"Manipulation" Chapter 1
"Tell me again why me and Mido have to help you move into the basement." Link Forester complained for the billionth time to his best friend, Shiek Harkinian.
"I told you man, it's because of the divorce." The blond boy grumbled, referring to his parent's marital situation. "Since the old man basically cut us off from everything, Mom can't pay for Zel's boarding school anymore, so she is having to come home."
"Oh, right. The mysterious twin." Mido made air quotations, teasing his friend.
"I still say pics, or it didn't happen." Link laughed.
Shiek rolled his eyes and went to one of his personal boxes and dug through it for a moment. "Aha!" He smirked, coming back with a picture frame. "This is the last picture she sent from her field trip to Goron City."
His two friends looked at each other after closely examining it, then Mido bursted with laughter. "That's so you in a dress!"
Sheik glared at the red head. "Is not." He looked up to tallest of the group. "What are you thinking?"
Link shrugged his shoulders and ran his hand through his wavy blonde hair. "I don't know, she looks cute enough."
"Heyheyhey." Sheik held up his hand. "I know your girl history. You're not going after Zelda. Got that?" He stated firmly.
"Yeah, yeah." Link sighed.
"Speaking of." Mido pipped up. "How is Ruto?"
Link twitched at the mention of his bratty ex girlfriend. He hadn't spoken to her since the end of the school year. "Ugh. Why did you have to bring her up?"
"Look, you're going to have to face her when school starts back up next month." Sheik said, placing his things in order on his bookshelf.
"I know, I know." Link sighed. "I just wish she would get the hint and quit leaving me these cutsy text messages and voicemails."
As if on cue, Links cellphone began ringing out with the song called "She's Fucking Crazy."
All three boys laughed as the ringtone replayed itself for the final time.
"Genius, man." Mido punched Link in the shoulder.
"Hey, I had to use it some time." He laughed.
His phone alerted him again. Another voicemail.
"Speaker." Sheik and Mido demanded, looked at their friend amused. Ruto always unawarely brightened their day because of her psychotic messages.
"Fine fine." Link rolled his eyes and clicked the voicemail button.
"Hey, babe, it's me... Again... I just wanted to say that I'm sorry... Again... I swear that those other guys didn't mean anything! You're the only one I want." Ruto Phelps's voice whined from Link's small phone. "I hope you can forgive me. This will be the last time, I promise!" She sighed and paused for a moment. "I do love you." Then, the message ended.
"You're seriously not going to fall for that crap again, are you?" Shiek crinkled his nose, thinking of all the things that would happen yet again when he and Mido would end up consoling him from a break up with Ruto for the upteenth time!
"Hell no." Link shook his head, hanging up his phone. "She's freaking nuts!"
"Sheik, your father is on the phone!" A feminine voice called for her son. "He wishes to speak with you!"
"Tell him that I said to go screw himself!" Sheik yelled back up the stairs.
"Jeez, I've never seen you this angry before." Link said, taking note of his friend.
"Well, when a man that's supposed to be your father runs out on your family for some bitch and her two kids, it tends to tick you of a little." His garnet eyes burned with rage.
"Harsh." Mido whistled.
"You know something?" Sheik suddenly began pacing. "I was the one who had to tell Zelda about it. Do you know how hard it is to stay up in all hours of the night, trying to convince your sister that everything is going to be all right?"
"How did she take it?" Link questioned.
"She's never really been around our parents much to watch their marriage fall apart. When she was eleven, her school suggested that our parents put her in a private school to 'further advance her education'." Sheik explained. "She's always been the one to bat her eyes and ask for anything, and she recieves."
He sat down on his desk chair. "I don't mind it, of course. My parents have always tended to my needs, too." Shiek sighed. "But Zelda. This is going to be a new change for her."
"Well yeah." Mido retorted. "She's having to move back home with you and your mom, and your pops isn't gonna be around. What else would you expect?"
"It's not only that, Mido." Link suddenly pipped up. "I've sort of been in her shoes, remember?"
"That's right." Sheik recalled. "Before your parents were in that accident, you went to a fancy private school, too."
"Yeah." Link nodded, setting his jaw. "I had to start public school for the first time in the middle of my freshman year. I was used to having things handed to me on a platter, my parents had money thanks to their jobs. Then... I met the football team." He shuddered, remembering his encounter with the quarterback.
"Isn't that what made you loosen up, though?" Sheik wondered. "You started lifting, running track and what not."
"Well, that was part of my uncle's doing." Link shrugged. "He said that I was going to have to learn to 'Use the Forestar muscles!'" He did a bad impression of his Uncle Rusl.
The three of the boys looked at each other and started laughing manically.
"Well." Sheik broke the group's laughter. "It looks like everything is in place now.
"So, when is your sister supposed to get here?" Link asked.
"Her plane lands at 8:00 tonight. You guys feel like helping her move her stuff upstairs?"
"Hey, I'm already bunking here for a few nights anyway." Link replied with no objections. "My aunt and uncle are still on that cruise."
"Well, I can't." Mido said, getting up from his spot on Shiek's floor and stretching.
"Why not?"
"I asked Saria Woods to go and see a movie with me." He replied with a smirk.
"You lucky bastard." Sheik stated with all seriousness.
"Damn right I am." He smirked. "I'm going to be the only one with a girlfriend by the time the night is over."
"Well... This is a first." Link laughed.
"Yeah. Be jealous!" Mido gloated.
"Will do." Link yawned. "While we will be hauling suitcases up stairs, you will be making out with one of the hottest girls in our class. We will definately be so jealous. Right Sheik?" He asked sarcastically.
"Oh, yes. Very." He answered in a teasing tone.
"Oh come on!" Mido whined. "You're only acting this way because she's not your type."
"And you have a type?" Link asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Hardy har har."
"Boys, dinner!" Sheik's mother's voice called from the top of the basement stairs.
"Coming, mom!" Sheik called back up.
"Well, that's my signal to get out." Mido said, walkig to the door to the outside. "I gotta get ready for my date tonight."
"He really is too excited about that." Link said as he shut the door to the basement when they got up to the kitchen.
"Who's excited about what?" Sheik's mom questioned as she sat the last plate of food on the bar.
"Mido has a date tonight." Sheik explained.
"Well good for him." Ms. Harkinian laughed.
Rhena Harkinian was definately where Sheik and his sister got their looks from. She was really young for having kids their age. She was only 31, meaning that she had Sheik and his sister at 15. Her honey blonde hair was tied back with a white ribbon, and you could barely see her amethyst eyes gleam behind her bangs. Link had always thought of her as a mother figure when they had moved to Hyrule only two years ago.
He had only met Sheik's father, Shiero, once, and the only thing he saw was his son's deep garnet eyes that seemed to judge your soul. Link knew that the only reason he and Sheik's mother had even gotten married was because she was pregnant. It made Link's blood boil to think someone could just go off and cheat on his family like he had.
"So here's the plan." Ms. Harkinian began to explain to the two boys. "Sheik, you will take my car and pick Zelda up from the airport when her plane lands. Don't forget 8:00."
"Wait, you're not going?" Sheik raised his eyebrow.
"As much as I want to, my boss wouldn't give me the night off." The young woman sighed. "Someone has to feed those poor truckers." She tried to sound enthused.
"So, you're not even coming home tonight?" Sheik look dissappointed with his mother.
"I'll get a ride from your grandmother to and from work." She continued as if her son never said anything. "I'm working a double, so I won't be home until about noon tomorrow, Goddesses forbid that someone calls in sick."
"Mom, are you sure that you're not working yourself too hard?"
"I'm only doing this until I can get caught up on our bills. We still have the new car payments, Zelda's last few months in Twilight City costed us quite a bit, and not to mention that lawyer I got for the divorce." She sighed. "He's the one that's really draining us of the money."
"Use the money that dad is giving you." Sheik argued.
The doorbell rang as his mother was about to say something. "That's your grandmother."
"We're not done talking about this." Sheik stated, folding his arms.
"Yes, we are." His mother sighed. "I'm the mother, you're the child. What I say goes." She gave him a stern look. "Don't forget to get your sister."
"Yeah, yeah." Sheik rolled his eyes as he took the car keys from her. "8:00."
"Good boy." She smiled and kissed his forehead, causing Link to smirk.
"Mom." Sheik whined. "Seriously? In front of Link?"
"That's right." She laughed, kissing Link on his own forehead. "You boys be careful. No funny business while I'm gone."
"We will try not to blow the house up, Ms. Harkinian."
"That's all I ask."
Once she had left, Link looked over at his distraught friend. "I didn't realize things were so hard lately."
"Yeah." Sheik sighed. "I've been trying to find a job to help out, but mom won't let me contribute to any of the bills. She keeps saying that the money I earn should be spent on something for me."
"Well, let's finish eating and start heading for the airport." Link suggested, changing the subject. "It's a long drive."
"Thirty minutes isn't that long." Sheik smirked. "Besides, with the way I drive, I can get us there in fifteen."
Zelda Harkinian silently kicked her feet at the empty seat in front of her. She was completely nervous. For the first time ever, she was going to go to what was supposed to be her true home.
In Hyrule.
She sat back and complied to the sign that instructed the passengers to put their seatbelts on to prepare them for their landing.
"Your first time in Hyrule, dearie?" An older Gerudo woman asked, looking down at the young girl next to her.
"Yes ma'am." She nodded. "Is it that obvious?"
"Trust me, you don't have anything to worry about." The old woman reassured her. "I have lived here my whole life. It's a beautiful place, really."
I know that. Zelda thought to herself. I just don't know what to expect of its people.
Once the plane landed, Zelda waited for the walkway to clear. She stood and got her purple backpack from the luggage compartment.
"Here goes nothing." She sighed as she got off of the big flying machine.
She let the escalator take her down, and as it lowered her to ground level of the humongus building, she frantically searched for a familiar face. She panicked when she didn't see anyone that she knew.
No Mom. No Sheik. No Daddy.
She sat on a bench, disappointed.
Meanwhile, Sheik and Link were sitting in the Harkinian's white car.
"I can't believe you got us pulled over." Link said for the fifth time since the cop had stopped the two boys.
"How many times are you going to say that?" Sheik grumbled. "I already feel bad enough."
"Dude, you better be." Link retorted. "It's almost 9:00."
"Damn, you're right." Sheik sighed. "Do me a favor and call Zelda, will you?"
"Why can't you do it?" Link asked, which Sheik only gestured to the approaching cop.
Link took his friend's phone and clicked on the name "Zellie", assuming that was who he had put his sister down as in his phone.
"Hello?" A soft voice answered.
Link gulped. "Th-this is Zelda, right? Zelda Harkinian?" He began to get nervous for some unknown reason. He had never just up and called a stranger before.
"Sheik?" The girl on the other line questioned.
"No, I'm one of Sheik's really good friends. I'm actually with him right now. We're supposed to come and pick you up from the airport." Link explained.
"Yeah, an hour ago." She sounded a little annoyed. "Where are you guys anyway."
"Sheik kinda got us pulled over, but we're close." Link said, trying to reassure her. "We should be on our way there pretty quick."
"Well, please hurry." She demanded in a nervous voice. "The only people here are business men and the creepy old janitor who won't stop staring at me."
Link chuckled.
"I'm glad you find this so amusing." Zelda retorted to the boy sarcastically.
"I find it very amusing."
Zelda blushed at the tone of the boy's voice. She had never seen him personally, but he did have a very attractive voice.
"What's your name anyway?" Zelda questioned the mysterious boy.
"Oh, I thought I told you before. Sorry." Link laughed in an embarrassed mannor. "My name is Link Forester. Sheik is like a brother to me."
"Well..." Zelda paused for a moment. "I look forward to meeting you."
"Like wise." Link smirked, causing Sheik to give him a sideways glare. "Look, I think your brother wants me to hang up now. But like I said, we should be there in no less than fifteen minutes." He reassured her as the car began moving again.
"Okay... I'll see you guys soon, then." Zelda softly gave her goodbye and hung up the phone.
"Was that your boyfriend?" A young woman, who was sitting next to a sleeping man in a business suit had asked her.
"N-no!" She blushed in protest. "I haven't even met him before."
"Oh?" The woman raised her eyebrow.
"Wait, it's nothing like what you think." Zelda put her hands up in defense. "He's one of my brother's friends. My brother got pulled over and he called to tell me that they would be here soon."
"I see." The young woman nodded in understanding. "So what brings you here to Hyrule so late in the summer?"
"I'm actually moving back home."
"Oh? Do you happen to know what school you will be attending, then?" The stanger asked.
"I think it's called Hyrulean Highschool."
"Well, what a coincidence." She smiled. "I happen to teach there. Who is your brother?"
"Sheikah Harkinian."
"Ah, Sheik!" The young teacher smiled in delight. "He's quite the student. I'm hoping to have him again this year. He's also an exceptional athlete."
"Yeah, he got the muscle." Zelda giggled.
"What year level are you, sweetie?"
"Oh, I'll be in year eleven." Zelda smiled politely. "Same as Sheik."
"Oh, so you're twins?" The teacher looked interested.
"Yes ma'am... What do you teach, if you don't mind me asking."
"I teach Hyrulean history." She smirked. "Everything from geography to your basic blood baths called wars."
"That sounds... Exciting."
"Flight 324 is now boarding." A feminine voice sounded over the intercom.
"Darling, that's you." The young woman tapped the sleeping man next to her.
He got up and stretched, causing Zelda's eyes to go wide. He was huge compared to her and the woman across from her, most likely part Goron.
"Well, it was nice to meet you-Uhh?"
"Zelda." She smiled. "Zelda Harkinian."
"It was nice to meet you, Miss Harkinian." She smiled. "I will see you at school next month."
"Yes ma'am." She nodded.
"Hey!" A familiar voice called out through the airport.
"Sheik!" Zelda squealed with delight as she ran and embraced her brother. "I've missed you, you knucklehead."
"Same here, sis." He said, holding her tight.
"Here, I'll take your bags." A tall guy dressed in black pants and a green t-shirt held out his hand to take Zelda's backpack.
"You must be Link." Zelda swallowed hard, looking slowly from his feet up to his gorgeous azure eyes.
"Yeah." He scratched his head and grinned. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Likewise." Zelda giggled, nervously. She tried to put on a front for her brother and his friend, but little did they know, her head was spinning.
He's just so... Perfect-looking. Zelda thought to herself while her and Sheik were animatedly talking as they walked to the car. She purposely trailed behind Link, so she could get a good look at his other side.
She could tell that his legs were toned from the outline of his snug fitting jeans. She trailed her eyes up to his arms that seemed that an artist sculpted.
"Hello, earth to Zelda." Sheik shook her from her perverted thoughts.
"Oh, sorry. What did you say?" She looked back at her brother.
"I asked if you had eaten yet."
"Yeah. I ate before I got on the plane." She answered.
"Mom talked to the moving guy yesterday. Your stuff won't be here until tomorrow."
"That's okay." Zelda replied. "How is mom?" She asked, looking up at her brother.
"She's dealing, like we all are, Zel." Sheik sighed. "I think the only reason she keeps going is thanks to us. Big oaf included."
"Hey, I heard that." Link called over his shoulder. "I got the old man's height, so what?"
"You're almost as tall as guys who are part Goron. That's not normal." Sheik teased his friend.
"Yeah, whatever." Link laughed.
Zelda's heart fluttered at Link's laughter. It was so... Attractive to her. Everything it seemed, made her more and more attracted as the night went on.
"Here's your room." Sheik said, leading Zelda up the stairs. Link trailed behind with Zelda's things.
"It's very... blue." Zelda said, looking around.
"It used to be mine." Sheik smiled sheepishly. "The bathroom is very blue, too..."
"Right..."
"Mom said that if you wanted, we could go and get you some paint later on." Sheik offered.
"Yeah. That would be good. Maybe just a little." Zelda laughed.
"I'm willing to help you guys out if you need it." Link offered.
"Yeah, that would be nice." Zelda smiled at Link.
Sheik began to feel uncomfortable with the stares his best friend and sister were giving each other. "So... Hey, Link, let's head down to my room and let Zel get her things unpacked."
"Yeah, okay." Link nodded. "You up for some video games?"
"Exactly what I was thinking." Sheik smirked.
"I'm so going to beat your ass." Link chuckled, leaving the room to go and get things set up in Sheik's.
"If you need anything, we'll be in the basement." Sheik told his sister as he was leaving.
"Yeah, thanks." She nodded and shut the door behind him.
Once Zelda was sure that her brother and Link were shut up in his room, she collapsed on the bed and squealed like a little girl. I never thought there were boys like that here!