The Angst of Fate Testarossa and Co.
Chapter 7
Nanoha POV:
Uminari High School:
We had a math test in five minutes but it was hard to concentrate on my math book. I just want to get it over with and not study any more! I turned to look out the window...not that I could see anything because the wind was blowing the rain against the glass and it was raining really hard.
Stupid rain. My hair was soaked and it was making the back of my shirt wet. Why do we have to go to school when it's so bad outside?
"...make sure you remember that." The homeroom teacher tapped his papers against the lectern and tucked them into his briefcase.
Remember what?
"Alicia..." I turned to my right but there was no one sitting besides me. I forgot she's not here yet.
For that matter, there were quite a few students not here. Some of the people that were here looked like they shouldn't be. Hayate is always so bright and perky...even if she's a bitch...and she's drooling on her desk. Fate's not here either. Half the class is probably grounded after Fate's party so maybe that's why they look so pooped.
Ding. Ding. Ding.
Our math teacher rushed into the room. "Take everything off your desk except your pencil and eraser. You don't get a test until your desk is clear."
He handed me my test and I promptly wrote my name on it and flipped over the cover sheet.
Simplify:
(-5)(2y+1)-2 (y-1)3 +3(2y+1)-4(y-1)2
Poop! I hate these. At least it doesn't have fractional exponents...like the next one. I hate math.
I looked back out the window but there wasn't much more to see than last time. If anything, it was raining harder now, or maybe more windy, and I could see less.
Maybe Alicia's sick. She is still not here and Alicia never missed school and definitely never a test...Fate either really as hard as it is to believe. Skipped class a few times though...
The door at the front of the classroom opened and, speak of the devil, Fate walked in. Her hair matted against her head, her clothes clinging to her, and a trail of water behind her. She was completely soaked to the bone and dragging a black garbage bag behind her. There was a cigarette hanging limply from her mouth with water dripping from the tip. She walked over to the teacher's desk and dropped a soaking wet piece of paper onto it; which I think was a late slip at some point.
"What happened to you?" He handed her a test.
"I fell in the toilet." She reached out to take it but then looked at her wet hands and finally stooped and brought two rosy red lips close to the edge of the paper and took it between her teacher blushed bright red, the old pervert, it didn't help that Fate had a few buttons undone and her wet uniform hugged her curves. Who wants to look at her sexy accentuated hips anyway? What kind of...person... gets off on... that? I hope someone didn't turn up the heat because I feel sweaty all of a sudden.
She walked, bare feet slapping against tiles, back to her seat dragging the bag behind her and plopped down into her chair and let out a long sigh.
She ripped open the garbage bag with her nails and pulled out another garbage bag which she ripped open with her nails. Inside was her book bag and a towel.
That's actually a good idea! I wish I brought a towel. It's nice watching her dry her hair with her chest..Stop thinking about Fate stupid brain! We have a date with Yuuno, Brain, so it doesn't matter if Fate is extremely distracting, you aren't allowed to look at her
Damp hair is uncomfortable. I really wish I brought a towel. I don't want to go all the way to the locker room to get mine and mom woke me up at 5:30 so there wasn't a whole lot on my mind besides staying awake this morning so I didn't think about bringing one at all. Mom's been on lock down since Saturday morning...
Bang!
There was a noise somewhere in the basement and I saw a blur race up the stairs from the corner of my eye. Yuuno was clinging tightly to me, probably partly to keep me from falling off the edge of the sofa and partly because...his thingy was pressed against my butt. I'm so glad I'm clothed.
I sat up and stretched and Yuuno did the same.
"You're awake?"
"Hmm...Whatever that noise was...Who was that?" Yuuno rubbed his eyes.
"Lanster-san I think."
I need water or I'm going to die. I managed to pull myself to my feet and walked into the adjacent room where the Testarossa's kept a bit of a store room. I had to lean against the wall. This wasn't the worst I ever felt but it was getting there. My stomach felt like...horrible and my head was throbbing and my hands were shaking. My throat was sore too. Probably from that horrible...rum I think...that I tried to drink.
I closed my eyes and took a deep breath. I just felt so hot all of a sudden. I wiped my face with my t-shirt and took another deep breath.
When I was younger this store room would always be full of food and goodies. Linith used to scold us if we went in here because we'd ruin our meals for sure. It was like walking into a tiny grocery store. There would be fruit and vegetables, and baking stuff, and so many cookies! Things would be packed to the ceiling and filling the cupboards...I always kinda wondered what they did with all that food.
Now it was empty. Two cases of water lay on the floor and a sack of potatoes but it didn't sound like the fridge was even running; the deep fridge definitely wasn't. It looked liked the walls in the room hadn't been painted in years, the floor was scratched up, and only one set of the florescent lights were working. It smelt mouldy too and there were cobwebs in the corner.
It's kinda sad... I pulled a bottle of water from an already open case and before I even knew it, I had drank the entire thing. I pulled out another and emptied it the same as the first.
"Do you want some water Yuuno?"
"Not right now," he groaned. He was siting on the couch with his head hanging over one of the arms looking every bit as miserable as I felt.
"I'm going home. I want to nap some more and mom will be mad if I'm gone too long anyway." Mom would find some way of killing me...it's best to get it over with early. Maybe coming in the door this early might make her lenient? One can only hope.
His head jerked up. "Oh...umn...can I text you...call you later or something?"
"Text...don't call. You already have my number right?" I can sorta remember putting it in his phone...probably put it in wrong...but my head will explode if I have to fiddle with his thingy this morning. I don't even want to think about his thingy. If I gave him the wrong number it'll only be until Monday anyway and then I can give him the right one.
I did a little wave to Yuuno and walked into the stairwell. I raced up to the top, taking two had a time, and then paused. Hopefully ugly isn't up yet. I said a silent prayer and stepped into the thankfully empty backroom. I leaned against the wall to the kitchen door and listened intently trying to concentrate on my...my head was throbbing...my stomach was doing a little dance...and I could feel sweat dripping down my face. Who cares if she's here? I just want to go home.
I threw open the door and...and that Lanster girl was sitting happily eating breakfast with a bruised and puffy face Fate.
Those beaut...red eyes met mine and I froze. There was something about her eyes sometimes that could pin you to the spot. She is so...Ugly! Not pretty!
She was said something and Yuuno appeared from nowhere but I had to get out of there.
I'll go see how Alicia is doing.
I raced out of the kitchen and ascended the stairs slowly one by one, I just didn't have the energy for anything else, and knocked on Alicia's door. There was some kind of muffled sound inside so I opened it.
The rest of the house smelled like beer and it was gross but Alicia's room was completely untouched and smelled fresh and clean. The rest of the house is kinda dreary but Alicia's room was bright and cheerful and also the most vivid shade of lime green you could imagine; her comforter was lime green, her pillow cases were green, her rug was green. It felt refreshing. She had so many teddy bears too. They were seated on her desk, her dresser, her book shelf, and peaking out from a half closed drawer. This room is so much nicer than Fate's and smelled better too.
Alicia was laying on her stomach with her face in her pillow and blankets up to her neck. I walked in and sat on her bed.
"Are you okay Alicia?"
"No."
"Do you want me to get you some water?"
Her hand shot out and grabbed mine before I could get up.
"Everything sucks."
Alicia didn't talk like that. Tone and word usage were all wrong. Maybe I'm dreaming, though I can't remember ever feeling this bad while I was dreaming. Maybe it was Alicia downstairs and I got confused... I let the words hang in the air for a bit.
"Whaa...what?" I couldn't help but smile.
"Snuggle with me." .
I froze. "I...I did some things with a guy last night so I don't think you want to."
"Did he fuck you?" Again, she didn't even stir.
Did she just say what I though she said? There's no way. I must have imaged it...so why is she staring at me like that?
"No...I wouldn't do that! We just kissed and he touched my...boobs." My heart was pounding. I guess technically I slept with him because we cuddled all night but we...didn't do that!
"Then snuggle me." She threw the blanket back with her arm and finally rolled over. "Nanoha...you look icky."
I went to lay down but Alicia held up her hand to stop me.
"In your undies. I don't want your dirty clothes in my bed."
"Okay. I pulled off my pants and shirt and crawled into bed with her. We slept in the same bed when we were little so it's no big deal. The three of us even had baths together. Linith had to chase three giggling naked girls around the house to get us dressed.
"Snuggle me."
She turned toward the wall and I put my arm around her and hugged into her. Alicia always was hugging into a stuffed animal when we were younger. I should have known she was the huggable type.
Alicia's bed smelt so nice. The couch I slept on smelt old and dusty so it's nice to lay my head on something that was recently laundered and smelled pleasantly of detergent...and like Alicia. I mean it's not like she smelt bad but it smelt like her.
Stupid heart, why are you racing? Why is it so hot all of a sudden? Alicia had to feel it and my body felt like it was 100 degrees. Alicia was so warm and her pj's were comfy. I glad I'm not a guy or my thingy would be poking her.
"I...didn't think...think you...you would want to snuggle me."
"Why?" she asked sweetly and turned her face slightly toward me. "Because you're a homosexual?"
Blam! Her broadside crashed through my haul. I couldn't breath. My heart stopped then slammed against my rib cage and stopped again. My head felt woozy. I wonder if this is a flight or fight response.
"What's wrong?" She turned her head to one side so she could look at me.
"No...not...nothing. Why would you say that?"
"Because you're acting funny."
"I don't feel very well. I drank some booze last night." I rolled away from Alicia and rubbed my face. It's not a lie really!
"I did too but I don't feel sick."
"Then what's wrong?" Sweet merciful Jesus she finally dropped that subject!
Should I snuggle her again? Is she going to think it's weird that I'm not snuggling with her?
Alicia turned over on her stomach with her face towards me. We just lay in silence for several minutes. "I wish I was a child. I want to go back in time and live it over again. Do you ever wish that?" She blurted out in one long stream of words.
"Yeah." Those were happy times for me. I couldn't wait to get up and rush over here to play with my two best friends in the whole world. Not come back until it was dark and then the next day do it all over again. I remember being at this house for weeks straight sometimes. Plus, I didn't have to worry about my brain betraying me.
"You do?" Her voice was muffled. "I miss playing with our barbies in the playroom. I miss playing hide and seek until it got dark and then roasting marshmallows and wieners with Linith. I miss our sleepovers in Fate's big bed. I miss hearing your footsteps running up the stairs when you came to play..." She sniffled. "I miss Linith baking us cookies and making jello...I miss Arf..."
That's right. I haven't seen Arf. I was wondering where she was...that had to be twelve years ago and Arf was already five then...
Alicia rubbed her face in her pillow. "You are crying too?"
We both sniffled for several minutes. Tears running down our cheeks.
"What's wrong today...Alicia, you are not your bubbly self." I wiped my eyes.
"I wish things would stay the same. Everyone is growing up and changing. Getting boyfriends and... girlfriends..."
Alicia's voice is clear as a bell- a perfect voice for presentations - and a pleasure to listen to even when she's moody and probably hungover like she is today, but that last word...sounded like her voice actress was replaced by Roseanne Barr. I wonder if she knows about Fate...and Hayate? Makes me sick thinking about it.
"My friends are not the same as those I began high school with and I have never had many close friends. We have only a year left and then everyone will go there separate ways...Going to live their lives...Nothing will be the same again." Her eyes misted up again.
"You've thought about this a lot haven't you."
"...and I won't be with..Fate...any more." She pulled the covers over her head.
There was something very adorable about this tall ladylike girl hiding under her blankets. They're twins and I really really really missed Miyuki when she went away to college; they're as close as ...close can be? Alicia would be better off without Fate dragging down her name. Better off for not having to worry about her too. Fate's influence is what got us drunk last night...Alicia should be thinking good riddance rather than sobbing in her bed...but I can't say that. They're twins and they have that weird special bond twins have; even if it would be better if Alicia broke it.
I put my head under the blankets and hugged into Alicia's side.
I have to be nice for Alicia's sake. "You two are friends."
"I do not think so," she sniffed.
"You were holding hands with her the other day when you went to school and you were nice to each other last night. Just like when we were kids." Urk! The image in my head of those two holding hands is annoying and I don't know why.
"We are not close like we were...I was mean to her when we were younger and I avoided her. We are not nearly as close as we once were. She doesn't want to get close to me any more."
"What?" I accidentally blurted out.
"Linith had to leave when her contract expired and then Arf..." Alicia shuddered. "Fate started being bad...and I ignored her."
Started being bad...well I guess she was nice enough when we were small...but I was five when I left. How bad can a five year old be? They can do some yelling and crying but they can't do much more.
"I wish I could go back and change things."
"You have twenty minutes remaining."
I jumped at the sudden volume of our math teacher's voice. He wrote a huge "20 minutes left" on the white board.
"If you're not close to finishing I'd suggest you turn to the word problems since they are worth forty percent of your grade."
Poop! I only have three questions done! Mom's going to kill me! I flipped the test back to the word problems. I should pass, at least, if I can get these finished...
Machine A can complete a task in 5 hours alone. Machine B can complete the same task in 3 hours. Machine B breaks down after working together with Machine A for 1.5 hours. How long will it take Machine A to finish the task?
Okay...this is easy...you just have to...use fractions and...hehehe...maybe the next one.
2.) The speed of a boat in still water is 16 km/hr. If it travels on a river for 10 km downstream in the same amount of time it takes to travel 4 km upstream, what is the speed of the current?
I forgot we did this chapter and I don't remember how to set this up and we have twenty...fifteen minutes left! Poop!
