I'm sorry, minna-san! I tried
sending this yesterday, but it seems y'all saw it as HTML - my fault!
GOMEN NE! Here it is in .txt. Hopefully you can read it now.
As ever, C&C is always welcome. Please let me know what you think!
*HUGS*
- Rena/Maigrey (Jennifer)
--------------------------------------------------------------
"Marmalade Boy: College Days"
Part 2: I Thought We Were Friends! Don't Shut Me Out, Ginta!
by: Jennifer L. Mondazzi
orig. written: June 2nd, 1998-June 7th, 1998
<July 11th, the summer after Miki's High School graduation>
Miki sat in her comfortable chair in front of her writing table and
scribbled away in her diary, writing not only for her best friend to
read, but for herself as well.
Despite the fact that she was out of high school now, she just
couldn't seem to put this one "childish" activity away. She needed her
journal; it was the only means she had available to clarify the
thousands of whirling thoughts that danced around inside her brain on a
daily basis. Composing her musings in this manner helped to stabilize
her world when it went upside down, and right now, Miki felt as if she
was dangling from the edge emotionally. With Yuu still in America, and
Meiko on her honeymoon, she was more frightened and alone than she ever
had been in her entire life.
Nothing came close to what she was feeling at that moment - not even
that time that she had gotten lost in New York.
Meiko, I'm scared.
Arimi hasn't called me back, and Ginta's refused to see me again. I
went to his house today, but he wouldn't open the door. He's really mad
at me for giving those clues to Arimi about his condition, but... she
needed to know the truth! I mean, she loves him as much as I love Yuu.
Lying to her was so wrong...
Besides, she figured it out on her own.
I didn't exactly tell her anything.
Still, I feel like I've betrayed him.
I may have lost my other best friend, Meiko.
What will I do?
Miki's tears stained the page she was working on, smudging the black
ink beneath her fingertips. She put her pen to the side calmly, laid
her head in her arms, and finally gave into the overwhelming sadness
that had been threatening to envelope her for the last two days. She
cried her heart out, as she relived the memories...
***********************************************************************
<Two days ago...>
"Oh, Ginta... Why didn't you tell us? We've all been so worried."
"Go home, Miki," her friend murmured. His once robust voice sounded
tired, haggard, and he leaned even more heavily upon his father's
strength to support him. Miki bravely held back her tears as she
approached him.
"You should have told me..."
He sighed, and looked over at her, his own eyes teary. "Tell you what?
That I'm sick. That I have a tumor growing in the back of my skull that
might kill me? Is that what you really wanted to hear?"
At his words, Mrs. Suoh's sobs escaped her lips, and she covered her
mouth, turning away. Her husband put on a strong face, but his eyes
told of his own deep misery. Miki struggled to force her grief away,
trying to remain strong too, not wanting to add any more burden to
anyone's feelings.
"Ginta, I thought we were close. Best friends don't hide something
like this from each other. It's too important."
Her one-time crush sighed, then slouched a little, and Mr. Suoh
compensated for the change in weight, keeping them both upright by
shifting his stance. "I think he'd better sit down now," the older man
said, his deep voice soft. Gingerly, he led his son to the couch, and
when Ginta was situated, Mr. Suoh took up the empty place next to his
wife on the opposite loveseat. Mrs. Suoh leaned her head on her
husband's shoulder and he cradled her to him lovingly, his eyes
strained with tears.
Miki sat down next to her friend, and reached out to touch his hand.
It was cold. He flinched, and turned his face away.
"I can always tell what you're thinking. Your face gives you away," he
began, his tone amused, but more tired than anything else. "Ok, so I
didn't tell you, and I'm sorry for that. I found out about it a week
ago, when I collapsed during tennis practice." His fingers tightened
around hers for courage, and he continued.
"The doctors say it's a benign tumor, but it's grown so large that it
could turn malignant at any time. They're going to operate and remove
it, but first, they wanted to try chemotherapy, to rid any possible
cancerous growth that may have already begun. Only three more sessions
left, and they say I'll be clear, and can go into surgery."
Miki rubbed her threatening tears away. "Is this...is this why you
broke up with Arimi?" He nodded, and his eyes took on a far-away,
haunted look.
She almost lost it right there.
Instead, Miki bit on her bottom lip and forced the tears back. She
sniffled, and it drew his attention back to the present. He swung his
head around, looking down at their entwined hands, then up into her
eyes. She was suddenly captured by his desperate, coffee-colored gaze.
"Please don't tell her, Miki. Of all people, I don't want her to
know."
She blinked, stunned. "But... Ginta... "
He shook his head adamantly, and sat up straighter, suddenly renewed
with urgent energy. "You absolutely _can not_ tell Arimi, Miki. Promise
me."
She shook her head back at him. "I can't do that, Ginta. It's wrong.
She has a right to know." He released her hand suddenly, pulling away,
sinking deeper into the couch. His demeanor reminded her of some
wounded, terrified animal, and she could see how torn he was over his
decision. Guilt and regret warred inside of him clearly, etching itself
upon his facial features. She shook her head again, more stubbornly
this time. "Arimi loves you, Ginta, and you love her. You can't keep
your sickness a secret from her. She needs to know about it."
He snaked out, faster than she thought was possible, considering his
body's condition, and grabbed her shoulders. "I have to Miki, can't you
see that? What if the tumor gets worse? What if it turns cancerous? I
don't want Arimi to see me so pathetic!"
From somewhere behind her, she heard Mrs. Suoh weeping quietly against
her husband, her sobs muffled by his embrace. "But, Ginta," she argued,
trying to reach him, "she's frantic right now. She thinks it's her
fault. She thinks that you hate her. Please, just tell her the truth
and the two of you can work through this."
Her friend's eyes became hard, and his grip on her tightened painfully
for an instant, before his energy sapped quickly away again. He sighed,
but his determination never wavered. "I forbid you from telling Arimi,
Miki. Do you understand? This is my secret. If you're my friend, you'll
respect that."
The two stared hard at each other for long moments, neither one
wanting to give ground. Finally, Miki conceded, and bent to his
request, shocked to the core of her being. Never had Ginta shown her
this side of himself before. She'd seen Yuu's hard-edge before, but it
was nothing compared to this. Ginta's harshness was a product of his
desperation and fear. It was heart-breaking.
When Ginta seemed convinced of her sincerity, he sighed, then hugged
her to him. At first, Miki was uncomfortable with the gesture, but then
she returned it, instinctively understanding that this was what her
friend needed more than anything - to just be held. "Are you scared?"
he asked, his voice rumbling through his chest.
She nodded. "Are you?
"Yes."
She hugged him tighter, showing her love and support, and there was
silence between them for the space of ten heartbeats. Finally, Ginta
pulled away, and leaned back into the couch once more, his face
pasty-colored, the dark-circles in stark contrast, highlighting his
thin face. He reached out weakly and took her hand again.
"Miki, will you do something else for me?"
She nodded. "Anything."
His lips tugged into a slight, half-smile in thanks, then slipped back
into a worried frown, as his gaze took on that confused and distant
look again. "Will you pray for me?"
She finally allowed her tears to come. They slipped down her cheeks,
splashing upon their entwined hands.
"Of course, Ginta.... for you, of course."
***********************************************************************
Miki looked up at the calendar on her wall. Circled in red was the
date that Yuu would be returning home. Only five more days. She picked
up her robot recorder, and hit the button to hear his voice again.
"Miki, hang in there! I'll be back soon."
She sighed, and put the robot back in its spot on her desk, next to
her Kappa-chan family. Next, she opened the lid of the music box that
Yuu had bought for her. The beautiful song, "Moment" began, its
stirring melody, bringing waves of nostalgia with it. She shut the lid
again, then scooted out of her chair and threw herself on her bed, face
up. Staring at the ceiling, she felt the tears trickle again down the
sides of her cheeks, and her vision blurred.
<Yuu... hurry back, please. I need you.>
***********************************************************************
"Matsuura-kun, over here!"
Yuu looked up from rummaging around in the jeep to where Brian and
Doris were waving him on. They had reached the edge of the tarmac,
waiting for him before they stepped out onto the sandy beach together.
In Doris' hand was the giant picnic basket that she had hand-packed
with lunches and snacks for them the group, and Brian carried a giant
cooler filled with drinks and ice. Beyond them, Anju, newly out of the
hospital on a trial basis, and Bill settled down on a blanket under a
giant umbrella together, relaxing. Still too fragile to carry anything
or strain herself, Bill serviced Anju's every need, making sure that
she was comfortable at all times. Far off, in the distance, Jinny and
her handsome, new boyfriend, Chris Baxter, ran towards the water,
boogie-boards at the ready.
Yuu waved Doris and Brian on, but they shook their heads, adamant
about waiting for him to catch up. He grinned, and continued rummaging
through the jeep for his binder filled with information on the various
college he had been interested in.
He had visited six different schools, not yet including the one
suggested by Mr. Satoshi (he had plans to hit that one on Sunday), and
had found three serious candidates. Not wanting to go back to Japan and
think more about it - he intended on devoting every minute to Miki then
- Yuu resolved to do his 'homework' before he got home.
He stopped and reflected on the year of his life that he had spent in
a foreign country. He had made some great friends, seen some fantastic
sights, and had discovered some important aspects of himself while he
had been here. He knew that even should he decline an offer from a
university on this continent, he would never forget this place. The
United States was a large country, filled with interesting people from
all walks of life. His friends here were proof-positive of that.
His friends...
Finals had ended, and they had all passed and graduated from St.
Andrews. Not surprisingly, Doris had been valedictorian of their class,
but Yuu had finished within the top ten students, so he was satisfied
with the result.
He sighed.
This was probably their last summer together.
Brian had accepted an offer to play basketball for the University of
North Carolina, and had even won a scholarship to help him with the
tuition. He was excited by the prospect, for it was his dream to be a
player on an NBA team someday.
Doris was planning to attend Yale's Medical School in Connecticut,
where she would enter into the field of Neurology. Her father, a
well-respected Neurologist, was her inspiration for her career path,
and although she would be hundreds of miles away from Brian, she
assured her current beau that the distance would not change her
feelings for him. Yuu believed her; he only hoped that Brian felt the
same. Those two were a good couple.
Bill still had not accepted a single offer letter from any one school,
despite the fact that he had been accepted to four in total. Yuu
supposed that had something to do with Anju. He was guessing that Bill
wanted to stay nearby for her, and would accept an invitation only
after the two of them had really talked about it. Although they still
weren't dating, Yuu could tell that his childhood friend's heart had
been won over by his ex-roommate already. He was happy to see that
match work out.
Jinny planned to attend the California Academy of the Arts in the San
Francisco area, as a Dance major. Luckily for her, Chris had been
accepted by the University of San Francisco's Political Science
undergraduate program, so the two of them would be attending college
not too far from each other. The possibility of their relationship
continuing looked pretty good. Although, with Jinny, one never knew...
Overall, Yuu knew that this weekend was probably the final time he
would see them all together. They would all be going their separate
ways. He was a little saddened by this, but he also accepted it. His
mother had once told him that, in life, one often crossed into and out
of many people's paths, touching each in a special and unique way
before moving on. The idea, she said, was to leave each a little better
than how you entered it, and to take away from each some experience or
knowledge to better yourself. From his friends here in America, Yuu had
learned a great many important things and made some wonderful memories.
Bill, Anju, Doris, Brian, Jinny, and even Chris would be an extension
of every action, thought and decision he made for the rest of his life
now, for they had drastically altered his perception of the world...
simply by crossing his path.
The more he thought on it, the less melancholy he was.
From a certain point of view, he wasn't really losing his friends at
all.
When he had finally located his binder, Yuu grabbed his duffel bag,
and made his way to Doris and Brian. The three of them picked a spot
only feet from Bill and Anju's umbrella, and set up their own canopy to
shade them. They then set the cooler down under it, spread their
blankets and laid out. Yuu opened the various catalogs, filled with
information about each college, and began reading. Out of the corner of
his eye, he saw Doris unpacked her picnic basket, while Brian opened a
soda for both he and his girlfriend, and then tossed two over to Bill
and one to Yuu.
For a while, everything was peaceful and Yuu got a lot of reading
done. However, when a squeal of delight reached the five of them from
off in the distance, everyone turned just in time to see Chris pull a
drenched and laughing Jinny up from the surf, and kiss her
passionately.
"That girl is so bad," Doris said, grinning, and shook her head.
"Yea, well, she's _your_ best friend. What's that say about you?"
Brian teased. She stuck her tongue out at him, and, grinning, he
quickly snuck a kiss from her lips too. She blushed, and swatted
playfully at him, and he responded by moving closer to her and leering
suggestively. Her face had turned as scarlet as her bathing suit within
seconds, and everyone in the group giggled.
"Isn't the weather beautiful?" Anju asked, smiling and looking up at
the great, blue-expanse above. "Today is just a perfect day!"
Dressed in a filmy, floral-printed skirt and pink tank-top, and
wearing a wide-rimmed, straw hat, Anju was the picture of serene
beauty. The very tip of the scar from the recent heart surgery peaked
out above her collar, but it did not deter from her glowing face. Next
to her, Bill nodded. He leaned back on the palms of his hands, and
looked up as well. "Tonight we'll be able to see the stars clearly." He
turned to his female companion and smiled shyly. "If you want, I'll set
up my telescope for you. I brought it along just in case."
Anju smiled, and blushed. "That would be nice. I'd like that."
"You two are going to give me cavities," Jinny called out jokingly,
slumping down on a towel near Doris. Obviously, she'd had enough of the
cold, salty water for now. Her suit was soaked, as was her long, blonde
hair, but she was smiling, and didn't seem to mind that she looked like
a drenched rat. Chris, who had since ditched their boogie-boards to the
side, kneeled beside her, and reached into the picnic basket for some
food. Doris smacked his hands away.
"Ladies first," she joked, handing Jinny a sandwich. The two girls
grinned, while Chris managed to look slightly offended.
"Hey, it isn't my fault that I was born genetically different from
you, oh-cousin-of-mine," he replied, trying to be smart-alecky.
Doris patted the side of his face with mock-sympathy. "Oh, that's
right! It's not your fault that you missed out on all of the family's
good-looks, is it?"
Everyone snickered, shaking their heads. This type of banter was
typical between these two whenever they were together. According to
Doris, since they were only months apart in age, they had grown-up
constantly paired-off with each other at family functions. As a result,
they developed a way of passing the time together, called, 'the rank-on
game.' By now, it became a way of life for the two of them, and for
everyone else, it was just plain interesting to watch.
Instead of getting upset, Chris took the insult in stride. Reaching
over, he stole Doris' apple right out from under her nose. "Maybe so,
but it seems that there were plenty of brains left over for me when
they finished with you, cousin."
Everyone laughed, even the ever-polite Anju, who covered her chuckles
with her hand in an attempt to keep her new friend's embarrassment
factor to a minimum. Chris took a bite out of the apple and smirked,
but surprisingly, Doris didn't rise to the challenge. With a nod of her
head, she simply conceded to Chris' victory gracefully. He flashed her
a brilliant grin, and sat down at Jinny's side, finishing off his
spoils.
Yuu smiled, and put aside his reading, flipping onto his back to
absorb some of the sun's warm rays, contemplating getting back to Miki
in a few days.
He couldn't wait for her to open the present he bought her. He knew
what her reaction would be - she was so predictable - but he still
enjoyed watching the way her eyes lit up, and how her small, sweet
mouth curved upward in pure joy when she opened a gift. In so many
ways, she was so 'unspoiled' and innocent.
Perhaps in a few weeks, before the fall school semester began, they
could take another trip together... only this time, alone. That would
be nice.
Closing his eyes, he was lulled by the warm, summer sun into a state
of blissful relaxation. Very quickly, he felt sleep tugging at him.
Anju was right. This _was_ a perfect day.
***********************************************************************
"Oooh, it's so cute!" Suzu squealed, hugging the stuffed animal for
the hundredth time in an hour. It had been an 'unhappy birthday' gift
from her new friend, the American boy, Michael Grant, who obviously had
a crush on her. He claimed that the term had come from an old Disney
movie, called "Alice In Wonderland," and that it meant that it was a
gift given to her on a day that wasn't her birthday - not that he
wished her any unhappiness. She hadn't been too concerned about any
insult intended; she had just wanted a 'Pokota' doll since she'd first
began reading the "Hime-chan no Ribbon" manga a few months ago, and was
excited to get one - whatever the reason.
She knew exactly where she'd put her new toy too - on the shelf above
her desk, in-between the picture of she and Yuu (from the commercial
they had made almost a year previously), and the glass rose (with
matching vase) that Kei Tsuchiya had bought her when she had graduated
from the 8th grade in June.
"I'm glad you think so," Michael said, blushing a pretty shade of red
that complimented his auburn hair nicely. He scratched the back of his
head, embarrassed and unsure of himself. "I... I saw it and immediately
thought of you. It's got a nice, friendly smile."
Suzu stopped, looking up at her companion.
Michael _was_ good looking, and stylishly foreign...
She linked her arm through his, and he seemed physically taken
off-guard. She smiled impishly - this routine always worked on Kei -
and suggested that they get some ice-cream. Michael enthusiastically
agreed, and the two soon found themselves in front of Bobson's Ice
Cream Parlor. As they entered, a nice girl greeted them, and Suzu
ordered a scoop of her favorite flavor - strawberry. She waited while
Michael ordered his own cone, then paid. The two enjoyed their treat
outside, as they walked towards the park together.
After a time swinging on the children's gymnasium, the two took a boat
ride around the small lake, with Michael rowing, of course. They spent
several hours talking and laughing, and for once, Suzu didn't mind the
fact that she was the one being drug around from place to place. She
was seeing and experiencing the world through Michael's eyes, and it
was like one exciting adventure after another all afternoon.
By the time they headed for home, it was twilight, and the
streetlights had come on.
"I had a wonderful time!" Michael enthusiastically informed his 'date'
as he walked her to her front door. This afternoon with Suzu had been
pure heaven. She'd obviously had as much fun as he had; he could tell
by the genuine smile on her face. It was a good start!
She nodded, hugging her present to her chest, looking as lovely as
ever. "Me too. Thank you again for Pokota. I love him!"
"It was no big deal," he replied modestly, then glanced at his watch.
"I guess I'll get going now. Miki's parents might be worried about
where I am. I didn't tell them I wouldn't be home for dinner tonight."
"Ok," Suzu replied, distracted as she began fishing around in her
purse for the front door keys. "Have a good night!"
Michael was hoping for a little more than that, but when it was
obvious that Suzu wasn't going to say anymore, he started down the
stairs and towards the front gate. "You have a good night, too." Before
he took five steps though, he swung around, and impulsively blurted out
his gut-reaction.
"Hey, can we do this again sometime?"
Suzu looked over at him, and froze.
For the space of ten seconds, neither said a word, but Michael heard
his heart pound loudly in his ears.
He'd asked. If she said no...
Suzu considered Michael carefully.
The more she was around him, the more appealing he became to her. It
wasn't just his looks that were attractive, either - it was his
sincerity, his blatant honesty, and his innocent openness; his
willingness to try new things.
He was just plain fun to be with.
She smiled.
Maybe it wouldn't hurt to say 'yes.' After all, a date was only just
that. It didn't mean they were committed to each other or anything.
"That would be nice," Suzu said, then produced the keys from her
purse, put them in the lock, opened the door and went in. Before it
shut, however, she turned back and smiled at him. "Call me tomorrow."
Then, she was gone.
At that moment, Michael felt as though he was flying. She'd said
'yes'!
Whistling, he turned and headed out the front gate, back towards his
host-family home, a spring in his step as he walked.
Suzu ran up to her home, after announcing her presence to her parents.
She wanted to set her new gift up in its new 'home'. As she placed
Pokota between her collection of 'favorite cute-things', she paused
over the glass rose. Picking it up, she twirled the stem around between
her two fingers, and bit her lip in consternation.
Where was Kei, anyway? He hadn't called her in a week, nor showed up
at her doorstep, as he typically did, to surprise her. Why would he
just stop coming around? Surely it wasn't because he'd found someone
else... was it?
The more she thought on it, the more disturbed she became.
<It's not like we were dating or anything!> she argued with herself,
trying to quell the rising doubts. However, they kept plaguing her.
What if he was seeing someone else? That would mean that he ditched
her. No, that was inconceivable! Being dumped wasn't something that
someone did to Suzu.
Well, there had been that whole 'Yuu-incident'...
She plopped down on her bed, and hugged her giant, fluffy pillow
close, then did something surprising to herself - she sighed glumly.
When her mother came in an hour later, to announce that Kei had called
while she had been out, Suzu's spirits immediately rose to a crescendo,
only to be replaced with anger. Where had he been all this time?!?
Feeling defensive, she refused to call him back, believing that if he
wanted her, he knew where to find her.
By ten o'clock, Kei had still not called back.
Suzu paced back and forth in her room, angry with herself and with
him. She had tried to concentrate on recataloging her knickknacks,
categorizing them into 'cute', 'cuter' and 'cutest' piles an hour
before, but had quickly become disenchanted with that task. Then, she
had gone through trying on clothes in her closet, coming up with new
'cute' outfits that she could mix and match. After her third undress,
she had tired of that too.
Bored and frustrated weren't enough to describe her feelings at that
moment.
Tired of waiting, she dressed in her nightgown, turned off her bedroom
light, and slipped in between her covers. Before she closed her eyes,
though, she mentally cursed that 'annoying piano-playing dweeb' for
giving her such a splitting headache before bed.
********************************************************************
Just as Miki was going off to bed, her mother called her down to the
phone. Putting a robe on hastily, she ran down the stairs and picked up
the receiver. "Hello?"
"Miki, it's me."
It was Ginta!
Her heart began beating fast, and she swallowed before responding. It
took her two tries to get out what she wanted to say. "Um... hi, Ginta.
What's up?"
"Miki, you broke your promise to me," he began, sounding very hurt.
"You said you wouldn't tell Arimi about my condition. I trusted you,
and you lied to me."
What could she say? It was true - all of it. She felt heartsick.
"I know, Ginta, you're right, and I'm sorry. I'm so very sorry that I
betrayed you." She could feel the tears coming again, and sniffled.
There was silence on the other end of the line for what seemed like
forever. Finally, Ginta sighed.
"What's done is done, though. Arimi and I have talked about it, and
we're back together now. She insisted on it, and you know how stubborn
she can be."
Miki was shocked, then relieved. She let out the breath she had been
unconsciously holding in. "Oh, Ginta, I'm happy for you. The two of
you..."
Ginta interrupted her, his tone stern. "That doesn't mean I forgive
you, Miki. Not yet, anyway. That's going to take some time, I think."
Miki paused, knowing that she was getting what she deserved, and the
guilt gnawed at her again. "I understand. It's alright if you hate me -
as long as you and Arimi are o.k. again."
"Idiot!" her friend chastised gently. "I didn't say I hated you. I
just said it was going to take a while for me to forgive you."
Miki dared to hope.
"Ginta, I'll do anything... you just have to ask."
There was quiet murmuring going on in the background, and someone
covered the speaker-part of the phone with their hand. Miki figured it
out from the familiar voice that Arimi was there with Ginta, and the
two were talking. They obviously didn't want her to hear their
conversation yet.
Finally, her best friend's voice came back to her.
"You can start by coming over tomorrow and being here for me when I
get back from my doctor's visit at noon," he offered, a smile in his
voice. Miki's tears fells down her face, and she sobbed openly.
"I'll be there. No matter what, I'll be there."
"Good, you'd better be," Arimi's voice informed her kindly. "Because I
don't want to stand on the doorstep alone."
When the conversation was over, Miki hung up the phone, raced back up
to her room, flipped open her diary, and crossed out the section she
had written earlier that evening. On the page directly adjoining it,
she wrote in big, bold letters:
Meiko, hurry home.
Then, I'll have both of my best friends back!
TO BE CONTINUED....
***********************************************************************
Next time, on "Marmalade Boy: College Days":
Miki and Arimi are the recipients of some terrible news...
<"Ginta's not coming home. They're going to have to operate
immediately.">
Then, Suzu and Michael go on their second date together to an
amusement park, and he confesses his true feelings for her...
<"Suzu-chan, I really like you!">
But Kei suddenly reappears on the scene...
<"Suzu, I want you to be my girlfriend.">
Then, Yuu visits one last school in New York...
<"We think you'd fit in here well, Matsuura. What do you say?">
And there's some surprising announcements at dinner that night...
<"Chris and I are getting married.">
<"Anju, I think I still have some feelings for Jinny.">
Finally, Miki's parents have picked one of their new exchange
students...
<"Claire is from Paris. She'll be staying in Miki's room.">
<"But I'm not ready to move out yet!!!">
See you there.... ^__^
------------------------------------------------------------------------
Author's Notes:
**For those who love a good, angst-ridden romance, and for all of the
loyal "Marmalade Boy" fans out there, this one is dedicated to you!**
"Marmalade Boy" is the property of its original author. All other
characters and situations are the property of Jennifer L. Mondazzi,
copyright 1998. **Please do not reproduce any portion of this story
without the express written permission of this fanfiction author.**