Chapter 3: Concern

'nother chapter. I've found the hardest part is to actually come up with a chapter name that doesn't ruin the actual chapter also without repeating chapter names (Though I did come up with one for this chapter after all.). Also how to string my ideas together coherently. I have no shortage of ideas, just about how to implement them. As always, please review, tell me how horrible I'm doing and critique please! Just please no flaming for no given reason. Oh, and if there are dark parts coming up, don't worry, it won't be anywhere NEAR what I did with Yutaka in Chapter 1 for a long while, if ever. For those of you who didn't read that and won't get the chance, you're not missing anything. It was God-awful. And don't think I'm going to be able to keep up the pace of a chapter a day. Cause I won't be able to for very long I assure you. Enjoy!

Rating: T

The Next Morning

"Huh, I can't believe I'm going to be wearing this for another few years..." Kagami said while staring at her Summer Uniform. "Just how the hell did they even cancel summer? Or close college? Is that even legal?" She wondered out loud.

"Morning~ Onee-chan..." Her sister said as she walked lazily into her sister's room, still rubbing sleep out of her eyes. "Where were you yesterday? And why do you have your uniform out?"

"I was showing Tony around town, he's never been here before. And a better question would be, why are you still in your pajamas? They canceled Summer, remember?"

"..." Tsukasa deadpanned.

"Go get ready quick!" But Tsukasa was already running towards her room down the hall, completely forgetting the fact that Kagami hadn't gotten home until after curfew, well after she had gone to bed. "Seriously, she can be so forgetful sometimes..." Late twice and both his fault. Hehe. I just can't let that go...

I will find out what's wrong Konata. Just you wait.

On the way to school, Kagami and Tsukasa are using the bike so they can return it.

"Hey Onee-chan, where did this bike come from anyway? It's not ours, is it?"

"No, Tony let me borrow his so I could get back before curfew." Kagami said, leaving out the fact that she hadn't.

"Wow, he let you borrow his bike? He's only known you for one day! He must really trust you Onee-chan."

"I know, it feels weird to have someone you just met trust you so much." We did kind of hit it off though, we talked for hours and had so much fun. I wonder why Konata doesn't like him...

"So are you returning it today?" Asked Tsukasa, breaking Kagami from her thoughts.

"Yeah, why wouldn't I? I have my own bike, I just needed to get home quick at the time and he was already nice enough to lend it to me for a day." He never did answer my question though...

"I guess you're right, I didn't really think about that before I asked..."

"Its alright Tsukasa, I understand. It's a nice bike, I get how you would want to keep it."

"Wait, wh-"

"And it did just kinda appear out of nowhere. I guess it would seem kinda weird, huh?"

"Do-Do you think I wanted t-"

"But the only real reason I could accept his kindness was because I needed to at the time. We can't ask him for his bike, that wouldn't be right!"

"I...I..." Aww forget it... The poor Tsukasa thought as her ribbon drooped, defeated.

"Alright, we're here! I've gotta get up there quick so I can talk to Konata." Kagami said with determination.

"What do you need to talk about Onee-chan?"

"Don't worry about it Tsukasa." The Tsundere smiled, but her voice had a sternness about it. "Lets just get there before class starts."

"Ok!" Tsukasa cheered as she ran after her sister.

As they neared the door to Class B, Kagami saw the clock. They were twenty minutes ahead of the first bell. Oh. Right. We rode here super fast on a bicycle. I forgot. I guess not.. She thought as she looked into the class to see only a couple students in said room. The two waited as students trickled into the classroom in small group of two or three. As they were waiting, Miyuki showed up ten minutes after them.

"Hey Miyuki, you're early." Kagami said.

"Actually, its a little embarrassing... I'm always afraid that I will be late for class so I try to arrive ten minutes before we're needed." Miyuki eyesmiled.

Kagami got instinctively ready to scold as she expected Konata to make a comment on Miyuki's moe. Oh that's right, she isn't here yet...

They waited for five more minutes before Tony showed up. "Hey Kagami! Tsukasa!"

"Hey Tony. I brought your bike back..." Kagami said distractedly.

"Worried about Konata?"

"Ye-" !DANGER! "Wha-Wha-What are you trying to say?" Kagami yelled out, absolutely flustered.

*Sigh* "Nothing, don't worry about it... Thanks for bringing my bike back, did you get home okay and on time?"

"Uhh" No "Yeah, which brings me back to the question of how you knew where it was when you hadn't been inside your house yet."

"It's pretty funny actually, because I can't tell you." The boy said with confidence.

"Huh? Why?" Kagami barely managed to get out before the bell for her class had rang.

"That's why."

"Figures..." She mumbled under her breath. I'll have to wait for lunch to talk to Konata. I'll drag her aside again, but it sucks that she's late today of all days... She thought to herself as she went to her own class, sighing that she couldn't see her friend. She had an uneasy feeling in her stomach.

"Oi Hiiragi!" Misao yelled as Kagami entered her class.

"Hey..."

"What's wrong Hiiragi? You and the squirt have a disagreement or something?" Her fang toothed friend asked, little knowing exactly how right she had been.

"Wait a minute, how did you know? Were you watching or something?" Kagami yelled, confused.

"Uhh... Lucky Guess?" Sweatdropped Misao.

"Hey you two! Sit down, get to work and stop interrupting my class!" Ms. Yukari shouted.

"Yes Ma'am..." Kagami said as she sat down, barely able to wait until lunch.

Back at Ms. Kuroi's room

"That's why."

"Figures..." Kagami said as she left for her own class.

"Hmm, I have an odd feeling she lied to me..." Tony said as he watched Kagami leave.

"What makes you say that?" Tsukasa asked.

"Well I-"

"Otokonoko! Hiiragi! Get in here, class has started!" Ms. Kuroi yelled from inside.

"Coming!" Tsukasa shouted.

Interrupted again. People seem to do that a lot around here... The boy thought as he entered Class-B.

"Izumi! Izumi~? What is she late again?" Ms. Kuroi said, turning expectantly to the door, but there was nothing. Huh, she wasn't on last night either. She must be really sick if she wasn't playing AND isn't here today...
"Well, lets get class started I guess!" She said after taking the rest of the roll.

Interesting... Tony thought.

Lunchtime

"Hey, I'm here for lunch!" Kagami said as she rushed into the classroom. "Huh? Where's Konata?" She practically yelled at the top of her lungs, quickly covering her mouth in embarrassment and turning a light shade of red as the entire class looked her way.

"I'm assuming she's sick. Usually I wouldn't, but she wasn't online last night, and she usually gets on at least to say 'Hi'. It must be serious if she couldn't even log on to say a quick hello I mean really, sh-" By this time, Kagami had stopped listening. Her heart felt like it had dropped a couple feet. Didn't her mom die of a serious illness? No, I've got to think logically, she was completely fine yesterday and if it was something so bad, I would have caught it too. Yeah, that's right, she must just be skipping again... Or is she... avoiding me? As much as I would hate that, it's better than her being seriously ill. She tried to explain to herself, but that terrifying feeling wouldn't go away. She went to sit at Tony's desk since Konata wasn't there today.

"Don't worry Kagami." The boy said reassuringly.

"Wha..?"

"Konata was healthy yesterday. If this was anything too serious, we would have seen symptoms before school ended. The worst she could have is Gastroenteritis. Besides, even if she had something REALLY bad, I can tell that nothing could keep her down before she accomplishes her goal."

"And what would her 'goal' be?"

"Classified Information. Konata wouldn't want me tell you, even if I don't have much proof yet."

"... God damn it..." Nobody ever tells me anything! But I guess he is right, we would have seen something if it were bad. I'll go see her after school today. Man I really hope she's ok...

"She's ok." Tony said, reading her face.

"Yeah... Thanks Tony." Kagami said, feeling a little better.

"Yuki-chan, what's Gastroenteritis?" Tsukasa asked, a question mark appearing above her head.

"Well you see, Gastroenteritis is the scientific name for a stomach flu or a 24-hour flu. Even though it's called these, however, it has no relation to the influenza virus. Symptoms are a runny nose, a sore throat, coughing, nausea and vomiting, along with a few others as well." Miyuki explained.

"I am SO glad I've finished eating already." Kagami commented, noticing something different. "By the way Tony, your blazer looks different from the others. Is there something special about it?"

"Yeah, it's custom made. I made a few... modifications to it."

"Why do you make that sound like a bad thing... What modifications, exactly?"

"Classified Information. You don't really need to know, but maybe you'll find out in the future."

*Sigh*"Geez, either you or Konata is going to drive me nuts, its just a matter of which one gets to it first." Kagami facepalmed as Tony laughed. "Anyway, I had better get going, I'll see you guys after school."

"Bye Onee-chan, don't disappear on me again!" Tsukasa said cheerfully, hardly noticing she had only gotten in about three words the entire lunch period.

"Hey Kagami. Lets all go visit Konata after school today, alright?" Tony said with a calming voice.

"Yeah... I would like that." The Tsundere smiled. She would see for herself that her blue haired otaku was ok. Relieved, she went back to her class slowly.

"Oi Hiiragi! Whatcha doin'? Usually you don't come back until the lunch bell rings, but here you are ten minutes early!" Misao asked her friend as she walked in. "Not that I'm not happy to see ya." She added with a smile, her fang-tooth prominent.

"Meh, I guess I wasn't really watching the time, I just decided to come back." Kagami said, drained by all the deception suddenly in her life.

"Perhaps its just your mind's way of making up for being late yesterday?" Ayano suggested, signifying the first time she's ever talked in Luckier Star.

"Yeah, I guess that makes sense... I'm just lucky Ms. Yukari was late too so she didn't catch it."

"I don't think she would have punished you, she's late quite often herself." Ayano reminded.

"You have a problem with that?" A long brown-haired lady behind her asked with a tone of death.

"No Ms. Yukari." Kagami piped up, fortunate that her teacher still hadn't heard that she was late.

"I didn't think so." Ms. Yukari made her way to the front of the classroom as she continued her class.

After Classes

Kagami rushed to her friends class as she had the previous day, leaving no time for a baffled Misao to question why. As she was running, it occurred to her that she didn't even have to be running, they were waiting for her anyway. So she began to walk, thinking as she did so. Could Konata really fake something like this just to avoid me? Well I'm finding things out today. Hehe, funny. Every time I've thought that today, something's gone wrong. She arrived at Class-B.

"Hey Onee-chan! You ready to go see Kona-chan?" Tsukasa shouted to her approaching twin.

"Yeah! Lets go!" Kagami shouted in reply.

"Otokonoko! Come clean this classroom! And yes, that includes the board and erasers!" They heard Kuroi shout from inside the classroom.

"Aw dang, I guess you have to go without me." Tony said with a depressed hang of his head.

"Well, that sucks. It's probably for the better though, Konata doesn't seem the fondest of you." Kagami said, understating quite a lot.

"You're right, see if you can find out why that is from the little faker, would ya?" He said as he smirked.

"Sure thing!" Kagami had to yell as she was already halfway down the hall.

"Onee-chan~, couldn't we slow down a little?" Shouted Tsukasa, already starting to fall behind, slow getting tired.

*Sigh* "Yeah sure I guess..." Kagami said as she reluctantly slowed to a walk. They had made it out of the school, but Kagami wanted to see Konata NOW.

"Hey Tsukasa, maybe we should call Konata to tell her we're coming?" Kagami said, not really intending it to be a question.

"Yeah, I'll call her right now!" Tsukasa started looking for her phone. "Uuuh... I must have left it at home." She nervously laughed, not finding it.

*Sigh* "You're hopeless." Smirked the Tsundere, reaching for her own phone. "..." She searched the other pocket. "Err." She started searching everywhere, sweatdropping. "Damn it... I forgot mine too" Kagami said, defeated. "How about you Miyuki?"

"I was looking myself when Tsukasa-san looked, but I'm afraid I couldn't locate mine either." Miyuki eyesmiled.

Uhhg, We all forgot our cellphones today of all days. Kagami thought as the upper half of her face turned to blue lines. "Well, I guess we'll just have to pop in and surprise her, right?" Kagami recovered.

"Right!" Tsukasa and Miyuki said in unison.

And they arrived at Konata's house. Kagami gulped as she knocked on the door.

Luckier Channel

"Luckier~! Channel~!" Akira yelled as her cutesy face was revealed. "Hiya Luckies! I'm your navigator, Akira Kogami!"

"And I'm her faithful assistant, Minoru Shiraishi!"

"Luckier Channel is rolling forward with out third chapter! Can you believe it? So, any comments Shiraishi-san?"

"Yeah, I noticed Konata didn't even have a single line in this one. Apparently, the author wanted to see how such a chapter would work. And als-"

"Yeah, that chapter was pretty damn short, I guess the writer is running out of ideas, eh? Getting tired of writing characters into and out of the story yet? I mean that short chick might not even make it to the next chapter, hmmmmm?"Akira said scornfully."And what the hell is with this 'Tony' guy? He seems weird, like he's hiding something..."

"Well, he is, that's been pointed out in several situations when he's said 'Classified Information'." Minoru signed his death.

"Huh?"

"What?"

"Are you calling me stupid?"

"Wha- No Akira-sama! I'm not! I'm just telling everyone who didn't remember! I swear!" Minoru yelled, shaking in fear while bowing to Akira.

"You damn well better be..."

*Music Tone*
"Well, I guess that's all the time we have left! I'll see you all next chapter if you decide to read it! Bye-nii~!"
"Bye Nii~!"

"..."

"So, I sure gave the producer a "talking to". He said he'd do his best to get me some screen time, but you're probably gone for good."

"I wouldn't be so sure. I was on the show before you."

"You sure do have a fat head."

"Well that's your opinion."

"Hey, does it seem like the chapter is still going? I mean, the screen is black, there's nothing but us talking right now. Why is this still being recorded?"

"I think it might be because this was such a short chapter, the writer might just be trying to fill in the twenty-three minute time slot."

"Nice cop out kid. I guess whatever you need to do, I sure know that."

"Uuh.."

"It was back in-"

*End*

After Section

So, a Konata-less chapter. Don't worry, right now I do not intend on making this kind of thing a habit. I've also noticed that I seem to be leaving very little lines for Tsukasa and Miyuki, not to mention that the only time anyone has really heard from any of the other characters is in the first chapter. I guess I'll try and work on that, sorry about that. Yeah, Konata does make a lot of time go by when I'm writing these, making conversations between her and Kagami are my favorite parts of writing these, so you can imagine how weird it is not to use her. And Akira didn't blow up in this segment. Odd. Well, write a review and tell me how I'm doing so far. I realize that Kagami did jump the gun a bit with her worries, but that's Kagami. She worries about Konata profusely, even when there isn't anything wrong with her. At first she just really wanted to talk to Konata and then it turned to concern. Oh, and if you can name all the references, that would be a pretty awesome feat. Not one of the smelly ones, a good feat. And I think I've fixed my chapter name problem, I'll just make them completely random like they were in the anime if I can't think of a name. Hope I can keep you reading!