Author's Note: This was originally a line challenge that gone awry. Inserted lines are noted with an asterisk(*). Stumps Prom and Party is an actual company, their site and catalog (which is referenced throughout the series) can be found at www.stumpsprom.com. Why I have a prom catalog in my possession (the print version) is a long story.
by Anthy
Even though the sun shone brightly that snowy January afternoon, all Duo could see was red. He stomped angrily down the street, he feet made loud crunching noises on the newly formed snow. Grabbing his braid, he wraped it around his neck like a scarf, and he lowered his head as the wind picked up. He should have known today was going to be awful the moment his alarm clock woke him an hour late. As he rushed to catch the bus two blocks away, he had forgot his scarf, gloves and hat. Then it began to snow, and the bus had already turned the corner. Not only was it a Monday, but it was the first day back from a long three week winter break. The minute he had stepped into the archaic building Duo called his high school, he had been whisked to the principal's office.
"H-h-h-hey! M-M-M-Mssss. Nnnnn!" Duo Maxwell exclaimed through chittering teeth. He bounded into the large room, leaving a long water trail behind him. "H-h-h-ow w-w-was y-your w-win-ter b-break? M-miste-rr N, g-get you anything sp-p-pecial, hmmm?"
"Duo," Lucenzia Noin sighed as she turned from the window, "how many times have I told you Mr. Peacecraft does not approve of you calling him. . ."
"W-w-hat? Can't a guy express himself, g-geez." he grinned as he sat on his frozen hands. For the past few months, he found delight in tormenting Ms. Noin's new husband, who also happened to be his physics teacher. "S-sorry I-I'm l-late," he said abruptly, "w-w-what d-did my dear prinicpal have in store for her favorite J-class prez today?"
"May 5." Noin stated. She stood and walked over to her closet. Opening it she pulled out Zech's large coat, which she draped over the shaking teen's shoulders. She leaned against the desk as he stopped trembling.
"So what is so important about that date," he said, finally feeling warm, "other than the fact it's Cinco de Mayo?"
"That is when you have to have prom ready."
"What!?" Duo nearly shouted as he gripped the jacket. "As in the senior prom?"
"Juniors are invited too." she calmly noted.
"I know. . . but, but why me?" he stammered.
"It's the responsibility of the junior class to organize the prom, and as president you are in charge."
"I know nothing about proms," Duo muttered. He slumped back into his chair and tried to hide in the massive jacket. "I've never been to one in my entire life."
"Sorry, Duo." she sighed as she pushed the boy out of his seat and ushered him to the door. The bell rang loudly outside the hallway and Duo could hear the all to familiar din of students filing out of class. Missing homeroom seemed a small consolation to the hell he was living in. Taking the coat from him, Noin added, "You're pretty smart, you'll think of something."
"F-fine," Duo shivered as the draft from the open door hit him.
"Look, I already spoke to your vice-president and the cabinet has their monthly meeting this week so you can start from there. I know you can do this, I have faith in you."
"At least someone does," he murmured as he stormed out into the already crowded hallway. Storming down the hall, he stopped at his best friend Heero's locker. Heero had his back turned from him as he rummaged through his eerily organized space. Duo stood behind him and placed the back of his hand to Heero's neck. With a move that didn't surprise Duo at all, Heero grabbed the book he was looking for before nonchalantly turning in Duo's direction. The slightly taller teen looked at Duo for a moment before setting the book back into his locker.
"Your hands are cold." he said, sandwiching Duo's hands between his.
"No shit sherlock." Duo snapped. "Today is just not my day."
"You weren't in homeroom."
"I was with Noin, that evil mega-beast of-a," Duo fumed.
"Look, there's Relena, I've got to run." Heero said as he released Duo's hands. It was only then that Duo realized that his friend had been warming them. Pushing back confusing thoughts that raced through his head, Duo began to deposit his coat in the locker they sometimes shared. Feeling the sudden draft, Duo reached inside and threw on Heero's letter jacket. It was better insulated and it smelled like. . .
"Coming over later?" Heero asked, already starting to walk away.
"Yeah." Duo muttered as he threw his bookbag in the locker with a clang. He watched as Heero walked over to the blonde-haired girl and she immediately latched onto his arm. Duo turned to face the locker because he made no secret of his dislike for the girl. Duo rolled his eyes as he heard the chorus of "Awww" from Relena's clique. Ok, he was jealous that his best friend was dating the most popular girl in school. And sure, it wasn't the jealousy that one would think.
'Yes, I have a crush on my best friend,' he silently scolded himself, 'get over it! Don't be so surprised, Mr. Maxwell.'
'Stop being immature! Sulking gets you nowhere.' his mind snapped back.
"I'm a big kid now*. " he retorted loudly, causing looks from the guy standing at the locker next to him.
"Oh yeah? Then why ya arguing with yourself?" Duo froze as he realized he muttered the last two thoughts out loud. He turned to look at the guy at the locker next to him. The younger boy smiled and offered a sympathetic chuckle before closing his locker. The boy turned and walked down the hallway.
Slamming his locker, Duo shouted, "Society doesn't like smartasses, you know?" The boy, looking lost, paused and walked back towards the lockers.
"Today is just not my day." he murmured as he trudged forward. "This semester is going to be hell."
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Heero walked slowly down the hallway, all attention left on the brown-haired bundle of energy he had left at his locker. Relena still clung tightly to his arm, making him feel imprisoned as she chattered to the group of girls walking with her. He wasn't sure when or if she was talking to him, and for that matter he did not care. Visions of his best friend clicked through his mind, his pale face flushed from the outside weather. He thought back to the long thin fingers that made Heero feel warm even though when he had held them they were cold as ice.
'Stop it, Yuy. You are dating Relena, remember?' he scolded himself. 'You should be fantasizing of her, not him.'
'That's right, dating. It's not like she's your girlfriend or anything.' his mind snapped back, sounding like a badly done Duo impersonation.
'Says who?'
'You, dummy.'
"Well I guess I'm the only one then, huh?" he said, and Relena turned to him in concern.
"The only one what?"
'The only one who doesn't consider you as my girlfriend.' the inner voice tormented, and Heero shrugged as they continued to walk toward their next class. He didn't know why he kept dating her, sometimes she was fun to be around, and she was cute. But in comparison to Duo, she just couldn't compete. Oh, he had tried to end things, but each attempt was dashed. Relena needed him right now, her father had died last year in a plane accident and Heero was the only person that she considered family.
She had a brother, but they weren't all that close considering the large age difference and the fact that they grew up in different homes. When she was three her parents had divorced, and they split the kids instead of split custody. Both parents were very successful and they were to give Relena and Milliardo whatever they wanted. Unlike her brother, she was a little spoiled, not accustomed to things not going her way. A year before her father's death she had lost her mother to cancer. She was devasted. When her father had passed, she had completely shut down. It was Heero who brought her back, and he knew that leaving her now would cause her to break down again. He knew because she told him almost everyday.
"Heero?" Relena asked as she tugged hard on Heero's arm. "Why is Duo wearing your jacket?"
Heero looked up to see Duo bouncing down the hallway. Sure enough, Heero could make out the "Yuy" on the back of the blue and black jacket. He couldn't help but grin as Duo dragged a well-dressed blonde male down the hallway, pointing at various classrooms. Heero recognized him as the new kid who had the locker next to his, and he wasn't surprised to how quick Duo befriended the boy.
"He was cold." Heero casually answered.
"Well, he has his own coat, doesn't he?" Relena retorted, pausing abruptly to stare at him. She gave a slight nod to her girlfriends, indicating that they should go ahead of her.
"Unlike you," he hissed, "he can only afford clothes that could keep a man in Hawaii warm. If he had a decent jacket, he'd wear it. It's just a damn jacket, what's the big deal?"
"It's just that," Relena started, "what I meant was. . . I don't know. What if I got cold?"
"I'd walk with you to your locker so that you could get your coat." he said without thinking. Relena rolled her eyes as she leaned forward to give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Not very romantic, but it'll do for now." she relented as the continued to walk down the hallway. Relena continued to smile, but inside her mind began to throw ideas that she just couldn't push away. There was something about Heero's relationship with his friend that she just found odd. Her friends always hinted at it, but she always thought that they were joking. But when she saw them standing at his locker this morning, Duo's hands sandwiched between Heero's, she knew that there was something there, she just didn't know what "it" was. She just had to find out.
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"Okie-dokie!" Duo sang as his stopped abruptly at two large double doors. "Sophomore PE is in there. Your next class is down the hall, take a right, then up the staircase, make another right, a left at the first door, and Mr. Noi-, er, Peacecraft should be at the front of the room. Any other questions?"
"What is your name?" the blonde gasped as he tried to catch his breath.
"Oh, Duo Maxwell, sorry about the whole locker thing this morning." Duo said as he patted the boy's back. The teen looked up at him and he frowned.
"Maxwell? Isn't it Yuy?"
"Nah," Duo guffawed as his face flushed slightly. "This is my best bud's jacket. You'll soon know him as the second best athlete this school has to offer. Not much on conversation, but he's cool."
"Second?" he laughed.
"Yah. And I'm not being mean or anything, it's a fact. For one he's a junior, and two there's Trowa. That senior is everywhere. He plays almost every damn sport this school's got to offer and he excels in all of them." Duo rambled as he leaned against the gym door. "A transfer like you, but he used to be a circus performer or something. Even choreographs stunts for the cheerleaders. Rumor has it that he was a clown. Seeing that guy smile, hoo, that's something I'd pay for. Man, this guy is about as readable as upside-down hieroglyphics."
Duo made a move to leave when the door opened, propelling him forward. Before his face could make contact with the cold floor, a strong hand grabbed his arm and painlessly pulled him upright.
"Speak of the devil!" Duo chirped. "I was just talking about you! Tro, this is Quatre R. Winner. Q, meet Trowa Barton."
Quatre looked up at the tall teen and felt a blush grow to his cheeks. He couldn't help it, the guy was hot and he was staring right at him. One emerald green eye was visible, for half of his flawless face was covered by a thick bang. "Hi." he squeaked.
"Hi." Trowa said, corners of his mouth forming a small smile. Their gazes locked, and neither said a word until Duo made a loud noise of revealation and began to walk away.
"Well, I don't know about you, but I'm late. Now, if you'll excuse me, I was in the middle of a bad day before being politely interrupted. Nice to meet you, Q." Duo said as he leisurely strolled through the thinning crowd.
"Well, I better go in." Quatre gushed as he slowly walked backwards into the gym door. It didn't open.
"You have to pull to open it." Trowa informed, opening the other door. Quatre blushed and walked through. "Have a good day."
'Hope to see you soon.'
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"Hey, Heero!" Duo yelled as he bounded into Heero's room. He was the computer, the keyboard making rhythmic sounds as Heero continued with his work. Duo threw off Heero's jacket and stretched out on the bed with a loud sigh. "I didn't see you after school."
"Got a ride home with Relena." Heero said as he shrugged Duo's thin coat off his shoulders. "You didn't stop at my locker after class so I just took your coat."
"I know, but I got detained by the mega-beast. A kind beast, but evil for what she's making me do."
Heero continued to key as Duo relayed his meeting with Mrs. Noin. "I know nothing about proms, much less how to run one. I don't want it to suck, but I really wish someone else would do it. What should I do? And don't give me the usual, 'I have faith in you speech' because I've already heard it from her."
"Stumps."
"What?" Duo asked as he walked over to the computer.
"It's a party company that specializes in events and proms." Heero informed as he pointed at the screen. Duo wrinkled his nose as he sidled over and sat on Heero's knee.
"Prom planning, eh?" Duo quirked as he covered Heero's hand over the mouse and began to move it. "Hey! This place has even got an schedule. Let's see, it says that in December-"
"Duo?"
"Hmm."
"Do I look like a chair to you?"
"Yes. But not a good mouse." Duo joked as he slapped Heero's hand away. Heero shrugged in frustation and leaned back in the chair, using his free hands to play with Duo's braid. He personally didn't mind being this close to Duo. "Ok, it looks like Mrs. N took care of December already, the only thing she left out was selecting a prom commitee. No biggie, I can put the junior and senior cabinet to work plus few volunteers. You've been volunteered, by the way. Let's see, I'll print this, and I'll order a catalog. It says it should be here by Thursday. . . hey Heero?"
"Hmmm?"
"Once you're done braiding my hair for the second time, you think you could fill out this form for me?"
"Why me?"
"You have nothing better to do, so I'm making you useful." Duo chided, making no move to stand. Shrugging, Heero leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Duo. Placing his head on Duo's shoulder, he began to key.
"You see, that wasn't so bad." Duo murmured. 'In fact this is great.' They sat in silence as Heero filled out the small form. After hitting send, Heero placed his arms around Duo's waist and continued to peer over his shoulder.
"What did it say for December?" Heero murmured into Duo's shoulder, not yet wanting to break contact. Duo's breath caught when he felt Heero's breath across his neck. Shaking his head, he stared at the computer screen as if it held the answer to the meaning of life.
"Nothing important really. January is were the junior cabinet really comes in. It's says that-" Duo began when there was a loud knock on the door. The two turned their heads to see Relena fuming in the opened doorway, her blue eyes narrowed into thin slits.
"What is this?" she asked, her voice tense. Duo grinned.
"Prom planning. What's it look like?"