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Going Undercover
By Kuroi Tenshi
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The moon hung in the sky with the stars and clouds quietly, providing light for the still night as everyone slept soundly on their beds. In a room on the third floor of Cherry Hill Academy, a lamp was lighted and its occupants were wide-awake.
"You can't be serious!" Hilde Schbeicker hissed, eyes narrowing as her friend tucked her hair underneath a black cap.
"Of course I'm serious," the girl with honey blond hair whispered back, her voice soft and low, afraid to wake the occupants next room. "No one will notice, besides, I'm due to leave the academy for vacation anyway, they'll think I just left a few hours early," she said, tucking the stray strands of blond hair under the cap.
"You do realize that your brother will kill me if he finds out, right?" the girl with short dark hair said, attempting to stall her. She saw the blonde girl take her backpack and shrug.
"I'm sure Milliardo won't kill you... well, I'll be pleading on your behalf if he ever decides to do that so there's a big chance you'll survive. Anyway, there's nothing you can do to stop me. I've made up my mind and I'm going to spend most of my vacation at Shin Kidousenki Academy. Besides, I promised Cathy I'd help her look for her brother."
"Like I'd believe that," Hilde rolled her eyes. "You're scouting for a boyfriend here, that's the real reason you're going there."
Relena Darlain's cheeks burned. "That's not true at all! I'm here because Cathy asked me to check what her brother's been doing at the academy! And finding a boyfriend isn't exactly on top of my priority list either. I might even learn to play poker there and beat Dorothy for once and for all."
Hilde sighed. "Fine, so you're doing this for Cathy," she said, smiling a little. "But what about me? What if your brother comes for a visit and you're not here? They'll find out about your little trip to the neighboring academy and your brother will most definitely skin me alive. You know how protective he is when it comes to his little sister."
"Hilde," Relena placed a hand on her roommate's shoulder. "You worry too much. Why don't you come with me instead?"
"And give your brother another reason to hang me upside-down? No thanks. Be careful," she said, smiling a little. "And I hope you can take care of yourself when in front of the whole student body of Shin Kidousenki Academy, all from the male specie."
"I can take care of myself, don't worry," Relena said confidently, heaving her backpack on her shoulder. She glanced at the clock and frowned. "I better go, it's almost three in the morning and I don't want to risk the chance of anyone seeing me leave."
Hilde pulled her in a brief hug before grinning. "I wish I could go with you but you need someone to cover for you in case anything happens. Remember to call me, `kay?"
Relena nodded. "Sure, I'll try to call you every other day and tell you what's up with me and the guy's dorm. And I'll look for a suitable boyfriend for you." Relena grinned and took a deep breath. "I guess I'll be off then, bye Hilde. I'll see you in six weeks?"
"Six weeks," Hilde agreed, watching Relena exit through the window. Climbing down using the tree next to the window, Relena landed with a soft thud on the grass below. Looking up, she waved to her friend before jogging toward the parking lot where her car was waiting for her.
Thirty minutes of driving's not really that tiring, she thought as she started the engine. Stifling a yawn, she sighed. If you had enough sleep. And three hours of sleep doesn't cut it as beauty sleep either.
When she reached the other side of the hill where their neighboring school was, it was already three- thirty in the morning. Relena yawned. Parking at the corner before the school, she turned off the engine and closed her eyes. I still have four to five hours before I need to meet with the principal. I'm sure no one will mind if I sleep for a while.
~*~*~*~
Relena bit her lip as she tucked her long blond hair underneath the blond wig she bought. She smiled at her reflection and patted her hair. She looked exactly like a boy now, her hair hidden under the wig she bought for the occasion.
She glanced at the dashboard and saw that it was already nine-forty-five. I guess they'll be expecting me by now. She practiced her lines and voice and grinned. "I can most definitely pass myself off as a guy."
She gunned the engine and drove to the academy.
Now seated in her room, no roommate, she couldn't risk some guy seeing her naked in the bathroom and finding out she really wasn't a guy, could she? She threw a disgusted frown at the uniform hanging on her closet.
Summer vacation was just starting and the students had about eight more weeks to spend before school started again. She walked toward her window and peered through the white curtain and found the field below was busy with guys practicing different kinds of sports.
Why, she wondered, would people want to spend their summer vacation in the same school they were forced to live in for ten long months? The answer to that she didn't know. She knew her own family must have been wondering why she refused to go to Switzerland with them that vacation and said she'd rather spend it at her dorm.
So what the hell was a good girl like Relena Darlain doing in a private school exclusively for boys anyway? Good question, why was she there?
Relena glared at the guys on the field before walking back to her bed and looking around her room. She glared at the picture on her table, the picture of her and her friends in their uniform. She glared particularly on the girl with long blond hair and fork eyebrows. Why did I have to lose anyway?
The game was fairly simple, poker. Still having a lot of M&M's, she expected at least the normal strip poker that would've followed but Dorothy Catalonia had to butt in and say the loser would have to enroll at Shin Kidousenki Academy for the coming school year but would have to stay there for six weeks, pretending to be a guy.
Relena, being the most likely to win, agreed, thinking she could win and make Dorothy lose. Only to have her plan backfire and lose, and now here she was, at the West Dorm where her room for the next six weeks was located. She considered barricading herself in her room for the next six weeks but she decided against it. The principal would most likely look for her--or him if she doesn't show up at mealtime.
Her enrollment had gone smooth, nothing her credit cards couldn't handle. And she was thankful that the principal, Ms. Noin--who seemed familiar to her but couldn't remember meeting her in any way, was out for vacation and the stout middle-aged assistant principal welcomed Reynald Dorian with open arms.
Of course there would be the question of what the hell he was doing at the dorm during summer when he could be out in the world, anywhere but the hellish School she was in. I'll have to think up of a good lie for that one. I wonder what am I doing here anyway?
She heard the bell ring outside her door three times and wondered what that meant. She brushed it off and took out the romance pocket book she brought with her. She figured they'd be announcing dinner through the an electronic bell like they do in CHA, not the way other school use the old fashion bell she just heard. Surely, our neighboring school can't be so left behind as to still use such old methods of calling attentions.
~*~*~*~
Relena's stomach grumbled. She sighed and placed her book down, her stomach protesting and ordering her to get some food. Since the light lunch she had earlier that day, she hadn't eaten anything all day. She glanced at the clock, eight-thirty. When will they serve dinner? I'm hungry!
She gave in to her stomach's demand and stood up from the bed where she was lying peacefully. She checked her hair using the mirror in the bathroom and opened her door a crack. She knew she was staying at one of the most expensive rooms of the academy and privacy was a privilege she had over most students. She corridor was relatively empty so she got up, pocketing the key of her room and tentatively took a few steps toward the staircase.
Her stomach demanded her to walk faster but she kept her slow and steady pace, half-afraid of meeting someone along the way. Her room was at the fifth floor and aside from her growling stomach, she now had her tired body to worry about.
She frowned, realizing she had no idea where the hell the dinning area was. She walked around for a few minutes, silently praying all her walking would be rewarded by finding the dinning area and having something hot inside her body, which was now screaming bloody murder for food. Even Hilde's pathetic attempt on cooking would be more than welcome. Wow, now I'm really desperate.
She glanced at the wristwatch she had and her heart dropped. It was almost nine-thirty and she was just about ready to devour any food in sight, only there was none. "Where the hell is that stupid mess hall anyway? Do they plan to starve their students or what!" she growled, almost cursing as she continued to walk.
She came upon a door and she just had this feeling it was the room she's been looking for. Pushing the double doors aside and walked in, her mouth watering in anticipation. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she stared at the empty, save for the kitchen assistants who were busy cleaning the tables. "Where's the food?" she asked before she could stop herself.
One of the assistants looked up, the guy's shoulder-length black hair clinging to his face because of perspiration. "What do you mean `where's the food'? You just ate."
Relena shook her head firmly. "I did not eat. I don't recall any of you ringing the bell signaling for food. I'm hungry and I want some food!"
"Go away," was the other girl's annoyed reply. "It's not our fault you're building quite an appetite but the cook's left, she'll be back tomorrow for breakfast but till then, you'll have to find means of satisfying your appetite. Now scram."
"Excuse me? You can't just let your students go hungry! I demand my food right now! I get cranky when I'm hungry and I'm more than hungry, I'm starving!"
"Go away, kid, or do I have to push you out?" the man said, glaring at her. "We'd like to clean the mess you students left when you ate."
"But I didn't eat! And I'm hungry!" Relena stomped her foot on the ground, emphasizing the fact. She knew she was acting like a brat now but she didn't care. Her hunger was beyond caring, she didn't care if the world collapsed, and all she cared about was having some food in her stomach. "Don't you know who I am?" she didn't care if she had to blow her cover just to eat. No one--as in no one starves Relena Darlain, youngest and only daughter of George Darlain, head of Darlain enterprises and many other businesses she'd rather not mention.
"Yes, you're one of those rich spoiled brats, now go!" the man was--was dragging her out? Her brother will never let this slip by!
"Get your dirty hands off me!" Relena exclaimed angrily. "How dare you starve me and now, not only that--you--you drag me out using force?! Is that the way to--" treat a lady? She glared at him, hands on her slender hips. "Look, can't we talk about it?"
"No, now leave and don't come back!" the guy slammed the door behind him, leaving a very annoyed, very hungry Relena behind.
"You'll pay for this, you know!" she kicked the closed door and it took a lot of her control for her not to throw a temper tantrum--which was worse that what she was doing right now. "If I die of starvation I'll make sure to drag you with me when I leave this earth! Damn it! I need food!"
She was still glaring, cursing and steam was still coming out of her ears when she heard laughter from behind her. She turned, murder in her eyes as she scanned the place around her, in search for the source of laughter.
She caught the shaking from behind the bushes and marched toward it, angrily pushing the shrub aside as she came face to face with wide violet eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Who me? I was just inspecting the shrubs here. Did you know that these shrubs grow faster than any normal trees?" Amusement filled the young man's eyes as she glared at him. He held up his hands and grinned. "Hey, take it easy, I'm here to help."
Relena eyes him suspiciously. "And how would you be doing that? By laughing at me? Come on, you can do better than that."
"Hey, it's true," the boy shrugged. "You're hungry, right? I have some food up in my room, wanna come?"
She hesitated for a moment before shrugging. It's not like he'd try something on me. "Why would you do that? Share your food, I mean?"
"You seemed desperate and in need of it, badly. So I supposed this'd be my good deed of the day. You seem new, so what's your name anyway?"
"Rel--Reynald Dorian. And you?"
"Duo Maxwell's the name. So what're you doing there anyway? Aside from begging--demanding food? Did you miss the bell or something?"
"The old fashioned ball was the bell? I should've known!" she growled, glaring at the speaker on the wall. "I guess I missed it, huh?"
"Yeah, so what're you doing here? Aren't you a little early for school?"
Relena followed him as they made their way toward the East dorms where most athletes resided. "What about you? What're you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be off to vacation or something?"
"Not me, I usually stay her with most of the students who don't have any places to go. And you? You haven't answered my question yet."
She bit her lip for a second before answering. "My--uh--dad's getting married soon and I didn't want to spend my vacation with my soon-to-be-stepmom?"
"You don't sound sure," Duo shrugged. "Hmm, like Heero's case."
"Heero?"
"My roommate," Duo explained. "He's our right now, doing god knows what. He's usually like that, I learned to ignore him when he's in on of his psychotic moods." They started climbing the stairs and within minutes, Relena was closing the door behind her.
She felt her cheeks burn at the realization she was in a room with a boy, alone. She shook her head and hit herself mentally. Idiot! Of course you'll be alone with lots of boys, this is an exclusive for boys school after all! Idiot! And to let yourself think of things like that--idiot!
She bit her lip and unconsciously looked around the room, noting how messy it was. She shares her room with Hilde and Hilde can get really messy with her things but their room never was this untidy. Clothes were strewn all over the place, cartons of juice and milk was on top of the table and three balls were under the chair, bed and in the middle of the room.
Duo looked at her, pausing from where he was taking something from the small fridge. "Oh, sorry about the mess. We don't usually spend time here anyway, we only go here to sleep, eat or escape teachers. We spend our time at the basketball court down. What about you? What kind of sport are you interested in?"
"Me?" she croaked, a little stunned. She didn't consider that. Of course every man on the planet had a thing for sports, and she definitely had to have one if she wanted to be considered as one of the normal teenage boys.
She knew how to play different kind of sports but well... sports for girls. And she excelled in swimming--given the situation, swimming was out of the question. Way out of the question. "Basketball?" that was one of the sports she knew was very popular with young and old men. And the sport she was weakest in. But hey--she wasn't planning on playing anyway so who cares?
Duo nodded, placing a bowl of chips in front of her. She was seated at the small dinning table, across Duo who was munching on the chips as well. "That's cool, maybe you and Heero can play one on one. Heero's really good. Of course, I'm better," he grinned. "Help yourself with the chips, man. When you've been studying here since you were little, you'll learn to have chips and other goodies stored in your fridge. They refuse to give the students `junk' as they call it. They only serve low fat, less-grease and `healthy' food at the caf. You'll starve if you depend on the food they'll serve you. You might even die."
Relena smiled. Duo seemed like a really nice guy. He reminded her of Hilde. "Thanks again for saving me--or that man, I swear I was about to kick his ass when he dragged me like that. My brother would've killed him if he found out that man touched me and treated me like someone beneath him."
"Your brother's protective of you?" Duo asked, looking at her.
Relena blushed. Great. Now he must be thinking what a sissy I am. He might even be thinking that I'm gay or something because of that. You're an idiot, Relena. "Huh? Uh---yeah, I'm the youngest and he--treats me as if---as if I'm his son. You see he's older than me, really, really old, about twenty years older and he has no son, he isn't even married yet and he wants nothing but to have a son so guess who'll be his son until he gets one?" she tried to catch her breath and forced a smile. She was never a good liar. But she hoped Duo bought her story anyway.
Duo blinked then shrugged. "Sure, whatever. So will you be taking basketball as your sport then?"
"What do you mean?" she asked. It turns out you have to pick a sport that you want and be like on a summer workshop while you're staying at the academy for the summer. Instead of classes (though there are some), you can practice sports.
"I guess. What about you?" she asked.
"I'm taking swimming," he grinned then flexed his muscles. "I'm sure Heero'd be happy to take you with him."
"I'd be happy to take who with me?" a voice asked, startling them both. Relena didn't even hear the door open. She turned and came face to face with a guy with an unruly mop of tousled brown hair and cobalt blue eyes. She gasped and swallowed hard. The guy looked positively threatening.
"Uh, hi?" she said, feeling her cheeks burn as he looked at her, eyeing her up and down.
"You're new."
"Duh," was out of her mouth before she could stop herself and bit her lower lip. Then shrugged, back straightening. She was Relena Darlain, she shouldn't be afraid of anyone, even if he looked intimidating. She can be intimidating as well. "Rele--- Reynald Dorian," she said, extending her hand. "You're Heero, I assume?"
"Heero Yuy," he took her hand and shook it firmly. Relena had to stop herself from crying out aloud as she felt her hand feel soggy from his shake.
"Nice you meet you," she said, smiling. He wasn't that tall, she was only shorter by a few inches. "So uh, I heard you're good at basketball. I was thinking of taking basketball this summer."
"So? What does that have to do with me?" was the curt reply she got.
Relena glared at him for a moment before forcing her smile again. "Nothing. Well, I have to go now, I still have to do things in my room, unpack," she made a face. "It was nice meeting you, Duo." A pause. "Heero." She smiled at Duo. "I'll be leaving now, thanks for the food, you saved my sanity. Bye."
"See you tomorrow then? The bell rings at seven-thirty be sure to go down by then. Maybe you can sit with me and my friends, I'll introduce you around if you want."
"That'd be great," she smiled. "Thanks again, bye." She stood up and walked toward the door, not once looking back. If she had done so, she would've seen Duo devouring what was left of the chips and Heero staring at her back.
~*~*~*~*~
"Who was that?" Heero asked the minute the door closed behind the new guy.
Duo looked up from where he was munching and held up a hand to signal him to wait for him to finish chewing and swallowing. When he was done, he sighed. "Man! Weren't you listening to the guy? His name's Reynald Dorian. He's new here."
"I know who he is," Heero rolled his eyes. "What I meant was where did you meet him?"
Duo shook his head. "Nu-uh, you asked who he was, not where I met him. Anyway, I rescued him--or the man as he had said earlier--at the caf. He was about to kill or cause serious injury to the guy at the caf? He apparently didn't know the bell was the signal for dinner so he was hungry. I was passing the hallway when he started threatening the man. Saved them both and brought him here, fed him and now he left. Why?"
His friend shrugged. "He seemed suspicious. He didn't sound sure of all his answers, like he was trying to remember it."
"Oh, right," Duo nodded slowly. "You're in your detective mode again and he's acting suspicious. Shouldn't you be checking his background by now?"
Heero didn't say anything in response; he just walked toward his bed and sat on it. "He's acting weird, that's all I can say."
"Anybody who speaks more than a phrase is weird to you. You thought I was weird before," Duo shrugged. "Anyway, I'm beat. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to swim."
Heero glanced at him for a second then stood up and cleaned the table where Duo left the bowl. He couldn't explain it but he had the sudden urge to clean. He didn't want the visitors thinking they were slobs.
~*~*~*~
Relena walked nervously, tray at hand. She wished for the nth time she didn't lose to the stupid bet and it was Dorothy who was walking around in this place filled with boys. To some, it was heaven but to her, it was hell. She never had any interest in boys before so she couldn't have cared less if she spent her time in a boy's dorm but... it was nerve-wracking the way she was possibly the only female teenager in the whole place, except for the assistant principal, the cook and her assistants and the rest of the auxiliary staff--who were most likely twice her age.
She scanned the dinning hall for signs of Duo. She found none. She was starting to lose hope--a bad omen for if there's anything Relena's not, it's being pessimistic. She has this optimistic trait that pleases or irks everyone. And now she was losing hope, on her second day.
She steeled her nerves and shook her head, determined not to lose hope. I will not lose hope, I won't. There's nothing to worry about, I'm perfectly safe here, and I'm just a normal teenage boy, what could happen?
"Hey there, lover-boy," called out a guy to her, waving his hands in a lady-like manner. Relena wanted nothing else but for the world to open up and swallow her. It didn't occur to her that there might actually be some gay people at the academy. She had nothing against gay people, she believed that love is love, it doesn't matter if you're both from the same gender. But she never thought of herself being the center of someone's love interest.
She ignored the catcalls coming from the table. She bit her lip as she tried to ignore the stares she knew she was getting from the other students. This is not good. The bet didn't include being humiliated in front of the whole academy. I'm gonna kill Dorothy for this.
She kept her steady and nervous pace as she continued to scan the place for any sign of Duo, praying he'd save her once again. But fate was being a big meanie, he was nowhere in sight. She was about to give up and run back to her room when she felt someone took her arm and led her toward the table at the corner, away from prying eyes.
When she turned, she saw Heero looking straight ahead, still holding her arm and leading the way. She blushed and tried to keep up with his fast pace. When they reached the table, she found three other guys already seated and eating their food quietly. They looked up when they came closer, the blond guy smiling while the other two remained expressionless.
Relena bit his lip. "Uh, hi, I'm Reynald." She turned to Heero who had taken the sit next to her. "Thanks."
Heero shrugged, saying nothing and started eating his food. The three looked at her.
"I'm Quatre, nice meeting you," the blond boy said, extending his hand to her. She took it and shook it gently. "This is Trowa," he motioned at the tall guy seated next to him. "And Wufei," was the Chinese man.
"Where's Duo?" she asked, taking her seat slowly, trying to look around.
"He's probably still at the pool, right, Heero?" Quatre said, turning to his friend. "Anyway, Duo said you might sit with us. So you're new huh? From what school did you transfer from?"
Relena barely stopped herself from replying Cherry Hill Academy. "Eh? I study at... I used to study at home. I used to have my tutor coming to our house but I decided it'd be nicer to study at a school instead of the teacher coming to me, right? So I... transferred here." She forced out another wide smile. She didn't like lying to her new friends--if she could call them that, but she had no choice. She couldn't tell them she was really a girl pretending to be a guy. So she opted to eat the food they served her instead, forcing the awful-bland-tasting thing they called food to go down her throat as she forced herself to swallow it down.
She couldn't help but compare CHA with SKA. They were never forced to eat "healthy" food like this at CHA and she never missed a meal there. She sighed. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed with the bet, she thought. She mentally scolded herself. It was so not like her to just quit and give up. She'll survive this. Or if she doesn't, she'll make sure Dorothy suffered the same way she did. She glared at the bland mash on her plate and pushed the plate away. She swore the mashed thing just moved.
I'm gonna have to buy stocks and stocks of food if I'm planning on surviving the six weeks of my stay here. And eating their food's not part of my things-to-do-to-survive list. No way. This food will kill me.
~*~*~*~
"Why don't you try basketball? You said so yourself last night you'll be taking it, so why not sign up today? I'll go with you if you want," he offered.
Relena smiled then nodded. "Sure, thanks. You're being real nice and I just wanna say... thanks a lot. Maybe I can repay you with a blind date?" she said innocently, her mind already thinking of setting up Duo with Hilde. "I know this girl who's really nice. She's cute too."
Duo shrugged. "I dunno, blind dates have a way of ending up in disasters," he said. "Maybe some other time?"
She nodded. "Sure, it's totally up to you if you'd accept or not," she said though in her mind, she was already thinking up of ways to set up the date. "So where should we go?" she asked, changing the subject, walking next to Duo as they followed the wide path to the garden.
"We need to get you signed up, we have to go to the court and tell the coach you'll be joining his team. Better be in your gym clothes."
Some guys from the basketball team passed by them and Relena saw a problem. They were wearing the standard undershirt thing for basketball. She was supposed to wear that as well. She stopped dead on her tracks. "Do I have to wear what everybody else wears?" she asked nervously, eyes wide.
Duo thought about it for a while then shrugged. "I don't know. But if you don't wanna, tell coach Torres and maybe he'll let you wear what you want. Why won't you wear the ones they use anyway? It's easier to play wearing them."
Relena thought for a while then it hit her. "Because, I have these scars around my body, from an accident few years ago," she lied, again hating to lie to her new friend but having no choice. They were near the basketball court now, Relena could feel her nervousness return. What would playing basketball be like?
"Oof!" orange rubber ball hit her hard on the stomach but pretended it was nothing. Her team captain, Heero glared at her. She glared back. She passed the ball to her other teammate, Kenny then started to follow him, running, guarding tall and handsome Chris, her black cotton shirt soaked with sweat.
Three hours since signing up, joining the team, Heero's team and she already felt like overcooked spaghetti. How the hell was she supposed to survive six weeks of this? She must be crazy. Or incredibly suicidal. Or both.
The coach's whistle blew, signaling the victory of Gerald's team. Heero glared at her and she felt glares stabbing her back as they all hustled together around the coach. She never felt more dead than she did the moment the coach made his announcement.
"I'll be leaving for a while, four weeks at least," the tall balding man began, looking at his students. "That means no one will be here to supervise your workshop but..." he trailed off, looking at Heero. "Yuy will substitute my presence while I'm gone."
Everyone groaned. They all knew that Heero was such a slave driver. The coach held up a hand that silenced everyone. "This is the first time a student will substitute a teacher of the workshop in the academy, be grateful that at least they didn't assign Mrs. Grey to take over," he said, mentioning the strict librarian. "Heero will be in full command, when he says practice, everyone will practice. What he says goes, got it?" When everyone nodded, he smiled. "Good. I'll be leaving tomorrow. You're all free for the afternoon." They all moved toward the shower room when the coach called her and Heero.
Relena bit her lip as she and Heero came closer to the coach. What had she done wrong this time? The coach caught Heero eye and nodded to her direction and Relena felt mortified at what that unvoiced exchange meant. Were they kicking her out?
The coach cleared his throat and smiled at Relena. "Reynald, my boy, Heero will fill you in. Good day," he said, turning and started walking away.
Relena watched the coach's retreating back, eyes wide. What was that all about? She glanced at Heero and found him looking critically at her. "What?" she asked, her annoyance showing a little in her voice.
"We need to talk," Heero said, taking her elbow and leading her out of the court, stopping in front of the drinking fountain at the back of the gym where no one would hear them. "We lost today, on the basketball game."
She glared at him then looked away. "So what?"
"My team never lost before." That quiet statement was enough to make Relena lose her temper. How dare this--this boy say such things!
"So you want me out then? Is that it? Your team lost for the first time, just when I joined your team, such coincidence, isn't it? Fine, I'll just sign up for another dumb sport. You don't have to worry about me screwing up your winning streak again," she said, turning around and walking away, each step heavy and full of venom. That jerk!
"Wait," Heero said, attempting to call her attention back but she ignored him. Who does this boy think he is? He made a fool out of her enough. And making a fool out of Relena is one too many. Her brother would--her brother would never find out, of course, he'd kill her. But she was sure her brother would've made Heero regret saying those mean things to her if he finds out--which he won't.
She suddenly felt Heero's firm hold on her arm once more. So deep in her thought she was, she didn't realize Heero was coming closer and holding her arm to keep her from going further. "What do you want, Yuy?"
"I didn't--I didn't mean for you to leave the workshop. The coach asked me if I could help you out with basketball, if you'd let me," he explained, eyes not meeting hers.
"WHAT?" she asked, her low voice becoming a pitch higher, he noted with his trained ears.
"It means I'll help you become better in basketball if you'd let me," Heero tried to explain, clumsily but Relena still smiled despite his clumsy effort.
What am I doing here anyway? I don't give a damn if he leaves anyway, It'll be one pain in the ass less for me to worry about, Heero thought at he waited for Reynald's answer. He held his breath unconsciously and waited for his response.
"Okay," he nodded and Heero felt himself smile almost involuntarily. Reynald flashed him a bright smile. "Okay," he repeated.
The blond boy shrugged. "I'd like that, so I'll have to head back to my dorm to take a shower, see you later then? Oh, and tell Duo thanks for everything, bye!" he turned and started to jog toward the east dorm where students from the rich and prominent families resided.
Then he frowned. There was that again, that strange trait Reynald was showing. He was being secretive. I wonder what it is he's trying to hide.
~*~*~*~
Relena pulled off the wig that was cutting off the circulation to her head. She threw the annoying wig on her bed and sighed. Why did she have to wear that wig any way? Her long hair would be fine, Duo's hair was longer, no one was complaining. So why did she have to wear that wig that's cutting off circulation on her head?
I'll look like a girl, that's why, she answered. And besides, letting my hair down the way it is would make look more like Relena Darlain instead of Reynald Dorian. She picked up the phone beside her nightstand and dialed the number on her and Hilde's room. "Hello?"
"Yeah, who is this?" Catherine's cheerful voice rang out and Relena smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. Then frowned. She forgot all about her brother! "Uh, hi, Cathy. So how are things there?"
"Oh, it's you!" Cathy exclaimed. "So how have you been? We were thinking that you'd be having fun right now," she said loudly, though not loud enough to drown out the voices at the background.
"I say Relena's having the scare of her life, surrounded by boys!" Dorothy exclaimed. Relena felt her jaw drop. What the hell?
"Twenty dollars, I say Relena found a potential boyfriend," she heard Hilde shout. Cathy cleared her throat. "Uh, so how have you been?"
"I'm having the time of my life, but do tell Hilde I haven't found a boyfriend yet. Though I have found someone for her," Relena said. "Anyway, I was just calling to see how you guys were," she said, twirling the black cord around her index finger. "Well, I have to go now, anyway. Till next time then?"
"Sure," Cathy said. "By the way, have you--" she was cut off when Relena suddenly interjected.
"I really have to go, sorry. I'll call again next time okay? The connection's pretty bad, bye!" she replaced the receiver down and sighed. That was close. She didn't like cutting the conversation short but she had no choice. She completely forgot all about looking for Cathy's brother that she was afraid to tell her she forgot. Oh well. I'll start tomorrow.
~*~*~*~
"Reynald- darling!" James Reyes smiled at him. "Hey there, Reynald," he said lowly, moving closer to him.
Relena subtly inched away. Third day of being in SKA and she pretty much knew the ins and outs of the school, thanks to her new friends. She looked around, in a lame attempt to escape her new admirer. She had lots of admirers before, all guys.
Sure, James was no different, he's also a guy. But the he is different. He liked Reynald, not Relena. And that was the problem. James Reyes was pretty much known for being a playboy, a junior and had many lovers from different year levels. Currently, he made it his mission to have Reynald Dorian added to his long list of lovers.
Relena forced a smile and bit her lower lip. She was on her way to the gym when James caught up with her, placing a hand on her arm, gripping it, but making it seem like a gentle hold, immobilizing her. She was stuck with him at the school garden until he released her arm.
"Hey there, Rey. Can I call you Rey?" he asked, giving him a wide grin, loosening his hold on her arm. Relena inched away, putting as much distance as she can between them. "So where are you going?"
"Basketball," she replied, making her voice seem low and like a man's. "I really need to go. Bye!" she said, pulling her arm out of his loose hold and jogged away. But before he could go any further, James grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt.
"Wait a minute, Dorian. I just wanted to be friendly here, no need to be on the rush. As I've heard, the coach is leaving I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass-but-incredibly-sexy Yuy in charge, you don't need to rush. I'm sure he'll understand it if you're a minute or two late," James said, sitting on the wooden bench next to them. He patted the space next to him and smiled.
Relena shook her head. "Uh, I don't think so. I really have to go, bye!" before James could do anything, Relena ran as fast as she could away from the spot James had dragged her into and ran toward the gym.
She had nothing against gay people but she couldn't exactly see herself being in one, in any relationship even. She had better things to do than spend her time mooning over some guy. When she got to the gym, she found Heero waiting for her in front of the door. He had a basketball tucked under his arm. Relena couldn't help but think that he looked really good like that. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized, biting her lower lip. She didn't want to blow this. She wanted Heero to teach her how to play basketball. "I got held up by... things."
"Must be pretty important," Heero commented. "Anyway, let's start," he threw the ball at him and Relena caught it with a grunt. "We'll use the other court, less people."
"What about the others?" she asked, pushing the double doors aside and found the others lounging around the gym. Some were playing cards while some were sleeping on the bleachers. "Are you aware that the people inside are not doing anything?" she asked, turning back to look at Heero in the eye. "And I have to go work my ass off trying to play basketball?"
Heero shrugged. "They need--deserve the break. Now let's go, we don't have all day, you know," he said, already walking toward the court next to the pool.
Relena's mouth fell open slightly then she closed it, walking briskly after him. That jerk! she thought as she walked after him. He thinks he's the best thing in this world. Well he isn't! And he should get that in his little athletic mind.
"You really don't know how to shoot properly?"
Relena gritted her teeth and threw the ball at him. "I think the purpose of this is to teach me to play basketball. Why would I need someone to teach me how to play if I knew how to play basketball to begin with? Of course I don't!"
Heero glared at her then shot the ball. It neatly sailed in. Heero looked at her while she glared at him. "So you're good--great in basketball. That doesn't mean every other individual's as good as you. Ugh! I give up!"
"So you're gonna walk out on me and forget about learning how to play?" Heero asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"If you're gonna be like that, treating me like some idiot just because I can't shoot or pass that damn ball, no. If we're going to spend this wonderful afternoon out baking in the sun arguing, I should just go," Relena sighed, looking away and avoiding Heero's eyes.
Heero shook his head. "Okay, fine. So I was wrong to act that way. Can we please get back on learning how to play?"
Relena looked at him closely and found that he as serious. "Well, yeah, I guess. So what do I do so the ball goes sailing neatly in, like yours did?" she asked, taking the ball from Heero and throwing it at the net, missing the small smile at Heero's lips before it disappeared.
She threw the ball forward, bending her knee as she did. The ball sailed neatly in, elating the grinning Relena as she tucked the ball under her arms. "Well, not bad for a beginner, right?" she asked, turning to face Heero and giving him a cheerful grin.
Tbc
~*~*~*~*~
Feed the author's ego, email her at: giggles_22@edsamail.com.ph
Going Undercover
By Kuroi Tenshi
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
The moon hung in the sky with the stars and clouds quietly, providing light for the still night as everyone slept soundly on their beds. In a room on the third floor of Cherry Hill Academy, a lamp was lighted and its occupants were wide-awake.
"You can't be serious!" Hilde Schbeicker hissed, eyes narrowing as her friend tucked her hair underneath a black cap.
"Of course I'm serious," the girl with honey blond hair whispered back, her voice soft and low, afraid to wake the occupants next room. "No one will notice, besides, I'm due to leave the academy for vacation anyway, they'll think I just left a few hours early," she said, tucking the stray strands of blond hair under the cap.
"You do realize that your brother will kill me if he finds out, right?" the girl with short dark hair said, attempting to stall her. She saw the blonde girl take her backpack and shrug.
"I'm sure Milliardo won't kill you... well, I'll be pleading on your behalf if he ever decides to do that so there's a big chance you'll survive. Anyway, there's nothing you can do to stop me. I've made up my mind and I'm going to spend most of my vacation at Shin Kidousenki Academy. Besides, I promised Cathy I'd help her look for her brother."
"Like I'd believe that," Hilde rolled her eyes. "You're scouting for a boyfriend here, that's the real reason you're going there."
Relena Darlain's cheeks burned. "That's not true at all! I'm here because Cathy asked me to check what her brother's been doing at the academy! And finding a boyfriend isn't exactly on top of my priority list either. I might even learn to play poker there and beat Dorothy for once and for all."
Hilde sighed. "Fine, so you're doing this for Cathy," she said, smiling a little. "But what about me? What if your brother comes for a visit and you're not here? They'll find out about your little trip to the neighboring academy and your brother will most definitely skin me alive. You know how protective he is when it comes to his little sister."
"Hilde," Relena placed a hand on her roommate's shoulder. "You worry too much. Why don't you come with me instead?"
"And give your brother another reason to hang me upside-down? No thanks. Be careful," she said, smiling a little. "And I hope you can take care of yourself when in front of the whole student body of Shin Kidousenki Academy, all from the male specie."
"I can take care of myself, don't worry," Relena said confidently, heaving her backpack on her shoulder. She glanced at the clock and frowned. "I better go, it's almost three in the morning and I don't want to risk the chance of anyone seeing me leave."
Hilde pulled her in a brief hug before grinning. "I wish I could go with you but you need someone to cover for you in case anything happens. Remember to call me, `kay?"
Relena nodded. "Sure, I'll try to call you every other day and tell you what's up with me and the guy's dorm. And I'll look for a suitable boyfriend for you." Relena grinned and took a deep breath. "I guess I'll be off then, bye Hilde. I'll see you in six weeks?"
"Six weeks," Hilde agreed, watching Relena exit through the window. Climbing down using the tree next to the window, Relena landed with a soft thud on the grass below. Looking up, she waved to her friend before jogging toward the parking lot where her car was waiting for her.
Thirty minutes of driving's not really that tiring, she thought as she started the engine. Stifling a yawn, she sighed. If you had enough sleep. And three hours of sleep doesn't cut it as beauty sleep either.
When she reached the other side of the hill where their neighboring school was, it was already three- thirty in the morning. Relena yawned. Parking at the corner before the school, she turned off the engine and closed her eyes. I still have four to five hours before I need to meet with the principal. I'm sure no one will mind if I sleep for a while.
~*~*~*~
Relena bit her lip as she tucked her long blond hair underneath the blond wig she bought. She smiled at her reflection and patted her hair. She looked exactly like a boy now, her hair hidden under the wig she bought for the occasion.
She glanced at the dashboard and saw that it was already nine-forty-five. I guess they'll be expecting me by now. She practiced her lines and voice and grinned. "I can most definitely pass myself off as a guy."
She gunned the engine and drove to the academy.
Now seated in her room, no roommate, she couldn't risk some guy seeing her naked in the bathroom and finding out she really wasn't a guy, could she? She threw a disgusted frown at the uniform hanging on her closet.
Summer vacation was just starting and the students had about eight more weeks to spend before school started again. She walked toward her window and peered through the white curtain and found the field below was busy with guys practicing different kinds of sports.
Why, she wondered, would people want to spend their summer vacation in the same school they were forced to live in for ten long months? The answer to that she didn't know. She knew her own family must have been wondering why she refused to go to Switzerland with them that vacation and said she'd rather spend it at her dorm.
So what the hell was a good girl like Relena Darlain doing in a private school exclusively for boys anyway? Good question, why was she there?
Relena glared at the guys on the field before walking back to her bed and looking around her room. She glared at the picture on her table, the picture of her and her friends in their uniform. She glared particularly on the girl with long blond hair and fork eyebrows. Why did I have to lose anyway?
The game was fairly simple, poker. Still having a lot of M&M's, she expected at least the normal strip poker that would've followed but Dorothy Catalonia had to butt in and say the loser would have to enroll at Shin Kidousenki Academy for the coming school year but would have to stay there for six weeks, pretending to be a guy.
Relena, being the most likely to win, agreed, thinking she could win and make Dorothy lose. Only to have her plan backfire and lose, and now here she was, at the West Dorm where her room for the next six weeks was located. She considered barricading herself in her room for the next six weeks but she decided against it. The principal would most likely look for her--or him if she doesn't show up at mealtime.
Her enrollment had gone smooth, nothing her credit cards couldn't handle. And she was thankful that the principal, Ms. Noin--who seemed familiar to her but couldn't remember meeting her in any way, was out for vacation and the stout middle-aged assistant principal welcomed Reynald Dorian with open arms.
Of course there would be the question of what the hell he was doing at the dorm during summer when he could be out in the world, anywhere but the hellish School she was in. I'll have to think up of a good lie for that one. I wonder what am I doing here anyway?
She heard the bell ring outside her door three times and wondered what that meant. She brushed it off and took out the romance pocket book she brought with her. She figured they'd be announcing dinner through the an electronic bell like they do in CHA, not the way other school use the old fashion bell she just heard. Surely, our neighboring school can't be so left behind as to still use such old methods of calling attentions.
~*~*~*~
Relena's stomach grumbled. She sighed and placed her book down, her stomach protesting and ordering her to get some food. Since the light lunch she had earlier that day, she hadn't eaten anything all day. She glanced at the clock, eight-thirty. When will they serve dinner? I'm hungry!
She gave in to her stomach's demand and stood up from the bed where she was lying peacefully. She checked her hair using the mirror in the bathroom and opened her door a crack. She knew she was staying at one of the most expensive rooms of the academy and privacy was a privilege she had over most students. She corridor was relatively empty so she got up, pocketing the key of her room and tentatively took a few steps toward the staircase.
Her stomach demanded her to walk faster but she kept her slow and steady pace, half-afraid of meeting someone along the way. Her room was at the fifth floor and aside from her growling stomach, she now had her tired body to worry about.
She frowned, realizing she had no idea where the hell the dinning area was. She walked around for a few minutes, silently praying all her walking would be rewarded by finding the dinning area and having something hot inside her body, which was now screaming bloody murder for food. Even Hilde's pathetic attempt on cooking would be more than welcome. Wow, now I'm really desperate.
She glanced at the wristwatch she had and her heart dropped. It was almost nine-thirty and she was just about ready to devour any food in sight, only there was none. "Where the hell is that stupid mess hall anyway? Do they plan to starve their students or what!" she growled, almost cursing as she continued to walk.
She came upon a door and she just had this feeling it was the room she's been looking for. Pushing the double doors aside and walked in, her mouth watering in anticipation. Her eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets as she stared at the empty, save for the kitchen assistants who were busy cleaning the tables. "Where's the food?" she asked before she could stop herself.
One of the assistants looked up, the guy's shoulder-length black hair clinging to his face because of perspiration. "What do you mean `where's the food'? You just ate."
Relena shook her head firmly. "I did not eat. I don't recall any of you ringing the bell signaling for food. I'm hungry and I want some food!"
"Go away," was the other girl's annoyed reply. "It's not our fault you're building quite an appetite but the cook's left, she'll be back tomorrow for breakfast but till then, you'll have to find means of satisfying your appetite. Now scram."
"Excuse me? You can't just let your students go hungry! I demand my food right now! I get cranky when I'm hungry and I'm more than hungry, I'm starving!"
"Go away, kid, or do I have to push you out?" the man said, glaring at her. "We'd like to clean the mess you students left when you ate."
"But I didn't eat! And I'm hungry!" Relena stomped her foot on the ground, emphasizing the fact. She knew she was acting like a brat now but she didn't care. Her hunger was beyond caring, she didn't care if the world collapsed, and all she cared about was having some food in her stomach. "Don't you know who I am?" she didn't care if she had to blow her cover just to eat. No one--as in no one starves Relena Darlain, youngest and only daughter of George Darlain, head of Darlain enterprises and many other businesses she'd rather not mention.
"Yes, you're one of those rich spoiled brats, now go!" the man was--was dragging her out? Her brother will never let this slip by!
"Get your dirty hands off me!" Relena exclaimed angrily. "How dare you starve me and now, not only that--you--you drag me out using force?! Is that the way to--" treat a lady? She glared at him, hands on her slender hips. "Look, can't we talk about it?"
"No, now leave and don't come back!" the guy slammed the door behind him, leaving a very annoyed, very hungry Relena behind.
"You'll pay for this, you know!" she kicked the closed door and it took a lot of her control for her not to throw a temper tantrum--which was worse that what she was doing right now. "If I die of starvation I'll make sure to drag you with me when I leave this earth! Damn it! I need food!"
She was still glaring, cursing and steam was still coming out of her ears when she heard laughter from behind her. She turned, murder in her eyes as she scanned the place around her, in search for the source of laughter.
She caught the shaking from behind the bushes and marched toward it, angrily pushing the shrub aside as she came face to face with wide violet eyes. "What do you think you're doing?"
"Who me? I was just inspecting the shrubs here. Did you know that these shrubs grow faster than any normal trees?" Amusement filled the young man's eyes as she glared at him. He held up his hands and grinned. "Hey, take it easy, I'm here to help."
Relena eyes him suspiciously. "And how would you be doing that? By laughing at me? Come on, you can do better than that."
"Hey, it's true," the boy shrugged. "You're hungry, right? I have some food up in my room, wanna come?"
She hesitated for a moment before shrugging. It's not like he'd try something on me. "Why would you do that? Share your food, I mean?"
"You seemed desperate and in need of it, badly. So I supposed this'd be my good deed of the day. You seem new, so what's your name anyway?"
"Rel--Reynald Dorian. And you?"
"Duo Maxwell's the name. So what're you doing there anyway? Aside from begging--demanding food? Did you miss the bell or something?"
"The old fashioned ball was the bell? I should've known!" she growled, glaring at the speaker on the wall. "I guess I missed it, huh?"
"Yeah, so what're you doing here? Aren't you a little early for school?"
Relena followed him as they made their way toward the East dorms where most athletes resided. "What about you? What're you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be off to vacation or something?"
"Not me, I usually stay her with most of the students who don't have any places to go. And you? You haven't answered my question yet."
She bit her lip for a second before answering. "My--uh--dad's getting married soon and I didn't want to spend my vacation with my soon-to-be-stepmom?"
"You don't sound sure," Duo shrugged. "Hmm, like Heero's case."
"Heero?"
"My roommate," Duo explained. "He's our right now, doing god knows what. He's usually like that, I learned to ignore him when he's in on of his psychotic moods." They started climbing the stairs and within minutes, Relena was closing the door behind her.
She felt her cheeks burn at the realization she was in a room with a boy, alone. She shook her head and hit herself mentally. Idiot! Of course you'll be alone with lots of boys, this is an exclusive for boys school after all! Idiot! And to let yourself think of things like that--idiot!
She bit her lip and unconsciously looked around the room, noting how messy it was. She shares her room with Hilde and Hilde can get really messy with her things but their room never was this untidy. Clothes were strewn all over the place, cartons of juice and milk was on top of the table and three balls were under the chair, bed and in the middle of the room.
Duo looked at her, pausing from where he was taking something from the small fridge. "Oh, sorry about the mess. We don't usually spend time here anyway, we only go here to sleep, eat or escape teachers. We spend our time at the basketball court down. What about you? What kind of sport are you interested in?"
"Me?" she croaked, a little stunned. She didn't consider that. Of course every man on the planet had a thing for sports, and she definitely had to have one if she wanted to be considered as one of the normal teenage boys.
She knew how to play different kind of sports but well... sports for girls. And she excelled in swimming--given the situation, swimming was out of the question. Way out of the question. "Basketball?" that was one of the sports she knew was very popular with young and old men. And the sport she was weakest in. But hey--she wasn't planning on playing anyway so who cares?
Duo nodded, placing a bowl of chips in front of her. She was seated at the small dinning table, across Duo who was munching on the chips as well. "That's cool, maybe you and Heero can play one on one. Heero's really good. Of course, I'm better," he grinned. "Help yourself with the chips, man. When you've been studying here since you were little, you'll learn to have chips and other goodies stored in your fridge. They refuse to give the students `junk' as they call it. They only serve low fat, less-grease and `healthy' food at the caf. You'll starve if you depend on the food they'll serve you. You might even die."
Relena smiled. Duo seemed like a really nice guy. He reminded her of Hilde. "Thanks again for saving me--or that man, I swear I was about to kick his ass when he dragged me like that. My brother would've killed him if he found out that man touched me and treated me like someone beneath him."
"Your brother's protective of you?" Duo asked, looking at her.
Relena blushed. Great. Now he must be thinking what a sissy I am. He might even be thinking that I'm gay or something because of that. You're an idiot, Relena. "Huh? Uh---yeah, I'm the youngest and he--treats me as if---as if I'm his son. You see he's older than me, really, really old, about twenty years older and he has no son, he isn't even married yet and he wants nothing but to have a son so guess who'll be his son until he gets one?" she tried to catch her breath and forced a smile. She was never a good liar. But she hoped Duo bought her story anyway.
Duo blinked then shrugged. "Sure, whatever. So will you be taking basketball as your sport then?"
"What do you mean?" she asked. It turns out you have to pick a sport that you want and be like on a summer workshop while you're staying at the academy for the summer. Instead of classes (though there are some), you can practice sports.
"I guess. What about you?" she asked.
"I'm taking swimming," he grinned then flexed his muscles. "I'm sure Heero'd be happy to take you with him."
"I'd be happy to take who with me?" a voice asked, startling them both. Relena didn't even hear the door open. She turned and came face to face with a guy with an unruly mop of tousled brown hair and cobalt blue eyes. She gasped and swallowed hard. The guy looked positively threatening.
"Uh, hi?" she said, feeling her cheeks burn as he looked at her, eyeing her up and down.
"You're new."
"Duh," was out of her mouth before she could stop herself and bit her lower lip. Then shrugged, back straightening. She was Relena Darlain, she shouldn't be afraid of anyone, even if he looked intimidating. She can be intimidating as well. "Rele--- Reynald Dorian," she said, extending her hand. "You're Heero, I assume?"
"Heero Yuy," he took her hand and shook it firmly. Relena had to stop herself from crying out aloud as she felt her hand feel soggy from his shake.
"Nice you meet you," she said, smiling. He wasn't that tall, she was only shorter by a few inches. "So uh, I heard you're good at basketball. I was thinking of taking basketball this summer."
"So? What does that have to do with me?" was the curt reply she got.
Relena glared at him for a moment before forcing her smile again. "Nothing. Well, I have to go now, I still have to do things in my room, unpack," she made a face. "It was nice meeting you, Duo." A pause. "Heero." She smiled at Duo. "I'll be leaving now, thanks for the food, you saved my sanity. Bye."
"See you tomorrow then? The bell rings at seven-thirty be sure to go down by then. Maybe you can sit with me and my friends, I'll introduce you around if you want."
"That'd be great," she smiled. "Thanks again, bye." She stood up and walked toward the door, not once looking back. If she had done so, she would've seen Duo devouring what was left of the chips and Heero staring at her back.
~*~*~*~*~
"Who was that?" Heero asked the minute the door closed behind the new guy.
Duo looked up from where he was munching and held up a hand to signal him to wait for him to finish chewing and swallowing. When he was done, he sighed. "Man! Weren't you listening to the guy? His name's Reynald Dorian. He's new here."
"I know who he is," Heero rolled his eyes. "What I meant was where did you meet him?"
Duo shook his head. "Nu-uh, you asked who he was, not where I met him. Anyway, I rescued him--or the man as he had said earlier--at the caf. He was about to kill or cause serious injury to the guy at the caf? He apparently didn't know the bell was the signal for dinner so he was hungry. I was passing the hallway when he started threatening the man. Saved them both and brought him here, fed him and now he left. Why?"
His friend shrugged. "He seemed suspicious. He didn't sound sure of all his answers, like he was trying to remember it."
"Oh, right," Duo nodded slowly. "You're in your detective mode again and he's acting suspicious. Shouldn't you be checking his background by now?"
Heero didn't say anything in response; he just walked toward his bed and sat on it. "He's acting weird, that's all I can say."
"Anybody who speaks more than a phrase is weird to you. You thought I was weird before," Duo shrugged. "Anyway, I'm beat. I still have to wake up early tomorrow to swim."
Heero glanced at him for a second then stood up and cleaned the table where Duo left the bowl. He couldn't explain it but he had the sudden urge to clean. He didn't want the visitors thinking they were slobs.
~*~*~*~
Relena walked nervously, tray at hand. She wished for the nth time she didn't lose to the stupid bet and it was Dorothy who was walking around in this place filled with boys. To some, it was heaven but to her, it was hell. She never had any interest in boys before so she couldn't have cared less if she spent her time in a boy's dorm but... it was nerve-wracking the way she was possibly the only female teenager in the whole place, except for the assistant principal, the cook and her assistants and the rest of the auxiliary staff--who were most likely twice her age.
She scanned the dinning hall for signs of Duo. She found none. She was starting to lose hope--a bad omen for if there's anything Relena's not, it's being pessimistic. She has this optimistic trait that pleases or irks everyone. And now she was losing hope, on her second day.
She steeled her nerves and shook her head, determined not to lose hope. I will not lose hope, I won't. There's nothing to worry about, I'm perfectly safe here, and I'm just a normal teenage boy, what could happen?
"Hey there, lover-boy," called out a guy to her, waving his hands in a lady-like manner. Relena wanted nothing else but for the world to open up and swallow her. It didn't occur to her that there might actually be some gay people at the academy. She had nothing against gay people, she believed that love is love, it doesn't matter if you're both from the same gender. But she never thought of herself being the center of someone's love interest.
She ignored the catcalls coming from the table. She bit her lip as she tried to ignore the stares she knew she was getting from the other students. This is not good. The bet didn't include being humiliated in front of the whole academy. I'm gonna kill Dorothy for this.
She kept her steady and nervous pace as she continued to scan the place for any sign of Duo, praying he'd save her once again. But fate was being a big meanie, he was nowhere in sight. She was about to give up and run back to her room when she felt someone took her arm and led her toward the table at the corner, away from prying eyes.
When she turned, she saw Heero looking straight ahead, still holding her arm and leading the way. She blushed and tried to keep up with his fast pace. When they reached the table, she found three other guys already seated and eating their food quietly. They looked up when they came closer, the blond guy smiling while the other two remained expressionless.
Relena bit his lip. "Uh, hi, I'm Reynald." She turned to Heero who had taken the sit next to her. "Thanks."
Heero shrugged, saying nothing and started eating his food. The three looked at her.
"I'm Quatre, nice meeting you," the blond boy said, extending his hand to her. She took it and shook it gently. "This is Trowa," he motioned at the tall guy seated next to him. "And Wufei," was the Chinese man.
"Where's Duo?" she asked, taking her seat slowly, trying to look around.
"He's probably still at the pool, right, Heero?" Quatre said, turning to his friend. "Anyway, Duo said you might sit with us. So you're new huh? From what school did you transfer from?"
Relena barely stopped herself from replying Cherry Hill Academy. "Eh? I study at... I used to study at home. I used to have my tutor coming to our house but I decided it'd be nicer to study at a school instead of the teacher coming to me, right? So I... transferred here." She forced out another wide smile. She didn't like lying to her new friends--if she could call them that, but she had no choice. She couldn't tell them she was really a girl pretending to be a guy. So she opted to eat the food they served her instead, forcing the awful-bland-tasting thing they called food to go down her throat as she forced herself to swallow it down.
She couldn't help but compare CHA with SKA. They were never forced to eat "healthy" food like this at CHA and she never missed a meal there. She sighed. Maybe I shouldn't have agreed with the bet, she thought. She mentally scolded herself. It was so not like her to just quit and give up. She'll survive this. Or if she doesn't, she'll make sure Dorothy suffered the same way she did. She glared at the bland mash on her plate and pushed the plate away. She swore the mashed thing just moved.
I'm gonna have to buy stocks and stocks of food if I'm planning on surviving the six weeks of my stay here. And eating their food's not part of my things-to-do-to-survive list. No way. This food will kill me.
~*~*~*~
"Why don't you try basketball? You said so yourself last night you'll be taking it, so why not sign up today? I'll go with you if you want," he offered.
Relena smiled then nodded. "Sure, thanks. You're being real nice and I just wanna say... thanks a lot. Maybe I can repay you with a blind date?" she said innocently, her mind already thinking of setting up Duo with Hilde. "I know this girl who's really nice. She's cute too."
Duo shrugged. "I dunno, blind dates have a way of ending up in disasters," he said. "Maybe some other time?"
She nodded. "Sure, it's totally up to you if you'd accept or not," she said though in her mind, she was already thinking up of ways to set up the date. "So where should we go?" she asked, changing the subject, walking next to Duo as they followed the wide path to the garden.
"We need to get you signed up, we have to go to the court and tell the coach you'll be joining his team. Better be in your gym clothes."
Some guys from the basketball team passed by them and Relena saw a problem. They were wearing the standard undershirt thing for basketball. She was supposed to wear that as well. She stopped dead on her tracks. "Do I have to wear what everybody else wears?" she asked nervously, eyes wide.
Duo thought about it for a while then shrugged. "I don't know. But if you don't wanna, tell coach Torres and maybe he'll let you wear what you want. Why won't you wear the ones they use anyway? It's easier to play wearing them."
Relena thought for a while then it hit her. "Because, I have these scars around my body, from an accident few years ago," she lied, again hating to lie to her new friend but having no choice. They were near the basketball court now, Relena could feel her nervousness return. What would playing basketball be like?
"Oof!" orange rubber ball hit her hard on the stomach but pretended it was nothing. Her team captain, Heero glared at her. She glared back. She passed the ball to her other teammate, Kenny then started to follow him, running, guarding tall and handsome Chris, her black cotton shirt soaked with sweat.
Three hours since signing up, joining the team, Heero's team and she already felt like overcooked spaghetti. How the hell was she supposed to survive six weeks of this? She must be crazy. Or incredibly suicidal. Or both.
The coach's whistle blew, signaling the victory of Gerald's team. Heero glared at her and she felt glares stabbing her back as they all hustled together around the coach. She never felt more dead than she did the moment the coach made his announcement.
"I'll be leaving for a while, four weeks at least," the tall balding man began, looking at his students. "That means no one will be here to supervise your workshop but..." he trailed off, looking at Heero. "Yuy will substitute my presence while I'm gone."
Everyone groaned. They all knew that Heero was such a slave driver. The coach held up a hand that silenced everyone. "This is the first time a student will substitute a teacher of the workshop in the academy, be grateful that at least they didn't assign Mrs. Grey to take over," he said, mentioning the strict librarian. "Heero will be in full command, when he says practice, everyone will practice. What he says goes, got it?" When everyone nodded, he smiled. "Good. I'll be leaving tomorrow. You're all free for the afternoon." They all moved toward the shower room when the coach called her and Heero.
Relena bit her lip as she and Heero came closer to the coach. What had she done wrong this time? The coach caught Heero eye and nodded to her direction and Relena felt mortified at what that unvoiced exchange meant. Were they kicking her out?
The coach cleared his throat and smiled at Relena. "Reynald, my boy, Heero will fill you in. Good day," he said, turning and started walking away.
Relena watched the coach's retreating back, eyes wide. What was that all about? She glanced at Heero and found him looking critically at her. "What?" she asked, her annoyance showing a little in her voice.
"We need to talk," Heero said, taking her elbow and leading her out of the court, stopping in front of the drinking fountain at the back of the gym where no one would hear them. "We lost today, on the basketball game."
She glared at him then looked away. "So what?"
"My team never lost before." That quiet statement was enough to make Relena lose her temper. How dare this--this boy say such things!
"So you want me out then? Is that it? Your team lost for the first time, just when I joined your team, such coincidence, isn't it? Fine, I'll just sign up for another dumb sport. You don't have to worry about me screwing up your winning streak again," she said, turning around and walking away, each step heavy and full of venom. That jerk!
"Wait," Heero said, attempting to call her attention back but she ignored him. Who does this boy think he is? He made a fool out of her enough. And making a fool out of Relena is one too many. Her brother would--her brother would never find out, of course, he'd kill her. But she was sure her brother would've made Heero regret saying those mean things to her if he finds out--which he won't.
She suddenly felt Heero's firm hold on her arm once more. So deep in her thought she was, she didn't realize Heero was coming closer and holding her arm to keep her from going further. "What do you want, Yuy?"
"I didn't--I didn't mean for you to leave the workshop. The coach asked me if I could help you out with basketball, if you'd let me," he explained, eyes not meeting hers.
"WHAT?" she asked, her low voice becoming a pitch higher, he noted with his trained ears.
"It means I'll help you become better in basketball if you'd let me," Heero tried to explain, clumsily but Relena still smiled despite his clumsy effort.
What am I doing here anyway? I don't give a damn if he leaves anyway, It'll be one pain in the ass less for me to worry about, Heero thought at he waited for Reynald's answer. He held his breath unconsciously and waited for his response.
"Okay," he nodded and Heero felt himself smile almost involuntarily. Reynald flashed him a bright smile. "Okay," he repeated.
The blond boy shrugged. "I'd like that, so I'll have to head back to my dorm to take a shower, see you later then? Oh, and tell Duo thanks for everything, bye!" he turned and started to jog toward the east dorm where students from the rich and prominent families resided.
Then he frowned. There was that again, that strange trait Reynald was showing. He was being secretive. I wonder what it is he's trying to hide.
~*~*~*~
Relena pulled off the wig that was cutting off the circulation to her head. She threw the annoying wig on her bed and sighed. Why did she have to wear that wig any way? Her long hair would be fine, Duo's hair was longer, no one was complaining. So why did she have to wear that wig that's cutting off circulation on her head?
I'll look like a girl, that's why, she answered. And besides, letting my hair down the way it is would make look more like Relena Darlain instead of Reynald Dorian. She picked up the phone beside her nightstand and dialed the number on her and Hilde's room. "Hello?"
"Yeah, who is this?" Catherine's cheerful voice rang out and Relena smiled at the sound of her friend's voice. Then frowned. She forgot all about her brother! "Uh, hi, Cathy. So how are things there?"
"Oh, it's you!" Cathy exclaimed. "So how have you been? We were thinking that you'd be having fun right now," she said loudly, though not loud enough to drown out the voices at the background.
"I say Relena's having the scare of her life, surrounded by boys!" Dorothy exclaimed. Relena felt her jaw drop. What the hell?
"Twenty dollars, I say Relena found a potential boyfriend," she heard Hilde shout. Cathy cleared her throat. "Uh, so how have you been?"
"I'm having the time of my life, but do tell Hilde I haven't found a boyfriend yet. Though I have found someone for her," Relena said. "Anyway, I was just calling to see how you guys were," she said, twirling the black cord around her index finger. "Well, I have to go now, anyway. Till next time then?"
"Sure," Cathy said. "By the way, have you--" she was cut off when Relena suddenly interjected.
"I really have to go, sorry. I'll call again next time okay? The connection's pretty bad, bye!" she replaced the receiver down and sighed. That was close. She didn't like cutting the conversation short but she had no choice. She completely forgot all about looking for Cathy's brother that she was afraid to tell her she forgot. Oh well. I'll start tomorrow.
~*~*~*~
"Reynald- darling!" James Reyes smiled at him. "Hey there, Reynald," he said lowly, moving closer to him.
Relena subtly inched away. Third day of being in SKA and she pretty much knew the ins and outs of the school, thanks to her new friends. She looked around, in a lame attempt to escape her new admirer. She had lots of admirers before, all guys.
Sure, James was no different, he's also a guy. But the he is different. He liked Reynald, not Relena. And that was the problem. James Reyes was pretty much known for being a playboy, a junior and had many lovers from different year levels. Currently, he made it his mission to have Reynald Dorian added to his long list of lovers.
Relena forced a smile and bit her lower lip. She was on her way to the gym when James caught up with her, placing a hand on her arm, gripping it, but making it seem like a gentle hold, immobilizing her. She was stuck with him at the school garden until he released her arm.
"Hey there, Rey. Can I call you Rey?" he asked, giving him a wide grin, loosening his hold on her arm. Relena inched away, putting as much distance as she can between them. "So where are you going?"
"Basketball," she replied, making her voice seem low and like a man's. "I really need to go. Bye!" she said, pulling her arm out of his loose hold and jogged away. But before he could go any further, James grabbed the hood of her sweatshirt.
"Wait a minute, Dorian. I just wanted to be friendly here, no need to be on the rush. As I've heard, the coach is leaving I've-got-a-stick-up-my-ass-but-incredibly-sexy Yuy in charge, you don't need to rush. I'm sure he'll understand it if you're a minute or two late," James said, sitting on the wooden bench next to them. He patted the space next to him and smiled.
Relena shook her head. "Uh, I don't think so. I really have to go, bye!" before James could do anything, Relena ran as fast as she could away from the spot James had dragged her into and ran toward the gym.
She had nothing against gay people but she couldn't exactly see herself being in one, in any relationship even. She had better things to do than spend her time mooning over some guy. When she got to the gym, she found Heero waiting for her in front of the door. He had a basketball tucked under his arm. Relena couldn't help but think that he looked really good like that. "Sorry I'm late," she apologized, biting her lower lip. She didn't want to blow this. She wanted Heero to teach her how to play basketball. "I got held up by... things."
"Must be pretty important," Heero commented. "Anyway, let's start," he threw the ball at him and Relena caught it with a grunt. "We'll use the other court, less people."
"What about the others?" she asked, pushing the double doors aside and found the others lounging around the gym. Some were playing cards while some were sleeping on the bleachers. "Are you aware that the people inside are not doing anything?" she asked, turning back to look at Heero in the eye. "And I have to go work my ass off trying to play basketball?"
Heero shrugged. "They need--deserve the break. Now let's go, we don't have all day, you know," he said, already walking toward the court next to the pool.
Relena's mouth fell open slightly then she closed it, walking briskly after him. That jerk! she thought as she walked after him. He thinks he's the best thing in this world. Well he isn't! And he should get that in his little athletic mind.
"You really don't know how to shoot properly?"
Relena gritted her teeth and threw the ball at him. "I think the purpose of this is to teach me to play basketball. Why would I need someone to teach me how to play if I knew how to play basketball to begin with? Of course I don't!"
Heero glared at her then shot the ball. It neatly sailed in. Heero looked at her while she glared at him. "So you're good--great in basketball. That doesn't mean every other individual's as good as you. Ugh! I give up!"
"So you're gonna walk out on me and forget about learning how to play?" Heero asked, cocking an eyebrow.
"If you're gonna be like that, treating me like some idiot just because I can't shoot or pass that damn ball, no. If we're going to spend this wonderful afternoon out baking in the sun arguing, I should just go," Relena sighed, looking away and avoiding Heero's eyes.
Heero shook his head. "Okay, fine. So I was wrong to act that way. Can we please get back on learning how to play?"
Relena looked at him closely and found that he as serious. "Well, yeah, I guess. So what do I do so the ball goes sailing neatly in, like yours did?" she asked, taking the ball from Heero and throwing it at the net, missing the small smile at Heero's lips before it disappeared.
She threw the ball forward, bending her knee as she did. The ball sailed neatly in, elating the grinning Relena as she tucked the ball under her arms. "Well, not bad for a beginner, right?" she asked, turning to face Heero and giving him a cheerful grin.
Tbc
~*~*~*~*~
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