Fruits Ripe

Episode 1b

The walk to school settled in silence with me in between Yuki and Tohru. While it was a comfortable silence, I could tell Tohru was feeling a bit awkward so I held her hand to help her a bit. When we got to school we went to our lockers and changed our shoes. On our way to class, we got cornered by some crazy girls.

"All right, Miss Honda. Miss Little Honda. Explain!" The blue haired girl demanded. "What is the meaning of this?"

"I'm... sorry?" Tohru asked confused

She made a sound out of her throat that sounded like a growl, I admit I almost snorted when she said the next part.

"Don't you know me? You should." Suddenly 3 other girls popped up behind her all looking a little pissed, who pissed in their cheerios? "I'm Prince Yuki's representative! Motoko Minagawa."

"Oh. Uh. Prince Yuki?" Tohru asked still a bit confused, honestly I'm not surprised by the nickname they gave him but who're these chicks?

"Club core principles:" suddenly the one with greenish brown hair and green bows got close to us, we were pretty much cornered against the window in the school hallway by these crazy girls

"Never misappropriate Prince Yuki's personal effects!" she finished for the blue haired girl.

"Never enter Prince Yuki's home without permission!" a light brown haired orange pigtailed girl added

"Never speak to Prince Yuki without someone else present!" the short dark brown haired girl added on after each time they got closer to us.

"Hmph" They all walked back towards their leader like they accomplished something

"Do you understand?" Motoko asked us with a satisfied smirk on her face. "We in the 'Prince Yuki Club' are dedicated to worshiping the prince who graced our school with his presence." She said lovingly, definitely crazy. "Miss Honda! Miss Little Honda!" She aggressively pointed a finger at each of us too close for comfort, "You have publicly disregarded the regulations we painstakingly crafted for his protection." She barely stopped to breathe definitely crazy, "Now, we expect an extremely thorough explanation... "

I heard a passing boy call the girls yelling at us scary, how he didn't even know the half of it. I sighed "Speak!" she demanded.

"I swear, it was a coincidence, that's all." Tohru explained

~Yuki Soma. He's only a first-year, and he's pretty quiet, but thanks to his good looks, he's already like the prince of our school.~

"If that were a good enough excuse, we wouldn't need the club, now would we? But here we are--" but I interrupted her from continuing.

"Speaking of your no good club, Have any of you run your so called rules and Regulations by your 'Prince Yuki', huh? I bet you haven't, which means he didn't give you permission to intervene in his personal matters or life. Which means not only are you pompous and arrogant fans, but you also are delusional believing that you have a right even though you probably don't talk to him at all. So much for self righteousness, you're a phony. And if you really do know everything about Soma than that makes you no better than stalkers, so on what grounds and with what power do you have to lecture us, huh? Aren't you just using it as an excuse to bully others, Sempai?" I tilted my head in mock innocence, the whole time I spoke I was calm and made direct eye contact. They were so speechless that they backed up from us giving us some space.

"Well with what right do you have to talk back" Motoko said indignantly

"Yeah respect your elders pip squeak" the pigtails girl agreed next thing you know they're all yelling at us

"I didn't know! We're sorry" Tohru said succumbing to their temper tantrum while I just stood there looking so done.

"Hey, don't pick a fight over something stupid just 'cause your ego got bruised" a new voice said roughly scaring the girls that were yelling, enough to make them stop. The voice belonged the the girls' friend Uotani, who was tall and had long blonde hair, just behind her stood Hanajima, who was shorter than Uotani, but taller than both girls, and had long black hair that she kept in a long braid over her shoulder.

"Like your one to talk", Motoko said as they moved far away from the newcomers afraid but still indignant, " You delinquents think that making threats solves everything!"

"I'll use my waves" Hanajima said scarily calm, "So play nice."

Once she said that all four girls ran away screaming not wanting to be on the receiving end of her 'wave magic' as they like to call it.

"Thank you so much", Tohru said getting Uotani's attention. "Really. You saved us."

"You poor thing, cornered by those mean girls." Uotani broke her tough girl façade and hugged Tohru, she just smiled happily.

"Don't really do the wave thing Hana-Nee" I commented amused at seeing her expression.

"Yeah wouldn't want to get in trouble with the school again" Uotani commented, "come here mini" she added pulling me into the hug.

After we got her to let go, we made our way to Home Economics. We all had the same schedule and were in the same class because I had an Eidetic Memory and a high IQ, basically I'm really smart. They offered for me to graduate early, but I wanted to stay with Tohru. Once we got to the classroom, we had to split up since there's only at most 3 to a station according to our teacher. So I went to my group right next to their station, my group had 2 boys and me, but they were very nice and even helped me with the cooking and chopping.

"I gotta admit, it is kinda weird, you and Mini coming to school with the prince like that." Uo-Nee commented when we started to cook.

"Hey Lily-san what are we making today?" Riley asked, he was a tall boy with short light brown hair, and he put an apron over his uniform.

"We're making miso soup and salmon, with vegetables Riley-Nii" I told him also putting an apron on.

"Sounds good, I'll start the pot" Travis said, he was my other partner who had black hair and wore black glasses, they were both quite tall. Before he walked to the stove, he gently pushed my glasses up for me making me blush a bit.

"Thank you Travis-Nii" I smiled making my dimples pop and both boys blushed a bit a the sight.

While tuning back into the other conversation I heard Hana say " You know, there's something about his waves that I find rather strange."

Soon me and my partners had finished the easy stuff except the miso soup, which was simmering and the salmon that I was Frying with the help of Travis and Riley who both watched the soup and made sure the oil didn't pop me. They made jokes here and there that made me laugh, I didn't mind smiling as much around them because they told me they liked it better when I smiled without covering my mouth like I usually do. They're really good friends, I'm glad to have them.

"Strange in what way?" Uo-Nee asked Hana- Nee

"That's the thing. I'm not quite sure." Hana answered

"And Done" I announced to the boys while turning off the stove. "Can you serve the rice please, while I serve the soup?" I asked Riley

"Actually why don't you have a seat, you did most of this we just helped" Riley gently pushed me in a seat so he could serve us the rice and Travis served us the soup. They only let me set the places for us to eat.

"Thank you for the food" The three of us said together once we all sat down.

"He does kinda give off a mysterious vibe." Uo commented, which made me look up while I ate.

Yuki's group was Directly across from mine, give or take the group in between us with fan girls, so I didn't have to strain to look at him.

"I heard a second- year confessed her love to him a while back and went in for a hug.."

~"Yuki!" the girl student shouted and leaped for him but he pushed her away.~

"He sent her flying. Scared the heck out of her." Uo finished the story looking over at him

"Really? I didn't know about that. I wonder why?" Tohru responded looking over at his table too

"I would too if she tried to jump on me" I mumbled, but the girls heard me and Tohru giggled a bit.

"All right girls" The teacher said coming over after seeing them distracted. "Your hands should be moving, not your mouths. Uh?" She finally looked down at the table seeing that they were already done. "You're done?" I just watched thoroughly amused.

"Yeah, it's not like it's rocket science." Uo commented nonchalantly with a snarky undertone.

"Don't you talk to me like that," The teacher responded back Irritated, "when I know full well that Miss Honda did all the work!"

"The rice is done now too." Hana told Tohru, completely ignoring the teacher.

"Ugh. Fine!" their teacher just walked away seeing as she wouldn't be able to get through to them.

"Anyway, Tohru and Mini," she called out to get my attention, although their squabble already had it, I still hummed in acknowledgment. "Hanajima and I are going shopping after school today. You guys wanna come?" She asked as they got comfortable to start their meal.

"I can't I have a shift tonight and afterwards I'm going to meet Onee-Chan so we can walk together", Lily responded softly, but loud enough for them hear.

"Sorry, I would, but I have to work too as Lily said" Tohru smiled at her friends apologetically.

"Man, you got a raw deal. Having to work yourself to death, I feel bad for you too Mini, 'cause you two promised to pay your own tuition", Uo commented.

"Still, you work almost daily. That's kind of a lot just for tuition, don't you think so? Here X- Large" Hana said passing Uo her rice bowl.

"Oh, boy" Uo said more than ready to eat.

"Oh, I'd like to live with just me and Lily after we graduate, and housing can be expensive." Tohru answered for the both of us, while I just nodded agreeing. " So that means I have to start saving up now!"

"Plus it never hurts to save as much as possible" Lily added shrugging. She had just finished eating, so she took her dishes for washing, Riley and Travis soon followed behind her.

"I don't wanna get all weepy, so start eating and build up your strength!" Uo said about to do the same and start eating. "How'd they finish so fast.." she added as an after thought.

"Yes, ma'am." Tohru said mock saluting her and began to eat

"You're offering like you're the one who cooked the food." Hana teased Uo but finished piling her rice, so she too started to eat.

"For now, though your both still staying at your grandpa's place, aren't you?" Uo asked Tohru

"Yeah" Tohru panicked a bit not liking having to lie to her friends.

"The old geezer had better be feeding you guys well, at least. And not squeezing all your wages out of either of you, either." Uo commented off handedly.

"Exceptional." Hana stated enjoying her food and ignoring her other friends questioning.

Tohru just smiled at both of her friends worrying about them but she thought, 'I can't tell her. If Uo knew we were living in a tent, she might drive her motorcycle straight into grandfather's house and start demanding answers."