School Daze: Chapter Three

By: Juiicy

Next day, next exam. As the bell rang, Anna looked up from her desk. The ringing, Anna thought was annoying, concluded the exam for the day and groans aose from her classmates.

"That exam was a peice of cake," hollered Manta as he walked out of the classroom. A large grin slapped across his pudgy face.

"Uhhuh," agreed Yoh. "I aced that one for sure."

Anna walked after the two quietly. She had no desire to ruin their small celebration. The three pairs of legs strode rthymically down the hall until Manta jerked to a stop.

"Crap, I forgot I had duties today. Uchido-sensei is going to kill me," cried Manta, he broke for a run. "I'll see you guys later. Ja!"

Yoh laughed and waved after Manta. But he stopped as well. Yoh slapped his forehead.

"That reminds me," he turned to face Anna. "I've got to go talk to Sato-sensei about eh... some stuff. You don't mind waiting for me for a while, eh, Anna?"

"No thanks. I'll just get a ride from Ryu. Because of you, I have to go study for that stupid exam," she said. She continued down the hall and carefully avoided a group of seventh grade boys. Stupid freshmen, she thought.

Yoh looked after her until she rounded a corner. Then he turned on his heel and headed for the Coach's office.

Anna stepped out of the building and walked to the sidewalk. And almost as soon as she stopped, a distant motor roared from afar and a man with oddly shaped hair came in on a motorcycle. He came to a halt in front of Anna and smiled. It's strange how he just appears out of nowhere. HoroHoro had a theory that inside Ryu's large hair was some kind of system or radar.

"Ah, Anna-sama! It seems you need a ride?" said an enthusiastic Ryu. "I'm sorry for being late."

Many stray eyes looked their way, possibly for more than one reason. A junior high girl hitching a ride with a highschooler on a motorcycle would usually catch that look. But it could also just be Ryu alone. His strange catsuit and unique sense of hairstyle had people staring constantly.

"Just take me back to the onsen," ordered Anna as she jumped into the passenger's side.

But Ryu didn't move. Instead, he gave Anna a puzzled look.

"What about Yoh-sama? He won't be coming along today?"

"Nope," said Anna coolly.

"Okey dokey, here's you helmet- no? Are you sure? Wouldn't want you to- There. That's a good Anna-sama. I'll get you there in no time. Hold on!" The engine ripped a few times before they sped off, a dust of smoke was left behind.

A good three turns and three red lights later, Anna spoke up, interrupting Ryu's over-detailed story of his day.

"What's highschool like?" asked Anna as they stopped for another red light. He looked down on her.

"Highschool? Well..." started Ryu. "I'm not really one to say for sure."

"What do you mean? Shouldn't you have graduated a while back?"

"I should have, actually. But... I've only actually began to attend classes just this year. Before I met Yoh-sama, I've been skipping so many classes I almost never bothered to show up," replied Ryu. He gripped his hog's handles firmly. "It's difficult, you know, because of all the lessons I've missed. But I'm trying really hard.

"I'm now at the top of my class. My sensei think it must've been Kami-sama who blessed me. He says if I try harder and repeat a semester or two, I could find myself in America soon."

"I see."

They began moving again and the rush of fresh air ran past them sharply.

"Why do you ask?" asked Ryu as he signalled for a right. "Are you done Junior High already?"

"Third year, yeah. Right now's the last semester," replied Anna. "And Yoh wants me to accept a scholarship from Tokyo High."

"Aah, Tokyo High? That exclusive school closeby? You and Yoh-sama are lucky to-"

"Yoh didn't get one and he doesn't seem to want to go, either," she said quickly.

"Really? Why not?"

Anna shrugged. "Maybe he's tired of seeing me constantly. Probably trying to get away from me by getting into another school so the only time he'll see me is at home."

"Why do you always say that?" Ryu stopped for elementary children to cross. "No. No, that's not true. There must be some other reason why he wants you to go to that school. You should know better. He would never do that to you." They began moving again.

Anna didn't reply. She knew he wouldn't do that. To her, especially.

The next three weeks consisted of studying. Not just for Anna, but Yoh and Manta, too. Anna didn't really understand why Yoh and Manta were studying harder because exams were almost over. Three more supid junior high finals, she thought. But to make things less complicated for herself, she decided not to ask the two. She already had too much on her mind to ask at all.

It ran as a continuous cycle. Yoh and Anna woke up, went to school, took their exam, and went home. Then Yoh would train while Anna studied in her room, looking out of the window every once in a while for a quick break, and watch Yoh. Afterwards, Manta would come along, eat dinner with them,and after, Anna would leave for her room to study while Manta and Yoh retreat to Yoh's room.

When Anna got out of her room for a washroom break, she would hear either of them dictating math problems and history dates.

That's funny, mused Anna as she strolled into the kitchen, The exams got those two so confused they don't realize that we've already the math and history examinations the first week.

By the end of that week, they were home free; no more exams, and two weeks of freetime for seniors. The ninth grade classes were now focusing totally on Highschool and the graduation ceremony.

Yoh continued to push Anna. He pushed her to study so much, she knew that all that information was now seared into her head.

"I have two freaking weeks." Anna sat on her futon, whirling a pencil with her fingers and another one perched on her lips as her eyes zoomed across the page, making notes every few seconds. It was late Sunday morning and, already, Yoh reminded Anna she had a week before her exam. And threat after threat, Anna found herself locked up in her room again.

She fell back into her futon and closed her eyes, making sure no new information would leak out if she kept them open. She tried to block out any unnecessary sound by shutting her eyes tighter. And she purposely ignored Yoh as he called from downstairs.

"Hum... we just had lunch. What does that baka want now?" she said to herself.

"An-na!"

He continued calling her name until she wanted him to stop. Anna got up and slid her door open. "I'm studying," she said dully and made a face.

"That's my Anna!" He smiled from down the stairs. He scrunched up his face and gave her a thumbs up. "And don't make a face like that. It's not very nice."

She scowled. "... what do you want?"

"I'm gonna go out, okay? Don't wait up for me," he turned and began to walk away, when Anna called after him.

"Those books," she said plainly.

"Yeah?"

"What are those books for?"

"Huh? These books?" echoed Yoh. "Well, they're reference books I borrowed from the library. And since exams are over it should be right to return them, ne? Why do you ask?"

Anna eyed him for a second. "... nothing," she replied. "If you're going to come home late, you'd better call Ryu because I'm not going to cook."

"Hai! I already got that planned out, Anna-chan!" he said sweetly. "I'll see you a little later, okay?"

She threw him one more look and withdrew back into her room. Yoh watched as she disappeared from the door and heaved a sigh. His grip loosened on the two textbooks. That was close, he thought.

Anna sat back down on her futon.She decided that she had done enough studying for the meantime. Her facts and figures were slowly pushed aside for a new thought: He's going out again.