High School Life

~~Begin Chapter~~

"Now remember Satine, when this is done in The Pit, we're going to have the same dance routine only a little longer and wider as it was usually to be," Nny said as she strung up the corset. Satine winced a little, she still wasn't used to the corsets.

"Goddamnit!" She cursed then she gasped as Nny really, really tightened the corset to where she felt she couldn't breath.

"Don't use God's name in vein like that," Nny said. Satine nodded and Nny loosened the corset.

"Why do we have to use these anyway? I mean, it's just rehearsal," Satine said. She'd do anything to get out of wearing a corset, except use the Lord's name in vein.

"Y'know, you have a point, Satine," Nny said. "How say you to this? I'll let you practice with just a slip and the outfit and on opening night you use the corset. How's that sound?"

"I agree!" Satine said. "Now just get this thing off of me!"

"Alright," Nny said as she got a grip on the corset took out her knife and slit all the strings. Satine, near nude, fell onto the bed breathing in deep breaths of air.

"AIR!" She gasped. "OXYGEN, YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND!!"

Nny wasn't so happy though as she realized she had just ruined their best corset, "Aww, man! This was the best corset I could find in Old Town! Damn it, now I have to buy a new! Probably no others like this one! It frikkin' cost me fifty bucks, man!! Shit!"

"Uh, Nny," Christian burst in the door in just his pants. "Where's my shirt?"

Satine's and Nny's eyes were directly looking at Christian's amazingly actually tanned body and well brought out abs.

Christian then noticed the seemingly strange situation and backed up, "Was I interrupting something?"

"What? Oh, ra! No, geez!" Nny said. "I've got nothing against homosexuals or bis, I'm just not one of 'em! And next time knock before you enter a room! Especially a dressing room! Geez where are your manners, and your shirt?!"

"That's what I asked you…er, about the shirt anyway, sorry about my bad manners," Christian said. He took a glance at Satine, she was sitting with her sheets around her and her back to him though she seemed to be studying him over her shoulder.

"Oh, right, eheh," Nny turned around and searched through her closet and picked out a shirt. She turned around and handed it to Christian, "Here you go, Tin, this'll do for you. Well, er Sats, you know where your dress is, be ready in fifteen, I'll send M-chan up to help you with your make-up."

Then Nny closed the door and walked down the hall explaining the show to Christian, "You see, Christian. Ever since Ninth Grade I've been throwing these parties, usually an Old Moulin Rouge Themed and only such, but this year, since I'm leaving high school and going into College, I'm going to throw the bash of the century. It's going to be Moulin Rouge with an intermingle of a real Rave. Linkin' Park, Metallica, and some AFI too."

"No, no, no, no!" Anna said as she came up carrying papers. "How did AFI get on the list eh? How? You do know that about ¾ of this world hates AFI don't you?"

Nny shrugged, "Well, I'm not apart of that ¾ and if anyone complains, I'll just tell them to get out and that the whole Rave/Moulin Rouge party is over! Done, non existent! Don't worry, I have my ways of throwing Raves!"

Anna sighed, there was no point in arguing, Anna may have the favor of Nny, but when it came to music, Nny was a mountain that would not crumble. She nodded, "fine, fine, we'll keep in the AFI."

She walked back down the hall to where Nny's parents' room was and sat at the computer making e-mails to people she knew that could help her. Nny and Christian continued to walk downstairs to the kitchen.

"AFI, Linkin' Park my two favorite bands in the world," Nny said. "What are your favorites?"

"Well, um, I'm quite the Oasis fan, it's the only rock band I listen to really. I'm usually with some jazz, or swing music," Christian said.

"Oasis eh? Never heard their songs, I don't think," Nny said. She saw M-chan sitting at the table, not looking happy. "What's the matter with you, M-chan?"

"Argh! Nini, that's what!! That's who! She's being such a bitch, I swear!" M-chan said in an angry tone. "Do you know what she did?"

"Didn't like your style on make-up and then tossed it all to the ground shouting, 'you suck' really loudly in Spanish and stamping all over the make up you spent so much money on just for this occasion?" Nny said.

"EXACTLY!" M-chan said. "I swear, I worked double shifts to save up enough money for all that make up and she just completely destroys it for free, in less than five minutes!"

Nny sighed then yelled, "NINI!"

Nny looked out the window as she saw Nini get up from Juarez as they were making out on the sofa in the back. Nini walked inside, composing herself. Nny's little dog, Binks, ran up from behind her and jumped into Nny's arms. Binks growled at Nini.

"Cool it, Binks," Nny said. Then she averted her gaze to Nini, "Now, Nini, I hear you completely wrecked M-chan's Make-up collection that she bought just for this occasion."

"Cee, well the Senorita didn't know how to properly apply the make-up," Nini said. Nny put her dog down and walked up to Nini and slapped right across the face. "Next time, don't complain just go with it! You're letting you High School 'Stardom' get to your head. Stay modest, and stop making out with Juarez on my lawn furniture!"

Nini held her reddening face and then walked away muttering a few choice words in spanish. Nny walked back to the window and then sat down, leaning against the nook of the counter and the wall. She tapped her lap a bit, "Come here, Binks! Good dog! You are the sunshine of my life, when was the last time I said that to?"

M-chan laughed, Nny loved that dog like her child. Then she said, "So what're we going to do about the make up?"

"I hate to do this, but we'll resort to what my mom has left here," Nny said. "You know where it is don't you?"

"Yes," M-chan said then got up.

"Oh, when you get it, go to my room, Satine'll be waiting for you to help her put it on," Nny said. M-chan nodded then headed upstairs.

"Is Nini always that mean?" Christian asked. Nny shook her head.

"Usually she is this mean when she's PMSing, other than that, she's actually a nice person," Nny said. Nny looked at the clocked and gasped. "Oh Shit!" She shot to the banister and yelled to everyone in the den, "GET OUT! TEN MINUTES!! GET OUT!! Meet me at The Pit in an hour! NOW GET OUT! HURRY!"

Everyone didn't stop to wonder why they just left as quickly as possible.

"Do I have to leave?" Christian asked. Nny shook her head.

"No, you can stay," Nny said. "Go upstairs and tell Satine and M-chan to drop whatever they are doing and come down here. Tell Satine to get dressed properly first!" Nny opened the window, "Hey, two Spanish Lovers, get out of my backyard now! Ten minutes! Be at the The Pit in an hour! Hurry!"

Nini and Juarez got off the sofa and left through the side gate.

"Why do you keep yelling Ten minutes?" Christian asked.

"Because ten minutes is when my brother will be home! Now go tell M-chan and Satine!" Nny said. She went downstairs and cleaned up all the messes the dancers that were to be in the show made.

Christian knocked on the door before entering this time. M-chan opened it and let him come in.

"What's up?" M-chan asked. "I just heard like ten cars starting at once and leaving and I look out the window and everyone's gone!"

"Oh, uhm," Christian was having a hard time to keep from staring at Satine. She looked so beautiful with the make-up on and even though her hair was a bit of a mess it was still so beautiful. M-chan was doing her hair when Christian had come in.

"Well?" M-chan asked.

"Oh, uh, Nny's brother is coming home soon, so she said to stop whatever you're doing and for you, uh, Miss Satine, to get dressed in your regular clothes," Christian said fumbling slightly. Satine nodded.

A few moments passed finally M-chan said, "Well, if she's going to get dressed, I suggest that you leave!"

"What? Oh, yes, sorry," Christian left. M-chan left soon after.

Christian and M-chan walked back down to the Den where Nny lay on the couch. M-chan slapped her legs, Nny sat up giving room for M-chan and Christian to sit down.

"Where are your parents?" Christian asked.

"Uh, they're uh, they're away," Nny said taking a drink of her Gatorade.

"Oh, where?"

"Just out," Nny said.

"Do they know that you throw these parties?"

"I'm sure they do," Nny chuckled dryly.

"And they actually let you do this?"

"It's not like they can stop me really," Nny said.

"Why not?" Christian asked.

"They're dead," Nny said. "They're dead to me, and to my sister and to my brother. They're dead to the world!"

M-chan patted Nny's back, "Calm down, S-chan."

"Oh, I-I'm sorry," Christian said stunned to think that Nny would be parentless. "How?"

"Car crash when I was in eighth grade…I got in a fight with them," Nny said wiping her eyes, "After school got out and refused to ride with them. I refused to go with them. I was especially bad to my father, and so they left as I walked home. I witnessed it, I saw them make a turn and then some damned teenager came speeding down the road, racing with someone else and they both crashed into my parents' car!" Nny took another gulp of her Gatorade.

"I'm sorry you had to witness such a thing," Christian said. Nny just grunted and got up to go to the kitchen. Then the front door opened.


"Hey! How's it going?" A tall guy walked into the house. He was dressed in a button up shirt and slacks. He had a Marine-shaved head carried a bag next to him.

"Hey, brother," Nny said as she went into the kitchen.

"Hello, Nny and who have you here today?" her brother asked.

"Oh, the usual guests, M-chan and Satine, and a newbie," Nny said as she put her Gatorade in the fridge.

"And who's he?" her brother asked gesturing to Christian.

"My name's Christian, sir," Christian said as he stood up and shook Nny's brother's hand.

"Sir? Heh, I like this guy, he knows an officer when he sees one, well, not exactly an officer but a Marines anyway. My name's Davy, Nny's Brother," Davy said.

"Hello," Christian said. M-chan walked up to the kitchen.

"I swear, Nny, I really do not like teaching 10th graders anymore," Davy said as he sat on the couch.

"Yes, yes, you've complained about it all the time," Nny said. "If you don't like teaching anymore, brother, you can always quit and just stay in the Marines. They pay you good enough."

"What do you want for dinner?"

"I was going to go take Christian out, you know, show him around town," Nny said. "I can cook you up something really quick if you want."

Davy shot up and went to the kitchen where they were, "No, I'll cook for myself, I need to do something that'll calm me down." He turned to Christian, "If you do anything to harm these girls, I will personally see to it that you are slowly tortured and killed."

Christian's eyes grew a little, "Eh?"

"I'll have my regiment do cruel and unnatural things to you, starting with neutering you."

Christian's eyes went wide, "I-I won't do anything…s-sir…"

Davy grinned, "Good, now be safe, Nny."

"See ya, Dave," Nny grabbed her keys. "Hey Sats let's go!"

Satine came down carrying a bag, "Coming!"

Satine hurried down the stairs and closed the door behind her not even acknowledging her friend's brother's appearance. Satine dashed over to the car and got in the back.

Nny took out some cigarettes that were in the visor. She took out one cigarette and broke it and smeared out the contents to the Earth. Then she took the others and tossed it out as they went out on Spain.

"We're going to the Pit aren't we?" M-chan asked. Nny nodded as she took a left at Juan Tabo. "Then why are we on Spain?"

"We need to get something to eat for dinner, and we need to pick up Ali-chan," Nny said. "And Em is going to be in the show as well, so we need to pick her up as well."

"Who's Em?" Christian asked from the back seat. He was sitting in between Satine and M-chan.

"Remember that girl from Wendy's?" Satine said. Christian looked at her and nodded. "That's Em, short for Emily."

"Oh," Christian tore his gaze to look ahead.

"So, Nny, have you gotten into looking for any jobs lately?" Satine asked. Nny laughed.

"Oh yes," Nny laughed and joked, "I'm going to be working at a morgue!"

"A morgue?" Christian repeated. "Why would you want to work there?"

"I'm just joshing, man," Nny laughed then took a sharp left onto Montgomery and then a sharp right into the parking lot of El Dorado High School. "Alright you can wait here and I'll go get Ali-chan and Emily."

"Wouldn't Emily be at Wendy's though?" Christian asked. Nny shook her head.

"No, Emily and Ali-chan always come by here at five, they have some evil plans going on but I'm going to have to cut them short," Nny said. Satine got out of the car.

"Evil plans you say?" She grinned. "Well I'll have to make sure you don't fall victim to these evil plans no partake in them!"

"Oh come on, Sats! You saved me from humiliating myself just once back in middle school," Nny said lightly. "Don't think it's your duty to keep me from humiliation all the time!"

"I regret that you've done that, Sats," M-chan said. "By doing that, you've made Nny's ego shoot up a few points."

Christian got out of the car to, only to be where Satine was.

"Well let's go then," Nny said and walked into the school court yard. They met Emily and Ali-chan, reminded them of Christian and then headed out to the Pit. Upon arriving at the Pit downtown Albuquerque there were many cars parked outside and group of women and some men waiting outside smoking or drinking or both. Nny pushed through the crowd and unlocked the doors and they flooded in.

"Lizzy," Nny called to a red headed tall white girl who looked very much Ali-chan, which wasn't a shock since they were cousins and they shared many of the same interests. She walked over to Nny.

"Yes?" She asked.

"You've always been one with electricity, pair up with Zidler there," Nny pointed to Zidler who seemed a little down. "And figure out how to bring this to The Pit." Nny gave her a piece of paper that were obviously designs, many of them, for electrical show at The Pit.

Lizzy gawked a bit as she looked through the seemingly impossible but brilliantly made designs. She looked up at Nny, "I really don't think any of this is possible."

"Well make it possible or I'll take away your hatchet!" Nny threatened. Lizzy shook, her Hatchet was sacred to her. Like Nny's hat was to her. Lizzy's nick name was Lizzy Borden, after the Lizzy Borden who killed her parents. She was especially held to that title since she was an orphan who lived with her aunt on her mother's side (Ali-chan is a cousin from her father's side.)

"Okay, I will," Lizzy said then she walked over to Zidler to enlist his help.

"Wow, this is a great place," Christian said looked down at the basketball court that was being cleared away to make a dance floor. He looked around and saw all kinds of signs and all the rows of benches and seats. Satine stood next to him and nodded.

"All the Home games for the Lobos basketball team are played here. They're great team, and this is the best Arena in the state. They hold The Gathering of the Nations here along with other events," Satine said. Christian looked at her inquiringly.

"Gathering of the Nations? I've never heard of that except for U.N. meetings, they have U.N. meetings here?" Christian asked. Satine almost fell over the banister with laughter, Christian caught her and held her up and Satine continued to laugh on his shoulder. Christian grinned a little; he didn't mind where she was at all. Finally, Christian's confusion got to him and he held Satine out at arm's length, "What's so funny?"

"Ga-hehe, gather of the nations isn't pertaining to anything U.N. at all!" Satine laughed a bit more then caught her breath long enough to say calmly, "It means that tribes from the Native American people come to compete in dances and songs. While the dances, traditional and new, are held in here, outside fry bread is sold, along with art displays, and drinks, and other goods. There was this one time a few years ago when this one guy was selling a thing that looked like a hammock only its ends were just inches away, but it was something to sleep in, it was very comfortable."

"Tribes? Native Americans?" Christian seemed a bit clueless and then Satine grew serious.

"Oh my ra, the lack of education you have received about America's history!" Satine said. "Well, I'll have to fill you in. Well, before the Spanish and Portuguese, and Russians and English and French came to America in the 1500s there were just the People of the Land here. They were in different nations unto themselves, though modernized they are called tribes. But they were there people that were primitive because they respected the Earth in all the ways they could. They took only what they needed and always thanked the animals they killed. They all shared the belief in the Great Spirit who ruled over them all. Especially the nations of the plains; Sioux, crow, Cheyenne etcetera."

"Oh, so, they, the Native Americans are tribes, like the Scottish once were too?" Christian asked. Satine nodded.

"Yeah, it's similar to that. They fought each other a lot, but still had mutual respect," Satine said. "Their way of fighting really helped effect modern day fighting, guerilla tactics you know."

"Oh, that came from them?" Christian asked.

"Well, at one point or other, we all used it, but after a while even war was to be 'civilized' though war can never be truly 'civilized'."

"True."

"So, uh, how did you come to live here, in New Mexico anyway?" Satine asked as she leaned on the banister. Christian was leaning on it too he looked at her.

"My father he works for the London Tourists Board, so my family moves around a lot. I usually was kept in London with my Grandmother to keep a steady education, but she passed away during the summer vacation and I have no other relatives in London so I was forced to move here with my younger brother," Christian said.

"Oh you have a younger brother? How old?"

"Yeah, he's uh, 15 now," Christian said thinking on it just a few seconds. Christian laughed lightly, "He's just like my father, a serious lout with no interest what so ever in art."

"Oh? Tell about your family," Satine said. Christian sighed and shrugged.

"What's there to say? My mother is overly energetic but somewhat embarrassing to be seen in public with since you know, she has that big mouth and all," Christian said. "My father is an uptight complete bastard who has no life and used to work at a major banking company but it fell in the early nineties so he started to work for the London Tourist Board. My brother is probably going to grow up to be like him. What about you, what is your life like here?"

Satine pointed to where Nny, M-chan, Ali-chan, Anna, and Smee were all standing together laughing as Nny acted out things she just came up with for her story and made goofy faces. She smiled, "They're my life here. Nny I've known the longest and M-chan the second longest. They've always been there for me when everyone else would put me down, especially recently when everyone seems to be against France and I'm just in love with the country."

"Oh, so they're like your bodyguards?" Christian asked. Satine laughed a little and shook her head.

"They only wish! I can take care of myself fine," Satine said. Satine pulled Christian's arm in the direction of her friends and she said with a smile, "Let's go over and join them now. It's always interesting to heard Nny's stories."

"And then, he runs up to the guy and goes, 'Fuck this! I'm going to fucking kill you! You slimy piece of fish!' and the guy looks at him all weird like and goes ' "Slimey piece of fish"? what the hell is that?' Then Jangler just explodes and says, 'Do you dare defy me, the prince of all things unholy?!' and the guy goes, '…yeah.'," Nny said people laughed at the different gestures she did. M-chan joined in since they were telling the escapades of their voices and them trapped on an island with tons of houses and buildings but all deserted.

"Then Meliah came in and just said, 'Jangler shut-up'," then M-chan looked like she was tying something and she said, "then she tied Jangler's monkey tail to the light pole and left him there for the night."

"Aw, poor Jangler!" Satine said.

"Jangler says thank you," Nny said. Christian laughed a little, these Americans certainly were…different. "All the while Euan is at the pub with Lizzy getting drunk off of Absinthe and saying that his life as a conscience to me is horrifying."

"And Lizzy isn't listening because she's passed out on the bar from ten too many shots of tequila," M-chan pointed out.

Nny laughed and said, "Whilst Aurie decided to hunt Hawk near the volcano that smokes but never seems to erupt."

"And hawk lead her straight into the crater!"

"And now Aurie, is burning up as she sits in wolf form on a rock ledge," Nny said. "I think she's waiting for the helicopter to pick her up."

"We have a helicopter?"

"No…"

"Oh…haha," M-chan laughed at Aurie's stupidity and desperation.

"Send my regards and consolations to Aurie," Christian said playing along. Nny nodded.

"She says, 'what the hell? Just regards and consolations? Bloody hell, get me a helicopter get me out of here!'" Nny said. Ali-chan laughed when Nny said "Bloody hell".

"Hey, Nny, we need you down in the Pit, we're waiting," the Head Stage manager said. Nny nodded and walked down the stairs saying "see you laters" to everyone.

"Let's go get a seat," Satine said pushing Christian a little to the seats in the back. On the screens near the billboards, came Nny's face. She spoke into a microphone as she addressed everyone there.

"Good evening people, and thank your for being here. I'm sure you all know me, and for those of you who don't, my name's Nny. I am the director of this show, I run it all," Nny said. "What is 'it all'? Well 'it all' is the annual once a year Moulin Rouge themed show that I've put on since Ninth Grade when I first came up with the idea after reading up on the Bohemian Revolution which I have to do again this year. But this year, as my final legacy to La Cueva and my final going away act, I've decided to hold it in the pit. And, we're making it bigger and better by having Karaoke, a DJ provided by the artful Satie, who will be looking for help so if you or anyone you know can help him, please tell him or me, and we're going to have louder more powerful music, not just swing-jazz, but we're heading for some punk and heavy metal, Linkin' Park and AFI and many others! Now, this is going to be a task beyond what I've e'er gave you before. I have here," Nny took from Lizzy her designs, "ten different near impossible designs for the show this year, we're going to choose one today and on Sunday I will pronounce which one has been voted on the most and then on Monday, we'll have just three short weeks to bring it all together along with the rehearsal and dance choreography! So, now let's begin."

Lizzy passed out sheets to all the many and several dozens of people that were to help and perform here. They had all ten mini designs on them and they were check on off and fold the paper and then pass it to the front.

Nny was finished with her speech, they all knew what they had to do so Nny walked back up to join her friends. Nny looked out the window and saw the sun set she turned to her friends, "Well, friends, my day of no work has begun."

"As has mine," Anna said. Christian looked a little puzzled.

"Why? There's still a lot to do here," Christian said. Nny shook her head.

"No for me or Anna, we follow the old Jewish ways, we don't work from Sunset on Friday to Sunset of Saturday," Nny said. "Really, my days begin and end on sunsets not midnights. Let's go home all."

Satine, M-chan, Ali-chan, Emily and Christian followed Nny out to her car and they left.

~~End Chapter~~

Jester: Mwahahaha, I've gotten to chapter four and we're still on day one…well now I'm moving things along in my next chapter. Next chapter we'll dive more into the feelings of Christian and Satine and then dun dun dun, we'll enter the protagonist…or is it antagonist? Anyway, we'll enter the Jealousy and all hahahaha oops, I hope I didn't give it away

Euan:…

Jester: ooh go visit my church of McGregor! And my Bohowave forums! I'll have the links posted in my bio!

If you think you can contribute anything to help make the chatsite, please do post. I'll post what is needed.

Jester Fraser