A/n: Ah, second post today! I always wanted to use this in like, a multi chapter fic, but this works just fine as a one-shot. And I'm still working out the kinks in my current multi chapter Kutau . . .
Sticks Like Peanut Butter
Narrow beams of light pierced the open book on the table, highlighting some sentences and sending others into shadow. It illuminated the dust particles that floated near the window, and gave the small girl reading an air of angelic beauty. Rima's feet grazed the carpet floor contentedly, and as enveloped in her novel as she was, she was completely oblivious to the other people in the school's library. Unaware that the chair's back was digging into her own, unaware that the light shown brilliantly in her hair, unaware of the muffled snickers approaching, Rima was happy.
The hairs on the back of her neck alerted her of someone's presence. She raised her head –Oh. Her eyes widened as the person's fingers pushed on the crown of her head, and left something behind.
Roars of laughter erupted behind her, as another shoved down on the back of Rima's head. The wheezy out-of-breath snorts of the girls standing out of the window's view told Rima all she needed to know: something was wrong.
Wha—
Her stomach dropped as her fingers brushed against something slimy and sticky.
No.
Rima knew the girls ran behind the corner (to watch me breakdown), just as she knew that she wasn't going to cry in front of them. She stood up, ignoring the gum (still wet!), and unsteadily made her way to the girl's bathroom. Out of the library though, she broke into a run, pushing someone (him?) out of her way as the tears started to tumble down her cheeks.
The door hit the tiled wall with a bang as Rima rushed to the mirror. A sob escaped her as she lifted a clump of her hair and saw a wad of blue. Another white one just behind her ear. Rima stared at her reflection under the restroom's harsh fluorescent lights, her small hands feeling cold on the countertop. Sniffling, her face was botchy red and shiny where her tears had slipped. Her hair-
She was going to have to cut it, wasn't she?
She sobbed again, a harsh sound, in a cold room under a harsh light. She'd look like Tadase, wouldn't she? Her long, cascading, hair. Kusukusu floated sadly next to Rima.
Why? Doing this— What did I—
Rima guessed it had something to do with jealousy, and boys.
Or maybe they just hate me! They just hate—
The bathroom door creaked open, and pressure behind her eyes threatened more tears. Panicking, Rima grabbed a paper towel and stuck her ruined face into it.
"Rima?" Cautious and polite. And obviously male.
"Go away, Nagihiko." Her voice cracked. She willed him not to notice.
Light as his dancer step was, his shoes still resounded in the room. "You pushed me into the wall. I . . . saw your hair. Rima, please, let me help."
Rima shook her head, but then slowly nodded. She removed the paper towel from her face and tried not to see the concern in his eyes. Instead she looked into the mirror, at her destroyed hair. Took forever to grow it out like this. She glanced at the countertop.
"Peanut butter?"
Nagihiko doesn't really like peanut butter, last Rima checked (not that I care). Let alone an entire jar of it.
"Yeah. I can get the gum out of your hair, if you want me to."
Rima shook her head, her long tresses swishing back in forth.
Nagihiko looked at her in the mirror. "Okay, but those girls are waiting outside. Better now than later, right?"
She glared up at Nagihiko, but sighed in defeat.
He nodded, and opened the jar. Conversationally, he started, "I would have been here earlier, but I went to the cafeteria to get this." Rima wrinkled her nose as he stuck his fingers in the jar and pulled out a small handful of peanut butter. "The oil in it will get the gum out." He dumped it on the blue wad and used his fingers to mix it in her hair.
"This is disgusting." Rima watched in the mirror and Nagihiko stuck his fingers in the jar again.
"It works." His fingers pressed down on her head as he concentrated on his job. He's always so dedicated in what he does, Rima thought absently. "It happened to me before."
Really? "What happened?"
"Done." Nagihiko removed the blue wad and showed it to Rima before tossing it away. He started working on the white wad. "Yeah, well I was at the park a few years ago and the older boys must have thought it would be fun to see what I'd do about it."
"That's harsh."
"They told me I had to get it cut. Said boys shouldn't have long hair. I went home and my mom knew what to do." Nagihiko shrugged. "Saved me a lot of grief."
"You like your hair that much?"
"Not what I meant."
"Then what did you—"
"Done." Nagihiko smiled innocently and washed his hands. "We need to get the peanut butter out now." He gestured towards the sink. Rima grudgingly stuck her head under the faucet and tried to wash it out herself, but in the end Nagihiko knew where the peanut butter was . . .
Drying her hair with paper towels and the electric hand dryer, Rima looked up at Nagihiko. "Thanks, for, you know, helping."
Sitting on the girl's counter, Nagihiko pulled out a stick of spearmint and chewed thoughtfully. "Your hair's too pretty to chop off. By the way, you need to wash it normally when you get home."
"Thanks . . . I like your hair, too." She frowned at his grin as he hopped off the counter.
"Let's get out of here."
O~~O~~O
Out of the bathroom, the girls' giggles stopped when they saw Rima's golden hair free of gum, and Nagihiko next to her. No one said a word as the two walked past and Nagihiko gracefully lifted his arm above the leader's head, and stuck his gum right on top.
With the frantic screeches behind them, Nagihiko let his arm fall around Rima's shoulders.
She shrugged him off. "Just because you touched my hair doesn't mean you can touch me anywhere else."
"It's a start, though. Right?"
"You can start by answering my question earlier. What did you mean—"
"Bye, Rima, I need to return the peanut butter." He turned suddenly towards the cafeteria.
She called after him, but he was already gone. She glanced at Kusukusu. "No one's going to want to eat that now."