Wufei snorted in disbelief. "I don't believe that those two can do it. Ranko is too much of a tomboy to be able to even LOOK feminine. She would never wear a dress."
Duo looked uncertain himself and hoped that, for his sake, Ranko and Relina would be able to act each other for the day. If not then.. An image of Ranko and Wufei kissing appeared in his mind. NO! Just as Duo was about to pull his hair in madness he heard a loud and rude, "Ahem!"
He turned his head and immediately facefaulted along with the other ex-Gundam pilots. He gasped out weakly in unison with Wufei, "N-no way!"
In front of them stood Ran..no RELINA. Her hair was tied up in one long braid and wore a basketball cap backwards. Her outfit consisted of a large white shirt and baggy khakis. She stood in black sneakers with her hands buried in her pockets.
"Whaz wrong with these wimps, fallin' down like sissys." Relina grumbled roughly.
Duo then heard soft footsteps coming his way and looked up. His face once again hit the ground.
Ranko innocently questioned her friend, "Is there something wrong with my appearance?"
Relina barked out a laugh. "The pathetic wimps just ain't used ta your fem'nine appearance, that's all."
The redhead nodded, giggling. She idly fingered her hair, which had gotten unbraided. Her hair was styled like Relina's, two small braids on the side and tied as one.
She was wearing a pastel pink kimono with dark blue flower printing. Ranko giggled slightly as she bent down to help Duo stand up. "Silly Duo, isn't falling down like that painful?"
"..." Duo just stared at the transformed Ranko. Even her voice was soft and sweet. After the initial shock Duo grinned. "We're gonna win the bet aren't we?"
Ranko nodded while smiling demurely. Relina laughed her arms waving around wildly. "You betcha! Hah!"
Relina stepped up to Wufei and smirked. "Wu-man, get ready to lose big time baby."
Wufei frowned and grumbled to himself. "We'll see how long you can stay that way." Then he blinked. "Don't call me Wu-man onna!"
"Wufei-san, it is not polite of you to call Relina onna when you should call her by her name. She may be a bit of a tomboy but technically she is still a female and deserve to be treated like one."
Wufei stared at Ranko as she politely reasoned with him. How in the world did those two girls manage to change so quickly?
Ranko smiled brightly as she turned to Relina. "Where shall we go, Relina-chan?"
Relina smirked evilly. "How 'bout ta movies?"
"That seems like a nice idea."
Wufei watched the two 'switched' girls talk warily. Just what were they up to?
+++++++
"Which movie, Relina-chan?" She asked softly. The brunette grinned as she pointed to the poster behind Ranko. Ranko turned along with her friends.
Heero chuckled along with Duo. Duo patted Wufei's back. "The One, seems like a cool kick ass movie, don't you think?"
"Hn." Wufei turned his head away from the obnoxiously grinning Duo.
+++++++
As they exited the theater, Relina whistled merrily as she placed her hands behind her head. Heero just smirked as he walked next to her as Quatre and Trowa remained chuckling.
As for Duo, he was laughing his butt off. Why, you ask? Well..
Ranko walked slowly next to him, as she checked his face. "Are you sure that you are feeling fine, Wufei-san?"
Wufei growled as he turned his bruised and battered face away from the 'concerned' redhead. "Of course I am, onna!"
"O-okay then.." Ranko said as she turned sadly away from him. Duo growled but stopped just as he was about to beat up Wufei for making Ranko sad when Ranko winked at him.
Wufei touched her shoulder feeling guilty. "Sorry, Ranko-chan. I..I didn't mean it."
The redhead turned around smiling. "Okay!" She turned and caught up to Relina. "Relina-chan, you really shouldn't be so..so..'expressive' when you are watching movies. Your moving hands and legs may have hurt someone other than Wufei-san."
Relina just shrugged. "Yeah, yeah, whatever. Wimpy boy there can handle it. I mean, he ain't so much of a wuss to not be able to handle that, is he?" She turned to look questionably at Wufei.
"Of course not!" Wufei snapped indignant. Relina grinned along with Heero and Duo.
For some reason, he felt like he had just been duped.
Again.
+++++++
Wufei grinned evilly. "Let's go to the ice cream shop." He knew Ranko could never resist food. Relina, heh. She could never eat the way Ranko did, and nether could Ranko eat slowly.
"If you say so, Wufei-san." Ranko replied softly. They walked into the store and sat down, Ranko in-between Wufei and Duo, while Relina sat next to Heero and Quatre along with Trowa. Ranko smiled sweetly at the waiter as she pleasantly ordered her food. "One strawberry please."
The waiter grinned at her handsomely. "Sure, miss." He turned to the others and waited for their orders.
"A chocolate fudge!"
"Vanilla, please."
"Mint."
"I'll have a cookies and cream, thank you."
"Heh, another vanilla."
He turned to the other female. She was cute, but dressed too manly for his liking. She grinned at him and ordered. He gaped at the slim tomboy as he heard her give him her order.
"Y-you want all of that?" She nodded. "O-okay.." He turned away and got their desserts. He looked at all the ice cream the brunette ordered and shook his head. She sure ate a lot for one so small.
Wufei's jaw dropped as he watched the two girls eat. No..way...
Ranko looked up at Wufei as she paused in her eating. "Is something wrong, Wufei-san?" He shook his head slowly and she resumed her slow and polite eating. Ranko paused again when she heard a loud slurping sound. She gave a slight disapproving look at Relina. "Relina-chan! Please slow down."
Relina shook her head as she stuffed the ice cream in her mouth. "Can't." She said.
Ranko sighed. "At least, close your mouth when you are eating. It's..very..unappealing."
She turned her head innocently to her left. "Do you think it is wise to roll around laughing on the floor, Duo-kun?"
Duo didn't answer her. Instead he continued laughing.
Wufei fumed. "SHUT UP!"
Ranko turned to him shocked. "Wufei-san! Please, don't do that. Duo-kun is just a tad 'happy.' You shouldn't yell at him for being cheerful. If you must yell, please say 'quiet please.' It is terribly mean to tell Duo to shut up."
"Grr.."
++++++++
Immediately after Wufei stomped to the shop's restaurant, the two girls burst out laughing.
"There is just no way that we are going to lose." Relina managed to gasp out in between her laughing.
Ranko could only manage a nod in agreement.
The only one who wasn't laughing was Quatre. He glanced towards the direction Wufei went concerned. "Don't you think that Wufei has been punished enough?"
They all stopped laughing and gave Quatre an incredulous, including Heero and Trowa.
"I'll take that as a no."
+++++++
Wufei fumed as he watched the two 'switched' girls talk cheerfully. He sighed before glancing at his so called friends. They were all snickering. So maybe it wasn't smart of him to make a bet with the two girls. They were extremely convincing.
Ranko paused in her talk with Relina as she spotted a cat in the alley. "Neko."
Relina followed Ranko as she walked into the alley to pick up the cute feline.
Ranko petted the cat as she cooed at it. "Isn't she just kawaii?" Relina nodded in agreement.
"Well..pretty girl, she ain't the only kawaii one." A gruff voice said. Relina whirled around surprised. She found two of the ugliest and largest gangsters that she had ever laid eyes on.
The fatter one grinned lecherously at her. "The redhead chick may be cuter but this tomboy here ain't got too bad of a body man."
"This is just our lucky day." The slim one barked out.
"And their worst nightmare."
Ranko had to resist the urge to beat them to pulp as she remembered the bet. Relina flashed her a subtle panicked look. She just squeezed her friend's hand in comfort.
"Don't worry. The worst that can happen is that we kiss Wufei."
Relina grimaced at the thought. She breathed slightly as she pulled together her confidence, which was oddly great.
The two grinned at each other and then started walking towards the two girls.
Relina smirked. "I'm not sure if it's a nightmare for who."
The gangsters' grin slipped. "You asked for it tomboy."
"Besides, it's always fun when your victims fight a bit. Bruise 'em and then let them have the fun they always wanted."
The slimmer one threw a punch at her and she had to fight the urge once again to retaliate. The momentary hesitation allowed him to land a punch on her.
She gave a slight yelp as she dropped to the ground. Relina glanced at her at the corner of her eyes as she struggled to dodge the man's attacks.
She blinked as a foot slammed into her adversary's stomach. He yelled in surprise as she held his stomach in pain. She smiled relieved at the back of Heero.
She stared in awe as he started beating on the jerk repeatedly. Remembering her role she crossed her arms cockily. "I could have handled him."
Heero shot her a cocky grin, one that she was not used to. "Yeah, whatever."
She just stood there like an idiot, a tomboy idiot, and stared into his eyes. And he, likewise.
+++++++
As the man drawled back his arm to punch her, she threw her hands up to cover her face. When nothing happened she opened her eyes only to stare into a pair of concerned amethyst eyes.
Duo held his hand out to her. "Are you okay Ranko?"
She nodded her head slowly as she took his hand. He pulled her up and when she was pulled up close to his body he realized once again how light she was. Ranko blushed as he let her go.
"T-thanks." And she meant it.
"Heh. That ain't no fake blush Ranko." She turned her head sharply to the source of the voice.
"Relina!" She yelled embarrassed.
The brunette grinned along with Heero. "And that one ain't fake either."
Wufei glanced at the four before sighing. "Ranko, Relina."
They turned to look at him. Absently he thought about how cute Ranko was when she was all red. "I give."
"Huh?" Was all they could say.
"You win the bet already, okay?!" He said frustrated. Admitting defeat wasn't something he did often.
"Oh we know that already." He frowned but then they just grinned at his face.
"C'mon let's go to the festival."
He raised his left eyebrow before shrugging. "Sure, whatever."
They all laughed before walking out of the alley leaving behind two bloody punks.
"..Momma.." One of them managed to gasp out before slipping into the land of the unconsciousness.
End Chapter Six.