AU high school story. Pairings are: Ziva/Gibbs, McGee/Abby, Tony/mm, I don't know.
Lunch was an awkward and eventful affair for everyone sitting at the table-Ziva and Abby in particular.
The Goth girl glared at Ziva with undeniable hostility and Ziva returned her glare icily. Abby would often make pointed remarks whenever Ziva was speaking, to which Ziva would reply with a barb of her own. Gibbs sat at the table with a look somewhere between wariness and incredulousness on his face, while McGee sat fearfully, right in-between Ziva and Abby. Tony watched with an indescribable expression on his face and Ducky watched with a detached sort of interest as the two girls engaged in what Tony would later refer to as 'The Battle of the Bitches That No One Could Understand Because It Was All In A Foreign Language'. In the future, the pronouncement of this title was often followed by a loud smack! as Gibbs' hand made contact with the back of Tony's head. However, the results of Abby and Ziva's battle would bring about much more positive feelings with everyone.
It began after Abby purposely pronounced Ziva's last name as 'Day-vid', rather than 'Dah-veed', for the third straight time in a row. Ziva struck with the first barb.
"You know, Abby, Jethro told me you were very smart. However, clearly your intelligence must not be up to its normal standards if you cannot pronounce a very easily pronounced name correctly, especially after you have already heard how it is said. Either that, or your hearing must be not quite up to scratch."
There was an intake of my breath from Abby, and the goth girl's eyes burned like green fire. How dare she insult her intelligence? Abby's face remained neutral though as she replied, "It's up to snuff, Ziva, not scratch. Clearly, your intelligence must not be up to its normal standards either-however low they may be."
"Kinyume chake, mimi kuwahakikishia, akili yangu wake viwango ya kawaida, na wao ni kabisa juu*." Ziva said smugly in Swahili. "És én valóban nagyon intelligens.*" Ziva added in Hungarian. Her face was just as neutral as Abby's as she said, "You were saying something about my intelligence?"
"Vous parlez une langue étrangère? Moi aussi." Abby countered in fluent French.
"Il semble que nous avons à la fois des choses en commun avec l'autre.*" Ziva replied in equally fluent French.
"Donc, il semblerait.*" Abby's tone was frosty.
Tony looked incredibly confused. He leaned over towards Gibbs. "What are they saying?" he whispered to him, regretting the decision to take Spanish as a language class, rather than French like Abby and Gibbs had.
Gibbs looked at him and just shook his head. "I think it's better just to not get into to it right now." He turned his attention back to the two girls, who had reverted back to insulting each other in English. Gibbs couldn't help but feel like he was trapped between a rock and a hard place. Abby was his best friend...but he couldn't deny that he and Ziva were on the fast track to becoming friends. If not something more, maybe, he added silently in his head, then pushed the thought back. If there was something there-and there possibly was-it didn't matter because after what he had done-after he had caused Kate's death-he didn't deserve to have someone like Ziva, and Ziva didn't deserve to be with a killer.
While Gibbs was lost in his thoughts, Ziva was-what was the phrase-beating around the shrub? It was something like that. She quickly got directly to her point, asking Abby a question in rapid fire French, in order to keep the conversation private. "Pourquoi es-tu une telle salope à moi?" Why are you being such a bitch to me? She spoke again in a neutral tone of voice, trying to hid the hurt she was feeling. "Qu'ai-je fait à vous de faire vous n'aimez pas tellement moi?" What have I done to make you dislike me so much? Ziva was genuinely puzzled as to why the older girl did not like her.
Abby's expression softened slightly, the frost melting away. She was good at reading people and she could tell that Ziva was hurt by her words. Regret welled up inside her. Ziva really hadn't done anything to her to make her dislike. Abby didn't actually dislike her.
"Je suis désolé," Abby replied. I'm sorry. "Je ne voulais pas être si rude et méchant. Mon ami vient de mourir et je crois que je viens pris ma colère et blessé à ce sujet sur vous. Je ne déteste pas vous, je ne vous connais pas encore assez bien pour que vous n'aimez pas." I didn't mean to be so rude and mean. My friend just died and I guess I've just been taking out my anger and hurt about it on you. I really don't dislike you-I don't know you well enough yet to dislike you.
"Then perhaps we should get to know each other better, yes? So then you can find a valid reason to dislike me." Ziva said in English to Abby, her voice taking on a teasing aspect. Now that she knew Abby didn't actually hate her for no reason, she was perfectly fine with her, and was very much interested in being friends with her. Not that she won't have an actual reason to hate you when she realizes you caused the death of her friend Caitlin Todd, a little voice in the back of her mind whispered to her. Ziva ignored it.
Abby smiled widely at her. "Yeah, let's do that." She agreed.
Tony and Tim were both confused. One minute the two girls had been sniping and bitching in French, and now they were talking about getting to know each other. What the hell?
Poor Tony and Tim. They were so confused.
{Page Break}
It was quickly decided by Gibbs, Ziva, Abby, Tony, Tim, and Ducky that the fifth hour really wasn't important and could be skipped in favor of going to the auditorium to hang out.
"You play the piano! And sing!" Abby squealed when she discovered that Ziva did indeed sing and play. She sat on the stage, her legs tucked beneath her modestly in order to prevent anyone from accidentally seeing up her skirt. She clapped her hands together excitedly. "Play something right now! Please," she added as an afterthought.
"Abby," Gibbs chimed in. "Ziva doesn't have to play if she doesn't want to."
"No, Jethro, it is fine." Ziva said with an easy smile. Already sitting on the piano bench, she turned herself around to face the keys. Playing a quick scale as a warm-up, she launched into the first song that came to her mind.
Gibbs watched as Ziva's hands flowed across the keys, a jazzy tune coming from the piano. "Ooh, ooh, ooh," she sang, her voice seductive sounding. Whether she meant to sound seductive or if her voice just came out that way Gibbs didn't know, but it either way it was working-his pants suddenly felt uncomfortably tight.
"A guy what takes his time, I'll go for any time
I'm a fast movin' gal who likes them slow
Got no use for fancy driving, wanna to see a guy arriving in low
I'd be satisfied, electrified to know a guy what takes his time
"A hurry-up affair, I always give the air
Wouldn't give any rushing gent a smile
I would go for any single who would condescend to linger awhile
What a lullaby would be supplied to have a guy who takes his time, ooh
"A guy what takes his time, I'd go for any time
A hasty job really spoils a master's touch
I don't like a big commotion, I'm a demon for slow motion or such
Why should I deny that I would die to know a guy who takes his time
"There isn't any fun in getting something done
If you're rushed when you have to make the grade
I can spot an amateur, appreciate a connesseur in trade
Who would qualify, no alibi, to be the guy who takes his time
"Ooh, ooh…" Ziva's voice trailed off, and the music faded away, leaving the six teens in the echoing silence of the auditorium. The silence, however, was quickly replaced by Abby's, Tony's, Ducky's, Tim's, and Gibb's admiring applause. Gibbs let out a whistle of admiration, and Ziva blushed, looking down at the ground bashfully.
Perhaps Stillwater High wasn't so bad after all.
AN: So that's the end of the chapter. Sorry it's taken me awhile to update-I've been busy these past few weeks. Me and my crazy social life, yeah you know how it is…just kidding, I haven't done anything remotely social in like the past week. School has been keeping me busy.
Anyway, hope you liked the chapter. Leave me a review, and tell me your questions, comments, concerns.
XOXO
Ruthless