==================================================================
Nikholas "elf" F. Toledo proj25@yahoo.com
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Disclaimer: 'Rayearth' and the following characters borrowed in
the making of this fic are all property of Clamp.
Someone lost a bet.
At stake was a human soul.
Good thing it wasn't mine.
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Through The Looking Glass
Chapter 3
Matchmaker's Dilemma
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"Thank you, come again!" The clerk cheerily handed over the
newspaper and the purchases in a grocery bag.
The customer smiled her thanks and stepped outside the store.
However, her expression turned sour the moment she saw the bus pulling
out of the curve.
"Hey, wait!" She tried to flag it down. Unfortunately, the driver
was not paying much attention to his rearview mirror. The girl was left
standing in the middle of the road with a petulant expression on her
pretty face.
"Darn, that's the second bus I missed this afternoon." She marched
toward the bench and plopped down. "That's it. I'm never leaving this
bench until the next bus comes along."
She checked the time and winced - the next bus was not due for
another fifteen minutes. This usually gave her ample time to get bored,
fidget and start roaming around again - which would eventually make her
miss the next bus.
She sighed.
The sound elicited a glance from the guy sitting beside her, who
was busy glossing over a sports magazine. He peered at her from behind
dark glasses and tried not to laugh. Though he was not quite sure whom he
should be laughing at - her, for missing that bus for the second time, or
him, for hanging around this long to find out about it.
Once again, she checked her watch. It would seem that time had this
perverse tendency of slowing down whenever one happened to be waiting for
a bus.
The sound of plastic tearing made her glance at the man beside her.
Her brow knotted into a frown as he opened a box of assorted chocolates -
HER box of assorted chocolates, mind you - and popped a piece into his
mouth.
She did not mind sharing the bench, but her chocolates were a
different matter altogether. She reached out and got a chocolate covered
almond (it said so on the wrapper).
He grinned at her.
She glared back.
He wolfed down another chocolate.
She did the same.
Him. Her. Him. Her.
They went on like that until only one piece was left in the box.
Unfortunately, he got to it first.
A tense silence followed.
He grinned at her.
She glared back.
He opened his hand and offered her the last chocolate.
She ungratefully swiped it off his hand and dropped it in her shirt
pocket.
As if on cue, the bus arrived.
She smirked triumphantly, gathered her things and boarded the bus,
leaving him sitting there with an obnoxious grin on his face. His mockery
taunted her even from beyond the tinted bus windows.
Kuu popped the last luscious morsel into her mouth.
'Chocolate covered strawberry'.
Just then, someone accidentally knocked over her grocery bag,
scattering the groceries all over the floor. And there, right in front of
her feet, was HER box of assorted chocolates.
"Oh, dear."
* * *
"I'm home!" Kuu announced from the doorway as she took off her
shoes. After changing into a pair of slippers, she headed towards the
kitchen to find her sister preparing dinner.
Fuu looked up briefly from the chopping board. "Good evening, Kuu."
"Where's Emi?" she asked as she unloaded her groceries and placed
them in the fridge.
"Zagato came by earlier to take her out to dinner."
"Oh." Kuu found herself staring at the box of chocolates and a
mental image of the guy from the bus stop popped up in her mind. She
shook her head to dislodge the image of his mocking smile, and glanced at
Fuu.
"Are you okay?" her younger sister asked.
"I'm fine." Kuu smiled apologetically. "Just tired, I guess." She
held out the chocolates, "Want some?"
Fuu smilingly shook her head. "Maybe later, after dinner."
Kuu nodded. "Of course, you wouldn't want ruin your appetite," she
said, before placing the box in the fridge.
She sat down and placed her elbows on the table, cradling her chin
in her hands. She watched Fuu place the chopped celery in the pot and
turn down the heat.
"So, Emi's out on a date."
"Uh-huh."
Both of them fell silent, they looked at each other and sighed.
Then they suddenly broke out laughing.
"And here we are stuck at home, without anything planned on a
Saturday night." Kuu asked, wiping the tears of mirth from her eyes, "Are
we pathetic or what?"
"Oh, we are. But with Emi having Zagato for a boyfriend, can you
really blame us for being envious?" Fuu asked as she took a seat opposite
her sister.
"No, I guess not." Kuu suddenly turned serious, "You know,
sometimes I wonder if everyone's a matched set. That there's always this
one person who's meant for you out there."
"I know what you mean," Fuu said as she traced a pattern on the
tablecloth. "Who knows, maybe that person was the one you had passed by
this morning, or some guy you met at the bus stop while waiting for the
bus-"
Kuu blanched at her last statement, but Fuu was too immersed in her
musings to notice.
"- the thing is, you may not meet that person in this lifetime or
the next, but it gives you a sense of belonging and comfort to know that
he or she exists. The question is, do you go out of your way to look for
that person - or would you rather just wait for 'Prince Charming' to come
your way?"
"I don't know," Kuu whispered. "Do you?"
Fuu faintly smiled. "I'm not so sure myself."
* * *
"Eagle! Phone call! It's Kuu!"
Sunday mornings have always been a family affair at the Shido
Residence. Eagle had just finished preparing breakfast when the phone
rang. Hikaru eyed her brother in mild amusement as he rounded the kitchen
counter, wiping his hands on his ruffled, peach apron.
"That apron is a disgrace," Zagato muttered as he entered the
kitchen.
Hikaru stifled a giggle as she handed the phone over to Eagle. She
dared not comment, for it happened to be his favorite apron, although she
would suspect from time to time that he mostly wore it to annoy their
eldest brother.
"Thanks," Eagle replied, before turning his attention to the other
person at the end of the line. "Hello, Kuu. Yes, the review is still set
on this coming weekend. We're having it at Tatra's place." Eagle's brows
furrowed. "What about Tarta?"
Zagato sent an inquiring glance at his little sister. "Don't tell
me that he and Tarta are still at it. It's been, what, three years
already?"
Hikaru sighed. "Niisama, some things never change."
"Don't worry, the evil twin won't be there," Eagle continued over
the phone as he opened the fridge, took the milk out, and proceeded to
drink from the carton.
Lantis walked in and saw what Eagle was doing. He took the milk
carton and lightly cuffed his younger brother on the head.
"Ouch!" Eagle rubbed the back of his head. "Hey!"
"Next time, use a glass," Lantis said, as he placed the milk carton
back in the fridge.
Eagle crossed his eyes and stuck his tongue out at Lantis's back.
Zagato shook his head. "And some people just never grow up."
* * *
The weekend came and went.
Time has this uncanny ability to compress two days and make it feel
like two hours. The next thing you know, you are waking up to another
Monday morning.
First period class was pretty okay - it was the following two
periods that could be really trying.
Funny how time manages to warp things and stretch two class hours
into two infinities.
The bell rang. It was lunchtime.
Yes, there was still justice in this world after all.
Lantis closed his book and got up from his chair. Most of his
classmates were already making their way to the cafeteria. He leaned his
hip against the windowsill and watched the students milling around on the
school grounds.
A flash of red caught his eye. Hikaru was walking with her friends
to their usual lunch spot.
"Lantis, let's get going," Zazu called from behind.
Just then, Hikaru paused for a moment and turned to look up. He
wasn't quite sure if she saw him until she smiled and waved.
He raised his own hand in acknowledgement.
Then she was off.
Lantis pushed away from the window and joined his friends. "Let's
go."
* * *
"Time's up, people!"
There was much groaning and cursing to be heard as the students
pored over last-minute corrections on their math quiz.
"Please put your papers on the desk before leaving the room."
Tatra waited for her twin to approach the desk before following
suit. With a quick sleight-of-hand, she snatched the paper at the top of
the pile, hid it under her blouse, and replaced it with the papers she
held in her hand.
"Mr. Shido, your paper, please?"
Eagle looked up just in time to see what Tatra had done.
"Mr. Shido..."
"Huh?" Eagle glanced around to see that he was the only one who
still had not handed his paper. "Oh, sorry, Sensei." He grinned
sheepishly. "I just got stuck on the last problem."
"Well, I don't plan to get stuck here for lunch." She looked
pointedly at his paper and held out her hand.
"Oh, yes... uh, really sorry 'bout this, Sensei." Eagle hastily
gathered his things and left the room.
Tatra took one look at her friend's dark expression and knew that
she was in for another lecture. "Eagle, I can explain," she started.
"Not here." He dragged her along the hallway, stopping for a moment
to check that no one was around before ushering her inside the utility
room.
"Eagle! What the-?!"
He locked the door and turned to face her.
"Talk."
* * *
"Fuu, I noticed you've been hanging around the music room after
class lately." Umi arched a speculating eyebrow in her friend's
direction.
Fuu paused with her chopsticks halfway to her mouth.
"Well, I seem to see YOU passing by the laboratories quite
frequently these days," Fuu countered.
This time it was Umi's turn to blush.
Hikaru suddenly brightened up. "Did you find the guy who returned
your sonata piece, Fuu?"
Fuu sighed. "No."
"Oh." Hikaru then turned a puzzled frown on Umi. "I didn't know you
had a crush on Ascot-sempai."
"No, I don't!" Umi almost choked on her gyudon. "What could've
possibly given you that idea."
Hikaru shrugged. "Well, it's the only explanation I can think of
when you started accompanying me on my rounds to feed the rabbits after
class."
"Shame on you, Umi. Using Hikaru's rabbits as an excuse to spy on
some guy," Fuu teased.
Umi sniffed and waved her hand dismissively. "Get real, I wouldn't
stoop that low."
Fuu pushed her glasses up her nose. "Hikaru, are you thinking what
I'm thinking?" she asked, her glasses glinted in the sunlight.
A sweatdrop appeared beside Hikaru's head. "Ah, I- uh, don't think
so."
Umi put her chopsticks down and eyed her friend suspiciously. "What
are you up to, Fuu?"
Fuu ignored Umi and forged on. "Do you think it will be possible
for you to get Ascot-sempai to ask Umi out on a date?"
"Hey, I'm supposed to be the matchmaker around here!" Umi
protested.
Hikaru's smile was ecstatic. "That's a wonderful idea!"
"No, it's not!" Umi's face was now beet red.
"But why not?" Hikaru asked, her smile starting to fade. "Ascot-
sempai happens to be a really decent guy."
"And as you often like to say, Umi - it IS just a date," Fuu
pointed out.
"No, it is NOT just a date! And there won't be one, as far as I'm
concerned." Umi stood up and dusted off her skirt. "And, for the record,
he's not even my type!" She stomped off, leaving her two bewildered
friends behind.
Fuu was speechless for a few seconds before she turned to a
dumbfounded Hikaru. "Oh dear. I think we've made her angry."
* * *
"Summer's just around the corner. I love summer. Don't you just
love summer?" Zazu rattled on as he, Geo and Lantis made their way to
their lockers.
"Ah, heck! I need a new shirt. It's so damn hot, I'm starting to
sweat again," Geo complained, digging in his locker for a fresh shirt.
"It is rather stifling," Lantis said, loosening his tie as he wiped
his neck and brow. "Is there a heat wave?"
Inside the restroom, Zazu and Lantis headed for the urinals. Geo
made a beeline for the sink, turned on the faucet and splashed his face
with water. "Ahhh, that feels good. Can you guys wait? I'll just change
my shirt."
"Sure." Zazu zipped up his pants and went to the sink to wash his
hands.
"I'll wait outside." Lantis was already wiping his hands dry,
crumpling the used tissue.
Ferio, who was walking along the hallway, happened to see him.
"Hey, where were you guys?"
Lantis jerked a thumb towards the restroom. "In there."
"I was wondering why no one's up on the roof," Ferio said.
"We're heading for the cafeteria," Zazu explained as he stepped out
of the restroom, followed by Geo. "It's too hot up there on the roof." He
glanced at the CDs Ferio was carrying. "Since when did you get so
interested in classical music?"
"They're not mine. I borrowed them for a report."
"Sure you did," Zazu commented, only to have Ferio glower at him.
"You got that book on AI that I asked you to borrow?" he said, quickly
changing topics.
"Here." Ferio shoved the thick book at him. "That's the last book
I'm borrowing for you. I'm not setting foot in that section of the
library, ever!"
"Why, the nerdy females on table four finally made a move on you?"
Zazu elbowed him on the ribs. "C'mon, you can't really blame them. I
mean, they don't usually see jocks like you hanging around their aisles."
Ferio shuddered at the memory.
Just yesterday, three junior high girls approached him in the
library. One was wearing thick lenses that could pass for the bottom of a
glass, another one had a head brace. The last one looked normal - except
that she had this terribly annoying habit of snorting when she laughed.
All three of them actually made a pass at him, and they were in the
library, of all places! He was lucky to escape with his virtue intact.
"You scored, didn't you?" Zazu waggled his eyebrows.
"Zazu, leave the kid alone." Geo placed himself between the two,
saving Ferio from further interrogation, only to whisper in a
conspiratorial tone, "Well, you did. Didn't you?"
"NO!" Ferio vehemently replied.
Geo grinned. "Hey, kid, I was just kidding." He pulled Ferio
closer. "Speaking of scoring, there's this rumor going around the dorm
about Ascot and Caldina-sensei," he began. "They say she calls him up -"
"Yeah, she does. She even takes him out to dinner sometimes," Ferio
off-handedly supplied.
"DINNER!" Geo exploded.
"DINNER!" Zazu seconded.
Lantis knotted his brow in mild puzzlement. "Dinner?"
"I think they went off on a picnic... last Sunday?" Ferio
continued.
"A PICNIC!!" Geo bellowed.
"A PICNIC!!" Zazu parroted once more.
Lantis waved at someone who had just rounded the corner.
"Hi, guys! So, what are we having for lunch?" Ascot frowned at the
weird expression on his friends' faces. "Don't tell me that we're having
instant noodles again."
* * *
"Talk."
Tatra almost flinched at that one-word command. It was spoken so
coldly that she almost could not believe it came from Eagle. She had seen
him lose his temper twice in the five years they had been friends - it
was not a pretty sight.
"Well, you see..." The words came out as croaks; she had to clear
her throat and start over again. "The thing is, Tarta was actually
studying for - uh," she fumbled in her head for a subject, "History -
right! She was studying for History last night. She just flunked the last
exam and is pretty desperate about passing the next one. I think she
totally forgot about the math quiz that was scheduled for today." Tatra
paused to look at Eagle. If it were possible, it seemed that his
expression grew colder with each word she spoke. "So, you see, I just had
to -"
"Cheat for her?" Eagle's voice cracked like a whip. "I never knew
it'd come to this, Tatra. Now you're answering her quizzes to save her
neck."
Tatra hung her head in shame. She knew what she did was wrong, and
Eagle did have a point. But she was just trying to help her sister.
_Why couldn't he just try to understand?_
"Oh, Tatra." Eagle sighed dejectedly as he pulled her into his
arms. "You know, sometimes I think you're too nice for your own good. Why
do you always have to cover up for her? Like when you changed places with
her every time she had to do the bucket routine for being late. Then,
there was that time when you owned up for that lab accident, when it was
her who dropped the acid into that beaker of glycerin in the first place.
And now this."
"I know she gets into scrapes every now and then. But she's still
my twin sister, Eagle. I just want to look out for her. Is that so bad?"
Eagle leaned back to look in her eyes. "But do you have to lie to
me about it as well?"
Tatra's eyes widened. "Oh, Eagle, I'm so sorry, so very sorry!" She
buried her face against his shirt and started sobbing. "I never should've
gotten started with that History exam bit. It was really stupid! But you
knew all along, didn't you? And then -" Tatra knew she was babbling but
she couldn't seem to help herself. "Eagle, I swear, I'll never lie to you
again."
"Don't worry about it, I forgive you," he said. He began to rub his
chin against her head and lifted his hand to softly stroke her hair.
"Tatra, I don't like what she's doing to you. Your sister thinks she
could get away with just about anything because you're always there to
take the blame. Sometimes I could only wonder on what you're going to do
when things start getting really serious."
"Dammit, Eagle!" she cried in exasperation. "What do you want me to
do?!"
"I want you to promise me that you'll stop covering-up for her."
No answer.
"Tatra?"
Tatra let out a pent-up sigh. "Alright."
"Good." He brushed a tender kiss on her forehead before letting her
go. "I'll hold you to your word."
* * *
"... like I was saying, Subaru was called to help investigate the
murders that were happening in the sub-" The girl stopped in mid-
sentence. "Hey, isn't that Geo over there?"
Every female around the table turned to look, except for the
toffee-haired girl who was too engrossed in between reading a book and
eating her sandwich.
"What a dreamboat!"
"God, what a hunk!"
"Are you planning to watch their practice later on this afternoon?"
"Why, of course! I've never missed one since Geo-sempai started
playing for the varsity."
"Those two freshmen rookies look kinda cute."
"Cradle-snatcher!"
They all giggled.
"I am not! Besides, Lantis-sempai is handsome, too, but he's so
cold!"
"Yeah, he's nothing like his brother. I think I like Eagle better."
"He's really nice."
"Maybe too nice."
"Still, Eagle falls short compared to Geo-sempai."
There was a loud 'thud' as a hardbound book hit the table.
"He does not!" Kuu angrily blurted out. "Eagle's a much better
person than that egotistical dumb jock!"
Everyone was shocked at Kuu's outburst.
The silence stretched, only to be broken by a collective gasp from
the girls at their table.
Kuu's brow knotted in puzzlement as their gaze shifted to
something, or rather to someone, behind her.
"What?" Her voice sounded unbelievably loud even to her own ears.
"Excuse me."
Kuu stiffened at the sound of the masculine voice. She turned
around and frowned at the wide expanse of chest in front of her nose.
_No, definitely not Eagle's,_ she thought to herself as her eyes
climbed up, up, up... only to widen in recognition.
"I-It's you!" she said, barely managing to get the words out in an
audible croak.
"Nice to see you again," he greeted.
Kuu paled and continued to stare at him in abject horror. If
embarrassment could kill, she would be dead by now. Unfortunately, the
gods were not that kind.
"Sorry, I didn't get to introduce myself properly the last time.
"He reached out and shook her limp hand. "Hi, I'm Geo Metro." The other
girls around them jealously noted that he held on to her hand a little
longer than necessary. "Remember that guy at the bus stop last
Saturday...?"
* * *
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" Tarta muttered around the cigarette
caught between her lips. She flicked at the lighter for the nth time. It
sparked, but no flame came out. "Damn -"
<BAM!>
Tarta jumped in surprise as the door of the cubicle next to hers
slammed home. She frowned. "What the crap-!" Her lighter had just fallen
into the toilet.
"Stupid, stupid, stupid!" the occupant of the next cubicle
muttered.
Tarta closed the toilet lid and stood on top of it. She spied on
the next cubicle and almost could not believe her luck.
"How could I go and shoot my mouth off like that? How could I be so
mind-bogglingly STUPID!?"
"My thoughts exactly, Goldilocks." Tarta grinned. "Hanging around
Shido does that to you."
Kuu glared up at Tarta, who was smugly watching her in amusement.
"Excuse me! but can't I have a little bit of privacy in here?" she
sarcastically shot back.
"Privacy!" Tarta took the cigarette from her lips. "I was sitting
quietly here, trying to smoke. Then you came along, slamming the goddamn
door and started crying your poor little heart out," she ranted. "Don't
you dare talk to me about privacy, missy. Because you just ruined mine
with your pitiful whining!" She paused to take a deep breath and tucked
the cigarette behind her ear. "So there!"
Kuu finally noticed the unlit cigarette. "You smoke?"
Tarta almost fell from her precarious perch.
"Yeah, so what's it to you? I'm not a self-righteous prig like my
sister." She looked at Kuu mockingly and added, "Or you."
"How can you talk like that about your sister, you b-!"
There was suddenly a loud knock at the door. "Kuu, I heard about
the incident with Geo in the cafeteria. It's no big deal, really." They
heard the door creak before he spoke again. "Uh, are you alone in there?"
"No, she's not!" Tarta shouted as she jumped down from the toilet
seat and angrily burst through the cubicle door. Kuu held both hands over
her ears as Tarta sent her door crashing against the wall.
Tarta yanked the door open and glared at Eagle. "Has it ever
occurred to your that this happens to be a LADIES' ROOM!"
"Really?" He smirked. "So what are you doing in there?" He flicked
the cigarette tucked behind her ear. "Just as I thought." His expression
darkened, his eyes narrowing into amber slits.
"It's none of your damn business, Shido! So just lay off!"
Kuu watched the exchange from the doorway. She was finding it quite
unnerving to watch Eagle's usual friendly expression turn into a cold,
hard mask of anger.
"Well, I could make it my business by telling the Guidance
Counselor about this," he said, holding up the cigarette.
Tarta blanched. This would be the third time she had been caught
smoking. If Eagle decided to carry out his threat, she would be suspended
for a week. Tarta had never seen him this angry before, so she decided to
keep her mouth shut.
Eagle fixed her an icy glare as he tore the cigarette stick into
shreds and threw them in the trash. He took out a handkerchief and
started wiping his hands.
"You know, now I ask myself why I even bothered to do that." He
slipped the handkerchief back in his pocket and continued to look at her.
"You're not worth the trouble your sister had to go through just to cover
up every stupid thing you do." He grabbed her arm and pulled her closer
to whisper, "Tarta, you can't even begin to compare to your sister.
You're jealous, because deep down you know you can never be half the
woman she is."
Eagle's head snapped back from the force of the slap.
Kuu gasped, her eyes wide with shock. Somehow, she had expected
that, but seeing it actually happen was a different thing all-together.
Tarta was quite badly shaken. Inside, she felt as if she were
drowning in a sea of anger, shame and remorse.
"Bastard!" Tarta finally managed to choke out, pushing Eagle out of
the way as she ran off.
"Bitch," he muttered under his breath as he watched her go.
Kuu stepped out and caught a glimpse of Tarta's face as she rounded
the corner. "Eagle, are you alright?"
"I'll live," he muttered, rubbing his sore cheek. _Tarta sure packs
a hell of a wallop,_ he silently admitted to himself.
"Eagle, after what you just said to her, I could hardly blame her
slapping you."
Eagle cast her an irritated glance. "And just whose side are you
on?"
"I'd never thought you could be so insensitive -"
"Me? Insensitive!?" Eagle's eyes widened before he mentally
shrugged off her comment and started walking.
"- and mean," Kuu added, catching up with him.
"If this is about Tarta-"
"- of course it's about Tarta."
"- she deserved it."
"You were way out of line!"
"No, I wasn't," Eagle insisted. "She hates me. I, on the other
hand, love -," he flashed a laconic grin, "- to ignore her, and that
pisses her off. She figured that the only way she could get to me is
through my friends."
"But -"
"Look at the time; we'd better hurry up." Eagle nodded at Kuu's
watch as he grabbed hold of her hand, effectively putting an end to her
argument by sidetracking her thoughts. "Lunch is almost over and I left
Tatra waiting for us at the quad."
* * *
"Stay still!" Ascot muttered to his breast pocket as he hurriedly
made his way to the gym. "Geez, why'd you have to start jumping off like
that? I almost got in trouble because of you!"
"Ribit," the breast pocket replied by way of apology.
"Don't you 'ribit' me - why can't you stay put when I told you
to?!"
The frog poked its head out of his pocket and looked up at him with
pleading beady eyes.
"Ri-bit."
"Oh, no. I'm not falling for that again."
Ascot stopped in his tracks to open his duffel bag. He brought out
a box of prunes, opened it and dumped the entire content into a small
plastic bag. He gingerly took the frog out of his breast pocket. "I'm not
taking any chances this time," he said, placing it inside the box. He
punched in a few holes on the box and used a Band-Aid to tape the top
closed.
"Konnichiwa, Ascot-sempai."
"Ryuzaki-san!" He whirled around, clutching the box to his chest.
"What's that?" Umi peered at the label and smiled. "Never knew you
had a thing for prunes. I happen to like them myself."
"Not this brand, you don't," Ascot muttered to himself, thinking of
his slimy, green friend trapped inside.
"Excuse me?"
"I-ah- I'm sure you do." He grinned, stuffing the box back inside
his duffel bag. "Unfortunately, these aren't mine. They're my sister's."
He glanced at his watch. "I-uh, really have to go, I'm -"
"- late for practice." Umi finished for him with a grin as she
grabbed his sleeve, "Well, c'mon let's go," and proceeded to drag him
along the hallway.
Ascot, who was blushing furiously, decided that he had no say in
the matter and gamely let her lead the way.
It was when they were nearing the double doors that led to the gym
that she suddenly stopped. He would have had run straight into her back
if she had not quickly sidestepped and pulled him aside.
"Wait." She looked at her watch and started counting, "Three, two,
one -"
Both Eagle and Geo suddenly appeared from opposite corners of the
gym, running at a breakneck pace.
"- zero!" she said, almost triumphantly.
"Aaaaarrrrggghh!" the two screamed in perfect discord.
<CRASH!>
Umi calmly stepped over the tangled heap, leading Ascot along.
"Let's just say I've got a knack for timing," she said, giving him
a wink.
* * *
"Just for once, why can't you look where you're going?" Geo held an
ice bag to his bruised cheek - a small souvenir from his run in with
Eagle just a few moments ago.
"ME?!" Eagle glared back, holding a cold compress to his jaw.
"You're the one who came barreling around the corner like a monster
truck!"
"Hey, Geo. Does it hurt?" Zazu asked, eyeing the darkening bruise.
"No," he muttered, still glowering at Eagle.
"Does it hurt when I do this?" Zazu tentatively probed the sore
spot.
"Not really."
"And if I do this?" Zazu started poking at the bruise.
"It smarts... a little." Geo's left eyebrow started to twitch.
Zazu beamed with unholy glee as he curled his fist. "So if I did
this -"
Geo howled in pain, then cursed, and finally growled as he made a
grab for Zazu. "WHADIDYADOTHATFOR!?"
"WHY?" Zazu glared from behind Eagle. "For signing me up as the
goddamn WATER-BOY! That's WHY!" he shouted back.
"WHAT?" Geo threw his ice bag into a bucket and pointed at Zazu.
"This is the thanks I get for getting you in the team?"
"You call THIS being a part of the team?!" Zazu indignantly spat
out as he clambered up the bench, eyes leveled with Geo. "A water-boy is
not a part of the team!"
"Of course he is," Ferio started. Geo was glad to have someone
support him. "I mean, who'd get to be the butt of everyone's joke if we
don't have a water-boy."
"Oh shuttup, Ferio!" (Well, almost glad, that is.)
Everyone started snickering at that point. There was much elbowing
and ribbing among the team. Even Eagle was having a hard time trying to
keep a straight face. He glanced at Geo and saw that their team captain
was not any help, either. Soon the whole basketball team was having a
great laugh, with the exception of two.
"STOP IT!"
Ascot met everyone's surprised look with a glare. "This is so
juvenile. So what if Zazu ends up being the water-boy? He is a part of
the team, and I believe he deserves the same respect everyone else has."
Everyone seemed to be occupied with staring at the wall, the floor,
the ceiling, or just about anything that would save him from Ascot's
glare.
Ascot bristled. "Well?"
Silence.
Eagle was the first to make a move. "Hey, Zazu, welcome to the
team." He said and held out his hand.
"Save it, Eagle. I have no intention of subjecting myself to this
lowly job of servitude. I'll have you know that-" Zazu changed his mind
in mid-sentence. "Oh, fine, I'll be the water-boy," he finished, clasping
Eagle's hand in a firm handshake.
Soon everyone was welcoming Zazu to the team with much back-
slapping, hair-ruffling and handshakes.
"Great! That's settled, then." Geo turned to his teammates. "Okay
guys, let's start warming up. Coach Lafarga wants us ready for practice
when he gets here."
* * *
Hikaru walked along the bleachers and sat down next to Umi. She was
either too engrossed watching the basketball practice or simply did not
want to acknowledge her presence.
Hikaru wisely kept quiet and pretended to watch the game, every so
often sneaking a peek in Umi's direction to gauge her mood. It was not
long before she forgot about Umi and started concentrating on the action
happening on the court instead.
Eagle had the ball and was making his way for the basket. He faked
a pass in Ascot's direction. A green-haired boy lunged to block, giving
Eagle the opening he needed to make a three-point shot.
"Way to go, Eagle!!!" "Nice shot, Eagle-sempai!" Umi and Hikaru
cheered at the same time. They blinked at each other and laughed. Eagle
flashed them a thumb's-up sign as he jogged across the court.
"Isn't he great?!" Umi said with something akin to adulation in her
voice.
"Yeah, but don't tell it to his face. It might go straight to his
head."
"You're his sister," she pointed out, "shouldn't you be at least a
bit more supportive than that?"
"Umi, Eagle knows how much I admire him. Besides," Hikaru nodded at
Tatra and Kuu sitting at the far end of the bleachers, "he's got those
two lovely ladies cheering for him, too."
Umi grinned. "I see your point."
"Umi..."
"Hmmm?"
"Are you, uh -" Hikaru hesitated for a moment. "- you still mad at
us?"
Umi suddenly burst out in a hearty gale of laughter. "You mean to
tell me that you guys actually fell for it?" Seeing Hikaru's puzzled
expression brought on a fresh wave of laughter. "I was only kidding; I
didn't know I was that good an actress."
"Is that so?" a third voice asked.
Hikaru turned to grin at Fuu who was making her way to their side.
"Hi, Fuu. Guess Umi wasn't really that riled up after all."
"Oh well, if that's the case and you were just faking it...," Fuu
brought out a pair of tickets, "... then I'll just keep this peace
offering to myself."
Hikaru's eyes widened. "Hey, aren't those Fumiya Fuji concert
tickets?"
"Whaaat?!" Umi made a grab for them, but Fuu wisely kept them out
of reach. "How'd you get those? The concert's been sold out since last
week!"
"I have my sources," Fuu vaguely replied. "So, are you willing to
reconsider?"
"A date. With Ascot-sempai?"
"Well, you've got to ask him out first."
"ME ask him out?!" Umi's eyes widened in disbelief. "But I thought
SHE was supposed to arrange that!" she said, pointing at Hikaru.
"Uh-uh, not anymore," Fuu said. "This time, the deal is for YOU to
ask him out."
Umi fidgeted. In all honesty, she did like Ascot-sempai. Throw in a
Fumiya Fuji concert in the bargain and it was just too darn good to pass
up. It was just the idea of HER making the first move that made her iffy
about the whole deal.
"Well?"
"Wait, I'm thinking!" Umi started pacing.
"The concert's next weekend, right after our exams. It's the
perfect way to end a mind-draining week, wouldn't you say?"
Umi looked longingly at the tickets.
"You've got two whole weeks to think about it," Hikaru said. "You
don't have to make a decision right away."
"Tell you what, I'll hold onto the tickets for you up until Friday
next week. If you haven't made a decision by then," Fuu shrugged, "I
guess, I'll just give it to someone else."
* * *
Ryudo High School Boys' Dormitory.
This particular infrastructure served as a second home to a diverse
selection of fine young men. Here you would find men of great intellect
who reveled in solving the intricate problems of the sciences. There were
also those who strove to achieve greatness by improving their skills in
the field of athletics. And there were those who diligently pursued the
study of sorcery and the occult in order to discover the great mysteries
of the universe.
Yet, in spite of their differences, there was one thing that bound
them in unity - the unending struggle in their own personal pursuit of
truth, knowledge and wisdom concerning the fairer sex. They strongly
believed that this was the key in building a harmonious and advantageous
relationship between man- and womankind.
Distilled down to its very essence, it simply meant that almost
every nerd, jock and weirdo at the dorm would try just about anything
short of murder to get a girlfriend.
So it was not difficult to imagine the magnitude of jealousy, envy
and a host of other really nasty feelings the other dormers had for a
certain high school freshman student who got treated out to dinner by one
of the most gorgeous, desirable and, not to mention, sexiest females in
the faculty...
It was a lazy, late Wednesday afternoon when Caldina decided to
grace the infamous Ryudo High School Boys' Dormitory with her presence.
The dormers were just coming in from their classes when they saw her walk
in and head straight for the reception desk at the lobby.
"Excuse me, I need to speak with Ascot. Can you please page him for
me?"
It was not the smile, the face, or the gorgeous body attached to
the face that turned the student receptionist into a blithering idiot.
"S-sure thing, Caldina-sensei! A-Anything for you, C-Caldina-sensei! Your
smallest wish is my command, Sen-!" Actually, it was the smile and the
face and the gorgeous body attached to the face that did him in.
Caldina reached over the desk to press the intercom button, giving
the student an ample view of her cleavage. "Just call him down, okay?"
she said, giving him a saucy wink.
Five minutes later.
Ascot had to fight his way through the crowd that was assembled at
the lobby. It could only mean one thing - Caldina was already here. She
had this innate ability to attract anyone with a Y-chromosome within a
ten-foot radius - and what better place to observe this phenomenon than
in an all-male dormitory?
"It's about time you showed up," Caldina said with mock severity.
"I'd almost cancelled our dinner reservation. And, besides, don't you
know it's impolite to keep a lady waiting?"
"Sorry, but I got held up by the traffic in the hallways."
Somewhere in the crowd, Geo was watching the latest so-called rumor
being confirmed. His jaw went slack. "I don't believe this. I'm seeing
it, but I still don't bloody believe IT!" he muttered in a daze.
"Shut ya trap, Geo. You're letting in flies," Zazu whispered.
"Well, whatever." Caldina made a dismissive fluttery motion with
her hand. "I'm just glad you're finally here, Dah-ling." She even went as
far as to give him a peck on the cheek.
Ascot screamed in his head, "Aaack!"
Ferio cheered, "Oh, yeah - Ascot is THE MAN!"
"Goodnight, boys! Ta-ta!" Slipping an arm around Ascot, she muscled
him out of the front doors with as much poise and finesse that a fashion
model can project - while lugging a wheel-borrow.
"What the hell were you trying to pull back there?!" Ascot exploded
the moment they passed the school gates.
"Just making sure that you won't end up spending the next three
years of your high school life as 'wallpaper'."
"How? By making a spectacle of yourself?!" Ascot shouted
incredulously. "Don't you have an ounce of shame in that body of yours?"
"Why should I? I've got a fabulous body to begin with."
Ascot sighed. "I really don't need this kind of aggravation."
"Will you stop being so melodramatic!" Caldina chided. "I swear,
you're starting to sound just like that basketball coach of yours. God,
what a prude."
Ascot blinked. "You mean Coach Lafarga?"
Caldina snorted. "Who else?" She seemed to ponder for a while.
"What a waste! I mean, he's got so much potential and I'm not referring
to his looks alone. Though he is rather attractive, mind you-"
Ascot's brows drew together as he peered at his sister's, or
rather, stepsister's face. Caldina noticed her stepbrother's probing look
and quickly cleared her throat. "- Too bad he's such a prude."
Ascot cocked a disbelieving eyebrow. "Like that's ever stopped you
before."
* * *
"Ah, excuse me?"
Geo looked up from the sports magazine he was reading to see a
blue-haired girl smiling hesitantly at him. He immediately recognized her
to be one of Hikaru's best friends. "Hello there, Umi - what can I do for
you?"
"I-um -" She swallowed hard. "Actually, I'm here to -" Umi
fidgeted, looking around the dorm lobby that was starting to get more
crowded by the second. "Can you please page Ascot-sempai for me?" she
finally whispered.
"Ascot? Sorry, but he went out on a date with- mmmrph!" Umi hastily
reached across the reception table to cover his mouth with her hands.
Too late. The murmurs around her were starting to escalate in
volume, a sure sign that a new rumor was being generously passed around.
Geo wanted to kick himself in the head. The poor girl was clearly
starting to panic. "Look, Umi. I'm really sorry 'bout this. I-"
"I have go," she hastily muttered before making a mad dash for the
door.
"What was that about?" Zazu came in munching on a chocolate bar.
"Mind your own business!" Geo growled before filching the
chocolate.
"Hey! Gimme back my Milky Way, you big buffoon!"
"God, what a mess!" Geo said before taking a large bite out of the
pilfered chocolate. There was nothing like a good sugar-fix during a
crisis like this one. "And all this time I thought she had a crush on
Eagle."
* * *
A jogger was running past the boys' dormitory when he happened to
see a rather upset young lady running down the front steps.
"Ryuzaki-san!" She was heading for the opposite direction and
didn't seem to have heard him. "Ryuzaki-san! Please wait!" She did not
even break stride, giving him no choice but to run after her. "Umi!"
"Huh?" Umi stopped in her tracks - she thought she heard someone
call her name. Sure enough, there was someone approaching her. "Ascot-
sempai, is that you?"
"Sorry to disappoint you, Umi," Clef said the moment he caught up
with her, "wrong guy."
* * *
<Rriiing.>
"Good evening. Ryuzaki residence."
"Hello, Alfred. This is Hikaru. May I speak to Umi, please?"
"I'm sorry, but Miss Umi has not come home yet."
"Oh, I see."
"Would you like to leave a message, Miss Hikaru?"
"No, thank you, Alfred. Guess I'll just call back later."
"Very well."
"Bye."
"Goodnight, Miss Hikaru."
<Click.>
* * *
"... so I went there, planning to ask him out to Fumiya Fuji's
concert, only to find out that he's out on a date with some girl." She
threw a rock across the water. It gave a skidding 'splish' followed by a
pitiful 'plop' before sinking to the bottom.
"I'm sorry to hear that," he said, as he picked up a rock. He threw
it with a sharp flick of his wrist; it skidded quite far across the water
before sinking into the sea.
She flashed him an irate look. He shrugged his shoulders by way of
apology and offered a truce, "Care for a walk?"
"Sure, why not?" she said, and began to take off her shoes and
socks.
The air was crisp and salty, blowing in from the sea. There wasn't
anyone to be seen for miles around - the entire sandy stretch seemed
quite deserted except for the two of them. The water felt cool as it
lapped around her bare legs, taking the sand beneath her feet as it
pulled back to the sea.
Umi glanced at the young man walking beside her, and had to smile.
Clef caught her amused look. "What?"
"Oh, nothing." He was standing there with his sweatpants rolled up
to his knees and his rubber shoes slung around his neck. Umi had the
insane urge to giggle. Instead, she battled to keep a straight face.
"It's just I'm not used to seeing the Principal of Ryudo High looking
like this."
"Oh, you mean like a beach bum?" he said.
Then he smiled.
Umi caught her breath. Principal Clef, the youngest and most
brilliant member of Ryudo High School Academy, was nowhere to be found.
Instead, in his place, was a young man of eighteen standing barefoot on
the beach, his lavender hair in wild disarray, wearing a pair of
disreputable gray sweats and a smile that reached up to his clear blue
eyes.
"Something like that," Umi vaguely answered, thankful that it was
already dark so he couldn't see the blush that was stealing up her
cheeks.
"Can I ask you a question?" he asked, suddenly serious.
"You already did," she quipped. She bent down to pick up a conch
and held it up to her ear. She listened with her eyes closed, sapphire
tresses billowing about her.
He had this totally insane urge to reach out, smooth a wayward
strand from her cheek and tuck it behind her ear. He shook his head to
dispel the thought. Seeking a diversion, he turned to the sky.
A full moon.
He wanted to laugh. Some comfort that was, Nature giving him an
excuse for thinking like a lunatic. Scrap that thought about laughing -
what would Umi think if he started howling at the moon?
"What are you thinking?" Her blue eyes met his.
"Just wondering what you'd do if I started howling at the moon," he
answered honestly.
"Hmmm..." She looked at the moon and answered candidly, "... guess
I'd howl with you."
A thought too good to pass up. They paused to check to see if
anyone was around. There was none. They looked at each other...
"Nah." They shook their heads and ended up laughing together.
* * *
<Rriiing.>
<Rriiing.>
<Rrriing.>
<Ka-chink.>
<Whirrr.>
"I'm out. This is the machine. You know the routine."
<Beep.>
"Clef, dear, this is your mother speaking. We have read the reports
and we're very proud of how you've been handling things at Ryudo. We know
what a busy schedule you have, but your father insisted that you come
home this weekend. I'm holding a dinner party on Saturday for some old
family friends of his. Your father stressed that it was VERY IMPORTANT
for you to be here. Love, MOM.
"By the way, son, do you mind doing something about that message on
your answering machine?"
<Click.>
* * *
A dark blue Mazda rounded the driveway and pulled to a stop in
front of a newly-renovated British-colonial-style home. Clef turned off
the engine and glanced at Umi, who was sitting in the passenger seat. She
had been unusually quiet on the ride home, and he could not help but feel
that everything between them had changed.
_She must be uncomfortable with the idea of her school principal
giving her a lift,_ Clef thought to himself.
"Thanks for the ride home," Umi said, playing with the seatbelt's
release catch. She didn't seem to be in a hurry to leave the car.
"Well, I couldn't possibly let you walk home," he said.
"Would you like to come inside?"
"Looking like this?" Clef looked down at his jogging sweats and
grinned. "I don't think your parents would approve."
"Maybe some other time, then?" she asked, trying not to sound too
hopeful.
"Yes, some other time."
"Well, goodnight."
"Goodnight, Umi."
Umi slung her bag over her shoulder and got out of the car on her
bare feet. He watched as she made her way to the foyer, her shoes
dangling from one hand.
She turned around and waved at him from the top step. "Drive
carefully, Clef."
He nodded. "I will, Umi."
It was the first time she had called him by his first name.
Clef could not suppress the silly grin that had spread across his
face as he drove out of the Ryuzaki's driveway.
- end of chapter 3 -
=========================================================================
Dark Phoenix: I am so very, very grateful for all that you've done for
this fic. You're one of the best pre-readers a MKR fanfic writer could
have.
Switch: Thanks for the e-mail-addr. Now I have a cyber life.
Nomad: Get your literary ass off that e-z chair and write!
God knows you badly need an outlet right now.
For your C&C, flame thrower attacks, angst, inane musings and other
savory/unsavory comments about this fic, please send them all to:
elf_@cephiro.com
(DO NOT) E-MAIL MODERATELY.
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