Back at the Academy
Anji was ready. He had his supplies. He had his backpack.
He had an already planned speech about what he was going to tell the two
"roommates." He even had diagrams.
All he needed now was to get out without anyone seeing
him.
"Anji!" Mai cried, leaning against the frame of
his door, "Where are you going?"
"I decided to go to the camp trip after all..."
Anji replied smoothly. He tried to get around Mai and out of his room, but she
blocked him.
"You can't!" She cried. "The tennis
tournaments! You can't leave!"
Anji mouth dropped open, he had completely forgotten!
There was defiantly a conflict of interest Tennis game,
his little sister's innocence. Tennis game, his little sister's innocence.
God, he wished he was better at decision making!
"Wait a second," he said, buying time, "Why
aren't you camping with the Pheonix School?"
"I had a last minute story to finish up."
"One about the music hall?" He asked, almost too
casually.
Mai shrugged, "No, something on the track team."
"So, you're heading up there soon?"
"Of course!" I wouldn't miss a chance to get
both Kei-kun, Rina and me together if I could!
Mai added silently to herself. She'll see him and me
together, and... --Harkly
"All of you will be asigned to groups for the
hike(seperation is the best way to cause accidents!)." Obari said, once
everyone was ready.
'Oh great.' Keiko thought. 'One more way to get lost..'
"The lists are right here." Obari pointed to one
of the picnic tables. Keiko walked towards the table and bee lined her way
through mobs of boys. "Let's see." She looked at the list. "Hmm
Group B," She sighed. "..With Jiro and Kakeru?! Great.."
"Hey Sempai! I'm on Group A. Where are you?"
Otaru stood beside her.
"Team B." She said.
"Oh," Otaru said. He'd hoped they would've had a
chance to talk a bit on the hike. "Well, good luck! Make sure you don't
get eaten by a bear!"
"Don't you remember? We already did that!" She
smiled.
"Oh! I hear we'll be passing the Pheonix Camp on the
hike!" Otaru winked. "Maybe your friends will be there."
'I hope not..' She thought. "Maybe." --Ikuno
Keiko wasn't in the best of moods. She was tired. She was
cold. She was hungry. She was being eaten alive by bugs. But worst of all she
was not only stuck with Kakeru (who had a positivly DEMONIC smile on his face
[think Xellos] which meant he was planning something) but Jiro as well (who was
staring at Kakeru nonstop which meant he knew he was planning something.) The
only thing that seemed to make the trip more bearable was the fact that both of
them were so preoccupied with each other that they pretty much left Keiko
alone. --Twylise
Without anything else to distract her, Keiko's thoughts
went back to last night. 'Otaru *was* cute when he was blushing like that...he
doesn't seem to even consider the fact I could be a girl...-'
"Fujishige! Watch out!" Jiro called as Keiko
promptly whacked into a tree. (I'm guessing they're still near the bottom...I'm
doing some reserch on climbing Mt. Fuji right now)
"owwww" Keiko rubbed her nose as she got up and
brushed herself off. Jiro started cracking up, Kakeru glared, as if he knew she
was thinking about Otaru, still not convinced the night before was an accident.
--LaNnY
Otaru walked along the trails, and though there was such
beautiful scenery(that darned beautiful scenery again!), his thoughts were
somewhere else. 'I wish Sempai were here..' he thought. 'I still can't shake
this wierd feeling from last night.' He saw her next to him again, and
blushed(MORE BLUSHING LANNY!!). 'I wonder if she's still got my jacket?' He
thought. 'Why do I even care? Boy, I've got it bad.. Did I just think that?! Oh
boy..'
"Are you alright, Chinen-Kun?" Obari asked. He
noticed everyone had stopped, including him, and they were all staring at him,
his face red from blushing.
"U-um, yeah." He was finally fully aware of his
surroundings. He smiled cheerfully. "Yes sir."
"Okay, let's go!" Obari said, as they walked on.
'What's wrong with you?' Otaru thought. 'Just get over it,
okay?' He followed, this time his mind fully clear.. Almost..
Keiko drudged about. This hike was supposed to be fun. But
her legs felt like they were glued down, but when she stopped they hurt more.
'To top it off, Otaru isn't there to swoon at!' She thought. She realized what
she thought. 'Um, er, Obari-Sama..'
Kakeru looked over at Keiko. 'I wonder what she's thinking
about?' He saw her blush, then 'hmph'ed. 'Probably Shuu-san..'
Keiko saw Kakeru looking at her. 'What?!' She thought.
Kakeru blushed then turned away. 'Was she thinking about
me?!'
'Was he thinking about me?' Keiko blushed again. 'Probably
thinking about who should get eaten by his bear next.'
Naoki was about to die! How could these boys stand this?!
She followed closely behind the group, then turned on her walkie-talkie.
"PheonixBase, this is PheonixSpy, or is it PheonixScout? Or am I
PheonixBase? Staci-Chan, this is getting ridiculous." She said. --Ikuno
"PheonixScout! Never reveal real names! if someone
overhears..."
"We're not at war PheonixBase."
"That's what you think...::cough::...so, what's the
update PheonixSpy?"
Aika's voice came over. "Nothing yet, Siren hit a
tree, that's all"
Staci frowned and shut off her walkytalky. "Just what
are they up to?"
Kakeru was still planning a sceme against Otaru, horribly
jealous still. The Bear thing didn't work in the slightest, but what if....
Keiko was still busy with her own thoughts...it was along
the lines of
'kakeru...otaru...kakeru...otaru' --LaNnY
"I can't stand this anymore, Staci-chan!" Naoki
collapsed. "I'm just going to let someone find me and be done with
it."
"Someone should come this way in the next fifty
years, right?" Aika giggled.
"Not funny! I'm just going to let you guys come get
me." Naoki sobbed.
"PHEONIXSCOUT!! NEVER reveal our names! This is war,
soldier, you can't make an omlet without breaking eggs, you have to sacrifice
for the good of the many, and--"
"Give me a break, Staci-chan." Naoki pouted.
"I'm tired, hungry, and my legs are killing me!"
"You know, St- Umm, PheonixBase, Siren's team is
about to get to the PheonixBase." Aika said casually.
"WHAT?!" Staci exclaimed. "The REAL
PheonixBase? The camp?"
"No, the decoy we have." Aika said
sarcastically.
"We need to inform the troops!!" Staci said.
Kakeru was thinking about Otaru, and his jealousy was at
the breaking point.
Jiro watched Kakeru closely. Obviously a little too
closely, as his foot fell into a hole.
"AGH!!" He exclaimed. Kakeru laughed. "You
did this! Didn't you?!"
"Yeah, Kanzaki-Kun. I ran ahead of everyone, and dug
a hole, just so you could get your foot stuck in it." Kakeru was tiring of
this, and he had other things on his mind.
"ARE YOU MOCKING ME?!" Jiro snapped.
"What do you think?" Kakeru said.
"Kakeru!" Keiko whispered. "Don't be
stupid! You're making everything worse!" Jiro overheard this. "How
can you defend him after what he pulled on you?!" --Ikuno
Keiko drew back. Jiro, who was now sneering viciously, had
a point. How could she defend him? Without thinking, she spoke.
"It was a joke," she said, recieving a horrified
look from Kakeru. Did she know what she was getting herself into? Obviously
not, for she plunged recklessly on.
"You know, friends can't stay mad at eachother forever!" Keiko
said with false enthusiasm, having spotted the disbelieving look on Jiro's
face. Keiko quickly gave Kakeru's shoulder a friendly squeeze. Kakeru stood
there, stunned.
/what are you doing...?/ Kakeru looked on at Keiko in
amazement. She had obviously left Jiro speachless, and he lumbered off toward
the front of the moving line of students.
Relieved, Keiko turned and smiled at Kakeru. She drew back
as he glared daggers at her.
"W-what?" she stuttered. Kakeru ground his teeth
together, and moved closer to her.
"You really think I'm so weak that I need to be
defended by a GIRL?" he whispered furiously into her ear. Keiko could feel
the hot, angry breaths on her neck, and felt her face go warm. She stepped back
and looked at him.
"I... I just thought--" she started, before
Kakeru interrupted her.
"Thought?" he remarked, a snide look covering
his face. "That's a new one. Perhaps you should try it more often."
Keiko glared resentfully at him. Her mouth longed to shout
angry words at him, yet her concience would not allow it. Instead, she stormed
off past him angrily, her mind screaming at the dark-haired boy behind her.
Kakeru looked around him, making sure that none of the
students had heard that unusual argument. Fortunately, they had not, for they
walked past, tired but happy, with their tent partners beside them. Kakeru
turned back to his own tent partner, and felt his own heart skip a beat. She was
fervently rubbing her eyes from under her glasses, trying her best to hide it
before continuing on to the front of the line.
Kakeru's lips parted as he let out a breath of air he had
been holding during the time he had been arguing with Keiko. He felt a pang of
guilt as he watched Keiko rub her eyes one more time.
/I made her cry...?/ he thought guiltily. He walked
forward, and clenched his fists. /Why do I always start that? I don't know why
I act that way around Keiko.../
His mind racing, he walked quickly to catch up with the
rest of the group. --TD
fter some really *tough* desicion making on Anji's part,
he found himself in a taxi, going towards the students' campsite. The tennis
tornament wasn't until the next day, maybe he could get back in time.
Next to him, Mai was shooting questions faster then he
thought possible.
"Do you thing Kei-kun likes me?" She chirped,
"Do you think he'll be happy that I'm coming? Do you think he'll want to
take me to the dance?"
Anji had a pretty good idea what the answer to all those
question was, but he kept himself in line.
"I dunno, maybe." He muttered, trying to find a
magazine he had in one of his bags.
Mai was calmed down a bit, hurt at the tennis player's
responce. "Hmmm... I hope Staci's happy to see *you*."
Anji's head shot up, "Staci? Why shouldn't she want
to see me?" He asked, confused.
Mai giggled, "Well, all those admiring boys, in just
the next campsite over. Makes you think, huh?"
"Eh, you're crazy." Anji said, but he was
frowning and his brow was wrinkled in thought.
Mai saw him at a weak point and jumped on it, "Set me
up with Kei-kun?"
Anji jerked out of his thoughts, "Wha? No!"
--Harkly
Neither of its occcupants noticed as the Taxi pulled in
near the TUA campsite. They were to busy with other more 'important'
matters....
"I can't set you up with Kei!" Anji was starting
to panic.
"Why not?" Mai asked innocently (yeah right!)
"Because....because.....he ah already has a
girlfriend!"
Mai practically jumped out of her seat. "WHAT?
WHO?"
Damn that was stupid of you Anji berated himself. He
searched for someone to use as Kei's girl.....
Meanwhile back on the hike Kakeru was berating himself as
welll. How could you be such a jerk! First the bear thing now this! Now she'll
never talk to you again!
But this sort of thing happened between friends all the
time didn't it? So there must be some way to make everything better but how...
He'd have to apologise. Kakeru sighed. This wasn't going to be easy.. --Twylise
ALTERNATE SCENE:
Mai pouted. "Fine..." she said, crossing her
arms in frustration. Anji rolled his eyes and concentrated his eyes on the road
through the window.
The rest of the taxi ride was relatively silent. Mai kept
her eyes focused on the view through her window, though she would glance at Anji
occasionally to pout. Anji, however, managed to ignore her, and keep his mind
focused on his little sister. He wondered what she could be doing...
He would not have guessed that she would, at that second,
be having lunch near the edge of a cliff on Mt. Fuji.
Actually, Keiko found herself unable to draw near the
cliff's edge. Since she was little, she'd had a dreadful fear of heights, and
avoided them all costs. She refused to eat her lunch, since the butterflies in
her stomach prevented her from even getting food into her throat.
Kakeru watched her warily from near the cliff's edge. It
was amusing to watch her cower against the wall of the mountain, much like a
child would cling to his mother's legs. She would recieve curious stares from
some of the students, and, eventually, even Jiro had walked up to her to ask
what was wrong.
"I... just don't like cliffs, that's all."
Jiro raised an eyebrow at her. "I never pictured you
as the type, Fujishige."
"Well, I am."
"I see that."
"Good. So don't pester me about eating."
Jiro shrugged and stalked off. Keiko watched him leave to
peer over the side of the cliff with a group of his friends. She gulped.
"That is SO dangerous..." she murmured to
herself, clinging tighter to the cliff wall.
"It sure is..." Keiko heard a voice beside her
say, which she immediately recognized as Kakeru's. She felt the pit of her
stomach turn cold. She turned to him.
"Whadda you want?" she demanded icily, and he
stepped forward, undaunted by her harshness.
"Just to talk," he said, and felt his face grow
warm under Keiko's glare. "And... to apologize." --TD
"Who?" Mai's eyes were piercing right through
Anji.
"Umm.." He thought a moment. 'Not Staci, NO.
Definatly not Rina, not Aika or Naoki.. Wait! It's perfect!' "..My sister."
He said. "Yeah! Keiko's out of town, though, so they haven't been out on
dates or anything because she's not here.."
"Oh.." Mai sighed. 'I wonder if Amuro Keiko
knows that Kei-Kun was cheating on her with Rina-San behind her back?' She
thought.
Keiko looked at him in shock. She quickly put her hand on
his head. "Are you SICK??"
"Very funny." Kakeru narrowed his eyes. She was
making this hard on purpose.
"I thought so!" She stuck her tongue out
playfully.
"Listen, I'm.." He started.
"Go on, you can say it." She said, smiling. His
hand was in a tight fist at his side. Why did she have to be so difficult?
"I'm sorry."
"Sorry, not forgiven." She put her nose in the
air.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO DIFFICULT?!" He
blurted out.
"WHY DO YOU HAVE TO BE SO ANNOYING?!" She yelled
back.
"Forget it." He stomped off. Keiko felt guilty.
'Why does he have to be so stubborn?' She thought.
'Why does she have to be so stubborn?' He thought at just
about the same time. 'Darnit Keiko.' He thought. He decided not to talk to her
for a little while. Every time he talked he made it worse. 'Hey, who says this
is MY fault?' He thought in his defense. He looked over at Keiko, who's body
was pressed up against the cliff wall. He chuckled.
Keiko just knew Kakeru was looking at her with menacing
eyes. She looked over to him, but was surprised to see him cheerfully laughing.
He realized she was looking right at him, and turned away. He couldn't help but
blush. 'Oh great. She knows I'm thinking about her.'
'I wonder what the heck he's thinking about?' Keiko
shrugged. 'He looks so nice when he's happy. If only he wouldn't be himself so
often.' She giggled. 'Did I just say he looks nice??'
Otaru smiled happily. This was the path where Group A and
Group B met, as they passed the Pheonix camp grounds. He would see Sempai soon,
and maybe even Keiko. He smiled at that. He felt anticipation as they passed a
corner and he saw Group B. And there, pressed up against a wall, was Sempai.
Keiko nervously inched to the wall that was farthest from
the edge, and saw something that put a smile on her face. Obari! Was she
dreaming?! Was he coming to save her from the incredibly high cliff? No wait,
hadn't their group leader said that groups A and B were meeting somewhere? She
wasn't really paying attention. Yes! She saw Otaru! and more people! This must
be the place where the two groups joined. for a little while, Otaru and she
could talk. 'But wait, do I want to talk to him? There's no reason to be
uncomfortable around him just because of last night, right?' She held on to the
wall, and Otaru walked towards her.
"Good to see you, Sempai!" He noticed her
positioning. "Are you okay??"
"Umm, I have acrophobia." She closed her eyes.
"Oh. I would have never guessed." He saw that
her hands were white from, holding onto a piece of rock so tightly. "I
wanted to talk to you about something.."
"Hmm?" She said, her eyes still closed tight.
"Actually, someone.." He blushed.
"Really?" She opened her eyes and looked at him.
He was blushing. He was blushing ALOT.
"Remember when.." Otaru paused. "Remember
when you told me about Amuro Keiko?"
Keiko blushed. "Y-Yes.."
"That's what I thought." He sighed. "I knew
you liked her."
"What? Me and Keiko? No!" She blushed even more.
"Oh, come on. Whenever we talk about her you are full
of complements, and you always blush, too. It's pretty obvious." He
smiled.
"Why does it matter?" She dreaded even asking
the question.
"Well, I.." He couldn't finish his sentence. She
was now as red as possible.
"Are you alright, Sempai? You look feverish. We
should get you away from this cliff." Otaru said.
Kakeru sighed. He figured once Chinen showed up Keiko
would be talking to him. He tried to think about something besides Keiko. 'I've
got to get her off my mind. We're going to hit the Pheonix camp next, and I
have got some great tricks up my sleeve. They are undoubtedly going to be
worrying about the dance.' He thought. 'The dance. Hmm.. Should I ask Keiko to
go with me?' He grunted. He was thinking of her again.
"What is it, Otaru?" Keiko asked.
"Well, I wanted to ask her, Keiko that is.." He
blushed furiously. "..To go to the dance with--" He just couldn't
finish it. She blushed more.
"Okay, let's move out!" Obari said. As everyone
in group B grabbed their bags and such, Kakeru walked over to Keiko, and
whispered in her ear softly, "I'm sorry." She blushed. He walked
ahead of her, and then said, "Here's where the path gets narrow."
He smiled evilly. Keiko gulped.
'Oh, I hate him!' She thought. 'But if I hate him, why am
I blushing?'
Kakeru felt some, if any, satisfaction. He finally
apoligized. --Ikuno
Anji finally arrived at the part of the campsite where the
two camps met, jumped out of the taxi, and looked around. The whole place
seemed to be deserted.
"Anji-chan!! Hey!"
He turned arouned to see Naoki bounding toward him. He
cringed slightly, then decided to be glad she was there, because she could give
him valuable information about Keiko...
He cut right to the chase. "You tell me what Keiko
has been up to and tell me NOW. I just know she's been up to something... I can
feel it in my bones..."
"Um, nothing, really!" Naoki laughed nervously.
She wasn't that great a lier. And the fact that the great Amuro Anji was
standing there, looking at her, talking to HER, was enough to make her lose
half her brain power. She smiled giddily, hardly aware that Anji was staring at
her with daggers in his eyes.
"Don't LIE to me! My worst suspisions have been
confirmed! WHAT HAPPENED."
"Well..." And the whole story spilled out of her
in a rush. She was going way to fast for Anji to hear the whole thing, but he
did manage to hear certain words about Kakeru, honey, the lake, Otaru, Keiko,
and "they weren't doing anything! Just washing off!" She suddenly
remembered the promise Keiko had exacted on her not to breath a WORD of the
whole mess to Anji. Uh-oh...
"WHAT!! Where is she now?"
"Um, um, they are hiking up the mountain!"
That was all Anji needed to hear. He immediately took off,
running toward Mt. Fuji, breathing vengeance the entire way. --Joanna
NOTE FROM JOANNA>>
EEK! I just realized that there are a MILLION things wrong with what I
just wrote, like, what was Naoki doing down there, and where the heck was Mai?
::hits self with blunt object:: Sorry, evvybody!
**hum... well, perhaps naoki can magically turn into
staci? yes, that might work... we'll just kinda use our twisted minds to bend
that part the way we'd like! *pats Joanna on the back* no sweat! **
"Hey, wait up!" Anji heard a voice behind him
call. He turned to face a surly-looking Mai who, apparantly, had been paying
the taxi driver the money Anji had forgotten was necessary.
"Eh... sorry..." he said nonchalantly as he
dashed off to sprint further up the mountain, closely following the trail.
"Gr..." he muttered, "If anything that MYSTERIOUS
PHEONIX SCHOOL STUDENT ((*pats self on back* good cover, good cover!)) said was
true, i'll--"
"Anji---ii!" Mai whined from behind him, and he
stopped in his tracks.
"WHAT?!" he said impatiently as he turned to
her, and Mai pouted.
"You're going too fast!"
Anji sighed. This was going to be one of the most grueling
hikes of his life... --TD
Keiko smiled as she breathed in the fresh mountain air. It
seemd that the hike had taken an entire 360 after Kakeru's apology.
The honey incident was WAY behind her, Otaru was nearby
and best of all they were completely surrounded by trees so she couldn't see
that nasty and ver very sheer cliff anymore!
Yes everything was going perfectly. Now if she could only
push the dance away to the furthest corner of her mind....How had it all gotten
so confusing? Maybe she should just come as Kei and be done with it? Then she
wouldn't have to worry about Otaru or......Mai!
She would be their wouldn't she? Keiko shuddered. She'd
much rather go to the dance with Otaru as Amura Keiko than be hounded by Mai as
Fujishige Kei.
But even if it risked her discovery? And how could she go
wirth Otaru he was her best friend! She shouldn't feel that way about him! What
should she do?!
She was so confused.......
"Look!" Kakeru gently clamped his hand onto her
shoulder and smirked down at her.
"Weeee're heerrrrreeeeee!" He pointed through
the trees at a clearing a few yards ahead filled with dark blue tents. They had arrived at the Pheonix School
Campsite. --Twylise
Keiko collapsed on the floor. Obari was off discussing
something with Nakaijima, and so they were going to rest a while. She could
barely stand up, when she felt a slap on her back.
"Fujishige-Kun!" Jiro laughed. "Tired
already? We've got alot ahead of us."
She groaned.
"Kei-Kun!!" Rina said, as she approached(sp?)
the two.
"Hello, Rina-San!" Jiro smiled.
"Oh, hello, Jiro-Kun.." She blushed slightly.
"Hi Rina-San." Keiko said, still on the floor.
She suddenly realized Rina wasn't there to talk to her.
"So, how are you today, Rina-San?" Jiro asked.
"Fine." Rina replied. More small talk followed.
Keiko supressed a giggle at the two, who were OBVIOUSLY flirting with one
another. Aika was the next to walked by.
"Oh, Keik- Kei-Kun! Are you alright?!" She tried
to help Keiko up.
"Too much walking!" Keiko replied. Aika helped
her up and brought her to her tent.
"It's okay, we can talk privately here. This is
Staci-Chan and I's tent." She said.
"I'm in pain.." Keiko whined. "We had to
walk miles with my big pack, and no one would help me, and the cliff, and
Kakeru, and the Tree hit my nose, and.."
"Slow down." Aika said.
"I WANNA GO HOME!!" Keiko exclaimed.
"I can't believe all that! Over here it's-" Aika
started
"Over here it's a GIRLS CAMP." Keiko said.
"I want to stay here!"
"You can't." Aika said. "But you CAN rest
here for a bit.."
Aika looked at Keiko, who was fast asleep on one of the
sleeping bags. She smiled, and went out of the tent.
Otaru looked around, but couldn't find Kei anywhere. He
saw Aika coming his way. and sweatdropped. 'Oh great..'
"Hi Otaru-Kun!" Aika said. "How are
you?"
"Fine.." He smiled nervously. "Do you know
where Sempai is?"
"Oh, he had to rest. He was worn out! He's asleep in
my- I mean, in one of the tents.." Aika said.
"I think those heights really got to him," Otaru
replied. "Anyway, do you know where.." Otaru started to blush.
"U-umm, where A-Amuro Keiko is?"
"Oh! Keiko-Chan! Yes! She.. Umm.." Aika
sweatdropped 'I HAVE TO THINK FAST!'
Otaru looked at her. She finally said, "She's in the
bath."
Otaru blushed again. "Well, I'll be going now."
"Wait a sec-" Aika started, then she saw a
familiar face. "Anji!!
"Where is she. Where's Keiko?!" He was
incredibly angry and didn't see Otaru standing there.
"What's wrong, Anji?" Aika sweadropped.
"Where is she?! I know that somethings up. I heard
what happened. HOW COULD SHE?!"
"Umm.." Otaru sweatdropped, and Anji looked in
shock. He then grabbed Otaru's shirt.
"What the heck do you think you were doing with my
sister?!" He spat at Otaru.
"What are you talking about?" Aika decided to
play dumb.
"Why don't you ask him?!" Anji said. --Ikuno