Sarah: Just an idea I had and wanted to write. It's two of my characters, Raia and Isald, from Lost Hope. Islad has yet to appear, but Raia is my main gal. I adore them as a couple but I'm not sure if I want it to be official or not. I don't know. You guys tell me what you think.
Disclaimer: I don't own Bionicle, Lego holds the rights. "Seventeen Ain't so Sweet" is owned by the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus. It's not one of their most well known songs, but it's amazing! You should listen to it. Yes, I'm using subliminal messaging of sorts. Listen to it! Listen to it now, damnit!
Don't Worry You'll Show Them
Her glare wasn't just a startling blue, it was a burning, fiery blue that one should fear. But, I wasn't afraid. Least not of her.
She was very pretty and very, very petite. She stood proudly at four feet ten inches as a high school sophomore. Her red hair fell in messy layers around her shoulders. Her silver nose piercing glinted in the light.
"Well?" she asked me, her small nose pointed up at my six feet two inches. "What's your answer, Isald? Will you or won't you?"
How could I answer her? I couldn't.
So, instead I smiled and ruffled her hair.
"See you after class, Raia!" I called back to her as I walked down the hall, grinning to myself.
"Isald!" her shriek cried. Several students and teachers turned to look at the sudden scene she had created.
I knew she would blush and sprint to catch up to me. And she did.
"That's not fair! You have to answer me!"
"And, pray, tell me why I just have to answer the shortest student in the school?"
"Because!"
"'Because' is not an answer, Little Raia."
"Because!" she shrieked again.
I pushed her over to lockers mounted into the wall and trapped her. I often used this little trick when I wanted to overpower her (moments like right now).
I chuckled darkly hearing her gulp.
"We'll see, Little Raia. We'll see."
I moved away from her, releasing her from the strange prowess I held over her, and walked to class. What I had over her wasn't as strong as what she held over me. Her scent (lilac shampoo?) still filled my nostrils. Her scared blue eyes had looked up at me so innocently, so powerfully. I don't think she even knew how crazy she made me.
I turned over the songs we could do. "Trust in Love"? No. "Forgotten"? No. "Cherubim"? We were still trying to figure how to end the goddamned thing. No, none of our songs would do.
Through the day, I spotted her looking forlorn in the crowd of students, sighing and sometimes blushing, as she made her way from class to class.
I smiled, watching her small shape disappear amongst a sea of peers as she headed to her last and final class.
"So are you going to or not?" Stearlor asked, walking past me to get to our Trigonometry course we both had really not wanted to take.
"If I can get the guys to back me up." I grinned.
"What song are you going to do?"
"Don't know yet."
"She likes the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus."
"Why are you helping me?" I asked, taking my seat next to his. "I though you hated me!"
"I don't hate you," he answered, "I just don't like you."
"Same difference."
"Alright class," our teacher announced, "let's begin today's lesson!"
Twenty minutes until the end of class, a note was flicked onto my desk. Not from Stearlor (on my right). The note had come from my left. The person on my left was the very reason that Stearlor and myself hadn't wanted to take Trig. That person was Stearlor and Raia's genius freshman brother, Asor.
"Read it." the freshman mouthed, smiling.
Seventeen Ain't so Sweet.
"She loves it." he mouthed again, the same silly grin still on his face.
"Isald, is there something we should know?" the teacher asked, looking down at me (sort of) with that beak that she calls a nose.
"Uh, no, Asor was just helping me understand how the Pythagorean Theorem applies to quadrangles." I said, trying to hide the fact I had no idea what the lesson was about.
She simply raised a brow and continued.
"How did you know we were learning about that?" Asor asked.
"Honestly, I had no idea. I was just trying to sound smart."
"It seems to have worked."
"Is Morphine Addiction really going to be playing at the talent show?" the girl in front of me asked.
"Uh, yeah. Why?" I blinked. Wow, things traveled fast in this school. Or maybe, she had just heard me and Stearlor talking about it.
I hadn't realized, but the girl had been gushing about Morphine Addiction, the band I was in.
"...are freaking awesome. I have seen every show you guys are done! My favorite song is 'Trust in Love'. It's so soft and easy to dance to. I'm glad..."
One minute of school left. No wonder the teacher was just letting her babble on.
When the bell finally rung, I practically ran out of the room and to Raia's locker. I more so wanted to get away from the bothersome girl than see Raia.
The petite girl was waiting for me, books she needed for homework in her arms.
"Did you know," she asked, pushing off her locker, "that most toilets sound in the key of E flat?"
"Really?" I asked, incredulously, walking in time with her (something I often did). "I did not know that. Now, I can die happy knowing toilets sound in the key of E flat!"
"Amazing, fact isn't it?"
"Most amazing. I say, it's the bee's knees!"
"It's tops!"
"Cat's whiskers!"
"Better than butter on bread."
"Nothing is better than butter on bread, Raia." I said, holding the door open for her. I flinched at the thought that I'd be leaving her for the day.
"Sorry, forgot. Well, it competes for second." she said. "So, is Morphine Addiction going to be playing at the talent show tomorrow?"
"We still have to sign up, Raia."
"So you are!"
"Maybe, but look, don't be disappointed if we don't place first, 'kay?"
"Isald...!" the whine was back in her voice. It was a cute whine that I had come to want to hear every morning.
I leaned down and brought my face closer to her's. I knew how close we were and how it might look to Stearlor (Goddamn jackass), but I simply wanted to get a closer look at her impossibly large eyes.
"Look, I still have to talk to the guys. Promise not to be disappointed if we don't even get the chance to register?"
She sighed. "Promise."
I smiled, fixing her hair. "There's a good Raia."
Her cheeks, neck and ears were flushed (and not from the heat) as she walked over to Stearlor's car.
I heard Asor ask, "Did he kiss you?" before walking away, a smirk playing on my lips.
"Did they register in time? Let me see the program!" I heard Raia screech to someone (probably Stearlor). I had asked both Asor and Stearlor to tell Raia that, yes, we registered in and no, she cannot see what song we're doing.
"Are they doing that new one— what's it called? 'Cherubim'? Are they doing 'Cherubim'? Or 'Forgotten'? I like 'Forgotten'."
It was then I slinked away and into the shadows of the stage.
"We're doing the wrong song." I told the band.
"What?" Torem asked. "You said it yourself, Raia loves 'Seventeen Ain't so Sweet'. We practiced all day and night on this, Isald."
"I know, I know, but—"
"It's final. We're sticking with 'Seventeen Ain't so Sweet'."
We heard the MC's voice over the speaker announce several people. About a half-hour in, it was finally our turn to take the stage.
"Goodevening." I said into the microphone as I plugged in my guitar. "Uh, we're doing a new song tonight. It's an R. J. A., uh, the Red Jumpsuit Apparatus, cover. It's a song a close friend of mine likes and so, um, we're dedicating it to her."
I heard Torem play the first few bars on the guitar then joined in, as did the others.
"Well she never was the best "Like the world was crashing on her. "Don't worry you'll show them. "There's a fire in your eyes, "Seventeen is just a test, "Like the world is crashing on you, "Don't worry you'll show them. "There's a fire in your eyes, "Relax girl, turn down the lights, "Point of rhythm is to follow it in time, "There's a fire in your eyes, "There's a fire in your eyes, "Until you're heard..."
At following the trends;
Stayed one step above the rest,
And even though it seemed...
Didn't let it hold her down ,
Didn't hold her back, oh no.
And I hope you'll let it burn.
There's a scream in your voice,
And I hope you will be heard.
There's a fire in your eyes,
And I hope you'll let it burn
Until you're heard, you're heard.
And I would recommend
That you live with no regrets,
And even if it seems...
You shouldn't let it hold you down,
Shouldn't hold you back, oh no, woah oh.
And I hope you'll let it burn.
There's a scream in your voice,
And I hope you will be heard.
There's a fire in your eyes,
And I hope you'll let it burn
Until you're heard, you're heard.
No one can see you shining.
Relax girl, it'll be alright,
No one can stop you if you try.
To listen to the beating in your mind,
Remember if you seek then you shall find,
Woah oh.
And I hope you'll let it burn.
There's a scream in your voice,
And I hope you will be heard.
There's a fire in your eyes,
And I hope you'll let it burn
Until you're heard, you're heard.
And I hope you'll let it burn.
There's a scream in your voice,
And I hope you will be heard.
There's a fire in your eyes,
And I hope you'll let it burn
Until you're heard, you're heard.
We strode off stage, after taking a quick bow and thanking the audience. Within seconds of being off, someone's lips connected with mine. It was a messy kiss, but it was affectionate enough to allow me to know that it meant a lot.
The girl I was kissing did not want to break lip contact, even though she needed air. Through the kiss I felt her fear of letting go. She feared that if she let go, she would loose me forever. I assured her gently with my own lips that I'd catch her before she was too far gone.
"I... I... I can't believe... How?... Why?..." she panted, taking in large amounts of air.
"Your brothers tipped me off enough." I said, kissing her small nose. "It's really your song, you know that?"
"Except for that fact that I'm not seventeen."
"I can make you feel like you're seventeen."
"Touch her in anyway," Stearlor's voice said, "and you'll wish you hadn't been born."
Stearlor, Asor and the rest of the guys stood there, watching us. Raia's legs wrapped around my waist, her arms draped around my shoulders. My own arms holding her round bottom.
Raia stuck her tongue out at them (more so Stearlor than anybody else).
"He can touch me in anyway he wants." she said childishly.
"Uh," someone said. We turned to see a woman in her late thirties, early forties blink at us. "Would you mind moving farther away from the stage?" she asked us.
The four of us (Stearlor, Asor, Raia and myself) skittered outside as the band loaded our instruments into the van. It was going to be a good twenty or so minutes before the judges went into a little room and voted on the top three performances of the evening.
"Let go of him, Raia." Stearlor told his sister. "You're not a monkey."
"He's warm and he makes a great pillow." she yawned, leaning her head in between my shoulder and neck.
I felt my cheeks grow hot. I was glad it was dark out.
"You better not touch her in any inappropriate ways." Stearlor glared.
"He won't touch me anywhere I don't want him to touch." Raia grinned.
"But you'll let him touch you anywhere!"
"Hey, uh, guys!" Torem called from the door. "Sorry to barge into your argument, but they'll be announcing the winners soon."
"I hate you." Stearlor growled to me. I grinned, setting Raia down and walking inside.
"But not as much as I hate you." I said through the noise of the excited performers.
The MC's sounded through the whole auditorium, quieting the people, but leaving an anxious atmosphere thicker than split pea soup.
"Alright, alright," the MC said, "calm down. I know you are all just dying to hear the results. If the judges would be so kind... Yes, thank you.. In third place is the skit 'Second Chances Never Come' by Thespian Troup Number 620975. In second we have our high school's very own Morphine Addiction with 'Seventeen Ain't so Sweet.' And in first..."
I didn't hear who place first, Raia had distracted me with a much more passionate kiss than the one she had delivered to me not an hour ago.
We may not have placed first in the talent show, but I placed first with my stubborn, little red haired friend. Well, like they say: First is the worst, second is the best.
If you love me, you will tell me if this was the best damn thing you've ever read... or if it completely sucked.