Return of the Ninjas

Chapter 16- Pure Laughter

"I wonder what we have to do for pure laughter," contemplated Emma. Suddenly, she heard a voice behind her.

"Remember I told you when I gave you the vial? I thought you were supposed to be the most powerful ninjas of our time. But if you insist, pure laughter is laughter that is, well, pure. It contains no evil intentions and is one hundred percent genuine."

The two teens turned around to face their principal playfully glaring at him as they handed him the rest of the ingredients.

"But how do we bottle it?" asked Jake.

The principal pointed to the vial in Jake's hand. "That is all you need to capture. I suggest you change before you go back out to town," he suggested, giving a pointed look to Jake's exposed chest and Emma's now see-through shirt.

"Yes sir," they both obliged. They ran up the stairs, Jake still holding the tinted glass vial. After changing into a simple T-shirt and jeans, he met Emma in the foyer. Together, they walked out into town.

"So... on a scale of one to ten, how hot was I?" he asked.

"Jake!"

~*~*~*~*~

After hours of searching both ninjas were left exhausted, frustrated, and overall pure-laughter-less. The sun was setting and they still hadn't found anything. As they headed into the dim library, they heard some giggling from behind a bookshelf.

"Is that-"

"Liz," confirmed Emma. She peeked behind the shelf, careful not to be seen, and turned back to Jake. "Ivan is there too," she whispered.

Jake's jaw dropped, but he simply opened the jar to capture the laughter. Sure enough, a thin stream of gold gas escaped from Liz's lips and entered the vial. Quickly, he screwed back on the cap and pocketed it. Then, he leaned behind Emma to see what they were doing.

They seemed to have come there to study, but it was obvious they had stopped hours ago. Books were open in the dim candlelight and papers were strewn over them, still incomplete. Both were talking in hushed voices, but it was obvious that Ivan was interested in Liz.

"Liz is flirting with Ivan!" whispered Emma. But before they had time to analyze anything else, their eyes began drooping.

"Are you as sleepy as I am?" asked Jake. As Emma nodded, both mutually agreed to confront their friends tomorrow. Lying down on a plush couch, they let sleep overtake them.

The next morning, Jake woke up with his arm swung around Emma's shoulder. Her head was leaning on his chest and she was breathing softly. Careful not to disturb her, he turned towards the bookshelf where Ivan and Liz had been yesterday.

Were they secretly dating, or did they just like each other? The question remained a question, as the floor was now clear of papers, books, and baffling ninja friends.

Jake heard the door creak as the librarian, Ms. Wiltore, opened the library and began setting up. He sent her an apologetic glance, considering the fact that he and his girlfriend had fallen asleep in her library. She simply shrugged and continued with her business.

Jake turned to a sleeping Emma and contemplated whether to wake her up or not. He didn't want to disturb her when she looked so peaceful, but he also didn't want to get too many strange looks when people started coming into the library. After a moment, he decided to simply carry her up to her room. He cautiously picked her up bridal style and walked out of the library and up the stairs. She was extremely light and small, considering her average height and high strength. Unconsciously, she wrapped her arms around his neck and gave a small yawn. Jake blushed slightly and opened the door to her room.

It was neat and tidy, except for her desk, which was cluttered with papers and pens filled with messy scribbles and tiny scrawls. There were a few empty cans of Sprite at the corner of the desk, but most were stuffed in her bright red trashcan. Jake hoisted her onto the made bed and caringly tucked her in, before hearing a voice behind him.

"Jake, is that you?"