DISCLAIMER: Hunter x Hunter does not belong to me but to Yoshihiro Togashi. And as much as I'd love to own the song Sk8er Boi, I can't because it belongs to Avril Lavigne already.
The story of this songfic (ah, I'd rather call it a fanfic just to be safe) happens on an AU. Everything that happened in HxH is still the same, except that Killua never took the Hunter Exam for the second time, had kept his precious skateboard and both he and Gon didn't try out the Greed Island. They're 22 years old, while Kurapica and Leorio are… I don't know. Sorry, but they didn't have a specific age in the series, only age range.
Another thing. Killua can be better termed as a skateboarder rather that a skater, because according to definition of a dictionary (the World Book Dictionary to be exact), a skater is a person who skates (can I make it any more obvious), and "skate" means "a frame with a blade fixed to a shoe so that a person can glide over ice" or "a similar frame or shoe with small wheels for use on any smooth, hard surface." Also, "skater" is more appropriate for people using roller skates or roller blades. But Miss Avril seemed to be fonder of using a skateboard on her MTV, and it influenced me more into thinking that the "frame" may also be in the form of a narrow board, hence the skateboard. I may be wrong but I couldn't help it; Sk8er Boi always reminds me of Killua no matter what.
You can expect the OOC factor here, especially when you're beginning to figure out who the singer and the other girl are (Probaby not who you expect). But then again, this is an AU fic, and anything can happen (especially if I have something to do about it…). Why, you ask? Blame this statement: "Change is the only constant feature on Earth." Sounds like something you'd only learn in Biology but for me, it's true.
A lot of you might say "What the hell/the heck/on earth…!" in the end of the story, be turned on, turned off or both at the same time. Sorry, but I couldn't help with the way I made it run. It's just an experiment for trying out the girl Killua's going to end up with.
Tense-switching here is intentional.
Heck, what am I saying? Enough of the author's ramblings; let's just get it on.
SK8ER BOI
He closed the door behind him, letting out a big sigh of relief as the noise from where he just came from was suddenly cut. Suddenly, everything became too silent that his ears didn't pick up the sounds of approaching footsteps while struggling to adjust his auditory system back to normalcy.
"Killua!"
That voice. Low yet very familiar. A grin lit up his face while looking up to meet brown eyes that he had seen for a decade, although not always. Energy and enthusiasm recharged him and he slapped his best friend's back heartily. "Gon, you made it!"
Gon, now a tall young man with a little shorter yet still spiky black hair, became a Hunter whose will to preserve the balance of nature had led him to his success at discovering unknown creatures and enlarging populations of species on the danger of extinction. Supposedly he should be outside Japan, doing one of the activities he was best at, yet here he was, witnessing the success of the career his closest friend had taken. "How can I not make it? I know this concert is important to you, and I wouldn't miss it for anything in the world." The Hunter's voice had deepened already years ago, but it still gave Killua the same moral support he always offered since the first time they had met.
"Hey, Killua, we're finally here!"
Gon gave a grin, and Killua looked behind the Hunter's shoulder. "Leorio! Kurapica!" He quickly walked past Gon to meet his other friends.
"Yo." Leorio saluted him with the use of his index and middle fingers while Kurapica smiled. "Amazing get-up you have."
As though on automatic response, he looked down on his loose black pants. "I know." His dark eyes switched from the doctor to the Kuruta. "I thought you said you guys couldn't come."
"And you actually believed us?" Leorio laughed. "Kurapica and I wanted to surprise you, so we had to lie or else it would have been ruined."
Kurapica nodded in agreement. "We're sorry we weren't able to attend your first few appearances because of our schedules and all. But when we heard of another concert coming up, we decided to take a pause and watch your performance out there."
"Forget about it." Once again, the Zoldick felt so flattered. Not so many people, even friends, would selflessly drop everything they were doing and travel by miles just to anticipate the happiness of someone they hadn't seen for about two years or so. "Really, guys. Thanks a lot for being here."
Leorio picked up the bottle of mineral water on a nearby table and tossed it to Killua, who automatically caught it with one hand. "Like we can avoid it even if we want to. Your face is practically everywhere on TV."
"You and Gon are really into this 'normal life' you've been dreaming of." Kurapica's glance switched from the musician to the dark-haired Hunter. "It's a good thing you both enjoy the paths you took."
The doorknob turned open, and a slim figure peeked her head inside. "Killua? Get ready, it's almost time."
"Okay." Killua gulped down the rest of the water. "I'll see you later, guys. The guitar is waiting for me."
"Yeah, and so is your girl. I like her." Leorio grinned.
"Hands off, Leorio," Killua ordered. His eyes narrowed into a withering stare.
"Don't get the wrong idea. All I meant was that you two look good together, or at least in my opinion."
A smile crept into Killua's face. Leorio was right in some aspect, and it wasn't because they looked compatible. It was because she felt him in some way, because she understood. Actually, really cared.
She was the best.
Heck, he should put aside the pleasant thoughts and concentrate on the concert. But he knew that was going to be quite hard when she would be there in the same stage his feet would be. When he knew he might just spend the next few hours gazing at her, imagining her reaction in the end instead of playing the guitar for her song.
But being beside the real thing was better than just thinking about it, right?
She stood in the center of the stage, eyes and ears taking in thousands of cheering fans and screaming admirers. They weren't exactly her fans; they were actually Killua's. But she never minded the spotlight being away from her and focused on the young man. His level of enthusiasm was so high, and it was no wonder he never ran out of energy for one of the biggest nights of his life. Besides, he deserved every shout of praise and clap of thunderous applause.
As she took hold of the mike, in the corner of her eye she saw Killua give her a look, the question within it silent: Are you nervous?
Smiling, she swayed her head. There was no way her confidence will waver while letting her voice take over temporarily. For Killua, this was a special treat in his show, and there was no way she would let him down.
And the song… she knew it by heart, the words, the sounds, everything. Having too many practices had even enabled her heart to dwell in the past while the words automatically flow out from her mouth, flawless. But it was more than the lyrics. It was a story. Their story.
Killua gave her a reassuring smile, and once again she felt less alone while her heart pumped blood five times faster than usual. In all the years she had known the Zoldick, the only thing she had seen him grace most people with was his casual grin, even to his fans and his friends. But to her, he never failed to grant her a smile, the kind that often made her thankful for meeting such a great person, regardless of his life behind him. And she never regretted meeting him.
The tap of the drumsticks against each other behind her provided the signal that the music was about to start, and she silently counted in her mind. One, two, one-two-three— Here goes. Once the upbeat rhythm of the drums began and Killua's hands took control over the electric guitar, the twenty-two-year-old girl instantly fell under the spell.
Before she entered junior high, her closest friend had broken to her the news that her mother would have a business matter on one end of the country. But to ensure the safety of her daughter, the older woman had to transfer the latter to the place along with her. The girl had been saddened at the thought of being separated from her friend. What if they never get to meet again? What if they did but they had already changed? But the friend had been understandable about her fears. So before she left, they had made a promise to each other: Everyone changes as he grows up. Let's not be afraid of it.
That promise had turned out to have a bigger impact than what she expected.
First they had often send letters to each other. Later their busy lives had caused the letters to become fewer and fewer, until they were only sent once in a while. Then one and a half years later, both girls had lost someone really close to them. But for the girl's friend, the blow had been harder and crueler. Since the day the girl had read in the obituary section of the newspaper the death of her friend's mother, no matter how hard the she tried to keep in touch, her friend never responded.
Then had come the years of high school. The girl had grown up into a more mature sixteen-year-old young lady and had to leave some of her old self behind. That's right; I did change. No longer had she been the naïve child anymore and had already realized that she couldn't be too dependent on the people around her forever. Her other friends and she had already lost contact years ago, so it didn't hurt to make new ones at her new school. Also, she had already taken the pleasure of going to school in moderate speed and enjoying the calm surrounding on the way at the same time.
The last thing the girl had expected was to see her closest friend in the same school grounds that she was stepping on. However, her friend had seemed to be a little colder to the world, and the girl had been a little troubled about it. Why was her friend not the warm and friendly person that she had once been?
And then, just before she got her answer, they had met him.
When it was already her turn, she took the mike and opened her mouth to sing.
"He was a boy
She was a girl
Can I make it any more obvious
He was a punk
She did ballet
What more can I say."
The female singer knew all too well who the "she" was referring to. She would never forget the day when both girls had crossed paths with a sixteen-year-old guy whose deep blue bangs that were a contrast to his gel-coated white hair had snagged the attention of everyone in their school, students and teachers alike. She had never seen this stranger who was slightly taller than her, but something about him had caught her interest. The green skateboard with the yellow arrow that he was using while wearing his school uniform to make himself look cool? Not enough reason. But she had been sure that it was neither romantic attraction nor love; one boy had already proven to her before the fault of mistaking some emotions because they'd been too young to tell things apart. Besides, she had already sworn off guys until she graduated from high school to prioritize her academics, especially the subjects she hated the most; it had been a promise to her self as part of her self-improvement, and she'd never intended to forget it.
As they met ways near the soccer field, the light-haired guy had slightly turned his head in their direction. The girl had not been sure if that was meant for her or for her friend. For all she knew, it could had been for the bevy of swooning girls behind them. But to her shock—and amazement, a tinge of pink had touched her friend's cheeks while continuing to walk with a composed face. Wait a minute. Blush? Her friend had never blushed before, or at least, not under normal circumstances.
The next day, there had been no classes; the girl had used this opportunity to try catching up on what's new with her friend, to bring out the old times, to relive old memories. But the latter had seemed to have an invisible barrier around her; it had been hard bringing back the same closeness that they used to share. Nonetheless, the girl had found out some things: her friend was practicing ballet for her pastime, a great dancer at that. A break from her fine art skills, she had leaned to the more active side of herself, because that was what most girls in her junior high school did. But that was all her friend had allowed herself to say, nothing more.
Finally, the girl had been on the verge of giving up when their feet led them to the open park to see the same fair guy… only this time donned in a big dark gray shirt with prints of wild red slashes all over and a loose-fitting black lower garment that seemed to be a cross between a pair of pants and shorts. The cuff on his left wrist had been studded with small spikes and thin chains had adorned his neck, his shirt and the sides of his long shorts. The speed of the skateboard he was riding on had almost been light speed as he traveled along the upper edge of the bench before soaring high in the air to flip and twist his body and then landing soundlessly on the skateboard, unscathed.
"He wanted her
She'd never tell secretly she wanted him as well."
"Wow, that was amazing!" The words had been out of the girl's mouth before she knew it.
The guy had stopped his skateboard with his foot and turned to them in surprise. "It's the two of you again!" Four seconds later, he had already closed the distance between them. Dark eyes had then fallen on the ballerina and lit up before regaining composure. "Hey." The girl had noticed for the first time the two silver hoops on the skateboarder's left ear.
The dancer's eyes had met his. This time her face had been void of any trace of being flushed. "Hey. Great skills you have." By the casual way the complement had come out, nobody would have suspected her of fighting back her inner emotions from surfacing their way to her face.
But the girl knew better, for she had seen how the ballerina had reacted to the punk's presence the first time the latter had seen him.
The white-haired guy had looked away to his left but not before very slight flattery had written itself in his face. "Uh, thanks." He had seemed to be having a hard time on what to say next.
The girl had decided to help him out, feeling the start of chemistry between the two people with her. "I don't think we have seen you around before. Our school is so big, no wonder we never made friends with all the people around."
The punk had actually chuckled, seeming to be more at ease. "What you actually said is true." His words had been directed at the girl but his eyes had kept darting on the dancer. "I'm Killua. Killua Zoldick. What are your names?"
The singer's face scrunched a little as she continued.
"But all of her friends
Stuck up their nose
They had a problem with his baggy clothes."
"You can't be serious about him!"
Behind the cherry tree, the girl had cringed at the voice oozing with disbelief and distaste. The owner had been one of the dancer's friends from junior high and, not coincidentally, now their classmate, along with several others. After the ballerina had blown the girl off for her junior high companions, again, the latter could no longer hold back the hurt. No, it hadn't been because her longtime friend had created new ones. After all, the girl had done the same thing during the years prior to high school. No, it hadn't been jealousy. But what she couldn't understand had been the dancer's choice of people, those girls with various degrees of make-up painted on their faces, those females who would always be walking with an air of haughtiness around them. Had she been just traded for such superficial ones? To answer her own question, she had decided to secretly spy a little on them.
But found something else.
"It's not that I'm actually serious about him! Well, I admit he doesn't look that dangerous or anything but—"
"But he's cute. No, he's good-looking enough for you." There had been sarcasm as another of the ballerina's friends spoke. "If you like fashion-gone-ill, that is."
"I do not!" The dancer had bestowed her a dangerous glare.
"But you do like him, don't you." It had been more of an accusation than a query.
The dancer had looked away from them. "No."
Her friend had rolled her eyes at the response. "Puh-lease."
"Don't listen to her."
The girl's eyebrows had shot up as the female nearest the ballerina stood up. Had it been possible that there was actually someone who wasn't as phony as the other girls? She had found this hard to believe, judging from the way the circle of girls acted.
"Think about it this way. Here you are, a talented, not to mention rich, ballet dancer, graceful as a gazelle, swan or whatever. Now, here's an attractive boy whose tastes run to loose-fitting clothes, leather stuff with chains and God knows what else he's wearing that we don't know about. He's a punk. A punk for crying out loud. He looks like trash put together, a weirdo! Can you pinpoint exactly where he picks up his fashion sense?"
The other girls had cracked up. "'Don't listen to her—' You just elaborated what she just said!"
"At least I know what I'm saying. I'm just pointing out the obvious. A high-class ballerina and a punk with a skateboard. A perfect blend. Just like oil and water." The friend had turned to the dancer. "That was just my opinion. How you deal with this freak—who seems to have interest in you—is all in your hands."
A fast interval of drums was weaved, and the singer turned to Killua.
"He was a skater boy
She said see you later boy
He wasn't good enough for her
She had a pretty face
But her head was up in space
She needed to come back down to earth."
"Where have you been?"
"What exactly do you mean?"
Killua had stared hard into the dancer's eyes, searching for the truth. "You know what this is all about. You said you'd meet me at the park, one o'clock sharp, because you had agreed to go out and watch a movie with me. I had even given you the number of my apartment so that you can reach me if there was a change of plans or something. It's already past four, and I searched for you only to find you in a mall?" His eyes had lingered on her hand that was clutching shopping bags of various sizes.
The girl, who was a few meters away from the two, stepped back. By pure coincidence, she had been doing a little shopping of her own too; she had no idea she would see Killua and the dancer inside the same place. The mall had been buzzing with life but she could very well hear the conversation ahead of her. And from Killua's tone, he had sounded anything but pleased.
"Oh, did I say something like that?" The dancer had seemed innocent, as though she had no idea what he was talking about. "Sorry but I don't recall anything about it."
"I don't get you at all!" Killua threw his hands in the air. "Why? I thought you want us to be friends so I—"
"Friends?" The innocent act had been dropped and sneer had replaced it. "Was that what you have in your head all along?"
"Well… what's wrong about it?"
All of a sudden, the dancer burst out into hysterical laughter, attracting a few shoppers to turn their heads in their direction. "Have you lost your mind? Who'd actually want to become friends with you, of all people?"
Killua had looked like he had just been punched in the gut. "What?"
"Are you also deaf? I am not the least bit interested in what you want to offer, get it?"
"But—But I thought you're different from them. I just want to—"
"Don't you really get it? Talking to you was a mistake. You have no right to be my friend, much less be someone I'd care about. You're nowhere even near my level. There, happy to know the truth?"
He had remained frozen, looking stunned and stung at her words.
"Now excuse me, I have to go and finish my shopping, so do you mind?" Without waiting for Killua's response, she had pushed past him but not before stopping to turn to him. "See you later, boy."
The next day, a disturbing kind of word had leaked out: Killua had come from a family of assassins, a human monster that had killed ever since childhood. The rumor had spread like wildfire, consuming the minds of everyone, including the Zoldick's reputation. Students had avoided being within his sight, and even the teachers had been nervous around their white-haired student. According to the circulators of this rumor, a group of students had actually gained access from a "reliable source" that had refused to be made known and learned the piece of information. The Zoldicks were murderers getting paid for their services. Only a few of Killua's male classmates had actually stood by him, believing in what Killua had to say about the issue rather than letting it get in the way.
The girl had wanted to support Killua as well. Maybe that had been what she had felt the first time she met him—the feeling of being beside someone who was in trouble. Even if the rumor were true, she hadn't cared, and she knew she hadn't felt scared; after all she had gone through more dangerous situations, situations where she had even seen a worse world that would come true had she not overcome the trials given to her. Zoldick-kun didn't deserve to be unhappy. With this thought, she had decided to undo some of Killua's unhappiness. That had also meant confronting the ballerina.
"What you did to Zoldick-kun yesterday was so low," the girl had said to her later that afternoon. "Agreeing to go out on a date with him and standing him up on purpose—I can't believe you'd pull something like that."
"So don't believe it then." The ballerina had studied her already perfectly manicured fingers while talking. "Anyway, it was wise of me to turn the freak down. Especially now that I know he had a dark past; I don't date criminals either."
"The freak and criminal you're talking about was the same guy you had wanted to get to know better weeks ago! I know that he has feelings for you. You may not have showed it but I know you liked him as well!"
"Liked, as in past tense. Wait a minute. Since when had you been the assassin's greatest defender?" The tone had been laced with accusation.
"Former assassin," the girl had corrected, matching up the dancer's hard tone. "But this is more than just about Zoldick-kun. What in the world has gotten into you? You didn't use to be condescending and cold! You didn't use to be anything that you are now! I know you said years ago that we may change in the future but I had no idea this was going to be this—" She had paused to grope for a better word. "This drastic!"
"Your naivety is more than I can give credit for." The dancer's eyes had held no warmth, only hard coldness that the girl never would have dreamt possible. "Stop being a hypocrite, why don't you. I do know that I changed, and I know you're aware that you did too. We're nothing alike now, can't you see? So stop with the futile narrowing of the gap thing. I can't believe you never realized the reality! I thought your complete innocence before was due to our young age but now that we, or at least I, matured, I can perfectly see the lack of sharpness your mind has."
The girl had gasped. "You couldn't mean that! You didn't mean any of what you said, right? Right?"
The ballerina had sighed loudly in exasperation. "That's it, I can't take this for one more second! If you can't read it, then I'll have to spell it out for you. From this very minute on, I'm completely cutting my ties with you." She had turned around to walk away.
"Wait!" The hurt in the girl's heart had intensified even more. "Don't be like this! This is not you at all!"
"I don't have anything to do with you anymore." The stare the dancer gave her had made her blood run cold. "By the way, you seem to be attached to the freak. Have fun with him. You two deserve each other."
And so the girl had immediately run out of school the moment classes were dismissed. Confusion and hurt had mingled in her heart while tears had flown from her eyes. Where was she? Where did the open and kind friend she knew go? After what had seemed to be forever, her feet had automatically led her to the empty park before wiping away the tears to see a lone figure sitting on the bench in a hunched position. Beside him was a green skateboard.
"Zoldick-kun?" she had called out tentatively.
Killua had raised his head up to look in her direction. The dark eyes had no sign of life. "What are you doing here? Don't you think that I can kill you any moment now?" His voice had held bitterness.
"So I heard."
"Then why are you talking to me now? I had killed people before. I was an assassin, an assassin!"
"So?" She had taken the space beside him, the side away from the skateboard. "You did say 'was,' right? So you're no longer one now."
For a moment, Killua had fallen silent at her words.
"And you don't seem to be the type of person who has every intention of harming someone on purpose."
"…You're not afraid of me then?"
"No, not at all."
His focus had been directed to the ground but his relief had been evident in his features. "You're the first girl who has the guts to be within my perimeter ever since the news came out." He had looked at her again. "I suppose you went here to confirm whether or not it's true."
"No." She had shaken her head slightly, her hair swaying. "You don't have to talk about it if you don't want to. I understand."
"How do you know that you do?" He had been a little skeptical about it.
"Because everyone has a past whether it's good or dark. It's not surprising if the past has things you wish had never happened."
Killua had bent his head to meet her in the eye to reply but whatever he was planning to say had changed. "You just recently cried."
There had been no point in denying it.
"And where is your friend whom you're supposed to lean on?"
She had sighed. "She's… now a part of that past."
"Ha, I knew it. I could never understand how the two of you became friends when both of you have nothing in common." For a moment the small smile that appeared on his somber face had seemed as though it reminded him of someone else. Then he'd shifted back to his former state. "The way she is looking down at people, you'd think she owns the entire school."
Once more, she had sighed in weariness. "No, she didn't use to be like that. When I had met her for the first time, she was nice, smart and very friendly. And also very talented even up to now. And she was a very supportive pillar. I don't know much about what had happened to her when we got separated from each other."
"Supportive, huh? That's what I thought how she's going to turn out to be when I first saw her. I admit I find her beautiful. Even my friends do, and so seems every guy in the school. She is perfect—or so it seemed. But it's just too bad that her beauty is wasted because of her foul personality. And I actually thought that she is different from her crowd?"
"I hate to agree with you but it is true." Her mind had searched for another topic, something that wasn't as sore as the one they were having now. "Hey, you have been practicing with your skateboard again?"
"…Yeah. Why?"
"Nothing, really. I noticed you're good. Why don't you join competitions?"
"There are rarely competitions around here."
"But if there is…?"
"I don't know yet. What's with the sudden questions? Interested?"
"Not really, I mean, not in skateboarding, though. But you know…" Her voice had trailed off at the sound of a stomach grumbling.
Killua had seemed annoyed with himself. "Wonderful."
The girl had jumped from her seat. "Hey, why don't we go eat something?"
"I'm not hungry." Killua had picked up his skateboard, examining the wheels. Avoiding her invitation.
But she had known what he really was afraid of seeing. "Everything will be all right." Cheerfully she had extended her right hand.
He had looked up, hesitating. After a moment he had grasped her wrist, and she'd happily pulled him up.
For the next few weeks, the girl had started meeting him during their free time and going home together with him and his remaining school friends. Their other classmates had been appalled at her actions at first and many had thought she had gone mad but she had firmly held her ground. Later they had seemed to see no harm in approaching the punk. The girl's friends then had started to take cue from her before the guys did from them. The weeks had turned into months, and finally the truth had been properly embedded in everyone's minds: Killua Zoldick was as harmless as anyone in their school could be. A punk with an unnatural past, yes, but a safe student and classmate at the same time.
The months had turned to years and Killua had started to open up before she did to him. The girl had learned so much about him: his family background, the Hunter Exam, the friends that he had met along the way, the longing to lead a normal life just like others, the desire to make friends, his reasons for studying in Japan and many more. She had loved the way his eyes danced whenever he talked about his three closest friends, particularly the one he had called Gon.
"He's so fun to be with, I tell you," he had said in mirth. "He may seem not to know much about things but don't underestimate him because he can do so many unusual stuff. Hey, have I ever mentioned that he is capable of finding you by just following the scent of your perfume?"
"Really?" The girl had been genuinely interested. "I want to meet Gon too. But if you two are so close, why didn't he study here?"
"Unfortunately he didn't pass the entrance exam, so he's in a different school. But we live in the same apartment, so we get to trade stories all the time. By the way, the doctor I was telling you about is also a Hunter like Gon. He likes women a lot but he's not that bad either…" By the high level of enthusiasm in Killua's tone, the girl had been more than up to meeting the Zoldick's friends.
Soon, she had gotten her wish. The Hunters had seemed to like her, and she had seen how much Gon reflected her in some ways. Their warm welcome and friendliness and the way they acted around Killua had reminded her of how the ballerina who had been her closest friend used to be. But it hadn't hurt much anymore. She had no choice but to move on, for she had no direction to go to but forward.
Actually, she had the power to go back, and she could use it whenever she wanted to but then had decided against it. She had wanted to get back into the track of normal life too, and that also meant putting her supernatural control behind her.
Killua had learned much about her background too. He was really interested about the type of life she had led in the past, and she had never held back the details of her life: about her family, her other friends, her hobbies before and now… and even the boy who had been sorry for no longer feeling attracted to her anymore, the one who had actually admitted that what he had felt for her cannot be really called true love. She had sighed; those things had seemed to be eons ago. But Killua had listened intently to every word she said, and she had realized how much they had in common. And what was more, he had unconsciously opened the different sides of her that she never knew that she had, just as she had seen his hidden passion for something other than his skateboard and choice of apparel. The passion for music.
The singer started walking along the side of the stage near the audience, and the crowd shouted, "Woo hoo!" and "Yeah!" as loud as they could.
"Five years from now
She sits at home
Feeding the baby she's all alone
She turns on TV
Guess who she sees
Skater boy rockin' up MTV."
"So what happened next?" the girl had asked. It had been many months since she graduated from high school, and she had taken the time to meet one of her male friends.
"Her boyfriend didn't even have the courage to take the responsibility of fatherhood." The young man had pushed his glasses upward. "Even while she was giving birth, he never showed up. He had completely deserted her after things got messed up."
"Oh."
"I feel sorry for her. After her mother died, she got the wrong set of friends to help her move on. I never predicted her as the type who would be blinded by wealth and fall for the wrong kinds of people who can make her personality turn around by one hundred eighty degrees. I guess even I could be wrong with these things."
"At least you still know how she's doing because you often meet her along the way. Ever since she stopped being friends with me, I never took notice. The gap could never be narrowed again."
"I didn't realize that you two are barely on speaking terms."
"It's not that I hate talking to her. And I now see a clearer picture of her problems. But why didn't she want to tell me about them? I could have listened. I could have helped her!"
"I could be wrong but maybe she had wanted to stand on her own, just as you wanted to no longer be too dependent on others. It's unfortunate that she hadn't been able to do so, and her present friends were the ones who had happened to be there when it happened." He had stared at her intently. "Would you like to see her again?"
She had been hesitant. "Would that be a good idea?"
"It's up to you. But in case you want to, she'd be at the concert tomorrow. The one to be held by Zoldick-kun."
"Killua's show?" she had exclaimed in surprise. "But how did you know whether or not she's going?"
"I know this is none of my business but I watched her the same way I did you before." He pointed to the wooden floor before them.
"I see. Of course she must have known Killua's famous by now. And what did you see?"
"She was taking care of her baby when she opened her television. She accidentally stumbled upon the MTV channel and when she saw Zoldick-kun, she was definitely shocked."
"She calls up her friends
They already know
And they've all got
Tickets to see his show
She tags along
Stands in the crowd
Looks up at the man that she turned down..."
Killua is so great up there! the girl had thought as she gazed at the twenty-two-year old star on the stage. This had been his first concert, and she could see what a natural he was. "Go, Killua!" she had yelled even though she knew he wouldn't be able to hear her. How could he, when the crowds of people around had drowned her words with their voices? But to her, it had been no matter. She'd turned to her friend. "He's so amazing, isn't he?" Excitement had been running through her veins.
He had nodded, although the girl had been sure he had just made out the words from the way her mouth moved.
"I love you, Killua!"
She had turned around to see a group of girls drooling while screaming their lungs out. It had been no surprise that she found them to be in the same age as she was but their faces made her remember familiar ones. She had taken a good look when the dancing spotlights hit them. Weren't these the same schoolmates who had looked down at Killua for his appearance? And to think that they had managed to get to the front of the stage!
"He's so sexy!"
"Oh my God, oh my God!"
"Killua rules!"
"I'm so going to die!"
"So cool!"
The girl couldn't believe their gall. Now that her boyfriend was riding the wave of fame was the only time they'd reconsider what they had thought of him? But if these girls were here… could that had meant that the ballerina was here as well?
"Excuse me." She had pushed her way through the throng of people until her eyes had spot the dancer standing. The latter's gaze had been focused on Killua, her jaw dropped and eyes wide with shock, and her expression had told the girl everything she needed to know: she couldn't believe what she was seeing.
"He was a skater boy
She said see you later boy
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a super star
Slamming on his guitar
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?"
The female onstage took a few steps backward before resuming her walk, this time along the other side of the stage. The spotlights still remained focused on her, and she looked in Killua's direction.
"He was a skater boy
She said see you later boy
He wasn't good enough for her
Now he's a super star
Slamming on his guitar
Does your pretty face see what he's worth?"
As she paused to let the instrumental fill the air, the spotlights left her and danced their way on the cheering people. Girls were either gazing dreamily or screaming their admiration at the white-haired guitarist while guys were whistling loudly in the singer's direction. Killua gave a grin while she waved her free hand casually, once again fanning the crowd's energy to a higher state. The singer's gaze swept from one end of the coliseum to the other, scanning the unknown yet happy faces of the strangers who loved Killua.
But as she did, a familiar figure stood out among the crowd in the very center of the front of the stage. The singer blinked to make sure she wasn't seeing an illusion. No, it wasn't a product of her imagination. The spell was already broken. It was real. The dancer who had rejected the punk was in front of her. What is she doing here? The singer felt sorry and at fault when she saw the look of betrayal in the girl's face, as though she was sending the message of, "How could you do this to me?"
But the pity took effect only temporarily. Why would she have any reason to feel guilty? She was the one who suddenly decided to cut off our friendship, not me. Even when I tried so badly to mend it before she disregarded me. And Killua. Feeling a surge of control over the situation, she fixed her eyes on the girl who used to be her best friend with a stare so cold yet heated with smugness. It was just unfortunate for the dancer to be just in time to hear the next words.
"Sorry girl but you missed out
Well tough luck that boy's mine now
We are more than just good friends
This is how the story ends
Too bad that you couldn't see,
See the man that boy could be
There is more that meets the eye
I see the soul that is inside."
To the ordinary audience, it might seem to be just the lyrics being sung. To the crowds of fanatics, it was just a part of the concert. But for the singer, the message underneath the words was real, directed at the rightful receiver. She watched as her former friend looked horrified before looking away. Satisfied that she had gotten her message across, though unintentionally, she glanced at Killua to see his reaction. He didn't seem to notice what had just happened. So she decided to just ignore it and continued.
"He's just a boy—" She looked at Killua once more.
"And I'm just a girl—" The attention shifted back to the audience.
Can I make it any more obvious."
She flashed a charming smile.
"We are in love
Haven't you heard
How we rock each other's world…"
The drums took the faster rhythm for the chorus, and she felt like quickly jumping up and down. And so she did.
"I'm with the skater boy
I said see you later boy
I'll be back stage after the show
I'll be at the studio
Singing the song we wrote
About a girl you used to know."
Shrieks rose in the air, and the rush of excitement was really getting into the singer at the way the people had accepted the song.
"I'm with the skater boy
I said see you later boy
I'll be back stage after the show
I'll be at the studio
Singing the song we wrote
About a girl you used to know…"
As Killua waved his electric guitar back and forth, her eyes automatically traveled back to the spot where the ballerina stood. The latter was nowhere to be found. She left, she thought, partly unaware that the crowds were clapping hard and shouting.
Suddenly a hand took her waist and pulled her close, catching her off guard. "What the—" she uttered in complete surprise.
Killua was gazing at her up close, a soft expression in his dark eyes. "Sorry, but I can't help it." He leaned his face to meet her lips with his.
Though it wasn't part of the show, she gladly accepted and wrapped her arms around his neck. Never had she done a public display like this, but then again, Killua hadn't either. And the feeling she was receiving from his kiss was tingling and positive. When they parted, she cast him a questioning gaze. "Killua…?"
"You're past wonderful." His voice was low enough so that only she could hear. "You're perfect."
Smiling, she leaned against his strong chest, feeling comforting warmth, forgetting the audience for a while. "Let me thank you for saying that." Without missing a beat, she stood on her toes to return his surprise.
As she did, the roaring of the audiences became wilder, and whistles were thrown in between screams of approval.
And she had never felt so happy.
The concert was already over but large hordes of people still remained, eager to see their star personally. While Killua was being mobbed by rabid fanatics, the girl busied herself with finding the people she had been expecting to come. Thanking her luck for the much smaller crowd her presence was attracting, her eyes remained sharp until she saw a tall brunet yelling out her name and waving his hand to catch her attention.
"Oniichan!" Happily she threw her arms around him to hug him tight, ignoring the curious glances the people around her sent them. "I'm so glad you came!"
"I—cant—breathe— " He pretended to be choked before returning his sister's hug. "Never knew you had it in you, mo—"
Her face grew stern. "Not here, please."
"All right. Anyway, here." He handed her a bouquet of flowers. "Tousan couldn't make it, so he wanted me to give you this."
She inhaled deeply the scent of flowers and was delighted at the sight of the most familiar one at the center of the array. Noticing a card attached, she pulled it out to read it. "'You'll always be my little girl no matter who you are. I'll never fail in giving you support. Congratulations!'" She felt like crying. "Thank you, Otousan." She turned to her brother. "Thanks, Oniichan."
Her brother looked puzzled. "Why? I didn't give you anything."
"Because you're here. It's enough for me."
"Well, you didn't tell me what the song you've mentioned was all about, and I had to go here to get your performance on video for 'Tousan. You have a way of killing me with curiosity aside from your foot."
"Oniichan!" As she glared at him, she noticed someone else was missing. "Where's…"
"He came too. He's just fetching us some food and stuff. I told him we would meet him outside. What time are we going home?"
She bit her lower lip. "Actually, Killua's supposed to bring me home."
"Killua? What's with the loss of the usual suffix?"
"When he had allowed me to call him by his first name, I want to call him 'Killua-kun' but he insisted on dropping it and call him plain Killua. He's more comfortable that way."
"Is he comfortable about the fact that he had kissed you in public, live on TV?"
"Oniichan, I'm twenty-two already. You don't need to worry about my boyfriend. Are you concerned about me?"
He looked away from her direction, not willing to admit it. "At least he's not much like that brat you had fallen for years ago."
"Thanks." The cheerful smile was back again. She really appreciated her brother's protective nature. "So, what can you say about the concert? Was the song good or bad?"
"It's okay. It had been a miracle that the coliseum is still in one piece after you sang. I had expected it to be ruins, had you sang at least two songs."
A scowl crossed her features in response.
His eyes looked behind her and suddenly, his demeanor changed. "Someone else wants to talk to you." He walked a few feet away from her.
She turned her head to see what had caught her brother's attention and smiled. "You made it too!"
"Good evening." The young man with eyeglasses gave the bouquet of flowers that was on his right hand. "For you."
"Thank you very much!"
"Though it wasn't really your concert, this is a great night for you, and I don't want to spoil it by breaking my promise. Is everyone here?"
Her hair flew as she answered with a shake of her head. "Otousan couldn't make it. But it's all right; Oniichan came to watch me and film the concert for him."
"That's good." Once again he had that kind face on. "I want you to know you're a great singer. Never forget your talents."
Her fingers played absentmindedly with the petals of the cherry blossoms in the center of her first bouquet.
"We're all proud of you. And I'm sure Zoldick-kun knows how fortunate he is to find a person like you in his life."
The curves of her mouth lifted before a smile of happiness appeared.
"Thank you, Eriol-kun."
- The End
If you still don't know who the singer is by now, wellll… (after all the hints I've dropped, how could you! Anyway, if you still don't get who she is, the next sentences will tell you.)
So how was the story? How about the pairing? Like it? Hate it? Or what? I tried to switch the girls' roles, with Tomoyo as the singer and Sakura (from Card Captor Sakura) as the other girl but it was hard for me to picture the card mistress as a b*tch, rejecting Killua like that (well, what young girl in her proper mind would reject Killua the way she did anyway?) and cutting ties with her closest friend.
Another thing is that I've never come across a KilluaxSakura pairing before; the KilluaxTomoyo couple is the most famous that I've seen so far… I'm just trying out the first pairing because who knows, it might just work, and… what's this, I see many KxT fans… hey, why are you picking up those stones from the ground? What are you doing with those…? Uh oh. Please, don't, I don't have anything against you guys, honest! Onegai… NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO! (gets stoned by KxT fans for making Tomoyo a total witch and is left under a pile of various rock sizes) (breaks out from the suffocating pile, assuming a victory pose) (gets hit on the temple by a stone) Hey what the heck! Oh no, not you guys too! Come on, don't be mad, this is a crossover! I couldn't help it if Sakura gets paired up with another guy, and—AAAAAAAAAAAA! (gets stoned once again, this time with larger ones by SxS fans for not pairing Sakura and Syaoran up and for making him a jerk) Please—itai! Please review! Hopefully I'm still alive when I get to read them—Ow!