The Girl Next Door
Chapter Two: Head Over Feet
"Hey Mrs.
Yuy!"
"Hello
Milliardo. How're you?"
"I'm
great-is Heero home?"
"In his
room."
"Thanks!"
I watched
as Milli threw my mother the smile that had won him the honor of Prom King last
school year and trampled up the stairs. "Hey, Yuy, what's up?" he yelled, only
halfway up the stairs as he saw me emerge from my room. From the doorway, I
could see my mother shake her head, a small smile on her lips. I could almost
hear her thoughts:
'Boys,
boys, boys!'
"Nothing
special. What's up with you?" I answered; rolling my eyes as he charged passed
me and threw himself down on my bed. "Won't you come in?"
"Sure
will." Milli grinned at me and folded my pillow in half before repositioning it
under his head. "Guess what today is."
"Yours and
Noin's anniversary."
"No."
"Treize and
Anne's anniversary?"
"No."
"Relena and
Dorothy's?"
Milli
looked at me in horrification. "Are you implying my sister is a-a-?"
"No, their
friendship, you stupid idiot," I responded, smirking at him. "Not that you'd
care if she was, would you?"
Milliardo thought this over.
"No, not really. Anyways, you were halfway right when you guessed Relena. It's
her birthday tonight and since she's coming back from Gran's, my parents are
throwing a snazzy party for her. They said invite anyone I want and-,"
Milliardo propped himself up on his elbows and looked directly at me. "You're
invited."
"I don't
wanna go."
"Please?
It's not going to be any fun for me without someone else there!"
"You think
*I'll* have fun? With all those screaming freaks she calls friends trying to
dance with me and flirt with me and-and-ugh!" I shuddered, not wanting to
continue it.
"They'll be
doing the same to me! We'll be partners in misery!"
"And then
I'd have to get her a present and shell get all misty eyed and go, 'Oh *Heero*'
and try to hug me."
"Tell her
you've got a cold and she'd better stay away unless she wants to get sick,"
Milliardo suggested. "I do it all the time!"
I groaned
and fell face first onto the floor and into a pile of dirty clothes. "I don't
want to!"
"Treize and
Noin and Anne'll be there," Milliardo coaxed.
"Did you
ask them?"
"No. But if
you say yes, they'll go because they know you never say yes to anything unless
it's something good!"
"Aaaagh,
fine!" I gave in, sitting up and glaring fiercely.
Milliardo
laughed, "Thanks! Relena will be ecstatic!"
"Oh joy," I
grumbled.
"C'mon. We
gotta go recruit the others as birthday guests."
#@#@#@
I stood
uncomfortably in a corner of the room where the party was being held. Milliardo
was busy 'entertaining' his girlfriend, Lucrezia Noin and no one else I really
knew had arrived yet, not even the birthday girl.
"Hello
Heero."
I jumped
slightly at the sound, being caught unaware by the sensuous tones. I turned to
rest my eyes on an attractive girl, despite her oddly shaped eyebrows that had
earned her the name 'Pitchfork Brow' back in the fifth grade. But now, she was
sixteen, shapely and decidedly, dangerously sexy. She now carried to the
reputation of the easiest girl in school, but with the protection of being
Relena's best friend, no one would dare say that to her face. Besides…Dorothy
was one little spitfire that would spit back.
"Hello
Dorothy."
A slow
smile curved over her perfectly shaped red lips. "Oh come on now Heero, we
don't stand on ceremony here!" And with that, she leaned forward and kissed me
lightly on the lips, a soft kiss but a fiery one nonetheless.
I let her
kiss me for a second but pushed her away before I could let that warm pink
tongue that was sliding over my lips reach my mouth. "Get it through your head
Dorothy. I'm not interested." She pouted momentarily, but sprang back from the
refusal as she always did.
"You're no
fun," she complained. "Jeez, even Wufei's more fun than you; he'll kiss back!"
Chang Wufei, president of our class by sheer communicational skills that had
left Milliardo in the dust when the two had given their campaign speeches in
the beginning of the year. He was known for being quiet and studious but with a
quick temper…and for getting a nosebleed at the mere mention of sex.
"You slept
with *Wufei*?" My eyes widened. Not even Wufei's long-time girlfriend, a petite
girl named Meiran could get him to go that far. Anyways…wasn't Wufei supposedly
honorable-honorable people didn't cheat on their girlfriends.
"Of course
not." Dorothy seemed shocked at my stupidity. "Meiran's a sweetheart-," I
snorted my disagreement and Dorothy glared at me. "She's a sweetheart if you
get close to her and I wouldn't want to be the ruin of her and Wufei. I *do*
have morals y'know!"
"But you had no problem with
sleeping with Trowa when you knew he was going out with Cathy," I pointed out.
Dorothy
shrugged. "Cathy's a nasty little bitch and Trowa's a sexy guy with wonderful
talents with his hands. It was twice as good with him because I was hurting
that back-stabbing little bitch." Her clear blue eyes flared up with an icy
fire and I made a mental note to never get on Dorothy's bad side.
"What'd she
do to you that was so awful?" I asked, curiosity getting the better of me.
Knowing Dorothy, it was probably something to do with a sexual situation but I
was truly curious. Damn that gossip-loving heart I seemed to have acquired
somewhere along the road.
"She cut
off my hair with one of her stupid knives in sixth grade. Ever since then, I've
been bent on making her life miserable." Dorothy smiled widely at me, "Don't
make me hate you, Heero. You won't be a happy camper."
Although
her tone was cheery, like a friend joking around with another, it carried an
ominous note to it. I forced a smile and nodded. "You want something to drink?"
I asked, anxious to get away from Dorothy for a moment. Although I truly did
enjoy talking to Dorothy, when she got into her competitive mood.
"You don't
have to get me anything." Dorothy flashed me another seductive smile. "That's what
the other boys are for. See, like Milli." Dorothy turned and called towards a shadowy
corner. "Milli? Oh, Milliardo!"
There was a
pause and then a very flustered looking Milliardo came stumbling out of the
corner, followed by a blushing Noin. "Yes, Dorothy?" he asked weakly,
straightening his tie.
"I'd like
something to drink. Would you be so kind as to get me something?"
"Su-sure,"
Milli squeaked out, still looking dazed by his interruption. "What do you want?"
"Something
cool and refreshing," Dorothy answered, lifting her long, white-blond hair off
her neck and stretching so her curves were all exemplified for Milliardo's
viewing pleasure.
Milliardo
choked and nodded, scurrying off in the direction of the long table set up with
beverages and hors d'oeuvres. Noin shot Dorothy a furious look before running
after her boyfriend.
Dorothy
laughed as she turned back to me. "See? I even have Milli wrapped around my
finger and I'm not even interested in him."
"Then why
do you-," I paused and a wry smile forced its way across my lips, despite my
efforts to keep from smiling, "put yourself so forward?"
"Because I
like knowing I've got that kind of power," Dorothy answered. "I like power. But
I'd never go after Noin's precious Milliardo to show it; she's likely to marry
the poor boy and anyways, Relena likes her."
"And Relena
likes Cathy."
"But Cathy's
not a potential sister-in-law, is she?" Dorothy pointed out.
"Is this
fine?" Milliardo asked, appearing by her side and holding out a glass
containing a clear liquid that was frosted over with condensation.
She took
the glass from him and studied it critically before raising the glass to her
lips and taking a small sip. She smiled and flecked her tongue over her lips. "Its
perfect," she deemed, her eyes meeting his meaningfully.
And then
she caught sight of Quatre Winner, a boy she'd had her sights set one for a
long while. "You'll have to excuse me, but I see someone I *must* speak with." With
a quick smile, she nodded at Milli and the furious Noin and whispered in my ear
as she passed, "Fresh meat!"
And then,
Dorothy was gone leaving behind a furious girlfriend, an intoxicated Milli and
a delectable whiff of perfume. "Let's *go* Milliardo," Noin hissed, yanking her
boyfriend away.
"Uh sure…see
ya in a bit Heero!" Milliardo waved at me as Noin stalked away with him.
I sighed
and retreated back to my shadowy corner. There was no longer any reason for me
to socialize, and frankly, I was glad.
#@#@#@
"Where's
the birthday girl?" I turned towards the girl and half-smiled at her. Anne Une,
Treize's 'Lady' was headed towards me, Treize in tow.
"I don't
know," I replied, sipping at my casually.
Anne
frowned, her brow creasing. "But the party started almost an hour ago! Why isn't
she here?"
I shrugged,
"I still don't know. And *you* guys are an hour late, you shouldn't be talking!"
Anne
blushed slightly as Treize explained, "We were uh-busy."
"In the
backseat of a car," I snorted in disgust. Anne blushed deeper and quickly
excused herself to the bathroom.
"Jeez, you
guys are just as bad as Milli and Noin," I complained. "Always at it!"
Treize had
the decency to blush at that. "At least we're not like Dorothy," he managed to
say.
"Dorothy's
got *morals*," I quoted. "She won't sleep with a guy if she likes his
girlfriend."
Treize
shook his head slowly. "I don't want to know how you two started discussing
that."
"I don't
want to know how you and Anne ended up in the back seat!"
Once again,
Treize found reason to blush. "Hey!" he said suddenly, his head jerking up. "There's
Relena!"
I turned
and followed his gaze, feeling very out of sorts as I looked for her. She was
an hour late for her own birthday party, what was wrong with this girl? And
then I saw her.
Tan and
leggy with a great smile, she was hugging her brother with one arm and easing
her short black coat off with another. Threads of the conversation drifted
towards me and I pieced together that her train had been delayed. But it didn't
really pierce my mind; I was lost in looking at her. Her hair was piled on top
of her head in the way that only girls can manage and she was wearing a *very*
nice short red dress. Her legs seemed to go on for miles in the high sandals
she had on…I could only think, 'wow'!
She turned
and flashed a smile at Treize and I. "Treize! Heero! Hi!"
"Hi," I
answered awkwardly as she neared us.
Treize,
always the debonair one was already sweeping her into a bear hug. "Relena!
Welcome back! You look great!"
She giggled
and swatted at him playfully. "Nice to know someone missed me," she smiled at
him.
"We always
miss you, Lena," Treize responded, his arm still draped comfortably around her
shoulder as he drew his own Lady closer to him.
Relena
laughed again and her eyes darted up to his face a slight sigh of disappointment
leaving her lips as Treize's arm left her shoulder to wrap around Anne's waist.
There was no denying that look in her eyes…Relena was indubitably in love with
Treize Khushrenada.
And here I
was, weak-kneed and tongue-tied, falling in lust at least if not love with her
myself!
As I
watched her eyes follow him, even as she spoke animatedly to Dorothy about her
trip, I came to a decision.
Once upon a
time a six-year-old Relena Peacecraft had announced she loved me. And now, I
was going to evoke the same words from the sixteen-year-old Relena standing
before me. There wasn't a doubt in my mind.