Act 4: Saving Duke


remialcsiD: Okay since this thing is so over done and boring, I decided to spell it backwards. Now on with the sad truth, I don't own this Movie or even the Twelfth Night written by Shakespeare that this movie was based-off of. Or the actors or the characters they act as, happy now?


It's weird, it's awkward, and most of all its boring. For the fourth time since the minute hand had touched 8, he checked his watch again. Much like his date he couldn't help but sigh. Where the hell was his wing-man? "So...do you like cheese?" He looked away in embarrassment once he caught the look of utter confusion and the slight vexed expression off of Olivia's face. This was totally not how he imagined his first date with the most popular girl in school to be like, if anything, he was stressed over how sweaty he was getting.

"So how's Sebastian?" She asked not-so clandestinely. The blonde was clearly more interested in his roommate than himself. However, Duke was just relieved to have a common ground to speak of.

Smiling fondly, he replied, "He made first-string today." Oddly enough, Duke looked proud enough for the both of them.

"Seriously!?" She questioned in a loud-whisper. It hurt her that Sebastian had yet to inform her of such important news; at the least she had figured the two of them to be friends. Bummed out at being left out in the dark, she started poking at her food blandly.

Oblivious to the cold shift of mood, he continued on, enthused. "Yeah, I mean he's been great. I would hardly recognize him on the field if I were to compare his game now to before." Grinning he joked, "Gods, he was terrible in the beginning so that's not saying much. You should've seen him in tryouts. Look like a rat, drenched in all that sweat. Funny thing was he couldn't even do a hundred sit-ups!"

Olivia watched Duke in slight awe; the boy in front of her right now was completely different from the boy she saw at school. He sounded so much more real, like he actually has a three-digit IQ. It almost made her re-consider him for her possible boyfriends list, almost. "I remember that! I had bumped into him in front of Gold's office. I was wondering why he was so sweaty. I should've known it was from soccer."

In midst of happiness, he paused. "You met him in the hall?" He scrunched up his face in deep thought, "...Oh, I think I know what you're talking about. He might've mentioned something about you at lunch that day." He laughed as he recalled his first impression of Sebastian, "You must've thought he was a complete dork, right?"

Almost immediately Olivia frowned. "And why would I think that?"

His laughter died in the quick span of mere seconds, "Uh...I dunno? I mean he was, you know, like...uh...sweaty?" The striker cursed himself for belittling his new teammate in the first place. This truly must have been the work of Karma at her prime.

Now back to his usual, blundering-self-Duke, Olivia rolled her eyes, exasperated.

--

The afternoon sun shone at her bouncy curls of red as it began to set into the horizon. Suited up in a tight, low-cut black dress, Lisa Rivers looked hot. "Please tell me you aren't going dressed like that." And just like that, Viola quickly recalled how much and exactly why she hated this brat so much in the first place. "Whatever, we're late as it is. Just try fixing your hair and zip up your sweater."

Through clenched teeth, Viola obediently followed her orders, "Better?" She sarcastically spat.

"We'll just have to buy something really expensive to compensate for your lack of proper dress ware," she stated simply as she stared at the cross-dresser. "Either case lets go."

The night hadn't even started and Viola already wanted out.

The brunette forced on a smile before over perkily chipping, "Great, can't wait." Behind them, Paul stood with his forefinger resting against his chin; finally he passed his home-girl a sympathetic smile. Hot or not, a bitch was a bitch and he could tell from just one look that this Lisa chick had definitely eaten her Bitchy-O's this morning.

Quietly he cheered, "Go get 'em boy!"

--

"So..." she began but never finished, instead she let her sentence hang in the air just as it stayed. Personally she was in no mood to deal with this feisty young red-head, she would have much rather stayed in her doom sleeping. Heck, she would rather be doing anything except this.

"Look, you've got something to say, you might as well say it," she scolded impatiently as she continued to keep her eyes on the road.

With the faint sounds of the air-conditioner and radio trash blowing through the edgy silence, Viola finally broke. "Did I do something? Was it something I said? Or do I just smell bad?" She laughed; the little prick actually had the nerves to laugh, astounded and tittering towards being snubbed Viola huffed. "You know what? Screw it."

"What now I'm an 'it'?" Lisa managed to spit out through laughing lips.

"What? No! I just meant, forget the question, the question!" The soccer player tried to explain as she animatedly gestured for peace.

"I'm just kidding, sheesh." When did the Devil get a sense of humour? "Besides, what makes you think it was something you did?" There she went again, talking all cryptic-like, as if English wasn't hard enough without all the double-meanings and whatnot.

"Gee, I don't no. Maybe because you keep doing that!" The younger twin exclaimed, pointing a judging finger.

"...You're so weird." And with that their conversation ended. Oh yeah, Viola loves spending quality time with Lisa, it's a ball!

--

"Names and reservations?" He was a rather lanky tall thing, all whispery-white and hardly any muscles to speak of; in fact he looked exactly like the ones in Disney movies, before Disney went all crap with sequels and prequels of course. It was quite strange if not amusing.

"Lisa and it should be for 7: 30," her 'supposed' chaperon answered smoothly.

The waiter passed Viola a long look; she swore heard a click of disapproval from the man's mouth. "Right this way, your table is eight, non-smoker." As the man lead them to their table, Viola kept a wide-eye open for Duke and Olivia. She missed them already.

"Thank you," Lisa politely offered once they were seated. Viola merely picked at her menu in slight anxiety. "What's wrong with you now?" She questioned dryly after the waiter departed.

"Umm...didn't your 'nephew'," Viola couldn't stop herself from making a funny face and air quoting the fake blood relation. She continued after the short pause, "Give you the deeds on the sitch?" The girl merely cocked an eyebrow. "Me, help your boy get with girl other there, ring any bells?"

"Were you dropped when you were a kid?" Must resist stabbing, no don't grab the butter knife. Bad girl, bad! "But yes, Duke did mention something about you helping him." The girl was obviously having a difficult time to as how Viola, of all people, could help Duke. The lanky short thing hardly looked like he could help himself.

Placing her menu upward like a wall, she slowly brought out her cellphone and sent a quick text, asking for an up-date on how the date was so far.

--

He was this close to just calling it in, they were obviously going nowhere, sitting here like two awkward statues from different time-periods. And then, Sebastian's text arrived. "Thank God," he murmured under his breath. Olivia looked up from her nails in slight alarm.

"Is something the matter? Is it ten?" A flicker of longing filled the blonde's eyes; luckily it went by unnoticed by her date as he continued to text Sebastian back.

"It's only eight thirty, no worries. You're good." Olivia Lennox was far from good and if this date didn't start picking up some speed, Duke Orsino was not going to be 'good' for much longer either. She would swear on it. Finally he looked up and bursting with new confidence he asked, "So how is cross-country going?"

She was so caught-off guard by the thoughtful question, she actually stuttered. Olivia Lennox, a class-one debutante, stuttering?! Stuttering was unspoken of! "Uh...F-fine." She blinked, three times, slowly. Recovering she continued, "Actually we are lacking a little for the season, but we've still got a good week before our first relay."

"Oh cool, maybe I should come and watch sometime," he suggested as a warm smile decorated his lips. Clearly satisfied by his stunning performance.

"Yeah, you should, we could always use more fans," she agreed, glad to have finally gotten over their awkward silence. "So what about you how's soccer?"

Duke smiled, this was good.

In fact it was perfect for a good hour, and then things started to get a little weird. Blinded by utter trust he shrugged before asking, "I like your lip-gloss, too bad it's not your ...color?" Duke silently read it over again before wanting to slam his head against the table. If Olivia's fuming expression was anything to go by, he was in a heap of trouble.

"Excuse me?"

"Uh..." Almost immediately afterwards another text came, desperate he hastily repeated again, "Yeah excuse you. It should be a crime to come out looking like that."

"WHAT?!"

"I need to go use the washroom, sorry" he wheezed out in one short breathe before practically running to Sebastian's table. If looks could kill, Sebastian really should've prepared for his funeral because Duke looked just about ready to murder somebody.

It didn't take the athletic long to find Lisa and Sebastian, in fact Sebastian stood out like a sore thumb dressed in his comfort-ware among the seas of dress-shirts and suits. "You," he growled jabbing his finger at him, "Come with me, now!"

"Hey! Hey! That hurts," Viola whined as Duke proceeded to drag her by her shirt collar in the direction of the men's room, oh boy.

As soon as they got in Duke had her pressed flatly against the wall, looking like he could really hurt her, he snarled "What the hell was that?!"

"What was what?" She asked confused and scared out of her wits. Even as she struggled against him, he topped her by at least a good fifty pounds and several feet so it was rather pointless.

"Don't play stupid with me, you sent those joke-texts!"

She stopped trying to wrestle out of her roommate's grip for a minute, "What? I never sent you 'joke-texts'. The last thing I texted you were to talk about your dog." Clearly feeling played, she calmly asked, "Can you show me the texts?"

Agitated but willing to get to the bottom of this, he complied.

Message Received:

Message from: Sebastian Hastings (555 555-1234)

Message To: Duke Orsino

Saturday, 8:30 p.m

I lke ur lip-gloss, 2 bad its not ur color.

Slowly Viola stated, "That's not my number Duke..."

In sync the two stated, knowing only one person sleazy enough and so profusely interested in Olivia to play such a dirty trick, "Malcolm."


Author's Rant: Okay you guys, sorry for the really –like really, late up-date. I honestly wasn't sure if I wanted to continue this fic but something just inspired me to write this up. Sorry if it's rushed or something. Hope you enjoy! Oh and thanks for the amazing feedbacks, you guys are seriously the best. Also this has not be beta-ed so excuse any glaring errors.