So, we have just met Jeromaru, a sly, good looking new student. Let's see how he fits into Tohru's life, shall we?

PS – sorry I haven't updated for a while ;

Two – An Interesting Proposal

"Hmm…" said Hana that day at lunch. "You have very interesting electric waves. I don't believe I know what to make of you."

Jeromaru blinked. "Uh… thanks?" Then, he leaned back as Arisa began to stare him down.

"Kinda skinny, aren't ya?"

"I guess… why?"

She smiled devilishly. "You've never been in a fight before, have you?"

"No…"

Then, she laughed and put him into a head-lock hug. "You're like a really skinny teddy bear!" Then, she gave him a noggie.

"Uh, Tohru?" said Jeromaru under her arm. "A little help? Please?"

She laughed. "Oh, that's just Arisa's way of saying she likes you!" Once he was released, Torhu began to ask him a bombardment of questions.

"So, enough about us, what about you? What is Tokyo like? What kind of school did you go to? Did you have any friends? What were they like? What are you like?"

"Well," he laughed, "to answer you last question, people always tell me that I'm too upfront."

You can say that again, Kyo and Yuki thought in unison.

"How?" asked Tohru.

"Well..." Without warning, he took her hand. "For example: I can safely say you are the cutest girl in this school."

Yuki and Kyo turned white as Tohru simply sat there, stunned. Suddenly, what he said clicked.

"Oh no!" she said, taking her hand away. "Oh, no, there are a lot more girls in this school that are cuter then me! You just haven't seen them!"

Jeromaru was taken aback. "Jeeze, what are you, complement phobic? I just wanted to point out that you were good-looking."

Tohru turned deep red as Kyo and Yuki began to grind their teeth.

Through lunch, the matter was not touched on until the end.

"I believe there will be a pop quiz next period," said Hana. "Arisa, you must come with me to help me study."

She smiled. "Alright, sure. See ya later!" Then, she and the psychic left the table.

"Well," said Tohru, "I should probably be studying, too. Bye!" But just as she was leaving, Jeromaru stopped her.

"Hang on, Tohru," he said.

"Yes?"

"Wanna go out with me tomorrow?"

Yuki became stock still and Kyo spat out the milk he was currently drinking. Tohru didn't do anything but stare.

"What…?" she said, dazed.

"Do you want to go out with me tomorrow? I saw this drive-in movie theater and I was wondering if you wanted to go with me."

"Uh… but… well…" Tohru stammered, "I don't wasting your money on me! That too much, don't you think? I mean – I don't want to be any trouble to you!"

He laughed. "I highly doubt you could be trouble to anyone."

"Well… uh…"

"She can't go," Kyo suddenly said.

"She's busy tomorrow," imputed Yuki.

Jeromaru looked at the two boys glaring at him from across the table. "Oh… I see." He sighed. "Well, if you're busy, that's fine. I just thought… with me being new and everything… and really having no friends… I thought you would be more then happy to tag along with me. But if you insist on leaving me alone on a Saturday night, I suppose that's fine…"

Tohru looked sympathetically at the boy before her. He seemed so sad and dejected… She couldn't take it.

"I would love to go!" she said with a grin. The two zodiacs toppled over in their seats as Jeromaru grinned.

"Great! I'll pick you up at eight?"

She nodded.

Bastard… Yuki and Kyo fumed.

"Tohru, you're not gonna really go out with that jerk, are you?" Kyo asked as they walked home.

"Sure!" she said cheerily. "Why not?"

"Because," said Yuki, "we don't know anything about him. Miss Honda, he could really be bad news."

"I for sure don't like him!" spat the red-head.

"Quite honestly, I think you aren't the only girl he's seeing at the moment."

Tohru looked down at her feet. "Well, maybe… but… he did just move. And it's got to be so scary… moving to a new place, with new people. He must have had a lot of friends back home, and now he doesn't have anybody. If I had to leave you two – or any of the Sohmas – I would be heart broken. I would miss you all so much… so, if this will make it easier for him, then I'll do it." Then she gave a smile to her two friends. "But thank you for worrying about me."

The rest of the trip home was silent. Both boys looked at her with a sense of awe and worry.

They just hoped their gut feelings were wrong.

Are their gut feelings wrong? Or will Saturday be a disaster? Find out in the next chappie!

T.