Note: Hey I'm back and very sorry for not updating sooner. But it couldn't be helped…I've been busy. This 17 page chapter should satisfy you for the time being. Lol I really am sorry though. Anyways…please read and review and thanks for the one from the last chapter too! The reviews really motivate me to write. Thanks again!
Disclaimer: I don't own Gundam Seed/Destiny.
The soccer field of Zaft Academy was occupied with their star team during practice. As the boys did drills and ran laps, several students, mainly girls, came to watch. Sure…soccer was an interesting sport…but that wasn't their only reason for watching. The reason was that the most popular, smartest, athletic, not to mention richest boys played on the team. Athrun, Kira, Shinn, and Auel were the center of attention as the girls cheered and giggled. Not far from the giggling and rather annoying bunch, sat four very pretty girls, immersed in a conversation. Two, the blonde and pink haired ones, were popular, smart, and generally easy to talk to. They weren't snobs either, which added to their appeal. The other two, the red heads, who were new at the school, seemed to catch the eyes of a few curious people, mainly guys. They wondered who the two new beauties were and how they befriended Cagalli Yula Athha and Lacus Clyne so soon…it was utterly impossible!
The four girls took no notice of the whispers and cheering as they got to know each other.
"So what brings you here to Zaft Academy? Why did you move?" Lacus asked pleasantly.
Luna and Cagalli were staring at the soccer practice…both extremely interested and caught up in the training, rather than the boys, unlike the many giggling girls that went to watch. It was obvious that they were both sports oriented and Meyrin smiled at how happy her sister was watching them play.
She decided to answer the question, but hesitated first, trying to figure out how to explain their reason for going there. She felt a pain in her chest whenever she thought about the accident.
"Uh…the reason why we're here is because our parents-"
She was cut off my Luna, who had been paying attention to their conversation.
"-wanted us to go to a good school. They heard all about this academy and wanted the best for us."
Meyrin shot her sister a confused glance. Why did she cut me off when I was about to tell them?
Lacus smiled. "I see. So, what do your parents do? They must own some great company…or maybe they're famous? Most people who go here come from families of great prestige and wealth." She didn't say this in a snotty fashion but more like she was stating a fact.
Cagalli, who stopped muttering under her breathe about better practice drills, made a face.
"You won't believe how stuck up some people are. They think they own the world."
Luna smiled softly with a far away look on her face. "My mom said that once…she was very energetic. You remind me of her, Cagalli."
The blonde haired girl blushed in embarrassment at the compliment, but then looked confused.
"Was?"
Luna snapped out of her daze. "Excuse me?"
"You said was…your mom was energetic? What happened? Did she stop, somehow?"
The magenta haired girl's eyes widened and she laughed nervously. "Opps! I mean is. My mom is energetic."
Meyrin sighed and decided to answer Lacus's question to avoid anymore suspicion because of Luna's slip of her tongue. "My mom is an artist. She owned an art studio and my dad was a computer engineer."
Lacus nodded, looking interested at what she was saying. "That's so amazing! I wish that I could be artistic!"
Cagalli almost snorted. "You are!" She then turned to the sisters who looked curious. "Lacus has the best voice in this school. She's good enough to be famous…which she practically is. Her dad owns Clyne Studios, the recording company."
Lacus looked modest. "I'm not that great."
"I bet you are." Meyrin joked as she winked. "I can't wait to hear you sing. You must be really good. I heard all about Clyne Studios on T.V and how it has the most famous singers making records with them."
"What about you? I bet you're good at something too!" Luna asked Cagalli with a grin as Lacus smiled prettily at Meyrin's compliment.
The blonde girl couldn't help but grin back. "I play tennis. It's perfect for me! A sport where you can whack a ball with all your might and no one cares. It's a nice way to let out your frustrations. Oh…and I'm not bad at soccer either…but of course I'm not as good as Kira, Athrun, Shinn, or Auel. The rest, I can beat!" She jokingly threw a fist in the air as if she was cheering.
Luna smiled. "I wish I could play too. I love sports. I always used to go watch them with my dad. We both love the same teams." She couldn't help but mention that. She was often told that she resembled her dad in more ways than one and Luna took pride in knowing that. He was a wonderful person.
"You should try out! I'm sure you'll make it!" Cagalli's eyes got bright and she spoke excitedly. The magenta haired girl laughed nervously and shrank back to get more space from her new friend's hyper behavior.
"Er…I guess, maybe."
Meyrin gave Luna and pointed look causing the girl to sigh. The younger Hawke sister was worried that the strain of exercising would put too much stress on her body, causing her illness to get worse. Luna looked away from her in shame, feeling like she had become a burden. Why do I always make her worry more than she should?
Suddenly, a voice shouted, "Heads up!"
All four girls turned to see a soccer ball making its way towards them. Athrun had been the one to yell the warning. Meyrin's eyes widened as she ducked down, afraid of getting hurt. Lacus did the same thing except with practiced grace. She and Cagalli came here often and she was used to soccer balls randomly aimed her way.
Cagalli grinned and stood up while anticipating its position. Luna just sat and watched, not really scared of getting hit.
The ball made its way and Cagalli intercepted it by bouncing it on her knee with ease. She skillfully caught it after it rebounded up. Some of the guys on the team grinned, namely Kira and Athrun, while the other, less great players looked at her in awe. She could handle the ball better than they could!
"Nice catch, Athha!" Shinn yelled from the field. Even though they had their differences, he still respected her skills in his favorite sport.
The blonde girl jokingly saluted before handing the ball to a startled Luna.
"Er…"
"Try kicking it to them." she explained simply. "I can tell you like sports. You seem really excited when you're watching."
The magenta haired girl took the ball hesitantly and stood, causing everyone to look at her. A few girls from the giggling group that watched the guys pointed and started whispering. They looked at her with eager expressions, as if hoping she would make a fool out of herself.
She started to get nervous but was encouraged when Meyrin stood as well and patted her back.
"Go on! Show them how great you are, sis!" She winked as Lacus nodded in agreement.
Luna looked down at the field and for some reason made eye contact with Shinn, who was staring at her with an unreadable expression. Quickly clearing her mind, she tossed the ball in the air, kneed it up like Cagalli had done, and with smooth turn, kicked the ball into the field. This might not have seemed like much, but doing it on bleachers made the move impressive. Out of all the girls they had seen, only Cagalli could do something like that and look graceful while doing it. The giggling girls looked miffed.
Athrun intercepted the ball and yelled, "Thanks." before motioning for everyone to resume their practice. They snapped out of their daze and continued playing. Mwu caught the girls' attention and gave them thumbs up while grinning.
Cagalli smiled. "That was good! Where did you learn to kick like that?"
Luna scratched her head and looked modest. Meyrin laughed and answered the question for her, pride evident in her voice.
"Our dad always used to play with her. They would just play one on one all the time."
The blonde girl nodded. "Your dad must be a good teacher then. But it's sad though…we don't have a girl's soccer team. Not enough talent…most the girls here don't want anything to do with sports that aren't…uh…girly." She made a face as Lacus giggled.
"It's somewhat true. But I won't lie. I'm not very good at sports. I prefer singing."
Meyrin nodded her head in agreement. "I'm with you on that one. Luna has all the athletic genes…I'm more of an artist."
"Really?"
Now it was Luna's turn to brag for her sister, although she did it in a joking manner.
"Meyrin's great at drawing! You should see her sketch book. She won the art contest at our old school and her work was displayed with honors."
Cagalli looked impressed. "I can't draw to save my life."
"No worries! I can't play soccer or tennis to save my life." They started laughing, causing others to look in their direction.
A voice cut into their conversation. "Practice is over. You girls ready to go?
The turned to see Kira, who had spoken, Athrun, Shinn, and Auel standing at the bottom of the bleachers, all looking worn but relaxed. Auel glared momentarily at Meryin, who returned the gesture while crossing her arms. Luna sighed and shook her head at her sister's behavior.
Lacus stood up as the other girls followed suit. "Why don't you all go back and shower and we can meet at the café."
"Sounds good to me." Cagalli said as she hopped off the bleachers while resembling a cheerful child. Kira moved and helped Lacus, who had changed out of her school uniform and was wearing a light blue summer dress and white sandals with a short heel. She smiled gratefully at his sweet gesture and allowed him to help her down.
"That's so nice." Meyrin said, forgetting her glaring contest against Auel to stare at the couple.
"That's what boyfriends are for." Lacus joked as she winked at Kira who looked amused.
"Ohh, you're going out?" Luna asked with a curious expression. The group started walking towards the dorms. Many of the giggling girls tried to get the guys' attention while the gawking guys tried to get the four girls', but it all proved useless
"Yup! They're the perfect couple too. Many people aren't really happy with it though." Cagalli said as she threw both her arms around her brother and Lacus's shoulders while walking in between them. They stumbled under her sudden weight but regained their balance. Kira rolled his eyes as Athrun joined in on the teasing.
"Yeah…Cagalli's right. Kira and Lacus are wanted by half the student body. Who wouldn't want Ms. President of the senior class slash singer extraordinaire as their girlfriend? And what about Mr. Soccer captain slash one of the top kids in the class as their boyfriend?"
"That's co-captain, Athrun. If half the school's girls want me then the other half wants you. I saw that sophomore giving you that box of chocolates the other day."
The others laughed as Athrun mumbled some thing about that girl thanking him for tutoring her in math. Only the girls noticed that Cagalli was glaring at the ground.
Meyrin decided to change the subject. "So er…you all have a lot of people crushing on you?"
Shinn shrugged. "A lot of it has to do with the fact that our families own big companies and are rich." He didn't say this in a snotty fashion and Luna found herself strangely feeling lighthearted at the fact that those simpering fan girls didn't fool him.
"What does your family own then?"
The messy haired boy looked startled that she addressed him but regained his composure quickly.
"My parents and Auel's parents share an electronics company called Gundam's Co."
Luna's eyes widened. "Whoa. I always see those products in stores."
Shinn expected her to start gushing like all the other girls in the school who tried to get with him just for his money, but was surprised when Luna smiled softly.
"You must be interested in electronics then?"
The boy nodded, the quiet part of his personality showing. He was unaware that the others had stopped talking and were listening in on them with interest. Shinn was usually obnoxious and liked to tease people he first met. He often wore his tough guy façade to scare off any unwanted fan girls. But right now, he was actually acting relatively nice towards the magenta haired girl.
"That's cool. I'm not really good with stuff like that. Meyrin is though…she's really skilled at computers."
Auel snorted at this comment, causing the younger Hawke sister to narrow her eyes.
"What? You don't think I'm good with computers?"
The light blue haired boy smirked arrogantly. "No…I don't think you're good with computers. Someone as ugly and annoying as you couldn't possibly know how to work one."
"Auel…." Shinn said this in a warning tone. He didn't understand why he was being so hostile towards Meyrin. He usually wasn't like this. Shinn had known Auel ever since their parents decided to merge their companies when they were kids. They got along great when they first met. Shinn's quiet but rough personality balanced well with Auel's outgoing and somewhat arrogant one. Shinn joked more often and lightened up while Auel learned the limits of his arrogance. Only now was Shinn thoroughly confused by his friend's behavior.
Meyrin's cheeks turned red in anger and was about to reply but Lacus cut her off.
"Ohh look! There's the dorm. We'll meet you guys at the café in thirty minutes ok?"
Everyone sighed in relief thankful that Lacus had once again avoided a fight. The girls walked towards the dormitories on the right while the guys went to the left. Cagalli and Athrun lagged behind.
"That was a nice catch today at practice. You're controlling skills amaze me, Miss Athha."
Athrun grinned at Cagalli who looked away trying to hide her blush at his compliment.
"Luna was good too." She mumbled quietly, trying to sound nonchalant.
The blue haired boy nodded. "Yeah she was…but you'll always be our number one soccer girl." He winked and waved before running to catch up with Kira, Shinn and Auel.
Cagalli stood and watched him go, a small smile playing on her features. That was why she liked Athrun…he could be so sweet without trying. Too bad he doesn't do it intentionally…
-+-+-+Scene Change-+-+-+-
The girls entered their dorm in good spirits. Cagalli set down her backpack and stretched.
"So who's rooming with me?" she asked the sisters while everyone filed into the living room.
"Well…gathering from your personalities I can guess that the green room with a bunch of soccer and tennis posters is yours?" Luna said with a grin. The blonde girl faked surprise.
"How'd you know!"
"I'm smart like that." Luna said as she lounged on the sofa "So that means that we're rooming buddies."
"Nice terminology." Meyrin piped up as she walked around the living room examining various things. She only had time to unpack and didn't have a chance to observe her new home.
"Things seem to have worked out. I can tell that both of you share interests and I'm sure that Meyrin and I will get along great too." Lacus said this as she went to the kitchen and opened their refrigerator. "Oh yeah. Usually, we go to the dining hall for major meals, like lunch and dinner. But we sometimes cook here too. You're welcome to take anything from the fridge. Cagalli and I always share food. We can all contribute too."
Meyrin smiled gratefully. "That's a good idea. Knowing how much Luna eats…"
"Hey!" the magenta haired girl had a look of protest.
"Anyways," Lacus interrupted smoothly. She was getting good at evading arguments. "You'll be starting classes tomorrow. Since Luna is in our grade, we can show her around. But Meyrin's a junior. We need to find someone to help her."
Cagalli, who had somehow grabbed a tennis ball and was now tossing it around, waved off that worry with her free hand.
"We could always get Stellar or Fllay. They wouldn't mind showing her around. Heck, Auel's in her grade too."
"What!" Meyrin sat up straighter, a look of fury on her face. "I don't want that arrogant bastard to show me around! I'd rather do it myself!"
Luna laughed nervously. Meyrin was usually shy and reserved. Why was that Auel guy affecting her so much? Then again…no one had ever insulted her like that before.
"Er…so uh…where are we all meeting again?" she asked throwing a warning glance at her sister to stop getting angry.
"It's a café called the Comfort Café. Our group always goes there to hang out. It has coffee and sweets, also sandwiches and stuff. Lots of students go there, you see, it's close to the school located in this plaza where there's little shops. It's on Zaft Avenue, a place meant for the students to go to." Cagalli stopped tossing the tennis ball and stood up.
"We should get going soon. The guys should be done showering."
Meyrin stood and walked up to the door, her hand was on the knob when she was shocked by a loud knock. Shrugging, she pulled open the door and was nearly blinded by the bright flash that came. Still seeing stars, Meyrin stumbled back into Lacus and rubbed her eyes.
"What the--"
"Hi there!" Peeping from behind the camera, a pretty girl with short flared out brown hair and teal eyes smiled brightly at a dazed Meyrin and confused Luna. She held a camera that hung from her neck and wore a shirt that had a smiley face on it with "Smile for the Camera!" printed on.
Cagalli stepped forward and sighed. "You need to stop doing that, Milly. You're gonna blind someone one day."
"You're no fun." the girl named Milly pouted as she walked into the room and extended her hand to Luna.
"You must be the new roommates Cagalli and Lacus were talking about. I'm Miriallia Haww. But you can call me Milly. Nice to meet you and sorry about the flash."
"It's ok." Meyrin said as she shook her hand after Luna did. "I'm Meyrin Hawke, and this is my older sister Lunamaria."
"Luna for short!" the said girl piped up cheerfully.
"Milly lives next door. She's a senior too but rooms with two junior girls named Fllay and Stellar. The ones we mentioned from before." Lacus explained and then added to Miriallia. "We're on our way to meet the guys at the café. Would you like to join us?"
The said girl grinned and nodded. "I'll be able to get more pictures for my collection."
Cagalli rolled her eyes as they all stepped out and made their way down the hall.
"Milly's the star photographer and journalist in our school news paper. As you can see, she loves to take pictures. After all…her mom and dad own Orb's most popular and respected newspaper."
Milly ginned. "You're too kind, Miss Athha."
The blonde girl bowed and everyone started laughing.
"Let's get going then." Cagalli said as they walked out the door. Luna abruptly turned and ran back into the room saying about forgetting something. Seconds later, she emerged with a small purse. Meyrin gave a knowing look and no one thought anything of it. They didn't know that she had to run inside to grab her medicine.
The group made their way out of the dorms while talking and joking. Cagalli, Lacus, and Milly pointed out certain places for the sisters and enjoyed playing tour guide. Milly paused every now and then to take pictures while shouting in triumph every time she got the "perfect shot." They walked to the front of the school and showed the security guard their school IDs to let him know that they were leaving the school. After some explaining that Luna and Meyrin were new and didn't receive their IDs yet, the group made its way down the street towards Zaft Avenue.
It was a sunny day with a slight breeze, the perfect weather to hang out. Cars droves by and people walked around the little shops, stopping to talk to their friends and acquaintances. A few times, the three girls who were familiar with the place, greeted some friends they knew.
The reached a cozy looking café and walked in to find that Athrun, Kira, Shinn, and Auel were already seated and waiting for them. The girls went to join them.
"Took you long enough." Auel said with a grin. All the girls except Meyrin, who glared, rolled their eyes knowing that he wasn't serious or angry. Only Meyrin seemed to be affected by the comment.
"This place is nice. I guess you guys come here often?" Luna picked up a menu and started browsing for drinks with Meyrin. The others, having been there a lot, already knew what to get.
"Yeah, whenever we have free time, we just relax here." Kira explained as he gestured around the café. "Lots of other students come here too. It's a main meeting place for us."
A pretty woman in her thirties with her shoulder length black hair tied up in a pony tail walked up. She wore a red apron and had a notepad at hand.
"Hey kidos. What can I get you today?"
A chorus of greetings came out from the group.
"Hi Rose!"
"How's business?"
The woman named Rose smiled warmly. "Really hectic…this little café is getting more and more busy. I don't know how I can manage so many people. The other day, Jodie- you know the one who used to work here?- well she quit because she had to move away. But let's not talk about that. You all must be hungry like teens usually are. Ready to order?"
Everyone placed their orders of milkshakes and coffees and cakes. Rose exchanged a few words with each until she reached Meyrin and Luna.
"I don't believe I know you two. Are you new?"
"They just moved here." Athrun explained.
"Oh! That's lovely. I'm Rose, the owner of this place. I hope you like it here."
Luna and Meyrin smiled. "I'm Luna and this is my sister Meyrin."
Rose nodded and waved at the group before leaving to get their orders. It seemed like today was a day full of greetings for the two Hawke sisters and they got to know their new friends.
Cagalli took the liberty to explain to the guys about what she learned about Luna and Meyrin so they wouldn't have to repeat themselves.
"An artist, huh? That's cool." Shinn said before he took a drink from his chocolate milkshake.
Meyrin nodded. "My mom was really creative." She then turned to Athrun curiously. "What do your parents do? I know everyone else's except you.
The blue haired boy looked away from the scene of Cagalli trying to shove some cake down Kira's mouth (much like she did when she was younger) and turned to face the red head.
"My family owns Genesis Inc. That financial company with the big G as its logo." He answered her with a smile before turning his attention back to the twins. Kira looked like he was choking on the cake…either that or Cagalli was strangling him. Lacus tried helplessly to stop it…a look of amusement crossed her features as she half-heartedly protested. Athrun finally sighed, grabbed Cagalli around the waist and lifted her off of her brother…who was sputtering and asking for water. He then set her down and gave her a look. The blonde twin only smiled sheepishly and grinned back. Athrun was so familiar with his two best friends that he was just as good at stopping their fights as Lacus was.
"That was interesting." Shinn said and was about to say more but was cut off by a high pitched and sugary voice.
"Auel, darling!"
The light blue haired boy choked on his drink with his eyes wide. Cagalli gave a sympathetic look and patted his back. Everyone turned to see a girl their age with short brown hair that stopped at her chin. She had on expensive looking designer clothes and make up that accented her beauty. Her stride resembled that of a model as she walked towards their table. She was followed by a two other girls who weren't dressed as flashy.
"What the…" was all Meyrin could say before the said girl walked right up to the table and flashed a perfect smile.
"It's been ages since I last saw you! I've missed you…why didn't you meet me after practice like you were supposed to?" she pouted her glossy lips at the boy who could only sigh. Geez…you go on a couple dates with the girl and she things you're her property.
True..Auel had been on a few dates with the girl but quickly learned about her possessive nature. The girl, named Lily Stratford was a "family friend." Basically, her father worked for his and Shinn's parents but was high enough in the company to have a friendship with them. It was no secret that Lily wanted to one day own a part of the company…or at least have the fortune gained from it, and to do so, she decided to date one of the boys. Let's just say Auel was unfortunate enough to have attracted Lily more than Shinn. He was, in her words, so "cutely confident," that she preferred that over Shinn's more quiet and tough nature. This was the one time he regretted being arrogant. Anyways...Auel's parents got along well enough with Lily's father. He was a quiet and humble business man who knew what he was doing. Auel often wondered how he ever raised a daughter so spoiled as Lily Stratford. The world may never know…
Because of his parents' friendship with Mr. Stratford, Auel agreed to go on a few dates. His parents never saw the spoiled and bratty side of Lily because she only showed it to those she thought were inferior to her…that being Auel's friends. This caused his parents to think she was the perfect match for him causing them to encouraged their dates together. Sure…she was all nice and polite to him…but he once witnessed her nasty side when she threw a drink in Lacus's face because she saw them walking to class one day together. That girl could get so jealous… it was scary.
"I wanted to chill with my friends. Is that a problem?" Auel thought it best to act indifferent. That way she would get the picture and hopefully leave without throwing any drinks in people's faces.
Lily looked like she wanted to retort but held it in. She then gave a sweet smile; she thought it was sweet but to everyone else it looked cunning and deceitful, and forcefully pushed Auel over and took a seat. This caused Lacus and Kira to get squished in the booth.
"Not at all. I'll just spend some time with you now. Hello everyone." She said this politely but they all knew she was only doing so because it was in front of Auel.
Lily then adjusted her designer sunglasses to rest on top of her head and gave a sugary smile to Shinn, her second choice for a boyfriend if Auel wasn't there. It was a fact that if Auel wasn't in the room and Shinn was, she would try and work her charms on him. It made everyone sick. The messy haired coordinator threw a fake smile back and her.
"Lily. You ran off quickly." A feminine voice spoke. It wasn't fake or sugary, but clear sounding. Everyone looked up to see a charmingly pretty girl with fiery red hair a little past her shoulders. She had half of it tied up which accented her face and gray eyes. Standing next to her, was a cute and innocent looking girl with short blonde hair and magenta eyes. These two didn't give off the aura of being snobby, like Lily, and Meyrin wondered why they would associate with her.
"Hello girls. I just saw Auel and had to see him. Why don't you pull up a seat? They both did, neither really bothered by the fact that Lily sounded bossy.
Everyone, except Luna and Meyrin, who didn't know them, greeted the girls in a friendly manner…quite the opposite from Lily's greeting.
"Hello Fllay…Stellar" Cagalli said politely. She didn't always hang out with the two…being a senior and them being juniors but they still lived in the dorm across the hall. Milly winked at the two, who smiled back. She was their roommate and often looked out for them like an older sister would.
The red head, Fllay, looked up at Kira with a shy grin and he smiled back. It was no secret that she was crushing on him; everyone knew this…even Lacus. Well, everyone except Kira. He was oblivious to it all. The whole Lacus-Kira-Fllay thing was rather weird. It was clear that Kira and Lacus had feelings for each other and Fllay knew this too. She wasn't stupid…she could tell how happy they acted around each other. She was usually a sassy and outspoken girl who wasn't afraid of showing attitude, but this often dimmed when she was around the brown haired soccer player.
Being the daughter of a well known political figure, Fllay was used to the spotlight. She met Kira at a charity party when she went outside to get some fresh air. She saw his handsome figure sitting on the ledge of the balcony looking at the stars. They talked and found out that they went to the same school; Fllay being a freshman at the time and Kira being a sophomore. Kira treated her with brotherly affection and even had a soft spot for the girl…but it wasn't the same as it was with Lacus. The pink haired singer had already captured his heart.
Fllay accepted this fact and decided to try and move on with her life. It proved to be a lot harder than she thought. She would just have to wish them the best and settle with being friends. Fllay was a strong girl but she couldn't deny that she wasn't hurt.
"Shinn!" The blonde girl named Stellar looked positively excited. She went to him and gave him a hug. The boy, used to her affection, returned it casually. Every since an experience in the past that involved Shinn saving Stellar from a group of thugs, she had grown fond of the messy haired soccer player. Stellar liked Shinn and wasn't afraid to show her emotions towards him. She was grateful for his help before and cherished his friendship. Shinn, on the other hand, didn't know how he felt about the soft-spoken girl. His friends always said that she would be a great girlfriend but he still was uneasy about it. Something was always missing whenever he thought of her that way. Still, Shinn had a soft spot for the girl much like how Kira had one for Fllay.
"This is Meyrin and Luna." Milly said for what seemed like the hundredth time. Luna grinned while Meyrin smiled and nodded.
"New girls, huh?" Lily asked with a raised eyebrow. She seemed to be surveying them like a predator. It was obvious that she didn't want any girls getting close with Auel. "So…how did you get into Zaft Academy. Only the best of the best are qualified…you two don't look so great to me."
Meyrin decided right then that she didn't like this girl. Somewhere deep deep down, she felt annoyed that this girl was so familiar with Auel. Wait…did she just think about Auel! No…the reason had to be because the girl was stuck up…not because of Auel. Never because of him.
"Funny...why are you still here if only the best are qualified?"
Cagalli laughed loudly and a there was a sound of a click followed by a flash. Apparently Milly, seeing Lily's sour expression decided to capture the moment with her handy camera.
Before Lily could throw back a remark, Luna cut in, though she gave the girl a hard look.
"We're here on scholarship."
"Whoa…only really smart and talented people get here on scholarship." Athrun remarked. He was impressed along with the others.
Lily snorted and sneered. "Yeah right…either that or you're poor. You're mom probably had to do the headmaster some favors, if you know what I mean. Maybe Mrs. Gladys wasn't good enough for him."
A gasp filled the room. It wasn't one from the group...but from Lily herself.
"You bitch! You ruined my shirt!"
The fuming girl was now covered in a chocolate milkshake and a piece of cake lathered in whip cream. Meyrin, who threw the milkshake was glaring holes at the girl. Luna, the cake thrower, looked extremely upset and would have been glaring at the girl like her sister, had it not been for the coughing fit she was immersed in.
Concerned, Lacus handed the magenta haired girl water and patted her back. Meyrin shot her a worried glance before looking back at Lily. Fllay and Stellar sighed at her snobby behavior, being used to it, they decided not to speak up.
"Never say that about my mom. I swear…if you ever disgrace her again, I will personally make sure that your delicate looking face can never smirk again."
Lily attempted to pick up Auel's drink to throw but was stopped by him.
"That's enough, Lily. Go get cleaned up and leave us alone." He didn't tell her off about the words she said but he didn't look happy either.
Luna dived to her purse and took out her inhaler. She breathed into it a few times causing everyone to turn their attention to her. Shinn's brow furrowed with worry.
The magenta haired girl took a few deep breathes before turning to Lily, who stood to leave, a sulky expression on her face.
She stared at her with pity. "It's sad…you don't realize that there are more important things in life than money and power."
Lily sniffed and crossed her arms, trying to look dignified. "So you admit it, do you? You are poor." She laughed harshly and then walked up to Auel, before bending and kissing him on the cheek. The light blue haired boy jerked his head away but remembered his promise to his parents. They wanted him to try and get along with her for their sake.
The snotty girl walked off.
"What a brat." Cagalli said and everyone agreed.
"Don't let her get to you, Meyrin. She's always been like that…blinded by her greed and ambition, trying to act superior to everyone." Lacus's soothing voice calmed the girl.
"Are you ok?"
Luna gave Shinn a grateful look before smiling slightly. "Just peachy."
Everyone shook their heads at how Luna could change the dreary situation back to being light-hearted.
Auel finally spoke up. For once, his arrogant side was gone and he was serious.
"Sorry about that. Lily doesn't know when to stop."
Meyrin looked surprised that this arrogant and rude guy could actually utter an apology.
"Uh…"
"It wasn't your fault." Luna said with a smile. "She seems to really like you."
Fllay snorted. "That's an understatement. She's had the hots for him since forever. It's not only your money she's after."
"Fllay's right." Stellar spoke up quietly, who up until now was silent. "Lily really does like you…she just needs to work on her people skills. She's not a horrible person."
Milly rolled her eyes. "That's cuz you always see the nice side of people. Miss Innocent." She winked as Stellar blushed at the comment. She threw a look at Shinn and smiled brightly.
"Why are you friends with her anyways?" Meyrin asked with narrowed eyes. She had gotten over the shock of Auel apologizing but was still miffed about the incident before.
Stellar sighed. "Lily went to middle school with us and we were close. The three of us made a group of best friends. She wasn't always like this though. She used to be shy and reserved. That's until her mother died the summer of her freshman year. Being the good friends that we are, we stuck by her."
Fllay picked up a cookie and took a small bite. She spoke softly. "She just wants to be loved…like everyone else." Lacus looked at the girl with concern. She knew that Fllay must have been hurting because of Kira and felt bad about it. Lacus knew that she was a good person but things didn't always work out in life.
She stood abruptly and Stellar followed suit.
"We should get going. We have a dance session. See ya later."
Stellar smiled and in a quiet voice said, "Sorry about Lily's behavior. And nice to meet you, Luna and Meyrin."
"Wait!" Cagalli called out and they turned. "Could you show Meyrin around and help her get to her classes tomorrow? She's a junior too."
Fllay shrugged. "Sounds cool. Don't worry…it won't be with Lily." She added hastily after seeing the look on Meyrin's face. "She has other more snotty friends that we choose not to associate ourselves with. We'll meet tomorrow. Bye."
Meyrin sighed in relief.
"Dance?" Luna questioned.
"Fllay and Stellar are the top dancers in our school. They're really gifted." Athrun said.
"Geez…I guess everyone has a great skill at this school, huh?" Meyrin questioned.
Auel snorted. Apparently, he turned back to his old self. "Not you!"
"What does that mean?" Meyrin said with anger. She couldn't believe this jerk!
"Here we go again." Cagalli and Kira said in union.
"This is good footage." Milly, forever cheerful, said excitedly. She took a picture and the flash snapped the pair out of their argument.
"You all ready to go?" Athrun questioned as he took out his wallet.
Luna dug in her purse as well taking out some money…there wasn't much but she had enough to pay her part.
The blue haired soccer player waved off her offer. "It's on me. We don't really like to bother with dividing the bill so we all take turns. Plus…you're new here so it's not fair."
Luna and Meyrin protested before Cagalli grabbed both their arms and dragged them out.
"Don't worry about it! It's not a big deal."
Luna and Meyrin relented and gave their thanks. To the high society of Orb, money wasn't a problem. But to the two orphaned and poor sisters…it meant a lot.
…end of chapter…
Note: Hope everyone enjoyed it…there was a lot of dialogue and background information. I needed to explain some things. There are lots of characters here and more to be introduced…but the main spotlight will shine on Cagalli, Lacus, Luna, and Meyrin along with their respective love interest. Haha
Oh yeah…please don't bash any characters or get mad at them for liking someone and creating love triangles…this being namely Fllay and Stellar. The point of it is to create drama. I actually like Fllay's character and would appreciate it if you guys understand that she likes Kira just as much as Lacus does. Don't worry though, original pairings will stay. The only characters you can get angry with are Mia (cuz I don't like her..no offense to anyone that does), Lily (she's meant to be nasty) and eventually Yuna (he's a whimp). Sorry if I'm rambling. Thanks for reading! Bye!