The Ballad of Miku and Teto

Chapter 2: Cherry Soda

  "Hey, Miku. Who are those weird people outside our house?"

  "Go away, Rin," Miku mumbles groggily. "Now come here, Teto." She snuggles up to her pillow.

  "I'm Teto here!" I flick her forehead.

  "Oh... Huh? What?!"

  "There are some weirdos outside our house. It's creeping me out."

  "Aw, geez." Mjky gets out of bed and takes a look outside. "Again with this?" She sighs and picks up the phone after dialing a number. She must be losing the argument, because soon after, she slams down the phone in anger.

  "What's wrong?"

  "Looks like we're getting some new 'loids."

  New? "But that's awesome news!"

  "Just  get out of my room, Teto," says Miku as she yanks her blanket back over her head.

It's finally that time! Meeting time, and it's rare that I'm the first one there. But we're getting new housemates, so I can't help but be eager. Who cares if Miku isn't? After all, I bet as usual she's just afraid someone cool and popular will come along and usurp her, but who could do that?

  Thenthe other girls arrive and take their seating. Rin and Luka sit down, but in weird variations of their normal outfits. Meiko and Gumi stay the same. Then there's Miku.

  "Teto? You're not late today."

  "Yup! Let's just hurry on with the meeting."

  "Calm down, Teto," Miku sighs, opening her folder. "So, it would appear that we must-"

  "Doesn't anyone wanna comment on my groovy V4 design?" Rin interrupts, showing off her white outfit. "Don't I sound different, too?"

  "If you mean more annoying, yes," Miku replies dryly.

  "Don't be so cruel, Miku!" Whines Luka. "How about mine? And don't I sound alluring?"Cleavage alert, cleavage alert.

  Miku glares at her. " So, let's just take a look at the roles played by the 'ladies' of the house." She points at Rin. " The slacker."

  " Hey!"Rin objects.

  "My bad. Slacker MkII. As for Luka, irresponsible adult and now...Slutty irresponsible adult."

  "Mrm...."

  "Stop it, Miku!" Why does she always have to be like this?

  Miku points to Meiko, then Gumi." The drunk, and the party-junkie."

  "Knock it off! Just why are you being so grumpy? "

  "We're getting new girls today."

  "Duh! I know that, but why are you so upset?"

Miku just stares sardonically at me before ultimately ignoring my question. "We'll be receiving a visit from Vocaloids IA, Anon, Kanon, and Mayu." So it's mostly newbies! Still.... Miku doesn't have to be so rude. "And I get to be the one to show them around." She takes pride in the fact, it seems.

  "Then what are the rest of us here for?"

  "Make me look like a good host, what else?"

  "Pardon me?"Says an offended Meiko.

  " How do we do that?" I ask Miku.

  "Be the opposite of yourself, Teto!"

  "What if I don't want to?"

  "Tough teriyaki!" She glares at me, then unleashes her icy glare on the other girls.

  "Well, no sixteen-year-old girl is telling ME what to do!" Meiko slams her sake cup on the table.

  "Aren't you busy being intoxicated?" Miku scoffs.

  "Shouldn't you be headed off to school, princess?"

  "To grow up to be as bland as you? You set quite the example for your age. Besides, I AM a princess. The number one in the world, of course."

  "Ha!" Meiko chuckles." Whoever you're in charge of must want to slice their stomachs open."

  "Why are you even here, hag?"

  "Because a buzz kill Hatsune called us all here."

  "Oh? Running off to your job, or is getting drunk it?" This is going too far!

  "Stop it, Miku!" She thinks she's so popular when she isn't being obsessive over the small stuff.

  "Just shut up, Teto!" She yells." Don't you know how easy my life would be if you just shut up for once?!!"

  I lean back in my chair, arms crossed and gaze elsewhere."Fine." I can't take this anymore.

  " Knock it off, Miku!" Screams Rin.

"YOU need to shut it so there's some peace and quiet for once! All of you are just such....such...."

 "Such what?"

"Problematic, inconsiderate, annoying jerks!" Miku points at me." And you're the ringleader. "Right then and there, the doorbell rings. Pin-pon! And Miku fizzles over to greet the newbies like the bubbles in my cherry soda. She thinks she can flatten it out, but after what she said, the carbonated liquid hisses in returned. Us jerks, however, stay suspended at the top.