I CAN EXPLAIN FOR THE LATENESS PLEASE DON'T KILL ME. :U
Okay, so I was at camp for the majority of two weeks. I came home on the weekend, but I was sick and my brain was dead. So there. Hold your fire, okey? :U
Quinn Fiberoptic: Well, first he has to get captured. XD *hugs* Hi, mi amiga~!
ZeldaLove Akira-Chan: Aw, dun cry~! That's good! Judging people is bad.
MrsKikuHonda: Aw, don't cry! I have a Yami, too... That's how I came up with this. Thanks for reviewing, and PLEASE DON'T DO IT AGAIN. PLEASE.
Art and Soul: That's what I was thinking about when I wrote it! XD
ChubbyCubby23: Aw, grazie~ Did I PM you about this? I forgot already. :B
CelticGirl7: Thank you~ NO CRYING THOUGH. 'Cause if YOU start crying, then I'LL start crying, and then EVERYONE will start crying, and then the world will drown. :U I'm kidding. XD Thanks for reviewing!
Kitana Lunara: I knowwwww, I love Russia~ *joins you in the glomping* Heh, funny. X3
EqualDemise731: Everyone is crying over this chapter! :U Aw, I'm so sorry...I've never lost a friend to death, but I've moved several times, and people stop replying to messages and all that...Although I shouldn't complain, because sometimes it's me who stops replying.
LadyoftheLake13: Thanks! That's THIS chapter~! I like PruHun, too, but, y'know. XD Gotta write what I gotta write.
caset290: Fankyew~ Oh, I'm just in the background. Nobody really avoids me on purpose, unless they're afraid of the anime-freak-new-chick. XD I laughed writing that. What's your Tumblr pen name? Are you pointblankerror? o3o
Any-Clan: Yeah, that's possible. I feel all awkward because I don't know how to respond to this...:B Thanks for reviewing~
DarkMystique: Thanks~ Aw, you're okay now? I'm kinda like Canada and Austria: I'm invisible, but if someone talks to me, I'll speak my mind.
YEAH. HI PEOPLE. HOW ARE YOU. I'M A BIG BALL OF AWKWARD TODAY. :B AND I HAVEN'T EVEN LEFT THE HOUSE. XD What am I talking about, I'm a big ball of awkward every day. XD
Michelle= Seychelles. Just so ya know. o3o
Alright: I'M SORRY TO ALL YOU PRUHUN SUPPORTERS. I SUPPORT PRUHUN, TOO, BUT I HAVE TO WRITE THIS, OKAY? :U
Okay, so, bullying in relationships! TAKE ONE.
ANNNNNNND...ACTION~!
Bullying in Relationships
"Gil, would you please turn that down?" Elizabeta said over the loud music in her boyfriend's van.
"What? I can't hear you!" Gilbert called back, headbanging to the beat of the music.
"You're going to make us crash if you keep doing that!" Elizabeta cried, clutching the seatbelt for dear life.
"What? Eh, never mind. Hey, wanna see how fast I can take these speed bumps?" Gilbert shouted happily.
Elizabeta's green eyes widened in horror. "NO! Gil, slow down!" she pleaded. But it was too late; Gilbert had already slammed down the gas, and the van was momentarily airborne. Elizabeta screamed as the van came back to the pavement with a loud, resounding, bang!
Gilbert pulled the van into a parking space. Elizabeta opened the van door and tumbled out of the vehicle, landing on her hands and knees in the most ungraceful way possible. Gilbert walked around and helped her stand up.
"Gilbert Belicshmidt, I swear, if I wasn't in love with you, I'd kill you," she threatened idly, pushing strands of her chestnut-brown hair out of her eyes. Her fingers brushed against the small flower tucked behind her ear.
"Yeah, I bet you would," Gilbert teased, hugging the Hungarian.
Elizabeta pulled back. "Why are we here?" she asked, looking at the entrance to the city's mall.
"Kesesese, it's a surprise~!" Gilbert said, taking her hand and dragging her in.
"Okay, so...this surprise," Elizabeta said as they passed several stores. "What is it?"
"You'll have to wait, Liz!" Gilbert said in a mocking stern tone.
"I don't want to wait," she whined, pulling on his arm. "What is it?"
"No, you have to wait!" Gil said. They stopped at the fountain. Gilbert pushed Elizabeta on a chair beside it. "Wait here, I'll be right back."
"Oh, so you drag me here and ditch me? Nice, Gil. Nice," Elizabeta said, rolling her eyes in a playful way.
"Just wait!" he pleaded.
"Fine! I'm waiting!" Elizabeta said, throwing up her hands in a gesture of surrender. Gil's footsteps mingled with the loud babble of everyone in the mall talking at once. Looking around, she saw lots of other people from school: Gil's brother, Ludwig, and his friends, Feli and Sakura. It seemed that Sakura brought Alfred F. Jones along. Walking in a different direction was Mathias, Lukas, and Emil. Elizabeta could see Tino and Berwald on the escalator. And, of course, other random strangers wandered around, minding their own business.
Someone poked Elizabeta's shoulder. The girl, lost in her game of people-watching, jumped and whirled around. Gil stood there, grinning his goofy grin, something held behind his back.
"What 'cha got there?" Elizabeta asked.
Gilbert held out his arm. In his hand was a bouquet of roses. Elizabeta's smile widened in delight. "What, have you turned French? Everyone knows it's Francis who gives out roses," she teased.
"Just take the darn flowers, woman," Gilbert said playfully. Elizabeta reached for the present when Gil suddenly pulled his arm back. "Payment first, please," he said, tapping his cheek.
Elizabeta giggled and went to kiss his face. Right before her lips brushed the pale skin of his cheek, Gilbert turned his head, kissing Elizabeta full on the mouth. Elizabeta let out a muffled yelp of surprise and delight, and she threw her arms around his neck.
Passing them was a small group of three people. "Urgh, they're eating each other's faces again," Lixie said in a loud, disgusted whisper. Maddie was sure this must have carried to the couple's ears, despite the cacophony of other voices and footsteps, so she said, "Shh."
"Seriously, Maddie, how can you stand this?" Lixie said in disbelief. "Your Ex is just, like standing there, macking on another girl!"
Maddie shook her head as if to ward off an irksome fly, but she didn't reply.
Toris put his hand on Maddie's shoulder, wordlessly comforting her. She made a brave attempt at a smile at him. Then she said to Lixie, "I really don't care who he kisses." She walked briskly away with an interested cry of, "Ooh, look at that!" leaving her friends with no choice but to follow.
Gil and Elizabeta broke away. Elizabeta looked at the flowers wrapped in plastic, beaming. "I love you so much, thank you!"
"Kesese, look out, incoming cheesy pick-up line..." Gilbert said. He leaned in closer to Elizabeta. "I'll love you until the last rose dies..." he whispered seductively.
Elizabeta's eyes lingered on Gil's scarlet ones, then trailed down to the flowers. The green perused the red, until Elizabeta noticed one of the flowers, hidden cleverly, was a maroon shade instead of the bright, vivid crimson. She gently stroked it, and her suspicions were true: this was one fake.
If it was possible for Elizabeta's smile to widen, it did right then.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
"That. Is. So. Romantic~!" Elizabeta's friend, Michelle squealed. "I'm so happy for you~~!"
"I know~~!" Elizabeta shrieked in happiness. "Thanks~!"
Elizabeta was lying on her bed, a phone held against her ear. Her bouquet of eleven real roses and one fake one was held against her chest. The Hungarian's hair fell almost elegantly over the side of her bed.
"Oh, hey, I gotta go. Homework, and all that," Michelle said abruptly.
"Yeah, okay. I should go, too," Elizabeta said. "Night~!"
"Night-y night~!" Michelle chirped, hanging up.
Elizabeta sighed in content, closing her cell phone. She took a moment of peaceful silence before standing up and putting the bouquet on her dresser, and not in a vase like it should've been.
Her cell phone buzzed, indicating that she had a text. Her heart skipped a beat when she realized it was from Gil.
Hay babe, it read, wanna com over? My parents are out of town. ;)
Elizabeta let out an impatient sigh. Despite the roses and mushy display of affection, sometimes it felt that Gilbert only wanted her for her body. Elizabeta had always denied the offer for sex, but he kept coming back. What if he broke up with her because she didn't?
Elizabeta decided to stall: I'd love that, babe, but what about Ludwig? It usually only took a reminder that Gilbert had a little brother for him to take back his offer.
Its okay, he's got the nite shift at the shelter. ;)
Ah, yes. The shelter, where Ludwig worked with homeless dogs and cats.
I don't know baby. I think Im coming down with something, she texted back. It was a lie, and she knew it. But she just wasn't ready for sex.
WHA WE TOTALLY MADE OUT! D: Gilbert texted back.
Elizabeta cringed. i don't think it's contagious, she sent.
O, then, come on! Come over!
Elizabeta sighed. I don't feel well, she texted.
Well then come over! Ill make you feel a loooot better ;)
Elizabeta wrinkled her nose at her phone. Gilly, I really don't want to
His answer only confirmed her suspicions. Don't you love me?
Yes, I really do! she tried to tell him.
Then Y wont you have sex w/ me?
Gilbert, please. I'm not ready, she told him at last. She had always made excuses in the past. Even with past boyfriends. And the way Gilbert and his friends talked, it was almost shameful to admit she was still a virgin.
However, even secret, it was the one thing Elizabeta clinged to. She was still pure.
Y not? I'll show you the ropes. ;), Gilbert sent back.
No, she told him. She hoped her single-word answer would send Gilbert her unspoken firmness.
Plz? Gilbert texted.
No! With that, Elizabeta closed her phone and stuffed it under her pillow. In a few long strides, she crossed her room and peered into her vanity. Out of the mirror stared a girl with Elizabeta's hair color, her eye color, and her skin tone. But the girl's physical appearance didn't matter to Elizabeta; it just didn't seem like her.
When Elizabeta was a little girl, she would never act like she was supposed to. She was always running around in boy clothes. She wouldn't bother trying on one of the dresses her mother tried in vain to offer her. For a while, Elizabeta, herself, thought she was the opposite gender.
Gilbert was a close friend in her childhood. He never seemed to even suspect Elizabeta's gender; he just accepted her as a boy, and he treated her like one, as well. When Elizabeta finally told him, the look on his face was priceless.
Now, the girl in the mirror was just another girl. A make-up-caked, dress-wearing girl. It was at that moment when Elizabeta realized that she didn't want to be a girl anymore. She didn't want to have boys love her for her body, and only her body. She didn't want to wake up every morning and take forever to decide what to wear, put make-up on, and straighten her hair.
But society wouldn't allow that, now would it?
Her friends would disown her. She'd lose Gil. No one would want her.
I want to fit in, she thought. I want to be accepted. But I don't want to keep living like a living Barbie doll. (Guess who doesn't own Barbie? ME.)
Elizabeta walked out of her room. She needed a break; a walk sounded good...
She pulled on a baggy sweatshirt over her tank top and tugged on her slip-on shoes. Twisting her wavy hair into a messy knot on the back of her head, she walked out of her room and down the stairs.
"Mom, I'm going out," she said over her shoulder to her mother who sat in a recliner, reading another romance novel.
"Dressed like that?" she answered, her disapproving eyes sweeping Elizabeta's body.
Elizabeta shook her head in exasperation. "Mom, I'm wearing skinny jeans. If I can't get them off, neither can the rapist."
"Fine," her mother said simply. "Where will you go?"
"I dunno," Elizabeta said at once, "I just need some fresh air."
"Will you stop by Edelstein's, then? I'm afraid our piano needs tuning."
"Sure, whatever," said Elizabeta, shrugging.
"And, honey, don't stay out for too long. And don't go out of town, got it?"
"Yeah," Elizabeta said. "Love you, see you in a few." And with that, she opened the door and walked into the brisk air.
Elizabeta took a deep, contented breath before walking down the lane away from her house. She walked by the orange light of the streetlamps. She had to admit, it was a bit spooky, but a dismal light was better than no light at all.
Finally, Elizabeta reached town. Main street wasn't that big, but it also wasn't that small. Hetalia was a medium-sized town.
Elizabeta decided to just go straight to Edelstein's, the music store, and then go home. A short walk still allowed her to clear her head.
Suddenly, a hand clapped itself over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows. A muffled cry of alarm escaped her, but the person holding her said in a silky whisper, "Shh-shh-shhhh...Don't scream, my sweet..."
Elizabeta thrust her elbow into the stomach of the man, and she bit his hand in unison. He merely let out a small, "Ow," but no more than that; his grasp did not relinquish.
"Feisty," he purred. "Listen, angel face, I don't want to hurt you. Just give me all your money, and you can go running home to your little boyfriend."
She licked his hand. Disgusted, he pulled it away. "Sorry to disappoint," she snarled, "but I don't have any money. Now, as punishment for messing with me..." Elizabeta let her sentence trail off as the man chuckled.
Elizabeta took the hand of the arm that was around her neck, pulled it away from her, and karate-chopped his elbow. It didn't break, like Elizabeta wanted it to, but it, apparently, hurt. She swept her foot under his, knocking him to the ground. He pulled Elizabeta down by her bun, and she let out a cry of pain and shock as she fell, and her head hit the pavement. Elizabeta elbowed him in the face, hearing his nose break.
A door on the side of the alleyway opened, and light flooded in. A boy around Elizabeta's age stood there, a bag of trash in one hand and a soapy frying pan in the other. He looked startled. Elizabeta snatched the pan out of his hand and hit the man on the back of his head. The man collapsed in a heap on the ground.
Elizabeta kicked the guy in the ribs. "Hope you learned your lesson," she growled at him. "Here's your pan," she said dismissively, holding the frying pan out to the boy.
"Are you alright?" he asked as he took it back.
"Yeah, m'fine," Elizabeta said thickly.
"No you're not, you're dripping blood all over yourself. Come in, let me help," the boy said.
Elizabeta lifted her fingers to her forehead, and they came away red and sticky. Her head hurt. It hurt so bad she followed the boy back inside his apartment.
Once in the light, she finally recognized him. She couldn't remember his name, but he was in a few of her classes. The boy had black hair with a strange cowlick, violet eyes, glasses, a mole by his mouth, and a snobby, upturned nose.
"Mom, where's the first aid kit?" he asked, poking his head in a different room.
"Why do you need it?" came a voice.
"Well, a girl's been hurt," he replied, now looking in the drawers.
A second later, a woman who looked very much like the boy came into what seemed to be the kitchen. She looked at Elizabeta, and she sucked in a gasp. "Oh my stars! Are you alright?" the woman asked, rushing forward to Elizabeta.
Elizabeta nodded. The boy came back, the first aid kit in his hands. "What happened?" the woman asked.
"The guy in the alley," Elizabeta said, "he wanted money, but I didn't have any. I kicked his butt for threatening me like that."
The woman sighed. "Crime in these parts have just been terrible. Is he still there?"
"I think so," Elizabeta said, "I knocked him in the head with the frying pan," she said, pointing to said object. The woman looked into the alleyway, and she seemed to notice the unconscious body.
"Roderich, would you go call the police?" she asked.
Oh, right. His name's Roderich, Elizabeta thought. The woman began dabbing at Elizabeta's freely bleeding forehead with a paper towel.
"Come, sit," the woman invited, gesturing at a stool in the kitchen. Elizabeta did so gladly; her vision was getting fuzzy.
"Who are you?" she asked.
"Oh, I am Sophia Edelstein. Who are you?" she asked.
"My name is Elizabeta Herdervarity," she managed. The name of the woman clicked in her mind. "I was coming to your shop. My mom said she needs the piano tuned."
Mrs. Edelstein washed the cut with something sanitary-smelling; whatever it was, it stung. Finally, she put a sterile bandage over the cut, securing it with medical tape. "Thank you," Elizabeta said gratefully.
"It was no problem," Mrs. Edelstein said.
Elizabeta sat awkwardly in the middle of the Edelstein's kitchen. It seemed Roderich was cleaning up from something someone baked, and he was taking out the trash.
The wailing of the police sirens almost made Elizabeta jump with joy; she felt so out of place in her now-bloodstained, overlarge hoodie and messy hair, while everything in this house was prim and posh.
Even though Mrs. Edelstein had already patched up her cut, she was still made to sit on the ambulance and retell her story to the officers while a paramedic checked her head. When she was finished, she was told to wait there and hold an icepack to her wound (she actually didn't mind the icepack part; it felt nice). A few yards away, Roderich and Mrs. Edelstein were giving their takes on what happened. The mugger was hauled away in a different ambulance, going to a hospital for criminals.
It made Elizabeta feel slightly guilty for what she did, but then she remembered that he deserved it.
"You're quite sure you'll be alright?" Roderich asked, coming over.
Elizabeta nodded, the icepack still held on her forehead. "Yeah. Thanks, by the way."
"For what?"
"Letting me use your frying pan."
"I didn't let you, you grabbed it."
Elizabeta shrugged and grinned. "Desperate times call for desperate measures, Specs."
Roderich frowned. "'Specs?' What kind of a name is that?"
"Spectacles," Elizabeta clarified, drawing circles around her eyes with her free hand. When Roderich's frown only deepened, she added, "Better nickname than 'Four-eyes.'"
"I'd prefer you use my real name," he said snootily. "My name is Roderich."
"I know. You're in a couple of my classes," Elizabeta said. "My name's Elizabeta, if you didn't know."
"I knew. You're in a couple of my classes," Roderich said.
Elizabeta smiled. "You're pretty funny," she told him. "We should hang out sometime."
Roderich shrugged, but he looked pleased. "Fine, I guess," he said.
Finally, the police gave her the okay to go home. "Do you need a ride?" he asked.
"It's only a few blocks," Elizabeta said.
"I still think it's best if I gave you a ride. Your mother should probably know," he said.
Elizabeta shrugged. "If you insist." She told him her address and was about to climb in the backseat when Roderich opened the door for her. "Thanks," she said, surprised at his chivalry.
"No problem," he said. "See you at school."
"Bye," Elizabeta said.
Elizabeta sat in the back of the police car; she had to admit how uneasy being where countless criminals have sat before. Murderers, thieves, thugs, and others who have done wrong. Now, having committed no crime, Elizabeta felt a bit more at ease, knowing that she was only going home.
The officer and his partner got in the front seat, the man behind the wheel. "You're a very lucky young lady, you know," he said.
"Am I?" Elizabeta asked.
"Yes. We've been looking for this guy for months; he's attacked several other minors before. Hospitalized a few of them," the woman said.
"Oh, well, I've had practice. My friend and I fought like cats and dogs as kids," Elizabeta said with a shrug. "And the frying pan is my favorite weapon," she joked with a grin.
They pulled into the driveway. Her mother answered the door, looking a little pale. When she saw Elizabeta's patched-up head, she let out a strangled cry of shock and rushed towards her daughter.
The officers explained what happened (even though Elizabeta felt she could've done the same without them), they left after, and Elizabeta was pulled inside by her worried mother.
"You're okay?" she asked, wringing her hands and repeatedly smoothing the bandage on her forehead.
"I'm fine; what about you?" Elizabeta asked.
"I'm not the one who's had their head split open!"
"Mom, I'm okay. Remember the injuries I'd get while fighting with Gil?"
"Yes, I remember," her mom said. "That boy. How you two ever began dating is beyond me," she teased with a smile.
Elizabeta shrugged and grinned. "Hey, I'mma go to bed. I'm feeling a little woozy."
"Okay. School tomorrow," her mom reminded.
Elizabeta groaned good-naturedly and trudged up the stairs. She went to her bathroom first, took a washcloth, and wiped blood from her head, face, neck, and hair. She walked back to her bedroom and flopped onto her bed without even changing.
Her pillow buzzed.
Oh. Right. Her phone.
Elizabeta fished her cell phone from under her cache of pillows and looked at the texts from Gilbert.
He was still begging her to come over.
Elizabeta shook her head and deleted the messages, turning off the lights and flopping back down. She was asleep in minutes.
XxXxXxXxXxXxXxXxX
Elizabeta groaned at the sound of her phone ringing. Fumbling through the dark, she picked up her phone and answered it before even checking caller ID. "Hello?" she slurred.
"I love you~~!" Gilbert said.
"Yeah, I love you too. Can I go back to sleep?"
"Nope. Gotta get ready for school," Gilbert said cheerfully. "Did I beat your alarm clock?"
Beep. Beep. Beep.
"Yeah," Elizabeta said, shutting it off.
"Hey..." Gilbert said. "Will you send me a pic of you naked?" From his tone, Elizabeta knew he was wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.
"Gil..." she said in a disapproving tone. "Please don't start this again..."
"Hey," Gil said indignantly. "if you really loved me-"
"Gil, I could've died last night," she interrupted. What she was expecting from this was a concerned tone, for him to ask if she was alright, or why she didn't tell him last night.
What she got was, "Well, if you came over last night that probably wouldn't have happened."
Elizabeta furrowed her eyebrows. "Don't you care?"
"Of course I do!" Gilbert said. "But if you just took me up on my offer-"
"Gil, even if I did, I would've been walking down the same street at the same time. Nothing would've changed," she said, her tone icy. Gilbert started to reply, but Elizabeta said hurriedly, "I have to go. Bye," and hung up.
She let out a small, "Aw~!" of disappointment when she noticed that all of her flowers, minus the fake one, had died over night due to a lack of water.
She threw on a green T-shirt and a pair of shorts, and she went downstairs, brushing her hair back into a ponytail with her fingers. She shoveled down a bowl of cereal, pulled on her sandals, grabbed her backpack; she had slipped her phone in her pocket as she left her room, along with the fake rose to remind her to be patient with Gil.
After a short bus ride, she arrived at Hetalia High, and she went to her locker to drop off her stuff.
Walking into first period, she noticed her new friend. "Hey, Roderich," she said as she sat in the seat next to him. He looked surprised as she did so.
"Hello," he said simply. "How's your head?"
"It's fine," she said. "Hey, did I dent your frying pan last night?"
"I don't think so," he said with a ghost of a smile.
"What'cha reading?" she asked.
He showed her the cover. "It was a highly rated book, but I find it very barbaric."
"I read it. Saw the movie, too. I like it," she said. "It is pretty scary, but people like the thrillers. I'm reading this," she added as she held up her book.
Someone slid into the seat next to Elizabeta. "This guy bothering you, Lizzy?" Gil asked, looping an arm around her shoulder. It was a casual move, but it said one thing loud and clear: She's mine.
"No. I came over here to bother him," she said.
Roderich had gone very quiet. "Whassamatter, Roddy?" Gil taunted.
"Gil, calm down," Elizabeta scolded.
"Aw, but look at him! He's so nerdy! Kesesese," Gil laughed.
"Gil, he helped me," she said. "I might actually be dead if he wasn't there. Or in the hospital."
"All I did was stand there while you smacked him with my frying pan," Roderich interjected quietly.
"Oh, so you're too weak to do anything while my girl knocks a guy out?" Gil asks angrily.
"Gil, stop," Elizabeta said. She could tell this was making Roderich nervous. "He did more than that."
"So now you're hitting on my girl?" Gil said.
"Gil. Cut it out," she said.
The bell rung, starting class. Gil was fuming on one side of her, and Roderich, on the other side, was emanating awkward vibes. She was glad as that class was done with.
As Elizabeta started walking to her next class, there was a crash. Elizabeta whirled around to see Gil push Roderich against the wall, snarling, "Stay away from her."
"Gil!" Elizabeta protested sharply, rushing over, but Gil had already walked away. "I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed as she started picking up Roderich's things.
"It's alright," he said stiffly, crouching down to help. As she picked up a notebook, she noticed what was most likely what made Gilbert so angry: her name penciled on the back in elegant, curly letters.
Elizabeta flushed, but pretended not to have seen it as she handed it back. "I'm sorry about that," she said again. "He's not usually the jealous type..."
"It's alright," he said again. He, too, was blushing.
"Bye, then," Elizabeta said awkwardly, stepping back a few paces.
"We're going to the same class," he reminded her. "Music."
"Right," she said.
They walked to the next classroom in silence, albeit the noise from the people around them as they bustled to their classes. Again, Roderich showed his chivalry as he held open the door for Elizabeta. She muttered a thanks and went to her seat.
This class went as uneventfully as every other class. At least, until Grandpa Rome, the principal, came in wearing a top hat, a monocle, and carrying a cane. He came in the classroom, waited for silence, and stared at the class while everyone stared back. Then he simply left without a word. The class burst into laughter, and, later, the vice principal, Mr. Germania, poked his head in and asked the teacher if she had seen the kooky Italian.
But, of course, this was almost the norm at a school like Hetalia High. The only difference was that usually Grandpa Rome bursts into song, and in Roman armor, not a gentleman costume.
The next class past without disruption from the insane principal.
At lunch, Elizabeta found her seat next to Gil and her friends. Michelle was taking pictures of the pair with her phone.
"Hey...where's my book?" Elizabeta asked to no one in particular as she searched in vain.
"Where's the last place you had it?" Gil asked.
"Period two, I think..." she said.
"Well, go get it," he said with a shrug. "Want me to come with you?"
"No, it's fine."
"Hey, your shoelace is untied," Michelle called after her.
"I know. I don't really care, but thanks anyway!" Elizabeta said as she got up and walked in the direction of the music classroom.
She was reaching for the door handle when she heard the faint piano music from inside. Elizabeta looked in the window, and saw a black-haired person sitting at the piano. As quietly as she could, she eased open the door and slipped in.
Elizabeta walked on tip-toes so she didn't disturb the person, whom she recognized to be Roderich. She reached her seat, looked under her chair, and no book. She let out a small "Hm..." After she scanned the room, she noticed it.
On the piano.
How did that even get there? I wasn't anywhere near the piano today! she thought. Well, there goes not disturbing him...
Quietly, she sat down on a chair, listening to the music. She liked this song...It was very pretty...
Suddenly..."Achoo!" Elizabeta sneezed without warning.
The music ended with a sour note as Roderich jumped, pressed several dissonant keys at once, and whirled around. "You!" he exclaimed.
"Me!" Elizabeta laughed nervously. "I'm really sorry for interrupting, I just...came in because I forgot my book, and I thought it would be over here, but someone moved it to the piano, and I didn't want to bother you, and...yeah. Sorry," she said again.
"No, no, it's okay," he said. "You just startled me, is all. And, yes, I moved your book. I was planning on taking it to you, but, now you're here, so...here's your book..." he finished awkwardly, thrusting the book at Elizabeta.
"Thanks," she said, smiling at him to try to ease the tension. She started walking out, but tripped over her untied shoelace. Landing right on Roderich as the door opened.
And if things couldn't've gotten worse: Gil stood there.
Gilbert turned brick red as he charged Roderich, yanking him out from under Elizabeta, and slamming his back against the piano. "I told you to stay away from her!" he growled, giving Roderich a shake. "What part of that doesn't your nerdy little brain understand?"
"Gilbert!" Elizabeta called sharply, jumping to her feet. "I fell on him! Nothing happened!"
"Yeah, sure. That's what everyone says," Gilbert said with cruel sarcasm oozing out of every word. He lifted a fist, snarling at Roderich.
"Gil, no!" Elizabeta cried, lunging forward to grab Gil's raised hand.
"Not until I beat the crap out of this wimp who needs to learn his place!" Gilbert exclaimed back angrily.
"What do you mean, 'learn my place?'" Roderich asked, struggling to remove Gilbert's hand on his shirt. "I didn't do anything! She fell on me!"
"So now you're blaming everything on her!" Gilbert accused, trying to get his fist back up so he could punch Roderich.
"Gilbert, stop it!" Elizabeta cried, still struggling to keep him from hurting her new friend.
"Stay out of this, Elizabeta!" Gilbert said angrily.
"I won't!" Elizabeta shrieked. "You need to stop!"
"No, you need to stop!" Gilbert said while whirling on her. "I don't know why I put up with you when it's obvious that I know what I'm doing!"
"And I don't know why I put up with you when you're in one of these pointless rages!" Elizabeta shrieked back, waving her arms in emphasis.
"You wanna know why? You put up with me because you know you won't find anyone like me!" Gilbert exclaimed, pointing an accusing finger at her.
Elizabeta bit her tongue to keep from responding harshly. She counted to ten to control her anger, and then she replied in a far calmer voice: "I put up with you for all the times you're sweet instead of a total jerk. Like yesterday, with the flowers. I love that Gil. This one, the one who beats up anyone who looks at me, I don't love him."
Gil looked stunned. "B-but...I'm protecting us. I'm protecting our love."
Elizabeta took a shaky breath. "Honestly, Gil, what love? You don't really love me. You lust over me. It's not the same as love, Gil."
"No, I really love you!" Gilbert protested.
"How so?" Elizabeta asked. She felt close to tears; this long with Gilbert, and she was breaking up with him over Roderich? Well...her logic did make sense...To a part of her, at least...The other half was screaming, Just drop the conversation and let him hit Roddy! You love him! Let that be enough!
"Well...I think you're really sexy!" Gilbert said.
"Gil, that's my body. What do you love about me?" Elizabeta wasn't sure what she looked like right now, and she wasn't sure she cared; but if she had to guess, she'd say her eyes, normally a happy forest-green had changed to a bright, vivid, poisonous green, as they always did when she was angry. Her hair, which never strayed from its light brown shade, was probably falling out of the ponytail.
Why am I fighting with him like this out of the blue? she thought. He doesn't deserve it...Does he...? Elizabeta started to think of any and every reason to break up with Gilbert: his arrogance. His attitude. His lustfulness. His superiority. The way he stared at every other girl.
But why shouldn't she? His smile. His thoughtfulness. The way he made her weak at the knees.
Honestly, right now Elizabeta had no idea what her feelings were doing to her. She wanted to be with him. But at the price of her happiness? Was it really worth it?
Gilbert still hadn't answered. Roderich was a mixture of boredom and intrigue, Gil's fist still gripping the front of his shirt. "I guess that's it, then..." Elizabeta said quietly.
"What?" Gil asked, stunned. "Are you-...Are you breaking up with me?" Elizabeta expected for him to grow angry, but instead he just sounded hurt.
"Yes," Elizabeta said in the same tone.
The bell rung.
"I'll talk to you about it after school," Elizabeta promised.
Elizabeta was not looking forward to after school.
She departed silently to class, ignoring the way Gil's wounded eyes followed her as she exited the room. She also breathed a silent sigh of relief when Roderich followed her, showing that he was not beaten to a pulp by Gilbert.
The rest of the day passed in a whirl of color. It was too soon when she found herself standing outside under her and Gil's meeting place, a tall pine tree.
She was almost in a daze while she explained her reasoning. She cried. She pretended not to see Gil cry. Finally, Elizabeta choked out a small "I'm so sorry..." and ran as fast as she could away from him.
Elizabeta stopped at a park on the top of a hill, plopping down on a bench, covering her face with her hands, and desperately trying to catch her breath through her sobs. With a start, she realized where she was: the park where Gil had first kissed her. Elizabeta buried her face in her palms again, hiding from her surroundings.
A hand fell on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" a soft voice asked.
Elizabeta jumped and whirled around, finding herself face-to-face with Maddie Williams. "Yeah. Yeah, m'fine."
"Then why are you crying?"
"I just broke up with Gilbert..." she said. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. For what I said to you. I'm sorry."
"That?" Maddie laughed. "I've already forgiven you."
"I guess I might've been doing you a favor, taking him," Elizabeta sniffed, rubbing her streaming nose. "He's arrogant, selfish, lustful, and a complete jerk. And yet, I still love him..."
"For a while, I thought I did, too..." Maddie said, sitting next to her. "Then I realized: I didn't love him. I liked him. It's not the same. If you really loved him, you would've looked over his...many...flaws."
Elizabeta let out a watery laugh. "You can say that again..."
Maddie smiled at her, her purple eyes sparkling. "If he really was the one, you wouldn't be crying. He's not worth either of our tears."
"Thank you so much..." Elizabeta said, meaning every word.
"It's no problem," Maddie said.
Her phone buzzed. Are you okay? her mom sent.
Yeah, just got caught up in something after school. I'll be home soon, she sent. "I need to go...My mom is freaking out. For good reason, too, considering I was almost mugged yesterday..."
Maddie nodded, eyeing the bandage hiding slightly under her bangs. "Okay. You'll be okay?"
"Yeah. Just around the corner," Elizabeta said, smiling. She hugged Maddie. "I'm so sorry," she said again.
"It's no problem," Maddie said again.
Elizabeta stood up, and something fell out of her pocket. When she turned around to identify the object, she accidentally stepped on it, feeling the object crumble under her foot.
Her fake rose from Gilbert.
The last rose has died.
TADA.
THIS TOOK ME FOREVER. I'M NOT EVEN KIDDING. :U
Okay. I don't really have much to say.
Other than this:
I GOT NEW CRAYONS! :D X3 YAY YAY YAY YAY YAY! X3 :D
NOW I don't have anything else to say.
Review, please. I love you all~! *blows a kiss*