A/N: Hello invisible people who looked at my story. I see you. Thanks for at least checking this out. Really.
I can't decide on what this story should be rated, in case I go overboard with the language. I'll go with T, and warnings at the beginnings of certain chapters for said language.
I think I talk too much, so I'm going to try not to. This chapter'll switch POVs frequently. Don't get confused, now.
Disclaimer: I don't feel like it.
Chapter Two: Jackpot!
"What does nature sound like?" I ask, organizing my three suitcases. It's mostly clothes, since I'm not big on personal possessions. Other than my cell phone and journal ('diary' is just too mushy), and a few other things that aren't really worth mentioning right now.
"You know, like… the crickets, the wind, the rain; all that good stuff." She's fluffing her pillows. I notice they're patterned like a cow.
"Oh, okay. Sounds relaxing," I say. I feel around in my bag for a pair of socks. It's a bit chilly in here, with the window open. I guess that's the price for listening to nature at night.
"Zelda," Romani says, now laying on her bed, underneath her thick blankets, which aren't cow-patterned. She isn't really looking at me, "can I ask you a few things?" I hear a door from faraway open and close. The faint sounds of footsteps up the stairs—too many to be just one person. Talon and Cremia must be back.
"Sure." Wearing the thickest socks I had packed, I collapse onto my temporary bed, made out of the couch cushions from downstairs. There wasn't any time to gather the hay.
"How long have you been in touch with Sheik?" She moves a little bit, and is now looking at me. "It's just that, nobody ever noticed him constantly sending out mail or getting phone calls or anything. I live with him and I didn't see a thing! And you two are so buddy-buddy—well, not now, but you know—I'm pretty sure you've been talking for quite a while." We're quiet for a second before she adds a, "So?"
I took a second to do the math. "Maybe… hmm, well, I was nine when my dad first told me about Sheik, so… I guess almost seven years? Around six and a half, more or less." I don't remember today's date; so sue me if I'm off by a bit.
"Seriously?" She turns on her back and looks up at the ceiling, but I still look at her. "That's kind of odd. Sheik never showed any sign of having a, uh, long term pen pal—sorry, I couldn't think of a better word. But why wouldn't he mention you?"
"I told him not to."
"Really? What for?" She's still looking at the ceiling. Isn't it rude for people to not make eye contact when talking, or something?
"I was nine. The idea of having a secret friend to write to excited me. Of course, my dad knew, but nobody else did. Nobody else." I'm starting to drift off now. The lights are off and she's right about nature; it's very serene and easy to fall asleep to.
"Hmm," she mumbles, and I can tell that we're both not too far off from Dreamland. "Interesting. G'night."
"Night," I whisper, and I start to count sheep, just for the heck of it. I'm feeling to peaceful and relaxed, it won't be another thirty seconds before I'm out. One sheep, two sheep—oh look, he's wearing a nightcap—three sheep, four sheep, is that a cow? Five sheep… six sheep… seven… sheep… cow… sheep… sh—
KHHOOOONNNKK, SCHOOOOOO… KHHHOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKK, SCHHOOOOOOO…
Romani groans drama-queen style and sits up. I get up, too. The sound that's flying around the house is both horrifyingly inhuman and ridiculously loud. I mean loud.
"Is this the infamous snoring you mentioned?" I ask, pulling the blanket back to get out of bed, but it tangles around my legs. I fall to the floor with a soft thud.
"Yes, yes it is. Damn it to hell, Sheik!" The moonlight is illuminating her face, she looks seriously pissed. "I'm going to find one of dad's dirtiest, crustiest socks so I can shove it straight up his obnoxious nose."
"I'm coming too. I've gotta see this," and I feel around in my bag again for my phone. It has a camera in it, as well as a video recorder. This wouldn't cover the stunt Sheik pulled, not even close. But it would be good for a laugh.
KHHHOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKK, SCHHOOOOOOO…
We tip-toe down the dark hallway and stop right in front of our destination. Well, our destination's door. I give it a soft push and it doesn't budge. I push harder and it laughs at my attempts. "He locked the door." Are we getting paranoid now, Sheik?
"Of course he did," Romani whispers, still sounding furious, "and I don't care. I never bothered him about this before, I figured it couldn't go on forever! But this is getting retarded. We're getting into that room now." She moves in front of me, raising her right hand in the hair, palm flat. And she starts smacking the door. Hard. "Sheik! Sheik, you bastard, open this door! I'm sick of this noise! Open up!" She keeps smacking.
It doesn't take but a few seconds for a pissed-off Sheik to unlock and yank open the door, glaring at a pissed-off Romani and I. His hair makes it look like he's just been struck by lightning, and I'm sure there's no way I'm gonna get the opportunity to snap a picture before he can shut the door. Damn. "What the freakin' hell do you want? Do you know what time it is?"
"No, I don't, and it doesn't matter what time it is, because I can't sleep!" His face turns to a mix of confusion and annoyance, and she jabs a finger at him. "This noise needs to end, Sheik. I don't care if I have to cut your nose off, but I will. I don't see how Link is able sleep through this bullshit, if I can hea—"
KHHOOOONNNKK, SCHOOOOOO… KHHOOOONNNKK, SCHOOOOOO…
And with that, Romani, looking stunned, loosely drops her finger from Sheik's face. His smile is smug and begging for someone to tear it off. "Looks like I'm clean." He turns around for a second and looks back at us. "Link says to go away, you're giving him a headache with your banging. Good night." With that, he shuts the door and I can hear the lock slide back into place.
"Well, that sure is a twist." I look behind us at the two other doors where the noise could be coming from. "Which one is it?"
"I-I have no id-dea," Romani says, still facing Sheik's door. "I was so sure it was him…"
"Well, it wasn't. And if you want to get some sleep tonight, there are only two people left." It obviously isn't Link or Sheik. Maybe it is Talon…
KHHHOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKK, SCHHOOOOOOO… KHHHOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKK, SCHHOOOOOOO…
"I'll take my dad, you take Cremia," Romani says. We don't bother whispering or being quiet anymore, the noise is so loud.
Both of us stand in front of a different door. Romani pushes Talon's door and walks inside. I do the same with Cremia's; it isn't locked. I walk in, slowly, towards Cremia, who's sprawled across her bed. She didn't bother changing out of her work clothes. Her noisemaker is set to Waterfall, though the sound of rushing water can't be something anybody would want to sleep to. Whatever, to each their own.
It only takes one moment later for the current problem to become crystal clear.
KHHHOOOOOOOOOONNNNNKKK, SCHHOOOOOOO…
I sigh in defeat. Cremia is way too gentle-looking to be able to snore this loud. And what am I supposed to do now? Stuff her nose with something?
I turn to walk out, and I see Romani standing in the doorway. She looks oddly calm. "Her?"
"Her."
We nod to each other and head back for Romani's room. It was just one night, and we would deal with Cremia in the morning, in the most polite way possible. If there's a polite way to say 'You snore like an earthquake from hell!'
I have to say, waking up to the classical 'cock-a-doodle-dooo!" is more annoying than it sounds. Especially since I was having a nice dream involving Zelda, skates, and a bottomless trench. I can't say I remember much, but who cares?
Certainly not the smug cucco, who's still squawking. Do they even sleep?
I grumble to myself about why birds have to wake up so early before I get up. I need clothes. Clean clothes. So I dig around for some in the dresser that's very far away from Link and his disease.
"Hey," I hear him mumble. So the cucco got him too. "It doesn't hurt to talk." I can sense the smile in his voice.
"Good for you." I find a pair of jeans that still has grass stains on them, but they're clean enough. A plain white T-shirt and my favorite black and gray hoodie, and I'm good to go.
"Getting together with the others today?" Now he sounds hurt, since he's still not well enough to go out in public. Sucks.
"No, maybe I'll bring them here." Gross, these socks feel like sandpaper. "It doesn't matter for you though, since you're still cursed."
"I won't get close to anybody," he promises, sluggishly sliding out of bed, "but I'm not going to just sit here by myself." He starts moving towards me—the dresser, actually—and I immediately shriek in protest.
"No! Wait! I told you, you're still sick. Stay away from me." You have to understand, most of the clothes are clean, and I don't feel like allowing a virus to happily make itself at home on them.
"Okay, okay, fine." He holds his hands up as if to say 'stop.' "Just, scooch out of the way so I can get some clothes." And he comes even closer.
"Back! I said back, you fiend!" I grab a belt from inside the top drawer and start swishing it around the air between us. He jumps back a bit. "I'll get your clothes for you." I reach in and grab, well, something. I can't really tell, but I toss the bundle at him anyways. He looks at them, then at me, confusion practically oozing from his aura.
"These are your clothes." Fuck. That's what I get for sharing.
"Well, fine. You've already destroyed them. Go ahead, put them on. Would you like to use my toothbrush as well?"
He ignores me and takes the clothes with him, on his way to the bathroom. "That was a joke, stay away from my toothbrush!" I call out quickly. I'm left alone in our room. Again, alone.
Zelda and her softly whispered threats are still haunting me, so being alone isn't good. I quickly put on a comfortable pair of socks and hurry downstairs. Romani's in the small kitchen, preparing the toaster for her frozen waffles. Zelda is nowhere to be seen, and I feel paranoia creep up on me, the sick stalker.
"Morning. Waffle?" She holds out one of the two waffles she's about to put into the toaster. I shake my head no. "Suit yourself," and she shoves them both into a slot. "I'm sorry about last night," she suddenly says.
"You should be. Barging in past the middle of the night. Who does that?" I need a tall glass of milk, and then I'll brush my teeth. If I remember.
"Just accept my apology and go do whatever it is you're supposed to be doing." She's focusing on her waffles, as if it's her mind that controls the heat. "How's Link today?"
"Better. He's able to talk without his throat trying to strangle itself." I gulp down the delicious milk in seconds. I guess I will brush my teeth. If Link touched my toothbrush, he's going down. "But he's going to be like, wandering around the ranch. So watch out, hide your valuables, and scream for help if he gets too close."
"Mm hmm." She's still focusing on her waffles. It's starting to creep me out. "Gotcha. Hey, do me a favor?"
"Does it involve leaving the ranch in any way?" I walk towards the stairs.
"Maybe. Find Zelda and tell her I need to ask her a favor. I tried calling her cell, but she won't answer." I wonder if she's chanting in her head: Waffles waffles waffles waffles...
"You're asking me to do a favor, so that you can ask someone else for a favor? Weird." I shake my head. "But sure, if I can find her." Or if she finds me. I head up the stairs, and the bathroom door is open, lacking an occupant. Talon and Cremia are still asleep. They always are, after spending all night at work. I go into the bathroom, grab my toothbrush and clean my teeth until they sparkle. Maybe not, but they don't feel grungy for now.
I go into my room, and there's Link, sitting on his bed. I thought he wasn't just going to sit here by himself. "What're you doing?"
He shrugs. "Waiting for you. I don't have plans, and you're always doing something." Hmm. I'm getting an idea here. Vulnerable friend tagging along plus searching for a revenge-bent cousin equals...
A delayed strike of said cousin? Maybe? "Wanna help me look for Zelda? Romani wants to talk to her, but she doesn't know where she is." Which is a big warning. If nobody knows where Zelda is, nobody knows when she'll be back. And for me, that can't be anything positive.
He looks interested. "Sure. Let me grab my jacket," and he bends over, slowly and painfully, to get his jacket lying next to his bed. "Sheesh, that was exhausting."
"Are you sure you're okay? Maybe you shouldn't come." Who gets tired from bending over? "It's just Zelda, she can't be far. Probably take no time at all."
"No, no. I'm coming. I've been stuck in this room forever, and I'm bored." He puts on his jacket, also slowly. "So I'm coming," he repeats.
"Fine, but I'm entitled to seven feet of personal space." I think for a bit before adding, "Feel free to cough on Zelda, though. Anything to put off her twisted vengeance."
"Yeah, about that; why is she plotting your death again? What did you do?"
"Eh, I just made her sing at the Milk Bar last night. Nothing big." We're walking down the stairs, and I notice that Romani's gone. She must have devoured her waffles whole. "But now she's convinced that she deserves revenge, because she normally gets really stage-fright. Even though she didn't, because her favorite song of all time happened to come on. So she had fun and is denying it by planning something awful on my very soul. What did I say about my seven feet?" He quickly backs up a bit as we walk out the door. Link closes it behind him but doesn't lock it. The lock's on the inside and besides, Talon and Cremia are still inside.
"That doesn't really make any sense," Link mumbles, "but I guess I can kind of see the way she's thinking."
"So what, you're on her side? Are you going to join her little plot?"
"No, I'm just saying. If she had fainted or something, well, she'd have a better reason for wanting your head on a silver platter." He hesitates. "On the other hand, it ended up working out. So both of your actions... sort of cancel each other out, you know?"
I snort. If only, if only. "Try telling that to her."
I giggle softly from behind the washing machine. God knows Sheik has probably never set foot in a laundry room before, so it was naturally the perfect hiding spot. Romani soon joins me and whispers, "He took the bait, but I think he's got Link tagging along with him."
"Damn," I mumble. I don't really want Link to have to suffer, but I have no choice. This is war. "Oh well, he makes a bad choice, he suffers the consequences. Wait, what was that? The front door? Are they out?" Romani tip-toes a bit past the door and leans out.
"The door's shut. I think they're outside. No, wait, yes! I see them, they're out." We scramble out of the laundry room and head for the window by the front door. They're heading for Clock Town to look for me, but guess what? Here I am, Sheik, ready to even the score.
Sheik suddenly stops and says something to Link, before turning around. Here we go...
"Hang on, I forgot my phone. Just in case Romani or Zelda calls." I turn around and head back for the house. Link stands where he is, hands on his hips, feigning impatience. Just as I'm about to push the door open, there's the unmistakable swish and thunk of the door locking. The front door. Locking.
Crap. "Crap!"
"What?" Link is walking over. It doesn't look like he'll be stopping, so I need to remind him again. "Seven feet, Link, back up a bit. A little bit more; okay, there. And I said 'crap,' as in, the door is freakin' locked!"
"Locked?" He looks confused. "What do you mean? Why would we be locked out?" He moves closer and I hiss to keep him at bay. "Well, just knock on the door, and whoever it is will let us in."
So I take his sagely advice and knock.
He's knocking? He still doesn't get it? Poor, dense Sheik. "I can't think of anything witty to say," I whisper. I knew I should've made a list last night.
"So? Just say something." She's laughing silently to herself at Sheik's vain attempts to be let back in.
I lean towards the door and say in a melodious, bubbly voice, "This is Revenge, how may I help you?"
Link's eyes widen and I feel my stomach drop. I can't believe her. I honestly can't believe her.
And I honestly can't believe how easy it was for her to trick me. I bet she roped Romani into helping her, too. Damn.
"Zelda?" Link asks stupidly in a loud voice; he's still a few paces back. "What the hell?"
Zelda's face suddenly appears in the window next to the door. She has a mocking smile on her face and it really pisses me off. "Sorry, Link. You shouldn't have gotten involved. But it's too late for you." And her eyes, full of venom and death, turn onto me. "This is where we get even, Sheik. You know what it'll take for you to be let back inside, so I suggest you tell me."
I snort, "In your dreams. Do you realize how flawed your 'revenge' plan is?"
"What? You think I plan on keeping you out there forever or something?" She laughs. "I'm not that mean, honestly. You'll probably be back inside this nice, warm house by nightfall. If you cooperate."
"We'll see," I say. She's got to be joking. I was expecting something a bit more mature and thought out. But this? Link is looking back and forth between me and Zelda; I have no idea where Romani is, the traitor.
"We will see. If you won't tell me where it is, well, I'll just look through you're room. Since you can't do anything about it from outside and all." And she moves away from the window.
Link and I look at each other. He looks aghast, and I just look mildly annoyed. I'm not afraid of Zelda. I feel like an idiot for being afraid of her in the first place if this is all she was planning. I turn to the door and bellow, "ROMANI!"
"Yes?" She answers, too sweetly, from behind the door. She must be holding the lock. Her tone makes me want to punch her so badly, despite us being close friends.
"I hate you," I say, and Link says at the same time, "What's the point of this?"
"I don't know," Romani says, "but I'm having fun doing it." I hear the sound of footsteps and Zelda's face appears at the window again. She looks positively thrilled as she triumphantly shouts, "JACKPOT!"
I really don't want to know what's making her that happy. "What?" I ask anyways. I can't help it.
"You're so bad at hiding things, Sheik. I found the picture under your pillow." And she waves the picture around for emphasis, though the actual picture isn't facing us. "And you'll never believe what else I found." She's practically foaming at the mouth with excitement. Romani's face is now beside Zelda's, probably curious as to what has her so happy. "I had actually looked in Link's mattress first, with gloves on, of course—sorry, Link, I had to look everywhere, and your side of the room seemed like a good hiding spot." Link looks horrified, and it makes my stomach feel queasy. "It's because of this photo that I sang, and I'll be damned if Sheik uses it to blackmail me again."
So I never told Link about the blackmailing part, which is why he turns his face to me, a look of disappointment and disbelief that I would do something like that. "You never said anything about blackmail." And then to Zelda, "Okay, now I see why you're doing this, Zel, but please. I've never done anything to you and I would never stoop this low. Please don't." Don't what? Don't what??
"Oh, I won't, I can promise you that. I'm not like Sheik, using information to make others bend to his will." What an exaggeration. "But, hey. I'm a girl, and I can't resist reading a teensy bit." She displays in her left hand a small, forest-green book. It looks like a mini spiral notebook. There's nothing on the cover, just green. What could be in that little book that's making Zelda so giddy?
"Come on," Link suddenly says, before turning and speed-walking towards Clock Town. "Hurry up!" he shouts, not really waiting for me at all.
"Bye, Link!" Zelda calls, giggling. "See you later!" Then she stops giggling to look at me. There's no more giddiness in her eyes. Now she just looks knowing, like she's reading my future. She puts the book in her pocket and grabs the curtains. But before closing them, she says one word to me:
"Diary."
And she closes the curtains.
A/N: Hmm. Not exactly what I was going for, but it'll do.
I'm sorry if it seems like I'm being completely off-topic, but rest assured, I'll get back to the let's-explore-Termina plot soon.
Those of you who are reading/glancing at this, thank you. It'll make me happy if you just read this while passing the time for the laundry to be done or something.
If I continue to suck at first-person, I may switch to third. Maybe. Only if I feel I suck too much at first. o.o
