Wow guys. I never thought this story would get the attention it's gotten. Thank you guys do much for all the praise, reviews, story faves, alerts, fave author, everything. We get so excited when we see them. You guys are amazing. The story's only been up since...April 2nd, and we've gotten this much feedback on it. It's amazing. Thank you guys so much! ~Christina
Surprise, surprise! We figured no one would mind an early update^^
But seriously, we have been blown away by the positive reaction to the story. Thank-yous are well overdue, so thanks to: Maki Yamamoto, Aidylx16, Bexreader, Chinese-Cutie-4001, CeliaSingsSongs, September Samstar, , SheepRainbow, FakexReality, Jude Says Hey, inktears, vaskeemi, Myrna Maeve, HellsTears, .x, Phantom Prussia (love it XD), ShadedEclipse, and Californialoving for the faves and subs!
And we really want to give special thanks to: Microwaves, . , Luna's Insanity, and kitty1221 (Crimson light of Death, the doc. manager won't let me type your name correctly. Gomen.) for faves, subs, and those awesome reviews!
But the real reason we're updating so soon (besides the fact that Maya is leaving on vacation and will try but not necessarily succeed to keep up with updates) is that one person has reviewed diligently on the last three chapters and has inspired us with so many ideas. Neeky-chan, this one's for you!
"I knew that name was familiar somehow," Anya groaned. She let her bag fall from her shoulders and hit the grass with a solemn thud, her lunch box not far behind. Clutched in her hand was a crumpled paper schedule. The older twin had successfully braved Science, Study Hall, Band, Spanish, Gym, and English. All that remained was History and Math, the latter of which she hated with a fiery passion fueled by a thousand suns. But even that paled in comparison to the very next item on her agenda; World History, Room 811. Mr. Souma.
"An-ya~!" An all too cheerful voice broke into her depression. She looked up in time to be tackled by her own hyperactive clone. "Why did you run off?" she pouted. "I had to find Artie and Toni all by myself!" Said juniors nodded to Anya as they joined her in the shade of the oak, dropping their bags and sitting down to lunch.
"Hola, querido," Toni grinned. "How did you like class with Señor Stick-in-the-Mud?"
"Mr. Alvarez?" Anya frowned, too confused to remember that she was supposed to be ignoring him. "He seemed really nice. We talked about the summer reading, and he likes the fact that I already know some Spanish. Why? Is he usually mean?"
"Mean?" Arthur choked on a carrot stick. "That man once gave an entire class an extra hour of homework just because my stupid brother made a quip about him. And you actually held a conversation with him?" He coughed until Holly gave him a solid thump on the back. "Thanks, love. But seriously, Anya; Alvarez is the strictest man alive. Next thing you know, you'll be best mates with Mr. Souma!"
"Not a chance," Anya and Antonio said in unison.
The older boy looked at her in wonder. "Don't tell me you already had a run in with him, too!" he gasped. "That is one hombre malo, chiquita. Pure evil!"
Holly paled, glancing at the schedule clenched in her sister's fist. "Hey, Anya?"
"I know," she sighed. "Mr. Souma's History class is next for us. And he's such a jerk! He tried to write me up for no reason."
"I feel your pain," Arthur said solemnly. He patted her shoulder sympathetically. "The best thing is to ignore him completely. He'll try to bait you, but you have to remember that he can't actually do anything unless you give him an opening."
"Thanks for the advice," Anya gritted, lightly shrugging off his hand. "But I'm actually supposed to meet someone for lunch, so I think I'll be going now. I'll see you in class, Holly." Without another word to the boys, she shouldered her bag and left for the courtyard.
"She really hates us, doesn't she?" Arthur laughed sadly, firmly snubbed by the older twin's rejection. He was already used to the animosity, but he knew that he didn't want it to go on forever.
"Of course not," Holly pacified. "She would have been hitting you by now if she really hated you, and she wouldn't leave me alone with you!"
"Yeah, lighten up, amigo!" Antonio pulled Holly into a one-sided hug. "Holly likes us plenty! Don't you, cariño?" He paused, his big grin slipping for a minute as a strange feeling crawled up his spine. He had been feeling off since this morning; strange notions, thoughts and actions that were not in his character, and a concrete familiarity with Holly Michaelis were overwhelming him.
"I sure do," she gushed, oblivious to the change in mood. "You're the nicest guys I've ever met!"
"Th-Thank you," Arthur smiled. "But I am sorry for upsetting Anya. She didn't have to make up an appointment just to leave; I wouldn't have been offended."
"But she wasn't pretending," Holly smiled coyly. "Trust me; I know when she's lying."
"Then who-?" Comprehension dawned on the Brit like a new day. "Ah, so it's like that, is it?" he smirked.
"Well, she's never shown any interest before," she crowed. "I have a really good feeling about it!"
"Whoa there, telepaths," Toni chuckled. "What did I miss?"
"I- Well, we think," Holly whispered excitedly. "That Anya has a boyfriend!"
"Bastardos," Anya muttered. "I swear, if I wasn't late…" The antipathy she felt towards the boys was new to her; she didn't usually hate people right off. But it was so satisfying! And yet… It wouldn't feel right to enjoy the beauty of the garden while harboring those kinds of thoughts. Taking several deep breaths to calm her spinning head, she entered the half-concealed courtyard and dumped her bag by the stone bench. There was another backpack placed by the base of the tree, and Anya smiled.
"Kiku?" she called out. "Hello?" The courtyard seemed empty, but someone was obviously there... Anya gradually became aware of a rhythmic sound coming from somewhere else in the garden. Curious, she bypassed the tree and peeked around a trellis that was crawling with ivy and roses. A flash of silver crossed her vision, and she jumped back with a sharp inhale. After a quick check to make sure that her heart was still functioning and that she wasn't dreaming, Anya risked another cautious look around the edge of the trellis.
"Hup!" Kiku spun the saber high into the air, turning halfway around and catching it one-handed. Anya gulped as he drew the blade from its sheath, the blade glinting in the dapples of sunlight streaming through the trees. And she wasn't only nervous about the blade; her friend had shed the maroon school jacket and tie, leaving only his slacks and white polo shirt. Anya snapped her mouth closed, realizing that it had been gaping open in shock. The sinuous movements of the sword drill stirred something inside her- something that was warm and familiar, and made her blush.
That's impossible, she berated herself. I would definitely remember ever seeing anything like this.
Kiku tossed the sword once more, and his nimble fingers caught the hilt as it came spinning to earth. In one fluid motion, he sheathed the saber and knelt on one knee, driving the covered blade point first into the ground.
"And that is what you learn in the N.J.R.O.T.C.," he grinned, looking up and instantly locking his eyes on Anya. The girl squeaked and prayed that the ground would open up and just swallow her, already! He had known she was there?
"I- I see," Anya blushed, leaving the inadequate cover of the trellis. "So I guess you knew where I was, huh?"
"Zanshin is an art that all warriors must master in order to be aware of their surroundings," Kiku intoned sagely. "That, and I heard you calling for me. I was already drilling, but I thought I'd show off a bit." He blushed as well, realizing how that might have sounded. "B-But that was just a routine ceremonial drill. All of the members have to learn it."
"Well, that's a good enough reason for me not to join R.O.T.C.," Anya joked nervously. "It's way out of my league."
"It is not so hard," he argued. He offered her the saber, hilt first. "Would you like to try it? It's easy without all of the footwork. Just toss, and catch."
A sword? Was he really handing her- the clumsy twin, the one with neither balance nor coordination- a sharp, pointy object? And he wanted her to throw it? "Um… Thank you, no."
"If you say so." Kiku tucked the saber under his arm and grabbed his jacket and tie before going back to the bench to eat lunch. "So, how do you like the academy so far?"
Anya filled him on the events of the day in between bites of a PB&B, smiling when she described her encounters in Spanish class. "Sr. Alvarez is really cool," she said thoughtfully. "I don't know why people say he's so strict."
"I had a feeling you two would hit it off," Kiku laughed. "I mean, you've been speaking Spanish for so long… How old were you? Five? Six?"
"Actually, it was right after my sixth birthday that-" she frowned, putting her sandwich away and looking at him warily. "How did you know that? I've never told anyone how long I've been studying Spanish. That was between me and-!" Anya broke off, suddenly unwilling to say any more on the subject. "Th-The point is, I never talk about it. So how did you know that?"
"I… just guessed?" It sounded more like a question, as if Kiku himself didn't know why he had said it. "I'm very sorry if that's a sore subject, but I have no idea where that came from. I don't recall you even telling me that you had any prior knowledge of the language. Perhaps it is similar to the connection you made between sword drills and dancing?"
"Yeah, you're probably right." Although it made no sense at all, it was the only explanation Anya could think of. There was no feasible relation between the fact that she was taking Spanish and when she had begun to learn it. Kiku's accuracy was beyond eerie. "I'm sorry for snapping at you like that," she said.
"It is okay," Kiku shrugged. He produced a chocolate chip cookie from his lunch and broke it in half. "Am I forgiven?"
"Unquestionably." Anya took half of the treat and munched happily. "This is just what I needed to get through history and math."
"You do not like history? I find it quite fascinating." He looked surprised, as if expecting a much different reaction.
"Oh, don't get me wrong," Anya backpedaled. "History is my favorite subject after English. It's my new history teacher that I'm worried about."
Kiku suddenly frowned, looking almost angry. "If you're talking about Mr. Souma-"
"How'd you guess?" she asked sardonically.
"You really shouldn't believe all of the stories that people tell about him," he advised. "Some of the upperclassmen have demonized him, but he isn't that bad."
"Not that bad?" Anya spluttered. "I was out of the classroom for all of five seconds before he tried to write me up! It was like he was waiting for someone to punish."
"He's a good man," Kiku snapped. "He has his reasons for being the way he is." They sat in silence for a moment, Anya feeling slightly hurt by the older boy's rebuttal.
"I'm sorry I said anything," she finally apologized. "There's just something about him that worries me. It's not that I'm scared of him," she clarified. "He just seems like a person I could never get along with."
"Well, I understand that feeling," Kiku sighed. To Anya's avid relief, the anger had drained from his voice. "Everyone has someone in their life that they simply cannot stand. Everything they say or do just makes you so angry that you want to cry."
"That's it exactly!" Anya exclaimed. She blinked up at him in concern. "You sound like you know from experience. Do you have a situation like that?" She couldn't imagine such a well-mannered boy being at odds with anyone.
"Well, there is-"
"Paging Anya Michaelis!" A raucous, all-too-familiar accent shattered the birdsong in the courtyard. "Your lovely sister wishes to converse with you!" Antonio strolled through the bushes casually and grinned when he saw the couple.
"What do you want?" Kiku growled, standing defensively as the junior approached.
"Whoa, amigo!" Toni held up his hands in mock surrender. "Don't shoot the messenger." He smiled around Kiku to meet Anya's eyes. "Cariño, Holly is looking for you. She says it's important."
"Thanks, Antonio," Anya sighed. "Tell her I'll be at the tree in a minute, would you?"
"Cómo no!" Toni winked, strutting back through the foliage with his hands deep in his pockets. Anya saw Kiku visibly wince every time the older boy trampled a plant. "See you in a minute, Anya!" He turned around, almost like he'd forgotten something. "Oh, and Mitsubishi? It's nice to see you again." He laughed again and exited the garden, leaving the broken mood in his wake.
"I see what you mean," Anya said. "I knew he was an obnoxious flirt, but I didn't think he was a jerk, too."
"I'm used to it," Kiku said sadly. He helped Anya gather her things. "Ever since my first day here, Carriedo has made it his mission to make my life miserable. Out of the entire school, he is the only one who lacks the decency to refrain from mocking my last name. It is most irritating." He blushed and handed Anya a book that had slipped from her bag. "So… You and your sister are friends with him?"
"No," she assured. "I honestly hate that guy. He and his friend won't stop flirting with Holly."
"That sounds about right," he mumbled. "Would you like for me to talk to him? I would gladly claim it was self-defense."
"For both of our sakes, I'll assume that you're joking."
"…"
"I-I guess I should go see Holly," Anya told him. "She'll start freaking out again if I don't hurry up."
As she turned to leave, Kiku lurched forward. "What does cariño mean?" he blurted.
"I-It's a term for a younger girl," she explained sheepishly. "It can mean honey or sweetheart… Wow, I didn't even notice he was doing it, but he calls Holly that all the time." She shook her head. The endearment had been so natural and familiar that she really hadn't realized that the older boy was using it. "Y-You know what an awful flirt that bastardo is."
Kiku nodded thoughtfully. "I just hope he doesn't give you any trouble... Anya, don't come to hate Mr. Souma as much as I hate that guy. Please, give him a chance."
"Okay," she said grudgingly. Hefting her bag further onto her shoulder, she shot him a stern glare. "But only because it's you. Thank you so much for all of your help today, senpai!" Anya gave Kiku a genuinely warm smile and bowed her head slightly. She ran out of the garden, leaving Kiku shaking his head in wonder.
He could imagine how a conversation might go later; he would ask where she had learned Japanese formality, and her eyes would be wide and overjoyed when she proudly proclaimed that she read way too much manga.
"Anya, calm down. It's okay. I just wanted your opinion." Holly jerked her sister back to the ground, restraining her from doing anything rash.
"My opinion is that I'm going to find that stuck up girl and give her a piece of my mind," Anya growled. "Just who does she think she is?"
"The little sister of the most talented viola player to graduate from the academy in half a century," Toni said (un)helpfully. "Ivan plays first chair in college now. Nat has always been first chair, and she wants to be just like her brother. She's never actually harmed anyone."
"And that makes it alright?" she snapped. "She threatened Holly, idiota. And you!" She whirled on a speechless Arthur. "You obviously knew that something like this would happen. Why didn't you say anything?" The hurt look in the junior's emerald eyes threw her off, but she was too upset to really care.
"I was right there the entire time," he promised. "Anya, I wouldn't have let anything happen. If you only ever believe one thing I tell you, believe that I care about your sister's well-being."
Whoa, Holly thought. I didn't think he cared that much. Now that she thought about it, Arthur had looked absolutely relieved when she walked out of the music building unscathed. But that was just his normal display of concern, right? Wait; what was normal? She'd known the guy for what- a few hours?
"Y-Yeah, whatever," Anya sputtered. "Come on, Holly. It's time to go to class."
"Hey guys, where's room 811?" Holly asked, taking her time.
The boys simultaneously pointed to the field house. "It's through that door, down a flight of stairs, and at the end of the hall," Arthur instructed. "If you get lost, ask for 'the dungeon'. Good luck."
"Won't need it!" Holly waved and chased after her sister, who was waiting impatiently a few paces away. They walked the rest of the way in silence, pondering with growing dread what the next hour would hold.
"Well, I can see why they call it 'the dungeon'," the younger sister giggled anxiously. "This place gives me the skeevies."
Anya had to agree; the dim hallway, with its peeling paint, flickering lights, and strange sounds, looked like something out of an old horror film. "It's fine," she whispered, keeping a tight grip on Holly's arm nonetheless. "The classroom is at the end of the hall, right? That should be it."
Holly drew a guilty cheerfulness from being reminded that no matter how tough she acted, Anya still couldn't stand scary things. She squinted through the gloom to look at the faded numbers on the door.
"Yup, room 811," Holly smiled, tugging her twin along. "Let's go knock this mean teacher on his butt with how awesome we are!" Her jostling knocked some papers out of Anya's bag, and they fluttered to the floor.
"Sure, really awesome," Anya sighed. She gathered the papers, waving off her sister's help. "No, go on in. I'll be in there in a sec."
Holly shrugged and skipped the rest of the way to the end of the hallway. She opened the door and breezed into an almost empty room. There were maybe ten desks- only half of them occupied- an old blackboard, and a creaking teacher desk at the front.
The teacher, supposedly Mr. Souma, raised his head to appraise the new arrival. "How kind of you to join us, Miss Michaelis," he drawled, glaring her down. Holly's easy confidence evaporated as icy fear trickled into her ears. The man's eyes looked pitch black in the faulty lighting, and she was drowning, clawing desperately to get away before she-
"Sorry I'm late." Anya said stiffly, walking up behind her sister. She looked back and forth between Holly and Mr. Souma, who were still staring intently at each other. "Hey, snap out of it!"
Souma broke away first, blinking like a slow rabbit and seemed only mildly surprised to see a clone of Anya Michaelis standing behind the frightened girl. "You…are twins," he said confusedly. "Which one of you is Anya?"
"Right here," the correct twin smirked. "Nice to see you again so soon, Mr. Souma."
"Likewise," he glared, obviously meaning the opposite. Glancing at his watch and then the roster, he instructed the girls to take a seat; class was starting. Anya pulled her stunned twin over to a pair of graffiti covered desks in the back of the room.
"I won't insult your intelligence by telling you why you're here," Mr. Souma said. "Just know that if you do your part and listen, you will do well in this class." As he continued lecturing, Anya inconspicuously opened her spiral notebook and wrote a line. She nudged it into Holly's line of vision.
Are you okay? You look like you're about to puke.
Holly bit her lip and pulled out her own notebook. The lines on the page were fuzzy.
I think I'm having a panic attack, she wrote. The kind where everything's blurry.
Draw me a giraffe. Anya demanded.
What?
Just do it!
Holly scoffed quietly, but did as she was told. As she started concentrating on her drawing, her heart rate slowed and her breathing evened out. She sighed with relief and blinked the fluff from her eyes.
Thanks. I'm okay now.
Anya always knew how to shake her out of the episodes. She smiled encouragingly when she read her note and turned back to the front. She wasn't surprised to see the other five students were all asleep; although she had been listening to Mr. Souma's voice, there had been almost no inflection to pique her interest.
"Miss Michaelis!" the teacher snapped.
"Yes?" The twins responded simultaneously.
"Please repeat to me everything I just said, Anya." He looked to the twin on his left.
"I'm Holly!" she said cheerfully.
"Right." He growled, irritated. "So Anya, you tell me what I just said."
"You were talking about the end of the year book project," Anya said dutifully. "Historical or historical fiction."
"And before that?" he challenged.
"The textbooks cost seventy-five dollars if we lose them," she recited, confused. Why was he singling her out for this?
"And what, may I ask, is the first rule in this class?"
"To listen?"
"So why don't you do that, instead of trading notes with your sister?"
"She just told you everything you wanted to know!" Holly piped up. Her hands were shaking, but this guy was just being unfair! If there was any type of person she couldn't stand, it was mean, unfair people like Mr. Souma. "Why don't you call on someone else? They're all asleep!"
"I am well aware," Mr. Souma growled. "I take the first day to see who will make it in my class and who will not. These delinquents," he gestured idly to the snoring students. "Obviously need work. You two could actually have a chance of excelling in here if you follow one more simple rule." He slowly stalked back to their desks, planting one hand on each. He leaned in close so they could see the malice in his eyes.
"Do not cross me," he whispered. "Or I can make your high school experience a living hell. Are we clear?
Holly was frozen again, so Anya answered for them both. "Yes," she said clearly, and would be forever grateful that her fear didn't convey through her voice.
"Yes, what?"
"Yes, sir," she ground out.
Mr. Souma smiled. "That's much better. I think we'll get along wonderfully, Misses Michaelis."
"He's horrible!" Anya vented to Matthew as they exited their math class. She'd been relieved to see a friendly face after that torture. "He practically threatened us! How can the school put up with a teacher like him?"
"He is really scary," the quiet boy agreed, shuddering. "I'm glad my brother warned me not to take his class. He's a junior, so I got a year of warning."
"You don't really act like a sophomore," Anya frowned. "Or like your brother, for that matter. But I thought he was a sophomore too…"
Matthew smiled. "Oh, you met Al, didn't you? We're sorta-kinda twins, like you and Holly." He looked around. "Where did she go, anyway?" School was over, and there were people streaming through the halls to get home.
"She probably ran off to meet some guys we met." Anya didn't want to blow up at Matthew about those jerks; she felt guilty enough for dumping all of her troubles from History on him. "I'll see you tomorrow, I guess! Thanks for your help today!" With a quick smile to accompany her farewell, Anya plunged into the ocean of students. She eventually stumbled out of the crowd into the outdoor lunch area. Pulling a water bottle and her cell out of her bag, she took a gulp and sent Holly a message.
Come out to the picnic tables. I'm waiting so hurry up and we'll go home. Anya hit SEND and laid her head down on her arms, groaning as the tension drained from her neck, back, and shoulders. High school officially sucked.
"Hey, sis!" Holly strolled up to her sister innocently, hands clasped lightly behind her back.
"Holly? There you are. What is it?" Anya looked up at her twin from where she sat at the stone picnic table, taking a sip of her water.
"Ugh. How can you stand plain water? It's so gross!" Holly made a funny looking face before sitting with her sister and giving her the best puppy dog eyes she could muster. "Is it okay if I go with Toni and Arthur to the mall after school today? Please?" She used her cutest begging tone, the one usually reserved for asking to cause havoc in any given music store.
"No, Holly. We've just met them, and I don't know if I trust them or not."
"I promise I'll be careful, Anya. We'll probably just eat dinner and see a movie. I'll be home by like, seven! Please?" She stuck her lip out and pouted, making fake tears come to her eyes.
"Ugh! Fine, you can go! But if you aren't home by seven, you're going to regret separating in the embryo."
Holly jumped up and hugged her sister tightly. That was the threat Anya always used when she really didn't mean it! "Thank you, sis! See ya when I get home!"
If you wanna get with me, there's some things you gotta know. I like my beats fast- Holly's ring tone cut off as she flipped her cellular open, a text from an unknown number flashing on the screen.
Hey, me and Artie are waiting in the courtyard whenever you want to leave for the mall. ~Antonio. The brunette smiled as she shut it sharply and ran to the small garden full of roses.
"Artie! Toni!" Holly grinned at the sight of the two sitting on a stone bench; Arthur was reading as always, and the other was fiddling with a couple of roses that he had picked. He smiled and handed one to Holly almost as soon as she walked up. "A pretty flower for una chica muy bonita," he winked at her. The shorter brunette simply giggled and placed it snugly in the front pocket of her jacket.
Arthur stood up and packed away his books. "I'm ready to go whenever you two are."
Holly nodded excitedly and stretched. "The school is so big! I'm exhausted from walking," she yawned and sighed again. "But let's go, okay? I've never been to the mall here; I want to see what they have!"
The trio started making their way towards the highway, streetlamps and buildings resting on either side of them. The air was hot, combined with the exhaust from the cars and humidity from rain that had fallen the previous night. They talked the entire time there, Arthur and Antonio mainly regaling Holly with tales of mad escapades in the shopping center. Even knowing that each story was more exaggerated and ludicrous than the last, Holly laughed with them, and felt closer to the two juniors for it.
"Here we are! This is the mall," Arthur pointed at the large building that was across the parking lot from them. Holly gaped at the mere sight of it; it was huge!
"Are you serious? Come on, then!" The teen laughed and raced the guys to the front doors, easily winning.
"Geez, you're fast," Arthur panted, surprised at such speed form such a slight person.
"Sorry. I was just excited." She smiled and bounced up and down. "Come on, let's go in!"
"Well, where do you want to eat dinner? I'm buying tonight!" Toni smiled and motioned for the food court.
"I dunno… Arthur, why don't you pick?" Holly offered.
"No!" Toni exclaimed, terror clouding his features. "A word to the wise, cariño; never let Artie pick where to eat. We'll end up in a place that serves eel stew, or worse!"
"That flyer was very misleading," Arthur protested. "And that was one time!"
"Don't worry, Holly," Antonio said, as if Arthur hadn't spoken. "I've got a great place in mind!" And he led them to a small Italian restaurant.
"Oh, Lovi! I didn't know you were working tonight." The Spanish boy smiled and waved at a server in the restaurant. It was a younger boy, maybe around Holly's age. He had dark amber eyes, and a curl stuck out on the side of his head. A poke and a nudge from Arthur explained that this was Lovino Vargas, one of Toni's younger brothers.
"Toni, what are you doing here?" He scowled slightly at his older brother. "I told you guys not to come bother me while I'm working!"
"Don't be like that, hermanito," Antonio pouted, feigning hurt. "We just came to treat our new friend to dinner before we all go see a movie~"
"E-Eh?" Lovino finally noticed Holly, who waved shyly. Recognition sparked behind his eyes. "Aren't you in orchestra? Chamber, right?" He gave her a cautious smile.
"Yeah," Holly said, surprised. "First chair viola."
He nodded, as if a fear had just been assured. "I thought I recognized you. I'm the first chair cello. My brother is second chair, remember?"
Holly thought back to the class earlier in the day, suddenly recalling the boisterous pair from class. "Oh, I remember! I'm so sorry! It's just really confusing to meet so many people on the first day." She flushed in slight embarrassment.
The younger boy's scowl slowly softened into a sardonic smile. "It's alright, don't worry about it. Hey, I just clocked in; let me get you guys a table."
The Italian led them to a table near the back and had them waited on as soon as possible.
"So, what would you like to drink?" he asked, clicking his pen and looking at them expectantly. "We've got water, Coke, Pepsi, Sprite, and iced tea."
"You know us, hermano," Toni grinned. "Bring on the Pep, and let the Brit have his tea."
"Yeah, yeah," Lovi scoffed, scribbling a note. He turned to Holly. "And you?"
"Anything but water," Arthur answered for her, smiling knowingly. "You should really try the tea, Holly. It's not the same as a hot cup, but it isn't terrible."
"Um, sure," she said slowly, not voicing her confused thoughts. Had she mentioned earlier that she hated plain water? She couldn't really remember…
They talked quietly in the candle lit restaurant, happily eating whatever they had ordered. (Pizza for Holly and Antonio, and plain pasta for Arthur.) Lovi smiled when he took the check, telling his brother to only worry about half of it; he claimed he could handle the rest. They waved their good-byes and headed towards an escalator to go to the movie theatre on the second floor.
"I'm sorry, kids; all of the movies for today are sold out. We don't have any more tickets." The ticket lady informed the three teens. Their faces fell.
"O-Oh. That's okay. Thank you anyways," Arthur muttered as they walked away.
"Well, I don't have to be anywhere," Holly announced as they walked down the tile floors of the building, people walking by them. "So what do you guys want to do?"
Toni sighed as they leaned over the glass barrier railing and looked down at the bottom floor. "I actually need to go talk to Lovi. He looked a little spaced out earlier, so I want to check on him. Can I meet you guys in about an hour?" The others nodded and he waved while he walked back in the direction of the restaurant.
"Hey, Arthur?" Holly pointed a shop a few stores down from them, catching the blonde's attention. "Can we go in there? I wanna look at the dresses..." She blushed slightly. Arthur craned his neck to see a women's clothing shop next to Hot Topic. He had passed the place several times, but never really noticed it until now. The roof of the store was made of a crystal clear sheet of glass, allowing the fading colors of the sunset to fill the chamber with gold hues. He had to admit that it looked rather nice.
"Oh, of course. I don't mind." He followed her into the store, the bright light almost blinding them.
"Welcome! Can I help you find anything?" an overly peppy saleswoman asked Holly.
She simply smiled and shook her head. "Just lookin'!" Almost immediately, the teen found a dress that she wanted to try on. "Don't look Artie! I want it to be a surprise!" The words tumbled from the brunette's lips as she was led into a dressing room to try the outfit on. The roof of the store was made of a crystal clear sheet of glass, allowing the fading colors of the sunset to fill the chamber with gold hues.
"Come here, Artie! I want to know what you think!" Holly poked her head around the corner, a grin having crept its way onto her face. He stood up from the bench near the dressing room door and leisurely strolled over to the three mirrored wall, where Holly was admiring the unusual dress and turning to see it at every angle.
The top was styled like a corset; the ribbon was red, while the trimming was black and contrasted with the main fabric that was golden yellow. The bottom fluffed out into six layers, alternating the yellow, red, and black pattern. The front cut out to show a pair of shorts resting on her hips with a pair of knee high black boots. She turned to smile at him, her hair now pulled up into a high ponytail, fixed with a ribbon that was red, black, and yellow running lengthwise.
"What do you think?" Holly turned back to the mirror, admiring how it suited her in the sunset lighting. She thought it really brought out the brighter colors in her hazel eyes. She smiled at Arthur, looking at him in the mirror. Her eyes went wide for a second, an unfamiliar sensation filling her. Arthur flinched, the very same images filling his head as well.
Holly stood alone, in the very same dress, sobbing. Afternoon sunlight filtered through a wide glass window, illuminating the dust motes in the air and the shimmering tears on her face. Arthur approached her and hugged her tightly in an attempt to comfort her. She wrapped her arms around him tighter, crying into his shoulder.
Holly shook her head, coming back to reality. "A-Anyway, do you like it?" she fiddled with the top layer of fabric, blushing darkly. What a weird thought… Where had that whole scene come from?
"Of c-course! You look gorgeous- I-I mean nice!" He blushed even darker. Holly smiled at his words.
"Thanks, Artie. That's so sweet!" Suddenly, Arthur was very close to her, gently fingering the ribbon in her hair. Holly held her breath, unable to even blink; his eyes wouldn't let her. He was so close, close enough to-
Arthur jolted up when his phone started ringing, ruining the atmosphere between the two. He punched the 'TALK' button ruefully. "Yes? Oh, the dress store next to Hot Topic. Yes, she's fine. Right; cheerio." He flipped it back shut.
"Toni?" Holly guessed, catching her breath. Stop blushing! Please, stop blushing!
"Yeah, he'll be here in a few. Here, silly, take the dress off and change. I'll go pay for it."
"Eh?" Holly almost jumped out of her skin. "You don't have to do that!"
"Holly, you never know when you might need a nice dress. Plus, I have ticket money that I didn't get to spend." He reached forward and turned over the tag hanging off the back of the dress. "The whole outfit together is only... twenty dollars? And it's on sale! Don't worry about it; I'll take care of it."
Five minutes later, a red-faced couple exited the dress store, the girl clutching a slim box to her chest. They waited by the door until Antonio appeared.
"Ah, got a dress?" Toni grinned brightly.
"Yeah!" she smiled. "It's so pretty; you'll have to see it later. So, what do you want to do now?" As the trio walked on, chatting excitedly, two pairs of eyes watched silently from behind sunglasses and magazines. The shorter figure squirmed in her seat, pretending to read about the scandals of popular culture.
"Kiku," Anya hissed, nudging the boy's Sports Weekly aside. "I found them!"
"What do you think she bought?" Kiku stared as the trio walked down the pure white tiled walkway, the shortest still having a blush on her cheeks.
"Who knows? One of them probably bought her a dress. If they bought something to make her look indecent, I'll take you up on that offer of defense," the brunette growled as she slid the sunglasses back down her nose. "It makes me sick; those guys are such creeps, hitting on a freshman on her first day. I can't even look at them!"
"We could leave," he suggested. "We don't have to follow them at all, you know…"
"Say that again and I'll kill you," Anya promised, standing. "Now come on. While we're here, I actually have some shopping to do."
"Yes, ma'am." How had she convinced him to help her follow Holly around the mall? It had seemed like the right thing to do at the time, and Anya had sounded so anxious about her sister… Well, there was no backing out now.
"Thank you," she said suddenly. "I know it must be weird, just dragging you along here. So thanks for putting up with such an annoying kouhai."
Kiku didn't answer, but walked close to her side as they headed to the next shop. Any single guy roaming the mall looking for a date would have been out of luck; although they gave no physical indication of being together, anyone who happened to notice a couple of teens chatting in the corridors would never have thought that they had only met that day.
"Can I ask you guys for some help? I need to find something for Anya. Our birthday is coming up, and I want to get her something really nice," Holly glanced up at the other two, pulling her wallet out. "I have my job money, and it's around eighty dollars… I want to get her a really pretty necklace with our birthstone. Do you know anywhere with nice necklaces that aren't going to cost a million dollars?"
"There's the jewelry store on the bottom floor. It's on the other side of the mall though. We can just take the elevator if you want." Arthur motioned in the general direction of the shop.
"That sounds good!" the twin smiled as she ran for the elevator.
"Holly, wait!" The others ran after her as she jumped into the elevator by herself. The door closed quickly, and Holly realized too late that it was a very old elevator, with only one working light and limited space. It creaked ominously as it began a sluggish descent to the bottom floor. She felt like she was having a panic attack; dark, enclosed spaces were one of her biggest phobias!
"Crap!" Toni growled as he dropped his head, glaring at the doors. "If we run down the stairs, we should be able to get there before it opens. It's the slowest thing since turtles running through peanut butter." They nodded in agreement and basically flew down the three flights of stairs, reaching the bottom successfully before the elevator even landed.
"Come on…Open already!" Arthur groaned helplessly. He wasn't sure why but he had a bad feeling. That old elevator was downright creepy under normal circumstances, but going it alone from three floors up would be terrifying. The two waited for decrepit transportation device to open its doors so they could retrieve their friend. When it finally opened, they were greeted with the sight of a shaking girl in the very corner, crouched in a ball on the ground with her knees pulled up to her chest. The dress box lay next to her, forgotten.
"H-Holly?" Antonio was the first one to speak, stepping into the dim space. "Are you alright?" He knelt down and gently pulled her into a standing position.
"What's wrong, love?" Arthur laid a hand on her shoulder once they had her situated on a bench. He sat next to her with the box in his lap. There weren't many people around, so there wasn't going to be any questioning from anyone. Hopefully.
"P-Phobia… elevators… alone…" She muttered a few words, her face flushing with embarrassment.
"You're afraid of elevators?" the juniors asked at the same time.
"Only decrepit, slow ones like that one! I've seen too many horror movies." She groaned and took a deep breath. "But I should be fine now."
Once Holly had convinced them she was finally okay, they started down the halls once again until they reached the store that Arthur had spoken of. It wasn't large at all; there was a case for wedding rings, a case for charm bracelets, and a slightly larger case of birthstone jewelry.
"Hello, can I help you?" a soft voice greeted them. Holly looked up and instantly recognized who the owner was; it was Lili, Vash's younger sister. Although neither of them went to public school, Vash normally taught Lili at home. Lili had been the twins' first friend in their apartment complex.
"Hey, Lili!" Holly went to her and started talking to her and explaining to her why she was there. "Have you got anything cool that Sis would like?"
"You're both August, right?" Lili smiled as she started walking towards one of the cases. Holly nodded as she followed casually, excitement taking over her.
"We have some peridot necklaces right here, and I think Anya would really like this one…" She pulled out a golden chain with a pendant on it. The jewel was in the shape of a sparkling green heart. The peridot was darker than most, more green than yellow, but Holly had a feeling that it would go even better with her sister's eyes.
"Anya? What are you doing here?" Arthur's voice jolted Holly out of her admiration of the bauble and she turned around, feeling as if she was looking into a mirror. Her sister was indeed just outside of the jewelry shop, shoulder to shoulder with an unfamiliar raven-haired boy.
"Anya!" She grinned and bounced over to her and the boy. "Dang, sis! Who's the stud?" She smirked lightly as she playfully poked her sister's flaming cheek. "Is that your boyfriend? ~"
"Would it make you stop poking me if I said yes?" Anya growled. She hadn't meant anything by the comment, (Of course they weren't dating! They had just met, and she wasn't that desperate) but Holly's eyes widened considerably.
"Omygosh!" she squealed all in a rush. "Anya's got a boyfriend!" She turned to Arthur and Toni, who had followed her out. "Omygosh," she said again, unable to say anything else.
"Really?" Antonio said coolly, glaring at Kiku. The poor Japanese boy was trying to speak. His mouth moved uselessly, but no words would come out. Not that Holly would have given him a chance to speak, anyway. "I don't believe it," he decided, scoffing. "What girl in their right mind would date Toyota-chan?"
"And just what would be wrong with Honda-kun?" Anya challenged, straightening into a defensive stance. "Kiku happens to be a really cool, really nice guy. And please, learn basic honorifics before you try to make fun of someone, bastardo."
"So… You are going out?" Arthur said, confused. Stupid Antonio and his sarcasm… Personally, he didn't think that Kiku was that bad. But for some reason, Antonio had hated the kid's guts since his first day at the academy. "I'm completely lost, here."
"Y-Yeah," Anya stuttered, refusing to look Kiku in the eye. "Got a problem?" Her eyes dared Antonio to say anything negative.
"Not at all," he grimaced, a tick obvious in his jaw. "So you two get on with your little date while we help Holly pick out your birthday present." He drew an arm around the hyperactive girl, and she stopped bouncing to smile up at him.
Anya wanted to punch the grin right off of his face.
"Um, so I'll see you at home, right Anya?" Holly asked, oblivious to the tension in the air. That necklace was so pretty, and she was sure Anya would love it… But dear Lord, her sister had a boyfriend!
"Sure," Anya said more calmly. "Uh, bye!" She grabbed Kiku's arm and walked quickly back in the direction of the elevator.
"Well, that was weird," Holly frowned. "Do you think she didn't want us to know about them?"
"I wouldn't worry about it," Arthur said soothingly. "She seemed to like him an awful lot."
"That's true," she agreed happily. She returned to the jewelry store with a loud squeal. "Lili, you'll never guess what I just found out~"
"Gomen, gomen, gomen!" Anya wailed, thunking her head into her folded arms once more. "I am so sorry!"
"I-It's fine," Kiku shushed her, feeling curious glances from others in the food court. "Just please, stop crying."
"I'm not crying," she grumbled, raising her head. It seemed to be true; there were no tears visible on the twin's face, but she was pretty close to giving in. "I'm sorry," she said, more quietly. "That guy just makes me so mad! It isn't fair how he's so mean to you for no reason. I guess I just wanted to, you know… get back at him somehow."
Kiku sighed and sat back in the creaking wooden chair. The hot pretzel place at the mall really needed to modernize, but they somehow never got around to it. He had insisted on treating Anya to some pretzel sticks and a smoothie, but they had ended up going Dutch. He lazily nibbled on his last cinnamon sugar treat as he tried to figure out how to calm his all-of-a-sudden-girlfriend down.
"Were you…?" he asked suddenly, breaking off at the stupidity of his question.
"Was I what?" Anya asked dreamily, apparently tuckered out from her momentary grievance.
"… You weren't trying to make him jealous, were you?"
"What?" she screeched, coming to life again. "That stupid jerk? Are you insane?"
"Just making sure," he smiled weakly. "I'm kind of relieved."
"What do you mean?" Anya asked, before realizing that, around the straw of her smoothie, it sounded more like Rudder to bean. "What are you talking about?" she tried again. "You knew I hated his guts."
"That's true," Kiku smiled. "But in all honesty… Did you really mean all of that? A-About me."
"You idiot," she groaned. "Of course I did!" She looked down at her empty cup. "Y-You are really nice and cool and cute like I said before."
"… You never said I was good looking."
"Well, I thought it."
"So does that mean-? I mean, would you like to-?"
"Y-Yeah… If you wouldn't mind it." Her face was burning, but she couldn't stop it.
"Why would I mind that? That would be very nice," Kiku smiled, more warmly then Anya could have expected. "You're really amazing, Anya-chan."
"Well, that's new," Anya laughed. "I got the opposite; instead of dropping an honorific, I gained one."
"Oh," Kiku blushed. "I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking. I don't usually use them at all, because people think they're weird or don't understand them."
"I think it sounds awesome!" Anya gushed, eyes glinting as she tried out the name in her head. "Anya-chan… I like the sound of that. You don't have to worry; call me whatever you want."
Kiku shook his head. "Have I told you how incredible you are?"
"I could stand to hear it again~" she said innocently, and was thrilled when he laughed.
"Here, I'll go throw these away." He collected their trash and walked the short distance to the trash bin by the escalator. Anya sat there, hearing her sister's words clearly in her head. Anya's got a boyfriend! Her words had proved to be a prophecy, and Anya smiled, realizing that she didn't mind one bit.
Okay, I admit it; I'm a sucker for Japanese stuff^^ I read in the back (front?) of a manga novel that calling someone by their first name with no honorific is really a pretty big deal. It's rude if you don't know the person well and it's a sign of respect or something if a person lets you drop the honorific. Just as a note, I'm making it kinda so Kiku used to live in Japan, and he still has little quirks from the culture. Spain is the Italys' big bro here, as you can tell, and America and Canada are both England's little brothers. Anya does not know that Mattie's related to Artie, but we'll assume that she figures it out soon enough XD. Whoo! Thanks for reading, and please review! We promise to try and keep it up over vacation! (Wi-fi permitting. Is there a net connection in an airport? XD)
~tworandomotakus~