Midori slightly hesitates with her answer to Drake's question on how she acquires the injury her wrist.
"So...are you going to tell me how you injured your wrist or not?" He repeats his inquiry, except for this time he stares directly at her face.
"…because if it was someone that did this to you maliciously then I would like to know. I don't allow someone that I find important in my life to be hurt by others." Drake firmly declares toward her.
She mentally considers three choices that she was given: the first is to take off until she reaches a gas station, the second is to run all the way home and call Buttercup so she could take Drake out or the third option is to simply tell him how it happened.
Midori opts for the latter of the three since it is much easier to execute than the first two. "It was the last couple of seconds left in the championship game for dodgeball. My homeroom was going for the win by having the most people on the court."
"I caught a ball that was thrown at me when another one hit my legs and I fell forward. I tried to hold on to the ball so it won't roll out of my hands so I braced myself with this hand." She raises her sore wrist as she finishes her story.
Drake unexpectedly burst out in to laughter after he listens to Midori's story, "It sounds like you take winning seriously. I would've simply dropped the ball and hope for the best."
The red head flashes him another look when she sternly retorts, "And what exactly is that supposed to mean? It was something that we all wanted badly."
"Midori…settle down." He calmly suggests after he suddenly hears the infliction in her tone.
"I understand how winning is important but to end up hurting yourself for a game of dodgeball…it must have been really and I do mean really serious then."
She releases a deep sigh, "Well when you put it that way then it does kinda of sound silly though."
"Now that that has been settled…" Drake speaks up after he releases his grip from around her wrist from and returns it to the wheel.
"…it's about time that I take you home." He concludes his statement, which causes Midori to slightly ease from her tense position.
He cranks the car up again, pushes back the emergency lights, and mentions, "You want to know something Midori. You have the heart of a lion even though you don't like to show it."
A blush materializes on her face after she hears Drake's compliment her, "Besides, I wanted to see if you were free this Saturday. I have a place I want to take you that is if you want to go with me?"
'And once again he weasels his way back to the point. Who are you really Drake Pierce?' She wonders to herself.
"I know I'm easy on the face but is it a yes or a no?" The brunette playful quips with his focus on the road and the other vehicles around them.
Midori rolls her eyes at the question and replies, "Since you helped with my wrist then I accept the offer. It's the least that I can do."
A wide smile appears on Drake's face after she confirms their date.
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Bell speeds her luxurious white car through the driveway until she presses the button to lift the garage door so she could drive in.
The conversation with Flash replayed in her mind, 'He's a real doofus for not knowing the basics of being a boyfriend.'
She then secures her purse that occupies the passenger seat, turns the car off, removes the key, and emerges from the vehicle.
'He has to have his part right…if he doesn't then I kiss this little operation good-bye. I'm too close to the finish line for phase one of the plan.'
Bell sets the alarm and locks on the car before she identifies which key that lets her enter through the garage door.
Once she crosses the threshold of the door and closes it back, she could tell that something was off in her home.
'Something's not right here…' The platinum blonde inwardly notes to herself while she struts inside of the foyer.
"Good afternoon, Ms. Bell." The rows of butlers and maids on their respective side greet her once she enters the foyer.
She shrugs off her previous thought and deems it as a figment of her imagination. 'I guess I haven't been getting enough sleep.'
"Good afternoon" escapes Bell's lips, as she was in a decent enough mood to return the greetings to her servants.
"Ms. Bell, there is a visitor waiting for you in the waiting room, would you care to visit her?" One of her butlers informs her.
She pauses in her stride once she hears the news before questioning the butler, "Can I at least know their name?"
"It's quite alright, Ms. Bell. I decided to come and see you on behalf of your father. My name is Serena. It's a pleasure to meet you." A feminine voice states as it catches her attention.
'Oh great…father assigned me another handler. I wonder will he be cuter than the other ones were.' She inwardly complains to herself before turning around to the source of the voice.
The sight of a familiar female with orange hair and brown eyes stares right back at her.
'Wait…I know this person.' Bell considers in shock after she realizes who the voice belongs to
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"Prince," Lucas shouts his friend's name after he separates himself from his daily fighting routine on the punching bag.
"What is it now?" Prince irritatingly questions since his one of closes friend's voice starts to registers as bothersome
"When are we going back to Townsville?" He asks.
Prince faces his friend to see that he was quite serious with his question before he responses with, "Friday night? Why?"
Lucas then flexes his fists in the pattern of open and close, he knew that was a sign that Lucas was anxious. "I can't wait that long. Why can't we go back Thursday?"
"You're seriously trying to win Blossom's affections aren't you?" Prince poses, which earns a nod from him.
He simply shakes his head at his comrade's rashness, "Don't you feel the same way with Buttercup?"
It was then that Prince suddenly recalled his conversation with Buttercup, along with a unwanted third party.
He releases a sigh, "I do. But good things come to those who wait…besides we have a mission to take care of first when we get there."
Lucas stares hard at Prince and wishes that he would give in to his plan but Prince had a rather strong will and a pension to stick to the mission.
"Fine, we will do it by your way but the instant we get back to Townsville I'll be looking for her."
Prince nods his head up and down, "That's fine. Just as long as you stick to the mission then I won't have a problem with your determination."
"Glad that we're on the same page…until Friday night I will continue to train harder so I can get stronger." Lucas states his resolve before he resumes his activity against his punching bag.
'I just hope it falls in your favor my friend.' He hopefully concludes to himself before he flips to a new page in his book.
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"That sounds like an amazing plan." Bubbles cheerfully proclaims to her raven-haired sister after she listens to the plan's details.
"I mean it is a little tricky but once we get through the first obstacle it shouldn't be too hard." Buttercup states as she calms her sister down in the process.
"Yeah, you're right," The blonde speaks up, "Even still I wonder what those two could've talked about while they were on the school's rooftop."
Her sister merely shifts her shoulders up and down, "Who knows? Whatever it was, it's clear that Blossom is no longer talking to Brick."
"She has been avoiding him like the plague! Do you see the look on her face now? Its like she's not even in her own body."
"Do you think it could have been something about Brick's reputation? I mean like you said earlier we know nothing about them." Bubbles suggests the possible problem.
Buttercup settles back in her bed. "I mean you may have a right to know but Blossom and I we really don't."
That was when it hit Bubbles, "Come on now, I'm sure that Butch would throw your worse enemy off a cliff if you were hurt by them. So you can't just sit here and tell me that you don't have the slightest feelings for him."
She knew the conversation reached a zone that she was not ready to explore. "I will look you in the eyes and tell you that I don't have feelings for him."
A silently "mhm" passes through her thoughts as she flashes her a look that reads "I know you're lying".
The raven haired teen sits up so that she stares Bubbles in the face and with no hesitation declares, "I have no feelings whatsoever for Butch Shaw."
'She's in so much denial right now.' Bubbles thinks to herself before she throws in the towel…at least for now.
"Alright then…you will." She falsely admits her defeat as she waves an invisible white flag to display her surrender.
"I still love you though Bubs," Buttercup declares, which earns a smile from her sister.
"I love you too Buttercup." Bubbles returns the feelings before she leaves her sister to herself in her bedroom.
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Bell was face to face with none other than the woman, who served as the lifeguard for the swimming portion of the Sports Fest.
"You have got to be kidding me." She irritably mumbles to herself not aware that Serena could hear her.
"It's considered awfully rude of me not to properly introduce myself to you. My name is Special Officer Serena Shaw." Serena cordially introduces herself.
'Shaw? Now why does that last name sound familiar?' She mentally wonders to herself since she could not place her finger on it.
"Now that introductions are out of the way, I am here to inform you that your monthly check-up is today." The older woman informs the teenager why she was there.
The word "check-up" immediately snaps her out of her thoughts. She then brings her fingers toward her face and spreads her fingers along her cheeks with her left hand that supports her right elbow.
"Oh you don't say…I guess it's that time again." Bell spoke in a ratherdazed tone.
"This won't be easy." The orange haired woman softly mutters to herself.
She already mentally prepared herself for any possible confrontations that the pair may have.
"You seem like a straight shooter Special Officer Shaw. How do you feel about being assigned as my new handler?" Bell enquiringly inquires while she advances closer to the woman.
"Is that what you call those people who look out for your health, handlers? Ms. Bell, clearly you're not a dog. You are a teenage girl, who wants to simply enjoy her freedom." Serena conveys in a genuine tone.
This earns a small smile on her face, "How do I know if all these words that you are speaking is true?"
"You would've been able to tell whether or not I was lying. I know you have abilities that allow you to be rather sensitive to things of that nature." The orange haired woman was explaining never breaking eye contact with the platinum blonde teen.
Bell continues to slowly approach her, "So if this is the start of a possible relationship, the only time you reel me in is if it's a direct order or it threatens my life. Understood, solider."
Her brown eyes glance at the young teen aged girl and asserts, "Hey, it's your life. I'm just here to make sure you don't shut down in the middle of nowhere and permit individuals, who may be interested in your history to gain access to you. My mission is nothing more and nothing less."
The small grin on her face morphs into a wide smile before she links her arms within Serena's arm.
"Have them prep the car." Bell ordered to one of the butlers, who scurried along with the issued task.
"We will leave once they are finished but until then let me show you the home." She reveals to her handler of what they will be doing to kill some spare time.
Serena merely nods her head and consent to Bell's tour of her home along with polite conversation every now and then.
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Drake cautiously veers his car alongside the curb of Midori's house, shifts the car in to park, and unlocks the door so she could safely exit from the car.
"Just remember to keep it wrap tightly and place ice on it every thirty minutes. Okay?" He purposely reminds her, which earns a small smile from her.
"Alright mom, I will take care of it." She teasingly quips at him due to his open concern for her injury.
"I know you will. Do you want me to pick you up tomorrow morning?" Drake inquires when Midori folds her arms against the passenger side's windowsill.
The red head flashes him an odd look before she poses "Why? Are you going to treat me to breakfast or something like that?"
"I see I can't get anything by you Midori." He joked with his eyes closed and a small smile evident on his face before he voiced, "So what do you say?"
"It's fine by me." She eventually agrees with a shrug of her shoulders in an up and down fashion.
"Good then…so I will be back here at 7:30 with breakfast in tow." Drake runs down the details of his plan to the red haired girl, who removes herself from the side of the car.
"Oh and Drake," Midori pauses in the middle of her statement until she hooks the his focus when he asks, "Yes, what is it?"
"I know I called you a possible psycho stalker and what not at first but thanks for the help with my wrist, I appreciate it." She sincerely thanks the brunette for his help.
"It's no problem. I like to take care of the people who I deem important in my life." Drake confidently repeats with a nod of his head.
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Author's Note
04.04.17 Major editing revisions