"Dinner Plans" The trip to record office was an exhausting one and her hand ached from all the release forms she'd had to fill to acquire the teen's history. It didn't help that entire time she was signing her name on what appeared to be hundreds of sheets of paper, the dark haired woman was second guessing herself on retrieving the information. She kept thinking she ought to simply ask Makoto about it and not go behind her back digging. Then, Setsuna would remind herself that no matter what, she needed the history so as to keep her in school. Towards the end of the day the guardian decided to ask Makoto about her past over dinner. She would explain to her charge that she was digging into her background to retrieve transcripts of her earlier schooling and that if the green eyed adolescent wanted to share anything that now would be a good time. Setsuna believed this to be the best route and mustered up as much energy as possible in the drive back to the apartment. Makoto's history was not taken lightly with the girl. The dark haired woman remembered the first, last, and only time she'd ever questioned the girl directly about her life before Setsuna found her. All she received in return was an icy emerald glare and a simple retort. "Does it matter? What's done is done and we can't change a thing." In the instant after she'd said it the chestnut haired teen swiveled on one heel and marched quickly out of the room. Setsuna never sensed so much pain coming from one person in her entire life as she felt coming from Makoto at that moment. The dark haired woman silently cursed herself after the teen had left the room. Setsuna knew better than that; there were huge warning signs when she first found the intense girl. Her parents died several years ago and she was placed with her father's brother and his wife. That aunt and uncle of hers ought to have been incarcerated for the way they were treating their niece. The guardian's train of thought was derailed at the invading ring of the cell phone packed away in a dark green velvet purse sitting on the cushion of the passenger's seat. Cursing silently, Setsuna reached over, prying open the purse and digging long slender fingers inside to retrieve the noisy phone. After several seconds of fumbling and slight swerving along the road, Setsuna finally managed to pry the phone from the cluttered purse and flip it open, bringing it up to her ear and mouth. "Moshi moshi?" "Setsuna? Where are you?" Squinting her eyes in confusion and shock, Setsuna felt at a loss for words-though she doubt it would have mattered considering how dry her mouth became-at the sound of the voice on the other end of the phone. Silently, she admonished herself for not looking at the number ringing in before shoving the cell to her ear. It hadn't taken only a fraction of a second to know who the voice belonged to: Mizuno Hitomi. The question on the dark haired woman's mind now was why the doctor was calling her this evening. Normally the woman became so engrossed in her day at the hospital that she often did not arrive home until after nine at night. Glancing at the glowing numbers on the car dash, Setsuna confirmed that it was merely half past five. "Setsuna! Are you still with me? Hello? Can you hear me?" Shaking her head, the guardian felt a rush of blood climb to her cheeks and sought out enough saliva for a reply, "Yes, I'm here." Magenta eyes became clear again and sought out the road with great clarity so as to keep from getting into an accident. Her thoughts swirled around so many possibilities why Hitomi was calling her at such a time a day. Any phone call at all, actually, probably would be considered out of the ordinary. Setsuna recalled the few times that the blue haired doctor had phoned her, was usually to retrieve information on a patient she visited regularly at the hospital. The tall woman was an information source; 'Did Yuiki seem irritable Sunday?' 'You didn't happen to see if Anoue-san was sneaking any candies? Her blood sugar is on the rise again...' Mizuno-sensei was without a doubt more devoted to her work than anything else in life. The even and moderate tone of the doctor's voice flowed through the phone and into Setsuna's ears like a beautiful melody, "I just came from the school. Apparently your child, what is her name..." there was a pause where Setsuna heard two murmuring voices in the background. She recognized Ami's voice immediately. The dark haired woman began to feel something heavy weighting in her stomach as she waited for Hitomi to continue. 'What was wrong with Makoto?' "Kino Makoto. Well, apparently she's been kidnapped. They've been trying to get a hold of you for the past couple of hours; I've only just remembered I have your cell number." The guardian stopped listening past the word 'kidnapped' and inadvertently slammed the breaks of her car due to the shock that was running through her veins. After regaining her senses, she pulled the car off to the side, shifting into park and turning the key in the ignition so that the car was completely stopped. Setsuna looked around the car, as if checking to see that everything in it was turned off and nothing left on before replying. "What do you mean she's been kidnapped?!" The dark haired woman chose her tone carefully for she did not want to shriek into the phone like a raving lunatic, nor she did want to appear cold and uninterested to such news. In fact, her insides were reeling and Setsuna felt as though she were going to throw up. Her only concern was to stay level headed. If she could keep a cool head, then things could be sorted accordingly, perhaps there was a mistake, a juvenile prank? Hitomi sighed exhaustedly before replying and Setsuna wished the wonderful woman were in her arms or vice versa, "One of Ami-chan's friends saw Kino-san being dragged off school grounds by two young men shortly after school let out today. Unfortunately, no one else saw anything about it and so the police didn't do anything, saying it was probably a practical joke and that if she truly was taken, it could not be reported for 24 hours." Despite all her efforts to keep her mind clear, panic raged through the dark haired woman's body and she could only feel confusion mixed with fear. There was a faint pounding in the back of her head and Setsuna rubbed vigorously at the sides of her forehead in a pathetic attempt to dissolve the impending headache. "The police tried calling your place to inform you, but you weren't home. They'd left a message, but I thought it would be better if you heard this from... well, I mean, it's not very comforting to come home and hear over your machine that your child's been taken." The guardian's terror was increasing exponentially. 'Occam's Razor! That's it.' Her mind becoming clear again, Setsuna felt those two words push their way through the convoluted feelings and she knew what it had to be. "You said the police called it a practical joke?" There was an elongated pause after the question in which the guardian was almost certain that Hitomi was chewing on her bottom lip, attempting to figure out the best way to answer. 'It's just as if I'm her patient and she has to deliver me some bad news,' Setsuna thought. Setsuna took a deep breath and pushed the feelings rising in her at the thought of the doctor's lips, now wasn't the time to be feeling like that. After a deep breath, the doctor spoke, "Ami-chan told me that Rei, who was the girl who witnessed what happened, said she'd never seen the two boys before. They wore trench coats and looked very suspicious." The blue haired woman stopped talking abruptly and Setsuna heard a horn honking along with a screech. "Shit, sorry about that. Where was I?" "The boys who grabbed her looked suspicious." After she answered, the dark haired woman started up her car again-being jolted back into reality from the sound of Hitomi's vehicle-and swerved back into traffic, feeling the need to get home as soon as possible. "Oh right. Yes, well, is there anything in Kino-san's background to confirm that something like this would happen? Ami-chan's friend seems to think your girl is nothing but trouble; apparently she's very unpleasant to others at school." If Setsuna hadn't already known Hitomi as well as she did, she would've taken this as an insult. But the doctor was generally out of the loop about school and teenagers in general; though she treated her own daughter very well, she was definitely not in line to win mother of the year award. While the dark haired woman considered what to say next, she listened to the sudden quiet arguing in background. Ami seemed to have disagreed with her mother's choice of words on the subject and the two were now softly bickering about Makoto, though not soft enough. Setsuna heard something about the teen being a bully which Ami replied that people gave her a difficult time and that she was new. Silently, Setsuna thanked the small blue haired girl for sticking up for Makoto. It was true that the teen was having a difficult time adjusting. It seemed as though the bickering would not end, so the dark haired woman decided it was time to stop being nosey and let her presence be reminded of. "I don't know much of Makoto's background to confirm or deny this, but I can assure you Hitomi, that she is a very intelligent and polite young woman and though I cannot be completely confident, I believe that this must be a sort of mix up. As the police said: a prank." The arguing had quieted down as soon as Setsuna began talking. Hitomi responded only a fraction of a second after the dark haired woman finished. "Oh, well, okay then. I just wanted to call and let you know. Do call later and let me know if you find her? We're home now, ja ne." "Bye and thank you again. I do appreciate your concern." Setsuna heard a tiny snap and then silence. She, too, had just pulled into the garage below her apartment building and flipped the phone shut, pushing it back into her purse. The dark haired woman sat for several seconds, letting the information of tonight replay in her mind. It had to be a joke or something not so serious. The guardian felt as though she knew the chestnut haired teen well enough to know she would not put herself in a situation that she could not control. Setsuna wished she'd given Makoto a cell phone so that she could at least call her and confirm exactly what had happened. Worry overcame Setsuna again and she pressed her forehead against the steering wheel, calming herself through deep breaths. A smile crossed the tall woman's lips as she sat there, slumped over. Hitomi had been worried about her. Not overtly though, no, the doctor was not like that. Her feelings were kept under a tight rein much like Setsunas. It was that tight rein that gave the dark haired woman the edge because she could read between the lines of the blue haired woman, having experienced (and still experiencing) it herself. Anyone else listening in on the conversation would not have noticed. 'It's about time,' the guardian laughed softly. Sitting back up, the magenta eyed woman gathered her things and exited the car gracefully, with a pleasant air about her. Though guilt would ultimately strike her, telling her she was wrong to savor such things at the moment considering that Makoto may be in danger. Deep down, Setsuna felt that everything was going to be okay. -------------------- Everything was going to be okay, but not for Makoto, Setsuna thought as she exited the elevator and turned down the hall towards the apartment, finding her charge standing there with a blonde boy and an aqua haired girl. Locking her jaw, the guardian kept walking towards the apartment without missing a beat, coming to stand next to the tomboy and giving an authoritarian look to all three teenagers. The blonde and his, what looked to be girlfriend, bowed politely towards Setsuna, which she returned. Setsuna noticed things had quieted down when she neared the three and knew she interrupted a conversation she was not meant to hear. Not that she minded; the older woman was young once and was aware how kids felt about adults hanging around their conversations. Makoto broke the awkward silence by introducing the two friends, "Meioh-san, this is Tenoh Haruka and her girlfriend, Kaioh Michiru. They are students at Juuban, a year ahead of me." Once again, the dark haired woman watched the two girls bow their heads, quicker this time, greeting Setsuna politely. "Good to finally meet you Meioh-san." Haruka pushed her hands in the pockets of her slacks and grinned like a Cheshire cat towards Makoto. The dark haired woman could only assume that Haruka was teasing her, either probably because the tomboy did not want them to meet Setsuna, or because they knew the trouble the tomboy would be in after they'd said their goodbyes. Smiling politely, the guardian replied in gentle and unassuming voice, "Good to meet you too, Tenoh-kun. You as well, Kaioh-kun. If you'll excuse Makoto and me, we must be getting in to dinner." The aqua haired girl slid her arm gracefully through the taller girl's arm and spoke, "We're very sorry for the intrusion Meioh-san. Forgive us, we'll be going now." Michiru paused before turning, "Glad to see you're okay Makoto." Setsuna watched as she thought the grin on Haruka's face could get no bigger, being dragged off by her girlfriend. They were about ten feet from she and Makoto when the blonde turned her head, yelling back. "Mako-chan, I'd put an X through your evenings for the next couple weeks, looks like you won't be going anywhere," as she finished, she threw her head back in laughter which only got louder when Michiru gave the tall girl a dirty look, slapping at her arm. The guardian could only quirk an eyebrow as she watched the chestnut haired girl out of the corner of her eye dig through her pockets, seemingly unaware of the danger that lay ahead. Turning, the older woman tilted her head to the side and attempted her best admonishing look at the teen. She watched as Makoto covertly ignored Setsuna and pulled the set of keys from her pocket, slipping them into the lock, opening the door, and walked briskly into the apartment. Setsuna merely smiled and followed the tomboy into the apartment laughing under her breath. Either Makoto was completely unaware of what was about to meet her, which was a less than hundredth of a percent chance considering the actions of her tall blonde friend in the hall, or she was hoping to draw sympathy from the older woman. Another thought entered the guardian's brain as she slipped her shoes off and put on her slippers: this was Makoto she was talking about-the girl was probably a genius. The teen would no doubt face up to her behavior. She knew what she did was wrong; Setsuna was now just curious to know the reason for it. The teen hadn't so much as acknowledged Setsuna since in the hallway and was now in the kitchen, pulling out pans and ingredients for dinner. It was so odd to Setsuna that such a brusque and tomboyish young girl cooked as well as she did. Even stranger to think she also enjoyed it. Many times the guardian mentioned to the young girl that she needn't bother with the cooking as she could do it herself just as easily; but Makoto would just shrug her shoulders and say that she didn't mind. Sitting down at the counter, the older women watched mesmerized as the green eyed teen began mixing things, pots going on the stove and rice in the cooker. She conjectured that the young girl was making a simple curry. As she inspected Makoto up-close, Setsuna could see that the girl appeared simply exhausted; her usually vibrant emerald eyes were now dull and glazed over. The teen walked around the kitchen with the slightest ever limp; so slight that Setsuna would admit that she didn't notice until that moment. Her actions, usually clear and precise, especially when it came to cooking, were still top notch, but the young woman seemingly put much more effort into making them so. What she was viewing once again placed worry at the top of Setsuna's large list of feelings at the moment. This was the exact same state in which she'd first found Makoto. No more than seven months ago, the dark haired woman came upon the weakened, bitter, and troubled young teen living in a run-down warehouse several miles from where she should have been residing with her aunt and uncle. The sight Setsuna was viewing now brought back the memories of pain and sadness she'd seen before. She wondered if she'd even have to ask Makoto what happened tonight; because she felt as though she already knew what transpired with the chestnut haired girl earlier. Makoto touched base with her past. "Did you want to eat at the table or just here on the counter?" The unassuming voice of the teen broke through the silence that'd settled down in the apartment since the two entered. For some reason, the guardian felt as though she were waiting for the tomboy to speak and was not at all surprised by the tonality it possessed. "Do you know what I received a call about no more than," Setsuna paused to make a show of looking at the silver watch on her dainty wrist, "one hour ago?" Magenta eyes became inquisitive as they watched the young girl dish out curry onto two plates, not bothering to turn for her answer. Once again, the tonality of Makoto's voice became evident as she spoke, "My kidnapping, no doubt. I hear it was received well." She sounded amused. And she wanted the older woman to know she was amused. Setsuna merely smiled-not amused-and continued, "You worried many people." "I bet." There was a sort of bitterness in the answer. "You don't sound too convinced of that." Turning around, the tomboy shrugged, setting Setsuna's plate in front of her and the other plate at the seat to Setsuna's right. After the girl poured two glasses of Bertani Amarone, placing them in front of the dishes, she sat down, bringing her own dull green eyes to meet Setsuna's curious ones. "As I'm sure you must already know, or at least, assume, it was just a hoax. The two young men... are friends of mine and I thought it would be quite comical of them to drag me off the grounds," the teen paused to take a sip of the wine, tasting it generously before continuing, "Had I known people other than Michiru and Haruka were watching, I'd not have done it." As always, Makoto's cooking was top notch as the dark haired woman nearly lost herself in the taste of a simple curry. "Another tasty meal Makoto, you must tell me sometime where you learned to cook like this." Setsuna watched as the girl could only nod, not able to respond chewing on the curry in her own mouth. Reaching for her glass, the older woman spoke briefly before bringing it to her lips to take a drink, "You will apologize to the others at school then?" She hated to ask because she felt as though she were admonishing Makoto in such a childish way and that the teen would take offense to it, hearing it from young adult's point of view. The teen clutched at her fork just a little harder than she meant to and dropped it into the curry out of fear that Setsuna might notice. But it was too late, the guardian did notice. "Makoto..." "Of course I'll apologize." "Makoto..." "What do you take me for?! I'm not the brute they think I am! And you think me a brute too!" The chestnut haired girl was breathing hard now and her clutched fists visibly shaking. Setsuna was taken aback by this outburst, certainly not expecting this from the young girl. Her wide magenta eyes could only watch as the teen tried to recompose, breathing deeply and slowly unclenching her fists. The dark haired women pulled her eyes away, giving the tomboy the space she needed. Leisurely, Setsuna finished the wine in her glass and reached for the bottle to pour another. This gave her the time to compose her thoughts and to speak to the chestnut haired girl appropriately. Clearly, this was not about what Setsuna said, but something much deeper. "I don't think you're a brute, Makoto." Green eyes would not look up now, probably not for several days afterwards, Setsuna assumed. The young girl resumed eating the curry, chewing methodically and scooping the fork very mechanically, as though very aware she was being watched. "I cannot know what it is like to be in your shoes. I can verily say with certainty that I will never know. Even if you told me in great detail, even if I experienced it myself, it would still not be the same as how you encountered everything. The only thing I can offer to you is a loving home and for you to know, I'll never give up on you. You're my best friend's daughter and a brilliant young woman. I've come to care for you in such a way I'd never thought I'd care for anyone. Even if you weren't your mother's daughter, I don't think I could resist adoring you the way that I do." The guardian laughed happily, "Let them call you a brute. You're a brute full of charm and intelligence and I don't think I'd have you any other way." Makoto still did not look at the older woman as she ate and showed no emotion through Setsuna's touching declaration. There were several seconds of buzzing silence while the two ate. Setsuna could only smile at the teen, hoping that the girl would see how sincere she was in her intentions and could hopefully relax her hostile stance. Finally the girl spoke, her voice sounding exhausted at a near whisper, "You've only known me for several months, so how can you possibly care for me that greatly?" Setsuna was expecting this, "It seems odd doesn't it? You are not required to reciprocate such feelings, but if you wanted to, they would not be unwelcome. And I do not believe there is a set amount of time two people must know each other before feelings begin to develop. Sometimes it happens so suddenly that it strikes you like a ton of bricks and other times it can take years before you're able to see it clearly." "Like you and Mizuno-sensei..." Magenta eyes shot quickly towards the teen. 'How... No, it was obvious.' The guardian closed her eyes slowly and sought out her voice for her reply, "Yes." She took a deep breath before continuing, "But that is not your business." The tomboy reached for her glass and finished off the red liquid, swallowing it down in one large gulp and then coming to rest her piercing emerald eyes on the guardian, "I'm sorry, I should not have worried you with such a silly prank." Reopening her eyes, the guardian met the now vibrant green of Makoto's eyes. A consciousness rose in Setsuna's body as she felt the teen looking for something in the woman; some tidbit of information or feeling for the girl to feed on. After all that's what she does well; she reads others and their emotions. Continuing her eye contact with the girl, Setsuna spoke, putting on an authoritative air so that the teen might back off; she did not enjoy the scrutiny of those piercing emeralds, "I do appreciate the apology, Makoto. Along with mine and those to the girls, I also believe you should apologize to Ami-chan's mother. She was pulled from work early to be with her daughter after she and her friends called the cops." Without hesitation and without taking her eyes off the older woman, the teen replied, "That was selfish of me, I realize. Perhaps I can make it up to both Ami and Mizuno-sensei?" There was sincerity in the girl's voice and Setsuna nodded, encouraging her to continue, "Well, how about I invite them both over for dinner. I'll make the dinner and dessert and take care of the set up. It'll be part of the apology." Setsuna did not know what to say as this caught her slightly off guard. Inviting the woman she with whom she is in love with and her daughter over for an intimate evening, she did not know if Hitomi was ready for this. Sure, they had lunched together many times and even had gone out on several dinners together, but neither had made their move yet. The doctor was often so preoccupied with her work, that she found very little time outside of the hospital and had expressed on several occasions that between her daughter and her job, there was no room for relationships. Hitomi did not know of Setsuna's feelings, rather, she simply said it to anyone as a way of keeping people at a distance. Lately it appeared to the dark haired woman that the doctor was warming up to her and that maybe a dinner wouldn't be such a bad idea. At least Makoto and Ami will be there to keep things from going too fast. Not that there was any chance of that; the two women had known each other for nearly a decade now. The possibility of rushing anything went out the door after five years. "I think that's a wonderful idea. Shall I call and set something up with Hitomi, or would you like to do that?" Impressed, but also a bit skeptical of the teen's suggestion, Setsuna wanted to give the chance for the young girl to right her wrong. "Sure, I can call. What's her number?" "It's on my cell phone; you can call after we clean up here." Both had finished their dinners and were now chatting with elbows on the counter, dishes pushed off to the side. "Right-o then." Immediately the chestnut haired teen set to gathering up their dishes, placing them in the sink along with the pans she used to cook the curry. Setsuna stood up, re-corked and placed the bottle of Bertani back in the rack with the other wines. She gazed around the apartment, wondering if it couldn't use a little cleaning in light of having guests over. A sleek, black, 50 inch wide screen TV sat on a black wood panel stand in the corner of the room. On both sides of it were placed two mahogany end tables, one with a vase of wilting flowers and the other with a figurine of pan sitting on a tree stump. The living room was modest other than the pan figurine, containing a magenta couch-large and very comfortable, a black leather recliner, and a mahogany table. Setsuna made a mental note to remind the teen to pick up the countless number of books stacked upon the table, couch, and floors. The carpet was a light brick color, less red, more brown, while the walls were cream colored, adorned with various pieces of art and a couple of pictures of Setsuna's parents and her family. Magenta eyes rested on the photo of Setsuna and her parents. They were wonderful people, despite their being awful rich, were always friendly and very down to earth. She wondered what they would think of Makoto had they lived to meet her. Mother would have loved her, father would have respected her. 'And I bet they would've spoiled her too.' A grin crept onto the older woman's face as she walked to the teen's side to dry the dishes. "Why're you so happy?" There was a knowing smile on the girl's face as she asked the question. Setsuna made a mental note to consider that smile later and grabbed the fork out of the green eyed girl's hand, wrapping it in the towel she had in her own. "I was just thinking that my parents would really have liked you." Makoto squinted as though she didn't understand and quickly looked to the sink for another dish, "When did they die?" "Hm? Oh, ten years ago actually. I'd just finished graduate school." The guardian sighed as she recalled the memory, "They were vacationing in Australia and were on their way back for the graduation ceremony. Father hated flying, so they always went by ship everywhere. There was a bad storm in the Philippine Sea, which sunk the ship they were on." As Setsuna was talking, she'd stopped drying the pan in her hand, looking out the window in front of her at nothing in particular. Concerned emerald eyes noticed the break in their normal routine and turned to watch the older woman. When the dark haired woman became aware that she wasn't moving, she quickly set the pan in the drying rack, feeling a rush of pink come to her cheeks. The last time she had spoken of her parents was nearly four years ago, when one of the patients she'd been visiting said they remembered working for her father's business. "Hey, no worries, my parents are dead too. Well, you already knew that, though." A smile crossed the older woman's face and without thinking, reached out pushing a strand of chestnut hair behind the teen's ear, letting her hand rest on the shoulder below. The young girl began to fidget a little, under the gaze of her guardian, green eyes not knowing exactly where to look. Setsuna wondered how long it would take before Makoto warmed up to such affection given to her. She then remembered Hakishu-san's advice of being patient and pulled her hand away, noting a wave of relief washing over the teen. There was one saving grace in all of this: this being the first time the tomboy talked of her parents since coming to live with the dark haired woman. And it was at that thought, that Setsuna recalled what she was planning to talk to Makoto about earlier before the whole kidnapping ordeal. A lump crawled into the woman's throat at the idea of bringing it up at such a moment, but was forced back down by a swallow. After several seconds of evened breathing, Setsuna finished drying the last dish and moved to the living area as the teen wiped down the counters. "Where's your cell, I'll call right now before it gets too late?" "It's in my purse." Magenta eyes followed the girl to her purse, once again noticing how tired she looked. It's now or never. "Makoto. Come sit down." Makoto looked questioningly towards the guardian, who was already seated at the couch. Moving cautiously, the teen made her way to the recliner and slid into it, propping her socked feet up on the coffee table. Setsuna gave a disapproving look at the socked feet, which gave way to the chestnut haired girl sighing annoyed and moving them off the table. "Someone else die?" "What? No." The dark haired woman laughed softly and sat up to get a better look at the young girl, "The high school is requiring that I show proof of your previous education. I know you passed the entrance exam; I think they are just being finicky, having you enter several months after the start of school. Nevertheless, I've gone to the government record office and requested your schooling background," Setsuna paused, watching the teen for any change in her unmoving posture. When she figured that Makoto was not going to do anything, she continued, "And so I was just curious if you'd like to share anything with me before I get it from the record's office." The only response from Makoto was another annoyed sigh followed by the rolling of her green eyes. Closing her jaw, the teen looked around the room, seemingly looking for a distraction, but, Setsuna guessed, was probably thinking of what to share and how to share it. The guardian leaned against the couch, going into patience mode and never taking her eyes off the young girl. She didn't have to wait long for the answer though, "The two years before you'd found me, I wasn't in school." Setsuna presumed as much, considering how she found the girl. "That being the case then, Juuban will require you to take a junior high exam, to prove you are proficient," Makoto was about to open her mouth, only to be cut off, "And I know that's not fair, considering you passed the high school examination, but let's just humor them. I'll get you a tutor if you like?" "I don't need a tutor," replied the tomboy, waving her hand as though brushing the suggestion wayward, "I'll take it. Just set me up a time and place." "Alright then," The dark haired woman rose to the notebook sitting on the counter next to the telephone, "Was there anything else?" She tried to sound as nonchalant as possible as she wrote the note about the exam on the paper. "Nah, nothing else pertains to me staying in high school. If you're curious about anything, just ask me, I'll answer to the best of my ability. But I'm going to make this phone call now, considering that it's beginning to get pretty late and I've got a paper on the black hole to write." The tall girl left the room quickly, going down the hall to her room, and shutting the door behind her. The guardian sat there, slightly stunned; stunned that Makoto had just given her permission to probe the secrets of her past. For such a horrible beginning to the evening, everything turned out better than fine. Her prediction wasn't too far off. ----------------------------------- "Mizuno residence, may I ask who is speaking?" "Um, yes, this is Makoto, Ami." The blue haired teen felt her heart wedge itself into her throat at the sound of the brutish girl's voice. "Makoto-san! You're okay!" Her voice came out much more high pitched than she meant and felt a blush creeping up her neck towards her cheeks. "Yeah. Listen, about earlier, it was just a gag. I know those two guys. Sorry if I upset you." Baby blue eyes closed and a rush of relief mixed slightly with anger spread through the small teen. Just as quickly as the relief and anger had come, they also quickly dissipated, leaving the girl with a feeling of curiosity; who were those two young men? Realizing that she hadn't answered yet, Ami ushered out her reply quickly, "Oh. It's alright. We were just worried. Rei'd seen it happen through a classroom window." Ami was met with silence after she finished speaking and wondered if she'd been disconnected. She was about to say something when Makoto's voice broke in. "Did she now? Ah well, just my luck, eh?" The tall girl laughed lightly, offsetting the blue haired teen. Once again, she felt like she was seeing 'The New Transfer' change personalities as quickly as a chameleon changes colors. This was all too confusing to Ami and she silently wished that Makoto would just pick one way of acting around her and stay with it. "Was that all you needed to speak with me about?" The blue haired girl suddenly felt self conscious. Why would Makoto call her this late at night, explaining herself to the teen? Unless what Minako said was true about the tall brute liking Ami, in which case she supposed a case of hives and hyperventilating were in due order. A sigh on Makoto's end broke Ami out of her possible hyperventilation, followed by the chestnut haired girl's voice, "For now, yes. I'd like to speak with your mother as well, if possible." Confusion played on the short girl's face as she wondered what possible reason the rogue had in talking with her mother. Not one to be impolite, Ami confirmed that the conversation with her mom was likely and pressed the hold button on the phone, going in search of the blue haired doctor. She found her mother in the study and knocked softly just before entering into the crowded office. Walking carefully around case files and boxes, the teen stood next to her mother, waiting until she finished typing on the computer. Her wide blue eyes watched her mother, events from earlier still racking in her mind. Ami hadn't argued with her mother like that in a long time and she felt it to be such a trifle thing. Very trifle to stand up for the roguish brute who, was generally rude to herself and others. But it seemed that no one gave the girl a chance, other than Setsuna, and why didn't Makoto deserve that chance from Ami? She didn't regret what she'd done, she felt compelled to show her mother, and possibly others, there were other sides to the rogue. "What can I do for you dear?" The teen jumped slightly, failing to notice when her mother turned and noticed her. When she saw the gentle smile on the doctor's face, the young girl calmed and handed the phone over. "Kino Makoto is on the phone, wishing to speak with you," Baby blue eyes scanned over the stacks of papers laid across the desk and added, "If you're not too busy that is." Night blue eyes widened slightly at the news of the supposed `kidnapped girl' being on the phone and Hitomi pulled her glasses off, polishing them on her shirt. "Kino-san? She's alright then?" "It would appear that it was only a prank." "Ah." The doctor merely shook her head and smiled. "Well, I guess I should speak to her then." Ami mentioned that she'd left Makoto on hold and then left the room quietly to give her mother some privacy. Once outside, the young girl closed the door and leaned heavily against it, catching her breath. The effect that Makoto had on her seemed to even transfer itself over something as simple as a phone call and Ami found herself thinking of the image of the rogue standing in the hallway, arms crossed, leaning against the locker. Much to her surprise, the short girl found chest swelling at the thought of how rather striking the green eyed tomboy was. There was no mistake about the feeling inside of Ami; the lump in her throat, the aching of her heart and chest, and, though she would die before telling anyone, the longing deep in her loins. They were things she was only familiar with in the books she'd read and now she was experiencing them first hand, vividly aware that Makoto was her first crush. But crush didn't seem to have the right meaning in it. Feelings as deep as Ami's were not those typically associated with a crush, or so the blue haired teen conjectured. Earlier this afternoon, when she'd heard that Makoto had been kidnapped, the panic hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew at that moment that the rogue meant something very meaningful to her and what bothered the most, was that she found no specific reason to support this. Makoto had been rude to the Ami, though also nice, but mostly indifferent. Not knowing where you stood with someone had to be the most infuriating feeling on earth. Why could the chestnut haired brute simply hate and not talk to her like she did with most of the students? Why must she sometimes be nice to the short girl? Why did any of this matter? The blue haired girl was now gripping the bridge of her nose, exasperated at all the feelings and questions flowing through her. It was then that the door flew open, Ami falling back a few steps right into her mother. "Ami-chan! What in the name of?!" The doctor caught her daughter rather ungracefully, the two nearly toppling backwards. The teen caught her balance and pulled herself away from her mother, bowing and apologizing, her face an extreme shade of red. Hitomi could only chuckle and run her hand through the small girl's hair. "It's alright; I suppose you were trying to listen in on the conversation." When Ami shook her head, stately saying that she was not, the older woman merely laughed again. "Okay then. I believe you. What were you doing anyhow?" Hitomi walked past her daughter towards the living room to hang the phone back on it's hook. The teen followed quickly, not answering and not really knowing what to say. When her mother turned around, expecting an answer, Ami could only mumble that she was just thinking. Dark blue eyes looked over the small girl intently, feeling that there was much more to it than that. When she figured that her daughter was not going to talk, the doctor spoke, "Kino-san has invited you and me over to her and Meioh-san's place this Saturday night. Make sure your schedule is free. It'll just be dinner, nothing formal, a way of apologizing for all the fuss she caused." Hitomi looked to her watch and then back to her daughter, "I have to get back to work, come say goodnight before you go to bed." The doctor began to walk back towards the office; she was at the door when she turned, looking towards the phone. "Was there anything else mother?" The teen was about to go up to her room when she noticed the older woman looking in her direction. Medium-length blue hair shook as the doctor replied, "Huh? Oh, no, nothing, I guess." Baby blue eyes watched the older woman curiously as she went back into the office. Ami wondered briefly what her mother thought of Makoto. If anything, she'd find out after Saturday. She could not believe that the rogue invited her and her mother over to dinner. The knots in her stomach began to increase as so did the longing in her chest. A chance to be with Makoto without her friends around again; it was something that made the short girl smile, then frown. The chestnut haired girl excited and intimidated her; she wondered what was in store for her Saturday night. As she walked the steps towards her room, Ami heard the phone ring and immediately turned right around back into the living room. "Mizuno residence, may I ask who is speaking?" "This is Setsuna, Ami-chan. How are you?" It was all very curious to Ami, first Makoto, and then Setsuna. Perhaps the dark haired woman simply wanted to confirm the dinner. "I'm doing quite well Meioh-san, thank you for asking." "Good to hear. Were you happy to have two days off from school?" 'No.' "I got rather behind, but thanks to my friends was able to catch up." "Ah, that's right; you're in the advanced programs, aren't you? Must be hard work." Ami heard the sound of footsteps behind her and turned around to find her mother standing out in the hallway. Hopeful blue eyes looked towards the teen and the doctor mouthed the question of who was on the phone. The young girl mouthed back that it was Setsuna and as she finished she saw the doctor almost smile, but hold back. Ami stopped the confusion she felt from entering her face and continued to talk to Setsuna. "Sometimes it is, but it will all be well worth it." "I'm glad to hear it. Is your mother available? I promised I'd call and talk to her." The shorter girl did not reply. She was watching her mother intently now and was contemplating the look on the doctor's face. It was several moments before she realized what the dark haired woman had asked her. The teen blushed in embarrassment and finally spoke into the phone. "Yes, yes. She's right here." Quickly, Hitomi made her way to her daughter and took the phone from her, rather excitedly. The doctor took several deep breaths before bringing the phone up to her ear and speaking into it. "Setsuna! ... Yes, oh yes, she called me. Oh, yes, I know..." Sensing now was a good time for an exit the teen quickly left the living room, up the stairs and into her room, shutting the door softly behind her. Once in her room, Ami fell to her bed and stared at the ceiling, letting her thoughts wander. A few minutes later, the teen rose to her feet and set to work on reading chapters for cram school tomorrow evening. Studying always clears the mind.
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