Ranma pulled himself out of the water with Akane's familiar scream still ringing in his ears. It was always the same thing. Akane would become irritated and angry at something he did and the next thing he knew he would be in the fountain dripping with water and in his cursed female form.
Swearing, he wrung the water out of his hair and clothes and stomped back to the dojo to change. He gave the still raving tomboy a wide berth and slipped upstairs to find some hot water so he could return to his own body. Once in the bathroom, he stopped in front of the mirror to contemplate his reflection. Wet clothes clung to and outlined a buxom cute form. He supposed his female half was attractive enough; after all, he had enough admirers chasing it. Smiling bitterly, he reflected on how many people pursued him in both bodies, and yet not even one had taken the time to get to know him. They chased, or groped, or attacked, or quoted stupid poetry, but not one of them simply sat down and talked with him.
Sighing, he stripped and stepped into the shower. The hot water felt wonderful, and he was relieved to feel himself change back to normal. He had become somewhat used to his cursed form, and was very thankful it was human, but he was still far more comfortable as himself. That hadn't stopped him from training secretly in his female body however, in case the old hag found some way to trap him in it again. He wasn't quite at equal skill levels in both bodies yet, but the transition didn't throw him like it used to.
Stretching, he winced as abused muscles protested and knew he would have new bruises courtesy of Akane's mallet and his awkward landing in the fountain. He was getting quite sick of being her personal punching bag and wished he could just hate her, but she wasn't consistent. Sometimes, she was sweet, thoughtful, and helped him out of the scrapes he was always getting involved in. Unfortunately, that never lasted and with little warning, she would change and become violent. One moment she would be smiling, and one tactless comment later she would be pulling mallet-sama out of thin air and he would be gifted with another bruise and headache and wondering yet again why he put up with her.
Shrugging off his musings, he dressed and hurried to school. The day turned out to be even worse than usual, if that were possible. Ryoga had challenged him not once, but twice. Somehow, the Lost Boy had managed to not be turned around and end up in Thailand or Nepal or wherever else he managed to wander off to. Upperclassman Kuno had been even more obnoxious than usual and Shampoo had flattened him with her bike while bringing him lunch. He'd gotten a whiff of one of Kodachi's foul potions, his eyes were still watering, and to top it off he'd failed Mitsuri-sensei's history test.
It was the last hour of school and he was tired, dirty, hurting and just wanted to go home and hibernate. Everything that had happened to him today had happened before, but it was all starting to wear upon him. Everyone he knew, either attacked him or harassed him. Miserably, he sunk lower in the chair and almost moaned as the seat dug into a raw place on his back. It seemed he did nothing but hurt lately, he never had time to heal from previous fights before he was in more.
He stared intently at the clock, wishing he could make it move faster by sheer will power. Reluctantly conceding defeat over the vagaries of time, he let the conversations ranging throughout the room wash over him. From what he could hear, the entire school was abuzz with gossip about new transfer students. The girls in the class were giggling and laughing and trading stories about how cute the guys were supposed to be while the boys were wondering if they were any good as fighters. Ranma sent a brief heart felt prayer upward that none of them knew him or had a grudge. He would be thankful if they just ignored him.
Dismissing thoughts of the new students, he returned to staring at the clock, counting minutes and watching the second hand going around and around. The steady ticking was almost soothing and he relaxed as he waited out the last bit of class. This didn't stop him from being the first out the door however, and he was half way home before anyone even thought to look for him.
He thanked every deity he could remember when he reached the room he shared with his father with no further incidents. He craved rest with an almost alarming intensity. Unfortunately, he would never get it here or anywhere he could be found. Forcing his tired mind to think, he finally remembered the attic and a small deserted corner he had found when exploring several weeks back. Grabbing several blankets and a pillow he headed up there. The cramped enclosed space was filled with junk and dusty but he threaded his way across the floor until he found the deserted corner. After making a pallet, he lay down, curled up and fervently hoped that tomorrow would be better.
His rest had been broken lately with nightmares, tension, and interruptions in the form of rivals and fiancées. His exhaustion, misery, and pain blended and forced his body to shut down. He slept as if drugged and missed the yelling, crashing, and fighting that comprised a normal night at the Tendo Dojo.
Awakening early the next morning, he lay listening to the silence. A peaceful night had restored him somewhat, and with the addition of a hot shower and food, he felt he might even be able to face the day. Also, if he was quiet enough, he could sneak out of the dojo before anyone else woke up. The thought of starting the morning without confrontations, headaches, or fights was enough to make him almost cheerful.
He slid from his pallet and looking down at his makeshift bed, he decided to leave it, as he was sure to need it again. Opening the attic, he tiptoed down the stairs to the bathroom. He felt rather silly creeping around like a thief but he would have walked on his hands and naked if it meant he could get away peacefully. Gently closing the bathroom door, he ran the water until he could see steam rising and then stepped under the hot flow. Blissfully, he moaned softly and turned his face into the heat. The water stung in his cuts but gradually loosened up muscles that had stiffened over night. Twisting and turning he worked as much soreness out as he could. He stayed in the shower, savoring the luxury until he felt the water begin to cool. His smile turned wicked as he realized the rest of the house had cold showers to look forward to.
Stepping out, he toweled himself dry and ran a quick brush through his hair, shaking droplets everywhere. He quickly dressed and braided his still dripping hair ignoring the wet black locks that hung in his face, knowing the morning sun would dry it soon enough.
Gingerly, he swung the door open and almost cheered as he realized there was still no sounds of stirring. Making a quick detour to get his books and to grab some food for breakfast, he headed out the door. The low snick as the dojo door closed behind him was cause for relief as he ambled down the road. Pausing to breathe in the early morning air, he watched the burning orange sun begin to peak over the horizon. It had been a very long time since he had been up this early. Although if it meant that he could get out of the dojo without hassle, he might have to change his late sleeping habits.
He continued strolling slowly along the road, until he reached a large oak tree with a lush green carpet underneath it. Deciding this was the perfect spot to enjoy his breakfast, he settled himself comfortably among the gnarled roots and pulled out the simple food he had taken from the kitchen. It was just rice balls, dried fish and green tea, but it was the best meal he had had in a very long time. He didn't have to fight over it and there was no yelling or screaming going on. Slowly he savored every bite, licking each finger clean afterwards, and with a yawn leaned back into the tree. Closing his eyes, he tilted his face up to the sun and unnoticed his tired body slipped into sleep once more.
o00o