M.A.R.

“Chanay?!” Ritsuka asked, recognizing the voice automatically.

“Who the hell else, Rits-baby?” she asked in return with her bubblegum voice.

Ritsuka gawked at the super thin girl with short, blue hair, and chocolate eyes before giving her a huge smile. “Chanay! I thought you went to some fancy private school in the big country!”

“Don’t I get a hug?” Chanay sneered, crossing her arms and turning away from him.

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Ritsuka apologized, spreading his arms out for her.

“Thank you very much.” She stated with a teasing smile as she hugged the boy back. “Now we have to catch up, Rits-baby! You have to tell me what’s been going on! What are you doing here at the mansion? I’ve been looking for you everywhere!” Chanay complained while she wrapped an arm around his waist and began pulling him away towards the beach.

“Still calling me that nickname, I see…” Ritsuka chuckled embarrassedly.

“What was that, Rits-baby?” Chanay asked, pretending she didn’t hear him.

Ritsuka sighed in defeat. “Nothing…” he lied, still smiling at the girl while trying to break free of her grasp…

“No way! You’re telling me that she’s back?!” Chanay asked, though she didn’t sound too surprised. “I thought she died all those years ago!”

Ritsuka shook his head as he led her down the sandy beaches. “No, she didn’t die. She just ended up in the big country somehow and got a foster mother.”

“How unfortunate…” Chanay whispered grimly under her breath.

“Hmm?” Ritsuka asked, thinking he had heard her say something.

“Oh, nothing Rits-baby!” she lied, putting her arm around his waist again nonchalantly as they walked in the warm beach sand.

“Um Chanay? …Why do you keep doing that?”

“Hmm? What, Rits-baby?” she played dumb.

“Wrap your arms around me.” He asked her, pulling her arm off of him once again. “We aren’t dating, Chanay.”

“Oh, pooh, Rits-baby! I’m still sore about you breaking my heart!” Chanay huffed, crossing her arms again.

Ritsuka gave her a nervous smiled. “But I like someone else, Chanay! I already told you!”

“Pfft, I’m prettier than her!” Chanay huffed again, sounding like a child.

“You don’t even know who I’m talking about…” Ritsuka raised a brow at her while giving her a slight chuckle.

Suddenly someone ran from the water a few feet in front of the pair quite nosily, immediately catching both of their attentions. Ritsuka automatically knew who the person was just by catching a glimpse of their red hair.

“Ami! Ami wait!!” he called out while running to catch up with her.

“Hey! Ritsuka!!” Chanay followed angrily behind.

Ami froze once her name was called, knowing she was caught. She slowly turned towards the voice, preparing an excuse in her mind for some reason, and her heart skipped at the sight of Ritsuka who was running towards her cheerfully.

“Ritsuka! Hi!” she greeted him back as he wrapped her in a warm, happy hug.

“I’ve been looking for you, Ami! I knocked on your door forever! Figures you’d be here on the beach, though. And you’re clothes are all soaked again.” Ritsuka mocked her, checking out her damped clothing.

“Well…” Ami shrugged, embarrassed.

“Oh, hey look! I got these for us!” Ritsuka put Ami down, forgetting all about Chanay as he dug into his pocket for something. “Here, I found this in our old day care photo album! I bet it’s the last photo of us since the other ones got ruined in the rain that one day.” He explained while pulling out a picture of the two as young children. They were smiling at the camera, making one heart with their hands placed next to each other.

“Ohhh, this is adorable!” Ami shouted in glee, taking the picture from his hand. “But, if there is only one how are we going to share it?” she asked him.

“Easy.” He answered as he took the picture back and swiftly tore it in half. “Here, you have the half with me on it because I want the other half with you on it.” He negotiated while handing her one side of the torn photo. Ami smiled at the photo of young Ritsuka when he handed it back to her. “And when we’re together,” Ritsuka went on, putting both sides of the pictures besides each other so the picture was whole again. “Then we’ll be complete.”

Ami nodded her head in agreement before pouncing on him, wrapping her arms around his shoulders and burying her face in his neck. Ritsuka chuckled at her childish behavior as he held her tight against him. Ami loved this feeling she got around Ritsuka, especially when he laughed. She felt so at ease and happy with him. As if nothing could go wrong.

“Why does she get to hug you, Rits-baby?!” Chanay demanded in a frustrated and jealous tone.

Ami looked up from Ritsuka’s neck and gave a questioning look at the fuming girl behind him. “Rits-baby?” she mimicked, tilting her head to the side in wonder.

“Oh, right. You…” Ritsuka sighed, putting Ami down and turning back around to Chanay.

“You?! What the hell do you mean ‘You?!’ Am I just some girl you know now, Rits-baby?! Have we never had a past together or a history?!” Chanay ranted on and on angrily.

“Who is that, Ritsuka?” Ami asked as she wrapped an arm around him, holding the photo close to her. The other girl just kept on ranting while glaring at the two.

“It’s just Chanay. We were in the same class once when you were in the big country. She kind of has a thing for me, but don’t worry. I think she’s weird.” Ritsuka stated honestly.

“WEIRD?! THAT’S WHAT YOU THOUGHT OF ME ALL THIS TIME?! WELL I COULD SAY A LOT ABOUT YOU, YOU JERK FACE!!!!!!!!!!!!” Chanay continued to yell, her face getting red with anger and steam blowing out of her ears.

“Chanay, this is Ami.” Ritsuka ignored her threats and introduced the slightly frightened girl that was hanging close to him. Ritsuka gave her a little shove towards Chanay.

Ami unwillingly smiled at the skinny girl with blue hair, reluctant to talk to her at all. “Hi Chanay.” She greeted with a smile non-the-less, sticking out a hand for her to shake in an attempt to be nice.

Chanay sneered at her hand before turning to look Ami up and down. She raised a brow once having caught sight of Ami’s hair. “My, my, my… Your hair is uglier than I expected.” She snickered evilly.