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-Misa-chan


A Lesson In Love
By Marisa Price

Part 6A: Listen To Your Heart (SECTION A- SECTION B TO FOLLOW)

	"AKANE!!!!!!" Ranma shouted, running after the short-
haired girl in her sky-blue school dress who flew ahead of
him. "Will...you...just....WAIT!" Ranma yelled to her.
	Akane didn't stop and turn around to insult him as he
expected... she just kept running. A day when Akane didn't
pause to scream at or attack Ranma for his mistakes was just
NOT a normal day. She had been up early that morning, eating
breakfast before he was even out of bed, and then left for
class as early as possible. It was clear to him now that he
was definitely being avoided.
	Ranma sighed and said, "Shit. She really is mad this
time." He stopped running and put his fist into a telephone
pole. He pulled his hand back, holding it to his chest, and
muttered, "DAMN!!" He sighed and thought, "How am I 
supposed to tell her the truth if she won't even LISTEN to me?!"
	Ukyou and Ryouga were walking not too far behind the
two "lovers" and witnessed the entire scene. Ukyou said,
a bit surprised, "Looks like there is trouble in paradise, eh
Ryouga?"
	"Humph," was Ryouga's only reply.
	Ukyou turned to look at the lost boy who she was 
guiding to school. He was pulling and tugging at his borrowed
school uniform and grumbling.
	"What the heck are you DOING, idiot?" she asked.
	"It's too TIGHT!" Ryouga growled and added, "It just
doesn't fit right."
	"Hmm.... and I buy all my uniforms larger than my size
so that they cover up... well... you know..." Ukyou flushed.
	Ryouga totally missed the reference, too busy messing
with his outfit, and said, "You know, I am just to muscular for
this get-up."
	Ukyou gave him a scathing look and said, "Gee. Aren't
WE modest."
	"Humph."
	"ANYWAY, I wonder what's up between Ranma and Akane?"
Ukyou mused.
	As if on cue, Ranma suddenly appeared in front of the
two. He had noticed Ukyou when he had stopped and hit the 
telephone pole, and decided to go see how she was doing. He
smiled at Ukyou and said, "Mornin' Ucchan! Who's your friend?"
	Ukyou looked blankly at Ranma and said, "Uh, good
morning, Ranchan. What do you mean by 'who's your friend'?"
	After that statement, Ranma turned to look curiously
at the newcomer. He was a bit shorter than Ranma, with dark
hair and green eyes. He looked... familiar. Had he...?
	The newcomer said, "Dumbass."
	Ranma stepped back in shock and said, "RYOUGA?!"
	"One and the same," Ryouga affirmed with a toothy grin.
	The grin quickly faded as Ranma burst into laughter.
Ryouga asked, sharply, "WHAT? WHAT?!"
	"I....I... just didn't recognize you without the 
bandanna!" Ranma giggled.
	Ryouga turned to Ukyou and shouted, "SEE! I TOLD you 
that I should have worn my bandanna!"
	Ukyou frowned and said, "But it looked STUPID with the
uniform, Ryouga-hon."
	Ryouga slowly put his hand up to his forehead and 
rubbed the delicate skin, muttering, "I just feel NAKED without
it..."
	This was just too much for either Ranma or Ukyou to
bear, and both started laughing so hard that tears came to 
their eyes.
	Ryouga just stood there and looked disgusted. Finally
he commented, "Fine. Whatever. -I'm- going to school, I don't
want to be late on my first day." He turned and began to head
off.... unfortunately in the OPPOSITE direction of Furinken
High School.
	Both Ukyou and Ranma managed to get themselves under
control and ran after Ryouga shouting, "Idiot! The school is
the OTHER way."
	Ryouga allowed them to guide him back in the right
direction, but he was obviously NOT happy with either at the
moment.
	After walking a bit in silence, Ukyou finally asked,
"Uh... Ranma... what was that between you and Akane this 
morning? A love spat?"
	Ranma's eyes bugged out and he stuttered, "You...You..
You... SAW that?!"
	Both Ukyou and Ryouga nodded.
	"It was kinda hard to miss," Ryouga noted.
	Ukyou nodded in agreement with Ryouga and said, "Are
you two STILL fighting, even after your big declaration of
love?"
	Ranma turned bright red and gasped, "Uh, declaration?!
What ARE you talking about?!"
	Ukyou looked a bit surprised and said, "Well.. Ranma..
USUALLY if you tell someone you love them and they say they
love you too... you start treating them better."
	"I... I... I... well... I haven't exactly... um....
told her anything yet..." Ranma managed to get out, large
beads of sweat dripping down his face.
	Ryouga looked shocked and growled, "WHAT?!"
	Ukyou looked even MORE surprised than Ryouga and then
gradually began to get mad. "You mean," she said angrily, "You
gave me that whole line yesterday, and you don't even know if
she likes you BACK yet?"
	"Uh..." was all Ranma could say at that point, expecting
to be clobbered.
	"Jackass!" Ukyou shouted.
	"Moron!" Ryouga added.
	Ranma looked (if possible) even more embarrassed and 
decided to tell them the truth. "Well, guys.." he started,
"I WAS going to tell her last night, but she got mad before
I could say anything."
	"WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER -THIS- TIME, -RANMA-!!" Ryouga
wanted to know, grabbing Ranma by the shirtfront.
	"NOTHING!!" Ranma shouted. "She just figured out I had
been at Ucchan's and she got MAD, OK?! And I couldn't explain
that I was just working there before she kicked me out the 
window!"
	"How did she figure out that you had been at Ucchan's?"
Ryouga asked, dropping Ranma back to the ground.
	"Well, uh," Ranma looked like he would melt if he turned
any redder, and said hesitantly, "She, uh... well... she could...
uh... taste the... um... okonomiyaki that I had eaten."
	Ukyou looked confused and asked, "HUH? How could she
do THAT?!"
	Ryouga poked Ukyou in the side and said, "Baka. And
you say -I'm- stupid."
	Ukyou could only say, "Huh?"
	"They were kissing, obviously, dummy. And she could
TASTE it," Ryouga looked proud that he had gotten a clue before
everyone else for once.
	Ranma, at this point, looked completely, absolutely,
totally mortified, and decided to pull the Saotome Secret
Technique. He hopped up on the fence and said, "Well! I will
see you at school!"
	In a few minutes the red blur had faded.
	Ukyou looked alternately sad and frustrated, and she
finally turned to Ryouga and said, "Just how long has THIS
been going on?"
	"Well, since yesterday, as far as I know. I walked in
on the two of them in the bathroom." 
	Ukyou moved in front of Ryouga, stopping him from
moving forward. She looked right into his eyes and said, "WHY
didn't you TELL me? You walked IN on them? Didn't I deserve
to know this?"
	Ryouga sighed, shrugged, and said, "Well, at first I
didn't really know if I could talk to you. Then, after we
had our chat... I didn't want to hurt you any more than you
already were last night..."
	Ukyou's head dropped. She turned and started to walk
toward school and Ryouga sullenly followed. She started to
walk faster, and Ryouga sped up.
	"Stop FOLLOWING ME, you JERK!!" Ukyou shouted over 
her shoulder.
	"HOW ELSE AM I SUPPOSED TO MAKE IT TO SCHOOL!" Ryouga
shouted back.
	Ukyou sighed, stopped, allowed Ryouga to catch up with
her, and the two continued on to Furinken in silence, together.
*****
	"WOW! AKANE! This has GOT to be a record or something,"
Sayuri said as she dropped down into the desk next to Akane's.
Akane looked up at her friend, a bewildered, far-away, look on
her face, and said, "What?"
	Yuka, sitting in the desk behind Akane explained, "We
are just surprised that you are here so early! You are nearly
ALWAYS late."
	Sayuri nodded and added, "Yeah. You are. HEY!" Sayuri
looked around the room and asked, puzzled, "Where's Ranma?"
	Akane went from bewildered to bemused and a distinct
blue aura formed around her before she shouted, "Don't even
MENTION him to me today!!" She slammed open a book and stuck
her nose in it, as if completely absorbed by it.
	Sayuri looked shocked and said, "GEE. Sorry! Did 
something happen?"
	When Akane didn't answer, Yuka theorized, "Yeah.
HAD to have. Check it out..."
	Sayuri and Yuka both began to giggle as Yuka pointed
to the book Akane was reading so intently.... it was upside-down.
Their theories were further supported when, about 5 minutes 
later, Ranma crept into the classroom. He looked hesitantly at
Akane (who blatantly ignored him). Ranma's face fell and he 
wandered over to his seat. Ranma folded his arms and rested
his head on them, gazing out the window and ignoring his 
friends and the rest of the class.
	Of course everyone started whispering about the new
situation.
	The whispering stopped when the sensei entered the
room followed by two students. One of the students was Kuonji..
but the other? Daisuke (Ranma's friend) whispered to Hiroshi,
"HEY... doesn't that guy look familiar?"
	Hiroshi nodded and whispered back, "Isn't that the 
UMBRELLA guy?"
	"HIROSHI! DAISUKE! Is there something you want to share
with the class?" the sensei asked them sharply.
	"Uh, no, sensei. Gomen nasai, sensei!" both said at 
the same time.
	The sensei turned to the class and said, "Students,
you have a new classmate. May I introduce Hibiki Ryouga."
	Akane, who had been totally oblivious up to this point,
looked up in surprise. She was startled to see that it was,
indeed, Ryouga, but he looked totally different... groomed
and dressed in a school uniform. 
	Meanwhile, Ryouga missed Akane's stare, blushed,
twiddled his thumbs and, giving a nervous giggle, said,
"Um.  Hi, everyone."
	Ryouga may have missed Akane's look, but Ranma and
Ukyou didn't. Ranma looked -very- upset and as if he wanted
to get up and throttle the unaware Ryouga. Ukyou looked
surprised and thought, "Maybe she -does- have feelings for
Ryouga?"
	The sensei interrupted everyone's thoughts when he
said, "And where are you from, Hibiki?"
	Ryouga stammered, "Uh. I don't really know...."
	Ukyou quickly covered for him with, "Uh, sensei, he
was in an accident and lost his memory..." Ryouga shot Ukyou
a look, in response to which she just shrugged.
	The sensei became serious and said, "OH! I am so sorry
to hear that, Hibiki. I hope your memory returns soon. Kuonji,
why don't you sit Hibiki in the seat next to you."
	Ukyou nodded and dragged Ryouga off to his new desk.
	Akane turned and gave Ryouga a small smile and a wave.
He looked dumbfounded. Ryouga gave a tentative wave back, much
to the consternation of Ranma and Ukyou.
	"Oh great," Ukyou thought, "He is just going to get
Ranma pissed again... but" she considered, "maybe there IS
still a hope of getting Ryouga and Akane together? If she 
was out of the way...."
	Ukyou began to plan.

*****

	Three hours and three classes later, it was time for
lunch. Akane walked right past Ranma's desk, not sparing him
a glance, and went up to Ryouga's desk. Ryouga looked up at
her, a shocked smile plastered to his face.
	"RYOUGA!" she smiled and asked, "Why did you decide
to start going to school?" Akane managed to avoid looking at
Ukyou at all, although she was sitting right next to Ryouga.
	"Uh... uh... HI... Akane..." Ryouga stuttered, and
blushed before adding, "Well... I... uh... started to work for
Ukyou to earn some money... and she insisted that I go to school."
	Akane spared a cursory glance for Ukyou and said,
with fake cheerfulness, "Well! How nice. And why do you need
money all of a sudden, Ryouga? You never needed it before..."
	Ryouga began, "Well, Ranma and I are going to go to..."
	All of a sudden Ryouga's mouth was covered by Ranma's
hand. Ranma leaned down and whispered into Ryouga's ear, "SHUT
UP!!"
	Ryouga looked up at Ranma, surprised. Ranma grabbed
Ukyou and Ryouga and said to Akane, "Uh... please excuse us,
Akane, the three of us have lunch planned..."
	And then the three were gone.
	Akane stood looking at the empty desks, wondering why
this was happening to her. Ranma hadn't even let her get in
a word edgewise. She sighed, wondering what exactly was 
happening. Had she been too harsh on him? "NO!!!!" she thought.
Here he was off with Ukyou again, having lunch. Also, he was
so jealous that he couldn't even let her talk to Ryouga!!
	Akane sat at Ryouga's desk and sighed. The classroom
had already emptied out, everyone eager to get to lunch. She
was all alone. Alone. She never could understand Ranma. One
minute he was kissing her and telling her she was cute, or
being jealous of other guys, but the next moment he was off
with Ukyou, or Shampoo, or...
	Akane got up and walked to the window. She gasped
as she saw the cherry blossoms falling down like snow. Was
it already cherry blossom season? Had she been to preoccupied
to notice? Akane watched the soft petals sail down on currents
of air and mused over what had kept her so "preoccupied."
	"Ranma," she thought, "Can't you see that I... I...
CARE about you?! That I wouldn't act like I do if I didn't?
If you could just pay attention to me, and only me, for once!
Maybe then I could tell you how I feel....."


End of Part 6A.