Recap
"I've been having...nightmares," I lied. What was I supposed to say? I'm from another world where I was kidnapped but I fell through a magical well and now I'm in a seemingly better life? No way! They would send me to the loony bin.
"What kind of nightmares?" dad asked.
"I was young, like fourth/ fifth grade, two men grabbed me and out me in a van and asked for ransom," I said. Tears began to fill my eyes. My parents fought so I never got a chance to tell them about it and talk it out. Maybe if I got this out in the open then I could put this nightmare to rest.
"Oh honey," mom said as she hugged me tight.
"I'll beat up those guys to," Azumi offered. I couldn't help but smile. For an annoying little sister, I'm glad that I have her. This world has its ups and down but maybe it wouldn't be that bad to stay here even if I was practically starting over. Maybe that's what I need, a fresh start.
Chapter 24 Should I Stay or Should Go
*Rima's POV*
Do you know what sucks? The stupid crutches I have to use. My parents were so concerned that they went to the hospital and had a doctor check my ankle. The doctor said the same exact thing that Nagi said. I would have to stay off it a few days so he gave me crutches to help. Now mom was driving me to school. The only thing bad besides the crutches is that Azumi kept kicking my seat.
"Azumi stop it. Your sister need to relax," mom scolded.
"But I always sit in the front," she whined.
"Rima is older so she gets the front," mom explained.
"It's not my fault she broke her foot," Azumi complained.
"I didn't break my foot. I just sprained my ankle," I corrected her.
"Either way, there is no way you are getting up all the stairs at school," Kazumi said. Her and Kusukusu were sitting on the dashboard next to a little hula girl bobble-head.
"Rima will manage," Kusukusu said trying to cheer me up. I didn't even think how big the school was and how many stairs. Hundreds?Thousands?.
"I'm sure you'll be fine and your teachers will excuse you since you are handicapped," mom encouraged.
"I wish I had someone to carry me. It would be so much simpler than these stupid crutches," I said.
"The crutches don't like you either," Azumi teased. I turned towards her and stuck my tongue out at her. She did the same to me.
"Now girls, you're both upset and it's early but let's try to get along," mom said as she pulled up to my school.
"WHAT!?" Kusukusu and Kazumi yelled in shock. I swear my jaw dropped to the floor. All my friends (except Tadase since he's still sick) were at the gate waiting for me, even the Tsukiyomi siblings. That's not what really surprised me. The thing that shocked me is that Nadeshiko wasn't there, but Nagihiko was.
"Nagihiko is here. He's been so worried about you. He called this morning when you were asleep and asked if you were ok," mom informed me. I couldn't help but smile. I never got the chance to tell my mom that we were dating.
"Rima's got a boyfriend!" Azumi sang. My charas busted up laughing. I opened the door trying not to look stupid in front of my mom. Azumi won this round for now. I'll get her back later.
"Rima, do you need some help?" Amu asked.
"Yeah," I said. I swallowed my pride. I'd rather have help now then later after I fall on my face. Amu and Utau helped me out while Kukai handed me my crutches. Nagi carried my bag. My mom waved goodbye then took off to drop Azumi off at school.
"Nagi, no offense, but what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Nadeshiko had a last minute dance competition in Europe. She asked me to take notes for her and get her homework," he said then winked when Amu wasn't looking. All of us headed to class. Of course we went slow since I can't go very fast.
"Is that Mashiro-san?"
"What happened to her foot?"
"I heard she fell during dance practice. She must've hurt herself."
"Why is Nagihiko-sama here?"
"Where's Nadeshiko-chan?" Why does everyone whisper so loud. They talk as if we aren't here.
"Amu can you hold this?" Nagi asked as he handed her my bag,
"Sure," Amu said as she took it from him. I stopped, wondering what he was up to. He took my crutches making me hop on one foot. He then got on his knees.
"Hop on," he said. I didn't object. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he held my legs.
"Look Nagihiko-sama in carrying Mashiro-san"
"They look so cute!"
"They do know we can hear them right?" Kukai asked.
"I think they don't care," Utau answered.
"I just ignore them," I said.
"Anyway, are you two a thing?" Amu whispered so no one but our group would overhear.
"Yep," I said.
"Great, now if only a pink-haired girl would go out with a certain cat boy then we could all live happily ever after," Utau teased.
"UTAU!" Amu yelled causing everyone to stare.
~~~~*Time Skip*~~~~
"Nagihiko, why don't you and Rima-chan just sit in the back and talk about your dance. She can't walk and you technically don't go here anymore," Mrs. Fujisaki said. She tried to sound strict but she was smiling. I wonder if he told his mom if we were together.
"Alright mother," Nagi said then set me in a chair in the back. He's been a saint and carried me all day. We have all the same classes so he always helped me any way he could. He pulled up a chair next to me and sat in it backwards.
"Maybe you two should talk about the dance. You've been pushing it away recently," Temari pointed out.
"I do have the idea that I think we should stick with but if Nagi can't change fast enough then it won't work," I told her.
"Nagi has been practicing," Rhythm said.
"Really?" I asked then looked at Nagi surprised.
"Well I didn't want to let you down," he said.
"Alright, for the first song we need it to be slow. I was thinking slow dance first then you change and we do a faster kind of dance," I said.
"How can Nagi change? He can't do it on stage and keep his tradition a secret," Rhythm pointed out.
"Good point," I said.
"What if he changed backstage," Kazumi suggested.
"Great!" Kusukusu cheered.
"But I would be by myself on the stage," I said.
"You could play the part. You're one of the best actresses I know," Nagi said. I smiled at him.
"This is getting too lovely-dovey for me," Rhythm said.
"Me too," Kazumi said.
"Did you just agree with me?" Rhythm asked shocked.
"Yeah, I got over the whole only-one-can-be-a-flirt thing," Kazumi said.
"Wow," I said shocked.
"Yay! Now all four of us can be friends!" Kusukusu said as she hugged her sister and Rhythm. I swore I saw Rhythm's little cheeks turn pink. Kusukusu let go of them and then hugged Temari. Nagi whispered something in Rhythm's ear.
"Not cool man!" Rhythm yelled. Nagi just laughed.
"What did you say?" I asked.
"It's a boy thing," he said.
"I know what it is. Rhythm lik-"
"TEMARI!" Rhythm whined. I rarely see Rhythm so flustered. It's very amusing.
"Rima, did you really want to go to prom or did you only ask to get Amu to ask Ikuto?" Nagi asked.
"Both I guess. I wanted a better way to ask but if I didn't do it at that moment then Amu wouldn't be going with Ikuto," I said. Nagi smiled at me.
"Nagi, you forgot to tell Rima about Tsukasa," Temari pointed out.
"Right," he said.
"What about Tsukasa?" I asked.
"He came over yesterday. He told me that some of our questions needed to be answered. He doesn't know all of them yet but he said he would call us when the stars were aligned or something like that," he said.
"We could go back!" Kusukusu cheered. Fro some reason I was a bit bummed.
"What's wrong? I thought you wanted to go home?" he asked.
"I did when Yoshito and Kurami used me but besides that it's been pretty good. Most of the couples are together, I'm still friends with everyone, my parents get along, I have a sister that I love no matter how annoying she is, and I have Kazumi. If I go back them maybe she will be back inside me and I'll forget her. Also what about us. In that world I didn't get to know you, we aren't even friends in the world," I said.
"You want to stay?" he asked confused.
"I don't know. Here it's better but I live a big lie, there it practically sucks but at least everyone knows the truth. Do you know I told my mom and dad about my kidnapping? I lied and told them it was a dream but that was the first time I talked to them about it," I said.
"I understand," he said.
"Also, I'm passionate about two things instead of one. It makes life more fun. I love comedy and dance. If I go back then I will be clumsy and slow again," I said. Nagi took both of his hands in mine.
"If you want to stay then we'll stay. If you want to go then I can promise that we will still be together and I will personally teach you dance myself. You could always join classes. Any age is accepted," he said.
"I just don't know. Should I stay or should I go?...Wait!? You would stay with me?" I asked.
"Of course I would," he said. I squeezed his hands and smiled at me.
"If the real Nagi and Rima is here then where are you in the real world," Kusukusu asked. Would my parents think I was kidnapped again? Would they fight? Would they even look for me or care? Tears began to fill my eyes.
"Fujisaki-sensei, Rima is feeling a bit sick. Can I take her to the nurse?" Nagi asked. Mrs.. Fujisaki seemed to understand.
"Oh course," she said. Nagi carried me out leaving my crutches in the classroom. He didn't stop till we were in an empty hall then he carried me into the girl's bathroom. Luckily, it was empty.
"Why are we in here?" I asked. Nagi set me on the counter and quickly tied up his hair. He took his sweater off and tied it around his waist. He had a button up white shirt under and now his sweater covered his green boy pants.
"You're too good at that and you did it pretty fast," I said.
"I told you I was practicing," he said. I smiled at him once again.
"Won't your mom be upset if she found her son in the girl's bathroom. Also wouldn't someone get suspicious that Nadeshiko is back from Europe?" I asked.
"I don't care right now," he said in his normal voice. He may look like a girl but he won't talk like one unless he needed to.
"Listen Rima, I don't want you to decide right away but if you want to stay then we'll stay. If Tsukasa can get us home and you want to go home then we'll go home," Nagi said as he stood in between my legs. His face was close to mine. I played with his hair and pulled out his hair tie.
"Rima I-"
"I don't kiss girls," I said then wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him. He was obviously shocked but got over it and the fact that he could be caught in the girl's bathroom as a boy. He wrapped his arms around my waist pulling me closer. My legs wrapped around him as the kiss deepened.
"Rima we need to head back-" I cut him off with another kiss. Right now, I didn't want to head back just yet. I just wanted to be here with him. To our horror we heard the door open. Please let it be the wind.
"Get a room," we heard. Both of us turned to see Utau.
"Utau!" Rima whined.
"Seriously Nagi, you could get in big trouble for being in the girl's bathroom," Utau teased.
"I had my hair up," he said then looked at me.
"I told you, I don't kiss girls," Rima said.
"We need to get back," Nagi said.
"By the way, if anyone asked, we were at the nurse's office," Rima informed Utau.
"Alright but I will be telling our friends," Utau pointed out.
"Fair enough," I said as Nagi put his sweater back on and then carried me back to the room.
"Are you feeling better Rima-chan," Mrs.. Fujisaki asked as we came back.
"Yes," I said honestly. I was definitely feeling better. I still don't know whether I should stay or go but the fact that Nagi is on my side makes me feel so much better.
Just to let everyone know. I'm starting to wrap this story up. Not to worry, there will be plenty of chapters to still be made but I'm beginning to work on the ending. Will Rima choose to stay? To go? Will everyone die in a fiery explosion?...just kidding about the last one. What do you guys think? Stay or go?