Mix-Ups and Matchmakers

Renako looked up from petting the stray cat to see Xell. "Oh, hi," she said.

Xell sat on the bench next to her. "Renako, I'm sorry if I acted like a jerk," he said. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. Iruka's a lucky guy."

"It's okay," Renako said, not looking up. "I forgive you."

"I've been meaning to ask," Xell went on.

Renako looked up, and the grey cat jumped off her lap. "You've been meaning to ask what, Xell?"

"Well... I... um... you see..." he trailed off and looked down, blushing furiously.

Renako smiled. When Xell liked someone, he had a hard time hiding it. "What is it?" she asked in a teasing tone of voice.

"I just wanted to know... whothatgirlis," he said quickly, looking down again. His face was bright red.

"What girl?" Renako asked.

"I've seen you with her. She has blue hair that she wears in a ponytail..."

"Oh! You mean Miyuki?" Renako asked.

"Miyuki..." Xell said the name as if it were the name of an angel. His golden eyes were glazed over. Suddenly, there was a hand waving in front of his eyes.

"Coruscant to Xell! Why do you need to know?" Renako asked.

"I, um... just do," Xell said, getting up. "Bye, Renako-chan." He waved, then took off running.

Renako sighed. Now Xell had a crush on Miyuki! Was he going to pester her daily about it? The stray cat purred and nuzzled against her leg, meowing as if to say, "Yes."

Umi sat on a park bench, daydreaming. The wind lifted the ends of her black hair and whistled through the trees. She sighed happily and went through her daydream again:

"Umi?"

Umi looked up and jumped. There stood Miyuki.

"What were you thinking about?" she asked.

"Um... nothing," Umi said, although they both knew it was Tenchi. "I have to go now. See you!" She jumped up.

"Wait, Umi," Miyuki said. But the girl was already far away. Sometimes that girl's crush is so obvious, she thought to herself, shaking her head.

"Miyuki, this is my friend Xell. Xell, this is my friend Miyuki," Renako said. She looked at Xell and sighed inwardly. If that boy were any more shy he would be silent, like her sister Koumi.

"Glad to meet you," Miyuki said, giving Xell a friendly smile and holding her hand out.

"Me too," Xell said. He took her hand and, deciding to be brave, kissed it.

Miyuki blinked in surprise. "So you're Renako's friend?" she asked.

Xell nodded, a dreamy look in his eyes. "But if you want, I could be yours!"

Miyuki laughed. "Sure. And I'll be yours."

"Did you hear that? She likes me!" Xell cried in triumph later that day.

"Xell. She said she would be your friend. Not your girlfriend," Renako reminded the golden-eyed boy.

"But I could just tell she wanted to say something else," Xell went on excitedly.

Um... I'm sure she did," Renako said, smiling brightly.

"Um... can I help you with that?" Umi asked.

"Whoa!" Tenchi cried, startled. He almost dropped the hammer he was holding.

"Sorry to scare you," Umi said, adjusting her glasses. "I just wanted to help. What are you doing, anyway?"

"I saw that the boards are coming loose in this doorway, and decided to fix it," Tenchi explained.

"Oh. So do you want me to help?" Umi asked eagerly.

"I think I've got it under control..." He saw the crestfallen look on her face. "Oh, sure. You can help."

Umi brightened instantly. "Okay!" She got onto the chair Tenchi was standing on and held up a nail. "Here," she said.

Tenchi hammered the wood back into place as Umi watched. "Wow, you're such a good handyman," she said.

"Thanks," Tenchi said, getting off the chair and helping Umi down.

Umi looked at the hand Tenchi touched. It felt warm and alive, tingling with his touch. "Thanks for letting me help," she said softly.

Tenchi laughed. "I should be thanking you. Arigato, Umi."

"You're welcome!" Umi cried cheerfully, winking and giving a 'V-for- victory' sign.

Miyuki brushed her blue hair from her face and reached for the door to the ice cream parlor.

"WAIT! STOP!" cried a voice.

She turned around in alarm. What's wrong? she wondered. Is there a giant beast on the other side? Is there-

"Let me get it for you," said a voice. It took her a few seconds to recognize his face. It was Xell, the boy she'd met earlier. He opened the door and stepped back. "Ladies first."

"Thank you," Miyuki said. "What a coincidence, seeing you for the second time today."

"Uh... yeah," Xell said, rubbing the back of his head and giving a nervous laugh.

"Well, are you here to get some ice cream?" Miyuki asked.

"Uh-huh. I'll buy you some," Xell said bravely and quickly.

"Thank you, that's very nice of you," Miyuki said. "But you do realize I have to repay you someday?"

"You don't have to unless you want to," Xell said, trying hard not to blush as he looked at the pretty older girl.

"Oh, I want to," she promised.

They sat down and ordered, Xell nervously playing with a piece of his burgundy-plum hair.

"I like your clothes," Miyuki said, looking at Xell's Chinese-style outfit.

"Oh, thanks. We... don't have a lot of money, so my mother makes them," Xell said.

"She's very talented," Miyuki commented.

"I'll tell her you said that," Xell promised.

The waitress came by with their ice cream. "Here you go," she said, winking at Xell. He felt somewhat pleased that she thought he and Miyuki were together.

"Well... I'll see you later," Miyuki said when they left the shop.

"Yeah... okay," Xell said.

Miyuki bent down to kiss him on the cheek. "Thanks again, Xell," she said.

Xell stood rooted to the spot. "You're welcome," he managed to reply.

"Your friend Xell is so adorable," Miyuki said to Renako.

"He is?" the black-haired girl asked. "I mean, yeah...."

"He's so sweet. He bought me ice cream," she added with a laugh. "Just like a cute little brother."

Renako bit her lip. So the only way Miyuki thought of Xell was as a little brother? She couldn't tell him; it would break his heart. She sighed and tried to smile.

A week later...

"Miyuki?" Tenchi asked tentatively, poking his head into her room.

"Yes?" she asked. "Come in."

Tenchi came in and sat on her bed. "I have something I want to tell you."

"What is it?" Miyuki asked, playing with the end of her blanket.

"It's about your friend Umi," Tenchi said uncomfortably. "She, uh... well... she keeps trying to 'help' me, and she only makes things worse," he said.

"I know someone like that," Miyuki said. "Renako's friend Xell. He has a crush on me." She laughed. "He's sweet, though."

"Umi is sweet too," Tenchi said. "But she likes me just a little too much."

Miyuki's eyes took on a gleam that could only mean one thing: she was planning something. "Are you thinking what I'm thinking?" she asked.

Tenchi nodded. "That Umi and Xell might make a good couple."

"I want you to meet a friend of mine," Miyuki said to Umi, pushing the black-haired girl in front of her. "He's really nice, I promise."

"Umi, this is Xell, Xell, this is Umi," Miyuki said.

Umi felt her heart beat faster as she looked at the boy in front of her. He sure was cute... No, she thought. My heart belongs to Tenchi. But she couldn't help thinking he was cute.

Xell felt his cheeks get hot as he looked at Miyuki's friend. She was pretty cute. Although she lacks Miyuki's goddess-like beauty, he reminded himself.

"Pleased to meet you," Umi said.

Xell smiled. "You too, Umi." Then he frowned, looking at something behind Umi. "That water wasn't there before."

Umi began to panic. Oh no! she thought. Most Aquarians had the power to control water, but Umi could not. Whenever she felt especially emotional, things like this happened.

"Why don't we go see a holofilm," Miyuki said loudly, steering them away from the water. "It'll be my treat. Come on."

"Okay," Xell said hesitantly.

During the holofilm, Xell couldn't help but sneak a few glances at Umi. He felt bad for being disloyal to Miyuki, but she was a very pretty girl.

"That was great. Thank you, Miyuki," Umi said.

"Glad you guys had fun," Miyuki said. She smiled. Things were going perfectly so far.

Xell sat in his shabby room in the apartment he and his mother lived in. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop thinking about Umi. Miyuki is the one I love, he reminded himself. But he kept seeing her face - her shining eyes framed by glasses, her bright smile... he shook his head.

"Xell?" called a weak voice.

He got up and ran to his mother's room. "Yes, Mama?"

"I just wanted to tell you... you don't have to stay here with me most of the time," she said. "The other boys go out and have fun. You should, too."

Xell shook his head, his burgundy hair flying wildly about his face. "I want to take care of you, Mama. You're sick."

Her pale cheeks were flushed and her eyes looked distant. "But I'm okay, Xell. I'll be okay. Please, go out and have fun."

"But I want to stay with you," he protested.

She shook her head. "I feel so bad, Xell. I'm such a burden to you. I don't even cook for you, and you've almost outgrown your clothes."

"But I can cook," Xell protested. "And I tried to earn money..." His golden eyes shimmered with tears. "I tried to help," he said in a small voice.

His mother's pretty face looked so sad as she reached out to him. "Give me a hug," she said.

Xell hugged her, saying, "I tried to help, really I did, Mama."

"I know," she said. "And you really should get out more. So go right now. Go and play with your friends or do whatever you want to. I'll take it as an insult if you don't."

Xell sighed. "Okay," he said.

"I'll be okay," his mother said, smiling.

"I think it's working," Miyuki whispered excitedly.

Renako nodded in agreement. "Yeah. They look so cute together!"

Xell and Umi were looking for Miyuki and Renako, who had strategically placed themselves out of sight. "RENAKO! MIYUKI!" Xell cried.

Renako giggled. "It's kind of mean, to abandon them. But it's all for love, right?"

"Right!" Miyuki said.

"Where could they have gone?" Umi wondered in exasperation.

Xell shrugged. "Who knows?" he asked.

Just then a man in a black suit came running up to them. "Do you kids know Xell Rezatonia?"

"I'm Xell Rezatonia," Xell said. "What do you want me for?"

"It's your mother," the man said. "I'm afraid she..."

"What? Mama!" Xell cried, tears appearing in his eyes.

"I'm sorry. She was just so sick," the man said.

"You mean she..." Umi said in horror.

"Became one with the Force? Yes," the ominous man said.

Umi gasped. "Xell..." she said.

Miyuki and Renako looked at each other and jumped out from behind the bush.

"Xell, I'm so sorry!" Renako cried.

Miyuki offered her comfort as well, but all the boy could do was stand there in shock. Tears streamed effortlessly down his cheeks, and the wind blew his hair.

"I promise you we'll have the best funeral for her," the man said.

"Go away!" Xell suddenly screamed. Sobbing, he tore through the crowd and ran until he was out of sight.

There was quite a crowd at the funeral. Xell had told Renako and Miyuki to invite all their friends. He wanted it to be special; he felt his mother deserved it and that everyone should pay their respects to her.

Miyuki adjusted her black skirt and looked at Xell. His golden eyes seemed to have lost their usual shine and looked dull and lifeless. She felt so sorry for him.

Xell looked at Miyuki. She was crying softly as she looked at him with caring eyes. He realized that maybe Miyuki wasn't the girl of his dreams. He really preferred Umi.

Umi walked over to Xell and gave him a gentle hug. "I just want you to know... I'm here for you," she whispered.

After the funeral, everyone had gone home except Umi and Xell. Xell had no home; there was no way he could pay the rent on the apartment. He felt so useless.

"Xell, maybe you can move into the Jedi Temple," Umi suggested. "I'm sure they would take you in, they're such nice people."

Xell nodded, as if he had been thinking of this all along. "Umi... I never told you how much I liked you."

She stared into his eyes, seeing some of the original shine. "I... I like you, too," she said.

"And people who like each other kiss, right?" Xell asked.

Umi nodded, feeling nervous. "Yes... I guess so," she said.

Xell leaned over and gave her a quick kiss on the lips. "That... wasn't so bad."

"No, it wasn't," Umi said, a smile forming on her lips.

He took her face gently in his hands and gave her a long, sweet, loving kiss. Then he was suddenly drenched in water. "Huh?" Xell said, pulling away from her.

Umi turned bright red. "Oops. I forgot to tell you. Whenever I feel strong emotions, I kind of... well, you see... water comes," she laughed. Little geysers and fountains sprang up all around them until they were completely soaked.

"I'd hate to see you mad," Xell laughed.