~Chapter 10~
Text Message to Juliet

My name's not Cinderella,
I don't need to be saved.
I don't have a wicked step mom,
My father's not away.

I don't sleep in the attic
I don't clean the fire place.
My name's not Cinderella
Now get out of my face!

I don't cook all the dinners
the breakfast, or the lunch
if I get in a fight, it's safe to assume
that I threw the first punch.

I'm not your Cinderella.
I don't need to be set free.
But if i did, I hope you'd play
The prince who rescued me!

"Neru?"

I stared in disbelief. I could feel the other student's eyes boring into me for my sudden outburst but that was at the very back of my mind at the moment.

Neru, still standing up at the front of the classroom, smiled and gave a small wave with her fingers.

'Well this day just got a hell of a lot more interesting…'

Rin

I tapped my pencil impatiently as I stared out of the window, ignoring the teachers awful lecture as usual. I desperately wanted to hop out of my desk and run outside. Get some ice cream, run around screaming in circles, I don't know something.

'I wonter if I can catch Len before he leaves, he never did give me his number…' I trailed off my thoughts, all manner of things flowing in and out of my head like the push and pull of the tides. It was making my head hurt.

Rins' aren't meant for thinking.

As if answering my unspoken prayers, the cursed shrill sound of the bell pulled me to reality. Shooting up out of my seat I grabbed my bag, nearly tripping over myself in the process, before running for the door.

In almost no time flat I was submerged in a sea of eagerly chatting students, all flowing downstream neatly. After a few minutes of walking (ahem, shoving past people…) I was finally spit out in front of the shoe lockers.

Not wasting any time I switched out my shoe, hopping on one foot as I put my outdoor pair as I continued to walk. Finally getting the accursed shoes on I made a dash for the front gate, specifically the bike rack.

Spotting the white bike almost instantly I quickened my pace and mentally sighed in relief. Len hadn't left yet. Talking a spot next to the 'economically-friendly' transport I began to fidget slightly.

Rins' aren't meant to be in one place for to long.

After waiting for what felt like ages (which was really five minutes) with no Len in sight, I began to notice the number of students dwindle. I started to tap my foot impatiently.

'What is taking him so long?' I thought frustrated.

Yes I am an impatient person…sue me.

'I just want to ask a question!'

Len

The sound of the bell has always given me a headache. I desperately wanted to smash it to bits every time I was forced to hear it.

But today was different.

As soon as the first ugly note started from the rusted metal I thought it was the most heavenly sound as I instantly jumped out of my seat and grabbed my things. Rushing out the door I nearly trampled everyone in my way as I jogged towards the shoe lockers.

There were two reasons for this. One, I knew Rin would be waiting for me, and Two…

"Len!"

AH CRUD MONKEYS!

I glanced over my shoulder to spot a head of long burnt blonde hair dashing behind me in the hall, waving and calling my name.

I instantly quickened my pace. I have no idea why she was here…heck, I'm not even sure why I'm running from her but I figured I needed to get away. Spotting a side hallway I grabbed the corner and used the momentum to swing me around and put my back against the wall.

"Len! Len!" I watched, panting slightly, as Neru rushed passed my little hideaway and instantly breathed out in relief.

"Gotcha!"

"Gahhh!" I let out a yell in surprised, instantly falling to my butt on the cold tile. As soon as I was sure I hadn't peed my pants in surprise I looked up and found Neru giggling by the corner.

I huffed and stood up, wiping my pants of any traces of dirt while the texting queen just kept giggling hysterically. I crossed my arms as I waited for her to stop laughing.

"Sorry…sorry but, pffft. That was just to funny!" She said between giggles. I narrowed my eyes, hoping to intimidate her….no such luck.

"What did you want Neru." I said with a tad bit of annoyance.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." She said, finally regaining her composure. "I just figured you were wondering why I was here."

I raised an eyebrow. "Well…Yeah…" I said slowly, prompting her to continue with her statement.

"Because Len," Her giggling suddenly stopped and her face took on a more serious look. "I. want you."

My face suddenly blanked and I blinked. "Wha…?"

"You heard me." She purred, smirking deviously. She took a step forward and I responded by taking one back. The pattern repeated until I felt something solid on my back. The wall.

Damn.

"I want you." She said, walking her fingers up my chest. Ok! This just got ten times more uncomfortable!

"Why?" I asked, trying to keep my face blank.

She reached her hand up and put it on my cheek. "Because…"

By now my unease was replaced by annoyance. I grabbed the wrist of the hand on my face, pulling it away.

"Why now?" I spat slightly, my eyes narrowing.

"Because…You're a challenge Len. And I like challenges."

Rin

OK! THAT'S IT! What is taking him so long?

I huffed as I walked back toward the now completely barren school, grumbling curses under my breath. Angrily throwing open the front door to the school I started to stomp back into the building.

As I stomped around like a baby throwing a temper tantrum I realized something…Why was I so angry? Maybe Len just got detention. Its not like he HAS to be by his bike as soon as school got out.

As I thought of some of these things my stomping slowed and I started back to a human pace. Why did I have to be such a child at times?

"Stupid, stupid, stupid." I started tapping knots in my head, berating myself as I walked. Suddenly I heard the sound of talking voices. Stopping I paused for a second, trying to listen. Hearing the sounds but not able to make out the words I inched closer.

Finally coming closer I found that the voices were coming from a side hallway and It sounded like a male and female talking. I took a chance and peeked around the corner.

"….challenges." Yup, definitely female. In the middle of the hall stood two figures standing close together with one of them up against a wall.

"Challenge?" The other asked, a hint of anger in the tone. Huh, that voice sounds familiar…wait-

"You rejected me Neru. I don't get it? Why now am I all of a sudden in your sights. You make no sense!"

Len. The other figure in the hall was Len with a girl named Neru. Wait, rejected? Wha-

"Because Len, now you're a challenge."

Len groaned, obviously frustrated. "That's what I don't get Neru. Why? Why am I a challenge?"

"Because-" I shifted, my shoe squeaking on the tile. AH FUDGE! The two people talking instantly whipped their heads in my direction and I flipped back against the wall away from them. I heard Neru say one last thing but I couldn't make it out as the sound of footsteps instantly made my heart go into overdrive. I was about to run away but I tripped, somehow falling on my butt with a loud 'oof'.

Wow…graceful.

"What are you doing?" I whipped my head in the direction of the voice and to my immense relief Len was standing above me with a mixture of confusion and amusement at my flustered state.

. "What does it look like I'm doing?" I huffed, feigning annoyance, and crossed my arms in front of my chest. "My butt is having a conversation with the floor."

Len seemed to be in a fix. It seemed like he couldn't decide what emotion to use as a mixture washed over his face. I watched for a while before he finally settled on one.

He suddenly started to laugh and I couldn't help but loose my frown to smile back at him.

"What?" I asked, the smile being able to be heard in my voice.

He stopped chuckling to look at me with a smile of his own. "You say the stupidest things sometimes."

"Oh ya?" I asked standing up and crossing my arms again my eyes narrowing playfully.

"Definitely." He said with one last chuckle escaping.

I didn't respond but my smile grew as I looked at him. His smile fell at my expression and he raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

I just shrugged, turning on my heel to walk back out of the school. "Nothing." He didn't seem too convinced as he quickly jogged after me and matched my pace.

"What is it?" We were outside now and as soon as he finished the sentence I whipped around to face him, my smile on my face in full force.

"You should show emotion more often"

I watched with amusement as my comment caused a quick blush but it was gone quickly as he raised an eyebrow.

"What are you talking about? I show emotion all the time, see." He said, making faces.

I giggled a little as I walked toward his bike. "Ya like brooding and stuff. You don't show that you're happy very often. You're pretty serious most of the time."

He seemed confused as he undid the lock on his bike, wheeling it out of the rack. "Really?"

I nodded walking slightly ahead of him. "I'm not saying you don't laugh or smile…its just that you don't do it often." I turned around to face him, looking into blue eyes that matched my own and tilting my head slightly. "Why?"

The question seemed to take him off guard as he blanked for a moment, opening and closing his mouth before finally his expression dropping as he looked toward the ground.

I was about to say something else when I looked at his face. It seemed…dejected. Like a tender subject. I dropped it.

"What were you talking about with Neru in the hall?" Again he seemed taken aback as he lifted his head with an expression of shock.

"How much did you hear?"

I turned back around and began walking slowly again. "Hmmm…not much. What does she want with you?"

I heard a small snort behind me and I peered over my shoulder. Len was looking down but his expression seemed unreadable.

"Its stupid." He looked back up towards me. "Don't worry about it."

I nodded thinking it was a reasonable answer for now. We suddenly fell into a silence as we continued walking. I didn't even know where we were going but we just walked. Suddenly I remembered something.

"Oh!" I said, clapping my hands in realization. Len looked over at me and I turned my head with a smile. "I never got your number!"

Again a blush flitted over his face but left just as it came. "Why do you want my number?" He asked.

"Because~" I said happily, "You have mine but I know you won't text me so I need your number!"

He looked shocked for a moment before looking slightly offended. "How do you know I won't text you?"

"Woman's intuition!" I said, tapping the side of my head several times with pride.

Len scoffed slightly. "Woman's intuition? You hardly qualify as a woman with that washboard of a chest." He said with a roll of his eyes.

I gasped, "How dare you!" I said, slapping the back of his head. He looked at me and our eyes met for a few moments. We burst out laughing.

"Hey Rin." Len asked after we had calmed down a bit.

"Yeah?"

"Thanks." He looked over and his face looked softer and less troubled than it did a few moments ago.

I smiled. "No problem."

We continued to walk in a comfortable silence and for the first time I noticed my surroundings. We were just starting to enter the nicer part of the town, toward my neighborhood.

"Len…Where are we going?" I asked as I continued to notice our route.

"Your house. I'm walking you home."

I turned my head abruptly towards him but his face wasn't towards me. A smile slowly broke onto my face. "I'm surprised you remember the way considering you almost killed us the first time."

His face flushed slightly in embarrassment before he huffed. "I resent that statement."

I laughed and a few moments later he joined me. We continued to make harmless cracks at one another before we finally reached my house. I turned towards my blonde counterpart.

"Len…Thanks."

He nodded in response before hopping on his bike. "No problem." He said, pushing off in what I assumed was the direction to his house.

I sighed a little, my mood becoming downcast. I was just about to open the large gate before a vibration turned me out of my thoughts. Reaching into the pocket of my skirt I pulled out my bright orange phone.

From: 6XX-XXX-XXX
Who says I can't contact you first?

WOW! It feels like forever! I am sooooooooooooo sorry for not updating sooner! REALLY! I am! You would think since its summer i would update fast but noooo.

Sorry if the chapter was kinda rushed cuz i wanted to get it out as soon as possible for you guys so I AM SO SORRY!

ANYWAY! I kinda have a reason for taking so long on updating. I'M MOVING TO ANOTHER STATE! Ya so i'm like uber busy! Truth be told this is the first time i've been home in what feels like forever. I've been doing a lot of back and forth traveling.

SO I HAVE ALL NEW ANNOUNCEMENTS UP ON MY PROFILE! CHECK IT OUT!

Question of the Chapter: Pancakes or Waffles?

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