Peach Girl Fan Fiction ❯ A Different Exchange ❯ Sae's Surprise ( Chapter 1 )

Okay. I have very recently discovered the manga Peach Girl, but I just have to say... I absolutely LOVE Kiley. So. I decided to write this fic, and give my poor hunny a break. Hope you enjoy!

Alright. This fic starts on the last the last day of school. Kiley finished sophomore year, and Toji and Momo and Sae finished their freshman year. It has the same setting, only tweaked a little, so don't be surprised to find inaccuracies about anything in general. Ummm.... oh yeah... it's a songfic, eventually. That's all I have to say for now, so go ahead and read already!

I don't own peach girl...though I'm looking into buying Kiley *grins*. Well, wouldn't you?

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Ch apter 1: Sae's surprise

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The bell rang at the end of the day, and a cheer went up throughout the school. Everyone was ready for summer vacation. Momo stood up from her desk, and waited for her boyfriend, Toji, to join her. She smiled, thinking of him. She never thought they would ever be this close, but she was glad, she really did love him. As he approached her, she reached out, and he took her hand. Together they walked out of the classroom, completely oblivious to the rest of the world.

Sae had seen this entire exchange, and it incensed her.

`Toji should be mine! We should be happy, not her. Why in the world can't he dump her and go out with me?' She huffed, and then sighed. `I have to be home early today. Mom and Dad said they have a surprise for me.'

She grinned, as an idea came to her. `Maybe it will make Momo jealous! That would be so great. Oh, now I have to know what my surprise is.' She grabbed her bag and ran out of the room, down the hall and out of the school.

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Kiley staggered as he felt someone push him aside while running out of the school. He looked up to see who it was.

`Is that Sae? Wonder what's got her so excited. Oh well.'

He fixed his bag over his shoulder, and continued out of the building. He was, for once, not accompanied by his fan club, for which he was extremely relieved.

`I wonder how Momo's doing, we haven't had much time to talk lately...both of us have been busy studying for finals. Hey, speak of the devil!' Kiley spotted Toji and Momo walking down the street, hand in hand, and ran over to them.

"Hey! How's my favorite couple in the world?" he asked, stepping between them and putting an arm around each of their shoulders. Toji glared at him.

"We were just fine, until a second ago." He said.

"Well that's just great!" Kiley exclaimed. "Hey Momo! It's been awhile, what say you and I get together over dinner tonight and catch up? Huh, huh? You know you want to." He said with a wink.

Momo sighed, not knowing whether to smile at him or to whack him. "Kiley you pumpkin! We haven't spoken in three days and nothing's happen since then except those stupid tests, and you know I would not go out to dinner with you. Besides, Toji and I have plans. So, I guess I'll have to see you later. Bye!" With that, she grabbed Toji's hand once again and the two of them walked off, leaving Kiley by himself.

`Ah, that's my Momo! Always the same.' He smiled to himself. `One day, one day soon, my love will come to me. I just have to be patient.' Kiley wandered around, thinking. Soon, he noticed that it was getting darker. Looking down at his watch, he nearly had a heart attack.

`4:45!!! Where the hell did the time go!! Shit... Misao is going to have my hide if I'm late for my lesson!' He looked around, then bolted down a side street, running as fast as he could to Misao's house for his daily English lesson.

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Sae arrived at her house in world record timing, stopping just outside the door to catch her breath. While waiting for her breathing to slow and her heart to calm, she couldn't help but wonder what her parents could have to tell her. Did they buy her a new purse? Will they let her throw that party she had wanted to throw for so long? She had no idea.

When she stopped panting, she walked into the house.

"Mom! Dad! I'm home!" She called out.

"In the kitchen, honey!" she heard her dad reply. Sae quickly walked to the kitchen, and noticed her parents sitting at the table, huge smiles evident on both of their faces.

"Have a seat...your mother and I have some very exciting news." Her dad told her. She sat down at the kitchen table, and looked at her parents questioningly.

"Well, you know how you started taking English lessons a couple years ago, and how you're doing so well?" Her mother asked.

"Yeah..." she waited for them to continue.

"Oh...this is so exciting. Well, I was on the Internet one night, and I noticed this one page. It was information about a student exchange program that Japan has with America and which schools participate. I looked down the list, and I saw that your school was on it."

"Ummm...what does this have to do with me?" Sae was getting impatient.

"Hold on, I'm getting there. Anyway, you can sign up your child, and when a school in the other country has a student waiting to participate in the program, the two of them are exchanged." Sae got a sudden, sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach as her mother continued. " So, I signed you up, and yesterday, your father and I received a letter saying that, oh, Sae you're going to America! Isn't it exciting?"

Sae was absolutely speechless. `I'm going to America? I'm going to America?' She wasn't sure how she felt. Then she noticed that her father was talking.

"You are going to be there a whole year, and we got your ticket in the mail, along with a letter for you. You leave July 17th. Are you excited?"

"I don't know...it's just so much, and so sudden. Can I read the letter?"

"Of course, it's yours after all." He handed her the letter. Sae took it, and started to read.

Ms. Kashiwagi,

It has come to our attention that you are one of many of Japan's young students interested in an exchange program with American schools. We would like to tell you that you have been selected to be the student to represent your school in the exchange taking place for the upcoming school year between your school area and the Archdiocese of Massachusetts, America. You will be spending twelve whole months in Massachusetts, on the east coast of America.

For three of the months, there will be activities planned for you to participate in, and then you will spend nine months attending a small private school. You will be in the Sophomore class, as we understand that that is the grade you will be in this coming fall. You will also be living with the family of the American student, as she will also be living in your home.

We advise you to pack all of your belongings, excepting, of course, furniture, and not to forget clothes for any season. We strongly advise you not to forget warm clothes, as Massachusetts can get extremely cold. We will supply you with a monthly allowance of approximately one hundred and twenty-five American dollars, just as a little gift, so as not to burden your hosts. Also, you will be a member of the school community, meaning you are free to join any sports teams or clubs you wish.

We hope that this will be a fun experience, and that you do well with your study of the language. Your plane leaves on July 17. If you have any questions, our number and website address are on the back of this sheet.

America-Japan International Exchange Program.

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Sae looked up from the letter. `So, I'll be living with a family and going to an American school. Hm. Well, this is something Momo doesn't have, but I'm not sure whether she'd want to go to America.' Just then Sae remembered something Kiley had said to her before.

/You only want him because Momo wants him...You're a copycat./

She got really mad then. `I'll show them. I'll do this because I want to, not because Princess Momo wants to. Besides...no one in America knows me, and there are all those American boys.' She grinned, then looked up at her parents, who were eagerly awaiting her answer.

"I can't wait to go! This will be so much fun, and such a learning experience! I have to go pack, but thank you Mom and Dad! Oh, and could you not tell anyone? I want people to be surprised when I'm not at school next year. Thanks!" She then ran up to her room and immediately started packing a suitcase.

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`I can't believe it's already July 17.' Sae thought with a smile. `It came so quickly. And now there's only about two days until I get to start mingling with all those boys. I wonder if this time I can make some real friends. Oh well' Just then, she heard over the loudspeaker that her plane was boarding. She picked up her carry-on and gave her ticket to the attendant, who then showed her to her seat. As she relaxed after stowing her bag, she started to wonder what it would be like to live with someone else's family, and she continued thinking about it during takeoff and the flight, stopping only when she fell asleep.

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Mr. And Mrs. Kashiwagi were a little nervous. It was July 21, and today the American Student was supposed to be dropped off from the airport. Mr. Kashiwagi smiled reassuringly at his wife.

"Don't worry, Sae is fine, and it will be interesting having an American in the house." Mrs. Kashiwagi sighed.

"I know, I know, it's just..." She didn't get a chance to finish. Just then, they heard a taxi pull up outside their house. Going outside, they saw that the student had indeed arrived, and was in the process of taking her bags out of the taxi. When she had finished and paid the driver, she turned towards the house, and noticed the Kashiwagis. She bowed.

"Good morning. My name is Lissa Morgan, and I was told that you would be my host family for the next twelve months." She paused for affirmation. "Thank you for giving me the opportunity to learn more of your language and culture. I am very grateful."

"Well, you're welcome." Mrs. Kashiwagi said. "Come, you will be staying in our daughter's room. This way. Hideki, get her bags."

Mr. Kashiwagi grabbed Lissa's two large suitcases and two shoulder bags. Lissa followed with her remaining two shoulder bags: a sports backpack and a bookbag. They entered the house, and the rest of the day was spent getting Lisa settled.

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Well? What do you think? I like it, but I want to know if you do, so please review. Thank you for reading the whole chapter, now if you would take a minute to write a comment about it, I would be extremely thankful. Ja ne.

Writer2003