I cannot take credit for this pairing. Bruteaous suggested it and it was going to be a drabble but somehow ended up as 3,200-ish words so I'm putting it seperate. Oops. Anyway, I rather enjoyed writing this so yes... read on.
Sliding Down the Rainbow
'Life is an opportunity, benefit from it. Life is beauty, admire it.
Life is bliss, taste it. Life is a dream, realize it.
Life is a challenge, meet it. Life is a duty, complete it.
Life is a game, play it. Life is a promise, fulfill it.
Life is sorrow, overcome it. Life is a song, sing it.
Life is a struggle, accept it. Life is a tragedy, confront it.
Life is an adventure, dare it. Life is luck, make it.
Life is too precious, do not destroy it. Life is life, fight for it.' - Unknown
Polly wasn't an easy person to like. It as common for those who first met her to have a certain distaste because she took a lot of pride in her accomplishments. People liked those who were humble but Polly wasn't like that. She wasn't smug as such but she stated the facts and the fact was that she was a genius. She didn't put it in such terms of course but she put it plainly and matter-of-factly and it often put people off. Yet she also points out the success of others. She takes credit for her work and similarly commends others for their accomplishments. She took a while to warm up to but once people realised those things about Polly, it was easier to understand her. Anoushka follows the tradition and at first finds Polly to be quite annoyingly proud. Anoushka is proud herself, she's proud of being Russian but she doesn't flaunt it… So Polly annoys her. Throughout the whole of her first year Polly does her head in being all smart and utterly brilliant all the time…
...
In her second year at St Trinians, and during everyone else's third, Anoushka finds herself becoming reluctantly interested by the young Geek and the kind of uniqueness about her. She is rather unlike anybody Anoushka has ever met in her life and she's met some interesting characters going from a Russian ambassador and secret poetry lover to a rather mad dentist. Both were just weird but Polly just… is. Polly is who she is and she never bothers to hide what she is. It makes her interesting and so Anoushka watches her sometimes and wonders what on earth goes on in that odd head of hers…
Half way through that year Polly strolls up to her when she's in the dining room and sits opposite her before planting a blueprint on the table in front of her. Anoushka gives her a quizzical look.
"We haven't talked much but I've heard that you're the mind behind the mechanics and the electrics of the distillery and seen as it's quite an achievement, I'd like to ask you to have a look at these…"Polly explains and Anoushka looks down at the drawing and nods.
"… Is a new security system, yes?" She prompts in slightly uncertain English. English is so much softer than Russian. Polly nods. "Why you need my help?" Anoushka questions.
"Because anybody who can design a distillery from scratch must know what they're doing and I'm certainly not an expert with electrics… This system will make us fool proof. I know you don't like me but this here is going to make this school basically impenetrable by any ground forces and I need you to help me," Polly says seriously and Anoushka merely looks down at the blueprints before resting her elbows on the table.
"This is… quite good. However, this part here…" She begins and she taps her finger over the area that is, by her reckoning, the weak spot. "The camera with your designs will have issues seeing so far around and moving fast enough that no one will be able to slip by. I estimate… five or six seconds each way. Is far too much…" She explains and Polly nods her agreement.
"What do you suggest?" She asks and Anoushka pulls the pencil out from behind her ear and thinks for a moment before she starts to draw. It is that day which makes her change her opinion of Polly. It's that day alone that makes her respect the Geek…
...
"It's brilliant," Kelly says in awe as the Head Girl, Laura, a Goth, scans over the pages spread before her with a critical eye. She's a stern Head Girl, precise and lethal. Polly stands confidently before her with Anoushka stood at her left and Kelly to her right. The Head Girl runs a black nail over each of the proposed cameras, looking for any gaps but eventually she leans back and she nods as she looks up at the trio.
"If you can put this into place. You'll be making history," She says and Polly nods to her.
"It'll be done by the end of the week," She tells her as she gathers up the plans.
"I'm sure it will."
The three of them leave the dark room and as soon as they step outside they all breathe a heavy sigh of relief.
"You know… Andrea hasn't got anything on Laura," Kelly states and Polly smirks a tad.
"Don't tell me… You, an ex-Goth, is scared of Laura?" She returns and Kelly scowls at her.
"I'm not scared of her. I was just saying!" She retorts and Anoushka chuckles at them.
"You were both terrified!" She says.
"And what makes you say that?" Polly demands.
"I'm Russian. I smell fear," She says flatly and she strolls off as their eyes widen briefly and she feels Polly glare at her back.
"You're hilarious!" The Geek calls sarcastically.
"I think so too!" Anoushka returns and she hears Polly groan in annoyance. There's nothing quite like irritating Polly to brighten her day. And so the three make history, Polly and Anoushka for their designs and Kelly for her unfathomable ability to put together a team to put it all into action…
...
In her third year at St Trinians she realises that she actually genuinely likes Polly and so whilst Kelly is off with Andrea and/or Taylor causing trouble, Anoushka sits with the Geek and they have games of chess or checkers which, oddly enough, Anoushka is quite adept at and Polly loves nothing more than a good challenge and so they play, sometimes for hours. Anoushka's third year is also the year that she decides she'll be a bartender and it falls upon Polly to be the unfortunate test subject for some of concoctions. The Geek isn't much of a drinker, she's picky and can have a sip and instantly say 'too much vodka' or 'not enough rum' and Anoushka has to take note of Polly's tastes because frankly, if she didn't, she'd serve anything. To her, any alcohol is good alcohol as long as it could put a fire in your throat. More often than not Polly will sit with her laptop, busy typing to some physicists and preparing to blow their theory to Hell, and will enjoy the companionable silence filled with just the light clinks of bottles. It is during one of these drinking sessions that something… changes. A step forward in their friendship.
Anoushka works on her latest one. She's actually put though into this one. It's a vibrant orange colour, quite spicy and best served with ice. She puts it beside Polly and the Geek looks to it, clearly intrigued and takes an analytical sip before she nods approvingly.
"I like it…" She says and it's possibly the only time she has ever liked something off the bat and Anoushka smiles slowly. The Geek has a few more sips of the concoction quite contentedly it seems…
"Good," Anoushka replies sincerely.
"What do you call it?" The Geek asks curiously and Anoushka smiles wider.
"The Polly," She returns and the Geek herself returns the smile.
"The Polly…" She repeats.
"Yes. It is fiery and ginger," Anoushka says jokingly and Polly huffs indignantly which only makes the Russian laugh.
"You ought to make one called 'The Anoushka'. It'd be sharp, irritate you and make you want to bash your head on a rock with it's awful sense of humour," Polly retorts and Anoushka sighs dramatically.
"If only alcohol were as funny as you," She says.
"Shut up and get me another Polly," Her companion replies and Anoushka chuckles at her.
"Of course," She says, her tones in amused and Polly can't hold back her smile for long…
...
At the start of her fourth year it's Polly that seeks herout because apparently she looks miserable and that is reserved for Goths only. So the Russian ends up telling about the death of her father, shot by an assassin because he was a part of United Russia like so many other people. She is bitter that it was her father who had done nothing that suffered. She doesn't even realise she's crying until Polly offers her a tissue with a sad frown. They're not emotional people, Polly and Anoushka, they don't show affection often because they feel don't need to. It's possibly why they both fail miserable at holding up a relationship for very long but it always makes it all the more important when they do. For the first time in many years the Russian breaks down in a flood of tears and Polly holds her close and lets her drench her pristine clothes in tears. After that day, Anoushka doesn't cry again. She swallows her sorrow, lifts her chin and like a true Russian she takes it head on. She'll be damned if she spends every day sat around and weeping like a child. She and Polly sit down the next day with a chess board, each sipping a Polly and they don't mention it, it's just between them and they laugh and they joke as they battle their wits on the board. Anoushka's fourth year starts off to be her worst but when Polly invites her over to her house in the holidays, it turns into one much better…
...
Polly gazes at her coolly and Anoushka looks away.
"Why?" Polly asks icily. She's got quite a frightening voice sometimes and it's not hard to tell that she's doubting if inviting Anoushka had been a good idea after all.
"Sorry…" Anoushka mutters.
"That doesn't answer my question," Polly deadpans and Anoushka fidgets uncomfortably on the cold wooden bench.
"… He said something about you that I did not like. He insults you, it feels wrong to let him get away with it," She explains and Polly gazes at her then sighs.
"Yes… and look where it got us," She points out and she gestures to the holding cell she's in with a hand and Anoushka looks around her own.
"It's not bad. I have been in worse," She says honestly.
"When have you ever… Never mind…" Polly trails off.
"It's an amusing story if you wish to hear it?" Anoushka offers with a slight smile.
"No. I don't. I want to get out of this cell and go home," The Geek retorts but the Russian ignores her and gazes out the window.
"It was three summers ago back in Russia…" She begins and Polly groans quietly and leans back into the wall. "And this man came wandering into our yard…"
That summer turns out to be the best summer Anoushka has ever had…
...
Anoushka's fifth year is her worst… by far. She realises that she's become uncomfortably reliant on Polly and the Geek is constantly busy. Their tribe leader is useless, a bad judgement on part of the last one and so Polly has to take partial control. The Head Girl is also a big of a druggie and appears to be stoned half the time and always a tad dazed so she's pretty useless as well which isn't the fault of the last Head Girl because she got introduced to weed over the holidays which is unfortunate because she'd potential. She'd also been a Goth and she still was… sort of. The kind of Goth that Zoe informs Andrea she would rather gouge her own eyes out with a spoon than be. Bianca rather liked that idea by the look on her face. So Polly spent most of her time trying to keep things organised, with Kelly's help, and so Anoushka looses who has essentially become her closest friend and spends most of her time in the distillery, silently yearning for past years. She wasn't one for many friends, she liked being alone but Polly was different. Polly was… Polly. It was odd how plainly empty her life felt without the familiar red head to tease and drink and play chess with. It's in her fifth year that she realises just how much the Geek means to her… She quits dating. It isn't worth it…
...
In her sixth year, things get better…
"Anoushka?" A familiar voice prompts and the Russian straightens and sees Poll stood looking unusually uncertain of herself and she's holding a wrapped box.
"Polly," Anoushka greets with a curious gaze on the box.
"I got you a present… To say sorry," The Geek explains and Anoushka raises an eyebrow. Polly walks forward, puts the present on the table in front of her then sits in a chair, pulling it up opposite her.
"What for?" Anoushka questions after a moment.
"I wasn't a very good friend last year," Polly says honestly.
"… You don't buy presents…" Anoushka points out. Polly doesn't. She isn't a fan of holidays. She doesn't much care for celebrating birthdays or anything...
"I figured once wouldn't hurt," She shrugs slightly. "Open it then," She prompts and Anoushka pulls off the wrapping paper and stares silently at the wooden box with is delicately decorated around black and white squares. It's a chess set. "I thought it was quite interesting. The box is the board…" Polly mumbles and Anoushka clears her throat as she opens the box. It's mahogany and ivory… It must've cost a fortune. The pieces are flawless, carved to perfection… Hard crafted certainly. "Do you like it?" Polly says with a slight frown.
"… It's… It's brilliant…" Anoushka replies simply, refusing to get choked up about it. She takes a soothing breath then looks up at the Geek. "… Would you like a game?" She asks and Polly smiles.
"I was really hoping you'd ask," She says as she leans forward and Anoushka chuckles as she takes the pieces out.
"You're the only person I'd play chess with, Polly," She tells her sincerely.
"Likewise, Anoushka," The Geek returns and as she sets up the pieces, the Russian heads off to make them each a Polly. It's like the fifth year never happened…
...
In her final year, they rescue the school but that only take up a small piece of the year. Still, that small part feels very long to Anoushka because she is intensely aware that Polly and Kelly, are in very real danger of being arrested if they get caught. It's scary. When she sees Kelly above, trapped because her two best friends to be honest aren't that bright, she is very nearly the person to go and help but then of course Miss Fritton saves the day. It's the most hectic start to the year by far and Anoushka can only spend ninety per cent of her time worrying about somebody she cares about getting tossed in a cell and not coming out in a long while. She doesn't know Andrea and Taylor as well as Kelly and Polly but they're Polly's friends and Kelly's friends and that counts for a lot to Anoushka. She has a strong sense of loyalty to friends and so quietly she worries but she trusts Polly to get things right and she knows that Kelly won't let them down, she knows Kelly won't let Annabelle down. The Head Girl is quite fond of the brunette… especially in the skirt and Anoushka doesn't mind pointing it out and making the usually icy cool Kelly Jones blush. So they save the school and yes, perhaps Anoushka overreacts when she next sees Polly but she can't be blamed. She rants, half of it in Russian, telling her never to do something like that again. Ever.
"Are you done?" Polly says when Anoushka falls silent and the Russian nods stiffly as she folds her arms and stares out the window. "Good… because maybe now you'll take note that we're all fine. It's done and dusted. Nothing can possibly go wrong…" Polly continues.
"It almost did! You were so close to losing everything and you don't care!" Anoushka protests and she groans in frustration and sits down in the chair Celia had occupied a while ago.
"Of course I care but we did it!" Polly retorts. "It's done and there's no use pondering over what might have happened…" She continues.
"I can see it, Polly and it is not pleasant," Anoushka sighs as she shakes her head and they share a look. Polly rolls her eyes a tad then thinks.
"When we get back to St Trinians… I say we have a game of chess and a drink," She says and Anoushka sighs again then nods.
"I need one… and possibly a mild sedative," She agrees and Polly smiles at her a tad in amusement…
...
"What… is this?" Anoushka questions as she gazes down at the light blue-grey liquid in her glass and Polly simply smiles.
"Try it," She prompts and fearless the Russian downs half of it. It burns her throat and straight through her chest.
"… Well…" She mutters. "What is it called?" She questions.
"I called it The Anoushka," Polly replies and Anoushka smiles. "It's sharp, irritating… yet pleasant."
"Hmm…" The Russian returns thoughtfully as she gazes into her glass. "Not as nice as a Polly though."
"I thought you weren't picky," Polly reminds her.
"I have been for some time…" Anoushka concedes and she isn't talking about the drink anymore.
"Fifth year," Polly states and Anoushka flashes a smile.
"Was it that obvious?" She questions.
"You stopped dating. I might love my technology but I'm not oblivious… especially with Kelly reminding me 24 hours a day…" Polly says and the Russian waits as the Geek thinks. "I'm not very good with relationships."
"Me neither," Anoushka nods.
"It's why I didn't say anything… I didn't want to loose my closest friend unless I was really sure that it was the right thing to do," Polly explains and she looks back up. "That wasn't fair… I'm sorry."
"It is… understandable… Why do you think I kept quiet?"
"… I think… it could work. I've certainly never invented a cocktail and named it after anybody before," Polly reasons and Anoushka smiles.
"It is a sign for sure," She says light heartedly and Polly rolls her eyes.
"You're hilarious."
"… I think so too," Anoushka quotes and then she stands.
"What are you doing? We haven't finished the game yet…" Polly protests.
"How can you expect me to play well without a Polly to go with an Anoushka?" The Russian replies and she presses a swift kiss to a pale cheek before she strolls off.
"Bartender! Don't forget my drink!" Polly calls after her and she laughs warmly. Of course not. How could she? She'd never hear the end of it if she did. It's a mistake you only make with Polly once…
Life's not always fair. Sometimes you can get a splinter even sliding down a rainbow. ~Cherralea Morgen
Well... There it is. I was pleased to find out that this wasn't as difficult as I'd thought it would be and it kind of works. I found similarities I didn't expect which was interesting. Anyway... Do review because honestly this took me forever and I am wiped now and I like reviews almost as much as I like sliding down non-splinter-y rainbows...