Title: The Way It Is
Author: Solianne
Rating: Tentatively rated R for swearing, sex and possibly violence.
Characters: Julia, Mathilda, Raul
Summary: Summer has passed and it's back to University where the important lessons in life might not be taught in a classroom but rather learned through parties, dates, fights and the occasional full-out fight in the middle of an intersection during rush hour.
Disclaimer: I only own the plot of this particular story and any characters that appear in it that do not appear in the Beyblade anime, movie or manga. I do not own the characters, nor their backgrounds.
Author's Notes: In all honesty – this simply jumped into my brain and I'm pretty much figuring things out as I go. I have quite a bit written already, to give me time to write without feeling pressured to. Feel free to review, and also critique if you want, but don't flame me, alright? I'm trying to get a feel of the characters.
Wyatt is a completely fictional city, however it is named after the character "Wyatt" from the series (but not in the actual story).
Brushing her hair away from her eyes, Mathilda placed her hands on her hips and grinned proudly. It had taken her the better part of the day, but she was now fully moved into her spanking new apartment.
Grinning she couldn't help but squee just a little and do a little victory jump. She'd worked all through High School until now to be able to afford this moment, and it felt wrong not to give a little skip of joy.
After all, how often do you move into your first apartment?
Sure, the furniture wasn't perfect, some of it was bought from a flea market, other stuff was given to her from relatives and friends. The couch she'd taken with her from her old room, but her bed was new.
She'd painted the walls and though the bathroom and kitchen still looked like something out of a 60's movie, the apartment was liveable.
And it's 100% mine.
It was a great accomplishment and one she'd been working towards for years and finally seeing it she had a hard time not letting the grin split her face.
Just as she was getting ready for another victory dance, her cell phone began ringing it's cheery little tune signalling that it was Julia on the phone.
Dashing over to pick it up, she couldn't wait to tell Julia the good news.
"Hi Jules! Guess what?" grinning excitedly, she barely managed to keep from jumping a little again.
"Santa called?"
"No! You know what, I've been talking about it for weeks!" she did jump a little then.
"Months actually, or if you want to be accurate you've been going on and off about it for years..." there was some silence on the other line for awhile and Mathilda nibbled her lip, "so you're all moved in now?"
"Yep!" grinning Mathilda skipped towards her couch.
"And you're doing your victory dance?" stopping in her tracks, Mathilda chew her lip.
"How'd you know?"
"Because I'm standing right here, idiot," blinking Mathilda turned and walked towards the doorway leading to the hallway where Julia was currently standing and grinning at her.
"It looks great!" Julia said as she hung up, looking around the place.
"I know! I'm so excited!"
"I know, I've been watching you do the victory dance for awhile, I didn't have the heart to stop you," grinning Julia looked around again.
"So, are you coming then?"
Blinking, Mathilda frowned and titled her head.
"Coming to what?"
"Enrique's party of course!"
"Oh, right, that's tonight isn't it?"
"Well, duh," rolling her eyes at her Julia dropped down onto the couch.
"So? You coming?"
"I don't know," Mathilda shifted hesitantly.
"Come on! It'll be fun! There'll be boys!"
"That's great, but I'm not looking for boys..."
"Yes you are, you just don't know it yet!" Julia said with conviction, turning her head to look at her.
"It'll be fun and you can leave when you want. Pretty please?"
"I don't know..."
"Pleeeeaasseeee?" doing her best impression of puppy-eyes Julia gave a little whimper and Mathilda felt herself melt.
"Fine, but I won't stay for long, I'm tired."
"That's fine, as long as you're coming!" grinning Julia stood up.
"You sure are excited for this, aren't you?" Mathilda eyed her friend warily as she came over to her.
"What are you wearing? Not pants I hope. You should wear a dress, I haven't seen you in a dress for awhile... Which way is the bedroom?" pointing towards her bedroom Mathilda felt herself dragged towards it.
"We have to get you all dolled up!"
"Why? I won't be there for long!" she protested, though it seemed little use against Julia's eagerness.
"So you say, but you never know," looking at her, Julia narrowed her eyes, "just play along, alright?"
"Fine, fine..." Mathilda sighed.
"Mattie, what is taking you so long?" Julia pursed her lips and dug her hands deeper into the pocket of her jeans as she stared down the image of a grinning Ming-Ming winking back at her.
Of all the posters to hang on your bathroom door, you had to choose her?
"I'm coming!" Julia could hear some scrambling coming from inside the bathroom, but when another minute passed and Mathilda still hadn't appeared, she sighed and walked over to the window, leaning on the ledge and looking out at the street below.
"We're going to be late!" she called, watching as a little white dog playfully ran down the street while the woman it was out with was being almost dragged after it.
Taking her eyes from the dog, Julia looked to the sky which had turned into that nice yellow and purplish colour that signalled that the sun was on its way down and that it's soon be night-time. It was Julia's favourite time of the day, too bad she had to spend it staring out of a window of her friend's apartment rather than be outside and enjoy the scenery with a cool beer.
Glancing at the wall clock, Julia moved from the window and impatiently knocked on the bedroom door.
"Come on already! There's only ten minutes until we're supposed to be there!"
"I'm coming!" a muffled reply came from the bathroom and Julia rolled her eyes, walking over to the hallway mirror she checked her own reflection.
"There, all done!" Mathilda said just as she stepped out of the bathroom. Still looking into the mirror, Julia shifted her gaze over to the reflection of Mathilda and nodded approvingly.
"You look good," picking up her purse she placed one hand on her hip and eyed Mathilda.
"Ready to leave then? No other last-minute checks that will take forever?" as Mathilda shook her head, Julia let out a breath of relief and nodded.
"Alright then, we better get going, the rest of the group will be waiting for us, and I'd rather not get stuck next to Dunga again," shuddering Julia slipped her feet into her flip-flops.
"He's not that bad," Mathilda said, grinning a bit as she put on her sandals and got her bag.
"Yes he is," Julia replied absently as she looked at her reflection one last time. She looked good, she knew, her hair put up and falling in heavy curls down her back, her eyes smoky and her lips sparkling she looked just the right mix of sexy without seeming like she was trying too hard. Coupled with a red v-neck top and a pair of tight-fitting jeans, Julia would fit right in.
Opening the door, Julia stepped outside and watched as Mathilda locked the door. Mathilda rarely wore makeup and even now she only wore a bit of mascara and eyeliner. Her sandals were black, but to Julia's disappointment they didn't have heels.
"You really should try to get to know Dunga, he might not be so bad," smiling at her Mathilda stepped down the first few steps leading down to the entry door of her apartment building.
"Do I have to?" following Mathilda, Julia wrinkled her nose. Perhaps Dunga wasn't so bad, but from what she'd heard, he couldn't keep up with an intelligent conversation.
Turning, Mathilda rolled her eyes at her and walked down the last staircase in silence.
Once outside, Julia grinned. "It's a nice evening, isn't it?"
Nodding, Mathilda chewed on her lower lip. "How do you think it'll be?"
"The party?" Julia asked, pulling down her top a bit.
"Yeah."
"Pretty wicked I'd think, after all, it's Enrique that's hosting it," Julia grinned, trying to imagine what sort of madness Enrique had put together this time.
"That's what worries me," Mathilda whispered as they began walking.
Rolling her eyes, Julia put her arm around Mathilda's shoulders and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.
"Stop worrying, I'll be there, Miguel will be there, heck, and you probably know more people than I do that's going to be there!
"How do you figure?" Mathilda glanced over at her, still gnawing on her lip.
Shrugging, Julia stepped out of the way of a mother pushing a baby carriage in front of her.
"For all you might be quiet, most people like you and tend to approach you whether you're at college or out with friends, so I gather you'll probably recognize quite a few faces," taking a left turn, Julia looked over at Mathilda. She was still gnawing.
"And stop that, you won't have much of a lower lip left if you keep that up!" giving Mathilda a playful push she put her hands into her pockets.
"Though, how come you don't like Enrique?"
"It's not that I don't like him, it's just that his parties usually end with someone getting arrested..." Mathilda gnawed on her lip again, then seemed to think better of it and stopped, "and it's pretty loud and people get a bit out of control."
"But that's the fun of it! Don't you remember his New Years Eve party?"
At that, Mathilda shivered and wrinkled her nose.
"Emily had to stay over, and she can't really keep her alcohol down, so she puked on my couch. It took months before it went out!"
"Well, this time no one will be staying over..." Julia grinned, "unless of course you find a certain someone you'd like to bring home with you of course."
Blushing, Mathilda shook her head.
"I don't think so, I'm not really cut out for that, you know?"
"No, I don't know and I don't get how you'd know either, it's not like you've ever tried!"
Julia shook her head and looked over at Mathilda. "You might enjoy a bit of casual fun, you know."
"You might, but I get attached easily, you know that..." Mathilda looked down at her shoes and Julia frowned and gave her hand a gentle squeeze.
"Still hurting?"
"Yeah well... I know Kane and I weren't a couple, and that he made certain I knew it..." Mathilda bit her lip, "but still, I kinda... Liked him, you know?"
"I know, but he wasn't looking for that..." looking ahead of her, Julia titled her head. "At least he ended it before you actually started to love him," looking at Mathilda from the corner of her eye, she sighed.
"Don't Julia... I was stupid, I knew what I was getting into and you're right, he did end it before it grew to be something serious for me," nodding Mathilda smiled a little.
"Right, you two still call one another?"
"Oh, we met up at the library yesterday to share notes, Kane missed a lecture," Mathilda frowned, and Julia grinned.
"Let me guess, Salima was gone from the lecture too?"
"Yeah, she was..." Mathilda sighed a little then shook her head. "Can we change the topic please?"
"Sure, have you seen Johnny's new car?"
"He's got a new car?" Mathilda stopped and looked at Julia, "but didn't he just get that big blue one?"
"Oh, that's actually Oliver's, but Johnny loaned it because he forgot to fill his the day before," Julia grinned. "His new one is pretty wicked; it's deep green, a cabriolet of some sort... It's got really soft seats too!"
"Oh, and how would you know that?" grinning, Mathilda glanced over at her and Julia felt herself blush.
"Julia, you didn't!" Mathilda kept staring and when Julia didn't deny it, she broke out laughing.
"You're nuts! Getting involved with Johnny?"
"I'm not involved with Johnny, it's a quick fling, that's all," Julia threw a glare over at her friend.
"Johnny doesn't do quick flings, you know that," still grinning, Mathilda tugged on the strap of her dress.
"Well, he'll have to this time, because I don't want anything more," frowning Julia shook her head.
"But enough of that, we're almost at Enrique's and we have to plan!"
"Plan?" glancing over at her, Mathilda raised a brow.
"Yes, plan; are there anyone you really don't want to see?"
"Err, I don't think so..." Mathilda frowned.
"Are you sure? What about Kane?"
"Okay, I don't want to see Kane... Or Miguel—"
"Wait, why Miguel?" Julia stopped.
"It's no reason, it's just..." Mathilda shrugged her shoulders, "he and Emily broke up recently, and he's being real emo about it, okay?"
Blinking, Julia frowned. "But isn't Miguel like your best friend, or something?"
"He is, but..." cringing, Mathilda sighed, "I'd rather not deal with it tonight..."
"Okay... Well, I'm avoiding Kai for one,"
"Won't be a problem, Kai seems to be avoiding everyone right now,"
"I'm also avoiding Tala,"
"I'm not surprised."
"Shut up Mattie. I'll also be avoiding Brooklyn,"
"What's up with the redheads?"
"I'm ignoring you now Mattie. Hm... Who else? Oh, right! Tyson! Oh, and Raul!"
"Ah, makes sense. Though, will it be really bad if you can't avoid Raul?" Mathilda asked.
"Well, no, but I'd rather not—"
"Hey, Jules!" stopping in her tracks, Julia slowly turned around and cringed.
"Why didn't you say they were approaching?" she whispered to Mathilda.
"Well, it would've ruined the surprise," she didn't have to look to know Mathilda was grinning.
"How're you Raul?" Mathilda asked as Raul approached them.
"Just great! Went Go-carting with Tyson and Max," Raul grinned and Julia froze.
"Tyson isn't..." she swallowed softly.
Grinning wider, Raul nodded, "he'll be here once Max figures out what to wear."
"Damn," Julia muttered.
"Oh be nice," Mathilda grinned. "So how're they doing, haven't seen them in awhile, I hope they're good?"
"Oh, they're just fine, Tyson is scraping through college and Max is still helping his mother when he's not too busy studying," Raul nodded.
"And Tyson and Hilary?" Julia asked, last she'd heard, the two had been arguing again, but then it wasn't precisely unusual.
"They're on... A break of sorts, that's what Tyson says at least," Raul grimaced a bit and Julia nodded.
"Ah, Hilary got sick of him doing nothing again?"
"Well, to defend my friend, she's being a bit of a bitch. Tyson's been improving, sure, he tends to be a bit lazy, but Hilary makes him out to be some sort of slacker, which he's not!"
Raul frowned, "she really should lay off him, stresses him out completely the way she bosses him around!"
"Maybe they should stay... On their break?" Mathilda suggested, frowning a bit.
"That'd be a Christmas miracle," Julia muttered sarcastically.
"It'd probably be for the best," Raul nodded and sighed, "not that he'll listen to anyone who proposes it."
"Of course he won't, he thinks himself in love! The stupid fool," Julia crossed her arms and wrinkled her nose.
"You're just jealous he's been spending less time with you," Mathilda grinned.
"Well, he always turn into a bit of a prick when he gets together with Hilary, forgets our plans, doesn't show up and doesn't call," Julia huffed, "I don't know why I bother."
"Because he's your best friend, and the only guy you know who doesn't mind being defeated by a girl?" Raul suggested, grinning brightly.
"Oh shut up," Julia huffed again.
"Shouldn't we get going? I thought we were late?" frowning, Mathilda looked at Raul.
"Relax Matters, I doubt Enrique will be standing at the door, ready to scold us for being late.
But you're right, we should go," still grinning, Raul held out an arm for each of them. "May I?"
Grinning, Mathilda took it and with a reluctant grunt Julia did as well.