Hotaru padded up the cold sidewalk to Mike's front porch, hugging herself for warmth... and to disguise the fact that she was shivering with dread. Hotaru thought she was getting off light, all the same; that wicked dare she'd once stuck Candy with had involved a mammoth bowl of Jello and a photograph that the unfortunate Jello-ee hadn't lived down yet (although it had worked a twisted miracle for her popularity at school, in some circles).
It was a little late to ring the doorbell, but Hotaru saw blue light from the living room. Mike liked to stay up late and watch TV on the weekends, so she might be able to get through this without involving the rest of his family.
Hotaru already had a plan as she came up the walk. She stepped up on the wood stoop, glad to be off cold paving and sheltered from the wind. Her teeth were chattering with apprehension, but it was just possible she could escape anonymously. Picking up the welcome mat by the front door, Hotaru made sure she could hide behind it. To her knees, at least. She could get Mike to the door, recite what the dare required, and carefully back her way out to the street and limo. Mike would be so surprised, he'd never figure out who it was. She hoped.
Hotaru took a deep breath and rapped lightly on Mike's front door with numb knuckles.
Her stomach lurched as she heard someone approach, and Hotaru quickly hid most of herself behind the welcome mat.
"NOW what?!" asked Mike, opening the door, as if he'd been putting up with naked girls interrupting him all night. Looking down, she could see his sneakers just in front of her. Hotaru swallowed hard and spoke.
"Hi there, Mike! Your dream girl is here!"
Although she disguised her voice, Hotaru sounded unreasonably chipper, even to herself.
"Tomoe, what the heck are you up to?" asked Mike, sounding amused.
Hotaru forgot all about her plan.
"You recognized me by my FEET?!" Hotaru demanded, dropping the mat to chest height and frowning. With her imagined escape stymied, Hotaru's disappointment outweighed her drop-dead chagrin.
"They're totally superb feet, aren't they?" said Mike, grinning. "But really, I just don't know anyone as pale as you, Tomoe."
"I'm not that pale," Hotaru grumbled. Griping beat death by embarrassment, so she stuck with it.
"You're on a dare, right?" Mike asked, trying to get his grin under control. Hotaru noticed him struggling to be nice and felt a little better.
"This would actually be a double dare, Mike," said Hotaru, running a toe along the wood slats of the porch. She could still sprint backward, hop in the car, and get a tourniquet on what was left of her ego... but she was finally talking to Mike! The conflicting imperatives made Hotaru want to split herself down the middle.
"Umm, you're working on a triple, Tomoe," said Mike, pointing at the street. Hotaru looked over her shoulder, saw Candy and Gem hopping into the limo with her clothes, and heard their shrieky laughter as the chauffeur peeled out.
Hotaru whirled around with a betrayed yelp, realized the welcome mat's utility had slipped to 'dubious,' and spun back to face Mike. All her energy was wrapped up in blushing from head to toe, so she didn't wake the entire neighborhood with the screech she was entitled to.
"Why not come inside, I'll give you one of my brother's shirts, and he can give you a ride home when he's back from his date," Mike suggested, sounding supernaturally reasonable for someone who'd just been fully mooned. Hotaru was too busy turning crimson to acknowledge, just then. It did wonders for her pallor, and complemented the doormat nicely as well.
Finally...
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