"Cigarettes on cigarettes, my mama think I stank. I got burn holes in my hoodies and all my homies think its dank. I miss my coco-butter kisses, I miss my coco-butter kisses."
"Coco-butter Kisses," Chance the Rapper.
No Rest for the Wicked
Chapter I: "School Flow"
"Yo, Kruger!"
Natsuki looks up from her task of locking up her bike on the rack upon hearing her name. A girl with a head full of short, messy brown locks and dark rimmed glasses jogs forward. Natsuki flashes her friend a smile in greeting.
"Damn, your dad still tripping about attendance?" she says sympathetically as Natsuki finishes securing her BMX.
"Yeah, she said she'll give me my bike back when my attendance improves." Natsuki groans. "Until then I'm stuck with this."
Her friend chuckles and gives her a reassuring pat on her shoulder. "Hey, cheer up, Kruger. At least you have me to keep you company."
Natsuki raises a brow. "I think your definition of company and mine are two completely different things, Chie."
Chie waggles her brows suggestively. "That may be true, but they both end with you being on your ass!"
Chie's arm slithers around her shoulders as they round the corner of the school's parking lot, laughing and joking about inappropriate topics and discussing plans for the house party they were planning on hosting to celebrate the end of the semester and the beginning of spring break.
Although it is rather early, the school is bustling with life and chatter. Various social groups loiter around the front entrance. A few cheerleaders are busy sneering at girls they deem unworthy, a group of underclassmen are tossing a worn football back and forth, hooting and hollering like a pack of wild animals.
A security guard is hot on the heels of a troublemaker, who unapologetically barrels into people in his haste to get away. Drugs are exchanged as quickly and normally as numbers, narcotics and alcohol take the place of school supplies in backpacks, and already a few individuals are sporting sunglasses and complaining of headaches.
"Kruger," a faceless boy with blonde hair greets them as they trot up the stairs, his eyes hidden behind a pair of dark glasses. He leans in close, as if he has a secret and whispers, "got bud?"
Natsuki shakes her head with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, dude, maybe next time."
His shoulders slump in disappointment. "Damn, you think Zhang has any? Or Yuuichi?"
"Yuuichi might, actually," Chie says matter-of-factly. "I think I saw him under the bleachers."
The boy scurries off without another word.
"I don't even think Nao is here yet. You know she likes her beauty sleep." Chie says as they reach their lockers.
"Beauty sleep? She needs to hibernate, if that's the case." Natsuki snorts as she punches in her combination and swings open her locker.
A hand roughly whacks her upside the head and she groans, cradling her aching skull. A familiar pair of purple pumps stare back at her. "Ouch, what the hell, Mai?"
Mai, a busty red-head with soft purple eyes and a knack for mothering her friends, glares at the dark-haired teenager. "You promised that you two would be nicer to each other."
"I think that only applies if she's around." Chie points out, and Natsuki nods in agreement.
"See? I haven't broken any promises."
Mai shakes her head and folds her arms underneath her breasts, inadvertently pushing them upwards. She then begins a lecture that, unfortunately for her, falls upon deaf ears.
"Um, hello," Mai snaps, "my eyes are up here."
"Yes but they're not nearly as appealing as the sight bestowed upon us at this very moment," Chie says.
Natsuki has enough sense to refrain from agreeing with her this time.
As the two continue to argue, Natsuki assesses herself in the mirror. The school, much to a few strict instructors and the occasional orderly students' displeasure, had foregone its uniform policy, hoping the newly awarded freedom would improve the school's overall image.
She's wearing a pair of ripped denim jeans, a dark blue baseball shirt, and a pair of stark white Nikes. Her piercings gleam in the dim lighting of the hallway, and the beginnings of various tattoos peek out from beneath the fabric of her shirt.
Her looks have drawn the attention of plenty of admirers, girls and boys alike. Undying feelings are confessed to her at least once a week, love letters are stuffed religiously into her locker and taped to her motorcycle.
Natsuki is extremely popular, not just because of her looks, but because of her mysterious ice queen persona, her sense of style, her carefree, borderline reckless nature, and her intelligence. Even though she is quite the troublemaker and spends more time in the principal's office than in class, she does posses quite a brain.
Her grades are something to be jealous of. The only reason that she isn't placed in classes with individuals as intelligent as her is because of her attendance -or lack there of- and her delinquent tendencies.
She's behind ninety-nine point nine percent of the chaos and mayhem that goes on around the school.
"Speaking of the devil," Natsuki says as she catches a glimpse of a familiar head of red hair. Nao slowly trudges toward the duo, her gait sluggish and her eyes half closed. "Morning, Sleeping Ugly."
"Go play in traffic, mutt." Nao grumbles as she runs a hand through her messy red locks. "Chie, it's nice to see your fingers haven't fallen off yet."
Chie flashes her a grin. "Nope, in fact…"
Nao holds up a well-manicured hand. "I don't want to hear it, Hallard. Keep your sexual escapades to yourself."
"Trouble in paradise?" Mai asks softly.
"Which is actually translated to; trouble in pussy?" Chie elbows Natsuki in the ribs, daring her to agree. Natsuki, upon seeing Mai's glare, turns away, suddenly finding interest in her history textbook.
"Nina's mad at me." Nao admits.
"Oh, shocker," Natsuki mutters.
"What'd you do this time?" Mai says, exasperated.
"I might have possibly forgotten our anniversary…"
There's a collective wince from each of the girls and Nao tries not to punch Natsuki in frustration. It isn't like Natsuki actually has anything to do with her current dilemma, but she does prove to be a useful punching bag.
Natsuki rolls her eyes as she glares at a group of freshman boys that are staring at her from the opposite end of the hallway. They immediately fall into an argument over who she was actually staring at, even going as far as pushing and shoving each other.
"You've got some serious grovelling to do." Chie remarks. "I can give you some tips if you'd like."
"If I want tips on how to contract a serious sexually transmitted disease, I'll call you." Nao replies as she flips her hair and walks the other way. Chie frowns and Natsuki glances at Mai.
"And you want me to be nice to that?"
- No Rest for the Wicked -
"Bubuzuke!"
Shizuru looks up from her tea as a furious blonde barges into the Student Council room, her eyes glittering with annoyance. She tosses a handful of papers into the girl's lap.
"Ara, what seems to be the issue, Haruka-san?"
Haruka is a boisterous blonde girl with intense green eyes and a temper to match. Despite her Japanese heritage, the girl was born overseas in a small town in the United Kingdom. Her Japanese isn't the strongest or the most fluent and she often mispronounces words.
Haruka's glare is like fire. "Are you petitioning for a football meme?"
"It's team, Haruka," a meek voice whispers from the corner of the room, hidden behind a tower of paperwork.
Yukino is a very small, very shy brunette with mousy brown hair and a pair of large spectacles. Despite being very quiet and docile, she happens to be Haruka's best friend and is always around to correct her mistakes.
"That's what I said!"
Shizuru looks at the papers and blinks. "Ara, it seems as though Reito has taken this to heart. I think it's wonderful."
"He's standing outside with a bullhorn demanding to see the board of education!"
Shizuru stifles a laugh behind her hand. "Oh, you know boys and their sports." she waves dismissively.
"Boys, yes. Kanzaki, no!" Haruka bellows as she stalks over to the window and presses her face against the glass. "This is an outrage! They should be in ass!"
"Class, Haruka…"
Shizuru moves over to the window. "Ara, he's certainly gathered quite a crowd."
In the very center of campus, beneath the flagpole, is a group of male students surrounding the rally stage. Reito is on stage preaching through a bullhorn, a football clutched in his hands.
"Someone needs to stop him!" Haruka demands. "And by someone, I mean you!"
"Ara, and why would he listen to me?"
"Because one tea drinker will listen to a mother!"
"Another, Haruka."
"That's what I said! Gah, forget it," Haruka fumes and reaches into her bag, grabbing a box of tampons and a box of red markers. "If you want something done right, do it yourself!"
Haruka sprints out of the room. A few moments later, Shizuru can see her through the window outside heading straight for the group of boys. The assembly suddenly disperses, boys running in various directions trying to escape from Haruka, who's holding up a bloody...tampon?
Shizuru giggles and returns to her chair. She presses the cup of tea to her lips and takes a sip.
"Why is Reito suddenly all for a football team?" Yukino asks timidly.
Shizuru's eyes sparkle with mischief. "Ara, he thinks constructing a football team it will have its benefits."
"Yes, but what kind of benefits exactly?"
"Uniting the male body of course."
In more ways than one.
- No Rest for the Wicked -
"So, I was thinking we should throw this motherfucker Friday night. The sooner the better." Chie insists as she glances at each and every individual gathered around Natsuki's desk. First period started roughly thirty minutes ago, but since break is only a few days away, their teacher, Midori, decided to take it easy on them.
A sandy-haired boy nods in agreement as he runs a comb through his multi-colored locks. He's lounging on the chair in front of Natsuki's, clad in a pair of cut off shorts, a muscle shirt, and a pair of comfy looking slippers. "Man, foreal."
Four pairs of eyebrows raise simultaneously.
"Anyway," Tate continues, "you got the list right?"
"List? What list?"
Tate makes frantic gestures. "You know, the list! How do y'all not know what the list is? That's not cool, yo."
"...Right, what's on the list?" Natsuki directs the conversation into a progressive sequence, insisting on ignoring Tate's refusal to make sense.
"Man, ya'll trippin', foreal." Tate groans, "the list, you know. The drugs, the drinks, the bud!"
There's a collective groan of realization. "Why didn't you just say so?" Nao growls, slapping the boy upside his head. "Of course we got the list, kinda party you think this is?"
"Your dad's cool with us using the crib, right?" Tate asks Natsuki, who looks positively bored out of existence.
"Yeah, she doesn't care as long as I don't get arrested or completely trash the place. Besides, she's working overtime this weekend." Natsuki explains, leaning back in her chair.
"Working overtime? Is that some kind of dirty euphemism for banging the secretary?" Chie asks with a suggestive wink.
Nao shudders in disgust. "I sure hope not, but knowing RJ it might be. She's an old dog and that makes Fido over here a mutt."
Natsuki's eyes gleam as she suddenly leans forward and folds her hands neatly on her desk. "Guess that makes you the bitch, huh?"
"The fuck's a Fido?" Tate wonders aloud.
"Guys, focus," Mai rubs her temples tiredly. Honestly, it's like dealing with a rowdy bunch of disobedient children. "Friday is only three days away, If we're going to plan we need to do it now."
"Melons is right, dawg," Tate says, "you probably ain't even spread the word about this shindig, have you?"
"Okay, what the fuck is he saying?" Chie asks. "Somebody Google Translate this."
"There's no translation for stupid, Chie." Nao replies. "But we do need to spread the word. Any ideas?"
Natsuki raises her hand. "Yeah, I've got this. YO!"
Everyone pauses in their ministrations to look at the dark-haired girl. A wolfish grin takes ahold of Natsuki's full pink lips. "Party at my place this friday!"
There's a deafening cheer from all occupants of the room, even Midori, who is supposed to be the adult around here. Natsuki looks at her friends. "Mission accomplished." she shouts over the roar of the crowd.
"Aw, shiet that's what I'm talking 'bout, playa!" Tate fist pumps, a roguish grin plastered on his lips.
Suddenly, there's a thick, confused silence. "What did he say?" someone from the back row asks, his brows furrowed in confusion.
"Just stop while you're ahead." Natsuki says with an irritated grimace.
- No Rest for the Wicked -
Shizuru sighs heavily as her father's secretary bombards her with the tasks and agendas she will have to complete before the day is over. School let out about fifteen minutes ago, and students are loitering around the front entrance in groups of threes and fours.
A rowdy bunch of freshman are hooting and hollering in that strange male language of theirs, chasing after a football. Another group of boys barrel past her, nearly bowling her over in their haste to get away from yet another security guard.
A group of seniors are gathered around a black corvette, marveling at its sleek interior while a rather cocky girl leans against its hood, her mouth curved into an arrogant smirk. How she wishes she can indulge in the carelessness and lack of empathy that comes with adolescence.
She longs for the ability to stay out late with a group of close friends, laughing and partying, then sleeping through the entirety of school the next morning. But her father is a harsh, borderline cruel man, and very strict man. He will never allow such trivial things.
She doesn't have friends. People who worship the very ground she walks on, but friends is a term she isn't familiar with. She doesn't have any siblings, and her father often voices his displeasure about having an unworthy daughter instead of a capable son to carry out his legacy.
"Viola-sama," her father's secretary's raspy voice calls, "if you don't mind, I will only be a moment," she says, gesturing to the slightly rundown in front of them, her black eyes eyes pleading. Shizuru meekly nods her consent and the pencil thin woman pulls open the doors and disappears inside.
Shizuru looks awfully out of place standing outside a dingy liquor store clad in expensive Louis V. heels, a red Calvin Klein long sleeved sweater, and a tight, tan skirt that stops about mid-thigh. It will only be a matter of time before her father's limo will pull up near the curb as well. She walks around in aimless circles for a few minutes, wondering what could possibly be keeping Keko so long, and looks up as she hears a pair of voices.
Two girls roughly around her age are approaching from the opposite end of the sidewalk. One is small with red hair, standing on the pegs attached to to the rear wheel of the other girl's shiny black bike. The red-head hops of before the bike even comes to a complete stop and stalks into the liquor store.
Shizuru's breath catches in her throat. She's never seen a more beautiful creature in her life. She can tell that she's tall and lithe even though she's sitting down, and toned by the way her blue sweater clings to her torso.
Her jeans have stylish rips and tears along her thighs and her feet are clad in stark white high-tops. Her long hair falls down her back in silken obsidian waves, framing a pale, heart-shaped face that holds vivid green eyes.
She lazily twirls her bike's handlebars as she waits, her green eyes roaming Shizuru's body from head to toe appreciatively. She leans forward, resting her chin on the cool metal. "You go to Fuuka?" her husky voice makes Shizuru weak in the knees.
"Yes," Shizuru says politely, marveling at the amount of piercings in the girl's face. She has one in her left eyebrow, two below that same eye, and multiple studs decorating the outside of her ears. Shizuru can also see the beginnings of a tattoo on her neck. She's absolutely stunning.
"Do you?"
"Yep," she says, her voice laced with boredom. "Sometimes."
Shizuru tilts her head to the side curiously. She would've remembered such a gorgeous face.
"I'm attendance-in-tolerant," the girl offers, "probably why you don't know me or you've never seen me before."
That makes sense. Shizuru is very good with names, she is the Kaichou after all. "Viola, Shizuru," she says politely, holding out a slender hand.
"Kruger, Natsuki Kruger." Natsuki replies, pounding her outstretched hand with a closed fist. Shizuru tilts her head to the side, confused by the action. It must be a teenager thing, she thinks, as if she herself doesn't fall into the category.
"Hey, you should come to my party friday." Natsuki says suddenly.
Shizuru's eyes glitter with interest. She's never been to a party before. Balls, weddings, and social gatherings, certainly, but never a party. "Is it your birthday?"
Natsuki laughs and shakes her head. "Nah, just a little something to kickstart break. Besides, you don't need a special occasion to get have a good time."
"And your parents are okay with this?"
"My dad doesn't care as long as I save her the good stuff and keep the house together. Besides, she's working overtime this weekend, I have entire place to myself." Natsuki explains as the little red-head exits the store carrying an armful of chips, soda, and candy. Her school-bag, which Shizuru thinks lacks anything school-related, is also filled to the brim with various snacks and sweets, and even a few condoms.
"Up yours, asshole!" she snarls at the cashier, flipping him the bird and stuffs the rest of the teeth-rotters in her back before climbing back on the bike. "Come on, mutt, mush."
"1420 Sakura Lane." Natsuki throws over her shoulder as she whirls the bike around.
"Wait!" Shizuru cries before they get too far. "What is the dress code?"
Natsuki chuckles, "Anything you want, babe."
And with that, the two girls vanish around the corner, just as Keko exits the store and a flawless white limo pulls up in front of the store.
"My apologies, Viola-sama," Keko says sheepishly, "A rather hungry girl had quite a lot of purchases."
Shizuru doesn't mention the fact that Keko was in there before the girl had even arrived. Natsuki had called her 'babe' even though they weren't romantically involved… Nevertheless, she can feel the tips of her ears and the bridge of her nose erupt with a prominent blush.
1420 Sakura Lane…
If it ensures that I get to see you again, I accept your invitation, Nat-su-ki.
-No Rest for the Wicked-
First and foremost, THANK YOU ALL FOR THE 1K REVIEWS ON SMOKE AND MIRRORS! I appreciate all your love and support, and I will continue to provide all your SHIZNAT NEEDS! THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!