Date Help

*Yuki*

Suddenly, a strange thing happened to me today. I was at my locker around lunch time when I noticed someone standing beside me. I slowly looked to my right and saw a boy staring at me. He smiled at me with a big smile on his face. I had seen him somewhere before. He�s the guy that sits in my homeroom near the window. I don�t know whether to be scared or not. He�s not from Zen�s camp. But, he could be an outside enemy. Only one way to see.

�Hi,� I said uneasily.

�Hey!� this boy called back to me. We had a moment of silence. I turned to him completely.

�Do I know you?� I asked. �I don�t mean to sound rude by that.� The boy shrugged at me.

�Don�t worry, you�re not,� he said. �I�m in your homeroom.�

�What�s your name exactly?� I asked him.

�Toyota,� he replied. �Toyota Masato.� He didn�t register at first. But then, something clicked in my head. The light bulb went off in my face.

�Oh yeah!� I said to him. �You�re the one by the window!�

�Yep!� Toyota said to me. We both laughed aloud. I calmed down some.

�So,� I said to him. �What can I do for you?� Toyota quickly grabbed me by the hand.

�Please,� he pleaded. �I need your help on getting a date!� I looked at him in surprised confusion.

�What?!?� I asked almost shouting.

�Shhh!� Toyota said to me quickly. �Not so look.� I still looked at him confused.

�Okay,� I said in a low voice. �But why me?�

�I don�t know,� Toyota said to me stressed. �You just look like an easy person to talk to. Plus you and that creepy-looking kid seem to have a very good relationship together.� I looked at him startled.

�How do you know about Shizuma and I?!?� I asked in suspicious surprise. Toyota shrugged at me.

�I just noticed you two together almost all of the time,� he said simply. �You love him, don�t you?�

�Well, yes,� I admitted unwittingly. �I do love him!� Toyota gave a little nod.

�Yes!� he said aloud. �There is this girl I really like and I want to form a romantic relationship with her that�s just as close as your and Shizuma�s!� Sounds like a reasonable request. He�s got me sold there.

�Okay,� I said. �Who�s the girl in question?� Toyota swallowed a bit.

�Nishio Ayeka,� he admitted in a high-pitched voice. My eyes grew wide in shock.

�I�m sorry, who?� I asked.

�Nishio Ayeka!� Toyota repeated sharply. I just couldn�t believe what I was hearing. Ayeka could only be summed up in one word: Princess. She wasn�t a snob, mind you! Ayeka had a sweet personality and very kind to all that crossed her path. She just came from a rich family. Not only that, Ayeka had the looks, popularity, brains, and quiet strength all in a neat little package. I took another look at Toyota. He looked way of out his league for Ayeka. But then again, so am I with Shizuma. With that logic, I decided to help Toyota after all. I stood up bravely to him.

�Okay,� I replied. �I�ll help you!� Toyota looked at me overjoyed. He squeezed my hand tightly.

�Thank you, Yuki!� he cried out to me. �Tell me what to do!� I drew in a deep breath.

�Okay,� I said. �First, you just talk to her.�

�About what?� Toyota asked. I shrugged at him.

�Just anything simple,� I replied. �School, things that you and her like, life, things that like.�

�Okay,� he said. �Then what?�

�Well,� I said. �Don�t try too hard to impress her.� Toyota looked at me surprised.

�Really?� he asked.

�Yeah,� I said. �I make that mistake sometimes with Shizuma and he ends up avoiding me for a while. If you do find yourself trying too hard, back up some.�

�Okay,� Toyota said with a nod.

�And,� I added at last. �Just be yourself.� Toyota at me on that one.

�But�� he said. �What if I do all of that and she doesn�t like me?� I shrugged at him.

�Have you talked to her already?� I asked.

�No�� he admitted to me.

�Well then,� I said. �You won�t know until you go and talk to her.� Toyota thought about that for a moment. He smiled at my best advice. I began to relax some. I�m not really good at giving other people advice. I just went with what I had observed in the past around me. Good to see somebody is actually going with what I am saying. Toyota turned to me smiling and hugged me tightly. That took me by surprise right there. Okay, I wasn�t expecting that one.

�Thanks Yuki!� he nearly yelled in my ear. �You really helped me!�

�You�re welcome�� I said nearly crushed by his grip. Damn, Toyota�s got a strong gasp. I thought that I would choke to death. Toyota finally let go of me. I thought that would be the end. Boy was I wrong!

�Say,� he said to me. �Care to go to lunch with me?� That one threw me for another loop by him. I had never had lunch at school with anyone besides Shizu-kun. I didn�t know what to say at first. I must be really coming a long way in the social world at my school.

�Sure!� I answered without thinking. Toyota�s smile became brighter.

�Great!� he called. �Let�s go!� Then, my friend dragged me to the cafeteria by the arm.

�Whoa!� I cried. �Slow down, you�re hurting me!� Toyota didn�t listen. He kept pulling me along with him. My growing circle didn�t end there however.

My New Friend