Jumble

Students gathered around the sight: the second-youngest student in the school shrieking at the most proficient one - after the former, of course. She stood protectively over a leather book bag, the clasp of which had come undone and allowed its contents to spill across the floor. Although they would never let the hysterical student know, a large number of the gathered teens were placing bets on things that would seem ridiculous if it weren't Kate and Keith, from how long it would take Keith to regain his common sense and flee, to how badly Kate was going to beat him up when she broke free of Rhythmi's restraining grip on her shoulders.

"You idiot!" Kate screeched for the third time. "I spent all night on that paper, and you've gotten it trampled on! I have to reorganize my bag and redo my homework now! How could you be so stupid?!"

The blonde beside her shook her head. Keith always seemed to find a way to anger the volcanic brunette in the worst ways possible. Sometimes it amazed her how the two always managed to reconcile (even if it took a few weeks). This would blow over easily - this time was actually an accident.

It had been a joke, Keith looking for a way to lighten the mood after the three had studied upstairs during their free time (at Kate's insistence). Grabbing her bag before she could stand, he had sprinted toward the stairs. "Bet you can't catch me!" he'd yelled excitedly.

Kate had immediately sprinted after him, saying, "Keith! That's all of my stuff! I swear, if there's a scratch on any of it when I get it back..."

Rhythmi had quickly followed, inclination to giggle winning over her desire to reprimand the prankster. While she wasn't one to take sides during Keith's pranks, she was glad to be doing something other than schoolwork. Homework was boring - enough said.

Anyways, if Kate got her hands on him then he'd have more than enough punishment on his hands.

Then, somehow, in a rare moment of klutziness, Keith had stumbled, cried out, and let go of the bag to grasp the railing of the stairs.

Kate had frozen in shock as the bag tumbled towards the bottom of the steps. The clasp flew undone, and various school supplies and binders scattered around the bag where it landed.

She only seemed to reanimate herself when a girl stepped on a piece of paper.

'Reanimate' was an understatement, Rhythmi thought. It had been more like an explosion. In mere seconds Kate had been scrambling to snatch up her papers and pencils, muttering curses and degrading names under her breath. These sounds only became loud enough to hear when she found a single piece of paper, torn and dirty. Then she had started spewing insults and protests as she was now.

"I've told you over and over not to touch my stuff! Why can't you just find the space in your head to actually consider doing what you're asked?" Kate said, at a slightly lower volume but full of malice. "Do you take pleasure in the discomfort of others? Is your brainpower really so limited that you find fulfillment in rebelling against everything? Or do you just not care that you always disappoint people when you don't listen, always hurt them?"

Keith was speechless.

No, most of that was pointless rambling, but he himself had no idea why he didn't listen to what people asked him to do. He was hardwired not to, he supposed...but he knew that disobeying usually got him in trouble.

No, no, no! He was being brainwashed by her arguments! Keith couldn't let it happen.

He looked at Kate, who was spewing more hateful words. Cringing, he muttered, "I'm sorry," and ran.

Kate, having heard the tiny word, slowly cooled down. Suddenly her heart wasn't in the yelling and degrading comments. So she let him go, shaking her head, grabbing her bag and heading upstairs.

Thee wasn't a single pair of eyes looking anywhere but at her - and all of the gazes were of total, utter disbelief.

Hey! Look! I'm alive!

Yeah, hi. Sorry for abandoning you guys; I'm glad to be writing again, and you probably are too, so it's win-win. Yay. Yep, it was kind of all-over-the-place-and-sudden-and-stuff but it's done. See you soon. (I promise this time.)

Blazie