Ch 4.



THAT NIGHT:




Heero quietly opened the door to his house, trying not to awaken anybody with his entrance. The door squeaked painfully as it slid across the floor, reverberating its noise throughout the huge, empty house. With gentle feet, he entered, making sure not to close the door too hard behind him.

I'm home…

His eyes searched around the entrance room. All the lights were turned off, and dreary silence engulfed the entire house. The only sound of life was the incessant ticking of the grandfather clock in the living room. He took off his coat and his hat, storing them inside a closet next to the entrance door.

He checked his watch as he began his way towards the stairs. It was almost midnight. He had stayed out longer than he thought. After his loss to Relena Peacecraft, he had taken a walk around town, trying to ease his depression. He still could not believe that he had lost.

Is this depression that I am feeling?

Heero did not know how to deal with this loss. There has never been a time in his life when he was not able to succeed. He has been perfect all his life.

He had a 4.0 GPA.

He was the president of the student council.

He scored perfect on his SATs.

He was the best basketball player at Gundam High…

And then, some girl from nowhere came and beat him at his level. Some girl who has never been coached in basketball…Heero felt the years of practicing basketball in his driveway melt away into emotional oblivion. It was all for nothing. All that effort, all those sacrifices…

If I can't be the best…if I can't win…then what is the point of trying!

He felt the heavy curtains of depression threatening to drape over him again. He breathed a pathetic sigh, and calmed himself down. Nothing would be gained by drooping over the matter like this.

He came upon the stairs and lightly began climbing up in tip-toes. He did not want to wake his parents. He did not want to face them right now. They were the ones who pushed him to be model of perfection. If they found out that their perfect son was beaten by a girl…

"Heero? Is that you?"

Heero turned towards the sound and found his mother standing next to the kitchen area. She was in her nightgown, and seemed like she just awoke recently.

"Y-yeah…mom, it's me."

His mom had a concerned look on her face. "I was so worried!" She came over to him. "What were you thinking, young man! Out so late, without even telling your parents?"

"Sorry, mom. I was studying at the library." Lied Heero.

"Well…Just tell me next time, alright?"

"Ok…"

Mrs. Yuy leaned and kissed him on the cheek before going up the stairs to sleep.

"Goodnight mom."






Next Day in school:



Relena stood nervously in front of the class, trying not to play with her thumbs, or her hair. Absently smoothing out her clothes, she thought back to what her nanny advised her this morning: "Relena. Today is your first day in a public school. Have fun, study hard, and make new friends. But you stay away from boys now, you hear? They only want one thing from you, and it isn't to play basketball with you! I swear to the Lord Jesus, I don't even know why you bother to play that unlady-like sport! Why, if only your late father knew about you playing that barbaric game…."

Relena shook her head of her nanny's ramblings. She loved her nanny dearly, the old, pudgy woman took care of her ever since her childhood, after her parents died in a plane crash. But sometimes, she tried to control every aspect of Relena's life.

Nanny! I'm a grown woman now! I can take care of myself!

The teacher was ready to introduce Relena to the class. She was a middle-aged woman, with light brown hair and soft blue-gray eyes. Her face seemed very kind and understanding. She came over to Relena.

"Hi, Relena Peacecraft?" She reached out her hand. "My name is Ms. Po. I am your chemistry teacher."

Relena shook her hand. "How do you do, Ms. Po."

"Great. Are you ready, then?" Ms. Po asked.

Relena nodded.

Ms. Po went to the front of the room and addressed the class.

"Class! Class! Please stop what you are doing. I have an announcement to make. Duo, put that nitrogen peroxide down, it is not a toy, young man! Dorothy, please stop talking to Hilde! I'm proud to say that…that…."

The class was still carrying on, ignoring Ms. Po.

"SHHHUUUUUTTT UPPPPP!!!!!!" screamed Ms. Po.

The whole class froze in shock.

Ms. Po looked stressed-out. "Oh, my…I'm sorry, class. I did not mean to say that." She massaged her neck.

Wufei rose from his seat, "No, Ms. Po. It is we who should be apologizing to you for not being honorable, considerate students. It was injustice!"

Ms. Po smiled to Wufei, "Thank you, wufie."

Wufei blushed.

Duo chuckled, "wufie?"

Wufei gave Duo a lethal glare, making the braided boy shut up.

"Anyway, class…" Ms. Po cleared her throat, "I'm proud to say that we have a new student here at Gundam High. Relena? Would you like to introduce yourself to the class?"

Relena gave a nod, and walked to the front of the class.

"Hello, my name is Relena Peacecraft."

Duo stared at the new girl with excitement, "Hey, It's that hot babe who plays basketball!"

Hilde gave Duo a deadly glare "Hot babe?"

Relena went on, "I used to go to a private school for girls in upstate New York, but now I transferred here because I wanted to go to a public school. I hope to make friends with all of you. That is all."

After a pause, the class began clapping. Some of the students, especially the males, were looking at her with lecherous looks on their faces. The girls seemed a bit indifferent to her, as if Relena was some snobby, rich girl who liked to be alone.

Relena noticed one boy sitting in the class, the one she had beaten yesterday in a pick-up game, staring at her intensely. She thought he wanted to kill her.

What was his name? Oh, yeah…Heero Yuy.

Ms. Po walked up to Relena. "So, you need a lab partner. Why don't you go sit next to Heero? He's one of our brightest students. He'll make you fit right in."

"But…"

Ms. Po gave her a nudge. "Go on now, don't be shy. You and Heero will get along great."

Yeah…Just great….

Relena gulped and walked towards where Heero was sitting.