19The Mech Files: Chapter Eight
By: Prettysammy007/Maxine Keaton
Author's Note: Guess who's back? Back again?
Okay, I hear you. That was lame. Yes, I am back again. I'm being forced to write by a different person this time. I hope this is good. I haven't written these things in a year or two. Been…busy.
Okay, so I blew up my computer. I'm using the school ones right now. Anyway, I hope you enjoy the next installment of "The Mech Files".
Rani sat glumly on the bottom bunk of her bed. She'd been sitting there for hours, wondering what Moringa had said to Hatori that would make him want to go out on a date with her.
"Rani, what's going on?" Natsue asked from the sink while washing the dishes.
"Nothing."
"Obviously it's something!" She wiped her hands on an old dishtowel. "Is this the whole dating thing?"
"No, and it's none of your business!" Rani put her head under a pillow. "I wonder what's going on with them, anyway…"
"C'mon, Hatori! Let's get something to eat!" Moringa was practically glued to his arm.
"Uh, no thanks." Hatori sighed. "I'm not that hungry."
"Thirsty?"
"No."
"Ooh! I know! The carnival is in town! Let's go there!" she jumped up and down.
"Sure, I guess." He was getting really annoyed with her. Maybe if they went to the carnival, he could "get lost". "I doubt it, though." He thought to himself. "By the way she's hanging on me I doubt I can loose sight of her. I wonder what Rani is doing right now…" He smiled at the thought of Rani. Moringa saw this as a smile of approval.
"Yay!" she held onto his arm tighter. Hatori grimaced in pain.
"That's going to leave a mark." He thought, cringing. "Why did I even agree to this stupid date?" Hatori sighed and continued to walk down the street, Moringa yanking on his arm all the way to the carnival.
"Dinner?" Rani rose from underneath the pillow and asked in a disappointed voice.
"Soon." Said Natsue as she stirred a pot of something at the stove. "You're still down about that whole date thing?"
"I TOLD YOU IT'S NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Rani yelled. There was a brief silence, and then Rani began to sniff a little bit.
"Oh, you're crying!" Natsue put down the spoon and went to comfort Rani.
"The food smells good." Rani said blatantly.
"Then why do you have tears?"
"Are you cooking with onion again?" Rani asked. Natsue just laughed and hugged Rani.
"It's alright." She said simply.
"Natsue?"
"Yes?"
"Why am I crying?"
"Because you like Hatori."
"Oh," Rani sat up. Her face was blotched red and her hair was a mess. "I guess I do."
"It's about time you realized it!" Natsue smacked her playfully on the back of the head. "Now c'mon, dinner is about ready." She smiled. Rani got up walked towards the food.
"Yeah, I guess I kind of do." Rani smiled and served herself a plate of food.
"Win that bear for me, Hatori!" Moringa had not yet let go of his arm.
"It's kind of hard when you won't let go of me!" he frowned and paid the game master two dollars for a chance to throw three balls at a pyramid of bottles. The first ball he threw missed completely, as did the second one.
"You have to do better than that, Hatori!" Moringa pouted. Hatori was starting to get ticked off. He threw the ball as hard as he could, and it hit directly in the middle of the bottle pyramid.
It didn't fall over.
"Sorry kid, do you want to try again?" the game master asked.
"No way! This game is rigged!" Moringa jerked on Hatori's arm again. He knew it was going to be bruised by the end of the night.
"What are you accusing me of?" the game master asked.
"I'm saying that you cheated us out of two dollars!" The game master and Moringa continued to yell back and fourth at each other, and were gathering a crowd.
"This is so embarrassing. At least Rani isn't this bad." Thought Hatori. "Wait a minute! She's distracted! Now's my chance to escape!" he slowly started to take his arm away from Moringa. His wrist was all that was left to get away when…
"Oh no you don't!" she yanked his arm back into the original place and continued to argue with the game master.
Hatori frowned. He almost got away. "This is going to be a loooong night." He said to himself.
"Rani seems to be feeling better," thought Natsue. "That's great, but what about me?" she looked over at Rani sleeping. She knew she had to tell Rani about what happened in the lab.
"The X9284 Project: Beta Type." She read out loud. "By Dr. James Sedust and… Tatsuran Kuborina?!" Natsue was shocked. "But, Kuborina is Hatori's last name!"
"X9284." She cringed at even the thought of that name. "That's not me now. I'm… different." Natsue looked upon the sleeping Rani and smiled. "Better,"
Rani rustled around a little bit and awoke. "Natsue, are you alright?"
"I'm going to have to tell her. Sooner better than later…" Natsue thought.
"Natsue?"
"Rani, there's something I have to tell you."
"You didn't have to get violent." Hatori told Moringa after getting kicked out and permanently banned from the carnival.
"You haven't seen me when I'm violent!" Moringa was still attached to his arm.
"And I'm not planning on it." Hatori thought as he was dragged down the street. "It's getting late, I think we should be going."
"But it's only seven thir—"
"I think we should go home. C'mon, I'll walk you home… or technically you'll be walking me."
"Okay!" she held onto him tighter as they walked down the street back to the apartment.
"What an ill twist of fate. How come I always get screwed over?"
"Oh my God." Rani swore after Natsue told her tale. "How come you didn't say anything before?"
"I didn't want to upset anyone…" Natsue looked down at the floor.
"This is crazy! Ever since you ended up on my doorstep, everything has gone insane!" Rani declared. This was the wrong thing to say, as Natsue put her hands in her hands and began to weep.
"I'm sorry about all of this." She said in a muffled tone. "I'm just a burden, and I'm really sorry. I shouldn't have told you."
"No, that's not it, Natsue."
"Yes it is! Ever since I have been here, everything has changed for the worse for you."
"That's not true! Natsue, you've taught me so much. You taught me how to read, and how to handle money and my emotions." Rani paused. "Without you, I'd be stuck."
Natsue didn't say anything. She still wasn't convinced. "I… have to go." She stood and began to walk out the door.
"Natsue! Where are you going?" Rani followed her out the apartment and down the stairs, where she met Hatori and Moringa.
"Rani!" Hatori was really glad to see her, and finally managed to get out of Moringa's grasp.
"Hey, what am I, chopped meat?" Moringa put her hands on her hips.
"Moringa, go upstairs." Hatori said.
"But…"
"NOW!" Both Hatori and Rani glared. Moringa went up the stairs and into the apartment with a pouty look on her face.
"Hatori, I have to go! Natsue is…"
"Wait Rani. I have something to tell you."
"I have to tell you something, too."
"No, I already know that!"
"Then you know about Natsue…?"
"Moringa told me all about it a few days ago."
"Wait a minute, Natsue hadn't told any…"
"I realized something today. When I was out on that date with Moringa, I thought about you Rani, constantly!"
"Hatori, I don't have time—!"
"No! Let me finish, please!" he held onto her hands. Rani stopped trying to explain her situation right then. "I thought about you almost the whole time I was there. It was horrible, Rani. The date went all wrong. But then, when I came back here, and saw you on the staircase, I was relieved. It was then that I realized something; something that I've been holding in for some time. I'd try to tell you…"
"But?" Rani was on edge.
"But what Moringa had said to me…"
"What does that have to do with anything?" thought Rani.
"But what Moringa had said to me made me hold it back. When I went on that date with her, I found out how horrible she was. It was then that I realized I didn't want any other girl." He then gave Rani a quick kiss on the cheek. "I don't care if you're a lesbian, Rani! I love you!"
"WHAT?" Rani exclaimed.
To Be Continued…