Chapter 9 Amy Marshall

"That is so romantic!" Lynn and Kat yelled in unison.

It had been two days since Amy and Hikaru's first official date. Laney, Melinda, Rose, Kat, and Lynn were all sitting on Amy's bed. They had asked her to give them a play-by-play of the date.

She had just finished telling them all about it and they all seemed so surprised.

"He's so different with you," Melinda said softly.

"And you're different with him," Laney added.

"Yeah," Amy replied wistfully. "I'm so comfortable around him and he feels the same way around me."

"So how, exactly, do you feel around?" Rose's eyes had a concerned and caring look in them.

Amy sat for a second.

"Safe. I feel safe with him."

The next day, the host club met and didn't have any customers. Amy and Hikaru absolutely loved those days. That was when they got to just hang out and enjoy each other's company.

"Amy?"

She looked up from her DBZ manga. "Yeah, Hikaru?"

"Do you have plans Saturday afternoon?" Before his "epiphany", Amy knew that Hikaru's voice would have been shaky and nervous when he asked her about going on dates. But now, it seemed, it came easily to him.

"I have a soccer game."

"Oh," he said sadly.

"Why?"

"Well, my mom is having a family party and I wanted to show you off. But it's okay. We have plenty of time for that."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, don't worry about it." He twirled a band of hair in her ponytail thoughtfully.

"Alright," she said skeptically.

When Saturday came, Amy was crossed. On her bed, her soccer uniform lay; ready to be put on. But a beautiful blue dress lay next to it; borrowed from a friend.

The soccer game or the party?

Both involved important to her; soccer and Hikaru. She could only choose one.

She sighed and made her decision.

Amy knocked softly on the Hitachiin door and waited patiently.

Hikaru was the one to answer the door and he greeted her with a surprised smile. They hugged and he ushered her into the party.

He introduced her to aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents, and even friends of the family. It took a little while to find his mother. They finally found her buried deep in the heart of the party.

"Mom!"

"Oh, hi, Hikaru!"

Amy looked over Mrs. Hitachiin and was in awe. The woman had a daring pixie cut and a lovely red dress on. She was beautiful.

"I have someone I want you to me," Hikaru announced reluctantly.

"Oh," Mrs. Hitachiin sat her cup of punch down on the nearest table, "you must be Amy." Her voice was pleasant and she shook Amy's hand happily.

"Nice to meet you, Mrs. Hitachi—"

"None of that! Call me Yuzuha." She, then, placed a hand on each side of Amy's face and said, "My, you're a pretty one. Just like Melinda."

"Mom," Hikaru snapped.

"Hikaru, your Aunt Touko wants to see you. Why don't you go find her?"

Hikaru left reluctantly and went into another room. Amy looked shyly at Yuzuha.

"Mrs. Yuzuha?"

Then, she hugged Amy hard and said, "I can't thank you enough for what you've done for my little boy."

Amy lifted her arms awkwardly and hugged the woman back.

"He helped me too. I owed him."