OMG!!! I'M WRITING FANFICTION?! WHAT IS THE WORLD COMING TO!

Ignore the above, err, well, actually. Hi, how are you today? I rarely write fan fictions because I have major problems with using other characters but, well, I wanted to write this just to get under my sister's skin. You see, my sister, Katt, doesn't like Yaoi and well, neither do I but I can tolerate it. Anyway, I don't intend to tell her Duo's a girl when she reads this.

I'm gonna get hit.

Dilandau: Nods head Yes, you are, Lockea, because Katt likes hitting you.

Shut up. Anyway, this is the closest I'll ever come to writing a Shonen Ai, so if you really want the yaoi, picture Duo as a guy but I will make lots of references to his newfound womanhood.

Summary: It's no ordinary popularity contest at Saint Gabriel's High School. Duo Maxwell, the closest thing to a guy in the girl's PE, and Relena Peacecraft, her polar opposite, are both competing for the attention of the school's hottest guy, Heero Yuy. Of course, Heero's never once noticed Relena and thinks of Duo as just a friend. It seems neither meet his taste in girls.

Various Pairings, mild Duo and Relena bashing.

Because of the Braid

Chapter One: A Beginning of Sorts

Duo whistled cheerfully to herself as she swung her black backpack back and forth beside her as she walked down the sidewalk toward school on a bright Monday morning near the beginning of her Sophomore year. Normally, the brown haired American would ride her skateboard to school but she'd loaned it to her life-long best friend, Heero, while she worked on fixing up his so he could spend his time concentrating on the things the star of the basketball team should concentrate on. Which did not, to Duo's outrage, include skateboards.

She wasn't an extravagant person, for school she usually wore a pare of jeans, blue or black, of any style provided they weren't tight or expensive and a plain t-shirt of a dark color. She didn't like jewelry much and had opted to stick to her cross necklace that her father had given her when her mother died. Sometimes for fun, Duo would borrow some of her sister's jewelry and weave it into her meter long braid but she never did like the weight it added to her already heavy hair.

Monday morning was one of those romantic, late summer mornings where school is the last place a couple wants to be when they could be out having fun doing whatever they considered romantic. The thought crossed Duo's mind and she snickered.

Romantic was a day at the arcades and beating Heero at her favorite game. Ahh... just last week she'd blown twenty dollars at the arcade doing just that.

"Hey Duo!" She turned slightly and waved as Cathrine Bloom, captain of the school's dance team and Duo's neighbor, and her little brother Triton "Trowa" Bloom hurried to catch up. "Where's your skateboard?" Cathy asked as she fell in step with the younger girl.

"Loaned it out to Heero while his is in my garage. Can't believe he doesn't have time to fix it himself." Her grin was lopsided and easy.

"Well, can you blame him? It's not easy to be head of any function, let alone the basketball team." Cathy told her rather pointedly, "Not that you would know, since your not in any of the clubs."

Duo's grin never faded or faltered. "I would join the dance team but-"

"It's too late now." Cathy muttered.

"But," Duo continued, "I've got a lot of work to do down at the shop, saving up for college and whatnot."

"You wouldn't need to work so much if you spent your money a little more wisely." Trowa spoke for the first time that morning.

"Yeah well, dancer boy, it's not like I can live without my daily dose of caffeine and my weekly dose of video games." Her voice was light and joking, causing Cathy to smile slightly.

The school came into view. Saint Gabriel's, despite it's name, was a public high school with little in the way of grandeur. A plain faced brick building decorated only by the clock tower and the bold, once upon a time white, lettering that said "Saint Gabriel's High" incase any of it's students weren't sure.

"Ahh, school again. Already a week in and Wu-man still hasn't shown up." Duo was talking about the group's other friend, Chang Wu Fei, a Chinese transfer student with a passion for martial arts and second in fencing only to Treize Khushrenada.

"He's coming back today, thankfully. He got back late yesterday from a visit to his family and he's none to happy." Sally Po, Wu Fei's girlfriend of one year, grinned as Duo jumped slightly, surprised to have been snuck up on.

"Mornin' Sally, you been up to no good this weekend?"

"Yes." She wandered off, obviously to go wait for her boyfriend.

Duo shrugged and sauntered toward the basketball court while Trowa and Cathy headed for the gym to practice dance routines.

Heero was the only one still at the court practicing, but he certainly wasn't alone. On the bleachers sat Relena Peacecraft, the richest girl in school. She was wearing a long black skirt and light blue top with a darker jacket thrown over it and a matching ribbon tying back her braids. For once, Relena hadn't chosen to wear something pink and the blue accented her sky blue eyes.

"Hey Heero-kun. Think you can take a break for a moment?" Duo called as she made her way past the bleachers.

Heero Yuy, who had been declared one of the most handsome guys in school, bounced the basketball between his legs but didn't shoot it. "Shoot."

"Nothing much really, just thought I'd say morning and let you know that you owe me a couple cokes and a candy bar for fixing your skateboard." Duo drawled, hands shoved down her pockets and her head titled to one side slightly.

Heero cocked an eyebrow, "And beating me at arcade games isn't enough, I have to feed you too?"

She grinned. "Yeah, well, it is taxing to pay for both."

"Oh yes, you're the work-aholic yet I'm the one with all the cash." Heero went back to shooting hoops. "I suppose you also want to copy my homework."

"Would you really?" Duo yelped in mock excitement. "That would be so great Heero, I'll love you forever now man."

Heero glanced over at her. "The things I do for you Duo Rene Maxwell."

"Yeah, well, what're best friend's for man? If not to copy the homework off of and freeload, and be an all around lazy bum." Her grin, if possible, grew wider as she pounced onto Heero's back, wrapping her arms around his neck in a big hug.

"Hey, hey, off you. Hurry or you'll be late for your first class."

"What about you, Heero?"

"PE first and the gym teachers already know I'm out here."

"Lucky." Duo sulked, stalking off in a pout.

When Duo was gone, Relena spoke for the first time. "How anyone can have that much energy this early in the morning is beyond me."

Heero turned to face her, slightly startled. "Good morning," he told her politely, "Duo spends all her time on a sugar high to make up for a lack of sleep, don't mind her."

Relena smiled politely as well, "I don't think we've met, I'm Relena Peacecraft. Milli- I mean Zechs' younger sister."

"Heero Yuy, nice to meet you." He turned away and continued to shoot hoops.

Relena squealed silently, 'He talked to me, and he knows my name! I'm so happy. He's so sexy it's to die for, I hope he's available.'

Thus started what could have been a peaceful rivalry between two girls. But, we all know girls, and nothing between them is ever peaceful.

Sorry for the short chapter. Next time: Relena confronts Duo about Heero and finds out she does have a rival. Of course, the bloods gonna start spilling. If that isn't bad enough, Wu Fei's distant cousin Meilan isn't just a looker, she's also engaged... to Wu Fei! Then the dance team has a new member who's skill rivals Cathy's and she's also managed to throw the stoic Trowa for a loop, Midii Une, Treize's girlfriend's neice.

It's definitely not going to be a normal year at Saint Gabriel's High School.

AN: I hate fan fictions. They annoy me. I love reading them but I hate writing them because I'm no good with other people's characters.

To clear up some confusion, right now, I'll add some of my story notes. Duo was born a the youngest daughter of a preacher to a name she refuses to tell anyone. Her older sister is Helen who is away at college studying art.

Heero, Duo, the Blooms, and Hilde all live in the same neighborhood and so grew up together in the middle class part of town. Heero's father, Odin, is always away on business trips so Heero stays home alone a lot but has Father Maxwell keeping an eye on him. Duo works all the time to pay for college and to continue with her hobby of skateboarding. The Blooms are a family of well known entertainers and Trowa and Cathy both work in a circus after school and on the weekends. Hilde's a blader and Duo's cousin from Germany. She doesn't show up much in the story.

Everyone else lives in the upper class part of town and I'll cover them later.

Okay. My final thoughts: I blame Dealing with the Devil for giving me the idea. If you're in to web comics, DD is well worth your time to read.

Dilandau: Because Ms. Smiley is almost as insane as I am!

True. Anyway, the main character braids her hair in twin tails, gets called a guy almost everyday, and her best friend doesn't see her as an actual girl.

I also blame my sister for cutting out all the curse words I had in this chapter.

Katt: Hits Lockea

Thanks kid. Love you too. Katt actual liked this so maybe the non shonen ai fans will read it to (I can dream).

Did anyone notice what manga seen the basketball scene related to? Take a wild guess and I'll tell ya next chapter on "Because fo the Braid"

Next Time

Lockea

If you love, please review and tell me, this is my second fan fiction in three years.