A/N:
This is meant to be just a little snippet of why Basta acts the way he does towards women.. Poor fella just doesn't have skills with the female persuasion. Just something I thought of when I was looking through my Valentines day cards from middle school. (like 6 years ago lol) It's a one shot, And I know Basta may seem a little "Emo" in this, but bare with me..
Oh, and the *third to last paragraph was pretty much saturated in inspiration from a movie I saw once. You will recognize it if you have seen it.
Nobody likes you.
What a ridiculous bout of nonsense this was... Fawning over someone with chocolates and pretty cut out paper hearts.... Pining over the girl or boy who didn't accept your card, or refused to dance with you.... Rubbish! Basta thought. A waste of time when other enjoyable things could be taking place. His head bent and eyes down cast at his table , Basta picked at the fabric of his tunic, occasionally surveying the class room.
Everyone had dressed up proper and pretty today, everyone, except him. All the boys wore their best bright velvet tunics and breeches, and the girls were adorned in the prettiest silk and satin frocks their mothers could have sewn for them ....
Basta, was in his usual black attire, and looking quite awkward. It had not helped that all the girls laughed at him with their noses stuck in the air, and the boys flaunted their sweetheart cards around like money. Even the grumpy school master had received a sweetheart card.
From who, Basta nor any of his school mates cared to know. It would simply ruin the day.
In all honesty, Basta was jealous. Why had he not received a card from anyone?
He stiffened as a group of girls bustled by him, giggling and whispering. The sent of their perfumes made his nose tickle. He stole a glance at them as they past him, their hair billowing out behind them like their skirts. He wanted to touch the lace ribbons in their hair, and run his fingers through their silky locks. But they wouldn't even look at him, unless it was to laugh,or taunt him. Worst of all was Coraline.
She sneered at him like he was a bug smeared under her perfect shoes He watched her and her sister together at the window, giggling over the little sachets of chocolates they had found in their coat pockets. All the while the burning feeling in his throat grew sat like that for hours, just sulking in the class room.
Nobody likes you, Basta. He thought.
Nobody.
He didn't even bother to move when the school bell rang, and all his classmates flocked outside into the yard, for a game of tackle tag. He would have liked to chase those girls around and playfully tackle them to the ground. Oh yes indeed. Kiss them too! They were already running around when Basta stood from his chair to watch his classmates out the window.
School Master Quill, sharply rebuked a few boys for being to "rough", and the girls seemed to find this very amusing. After a while, the girls went off on their own chattering and comparing paper hearts with each other. Basta looked away from the window, and into his palm. He had a little sugar heart, and card that he intended to give to Coraline.
He wanted her so badly, and was ashamed at the way he was behaving. After all, the mere idea of pining over a girl was pathetic. But if only he could have one a kiss from her little lips....wipe that highfalutin smirk off of them with his own! Yes, that would be enough. Basta flipped through the stack of parchment on Master Quills Desk, He never quite got the hang of writing and reading. It was gibberish to him. But he could always recognize Coraline's writing. Wispy and long...
It had only been a few minutes when he heard light foot steps coming down the hall. He quickly looked up from the desk, red flushing to his cheeks. Coraline was sauntering into the class room, her long lavender skirt billowing out behind her.
Her shoulder length wavy strawberry blond hair was complemented with a violet, and he noticed for the first time today that she had painted small little hearts on her wrist. She must have done that with her sister outside in the garden.
She didn't even see Basta, far to preoccupied with her destination in the classroom. As Coraline made her way to the into storage closet, Basta couldn't help but feel his heart race. He shut the class room door, quietly so she would not hear.
He looked down at the little card in his hand and the delicately wrapped sugar heart. Surly she would be appreciative of it! He didn't want to give it to her when her friends were around. Girls didn't like that. So why not a perfect time like this? She rummaged around in the various boxes on the shelves completely unaware of Basta, who had made his way to the closet door frame.
Basta stepped in, biting his lip, how did he do this without scaring her? "Umm C-coraline?" He asked nervously. As expected, Coraline gasped and spun around. "Oh it's just you Basta" She scoffed, though her body language was not of repulsion, but fear. Why did girls always do that around him? Act as if he was going to steal their pockets!.
"What do you want?" She asked, her words slapping him in the face sharply. "I- wanted to give you something" He began, stepping forward to her with a bright eyes and a nervous smile. She, stepped back pressing herself against the shelves.
"Oh- please don't do that!" Basta said sadly, his shoulders falling. "I really...here!" He said softly, thrusting out his hand with the palm sized card and candy. Coraline seemed to be even more repulsed by this. She laughed and folded her arms. "I don't want that!" She giggled, inspecting her perfect nails. Basta frowned, that tight burning feeling rising in his throat again.
He moved closer, sealing a considerable amount of space between them, She could reach out and touch his cheek if she wanted. "Why?" He asked in a pained voice. "Ha, why would anyone want a sweetheart card from you Basta" She spat, looking down at his gifts with a sneer.
"Please?" Basta whispered, snatching up her hand. She gasped and closed her eyes, as if he was about harm her! . He felt her shaking , and immediately felt bad. Basta unwrapped the sugar heart carefully. He pushed himself against her, softly so not to hurt her. "Please take this" He begged, putting it to her lips... Even just that little gesture would be satisfying for him. She looked at him. "If I do, will you leave me be?" She inquired softly, trying to ignore his fingers trailing the crook of her elbow.
*Basta nodded quickly, and smiled. She hesitantly opened her mouth and he pushed the sugar heart in, allowing him self to touch her bottom lip for a moment. Keeping his promise, Basta steeped back from her, red painting his cheeks. "Is, ... it sweet?" Basta asked, bitting his nails nervously. Coraline nodded, looking away from him., red coming to her own cheeks "You... you know I could be that sweet if you let me" He whispered, barely touching her finger tips with his. He wanted to hold her hand again so badly. Just to hold her hand...
She narrowed her blue eyes at him, and promptly spat out the candy, shoving past him so roughly that he fell over. "W-what did I do wrong?" Basta asked, tears welling up in his eyes.. He hadn't done anything bad had he? He didn't hurt her, didn't even kiss her like he wanted to...
"I don't like you Basta... you vile little cockroach!" She sapped. "Nobody does!"
And quickly as that, Coraline sauntered out the door , pretty head held high in the air, leaving Basta all alone. His throat burned so furiously he could not help but to let out a sob. Tears began pouring down his cheeks. He curled up on the floor, "I hate girls! I hate girls!" Basta cried to him self, crushing the card in his hands.
Nobody likes you Basta!
Nobody!....He thought
Nobody!