I DO NOT OWN SHUGO CHARA, ANY OF ITS CHARACTERS, OR ANY LICENSED MATERIAL THAT MAY APPEAR IN THIS STORY AND CHAPTER.
THIS STORY IS RATED T FOR LANGUAGE AND CONTENT SO BEWARE OF THE LANGUAGE!
Authors note:
Hello my little bundles of joy and happiness! Sorry I haven't updated in a while, but of course you guys don't hate me or anything….right? Of course you don't. Well anyways I got a bit delayed 'cuz of the infamous curse I have. T.T the curse that makes bad things happen to me when I don't wash the dishes.
Anywayz I'm not gonna get into that so….ENJOY :D
Taking One for the Team
CHAPTER 22: The creepy Monk metaphor
Rima's POV:
Waking up at 8 wasn't exactly my cup of tea, I dragged my ass out of the room and into the hallway only to find a huge crowd of teenagers surrounding the bulletin board. Everyone in their Pajamas of course. Yet I still managed to feel out of place in my short pants and baggy shirt. I pushed my way to the front and looked at the Agenda.
8:00-9:00 Get ready
9:00-9:45 Eat breakfast (Cafe 3rd floor)
9:45-10:00 On the road
10:00- 12:00 Regular Practice for the team and Cheerleaders
12:00-12:50 Lunch break (Any restaurant near the Gymnasium)
12:50-1:45 Second half of practice
1:45-4:45 Sightseeing
4:45-5:30 on the road (returning to hotel)
5:30-7:00 prepare for dinner (Formal French restaurant 2nd floor)
7:00-9:00 Dinner
9:00-12:00 free time
12:00 curfew check (everyone must be in bed LIGHTS OUT!)
I really wasn't in the mood but I made my way to the bathroom and saw a bunch of girls soaking in the indoor hot spring butt naked, I nervously slipped off my clothes behind a false rock and jumped in without anyone noticing I soaked for a while then ran out in a towel running into Amu in the hallway.
"How much time left?" She asked me.
"I'm not sure," I whispered feeling awkward that I was in the busy hallway in my towel (even though I wasn't the only one) and my brain was screaming at me to get away.
"It's 8:40, we have 20 minutes to report to the 3rd floor Café," Yumi said exiting the hot springs, I didn't even notice her in there.
"Oh shit," Amu growled running in.
"She seems cranky," Yumi noted.
"Le'ts get out of here," I moaned and ran inside. I put on a pair of dark blue skinny jeans, a white tee with a green smiley face on it and green converse, I let my usual curls flow, and packed some sweat pants, a striped tank top and some sneakers in a duffel bag for practice. Everyone else seemed to follow my example and did the same.
I finished 10 minutes until 9 and wandered into the Hallway It was so hectic that I crashed into Ikuto.
"Ow, Ikuto, you idiot! Why are you so hard?" I growled gripping onto my nose.
"Don't hate me for being fit and muscular," He cooed.
"Whatever," I hissed and moved to the side walking past him.
"Where's Amu?" He asked.
"In the Room," I shouted back at him, "Where's Nagihiko?"
"…Downstairs…." He replied somewhat hesitantly.
I made my way downstairs by myself the entire café was taken over by Seiyo students, I saw Nagihiko by an empty table that had 5 chairs around it, I smiled and took a seat beside him.
"Mornin' how you feeling?" I asked him smiling.
"Okay," He mumbled, "Still really tired,"
I looked at him and suddenly, in one instant a terrible thought rushed into my head.
With this lack of sleep will he be able to catch up? What if passes out on the day of the game? Or worse what if he got hurt?
"Maybe you should stay here and rest!" I suggested, almost yelling.
"It's alright I'll manage, I'll just skip sightseeing and sleep," He assured me and smiled.
"Okay…" I mumbled still not convinced he'll be okay, I scanned the menu and sighed, I couldn't understand a thing!
"Rima-chan would like the Crepes," Nagihiko said looking at me.
"You sure?" I asked.
"Nope," He laughed.
"Hey!"
"But I seriously know that you like strawberry waffles, remember when you stayed at my house?" He reminded me.
"They have strawberry waffles!" I squealed.
"yep," He said leaning over by me and pointed at the spot on my menu that said 'Bluberry, Strawberry, Apple Cinnamon, waffles' he was so close that I stopped thinking, "Right there…Rima?"
I just stared at him not wanting to move because I was afraid that if I did i would make a gawking expression that he could decipher as me liking him and ruin this whole friendship crap, so instead stayed perfectly still just looking at him He blushed and looked away.
O.O.O.O
Shortly after that awkward moment Yumi arrived, then Amu and Ikuto. We all sat around that five person table while Yaya and Kairi waved at us from their two person table. They didn't seem to mind the rejection and were enjoying their alone time. Kukai was nowhere to be found and Tadase was helping Tsukasa with a few things while eating a sandwich. Lulu and Saaya were flirting with the bellboys and they were totally hitting it off. Amu winked at Lulu and mouthed 'score' to them and Lulu lowered her fist in agreement, we all laughed.
You know, Saaya and Lulu aren't that bad. It seemed that only Kukai and Utau were missing.
Weird…
Anyway after our 1 hour long breakfast, when in reality we only ate for 20 minutes, we got into the bus. We were taken to a beautiful private gymnasium.
"Seiyo has this kind of money?" I whispered to Yumi.
We were lead inside, and then we found our way to the changing room. When we did, we changed into our gym clothes. Sanjo and Nikaidou were lazy as ever. The boys got one side and we got another.
Sanjo and Nikaidou were constantly arguing with each other. The fresh scent of the air conditioned gym comforted us and it felt way more professional then school. Being at a place like this, with all my friends, staying at a hotel, eating all this food, suddenly I became very excited. I was on a trip! Then I realized just how fun class trips were and why everyone wanted to go on one so badly.
"From the top girls," Sanjo screamed.
"Hey! Murasaki just flipped over on our side!" Nikaidou screamed.
"shut up BITCH!" Sanjo hollered.
O.O.O.O
I outstretched my hands happily as I felt the comforting sunlight embrace me gently, I looked around searching for my prey…..food. It was finally lunch break!
"Hey Rima chan!" Mayami smiled greeting me.
"H-Hey," I stammered looking at the perky child.
"Waiting for Amu-chan and the others?" She asked me standing on her heels and swaying.
"Yeah…." I trailed off still analyzing her actions.
"Oh! Well I know this great place that I used to go to all the time, it's right down that street all you have to do is make a left right….."
"All the time?" I interrupted in shock.
"Yeah when I used to live here in Tokyo," She replied.
"You used to live here?" I asked slowly blinking at her.
"Totally," She answered winking at me.
"So this trip must not be all that dazzling for you," I stated, though it sounded more like a question, well whatever it was, was whatever she perceived it to be.
"Yeah not really," She replied her voice sounding like the low hum of a bird.
"Does it ever…frustrate you?" I asked her. She raised an eyebrow.
"What do you mean?" She asked a quizzical expression appearing on her face.
"Well sometimes…." I began not knowing what to say, or rather expressing my thoughts to a total stranger, "When some girls mention….like….comedy and stuff or like gag mangas I feel sort of….mad…like I really want to interrupt them and prove to them that I…well….know a lot about those stuff….you know? Like that?"
I was certain that my point wasn't put across properly but I didn't know any other way to express it so I kept quiet and stared back at her sheepishly.
"I feel that way all the time!" Mayami explained, to my surprise.
"Huh?" I mumbled.
"You know, I always want to act like a Tokyo girl in front of 'em every time they widen their eyes at the building; and shout 'you guys are so lame!' I mean, I want to act as though I own the fricking city!" Mayami shouted so loudly that people stared as they walked by.
"Wow…" I giggled a little brushing my hair behind my ear, "I didn't think you got my point,"
"I wish I could be as honest as you are," Mayami hummed, "I'm actually really bad at expressing myself,"
"I find that hard to believe," I cut in. She laughed a small short snort that sounded like a phone vibrating and smiled wildly at me.
"Confidence is like a mask, made of false smiles, and laughs, and all sorts of things, you just have to know how to wear it in order for it to stay on." She recited.
As she spoke those words, I believe I heard her voice from the inside. Her tone sounded as though she were humming or reciting a poem. As fast as it came, It left, and she was back to the normal hyper Mayami.
"HEY MAYAMI!" Some girl with long pigtails called out to her.
"Yes Kamen?" Mayami moaned.
"Come eat lunch with me! You must know a lot about Tokyo, right? I wanna eat somewhere fancy!" She squealed.
"Yeah Maya-chan! Take us out!" Some other girl with short red hair and stunning violet eyes like Utau screamed.
"Well," Mayami said smiling at me, "Duty calls,"
Then she ran off and stared back at me as I stared back at her, and we both knew what it meant. We didn't say anything at all out loud but we both had some kind of connection just know, and I was trying very hard to understand that creepy monk metaphor she just gave me
"Confidence is like a mask….."I uttered to myself instantly realizing it only sounds nice when Mayami says it in her deep yet light voice. I pouted and sighed.
"What's wrong with you?" Nagihiko's voice snuck up on me like a lion on it's prey.
"Don't just appear like that!" I scolded. Pointing straight up at him, and he was so tall that even though I stretched my arm to its full length it didn't even touch his chin.
"How cruel, I was worried about you too." He mumbled.
"Well no need to worry, I'm just pondering as all,"
"About…..?"
"Hm…nothing," I ended the conversation and angrily shouted, "WHERE IS THE REST OF 'EM!"
"Amu had some trouble in the changing room, they'll be right out." Nagihiko assured me,
I, of course, laughed my ass off.
"Trouble!" I snorted, "What kind?"
"I am not sure," He answered awkwardly.
"That Amu…." I smiled to myself.
"Shouldn't you be worried?" He asked me flicking my forehead and snapping me out of my mischievous thoughts about her 'trouble'.
"Nagihiko," I sighed resting my hand on his shoulder, "If I were worried every time Amu got into 'trouble', I would be one restless child,"
He rolled his eyes and we both laughed.
O.O.O.O
Lunch included, Amu, Yumi, Yaya, lulu, Saaya, Ikuto, Nagihiko, Kairi, and I all going to a fast food place with waitresses hitting on the guys. Kukai was nowhere to be found. Naturally I spat out my soda all over the curly haired one's apron, she screamed and ran away, and I demanded a diet coke. Amu and Yaya high-fived me for that.
Apparently, Amu's 'trouble' in the changing room was her bra getting stuck to her earring while she was still wearing it and it was a stud earring so she had trouble taking her earring off and tripped over a bench and crashed into a locker etc.
The second part of practice was less intense and more freestyle, it was strange seeing Sanjo being involved for once and she praised Yumi's chorography a lot.
Next, was of course the sightseeing. We visited many spots and one time, basically just temples, filled with old people who looked like statues themselves, I ended up right next to Mayami at a historical sight and she nudged me and yawned. Then we both giggled.
"Rima!" Lulu cried.
"Yo," I greeted as I turned around to look at Lulu and Amu giggling, "What?"
"One…two….three….." They counted down at the same time then held up an old painting of a small Japanese girl from the Edo-period and it looked….just like me. Only with black hair.
"Hey Rima, I truly believed you were a foreigner until I saw this," Lulu joked nudging me.
I grabbed it and hissed at her, it really did look like me.
"Rima's a ghost!" Kukai wailed.
"Kukai you bastard…..wait….I haven't seen you all day. Where have you been buddy?" I asked him….well more like interrogated.
"Yeah..." Amu croaked, covered in gift shop items.
"What do you mean?" He grumbled.
"Hmm…." We all hummed in harmony circling around him.
"What!" He growled. This was unusual for Kukai to do.
"Where where you at breakfast?" I asked him.
"The roof,"
"Why?" Amu inquired.
"To get some…air."
"…and at lunchhhh?" Yaya cooed.
"Eh…th-that….I went out with some guys from the team! You saw me didn't you?"
"Hm….Last night you disappeared around 3:00 am." Nagihiko stated.
"AND THAT! EXPLAIN THAT!" I screamed pointing at him, "Wait Nagihiko….how the fuck did you know that?"
"Kairi told me…" Nagihiko replied.
"He's lying," Kairi stated.
"Let's just pretend we didn't hear that last part," Ikuto concluded and we all nodded and left Kukai alone.
O.O.O.O
We went back to the hotel and everyone was taking up the bath, which was kind of frustrating, but after we washed off all that sweat and what not we all calmed down a bit. We had to go to a formal restaurant, and I didn't have anything to wear so I was pissed. I laid face down in on my futon with my clothing bag as a pillow and screamed kicking up my feet.
"What's wrong Rima," Saya inquired sitting ontop of me for no reason at all already dressed in a halter neck tight-fitting pink mermaid tailed dress with a pair of strappy (and most likely expensive) heels.
"I have no formal clothes," I grumbled looking up at her the best way I could considering she was on top of me. But I was too distressed to react, "Maybe I should skip dinner,"
I felt the weight being lifted up off of me for about 20 seconds and then a thin piece of material landed on my back. I sat up and held it up. It was a slightly puffy black dress with sparkles and puffy sleeves.
"If you wear that you'll look like a French doll," Saya smiled, "Consider it a loan,"
Then she winked and crawled away, as her messy side bun flopped around with every movement.
It was a bit frilly, but it was the only thing I had. I tried it on. I looked at the only mirror we had in the room while the other girl's were distracted. The dress flared out making a triangular shape at the bottom which covered my legs up to mid thigh. There was a black bow right beneath my chest and puffy sleeves that made it look like a princess-style dress.
"Aww is that Rima?" Yumi cried, who was wearing a green off the- shoulder mini dress with a black belt around her waist.
It had to be her…right?
Soon all the girls looking mature and sexy with their big hoop earrings and strappy heels crowded around me, whom looked like a dolly.
"You look pretty," Lulu commented, she was wearing a tight fitting short dark blue tube dress.
"Rima!" Amu squealed wearing her plaid red and black tube dress with black buttons going down it.
"RIMA-CHI! Don't steal my cuteness!" Yaya screamed. She was wearing a pink fluffy skirt, a white blouse and black bolero with pink buttons on it.
"Shut upppppp….." Saya cooed pushing Yaya aside, "She aint stealing nothin' she had it all along,"
I blushed at that and turned around.
O.O.O.O
We all had to be on our best behavior so we didn't embarrass Tsukasa. He took us to the French restaurant for dinner, rumor has it that Sanjo and Nikaidou-sensei got drunk during the time we had to prepare for dinner and so they had to stay in their rooms.
All of us took up two long tables. We had a mixture of boys and girls on each table, we had arranged seating which pissed me off but luckily I ended up in between Mayami and Kukai. Next to Kukai was Utau who didn't say a word the whole night, and next to Mayami was Kairi who I kept making funny faces at….which was hilarious 'cuz he didn't know how to respond. All of my other friends were on the other table. Well, Yumi was on my table but she was so far away.
Nagihiko was on the other table next to some Kamen girl which pissed me off.
"By the way, Rima," Kukai whispered to me, "You seem a lot more sociable since the first time we talked,"
"Well, obviously." I muttered at him.
He had soy sauce all over his mouth, he frowned at me, then turned to Utau who looked up at him for a second and happened to see his face, she bursted out laughing. The whole room grew quiet because Utau's laughter was something we hadn't heard in months! In addition to that, her laughter had changed. Her usual bitter laughter at the 'unfortunate' souls that she continuously tortured had now turned into a blissful yet earsplitting laugh. Leaving us, honestly, flabbergasted.
Kukai, as if he was not fazed by it at all stuck his tongue out at her and blushed whipping his face. She opened her eyes (which closed due to her intense laughter) looked up at him again and pointed cracking up once more.
"It's still there!" She laughed.
He pouted, crossed his arms, then swiped some sauce off of his chicken and whipped it on her nose. She gasped. For a moment there was a deep apprehensive silence.
"He's dead," Mayami whispered to me.
Utau looked at him and laughed even more, and they laughed together loudly even more, like some kind of cackling choir. They eventually simmered down looked at each other and grinned, then suddenly Utau jumped as if someone had spilt cold water down her dress, she looked at all of us, looked away from him and then went back to eating her food quietly. Kukai did the same.
"What…in….the world?" I heard Ikuto mumble from the other table. Tsukasa cleared his throat and the silence gradually disappeared and the room was once again filled by idle dinner talk.
Okay….did I miss something?
O.O.O.O
Yes you did Rima. We all did! But no worries this will all be cleared up next chapter as we get to see the day from Kukai and Utau's point of view….then the drama starts ;) DRAMA!
THANKS FOR READING! ONCE AGAIN, REVIEWS ARE APPRECIATED