Disclaimer: Once upon a time there was a Fanfic writer named Pattie6485 who ran out of puns to use for her Fanfics. Sigh… as we know, Ranma ½ is not mine.

A/N: I'm on a roll! Phew! This Fanfic is actually almost finished, just a few more chapters to go!

Chapter Six: Basket Boy #4: Sold! To…?

Ranma:

I stood there, on that silly little stage, shocked. I looked down at Akane standing in front of the whole crowd, her hands balled up in fists and her lip quaking ever so slightly. I still couldn't get the thought through my head.

Okay, so Akane brought money to the Basket Boy auction. That was normal.

But what my brain was stuck on was Akane spent her five thousand yen on... Gosunkugi? Why?! For a second, when I saw Akane standing there in the crowd I was actually pretty happy. I thought she might bid on me! But no, she went and bid on Gosunkugi! My stomach lurched.

"A-Akane?" was all I managed to utter.

Everyone's eyes shifted to me. Then to Akane, then back to me. I wanted to throw up.

Then, I heard a faint clap come from across the stage.

"Five thousand yen! Wow, she sure wanted that date! Way to go Akane Tendo!" shouted Hinako while clapping wildly.

And tick-tick-kaboom, the crowd burst into applause. I could've even sworn I saw some boys even crying.

"Hey, if she'll go out with Gosunkugi, she'd go out with anyone!" one of them said.

"Yeah! Wow, a date with a chick like AKANE!" another shouted.

"So much for engaged!" one of them chuckled.

I gritted my teeth.

Mmhm. Way to go Akane. Woohoo. But… what about… me? Didn't she even consider bidding on me? Even for a slight moment?

Didn't she… care?

I had to admit it, I was miserable. I wanted to huddle up in a ball and cry. The first time I ever felt this way was in Ryougenzawa with Shinnousuke (sp?). Oh, did I hate that guy. I'd always thought of Gosunkugi as a weirdo, but he was still pretty okay. Now, I wanted to kill him.

I looked back out at the crowd and saw Akane flush and walk away. I kept scanning the crowd but I couldn't see her because of all the bodies. Shampoo caught my eye and gave me a seductive wink.

"Okay, now for Basket boy number four! Ranma Saotome!" Hinako shouted, waving a red flag. I looked back over at Ukyo and Shampoo, casually. They looked like they were ready to pounce on me. Like I was their prey and they were ready to attack.

I gulped. This was going to be a long day.

"Ranma has meat buns, sushi and lem-" Hinako was interrupted by Ukyo's sudden outburst.

"One thousand yen!" she shouted at the top of her lungs.

Shampoo laughed. "That's is all, spatula girl? Ten thousand yen!"

"Twenty thousand!"

"Forty thousand!"

"One hundred thousand!"

"One hundred and ten thousand!"

Hinako gasped and a wide grin spread across her face. "Oh my goodness!" she shouted. "We've never reached this high in school history! This is a Furinkan record!"

"One hundred and fifty thousand!"

"One hundred and sixty-" Shampoo came to a sudden pause and then she collapsed to the ground.

"Haha! One hundred and sev-" Ukyo began, happily. And then she paused, exactly like Shampoo did, and collapsed to the ground.

The entire crowd gasped. Everyone was shocked at what happened to the two girls. But, after I saw who emerged from behind them… everything made sense.

"Hohoho! One million yen for my Ranma darling!" shouted the most unpleasant voice I could ever imagine. A shiver ran up my spine when I saw who it was.

Kodachi, the psychotic, black rose.

Hinako jumped up and down with glee. "Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! A whole one million yen!" she didn't even bother to say going once, going twice, etc. She just jumped right into "Sold!"

Then, Kodachi laughed that squeaky, irritating, mind-piercing, ear-drum blowing laugh.

Oh, God. Kill. Me. Now.

My knees were wobbling so hard that I collapsed to the ground.

This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be happening. This is happening.

Oh, NO!

"Okay, ladies and gentlemen." Hinako began. "The girls that won a basket boy, please come forward and claim your boy. After you've claimed him, please proceed to the cafeteria. There are tables set up for your wonderful lunches!"

I watched Kodachi run up to the stage, wearing her same old leotard and fluttering her ribbon around. Man, did this chick wear her leotard in the snow?

Kodachi latched onto my arm like we were connected. "Ranma, darling…" she whispered into my ear, seductively. "This will be the most wonderful night of our lives…" she put a black rose into her mouth and nibbled on it gently. I froze in my spot.

Then, I caught Akane's eye. She was standing about two feet away from me with… Gosunkugi. She gave me a look I couldn't quite comprehend, and then she looked away to talk to Gosunkugi. She wasn't holding him like Kodachi was holding me, but I could definitely catch a hint of a smile on her face.

My heart lurched.

Did she… like him?

Akane:

I smiled. I couldn't help it. Ranma looked so helpless standing there with Kodachi. But, I had to turn my face away. If he caught me staring at him, what would he think? I turned my attention back to Gosunkugi who was smiling so hard my face hurt.

I didn't have any regrets. I knew I didn't have enough money to buy Ranma, so why bother? Anyway, like he would want to be won by me, anyway. We'd probably just get into another fight at the 'romantic' lunch table!

I shook my head. My attention was supposed to be on Gosunkugi, not Ranma!

I bit my lip. I peeked at him again. Did Kodachi have to hold him… that tightly? Anger flooded through my veins. He didn't belong to her! This was just one little date! What right did she have to be latched onto him like she was his wife?!

I realized I thought about Ranma, again! I turned my head back in the opposite direction. Ugh! Gosunkugi, Gosunkugi, Gosunkugi!

Then I felt someone grab onto my hand. It was Gosunkugi. "Shall we, Akane? I have a delicious lunch!"

I didn't speak another word and walked along with him, but quickly moved my hand away from his. I peeked back at Ranma. I hoped he didn't see me and Gosunkugi holding hands, did he?

We walked into the little cafeteria. It was decorated with hearts and cupids with fuzzy pink butterflies everywhere. I grimaced. Talk about tacky! It wasn't even Valentine's Day! Plus, this was only a lunch between friends! I glanced at Ranma and Kodachi again. …. Right?

I looked around the room. Well, there was one thing I had to admit was pretty cool, they had the tables reserved with little cards that said Basket Boy #3. Me and Gosunkugi walked to table 3. He pulled out my chair, like a gentlemen would and I sat down.

I looked around the room, back at Ranma and Kodachi… AGAIN. I grimaced. That was it! I promised myself that I would have fun tonight. No more thinking about Ranma, Kodachi, or anyone else in the room other than Gosunkugi! It was his special night tonight. I didn't want to ruin it.

I chewed on a bean, nervously.

This would be harder than I thought.