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The Background Story4

Nami stared at Nagi for a long while before he glanced over at her, "Yes?"

"Did you mean what you said earlier?" she asked.

"Earlier?"

"About me being the prettiest," Nami blushed as she spoke.

"Oh, yes," Nagi blushed.

"Oh, you finally told her?" Anka chimed in from the backseat as she scooted forward between them in the middle.

"He thinks you're pretty too," Nami chirped.

"That I didn't know either," Anka blushed a little.

"And what did he tell me?" Nami asked.

"Oh, okay, then," Anka sank back into the back seat.

"What?" Nami asked. "What did I miss?"

"Nothing!" Nagi said quickly.

"Uh," Nami started to say something, but she stopped when she glanced up at Nagi again. "Worried about what your parents are going to say?" Nami asked.

"Yes, since they want me to leave the car at home today," Nagi shrugged, "I know what they're going to say. It always has something to do with us and having a lot of sex."

"You have to give them credit for being able to turn any situation into a sexual one," Anka chuckled with amusement.

"They still swear that I'm keeping money on me for a hotel room for Nami and myself...even though the rooms are already paid for and are not coed."

"Well, it is a hotel, and away from the parents..." Nami said thoughtfully.

"You're considering it?" Nagi blushed.

"We sleep together anyhow. Maybe James will let us have sleepovers," Nami blushed.

"Most likely," Anka sighed.

"Yes but... Claudia and Jade are going." Nagi reminded them, "They're going to put a real damper on the fun."

"Oh, we've got ideas." Anka and Nami exchanged secretive glances.

"Like what?" Nagi asked.

"Oh nothing in particular." Nami said nonchallantly.

"So... how about we hit an amusement part this weekend, on me?" Anka asked, "It's been a few years since any of us have gone and I figure it's about time to replace bad memories with the good."

"Why not?" Nagi shrugged before turning off the car. "Well, here goes nothing." Nami and Anka followed him out of the car, each of them retrieving their uniforms from the trunk. "I'm home..." Nagi called as he entered the front door with Nami and Anka behind him.

"Oh?" Tina smiled, "I see you've been using the car for naughty things," she said happily.

"And why are you wearing matching...uniforms?" Rick asked.

"The school enforced them today," Nagi explained as he started to take a step.

"We'll be waiting for the day that we get called to pick you up after you and Nami had been fooling around in the hall," Rick winked at Nagi as if it were a subtle hint.

"Why would uniforms spring that thought all of a sudden?" Nagi asked.

"Well, the lolita complex," Tina shrugged.

Nagi's cheeks flushed red, "Nami's seventeen!" he shouted before dashing up the stairs and tossing the uniforms into his room before quickly changing back into his normal clothes.

"To my house?" Nami asked gingerly as Nagi dragged her and Anka out the front door.

"Yes, anywhere but here," Nagi replied quickly.

---

"Oh, you look so normal!" Dan cheered.

Nami's heart dropped, "What?"

Kelly smiled, "Yes, so average...." she cooed.

Nami started slowly up the stairs. "Nami!" Nagi blushed as he started after her. "You're not average!"

"He told her?" Kelly asked.

"No, he's just trying to comfort her," Anka said slowly.

"I look...normal..." Nami said as she sank into her bed. "They've sold my soul and made me conform!"

"Not at all!" Nagi argued. "You still wear the heavy eye makeup, lots of earrings, fishnets and leather bracers!" he said quickly.

"It's not enough!" Nami whimpered.

"Please, stop crying..." Nagi pleaded. "I'll find you blindfolded in the school tomorrow if you promise to stop crying."

"How would you manage that?" Nami wondered.

"You have to promise to not freak out," Nagi said sheepishly.

"Okay?" Nami agreed, a bit worried.

Anka stepped in the room, tossing her uniforms to the ground since she had already redressed in the bathroom.

"Your smell!" Nagi informed her.

"Huh?" Nami asked.

"Your smell is very unique," Nagi blushed.

"She doesn't wear perfume," Anka commented.

"Y-you don't?" Nagi asked, startled.

"No," Nami shook her head.

Nagi's cheeks flushed an even deeper shade of red, "Oh...."

"What the hell, you guys leave me to hunt your asses down, how cruel can you be!" Lulu demanded from the doorway, hair disheveled.

"Um... weren't you going home?" Nami pointed out.

"Yes, well, I assumed we'd be hanging out after." Lulu muttered, "What'd I interupt anyway, you all look so damn awkward."

"N-Nothing." Nagi said quickly.

"Nagi says he can smell Nami, but Nami doesn't wear any perfume." Anka stated.

"A-Anka, why would you tell her that!" Nami blushed.

"I forgot..." Anka glanced nervously at Lulu who was smirking.

"Look whose being the pervert now!" Lulu sighed blissfully, "Following the beautiful Nami by smell, I wonder, what is it that virgin Nagi could be scenting?"

"Lulu!" Anka dashed over and slapped her hand over the other girl's mouth, "Let's not go there."

"Mmmph, mmm, mmph!" Lulu's expression was triumphant though frustrated.

"You're not taunting me? You really can't smell anything from Nami?" Nagi blushed.

"No, no we can't..." Anka assured him.

"And if you don't wear perfume..." Nagi glanced gingerly over at Nami, "What do I smell?"

Lulu bit Anka's hand making Anka flinch, "I already covered that, you pervert!"

"Nagi wouldn't do that," Nami objected.

"Pfft, he's been doing it!" Lulu snapped before Anka shoved a random cloth in Lulu's mouth.

"Duct tape?" Anka asked.

Lulu spit the cloth out, "I'll shut up! I'll shut up!"

"Good, Lulu," Anka patted Lulu's head.

"I don't know what to say, though, really," Nami blushed as she glanced over at Nagi.

"Say yes to the amusement park this weekend," Anka cut in.

"I've already said yes," Nagi said quietly.

"Me too," Nami added.

"What? Why wasn't I invited?" Lulu asked.

"You just were!" Anka said quickly. "So this weekend, it's settled! Great!"

"I'm gonna change back," Nami said quickly, collecting her clothing before leaving the room.

"Willing to put your money where your mouth is, Snoopy?" Lulu asked.

"What?" Nagi blinked.

"Let us blindfold you and see if you can pick out who Nami is from smell alone," Lulu offered.

"You're on!" Nagi agreed hastily.

"Oh, dear..." Anka muttered as she watched Nami reenter the room.

"Snoopy said that he'll let us blindfold him so he has to pick you out through only smelling us," Lulu said with a smirk.

"Uh...alright..." Nami said gingerly.

Lulu tied a bandanna around Nagi's eyes, "Okay, what color panties am I wearing?" she asked as she hiked her skirt.

"Thank God I can't see...." Nagi shuddered.

"Okay, good," Lulu chirped as she stood between Nami and Anka who were standing in front of the bed.

"Now spin around," Anka said as she switched to be on the other side of Nami.

"I feel ridiculous," Nagi admitted before he did so.

"That's good," Nami said before she went to the other side of Lulu.

Nagi steadied himself and approached Anka on the end and did nothing, before moving down to Lulu and doing nothing. He approached Nami and blushed, "Nami," he murmured.

"He's right..." Lulu marveled as Nami untied his bandanna.

"And we switched places so he couldn't follow our voices..." Anka noted.

Nagi blushed when he was nearly nose to nose with Nami as she held the bandanna. "See?" he blushed even more.

"When did you figure out that you could smell me?" Nami asked.

"The first time we slept together," Nagi said sheepishly.

"Told ya it was sexual," Lulu murmured.

"Not that kind of sleeping together!" Nagi hissed.

"Suuuuuuureee..." Lulu grinned. "I'm sure that you never copped a feel when she snuggled up to you."

"I'd never!" Nagi snapped, his cheeks crimson.

"Leave him alone," Nami sighed. "He's not like that, as I've said before."

Lulu was wacked on the back of the head by Anka's, thankfully, empty bag, "You and I both know that what's on your mind is completely off." She said.

"He just admitted-" Lulu pouted.

"To sleeping with Nami, yes. But in his case he means the literal form, not the sexual one." Anka responded pointedly, "Well, I've gotta be getting home, sadly, I need to wash these uniforms to get the 'new conformist' smell out of it and figure out what I'm going to do to alter the uniform so it still goes with the dress code tomorrow." She rolled her eyes.

"See you later then." Nami muttered, glancing over as the door was closed behind Anka's retreating form.

"Now that she's gone... Where was I?" Lulu put a finger to her lip thoughtfully, "Oh yes-"

"Don't even go there." Nami and Nagi said together.

"Oh, it's sooo cute when you guys do that." Lulu cooed.

---

Anka walked through the front door, the bags containing her new uniforms held loosely before her. It was dark inside, maybe nobody was home- "Whatcha got there?" Her mother stood in the doorway to the living room, t-shirt hanging loosely from her bony shoulders, a cigarette dangling from her fingers, and the flush of drunkeness apparent in her facial features.

"New uniforms for school." Anka said quickly, heading for the basement.

"Are we paying for those?" She asked critically, looking Anka up and down.

"I... assume they're either coming through school taxes or there'll be a bill in the mail." Anka said.

"Take it back, we don't want it."

"Mom... I've got no choice, they just set up the policy today." Anka sighed in exasperation.

"What part of 'we don't want it' do you not understand?" Her father appeared in the doorway behind her mother.

"Look, if there's a charge, I'll pay for it, you don't have to worry." Anka stated clearly, "Your money can go to booze and drugs just as it always does."

"The hell was that?" Her father growled.

"You heard me you good for nothing drunk." Anka glowered, stalking to the basement stairs and jerking the door open. She felt open air beneath her feet, the hammering of her heart, and then knew no more.

---

"Thursdays are such a pain in the ass." Lulu muttered to Nami, "I mean really... it's the end of the week when one just wants to throw up their hands and say 'I'm not going to school or talking to my friends today!'"

"Are you complaining about Anka not being here, again?" Nami sighed.

"That bitch could have at least had the decency to call. It's been three days." Lulu growled, "I'm about to go break down her door and drag her outside."

"She must be sick, caught something that she doesn't want any of us to get." Nami suggested, "You can't blame her for not calling."

"Worried about Anka?" Nagi asked, coming up beside Nami.

"How'd you guess?" Nami asked.

"Lulu's got a big mouth." Nagi shrugged, "If you want we can take a ride over there after school."

"Mmm..." Nami said thoughtfully, "Ideally lunch time would be the best time to go. They allow us to go out to eat and Anka's parents'll be out of the house, you know how much she hates us seeing them."

"So we're just going to sneak out of school and skip the rest of the day?" Lulu asked hopefully.

"Yeah." Nami nodded, "Our grades are high enough that they really shouldn't complain, and besides, Anka's our friend. No way should she be without us for more than three days. Her family would drive her insane."

"You still not turning in your keys, bad boy?" Lulu asked.

"Are you kidding? I'd rather hand over my license than let some of the idiots in the office handle my keys." Nagi replied, twirling them in his grasp, "Get your stuff, ladies, we're heading out."

"Be back in a minute!" Nami grabbed Lulu and dragged her to their lockers, they gathered what books they would need for homework and their jackets before meeting up with Nagi in the parking lot.

---

They pulled into the empty driveway of Anka's family home a few minutes later and Nami led the way around back, "There's a small window leading into the basement where her room is." Nami whispered, "We should all fit. I don't want to chance just walking in upstairs and being caught or anything."

"Why are you whispering?" Nagi asked in just as soft a tone.

"Because I always speak soft when I'm playing ninja." Nami responded, "Help me get this open, Lulu."

Lulu ducked down and grappled with the window for a moment before she managed to get her nails under the seal and tug it outwards, "Your up, Nami."

"You girls have done this often, haven't you?" Nagi blinked.

"Sometimes we like to be sneaky." Nami winked, disappearing into the darkness beyond the window, "Come on Nagi, you next. Lulu's gotta hold the window open so you can get through and then she'll be in."

Nagi nodded and slipped inside as well, he was momentarily followed by Lulu who cursed as she tripped over him, "Damn that woman... she needs some night lights in here or something if she's not going to have the power on." She grumbled.

Nami felt her way across the basement by the wall. At last she reached up and yanked on the chain for the light. The room was dimly illuminated to show off Anka's sparce room. In the corner was the bed, an old full-size with thick blankets, there was a desk and a large bureau as well. Books and pieces of paper were scattered across the floor and in the corner was a basket for laundry.

"She's not in her bed." Lulu said dryly.

"Over here!" Nagi exclaimed, dashing across the cement floor to Anka's form at the base of the stairs.

"Anka!" Nami exclaimed, rushing over as well.

Nagi flipped her over gently and Anka's eyes fluttered open, "Guys?" She said groggily, "What're you doing here?"

"Worrying about you you big idiot." Lulu muttered, "You've been gone for three days."

"Has it been that long?" Anka winced as she sat up, curling her left arm in her lap and grasping her head with her right hand, "What happened?"

"We were sort of hoping you could tell us." Nami said.

"Want me to call an ambulence?" Lulu asked.

"No." Anka shook her head, "I can stand on my own... I think, let's just do a walk-in."

Nami and Nagi helped her up, supporting her shaky frame between theirs. "No way we're making it back through the window..." Nagi muttered.

"I'll get the door." Lulu dashed up the stairs ahead of them and shoved the door open, splintering wood, "What's this thing doing locked?" She muttered in surprise.

"My fault I guess." Anka gave a leery smile, "Called my dad a stupid drunk."

Yaryck chirrupped and slipped behind Lulu from the top of the stairs, wending his way up onto Anka's shoulder and nuzzling her gently. "Hey, Yaryck..." Anka murmured.

"Well, he is," Nami huffed, pulling Anka into an embrace.

Nagi stared down at Anka, "This is why you're always at my house or Nami's..."

"Yeah..." Anka said weakly.

"Let's get you...to my house," Nami murmured.

"Grab Yaryck if he hops down," Nami instructed as she started leading Anka up the stairs.

"We can come back for him," Lulu said as she opened the front door.

Immediately, Anka was in the back seat of Nagi's car, Lulu adding several of Anka's outfits to the car, including her uniforms. "Come on..." Nami pleaded with Nagi who was still taking in the gravity of the situation at hand.

---

"I feel so stupid," Nagi growled.

"Why?" Nami asked.

"Anka's been my friend for as long as you have and I didn't know..." Nagi threw himself backward on the bed.

"She doesn't talk about it," Nami shrugged.

"Yeah, calm down lover boy," Lulu crossed her arms. "Would you really want her to talk about things like this?"

Nagi shrugged, "I guess not. But I am starting to wish her parents were there...."

"Calm down," Nami pleaded as she curled up against him. "She's getting a shower and her parents won't even know she's gone."

"What could you do besides pressure points anyhow?" Lulu asked.

"Something..." Nagi sighed.

"Well there's really nothing you could do..." Nami sighed.

"What do you mean?" Nagi questioned.

"Despite the fact that she hates them and they're horrible people... Anka will still protect her parents." Nami replied.

"We don't get why." Lulu replied, "But every time I offer to get her a place, she turns me down. Says she'll be out soon anyway. She's a weird girl."

---

Nagi knows now... Anka thought bitterly as she allowed the hot water to stream down the back of her aching head. He knows... At last she stepped from the shower, she quickly toweled off and reapplied the ace bandages to her forearm and ankle before dressing.

She reached into her schoolbag that Lulu had so thoughtfully grabbed and pulled out the metal waterbottle that resided within, it had gotten dinged up when she'd taken her tumble but the cap had stayed secure. She unstopped it and took a long swig of the clear liquid within, wincing as it seared down her throat, Ah, vodka, medicine for the soul... She thought, glad for once that the damned thing was in her bag. It was only a few minutes before she had it emptied and the first glimmers of drunkenness kicked in.

---

Nagi growled, "If they ever took a swing at her in front of me..."

"That's just it..." Lulu cut in.

"What?" Nagi asked.

"They're nice in front of company, and mean when it's just Anka," Nami explained as she nestled herself closer to Nagi.

"Why?" he wondered.

"The hell if I know..." Lulu shrugged.

The Background Story5