Chiharu's Birthday Mayhem
By: pnaixrose

Disclaimer: I don't own any CCS or the characters. Please don't sue.

Sunday, May 23 …9 DAYS LEFT

Mihara Chiharu, age fifteen, banged her head on her study table in frustration. It was Sunday and here she was, alone in her room at seven o'clock at night doing homework. To top it all off it was math homework. Why on earth did they have to have math homework? Just the thought of it irritated her. You'd think with all these computers nowadays, they'd let all the machines do the work. She looked tiredly over the huge math book lying open in front of her and her eyesight actually blurred a bit as she scanned over the problems on the page. Chiharu sighed as she saw her scribbled, messy writing on a piece of notebook paper. She had barely gotten by the first few problems and already she was confused. Then she thought a horrid thought. Was it true? Was she actually worse in math then her fellow math-hating friend, Kinomoto Sakura, was? With a stubborn and determined face, she started to solve the impossible problems again, scribbling and erasing every five seconds. She was so determined not to be worse in math than Sakura was that she didn't even hear the loud doorbell ring.

After a second she heard her mother shout her name. "CHIHARU!"

But she ignored it as she bit the eraser part of the pencil, still stuck on the same problem. Her mother was probably just calling her for dinner. Ah, dinner sounded wonderful right now, but she couldn't leave without finishing her horrid homework.

"CHIHARU!"

Again she ignored it, wondering why on earth teachers had to be so cruel.

Within a few more seconds, she heard footsteps near her door and she heard it open, her head still down focusing on her work.

"Okaa-san, go away! I have to finish this for tomorrow! Just save my dinner for later!" she said, her mind deep in concentration.

With her head still down, she heard the person's footsteps continue on into the room and stop right behind her. But still thinking that it was her mother since that woman always liked to take a peek at her homework, she continued on working, ignoring the eyes running over her paper's contents.

After a quiet second in thought, she sighed loudly in frustration again. Stupid, dumb math homework! She bopped herself on the head with her fists.

"You know," a deep voice said into her ear, "that whole thing is completely wrong."

Surprised, she whipped around in her seat and found herself face to face with her best friend, Yamazaki Takashi. He smiled cutely as he innocently waved.

"Shut up! What do you know?" Chiharu shouted pouting and sticking out her tongue at his laughing face. If he looked closer, he could've seen the small tint of blush across her cheek. Yamazaki always had that effect on her. Her heart would always start pumping harder in her chest and the blood would always rush into her cheeks. It's been going on for a long time already, yet she still couldn't get used to it and still couldn't stop it. Then as he stopped his laughing, she suddenly realized something. "W-Wait a minute!" she said, almost fainting in shock. "Yamazaki-kun! What are you doing in my room?"

Yamazaki raised an eyebrow. "What are you talking about? Remember? Your mother invited me to dinner. And besides, I always go in your room."

However, the enraged Chiharu jumped out of her chair and pushed Yamazaki across the room towards the door. "GET OUT, GET OUT!" She pushed him roughly and he stumbled out the door and fell with a thud on his butt.

When he was finally out of the room with the door locked, she sighed, her cheeks bright red, and leaned tiredly against the door. Well what do you expect? She was wearing an old, plain T-shirt that belonged to her dad, baggy, torn khakis that she wouldn't dare wear outside her house anymore, and plain white socks. Her hair was down from their usual pigtails and was frizzy and unkempt. She didn't exactly look her best right now and Yamazaki had just seen her in it! Besides all that, her room was a complete pigsty! Chiharu's cheeks burned redder. Oh, the humiliation!

Just then she heard him knocking on the door behind her. "Chiharu-chan! What's wrong? Are there hiding some kind of monster that you horrifically created to get glory and fame and now you realize that it was a mistake and-"

Chiharu's rolled her eyes. "Shut up Yamazaki!" Yup, even after all these years he still told those irritating stories. But even though it was quite unusual, he didn't tell her the stories that often anymore.

Immediately she heard him shut up, but not before hearing him laugh a bit. Quickly, Chiharu picked up some scattered clothes on her bed and the floor and threw them in the confinement of her closet. Then she rushed to her drawers and grabbing some nice yet not too fancy clothes, she changed. Then, beating the speed of light, she scrambled over to her mirror, grabbed a brush and started raking through her stringy brown hair.

With one last sigh in front of the mirror, she looked herself over. She had a plain yet cute dark red shirt on with the sleeves to her elbows. It was just tight enough to cling loosely onto her body and it was V-cut around her neck. Her pants were dark blue jeans that again were tight, yet not too tight. With a tug at a part of the shirt, and a smoothing of a wrinkle on her jeans, she approved what she was wearing and hesitantly went back to the door. She opened it and pouted. There was Yamazaki, sitting on the carpeted floor and leaning against the hallway's wall, snoring and pretending to sleep. Angrily, she bonked him on the head. "Yamazaki-kun!"

He smirked as he opened hisdark eyes that barely opened enough to see his full eye anyway. He rubbed the back of his ruffled black haired head. "Itai…so violent! It's not my fault the females always take so long to change!"

Chiharu stuck her tongue out as Yamazaki picked himself off the floor and dusted himself off.

Then they stood there in the empty hallway for one second, just staring at each other. Chiharu raised an eyebrow when her friend began circling around her with a contemplating finger to his chin, like an observing hawk.

"What the heck are you doing?" she asked, uncomfortable under his scrutinizing eyes. She stood stiffly. Was there something wrong with the outfit? Did she forget to zipper her pants zipper? Was there a stain somewhere? Was it torn or something? She blushed as he came face to face with her after circling her for about three times.

He smiled, narrowing his eyes even further in happiness.

Chiharu looked at him in confusion and nervousness. "What?"

"That's the shirt I got you last Christmas!" he said with a smile.

Oh yeah! She just remembered it now. But then again ,she and Yamazaki went shopping all the time, even if it was against the boy's will. What was so special about this one?

Yamazaki smirked. "You don't remember do you? I spent all that time in the mall trying to find something nice for you! Good thing Li-kun came by to help me out. Seems like he was buying a present for Kinomoto anyway. He said that if I know your shirt size I should get you this since girls love getting clothes. I picked dark red because it's my favorite color," he said easily. "By the way, it looks good on you, with that hairstyle too. I don't see you wear your hair down too often."

Chiharu was startled. It looked good on her? Really? It was a very plain shirt but he still liked it anyway? She should start wearing this shirt more often and start leaving her hair down. She blushed, realizing that he was flattering her. He always did that and it made her heart always skip a beat. Jeez Yamazaki...

He chuckled, tapping her nose lightly with his finger. "Look! I made Chiharu-chan blush!"

At this she blushed even harder. Why did he have to flirt so much with her? It was as hard as it was trying to conceal her feelings for him. But she was thankful when Yamazaki left her side and entered her room. With a sigh, she turned and entered it too.

He was sitting at her desk looking over her homework when she entered and she rushed to the table and grabbed it away.

"What's wrong, Chiharu-chan?" Yamazaki asked inquiringly. "I was just trying to figure out what you did on the homework."

"N-No it's okay," she answered, blushing a bit. She didn't want him to see the messed up problems to him. It made her look like a shame to society!

"Oh c'mon, gimme the paper," he said with a smile as he got up from the chair.

"N-No…"

Then with one sly smile on his face, Chiharu backed away until she reached the edge of her bed as he walked towards her. That smile only meant one thing…

"Tickle time!" Yamazaki screamed as he jumped on her. They both landed on the bed with Chiharu underneath him and while she was laughing hysterically and saying death threats to the "tickle monster" he grabbed her wrinkled paper. With his mission accomplished, he stopped his torturing, rolled off of her and lay on his back next to her, holding the paper up in front of his face to read it. Chiharu still lay there, feeling the heat of his body next to hers. She blushed and heard her heart beating as she thought about what had just happened. He had been on top of her…what mayhem it would be if her father had just walked in then!

"Aha!" he said, interrupting her thoughts. She looked over to him.

"What did I do wrong?" she asked. For her, the best person to ask for a math assignment, or actually any assignment, was Yamazaki. He was really smart and talented, which always made her feel dumb.

He sat up with the math homework still in his hands. As Chiharu sat up too and leaned over to him to see what he was talking about, he explained what she had done wrong and an easier way to answerit. Chiharu beamed as they tried out a sample problem he gave her and got it correct. Yay! She finally got it! Chiharu was so happy that she jumped up in delight.

"Arigatou Yamazaki-kun!" she exclaimed joyfully. "Wow, you teach better than sensei."

Yamazaki smiled as he stood up from the bed. "Really, it's no problem," he said modestly as he scratched the back of his head.

Just then they both heard a voice from downstairs calling to them. "CHIHARU! TAKASHI! IT'S DINNERTIME!"

They looked at each other and they both grinned. For a second, it was silent as Chiharu smirked. "Last one there has to finish my homework!" she suddenly said.

Then they both rushed off out of the door, through the hallway and into the kitchen.

"Sugoi! This is delicious as always!" Yamazaki exclaimed politely.

Chiharu and Yamazaki were at the dinner table with Chiharu's parents, eating their meal. Chiharu sat next to Yamazaki on one side while her parents sat on the other. Chiharu was munching on some food, when she felt something warm on top of her hand which was lying on her lap. Surprised, she looked down to her lap and saw that Yamazaki's hand was on top of hers. Good thing the table cloth was covering their hands so it was unseen by her parents. She blushed as she glanced at him. He looked like as if nothing had happened and kept his face forward while eating. Chiharu smiled, trying to hide her blush. Yamazaki always did things like this without thinking. She didn't know why but she wasn't complaining! She decided to stay silent, letting his hand stay on hers…Until that is, her mother had to disrupt the moment.

"So Takashi-kun, how are your parents? I haven't heard from them in quite a while," Chiharu's mother said taking a bite of the food.

Much to her dismay, Yamazaki took his hand off of Chiharu's. He smiled brightly. "They are okay. But they've been busy lately."

"That's why we invited you to dinner, silly!"

"Your parents are busy people, 'Kashi," Chiharu's father added, using his nickname for Yamazaki. "Since they're out so much we didn't want you to eat all alone. You're welcome here all the time," he smiled also, matching his wife's gentleness.

Yamazaki smiled widely. "Arigatou."

"It's quite all right,"the older man replied, waving the thanks away. "So they're working on a book right? How's it coming along?"

Chiharu smiled. Her family was major supporters of the Yamazakis. After all, Yamazaki's parents were nationally known authors and the Miharas loved all their books. She has a whole shelf of them. But that wasn't the only reaso nwhy the Yamazakis and Miharas knew each other. Their parents were all old friends from high school. The Yamazakis were funny and loving people, but since they worked so hard on their books, Yamazaki often had to fend for himself. Chiharu's parents had promised Yamazaki's parents that they would take care of them when they were busy, like now. They didn't mind at all.

"Oh its okay I guess. They're doing a teen romance one now," Yamazaki responded.

Chiharu's mother smiled. "Wow they do something different every time yet all of their books are really good. Last time it was a drama wasn't it? What's this one about? I'll probably get it when it comes out."

Chiharu noticed a red shade on Yamazaki's cheeks as he fiddled nervously with his napkin and was confused. He barely ever blushed. Was it too hot in the house?

Obviously, her mother had noticed too. "Takashi? Are you okay?"

He nodded meekly. "I-I'm fine. Th-The book is about these two teenagers, a girl and a boy, who have been best friends ever since they were babies, mainly because their parents were long time friends. As they grow up, they experience many things together. Th-They like each other but they could never tell each other b-because they're way too shy and…well they finally tell each other when they're sixteen…" By the end of his summary, his face was burning red and his eyes were cast downward, looking at his lap.

Chiharu, still baffled by his actions, looked at him curiously. He clearly avoided any eye contact with her. She turned to her parents who were giggling and chuckling. Blinking in confusion, she asked, "What's wrong with you guys?"

Her mother giggled at the question. "Oh it's nothing Chiharu. But I think you should read that book when it comes out." She gave her daughter a small smile and went into the kitchen for dessert. No one talked more about the incident afterwards, but Yamazaki was still acting weird around her.

Dinner had finished and the Miharas and Yamazaki were walking towards the door. He was ready to leave.

"Well 'Kashi, thanks for joining us for dinner today,"Chiharu's father said with a nod.

Yamazaki smiled and shook his head. "No, I should thank you. Thank you so much for always looking out for me," he said.

"Aw...Takashi, you know we're happy to be there," Chiharu's mother said happily. She turned sharply to her daughter who was standing a little ways behind them, watching Yamazaki getting ready to leave. "Now that's how you act politely to other adults, Chiharu."

She rolled her eyes in response. "Oh sheesh, okaa-san..."

Yamazaki smiled at the mother-daughter moment. "Well I'd better go home. It's pretty late." The Miharas nodded in response, all three of them smiling.

The teenage boy turned the doorknob, but as he walked out the door, he turned and looked directly at Chiharu, his dark eyes riveting and mysterious. "See you at school, Chiharu," he said softly with a small smile on his lips.

As the door closed and her parents dispersed, she stood there, her brown eyes blinking in confusion. Why is it that at that moment as he left, his eyes looked at her so differently? It was as if...he was holding something back...and hiding something from her...