A/N: You know those things that seem like a really good idea at first, but you end up regretting them? Well, my a/n in the last chapter was like that. I've been running all over the place lately, and really don't have THAT much time to write. And the chapter with Rima and Nagi in the attic is gonna be really fun, and I didn't want to rush it too much. Besides, I thought it would take forever for me to get ten reviews, so I wouldn't have to hurry so much. Well, I was wrong. So, in order to write the scene in the attic to the best of my ability, I'm not including it in this chapter. Gomensai, please don't kill me! It'll be in the next chapter, which I'll try to post… as soon as I can. Hopefully tonight or tomorrow. Gomensai! Anyway, I learned my lesson.

The Million Dollar Bet

Day Four: Part One

Amu pulled out her chair and sat in it, looking at the bowl of ramen in front of her. "Ramen for breakfast?" she asked Utau, who had made the meal that morning.

"What's wrong with it?" Utau asked in return.

"No-nothing!" replied Amu, and began eating. Glancing across the table, she noticed Ikuto smirking. He did that all the time, so it shouldn't have worried her, but this time it did. She decided not to worry about it right now, though, because at that moment, Rima and Nagihiko came down the stairs. They sat at the table silently, neither of them with readable expressions. Amu couldn't help but wonder how things went in the attic…

Utau was already done eating when Kukai sat down. So his rather lame dare was fulfilled.

Rima didn't take part in any conversation. She was busy staring off into space, and occasionally sending a glare in the direction of Nagihiko. No one really seemed to notice, though.

About fifteen minutes later, Amu noticed something was missing in the group. "Where's Tadase?" she piped up.

"Hey, now that you mention it, I haven't seen him since yesterday," said Kukai.

"Ikuto, could you possibly know anything about this?" Amu asked, trying to look very serious. Ikuto shook his head.

"Why would you ask me?" he said, looking very innocent.

"Let's go look for him," suggested Amu, rising from her seat.

"He'll probably show up. There's no need to start a search party," Ikuto protested. Amu sat back down.

"Okay, maybe he's still asleep," she said, surprising Ikuto that she had listened to him.

Yaya was the first to get up and bring her bowl into the kitchen. Everyone else was still in conversation. Rima followed Yaya with her half-empty bowl.

"Rima-tan didn't eat all her breakfast," Yaya pointed out as the girls set their dishes in the sink.

"I don't really feel like eating," replied Rima. "I'm going outside for a bit." She began walking towards the door that went outside from the kitchen. Yaya went back into the dining room to take part in the conversation going on there.

"Hey, Nagi," Kukai was saying when Yaya entered. "I think we're all curious…" he trailed off. Nagihiko cleared his throat and fixated his eyes on his bowl of ramen. The two golden orbs didn't move from that position as he spoke.

"Curious about what?" he was going to play stupid to stall, though he wasn't sure why. There wasn't really that much that he could tell them.

"You know very well," said Utau. "What happened last night in the attic?"

"Not much, really," Nagihiko explained.

"Don't lie!" Amu exclaimed. Everyone was staring at him, waiting for something interesting to come out of his mouth. Nagi looked up from his apparently intriguing bowl of ramen so they could see his truthful expression.

"I'm not lying. Really, it wasn't that big of a deal. It was a bit creepy up there at night, I must admit, but that's all."

"Okay, if you insist," Utau said, and changed the subject. "So what do you guys want to do today?" There was a silence that seemed impatient but thoughtful.

"We could play hide and seek!" Yaya exclaimed.

"I haven't played that game in years," said Amu, "But why not?"

"Sure," everyone agreed lazily.

"One, two, three, NOT IT!" yelled Yaya. There was a chorus of 'not it's' from the group. Amu was last, and therefore, 'it'. She stuck her nose in a corner like a five year old in time-out and began to count to two-hundred. Everyone ran off.

"A hundred and ninety-six, a hundred and ninety-seven, a hundred and ninety-eight," counted Amu a while later, "A hundred and ninety-nine, two hundred! READY OR NOT, HERE I COME!" She yelled the standard warning when she was finished. Amu spun around and uncovered her eyes, glancing around the room for any hints. She walked into the kitchen where she opened and closed every cabinet and searched the pantry. If the charas had been playing, she would have looked in the drawers, too.

Exiting the kitchen, Amu decided to search upstairs first. She looked in the giant storage closet, but to no avail. She searched the boys room next, and still didn't find anyone. In the girl's room, Yaya was hiding under Utau's bed. The candy-loving girl followed Amu into the attic. All of Rima and Nagi's things were still in there, and Kukai was found behind a huge stack of crates. The three of them looked around the loft and the upstairs living room before going onto the balcony. No one was there, so they went downstairs. Nagihiko had squeezed himself into a cabinet in one of the downstairs bathrooms.

"Now we just need to find Utau and Ikuto," said Yaya.

"Maybe we'll find Tadase while we're looking," Amu pointed out, as she opened the closet under the staircase to search it. A shriek of surprise escaped her lips as her eyes fell on Tadase. He was gagged and bound, and still in his pajamas.

A/N: Sorry this was so short. I'm gonna get the second part out hopefully tomorrow. But I gotta get off the computer now, and I was gone most of today, and yesterday, and the day before. I could give lots of excuses, but that would just make this note longer. So, all together: please don't kill me! Onegai! I promise the next installment you will find out what happened in the attic and there will be some Amuto, since I had requests for more of it. Thanks for reading!