Author's Note:
I use some coarse language in this fic as well (i.e. retard, dumbass, bitch). This is why I rated this fic PG-13. Though I am using words typically part of any teen's vocabulary, in now way do I mean to make derogatory remarks about the mentally challenged, homosexuals, or anyone else. If these words offend you then please do not read this story.
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of these characters. The movie A Walk To Remember isn't mine either or the rights to 'Complicated'... So don't sue!
Scenes From Last Chapter:
Link thinks his social scene is fine the way it is until the appearance of a new girl to Hyrule High School makes him question what he really wants from life. Ruto and Malon, ever the elite snobs, instantly hate her and Malon even trips her in the cafeteria, yet her new-found jealousy may have a lot to do with Link's affections waning towards her.
This is dedicated to the nice young woman who wrote to me, telling me I should carry on with the fic, and really encouraging me. I know I never got a chance to write back but thank you very much! The mail was deleted so sadly I do not remember your name (Josephine? Sophia?) but it really meant a lot to me to hear from you! Thank you for your kind words and here is Chapter two, just for you! ^_^
Please read ~ review ~ enjoy!
You Could Never Feel This Way
By Jasmine
*
Chapter Two: Things Just Got A Little Complicated
Ms. Nabooru Gerudo (Sorry I don't know her real last name) was a new teacher to Hyrule High and she stood up in front of the class with a stern tight smile on her pretty tan face. Her long scarlet hair was pulled back in a golden clasp and she wore a simple purple pantsuit over her small- framed body. She looked at her students sitting in groups of two by tables and said in her very commanding, authoritive voice, "Good morning class! Today we have a new student to our drama group and I want you all to please make her feel welcome. Everyone say hello to Zelda."
The petite blonde, sitting by Anju in the second row, sunk deeper into her chair as the class chortled weakly, "Hello Zelda."
Suddenly the door opened and in sauntered Ruto followed by Link. She stood a full inch taller than the quarterback in her four-inch spiked heels and swished her hips with her nose stuck up in the air. Link entered without much pretext, simply hefting his and Ruto's heavy books, that she no doubt forced him to carry for her and Link, being such a gentleman, agreeing despite his hatred for her.
Ms. Gerudo gave them a stern look, her amber eyes gazing hard at them, and scolded, "Ruto and Link, you both are five minutes late. This is the second time this week alone!"
Ruto protested as sophisticated as she always pretended to be, "But Ms. Gerudo, I can explain. Mr. Rauru asked Link and I to stay after lunch to discuss the planning of our school's winter ball and before we knew it the bell rang. We walked as fast as we could, since running is not permitted in Hyrule High's hallways, but we still were late. So you see Ms. Gerudo, this was clearly out of our hands and in no part our own fault."
The young teacher sighed and put her hands on her slender hips. "Alright, but don't let it happen again. Have a seat you two... I swear, you have better become a lawyer one day, Ruto, or else your talents of objecting will go to waste..."
The blue haired girl beamed proudly and gushed, "O thank you Ms. Gerudo. I plan to be a great lawyer and become rich one day just like my daddy."
Link rolled his eyes at the young woman and then walked over to his seat, trailed by Ruto, whose leather pants made strange swishing noises with each swish of her hips.
Zelda stared at the tardy pair and whispered to Anju, "No way! They're both in drama?"
The girl with the short red hair gave a miserable look and her electric green eyes regarded the blonde young woman, "Yup, I think they needed extra credits and they thought this would be a piece of cake class. Some sick irony huh? Even in the drama club we can't get relief from those dumb preps."
The new girl looked over at Link and Ruto and felt her heart flutter. As much as she tried to deny it, a part of her wasn't entirely angry that the attractive blonde boy was in drama with her.
Ms. Gerudo went on, "Ok well now that the whole class is here maybe we can get back to the play we were reading yesterday. We finished up 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare correct? Can I get some reactions on what we all just read?" Big surprise, no one raised their hand. They all sat quietly shifting their gaze from the teacher nervously until Ms. Gerudo was forced to pick on someone. "What did you think about 'Hamlet', Ruto?"
Ruto wrinkled her sharp pointed nose and sniffed, "It was so unbelievable! I mean, the Hamlet guy's dad dies and he goes all berserk. He totally overreacts and acts like a psycho."
The tan teacher sighed and shook her head. "Ruto, you are not looking below the layers of this play. Anju, what struck you most profound about 'Hamlet'?" she inquired with hopeful eyes to one of her most creative and enlightened students.
The pale skinned, red headed hippie girl did not even hesitate as she replied, her brow furrowed in concentration, "When Hamlet first learns of his father's murder he becomes enraged and distraught. He also fully becomes overwhelmed with a need for revenge and throws himself deep into a plot to reveal his uncle as the murderer. His plan is to act insane and yet at times Shakespeare makes you question whether indeed it is merely a plot or if Hamlet has truly lost his mind."
Ms. Gerudo nodded and said, directing it towards her class, "Good job, Anju. I'm glad one of my students at least was paying attention to the hidden subtext of the play. Shakespeare hints throughout 'Hamlet' that things, people, life, are not always as they appear. A good example of this is Hamlet's madness."
Ruto shot Anju a sharp glare and pouted. She hated anyone thinking they were smarter or better then her. After all, everyone should know she was the perfect girl, certainly not that hippie or that fashion reject!
The tall woman standing before her students went on, "Now, since I want you all to become comfortable with acting in front of an audience, can I have one volunteer please come up and recite their favorite line or lines from 'Hamlet'?" Nabooru looked around the room and, of course, saw not one hand go up. "Come on now, this is something you have to all get use to," she chided and placed her hands on her slim hips.
The blue-skinned Zora girl gave a sly crimson smile and crowed, "I think Zelda would like to, Ms. Gerudo." She knew she couldn't get revenge by saying Anju wanted to perform before the class since the hippie would merely leap at the opportunity, but Zelda might be less than eager.
All eyes turned to Zelda and her cheeks grew hot with a pink flush. She slid deeper into her chair and peered with her icy pale blue eyes to the ground.
Nabooru gave Ruto a disapproving glance; she was aware of the mean tricks some students would play on a new teen, and scolded, "Ruto, stop volunteering others. Zelda hasn't even read the play yet..."
Suddenly a sure, female's voice called, "Wait, I'll do it." Again people all gazed at Zelda as she sat up, a determined courageous expression on her beautiful face. She couldn't show Ruto her little ploy had worked to embarrass her, she had to stand up for herself.
The teacher seemed a little aback and spluttered, "Are you sure, Zelda? You still haven't been given a chance to catch up with the class..."
Zelda plastered on a smile even if the corners were a little tense with worry. "I'd be happy to," she replied, watching from the corner of her eye as Ruto's mouth fell agape with shock. Then the tall petite girl stood up, her floral sundress falling against her thighs, and walked with an even gait up to the front of the classroom.
Ruto still looked very pleased with herself, thinking the new student was walking her death march and going to be made a fool of. The wealthy Zora managed to hiss, "Don't trip, Blondie."
The young woman stood in front of the sea of awaiting teens and for a moment everyone thought she'd back down. With her slender, peach cardigan encased arms by her sides; she bit back her fear and muffled her heartbeat pulsing in her pointed ears, before suddenly beginning, "To die, to sleep." Her voice rang against the walls like a clear bell and she looked up, a twin pair of somber cerulean oceans staring out. Her long straight flaxen hair glistened down her shoulders and Zelda looked completely immersed in her words. "To sleep, perchance to dream, ay there's the rub. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come? When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause; there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life," she spoke and wavered from shouting and whispers, tears caught in her throat, as she acted out the lines from 'Hamlet' in her expression and demeanor.
Students were silent in awe and finally Ms. Gerudo broke the quiet by clapping slowly at first. Soon others joined in until the whole class was applauding feverishly, Ruto glowering angrily. When the din had died down, Nabooru gave Zelda an appreciative smile and encouraged with genuine enthusiasm, "Excellent, Zelda. My, such a powerful performance of what I must admit to being my favorite lines of the play as well. Have you ever read that in front of an audience before?"
The young woman blushed bashfully and responded humbly, "No. We did read 'Hamlet' last semester at my old school in New York though."
The red headed teacher said, "Then I am even more impressed by your portrayal of Hamlet. Thank you, Zelda, for showing such a fine example of what it means to truly act. Now please take your seat."
As the blonde girl headed back to her chair she gave Ruto a sideway glance and whispered with smug pleasure dripping from her voice, "Did that hurt when your little plan blew up in your face?" To this the Zora simply growled and folded her arms about her chest.
Nabooru began to speak, "Now that I believe the entire class has gained somewhat of an understanding of 'Hamlet', we will move on to another of Shakespeare's most renowned plays. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the flitty tale of two pairs of naïve lovers whose fates are altered by the nymphs of the woods. As I've told you before class, we will be performing the play of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Shakespeare's comedic masterpiece, for the entire school in approximately two months. The set staff have already begun crafting backdrops and the such and I would like to give out individual roles tomorrow for the characters. This means you have homework..." The students gave out a begrudging moan in unison as the teacher passed out books and the Gerudo continued without sympathy, "O shush, I hardly ever assign homework. I want all of you to practice a few lines for the character you would like to play and have them somewhat perfected for Monday try-outs so that you can perform for me after school to better aid my selection. What role you get depends greatly on how you handle your lines Monday so please take this seriously people. If you need help I recommend you rehearse with a friend from this class. Zelda would be an excellent candidate for this as we've all witnessed..."
Suddenly the bell rang and teenagers leaped from their seats, shouting happily.
"Class dismissed," Ms. Gerudo attempted to cry over the noise and watched with annoyance as her students ran from her room, whooping along down the hall.
Anju stood up and pulled her woven messenger bag up over her shoulder. "O darn, I wanted to do 'Hamlet'. I had hopes of being Ophelia," she said with a smile. "Just so I could pretend to go completely insane and then jump from a bridge. Sounds like fun no?"
Zelda laughed and began to collect up her books and notepads. "O yes lots," she retorted with a wink.
"Zelda, can I talk to you for a minute?" a male voice suddenly called and the blonde girl looked up to see the handsome jock, Link, walking towards her. His jeans and simple shirt looked good on his muscular body and his shaggy sandy golden hair fell on his forehead in a sort of haphazard yet adorable manner.
The hippie girl gazed over at Zelda and gave her a wise, knowing look. "I'll see you later, Zel," she said before turning and disappearing out the door.
The beautiful blonde was unsure what he wanted to talk to her about. Was he going to yell at her for the little display earlier, at lunch, when she exchanged words with that red headed snob, Malon? "Uh sure. What about?" she asked with a tinge of suspicion, pulling a book up to her chest awkwardly and protectively, as if this was a trick question.
Link gazed at her with his intense dark cerulean eyes and there was a sort of charming bashfulness to his words, "Well to tell you the truth I'm not that good at acting... at all really. But I wanted to try out for a main role in the play, as unbelievable as that sounds. Anyway, since you're really great at this acting thing I thought you'd be the best teacher..."
Zelda flushed a little and looked down at her nude toes poking out from her platform sandals. "I'm not that good," she said humbly.
The blonde haired football quarterback didn't notice he was staring at her, unable to take his eyes off the young mysterious woman. "Yes you are," he responded matter-of-factly before finally becoming aware of his constant staring and averted his eyes. A bit embarrassed and discouraged, he added hurriedly, "I understand if you don't wanna..."
The girl shook her head, a slight smile drifting over her pink lush lips, amused at the popular boy's utter uncertainty. "No, I do," she responded and then continued, "I have some place to go after school though until 3:00."
Link shrugged and his happiness seemed to return when she did not reject him. "Then I'll go with you," he said.
"Ok. Then we can head over to my house after to learn our lines," she replied and brushed a long tendril of flaxen hair behind her ear.
A handsome, irresistible grin slid over the boy's chiseled tan face and Zelda was slightly shocked to find herself regretfully melting for him. "Alright. Catch you after school then, Zelda," he trumpeted and strided out of the room as if floating on clouds, propelled by exhilaration.
*
Zelda stood fingering her white messenger bag strap outside on the cement steps of Hyrule High. The sky was a vast plane of clear unadulterated blue that seeped into the horizon and there was a slight warm breeze in the air. Students filed by in chattering merry voices out of the giant school doors and the willowy blonde girl felt like a fool as she stood there waiting, thinking everyone in the entire world knew she was being stood up. What if he never shows and this was some mean trick that Ruto girl put him up to? She wondered nervously to herself.
Suddenly a flashy red sports car zoomed out of the school's parking lot and growled to a halt a few feet before her, fluttering her short brightly patterned sundress against her creamy thighs. Zelda had never been too fond of sports cars and the guys who drive them; her friends back home in New York always told her that guys with expensive showoff cars were trying to overcompensate for a lack of something below the belt. Yet the golden haired, tan male in the drivers seat adorned in dark sunglasses and a letterman's jacket seemed very familiar to Zelda and when he called over to her she realized it was Link after all. "Hey, sorry I'm a little late, Zelda. Coach wanted to talk to me about this Saturday's game," the young man said to her with an apologetic grin.
The pale skinned beauty shrugged and headed over to the small crimson car that reflected hot sunlight in its fiery paint job like crimson glass. "S'ok," she said and dismissed his apology. Zelda opened the side door latch and slid into the tan leather seat, burning against her flesh.
As Link started down the road he glanced over at his attractive passenger and inquired, "So where's this appointment you've gotta go to anyway?"
Zelda let the wind run through her long streaming gilded hair and responded, "It's not really an appointment and it's on Wellington Avenue."
The young man watched from the corner of his eyes as sun light parting through the leafy trees above made dancing designs over the girl's smooth pale flesh. "You go to dance lessons," he finally stated and caused her to face him suddenly.
Her light blue eyes were wide and she asked suspiciously, "How did you know I take dance?"
Link resisted the urge to chuckle slightly at her fright in being found out, as if there was something shameful about taking dance. "I saw your ballet slippers today, when I helped you pick up your bag, remember?" he said.
Zelda relaxed slightly yet still seemed on guard, as of protecting a secret. "Oh ya, that's right. I do take ballet and that's where I'm headed now," she relinquished.
The young man attempted to make small conversation as he asked, "So how long have you been taking dance?"
However the blonde girl did not let up her defense and gave him an awkward glare. "Seven years... Look, I'd rather not talk about this," she hastily responded and thus closed the subject, before turning again to look directly ahead.
Good thing the tinted glasses shielded his intense eyes or else Zelda would have seen the dejected emotions flash in his stare. Though he wanted to talk more about it and about her, the jock realized this was a sore spot that the young woman was unwilling to discuss with a stranger and dropped it, concentrating now on the road.
The miles stretched by in the speck of quiet, long minutes as the two teens drove on in silence. Finally they reached Wellington Avenue and the small brick dance studio with a sign that read 'Hyrule's Dancers Academy'. Zelda opened the car door and slung her bag over her shoulder, turning to look at Link. "You don't have to come in if you don't want to. I'm only going to be going over some moves by myself for awhile since my instructor isn't in right now," she said to him.
Link shook his head and responded to her, as he too exited the sports car, "Nah, its ok."
The two golden haired teens entered the dance studio and Zelda excused herself to go change in the women's dressing room. Link stood off to one wall and glanced around the dancer's academy. It was a rather spacious studio with a glossy wood floor and one wall of tall reflecting mirrors that caught the light drifting in from the skylights. There was a long bar to grasp onto and the walls were all painted a very stark white color to promote concentration on the dancers.
Zelda emerged from the dressing area and her slender body was clad in a form hugging black bodysuit and silk pink slippers that tied in thick ribbons at her delicate ankles. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swished against her shoulder blades and her bare sinewy legs made intricate movements as she went through the motions of warming up.
Finally after her muscles were supple and heated, the girl acknowledged Link's presence. "This is a piece I've been working on for our recital in a few weeks," she spoke in his direction and there was a faint flush smeared on her high cheekbones. Zelda went over to a radio that had previously gone unnoticed and hit a play button. The tape within it churned and a sweet warbling voice poured out of the porous speakers, an unusual selection of song for a ballet recital, but then again what was usual about this mysterious beauty?
Uh-huh,
Life's like this
Uh-huh, uh-huh
That's the way it is
'Cause life's like this
Uh-huh, uh-huh
That's the way it is
Chill out,
What you yellin' for?
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
I like you the way you are
When we're, driving in my car
And you're talking to me
One on one
But you become
Somebody else
'Round everyone else
Watchin' your back
Like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool
To me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this, you
And you fall and you crawl
And you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you're something else
Where you are and
Where you sat, you see
You're making me
Laugh out
When you strike a pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know
You're not fooling anyone
When you become
Somebody else
'Round everyone else
Watchin' your back
Like you can't relax
Tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool
To me
As the song played the young woman made graceful turns and fluid leaps through the air. Her limbs moved in a mesh of traditional dance techniques, ballet twirls and leaps. A passion tinged her pallid blue eyes, as if there was something about ballet that she fell in love with. He couldn't help but stare at her, the dedication and desire in her fair face. Her lithe reflection in the mirror followed her as she spun around for the last words of the song, her body a flurry of pale flesh and black nylon, until at last the final soulful chord played and she wilted gently to the wooden floor.
Link watched on in awe and after a pause erupted the silence with loud overzealous applause and a whistle. "That was awesome!" he chortled in enthusiasm.
Zelda arose, a blush to her cheeks and a wide dazzling grin on her face. "Its not really that great. There's still a lot I need to perfect," she said humbly.
"Yea right! I give you a lot of credit; I may be good at playing football but when it comes to dancing I have two left feet," he responded with a chuckle and a sigh.
The young woman shook her head, causing her long blonde ponytail to shiver with movement. "I doubt that. I bet all you need is a good teacher. Here let me help you," Zelda told him and grasped his hand in hers, his strong thick fingers intertwining with her long delicate ones.
A look of horror and panic flashed across the tanned jock's handsome face and he inquired in humorous alarm, "You're not gonna make me do ballet are you?"
Zelda pulled the young man into the center of the studio and a giggle gently gurgled from her swanlike throat. "Don't be silly. All you have to do is stand there and catch me! You do know how to catch right, Mr. Star- Football-Player?" she joshed lightly.
Link smiled adorably, showing rows of luminescent teeth, and arched a thick eyebrow. "Sure. The real question though is do you trust me enough?" he responded charmingly.
The girl attempted to look thoughtful, creasing her brow. "Hm well I've never seen you dance but if its anything like your driving I may be in trouble," she retorted in mock solemness.
The blonde haired boy gave a feigning sigh and said in fake exasperation, "Har har! Now are you gonna jump or what, ballerina? Its hard for me to pretend your a ball if you keep talking away."
Zelda laughed, "I'm sorry. I forgot you meatheads have a short attention span; I'll get right to it."
Then she took a deep breath, concentrating on a spot right before Link, and spread her long milky arms out to the side as if preparing for flight. Finally she began to run foreword, sprinting out with her willowy legs like a graceful deer. When she reached that position on the hard wood floor the blonde girl suddenly sprung upwards, propelling herself like a shadow through space and time.
Link clamored with his strong forearms above his head and caught the young woman by her slender waist. He held her suspended in midair and breathed a sigh of relief. "How you doing up there?" he asked in concern.
Zelda found his worry over her endearing and exclaimed excitedly from her lofty position, "I'm fine. See I told you you could do it! Not bad for a meathead!"
The preppy boy laughed to himself and replied, "That wasn't so bad for a valley girl either."
She couldn't believe her ears - a valley girl! Zelda's pale blue eyes went wide and she gasped. "That's it, you asked for it!" she chortled and kicked him lightly in the chest with her foot.
However her blow caught the boy by surprise and sent him off balance. The blonde young man wobbled back on his heels before falling in reverse, landing hard on his back with a loud grunt. Zelda followed him to the ground, crashing over him onto her stomach. The air rushed out of her throttled lungs and she squeaked with surprise. Long blonde hair cascaded onto his chest along with her gently warm hands, pressed against his fevered flesh.
"What was that for?" Link cried with a hint of laughter to his tone, the hard wood floor pushing into his back.
Zelda however had a hurt look in her faint blue eyes. "You think I'm a valley girl," she replied with a distant trace of dismay on her pale face.
The young man seemed somewhat amused at Zelda's total horror over being called such a thing and had to hold back a chuckle. "I was just joking! Come on, you gotta know you're not," he responded flippantly and grinned at the beautiful girl atop him. There was something very charming and real about this sudden streak of vulnerability that she often hid from the world, aloof and alluring.
"That's my biggest fear; to become one of those giggling snobs with daddy's credit card in hand. You honestly don't think I'm a valley girl?" she questioned further, her doubt not yet appeased.
Link shook his head of shaggy sandy blonde hair and said, "No way, Zelda. You're not like everyone else; you don't put on a show like a lot of the other girls do. You're just yourself... and real... and I like that." He hadn't meant to tell her all that, at least not yet; but there it was, hanging in the air like fallen leaves cascading in an autumn breeze.
A sheer blush overcame the girl's high cheeks and she gazed downward a bit, embarrassed at the onslaught of complements. Yet a faint smile traced its way over her lush rose lips and she whispered to him, "I didn't mean what I said either, about you being a meathead. You're probably one of the most honest, considerate people I've met here in Hyrule. You didn't care that I was new or that I'm not considered 'popular'. You're really... sweet."
Now however her gaze was directly peering into his; pale clear blue against intense cerulean. She had meant every word she said and her expression showed her genuine appreciation. Yet there was something else stirring in her stare and it was shared by Link as he suddenly became all too aware of her hipbones lined in thin nylon touching against his and her breath swelling against his chest. The air between them grew balmy with electric friction and she could feel the hot air escaping his mouth to caress the smooth flesh of her taut cheek. They were so close now she was certain at any given moment they might end up kissing.
Yet Zelda knew she couldn't let this happen, not now, she just moved here and she hardly knew what she was doing right now anyway. Did she even have feelings for Link? Or was this just because he was the first boy in Hyrule to be nice to her (Without suggesting, albeit rudely, she repay him with any sexual favors or dates *ahem ahem*)? "Well thanks for breaking my fall," she finally said and shattered the overwhelming silence that had settled in between them. The blonde woman rolled off Link and then clamored to her feet.
Link seemed still a little aback from what just occurred but managed to recover nicely. "Always here to help," he responded with a chagrin as he stood too.
The willowy flaxen haired beauty dusted off her leotard and then looked towards Link, who cut an impressive well-built outline in the sun streaming in from the windows on the ceiling. "I think I'm all set for today. I've landed on enough guys," she said humorously.
The football player nodded and then turned, calling over his shoulder, "Alright, if you say so. Lets go."
*
"This is your house?"
The red sports car was winding down a long woven driveway, palm trees casting irregular shadows along them to make willowy designs on their warm skin, and they fell farther into the depths of the hills of Hyrule. When they passed a grove, a large tan brick house suddenly came into view and loamed before them. It had to have at least three floors and too many rooms to count, the face of the estate lined with tall windows that caught the sunlight and sent it glittering back into their eyes. Trailing white verandas were adorned in clay pots brimming with fragrant pink rosebuds and the finely manicured yard drifted out into a stretch of pale sandy coast, their own private beach. Damn, there was even a helicopter landing pad right there in their front lawn! Far away the roar of the ocean, as it broke in frothy tufts against the dunes, rose and fell in their ears. He drove into a parking spot and halted the engine of his sports car.
Zelda glanced over at the young man with his mouth hanging open and nodded. "Yup, this is home," she replied to him, partly to make herself believe it. She still thought her home was back in New York, in the posh upper west side were she belonged, and that this was just some temporary summerhouse. This huge hollow place located in the valleys of fake sunny Hyrule could never be her home.
Link couldn't get over the sheer size and wealth of the estate. Obviously he was from a wealthy family as well; everyone at the private exclusive Hyrule High had to be, but still he figured Zelda's family must be multi-millionaires. He only lived in a pent house that was meager in comparison, as many of his friends did as well, and his father was a well- to-do investment banker. Goddesses, even Ruto didn't own a house this big! "You? Live here?" he questioned further, skepticism ringing in his voice.
The girl laughed and felt the wind running through her long blonde hair. "Yes," she laughed. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
He looked over at the beautiful young woman and her vintage, seemingly less expensive clothing. He didn't want to admit to her but the first time he saw her he even doubted if she was from a rich family. All the people at Hyrule High wore designer labels and met at lavish French restaurants, it was like some unwritten rule every member of the student body pay outlandish amounts for bottled water. Yet Zelda never exuded any of these splurging traits so he'd just assumed she wasn't from wealth. "I just... couldn't picture you..." he began hesitantly.
Zelda smiled and finished for him, "You couldn't picture me being wealthy. I know, I get that a lot. I guess its because I basically break every rich person conduct code or something; I wear what I want and I am interested in what I want to be interested in. That means you won't be seeing me at a Country Club anytime soon."
Link parked his sports car and got out to open Zelda's door for her. "So what does your father do?" he questioned with an arch of a thick blonde eyebrow, before interjecting with amazement, "He's gotta be the President."
"He's a Senator and my step-mother is an Ambassador to Egypt," she said and then recalled, with a slight giggle and a crinkle of her nose, "Though I have met the President a few times already and I'll let you in on a little secret: his breath stinks."
The boy chuckled and then gazed over her. "So you could basically afford more expensive clothes and cars than even Ruto, but you choose not to?" he inquired.
"Basically, ya," she responded. "Its pointless to drench yourself in clothing other people tell you to wear. I wear things that represent my personality and that I like, not stuff some fashion stylist tells me is in. Why buy stuff just for the sake of buying it?"
He stared into her pale eyes and shook his head softly, a smiling gliding over his lips. "I've never met anyone like you before in my life. You're... amazing," he said, his gaze studying her as if intrigued. Wow that sounded cheesy, he thought, but... its true. Everyone else in Hyrule was so caught up in material stuff that they never saw what really mattered in life, like friends, family... and even love.
A faint rose blush overcame her high cheekbones and she looked down, embarrassed. "Thanks," she replied in a hushed voice.
Link stared at her for a moment, her long golden hair that streamed over her shoulders and her softly carved face that reflected all her emotions so honestly. Finally he realized how odd he must look and opened the door to his car.
They both tread over the asphalt to the front door and Zelda rummaged through her side bag to find the key. She unlocked and pushed opened the heavy wooden door and they stood within a tall entrance way. Light poured in through a long window at the top of the room and the wooden floors gleamed, a soft breeze rushed through the seaside house. A vast bouquet of purple heather sat on a side desk and fragranced the air with a delicate aroma. Zelda led Link up the stairs and paused at the door, turning to face him.
"All right, I'm showing you my bedroom but don't get any ideas," she joked with a beautiful smile, the kind that made Link feel lightheaded and suddenly just as content.
Zelda twisted the brass knob and they were inside her room now. A canopy bed, with multicolored cloth butterflies caught in the sheer overhanging and iron posts, dominated the space and a lace curtain fluttered in the wind from the lone window. There was a small closet only half full with some vintage clothing and Zelda's nightstand was littered with picture frames. Link crouched down to view them, as she put down her stuff, all different snapshots of a smiling Zelda. There was one when she was just a little girl adorned in a dusty pink sundress, chasing after a butterfly with her long blonde hair bouncing in its ponytails. Another was of her on a pale-sand beach, dressed only in a small white bikini and mid- thigh in crashing waves, holding hands with a black haired girl who could only be a friend from her old life, probably on some tropical island during spring break. They were laughing and smiling as sea spray clung to their faces, she looked so natural and happy, wisps of hair framing her face. Finally there was just one picture of a ballerina, her long brown hair pulled up into a dancer's neat bun. It was from a distance, she was stretching in a dancing studio, almost as if for the moment she was so wrapped up in her tasks she forgot she was being photographed, her legs straight before her and a spindly arm reaching out to grasp her toes. "Whose that?" Link asked of Zelda as she finished emptying her knapsack.
The golden haired beauty glanced over at him and her pastel eyes grew darker, regretful. "My mother," she stated, almost as if she did not wish to talk about it further.
The young man still gazed at the picture in its nude wood frame. Zelda got her beautiful innocent looks from her mother, as well as her slender lithe frame. "She was a dancer too?" he questioned; unaware of the steely look she was giving him.
"Ya," Zelda said and then quickly changed the topic, "Ok now lets get down to business. What part are you trying out for in the play?"
Link sighed, turning to the beauty while running a hand through his tousled locks, "I want to try out for the part of Lysander. Crazy huh."
The blonde girl laughed and shook her head, splaying blonde strands across her shoulders. "No, not at all. You'd make a good Lysander, I can picture you as a romantic hero," and with her sudden statement a blush overcame her face as she mentally smacked herself. A soft lopsided grin shivered across Link's lips at her slip and he couldn't stop looking at her intently with his smoldering dark cerulean eyes. Zelda quickly spluttered to cover her embarrassment, "Well why don't we run over Scene II - Another Part Of The Woods? I can play the part of Hermia I guess."
The football God took out his manuscript and flipped to the page. Scanning over his part, he began, somewhat shaky yet unusually comfortable in the part, "Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; and to speak troth - " Pausing, he gazed up at her from his lines, a look of shame on his face and his cheeks were flushed. "That sucked didn't it?" he questioned miserably.
Zelda bit back her laughter at his seeming uncertainty and gave him a soft smile. "Not at all. Now continue," she encouraged gently.
The young man turned back to his book and said, stumbling over words, "I have forgot our way: We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, and tarry for the comfort of the day."
The blonde girl added her voice now, speaking with the certainty of a seasoned performer, "Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed; for I upon this bank will rest my head."
"One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth," he finished and he was finally finding some courage, fully acting out each word in his tone.
A smile formed over her petal lips and Zelda told him with approve, "Well that was really good for your first go at acting. The only thing I would recommend is to fully grasp your character, you know. Stop being Link for a little while and start to be Lysander, a man desperately in love. You can't be afraid to get deep into a role, it has to become you." She spoke and she was so natural, as if acting was just another hobby of hers.
He couldn't help but stare at her and after a moment she gave him a quizzical stare, cocking a slender gilded eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she wondered bashfully, breaking his daze.
Link shook it off, dismissing her question, "Nothing..." Then with a knowing glance, he added, "You know, you should try out for a part."
A slight fracture of a smile played across her face and she snorted, "I'm not good! I only took one acting class in New York. Besides I'm new to the drama department in Hyrule, they probably will give out all the parts to people who have been in it for awhile and have been in a few plays."
"I haven't been in any plays before or even tried out for any so we will both be new to it," he told her and then wisecracked, "So if we don't get lead roles, who cares? At least we tried and then we can play trees together."
This caused a giggle to burble from the girl's face as warm sunlight seeped from the window onto her peachy flesh, rolling along the soft curve of her cheeks. "Now that you mention it, you would make a very convincing tree," Zelda quipped lightly and then trailed off in a vague reply, "Maybe I will..."
They went on to practice for most of the afternoon, running lines until Link was close to perfect at them. When the clock in the hall peeled 6:00 Link collected up his things and left, not before inviting Zelda to his football game on Sunday. She said she'd go even though school sport's events weren't her thing, and Link departed.
* Closing Notes: Ok well what do ya think of Chapter Two? Sorry if you don't like the song 'Complicated' but it fits the characters don't you think? Another thing, I read over the lyrics and some seem to be wrong to me but I got them from a site (http://lyrics.astraweb.com) so I will leave them the way they are. Next Chapter: A football game and party are in Zelda and Link's future! But as they grow closer, Malon only grows more and more jealous and vengeful! Look for Chapter Three; it will be a good one.
I use some coarse language in this fic as well (i.e. retard, dumbass, bitch). This is why I rated this fic PG-13. Though I am using words typically part of any teen's vocabulary, in now way do I mean to make derogatory remarks about the mentally challenged, homosexuals, or anyone else. If these words offend you then please do not read this story.
Disclaimer:
I do not own any of these characters. The movie A Walk To Remember isn't mine either or the rights to 'Complicated'... So don't sue!
Scenes From Last Chapter:
Link thinks his social scene is fine the way it is until the appearance of a new girl to Hyrule High School makes him question what he really wants from life. Ruto and Malon, ever the elite snobs, instantly hate her and Malon even trips her in the cafeteria, yet her new-found jealousy may have a lot to do with Link's affections waning towards her.
This is dedicated to the nice young woman who wrote to me, telling me I should carry on with the fic, and really encouraging me. I know I never got a chance to write back but thank you very much! The mail was deleted so sadly I do not remember your name (Josephine? Sophia?) but it really meant a lot to me to hear from you! Thank you for your kind words and here is Chapter two, just for you! ^_^
Please read ~ review ~ enjoy!
You Could Never Feel This Way
By Jasmine
*
Chapter Two: Things Just Got A Little Complicated
Ms. Nabooru Gerudo (Sorry I don't know her real last name) was a new teacher to Hyrule High and she stood up in front of the class with a stern tight smile on her pretty tan face. Her long scarlet hair was pulled back in a golden clasp and she wore a simple purple pantsuit over her small- framed body. She looked at her students sitting in groups of two by tables and said in her very commanding, authoritive voice, "Good morning class! Today we have a new student to our drama group and I want you all to please make her feel welcome. Everyone say hello to Zelda."
The petite blonde, sitting by Anju in the second row, sunk deeper into her chair as the class chortled weakly, "Hello Zelda."
Suddenly the door opened and in sauntered Ruto followed by Link. She stood a full inch taller than the quarterback in her four-inch spiked heels and swished her hips with her nose stuck up in the air. Link entered without much pretext, simply hefting his and Ruto's heavy books, that she no doubt forced him to carry for her and Link, being such a gentleman, agreeing despite his hatred for her.
Ms. Gerudo gave them a stern look, her amber eyes gazing hard at them, and scolded, "Ruto and Link, you both are five minutes late. This is the second time this week alone!"
Ruto protested as sophisticated as she always pretended to be, "But Ms. Gerudo, I can explain. Mr. Rauru asked Link and I to stay after lunch to discuss the planning of our school's winter ball and before we knew it the bell rang. We walked as fast as we could, since running is not permitted in Hyrule High's hallways, but we still were late. So you see Ms. Gerudo, this was clearly out of our hands and in no part our own fault."
The young teacher sighed and put her hands on her slender hips. "Alright, but don't let it happen again. Have a seat you two... I swear, you have better become a lawyer one day, Ruto, or else your talents of objecting will go to waste..."
The blue haired girl beamed proudly and gushed, "O thank you Ms. Gerudo. I plan to be a great lawyer and become rich one day just like my daddy."
Link rolled his eyes at the young woman and then walked over to his seat, trailed by Ruto, whose leather pants made strange swishing noises with each swish of her hips.
Zelda stared at the tardy pair and whispered to Anju, "No way! They're both in drama?"
The girl with the short red hair gave a miserable look and her electric green eyes regarded the blonde young woman, "Yup, I think they needed extra credits and they thought this would be a piece of cake class. Some sick irony huh? Even in the drama club we can't get relief from those dumb preps."
The new girl looked over at Link and Ruto and felt her heart flutter. As much as she tried to deny it, a part of her wasn't entirely angry that the attractive blonde boy was in drama with her.
Ms. Gerudo went on, "Ok well now that the whole class is here maybe we can get back to the play we were reading yesterday. We finished up 'Hamlet' by William Shakespeare correct? Can I get some reactions on what we all just read?" Big surprise, no one raised their hand. They all sat quietly shifting their gaze from the teacher nervously until Ms. Gerudo was forced to pick on someone. "What did you think about 'Hamlet', Ruto?"
Ruto wrinkled her sharp pointed nose and sniffed, "It was so unbelievable! I mean, the Hamlet guy's dad dies and he goes all berserk. He totally overreacts and acts like a psycho."
The tan teacher sighed and shook her head. "Ruto, you are not looking below the layers of this play. Anju, what struck you most profound about 'Hamlet'?" she inquired with hopeful eyes to one of her most creative and enlightened students.
The pale skinned, red headed hippie girl did not even hesitate as she replied, her brow furrowed in concentration, "When Hamlet first learns of his father's murder he becomes enraged and distraught. He also fully becomes overwhelmed with a need for revenge and throws himself deep into a plot to reveal his uncle as the murderer. His plan is to act insane and yet at times Shakespeare makes you question whether indeed it is merely a plot or if Hamlet has truly lost his mind."
Ms. Gerudo nodded and said, directing it towards her class, "Good job, Anju. I'm glad one of my students at least was paying attention to the hidden subtext of the play. Shakespeare hints throughout 'Hamlet' that things, people, life, are not always as they appear. A good example of this is Hamlet's madness."
Ruto shot Anju a sharp glare and pouted. She hated anyone thinking they were smarter or better then her. After all, everyone should know she was the perfect girl, certainly not that hippie or that fashion reject!
The tall woman standing before her students went on, "Now, since I want you all to become comfortable with acting in front of an audience, can I have one volunteer please come up and recite their favorite line or lines from 'Hamlet'?" Nabooru looked around the room and, of course, saw not one hand go up. "Come on now, this is something you have to all get use to," she chided and placed her hands on her slim hips.
The blue-skinned Zora girl gave a sly crimson smile and crowed, "I think Zelda would like to, Ms. Gerudo." She knew she couldn't get revenge by saying Anju wanted to perform before the class since the hippie would merely leap at the opportunity, but Zelda might be less than eager.
All eyes turned to Zelda and her cheeks grew hot with a pink flush. She slid deeper into her chair and peered with her icy pale blue eyes to the ground.
Nabooru gave Ruto a disapproving glance; she was aware of the mean tricks some students would play on a new teen, and scolded, "Ruto, stop volunteering others. Zelda hasn't even read the play yet..."
Suddenly a sure, female's voice called, "Wait, I'll do it." Again people all gazed at Zelda as she sat up, a determined courageous expression on her beautiful face. She couldn't show Ruto her little ploy had worked to embarrass her, she had to stand up for herself.
The teacher seemed a little aback and spluttered, "Are you sure, Zelda? You still haven't been given a chance to catch up with the class..."
Zelda plastered on a smile even if the corners were a little tense with worry. "I'd be happy to," she replied, watching from the corner of her eye as Ruto's mouth fell agape with shock. Then the tall petite girl stood up, her floral sundress falling against her thighs, and walked with an even gait up to the front of the classroom.
Ruto still looked very pleased with herself, thinking the new student was walking her death march and going to be made a fool of. The wealthy Zora managed to hiss, "Don't trip, Blondie."
The young woman stood in front of the sea of awaiting teens and for a moment everyone thought she'd back down. With her slender, peach cardigan encased arms by her sides; she bit back her fear and muffled her heartbeat pulsing in her pointed ears, before suddenly beginning, "To die, to sleep." Her voice rang against the walls like a clear bell and she looked up, a twin pair of somber cerulean oceans staring out. Her long straight flaxen hair glistened down her shoulders and Zelda looked completely immersed in her words. "To sleep, perchance to dream, ay there's the rub. For in that sleep of death what dreams may come? When we have shuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause; there's the respect that makes calamity of so long life," she spoke and wavered from shouting and whispers, tears caught in her throat, as she acted out the lines from 'Hamlet' in her expression and demeanor.
Students were silent in awe and finally Ms. Gerudo broke the quiet by clapping slowly at first. Soon others joined in until the whole class was applauding feverishly, Ruto glowering angrily. When the din had died down, Nabooru gave Zelda an appreciative smile and encouraged with genuine enthusiasm, "Excellent, Zelda. My, such a powerful performance of what I must admit to being my favorite lines of the play as well. Have you ever read that in front of an audience before?"
The young woman blushed bashfully and responded humbly, "No. We did read 'Hamlet' last semester at my old school in New York though."
The red headed teacher said, "Then I am even more impressed by your portrayal of Hamlet. Thank you, Zelda, for showing such a fine example of what it means to truly act. Now please take your seat."
As the blonde girl headed back to her chair she gave Ruto a sideway glance and whispered with smug pleasure dripping from her voice, "Did that hurt when your little plan blew up in your face?" To this the Zora simply growled and folded her arms about her chest.
Nabooru began to speak, "Now that I believe the entire class has gained somewhat of an understanding of 'Hamlet', we will move on to another of Shakespeare's most renowned plays. 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' is the flitty tale of two pairs of naïve lovers whose fates are altered by the nymphs of the woods. As I've told you before class, we will be performing the play of 'A Midsummer Night's Dream', Shakespeare's comedic masterpiece, for the entire school in approximately two months. The set staff have already begun crafting backdrops and the such and I would like to give out individual roles tomorrow for the characters. This means you have homework..." The students gave out a begrudging moan in unison as the teacher passed out books and the Gerudo continued without sympathy, "O shush, I hardly ever assign homework. I want all of you to practice a few lines for the character you would like to play and have them somewhat perfected for Monday try-outs so that you can perform for me after school to better aid my selection. What role you get depends greatly on how you handle your lines Monday so please take this seriously people. If you need help I recommend you rehearse with a friend from this class. Zelda would be an excellent candidate for this as we've all witnessed..."
Suddenly the bell rang and teenagers leaped from their seats, shouting happily.
"Class dismissed," Ms. Gerudo attempted to cry over the noise and watched with annoyance as her students ran from her room, whooping along down the hall.
Anju stood up and pulled her woven messenger bag up over her shoulder. "O darn, I wanted to do 'Hamlet'. I had hopes of being Ophelia," she said with a smile. "Just so I could pretend to go completely insane and then jump from a bridge. Sounds like fun no?"
Zelda laughed and began to collect up her books and notepads. "O yes lots," she retorted with a wink.
"Zelda, can I talk to you for a minute?" a male voice suddenly called and the blonde girl looked up to see the handsome jock, Link, walking towards her. His jeans and simple shirt looked good on his muscular body and his shaggy sandy golden hair fell on his forehead in a sort of haphazard yet adorable manner.
The hippie girl gazed over at Zelda and gave her a wise, knowing look. "I'll see you later, Zel," she said before turning and disappearing out the door.
The beautiful blonde was unsure what he wanted to talk to her about. Was he going to yell at her for the little display earlier, at lunch, when she exchanged words with that red headed snob, Malon? "Uh sure. What about?" she asked with a tinge of suspicion, pulling a book up to her chest awkwardly and protectively, as if this was a trick question.
Link gazed at her with his intense dark cerulean eyes and there was a sort of charming bashfulness to his words, "Well to tell you the truth I'm not that good at acting... at all really. But I wanted to try out for a main role in the play, as unbelievable as that sounds. Anyway, since you're really great at this acting thing I thought you'd be the best teacher..."
Zelda flushed a little and looked down at her nude toes poking out from her platform sandals. "I'm not that good," she said humbly.
The blonde haired football quarterback didn't notice he was staring at her, unable to take his eyes off the young mysterious woman. "Yes you are," he responded matter-of-factly before finally becoming aware of his constant staring and averted his eyes. A bit embarrassed and discouraged, he added hurriedly, "I understand if you don't wanna..."
The girl shook her head, a slight smile drifting over her pink lush lips, amused at the popular boy's utter uncertainty. "No, I do," she responded and then continued, "I have some place to go after school though until 3:00."
Link shrugged and his happiness seemed to return when she did not reject him. "Then I'll go with you," he said.
"Ok. Then we can head over to my house after to learn our lines," she replied and brushed a long tendril of flaxen hair behind her ear.
A handsome, irresistible grin slid over the boy's chiseled tan face and Zelda was slightly shocked to find herself regretfully melting for him. "Alright. Catch you after school then, Zelda," he trumpeted and strided out of the room as if floating on clouds, propelled by exhilaration.
*
Zelda stood fingering her white messenger bag strap outside on the cement steps of Hyrule High. The sky was a vast plane of clear unadulterated blue that seeped into the horizon and there was a slight warm breeze in the air. Students filed by in chattering merry voices out of the giant school doors and the willowy blonde girl felt like a fool as she stood there waiting, thinking everyone in the entire world knew she was being stood up. What if he never shows and this was some mean trick that Ruto girl put him up to? She wondered nervously to herself.
Suddenly a flashy red sports car zoomed out of the school's parking lot and growled to a halt a few feet before her, fluttering her short brightly patterned sundress against her creamy thighs. Zelda had never been too fond of sports cars and the guys who drive them; her friends back home in New York always told her that guys with expensive showoff cars were trying to overcompensate for a lack of something below the belt. Yet the golden haired, tan male in the drivers seat adorned in dark sunglasses and a letterman's jacket seemed very familiar to Zelda and when he called over to her she realized it was Link after all. "Hey, sorry I'm a little late, Zelda. Coach wanted to talk to me about this Saturday's game," the young man said to her with an apologetic grin.
The pale skinned beauty shrugged and headed over to the small crimson car that reflected hot sunlight in its fiery paint job like crimson glass. "S'ok," she said and dismissed his apology. Zelda opened the side door latch and slid into the tan leather seat, burning against her flesh.
As Link started down the road he glanced over at his attractive passenger and inquired, "So where's this appointment you've gotta go to anyway?"
Zelda let the wind run through her long streaming gilded hair and responded, "It's not really an appointment and it's on Wellington Avenue."
The young man watched from the corner of his eyes as sun light parting through the leafy trees above made dancing designs over the girl's smooth pale flesh. "You go to dance lessons," he finally stated and caused her to face him suddenly.
Her light blue eyes were wide and she asked suspiciously, "How did you know I take dance?"
Link resisted the urge to chuckle slightly at her fright in being found out, as if there was something shameful about taking dance. "I saw your ballet slippers today, when I helped you pick up your bag, remember?" he said.
Zelda relaxed slightly yet still seemed on guard, as of protecting a secret. "Oh ya, that's right. I do take ballet and that's where I'm headed now," she relinquished.
The young man attempted to make small conversation as he asked, "So how long have you been taking dance?"
However the blonde girl did not let up her defense and gave him an awkward glare. "Seven years... Look, I'd rather not talk about this," she hastily responded and thus closed the subject, before turning again to look directly ahead.
Good thing the tinted glasses shielded his intense eyes or else Zelda would have seen the dejected emotions flash in his stare. Though he wanted to talk more about it and about her, the jock realized this was a sore spot that the young woman was unwilling to discuss with a stranger and dropped it, concentrating now on the road.
The miles stretched by in the speck of quiet, long minutes as the two teens drove on in silence. Finally they reached Wellington Avenue and the small brick dance studio with a sign that read 'Hyrule's Dancers Academy'. Zelda opened the car door and slung her bag over her shoulder, turning to look at Link. "You don't have to come in if you don't want to. I'm only going to be going over some moves by myself for awhile since my instructor isn't in right now," she said to him.
Link shook his head and responded to her, as he too exited the sports car, "Nah, its ok."
The two golden haired teens entered the dance studio and Zelda excused herself to go change in the women's dressing room. Link stood off to one wall and glanced around the dancer's academy. It was a rather spacious studio with a glossy wood floor and one wall of tall reflecting mirrors that caught the light drifting in from the skylights. There was a long bar to grasp onto and the walls were all painted a very stark white color to promote concentration on the dancers.
Zelda emerged from the dressing area and her slender body was clad in a form hugging black bodysuit and silk pink slippers that tied in thick ribbons at her delicate ankles. Her long blonde hair was pulled back into a ponytail that swished against her shoulder blades and her bare sinewy legs made intricate movements as she went through the motions of warming up.
Finally after her muscles were supple and heated, the girl acknowledged Link's presence. "This is a piece I've been working on for our recital in a few weeks," she spoke in his direction and there was a faint flush smeared on her high cheekbones. Zelda went over to a radio that had previously gone unnoticed and hit a play button. The tape within it churned and a sweet warbling voice poured out of the porous speakers, an unusual selection of song for a ballet recital, but then again what was usual about this mysterious beauty?
Uh-huh,
Life's like this
Uh-huh, uh-huh
That's the way it is
'Cause life's like this
Uh-huh, uh-huh
That's the way it is
Chill out,
What you yellin' for?
Lay back, it's all been done before
And if you could only let it be
You will see
I like you the way you are
When we're, driving in my car
And you're talking to me
One on one
But you become
Somebody else
'Round everyone else
Watchin' your back
Like you can't relax
You're tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool
To me
Tell me
Why do you have to go and make things so complicated?
I see the way you're
Acting like you're somebody else gets me frustrated
Life's like this, you
And you fall and you crawl
And you break and you take
What you get and you turn it into
Honesty Promise me I'm never gonna find you fake it
No, no, no
You come over unannounced
Dressed up like you're something else
Where you are and
Where you sat, you see
You're making me
Laugh out
When you strike a pose
Take off all your preppy clothes
You know
You're not fooling anyone
When you become
Somebody else
'Round everyone else
Watchin' your back
Like you can't relax
Tryin' to be cool
You look like a fool
To me
As the song played the young woman made graceful turns and fluid leaps through the air. Her limbs moved in a mesh of traditional dance techniques, ballet twirls and leaps. A passion tinged her pallid blue eyes, as if there was something about ballet that she fell in love with. He couldn't help but stare at her, the dedication and desire in her fair face. Her lithe reflection in the mirror followed her as she spun around for the last words of the song, her body a flurry of pale flesh and black nylon, until at last the final soulful chord played and she wilted gently to the wooden floor.
Link watched on in awe and after a pause erupted the silence with loud overzealous applause and a whistle. "That was awesome!" he chortled in enthusiasm.
Zelda arose, a blush to her cheeks and a wide dazzling grin on her face. "Its not really that great. There's still a lot I need to perfect," she said humbly.
"Yea right! I give you a lot of credit; I may be good at playing football but when it comes to dancing I have two left feet," he responded with a chuckle and a sigh.
The young woman shook her head, causing her long blonde ponytail to shiver with movement. "I doubt that. I bet all you need is a good teacher. Here let me help you," Zelda told him and grasped his hand in hers, his strong thick fingers intertwining with her long delicate ones.
A look of horror and panic flashed across the tanned jock's handsome face and he inquired in humorous alarm, "You're not gonna make me do ballet are you?"
Zelda pulled the young man into the center of the studio and a giggle gently gurgled from her swanlike throat. "Don't be silly. All you have to do is stand there and catch me! You do know how to catch right, Mr. Star- Football-Player?" she joshed lightly.
Link smiled adorably, showing rows of luminescent teeth, and arched a thick eyebrow. "Sure. The real question though is do you trust me enough?" he responded charmingly.
The girl attempted to look thoughtful, creasing her brow. "Hm well I've never seen you dance but if its anything like your driving I may be in trouble," she retorted in mock solemness.
The blonde haired boy gave a feigning sigh and said in fake exasperation, "Har har! Now are you gonna jump or what, ballerina? Its hard for me to pretend your a ball if you keep talking away."
Zelda laughed, "I'm sorry. I forgot you meatheads have a short attention span; I'll get right to it."
Then she took a deep breath, concentrating on a spot right before Link, and spread her long milky arms out to the side as if preparing for flight. Finally she began to run foreword, sprinting out with her willowy legs like a graceful deer. When she reached that position on the hard wood floor the blonde girl suddenly sprung upwards, propelling herself like a shadow through space and time.
Link clamored with his strong forearms above his head and caught the young woman by her slender waist. He held her suspended in midair and breathed a sigh of relief. "How you doing up there?" he asked in concern.
Zelda found his worry over her endearing and exclaimed excitedly from her lofty position, "I'm fine. See I told you you could do it! Not bad for a meathead!"
The preppy boy laughed to himself and replied, "That wasn't so bad for a valley girl either."
She couldn't believe her ears - a valley girl! Zelda's pale blue eyes went wide and she gasped. "That's it, you asked for it!" she chortled and kicked him lightly in the chest with her foot.
However her blow caught the boy by surprise and sent him off balance. The blonde young man wobbled back on his heels before falling in reverse, landing hard on his back with a loud grunt. Zelda followed him to the ground, crashing over him onto her stomach. The air rushed out of her throttled lungs and she squeaked with surprise. Long blonde hair cascaded onto his chest along with her gently warm hands, pressed against his fevered flesh.
"What was that for?" Link cried with a hint of laughter to his tone, the hard wood floor pushing into his back.
Zelda however had a hurt look in her faint blue eyes. "You think I'm a valley girl," she replied with a distant trace of dismay on her pale face.
The young man seemed somewhat amused at Zelda's total horror over being called such a thing and had to hold back a chuckle. "I was just joking! Come on, you gotta know you're not," he responded flippantly and grinned at the beautiful girl atop him. There was something very charming and real about this sudden streak of vulnerability that she often hid from the world, aloof and alluring.
"That's my biggest fear; to become one of those giggling snobs with daddy's credit card in hand. You honestly don't think I'm a valley girl?" she questioned further, her doubt not yet appeased.
Link shook his head of shaggy sandy blonde hair and said, "No way, Zelda. You're not like everyone else; you don't put on a show like a lot of the other girls do. You're just yourself... and real... and I like that." He hadn't meant to tell her all that, at least not yet; but there it was, hanging in the air like fallen leaves cascading in an autumn breeze.
A sheer blush overcame the girl's high cheeks and she gazed downward a bit, embarrassed at the onslaught of complements. Yet a faint smile traced its way over her lush rose lips and she whispered to him, "I didn't mean what I said either, about you being a meathead. You're probably one of the most honest, considerate people I've met here in Hyrule. You didn't care that I was new or that I'm not considered 'popular'. You're really... sweet."
Now however her gaze was directly peering into his; pale clear blue against intense cerulean. She had meant every word she said and her expression showed her genuine appreciation. Yet there was something else stirring in her stare and it was shared by Link as he suddenly became all too aware of her hipbones lined in thin nylon touching against his and her breath swelling against his chest. The air between them grew balmy with electric friction and she could feel the hot air escaping his mouth to caress the smooth flesh of her taut cheek. They were so close now she was certain at any given moment they might end up kissing.
Yet Zelda knew she couldn't let this happen, not now, she just moved here and she hardly knew what she was doing right now anyway. Did she even have feelings for Link? Or was this just because he was the first boy in Hyrule to be nice to her (Without suggesting, albeit rudely, she repay him with any sexual favors or dates *ahem ahem*)? "Well thanks for breaking my fall," she finally said and shattered the overwhelming silence that had settled in between them. The blonde woman rolled off Link and then clamored to her feet.
Link seemed still a little aback from what just occurred but managed to recover nicely. "Always here to help," he responded with a chagrin as he stood too.
The willowy flaxen haired beauty dusted off her leotard and then looked towards Link, who cut an impressive well-built outline in the sun streaming in from the windows on the ceiling. "I think I'm all set for today. I've landed on enough guys," she said humorously.
The football player nodded and then turned, calling over his shoulder, "Alright, if you say so. Lets go."
*
"This is your house?"
The red sports car was winding down a long woven driveway, palm trees casting irregular shadows along them to make willowy designs on their warm skin, and they fell farther into the depths of the hills of Hyrule. When they passed a grove, a large tan brick house suddenly came into view and loamed before them. It had to have at least three floors and too many rooms to count, the face of the estate lined with tall windows that caught the sunlight and sent it glittering back into their eyes. Trailing white verandas were adorned in clay pots brimming with fragrant pink rosebuds and the finely manicured yard drifted out into a stretch of pale sandy coast, their own private beach. Damn, there was even a helicopter landing pad right there in their front lawn! Far away the roar of the ocean, as it broke in frothy tufts against the dunes, rose and fell in their ears. He drove into a parking spot and halted the engine of his sports car.
Zelda glanced over at the young man with his mouth hanging open and nodded. "Yup, this is home," she replied to him, partly to make herself believe it. She still thought her home was back in New York, in the posh upper west side were she belonged, and that this was just some temporary summerhouse. This huge hollow place located in the valleys of fake sunny Hyrule could never be her home.
Link couldn't get over the sheer size and wealth of the estate. Obviously he was from a wealthy family as well; everyone at the private exclusive Hyrule High had to be, but still he figured Zelda's family must be multi-millionaires. He only lived in a pent house that was meager in comparison, as many of his friends did as well, and his father was a well- to-do investment banker. Goddesses, even Ruto didn't own a house this big! "You? Live here?" he questioned further, skepticism ringing in his voice.
The girl laughed and felt the wind running through her long blonde hair. "Yes," she laughed. "Why is that so hard to believe?"
He looked over at the beautiful young woman and her vintage, seemingly less expensive clothing. He didn't want to admit to her but the first time he saw her he even doubted if she was from a rich family. All the people at Hyrule High wore designer labels and met at lavish French restaurants, it was like some unwritten rule every member of the student body pay outlandish amounts for bottled water. Yet Zelda never exuded any of these splurging traits so he'd just assumed she wasn't from wealth. "I just... couldn't picture you..." he began hesitantly.
Zelda smiled and finished for him, "You couldn't picture me being wealthy. I know, I get that a lot. I guess its because I basically break every rich person conduct code or something; I wear what I want and I am interested in what I want to be interested in. That means you won't be seeing me at a Country Club anytime soon."
Link parked his sports car and got out to open Zelda's door for her. "So what does your father do?" he questioned with an arch of a thick blonde eyebrow, before interjecting with amazement, "He's gotta be the President."
"He's a Senator and my step-mother is an Ambassador to Egypt," she said and then recalled, with a slight giggle and a crinkle of her nose, "Though I have met the President a few times already and I'll let you in on a little secret: his breath stinks."
The boy chuckled and then gazed over her. "So you could basically afford more expensive clothes and cars than even Ruto, but you choose not to?" he inquired.
"Basically, ya," she responded. "Its pointless to drench yourself in clothing other people tell you to wear. I wear things that represent my personality and that I like, not stuff some fashion stylist tells me is in. Why buy stuff just for the sake of buying it?"
He stared into her pale eyes and shook his head softly, a smiling gliding over his lips. "I've never met anyone like you before in my life. You're... amazing," he said, his gaze studying her as if intrigued. Wow that sounded cheesy, he thought, but... its true. Everyone else in Hyrule was so caught up in material stuff that they never saw what really mattered in life, like friends, family... and even love.
A faint rose blush overcame her high cheekbones and she looked down, embarrassed. "Thanks," she replied in a hushed voice.
Link stared at her for a moment, her long golden hair that streamed over her shoulders and her softly carved face that reflected all her emotions so honestly. Finally he realized how odd he must look and opened the door to his car.
They both tread over the asphalt to the front door and Zelda rummaged through her side bag to find the key. She unlocked and pushed opened the heavy wooden door and they stood within a tall entrance way. Light poured in through a long window at the top of the room and the wooden floors gleamed, a soft breeze rushed through the seaside house. A vast bouquet of purple heather sat on a side desk and fragranced the air with a delicate aroma. Zelda led Link up the stairs and paused at the door, turning to face him.
"All right, I'm showing you my bedroom but don't get any ideas," she joked with a beautiful smile, the kind that made Link feel lightheaded and suddenly just as content.
Zelda twisted the brass knob and they were inside her room now. A canopy bed, with multicolored cloth butterflies caught in the sheer overhanging and iron posts, dominated the space and a lace curtain fluttered in the wind from the lone window. There was a small closet only half full with some vintage clothing and Zelda's nightstand was littered with picture frames. Link crouched down to view them, as she put down her stuff, all different snapshots of a smiling Zelda. There was one when she was just a little girl adorned in a dusty pink sundress, chasing after a butterfly with her long blonde hair bouncing in its ponytails. Another was of her on a pale-sand beach, dressed only in a small white bikini and mid- thigh in crashing waves, holding hands with a black haired girl who could only be a friend from her old life, probably on some tropical island during spring break. They were laughing and smiling as sea spray clung to their faces, she looked so natural and happy, wisps of hair framing her face. Finally there was just one picture of a ballerina, her long brown hair pulled up into a dancer's neat bun. It was from a distance, she was stretching in a dancing studio, almost as if for the moment she was so wrapped up in her tasks she forgot she was being photographed, her legs straight before her and a spindly arm reaching out to grasp her toes. "Whose that?" Link asked of Zelda as she finished emptying her knapsack.
The golden haired beauty glanced over at him and her pastel eyes grew darker, regretful. "My mother," she stated, almost as if she did not wish to talk about it further.
The young man still gazed at the picture in its nude wood frame. Zelda got her beautiful innocent looks from her mother, as well as her slender lithe frame. "She was a dancer too?" he questioned; unaware of the steely look she was giving him.
"Ya," Zelda said and then quickly changed the topic, "Ok now lets get down to business. What part are you trying out for in the play?"
Link sighed, turning to the beauty while running a hand through his tousled locks, "I want to try out for the part of Lysander. Crazy huh."
The blonde girl laughed and shook her head, splaying blonde strands across her shoulders. "No, not at all. You'd make a good Lysander, I can picture you as a romantic hero," and with her sudden statement a blush overcame her face as she mentally smacked herself. A soft lopsided grin shivered across Link's lips at her slip and he couldn't stop looking at her intently with his smoldering dark cerulean eyes. Zelda quickly spluttered to cover her embarrassment, "Well why don't we run over Scene II - Another Part Of The Woods? I can play the part of Hermia I guess."
The football God took out his manuscript and flipped to the page. Scanning over his part, he began, somewhat shaky yet unusually comfortable in the part, "Fair love, you faint with wandering in the wood; and to speak troth - " Pausing, he gazed up at her from his lines, a look of shame on his face and his cheeks were flushed. "That sucked didn't it?" he questioned miserably.
Zelda bit back her laughter at his seeming uncertainty and gave him a soft smile. "Not at all. Now continue," she encouraged gently.
The young man turned back to his book and said, stumbling over words, "I have forgot our way: We'll rest us, Hermia, if you think it good, and tarry for the comfort of the day."
The blonde girl added her voice now, speaking with the certainty of a seasoned performer, "Be it so, Lysander: find you out a bed; for I upon this bank will rest my head."
"One turf shall serve as pillow for us both; one heart, one bed, two bosoms and one troth," he finished and he was finally finding some courage, fully acting out each word in his tone.
A smile formed over her petal lips and Zelda told him with approve, "Well that was really good for your first go at acting. The only thing I would recommend is to fully grasp your character, you know. Stop being Link for a little while and start to be Lysander, a man desperately in love. You can't be afraid to get deep into a role, it has to become you." She spoke and she was so natural, as if acting was just another hobby of hers.
He couldn't help but stare at her and after a moment she gave him a quizzical stare, cocking a slender gilded eyebrow. "Why are you looking at me like that?" she wondered bashfully, breaking his daze.
Link shook it off, dismissing her question, "Nothing..." Then with a knowing glance, he added, "You know, you should try out for a part."
A slight fracture of a smile played across her face and she snorted, "I'm not good! I only took one acting class in New York. Besides I'm new to the drama department in Hyrule, they probably will give out all the parts to people who have been in it for awhile and have been in a few plays."
"I haven't been in any plays before or even tried out for any so we will both be new to it," he told her and then wisecracked, "So if we don't get lead roles, who cares? At least we tried and then we can play trees together."
This caused a giggle to burble from the girl's face as warm sunlight seeped from the window onto her peachy flesh, rolling along the soft curve of her cheeks. "Now that you mention it, you would make a very convincing tree," Zelda quipped lightly and then trailed off in a vague reply, "Maybe I will..."
They went on to practice for most of the afternoon, running lines until Link was close to perfect at them. When the clock in the hall peeled 6:00 Link collected up his things and left, not before inviting Zelda to his football game on Sunday. She said she'd go even though school sport's events weren't her thing, and Link departed.
* Closing Notes: Ok well what do ya think of Chapter Two? Sorry if you don't like the song 'Complicated' but it fits the characters don't you think? Another thing, I read over the lyrics and some seem to be wrong to me but I got them from a site (http://lyrics.astraweb.com) so I will leave them the way they are. Next Chapter: A football game and party are in Zelda and Link's future! But as they grow closer, Malon only grows more and more jealous and vengeful! Look for Chapter Three; it will be a good one.