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[America Mew Mew] Episode Thirty Two
I swear, I'm not fond of cliffhanger endings! But to be honest... I don't like giving you guys uber-long chapters either. ^^; That's why I tried to end this as quickly/smoothly as I possibly could while keeping the plot together. (That being said, all the loose ends are being tied together, so please let me know if you still have any unanswered questions.)
Title: Episode 32: Miles Goes Berserk? The Real Garner's Back
Fandom: Tokyo Mew Mew [but so AU it's pretty much a fanseries]
Summary: The title says it all this time, to be honest. o/ Mimi learns what it means to be a mew mew while Sorrel struggles with her feelings for Garner.
Disclamer: If you don't recognize it, it isn't mine. I'm not trying to make money off this... yada yada. Just enjoy! ♥
NB: The jelly-like things from this point on will be called "parasites" for a lack of a better term.
Mimi didn't even hesitate to leave the room. The moment Ryou even uttered, "and only Mimi can cure it," she ran out the door, brushing past her friends as her vision blurred. Ignoring the warm, wet tears staining her face, she kept running through the halls and down the long staircase that led to the Mew Project's basement.
What the heck, Ryou? You make me leave, and now you're telling me that Miles has gone crazy? I certainly hope he's okay. I don't want him to be hurt any more. He's been suffering more than all of us combined.
She swiftly turned the doorknob and took a deep breath as she walked in. Her eyes widened as she stared at the vines growing everywhere. They held Roy by the arms and legs; he didn't even look that much alive! Mimi made a motion to touch her pendant---
"It's okay, Mimi," Roy softly smiled as he looked at her. "I did this on purpose."
"What?" Mimi whispered. "Why would you put vines around yourself on purpose?"
Roy's eyes widened. "Oh, man... I didn't tell you."
Mimi scratched her cheek. "Not really. Tell me later. Where's Miles?"
"Ryou had to lock him," Roy sighed desolately. "I don't know how long it will hold, but. After we told him our suspicions, he suddenly went berserk. It was like all his sanity had suddenly left him."
"His sanity...?"
Ryou gently touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mimi. I didn't think it would've happened, otherwise... I would've told you much sooner. But I think the final stages of the Mew Project are finally upon us. And I want you to know why we started it in the first place."
Mimi's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean there were deeper reasons than we have to save the earth?"
"There was a selfish reason," Roy confirmed as the vines gently let him go. He snapped, allowing the vines to completely cover a back closet. Mimi stared as she watched him effortlessly control the plants... it was almost like he was a...
"Wizard?" Ryou questioned.
Mimi jumped. "You can read my mind?"
Ryou sheepishly shrugged, "It just kinda... popped into my head. But not really. It's just usually the first word that comes to most people's minds when they see our abilities."
A loud cry suddenly rose from the closet door. Mimi shivered, "MILES! Wh-what the heck is wrong with him?"
Roy and Ryou exchanged glances, then nodded at each other.
"I think it'd be better if we showed you what happened," Ryou said. "Could you turn to the computer? I'll show you what the security cameras picked up."
Roy went to the computer, typed a few commands in, and took a nervous, deep breath as the security tape started playing. Mimi recognized that the first few minutes were boring; Roy and Ryou were mostly discussing things to themselves. Miles was asleep on the couch as the two boys scanned the database for some kind of information.
Then Roy seized the small jar of Mew Aqua from the counter. He walked to the middle, closed his eyes, and held the bottle firmly between his two palms. Mimi stared in awe as she watched a sudden green glow wash over Roy. Vines grew from the ground and supported his feet while the Mew Aqua continued to glow with him.
It really was something out of Harry Potter, only without the wands and the weird incantations. Roy didn't need any of those words to control the plants! They just listened to his heartbeat and moved as if they were extensions of him.
The Mew Aqua glowed for a few more seconds, and then... nothing. Roy slowly floated to the ground and opened his eyes. The plant cried as it rooted itself into the dirt; Roy softly muttered, "There, there. I'll come get you soon, I promise."
Ryouturned to his friend, saying, "Well? What'd the sample talk to you about?"
"It wanted me to let it go," Roy sighed. "But I got something. It turns out that it's more comfortable with Miles than me... something about Miles' blood. I wonder if the sample likes aliens more than humans?"
Ryou blinked. "What do you think will happen if we release it?"
"I don't know," Roy shrugged. "It had the mana signature of a healing potion. Perhaps if you grab that dying flower from the store..."
Ryou nodded, running up the stairs and presumably into the flower shop. It was at this point that Roy decided to fast-forward the tape, highlighting only the important parts. Mimi continued watching in awe as Ryou had brought back a dying plant from the back of the store. Roy had released the Mew Aqua on the plant.
The plant shivered, but slowly blossomed and grew new flowers as it turned towards the lamplight. Roy's face visibly brightened as he grinned, "So it heals the plants. Just like I do.. but see? Its power is greater. It was able to fully mend the roots and the leaves. Oh, and how it fixed---"
Ryou had cut his friend off in the tape with, "That's great! So we need to find more of these samples and really test them on other things. It looks like the Mew Aqua's going well."
A yawn was heard from the opposite side of the room. Both Roy and Ryou had turned to watch Miles rub his eyes and slowly sit up. "Wh-what happened? I remember coming in, but..."
"You fell asleep again," Roy gently smiled. "But I think I finally know what Mew Aqua does."
"Really," Miles grinned as he slowly rose and walked over to the two boys. "That's great! I'm glad I brought the sample over, then. What does it do?"
Roy gestured to the now blossoming plant. "Do you remember seeing this somewhere?"
Miles shook his head for a second. He then took another look at the plant and stared as he slowly, hestitantly leaned over and touched its leaves. "Wasn't this... um, wilting?"
"Oh yeah," Roy beamed. "But the Mew Aqua fully healed it! I'm thinking it's like one giant healing potion... but for the planet instead of people. I was wondering how the earth was going to bounce back from all of the pollution we were causing to it."
Laughing, Miles remarked, "You love Earth too, don't you? Mimi and Primrose said it a couple of times, but I never believed it until now."
Roy had blinked. "Huh? Why not?"
"You didn't seem like the environmentalist," Miles shrugged. "... I'm glad to hear it, though. Is that why you guys created the mew mews? To help stop pollution?"
"Not exactly," Roy nervously smiled. "They were created specifically to fight against the Chimera Anima."
Miles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he rose and let go of the plant. "Wait a sec," He said, holding up his hands. "You're telling me you guys knew exactly what the aliens were here for in the first place?"
Mimi now stared straight over at Ryou and Roy. "You two, stop inching towards the door," The brunette barked as she gave them both death glares. Pausing the tape, she crossed her arms and marched straight to them.
"How are you supposed to know about Chimera Anima? About the aliens?"
She rubbed her temples. "I just don't get it---" Her eyes widened, and she stepped back as she grabbed the nearby hammer. "Oh, no, no, no. You guys can't be honest-to-goodness... can you?"
"Well," Roy laughed, raising an eyebrow at the hammer. "That hammer's pretty useless if you're going to honestly fight us."
"So you're not denying it," She pouted.
Ryou smirked, "Why would we? It's the truth. Roy and I knew this was going to happen because we'd seen the future - or pieces of it - and decided to act in the present. We definitely didn't want a repeat of the past."
Mimi raised an eyebrow as she waved the hammer around, "What do you mean, pieces of the future?"
Roy interrupted, "Ryler really saw the future. I don't have that ability."
"Don't really care," Mimi sighed, putting the hammer down. "Just tell me why you created the mew mews in the first place. Why I'm involved in this mess!"
Ryou and Roy exchanged nervous glances (boy, were they fond of looking at each other!) before they motioned for her to sit on the couch. Taking a swivel chair over, Ryou sat on it while Roy and Mimi plopped down on the comfy couch.
Another scream erupted from the closet. Roy twirled his index finger counterclockwise and sighed exasperatedly as vines continued to enforce the steel doors. "We don't have much time, Meems. We'll have to give you the short version."
Mimi nodded, "Fine. Just tell me!"
"Chimera Anima can't be purified by normal means," Roy explained. "So we had to tweak Ryler's dad's plans. The Mew Mews were created to fight and protect Earth from Chimera Anima."
"You see," Ryou added, picking up exactly where his friend had left off, "We're more than capable of defeating Chimera Anima. But I think Primrose already told you. If you can't purify a Chimera Anima, you have to kill its host first."
"I see," Mimi bit her lip. "So we're purifiers of the Earth?"
"Yes," Roy shot a nervous glance back at the closet. "Ryou, Shuugo, and I are actually... well, the technical term is wizard. But we prefer to call ourselves mages."
"I knew it!" Mimi jumped up, pointing her fingers at both boys. "You could see the future after all! And you... and those plants! No wonder Miles liked you so much!"
Roy laughed nervously, "Yes. But Mimi, you do realize that the only reason we told you is because you're technically one of us now?"
She blinked, tilting her head to the side. "Huh?"
"The Mew Mew," Ryou explained, "is essentially an artifical mage. Created from the fused DNA of endangered animals who struggled to survive and humans, mew mews can purify Chimera Anima and fight against the aliens which threaten to conquer Earth."
The closet roared again, but Roy didn't try to shut the cries up this time. Instead, he walked to the side of the closet and held both of his fisted hands tightly.
"Mimi?" Roy asked, staring straight into her eyes. "Prepare to purify someone you love."
He let the vines go. Ryou summoned a staff from inside his watch (Mimi had wondered why someone would willingly wear a big wristwatch) as he jumped beside her. Taking a deep breath, Mimi watched as her boyfriend stumbled out.
She gasped. His hair was long and flowing, just like the Amber Templare's... his ears were big like the alien's... everything about him was yellow, just like the Templare's. But his eyes. Instead of that piercing shade of yellow she'd come to expect, they felt lifeless. Empty. And he just wouldn't stop screaming.
(The walls of the basement, she noted, were definitely sound proof.)
Mimi choked, "Mew Mew Mimi... Metamorpho-sis."
The light show pushed the Templare - but was it really him? - back, but he immediately lunged forward towards Mew Mimi. Mew Mimi jumped back as she whispered, "Mimi Slammer." She started circling him; her ears twitched every time he even made a single movement.
How could she think of attacking him? He was her lover, her protector, her best friend. Biting back tears, Mew Mimi clutched her meteor hammer tighter. The ropes dug into her fingers; she could start to feel the blood in them.
He lunged towards her... and she didn't make a single attempt to fight back.
Ryou seized her by the stomach and ran. The Templare chased them; Ryou cursed as he glanced over his shoulder. "Daybreak!" He shot yellow-orange bursts of energy at the Templare... Miles... whatever the creature might be.
The Templare howled as each shot hit. Mew Mimi moaned; Ryou immediately cried, "Meems! You okay?"
She shook her head. "... I-I'm the only one that can hurt him."
With that, she let go of his grip (man, he was stronger than he let on!) and released herself to the ground. Staring up at the Templare, she swung her meteor hammer at him. "Miles... I-I don't know what's going on, but it's me. It's going to be all right."
"NO," The Templare snarled. "It's never going to be---"
Mew Mimi somehow dodged the vines going everywhere as she slowly but steadily walked to him. Closing the gap, she put the hammer in her left hand and silenced his mouth with her right. "I don't know what happened, but I still love you."
The Templare's hand dug into her shoulder. Mew Mimi screamed, "Miiiiiles!"
His eyes widened. He stared at her, and then at the blood trickling down her right arm. He shook his head, and the yellow eyes just glowed even more.
"I told you," Ryou said exasperatedly as he ran towards the Templare. "You need to purify him! We're not capable of it ourselves! Unless we kill him--"
Mew Mimi narrowed her eyes and piercingly glared at her employer. Ignoring the blood, she uttered, "You will do no such thing."
She deftly swung her meteor hammer as a lasso and created a strong rope around his arms. He yowled; she winced. Clenching her teeth together, she whispered, "Ribbon, Mimi Bind."
The rope glowed as the ends of the meteor hammer met. Closing her eyes, she jumped back and waited.
The Templare screamed again... and then there was light. Mew Mimi and the boys shielded their eyes as they watched sparks of pink light bounce around the room. The meteor hammer flew back into Mimi's hands as Miles slowly fell to the ground. There must've been at least a hundred Chimera that flew from his mouth, his nose... and were there two from his eyes? (EW.)
Ryou immediately created a circle with his staff and sighed with relief as the jellyfish-like creatures were contained.
Miles fell into Roy's arms as Mew Mimi detransformed. Walking steadily over to her boyfriend, Mimi called out, "Is he okay?"
"Yeah," Roy confirmed. "But I'd had no idea he'd bond as strongly with the parasites as he did."
Mimi nodded, putting a hand over her bell necklace as she watched Roy gently set Miles on the couch again. "So what does that mean?"
"Well," Ryou sighed. "We're going to have to figure out what these parasites were intended for in the first place."
"Not to mention their bond to the aliens," Roy quipped as he put both of his hands on his hips. Looking over Miles, he added, "But you know, Ryler. That little incident pretty much confirmed our worst fears."
"Unfortunately," Ryou shook his head as he focused his attention back on Mimi. "Miles going berserk and bonding with the Chimera the way he did... it's pretty safe to say that he didn't appreciate Luciano lying to him all those years."
"We know we's not human," Mimi bit her lip, "But... uh, how did Mr. Alesci lie to his kid?"
"Mr. Alesci," Roy spat the name out like it was a bitter herb (Mimi actually stared at him in surprise), "failed to mention that he had a wife before Stella Alesci. Back when he was researching the Mew Project, he fell in love with an advance scout named Alina. Oh, but it gets better! They actually had a kid together before something happened and Alina either perished or disappeared off the face of Earth."
Mimi stared. "Y-you're not implying that..."
"Oh, no," Ryou laughed. "We're not implying. This incident proves that Miles is at the very least half-alien."
"You've got to be kidding me---"
"He should've honestly been horribly deformed by fusing with a hundred and twenty parasites," Roy sighed as he shook his head. "But you saw him back there. He was just a lifeless Amber Templare. Based on our past observations, that shouldn't have been possible. When a human fuses with just one parasite, he or she becomes a monster. Miles... didn't. Not in psyical appearance, and he had a hundred and twenty within him!"
"So," Mimi finally concluded. "We should keep a better eye on him, right?"
"Right," Both Roy and Ryou nodded as Ryou wandered over to Miles. Pushing Mimi over, he added, "So... you also know the other mews don't know about our abilities, right? We want to tell them first."
Mimi narrowed her eyes, "So don't spill the beans. I understand."
"Thanks," Roy gently smiled at her.
"But," Mimi's addition caused both of the boys to groan, "I want to know this selfish reason. Wanting to save the earth doesn't sound very me-centric."
"It has to do with Ryler's father," Roy explained. "You've noticed how you never see him around, right? ... He's sorta kinda a workaholic. One who doesn't realize that both of his kids are well-versed in combat and fighting abilities."
Raising an eyebrow, Mimi repeated, "Workaholic? So you guys did this little Mew Project to prove to Ryan's dad that work isn't everything?"
"Not exactly," Ryou coughed. "More like, proving to Dad that he needs to honestly spend more time with his family. Maybe then if we'd work together, he could see solutions in work he hadn't before."
Mimi stared. "You mean... The Mew Project wasn't finished with your dad?"
"He quit it after the big fight with Luciano," Roy looked towards the ceiling. "And that's when Jishou Shirogane slowly began his descent into workaholic mode, much to his entire family's dismay. Uncle Shou's a social butterfly, so when he decides to be by himself? It's a pretty bad thing."
"Ohhhhh," Mimi stared at her shoes now, sure her face was deep red with embarrassment. "So um, how come you didn't tell us? You'd think we'd laugh at you?"
"I'm surprised you haven't, actually," Ryou admitted.
Mimi looked up at him and genuinely smiled. "Why? Wanting your dad to spend time with you isn't wrong. And now that I know about you guys, you can surely help in battle---"
"We're overkill, Meems," Roy narrowed his eyes. "If you want the parasite hosts to be killed, then fine. We'll join you in battle. But otherwise, we won't be very helpful."
Mimi crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes equally, "Oh come on! What about fighting the aliens?"
"We were holding back," Ryou admitted with a sad smile. "They were more challenging than I expected, which is why we were losing. But don't argue with Rovin, Meems. You're not going to win."
"Hmph," Mimi stuck her tongue out at them.
That's when the door to the basement opened and all four mews immediately ran into Mimi's arms.
"We were so worried," Celsia sobbed--
Retasu interrupted, "Is Miles-san okay?"
"If your boyfriend's hurt, we can cure him---"
Sorrel finished, "You looked so worried, but we didn't want to interrupt."
Oddly enough, Mimi found herself laughing as she realized she'd been in the middle of one giant group hug. Not only did it feel absolutely amazing, but... they were together again. Mimi giggled, "Aww, you guys! I'm absolutely okay. Not so sure 'bout Miles, but we'll see when he wakes up again."
"Must be nice," Sorrel commented dryly as she stared the sleeping Miles down. "I'd love to be sleeping most of my summer away."
Mimi made a face, "I'll explain later. It's not as nice as you make it out to be!"
Sorrel blinked confusedly, but nodded, "All right."
Someone's cell phone rang. Everyone immediately jumped to their pockets, purses, whatever, as they started to reach around for their various mobile devices. Sorrel blinked in confusion as she opened hers and listened to the voice on the other side.
"What do you mean Garner's come back for the weekend? He's been here this entire time--- no, I swear! I'm not hallucinating--- eh? England? Oh, god, I don't know--- fine, Amy. I'll try and come as soon as I can, okay?"
She hung up and sheepishly smiled at the rest of her bewildered teammates. "My bandmate's convinced that Garner moved to England when he really just quit the band. ... I'll see what's going on, but I'll get back to you as soon as possible, okay?"
With that, she nervously - and quickly! - darted up the long staircase back to the flower store.
Celsia sighed desolately, "Poor Sorrel. I hope her boy troubles get sorted out."
Ryou raised an eyebrow as he sarcastically remarked, "Oh, and you're the pinnacle of innocence."
"What the heck does pinnacle mean?" Celsia stared at him with dagger eyes.
"Oh, nothing," Ryou whistled. "Have fun the next time you run into Chive, okay~?"
Celsia glared at Ryou (while poor Roy was trying so hard not to laugh!) as she too departed from the scene. Mimi, Retasu, and Primrose looked at each other, then at the sleeping Miles before they solemnly gazed at the boys.
"Oy," Primrose whistled. Both boys stared at her as Primrose added, "We need'ta get Miles out of here! And uh... I've no idea what that circle-thing-y's for, but it doesn't look very secure."
Roy and Ryou exchanged nervous glances. Immediately, Roy called, "I'll carry Miles up. Mimi, Retasu, will you just make sure he goes up safely?"
Mimi and Retasu nodded, watching Roy gently cradle the blond into his arms. Roy flashed them a smile as the two followed behind him. Ryou motioned for Primrose to move, but the young child didn't do a thing as she swayed from side to side.
"Mr. Ryou," Primrose called.
Ryou twitched as he was forced to go look for a sturdier jar, "Yes?"
"Did you create that barrier? It looks a lot like my Enforce skill."
Ryou nearly dropped the jar. He quickly gripped it better as he slowly dipped the jar - well, the giant bowl - into the barrier. The parasites quickly flew into the jar as Ryou dispersed the barrier all together. He quickly sealed them all shut. Holding the bowl again, he ignored Primrose as he put the parasites away in the storage closet.
"Mr. Ryou? I'm still waiting for you to answer me."
There was no ignoring her, was it? Ryou locked the storage closet before extending his hand to Primrose. "And what would you say if my answer was yes?"
Primrose grinned back at him as she took it, "Then I'd say I have the coolest boss ever."
Ryou ruffled her hair as he slammed the door shut behind the two, "And I've got the coolest employee ever. ... Thanks, Prim."
She beamed, "You're welcome!" as the two ran up the long staircase to join their comrades. "Shame you didn't tell me earlier~"
He stuck his tongue out at her, but ended up laughing as they disappeared into the light.
+
There was something very wrong about this situation. Sorrel could just feel it as she walked into the band room. First Miles is out of control (and Mimi has to keep subduing him with her powers), but now this about her boyfriend? This was getting ridiculous.
Shaking her head, Sorrel glanced around at her band. Amy was there all right; she was the pink-haired (which was completely dyed!) girl setting up the keyboard for their next performance. The guys (Mitch and Joel) were also tuning their respective instruments. All eyes were on her as she walked on stage to join them.
"Hey," Sorrel greeted with a smile as she took her microphone from Amy. "I heard Garner's here?"
"Yeah," Amy grinned, giving her friend the thumbs-up. "I know you were uber-bummed about him moving to England, so I asked if he could come over here while he was visiting his aunt. And get this? He said yes!"
She leaned in closer, whispering in Sorrel's ear, "But why didn't you keep in touch, Sor? I know you had a major crush on him... I mean, it was pretty obvious. Even Mitch knew."
Sorrel whispered back, "Because he didn't move to---"
The door suddenly opened as a tall, lean teenager walked in. He had messy chestnut brown hair, but it went past his shoulders now and was hung loose. His eyes were framed by a gorgeous pair of glasses, and his clothes! He was wearing a traditional British school uniform, complete with messed-up tie and rolled up blazer sleeves.
He waved at everyone, "Hey! Long time no see!"
... Oh god, he even had the accent. What the heck was going on here?
As Sorrel stared, Amy giggled, "He got even cuter! I didn't think that was even possible!"
Mitch and Joel laughed; the minute Sorrel glared at them, they immediately both stared down at their instruments and softly started playing the scale. Boys.
Garner, however, ignored the atmosphere in the room as he rolled his sleeves up and sat in a nearby chair. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything?"
Of course Amy had to be stupid as she giggled, "Nuh-uh! Of course not!"
Sorrel nervously nodded as she agreed, "Y-yeah. Um, will you guys please excuse me for a second? I need to grab something from the vending machine."
Everyone stared at her as she slowly walked out of the bandroom. Sorrel shook her head as she heard the door open again behind her. She knew Garner was following her - Amy probably wouldn't be far behind. But this was just too much! She'd been dating Garner for the past few months... oddly enough, his image had changed considerably when it'd happened.
No. She wouldn't believe it.
But as she glanced over her shoulder to see Garner undo his tie, she... could actually start to see it coming together. Had she been dating an imposter? It felt almost impossible. But if someone had told her half a year ago that she'd be fighting aliens, she would've laughed in that person's face and told him he was dreaming.
The realms of "possible" and "impossible" were slowly becoming one in her mind. (Even if she denied it most of the time!) It bugged her, of course, but what could she do about it? Besides, you know... actually talk to Garner?
"Sorrel," Garner finally broke the silence by walking beside her.
She blinked. "What's---"
"The vending machine's that way," He sighed, taking her hand as he pulled her in the opposite direction.
"Oh," Sorrel nervously laughed. "My bad."
Garner gave her a confused look as they continued walking. "What's up with you? You're not usually this emotional."
What's up? Try the fact he doesn't recognize being her girlfriend for the past few months? Or even that he kissed her? Twice? Sorrel faked a smile as she replied, "Nothing. I'm just a little tired."
"You sure," Garner bit his lip. "I haven't seen you since... wow, January. I heard you got a boyfriend. What's he like?"
Sorrel stared blankly in front of her as she let Garner's hand go. "You have no idea who he is?"
Garner nervously laughed, "Course not! Would I be asking you if I knew?"
"Absolutely no idea? You're not pretending for my benefit?"
"Sorrel!" Now Garner looked almost angry. "Why the hell would I pretend to not know?! I seriously don't know who your boyfriend is, okay? Why would you---"
"Because I thought you were my boyfriend."
Garner stopped there as he held her hand. "Sor, you had a crush. That wasn't the same thing."
"No, but after you quit the band, you came back like a month later..."
There was almost a look of pity in Garner's eyes as he shook his head. "I was busy getting settled into my new school. There was no time to visit NYC. I promise I would've come back if I could."
Sorrel looked up at the ceiling. "So you were really in England?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Garner laughed, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "So now I want to meet this mystery boyfriend of yours. Maybe you confused him for me because of my wicked good looks!"
She honestly wanted to slap him then and there for that comment.
... Wait. The Garner she'd been dating would have never talked like that. He never carried himself confidently like he did now, and he especially didn't have long hair! (The glasses, she admitted, were pretty cute, but were a new addition.)
She had been dating an imposter! A more well-mannered imposter, to be sure, but one nevertheless. Her face visibly brightened as she took the lead and dragged Garner forcefully to the vending machines. "Oh you," She found herself teasing him. "My boyfriend is actually your complete opposite... in everything except looks."
Garner traced teardrops down the side of his face, "Awww, really? I wonder why." There was a brief lull in the conversation as Sorrel stopped to pay for a bottle of Coke, but once she was done, the two walked back to the band room in relatively good spirits.
"I don't know what happened during our conversation," Garner laughed, "But you're back to the Sorrel I know."
"I just needed some caffeine," Sorrel nudged his shoulder. "That's all."
"So tell me about your mystery boyfriend," Garner grinned as they neared the band room. "I'm actually pretty darn curious now."
"Oh, that's easy," Sorrel began with a grin. "You see, he's---"
At that moment, a brunet slammed the band room's door shut. His face was scowling, but aside from the shorter (much shorter!) and lighter brown hair and lack of glasses, he could've passed for... Garner. He - and Garner and Sorrel - stopped in their tracks and stared at each other with blank looks.
Garner's jaw dropped, "Holy. Crap. He looks just like me."
Sorrel whispered, "Garner?" at the same time the brunet said, "Sorrel?"
Garner looked from Sorrel to the other-him and then sighed, rubbing his temples, "... I can't forsee this ending well."
Title: Episode 32: Miles Goes Berserk? The Real Garner's Back
Fandom: Tokyo Mew Mew [but so AU it's pretty much a fanseries]
Summary: The title says it all this time, to be honest. o/ Mimi learns what it means to be a mew mew while Sorrel struggles with her feelings for Garner.
Disclamer: If you don't recognize it, it isn't mine. I'm not trying to make money off this... yada yada. Just enjoy! ♥
NB: The jelly-like things from this point on will be called "parasites" for a lack of a better term.
Mimi didn't even hesitate to leave the room. The moment Ryou even uttered, "and only Mimi can cure it," she ran out the door, brushing past her friends as her vision blurred. Ignoring the warm, wet tears staining her face, she kept running through the halls and down the long staircase that led to the Mew Project's basement.
What the heck, Ryou? You make me leave, and now you're telling me that Miles has gone crazy? I certainly hope he's okay. I don't want him to be hurt any more. He's been suffering more than all of us combined.
She swiftly turned the doorknob and took a deep breath as she walked in. Her eyes widened as she stared at the vines growing everywhere. They held Roy by the arms and legs; he didn't even look that much alive! Mimi made a motion to touch her pendant---
"It's okay, Mimi," Roy softly smiled as he looked at her. "I did this on purpose."
"What?" Mimi whispered. "Why would you put vines around yourself on purpose?"
Roy's eyes widened. "Oh, man... I didn't tell you."
Mimi scratched her cheek. "Not really. Tell me later. Where's Miles?"
"Ryou had to lock him," Roy sighed desolately. "I don't know how long it will hold, but. After we told him our suspicions, he suddenly went berserk. It was like all his sanity had suddenly left him."
"His sanity...?"
Ryou gently touched her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Mimi. I didn't think it would've happened, otherwise... I would've told you much sooner. But I think the final stages of the Mew Project are finally upon us. And I want you to know why we started it in the first place."
Mimi's eyebrows furrowed. "You mean there were deeper reasons than we have to save the earth?"
"There was a selfish reason," Roy confirmed as the vines gently let him go. He snapped, allowing the vines to completely cover a back closet. Mimi stared as she watched him effortlessly control the plants... it was almost like he was a...
"Wizard?" Ryou questioned.
Mimi jumped. "You can read my mind?"
Ryou sheepishly shrugged, "It just kinda... popped into my head. But not really. It's just usually the first word that comes to most people's minds when they see our abilities."
A loud cry suddenly rose from the closet door. Mimi shivered, "MILES! Wh-what the heck is wrong with him?"
Roy and Ryou exchanged glances, then nodded at each other.
"I think it'd be better if we showed you what happened," Ryou said. "Could you turn to the computer? I'll show you what the security cameras picked up."
Roy went to the computer, typed a few commands in, and took a nervous, deep breath as the security tape started playing. Mimi recognized that the first few minutes were boring; Roy and Ryou were mostly discussing things to themselves. Miles was asleep on the couch as the two boys scanned the database for some kind of information.
Then Roy seized the small jar of Mew Aqua from the counter. He walked to the middle, closed his eyes, and held the bottle firmly between his two palms. Mimi stared in awe as she watched a sudden green glow wash over Roy. Vines grew from the ground and supported his feet while the Mew Aqua continued to glow with him.
It really was something out of Harry Potter, only without the wands and the weird incantations. Roy didn't need any of those words to control the plants! They just listened to his heartbeat and moved as if they were extensions of him.
The Mew Aqua glowed for a few more seconds, and then... nothing. Roy slowly floated to the ground and opened his eyes. The plant cried as it rooted itself into the dirt; Roy softly muttered, "There, there. I'll come get you soon, I promise."
Ryouturned to his friend, saying, "Well? What'd the sample talk to you about?"
"It wanted me to let it go," Roy sighed. "But I got something. It turns out that it's more comfortable with Miles than me... something about Miles' blood. I wonder if the sample likes aliens more than humans?"
Ryou blinked. "What do you think will happen if we release it?"
"I don't know," Roy shrugged. "It had the mana signature of a healing potion. Perhaps if you grab that dying flower from the store..."
Ryou nodded, running up the stairs and presumably into the flower shop. It was at this point that Roy decided to fast-forward the tape, highlighting only the important parts. Mimi continued watching in awe as Ryou had brought back a dying plant from the back of the store. Roy had released the Mew Aqua on the plant.
The plant shivered, but slowly blossomed and grew new flowers as it turned towards the lamplight. Roy's face visibly brightened as he grinned, "So it heals the plants. Just like I do.. but see? Its power is greater. It was able to fully mend the roots and the leaves. Oh, and how it fixed---"
Ryou had cut his friend off in the tape with, "That's great! So we need to find more of these samples and really test them on other things. It looks like the Mew Aqua's going well."
A yawn was heard from the opposite side of the room. Both Roy and Ryou had turned to watch Miles rub his eyes and slowly sit up. "Wh-what happened? I remember coming in, but..."
"You fell asleep again," Roy gently smiled. "But I think I finally know what Mew Aqua does."
"Really," Miles grinned as he slowly rose and walked over to the two boys. "That's great! I'm glad I brought the sample over, then. What does it do?"
Roy gestured to the now blossoming plant. "Do you remember seeing this somewhere?"
Miles shook his head for a second. He then took another look at the plant and stared as he slowly, hestitantly leaned over and touched its leaves. "Wasn't this... um, wilting?"
"Oh yeah," Roy beamed. "But the Mew Aqua fully healed it! I'm thinking it's like one giant healing potion... but for the planet instead of people. I was wondering how the earth was going to bounce back from all of the pollution we were causing to it."
Laughing, Miles remarked, "You love Earth too, don't you? Mimi and Primrose said it a couple of times, but I never believed it until now."
Roy had blinked. "Huh? Why not?"
"You didn't seem like the environmentalist," Miles shrugged. "... I'm glad to hear it, though. Is that why you guys created the mew mews? To help stop pollution?"
"Not exactly," Roy nervously smiled. "They were created specifically to fight against the Chimera Anima."
Miles furrowed his eyebrows in confusion as he rose and let go of the plant. "Wait a sec," He said, holding up his hands. "You're telling me you guys knew exactly what the aliens were here for in the first place?"
Mimi now stared straight over at Ryou and Roy. "You two, stop inching towards the door," The brunette barked as she gave them both death glares. Pausing the tape, she crossed her arms and marched straight to them.
"How are you supposed to know about Chimera Anima? About the aliens?"
She rubbed her temples. "I just don't get it---" Her eyes widened, and she stepped back as she grabbed the nearby hammer. "Oh, no, no, no. You guys can't be honest-to-goodness... can you?"
"Well," Roy laughed, raising an eyebrow at the hammer. "That hammer's pretty useless if you're going to honestly fight us."
"So you're not denying it," She pouted.
Ryou smirked, "Why would we? It's the truth. Roy and I knew this was going to happen because we'd seen the future - or pieces of it - and decided to act in the present. We definitely didn't want a repeat of the past."
Mimi raised an eyebrow as she waved the hammer around, "What do you mean, pieces of the future?"
Roy interrupted, "Ryler really saw the future. I don't have that ability."
"Don't really care," Mimi sighed, putting the hammer down. "Just tell me why you created the mew mews in the first place. Why I'm involved in this mess!"
Ryou and Roy exchanged nervous glances (boy, were they fond of looking at each other!) before they motioned for her to sit on the couch. Taking a swivel chair over, Ryou sat on it while Roy and Mimi plopped down on the comfy couch.
Another scream erupted from the closet. Roy twirled his index finger counterclockwise and sighed exasperatedly as vines continued to enforce the steel doors. "We don't have much time, Meems. We'll have to give you the short version."
Mimi nodded, "Fine. Just tell me!"
"Chimera Anima can't be purified by normal means," Roy explained. "So we had to tweak Ryler's dad's plans. The Mew Mews were created to fight and protect Earth from Chimera Anima."
"You see," Ryou added, picking up exactly where his friend had left off, "We're more than capable of defeating Chimera Anima. But I think Primrose already told you. If you can't purify a Chimera Anima, you have to kill its host first."
"I see," Mimi bit her lip. "So we're purifiers of the Earth?"
"Yes," Roy shot a nervous glance back at the closet. "Ryou, Shuugo, and I are actually... well, the technical term is wizard. But we prefer to call ourselves mages."
"I knew it!" Mimi jumped up, pointing her fingers at both boys. "You could see the future after all! And you... and those plants! No wonder Miles liked you so much!"
Roy laughed nervously, "Yes. But Mimi, you do realize that the only reason we told you is because you're technically one of us now?"
She blinked, tilting her head to the side. "Huh?"
"The Mew Mew," Ryou explained, "is essentially an artifical mage. Created from the fused DNA of endangered animals who struggled to survive and humans, mew mews can purify Chimera Anima and fight against the aliens which threaten to conquer Earth."
The closet roared again, but Roy didn't try to shut the cries up this time. Instead, he walked to the side of the closet and held both of his fisted hands tightly.
"Mimi?" Roy asked, staring straight into her eyes. "Prepare to purify someone you love."
He let the vines go. Ryou summoned a staff from inside his watch (Mimi had wondered why someone would willingly wear a big wristwatch) as he jumped beside her. Taking a deep breath, Mimi watched as her boyfriend stumbled out.
She gasped. His hair was long and flowing, just like the Amber Templare's... his ears were big like the alien's... everything about him was yellow, just like the Templare's. But his eyes. Instead of that piercing shade of yellow she'd come to expect, they felt lifeless. Empty. And he just wouldn't stop screaming.
(The walls of the basement, she noted, were definitely sound proof.)
Mimi choked, "Mew Mew Mimi... Metamorpho-sis."
The light show pushed the Templare - but was it really him? - back, but he immediately lunged forward towards Mew Mimi. Mew Mimi jumped back as she whispered, "Mimi Slammer." She started circling him; her ears twitched every time he even made a single movement.
How could she think of attacking him? He was her lover, her protector, her best friend. Biting back tears, Mew Mimi clutched her meteor hammer tighter. The ropes dug into her fingers; she could start to feel the blood in them.
He lunged towards her... and she didn't make a single attempt to fight back.
Ryou seized her by the stomach and ran. The Templare chased them; Ryou cursed as he glanced over his shoulder. "Daybreak!" He shot yellow-orange bursts of energy at the Templare... Miles... whatever the creature might be.
The Templare howled as each shot hit. Mew Mimi moaned; Ryou immediately cried, "Meems! You okay?"
She shook her head. "... I-I'm the only one that can hurt him."
With that, she let go of his grip (man, he was stronger than he let on!) and released herself to the ground. Staring up at the Templare, she swung her meteor hammer at him. "Miles... I-I don't know what's going on, but it's me. It's going to be all right."
"NO," The Templare snarled. "It's never going to be---"
Mew Mimi somehow dodged the vines going everywhere as she slowly but steadily walked to him. Closing the gap, she put the hammer in her left hand and silenced his mouth with her right. "I don't know what happened, but I still love you."
The Templare's hand dug into her shoulder. Mew Mimi screamed, "Miiiiiles!"
His eyes widened. He stared at her, and then at the blood trickling down her right arm. He shook his head, and the yellow eyes just glowed even more.
"I told you," Ryou said exasperatedly as he ran towards the Templare. "You need to purify him! We're not capable of it ourselves! Unless we kill him--"
Mew Mimi narrowed her eyes and piercingly glared at her employer. Ignoring the blood, she uttered, "You will do no such thing."
She deftly swung her meteor hammer as a lasso and created a strong rope around his arms. He yowled; she winced. Clenching her teeth together, she whispered, "Ribbon, Mimi Bind."
The rope glowed as the ends of the meteor hammer met. Closing her eyes, she jumped back and waited.
The Templare screamed again... and then there was light. Mew Mimi and the boys shielded their eyes as they watched sparks of pink light bounce around the room. The meteor hammer flew back into Mimi's hands as Miles slowly fell to the ground. There must've been at least a hundred Chimera that flew from his mouth, his nose... and were there two from his eyes? (EW.)
Ryou immediately created a circle with his staff and sighed with relief as the jellyfish-like creatures were contained.
Miles fell into Roy's arms as Mew Mimi detransformed. Walking steadily over to her boyfriend, Mimi called out, "Is he okay?"
"Yeah," Roy confirmed. "But I'd had no idea he'd bond as strongly with the parasites as he did."
Mimi nodded, putting a hand over her bell necklace as she watched Roy gently set Miles on the couch again. "So what does that mean?"
"Well," Ryou sighed. "We're going to have to figure out what these parasites were intended for in the first place."
"Not to mention their bond to the aliens," Roy quipped as he put both of his hands on his hips. Looking over Miles, he added, "But you know, Ryler. That little incident pretty much confirmed our worst fears."
"Unfortunately," Ryou shook his head as he focused his attention back on Mimi. "Miles going berserk and bonding with the Chimera the way he did... it's pretty safe to say that he didn't appreciate Luciano lying to him all those years."
"We know we's not human," Mimi bit her lip, "But... uh, how did Mr. Alesci lie to his kid?"
"Mr. Alesci," Roy spat the name out like it was a bitter herb (Mimi actually stared at him in surprise), "failed to mention that he had a wife before Stella Alesci. Back when he was researching the Mew Project, he fell in love with an advance scout named Alina. Oh, but it gets better! They actually had a kid together before something happened and Alina either perished or disappeared off the face of Earth."
Mimi stared. "Y-you're not implying that..."
"Oh, no," Ryou laughed. "We're not implying. This incident proves that Miles is at the very least half-alien."
"You've got to be kidding me---"
"He should've honestly been horribly deformed by fusing with a hundred and twenty parasites," Roy sighed as he shook his head. "But you saw him back there. He was just a lifeless Amber Templare. Based on our past observations, that shouldn't have been possible. When a human fuses with just one parasite, he or she becomes a monster. Miles... didn't. Not in psyical appearance, and he had a hundred and twenty within him!"
"So," Mimi finally concluded. "We should keep a better eye on him, right?"
"Right," Both Roy and Ryou nodded as Ryou wandered over to Miles. Pushing Mimi over, he added, "So... you also know the other mews don't know about our abilities, right? We want to tell them first."
Mimi narrowed her eyes, "So don't spill the beans. I understand."
"Thanks," Roy gently smiled at her.
"But," Mimi's addition caused both of the boys to groan, "I want to know this selfish reason. Wanting to save the earth doesn't sound very me-centric."
"It has to do with Ryler's father," Roy explained. "You've noticed how you never see him around, right? ... He's sorta kinda a workaholic. One who doesn't realize that both of his kids are well-versed in combat and fighting abilities."
Raising an eyebrow, Mimi repeated, "Workaholic? So you guys did this little Mew Project to prove to Ryan's dad that work isn't everything?"
"Not exactly," Ryou coughed. "More like, proving to Dad that he needs to honestly spend more time with his family. Maybe then if we'd work together, he could see solutions in work he hadn't before."
Mimi stared. "You mean... The Mew Project wasn't finished with your dad?"
"He quit it after the big fight with Luciano," Roy looked towards the ceiling. "And that's when Jishou Shirogane slowly began his descent into workaholic mode, much to his entire family's dismay. Uncle Shou's a social butterfly, so when he decides to be by himself? It's a pretty bad thing."
"Ohhhhh," Mimi stared at her shoes now, sure her face was deep red with embarrassment. "So um, how come you didn't tell us? You'd think we'd laugh at you?"
"I'm surprised you haven't, actually," Ryou admitted.
Mimi looked up at him and genuinely smiled. "Why? Wanting your dad to spend time with you isn't wrong. And now that I know about you guys, you can surely help in battle---"
"We're overkill, Meems," Roy narrowed his eyes. "If you want the parasite hosts to be killed, then fine. We'll join you in battle. But otherwise, we won't be very helpful."
Mimi crossed her arms, narrowing her eyes equally, "Oh come on! What about fighting the aliens?"
"We were holding back," Ryou admitted with a sad smile. "They were more challenging than I expected, which is why we were losing. But don't argue with Rovin, Meems. You're not going to win."
"Hmph," Mimi stuck her tongue out at them.
That's when the door to the basement opened and all four mews immediately ran into Mimi's arms.
"We were so worried," Celsia sobbed--
Retasu interrupted, "Is Miles-san okay?"
"If your boyfriend's hurt, we can cure him---"
Sorrel finished, "You looked so worried, but we didn't want to interrupt."
Oddly enough, Mimi found herself laughing as she realized she'd been in the middle of one giant group hug. Not only did it feel absolutely amazing, but... they were together again. Mimi giggled, "Aww, you guys! I'm absolutely okay. Not so sure 'bout Miles, but we'll see when he wakes up again."
"Must be nice," Sorrel commented dryly as she stared the sleeping Miles down. "I'd love to be sleeping most of my summer away."
Mimi made a face, "I'll explain later. It's not as nice as you make it out to be!"
Sorrel blinked confusedly, but nodded, "All right."
Someone's cell phone rang. Everyone immediately jumped to their pockets, purses, whatever, as they started to reach around for their various mobile devices. Sorrel blinked in confusion as she opened hers and listened to the voice on the other side.
"What do you mean Garner's come back for the weekend? He's been here this entire time--- no, I swear! I'm not hallucinating--- eh? England? Oh, god, I don't know--- fine, Amy. I'll try and come as soon as I can, okay?"
She hung up and sheepishly smiled at the rest of her bewildered teammates. "My bandmate's convinced that Garner moved to England when he really just quit the band. ... I'll see what's going on, but I'll get back to you as soon as possible, okay?"
With that, she nervously - and quickly! - darted up the long staircase back to the flower store.
Celsia sighed desolately, "Poor Sorrel. I hope her boy troubles get sorted out."
Ryou raised an eyebrow as he sarcastically remarked, "Oh, and you're the pinnacle of innocence."
"What the heck does pinnacle mean?" Celsia stared at him with dagger eyes.
"Oh, nothing," Ryou whistled. "Have fun the next time you run into Chive, okay~?"
Celsia glared at Ryou (while poor Roy was trying so hard not to laugh!) as she too departed from the scene. Mimi, Retasu, and Primrose looked at each other, then at the sleeping Miles before they solemnly gazed at the boys.
"Oy," Primrose whistled. Both boys stared at her as Primrose added, "We need'ta get Miles out of here! And uh... I've no idea what that circle-thing-y's for, but it doesn't look very secure."
Roy and Ryou exchanged nervous glances. Immediately, Roy called, "I'll carry Miles up. Mimi, Retasu, will you just make sure he goes up safely?"
Mimi and Retasu nodded, watching Roy gently cradle the blond into his arms. Roy flashed them a smile as the two followed behind him. Ryou motioned for Primrose to move, but the young child didn't do a thing as she swayed from side to side.
"Mr. Ryou," Primrose called.
Ryou twitched as he was forced to go look for a sturdier jar, "Yes?"
"Did you create that barrier? It looks a lot like my Enforce skill."
Ryou nearly dropped the jar. He quickly gripped it better as he slowly dipped the jar - well, the giant bowl - into the barrier. The parasites quickly flew into the jar as Ryou dispersed the barrier all together. He quickly sealed them all shut. Holding the bowl again, he ignored Primrose as he put the parasites away in the storage closet.
"Mr. Ryou? I'm still waiting for you to answer me."
There was no ignoring her, was it? Ryou locked the storage closet before extending his hand to Primrose. "And what would you say if my answer was yes?"
Primrose grinned back at him as she took it, "Then I'd say I have the coolest boss ever."
Ryou ruffled her hair as he slammed the door shut behind the two, "And I've got the coolest employee ever. ... Thanks, Prim."
She beamed, "You're welcome!" as the two ran up the long staircase to join their comrades. "Shame you didn't tell me earlier~"
He stuck his tongue out at her, but ended up laughing as they disappeared into the light.
There was something very wrong about this situation. Sorrel could just feel it as she walked into the band room. First Miles is out of control (and Mimi has to keep subduing him with her powers), but now this about her boyfriend? This was getting ridiculous.
Shaking her head, Sorrel glanced around at her band. Amy was there all right; she was the pink-haired (which was completely dyed!) girl setting up the keyboard for their next performance. The guys (Mitch and Joel) were also tuning their respective instruments. All eyes were on her as she walked on stage to join them.
"Hey," Sorrel greeted with a smile as she took her microphone from Amy. "I heard Garner's here?"
"Yeah," Amy grinned, giving her friend the thumbs-up. "I know you were uber-bummed about him moving to England, so I asked if he could come over here while he was visiting his aunt. And get this? He said yes!"
She leaned in closer, whispering in Sorrel's ear, "But why didn't you keep in touch, Sor? I know you had a major crush on him... I mean, it was pretty obvious. Even Mitch knew."
Sorrel whispered back, "Because he didn't move to---"
The door suddenly opened as a tall, lean teenager walked in. He had messy chestnut brown hair, but it went past his shoulders now and was hung loose. His eyes were framed by a gorgeous pair of glasses, and his clothes! He was wearing a traditional British school uniform, complete with messed-up tie and rolled up blazer sleeves.
He waved at everyone, "Hey! Long time no see!"
... Oh god, he even had the accent. What the heck was going on here?
As Sorrel stared, Amy giggled, "He got even cuter! I didn't think that was even possible!"
Mitch and Joel laughed; the minute Sorrel glared at them, they immediately both stared down at their instruments and softly started playing the scale. Boys.
Garner, however, ignored the atmosphere in the room as he rolled his sleeves up and sat in a nearby chair. "I hope I'm not intruding on anything?"
Of course Amy had to be stupid as she giggled, "Nuh-uh! Of course not!"
Sorrel nervously nodded as she agreed, "Y-yeah. Um, will you guys please excuse me for a second? I need to grab something from the vending machine."
Everyone stared at her as she slowly walked out of the bandroom. Sorrel shook her head as she heard the door open again behind her. She knew Garner was following her - Amy probably wouldn't be far behind. But this was just too much! She'd been dating Garner for the past few months... oddly enough, his image had changed considerably when it'd happened.
No. She wouldn't believe it.
But as she glanced over her shoulder to see Garner undo his tie, she... could actually start to see it coming together. Had she been dating an imposter? It felt almost impossible. But if someone had told her half a year ago that she'd be fighting aliens, she would've laughed in that person's face and told him he was dreaming.
The realms of "possible" and "impossible" were slowly becoming one in her mind. (Even if she denied it most of the time!) It bugged her, of course, but what could she do about it? Besides, you know... actually talk to Garner?
"Sorrel," Garner finally broke the silence by walking beside her.
She blinked. "What's---"
"The vending machine's that way," He sighed, taking her hand as he pulled her in the opposite direction.
"Oh," Sorrel nervously laughed. "My bad."
Garner gave her a confused look as they continued walking. "What's up with you? You're not usually this emotional."
What's up? Try the fact he doesn't recognize being her girlfriend for the past few months? Or even that he kissed her? Twice? Sorrel faked a smile as she replied, "Nothing. I'm just a little tired."
"You sure," Garner bit his lip. "I haven't seen you since... wow, January. I heard you got a boyfriend. What's he like?"
Sorrel stared blankly in front of her as she let Garner's hand go. "You have no idea who he is?"
Garner nervously laughed, "Course not! Would I be asking you if I knew?"
"Absolutely no idea? You're not pretending for my benefit?"
"Sorrel!" Now Garner looked almost angry. "Why the hell would I pretend to not know?! I seriously don't know who your boyfriend is, okay? Why would you---"
"Because I thought you were my boyfriend."
Garner stopped there as he held her hand. "Sor, you had a crush. That wasn't the same thing."
"No, but after you quit the band, you came back like a month later..."
There was almost a look of pity in Garner's eyes as he shook his head. "I was busy getting settled into my new school. There was no time to visit NYC. I promise I would've come back if I could."
Sorrel looked up at the ceiling. "So you were really in England?"
"Cross my heart and hope to die," Garner laughed, taking her hand and squeezing it gently. "So now I want to meet this mystery boyfriend of yours. Maybe you confused him for me because of my wicked good looks!"
She honestly wanted to slap him then and there for that comment.
... Wait. The Garner she'd been dating would have never talked like that. He never carried himself confidently like he did now, and he especially didn't have long hair! (The glasses, she admitted, were pretty cute, but were a new addition.)
She had been dating an imposter! A more well-mannered imposter, to be sure, but one nevertheless. Her face visibly brightened as she took the lead and dragged Garner forcefully to the vending machines. "Oh you," She found herself teasing him. "My boyfriend is actually your complete opposite... in everything except looks."
Garner traced teardrops down the side of his face, "Awww, really? I wonder why." There was a brief lull in the conversation as Sorrel stopped to pay for a bottle of Coke, but once she was done, the two walked back to the band room in relatively good spirits.
"I don't know what happened during our conversation," Garner laughed, "But you're back to the Sorrel I know."
"I just needed some caffeine," Sorrel nudged his shoulder. "That's all."
"So tell me about your mystery boyfriend," Garner grinned as they neared the band room. "I'm actually pretty darn curious now."
"Oh, that's easy," Sorrel began with a grin. "You see, he's---"
At that moment, a brunet slammed the band room's door shut. His face was scowling, but aside from the shorter (much shorter!) and lighter brown hair and lack of glasses, he could've passed for... Garner. He - and Garner and Sorrel - stopped in their tracks and stared at each other with blank looks.
Garner's jaw dropped, "Holy. Crap. He looks just like me."
Sorrel whispered, "Garner?" at the same time the brunet said, "Sorrel?"
Garner looked from Sorrel to the other-him and then sighed, rubbing his temples, "... I can't forsee this ending well."