I know that this update was long in comming, but I've been feeling really unsure of myself in posting this and the next chapter that will be comming up...It has some...romantic stuff and I have a really hard time writing that. I also wanted to give a heads up about my other stories, it might be a while before I update 'dagger' since most of that story was on my usb drive that I lost. However I have gotten new inspiration for Yokozano and I may be updating that one....no promises though.
katatsumuri: Actually, I'm not used to the Yossy/Konno pairing myself, but I'm having fun trying to think of ways I could make it work. lol, I don't know Yui's character at all, but I thought it would be fun to make her daring
. plus I'm glad the Eri thing was so well recieved I wasn't too sure how to do her character. (I think I messed it up this chapter though...)
KizuRai: I really like the Eri/Sayumi pairing best (probably because of how cute it was when they danced together and Sayu got all embarressed and hugged Eri
) but I can picture Reina with just about anyone...she appeals to me like that. However I won't be intrducing anymore girls into the dance because I'm afraid I won't be able to keep up with it all...
takagakifan:
lollipopgirl: truthfully I added the takagaki because of you sig. when I was writing this I wasn't sure who I wanted to be there, but then your sig popped in my head and I thought of those two and how great Ai looks in a suit (I saw a hot pic of her in one but I can't remember where)...but I won't be having too much interaction with them because I don't know their characters that well. As for the Yossy/Konno side story, I will be working on it again soon. I think I want to finnish this one first though.
kRisZ: lol, I feel your pain. I'm always getting in trouble for laughing at my computer. The most embarressing time was when I laughed out loud at the library and everyone glared at me...if only I had had a rock to crawl under...
I just love how you incorporate things
thanks
mads: yeah, I think I might have moved too fast with Rika, but I wasn't too sure on how to do her transition so it ended up comming out all clumbsy. It's ironic, I chose konno because I thought she would be the least likely to be guessed to be pookie, but now I'm having a hard time making the two of them 'work'. The relationship is growing on me though, because I'm getting to know konno and I find her a lot more interesting then I had originally thought. Glad you like the story anyways
strawb3rrykream: I guess the reason Miki is so unsure is that it has been my experience that the more 'in love' someone is the less they are able to see it themselves. I don't know why though...perhaps they are running away from it. Then again, Rika had no trouble...hm...I guess it just depends on the individual.
JFC: Aw man! Why didn't I think of that?! That would have been hilarious if they went to the dance and Yossy and Konno weren't even there!
anyways thanks for the time and effort it must take for you to make your comments like you do, it really helps me to see what works and doesn't work for my fic 'play-by-play' so to speak...
sweeety: Yikes, you must be really mad at me, right? Sorry it was so long to update but I just couldn't seem to get the chapters out. btw: the monkey's doing fine, he's made friends with the puppy and now they both intimidate me to get my chapters written. P.S. what's the song that goes with those lyrics?
Amarghetta: That's right, all the good fighting is reserved for charmikitty
since Yuko spiked the punch, it'll probably make things more interesting.
yes. yes it will....
Chapter 16“Okay, now I’m pissed,” Miki muttered as she was escorted around the dance floor by an equally vexed Rika. The two of them had been circling around the dance floor and had seen no sign of Yossy anywhere.
“This is so frustrating.” Rika agreed, her eyes scanning around at the suits dancing nearby, not a single one of them was Yossy.
Miki watched Rika’s diligent searching with interest. “Are you really over Yossy now?”
“You could say that…” Rika answered honestly. “I truly believe that you love her more than I do.”
“Why?”
“…can we please not talk about this? I thought we were going to look for Yossy not play 20 questions.”
“Fine.” Miki muttered. She was more than a little irritated at being put off like this. A strong part of her _needed_ to know what was behind Rika’s sudden change in attitude. Rika had been fighting so hard this whole time up till now…why is she changing her mind? Worst still, did this mean Rika would no longer be her competitor? Why did that thought make her feel so empty? It’s not a big deal right? Sure there wouldn’t be any more…trying to out sneak Rika into Yossy’s room, fighting on the bed over hotel keys, getting accused of doing the nasty by the other members, impromptu spy missions, getting stuck together in the mountains, angry naked wrestling or racing each other on jetskis...yeah…what a relief, now she could get back to her old boring way of pursuing Yossy like striking up conversation and pointless flirting… ’Man, I hate life.’ Miki thought sourly, her face setting into a brooding frown.
Rika could tell by Miki’s tone and the disgruntled look, that the other had been angered at being denied answers. But how do you explain to someone you have been rivals with that…in an instant, as if struck by lightning…the moment Rika saw Miki’s hurt face, back there in the ocean, she knew that she wanted to never disappoint that person again. That she wanted to protect her, to be near her, to joke with her, fight with her, to share watermelons and shelters in the rain, to kiss, to touch, and everything else there is to do with her. That feeling was so strong…even stronger then her desire had been to have Yossy…and she had realized… with horror, surprise, fear, timidity, wonder and maybe even a little joy…that it was love. She was in love with a rival…a rival who was madly in love with someone else. It was painful, and so Rika decided that after tonight she would avoid Miki with earnest. It would be better that way.
“Rika…” Miki started, but didn’t finish as something else had caught her eye. “What the…? What’s Eri doing?”
Rika released her arm around Miki’s waist to turn and see what she was talking about. Over by the punch bowl was a red faced Eri who was talking loudly and grabbing on the arms of a foreign couple that obviously had no idea what she was talking about. “Don’t tell me she drank Yuko’s punch…”
“We better head over there, I’ll get the turtle, you go check out the punch…”
Rika nodded and the two of them headed over.
Miki was the first to get there and without further ado grabbed Eri and yanked her around, away from the extremely confused looking foreigners. “Eri? What are you doing?” Miki demanded.
“Wha? I wash jus tellin thoooose…um…people…” Eri closed her eyes for a second to gather her tumbling thoughts before she continued, this caused her to sway a little as she finished what she was trying to say. “…tha this puncsh here…” Eri patted heavily at the punch bowl and clumsily hit its rim causing the glass bowl to tip and the liquid inside to slosh around dangerously causing her to giggle. “…ishlike the best punch EVERRRRR!!!!” she howled, she then began to laugh in earnest. In the midst of her pointless laughter she suddenly tripped, which was odd since she wasn’t walking, and tumbled foward.
“hoo boy…” Miki grinned in amusement as she reached out to grab Eri’s arms to keep her from hitting the ground. “You’re drunk as a skunk, huh?” Miki looked over Eri’s shoulder and watched Rika approach the punch bowl, lift the ladle, and sniff at the brightly colored liquid gingerly. Her nose wrinkled and she nodded an affirmative at Miki, signaling that the punch was indeed mixed with alcohol. Miki looked at the heavily tipsy girl with a trifle of regret. “Okay then, I guess Yossy will have to wait…I think we need to get you home and in bed…”
“No!” Eri yelled to loudly causing Miki to wince. She received curious stares from some folks that were milling nearby including the surprised Rika who began to head over. “jou pervertud pervert, I will not have sex with you! You think you can hav your way wif me jus cause I’m a little ittsy winsy bit drunk ish that it?!” Eri began to struggle and push clumsily at Miki’s hands on her arms.
Miki stared at her incredulously. “Say what?”
Rika paused, jaw dropping, then a smile formed over her lips and she decided not to intervene after all, apparently more than a little amused at Eri’s outburst. Instead she opted to stand just behind Eri’s shoulder, wanting to watch Miki squirm.
Eri was far from done with her little rant and yelled angrily. “I’m sho shorry missss FUJIMOMO-SAN! But ah don’t s-ee you like that…” Eri turned to a nearby curious onlooker and stated. “Shhez always touchen me in ma ‘danger zone’ places…”
“Are you out of your mind?” Miki hissed, embarrassment burning her cheeks. Now she was feeling an even more urgent need to get Eri out of there. Miki looked around to notice many of the patrons were staring, she seriously hoped none of them could speak Japanese. Her eyes found Rika and she sent a pleading look begging for help, but it looked like that girl was too busy silently laughing to do anything. She shook Eri angrily trying to get her to stop making her look like some kind of sex offending kidnapper. “Just shut up and stop struggling. Now you better come away with me or I will tie you up and take you by force!”
Eri gasped and crossed her arms over her chest.
“Aya’s right…” Rika giggled as she maneuvered over to stand next to Miki. ”Everything you say really does come out sounding perverted.”
“Rika!” Eri exclaimed happily diving away from Miki and into the waiting arms of senpai, in which Miki gratefully relinquished her hold. “Rika… ” Eri repeated, the rancid smell of her alcohol breath causing Rika’s nose to crinkle. “…I hasthomething _very_ importan to tell you…from my moooole job.”
Rika held the drunken girl easily and wrapped her arms more securely around her waist. “Alright, what do you want to tell me?” Rika patronized.
Eri’s face scrunched up cutely as she tried to remember what that very important thing was, she tapped her fingers on Rika’s shoulders as she thought. “Um…” she pursed her lips. Her expression suddenly changed to a happy one. “…the punchere iss _awesome_.”
Rika patted Eri awkwardly on the back, as her arms were under Eri’s and at an odd angle. “ I…see.”
“Uh huh…and that’s why you drank like half of it right?” Miki cut in with a glare. “Most folks would have put it down after the first bitter taste, but not Kamei Eri, oh no,” Miki mocked teasingly, a part of her wanting to get a little revenge from being accused of being a rapist kidnapper. Raising her voice to a high falsetto she pretended to be holding a small glass. “’Oh gee willy gee, this punch is offilly bitter…hmm…I better drink a lot of it just to make sure’ glug glug gulg…’Aaa It burns as it goes down, stupid punch I won’t be defeated by you.’ ”
Eri looked at her with round wide accusing eyes. “Sso you were spying on me too…”
Miki face faulted. “Of course I wasn’t!”
“Um, Eri…” Rika smiled sheepishly, trying to pull the younger girl’s attention away from the now raging Miki, who may have just been reverse tsukkomied. “Thanks for being my mole, but I’m a little tired. You want me to take you back to the hotel?”
Eri nodded. “As long ash its you and not this persun!” She jerked a thumb in Miki’s direction. “She grabs all over me, lik this…” Eri snaked her arms around Rika and gripped onto her rear with both hands.
“Ah!” Rika gasped, wiggling in an effort to get Eri to remove her hands, but she couldn’t break free because she was holding Eri’s weight in her arms. “Eri stop! People are staring!”
“You’ve got a really nice one, Ishikawa-san.” Eri murmured deliriously.
“Enough, Eri,” Miki growled angrily, she grabbed Eri’s hands and moved them away herself. Then the anger melted away and a wicked grin took its place. “Besides
this is how you do it!”
“Ep!” Rika jerked when she felt the sharp pinch at her backside and she glared angrily over her should at the culprit.
Miki just smiled and wiggled her eyebrows in response. “What? I have a reputation to uphold.”
“I rememumured!!” Eri suddenly exclaimed. “Yosshy is out in the merranmeh...meeh...miranda…” Eri frowned in frustration as the word she was trying to say escaped her. “um…” she pointed towards some double doors on the other side of the room. “out there…she wash kissin a gurl…or a guy…not too sure...”
Rika gasped happily and squeezed Eri into a bear hug. “Yes! That’s it! So that’s why me and Miki weren’t able to find her! Eri, thanks!” Rika turned toward Miki excitedly. “Lets hurry! Before she leaves, we can catch her in the act!”
Miki grinned happily and began to crack her knuckles menacingly. “Oh yeah, time to take down the ‘pookie’! Come on, Rika…” Miki started to head over but was stopped when she heard Rika say her name.
“Miki, wait. I can’t leave Eri alone while she’s like this.”
Miki turned back around to see Rika looking at her pleadingly. Eri’s arms were warpped tightly around Rika’s shoulders with head buried into the crook of her neck. “We’ll just dump her on someone else…” Miki began to gaze around the room and spotted someone. “There’s Aika, she’s responsible enough, we can take Eri to her…”
Rika shook her head. “No way. It’s the job of a senpai to care for a kohai not the other way around.”
“Fine.” Miki growled as she scanned the room again. “Ah ha! Kei’s over there and she…”
“…already has her hands full.” Rika supplied indicating how Kei was trying to calm a howling Yuko who was yelling at some poor hostess girl who seemed near tears.
“I feel funny…” Eri mumbled against Rika’s neck.
“Oookaay…um…Ai-chan and Risa!” Miki nodded toward the giggling dancing girls that seemed completely oblivious to the world around them outside of each other, but even Miki felt regretful of that suggestion even before Rika declined it.
“They’re too happy to disturb, don’t you think?”
Miki groaned and ran a hand through her hair. “If we don’t go now it will be too late!”
“You go.”
Miki blinked over at Rika. “What?”
“I’ll take Eri back to the hotel and you should go confront Yossy…”
“All by myself?”
Rika laughed at how incredulous Miki looked. “Yes, all by yourself. You don’t need me to hold your hand, it’s not like you need an escort…I mean, are you five?”
Miki bristled. “Of course not! I don’t need you to get Yossy, I never needed you…so I’m going...and by myself too!” she turned around to walk away.
Rika felt a stab at Miki’s callous words. “Good. Go. I hope you do get Yossy and the two of you are happy together.”
Miki paused and raised her chin. “Oh, we will be…very happy.”
“Well…then I’m happy for you.” Rika began to tremble, causing Eri to move back so she could stare at Rika’s torn expression. Rika could feel Eri’s eyes on her, but didn’t acknowledge the curious stare. Her eyes remained glued to Miki’s back. She felt so helpless, she was glad she had Eri to hang on to so she wouldn’t embarrass herself by grabbing Miki and begging her to stay, to give up on Yossy, to come back to the hotel…but she couldn’t do that… “so hurry up, what are you waiting for?! Still want me to babysit you?”
Miki arched her shoulders and ground out. “Ha! I’m just glad you’re finally out of my hair!”
“Oh yeah? Well I’m glad that I don’t have to waste my time with you anymore! If I have to see you one more time before we leave back to Japan it will be too soon!”
Miki’s shoulders drooped and in a small voice murmured. “You…really feel that way?”
“Of course I do.” Rika exclaimed as her heart broke in a million pieces, she was surprised her voice was steady as she spoke. “I…can’t stand you. I hate you. You make me so miserable…just…
leave me the hell alone…” She watched Miki stiffen and hoped that the other didn’t turn around, if she did…then Rika was sure the other would see the truth is in the eyes and not in the words, but Miki didn’t turn around. Without a word and with head downcast, she walked away.
Rika felt a touch on her cheek and turned to see that Eri was inspecting her now wet finger tips that had intercepted the trail of tears falling down Rika’s cheek. “Eri?”
“Liar.” Eri murmured sadly.
Rika closed her eyes trying to cut off the warm tears that were spilling silently. “Time to leave…” she whispered remorsefully, and began to guide Eri out of the dance hall.
*****
“I…don’t feel good…” Eri bemoaned woozily as she clung heavily to Rika’s side.
“Are you going to throw up?” Rika asked quietly patting the pale girl on the back.
Eri pressed her lips together and nodded.
With a sigh Rika led the younger girl off path and keeled with her at some bushes, gently she was able to dispatch the girl to the ground. They hadn’t made it far from the large dance hall and Rika could still clearly hear the music playing in the distance, a hollow mystical sound.
Eri braced herself on her hands and knees with her eyes closed. Her head was spinning round and round and her insides were rolling. The ground seemed to move underneath her palms nearly causing her to lose balance. “Hold still…” she muttered at it. Her lips trembled as she felt the contents of her stomach rise upward.
Rika tsked and held the other girl’s hair out of the way as she spilled her guts on some beautiful Hawaiian country side. Once Eri seemed finished Rika helped her to her feet, but noticed the younger girl still looked peaked. “Do you need to sit for a little while?”
Eri nodded still wiping at her mouth self consciously.
Rika looked over at a public park bench a few feet away and began to escort her charge there.
Eri clasped her head and sat at a corner of the bench and leaned against the arm rest. “I jus…need a minute…”
“Okay.” Rika took off her coat and wrapped it around Eri’s front, before sitting down next to her. “Were not in a hurry…besides it’s not like I have anything better to do…” Rika looked down at her hands resting in her lap, a part of her still wanting to be at Miki’s side.
As if reading the older girl’s mind Eri murmured. “I bet Miki would like you to go back…” she shyly readjusted Rika’s coat around herself, knowing that she was meddling in someone else’s business. Luckily Rika didn’t seem to take offense and even gave Eri a self pitying smile.
“No…I don’t think Miki will want me back...tonight…or any other time…”
“Because you said mean things…”
“Yes, and the fact that Miki loves Yossy.” Rika took a shuddery breath. “I’m the last thing on her mind right now.”
“Oh.” Eri didn’t know how to respond or what she could say to ease the others obvious pain, after throwing up she did feel a little less sloshed, but she was still too tipsy to know how to deal with this. “Um…well…if I had to choose between you or Yossy I would…uh…” Eri began to blush.
Rika looked questioningly at Eri. “You would what?”
Eri sighed defeated. “I would pick Yossy…” Eri buried her head under the jacket in embarrassment.
Rika laughed amused, patting Eri’s back. “Gee, thanks for the words of comfort.” Rika teased. She leaned closer and murmured playfully. “Couldn’t even lie for my sake, eh?”
“I’m sorry,” Came the muffled response. “But I really do think that you miss Fujimoto-san and…” Eri peaked from behind the jacket. “… I think she misses Rika-chan too...”
Rika shook her head. “That’s where you’re wrong, Miki doesn’t miss me…she said she was glad I was out of her hair, remember?”
“You’re wrong…” Eri muttered, although truthfully the details were a little fuzzy in her swirling head.
“This conversation is over.” Rika stated with finality. “Miki doesn’t care about me. All she cares about is Yossy. Right at this very moment she is fighting for the sake of her love and is nowhere near here got it?”
Eri nodded and the two fell into silence which was abruptly interrupted when someone suddenly sank into the seat next to Rika.
“Miki?” Rika gasped and felt her heart swell with hope and warmth. “Miki, what are you doing here?”
Miki ignored the question and continued to stare out into the darkness of the field in front of them. “Geez, you still haven’t gotten her back yet. Guess I should’ve known a girly girl like you wouldn’t be able to drag Eri all the way back to the hotel by yourself.”
“What?!” Rika cried in anger. “I was doing great with Eri, so if that’s why you came out here you should just stop worring and get back to the dance hall.”
“Ha! The dance hall is right around the corner, at this rate you’d never make it all the way back.”
“That’s what you think! We only stopped for a second, but now we’ll be leaving! Come on, Eri!” Rika blinked when she didn’t hear a response. “Eri?”
Miki reached across her to check on the non moving girl by pulling down the edge of the jacket. “She’s asleep.”
"What? But..." Rika frowned, surely it's not possible for Eri to fall asleep so suddenly. She must be faking it. “I should wake her…” Rika threatened with an edge in her voice.
“No don’t, let her sleep it off, it’s a nice night and we have time.”
Rika shook her head. “You don’t. Did you forget about Yossy? Aren’t you missing your chance to confront her?”
Miki shrugged and rested her elbows on her knees. “They’ll be other opportunities to corner that whore Pookie…I just had something I wanted to say to you first…”
Rika steeled herself for the worst. “And what’s that?”
“I’m not going to…” Miki whispered very quietly.
“Eh? But you just said…” Rika was confused.
“I’m not going to leave you alone.”
Topic: Whip cream and Handcuffs Chapter 19 (Read 61048 times)