Tuesday Afternoon 5:00pm
    Usagi, Minako, Makoto, Rei and Mamoru appear at Ami’s front door. As they ring the bell, they are more than surprised that Mrs. Mizuno opens to door, ready to rush out. “Girls, oh Mamoru, Ami will be a little late home today, come in and make yourself comfortable, she’ll be back soon.”
    “Mrs. Mizuno, aren’t you staying for Ami’s birthday celebration?”
    “There’s a little emergency in the hospital, the Emergency Ward, I have to go and make sure that everything is alright. At least I’m sure that she will have friends to celebrate with. I’m sure that she will have a good time. Will you tell her to call me when she gets back?”
    “Sure.” They close the door behind Mrs. Mizuno as she left.

    “Guys,” Minako suddenly said, “let’s go and take a look at her dress.”
    “I wouldn’t think that it would be a good idea to look through someone else’s things without their permission.”
    “Mamoru, you are such a bore. I’m sure she won’t mind.” The four girls raced up stairs to her room, Mamoru reluctantly follows after them.

    Opening her white wardrobe they saw no trace of a white dress as they searched through her clothes. Turning around they opened her brown wardrobe at the foot of her bed. “Wow, Akiyama-san’s poster!  It’s addressed to her as well! I can’t believe it! That was… 5 years ago, he was only a starter then, hardly anyone knew him. And look at this one, 2 years ago! My gosh! How did she even get a poster like that? He refused to sign on my poster when I asked him today.”
    “Look at all those tapes. They’re all tapings of skating competitions, she must be like his greatest fan! And she didn't tell us about all of this stuff…”
    “Umm… I really don’t think this is a good idea.”
    “Mamoru’s right, guys, just leave her stuff alone.”
    “Makoto, sit if you don't want to join in. Wow! Here’s the dress. That’s… a bit… revealing.”
    Everyone gathered around Minako to look at the body-hugging dress. It was a sequined lycra dress, with a wide neck caressing her arms, just revealing her shoulders. The long bell shaped sleeves made from crepe and lace, and a crepe covering that went from the end of the sleeves to around the shoulders, giving the effect of wings. An embroidery of butterflies and flowers made from a mixture of light and dark blue thread spread from the left side of her stomach down to her left hip. What shocked them most of all, was the length of the skirt, it was made with a swimsuit bottom, but the length of the skirt was even shorter than the most revealing miniskirts, it was a flared (like their fuku) crepe skirt that barely covered her backside.
    “Oh my god! This is so un-Ami! No wonder she doesn’t want to wear it to the social.”
    “Are you sure she was talking about this dress? That’s not a normal dress, in case you haven’t figured out, it’s a skating skirt.” Attention focused on Mamoru’s statement, turning back into the wardrobe, they began searching for the boots to follow, but found none. Their inquisitive little hands soon found their way to the wooden box that Ami had kept hidden. As they opened it they saw letters, newspaper clippings, photos...
    “Look’s this one’s from Ashuri, the one she got last week! Akiyama-san's photograph… of him skating! Where did she get it from?”
    Pulling out the letter from its envelope, they scanned to the bottom.  “Signed by someone called AA? Wow! I can’t believe this, it must be from Akiyama-san.”
    Minako leaned forward to look at all the other envelopes, “they’re all from him. All these photos, and letters.”
    “I think we’ve gone a bit to far, just put it back.”
    “We’ve got a huge find here Makoto, this is like the treasure of the century.  Can you believe it?  They've known each other like forever. This was written when… Ami was about 9, 10.” Makoto shakes her head and sits down, with Rei and Mamoru on Ami’s bed. “Look at that photo, Ami must have been about seven then, they’re skating together! Primary school photos…”

    The door opened, Ami walks in. “What are you doing? WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN MY WARDROBE?”
    Asuka, who was behind her, looks at them with pure curiosity. “We thought you were thieves. How did you get in here?”
    “Umm… Ami, your mum let us in. Oh, she said call her.”
    Ami shook her head, advancing the mess that was made from her carefully arranged wardrobe, and the skirt that was laying on her bed. “I can’t believe this.”
    “They just wouldn’t stop!”
    “How could you Ami? You never told us you knew him in real life!”
    Ami raised an eyebrow uncomprehendingly at Minako’s outburst. Not really understanding what the fuss was about, she answered, “I didn’t think it was important.”
    “Ami, you liar!  You didn't tell us that you could can skate!”
    Ami smiled, “that's not a lie, it was concealment by omission.”
    “Yeah yeah, whatever.  Where're the shoes?”
    “It’s in my bag, I had an exam today.”
    “Exam? How did it go?? Wow, cool, look at those photos!”
    “Usagi, please put them away.” Pause. “Put them away please, NOW!”
    “Okay, okay, you don't have to be so touchy about it. By the way, I really like the skirt.”
    Asuka grinned at Usagi's favourable critique.  “See, I told you and you wouldn’t wear it. Wear it on Thursday?”
    “Hmm…”
    Walking forward, Asuka looks into the wardrobe. “Wow!” They all turned to stare at him, expecting his surprise to be towards the huge Asuka shrine. “You’ve got the St. Paulia Hall uniform. When are you planning to go there?”
    “They sent me the uniform, and invited me to go there for an one week trial, I’m still thinking about it.”
    “Ami, you’re thinking of transferring?”
    “Guys, I only was offered, I don’t know. Juben High isn’t exactly the type of school that my mum had been thinking of.”
    “You know, I didn’t think you'd be here. I mean, when you left Takanawa, Green Garden College offered you a place.”
    “Asuka, I came to Tokyo with my mother.”
    “I know, I know. Well, at least something like… TA Girls, that’s not the best, but it’s better than Juben.”
    Rei looks up, and flicks her hair back proudly. “TA Girls is one of the best schools in Tokyo. We are the school of prestige and class.”
    “Hate to damage your feelings, but St Paulia’s way up the top.” Asuka grinned, he was right, St Paulia was best known as one of the most prestigious schools, barely behind Green Garden College and just above Takanawa Academy, the three school’s students, unsurprisingly, always topped the year, only the select and the privileged went there.
    TA Girls had, undoubtedly a pretty uniform compared to Juben, but St Paulia’s was every girls’ envy. Influenced by the Western-Scottish culture, they had maroon Scottish checkered dresses, plain white blouses, a creamy beige imitation ivory brooch of the school emblem. A grey fitted blazers edged with a maroon wrap-edge, a French beret, grey wool-mix wrapped high-heeled laced boots, and best of all, a long maroon cape. It was the romance uniform of Tokyo. “You do know, don’t you, that I am transferring there at the end of the year? Unless something happens, I should be staying there for the rest of my education until university, and we’ve negotiated minimum school hours.”
    “What? You’re leaving so soon?” Asuka looked at Usagi, smiling at her outburst.
    “Uh-huh. There’s no way I can finish my high-school years in Juben High if I’m to meet my end of the bargain.”
    “What bargain?”
    Asuka smiled his charming smile again, but didn’t answer the question. “I only came because Takanawa kicked me out for spending less than the minimum days in school.”
    Ami smiled at the irony of that, “and St. Paulia’s taking you in?”
    “I had the exam grades for it. Not as good as yours, but good enough to get in. Well? What about you?”
    “I might and I might not go to St. Paulia's. I’m not fond of the nuns… I might consider Green Garden instead, I mean, its further away from here, but at least it’s not religious.” Everyone knew that St. Paulia was a highly religious school. Like TA, it was full of nuns, but to top it off, there were priests, and Reverends (if there were a few more Popes around the world, there would be no doubt that they would have one too! ^v^), morning prayers and daily church services in their huge cathedral, not to mention the weekly confessions, two hour biblical studies. To top it off, there was also a three hour prayer on weekends as well, student attendance compulsory, parental attendance encouraged.
    Asuka laughed. “Just don’t offer that excuse when you reject their offer, they’ll exorcise you.” Everyone laughed. “So, what’s everyone doing here?”
    Ami blushed. “Nothing!  Its habit.”
    “Now that's a lie! Lying is bad for your soul Ami! Asuka, it’s her birthday.”
    “What? Oops! Umm…I thought it was tomorrow, the day after the badge test…  Uh-oh…”
    “I’m going to call my mum. Umm… Minako, put the dress back please.”  Minako hurriedly placed the dress back in the wardrobe as the rest left the room.

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