Pet Me Please?

The alarm buzzes as I rouse myself up. I manage to turn it off before it got to that annoying loud mode. Why do I feel like today is gonna suck? Ahh well. Off we go! I quickly get into my school uniform, although my tie didn't feel like cooperating with me at the moment.

I opened my door to see Hikaru and Manami also ready for school.

"Be a good boy Yoshiko! I love you!" she blew a kiss and shut her door. You could hear the bird chirp and sing happily in there.

"So how has he been behaving Manami? Are you taking good care of him?" I ask.

"Oh, yes! I love him! He'll sit on my shoulder while I read! It's so cool!"

"Are you feeding him correctly, and cleaning his cage regularly?"

"Daddy lets me use his old newspapers for the cage! Yoshiko is such a good boy! Hehe!"

"I'm glad to hear that. You really do have a kind heart Manami, under all that dopiness."

"What's Dou-pee-nees?"

"Haha! Exactly!" I laughed.

I look over at Hikaru, who's smiling lovingly at me, "Good morning."

"G-good morning, Hikaru," Man, she is so pretty. My mind goes back to that time she and I made out in her room. No! No! Now's not the time! Get a grip!

I walk with the girls down to breakfast. My mom looks over from the kitchen, "You guys didn't take any extra time getting ready, did you?" She smirked.

"Mom!" I blushed. Manami sat herself down and ate her morning away. Hikaru relaxed herself on her chair and slowly ate her food.

"So, Taichi," my dad said over his paper, "It's almost Christmas. Did you get anything for these two?"

"I'm having a hard time thinking about that actually," I knew they didn't know what Christmas is, but I wonder if they sense the aura of the holidays from the people? Being former cats and all.

"Well, why don't you talk to us about it? I'm sure we can come up with something for you," My mom said.

"Or we could just ask them," I said, "Hey, Hikaru, Manami," they both looked at me, "What would you two like most in the world? Anything."

"I want all the food I can eat! And...and...and all the toys to play with!" Manami said.

"I want you..." Hikaru said.

"Me...to what?" I said.

"Nothing, just you." Figures.

"Okay...I do need your help Mom..."

"Wonderful! Will you be able to stop by early after school?"

"Sounds good! Thanks Mom!" I take my plate to the kitchen, and head out with the girls to school, "Bye!"

"Be good!" My parents say.

So...fast forward to school real quick...

"Tai!" Riku called me over at our usual morning hangout spot.

"Yo, Riku?" I walk over to him. The girls are following me like hawks, minus Manami of course.

Riku looks at my following harem, nervously, puts his arm around my shoulder and turns me around, and leans in to whisper, "Do you have a date for the Christmas dance?"

"DAN-!"

"Shh!" he quickly stopped me, "Well?"

"Umm...no...I mean..."

"So is Hikaru available?!" he excitingly whispered.

"Wait, what?" Now I was jealous.

"C'mon! I can go with her, right?!"

No. You can't. Prick. "I...I think it's up to her..."

"Well, put in a good word for me, okay?" he smirked.

"Oh, oh fine! But I highly doubt she'll come around."

"Thanks man! I know you can convince her!" he patted my back.

As he let go of me, I looked up at my two other friends who looked like they were watching ghosts. I looked behind me to see two of the girls giving me a death stare. Manami was off in her own world of course. Shit! Creepy! "Hehe...So...Good morning everyone!" I nervously say.

"Not keeping secrets, are we?" Hikaru said with her arms crossed.

"Hey! Hey! Chill out! It's Riku's problem, not mine!" I say, shaking my hands.

Riku roughly puts me in an arm lock, "Ha! Like you don't have your own? Lucky bastard you! Haha!"

"Hey! Hey! Haha! Lemme go!"

"Boys?" Kora stepped forward.

Riku looked up, "Hmm? What's up?"

"I'd like to talk to Taichi in private if you don't mind," she said.

"Come on, Kora," I said, "Can't this wait? Please?" Riku still has me in his arm lock.

"Riku? You don't mind?" she said.

"Kora," Riku spoke, laughing, "You and his cousins always hang around him, can't we hang with him too? Like, seriously?" He started to violently rub my head, "You're MY victim now! Muahahaha!"

"Gah! Haha! Stop messing with my hair!" I was smiling. This was like the old days. Hikaru was about to blow her cool. Manami was up against the wall, bored.

"Hahaha!" Riku laughed. Kora was pouting a bit. That was until the bell rang, "Whoops! Haha!" Riku let go of me, "We gotta have another movie night sometime dude! We can do it at my place!"

"Sure! Haha!" I fixed my hair, "That sounds fun!"

"I just got an idea..." Daisuke stood forward, "Why don't we all have a movie night after the Christmas dance? Like an after party!"

"Better yet," Aki interrupted, "I could bring my Wii and we can fool around with that for a while? I mean...if...that's okay?"

"That's a winner!" I said, "We can all bring snacks!"

"Ahem," Kora and Hikaru said behind us.

"Oh, of course...umm...Riku?"

"No problem! The more the merrier!" He said. He picked up his bag, "I'm off now! See you guys later!" He started off.

"Bye!" Everyone said back.

"Well," I said, "I'm off too, see you guys later!"

"Bye Taichi!" Kora said, waving at me. She picked up her bag.

"Wait, Kora," I heard Aki stop her, "Can I talk to you first?"

"Aki?" She said curiously. I didn't bother, I just kept walking. I heard Hikaru drag Manami away to her homeroom.

As I sat in homeroom, I started to think about the dance. Who should I bring? Or, rather, do I bring anybody? I'd feel better if I didn't have to bring anyone at all. This was the time I wished I was back in my old days, when I stared at other pretty girls, hoping to gain their attention, with Kora as a major exception at the time, I mean, she outranked everyone in my book. But, now, I can't stand to think about girls right now, it's just too much work! Ugh! I kept glimpsing at all the people talking about their dates. Girls were gossiping, boys were showing off their potential dates like expensive possessions. Some one or two couples were talking next to each other, and holding hands. It would be nice if my life was as simple as their's. They don't have to deal with a bunch of girls like me. Oh, boy.

When the time finally came, Kora and I were finally talking together in our classes.

"So, what was it you wanted to talk about?" I asked. The dance of course!

"Well, first," she said, "Do you know what Aki talked to me about?"

"Well, of course not. Why what did he say?"

She blushed, "He sort of asked me out to the dance."

Red flag. What? Just, what? He actually got the guts to ask a girl out! Damn! But...but why did it have to be..."Whoa, really? I didn't think he liked you. What did he say?"

"He was kind of creepy...he...like...basically confessed his love for me...He started talking bad things about you and then I just got upset."

"What? Him? Talk trash? Why would he do that?"

"He thinks you've become a bad person, and have been taking advantage of me. He said it'd be better if I went with him."

"Wow...I'm not sure if I should be angry or not. I kinda am though...I thought he was my friend."

"I was surprised too, but Taichi, you need to speak to him. I've never seen him this angry."

"Hold on, what did you say back to him?"

"I...he said bad things about you...so I said some pretty nasty things to him..." I gasped slightly, "Taichi, he wants to fight you. I'm so sorry! I never should have said those things!"

I sighed. This is gonna be a real pain in the ass. "Alright, alright, I'll speak to him after school."

"Be careful, Taichi, I think he's capable of more than you think."

"Pfft. Please! He would barely get out of the house before my friends and I dragged him out! Haha!"

"Don't joke around, okay? This is serious."

"I know, I know, this shouldn't be too bad." The bell rang, "Perfect timing. I'd better hurry."

"Hold on, I want to help. I started this in the first place," she picked up her bag and followed me out the class door.

We were pacing quickly to find Aki, until we heard in front of us in the crowd, "MOVE IT!" It was a girls voice. It broke up the crowd in front of us pretty quickly. Hold on...is that...

"B-Bianca?! You again?!" I squealed.

She rushed towards me, "Taichi! You've got to listen to me! Some one is-"

"TADASHI!" That was Akihiko, definitely. Bianca gasped, and looked behind her. The whole hallway turned around to see him enraged.

"Akihiko," I said, "We need to talk."

He laughed, "Haha! Me? Talking to a bullshit of a gentleman like you? Please!" He looked behind me, "K-Kora?! Why are you with this jackass?!"

"Stop it Aki!" she said, "I'm sorry I said those mean things to you, really, don't blame it on Taichi!"

"Taichi?" Bianca turned toward me, "What's going on?"

"Not now, Bianca," I said, "Aki, why did you say those mean things about me?"

"Like I said, you lead on women like a herd of sheep. They're people! You think you're so cool mistreating sweet Kora like that! I've always been jealous of you two...Now I can't hold it in any longer!" His long, dark red hair began to wave with the wind blowing from the heater. "Taichi," he pointed at me, "You don't deserve a princess like Kora! You're a slimy pimp! Admit it you bastard!"

I lowered my head, darkly, "So this is it? You've been jealous of me this whole time?"

"Taichi..." Kora placed her hand on me shoulder. I shook it off.

"You think you love Kora? Okay then, how do you plan to take her?"

"Shut up! I'll make her see that she's in a rut! You just trust me on that!"

"You intend to try to be the hero, and save princess Kora from the vile clutches of the evil wizard Taichi. This isn't a game Aki. This is some real shit you're putting us through. Someone will get hurt."

"Like YOU!" He sprinted forward as fast as he could, trying to punch my face. I made a quick reflex, and dodged his punch, making him fall on the ground.

"Aki, calm down. You're acting irrational. Can't we talk about this?"

He got up off the floor, with a bloody nose, "I hate you..."

"Aki!" Kora pulled a pack of tissues from her purse, and tended to Aki's nose.

I noticed Aki calm down a bit. Probably from Kora being so close to him. The little rat. "Aki? Can we talk like men, and not like rowdy boys? You say you're more of a man than I am, so act like it."

He looked up, holding one of Kora's tissues on his nose, "Fine. You got me. I'm just a boy," he began to cry, "Bitch."

"Aki," Kora spoke, "I really shouldn't have overreacted to what you said about Taichi. This is all my fault. I'm sorry."

"What ever. Go be Taichi's bimbo. Thanks anyway."

"Aki! Hold on! You need to calm down," I said to him.

"Taichi!" Hikaru came running to me. She leaped on me, "Taichi! You're alright! I heard from the other side of the school a fight started between you and Aki!"

I patted her, "I'm fine, it's just some drama we need to handle."

"Tai!" Manami came running too, and hugged me. She was crying, "I thought you were hurt! Please don't scare me like that again!"

"It's fine, Manami, now both of you, let me deal with this." They let go and stepped aside with Bianca. Hikaru comforted Manami while she was drying her tears.

I looked at Aki, who was still on the ground, trying to stop his nose bleed, "Aki," I offered my hand, "Like men, right?"

He looked at my hand, and took it, "Like men," I pulled him up, "Taichi, I'm sorry too. I...I was in the illusion that you became a jerk...and...well...you know..."

"Boys," Kora said, "So easy to put the past behind them. I'm a bit jealous myself."

"Taichi," Aki said, "We're still best friends, right?"

"Of course man, we have our ups and downs. It's cool."

He turned to Kora, "Listen, forget what I said about going to the dance. I'll just come to hang out."

"Oh...uhh...okay..." Kora said.

Bianca grabbed my shoulder, "Taichi! I really need to talk to you!"

"Who's this...witch? Some kind of cosplayer?" Aki asked.

"Didn't you guys meet at the Halloween attraction?" I said.

He looked at her, "Maybe...? I dunno."

"Outside! Now!" Bianca gripped my hand and pulled me with her.

"Hey! Wait! Bianca! What's this about!"

"Hey! Wait for me!" Hikaru called out.

"Hikaru! Slow down!" Manami said.

"Wha-? Hey! Hold on!" Kora soon followed.

"The hell's going on?" Aki said. He kept his tissue in his nose, and tried to keep up.

We were rushing outside now. We soon passed by Riku and Daisuke, "Hey! Taichi! Did you make up with-" Riku tried to talk to me.

"Sorry I can't talk!" I was still being pulled by Bianca.

"Why's everyone going outside in a hurry?" Daisuke asked.

"I don't know, but I wanna find out," Riku said back. Soon the both followed in hot pursuit.

Bianca stopped halfway from the school to the market area, "Hey! Bianca! Why don't you tell me what's going on!"

"Nicola! Nicola is coming! One of my old partners while learning magic!"

"Who's Nicola?"

"Listen, Nicola was a former peer of mine along with two others. We all studied advanced magic together two years ago. When Nicola found a way to use large amounts of magic in one time, insanity took hold of-" Before Bianca could finish her sentence, there was like a meteor crash on the road. It caused a lot of smoke, "Nicola! That's Nicola!"

"That's-?!"

Through the smoke, a black silhouette stood up. "What do you want from us?!" Bianca cried.