A Picnic on the Roof

Ash leaned her head in her hand. "I just can't believe it," she thought to herself as she stared at her senpai nodding off in class. "Senpai has never fallen asleep in school before (she says it goes against her duty as a student). Hm... now that I think of it, Senpai has been acting weird recently. Sunday after church, she was acting kinda anxious and restless. Monday when I walked into her room to ask her a question, she was acting suspiciously nervous and rushed me out of her room. Tuesday I walked into class and everyone stopped all conversation. They seemed overly aware of me. Wednesday Senpai woke up late, meaning she woke me up late, meaning she didn't make us breakfast. We were almost late. She also never goes to school late (She also believes that goes against her duty as a student). Thursday she forgot to do her homework, and today she walked into the wrong class. She even told me that she had plans tomorrow. Something is off. Hm...," suddenly Ash frowned and shook her head. What was she doing? It's too early in the morning to think! And with that she forget all about the odd things that had been happening lately.

Annalisa sighed in relief, she had been woken up by someone and had chanced upon Ash's thinking face. Annalisa had gone wide eyed in anxiousness. Ash was smart. She could have figured out what was going on easily, but Annalisa had been banking on the fact that it was early in the morning. Ash was many things: sharp, beautiful, tough, and like family to Annalisa; but if there was one thing she was not that was a morning person. Annalisa knew that and that Ash had a tenancy to forget about the date. She had used those habits of Ash to her advantage. It was so hard to surprise Ash on her birthday. Sunday August the thirty-first, Annalisa had started to think and plan Ash's birthday, which was on September eighth. Monday when Ash had walked into her room, Annalisa had been working on the scrape book she was planning on giving to her. Tuesday she had been talking to Yamamoto and Gokudera about their gifts to Ash. Wednesday she had been working on a place and time to hold the party as well as informing everyone. The disciplinary guys insisted that they have the party in the reference room, but after hours of persuasion, bargaining, and begging the guys and Annalisa finally convinced Hibari to let them have the party on the roof. Since he had been dead set on not allowing a party in the reference room, they eventually succeeded in getting his permission to use the roof. This took longer then she thought, causing her to stay up late and sleep in late. Thursday she had been talking to Yamamoto about the food for the party and forgot to do her homework. Today she had been so tired from staying up late doing make up homework and party planning that she had walked into the wrong classroom and almost fallen asleep in class. Tomorrow she was going shopping with Haru and Kyoko, and Sunday after church she and everyone where going to decorate the roof for the party. "I've almost made it!" thought Annalisa. "Just three more days! Got to keep Ash in the dark just three more days!"

Sunday

"Which one do you think Ash would like better Annalisa? This one or this one?" asked Haru holding up two t-shirts. One was bright red and the other was a soft green both with the same design on them.

"Umm," said Annalisa. She didn't want to offend Haru, but she was pretty sure that Ash didn't want a t-shirt with a unicorn, sparkles, and that says, 'I love everyone!' in green or red.

"I think she would like this better," said Kyoko holding up a dark t-shirt with skulls and bones.

"Uhh," said Annalisa. Really, what kinda image do they have of Ash! Just then, I-Pin tugged on Annalisa's pants. She and Lambo had joined them when they found out that the girls were going shopping. Annalisa squatted down. "Oh, you want to give this to Ash for her birthday?"

I-Pin nodded her head as she held up a Chinese dragon necklace. "That's a good gift, Ash loves dragons," Annalisa smiled at her and rubbed her head. I-Pin smiled back up at Annalisa.

"ME TOO! ME TOO!" Yelled Lambo as he held up a box of pocky.

"Yeah, Ash loves pocky too," laughed Annalisa at his enthusiasm. "I'll have to buy two boxes," she thought to herself. "Surely he will eat the first box himself!"

Soon the group decided on their gifts and parted ways. Kyoko ended up buying a pair of headphones for Ash. They were red like the highlights in her hair and black her favorite color, and had the design of an anime she was watching. Lambo had, as Annalisa predicted, eaten his gift of the box of pocky. I-Pin had gone with the Chinese dragon necklace. Annalisa had gotten the next manga in a series Ash was reading as well as the scrape book she was making for her, and Haru had gone home promising to stay up all night if she had too in order to get the tickets to the Imagine Dragons. This was a band in America that Annalisa told them about. Annalisa had asked Reborn if he could get the tickets to go to America for the concert, and he had agreed. So, the group departed happily with plans to met the next day to decorate the school roof.

Sunday Afternoon

"No, higher! I said HIGHER. BASEBALL IDIOT, HIGHER!" Yelled Gokudera. Yamamoto sat on a ladder trying to straighten out a banner that read, 'Happy 12th Birthday Ash!' As Gokudera yelled at Yamamoto, the girls where blowing up balloons and making streamers. Reborn had said that he and Tsuna couldn't make it, which caused Gokudera to be angry.

"If the 10th isn't here, then I don't want to be either!" he had angrily declared.

"Please!" pleaded Annalisa. "We need another guy to help us lift the tables and heavy stuff!"

"Fine," grumbled Gokudera. "It's what the 10th would want anyways."

"Thank you!" said Annalisa.

They worked really hard to decorate the roof. They moved tables that would hold the sushi and tea Yamamoto was going to bring, balloons, streamers, and a banner. Everyone looked about them proud of the work done. They all smiled and slapped high-fives. Tomorrow was finally the big day! Everyone left with bright faces and promises to met again tomorrow!

Monday, Ash's Birthday!

Ash woke up to a good smell, in fact her FAVORITE smell. A smile crept on her face, so that was what was up with Senpai this week. Ash finally figured it out, she must have lost track of days. She rushed downstairs to what she had smelt, her favorite breakfast.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY ASH!" Yelled Annalisa with an absolutely ecstatic smile. Ash shared her smile. Annalisa caught her in a giant hug. "I love you my sweet girl!" she said.

"You sound so old!" laughed Ash. "I love you too, Annalisa. Thank you for everything." Birthdays were special to Annalisa and Ash. Annalisa always tried extra hard to do everything a mom would do. She wanted to give the thing she had most desired, and the thing she knew Ash needed the most. Annalisa and Ash would always have a bond as strong and unbreakable as family. The two eat breakfast together and left for school, walking hand in hand. Right before Ash was about to turn into school, Annalisa stopped her.

"Where do you think you are going?" she asked mischievously.

"Umm... not to school?" she asked hesitatly.

"Right!" confirmed Annalisa marching Ash straight to the shopping district.

"Where are we going?" asked Ash.

"A surprise," answered Annalisa smiling. Just then, the karaoke sign came into view.

"No way," said Ash in disbelief. "Annalisa the model student is skipping school to go to karaoke! And in her school uniform too!" Ash was laughing now.

"Well, today is a special occasion," she answered laughing herself. "And I brought a change of clothes for both of us. I just get changed and let you too to lessen your suspicion." And with that she handed Ash a bundle of clothes and they changed in the shopping districts public bathrooms.

Right Before Ash and Annalisa came in

"Loser Tsuna, hurry up or we will be late," said Reborn.

"Okay okay, I'm hurrying," said Tsuna. "Wait, where are we going, and why is my at home tutor telling me to skip school?" Suddenly they ran into the shopping district and into the karaoke.

When they ran in, they were met with a chorus of, "HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY ASH!" Standing in the lobby were Gokudera, Yamamoto, Kyoko, Haru, I-Pin, Lambo, and the guys in the disciplinary committee.

"Huh?!" asked Tsuna again.

"Oh, it's just Tsuna," said one of the disciplinary committee.

"Hey Tsuna!" said Yamamoto.

"Good morning 10th," said Gokudera.

"What's going on?" asked Tsuna.

"We are having a surprise party for Ash. Annalisa has been planning this for a week now," answered the guys confused.

"I never heard anything about this," he said just as confused.

"i guess that was why you couldn't come to help us decorate Sunday. We were told that Reborn would tell you," they answered. They all three looked at Reborn, but he was asleep.

"REBORN!" Yelled Tsuna.

"Calm down," said Yamamoto. "He's just a kid, it must have slipped his mind, plus he is a kid it's really early for a kid to be awake."

Tsuna was about to reply that he was being duped again, but Annalisa and Ash walked in then.

"HAPPY 12th BIRTHDAY ASH!" They yelled.

"You guys!" said Ash truly surprised. That morning was filled with fun, laughing, and singing. The disciplinary committee guys all sang a song. That cracked Ash up, because non of them could sing. Ash demonstrated her perfect pitch. Everyone had fun. Next, they all visited the arcade, and played all afternoon. "I do feel bad about you all ditching and coming to play with me today," said Ash.

"Don't worry," they told her.

"You can make up the material they went through in school today tonight loser Tsuna. Everyone else here could make it up easy," said Reborn. Tsuna groaned, but everyone else laughed.

"And what about you guys?" asked Ash to Kusakabe. "What would people think about the disciplinary committee skipping school?"

"Well, Annalisa was nice enough to invite us all and the chairman," answered Kusakabe smiling appreciatively at Annalisa. She smiled back and said that she was just glad they could come. "And don't worry, the chairman himself was the one who gave us the day off. We had all been worried about how to ask him, I was prepared to work all day so that the others could come; but before I could even bring it up the chairman gave us all the day off." That afternoon they played all the games and had lots of fun.

"I'm hungry," said Ash. Everyone stopped. "What?" she asked confused.

"She said the special phrase!" yelled a disciplinary guy. Suddenly someone blind folded her and another person picked her up.

"WAIT! WHAT'S GOING ON?" She asked in alarm.

"Nothing, you just said the secret phrase," answered Annalisa.

"What happens when I say the secret phrase?" Ash asked.

"A secret," Answered Annalisa laughing. Ash just sighed. She was carried for a good while, up some stairs, down some stairs, right turn, left turn, she lost track of where they were going. Annalisa must have told they to do that. Finally she was let down and the blind fold was taken off. This was the best surprise of the day. They were going to have a picnic of the roof of the Namimori school!

Ash ran and hugged Annalisa. "This is the best birthday ever!" she said happily. Annalisa just smiled and said that she was glad Ash liked it. They had a good meal of tea and sushi, provided my Yamamoto. After the meal they gave Ash her presents. The disciplinary guys went first, they had all chipped in to get her a leather jacket. Ash loved it and put it on immediately. Kusakabe handed her a portable first aid kit and said that Hibari had wanted to give that to her for her birthday. He said it would come in handy.

"That jerk," said Ash raising her fist in anger, but as she did so she scratched herself on a rusted nail coming out of the fence. Trying not to laugh too much, Annalisa reached for the first aid kit to get a band aid, but inside the box was a brand new watch that Ash had been wanting with a note attached. It said, "You better not be late to club meetings again." Annalisa laughed and handed it to Ash. "I was late because I didn't want to come, not because I didn't know the time," she grumbled, but she slipped the watch in non the less. Next Yamamoto gave her a coupon to his family restaurant, since she and Annalisa went there often. Even after Annalisa had said that was enough, He had felt like he didn't really get her anything so he had also bought her a Night Visions an album by a band she likes. Gokudera gave her the newest exorcism book that had just come out. It was still in the bag that the book was bought in. Lambo gave her a half eaten box of pocky, he had found the second box Annalisa had bought and eaten some of it. Ash eat the rest in fornt of him, and he started to cry. Annalisa sighed at the childishness of the two and pulled out another box of pocky. I-Pin gave Ash the Chinese dragon necklace, which she loved and put on right away. Kyoko gave her the headphones she had gotten when they went shopping. Annalisa gave Ash Dino and the Chiavarone Families' present of a new knife. Haru gave her the Imagine Dragons tickets she had in fact stayed up all night to get. Reborn gave her the tickets to go to America to see the concert.

"Oh no!" thought Tsuna. "I didn't know that it was her birthday so I didn't prepare anything."

Reborn smirked, "Forgot her present?" he asked. Tsuna nodded. "Don't worry I have something planned out for you." He walked up to Ash and said, "Ash, Tsuna's present to you is to be your slave for a whole week."

"WHAT?" Asked Tsuna.

"OH YEAH! I GET A SLAVE!" Yelled Ash excitedly.

"No," said Annalisa shaking her head. "Reborn you didn't tell Tsuna about the party did you?"

"No," answered Reborn. "It slipped my mind." Annalisa sighed.

"No slave?" asked Ash disappointed.

"Sorry," said Tsuna.

"Okay, I'll forgive you if you become my slave for a few days," replied Ash.

"What?" Asked Tsuna.

"Deal," said Reborn.

"Enough about the slaves," said Annalisa. "Here's my present." She handed her the scrap book filled with pictures of the time they had spent here in Japan with everyone. She also gave her the next volume in the manga she was currently reading. Ash thanked everyone for a great party and presents. Soon the sun began to set and darkness crept in on the happy party. They set off fireworks. It was a perfect ending for a perfect day.

As the two were going to bed, Annalisa asked smiling, "Did you have fun?"

"Yup," answered Ash smiling back. "I can't wait till next year!"