Thank you for reading part one in my trilogy (Fire and Water, Diego's POV).
This is a series about Lana Skye and Diego Armando.
There's a lot of law chatter, it may not make a lot of sense, but I trust you it has substance! XD
Everyone in this class room was an idiot, or so the red clad Cuban, Diego Armando had thoughts. Every week he found himself sitting in the large lecture halls listening to the professors drone on and on, occasionally throwing up a debates for their hopeful students to bicker on among one another. He had never imagined law school to be this... Boring...
Everything the teachers brought up in their classes were in their books just about, and the Latino found it easier to just read the books himself and then spend his time drinking his coffee in the classes rather then try and decipher what the professors were saying and how it correlated with the work they were doing. The only interesting part of classes were when a current case was going on in the world was brought up and debates were sparked by it. The sound of everyone's voice as they became louder and louder and the arguments became more heated. These were the only times that he felt even a twinge of amusement in his first year, and most of his second year.
Most of the time the debates were able to get heated on their own, but when everyone would agree on what was going on, these were the times that the Cuban blood showed strong in Diego and he would loudly say a statement that would set off the class room. Even if he didn't agree with what he was saying, Diego would say something opposite of what everyone had agreed on. Most of the time the one that had been talking the loudest on the subject would retort back with something at him, irritated he was arguing this, but all they were doing was entering a trap. He never went into a fight unprepared. He would use statements and documents to paint a pretty picture for his case every time, beating the others into submission. For a little over a year, this had been the pecking order of things, Diego looked down upon everyone and their weak arguments as the champion. That is until that Kitten...
Lana Skye was a Kitten that he had seen but had never known before that one fateful day in class. She was new to the campus, a new law student starting to pave her path on the road he was already walking down in his normal cocky fashion. By most of his standards, she was average. Brown hair and eyes, not very curvy except for mild hips, which was rather nice in his eyes. To add to her, she was quiet... Every class he had with her, she would sit in a remote area and keep quiet. The only other person she ever saw her with was occasionally the Old Coyote, Neil Marshall.
He knew Neil fairly well thanks to his brother, Jake. The Rattle Snake and Diego had been his partner in crime ever since they had started collage. If someone could be 'Intellectually Attracted', they had certainly been 'Deviantly Attracted'. Some of the college guys had tried to haze all the freshmen their first year, only to have the tables turned on them when Diego and Jake had both broken rank and started spraying them with fire extinguishers instead of the other way around. The two had been together for Kitten hunting as well as some bitter times when Diego found his now Ex-Kitten cheating on him. Since that day in their first year, he had been rooming with Jake, and come this year, it was only natural he met the youngest Marshall.
Neil was bright and quite civilized compared to his brother, but quiet and had few friends. It was probably this reason that the Cuban found the idea that he had a possible girlfriend so hard to believe, especially this Kitten. Some of the guys around campus has started to call her the 'Ice Queen' due to her cold stare and her even colder replies to anyone who tried to charm her, he had started to notice a pattern though that as soon as the Old Coyote came around her though, she would give a smile, as if all that ice would magically melt away. He could have sworn he had even heard a laugh once.
It had never crossed the Latino's mind that this Kitten, the quiet Ice Queen would challenge his rein on the class, but in one day, he was proven wrong...
The day so far had been average. Diego had taken his normal seat near the front, clad in his favorite color and hair slicked back in a wild mane fashion, sipping his coffee. This was a three hour lecture, so he had made sure to bring a few thermals with him in his backpack for refills. Some of the guys in his class that he talked to had started talking about some women they had picked up at a local bar. Diego had interjected a few things that stirred up a few loud laughs, but this was normal chatter. His eyes had only left his group for a moment when he had saw Lana contemplating as of where to sit. She didn't seemed very pleased about something, but that was of no concern to him. His eyes had flickered once more away from his group when Neil had taken his seat next to the Frosty Queen herself. He gave his friend a mild smirk for his apparent skill in nabbing even the coldest Kitten out there.
Class droned on, the teacher's lecture, boring as normal. Diego had been more interested at assessing the different levels of bitterness of his different batches of coffee while draped in his seat rather then listening. Finally, an argument had been brought up by the professor on a subject that held little interest to Diego, none the less, it was an argument that might have fighting.
"What is the most important article in the Human Right's Act?"
One of the guys that had been a straggler to his group spoke up right off the bat; "The right to live life, of course!"
Diego couldn't help it, such a weak argument. Was that all he was going to say to that? "Right to life?" He gave less then amused scoff, "Life's not worth living if it's not given the proper respect."
The professor was the next to speak up, a rare treat to have him challenging him to provide support to his claim.
"Are you saying there's a more important article, Mr. Armando?"
A smirk formed on the Cuban's face as he leaned forward onto the desk, his cup in his hand. He was in no hurry to start and finish what he was saying, the more pause you could add while having people on the edge of their seats, the more dramatic it could be. "Well, article 5 protects the dignity and security we all deserve. There's nothing to live without liberty."
"That's your view, just because you think that doesn't make it so. Right to Live is Article 1 for a reason." The original challenger brought up.
"Ha!" Diego laughed, his smirk grew as he stared down the other young man, his accent lingering ever so clearly in his voice. "Anyone who wants to live without dignity doesn't' know the meaning of life."
"So what? They don't deserve to live?"
The aroma of the coffee had taken the Latino's focus as he took a long sip before answering, "I'm saying they don't understand what life is about."
This statement seemed to have left the class room at a loss for words. Check and mate... Diego leaned back in his seat and grin madly into his cup, feeling all eyes on him, including one piercing gaze...
"Excuse me,"
The Ice Kitten had spoken, an odd, unheard of experience so far. Diego didn't even bother to turn upon hearing her clear, soft voice unlike many of his peers, but it did amuse him. Maybe this was only a check, maybe she would challenge him in this. It was highly doubtful, but none the less, it was interesting to him.
"But we are still talking about the Human Rights Act, aren't we?"
Diego turned this time around, just to make sure this was that Kitten with the gaze speaking. He couldn't help but let his grin grow upon confirming it was her. Did this Kitten have claws? This would sure be interesting...
"Glad you're keeping up with us, Kitten."
Lana didn't seem phased by his comment, she responded quickly to him.
"Your argument is that Article 1 isn't as important as Article 5, is that right?"
He smirked again, "Ha! You've been paying attention."
Her cool demeanor remained intact as she kept those sharp eyes on him, the more they kept focused on one another, the more he was able to see the intelligence behind those coffee bean colored eyes of hers.
"Correct me if I'm wrong, but the basis of your argument is that Article 1 is useless without the 'dignity' provided by Article 5."
The Latino raised an eyebrow at this, wondering where she was going with this. "That's right." He said before taking a long drink from his cup, waiting for her apparent point.
"Strange, I thought that the very concept of human rights was founded upon dignity. To say that anything in the Act doesn't provide dignity to a person contradicts it's nature as a functioning part of the legislation. That is to say, arguing over the dignity, or the lack thereof, in any part of this questions, the Act itself, not to mention the European Conventions on Human Rights."
She had a point; No, more then a point, she was right. He was able to recognize this and started to think over her words. Now just who was this first year Kitten that was so boldly taking him on when everyone else cowered? There had be no seriousness behind his argument, he had only wanted to stir the pot. Her though, she was actually challenging his point unlike anyone else had so far. He stared at her trying to figure her out as he took a long sip from his cup. She was a very interesting Kitten.
Her gaze never left him, it was sharp, and Diego started to find it thrilling, exciting! Her argument continued, and he was starting to find that he was being drawn to her words like a dog to a good belly scratch.
"Furthermore, as you well know, the Human Rights Act first and foremost protects people against their governments If you read the articles thoroughly, you would see that the sanctions refer to specifically to the law. It doesn't guard against all attacks on dignity"
He thought, trying to come up with a quick argument, he didn't want this to end. "What about articles 8, 10 and 11? Their application has a broader width, implying the creation of the Act wasn't made with just the state in mind." He gave her a cocky grin and sniffed at his coffee, "It's like coffee, Kitten: It wasn't made to fight the claws of sleep but it's the side-effect people readily embrace."
There was a flair of attitude, a fire in the Kittens belly that could be shown in her actions as she waved away his words and by how she pressed her lips together. "Those were created to protect people against the government. It is lawyers who have found the loopholes and applied these to every day cases. And," (she tilted her head) "We know how well 8 and 10 work in conjunction"
"Ha!" He laughed, this Kitten had claws! He couldn't help but be amused now by her. "But there's your contradiction, Kitten. 8 says we all have the right to a private life but 10 says we have freedom of expression"
"The most obvious scenario being that of a celebrity and a journalist. As a person, we all have the right to privacy and some will argue that as a celebrity you give up that right. Which means they cannot infringe upon a journalist's right tot freedom of expression." She repeated back to him without missing a beat. It was like she knew what his argument was going to be even before he said it.
"Exactly!" Diego said with another trademark smirk, "With two blatantly conflicting articles, the HRA shows signs of imperfection."
The room had became empty for the Cuban, everyone else in the room was now invisible to him as all he could focus on was the Kitten rows away with her cleaver words, and her cool demeanor that wasn't even melting at what he normally threw out there that would shut up even the teachers.
"But I never said the HRA is perfect." The Kitten stated, her tone unchanging, seemingly unaffected by his words. "In fact, as students of the law, we all know legislation is always imperfect which is why it morphs all the time. All I'm saying, is that the HRA is the epitome of judicial dignity, but that's just that. It doesn't offer that security emotionally or psychologically." A smile- no, almost a smirk formed on those glowingly charming lips of hers. The first time the Latino or probably anyone one in this class had seen such expression given to anyone other then the man sitting next to her.
"Therefore," She continued, "Mr. Armando, your argument is riddled with just as many imperfections as the legislation you're criticizing"
Silence fell upon the room as Diego didn't snap back with an argument to keep up his rolling challenge. Instead, he kept his eye on her. She was a first year student, yet she didn't back down from his challenge, she fought back coolly without even batting an eye at him. He was finding her liked this, he liked her.
Any seriousness he had been holding in his face he let go of as he gave her a huge grin, probably the biggest anyone had seen from him to date.
"It's about time, Kitten." He allowed a hint of intrigue to enter his voice, "I was beginning to wonder if you had it in you." There were more in his words then what he had just said though. It was about time that someone challenged him, it was about time someone was worth fighting wit with.
His words didn't throw Lana off though, in fact she seemed cooler then ever. "I have it in me. The difference is, I don't let mine boil to arrogance."
"Ha!" Diego laughed loudly. This Kitten with claws, he was starting to love her steadfastly for them. He hadn't met a Kitten with this sort of attitude before, and he was finding he liked it a lot.
The world snapped back to reality, and the fact they were indeed surrounded by other people came back to focus as the professor spoke up finally. "All right everyone!"
He reorganized himself as everyone felt at liberty to go back to their normal level of chatter. Diego didn't let his gaze leave the Kitten, even if she wasn't looking at him any more, he was watching her. Neil beside her was laughing and talking to her, seemingly amused about something, but the best he could guess was that he was commenting on their battle of wits.
Class was continuing, yet still, he refused to take his eyes off her. He was curious now, and he would make sure to show his undying attention, pestering every moment if at all possible. If she was hanging around Neil, that should be easy enough after all.
Her eyes flickered down at him and his coffee, causing him to grin and he even went as far as to wink at her. He had a feeling this was going to be the start of an interesting relationship, even if their attitudes were polar opposites.