Maka sits in her bed with her arms and legs crossed.
"Maka, get up!" An older version of the girl yells exasperatedly.
"No. School is stupid, why do I have to go anyways?"
"You don't even give it a chance. If you did you would see it's not so bad."
"I don't want to give it a chance!"
"If you don't then you no longer live here." Her mother says.
"I bet dad won't make me go to school!" She speaks coldly and calculated.
"You wouldn't..."
"Try me."
"Maka Albarn! Just go to damn school!"
"No."
"I'll take all your books and your journals away. I'll take everything you love and won't give it back until you give this school a chance." She's desperate.
Maka growls out to her mother. "I hate you."
"I don't care. You're going to school and I swear if you get expelled again I'm sending you to one of those schools for troubled children."
"That's what you said when I started the last school." She calls a bluff.
Her mother walks silently out of the room and walks back in with a pamphlet and throws it onto Maka's bed. Maka eyes the pamphlet and gives a challenging glare to her mother.
"You're serious this time." She states.
"Yes. I'm going to make breakfast now. I hope you'll join me." She leaves the room knowing that Maka will be out soon.
Maka grumbles as she gets off the bed. She pulls on a hot red pleated skirt and zips it up. She pulls off the T-shirt she slept in and searches in her closet for a black open-backed corset before pulling it on.
"Mooooom."
She comes back to the open door.
"Do me up?"
She smiles and makes her way to Maka. She ties the laces tightly. "You have a bow undone."
Maka has two black wings tattooed onto her back and where they seem to attach into her shoulders she has three piercings on each side with black bows threaded into them.
Her mother, Kami, ties the black ribbon into a neat bow to match the others.
"Thanks."
"Hurry up. Let's eat." Kami leaves again and Maka grabs her bag before joining her in the kitchen.
Neither of them talk as Maka sits and they both eat. Kami finishes eating first and starts to wash up and when Maka finishes she goes into the bathroom to do her makeup and hair.
She teases her strait blonde hair lightly and hairsprays it. She puts on messy black eye shadow and a thick coat of liner on the top and bottom off her eyes that come out into wings. She finishes with a thick coat of mascara and some red lipstick and she leaves the bathroom with the lipstick in hand. Kami hands her a lunch and Maka goes to put both in her bag.
"Ready?" Kami eyes Maka to see if anything is missing.
"Yeah."
"Want a ride or-"
"I'll take my bike."
"Okay, I'll see you after school then and please be nice."
"I'll try."
She finds her leather jacket on the back of a chair in the living room and slides it on before going to the front door and pulling on her black and white combat boots. She shoulders her bag and grabs her keys before slipping out the door. Before she gets the door shut Kami calls out.
"Maka!"
She stops and waits for her mother to materialize in the frame. She hands Maka a piece of paper and she looks it over.
"Your new schedule."
"You put me in music?"
"Sorry. I know you hate it...even though you're good at it...but you have to have an arts course and it was the only one that wasn't full."
"Alright, bye."
"Bye, I love you."
Maka turns and walks down the steps of their front porch and to her awaiting bike in the driveway. It's a crimson 67' Triumph Tiger 650 and it shines from the fresh polish Maka gave her the day before.
She swings a leg over its body and sits on the leather seat. She kicks up the stand as she puts in the key and turns it. She kicks starts the bike and takes off out of the driveway.
The ride takes only 10 minutes and soon Maka is pulling into the parking lot and parking her bike. All eyes are on her as she parks and swings her leg back over the bike to get off. She ignores everyone and makes her way into the front doors of the school. Maka grumbles in a mocking tone. "Shibusen...best school in DC." She pulls out her schedule and looks up her home room. "666. Really?" She finds the stairs and walks up to the sixth floor. She gets plenty of stares as she makes her way through the people filled halls. She walks around until she finds her class and walks in. The teacher waves her over when she comes in and she walks over.
"Maka." Stein grins to her.
"Why am I in your class?" she snarls back at him.
"I had an empty seat and I offered to take care of you."
"Greaat." She says sarcastically.
"You'll sit beside the girl in the second row with the ponytail."
"Thanks". She doesn't smile and simply nods before going to the seat he pointed out. She walks up and takes her seat.
The girl with the ponytail turns to Maka with a bright smile.
"Hi! I'm Tsubaki."
Maka turns to the girl with a stony expression. "Maka." She pulls off her jacket and hangs it on the back of her seat.
"Where are you from?"
"Does it matter? I'm stuck in this hell hole now."
Tsubaki's smile falters slightly but doesn't break. "I guess it doesn't matter...but I like to know a little bit about each of my classmates."
"DC." She pulls out a notebook and a pen
"Oh, so you're just from a different school...which one?"
"All of them."
"What?"
"I've been to all the high schools in DC."
Her smile finally breaks and is replaced with a look of confusion.
Maka turns away from the girl and puts her feet up on the desk.
Students are starting to fill up the seats faster and a guy takes the seat beside Maka. He has messy white hair and a leather jacket similar to Maka's that he lies over the back of his own chair.
The bell rings and Stein turns in the wheeled chair he's straddling to face the class.
"Alright, we'll start where we left off yesterday and with some practice questions." He rolls to the board and writes a long equation onto it. "Can someone solve this for me?" He offers out the chalk for someone to come solve the problem but no one takes it. "Hmm...let me choose a victim then."
Maka knows what's coming before Stein even looks her way.
"Maka."
"I don't know how to do it." She responds dryly.
"One: you're lying so come solve this. Two: keep your feet off the tables."
She glares at him in challenge but he glares right back, unfazed.
"You only have a few straws left so you might as well get it together now."
"Fuck it. Answer's 127.8" She relents.
"I don't want the answer. I want the solution."
She growls out at him but slides her feet off the desk and makes her way up to the front. She harshly writes 127.8=x on the board and turns to Stein with her arms crossed over her chest.
"Very funny. Write it all out."
"Why?"
"You're father's been dying to see you and he's just a phone call away." He teases with a smirk.
"Screw you." She almost whimpers.
Stein just grins as Maka turns to the board in defeat. She wipes away the answer and rewrites the entire solution.
"Satisfied?"
"Not yet. I want to see where your other classes were. You can just write the answers to the next ones."
He writes out six problems from different lessons and it takes her no time at all to answer the first five. She turns back to Stein without answering the last.
"You can't answer the last question. If you solve it you'll get negative 17.1 but it's wrong because of that root." She points to the sign before taking the chalk and writing in a +\- before it and putting the final answer as x=17.1. "But this works."
"Excellent. Take your seat...and next time I'd like to hear more appropriate language from you. I shouldn't be as surprised but you're still a young lady."
She doesn't respond and walks back up and takes her seat.
The guy beside her chides under his breath. "Bookworm."
"And who the hell do you think you are?" She slams her hands on the desk.
"The name's Soul Eater."
"Well, I don't give a damn what you think, Soul." She growls out. She turns her back to him and starts to write what Stein is putting up on the board. She keeps a calm exterior as she writes but she's pissed. This day has been rough from the very beginning.
A grin slides onto Soul's face as he looks over the new girl. He eyes over her long and bare legs, the skin showing between the bottom of her shirt and the top of her skirt and the tattoo and piercings covering the bare skin of her back.
Maka doesn't even look his direction when she speaks. "Like what you see?"
"Girls shouldn't go around dressed like that. Guys might get the wrong idea."
"And what do you think?" She glances up at him.
"I'm smarter than most guys when it comes to slutty women. You're a virgin."
Maka turns to smirk at Soul. "No I'm not, but you just as good as told me that you are." She points to him and pushes her finger to his chest; the crimson red nail poking through his orange Tshirt uncomfortably.
Stein looks up at the two and shakes his head.
"Maka, Soul, knock it off, I'm in the middle of a lesson."
She turns from Soul and looks to the professor. "I wasn't doing anything wrong."
"You're not fooling me. Do I need to split you two up or can you keep your tempers?" He taps his foot impatiently.
"I'm fine." She breathes out heavily.
"Good." He continues the lesson but keeps an eye on Soul and Maka the rest of the class.
Near the end of the period a red haired man comes into the class.
Soul sees Maka's posture stiffen before she slouches down into her seat.
"I thought you might show up, Spirit."
"Of course I would!." He nearly shouts with excitement.
The bell rings and students start to pack up their books. Maka throws everything into her bag and bolts from the room amongst the other students. She manages to make it out and hurries her way down the hall a bit before she pulls out to check her next class.
"Music...damn...424b."
She goes to the stairs, heads down and easily finds her class. She pulls open a heavy soundproof door and enters another hall. A couple others walk through the hall with her and they go through another soundproof door into a large room made up of boxed coral risers.
Maka takes a seat on a riser near the back and someone comes to stand in front of her.
"Hi, you must be Maka, I've heard lots about you. I'm Marie, your music teacher." She offers her hand but Maka doesn't take it. She pouts a bit but doesn't push it.
"Stein's wife." Maka States flatly.
"Yes, and I'd like to know if you're familiar with any instruments."
"Anything with a string."
"Wonderful. We're short a cellist, is that okay?"
"Yeah. Fine."
Marie hands Maka a folder filled with sheet music. "This is for you and you can use cello three. They're along that wall," she points to a wall of large shelves, "as I'm sure you've already figured out and everything is labelled so it should be easy to find."
"Cool."
Maka notices Soul and she watches him come in and greet people coolly. When he notices her he walks up to her.
"Music? A bookworm like you likes music?" He has a mocking tone in his voice.
"No. I hate it." She tries to keep her temper down.
"Good. It's one less thing we have in common."
"Like that you're a virgin? That the other one?" A sly grin decorates her lips.
"You're wrong about that."
"I don't believe you and lying won't help you."
"You're a real bitch, you know that?"
"Not used to anyone telling you off, are you? You think you're so cool and you're not used to anyone telling you otherwise."
"So, what does that make you?"
"You got it right the first time. I'm a bitch."
Maka pushes Soul as she passes him then goes to pull out her cello. She sets it up beside another cellist and sets her music folder on a stand. She looks around and finds Soul sitting at the piano. He looks up and meets her eyes and they both glare at each other before turning away.
Everyone's set up by the time the bell rings and Marie goes right to work. "Alright, we'll do warm up number 3."
Maka flips through her sheets until she finds the exercise and pulls it out. The rest of the class does the same. Maka cocks her bow and waits for Marie to count them in. Maka draws the bow a little shakily when they start but her movements are sure by the end of the three warm-ups they do.
"Alright. Onto O Nata Lux."
Maka finds the sheets and look them over. The song looks fairly difficult and Maka gets an unwanted rise out of it. She cocks her bow and Marie counts everyone in.
At the end of class Marie calls Maka over while everyone leaves for lunch. "Maka, can you stay back a minute? And Soul, too, please?"
"What do you want?" Maka is impassive and Soul walks up with much the same expression.
"I want to hear you play by yourself. I couldn't really hear you with the other two cellists so I want to hear you now. And Soul is top in the class so I want him to stay back in case I need to assign him to help you out. You're a little behind after all."
"I'd rather not. I don't need any help." She crosses her arms over her chest with the bow still in hand.
"Spirit said you'd give me trouble." Marie sighs.
"Bastard." She growls out.
"He said you'd do that too."
"Why does everyone keep using him against me?!" Her hand tightens around the bow.
"Because you're stubborn and if we can keep you in check then you won't get expelled again."
"Expelled?!" Soul's impassive expression falters.
"Oh shoot. Soul, you shouldn't have heard that!" Marie blushes furiously.
"Why do you think I'm stuck in the hell hole? It's because the rest of the hell holes wouldn't take me."
"Maka, Shibusen is a wonderful school." Marie chirps in.
"This jackass has been busting my balls all day because he's upset that I have some and he doesn't and my stupid perverted, cheating, scumbag father works here. How the hell is it wonderful?!"
Marie looks between Soul and Maka before laughing. "I see it now. You two are really similar...no wonder you don't get along."
"Yes. All I want to do is punch his stupid face in...and we are nothing alike!"
"If you weren't a girl I'd already have done it myself!"
Maka steps towards Soul and they stand chest to chest with matching glares.
"Come on Soul, afraid to hit a girl? You're not much of a man yourself."
"You're not even worth it, tiny tits."
"Fight me, Evans."
"Come at me-"
"Albarn." Maka fills in for him
Soul pauses for a moment before his realization. "Oh shit. I get it now. The Vice Principal is your dad!"
"He impregnated my mother. He is not my father."
"Maka, don't say that. Your father loves you, give him a chance." Marie is starting to get desperate and doesn't know how to step between the two fighting teens.
"If you leave, Marie, no one will know we're fighting."
"I can't do that, Maka, I have to stop you. Come sit and play for me."
Maka and Soul stand and glare for a minute before Maka relents and goes to Marie. "You're not even worth it, bastard." She takes the cello she was using and sits her seat.
"What do you want me to play?"
"Anything you want. Play your best song."
"Okay." She thinks for a bit before deciding on her favourite song at the moment.
She plays a scale and listens to the notes to get a feel for what she should play for the song. She hums the first line of 'This is Gospel' before loosening her grip on the bow and starting to play. She plays intricately and beautifully both drawing notes with the bow and plucking others. Maka falls into her old rhythm and doesn't notice Soul take a seat at the piano. He jumps in playing in the second chorus and their notes dance together in a dark harmony.
Maka and Soul draw out the last note together and look to each other.
Something softens in them before they build up their walls against each other again.
"What the hell?! I was playing and you just cut in like the douche you are!"
"I felt like playing." He shrugs nonchalantly.
"Well, I feel like sacking you right now! Doesn't mean I'm going to...no matter how bloody tempting it is. The perfect squeal a guy makes when you send them down is just priceless!"
"You're sick." Soul grimaces.
"Never grabbed a girl's ass before, virgin boy? That's sick. You walk by a guy in a bar and they think they have the right to feel you up!"
"How old are you?"
"18, dipshit...we're in the same grade."
"What are you doing talking about bars? How would you even get in?"
"My womanly charms." She drawls out.
"You have as much charm as a sack of potatoes!"
"Fuck you, Soul!" Maka stands from her seat and puts the cello in its case with the bow.
"Gladly."
"God, you're such a pervert!" She clenches her fists and walks towards him.
"You're the one dressed like a common prostitute!" He comes to meet her halfway.
"And you damn well like it! Can't keep your eyes off my chest, despite how tiny you say it is!"
Their faces are just inches apart as they continue to yell at each other.
"If a girl shows a guy her junk it's not his fault!"
"Fuck you!"
"Your place or mine?!"
"Holy shit! Can you stop?!"
The door to the class flies open and Maka and Soul both turn towards it. Stein and Spirit come in together and Marie relaxes a bit.
"Got your text, honey."
"Thank you, Franken."
Spirit looks at Maka and a weak smile comes to his lips.
"Hi, Maka."
"Spirit." She growls out and for the moment she forgets about Soul.
"Take a step away from him."
She looks back to Soul and glares but she does step back.
"Maka, you need to stop causing fights...everyone knows what happens next. Your mother told me about-"
"I know. I know what happens next. Everyone has the need to bring it up over and over. But Spirit, this asshole keeps coming to me, I didn't start this one."
"Mr. Evans, you haven't been known to fight..."
"I think that sometimes two people just don't get along." He glares over at his blonde counterpart.
"Very well. I don't exactly know what to do with you two...well, let me see your schedules."
"I don't have one."
"Then tell me your classes."
Maka gives Spirit her schedule and Soul says his out. "Home room/Math with Stein, Music with Marie, Bio with Stein, Gym with Nygus."
"Well, we might have a small problem...you have all four classes together. I guess we'll have to tell all the teachers to keep an eye on you two."
"No way in hell am I spending all day with him!" Maka protests loudly to Spirit.
"I'm afraid you'll have to suck it up until next semester."
Maka turns to glare at Soul before shouldering her bag, swinging her jacket over her other shoulder and storming out of the room.
"I'm sorry, Soul, she's a bit of a handful."
"I've never seen a girl like that...she's so angry at everything."
Spirit's face turns sad and he suddenly looks old. "She wasn't always. Too many kids picked on her, her mom and I divorced when she was 12, and this is what my sweet girl turned into...I shouldn't be telling you all this but I feel like I need to excuse her behaviour."
"Picked on for what?"
"She's brilliant. She loves to read and things come easy to her. People didn't like it so they called her names and pushed her around. They thought she was weird because she's smart and understands more than most people. ...And Stein told me what happened this morning."
"Oh..."
"So, what did you call her?"
Soul sighs out. "A bookworm."
"She hates that one the most."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. She is what she is."
"I'm still sorry."
"She'll always hate you anyways. She hasn't spoken to me in six years."
Soul doesn't say anything but looks around to the three teachers.
"You should go to lunch, Soul."
"A- Alright."
Soul takes his bag and leaves as Spirit sits in a chair and covers his face with his hands. "What am I going to do?"
"It's alright, Spirit, she'll figure things out." Stein reassures his friend.
"She's about to get herself expelled from her eighth school in three years." He takes his hands from his face and looks up to Stein.
"Fleetwood'll fix her if she doesn't get her act together."
"I don't want her to go there if I can help it. I know she's still in there somewhere and if she goes to Fleetwood then I think they'll just get rid of all of her."
"I think you're right but, Spirit, she can't go on like this and Kami can't either."
"I know." He sighs and stands up again. "I just don't know what to do."
"We'll think of something."
"I hope so."
The bell rings and Spirit and Stein leave.
Maka enters her next class and immediately surveys it for Soul. She doesn't see him and she goes to sit in Stein's desk until he shows up. He comes into class and grins at Maka.
"So, are you my test subject for today?"
"No. Where do I sit?"
"Same place as this morning."
"Does that mean-"
"You'll sit beside Soul."
"Please don't make me sit there." She pleads.
"It's fine. His best friend is in this class so you'll have no issues with him; he'll be distracted."
"Fine." She gets up out of his chair and goes to the seat. She puts her feet up on the desk but soon removes them after a glare from Stein.
She hangs her jacket off her chair and takes out a notebook and pen.
Soul comes into the room with a blue haired guy and Tsubaki, two blondes and another guy with black hair. They chat wildly as they all go to their seats.
Soul sits beside Maka with the blue haired guy then the black haired guy on his other side and Tsubaki sits on Maka's other side with the two blondes beside her.
The blue haired guy talks and laughs loudly and it takes him a while to notice Maka but he eventually does. He pushes Soul back in his chair and looks to her.
"Hey, baby, you the new girl?"
Maka turns to him coldly. "You're disgusting."
"I heard you and Soul got into a little fight this morning. He piss you off?"
"Black Star, stop it." Tsubaki cuts in from behind Maka.
"Just introducing myself to her." He looks from Tsubaki and back to Maka. "Hey, I'm Black Star."
"You're an ass." She growls back.
"And you're feisty...and hot...how would you like to f-"
"Black Star!" Tsubaki yells at him.
Maka clenches her hands into fists and takes a couple deep breaths.
"Just shut up." Maka says through clenched teeth.
"Black Star, please stop." Soul says out.
Maka's eyes widen and she looks to Soul.
"What the hell?!" She looks at him in disbelief.
"What?" He shrugs.
"What are you doing?"
"Nothing. He's an idiot, that's all."
Maka shakes her head and turns to the front of the class confused and furious.
Class goes by slowly for Maka. She copies down the notes though she already knows all of the information she's given and she's still seething by the end of it.
She packs up her things and leaves the class but someone grabs her wrist when she tries to make her way down the hall. Black Star pulls her to the side of the hall and pushes her up against the wall with a firm hand on her hip and the other on the wall beside her head.
"My offer's still open. If you want to have a good time just ask, I'd totally love to take you for a ride. I'll fuck you so hard you'll be bed bound for a week." He says lowly and hotly in her ears.
He slides his hand from her hip down to her ass and gives it a generous squeeze.
"You really are disgusting." Her knee comes up and she hits him hard.
Black Star makes Maka's favourite noise and goes down just as Soul walks up to them.
"Shit. What the hell, Maka?"
"Did I make myself clear enough, Black Star?"
He wheezes out his answer. "Yeah, loud and clear. Holy shit." He sits up while still holding covering his family jewels.
Soul's angry glare to Maka softens a bit before he turns it onto Black Star.
"What did you do?"
"He grabbed my ass!" Maka answers for him.
Soul stands for a minute before he bursts out laughing. "Bahaha! You're such- an idiot! Haha, and Maka- we totally- had this conversation- this morning!"
Maka's shocked at first. She realizes she hasn't seen Soul smile yet and it makes him more handsome now than she already thought he was. It also makes him look sweet.
"Okay, you asked for it, Black Star. I have no sympathy for you."
"Fine. Whatever you think. But help me up."
Soul takes his hand and pulls him up. He looks back to Maka and everything halts, even his breath.
Her cheeks are flushed and she's looking down slightly. Her lips are what Soul can't look away from; they are just barely in a smile and parted slightly and if Soul weren't with her all day to get used to her permanent scowl then he wouldn't have noticed it.
She looks up to meet his eyes and the smile disappears. She looks at him coldly and he looks away.
Maka walks off quickly down the hall and to the washroom. She locks herself in a stall and breaths deeply until she clams her racing heart.
Once she feels better she makes her way to the first floor and to the gym. She goes to an office door inside and knocks.
"Come in!"
She opens the door and walks in to find a fit Egyptian woman sitting at a desk. She looks up to Maka and she breaks into a smile.
"Maka!"
"Hey, Nygus."
"You've grown so much!" She jumps up and gives Maka a long hug.
"I guess it's been a few years."
"Six."
"Yeah..."
"Now, you need a gym uniform." She looks Maka over quickly. "Definitely a small." She gets up and opens a cupboard to pull out a white Tshirt and red bottoms. "Here, now go change."
"Thanks, Nygus."
"No problem." Nygus smiles to Maka and she nods back before going to the girl's locker room.
Maka recognizes many of the girls now from her other classes including Tsubaki and the two blondes that were with her in bio; she later found out their names were Liz and Patti. She changes quickly and goes to the gym where Nygus is waiting with other students and Black Star is talking animatedly to Soul and the black haired kid whowas also in her bio class.
She keeps her distance from the trio and stands off to the side by herself.
The bells rings and Nygus starts to talk.
"Alright, we're doing laps and sprints for the first half of class because the newbie needs to record a time. We'll continue with soccer afterwards."
The class follows her outside and to the track.
"Maka, you start first and run two laps. Pace yourself though, this track is larger than normal."
"Okay." Maka goes and stands at the start line and waits for Nygus' signal. She takes off at full speed and most of the students just laugh; knowing from experience that if you run full speed you'll never make it to the end.
Maka runs the entire first lap and doesn't show any signs of slowing. Nygus tells everyone else to start running once Maka's finished the lap and they all start to jog behind her in an easy warm-up.
Maka finishes her second lap at the speed she started and everyone is amazed.
"Maka, how did you do that?" Nygus demands.
"I run a lot." Maka says with a shrug.
"You just beat the records for girls and guys!"
She just shrugs again.
"Umm...are you ready to do a sprint now?"
"Yeah, fine."
"Okay...Maka, Liz, Patti, Kim, Jackie, Tsubaki, Clair, and Josy go line up."
The eight girls go to the start for the 100m and line up.
"Ready!" Nygus pulls a start gun out and pulls the trigger from the finish line. She starts her timer and the girls take off.
Maka quickly takes the lead and finishes way ahead of the others.
"Great, Maka, you beat the girls' scores. You beat most of the guys too."
"How many am I slower than?"
"Three."
Maka looks over to Soul and sees a huge grin on his face.
"Alright." She plays it off coolly.
Nygus gets everyone else to sprint except Black Star, Soul, and their black haired friend.
"Alright, I want to see Black Star, Kid, Soul and Maka race.
"I don't race. So not cool." Maka says dully.
Black Star and Kid look to Soul with wide eyes while Soul looks to Maka with furrowed brows.
"Dude, bitch took your line."
"Not cool."
Black Star laughs loudly at Soul and Soul elbows him to shut him up.
"Just go, Maka, or I'll have to-"
"Fuck, not you too! Nygus!"
"Fine. I won't but you owe me for six years of not coming to see me."
"Damn you." Maka growls out and crosses her arms over her chest before walking to the start line.
Soul, Kid and Black Star line up with her.
"I think I'll just let you win, Maka, I'll enjoy the view."
"I think your cock's telling you otherwise."
"It still wants you...despite that setback."
"What do I have to do to get you to stop?"
"Fuck me."
"Not happening. Trust me, you're not my type."
"And what's your type? "
"Not egotistical douche bags with small dicks."
Black Star's face turns red and Soul and Kid laugh at him.
"So, I was right. If I'm in a relationship for sex you damn well better be able to satisfy me."
Black Star is mortified and Soul and Kid can't stop laughing. Maka takes off as Nygus sounds the gun. She gets a head start on the guys and it's enough for her to win.
Nygus just looks disbelievingly at Maka as the guys cross the finish.
"What the hell?!"
"You asked for it, Black Star."
"You made me lose! I don't lose!"
Maka walks to Black Star and whispers low in his ear. "You lose in more than one department, Black Star."
His face turns red again and Maka takes a step back with a smirk on her face.
"I give." Black Star sighs and looks down. "You're cruel."
"I'm over it."
Nygus throws a ball out between Maka and Black Star. "Soccer time. Maka and Black Star are the captains."
Maka looks over to Nygus. "No way, you know-"
"You're still captain." A knowing grin mars her lips.
"I don't know who's any good." She protests coolly.
"That's what makes this fun. Make the teams even for guys and girls."
"I pick Tsubaki." Black Star starts.
"Maka, pick a guy."
"Kid."
"Ragnarok."
"Ox"
"Harvar."
"Kilik."
"Jason."
"Fire."
"Hiro."
"...Soul."
"I pick Patti."
"Liz"
"Jackie."
"Kim."
"Clair."
"Crona."
"Josy."
"Thunder."
"Alright, teams are ready, let's go."
"Maka, you start, I'm going to kick your ass anyways."
"Eat it Black Star."
Maka slowly takes the ball to the face off and when Nygus blows her whistle she kicks it to the closest person on her team.
Black Star and Soul stay on each other the whole game and push and trip each other whenever the other gets the ball.
"So, Soul. Think Maka's hot?"
"You clearly do." Soul taunts back.
"But we're not talking about me right now."
They're running down the field together now.
"Yeah, sure, she's hot. What about it?"
"I say we have a bet."
"Huh?"
"First one to bang her wins and gets to pick the other's punishment."
"Black Star-"
"I know you want her, virgin boy."
"Shh. Don't just say that out loud like that!"
"Girls line up for you, how have you not fucked them all?"
"Black Star, shut up."
"What's your deal, man? You are a man, right?"
"Fine. Bet's on." Soul growls before running off.
Maka gets the ball again and Black Star is close enough to go after her. Before she can pass the ball away he takes it from her and knocks her down in the process. She falls back hard and hits her tailbone before coming down on her head.
Nygus blows her whistle and everyone stops. Nygus runs over to Maka as she tries to get up. She winces as her tailbone grinds uncomfortably and she sits awkwardly to keep the pressure off it.
Black Star gets to Maka the same time Nygus does.
"Shit. I'm sorry, that was my fault. Are you okay?"
"Yeah." She looks up at him a bit glossy eyed. "Thanks."
Nygus kneels down in front of her. "How's your head?"
"It's okay...my ass hurts more than anything."
"Okay, that's good. I thought you hit it pretty hard. Now...can you stand?"
"Yeah, of course."
"Black Star, take an arm."
He takes Maka's left hand in his and slips his other arm under her elbow. Nygus takes her other arm and they lift her up together. She winces again as her legs straighten out and again when Nygus and Black Star let her go.
"Black Star, can you help her to the dispensary?"
"Yeah."
He slips his arm around Maka's waist and she tenses up.
"Don't worry, I won't do anything stupid...not when you're hurt."
She relents and puts her arm around his shoulder. Black Star leads her off but looks back to wink at Soul who widens his eyes in disbelief.
"What was that all about?" Kid comes up to Soul and asks.
"New bet. First one to have sex with Maka gets to pick punishment."
"That's a new low, even for him. How'd he get you to agree?"
Soul doesn't answer but lowers his head in shame.
"I see. So, what are you going to do now?"
"I have no idea." Soul sighs and shakes his head.
"Are you going to try and win?"
"She already hates me...there's no point."
"She hates Black Star too and I have a feeling you really don't want him to win whether you do or not."
"What's that supposed to mean?!"
"Nothing." Kid smiles and runs off down the field where the game has resumed.
"I'm really sorry. I get competitive and I didn't mean to hit you so hard."
"I'll be fine, I'm just sore."
"You can barely walk! It's not fine!"
"I've had worse."
"Really?"
"You probably already know I was expelled before, and more than once."
"Yeah. People have been talking about you all day."
"They're all from an accumulation of things I'd done. Fighting, swearing at teachers, skipping too many classes, got arrested for a couple of bar fights and it didn't take them long to realize I was underage... Anyways, the school fights and bar fights are where I got hurt. So, this is nothing. Really."
They get to the dispensary and go in. Maka sits in a seat, wincing again, and Black Star sits beside her.
"You don't need to stay."
"I want to."
"Why?"
"Because this was my fault."
"I'm over it."
"I'm not."
"Why are you being nice all of a sudden?"
"Hormones got the best of me earlier. I was serious about you being fucking hot."
Maka just barely flushes and her mouth opens a little in surprise.
"Sorry-"
"Stop saying sorry...that was actually kind of nice...in a way."
A blonde woman walks in wearing a lab coat.
"Hello, who might you be?"
"Maka Albarn."
"Oh, you're Spirit's daughter. What are you doing here then?"
"I got hurt playing soccer and Nygus sent me here."
"Well, I'm Medusa, the school nurse."
She takes Maka behind a curtain and Black Star waits on the other side. She takes an X-ray and finds a couple fractures to Maka's tailbone.
"It's going to hurt a lot tomorrow but I can't really do anything for it. Take some ibuprofen and ice it 20 minutes on, 20 off."
"Alright."
"You can leave then."
The bell has already rung and Maka walks out from behind the curtain to find Black Star softly snoring in the same chair he sat in when they got there. She debates whether to leave him there or not and she eventually decides and nudges his shoulder.
"Black Star."
"Huh?" He sits up and looks around groggily.
"You fell asleep."
"Oh…are you done then?"
"Yeah."
"What's the verdict?"
Medusa answers him. "Two tailbone fractures and a bruised head."
His eyes widen. He did it on purpose… "Shit. Holy shit, Maka I'm-"
"Stop saying sorry. That's pissing me off more than the fact that you did this."
"Oh…"
"Now, do you want a ride home?"
"Really?!"
"Yeah, you stayed and waited…it's the least I can do."
"Uhh, yeah, Soul was supposed to take me to his house but I don't think he'd wait this long."
"Okay, let's go then."
They both go back to the locker rooms to change and get their stuff then meet in the hall outside. They make their way to Nygus' office.
"I'm surprised you didn't come in when I was all alone."
"I'm not that kind of man."
"You don't remember what you did to get yourself sacked earlier?"
"Sorry about that."
Maka stops walking and turns to look at him. She furrows her brows then shakes her head and continues walking. They check in with Nygus then Maka leads Black Star to the parking lot outside.
Most of the cars have already left from the student parking lot and Maka's bike stands out along with Soul leaning against another.
"Hey man, thought you'd leave without me."
"Naw, you're supposed to come over."
Black Star turns to Maka. "Thanks for the offer anyways, Maka."
"No problem."
"Hey, Soul, mind if she comes too?"
"That'd be cool, what'd'ya say, Maka?"
"I'll pass. I've had enough of you two today."
"Ouch. Mean, Maka."
"No offence. I just don't like people."
She walks up to Soul and looks over his shoulder.
"However I like bikes and I like her."
"Yeah, an Ultra-"
"classic electric glide. Custom paint job and rear body."
"Yeah…you really know your stuff."
"Of course." She takes a walk around the bike to admire it before giving a small salute and walking towards her own.
"Triumph Tiger. 60s. 650?"
"67' and yes."
"Custom paint. She's been cleaned up nicely."
"Did it all myself."
"I'm impressed."
"Don't be." She's careful when getting onto the bike though the vibrations when she starts it hurt her tail quite a bit. She takes off out of the parking lot and towards her home.
"She's still a bitch but at least she's stopped yelling." Black Star claps Soul on the shoulder.
"Yeah."
"I'm going to lose this bet aren't I, Soul?"
"Huh?" He looks up to his friend.
"I'm going to have to forfeit."
"Why would you do that?"
"Because she's her and you're you."
"So, what?"
"Never mind…"
"Tell me."
"You're gonna fall for her."
"Very funny. I don't think anyone ever could."
"Dude, she's a hotter, meaner version of you."
Soul glares at Black Star.
"Not saying that you're not hot but she's hotter…wow, that came out so wrong."
"We are nothing alike."
"Whatever you say, bro."
"Let's get going."
"Just because you're ignoring me, doesn't mean you can ignore the facts."
"Just shut up and get on the bike, Star."
"Fine, but I'll back off if you tell me to."
Soul gets on the bike and Black Star gets on behind him before they take off out of the lot.
Maka painfully walks up the steps to her house and into the front hall.
"Maka!" Kami comes around the corner from the kitchen and into the hall. "Oh my, what happened?! Did you get into another fight?!"
"No, but my ass hurts like hell. Someone hit me during soccer and I apparently fractured my tailbone…twice."
"Did you hit them back?!"
"No."
"Oh, thank god!" She stands for a minute and assesses Maka as she walks towards her awkwardly. She suddenly starts laughing. "Oh, soccer! You were-"
"Yeah, but I managed to stay out of the way."
"So, no one's figured out how bloody terrible you are at it?"
"Except Nygus who just happens to be my gym teacher." Maka walks by her and towards the living room.
"Oh no…" Kami follows closely behind Maka.
"She hasn't said anything yet but she did make me a team captain today." She takes a seat on the couch and winces as she does so.
Kami laughs lightly, "She would!"
"My teachers are Stein, his wife…Stein again, and Nygus."
"You're not going to get away with anything here."
"Is that a challenge?"
"You're going to boarding school if you get expelled…so do you want to make it a challenge?"
"Oh! Another thing! They all freaking know about that and they keep using it against me too!"
"I'm good at this aren't I?"
"You planned all this?!"
"Of course."
"Oh my god!"
"So, make any new friends?"
"Fuck you!"
"Hmm, that's too bad. Try again tomorrow. And maybe stop swearing at your teachers."
"Are you guys all freaking connected or something?! How do you know all this already?!"
"A mother knows."
"God!"
"So, tell me about Soul."
"Shit." She looks down furiously.
"Ooooo!"
"No. Don't ooo me. He sucks. He's the worst!"
"Talk to me!"
"First word out of his mouth was 'bookworm!' He's cocky and arrogant and he won't leave me alone. He just- god, I hate him. Stupid, prick, bastard!"
"What else?"
"He acts like he's better than everyone else and he called me a prostitute!"
"Well…"
"Mom!"
"You're clothes are a little slutty."
"How come you've never said anything before?!"
"I've never had the issue of you letting anyone close enough to poke with a ten foot pole!"
"And it's still not an issue!"
"I don't know…apparently this boy makes you madder than anyone else ever has. You usually just punch someone out and leave it at that…but here you are, having not have punched him out and being furious about him."
"I can't punch him out because you're trying to send me to that stupid school!"
"Marie says you guys are pretty heated towards each other."
"No. No more about him. He sucks." She crosses her arms over her chest and pouts.
"Fine. What do you think of Black Star?"
"He's a pervert. And a dick."
"See? You're not even close to being as worked up over him as you are about Soul!"
"Stop! No more!"
"Alright. Just Black Star. No more about Soul."
"Why are you asking me all this when you already know it all?"
"I want to hear you say it. The way you say it tells me how you feel about what happened."
"I'm done. I'm going upstairs. See you." She stands slowly from her seat and moves towards the doorway.
"One more thing. What's it like to see Black Star after all these years?"
"Huh?"
"You don't remember him?"
"What?!"
"Remember that little blue-haired kid you used to be friends with in kindergarten?"
"No way. That can't be him!"
"It is."
Maka covers her face with her hands. "My life sucks. Maybe I should just get myself expelled and take my chances at the boarding school."
"Then it's a challenge."
Maka leaves without another word and goes up to her room. She throws her bag down and slams her door. She jumps onto her bed face down but cries out and curls up into a ball. Furious tears start to stream down her cheeks and she covers her face with a pillow. She bites into the fabric and lets out a long, muffled scream.