Double update!
AN: I'm uploading TWO chapters today because I won't be uploading one next Saturday. So make sure you don't miss one!
Also, new LoZ characters!
Thank you to Izzyboopers and Moonlight Raven Grave for reviewing the last chapters. It makes me so happy!
Thanks for reading! Let me know if something needs fixing/changing! Dealing with some serious stuff this chapter, so I want to get it right!
Chapter 5: Enter le crushes
"Hey, Gerudos!" was her only introduction. She was quite short, with a roundish head, a petite little body and big hips. Orange, luminescent hair was gathered in a huge bun that was basically the size of her head. The color contrasted greatly with her dark brown skin and matched her red eyes. She wore a mint green shirt underneath a black pleather jacket, and a black mini skirt over black stocking. To finish off the look, she had black combat boots with spikes around the ankles. She strode into the music room like she owned the place, or at least one small corner of it. She raised the stool behind the drum set as high as it would go, then sat herself down as if she'd done it a million times before.
Her name was Midna.
Without any cues from anyone, she began drumming a blues beat. After a few bars, Link could already tell she was good.
Shadow was filling in as bass guitarist, even though he clearly wasn't comfortable in the role. Zelda was lead singer, and Link was the main guitarist, also uncomfortable with the role. He did NOT like being front and center for solos . . .
The practice session was pretty much a mess, but that was pretty much expected.
"I told you, we should have just stuck to our spots and pretended we had a bassist," said Zelda, pinning a BASSIST WANTED sign on every bulletin board they passed.
"We've got tons of time, I dunno why you're complainin'," Shadow responded.
"Meh, whatever," Link interrupted, not liking the contention. "Let's go to the skate park."
"Hey Link," called Saria—the name of the green-haired two-footed scooter master. She came and stood to Link as he put his helmet and elbow pads on. She barely came up to his elbows.
"Sup, Saria!"
Saria rarely made excited expressions. She was too cool for that. Her voice wasn't monotone, but it had that unconcerned quality to it. "You learn any new moves lately?"
"I'm still getting used to the park. You?"
"I got a new scooter." A slight smile graced her pale face. "It's cool."
"Sweet."
Mr. Orange Pants skated by just then, waggling his hands on either side of his masked face while giving a signature, creepy giggle.
"What is up with that guy?" Link asked when he was gone.
"Who, Skull Kid? He's just like that. He doesn't take much notice of people unless they're good."
"Oh, gee, thanks."
She snickered. "Don't worry. You'll get noticed eventually. I have a feeling you're pretty good once you get determined enough."
Link scratched the back of his head. Saria often got into this deep personality trait, and he never was able to follow . . . "I don't see him around school much."
"I don't think he even goes here."
"Huh. Wanna check heights?"
"Sure."
They took turns building up speed and launching themselves up the quarter pipe, letting each other know if they got higher than they had before. Shadow came by a few times to outshine both of them with his ridiculous skills.
"Stop doing that!" Link shouted with irritation.
Shadow grinned. "What?"
"Showing off!"
"Ain't my fault I'm fabulous!"
That's it. Link took off after Shadow, and they played a haphazard game of Copy Dat Move, in which Shadow ran away from Link, doing tricks on every obstacle in his way, and Link followed his movements. First Shadow grinded on a rail and then performed a 360 on the end, and Link followed with the same move except finished with a kick flip. Link copied all Shadow's moves, and even improved on some or did something similar, but he just couldn't catch up to the guy!
He missed the next landing and lost his footing, falling over and landing on his backside. Shadow came and skated circles around him, laughing.
Link scowled. "Shut up."
Shadow held a hand out. Link took it and got back to his feet.
"Ya'll right?"
"Yeah, fine," Link replied.
As Link was brushing himself off, Skull Kid appeared. He said nothing, just stared ominously at Shadow as he skated by, as if issuing a silent challenge. Shadow's mouth broke into a fangy grin. "Hold up, Mr. Hero, got a Skull Kid to cream."
Link smirked, and Shadow skated after Skull Kid. Link decided to take a break and went to sit with Zelda. "How're you doing?" Link asked.
Zelda was looking at him in a way that was wigging him out, seriously. "Oh, I'm good. It's just . . . watching you and Shadow . . . you two are a lot alike."
Link made a sour face. "But I can't keep up with him."
"Ah, you'll get him one day!"
"Sure," Link answered absent-mindedly. "Hey Zelda?"
"Yeah?"
Some sort of embarrassment butterfly crew had taken nest in his stomach. ". . . Never mind."
She shrugged. "Okay."
Link went back to watching Shadow and Skull Kid furiously skate duel. They seemed evenly matched, and both frustratingly stubborn. Their stunts got bigger, higher, better, faster as they taunted each other wordlessly, clothes soaked with sweat as they each tried to outshine the other. Finally, in their desire to be better, they lost sight of one another, and ended up climbing both sides of the same jump—not realizing this until they smashed into each other and bounced back and smashed into the ground, skateboards flying about their pained bodies. Link and Zelda couldn't help but laugh, but they still walked over the make sure the two were okay.
"Yeesh!" Shadow said as he sat up and glared at the Skull Kid, but Link was pretty sure there was some type of adoration in that glare. Skull Kid's reaction couldn't be seen behind his mask, which had stayed in place despite the accident. He got up, gave a thumbs up as a way to make sure Shadow was fine. Shadow waved him off, and Skull Kid skated away. Shadow watched him go with wide-eyed concentration.
"You look like you're in love," Zelda commented.
Shadow snapped out of whatever thoughts he'd been having and glared at her. "As if! Puh!"
The days passed quickly for the trio of friends, but after a few failed bassist auditions, they started to get antsy.
"If we don't find a bassist soon, I'm going to become an expert bass player, and that is NOT one of my life goals," Shadow was saying at lunch.
"Why not?" Link asked. "I think bassists are cool."
"But I don't like playing bass. Why would I get good at something I don't like?"
Link had to concede to the point. His eyes wandered across the cafeteria.
A boy had appeared late. He always appeared late. If Link didn't know any better he'd think the boy was SUPPOSED to be in the NEXT lunch period . . . but he'd seen this boy around and even had a few classes with him.
He was your run-of-the-mill nerd. At least, that's what you'd think from looking at him. Ridiculously well-combed red hair and round glasses, collared shirt, khaki shorts, hiking boots. Always reading a book. But even though Link had only been here a few weeks, he had already learned that the kid was NOT your regular nerd. He would never forget the day the red head came into lab, covered in ashes and looking like he'd been in an explosion and reported something to the teacher, or when he'd come to lunch with tropical plants stuck in his hair and clothes as if he'd just gotten back from safari, or, especially, when he came to PE in full scuba gear and led a diving class in the school pool.
Apparently the boy, Shad, was employed as a research assistant to various teachers in the school. A nerd who actually went on adventures. Adventures that Link was, truthfully, jealous of.
There was one quirk about the guy that Link just couldn't get, though. Every day Shad wore the same kind of socks. Different colors, different versions . . . but all knee high and all in an argyle pattern.
Today they were dark blue and purple, clashing horrifically with his tan khakis. He had extremely well-defined calves, maybe THAT was why he wore the socks? Maybe to protect his pale legs from the sun? Prevent freckling?
Maybe he just likes them.
He watched as Shad moved along the lunch line, which was pretty tiny currently, and got a sandwich. Then he walked to a table a few beyond Link's and sat quite properly and dug into his sandwich.
"Hyrule to Link, come in, Link!"
Link snapped his attention back to his table. Shadow was waving a hand in his face, and Link batted it away. "You could put my eye out with those claws!"
Shadow giggled. "Is that your boyfriend, Link?"
". . . What?"
"Ol' nerd guy over there. You've been staring at him for, like, five minutes!"
Link's face flushed. "I was not!"
Zelda broke in. "When did he come in?"
"About five minutes ago, and then he got food and sat down—crap."
"You've got a cruuuush!" Shadow sang.
"I do not!" Link protested. Seriously, he didn't feel any different about Shad than he did . . . any other human being, did he? Well, he's got nice legs, I guess, but that's not an attraction or anything. That's just noticing! So what if I like staring at them? Doesn't everybody stare at things they like? Art, nature, I mean so what, he's just got some . . . very well made legs!
"Then why are you staring at him?"
Link snapped. "I'm just looking, that's all!" He sat back in his seat defensively. "I just find him interesting, that's all!"
Shadow had shrunk away from Link's outburst with an impish expression, but braved leaning closer again. "Interesting, huh? Like how?"
"Well, like . . . he does cool stuff. He's always doing things. Interesting things."
"Bet you'd like to do interesting things with him."
"Yeah, I would," replied Link, too lost in thought to get the innuendo. Shadow held back laughter.
"Hey, ease off, Shadow," Zelda interrupted, punching his arm. "What's with you this week anyway? You've been super irritating."
"You wound me."
"Oh stop it."
"No, seriously, I think you gave me a rash, you should rub it better!"
"I'll dump my nice cold milk over it, would that suffice?"
"Evil mistress . . ."
Zelda choked on her milk. Mistress?! "Oh now I really AM gonna pummel you!" She threw her empty milk carton at his head. He ducked and she missed.
Shadow leaped from his seat and ran off, Zelda close behind. A school attendant blew a whistle at them, telling them to walk. So they power walked out the door instead.
Out in the hall, with no attendants in sight, Zelda jumped on Shadow's back before he could run away. Shadow laughed and they fell down together, wrestling. "What's a matter, princess," he teased, "Can't take a joke?"
"Just let me pound you!"
"Wooooo! Bee in your bonnet? Ghosts in your panties?"
"What the heck! Who cried over Bambi's mom last Sunday? Heck, who made us WATCH Bambi last Sunday?!"
"I'm a sucker for animal movies, Miss Crazy."
"I'm more man than you, Mr. Sensitive."
"EEK! No tickling! NONE! ZIP—AAAH minx, vixen, Chosen Chick, Destiny's Darling!"
"SHUT UP!" Zelda growled.
"Oh come on, baby girl, you LOVE me!"
"JUST—" Zelda suddenly shoved him harshly on the ground and stood up. She turned her back to Shadow, arms folded, shoulders hunched.
"Ow," Shadow muttered. That actually hurt. He stood up. "Jeez, Sheik," he said, using her boy alternate name in an attempt to placate her, "I was just teasing. Why's it such a big deal?"
"Just go away. Leave me alone."
"But why?" Shadow approached her and put a hand on her shoulder.
Zelda tried to shrug it off, but miscalculated the casual strength of Shadow's grip and instead ended up spinning herself around to face him. "I SAID—"
Shadow released her immediately and stepped back, a short gasp leaving his lips. "You're crying. I made you cry." His voice was laced with guilt.
Zelda was already hiding her face, but the damage was done.
Shadow stepped a little closer, gesturing with his hands. "I—I'm sorry, I didn't mean to. I'm an idiot, I'm so sorry, Zelda—"
"Don't call me that!" Zelda said through a sob.
"Uh—wh—do you—do you prefer being called Sheik?"
She gave a timid nod.
Shadow braved getting closer so he could put his hands on both her shoulders. He was trying to understand why she was upset. "So . . . so . . . Sheik is a guy name, right? And you like being called bro, and guy, and stuff, but you're a girl—"
Zelda dropped her hands and screamed, "I AM NOT A WOMAN!" She covered her mouth abashedly, for yelling at Shadow, who had been startled. "S-sorry."
"I-It's okay. So. You're not a woman. Okay. Does that mean, I mean, you like male stuff . . . Sheik, are you a guy?"
Zelda's chin trembled, her fists clenched tensely, face a blotchy red and white. She swallowed several times, unable it seemed to form words, but then she said, thickly, "Yes."
It was as if a whole wall had broken down inside of his friend, and Shadow watched her—no, him crumble into a pile on the floor and cry openly, shaking with release. Kneeling, Shadow put his arms around Sheik and held him. Sheik hugged back.
"Are you gonna tell Link?" Shadow asked.
"I . . . I don't know."
"Well, I'm here for you."
"What if there's something wrong with me? What if I shouldn't feel this way?"
Shadow had never encountered someone like this before, so really didn't have an answer. "Doesn't matter. I don't care. You're you, and I care about you. You're my friend and that's that. We'll work on it together, whatever you choose. Okay?"
Sheik sniffed. "Thanks, Shadow. You and Link are the best friends I've ever had." Sheik couldn't see it, but Shadow blushed furiously at that.
"You deserve the best friends in the world," Shadow replied quietly, holding him tighter.
"Naaaaaah, I've got you, that's SO much better!" She chuckled, making Shadow smile.
"I'm sorry I made you cry. I don't ever want to do that again. I'll . . . I'll stop being so irritating!"
They released each other and helped each other up. "I better not lose my best sarcasm buddy. Link's great and all, but he can be a little dense sometimes." Sheik snickered.
Shadow snickered back. "'Yeah, I'd LOVE to do interesting things with Shad!'" he mocked.
Sheik eyes closed halfway. "Maybe don't make him cry, too."
Shadow wiped the grin off his face and instead looked sheepish. "Right. Tact."
Shadow and Zelda reappeared just as the bell rang for next period. Zelda looked a lot happier somehow, like she'd grown a few inches or something. Link watched as she and Shadow sat across from him as if with a purpose. So she looked happier, but why did she look like she'd just been crying?
Zelda smiled at him. "I'll see you after school, Link. Okay?"
Something about the heavy tone in her voice told him he shouldn't bail out today. Not that he was going to, he loved spending time with Zelda and Shadow, but her expression made him think today was an especially important day to be there for his friends. Zelda in particular. "Okay. You can count on me."
