Interlude: The Week of Words

*** Sunday ***

[Ren]: Good Morning, Senpai!

[Sota]: You don't have to refer to me as 'Senpai' via text, you know

[Ren]: Right. Anyway, how's your day going? 

[Sota]: Just relaxing and playing some games. What about you?

[Ren]: That sounds fun! I have tons of housework and chores to do :(

[Sota]: I'm sorry :( If you need to go to focus on those, just let me know.

[Ren]: Nice try, but you're stuck with me :P What game are you playing?

[Sota]: A game called Guild Wars. It's a computer game - pretty much like a next-gen Everquest.

[Ren]: Oooooh...that sounds fun! Maybe I'll get a chance to try it sometime.

[Sota]: Maybe. It's online, so we could play as a team if you did end up getting it. 

[Ren]: That's awesome! I'll have to see if I can scrounge up enough money for it

[Sota]: Well, let me know if you do! I can show you the ropes. 

[Ren]: Thanks! I'll need the help. You'll save me from dying, won't you? :P

[Sota]: Maybe after I'm done laughing

[Ren]: >.< So mean...

*** Monday ***

[Ren]: Good Morning, Sota!

[Sota]: Morning! Aren't you at school?

[Ren]: Yeah, but it's study hall, so we're free to do whatever!

[Sota]: I see. Slack-packing on your homework?

[Ren]: Am not; I can multitask! By the way, you had Mr. Gorman as a teacher when you were here, didn't you?

[Sota]: I did, yeah...why?

[Ren]: He has about a half-dozen picture on his wall of past students...and you were up there...

[Sota]: LOL he still has that? 

[Ren]: You knew he did??

[Sota]: I had gotten a perfect score for the math portion of the SAT exam. He always took pictures of those students to commemorate the achievement. 

[Ren]: A perfect score?! So you're some super genius, then? :P

[Sota]: I don't know if that's what I'd call it lol. I've just always been pretty good at math. 

[Ren]: That's right...I remember Sensei saying that you had originally been in school to be a physicist or something crazy.

[Sota]: That's true. My degree was focused on astrophysics before I dropped out. 

[Ren]: Wow, smarty-pants. Does that mean you're hoping to be a scientist at some point?

[Sota]: Nah. I really like science, but it unfortunately doesn't pay super well around here. If I were gonna go to school again, I'd focus on something else and keep science as a fun hobby. 

[Ren]: Makes sense. I guess I know where I'm going when math and science starts to get hard :D

[Sota]: Isn't your plan to become an engineer? You'll be fine

[Ren]: Maybe, maybe not. Why risk it when I can call in the 'Genius Senpai' for reinforcements? 

[Sota]: You're terrible...

*** Tuesday ***

[Sota]: Good Morning

[Ren]: Good Morning! I see you beat me to the 'first text' today :D

[Sota]: Just checking to make sure you'll be at class tonight.

[Ren]: Right, of course - just being a dutiful Senpai keeping tabs on his student... :P

[Sota]: It's tough work, you know? I've got all these slackers to keep track of LOL

[Ren]: Excuse me?! I'll have you know I practice at least two hours a night!

[Sota]: I guess I'll find out at class, then.

[Ren]: Count on it! You'd better watch yourself. I'll knock you on your butt again if you get too ahead of yourself :P

[Sota]: You mean before or after you put your hands down and get bonked in the head?

[Ren]: It was my first class! That's not fair >.<

[Sota]: I'm not sure if 'fair' is the mindset I'd have when practicing self-defense

[Ren]: But you were supposed to be the super-controlled 'Senpai'. Sensei even said so!

[Sota]: He's prone to making bad decisions from time to time...

[Ren]: LOL I am for-sure telling him you said that!

[Sota]: God, please no...

*** Wednesday ***

[Riku (Queen)]: No more waiting! The queen MUST get her update now! 

[Sota]: Oh god...your update on what?

[Riku (Queen)]: How Saturday went, duh! You two have kept me in the dark :(

[Sota]:  I mean, you could've showed up at class last night if you wanted to know so bad...

[Ren]: It was super fun! We got food, went to an arcade, and then spent time at the mall shopping and people-watching :P

[Riku (Queen)]: Ooooo... People-watching is a blast, isn't it? They do such silly things...but more importantly, did Sota behave? I told him he better be a proper gentlemen the whole day without me to cover for him.

[Sota]: There was no such conversation...

[Riku (Queen)]: Quiet, peasant! The Queen is addressing the princess ... <3

[Ren]: I can report back that he was, in fact, a gentlemen all day! I felt like a proper lady the whole time.

[Riku (Queen)]: Excellent! Glad to know all my teachings have paid off. There's hope for you yet, Sota!

[Sota]: Gods...it's bad enough when there's only one of you. Both together is brutal...

[Ren]: Well it takes a lot to keep you on track :P Us girls gotta stick together, you know?

[Riku (Queen)]: PREACH!! <3

[Sota]: So what you're saying is...I'm screwed. 

[Ren]: Yep! :D

[Riku (Queen)]: I mean...what IM saying is that you've always been screwed...

[Sota]: Hard to argue with that LOL

[Ren]: Don't worry, Sota. We'll come to your rescue if you need it! You'll be our damsel in distress :D

[Riku (Queen)]: Sota...a damsel...

[Sota]: I'll hurt you, Riku...

*** Thursday ***

[Ren]: Great news! My grandparents agreed to let me go to the tournament since you were going to be able to come get me. 

[Sota]: Awesome! You'll have to be ready to go pretty early. It's a long drive, you know?

[Ren]: I'll manage :P I also told them that it was going to run pretty late since we were doing a dinner afterwards. That means we'll have some time to hang out. 

[Sota]: Man, you're just asking to get in trouble with them, aren't you?

[Ren]: I mean, did you not want to hang out after? :(

[Sota]: That's not what I said. I'm just making sure you're behaving. 

[Ren]: We both know that's not likely. Any chance I get not to be home; I'm going for it.

[Sota]: Can't blame you there...

[Ren]: So, that means you'll have to plan something fun for after the tournament!

[Sota]: I'll see what I can do. Maybe I can plan it so that we can head out early once we've both competed. That will give us a few more hours to hang out if things work in our favor.

[Ren]: That'd be awesome! I'm looking forward to it :D

*** Friday ***

[Ren]: Hey, Riku!

[Riku]: Hello Princess! I'm surprised - I wasn't expecting to get a message from you outside of our group text. 

[Ren]: Sorry about that lol. I just wanted to chat with you alone about something. 

[Riku]: Oh jeez. What did Sota do? Just say the word and I'll beat him, I swear...

[Ren]: LOL it's nothing like that! Although it is related to him, I guess...

[Riku]: You're being a bit vague, honey... You just gotta give it to me straight. 

[Ren]: Do you know if Sota... likes me?

[Riku]: Why wouldn't he like you? You guys chat all the time and hang out in class. He ignores people that he doesn't like. 

[Ren]: You can't tell me not to be vague and then pretend you don't know what I'm asking you...

[Riku]: I mean...I guess that's fair...

[Ren]: ...Sooooo?

[Riku]: What do you think? You've talked with him a lot over the last week.

[Ren]: Honestly? I think I'm being delusional and need to get over myself. He's been super friendly and made me feel special, sure. But I think it's totally unrealistic to think someone like him would have ANY form of romantic interest in someone like me.

[Riku]: That seems ... a bit self-destructive, don't you think?

[Ren]: Is it self destructive if it's almost guaranteed to be true?

[Riku]: You sound just like Sota now...Have you asked him this question? If you're convinced that he doesn't like you, wouldn't it be easiest to verify with him?

[Ren]: It's not like I haven't thought of that...

[Riku]: But...?

[Ren]: But I'm so scared to. If he isn't into me, and I ask him that, it's going to make things so awkward. How is he going to comfortably be able to talk to and hang out with me after that? He's going to be worried I'll take it the wrong way and have a 'kid' chasing after him. 

[Riku]: So you're worried if you ask him directly, he's going to distance himself?

[Ren]: Yes...Of course if he does like me, then that would be an amazing outcome and I'd hate the fact that I let it slip by. It's such a small chance that that's the case, though. If I'm being honest, I'm much more afraid of losing the friendship we already have. Even in this one week since we hung out, it's made my life so much better...

[Riku]: I see. Well, it can be tough getting a read on Sota sometimes, even for me. I'm not really sure how he feels, either...

[Ren]: Okay...I had to ask, right? :P

[Riku}: You're not off the hook yet, girly! The real question is what are you going to do? You can't just sit and wallow like this forever, right?

[Ren]: That's true...

[Riku]: What's the plan, then? Go ahead, I'll wait.

[Ren]: I guess maybe I'll meet in the middle with my feelings, then. Tomorrow is the tournament and another change to hang out with him. If he did have feelings for me by some miracle, then I think he would say something at some point tomorrow. Given that, I think I'll go into tomorrow with my hopes high and just enjoy the feeling for what it is... even if it's a fantasy.

[Riku]: Alright...and if nothing comes of it?

[Ren]: If he says nothing, then I'll quash these feelings that have started budding up. It'll hurt, and there will be no turning back, but it will preserve our friendship. It might be bittersweet, but that's what I think would be best. 

[Riku]: If that's what you feel is best, then I'll support you either way. I guess if Sota is thinking along those lines, he'd better make sure he doesn't hold off, then? :P

[Ren]: Please don't tell him we talked! I feel like that might be obvious, but I really need this conversation to stay between us. 

[Riku]: You sure? I could poke and prod  a bit to see what I can find out...

[Ren]: No, that's okay. If the feelings don't come up naturally, I don't want to try and force them. Either he likes me and will say it, or he won't and I'll deal with it from there...

[Riku]: Very well. I'll say nothing to Sota - Queen's honor. 

[Ren]: Thanks so much <3

[Riku]: Not a problem! Who knows? Maybe tomorrow will go perfectly. You'll hang out, he'll end up telling you he has feelings, and things will progress from there. 

[Ren]: Man, how awesome would that be! It's slim, but I guess I'll hold onto hope for tomorrow!

[Riku]: You and me both, girl... You and me, both...