VIII
Amu tried her best to stay focused during her next class class, which was art. Luckily, she didn't have it with Tadase, but her thoughts were still plagued with how dispirited Tadase had looked when she had spotted him in the classroom. It hurt her even more that she didn't apologize. Somehow, her thoughts ended up appearing on her page. She wasn't even thinking about what she was drawing.
When the teacher passed her, she was ecstatic about how meaningful the drawing was. She asked to show it to the class, to which Amu shrugged. The drawing was of a person crying. Above the person was another figure, looking over her with a bloody knife, who also looked to be crying. There were words above the standing person which said 'I'm sorry, I love you.'
The rest of her classmates didn't seem too impressed but a few smiled and told Amu it was a good drawing (though it really wasn't too good in Amu's perspective) The rest seemed to wonder how something like that came out of Amu's imagination. Amu was silent, considering her 'normal' self wasn't even that violent.
"Wow, Hinamori-san!" a female voice suddenly said from behind Amu, nearly causing her to jump and spin around defensively. "That's really nice. I think I kind of understand what it means!"
Amu wanted to ignore her, but she was already facing the person. She just blinked in surprise, not noticing the teacher putting her sketchbook back down in front of her. The stranger reached around her and took the sketchbook, looking at it as she continued to speak.
"For someone who seems so cold, you sure managed to put together some intense feelings." she said. Amu wasn't sure if that was a compliment or not. "How did someone like you think up something like this?"
Amu cleared her throat. "Just…something that's been on my mind. About how some people hurt those they love even when they're only trying to help them."
As Amu talked, she looked the stranger over. The girl looked posh, and her icy blue eyes gave off more of an icy vibe than any look Amu put together to achieve the same ideal. Her thick Nagoya accent gave her a more approachable sound, though. The two opposing ideas confused Amu slightly, but she was technically no different. She noticed this strange classmate was now staring at Amu instead of her drawing.
"Oh really? I think I've heard a quote similar to that." she said, seemingly distracted. "You look different than you did when you first got here. I noticed that yesterday too."
Amu stared at the other curiously. "Uh, yeah. I guess I lost my accessories. I was at a sleepover last night and forgot to pack anything for my hair, too…So I worked with what I had."
"Ah, well, if it helps, you seem a lot more approachable now." the girl offered a small smile.
Amu took her sketchbook back, using it to hide the blush that was creeping up her cheeks. "Uh…th-thanks, um, I didn't catch your name."
"Call me Lulu." the girl said. "My full name is Yamamoto Lulu de Morecerf. The last part is French, from my pop's side. But my mama's from Nagoya." Lulu lowered her voice. "Don't tell anyone, but you might know her. She does actin' in variety shows and stuff."
Amu nodded. She did look foreign, with her curly blonde hair and the aforementioned icy blue eyes. Amu wasn't much of a television watcher though, so she couldn't vouch that Lulu's mother was a celebrity.
"Ah, well…thanks…Lulu." Amu said slowly.
"No problem." Lulu turned to her table and scribbled something on a piece of paper. "You're not as bad as e'eryone makes it sound like. If ya ever need someone to talk to, here's my number. Do ya mind if I just call you Amu?"
Lulu handed Amu the slip of paper. Amu stared at Lulu incredulously, managing a nod. "U-um, sure?"
"Neat!" Lulu grinned. "Well, Amu, I'd better get back to work. Don't forget to call me." She looked like she was about to turn back to her table, but quickly looked back. "Ah, wait, if ya do call, I'll have to know who you are so I don't just block it."
Amu softened up a bit, offering a small smile. "I-I'll write it down and give it to you at the end of class."
"A'ight. Don't forget, m'kay?" Lulu's accent was coming out even more, if possible.
When Lulu turned away, Amu smiled a little wider to herself, adding a few finishing touches to her drawing, writing the quote it had derived from in her best English printing in the top corner. At some point, even she started liking the piece. It was calming having her thoughts placed on paper so everyone could understand and interpret them.
Once class was over, she cleaned up her area slowly, contemplating whether or not to give the drawing to someone after the teacher marked it. As she was cleaning up, she picked up the piece of scrap paper she had left aside, looking at it with a slight smile. It was just a phone number, but Amu felt like it was something even more.
Somehow, she had managed to make a new friend. Someone who might be able to listen to her problems. Of course, her old friends would have sufficed if she was unable to make any new ones. However, they were busy with their own stuff, so she didn't want to bother them too much.
After handing in her drawing to be marked, she quickly remembered to write down her own number for Lulu. She tore a piece of paper from her sketchbook and quickly wrote down her cellphone number, finishing just as Lulu rose to meet her. She handed Lulu the piece of paper and grabbed her bag. She chewed her lip slightly.
"H-hey…Lulu?" she said hesitantly, turning to the blonde before she could leave. "Do you have English next?"
"Ah, English. I wish we had a French class… I suck at English" Lulu mumbled distractedly, not answering Amu's question at first. "But yes. I do. Why?"
"I haven't really gotten to know anyone in that class…would you sit next to me?" Amu asked, momentarily forgetting Tadase was in that class.
Lulu looked like she was going to say something but just smiled and nodded. "Sure thing. Just don't get me in trouble, will ya?"
Amu actually laughed. "I won't don't worry."
It was at that moment when it occurred to her that she Tadase was also in their English class. Was Lulu aware of that as well? Amu chose not to say anything and just walked out of the class, wondering if she would be able to apologize to Tadase or not. Lulu chattered next to Amu, which gave her something to focus on besides Tadase. It was hard to get much through Lulu's accent, but she seemed to be talking about how her father was a famous French chef or something.
The two walked into the class and Amu followed Lulu to where she was assigned to sit, since for some reason, Amu was always put close to Tadase in every seating arrangement. This probably had to do with the both of them having surnames starting with the letter H.
Rather than forcing the boy sitting where she wanted to sit to move, she tried to ask nicely instead. This surprised the guy so much that he seemed even more scared than she would have made him if she had been aggressive. She knew making people change seats would probably make the teachers mad but she had asked Lulu if she could sit with her, and she really didn't want to sit too close to Tadase for the meantime.
"So, why did you want to sit away from Hotori-kun?" Lulu asked, sitting down. "You two seemed pretty close to me."
Amu paused. "Ah, well, I'm sure you know…about our fight. I'm sure the whole school does."
Amu stared at Tadase's currently empty desk. Lulu nodded slightly, deciding to change the topic slightly, sensing the change in Amu's mood. The door slid open and Tadase had stepped in, which made Amu tense up even more.
"S-so…I'm also fairly new, too, and don't know much about Hotori-kun." Lulu said as if talking about the person Amu was already tense about would help. "Care to tell me about him, since you've seemingly gotten close enough to him to know?"
Amu pursed her lips, turning her attention away from Tadase, instead looking at Lulu. "Well…he's my homeroom classes' president. He's really nice… and yeah… I-I think…"
Amu's eyes flicked in Tadase's direction. He was staring at both of them. Was that a longing look? She shut up quickly, not wanting to be overheard. Lulu looked at her confusedly.
"Whattya think about him, Amu? Tell me! You can't start a sentence and not finish it! Lemme help you out!"
Amu shook her head quickly, urgently making any possible subtle gesture to tell Lulu that they were being watched. Lulu finally looked over and understood, nodding her head slowly with an agape mouth.
"A-ah…ya don't want him t'hear?" she whispered. "I gotcha, girl. Tell me when you're more comfortable, though." Lulu looked at Tadase, who was still giving Amu some interesting glances. They looked like a mixture of longing and annoyance. "Are ya sure he's okay with you switchin' spots? Dealin' with the teach' is one thing, but the looks he's givin' you are certainly somethin'."
Amu tried to shrug nonchalantly, her cold side coming out. "It's not like I chose to sit next to him. After the fight, I just don't want to be sitting so close to him. I wonder if I should change my surname…"
Lulu looked at Amu questioningly. "If ya say so. Whatever happened must've really made ya hate him."
Not exactly… Amu wanted to say but instead chose to stay quiet.
She sighed in relief when Lulu didn't push the matter. The teacher came in and Amu faced the front. He looked at the seat where Amu was supposed to be, and the seat where Amu was now and just shook his head. Amu wasn't sure what that was supposed to mean but maybe even the teachers were too afraid to face her. Good for her for now, but she'd probably get in trouble later.
"Now's your last chance to move back, y'know." Lulu whispered, leaning close to Amu's ear. "Or at least explain to him why you're sitting here."
"No!" Amu shouted loudly, causing everyone to stare at her even more than they probably were. She bowed her head slightly, lowering her voice again. "I mean…it's fine. Everyone knows I've been ignoring him by now. He probably doesn't even want to talk to me."
"Should I talk to him? For getting mad at you?" Lulu asked. "Or was it you who started it? Never mind, then. Something seems up, though…" the last part was mumbled mainly to herself, but Amu still heard it.
"Hinamori-san, I was going to just leave it for now, but could you please sit back in your spot?" the teacher asked calmly. "Today's assignment is a group project and I've already paired you with Hotori-kun."
Amu sighed, glancing between Lulu and the teacher, then looking at Tadase. "Looks like I have no choice now."
"Good luck." Lulu offered a smile as Amu stood up.
She made her way back to her desk, bowing her head to the student whose desk she had stolen. At first, she tried to avoid Tadase's gaze, not wanting to talk to him, but eventually, she broke down. If they were partners, they had to communicate anyway. She sat down and the teacher started handing out the assignment sheets.
"H-hey, Tadase-kun…" she stammered softly.
Tadase smiled. "Good afternoon, Amu-chan."
Amu could tell it was a genuine smile, but she couldn't help but wonder if it was just a cover-up. Tadase had to hate Amu. He was just being nice. Having no choice, she pushed her desk closer to his so they could easily work together. She chewed the inside of her cheek, glancing back at Lulu.
"Made a new friend?" Tadase asked, placing the assignment sheet between the two of them. Without waiting for an answer, he said, "Good for you, Amu-chan."
Amu nodded slowly. "Uh, yeah. Her name is Lulu… Hey, um…"
Tadase looked at Amu expectantly, but Amu could feel the teacher's gaze on her. Without even looking at the teacher, she knew the look was something along the lines of 'less talk-y, more work-y.'
"N-never mind…" she said. "Let's just get this over with."
Of course, the assignment had to do with how to apologize in English. Amu couldn't tell if this was punishment for even getting into an argument, or fate telling her she should apologize. Just…not in English, obviously; she sucked at English. She chewed her lip, looking over the assignment, making occasional glances at Tadase throughout the rest of class. Her attempts at properly apologizing in English failed and she knew she was getting a bad mark for this assignment.
Even after school, the thought of apologies still on her mind, she was trying to think of various ways to apologize to him. There was the casual and simple but cool 'Sorry', but that didn't sound very sincere, even if it did match her whole 'cool' attitude. There was the 'formal apology', which was along the lines of, 'My apologies for angering you, Tadase-kun, that was not my intentions', which could work, but it sounded like she was talking to a stranger rather than a friend and just sounded really weird thinking about her saying it.
She sighed, quickly giving up thinking of a good way to apologize and eventually made her way to Tadase's place to grab her stuff, hoping no one was following her. Trying to think optimistically, she figured maybe she would get the chance to apologize if she ran into him on the way or at the house.
A/N: ok this fic doesnt seem to get many reviews so screw the whole 'post when I get a review' thing I was gonna do. I'll just post whenever I feel like it and if you wanna comment/review, you're welcome to.
Oh yea, word count was around 2600-2700.
Anyways, Amu made a friend, yay! (Im pretty sure in the original it was probably my self-inserted OC but we aren't doin that anymore OCs are lame. Jk I have lots of OCs) I'm sure it doesn't make sense for Lulu to be friends with Amu but I figured she needed another person on her side, beside the normal gang. And honestly, Lulu probably wanted to be Amu's friend in the anime, she was just a major Tsundere (ish). Sorry if in any of the next chapters with Lulu in it if she gets a lil OOC, the main 'character' points Im pulling from the anime for Lulu is her accent obviously (which is kinda hard to express in written English, but I'm assuming an Osaka accent is kinda like a redneck/country/texan accent), and her bragging/over-confidence(?)
Maybe I'll get the courage to post my Stranger Things oneshot, since I kinda like it. Or one of my many other fanfics lying around.