Dinner was an interesting affair that evening in the Davis household.
Gene glared at Noll for the entire meal and Noll completely ignored his twin.
"So Masako, how is the play coming along?" Luella asked from the head of the table, she was acting oblivious to her two sons.
"Quite well, we'll definitely be ready in time for the first performance," Masako said. "And hopefully we'll be using costumes as of next week."
"And your part of the play too, Mai?"
"Yes, I'm Masako's understudy," Mai replied quietly.
"My, my! So both of you poor girls have to put up with my son."
Gene temporarily stopped glaring at his brother, only to glare at his mother.
"Don't look at me like that, boy."
Gene returned his gaze to his brother.
"Mai, have you phoned home to let your parents know when you'll be home?" Luella asked. "You can use the house phone if you need to?"
"No need," Mai insisted with an awkward smile.
"What do you mean?"
"I don't have any parents."
Masako, who already knew this, did not react. But Gene and Luella looked shocked. Noll did not look around, but stared down at his plate and did not take another bite.
"Oh, I'm sorry, I…" Luella began.
"It's fine!" Mai said quickly. "You didn't know; it's okay!"
"But who looks after you?"
"I do! I mean, technically, my dad's old office is my legal guardian and his insurance policy from them is what pays for my living costs. But I live alone."
There was a prolonged and uncomfortable silence.
"Noll, you never told me about this debating project?" Luella prompted a few minutes later.
"Miss Matsuzuki is trying to get us into a competition; she paired us all up to practice our skills," Noll lied with ease.
"And how did you end up with someone as nice as Mai here?"
"I'm the only one that can put up with his arrogant behaviour," Mai butted in.
"And he fancies her," Gene said under his breath.
"What was that Gene?" Luella asked.
"Nothing!" Gene said loudly and innocently, satisfied with the death stare his brother was giving him.
"Sure?" Luella prompted, obviously genuinely concerned.
"Yeah," Gene said and continued eating.
"Well if none of you mind, I'm going to go catch up on some marking." Luella got up from the table at their reassurances that they didn't mind. "Please scrape your plates and put them in the dishwasher once you are done."
Once Luella was out of the room, Gene turned back to his brother.
"I can't believe you put toothpaste into an Oreo! How could you ruin the sacred creation that is the Oreo?!"
"Well I twisted off one biscuit, scraped out the filling and replaced it," Noll drawled.
"What did you do with the filling?" Masako asked.
"Mai ate it."
"But without the biscuit?!" Gene sounded extremely distraught.
"The filling is the best bit!" Mai chimed in.
"How could you?!" Gene exclaimed. "I thought you were a good person Mai." He shook his head in disgust. "I'm sorry Noll, you can't date this girl."
"I'm not dating Mai."
Masako and Gene rolled their eyes in unison.
"Are you finished, Mai?" Noll asked.
"Yeah," Mai replied.
"Then let's leave these idiots," Noll said, standing up. He took both his and Mai's plates and placed them in the dishwasher before leading Mai away.
"Going to practice that scene again are you?" Gene called after them.
"Jealous?" Noll called back. "Or are you worried I'm a better kisser?"
"Do you want me to kiss Mai and let her decide?" Gene suggested with a grin.
Noll slammed the door behind them.
"How are we getting them back for the Oreo prank?" Masako asked quickly.
"Well I do have an idea…" Gene smirked. "Eat up."
In Noll's room, Mai was perched on the edge of his bed and Noll was staring out of the window.
"I didn't know you were an orphan," he said finally.
"It's not something I shout about, but it's not a big deal."
Noll turned around and stared at Mai, his face was restless, as if he was about to say something and yet was unable to find the words.
"Come on, I thought we were planning revenge!" Mai smiled up at him.
Noll nodded and then joined Mai on the bed. He shuffled back until his back was against the wall. He then grabbed Mai's arm and pulled her back so she was sat beside him.
"Can you sew?"
"Yeah, can't you?"
"Of course, but it'll be quicker with two people," Noll muttered. "How do you feel about decorating?"
"Um, I'm not a pro but I can paint a wall as well as the next person?"
"I think Gene's room needs repainting," Noll said quietly. "He's going to be busy all weekend with rehearsals."
"But I should be at those rehearsals too," Mai pointed out.
"Tell them you're sick."
"You want me to play hooky to annoy your brother?"
"You need a twin to cover for you," Noll said with a smirk.
"Well when they perfect human cloning, I'll get onto that."
Noll chuckled lightly and Mai felt herself blushing again, she looked away to hide her reddening cheeks.
"What colour?" Mai asked, turning back.
"How about pink to match your cheeks right now?"
"You could have just not pointed that out," Mai grumbled.
"And where would the fun be in that?"
Mai pouted and looked away again.
"I was thinking glow in the dark paint would be best, it wouldn't show up at first," Noll said.
"Not until it was dark… That would be quite irritating…" Mai giggled. "We could write rude words with it…"
"Oh so mature."
But a ping from Noll's laptop interrupted their conversation. He frowned, shuffled off the bed and opened the web browser.
"Really…"
"What is it?"
"You remember your daft idea earlier?" Noll waved her over. "Seems Gene decided to try it."
"Which daft idea?"
But as Mai joined him by the desk and her mouth fell open.
"You have Facebook?"
"Of course," Noll replied wearily.
Mai studied the topless photo on the screen.
"How did he get on your account?"
"He worked out my password," Noll said through gritted teeth.
"That annoys you more than what he did, doesn't it?" Mai observed. "But that is definitely your smirk."
"We have the same face; of course it is the same smirk."
"Gene doesn't smirk usually though, you do."
"And those aren't my boxers," Noll said, indicating the red rim of boxers visible above the waist line of the sweatpants.
"I really don't want to hear about your underwear."
"My body has better definition than that."
Mai rolled her eyes. She watched as Noll began changing his password and forcing all other log in sessions to end. By the time he had finished doing this, the photo had received a lot of attention.
"Blimey, just wait until it reaches your fan club," Mai muttered. "What are you going to do?"
But another ping drew their attention to a new notification.
Gene Davis: Didn't realise you were so desperate for attention, dear brother!
Within a minute, it had twenty likes, mostly from other boys.
"Anything you say now will just sound like a cover up," Mai pointed out.
"I don't plan on saying anything."
"Are you okay?"
"You'll have to dispute it," he said finally. "No one would believe me, but if you said it…"
"I'm not going to go around shouting about how you look without any clothes on!"
"It's only topless," Noll said with a sigh. "It's really not that big a deal."
"It is to someone that hasn't seen a guy topless before!" Mai squawked.
"You saw me earlier," Noll reminded her.
"Not by choice!"
"Are you saying you didn't like it?"
"I… That's not what…"
Noll could practically see steam coming out of her ears.
"Calm down," he said in a low voice.
"You're mean."
Noll did not dispute this.
"The alternative is we take a picture to correct that one."
"I am not taking naked pictures of you."
"Topless really isn't naked."
"It's half naked!"
"Well you can take your clothes off too if it would make you more comfortable." Noll said this in an almost bored voice. If it had been anyone else, Yasuhara perhaps, Mai would have hit him.
"No one is taking any clothes off," Mai said finally.
Noll only shrugged.
"It's getting late; do you want me to take you home?"
"If you want me to leave, then please."
"I don't mind either way," Noll replied. "How far away to you live?"
"I live a twenty minute walk from the school."
"Come on then," Noll stood up. Mai grabbed her school jumper which was still quite damp and followed him from the room. "I'm taking Mai home!" he called to his mother.
"Okay dear, drive safe."
Mai slipped on her sodden shoes and picked up her bag. Noll pulled on dry trainers and grabbed some car keys. He led her out to a small city car and they both climbed in.
"Input your postcode," Noll instructed as he started the car and indicated the SatNav. Mai complied and they were soon trundling down the country roads back towards the school in the dark. "I'm sorry for what I said."
"Huh?"
"It was meant as a joke," Noll said quietly.
"The topless thing?" Mai asked.
"Yes."
"I know, I just... Keiko and Michiru always tease me for being so unexperienced with boys and stuff but I just get all flustered and…"
"I noticed," he commented.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be."
"Still…" Then Mai realised something. "You just missed the turning."
"I know."
"But…"
"We're taking a small detour."
They fell silent until Noll pulled up on the side of the road on top of a hill. He climbed out of the car and implied Mai should do the same.
"Woah…"
The hill overlooked the town and in the darkness, it looked like a spider web of lights.
"It's so beautiful," Mai whispered.
"And it's quiet."
Noll moved around the car to stand by Mai.
"A wondrous place…" he sang quietly and Mai turned to face him with wide eyes.
"For you and me…" she finished, equally as quietly. Noll leant down slightly and kissed Mai gently on the lips.
"I would appreciate your continued assistance in getting my brother back," he said.
"Was the kiss a bribe?"
"No."
"Then I wouldn't mind continuing to be your partner in crime," Mai replied bashfully.
"Partner in crime…" Noll smirked. "Well then, partner, might I have your phone number?"
He handed her his mobile and she inputted her contact details.
"Come on," he nodded towards the car as he took his phone back. The rest of the journey passed in a comfortable silence. When they arrived, Noll walked Mai up to her door and ensured she was inside and safe before returning home.
It was only when he had left that Mai realised she was still wearing his hoodie.
As Mai readied herself for bed, she kept checking her mobile, just in case. It wasn't until she had been home for almost half an hour that it finally buzzed.
This is Noll, so you have my number too.
Mai quickly saved the number to her contacts and began her reply.
I still have your hoodie; I can give it back to you tomorrow if you want? From Mai
He replied almost immediately.
Keep it. Check your FB, see you tomorrow.
Mai frowned, but opened up her laptop nevertheless. He had sent her a friend request. She accepted it and opened up his profile. It was quite bare, with only a few pictures and the odd detail filled in. The majority of his newsfeed seemed to be Gene leaving him odd messages, some of which he had liked.
With an overwhelming feeling of content-ness, Mai went to bed.
However, when she woke, her happy feeling was quickly diminished.
Not only had that jerk tagged her in something, she had received several messages from her friends questioning it.
Under a selfie that did admittedly look better than the one Gene had put up – perhaps it was just the lighting? – Noll had written: This is a much better photo of me, right Mai?
"That little…"
School was definitely going to be interesting.
Author's note: Look at me! Updating all my stories in the space of a like... 12 hours?
So here is some more fluff... If any of you have ideas for pranks, please let me know!
Please review :)