked to another window.
A hotel?
"Hey! Are we going on a trip?!" I said excitedly. Those were fun…
I felt a slight shove on my shoulder. "Kei! Don't read other people's email!" he sputtered.
"So? Are we going on a trip?" I repeated. He sighed and closed the laptop.
"Yes," he said quietly.
"Awesome! Can I tell Naru-Naru and Kiri-chan!?"
Wasn't there something I was supposed to ask about them…?
"I was going to tell them tomorrow…" he weighed the possibility in his head. I, on the other hand, got out my phone and started texting.
"Come to Occhi's house. He's gonna hold a meeting! Bring snacks!"
I selected Kiri-chan, Naru-Naru, Iorin and Seki's names on the list and pressed send. I stuck the phone back in my pocket and touched something crackly.
"MY LOLLIPOP!" I yelled. I held it high. Like a sword. Yeah…like Excalibur!
"EXCALIBUR-POP!" I said after much thinking.
Occhi stared at me. He brought his hand to his chin. His trademark position.
"I'll tell them tomorrow…" he said.
Huh? Tell what?
"What do you mean, Occhi? Tell who what?"
"Yeah, Kazuhiko, what do you need to tell us? Good thing I was heading over anyway…" Naru-Naru said from the doorway. Kiri and Seki were behind him.
"Where's Iorin?" I asked.
He should have been with Kiri-chan…
"Me's here! What does Occhin need to tell me?" Iorin burst through the door.
"Huh? What? Why are you all here!?" Occhi yelled. He looked a little flustered…
"But I thought you wanted to tell them about the S.P. trip!" I whimpered.
"Trip? What trip? Why didn't I hear about it?!" Naru-Naru asked.
"I just told you that I would tell them tomorrow!" Occhi exclaimed.
Ohhh…So that's what he was talking about!
"I didn't sign up for a trip…" Kiri-chan said coolly.
Occhi started to stutter. That's just what he did when Kiri-chan started talking.
"It-it's just a ma-make-over. You've done those before…"
Kiri-chan dug into her pocket and pulled out a box of Pocky. She tossed it to me and started to turn to leave.
Yay! Pocky!
Naru-Naru grabbed at the back of her jacket. She jerked back suddenly.
Ow…That looks like that hurt…
"Where do you think you're going, Mussy Head!? This meeting has hardly started!"
She turned to him slowly. Her face was hard and slightly red. Probably from being pulled back by the hood. That would hurt her neck… (Meanwhile, Iorin is moaning in the back about how 'Narusy is an enemy to all women!' and 'Me poor Kirity!')
"Let. Go. Now."
Naru-Naru let go. (A/N: Real shocker there, eh?)
Wasn't I supposed to remember something about them?
"I…can't remember!" I blurted out. I rubbed my head with my Pocky box. Everyone looked at me.
"Sorry!" Seki said quietly.
I shook my head. "It wasn't you, Seki…"
"Sorry!"
"What were you trying to remember?" Kiri-chan asked. She was straightening her jacket.
"It was…something…about…you and Naru-Naru…" I strained my mind.
Snacks…Narumi…Medicine…Thanks…!!
"About me?! And Mussy Head?!"
"Oh yeah! Naru-Naru's wrist is still hurt! And Naru-Naru was acting funny!" I said, holding a Pocky stick up high.
"Excalibur-Pocky!" I cried.
"Narusy's wrist is still hurt? Owie! Like when me saw it at a match? Owie, Owie, Owie!" Iorin panicked.
"Wha-?! How?! WHEN DID YOU FIND OUT!? AND WHEN WAS I ACTING FUNNY!! I NEVER ACT FUNNY!!"
"Your wrist is still hurt, Narumi? Why did you say so?" Occhi asked.
"BECAUSE IT'S NOT!!" Naru-Naru yelled.
"It's not because Kiri-chan gives you medicine!" I laughed.
"SHUT UP!!"
"…ahem."
I got quiet. Really fast.
"I believe we came here for a meeting. I don't know about the rest of you, but I have a part time job to get to. I'm paid by the hour," Kiri-chan reminded us.
"Right…Well, we got an offer to give a make-over…and the place we're going requires a little…trip."
"Who's so important that we have to travel to get there?! How are we going to get there anyway?! How long are we staying?! Where are we staying?!" Naru-Naru fired off question after question.
I guess he has a point…I wonder if they have snacks there…
A phone started ringing.
I want that ring tone…
Kiri-chan answered her phone quickly.
"What? … I'm in meeting … Yes, I'm actually in a meeting … Fine, listen."
She held her phone out to Naru-Naru. He jumped back and fell on Occhi's bed.
"What?! Don't give me the phone! You should've turned that thing off anyway! It's rude! Kazuhiko was gonna answer my questions!"
Kiri-chan put the phone back to her ear.
Must be her dad…
"… That was a meeting … Yes, that's what they sound like nowadays … Fine. Bye."
Has Kiri-chan not gone home yet?
"Why did your dad call? It sounds like you're supposed to be home…" I asked.
She shrugged. "He was just wondering why I hadn't gone home yet. I had to pick up a snack." She indicated the nearly empty Pocky box in my hands.
Kiri-chan got in trouble…because of me?
"Wah! I'm sorry! I got Kiri-chan in trouble because I wanted a snack!" I cried. I dropped the Pocky, but picked it back quickly. I didn't want them to get all crumbly. Plus, they tasted really good…
"I'm not in trouble, but I have to go…"
I noticed Naru-Naru and Occhi perk up for a moment.
They look like two…puppies. And they just saw their first cat…
"Leave? Already? But… you don't even know who were giving the make-over to!" Naru-Naru frowned.
Kiri-chan started to back out of the room.
I think being in Occhi's house is making her nervous…
"Well, tell me now. I gotta work."
Occhi straightened his glasses. "Well, you might have heard of her. Her name is Rie Mizuki."
She's that one woman…She wrote that one story…
"Isn't she that writer?" Naru-Naru asked.
"Me thought she was a singer…" Iorin said. I shook my head.
"She wrote Forsena. But it's under the name of Descralda Remi," Occhi
"Last I checked, she didn't need a make-over," Kiri-chan said. She resumed her backing out.
"I don't think she needs one either," I said, "but she sure does deserve something nice!"
"So it's settled. On Wednesday, next week, we'll go give her a makeover. Okay?"
"Sounds great…now I have to go before I don't get paid…" Kiri-chan muttered before she completely disappeared into the hall. Iorin and Seki followed her.
"So…" I said, "meeting's over?"
"Yup."
"WAIT! WHERE ARE WE GOING FOR THE TRIP?!" Naru-Naru suddenly shouted from the bed.
I shrugged.
I hope they have good snacks!
It took awhile, but I think I've gotten past my writers' block. Hee. This chapter was excruciatingly slow, but now it really should get better. I now have an idea to work with; I've been meaning to introduce this forever, but just now found out how to work it in. I think I need to work on my Kei POV though…Oh! And I really wanted to thank Rie Mizuki, so I put her in! Yay! Read and review please! What did I do wrong this time?