Cassi heard a knock on her door. She brushed through her hair one more time as Whitney lectured her on what to do and what not to do on your first date. Cassi was pretending to pay attention as she continued to ramble on about manners and such.
"And remember, if you run out of things to say, think before you say something awkward!" She said as she straightened Cassi's jacket.
"Dude. It's America! We've known him since forever, why are you talking like it's some dude you've only met once?" She said looking at Whitney like she was insane.
"I know! It's just... This is your first date~!" She squealed happily. China walked into the room, a bit mopey, but otherwise alright. Cassi looked at him.
"Don't worry, Yao~aru! It's Alfred, and you know nothing bad will happen~aru!" She tried to console him. He looked up at her, sort of smiling.
"I know~aru. It's just...You're growing up so fast~aru!" He said and hugged her. There was another knock on the door that reminded the three that America was waiting outside.
"Well, I gotta go you guys~aru!" She said as she walked towards the door. She turned around once more and waved then opened the door to a grinning America.
"Well, you ready Cassi?"He asked eagerly. She nodded smiling, and they walked out the door into America's truck.
"Wait~! Cassi-chan!" Whitney exclaimed, running out of the door holding a camera. "Here! And hugs for a good time!" She practically threw the camera at Cassi and engulfed her in a hug. "You too!" She hugged America, then looked at him with what can only be described as a glare. "Bring her back safely. Tonight. No later than midnight."
The two just looked on at her with faces of confusion before Alfred shouted, "Don't worry, dudette! The hero will keep her safe!"
"You better~aru!" China called from the porch, waving. "Have fun,~aru!"
Whitney walked her way to the porch as America and Cassi climbed into the truck and took off.
"I hope this turns out to be a good thing, ~aru." China said thoughtfully as the truck turned onto the main road.
"Don't worry, China. I think it'll turn out great." Whitney smiled and half-waved at the vehicle disappearing from view.
"How can you be so sure,~aru?" China questioned, looking at her oddly.
"Just a feeling."
{Cassi's Point of View}
When we got in I immediately reached into my purse and got out my iPod and my transmitter. "Yo, Alfredo! Can I plug in my transmitter?"
"What's that?" He asked curiously.
"It's where I can plug my iPod into it and play it's music on the radio." I replied.
He smiled. "Go for it!"
"Thanks. Hey, do you like Weird Al?" I asked.
"Flip yeah! That dude's a genius!" He shouted as he cranked up the truck. I laughed and put on the song 'eBay'.
As soon as the song started playing, Alfred and I started singing along with it.
"Yeah~...
A used ... pink bathrobe,
A rare ... mint snowglobe,
A Smurf ... TV tray,
I bought on eBay~.
My house ... is filled with this crap,
Shows up in bubble wrap,
Most every day,
What I bought on eBay~!"
We were trying not to laugh while we were singing the lyrics but failing miserably. We continued sing-laughing until we reached the middle of the song...
"I'll buy ... your tchotchkes,
Sell me... your watch, please!
I'll buy (I'll buy, I'll buy, I'll buy~)
I'm highest bidder~!"
At this point, America fist pumped in the air unexpectedly and punched a hole in the roof of his truck!
"Dude!" I looked to him, waiting for him to react in some way, but he simply pulled his hand out of the hole he'd just made and kept singing. Shortly after this, I started laughing maniacally.
"Cassi? Dude...ette.. Are you okay?"
I just kept on laughing. I'm only half way sure why I found this situation funny, but that's usually how it always is. After a while, I calmed down though.
"Nice to know you're enjoyin' yourself. All in a days work for the hero!" He exclaimed, fist pumping again, but gentler this time.
I just smiled again and nodded.
"Don't go quiet on me!" He said happily, slightly urging me to start talking. The song had ended awhile ago...
"Okay, okay! Um...Oh! Do you want to see a movie after we leave McDonald's?" I asked eagerly.
"Of course! Who doesn't like movies?" He half-shouted, gripping the steering wheel strongly. "Anything in particular you want to see?"
I grinned. "I want to see a horror!"
"A horror, huh?" America asked, forcing a laugh. "What kind...?"
I paused, thinking, then gasped. "PARANORMAL ACTIVITY THREE!" I yelled.
"That's the one... With..."
"GHOSTS!" I shrieked with delight, even though I could almost see America's face pale.
"...What's wrong?" I asked after a few seconds.
"Huh? Oh, uh, yeah. Don't worry. The hero will... Protect you from the... G-ghosts..." He stuttered. But before I could ask anything, we pulled into the McDonald's parking lot and all fear was forgotten.
"We're HERE!" He yelled excitedly. I got excited as we ran inside, after he locked his truck. We both ran immediately to a booth and sat down, momentarily forgetting that we had to get up and order our food. We laughed briefly and as I got up to go get in line, he put his hand on my shoulder.
"Let the hero order your food for you. What do you want?" He asked, smiling.
I smiled bacl. "A chicken sandwich and fries and a sweet tea, please. But wait, let me give you the money for-"
"Nah, it's cool! I'll pay for it!" He said and enthusiastically ran to the small line before I could object.
I eventually sat back down thinking. This may not turn out that bad. I smiled to myself. I'm glad that he didn't just flat out reject me...In the midst of my thoughts I hadn't noticed that he got back and set the tray down.
"Cassi? Yo! Cassi!" He said, waving his hand in front of my face. I had zoned out, but snapped back to reality then.
"Oh! Sorry!" I said, smiling again.
"Don't think too hard, k?" He said, picking up his favorite food, a hamburger, and taking a bite. "That usually takes the fun away from things!"
"If you say so!" I said, sort of agreeing as I picked up my chicken sandwich.
"Ah~! It's soooo good!" America exclaimed and started to snarf down the rest of his hamburger. "This is great!"
"Yeah! I really love this place~!" I agreed as I ate my sandwich just a little bit slower than him.
"Anyone who doesn't is crazy!" He said loudly, and paused as he noticed my camera on the table. "Oh. Well, I guess we should put that to use soon, huh?" He took a slow sip on his soda as if he was thinking about something, then looked at me with a half smile.
I nodded. "Those guys can be so nosey..." I said, looking at it.
"Better to know they care, right?" He laughed, then his face turned thoughtful. "I don't think China liked this too much, though.."
I nodded. "He's really overprotective of me, is all. I know you're not the reason why! So don't be worried about it!" I said, not wanting him to be upset.
He fully smiled at me then. "I won't then!" He turned his attention back to the camera. "After we eat, then?"
"Sure!" I said then shoved fries in my mouth happily. He did the same, almost twice as fast as I did. Pretty soon it became an all out eating contest!
{Whitney Point of View}
I sat inside Cassi's house, uncertain of what to do. China was right there with me.
"Are you going to stay here until they come home, ~aru?" China asked.
"Of course!" I replied hastily. "I want to know everything! If I need to go hunt him down or if he'll continue to be the good guy I know!"
"Interesting, ~aru." China paused, like he was debating on whether or not he wanted to say something. "I feel the same way."
"Team?" I said happily, holding out my hand for a handshake.
"Deal, ~aru." China replied, taking my hand and smiling back.
{Cassi Point of View}
My head fell down on the table. I had eaten so much! So had America! But, sadly, he had eaten far more... Somehow. I was starting to question whether or not he was human!
"Dude!" I whined, moving my head up to look at him. "How do you eat that much!"
"The hero can do anything!" He yelled, happily eating ANOTHER hamburger. I couldn't stop myself from giggling.
"Well, I admit defeat then." I said, sitting back up.
"Finally! You're so stubborn, I thought you'd never give up!" He said, laughing.
"I know I'm stubborn, but my stomach can only hold so much! And plus, I've had my ice cream, so I'm good." I said, looking towards the camera.
He noticed my staring too, and before I knew it, he was right next to me with the camera pointed at us and I saw a flash.
"Hahaha! I caught you off guard!" He laughed.
"Lemme see it!" I said, reaching for the camera. But he lifted it away so I couldn't get it.
"Dude!" I shouted which caused him to laugh again.
"Nope! You're just going to delete it!"
"Why would I do that? I just wanna look~aru!" I whined.
"Fine, fine!" he chuckled, letting me hold the camera. The picture showed me with a suprised face and America with his toungue stuck out and his fingers making bunny ears behind my head. I laughed.
"Nice, Alfred." I said, handing it back to him.
"Thank you." He said quickly and I immediatley saw another flash.
"Yes! You were smiling in that one!" He said, fist pumping again.
"Dude!" I laughed, reaching out for the camera once again. "That's not fair!"
"You're on Candid Camera, yo!" Alfred smiled, ready to take another picture, but then he stopped. "I guess we should save some pictures for later, since I'm not letting you delete any." He teased.
"Come on, Alfredo Cheese!" I begged, reaching for the camera again.
"Oh, so you want the hero to take the picture this time? Okay!" He said cheerily, pushing the button again.
"Stop it!" I laughed, jumping up to get the camera but failing because he was taller than me.
"Hm, how's the ground down there, shorty?" He said, laughing as he held the camera just out of my reach.
"Not funny!" I said, even though just afterwards I started laughing.
"Nah, I think I'll be the professional camera man hero." He stated matter-of-factly.
I stopped laughing, crossed my arms and looked up at him. I still had a smile on my face though. I turned around and stated "Meh." while not looking at him.
I waited a few seconds and heard him say "What, so you're giving up now?" I smiled wider, but he couldn't see it.
"Meh." I said again. I heard him walk closer.
"Hey, are you mad at me?" He asked, putting his hand on my shoulder. I turned my head away and said "Meh." again.
"Uh, uh, I'm sorry! Here, you can have the camera!" He said, handing it to me and freaking out at the same time.
I waited a second and quickly turned around and snatched the camera out of his hands before he had time to think.
"Hah!" I yelled and ran out the door and down the sidewalk along the edge of the building.
"DUDETTE NOT COOL!" America called, running after me. "Where are you going?"
I simply laughed and started running towards the one place where I knew I'd be safe, and probably get some pretty cool pictures too. The little kid's play place!
"Kolkolkolkolkol..." I laughed, mimicking Russia's evil laugh as I started to climb into the first colorful tube. And then, the unthinkable happened... I tripped. And fell.
"Cassi! Wait!" America yelled as he caught up to me.
"Noes! You can't take the camera!" I said, trying to get back up.
"Are you alright? I mean, didn't you fall?" He said, approaching me and helping me up. "How am I supposed to protect you if you run off like that? Come on! I'm the hero, not the bad guy!" He flashed a smile at me.
I smiled back, hiding the camera behind my back. "I know!" I said.
"Then... Are you playing hard to get?" He replied, still smiling.
I smiled wider and took a few steps back. "I dunno... Maybe?" I made it sound like a question.
He laughed and then ran towards me but I was expecting this and sprinted out of the playplace. It was too small and he'd surely catch up to me in there.
I ran into the park and hid behind a tree, trying to catch my breath. I was not a fast runner. I tried to sneak away and go behind another tree, but my ninja-ness wouldn't activate. I could tell because he saw me and grabbed my shoulders from behind. "Eep!" I squeaked, not expecting it.
He laughed. "You really weren't that hard to get!" He said.
I turned around to face him. "Well, I'm not the best runner..." I trailed off.
"No worries! The hero will train you!" I looked at him.
"No! I'm fine; I don't need training~!" I whined.
He waited a second. "Well... Good! Because I'm too lazy to actually do that anyways! So we're even!" He laughed.
"You are lazy. And you eat McDonald's a lot. How come you aren't fat?" I wondered out loud.
"Well, then I wouldn't make a very good hero, now would I?" He paused. "I still train~! Sometimes." He finished, winking.
I laughed. "Do Michael Jackson dancing games on the Wii count? Cause if they do, then I train too!"
"Definitely!" He shouted, fist pumping into the air. "Training is always better if you're having fun with it!"
"Yeah!" I shouted, mimicking his fist pump.
"Becoming quite the ninja heroine, huh?" He asked happily.
I smiled, loving the idea of another ninja title. "Ninja heroine..." I thought. "I like it~aru!"
"I'm glad!" He smiled. "So, you're my equal and not my sidekick, right?" He questioned for clarity, giving me a thumbs up.
I smirked. "No, compared to me, YOU are the sidekick. Ninjas pwn all."
"Prove it." He goaded, grinning.
"Okay..." I said, looking around. I stared at a piece of grass, knowing he would look to see what I was looking at, and when he did I tackled him to the ground and sat on his back.
"Hah! Pwned!" I gloated and laughed.
"Not fair~!" He whined. "You caught me off guard!"
"Exactly!" I laughed again. "That's what ninjas do!"
He then got up all of a sudden and pinned me down, facing the ground. "Ha! Well, the hero gets the last laugh!" He said and started laughing.
I tried getting back up to retaliate, but he seriously had me pinned good. His arms were holding my back down. "No! That's not fair, because you're stronger than me!" I whined this time.
"Hahaha! That's what heros are!" He said, mimiking my earlier statement.
"...I still pwned you first!" I said, not being able to think of another retaliation at the moment.
"But it is ladies first! And anyway, how do you know I wasn't just letting my guard down?" He asked.
"Well because you wouldn't have! Plus, you were whining when I pwned you!" I argued back, about to try and jump out of his pin.
"Heroes know when they need to be good actors!" He exclaimed, still holding me down. "Plus, the fact that I was able to retaliate and successfully subdue you proves, that we are, in fact, equals! It's also stated in the Bill of Rights."
"No! No, no, noooo the Bill of Rights says NOTHING about ninjas!" I whined.
"I was referring to the fact that you're a lady and..." His voice trailed off. "I probably shouldn't be roughhousing with you like this." He paused. "But even though it doesn't say anything about ninjas or heroes, it's still a free country!" He laughed uncertainly.
"You are starting to sound confused...and nervous." I stated, attempting to look up at him.
"No! There's no dent in my hero facade! I don't know what you're talking about, Ninja Heroine..." He said defensively, the pressure easing up from my back just a little...
"...You're freaking out!" I said, giggling. "That means you are lying~!"
"Heroes don't lie!" He exclaimed emphatically. "They simply know how to cover over the truth a little, you know, to... To protect themselves and their families!"
"... Then what are you trying to protect now?"
"Uh..." He paused, obviously not seeing this coming. "Life, Liberty, and... The Pursuit of... Happiness." He finished quietly, finally letting go of my back.
I sat up. "...'Kay." I nodded. "So... Now I know that you are a terrible liar!"
"Only around pretty girls and McDonald's." He winked.
I blushed, I'm sure, and looked down. "Eh, well..." I trailed off, then got an idea. "How about that movie?" I asked eagerly.
He became visibly more stiff and uncomfortable looking. "Um... I guess we could go watch it now..."
"Great!" I yelled, standing up and holding my hand out for him to take. He took it and I yanked him up quickly and dragged him back to his truck.
He was being really slow. By the time I was in my seat buckled up he had only just opened the door. "What's wrong with you?" I asked.
He shook his head, getting his seatbelt on. "Nothing! N-nothing is wrong with... The hero." He said and started up his truck.
I gave him a confused look but started playing my music again. When we got into the movie theater we ordered the tickets and got a soda to share. We were both still full from the McDonald's.
The commercials started playing and while they were I noticed that he was still really stiff looking.
"You really don't seem alright..." I said, slightly concerned. "Are you okay..?"
"Yeah!" He nodded his head fervently. "I'm... I'm gonna protect you from those.. G... Ghosts!" He finished, punching the air.
I finally realized what was wrong. I'm not sure how it took so long for me to get it. "You... Are scared. Aren't you?" I asked, looking him up and down to see his response.
"N-No! Never! Heroes aren't afraid of anything!" He denied, even though his voice had started to get more and more elevated...
"Dude... It's okay to admit it." I said, genuinley starting to worry.
"No! I'm protecting you here! That's my duty!" He exclaimed. "I can't be afraid of... Ghosts... What hero is afraid of ghosts?" He questioned, looking at me with extreme intensity.
I put my hand on his forehead. "You don't have a fever..." I trailed off. I then poked him in the arm. "Relax man! If you're that scared, I'm right here!" I said.
He shot me a look, but simply nodded. The commercials were over now, and the movie was about to start.
"Gyah!" He shouted, holding onto me as the lights dimmed. "Ninja Heroine! How can they not scare you? You can't hit them or anything! They're... Just... There!" He whisper-shouted into my ear.
"They're... Not... Real!" I whispered back, immitating his tone.
"But.. But England said..." I shushed him as the movie appeared on the screen. "Cassi!" He whined, looking at me pitifully.
I tried to hold back laughter. "It's just moving pictures on a screen! It's not even real!" I reminded.
He frowned, practically engulfing me in a hug. "Fine... As long as I'm here with you, I'll be brave." He gulped, facing the screen once again.
The movie was over, and I was walking out of the theater with the freaking out whiner clinging to me and ranting on about how scary that was.
He continued this until we were outside and I just stood there, waiting for him to calm down. He didn't, after a while, and so I put my hand on his back. "Alfred, It's all over now, please calm down. Nothing happened." I said in the most soothing voice I could muster up.
He stopped whimpering and looked at me, but didn't let go of my arm. "...Okay. I-I told you I would protect you!" he said.
I shook my head and patted his. "Yes, you sure did." He seemed suprised that I agreed with him but then his face turned confused.
"Wait, was that saracasm?" He asked. I smirked and remained silent. "Dude! You gotta answer me!" He whined, starting to forget about the movie. Yes, my plan was working. I giggled which confused him even more. "What are you giggling about? It's not funny! I so protected you!"
"Seriously, dude, calm down." I stated calmly, hugging him. "You... Protected me to the best of your abilities."
He nodded. "Yeah... Those ghosts were tough..." He shook his head violently, like he was attempting to clear something from it.
"And...You won! So now the battle's over, right?"
"The battle's never over, Ninja Heroine!" He stated heroically. "Although, it would help if..." He stopped, and I could've sworn that his face flushed before he turned away from me.
"If...? If what, man?" I asked, wanting him to finish.
"If I always had a cool, calm and collected Ninja Heroine by my side, you know?" He looked at me, his face accented lightly with pink.
I thought for a moment about what it was he was getting at..."Hm, what do you mean?"
"You're smart enough to figure that out~!" He laughed nervously, mussing my hair. "In some other words, I hope this isn't the last time we'll do this."
I couldn't stop the smile that stuck itself on my face. "I'm sure as heck it won't be!"
He smiled back at me as we walked to the truck. "Almost time for another picture, huh?"
I sighed. "I reckon so... Hey, lemme take it this time." I said. He nodded and we both got next to his truck, me pointing the camera to us. "Say cheese ninja!" I said and took the picture.
I looked at it as he walked around to the drivers side and got in. I smiled, really liking it for some reason... It was confusing because normally I hate pictures. "Hey, you coming?" He called from inside.
I broke out of my thoughts and got in the truck. "Sorry." I laughed.
"Dude, what did I tell you about thinking too hard?" He teased.
"Man, with how you say that it makes it sound like you never think. Which actually-"
"HEY!" He said, interrupting me and feigning offence.
I started laughing again. "I'm kidding!"
He laughed too. "I know." He said, looking for his keys.
"Um... Having trouble over there?" I asked cautiously, peering over the hood of the truck to look at him.
"DUDE! No way! Not again!" He shouted, then began to pull his pockets inside out.
"And you said you've thought before..." I teased.
"Not funny!" He half sighed, half shouted. "And it's only three o'clock..."
"Well...what should we do then?" I looked at him uncertainly.
"Well... We could do the mature thing and go look for them... Or... We could use it as an excuse to have more fun!" He looked at me coyly.
"Mature is just another word for boring! I like the second option better!" I said smiling.
"So, where to?" He asked, looking around.
I stared straight ahead, my eyes not looking at anything and my mind taking over with pictures of the only thing I could think of at the moment..."I...want...ice cream..." I said slowly.
"ICE CREAM?" He exclaimed, spazzing. "I LOVE ICE CREAM!"
"I KNOW YOU DO!" I laughed, his outburst breaking me out of my ice cream trance.
"Then let's GO!" He shouted, pointing back towards the movie theater. Next door there happened to be a Sonic...
"Shweet!" I said, thinking about ice cream again, but then I turned to him and asked "What are you going to order?"
"Hmmm.. Well, we just ate earlier, but... I think I could handle another food eating contest." He smirked.
I thought about whining but then I thought...this is a horrible idea that I so am about to agree to. "Beep yeah!"
"Alright, you're on!" He replied, fist pumping.
"...I'm going to win this time." I said, looking straight ahead. That was supposed to be a thought and not form words, so I didn't realize I said it.
"That's what you think." He said, fixing me with a competitive stare.
I looked back, then realized I spoke. "Oh! Did I say that out loud? I was going to wait and watch your suprised defeat but I guess you got a warning!"
"Pft, I don't need a warning. The hero's already on his toes when he's around you." He put his chest out and crossed his arms over it.
"Just when you are around me? What is that supposed to mean?" I asked, looking at him curiously.
"Uh, I mean... I try not to act like an idiot around you." He said shyly, probably embarrassed that I'd caught on.
"...How come when you're around me?" I pressed on.
He laughed nervously. "Because maybe the hero's... Had a crush on you for awhile now."
My eyes widened and I looked at him. "...Really?"
"Every hero has to have a heroine sometime." He said solemnly, looking at me. "Someone special to protect, even if that someone doesn't necessarily need protecting." He paused and smiled. "I'm not normally the lovey type. But it made me angry that France kissed you, and it kinda took me until now to really figure out why..."
I could feel my face heating up as he spoke. I stared at him, not really sure what to say, but my mouth decided to take over and I spoke before I could think.
"Maybe I've had a crush on you too, but was too embarrassed to ever say anything about it because I'm not good with this kind of stuff and... And... And I kind of... Am like... Really... Really... Happy right now." I finished, looking at my shoes to hide my red face.
I had the biggest grin on my face and I couldn't get it off if I wanted to. It was his turn to ask "Really?"
"Yeah. I'd... Told Whitney a little about it before, but not much. I think that's why she dared me to go on this date but... I'm really happy she did. I'd have gone on it whether it was a dare or not, really. Um... And I think that ninjas need someone to protect as well... But someone who also could protect them if they ever have a blind spot... Just in case." I said, still looking down.
"Just in case? You'll never have to worry cuz I won't let'em get that far!" He said teasingly, smiling. "And, actually... The guys also, kind of... Dared me to kiss you..." He paused, regulating his breath. "But I'd never want to be like France!"
"...Well, you're not like France if you warned me!" I said, looking back up and smiling.
His face flushed slightly. "But I don't want to take your first actual kiss."
"...Why not?" I asked, searching his eyes.
"Not unless you want me to." He stated, looking down.
"Well... I don't not want you too." I said, blushing more.
"But for it to be your first kiss, for it to count, you'd have to kiss back." He teased with a smile, leaning in closer to me.
I smiled back. "Well... I don't really know how..."
"Just, do what feels right." He replied, his face hovering by mine. He looked like he was having trouble deciding what to do himself.
"...O-okay..." I stuttered, waiting for him to make the first move. I was flipping nervous! But, I didn't want to wreck the mood or anything.
He leaned back a little. "I don't want to do anything you don't want to. I'm not France." He smiled softly.
...I didn't know I was impatient until the sentence flew out of my mouth. "Dude, you're not France, just flipping kiss me!"
He laughed, then leaned in closer to my face and put his lips on mine gently.
I closed my eyes and kissed back...I mean I think I did. I can't really be sure, you know, lack of experience but it was... Nice.
When he pulled back I was smiling so much my cheeks started hurting. He was smiling too but looking down, so I grabbed his hand and started walking again.
I looked back at his confused expression, still smiling like there was no tomorrow, and said "We were going to get ice cream, remember?"
He smiled again and quickened his pace so that he was dragging me. I started laughing and sprinted to catch up with him untill we got there and sat down at one of the tables. "Dude, how are we gonna start this off?" I asked, getting back into competitive mode.
"I think we need to start it off with huge sundays." He replied.
I nodded. "Good idea." I said back as he got up and went to order it. He kissed me...Does this mean we are going out? He said he's had a crush on me...This is insane~! I thought to myself untill he got back and set down two huge bowls of ice cream on the table and handed me a spoon.
"Ready?" he said, sitting down.
"Wait, hold on a sec." I sat there a second, silent, then said "Kay I'm ready now!"
He rolled his eyes and said "Smarty." I smiled.
"Okay...GO!" I yelled and started shoveling the creamy deliciousness into my mouth.
He was shoveling in ice cream almost as fast as I was, but I held a bit of a lead. This made me kind of smug.
But we ate the last bite at exactly the same time.
"HAH! We are equals!" He said complacently, licking the corners of his mouth where some ice cream still lingered.
"But I'm not done yet!" I said, wiping the ice cream off my mouth with the back of my hand.
"Alright, what next, Ninja Heroine?"
"How about a cone this time?" I asked innocently.
"Covered in chocolate and sprinkles?" He said, egging me on.
"Flip to the yes!" I yelled.
He came back, carrying two giant cones, and handed one to me. "On your mark..."
"Get set..." I supplied.
"GO!" We both yelled, and dug into our ice cream at the same time.
I finished mine and looked over to him, hoping he hadn't yet. I was wrong. I slammed my hands down on the table. "HOW ON EARTH!" I said, slamming my hands back down with each word.
He laughed. "You have chocolate on your face."
I rubbed my hand against the chocolate on my face and then licked it off of my fingers.
"I could've helped you, you know." He said, looking at me oddly.
"Dude! You NEVER waste chocolate!" I exclaimed.
He laughed again. "Okay, well, ready to give up yet?"
I was full, and I wouldn't deny it to myself, but I showed no weakness. "How about you?" I asked.
"Well, I asked you first."
"Well, I asked you second."
"Well, I could eat more."
"Well, so could I."
We paused. "Well, want a milkshake this time?" He asked.
"Only if we stop saying 'well' so much." I laughed.
He got up and ran to get the shakes as I sat back and thought. I got an idea as I started grinning. When he got back, he handed me mine.
"We both got chocolate." He said, knowing I would appreciate that. I nodded.
"Three, two, one! GO!" He said, and started sipping on his milkshake furiously. I did as well, but when I saw that he was slightly ahead of me, I stopped and said "Dude, wait a second!"
He stopped drinking and looked at me. "Shouldn't we go to the bathroom? You know, before we explode?" I asked.
"Oh, yeah, you're probably right." He said and got up.
I got up too. "Kay, when we get back we'll continue." I said.
"Alright!" He said and we both sprinted to the bathrooms. As soon as he got inside, though, I laughed evily and went back to the table.
I opened our drinks and poured some of mine out into his, but made sure not to pour too much. That would make him suspicious. I closed the lids back and took another huge sip out of mine then ran to the bathroom. I still needed to go!
When I got out he was standing by the table waiting. I walked back and he sat down. "Ready to continue?" I asked.
"Heroes are born ready." He replied, smirking.
"Then, let's go!" I exclaimed, reaching for my shake so that I could chug the rest of it down. I stopped mid-slurp with a frozen look on my face.
America threw his shake down, empty. "Hah! Take tha-..." He paused when he saw my face. "Cassi? Are you okay?"
"BRAIN FREEZE!" I yelled at him. "OWW! How did you even finish that that fast without-" I grimaced. "Oww... A brain freeze?"
"I just don't get them for some reason." He laughed wholeheartedly. "Sometimes I even forget other people have them. Sorry."
"OW! Ow, ow, ow! But you weren't supposed to finish before me!" I whined, holding my head.
"You were the one that took on the challenge!" America replied haughtily.
"NO! I mean I-Ah! Nevermind..." I said, catching myself before revealing my ninja move.
"Are you really alright?" He asked in concern.
"...Yes." I said, pouting. "But...I woulda won if it hadn't been for all the other stuff I ate today!"
"Well, I'm still going on strong!" He exclaimed, fist pumping.
I looked at him like he was insane. "...How?" I said to myself, but then just decided not to question it. "Please, don't make yourself explode." I said, starting to worry.
"Hey, don't worry!" He said happily, giving me a thumb's up. "I only eat like this when I'm showing off, having fun, or reeeeeally hungry! Besides, heroes don't explode!" He laughed.
"Oh..." I said. Then smiled. "As long as you can handle your ice creams, just be responsible."
"Of course!" He replied with a smile. "Now, you on the other hand... Don't go exploding on me!"
I crossed my arms. "I will do no such thing." I said, looking up. "I know when to stop eating."
"Of course you do." America assured me, putting his arm around me.
My eye then caught something shiny from the ground in the direction of the movie theater. "Ooooh. Shiny..." I said, becoming mesmerized and walking towards it, not paying attention to the confused Alfred who was calling me and asking where I was going.
Once I reached it, I bent down only to pick it up and realize it was America's car keys! They were laying in the middle of the parking lot.
"Dude look what I found!" I yelled, turning around to see Alfred coming up to me.
"Whoa, no way! You found my keys!" he said.
"That was unexpected... But I'm glad I did! How were we going to get home if we didn't?" I wondered out loud.
He shrugged. "Beats me!" He said and slung an arm around my shoulder. "I'm just glad the key ninja came through for me!" He continued, smiling.
"Well...Do you want to go home?" I asked.
He looked at me. "Do you?"
"Ummm, it doesn't matter to me! And, you know once we get back to my house Whitney and China will be bombarding us with questions..." I said.
"Yeah, I know..." He said.
"Wanna take a walk in the park first, then?" He asked, looking at me.
I nodded. "That sounds nice."
"Plus, I can have you out til midnight, Whitney said." He laughed.
I smiled. "What would we do for eight hours though?"
"Does it matter if we're together?" He questioned, smiling absently.
"Hm, no, not really. Plus, we don't have to worry about wasting time. Because time you enjoy wasting is not wasted time." I stated.
"So you enjoy being with me?" He looked at her with adoration.
"Yes! Of course I do, I've been having a wonderful time!" I exclaimed, smiling at him.
"You really mean it?" America said happily, hugging me.
"Alfred, why would I lie about that?" I asked, hugging back.
"Maybe to build up my hero ego?" He grinned.
I rolled my eyes. "Yes. Because what I enjoy doing is making other people concieted." I said sarcastically and laughed.
"Well, I'm glad we're both enjoying ourselves then!" He said happily, moving towards the park after gently taking my hand.
I stayed silent and let him lead me. I was staring at the back of his head happily, wondering how this ever happened. I was so very thankfull. I'd have to properly thank Whitney somehow later.
{Whitney's Point of View}
"So..." I asked, looking around the room. China stopped fidgeting and looked to me. It had been a couple hours, but neither of us had really moved from our spots. China had started to clean, but quickly lost interest and made his way back to the living room. "What do you think they're doing now?"
"He better not be doing something to her..." China said in annoyance.
"Yeah, he better not." I paused. "But I think Alfred's a good guy. He did help us chase after France, after all." China nodded absently, seeming to be lost in his own thoughts. "I think they like each other." I giggled a little, attempting to hide a smile.
"Maybe, aru."
"...Are we going to just sit here until they get back?" I asked.
"Hmmm...Want to play Monopoly~aru?"
{Cassi's Point of View}
We had been walking around for a while, commenting on the scenery and sometimes a few people we thought interesting, but we soon got tired and sat down on a bench.
I leaned my head back and looked at the clouds. It was such a pretty day today. I closed my eyes, not really thinking about anything at the moment, when I felt a poke on my forehead. I looked to Alfred, who was looking at me amusedly, as he said "You got quiet."
"Meh, you know, chillin'." I replied. "The clouds are pretty today." I stated. "Yeah...OH look at that one!" he said, pointing to one.
"Yeah?" I said, more like a question. "It looks like a hamburger!" "...No it doesn't."
He pouted and crossed his arms. "I can dream, can't I?" he said, turning away. I laughed.
"Of course you can! Look at that one!" I said, pointing to one that was very round. "It looks like a pony." I stated.
"...No it doesn't, dude." he said, looking back at me. "Ah, I can dream, can't I?" I said, mocking him overdramatically and turning the other way.
"Okay, smart one, I get it." Alfred and I laughed. "But seriously, that one did look like a hamburger." he added after a second of silence.
"Man, you are having delusions." I said. "No I am not! How rude!" he faked offence and turned away again. I looked at him.
"Alfred~" I sang. He didn't move. I think he may have been trying to copy my stunt from in the McDonnalds with the camera. I wasn't about to allow this to fool me. I reached over and poked him in the head repeatedly.
"Aaaaaaalfreeeeeeeed." I said while poking him. He didn't move, but I knew he was smiling. If he was really mad, he'd look all depressed... Like a puppy.
I sighed. "Alright, then, try ignoring this." I said and poked him in the side. He squeaked and hugged himself as I started laughing.
"No fair!" He choked out a laugh as I continued poking him. "My secret weakness!"
"Haha! There's more where that came from!" I shouted, continuing my bombardment of poking as we fell off of the bench. I landed on top of him awkwardly, but he was still bursting with laughter.
"You are so lucky no one else knows your weakness!" I said, laughing.
I stopped poking him and he slowly caught his breath. "Does the Ninja Heroine have a weakness too?"
I stopped laughing. "No... Ninjas are too ninja for weaknesses..."
"Not even weaknesses like... These?" He leaned up and kissed me by surprise.
I stiffened, but remained silent. "That...That's not a weakness, it's... It's a hindrance." I said, my face turning red.
He frowned. "Ah, well, it was worth a try." He smiled, then pulled me into his lap, burying his face in my hair.
I smiled again and hugged one of his arms. "Nothing can defeat a ninja..." I said.
Then, he got the brilliant idea to poke me the way I poked him.
"Eep!" I squeaked, my ninja reflexes making me put my arms in front of me protectivley. I just looked at him as he smirked at me.
I tried jumping out of his lap and running away but today my ninja-ness was being mood-swingy and turned off, preventing me to get away in time. He grabbed ahold of my arm and started poking me much like I was doing before.
I couldn't keep myself from laughing. "No! Dude," I tried to say in between laughs, "That's so not fair!" I said.
"How is it not fair? You were doing the same thing to me! And you said ninjas didn't have weaknesses!" he said and started to laugh along with me.
His poking then turned into tickling which made me laugh even harder. "It's not a weakness!" I shreiked "Oh really? Then how come you're not defending yourself right now?" he asked, smartly.
I jumped up unexpectedly and started tickling him mercilessly, causing him to laugh quite hard. "I am now!" I said as I caught my breath. "And the hero can't do nothin' about it!" I added.
He attempted to say something, but I kept tickling him anyway. He had discovered my secret, after all...
"C-C-Cassi!" He managed to sputter out. "St-st-stop it!"
"NEVAH!" I exclaimed, turning up my tickle power. That was when it happened. He somehow grabbed me in another hug, but this time he pinned my arms to my sides.
"Wha-Hey! I was in the middle of attacking you!" I said, amazed that I had been caught off guard.
"I-" He paused, laughter breaking up his sentence. "Needed a chance to breathe!" He finished, loosening his grip on me. "Did I hurt you?"
I laughed. "No, you didn't."
"So..." His voice trailed off as he looked away.
"So...I so pwned you...so..." I mimicked him.
He laughed. "No, I was thinking. I should ask you straight out, shouldn't I?"
"Ask me... Yeah, cause I'm not really sure what you're talkin' about!" I said as I grinned up at him.
He chuckled as he looked down at me. "Since we both want to do this again sometime... Would you, Cassi the Ninja Heroine, be my girlfriend? So that I have someone special to protect?"
"Yes!" I yelled, throwing my arms around his neck.
"Just one more question..." He paused, wrapping his arms around my waist. "Am I dreaming?"
I looked up at him and smiled. "Hold on, lemme check." I said and pinched his arm.
"Aww c'mon, something that puny wouldn't wake me up!" He teased, embracing me.
"Well, you can't be dreaming. Because that would mean I was dreaming too, and I would've woken up by now..." I said.
"That's a good thing, then!" He kissed my forehead. "Too bad I can't think of any other way to spend the day... Wish I could think of something exciting..."
"Hmmm..." I hummed, thinking. "Do you wanna play...soccer or something? Wait no... You'd beat me bad...Uh, OH do you want to prank call people?" I asked, thinking it would be funny.
"That's illegal!" America gasped, but then looked at me mischievously. "Who did you have in mind?"
I laughed and pulled out my phone, clicking on the contacts. I showed him the screen with the name 'Arthur' highlited and he smiled as I dialed the number, hiding my caller ID.
Ring...ring..."Hello?"
"Hello. This is Mrs. Phillip Martins. I am calling about the letter you sent my daughter." I said, mimiking his British accent.
"...Excuse me? I'm afraid I don't know a Phillip Martins, I believe you have the wrong number-" "Isn't your name Arthur Kirkland?" I interrupted.
"...Yes."
"Well, Mister Kirkland, I am calling about the letter you sent to me about your, ahem, strong feelings for my daughter. I do not apreciate you using those terms, or that french-looking dialect, or writing that to her period. I hope you remember that you left your address in the envelope, and my husband is not happy at all with you. Just wanted to give you fair warning. Good day." I then hung up. I made sure to give a clue suggesting France sent it.
"You're a GENIUS!" Alfred yelled, hugging me. "That was... to say in Arthur's words... Bloody brilliant!"
I laughed. "Well, now it's your turn!"
He took his phone out and stared at it, looking through his contacts as if he was searching for someone. He selected his victim, then clicked the send button with a smile.
"Oy! Buenos tardes! Who is speaking?" The all too familiar Spanish voice drifted over the speaker and I had to hold back a snicker as America continued with the prank.
"Dude! I got the stuff. We meetin' same place, same time right?" His voice took on a deeper, muffled tone.
"Que?" Spain's voice was extremely confused. "What are you talking about?"
"DUDE! The alleyway! At eleven! You know! The goods..." America deepened his voice even more as it trailed off.
"I think you have the wrong-" Poor Spain was interrupted.
"No, I know. We're tight dog, tight... I understand if now's not a good time. Your woman can be quite controlling." I almost bust out laughing attempting to imagine Spain's face.
"I don't know who you are and I have no idea where you got this number but never call back again!" With a click the phone hung up, leaving us a little less than pleased.
"One more try!" America exclaimed, looking up at me. "I have an idea..."
"Alright, go for it!" I said, fist pumping.
He carefully dialed the number this time, and I shot him a look when the voice came through. "Like, hello?"
"Oh mah Gosh, hi! It's Bridgette!" America said in a high preppy voice. "You know, from high school? I just wanted to like, ask you something."
"OMG Bridgette! I haven't seen you in years, girl! You ever get that boob job? Seriously." I almost gave it away, but I managed to hold in my laughter.
"Uhm, I don't have time to like, talk, but I just wanted to ask you... What do you feed a gay horse?" America asked, still laying on the preppy voice.
"Like, I have no clue girl."
"HAY~!" America yelled, then hung up.
I could now laugh freely. When I was done, I decided to call Whitney. "I got one." I said, reaching for the phone. He handed it to me and I dialed her number.
"Hello?"
I turned on my French accent and tried to sound as creepy as I could. "Bonjour." I said in a dark tone.
"...W-who is this?" She asked.
It was working. "My, my, mon cheri, so quick to get to introductions, are we?"
I was even starting to creep myself out a little. "I'm sorry, I don't-"
"Non, non, 'tis okay, madame, we know where you live." I said creepily. Before she could respond, I said "Au revoir, beautiful, I will see you soon~." and then I hung up.
I looked at Alfred. "I'm pretty sure you just scarred her for life." He said.
I nodded. "Sure as heck I did!"
"Who was it~aru?" China asked, looking at a wide eyed and frozen in place Whitney.
"It... It was a French person. Who claimed to know where I lived... And said that they'd see me soon..." The words didn't want to come out of my mouth.
"Aiyah! A stalker, aru?" He paused, taking in the terrified expression on my face. "You really are scared of France, aren't you, aru?"
I simply nodded and curled myself into a ball.
"Yes! That was AWESOME!" America said, fist pumping double time. "But now it's almost six..." He sighed. "And it's starting to get dark." His eyes traveled to the horizon line where the sun was just dipping below the trees.
"Yeah, I reckon we oughtta' be headin' home." I said, looking at the sunset.
"All in a days work for the Hero and Ninja Heroine." Alfred replied, smiling as a slight breeze whipped up and lightly mussed his hair.
I smiled and patted his head. "Yeah, work." I said.
He sighed and helped me up. "Guess we better get going..." He took my hand and led me to the parking lot, where he actually found his keys this time and started the car. Even though Whitney said we could be out til midnight, it was nice of America to drop me off beforehand... Even though I still wanted to hang out with him.
The trip home wasn't long enough...
"You gonna come in?" I asked as Alfred followed me to the porch.
He nodded and smiled. "It'd be best if we broke the news to them together, right?" I returned his smile and nod for an answer.
"I'm home!" I exclaimed, practically bursting down the door. Although afterwards, I kind of wished I hadn't...
"NO! THEY FOUND ME!" Whitney exclaimed, pelting a pillow at me and then hiding behind China.
"AIYAH! It's just CASSI, ~aru!" China yelled in exasperation.
"What the heck is going on?" I asked in confusion, dodging the poorly aimed pillow.
"She's been freaking out since some French person called her, claiming to know where she lives, and- AIYAH! Cassi, your friend is crazy!" China shouted as Whitney hugged him.
"China! Calm down, you're not helping!" I exclaimed. "She'll be fine if you know how to make her feel better!"
"Then how?" China yelled.
"Fusosososo~." I started mimicking Spain's magical charm. It was the one thing that always had an effect on her... Always. "Fusososososo~!" She immediately started smiling, then looked around blankly.
"Cassi... Oh!" She started, regaining her consciousness and letting go of China. "Oh! How was your date? Was it amazing? Did you have a good time? He's not a creeper, is he?" She looked towards America. "Are you a creeper...?"
"We're going out now." I stated solemnly, looking for any sign of a reaction.
"AWW! CASSI!" Whitney wrapped me in a bear hug. "I'm so happy! I knew it would work out!" Then she looked over to America. "You better be good to her! I'll be watching." She sent a mock glare towards him.
"I'm the hero! I've got her back." He said truthfully, giving her the thumbs up sign.
"Aww~! Give me a hug too!" She wrapped him in a hug and then let go. I smiled as everything seemed to be settling down.
"One last thing..." I said, laughing. "You don't need to worry about the French coming and finding you..." I paused, taking in her confused and slightly terrified face. "America and I prank called you!" I sang out.
"Cassi... If I weren't so happy for you right now, I might have had the urge to do something..." She said, smiling at me creepily. "But daijoubu! ... For now... Kolkolkolkol..."
"Whitney! ~Aru." I shouted, unnerved. "You KNOW that creeps me out!"
"I know, slight payback!" She replied, smiling. "I'm just kidding!"
I laughed slightly, but continued to keep my eye on her as she and China bombarded America and me with questions about our date...
A/N: More coming soon! Thanks for all of your reviews! Special thanks to... The Mystery Guest101... Whoever you are o.O