Chapter IV: First Day(II)
A/N: I don't own Tekken. Thanks a ton, CII & SPD!
Katherine Arnholt's character is homage to Hermione Granger, just as Kazuya's character is homage to Dragon Ball Z's
Vegeta. I must say Hermione's one of my favs; I feel I have lots in common with her. I like to be top of my class( that's on my like list in my profile), I'm Class Prefect(since sixth grade), I love to read(profile), and my hair is also like hers. I also used to suffer in school the way Katherine did. In 10th grade, I hit a boy(slapped him, actually) for framing me for a prank he pulled on the English teacher, who put me in detention. That didn't "feel good", as the boy hit me back, lol.( yes, I live in a place where boys can get away with hitting girls.)
Anyway...
Grades 7B and 8A were supposed to share double PE directly after lunch. Kazuya Mishima, however, had no intention of making it to the lesson, as he considered it a complete waste of time. Katherine Arnholt, on the other hand, had more private reasons for not attending PE. She obtained a note of exemption from one of the school nurses, handed it to a supervisor, then went to wish Lee luck, and watched as he departed with a heavy heart.
Katherine took full advantage of her free periods. She got all her homework done, then went to find the school library, intending to look about the literature section. After taking several wrong turns, she finally arrived at the library, and lo and behold, Kazuya himself was just leaving it. They met at the entrance.
It was hard to say who was more surprised, though Kazuya managed to conceal his shock through his narrowed eyes and perpetual scowl, his hand shifting to conceal the title of the book he was holding.
Now that they were this close, Katherine found herself sniffing him suspiciously. He reeked of hair gel, and she frowned as she took in his sleak, spiked hair.
"That's against the school's dress code, you know," she began conversationally, unable to ignore him any longer." Boys should have ' classical haircuts-no dyes or styling products.'" Kazuya rolled his eyes; had this girl memorized the list of school regulations, all one hundred and twenty of them?
" Now would you please let me through?" she went on irritably.
"No." His even tone was as challenging as his answer. He had been in a foul mood the entire day, and this girl had everything to do with it, so he was determined to make her suffer for it.
Katherine sighed, and attempted to push past him, but he held his ground. She tried again and again, but each time he blocked her with apparent ease. She gritted her teeth; her monthly cramps had been coming and going all morning, but they now manifested themselves in full force. She knew she should have asked the nurse to give her something for the pain.
Kazuya saw the vestiges of strength fade from her blue eyes, and smirked in triumph; she seemed on the verge of tears.
" Run along to Daddy now, little gaijin, and tell him I'm being a "prat" ," he said mockingly.
"I won't. I shan't give you the satisfaction," she said quietly, still struggling with the pain, of which he was unaware.
" Oh, but you will; you're Little Miss Perfect, arent you; Daddy's precious little brat." Through his contemptuous tone, she could make out a great deal of resentment and bitterness.
" I'll tell you what I will do, " she said, gathering her strength for a final offensive." I'll write to your Dad and tell him you're being a jealous, little-" Katherine did not go further; the expression Kazuya wore was frightening; she thought for a moment that he would surely hit her, but he stayed stock still, the muscles of his left cheek dancing with subtle twitches.
" Kathy!" It was Lee, walking down the corridor towards them. Kazuya strode off as soon as Katherine's face was turned.
XXXXXXX
Lee was still in his gym shorts, his shirt was soiled and he was carrying a pair of muddy trainers.
" What happened to you, Lee, and why aren't you in class; there's still around an hour left to go.
" I was sprinting down the trackfield, when two of Misaki's sidekicks thought it would be funny to knock me down into a mud puddle. I pretended to have hurt my ankle so I could get away in one piece."
Katherine made an angry, cat-like hiss. " Wish I'd been there."
" Then I was ambushed in the locker room. One of them tried to force my head down a toilet."
Katherine put a hand to her mouth in shock.
" I said tried, Kathy. I fought him off and he ended up where I was intended to!" Lee said, grinning.
Katherine sighed in relief." I hope you don't get into trouble for it."
" I didn't do anything; gravity did it for me, but since you mentioned trouble, I do have bad news, Kathy. Headmaster wants to see you in his office. It's about the Misaki thing. Don't worry, I'll support you."
Katherine's heart sank like a stone. If Daddy finds out...
" It's all right, Lee. I think i can handle it."
XXXXXXX
" I'm disappointed, Miss Arnholt. Your record from other schools have shown you to be a rational person, but your actions here..."
Katherine looked up at the Headmaster, then at his secretary who was jotting down everything being said like a court scribe." Is this necessary, sir?" she asked, indicating the secretary.
" School protocol, in case the School Governors show interest in a particular case."
Katherine looked down at her lap. The pain had abatted, at least for now, so her mind was clear.
" Was reporting to a prefect the "rational" thing to do? With all due respect, sir, if I'd counted on a prefect's help, Lee could have been seriously hurt, or he could have been the one sitting here in my place being scolded just because he'd exercised his right to defend himself against physical aggression!"
The Headmaster gave Katherine a half-scorching, half-admiring look. " You're so sharp-tongued, you should consider being a lawyer, Miss Arnholt."
" Thank you sir, but I'm reinforcing the truth, not twisting it around."
The Headmaster frowned." Witnesses say you dropped your food tray on Takashi Misaki; is that part of ' exercising the right to defend oneself'?"
Katherine glanced back at the secretary and bit her lip." I'd say that's part of Hamurabi's " an eye for an eye", sir."
A long pause ensued. " Very well; that's it for now. I think the School Governors would be very interested in reviewing your case, Miss Arnholt, and then they would deliberate over your punishment. Your father will be informed of the incident."
XXXXXXX
"How'd it go?" Lee asked, frowning at Katherine's palour.
"Fine, really," she waved a hand nonchalantly.
" Well, he'd never expel you or anything! Hey, what were you and Kazuya saying back there?"
XXXXXXX
Evening, Arnholt residence
Katherine was busy practicing Beethoven's Moonlight Symphony, something she often did at this time of the month, when her father came in, carrying an envelope and an official looking paper. Katherine's blood ran cold, for she recognised the school's crest on the envelope, and she braced herself for her father's admonishment.
" Katherine," William Arnholt began, frowning." I just received this from the school. It says here that, on account of your actions today, September 1st, the School Governors saw fit to-"
Here it comes!
"- award you the position of Assistant Director to the Student Life Organisation."
What?!
" And here is a separate note from Mr. Heihachi Mishima himself," her father went on, extracting another paper." He writes: " Your daughter has made an excellent argument for her actions, and those latter ones have shown that she has more backbone than ten men"." He looked up at the girl. " Katherine, why would they be giving you a postion reserved for senior students? What's all this about?"
XXXXXXX
Mishima Residence
Kazuya sat in his room, his back resting against his bedstead, toying with a chess piece. Without glancing up, he said," Lee, is there a reason why you're lurking just outside my room at this time?"
A moment's pause, then Lee stepped into view. He wore a determined look on his face, for after what he'd been through today, Kazuya suddenly seemed like a docile cat.
" Yeah, I just wanted to know why you were being rotten to Kathy today, that's all."
Kazuya sneered." ' Kathy' now, is it? I've been telling myself from the start that you two outcasts would be perfect for one another."
" What ticks you off about her, exactly?" Lee asked, ignoring his older brother's sarcasm.
" Everything, basically, including that a miserable little wretch like her is even allowed to exist. You know, I think her father would be better off digging a hole and crawling in it to die from all the shame she brings him."
Lee's pale eyebrows rose, and he let out a sharp intake of breath. " You know, I think it's the fact that she's a much better person than you and has a much better father that really gets to you. " Kazuya's eyes narrowed considerably, but otherwise he did not react. "And you shouldn't be rude about her father either, because he was all over you when we met, saying how talented you were, " Lee paused for breath." And he didn't even notice me!"
"That's because he couldn't see you, idiot! Human eyes aren't meant to detect translucent freaks like you!" He paused, letting the words sink in, " Then again, all that food spilled over you today would have given you a bit of colour". He smirked." You must have looked quite the spectacle."
Lee clenched his fists, but Kazuya did not notice; he seemed rather bored. " If that's all, Chaolan, then you can remove yourself from my door." Lee shook his head at his brother's attitude, and turned to leave, but Kazuya had one more thing for him.
" Oh, and Chaolan, what happens at home, stays at home."
Lee froze with his hand on the doorhandle; he did not like the underlying threat. " Don't worry; I never told Kathy anything about what goes around in this hellhole."
Only when Lee had left and shut the door behind him did Kazuya stir. " liar," he breathed.
XXXXXXX