//------------------------------// // The Mood Shifter Cutie // Story: Crystal Prep Cuties // by Wildcard25 //------------------------------// At Crystal Prep, Spike was walking through the halls trying to get to his next class, "I better hurry otherwise Ms. Harshwhinny's gonna kill me." he said to himself, while maneuvering through the students. "Oh, Spike," Came a sweet voice. Spike looked over seeing Sour Sweet leaning up against a locker. She finger motioned him over, "Could you come here for a minute?" Spike went over, "Think you can make this quick, Sour Sweet? I really need to get to class." Sour Sweet suddenly turned sour, "I call you over to talk to you and you want me to rush?!" Spike seeing this had to calm her, "What I mean is what's up?" Sour Sweet suddenly went back to being happy, "Well, I was wondering if you had any plans for after school today?" Spike looked at her knowing what was going on and answered, "Nothing specific." "Well, in that case how would you like to join me at the arcade? If you haven't already made plans that is." she grumbled the last part. Spike spoke up, "Actually, I'd love to go with you." The girl looked at him with hope, "Really?" "You betcha." Spike confirmed. "Well, that's wonderful!" Sour Sweet cheered, "I'll see you after school." she hurried off to class. "That went better than I expected," Spike said before the bell rang, "Crap! I'm late!" he ran through the hall. After school, Spike exited the building with Fanycypants, "I came this close to getting a detention." Spike said with dread. "Good heavens. You certainly don't wanna get that here at Crystal Prep. Might certainly go on your permanent record." Fancypants warned him. "I thought that was just academic superstition." Spike said. "Maybe in other schools. But with Principal Cinch running this school, she'll put even the tiniest of disciplinary problems on your record." 'That just doesn't feel right.' Spike thought to himself. He was brought out of his thoughts by a whistle call. He and Fancypants looked down the stairs seeing Sour Sweet waiting. Fancypants seeing this smirked, and nudged his friend, "Well, looks like you've got someone waiting for you. So I'll just get out of your hair." "Right. See you tomorrow, Fancy." Spike said, as the older boy took his leave. Spike reached the bottom of the stairs and greeted Sour Sweet, "Hey, Sour Sweet. How's it going?" "Everything's perfect! But I wished you'd gotten here sooner." she grumbled. "Yeah. Sorry about that. Ran into Fancypants, and well guy talk." Spike replied. "Well, now that you're all free let's get going." she took Spike's hand and dragged him off. As Spike was trying to keep up he thought to himself, 'Wow, Sour Sweet's really holding my hand tightly. What does she think I'm gonna make a run for it?' Soon the two stopped outside the city's arcade, "Ah, the good old Mega Mondo Arcade Center. This place I certainly remember." "Yeah. Glad those idiotic suits at town hall didn't tear this place down to make room for more useless places," Sour Sweet began, "Come on." she brought him inside. They went into the arcade where Spike looked around seeing so many game consoles ranging from old classics to newer more popular games, along with a food lounge, and prize counter. "Whatcha think, Spike? Dejavu, huh?" Sour Sweet asked. "Looks a bit refurbished and yet it still feels the same," He took a whiff, "Can't take away that pizza smell though." "Trust me they tried." Sour Sweet replied. "Oh, I got to try some of these games. Especially these new ones." Spike said in excitement, as he and Sour Sweet went to purchase plenty of change. Soon they were playing away at the arcade games. Spike was playing a classic fighting game, "Oh, yeah show me what ya got. And... Bam! KO! No fighter can stand up to Spike." he boasted, until he heard Sour Sweet call out. "You cheated!" Spike looked over seeing Sour Sweet argue with some other boy her age who bore a smug expression, "Accusing me of cheating? Those are just the desperate words of a sore loser." he mocked. "I'll show you who's a sore loser you!" Sour Sweet was ready to raise hell, until Spike spoke up. "What's all the noise here?" "This schizo is accusing me of cheating at our little match of Road Warriors." he motioned to the driving game they were playing. "Who're you calling schizo you cheater?!" Sour continued to snap. "Sour Sweet, ease up," Spike calmed her, "How did he cheat?" "He kept ramming me forcing me to crash into everything." Sour Sweet answered. "That's kinda the point," the boy replied, "Do what you can to win." "Not the way you did it. Seemed like you were more focused on trying to ram me than you were actually winning." Sour Sweet continued to accuse. "Sore loser alert!" the boy mocked. Sour Sweet gritted her teeth, until Spike approached the older boy, "Sir, you insult my friends honor and are a bad example of gamers." "What'd you call me?" the boy questioned. "You heard me." "Sounds like you wanna have a go at me yourself." "Maybe I do." spike answered smugly. "All right, pal. Me and you. Name your game." Spike looked around before spotting a dance game, "There. Dance Masters." "You're on... uh what is your name?" "Spike. Spike Drake." "Well, Spike Drake. Get ready for a crushing defeat at the hands of Smash Brawl!" "Bring it on!" Spike replied. Soon the two were at the Dance Masters console in their positions. Surrounding them were more of the arcade teens and kids, with Sour Sweet up front. "Come on, Spike. You can't lose to this jerk!" she called. The two competitors looked at each other, "Ready?" Smash asked. "Here we go." Spike smirked. The game started, and the two started following the dance pattern on screen. The crowd watched them dance like pros with both Spike and Smash moving up level to level. Sour Sweet kept shouting words of encouragement to keep Spike's confidence up. Smash was looking at Spike who didn't appear to losing his edge, which made him feel nervous. But he wasn't going to let Spike outplay him and continued to dance. Spike thought, as the game was getting harder, 'I can't lose. Sour Sweet's counting on me, and my pride as a gamer is also on the line. So I will win!' he continued to dance as the moves started coming in faster and more harder. Smash saw Spike still dancing without any sense of giving up, 'What is this kid?' Suddenly he found himself getting cramped from so much dancing and fell down thus eliminating him. The machine sounded declaring Spike the winner. The crowd cheered as Spike turned to them and pumped a fist up. He turned to Smash and spoke, "Good game, Smash." Smash looked up at him and spoke, "How do you know how to move that fast?" Spike smiled, "I've practiced." Suddenly Spike found his head pulled into a headlock courtesy of Sour Sweet. "That's my friends for ya! Nothing can stop Spike!" she laughed proudly. Spike whose head was rubbing up against the side of her breast started getting flustered, 'This feels very nice.' he thought to himself. Later on, Spike and Sour Sweet were walking through the park before stopping at a bench and having ice cream cones. "Mm, this is good." Spike said. "Oh, yeah," Sour agreed before groaning and growled, "Except for the brain freeze!" Spike looked at Sour Sweet recalling her behavior ever since he reunited with her and the others. He couldn't understand how one of the nicest girls he knew since he was a kid suddenly become a mood shifter. He knew if he asked her she'd probably take it the wrong way, but if he didn't say anything about it then he'll never understand how she grew into becoming that way. "Sour Sweet?" "Yes?" the girl turned to him. "Can I ask you something?" "Sure, Spike. What is it?" "Well, what happened since I left?" "Sour suddenly became confused, "What do you mean?" "What I mean is, you were always so positive and happy like a saint. But forgive me for saying this but you've become a mood shifter just so spontaneously from sarcastically sweet to all out seriously sensitive?" Spike noticed her face started forming a frown which got him nervous, "What're you saying, Spike? You think I got a problem?" "No, I was just..." "You think I'm a schizo like a lot of others think I am?!" "I didn't say that!" "You were thinking it weren't you?!" "I wasn't!" Spike argued, while hoping this wouldn't attract the attention from others. "I can't believe you would ask me something like that!" "I only asked because I care about you!" Sour Sweet did a double take, "You care about me?" "I do," Spike answered calmly, "I don't know what happened to you to make you this way, so that's why I asked. What happened?" Sour Sweet suddenly overtaken by that question started feeling guilty, "I'm sorry, Spike. This started not long after you moved away." "It did?" Spike asked. "I don't know why happened. It's like when you moved a part of me felt like it went with you." "A part of you?" "Yes. The real caring side. You were such a great friend, and hearing that you were moving away just left a hole in my heart that couldn't be filled by the girls alone. Afterward I started experiencing these mood swings like I want to be nice, but a side of me made me feel paranoid as if others were going to turn on me or try and piss me off. The girls knew I didn't mean to behave such a way to others or even times behave that way to them, but I still felt guilty with my outbursts." "Sour..." Spike said with worry, as he started seeing tears form in her eyes. "No other boy I met since then was ever as nice to me as you were. They'd just either act like smug assholes or just play me like an instrument. After so much betrayal and such I started becoming paranoid and suspicious of others forcing me to show that ugly side. But maybe they're right. Maybe I am a schizo." she fell into despair, but was suddenly pulled into an embrace by Spike which caught her off guard. "Spike?" she gasped. "You're not a schizo or anything like that. You were just lonely," Spike spoke to her, "You may have had the others with you, but it didn't feel complete without me, did it?" "It didn't." she confirmed. "I'm sorry. I didn't realize my leaving could've had such an affect on you." "Makes look weak and pathetic, doesn't it?" she asked. "No it doesn't," he replied, "It just shows you're only human. Believe me, I missed you and everyone else so much. I didn't think I'd ever see you all again. But when I saw you all enter Principal Cinch's office I felt as if I was dreaming. But I wasn't. You were all there. Really there." Sour sniffled, "When I saw you in the office, I thought I was imagining it too. But I wasn't. You were standing right there before us. You were really back." "I know. Seeing you all made me so glad I moved back here." Sour Sweet wrapped her arms around Spike, "Spike, promise me you'll never leave again." Spike not sure if he could make such a promise, but knew there's no way his parents would want to move a third time for anything answered, "I promise. Just as long as you promise me you won't get so serious and suspicious." "I promise you I will try." Sour Sweet promised. "That's my girl." Spike smiled. "Could you please hold me for awhile, Spike?" she asked while looking at Spike with watery eyes. Spike kept smiling and whispered, "Of course." he held her close with one arm wrapped around her waist, while using his other hand to stroke her hair slowly and comforting. Spike thought he could hear Sour Sweet purr from his gentle strokes, and thought, 'Now this is the sweet girl I grew to love.'