Disclaimer: I do not own One Piece.

Holly- I really, really hate mopping.

Chapter 7 - Accidental Accomplishments

What time is it?

My eyes flicker open only to shut again.

The bright rays of sunshine are glaring at me with a personal vendetta through the slits in the open blinds. I groan and roll over, my arm hitting something warm and fleshy.

My eyes burst open as I flinch back, head smacking against the wall behind me. I hiss, rubbing my scalp. I relax when I see that it's only Eustass next to me.

I briefly remember him pushing me up against the wall last night, refusing to sleep on the floor again.

How long have I been out?

I glance at the clock only to have aggressive heart palpitations; the red angry digits on the analog piece of shit inform me that we're already 10 minutes late for school.

Anyone else would probably roll over and go back to sleep, but since the Educational Office at school is paying Eustass and I a small sum at the end of each month for good attendance I proceed to kick the redhead onto the floor.

"EUSTASS! GET UP!" I screech hoarsely, clambering off the bed in a rush to get dressed. I don't have time for clean clothes, the ones on the floor from yesterday will have to do.

Kidd grunts from the floor, sitting up to look at the clock. He jumps like he's just been electrocuted.

"FUCK!"

The rushing around would be incredibly comical if not for our impending doom. Every Tuesday morning after Tutorial we are unfortunate enough to have History with Mr Borsalino, a man who is not only a tight ass in general but very susceptible to giving out detentions to those who are late.

Kidd angrily combs his hair while eating a bowl of cereal and I set upon using the bathroom to brush my teeth.

In our tiny one bedroom apartment it takes literally 2 steps to travel between each room, yet it also seems impossible to find anything. I blame Eustass for keeping so much crap that we don't need.

We're out of the door my 9:15, and History will begin in exactly 10 minutes. It's a 25 minute walk, you do the math.

We run down the hallway of the apartment complex like Satan himself is chasing us.

Jogging on the spot I repeatedly stab the button to the elevator before the doors ding open, and we head down the bottom floor. It's just as well that no one else tries to get in with us on the way down, we must look ridiculous.

We force our way from the steel doors as soon as they open, startling an old lady in the process.

"Sorry, Mrs Kanto!" I holler over my shoulder as we take off at a fast pace. I hear her wheezy laugh somewhere behind us in reply.

We forgo the idea of waiting for the bus all together and instead tear up the sidewalk on our way down two blocks before heading through a jumble of sketchy alleyways, jumping the occasional wire fence.

It at times like these that I wish I could do Par Cour, because there are too many damn buildings in the way.

We reach the other side of the maze and back onto the main road, mindlessly avoiding young school children and their parents to run through Alabasta Public Park - we're only a block away now.

We jaywalk across the next street, receiving angry honks of disapproval, and head through the back gates. I stop in the middle of an empty parking space, clutching my ribs and trying to remember what breathing oxygen feels like. Eustass is hunched over with his hands on his knees and panting.

I pull my phone from my pocket, and the cracked screen makes our efforts seem especially futile. We're late by 5 minutes. I relay this to Kidd and he makes a noise like a dying cat.

We collect ourselves slowly, taking our time before heading to the fiery pits of Hell. It's been a good life, I muse.

"Hey, Law! The new kid is asleep in her car…" Kidd trails off, pointing over at small yellow vehicle with a dented bumper.

I squint, seeing the red hair I backtrack towards Eustass and we make our way over, shuffling uncomfortably.

"Should we wake her?" I ask.

It falls on deaf ears as Kidd does ahead and taps on the windscreen anyway.

The kid flinches against the steering wheel, peeking up at Eustass before sitting bolt upright and yanking her keys from the ignition. She pops open the door.

"What time is it?" She asks frantically, scrambling for her bag on the passenger seat.

I don't really get a chance to give her that tidbit of information, as she steps out of the car and locks it I can't help but lose all words together.

Those definitely should be there.

Kidd has noticed too, because he makes a weird noise that makes Dakota turnaround from locking her car, innocent confusion on her freckled face.

I open my mouth, and close it again. Then I look at Kidd, whose face has gone purple, then I completely lose my shit all together.

I look down and see duck print.

I purse my lips before looking up at my cackling companions. Law's gone a bit red in the face while Kidd's practically crying. I wail slightly.

"This wasn't supposed to happen!"

I pluck at the light blue flannelette decorated with bright yellow ducks and my face is on fire.

No, no, NO!

To make things worse, my black t-shirt and knee high boots clash with the material, and my plan was to avoid attention. God damnit.

I glance at the watch on my wrist and my heart sinks.

"We're late!" I shriek, successfully shutting the pair up.

It would be amusing to think back on later, how soon their faces turned grey. But for now, I'm more focussed on remembering my way back to our classroom without getting lost.

One we get upstairs I'm ripping open my locker and dumping all of the books into my bag without checking my timetable, I don't have time.

We approach the door to Remedial Class, and I knock. An act reminiscent of shoving my fist into burning hot coals.

I feel like Wendy Torrance in The Shining, waiting for her crazed husband - Mr Borsalino - to chop down the door and attempt to kill us all. My heart's going to burst in anticipation.

It stops when the door handle slowly starts to turn.

He's there, in the doorway, and I feel as though we've just interrupted Thanksgiving Dinner with his family. I gulp.

His mouth opens and I cringe back, as does Eustass. I'm so glad that nobody else can see us right now. Dakota doesn't do anything, just stands there closest to the man, receiving the full wrath of his reprimanding and not moving a single muscle.

I'm not sure what facial expression she's making, but so far I'm pretty impressed.

"I'm sorry, sir," She says, "It's my fault that the three of us are late. I had a flat tire this morning and these two were kind enough to help me change it because I couldn't do it on my own. I do apologize."

She sounds so sincere that I nearly started believing her too, and I've never even changed a tire before. I thought she couldn't lie?

"Very well, as long as you can assure that it won't happen again none of you will receive punishment. And it won't will it, Miss Seagrave?" He's completely deflated from his earlier anger.

Who would have thought that a man like Borsalino has a soft spot for helpless women?

"No, sir."

We're led into the classroom and we go to take our seats. Several cat calls of 'nice pyjamas' and obscene duck noises follow Dakota to her seat, and it's interesting to see her head lower in shame now rather than when Borsalino was tearing us a new one.

I smirk to myself a write a note on the corner of her notebook, startling her.

In black ink I scrawl: -Don't worry, I'm sure everyone will be wearing the same thing once they realise we didn't get detention.-

She scoffs quietly.

The smile she gives me displays far too much relief and happiness, my heart squeezes to the point that it's kind of painful. I've never felt anything like it before.

I return it, a small smirk but that's just me.

So this is how it feels to make another person happy…

Holly- Aww da's sho shweet (if you get the reference we can be friends, and I will buy you so many lizards.)