"Do any of you mind explaining to me...just what the fuck happened?"
Polished chocolate leather shoe tongues give off a sheen under a single pair of double rod lightbulbs. Shuffling to and fro, their steady heel clicks resonate as loud as a gavel.
Don
Don
Don
Coming to an abrupt stop, her hands find themselves tucked away as arms cross. Skirt covered buttocks leaned against plastic the shade of cookies and cream, the desk lets out a groan. There's a twitch to her eye.
"Got nothing to say huh? Not even you, Ms. Smurf?"
Head shooting up instantly, fiery red eyes burn holes in blonde tresses, cooled eyes with an ice cap of ever rapidly melting disbelief. Nozomi would need to fetch the Tylenol that was damn well guaranteed. Cheeks puffed at a meter above the Smurf, a choked chortle wrestled its way to the freedom of air.
"Something funny Maki?"
Sharply turning her nose away, a finger made its way up to twirl a lock of hair to match the crimson gaze of her smaller cohort.
"Nope. Nothing we don't already know about."
The dying remains of a smile gleamed before expiring. Hands balling to fists, it took only a pivoting step to bring the Smurf straining her neck for eye contact, her brow narrowed, identical to her fury brimmed eyes.
"You take that back! Right Eli? Make her take it back!"
There came but a cockily twisted smirk plastered in response.
"Harasho."
"Bastard!"
Snores began to rumble to life with every intent of stealing the spotlight.
"Honoka! Wake up!"
"That's no use Niko, you ought to know well by now."
"Sleeping at a time like this, must be some defense mechanism."
"Not with this."
A vibrant crinkling of distinctly plastic wrap appeared as a blur from behind Eli's back when a hand returned into sight. Brown that lightened to caramel color in a downward gradient lay inside, slowly pushed toward the clear opening and up to meet the tip of a sleeping girl's nose. There was a sniff, then another as the din of snores faded away.
"Red bean...bread..."
With a start the motionless body save for soft breathing snapped up in a single motion. Her eyes glowing with life, hands snatched the wrapped bread as if she'd never seen food.
"It's red bean bread! Alright!"
Stuffing the thing in her mouth, ravenous bites tore its dome shape to shreds. A chill slithered down her spine, giving way to a squirm.
"Mmnm! So good..."
"Uhh, yeah. Sure."
"Hey, quit acting like there's nothing wrong here..."
"Give her a minute, she'll talk. Need I remind you both how many screams I heard you caused yourselves? If earlier is anything to go by, talking is the last thing either of you want to do."
"Heh! She's the one who should apologize!" The two shouted in unison, clashing blows with synchronized glares.
Honoka's cheeks puffed like a squirrel in between bites. Then there came a hacking cough, her eyes rolling up toward her skull as her chair toppled backward.
"Honoka!"
"Goddamnit!"
In but two strides that seemed to float across the floor, Eli knelt by the convulsing, hacking Honk, her stretched mouth brimming with indulgence and floods of saliva.
"I'll get the nurse!"
"No shit!"
"Now is really not the time to be dickish guys!"
"Whatever!" Came another synced yell.
There was no time for more glares, their feet had sprung to action, loud stomps echoing thuds only broken by the sliding of the door. Looking over her shoulder for a glimpse, Maki let Eli's pressing on Honoka's chest be the last thing she saw.
"Watch where you're running."
"Huh? Oh yeah, just like you should've watched what you said."
"You're still on that?!"
"Of course I am!"
"It's Honoka's damn fault..."
Niko let the rush of passing hallway and faces lock in the rising bubble of thoughts. What had happened was...
"Niko..."
"Please? Play it for me at least once and I'll stop asking."
There came a small huff.
"Fine, but listen to it closely."
Slowly taking her seat on the bench, Maki let her hands set to playing position. A natural tingle of familiarity spread from fingertips on keys to heart. It sprouted a gentle smile.
"The piano is an extension of my soul. Be glad you're one of the few I'll let hear it."
"Heheh, of course! I'm the great and powerful Niko."
She chuckled at the end of her proclamation, smirking confidence though her chest swelled.
"Shh."
"Ok." She hushed in return.
Slow, careful notes built strength as the minutes past, rising to a melodic combination of dipping flurries and tender serenading that flowed like water to wash away time itself. Niko felt her body root to the spot, an unconscious smile appearing on her face. How wonderful it would be to melt to nothing but music-
'BRRRING!'
"Gaahh!"
With a jolting start, Niko nearly leapt from her skin as goosebumps rose on her skin.
"Niko!"
"Sorry! It's my phone. I thought I'd turned the damn thing to vibrate."
Eyes burning fury, Maki's glare bore holes through Niko's head like drills. Her teeth grit as her lips turned to a fierce scowl, face growing hotter the longer she stared. Quivering, Niko's thin fingers grew clammy, nearly slipping her phone from her grip. Again the foul thing assaulted their now silent sanctuary with more wailing rings. A single name popped on the screen.
"Honoka?!"
Pressing the button to accept, Niko raised the receiver shakily to her ear.
"Damnnit Honoka I was busy! What do you want? We don't have practice till later-"
"Niko! Whaaaatsss gooood yo!"
Oh god.
Whipping the phone away to place the receiver end near her mouth.
Not now.
There was only one time Honoka ever spoke that way.
"Niko? Why's Honoka acting that way?"
"It's nothing! Listen Honoka, man I am hungry as shit!"
"I'm not, I just ate some more manjuu."
A hard thud from within her ribcage forced Niko's knees to quiver, her muscles tensing like bowstrings in struggle against it.
"Honoka! Hooonoookaa! Man. I am. Hungry. As. Shit."
"You should come by the vending machines and get some bread with me for five hundred yen!"
A palm collided with her forehead. The sheer stupidity and forgetfulness registered demanding some release.
"Niko, why do you keep repeating that-"
"I-I just suddenly feel hungry that's all! Ahahahahaha!"
"Still there?" Honoka's cheery voice blared through the speaker.
Another jolt shot up her spine.
"Honoka, listen, to me. Man, I am, hungry as shit." She choked into the receiver, knuckles around the phone a sick yellowish white.
"Oh, that must mean you ready to eat these white bitches!"
Her phone slipped, clattering to the floor though she didn't seem to notice. Robotically, her eyes raised to meet Maki's.
"Niko, what does eating white b-bitches mean?"
Only a pathetic peep left her.
"Honoka isn't...eating people is she? You aren't eating people are you?!"
"I'm not eating white bitches! And you're too young to know what that means! Though it's not cannibalism..."
Nozomi was most certainly eating one white bitch.
"So what is it then? Just what's going on?"
Sprinting to action, Niko made a beeline for the exit, sweating bullets before the ground was her next sight. Maki's hands steeled their grip around her legs. Yanking her tiny frame down, the younger girl piled on top of her senior.
"Tell me right now, you smurf looking b-bastard!"
Flailing her noodle arms, a gurgle was all that left Niko as Maki's weight pressed with renewed force.
"C'mon!"
"Don't...kill me..."
"Then answer the question!"
"Never!"
Footsteps and hallway chatter trailed its way to their position, taking shape to open the sliding door and inflict the pressure of ten pairs of eyes falling on a thrusting Maki with her fingers stretching Niko's lips apart.
The screams tore open other class doors, sent students peeking in curious terror, their jaws dropping at the sight. Both combatants dared not move until Eli's narrowed glare appeared and Honoka's smile fell to confusion.
"Listen, I'll tell you some time after we solve this! Right now we need the nurse."
"Fine."
In the end, it took only an air horn sounding to launch up the piece of stuck bread. Coughing her way to sitting up, Honoka's eyes grew wide as Niko gripped the collar of her blazer.
"Honoka, what the hell was that shit you said on the phone about earlier?"
"Huh?! O-Oh, a foreigner told me to say it-"
"The hell one did! Don't give me that bullshit! Maki nearly killed me!"
"Ok ok! There's a foreign comedian everyone likes who says that! I thought it would be funny."
Seething, bubbling rage hot as lava made Niko twitch and shake. It was Honoka's turn to peep now.
"Hooonoookaaaa!"
What followed next made practices rather quiet for quite a while.
A/N:
I blame Kevin Hart. watch?v=1NSxuH24Bfg