The following day flew past. Chris felt lighter somehow. As soon as he saw Aika in Biology class, dressed in black and white skull leggings beneath short cut off jeans and a short striped tube top, instead of avoiding her sultry gaze, he met it and gave her a warm smile. She returned it, biting her lip and raising her eyebrows suggestively in a way that sent shivers down his back. When they saw eachother again in choir, Aika sat next to him as they all began the shoulder rubbing ritual.
"You're in a bright mood today," she said, leaning over his shoulder as her hands kneaded his neck and traps, "You excited about the trip?"
"Yea..." Chris said with a slight quiver in his voice, "...are you coming?"
"Of course I am! And now that I know you're going to be there, I can't wait."
As she said this, Aika leaned even closer and whispered into his ear.
"We might even get some time alone."
Chris turned around as she sat up and started gently massaging her shoulders. His hands trembled just a little bit as he considered what he should say in response to her proposition. Her skin was so smooth and her shoulders and neck, while slightly smaller than his own, were firm and muscular. Her hair was soft and silky and he couldn't help but allow his hands to brush against it as he worked gently up the back of her neck. It made him a little self conscious, as his eyes darted around the class, but still...it seemed as though no one else noticed the two of them in the back row. Only a few eyes even seemed to sweep past as everyone else chatted and giggled and joked in their own little worlds.
"So...do you think," Chris began, lowering his voice, "I mean...if there's time when we're done with the show tomorrow..."
Aika turned her head, one gleaming green eye catching his, the corner of her mouth quirked up in a grin.
"...do you think you might want to go for a walk or something? Or maybe get something to eat? I don't know what all there is to do in Halestown."
"I definitely think I'll be hungry," she said, licking her teeth teasingly, "So yea, I'd like that. Just you and me."
Chris felt his chest tighten and he flushed with excitement, "Okay."
"I'll see you on the bus then," she winked.
As he sat daydreaming in his study hall, Chris tried to imagine what sort of miracle might take place in Halestown. They were going to watch the musical version of Hansel and Gretel as put on by the local college and seasonal area performers. Then, they would stay the night in the Chastain Hotel. Chris scrolled through articles about Halestown and looked through photos of the local sights and restaurants. There was a gorgeous park area with a waterfall and a small pond that looked so clean you could swim in it. The hotel also had a pool.
For a while, Chris was stuck imagining Aika in a bikini. There was always the off chance that she'd wear a one piece, but he doubted it. A girl like Aika would have a bikini or probably a whole closet full of them to show off her perfectly shaped and toned body. He smiled dreamily, picturing her slinking towards him until the final bell snapped him out of his reverie. Then, he grabbed his back, already packed with swimming trunks and a change of clothes and practically skipped out the door.
* * *
Chris was surprised to find not a school bus but a large motor coach waiting outside the school. By the time he crossed the front lawn there was already a small line of students loading their luggage into the undercarriage. The fact that they would not be smushed into hard bench seats for four hours but rather luxurious and spacious recliner type seats with cup holders made him even look forward to the trip itself.
Of course, as he loaded his own bag into the luggage compartment, casting his eyes about the growing crowd of adolescents he realized that the quality of the trip would depend heavily upon where he sat and who he sat with. He was towards the front of the line, which meant a back seat was well within his reach. Still, even a backseat could be unpleasant with the wrong person next to you. As if in response to this thought, a pair of arms suddenly wrapped around him from behind.
"Gotcha!" Aika whispered into his ear playfully, resting her chin on his shoulder, "And you're not getting away this time!"
"Okay," Chris laughed, turning around, "You got me."
It was like a dream, he thought. Seeing her up close, freely looking right at him with such familiarity, such...open eagerness. Her huge green eyes twinkled as a wide smiled spread across her face.
"Come on, lets sit in the back," she said, "Before anyone else gets it!"
Like that, she grabbed him by the wrist and dragged him through the doors just as they opened, cutting in front of the few lingering students ahead of them. Strangely, there were no shouts of protest even as Chris muttered apologies while staggering behind Aika. They went all the way to the back and Aika sat right up against the window in the right corner, tossing her back into the seat across the isle and patting the seat next to her for him.
Chris blushed and set his own bag next to hers, then sat down in his seat, noticing as he did that she scooted closer, her smile getting wider. Right after he buckled his seatbelt, she leaned across him and reached into her bag, pulling out a sketchbook and a small ziplock back full of what looked like marshmallows. She shook it playfully in front of him, winking.
"Gotta keep up my strength!"
Once all the other kids had finished filing in and Mrs. Wailin had given the obligatory speech on safety and went through the itinerary, the bus rumbled and they were off on their way. Even though Aika had gone out of her way to claim the seats across from them, she needn't have bothered. The bus was large enough that there were plenty of open seats and groups of students who regularly associated all gathered in their own clusters, leaving Aika and Chris segregated on their own island in the back. Chris didn't question it. He was so high with excitement over having been chosen by the most beautiful girl in school that they could have started a fire at the front of the bus and he still wouldn't be able to take his eyes off of her.
For most of the trip, they talked. Aika wanted to know more about what it was like to live out in the countryside and Chris wanted to know what it was like living in Tokyo. While they talked, Aika sat curled up like a cat with her back to the window, scribbling away in her sketchbook. When Chris asked what she was drawing, he blushed and said...
"You can't see it yet! It's not done."
Later on, she opened her bag of treats and offered one to Chris. He took it and found it strange. It was a squishy white ball of dough, lightly dusted in what was probably powdered sugar.
"What's this?" he asked.
"It's Mochi. You've never had it?" she asked.
She took what looked like a marker out of the bag and took the mochi he was holding for a moment, scribbling on it. She turned it back around to show she had drawn a cute little face with big lips. She pushed it towards his face and giggled as he tried to take it back. Finally, he took a bite and found the squishy, chewy outer shell quite pleasant, as well as the sweet bean paste inside.
"Man, they should make these over here," he said as he popped the rest into his mouth.
"They do in some places, but it's not the same," Aika said as she took out another and started scribbling on the back of it.
She held it close to her, looking up at Chris then back to the little squishy ball in her hands. For a few minutes she continued, biting her lip in concentration as she worked until finally, she gave it one last look, holding it up as if comparing it to Chris, then turned it around. To his surprise she had drawn a relatively accurate representation of his face onto her mochi ball.
"There, it's a mochi Chris!" she giggled.
"Wow," Chris mused, "You're really good."
"Thanks," she beamed, "I've had a lot of practice."
For a moment, Chris felt his mind go back to the notebook and the disturbing illustrations inside. He realized then that the same notebook was likely inside her bag behind him, with those same drawings still lingering on the pages, all declaring a fantasy where he was food. He suddenly felt the urge to turn around and pull that notebook out to see if they were still there. Instead though, he sat grinning at the lovely girl in front of him as she held up her little mochi Chris and nuzzled it against her face.
"It's almost as cute as the real thing," she cooed, holding it up and kissing it.
Chris felt his chest tighten, a thrill passing through him as Aika's lips pressed against the little picture of his face. Noticing him staring, her eyes lit up, a sly grin appearing before she kissed it a little more affecionately. Then gave the little ball a loving look before slowly pushing it into her mouth, turning so that Chris could see the little face vanish as her lips closed into a bulging smirk.
"Hey, what did ever do to you?" he said with mock indignance.
Her eyes widened in feigned surprise and she opened her mouth, plucking the slightly damp mochi Chris out and looking him over with concern.
"Oh, I'm sorry," she said to the little mochi ball, "I just got a little carried away. I'm just so hungry. Listen..."
She lowered the mochi Chris to her stomach and made a comically loud rumbling sound.
"See, little Chris? I'm practically starving."
As she said this, she turned the little cartoonish face towards her belly button and sucked in her stomach. Then, she pressed the little face against her bellybutton and slowly pushed her belly out against it. As the real Chris watched, the little mochi Chris was somehow wedged there in her navel. She let go and it stayed there, then she sucked her stomach in again and the little mochi Chris actually seemed to be sucked in deeper. She looked up at real Chris and raised her eyebrows.
"Oh no! He got too close!"
She pushed her belly out, then sucked it back in and slowly again, the little white ball was sucked down inside her belly button. She sucked her belly in even further and then leaned forward, folding her stomach over until the little mochi Chris was covered completely. She made a little gulping sound with her throat and took a few breaths, tensing her abs. She then gave a little gasp, gradually relaxing her stomach to show that mochi Chris was gone, somehow swallowed whole by her belly button.
Chris had been transfixed the entire time and only now realized that for several minutes he had been staring at Aika's belly. He looked up at her face to see her giving him a strangely disturbing smile. She sighed, patting her belly and rubbing it lightly.
"Well, that's too bad. He was a sweet boy, little mochi Chris."
"How...did you do that?" Chris asked shakily.
Aika turned her head slowly towards him, her eyes intense for a moment. His heart pounded in his chest as his mind went back to the notebook. She leaned towards him and he leaned back, almost falling into the isle before she stopped and laughed out loud.
"It's just a trick," she said, jabbing him in the shoulder.
"So, where did it go?" he asked.
"I ate it!" she giggled, "Silly boy, that's what you do with mochi."
"But, I saw you..."
"Suck it into my bellybutton?" she poked her navel with one finger, sticking out her tongue.
Chris thought to repeat what she'd said but it felt so ridiculous that he couldn't utter the words.
"Okay, I'm sorry. I guess you weren't ready for a magic show," she said, "Tell you what. Maybe later after the show tonight, I can give you another demonstration. But don't tell anyone, okay? I don't want anyone else to see it."
"You don't?"
"No," Aika leaned in towards him again, "The only person who I want to show this to is you."
As she said this, she slowly circled her navel with one finger, then as his eyes wandered down, she quickly pressed her lips against his cheek. Chris blushed deeply, practically sputtering from the overwhelming influx of conflicting emotions. Aika sat back, a satisfied smile on her lips as she gently rubbed her stomach. Then, she picked up her sketch book and started to draw again, not trying to hide at all that fact that as she sketched she continuously looked up at Chris to make sure she captured him perfectly.

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