Screaming Siopao: I'm so uber sorry for not updating since… February '09!? G'ack! It's been over three months! I feel so horrible. D: Recently, I've been working on a research paper and I've sort of made new friends that have been distracting me from writing. Also, blame Facebook and Pokémon Yellow. xD But, I logged on to FF.N and read my recent reviews for this story. They've really inspired me! So, enough chitchat and excuses on my part! Onward with Love Chronicles!
Disclaimer: Ah, I've missed writing about the fact that I do not own Demashitaa! Powerpuff Girls Z and its characters.
Love Chronicles
Part III - Momoko - Lightning
Friday, November 15th;;
Momoko stared at Miyako from her seat during lunch break. Miyako, who was usually bubbly and happy-go-lucky, was now sitting by herself at a far desk in the corner. She was silently reading a book and seemed totally unapproachable.
"Ne," Momoko said while nudging Kaoru. "What's the matter with Miyako?"
Kaoru flinched. That's right. Momoko wasn't present during the café incident in the beginning of the week, for she was at home watching a TV special about one of her boy idols. Kaoru didn't know what to say. She felt that perhaps Miyako would like to keep the events confidential. If Momoko wanted to know, then Miyako should personally tell her herself, right?
"I'm not sure," Kaoru lied. "Er, maybe you should go ask her." Momoko nodded. She got up from her seat and strode to the other side of the classroom.
"Miyako-chan," Momoko spoke. The blonde lass looked up from her books and bluntly greeted her red-haired friend. It had been four days since her incident with Boomer at the café. "Miyako, are you alright?"
"What-- what do you mean?"
"You've been extremely quiet and reserved this week," she pointed out. "I'm worried about you."
"I'm… fine."
"You're lying," Momoko blurted. "Do you want to talk about something? We're best friends, right? We help each other out and get each other out of ugly situations!" she exclaimed with a thumbs up.
"No, really. I just want to read."
"Oh, please, Miyako. Shakespeare? You know you're not really into that stuff. Come on! You can tell me anything!"
Miyako stared into her friend's happy coral eyes. Momoko sure was a klutz and even could be temperamental at times, but she was naturally good-hearted. Miyako was glad to have someone like her, and softly smiled.
"All right," the blonde said. "Let's go outside. Kaoru-san, too."
o0o0o0o
"What!?" Momoko shouted into Kaoru's face. "You? And Butch!?"
"This is exactly why I didn't want to tell her about this, Miyako!" Kaoru complained. "She's making such a big fuss about it!"
"Well, it is a big fuss, right?" the red head said. "I don't believe this!"
"We had to tell her," Miyako said. "We're best friends. You couldn't hide something this important for long, you know," she continued. Kaoru sighed.
"Yeah, I guess not. It was pretty much inevitable, huh?"
"You bet it was!" Momoko shouted. "I can't believe you didn't tell me earlier, Kaoru! I feel so unimportant and not trusted and excluded and…"
"Oh, don't be such a drama queen," Kaoru uttered with annoyance in her tone. Momoko pouted.
"So, anyway, what's he like? Jerky and butt-faced?" Momoko bantered. Kaoru scoffed. She wanted to say, "Unlike anyone you could ever meet," but that may have sounded a bit cheesy coming from Kaoru.
"It's none of your business. Anyway, we're here to talk about Miyako's issues, right? Not my business."
"Oh, right, right. So, Miyako, what's the deal with you? Did something happen between you and Takaaki or something?" Momoko queried.
"Ah… well, sort of," Miyako admitted. She took an intake of breath and resumed with her story. "You see, well, Takaaki saw me and Boomer together Monday afternoon…"
(Flashback)
"Miyako-chan?" a surprised voice outside of the alleyway called. Miyako averted her eyes to the speaker, and gasped. She glanced at her watch; 4:00 PM. No…
"Taka-chan…" Miyako whispered in shock. In Takaaki's hand was a bundle of delicate wild flowers and colorful gerberas.
Boomer lifted his head from the crown of Miyako's head and stared at Takaaki, who had lightly surprised him during his serene moment with Miyako.
"Who's… he?" Boomer thought to himself in wonder. As Boomer eyed the lad standing before them, his eyes seemed to have caught glance of the flowers. It was then that it seemed as if he was hit by some sort of realization, which caused him to wince.
He diverted his attention back at Miyako and looked into her gentle blue orbs for one last time. It was then Miyako's turn to wince.
The look he gave her appeared as if a dagger had just shattered his heart into a billion pieces.
And with that oh, so agonizing face, he just dashed off.
"Boomer!" she yelled after him, but he was already gone. Miyako looked back at Takaaki, who appeared to be both confused and dumbfounded. By now, the bouquet of dainty flowers were already scattered on the pavement around Takaaki's feet.
(End Flashback)
"And so then what happened?" Momoko asked with anticipation in her voice.
"Taka-chan… went home," Miyako gloomily stated. "He… he said he wasn't feeling well all of a sudden. And he just left."
"Just like that?" questioned Momoko.
"Just like… that," the blonde replied. "I went back into the café. I cried like a baby while Kaoru attempted to comfort me. I can't believe I messed everything up," she cried in distress. "First, I caused Butch and Boomer to fight just because of a temper tantrum. Then I drove both Boomer and Taka-chan away because of a little misinterpretation."
"Why would Boomer even run like that?" Momoko fumed. "That's a bit rude, if you asked me!"
"You have to consider his feelings," Kaoru pointed out. "If I were him and I saw Takaaki with flowers for Miyako, I'd be pretty embarrassed." Momoko pondered on this and gave a thoughtful sigh.
"Yeah, I guess I'd feel pretty bad if I were him. But he assumed so quickly."
"He had the right to. It's not like his assumption was wrong anyway," Kaoru replied.
"I've tried to clear things up with me and Boomer for the past few days. But, I can't find him anywhere. Butch doesn't even know where he is," Miyako sighed.
"And Takaaki?" asked Kaoru.
"I've seen him around school since he's attending again. It… seems like he's ignoring me. It seems as if he just looks right through me."
"What? That jerk!" the red head fumed.
"Again, you're not considering the guy's feelings. If I were Takaaki and I saw Miyako around another guy's arms then I would feel pretty ba--"
"Yeah, yeah, we know," Momoko interrupted. "Geez, Kaoru, your new boyfriend sure is making you a lot more sensitive towards guys. Now you act and think like one!"
"What!?" Kaoru screeched as a vein in her head popped.
"Ehehe… just kidding," Momoko bantered. "Well, I'm going to fix this love triangle between you, Takaaki, and Boomer, okay Miyako?"
Miyako sweat-dropped.
"N-no! It's not a love triangle!" she nervously said.
"Oh, don't be so naïve. Leave it to me to fix everything between you all!"
"Oh goodness," Kaoru grunted. "I thought her childish heroic stage was done and over with already. I don't have a very good feeling about this, Miyako…"
o0o0o0o
"Aren't you coming along with us, Momoko?" Kaoru asked. "I'm going to work, and Miyako wants to see if Butch has any sign of Boomer."
"Nah, I'm alright. There's a whole chocolate cake with my name on it waiting for me at home!" she happily responded.
"Figures," Kaoru said while rolling her eyes. "Suit yourself." And with that, the gals departed.
It was a glorious fall afternoon as Momoko strolled down the upbeat streets of Tokyo. The leaves barely clung onto the scrawny branches and limbs as they turned into their bold autumn colors. Many fluttered onto the ground in flowing patterns, and it seemed as if she was caught in a wonderful, leafy blizzard.
After about ten minutes of walking, Momoko passed by a skating park and couldn't help but notice a couple of teenage boys on their skateboards and bikes. She got a tad bit curious and began veering off her path from home towards the park.
"Oh! I guess my cake can wait for ten minutes longer," she chirped as she skipped closer towards the boys. "This looks like a good chance to score some sempais!"
She sat on a close-by bench and observed the group of boys doing stunts and tricks that almost seemed to defy gravity. But, one boy specifically caught her eye-- a boy around her age dressed in a black top and ripped jeans. He was on a skateboard, and his moves were utterly fluid. It amazed her how he could solidly stay on that board-- it was as if his feet were polarized to it. She gazed in wonder at his ollies, grinds, kick flips, pivots, and so much more. This boy made the active and rough sport seem as graceful as ballet.
"Hey," a voice called out. Momoko was in a wondered daze at the moment because she was staring at the other skaters. "Hey!" the voice called out again when Momoko did not respond.
"Huh? What?" she said in shock. The boy whom she was observing earlier on the skateboard was suddenly standing right beside her. She was probably to preoccupied to notice him walking towards her. "Hm, this guy seems familiar."
"Are you lost?" he asked. "You look a bit muddled, or something."
"N-no. I was just watching. You… You're very good!" she exclaimed.
"Ah, yeah, well, it took me years of practicing," he replied coolly. "Well, if you're okay, then I'll catch you later, I guess," he bade.
"O-okay!"
"Oh, by the way, I'm Brick."
This hit Momoko like a… well, like a brick.
"Brick!?" she exclaimed with shock. "You?"
Of course! No wonder why he seemed so familiar to her. But, because he wasn't in his usual red clothing, she didn't recognize him as quickly. Plus, he looked way different, facially. It wasn't the same round, childish face that she despised looking at anymore. To her, he seemed quite cute now, actually. She stood up from her spot at the bench in order to have a better look at him. He'd gotten much taller, too.
"Yeah, what's it to you?" he asked in confusion. She must have been some crazy chick, he thought.
"Don't you recognize me?" she roughly whispered.
"Hm, uhmm," he pondered. "Your voice does seem annoyingly familiar."
"What? Annoying!?" she shouted in a high-pitched tone. At this, Brick hit realization. He'd know that shout anywhere. He snapped his fingers as his eyes softly widened with surprise.
"Ah! Blossom! Or, what was it? Er, Momoko?" he realized.
"Shh! Don't say that out loud!" she hissed. "I'm just Momoko, alright?"
"Yeah, yeah. Well, what business do you have here?" he queried. "Don't tell me you were here to skateboard. I thought Buttercup was the athletic one."
"Of course I didn't come to skate!" she spat. "Actually, I have some business with you and your brothers!"
"What? I haven't seen you in months. We haven't caused trouble in months," Brick stated. "What could you possibly want with us? We've all been lying low."
"Well, that's what you think!"
"So, what do you want?"
"I need your help."
"You're not getting it," he spat as he turned around and began to walk away. Momoko was stunned by this crude action.
"Brick!" she screeched. "Don't you know what's been going on with your brothers recently?"
"Not really. And, quite frankly, I don't really care," he straightforwardly stated as he kept on walking. This was frustrating Momoko quite a bit. He was giving her all the wrong answers. He was being extremely blunt, and this was not the same annoying, obnoxious red head she remembered.
"Don't you care about your brothers?"
"Depends what's going on," he shrugged.
"Well, for one, I need to know where Boomer has been," she demanded.
"Don't know, don't really care," he called out as he still walked away.
"Ugh! Can you cooperate for just a little while?" Momoko asked as she caught up and started walking alongside him.
"I am. I really don't know where he's been."
"Well, can you help me look, at least?" she anxiously pled.
"No can do. And, why are you on Boomer's case?"
"Because… he and Miyako got into a misunderstanding. I think he's hurt."
"Miyako? That bubbly chick?" he asked. Momoko nodded. "W-- Why was Boomer hanging around with her?"
"Well, Boomer was upset because Butch and Kaoru were together and then…"
"Wait, what?" Brick stopped dead in his tracks. "Butch is with who?" he asked, obviously shocked. Momoko bit her lip, realizing what she had just blurted out.
"Ah. Well, you know. B-Butch is with… er, Kaoru," she softly whispered while looking down. She didn't want to look at him. He must have been enraged. After all, Brick was the most serious about avoiding girls, right? He was the oldest and sort of the leader of the three. He was their role model, in a way. After a few seconds of silence, the lass came to a conclusion that perhaps he was so angry that he just became paralyzed.
"… I see," Brick grunted. Momoko peered up. Guess he wasn't paralyzed after all, huh?
"What? You see? That's all you have to say? Aren't you angry?"
"Sure. But I'm not going to pilot Butch's life. So, whatever. Leave me alone, now," he spat. Momoko clenched her fist, and couldn't hold in her disgust much longer.
"You're being extremely arrogant, Brick! Your attitude is totally rude! You've changed a lot during the past three years! You sure don't act like a little snot-nosed little brat anymore," she raged. "But now you're just a low and crude jerk!" And with that, the irritated Momoko stomped off and continued her course towards home, leaving an utterly baffled and dumbfounded Brick behind.
o0o0o0o
"Mou!" Momoko complained the next morning.
"What's the matter with you?" asked Kaoru in homeroom.
"My cake… it was all gone when I got home yesterday!" she sobbed.
"You must have gotten home late, then," Miyako said.
"Well, later than I anticipated. It was all that stupid, ignorant Brick's fault!" Momoko cried.
"What? You saw Brick?" the blonde queried. "What happened?"
"Ugh, nothing much at all," Momoko said. "He had no idea where Boomer was, just like Butch. It was becoming extremely aggravating when I tried to talk with him. He was being downright blunt!"
"Brick, blunt? I remember him being the most obnoxious one," Kaoru recalled. Momoko sighed.
"Yeah, I don't know what happened to all those Rowdyruff Boys over the years. Must be puberty or something," she said as she plopped her head on a desk. "One's suddenly become a hopeless-romantic, one has insecurity problems, and now this one's become a loner. Uber strange, if you ask me." Miyako also sighed.
"I just want to find Boomer soon. I hope he's not hurt," she lamented.
"Ne, Miyako," called out Momoko. "Do you mind if I ask why you care so much for finding Boomer?"
"Ah, well, you know… I just want to make sure he's safe. He just ran away that one afternoon and his brothers haven't seen him since. It might have hurt him to see Taka-chan holding those flowers for me, and I just want to clear things up and--"
"Ne, Miyako," interjected Momoko. "Why are you blushing?"
"Wh-what? N-no I'm not!"
"Ne, Miyako," Kaoru said. "Why are you stuttering?"
"H-huh!? N-no! I don't know! Agh, y-you guys!" Miyako complained. Kaoru and Momoko couldn't help but chuckle.
"You're not starting to actually like Boomer, are you?" Momoko asked. "Then, that'll make me the only one who hasn't gone boarded the Rowdyruff bandwagon."
"Well…" Miyako began. "I always thought Boomer and his brothers were just troublemakers. But when I saw him crying, it totally changed my view of him. He can be really sensitive and deep, you know. He even told me, 'thank you.' If he just received a little guidance, he'd become a really great guy…"
"Yup, she's love struck," Momoko spoke to Kaoru.
"Totally," Kaoru added with a nod.
"Mou! You guys!" Miyako blushed. "I-- I like Taka-chan!"
"Maybe you like them both?" Kaoru suggested.
"Ooh, a love triangle!" Momoko squealed. "How romantic!"
"N-no! It's not a love triangle, for the last time!" the blonde lass argued with hopelessness. But actually, somewhere in the back of her mind, she believed that it may eventually turn into one. A sort of nasty one, if I might add.
o0o0o0o
Momoko was on her way towards the school campus that afternoon, when she saw a certain blonde piggy-tailed friend idly standing at a bus station.
"Yo! Miyako!" she yelled as she ran towards her friend. But as Momoko neared the bench, she noticed that Miyako was reading some sort of document. "Ne, what's that?"
"It's… from Boomer," Miyako softly whispered. "I found it on my doorstep this morning..."
"What?" Momoko gasped. "Let me see!" she anxiously demanded as she took the paper. The letters were a bit blotchy and messy, but it was still manageable to read it.
Miyako,
I'm sorry you had to see me at my worst. It was quite pathetic, wasn't it?
I'm sorry if I offended you by being too close. It was just an impulse to hold you, really.
I hadn't realized that you had someone you cared about already.
I'm sorry I had to run off on you. I didn't want to cause any trouble.
But maybe it's best if you just forgot about everything and we didn't speak again.
We were always enemies, right?
Ja.
-- Boomer.
Momoko looked up from the letter to find a tearing Miyako.
"He…" Miyako began as she sniffled. "He hates me, doesn't he? He just wants to forget I helped him. He didn't want help from me…"
"No," Momoko whispered. "No, of course not, Miyako. He thinks he's being a burden on you and wants to exclude himself from your life, is all. And if you found this on your doorstep, then he must be near. Don't worry about it!"
"B-But," the blonde sniffled. "I thought he had opened up to me already. I don't want any enemies as Miyako-- Bubbles already has enough of those."
"Calm down, Miyako," Momoko said while soothingly rubbing her friend's back. "I'll find Boomer, I promise. I'll tell him everything's just a huge misunderstanding. That should fix things, right?"
"I-- I suppose," she whimpered as she wiped away a silent tear. This hurt Momoko to see her friend crying like this. Miyako must have really cared for Boomer and his safety to be like this.
"Ugh! I can't believe those Rowdyruffs. Always leaving a muck for me to clean up!" Momoko grunted as she sprinted away.
"Momoko!" Miyako cried. "Where are you going?"
"I'm off to find one of those Rowdyruff brats! No one makes my best friend cry and gets away with it!" Momoko blurted as she dashed off. This made Miyako smile as she dried her tears for Boomer. She realized how truly lucky she was to have such a wonderful friend.
"Oh, Momoko! You're going to miss class!" Miyako yelled out in realization, but she was already far from earshot. What a wonderful, yet forgetful friend Momoko was.
o0o0o0o
"Alright, I know exactly where to find Brick. He'll be much easier to find than Boomer, and I don't even know where to find Butch," Momoko said to herself as she walked to the skating park. Just as she had suspected, she found Brick on his skateboard at the same spot she had seen him the other day. "Hey! You!" she yelled.
"Ne, Brick, your girlfriend's here," one of the skaters mentioned to Brick as he chuckled.
"Not funny," Brick grunted. He walked from the ramps and half pipes to the irate Momoko down on the ground. "What do you want now? Isn't it a bit early for nagging?"
"I've had enough of your attitude!" Momoko spat. "I need to know where Boomer is, stat! I sure hope you're not harboring him, because something important needs to be clarified, here!"
"Like what?"
"Like, he's making one of my best friends totally miserable! Do you know how soft-hearted Miyako is? She can barely sleep knowing Boomer is somewhere out there by himself just because of a complication with her. Once my friends start to cry over a boy, then things get serious!"
"I really don't know where he is. Even if I did, I wouldn't say."
"That's only to be expected from a smug, selfish guy like you! Boomer probably paid you to help him lay low away from me and Butch. You just think about yourself, don't you? Can't you see that there are other people whose feelings need to be considered besides yours? I can't believe how totally self-centered a person can be! People like you just need to--"
Suddenly, Momoko's rant was cut off by a sudden motion. Brick dropped his skateboard, placed his hands on either side of Momoko's face, and crushed his lips onto hers. It was a rough kiss; almost harsh. It was like lighting that stroke the surface of the Earth.
"Mm!" Momoko was caught completely off guard, and raised her hand to slap Brick.
"Ugh," he grunted when her small palm hit the right side of his face.
"W-why did you kiss me?" Momoko demanded, both with shock and fury. But somewhere inside of her, she wished she hadn't stopped it. She liked the intensity and edginess of his kiss. Brick rubbed his right cheek with the back of his hand and spat on the ground.
"To make you shut up."
Love Chronicles
Part III - Momoko - Lightning: End.
Screaming Siopao: Oooh! It seems as if these two have quite an angsty relationship developing, hm? (: Stick around to see if Boomer is ever uncovered! And what about Butch and Kaoru? Will they have any more awesome scenes together? Remember that your reviews caused me to update after three months, so please continue! Peace!