First week and working on the News (Izzy Tag Any)

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy was already working hard on the frist edition of the school news paper. She knew no one really gave a crap about the school paper except for maybe the people who worked on it, but Izzy was hoping for it to be different this year. Maybe it was wishful thinking. Besides if she finished the parts she needed to finish now then she could enjoy the weekend. Already she was looking forward to the night she would be spending with Taki. She was going over to his house.

Izzy had a paper bag lunch. She already wrote about the school food, so she didn't need to eat it. Instead she choose a lunch she made for herself. She made one for Jett, but his was in the fridge. Assuming he ate it, but his nurse knew to give it to him. Poor Jett. It was depressing her to see her brother depressed. Plus she had been trying to get in touch with Eden and that was not working. She wondered what was keeping her friend so busy.

Izzy was in the newspaper room. The door wide open. She knew some people would eat in the newspaper room during lunch cause it was quiet, and no teachers tended to bother you. That was always a plus. Izzy randomly looked up to see if she knew someone passing by the room. Just cause she wanted to get the work done didn't mean she couldn't socialize while trying. All the sudden she did see someone, "hey, wanna have lunch in here?" She asked the person.

[fryn]

The morning's lessons had been good. Takumi had, as usual, struggled in government and in English he had focused as best he could. It was far from easy though, as reading Shakespeare out loud in front of the entire class and in huis accented voice hadn't been that brilliant! Still, he'd done it and Izzy's smile of encouragement as she'd listened had been worth any awkward stumbles.

But now it was lunch time... and with no one around with which to share the hour Takumi set off to see if he could find his girlfriend... He knew she wanted to work on the newspaper and so he would check there first...

He came to a standstill a short distance down the corridor from the room he was making for. A girl stood in the doorway... Vaguely familiar... One of Izzy's friends? Perhaps. He could hear the girl speaking...

"Wish I could, Iz, but I have band practice. Maybe another time!" The girl waved and walked off.

Iz... Izzy. Could only be... He walked quietly to the door and gripped its frame with one hand, peering comically around and through.

"Ohayo!" he called out and his other hand showed itself, just above his head and clasped the tied knot of material that encased his bento. "Are you lonely?" he asked with a bright smile.

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy nodded as she watched ehr friend walk off to practice. That was fine. She could handle the quiet, even if she prefered comapny. Apparently someone heard her thoughts cause just then a familiar voice pulled Izzy from her thoughts. She looked up and smiled. "I am not lonely anymore. Now get in here." She motioned as she got out of the desk and walked over to give Taki a welcoming kiss. It was nice and passionate. Things had been heating up a lot between them, and it was not all bad.

"Good thing there is no one else in here." She chuckled. "So what have you brought today to share? Izzy asked. "Assuming you ave enough to share. I could sahre my food with you too." Although Taki had probably learned by now to bring extra cause Izzy was always sharing his lunch when they sat together. She pulled a dest next to hers so they could both sit together.

"I have spagetti. I used the microwave in the teachers lounge to heat it up, but shhh don't tell. I have chips, crackers, grapes." She motioned to the food. "I know I have lots of snacks too." She chuckled cause Izzy always had food. She had been sneaking cookies earlier durign one of th classes. It was not a shock.

[fryn]

"Spaghetti?" He peered into her bowl. "Noodles?" No, they didn't quite look the same. Takumi had tried pasta as it seemed to be a commonplace meal in the US. He didn't mind it at all and so was more than happy to share his more traditional lunch. Traditional, that is, for Japan.

He set the bento down and untied the cloth that encased it. He then pulled the lid off the box to reveal... "Sugoi! Look, Izzy!" he said with a laugh. "Tsukune! Aah... Chicken made into suasage." He lifted one of the small wooden paddles that had been used to cook the delicacy and handed one to her. In his pocket he had a carton of authentic Pocky. Long and thin sticks of biscuit that had been half coated in chocolate. Their supplies of Pocky wqere running short but Takumi's mother had found an online store that could supply them. Takumi would for ever be grateful!

He also spotted some tempura and knew they contained mushrooms as he'd seen his mother making them earlier that morning.

"So," he went on as he took a tsukune for himself. "... are you writing a story? What about? Something exciting?" Not much excitment went on around school and so anything along those lines would be welcome. Nothing , that is, other than stealing a few moments with Izzy!

[Izzy Chen]

Izzy took the food and ate it. "I love your mothers cooking. You think she might teach me some of the things she can cook. In return I promise to introduce you to somemore Korean delicacies." She could cook those. Her mother had taught her. But some day she may like to make a nice Japanese dinner for Taki. But to do that she would need his mothers help. She took another bite of Taki's food. "You should bring more next time. i think i might be sharing a lot." She smirked.

Izzy looked at her laptop and the papers when he asked about the story and chuckled. "You could say its a story. it's for the first edition of the paper. its an editorial about the new school and how this merge is suppose to be a good thing and just some investigative reporting about why megering into one building was better then rebuilding one of the schools." Izzy explained.

"But right now I find I am pleasantly distracted by my very cute boyfriend." Izzy leaned over to kiss Taki. "So we still on for tonight? Dinner and movie marathon at your place?" She asked. It was a plan for Izzy. She truly had no plans and it beat sitting around watching Jett just sit in his chair and stare into space. "I have some sugary goodness." Meaning candy of course.

[fryn]

Takumi smiled happily as he watched Izzy eat some of the tsukune. His mother was particularly good at cooking them and Takumi loved to see the strange-looking items in his bento. Not that they seemed odd to him, of course! He laughed. "Ok I shall tell her to make extra for Monday... Or you can tell her later this evening for yourself! We are definitely still... aaah... on for tonight." He might not understand how the term 'on' worked but he understood it enough to grasp its meaning.

"We can call at the DVD renting store on the way home and choose some films," he suggested. That way they could make sure they picked movies they would both find entertaining. "No more films like Ringu for you as you were far too frightened the last time!" He was teasing - for the most part!

"And for your story you are going to have to interview people?" he asked. "Teachers as well as students? I shall look forward to reading your story, Izzy, and I know you shall do it well! But tell me, how is Jett doing? I should call at your home and see him but I admit I'm not sure how to be around him." It wasn't as if Jett and Takumi knew each other all that well...

[Izzy Chen]

"I still think you played that movie in order to scare me into cuddling with you." Izzy reminded Taki. "I seem to remember someone poking me as well, which also scared me." Although Izzy was easily scared. So that was true. "I mean a scary movie would not totally be out of the question, but something way less scary would be very appreciated." Izzy joked. She was already mentally making a list of movies. "How many movies should we get, like three or four?" She asked not sure how late they planned to stay up.

"I have spent this past week interviewing. The key now is to write it and make sure it gets submitted by monday so it can be in Tuesday's edition of the paper. I will make sure and grab you one of the first copies." She was still doing her advice column but that was already written. Give her a few hours and she could finish it.

"Jett is depressed. He stares out the widnow staring at the basketball hoop thats hung over the garage all day long. Sometimes he plays video games and watches tv. He has a personal nurse come, cause if not he would not take care of himself. And I try and help but..." Izzy could feel herself ready to cry again. Tears already forming, "Sorry. I cant talk about Jett and not cry. I am a blubbering idiot." She said softly.

[fryn]

Takumi laughed when Izzy pointed out his main reason for trying to frighten her. She'd seen through him completely! That said, she didn't seem to mind all that much! "Three or four sounds good," he replied. "We can choose two each if we say four...Or if we only want three then one each but we hvave to agree on the third one." That might be tricky as his and Izzy's tastes were vastly different! Still, he knew they would be able to reach that agreement.

He nodded slightly when Izzy spoke of the article. It sounded to him like she was telling him in a round about way that she faced a busy weekend. He resigned himself to either helping of enteertaining himself.

"He must be feeling lonely," Takumi said. "Have Eden and Ben been over to see him?" He felt sure they would have, given the trio were close friends. "I shall call by over the weekend and say hello," he added. "Perhaps he would like to watch one of the films we shall be hiring? Or we can rent one with him in mind? What sort of films does he like the most?"

[Izzy Chen]

"I like the idea of four. I can introduce you to some American classics and would your picks happen to need subtitles?" Izzy askedjokingly of course. "Cause I have been attempting to read a japanese-english dictionary and I cannot make heads or tails of it." She chuckled. It was true. But she was trying. She was enjoying it. izzy had been doing research on Japanese culture which was similar but very, very different to Korean. it was rather interesting.

When Taki asked about Jett, Izzy wiped her eyes. "He likes action. Like Indiana Jones, or Star Wars. Those are his favorites. As well as classics. Maybe I should intoroduc you to them. But I warn you Star Wars is long." Izzy said. Very long. "Jett and I would have a Star Wars Marathon sometimes. All three orginial movies in one night. It lasted all day." But it had been so much fun. "Ben has seen him a little bit, but Eden seemsto be avoiding Jett...and me. I can't get her to alk me or see Jett and I really think Jett needs to see her." Izzy told Taki.

"I think he would like to see you too. I think jett may be getting sick of only me." Izzy said jokingly of course, " You are so very sweet." She touched the side of his face and smiled. "So very sweet." Izzy was very, very lucky. "Sa-rang-hae-yo." she said, which was I love you in Korean.

[fryn]

Takumi laughed at the subtitles question. "For once I shall try and watch ones that are spoken in English... although just remember you will have to explain the parts where there are words I don't know or when the actors speak too quickly! Takumi hd completely misunderstood a large section of Ice Age 2 thanks to not comprehending one small part of the dialogue near to the start!

"I have seen Star Wars!" he declared with a pleased look on his face. "Obi Wan Kenobi sounds weird when he speaks in his American accent though!" He was used hearing to Mifune Kanata speaking the words! "But I am happy to watch a Star Wars film with Jett... or Indiana Jones. I like those films too!"

It wa sa shame Eden hadn't been to see Jett, though. He knew the pair had been hoping to be together. Perhaps now Jett was unable to walk that wouldn't happen? "Perhaps I can speak to her if she's avoiding you," he suggested.

Takumi grinned and tried to repeat what Izzy had said. "Sa...

"Rang-hae-yo," she told him and he said it again... almost correctly.

"What did that mean?" he asked.

"It's Korean... for I love you..."

"It is? Sugoi!" he said with a bright gleam in his dark eyes. "In my language that is ai shite ru..." He grasped Izzy's hands between both of his. "The two sounds most different and yet have the same meaning."