Disclaimer: I don't own Fushigi Yugi. But I own Kumiko. But not Rei. She's Lupi's (Lupine-eyes) and we both own Anzu. And yadda yadda yadda. Does anybody really read these things?
Key:
Passage of time
Thoughts
FLASHBACKS
Chapter 2: Trouble with a capital A
In the morning when Kumiko woke up, it took her a few moments to realize where she was. "Oh yea," She laughed. She looked over at Rei, who was still sleeping. She seemed to be having good dreams; a small smile was spread across her face. Kumiko found it ironic that if she were at home right now, her parents wouldn't be able to get her up and she would be late to school. "Rei," She whispered. "Come on, get up. It's best we get a head start." But Rei was a sound sleeper. Kumiko shrugged and decided to take a shower.
The bathroom the two shared was very small; it had a toilet, sink, mirror and small shower. Other than that, there was barely any standing space. Kumiko turned on the bathroom fan and turned on the hot water. She took off her pajamas and set them on the floor. The warm shower relaxed her tense muscles that had built up from sleeping uncomfortably on the train the previous afternoon. "Ahh," She said, relieved as they stopped aching. After washing her hair, she turned off the water and dried off. "Good morning," Rei called as she stepped out of the bathroom in her bathrobe. "Hey, you're finally up." Kumiko smiled.
Rei yawned, her mouth looking like a giant chasm. "Yea. I'm not too good at the early morning thing. I'm surprised you are." Kumiko laughed. "Ha, you should see me at home. My parents can barely get me out of bed without grounding me." The two girls laughed at the joke. "Same here. Except it wouldn't have much of an effect if my aunt grounded me or not. I stay home most of the time anyway." Suddenly there was a knock on the door and a voice was heard from the outside. "Girls, breakfast!" Kumiko grinned, for she had worked up an appetite during the night. She put on one of her uniforms and wringed her hair dry. Rei changed into her uniform as well, and the two girls headed down to the dining hall. "Yay, eggs!" Kumiko said happily. "They're one of my favorite things to have for breakfast," She explained to Rei, who stared at her oddly. She grabbed the soy sauce them all over her eggs. "Hey, you like Soy Sauce on your eggs too?" Rei asked. Kumiko nodded. "I love it," She said.
"That's really strange, I've never met another person who likes eggs with soy sauce," Rei said smiling. Kumiko smiled back. She and Rei and so much in common! "Well maybe that's because you two are freaks," Came a voice. Kumiko groaned and turned around. Anzu stood looking down on them. Even in the early morning she had tons of makeup on. She continued in a sneering voice, "Of course, I'm sure there's other things you to have in common. Like, let's see, poor excuses for families, perhaps," She stopped when Kumiko stood up. "Say that again," She said in a harsh whisper, "And I'll kick your ass."
Anzu gave a malicious grin, but looked slightly worried. "I'm sure," She said, as she walked away. Kumiko was shaking with anger. "Don't you ever insult my family, or Rei's again," She warned. Anzu answered simply by batting her blonde hair over her shoulders. "Bitch," Kumiko muttered as she sat down. "Don't even bother with her. She does it on purpose." "How can you just ignore her like that? After she insulted your family?" She asked Rei. "Look, I've known Anzu for years. I've been in her class since elementary school. I know how she works. I've gotten used to the fact that she thinks she's so much better than everyone else. I know what she says isn't true, so why should I bother?"
Kumiko didn't say anything in reply, but she knew to some extent Rei was right. "It just pisses me off. At my old school in Tokyo everybody was pretty much friends with everybody. We didn't have popularity issues." Rei nodded. "I've just grown up dealing with them, I guess. After that, Kumiko had lost her will to eat. Nobody insults my family, she thought. They quickly headed back to their dorms where Rei took a quick shower. "What do we have first?" Rei asked her while drying her hair. Kumiko looked at their schedules, which she had posted on their doors the previous night. "Full Orchestra," She answered. "What do you play?"
"Cello," Rei replied, stepping out of the bathroom. "And you?" "French Horn." "Really? Strange. I can see you playing something like Clarinet." Kumiko shrugged. "I've always played French Horn. I like it, it's fun. Although, I don't practice very often. I don't have one of my own, only rented from the schools." With that, the two girls headed off to the orchestra room.
Their conductor, a short middle aged woman, could barely be seen above the chairs without her podium. "She's pretty short," Rei whispered. Kumiko nodded. They grabbed their instruments and started to tune. "Please tell me Anzu doesn't play an instrument," Kumiko asked Rei. She sighed sadly and replied, "She does. First Chair Clarinet." "Now I'm really glad I don't play clarinet," She laughed slightly. "Brasses are so much better than woodwinds." Rei nodded in agreement. "But strings are better," She grinned. "I beg to differ," Kumiko laughed.
"Attention girls, please find your appropriate seats." The two girls waved goodbye to each other and sat on opposite sides of the room, strings to the front, winds to the back. Kumiko found the music the sight-read quite easy. After class she ran up to Rei. "I thought that stuff was pretty easy, don't you?" She asked, putting her Horn back in its case. Rei shrugged. "I guess. I haven't been playing for all that long." Kumiko nodded. "Do you know what we have next?" Rei pondered. "I think...it's math. But I'm not positive."
With a quick scramble through their things, they found a copy of their schedules. "Yup, math it is. This better be more challenging than last years math class. I hated it. I'd be done like...half an hour early and I'd sit there, because I was afraid to tell the teacher I'd finished so quickly. I guess she noticed anyway, seeing that I ended up here." Rei nodded. "I'm pretty good at math. I just hate Algebra." "I think it's ok. I HATE probability. Ick, gag me. I could never really explain myself, so I always got worse grades on assignments with probability."
Laughing happily they sat down in Math. The two girls groaned when they saw Anzu enter the room, bouncy and cheerleady (A/N: is that a word?) as ever. The teacher gave them seating arrangements, which unfortunately placed Anzu right in front of Kumiko, with Rei on the other side of the room. Immediately, Anzu shot her hand in the air. "Is there a problem Miss Takenami?" The teacher asked, peering over her glasses. "Yes there is," She said matter-of-factly. "I don't like this seat. I really dislike the general area of people I'm sitting around. Could you possibly change your seating chart?" Kumiko raised her hand and said, "I agree. Someone's Fat Ugly Head seems to be in the way of the board, thus disrupting my learning." There was a hushed silence over the classroom. "How dare you...you.... Bitch!" Anzu screamed. Kumiko blinked. This was going to be interesting. "Now now Anzu, don't use dirty words. This classroom uses mild language only," Kumiko said, trying not to giggle.
"I quite agree. Miss Takenami, I will not take that kind of behavior, please go to the office." Anzu turned to the teacher, face full of shock. "Oh, but Ms-" "-I'm sorry, but there is no excuse for swea-" "-But she-" "That doesn't matter, please go to the office."
Anzu looked as if she was about to cry. She gave both Kumiko and Rei dirty looks and left the room sullen faced. She slammed the door behind her. Other than that, math class went by regularly quickly.
Gratefully, so did the rest of the morning. Soon it was lunchtime and Kumiko and Rei hadn't seen a glance of Anzu anywhere. "You don't supposed she gave up do you?" Kumiko said hopefully. Rei shook her head. "Not even close. She's as stubborn as they come." "Great," Kumiko said, sarcasm etched in her voice. Suddenly Anzu and her followers (which was around six or seven girls, looking a little to much like her) came walking up. Anzu still looked upset, but regained her furious face. "I'm going to get you for that, Kumiko. I'll see to it you get what you deserve." "What, a Nobel peace prize? That'd be great," Rei said, giving a fake smile. "Oh, and glad you learned my name. You won't forget it easily," With that Kumiko and Rei got up and walked passed them, finished with their lunches.
"That was great. Sooo much better than Mom's cooking." Kumiko said, stuffed. "Yea, I'd say. My aunt Kari isn't the best cook either." Kumiko giggled and said, "I remember when Dad tried to cook once. We had to call the fire department. He put tinfoil in the microwave." Rei laughed and answered, "Yea, I don't really remember my dad's cooking. I don't think he did. I just remember Mom's was the greatest. She made the best dishes all over Kyoto." She got a dreamy look on her face thinking about it. "Hey, earth to Rei," Kumiko said, waving her hands in front of Rei's face. "I'm here, I'm here." She laughed. "Come on, we've got class."
The rest of the day passed uneventfully as well. Well, that is other than Anzu getting in trouble for talking on her cell phone in the middle of class. She pouted when the teacher made her hang up on her boyfriend. Kumiko rolled her eyes. "If I get a boyfriend, EVER, I'm NEVER EVER doing that." Rei nodded in agreement. "Its what you call stupid beyond belief. REALLY stupid beyond belief." Anzu tossed her blonde hair over her shoulder. "He's coming to pick me up tonight. We're sneaking out," She whispered to a friend, loud enough for Rei to hear. "What's that Kumiko? Did you hear the news? Anzu's boyfriend is coming to pick her up tonight so they can sneak out!" Rei said loudly. Kumiko joined in, "Really? Wow, I didn't know she was sneaking out. But gee, aren't our dorms on the second floor? I wonder how he'll get up there. Hmm..." She said loudly. Quite a few smirks were seen around the room, along with laughing.
Anzu scowled. "Oh shut up," She said disdainfully to Rei and Kumiko, "at least I'm not single." Kumiko put her hands to her face. "Single? Oh my goodness! Woe is me, oh woe is me!" Rei dramatically flung her hand to her forehead. "Oh, I cannot go on! Who will tie my shoe? Who will glove my hands? Oh who will kiss my ruby lips if not a man...with Cash!" Kumiko burst out laughing at this last remark. "That was good. But don't forget he has to be bald and at least 30 to fit Anzu's preferences." She told Rei. She nodded happily, pleased with her dramatic antics. "Alright girls, I think that's enough," their teacher said. He then went back to teaching science class.
That night, the girls sat talking in their dorm. "So what are your friends in Tokyo like?" Rei asked eagerly. "Well, first there's Miaka and Yui. They've been my friends forever. Since I moved to Japan from the U.S. I barely spoke Japanese. They helped me lots. Miaka's so kind, and fun loving. Although, she IS a bit of a glutton. Then there's Yui. She's really smart, at least for someone a year younger than myself. And then, Risu, who's in our grade. I haven't heard so much from her. I'm anxious to know if she got into Jonan or not. I bet Miaka and Yui are just getting ready for their last year at our old school. Then the head to high school themselves. I'm so proud of them." She laughed slightly. "I sound like my mom."
Rei laughed as well. "I've done it before. Aunt Kari used to laugh at me. She always teased me, but in a loving way, you know? Nothing like Anzu." Her face grew dark. "I hate her sooo much," Kumiko seethed, just thinking about her. "Ditto. I didn't used to, though. We were actually.... friends." Kumiko raised her eyebrows. "Really? Are you serious?" Rei nodded sadly. "Yea, back in elementary school, a long long time ago. She used to come over all the time and we'd play in the fields. But then it became more important to be popular, and she started to change. Actually, that's wrong. It was much more drastic than that. All of the sudden she was wearing tighter jeans, higher skirts and more makeup. She'd always been one to love beauty, but she just overdid it. And then...we just weren't friends anymore." She stopped for a second, thoughtful.
"She started taunting me when we got into middle school. Saying that I was crazy, a psycho freak, a nerd and a geek. But I ignored her. Even though it sorta hurt, I could tell that it hurt her too, knowing it was just as painful for me as it was for her. So, I made new friends. But...they all left me too. For different reasons. Moving away, their own personal desire to be popular, Anzu intentionally breaking them apart. So, I started to go out on my own. Little by little, until I was barely acquainted with anyone. Nobody really understood, so I kept my distance."
"Well, don't worry. I'll try to understand the best I can," Kumiko said softly. "And I'll always be your friend. After all, I'm stuck at this school. My parents made sure of it." A knock on their door told them it was once again time to sleep. "Alright, we're going," Kumiko mumbled as she pulled up the covers and snuggled deep within them. "Hey Rei, if I sleep late, try waking me up, K?" Rei shrugged. "I'll try, but my sleeping habits aren't that great either." The two dreamed happily that night, enjoying each other's silent company.
Morning seemed to come as soon as Kumiko closed her eyes. When she awoke she squinted at the light. She turned to see that Rei was not in her bed. "Good morning!" She called from the bathroom. "Morning," Kumiko grumbled slightly, itching her head, which was a big tangled mess. "Well don't you look lovely," Rei joked. Kumiko nodded, half asleep. "yea," she replied, yawning. "The style works for me. It's just so gonna be the style in 5 minutes. Too bad I'm early." Rei shook her head. "Ok, that sucked." Kumiko shrugged. "It's too early in the morning to be making good jokes." Rei replied, "That is true. Hey, hurry up and take a shower so we can head down to breakfast."
Kumiko nodded and trudged into the bathroom and closed the door. She stared at her reflection in the mirror. Boy was Rei right. Her hair was a mess. She shrugged and got into the shower. Within minutes the two were ready to go. "Come on, hurry up!" Rei said as Kumiko put on her socks and shoes. "I'm hurry upping!" Kumiko said, frantically putting them. "Nobody's gonna notice, come on!" Kumiko finished greatfully, and the two headed downstairs.
"No. Just no." Kumiko said, folding her arms. Rei gave her a pleading look. "Oh come on. Please? Just this once? It's not gonna react. I promise. I know lots about chemistry. I just want to see what color it turns." "Rei, that is reacting," Kumiko said bluntly. "I meant it's not gonna blow up. Please?" She begged.
"No."
The two were in science class, doing a chemistry lab, in which they were to test the effects of certain chemicals on fabric materials. Rei had been persisting that Kumiko mix chemicals for the past 15 minutes. "Kumiko! Don't be a wuss." Kumiko put her hand on her hip. "I don't see you doing it." Rei, realizing this tactic wasn't working, went back to pleading. "Please?"
"No!"
"How about when we go on break and get to go downtown, I'll buy you lunch. Promise. Please?" Kumiko sighed. What would it take to make her stop. "Fine. You've got a deal." The two shook on it. Taking a deep breath, Kumiko grabbed two different bottles of chemicals and a test tube. She poured one of them, a dark blue liquid, with a clear transparent one. She began to count:
"One....two...three."
BOOM!
Within seconds the two liquids reacted and created a huge explosion of gray smoke. A strong putrid smell emitted from the test tube, filling up the whole room. The teacher walked up to Kumiko sternly. "Detention, Miss Inoai." When he walked away, Kumiko put down the test tube frustrated. "Rei!" She said, angry. "What?" Rei asked. "You just got me a detention!" She whined. "Yes, but it also just got you a free lunch," She added. Kumiko waggled her finger in Rei's face. "And I'm getting something REALLY big and REALLY expensive."
That lunch period, Kumiko sat in a room with thin mouthed, pencil thin old hawk for a teacher. Why oh why did I have to get detention? Why me? Didn't he even see Rei getting me to do it? Stupid teacher, She thought scornfully. For a full 20 more minutes, she sat in complete pain and agony, completely still with nothing to do. When she was finally allowed to leave, she ran out whispering "Thank you Kami-sama! You have given me freedom!"
"How was detention?" a voice sneered. Kumiko reluctantly turned to see Anzu and her friends, laughing at her. And it was a shame Rei wasn't around. "Great. Now if you'll excuse me, I don't really have time for this. Talking with a bunch of bitches isn't on my schedule, you'll have to make an appointment." She shoved passed the group, in desperate search of Rei. Where was she?
"So, how was detention?" Rei giggled. "Not funny," Kumiko said.
It was passed dinner time, and both were finished with the homework they'd received. "So, what were those chemicals anyway?" Kumiko asked Rei. She shrugged. "One was Hydrochloric acid. The other was...um..." "Magnesium," Kumiko filled in, remembering. "Oh yea! Gotcha. Why? You're not going to do it again, are you?" Rei asked seriously. Kumiko shook her head slyly. "I'm not. But somebody else? Well, I'm not so sure." Rei's eyes lit up. "Tell me, please," She begged. Kumiko grinned. "Alright."
She whispered her plan into Rei's ear, who laughed. "Brilliant! We'll put it into action tomorrow. Oh, this'll be great!" She grinned.
Lola: Finally, I finished it! MWAHAHAH. Oh, and I re-wrote the first chapter. Or Edited. Whatever. There was some stuff I needed to fix. So I did. Anyway, if you have any questions, let me know. Or suggestions. I'm always open to those.
Oh, and by the way, I'm not sure if Hydrochloric acid and magnesium really react. I'll ask my science teacher. He's a chemistry buff, he'd know. Well, review!