Chapter Twenty-seven: Doubts
"Hey look!" Millerna exclaimed, pointing to a poster that was hanging on the wall. "The end of school dance is in two weeks! God, it sounds amazing."
"From what I heard, this year they planned something special." Hitomi commented, taking a step forward to get a better look at the advertisement.
"Yeah, the dance committee, decided to do sit different this year. I heard it's going to be a mixture of a formal dance with a sort of Halloween thing." Merle explained. "When we buy our tickets, there supposed to be tow boxes, one for girls and one for guys. Were supposed to pick out a paper from the box. On it is written the name of a fairly tale or something like that and we're supposed to dress like them."
"You mean like a masked ball?" Millerna jumped with excitement.
"Yeah and it's going to be big." Yukari smiled thinking, 'Well that's one person we can count on being there. I wonder if they will still go if they knew that the profits are going to sponsoring the prom.'
"Well than what are we waiting for? Let's go find the guys and get the tickets," the tall blond started to walk away.
"Wait-wait," Merle pulled her back, "there's one more thing. You're not supposed to go with anyone."
"What?" she exclaimed. "A ball without a prince? You've got to be kidding me."
"Actually, that's supposed to be the fun part," Yukari giggled, "you're partner will have to find you and the costume thing is there to make it harder."
"I don't know, sounds kinda lame to me," Hitomi ran her hand through her short hair.
"What do you mean lame? I think it sounds romantic." Millerna said with a dreamy look on her face.
"Van won't want to go."
"So? Make him."
"I don't want him to do anything he doesn't want to."
"Girl, the guy would move Mont Everest if you told him to," Yukari laughed, "Come on, let's get the tickets before they're sold out."
"Merle, are you going?" Hitomi asked her friend.
"If you mean with Folken, no, but I have to be there for the school paper. I'm supposed to write an article about how it turned out."
"What's wrong with Folken? I thought you guys are really close. I mean, for the past two weeks, we've hardly seen you. You're always with him." Hitomi questioned.
"He just doesn't like the whole public thing and seeing all his old friends yet."
"But you guys are together right?" Millerna asked with interest.
"Not together-together but yeah…I guess."
"Great so let's go get our tickets!" she exclaimed.
***
"Okay everyone's got one? Let's open them." Millerna decleared.
"Wait!" Hitomi stopped her before she opened it. "Aren't we not supposed to know what each other are going as?"
"Nah, that's just for the guy. And plus, if I don't find Dryden, I don't' want to spend the whole night searching for you guys."
"Okay, so let's open them." Yukari declared. One by one, the four girls opened their pieces of paper. "What did you get?" she was the first to speak, "I go little red riding hood."
"Cinderella," Millerna showed her paper and blushed.
"Oh, what a coincidence," Merle rolled her eyes, "Dryden is going to have a hard time finding you."
"Ah! NO! This can't be!" Hitomi screamed seeing her paper, "There must be some kind of mistake!"
"Why? What did you get?" Yukari took the paper, "What? Peter Pan! But isn't he a guy?"
"Ah! This isn't fair!" she wined, "why me?"
"Well at lest you won't have a problem with your hair." Millerna tired to make her feel better but Hitomi just wined more.
"Maybe we can ask the ticket people if we can switch. Do you think we can do that?" Yukari asked Merle. But Merle was too occupied at the moment. She had noticed a group of senior girls waiting in line to buy tickets to the formal. Their conversation had caught her attention.
"Hey did guys hear about Folken?" the one with long brown hair asked. "I promised Brendon that I wouldn't say a word but I can't take it anymore."
"Folken Lacour?" the shorter girl asked.
"Yeah, well I was over at Brendon's last week and he called. Guess what he wanted? A girls address!"
"Oh-my-god! Folken wanted the address of another girl? I thought he was still depressed over that smart girl's death," another girl with pigtails exclaimed. "I thought he'd never get over her."
"Me neither buy apparently this new girl managed to do some magic on him and voila," the brunette snapped her fingers.
"But didn't he turn you down when you went to him after Sora's death?" the shorter girl asked again, "she must be really something then."
This time, the brunette didn't answer, instead she said, "Well sooner or later, he'll be back with us. I mean, he can't possibly stay with that girl too long. Going steady and Folken Lacour do not mix. He gave up everything for that Sora girl and look what he got in return," she smiled mischievously. "Yup, he'll be back. And this time, I'll be ready."
"Just what makes you think he'll take you this time?" Merle interrupted their conversation when she couldn't control her anger any longer.
"Who are you?" the brunette gave her a look of disgust.
"Merle."
"You're paper girl? Brendon said she was a junior but I couldn't believe it. I guess it's true then," she turned to her friends, "girls, this is Folken's new play mate." The other girls gave her the same look, making Merle ever more furious.
"I'm not his play mate you bi-"
"Merle, don't." Hitomi put a hand on her shoulder.
The brunette didn't bother to look at Hitomi. "Well, I guess I should thank you for bring him back into the world of the living." She looked Merle up and down, "Thought I don't know how."
"You think you're all that don't you?" Merle looked her straight in the eye, "If you're really that much better, Folken would have accepted you back then but he didn't."
The senior looked at Hitomi and said to Merle, "I understand your friend had an recent encounter with play-boy Allen," she laughed, "well let me tell you this, before Sora, Folken and Allen came from the same family. He was just as bad as him," she paused a moment to savor the look of surprise on the younger girl's face. "Even in he doesn't go back to his old ways," she continued, "do you really think he'll love you?" She moved closed to Merle so she was surely to hear, "He'll never forget Sora, and you'll never be anything more than his rebound girl," she smiled mockingly.
"Excuse me but if you're not going to buy tickets, please move away from the line," the ticket seller said.
"Remember paper girl," she said as she motioned for her friends to leave. "He'll never forget her."
Merle stood there motionless as the three older girls walked away laughing. She knew the brunette only said those things to piss her off, but deep inside she knew they were true. Slowly, she turned around and walked to other way, ignoring her friends calls.
***
Folken stuffed his books into his locker and took out a brown paper bag. Shutting the door close, he headed directly for the 11th grade hallway. Since it was his lunch period, he could make a quick detour before going to the cafeteria. Everyday at this time, he would meet Merle by her locker. Because she had a different lunch schedule, he would walk her to class before going to eat. As much as he hated to admit it, he was becoming very fond of her. When she was not angry, she was very fun to have around.
That night, when he went to speak with her, she immediately pulled out her jacket and went out on a walk with him. Well, that is, after she made sure he wasn't there to argue again during the whole time that he talked, she didn't do anything other than occasionally ask a few questions. They walked around talking for hours until her mom ran out in a bathrobe screaming her name. Folken smiled as he recalled the look of embarrassment on Merle's face when she saw her mom with curlers. Of course the little lady wasn't too happy to find her daughter walking around at night with a boy she's never meet who is twice her size. He thought that Merle was surely going to be grounded or something until she called him that next day and rather hesitantly asked if he wanted to go horseback riding.
From that day on, whether he called her or she called her, they virtually began spending everyday or afternoon together. She was like Sora and yet so much different. She takes some advance classes; she loves children, enjoys the simple things of life and understands him. Sometimes she could guess what he's thinking or finish his sentences. Other times, she could feel his need to just stay there beside him without talking.
She is her own her own person and didn't let what other people thought limit her freedom. She's out going, funny, loud, stubborn, and speaks her mind. She is one in a million and not to mention that she's beautiful. Thinking this, Folken realized that somehow, he had fallen for Merle. When he was with her, he managed to forget about everything…even Sora. Yes, he had fallen for the mysterious, bad tempered girl who stole his sear in the library, the same one that reopened his eyes to the world and made him live again.
***
When Folken got to her hallway, he noticed that she wasn't at her locker. He looked at the clock and thought, 'I'm not late so maybe she had to leave early.' Looking around, he caught a glimpse of pink hair going into the stairs. Since Merle was the only person in school with pink hair, he knew it had to be her.
"Hey Merle!" he yelled, running after he. Many heads turned but she kept on walking as if she didn't hear him. "Hey, what's the hurry? Your class doesn't start until another 5 minutes," he said when he caught up with her. "What's wrong? Did you flunk another Spanish quiz?" he asked when she didn't answer. "Aw, come on, it can't be that bad."
"For you information, I got an A- on it," Merle turned abruptly, almost making him fall.
"Than why you pissed off?" he asked after catching his balance.
"I'm not."
Raising his hands to show that he gave up, Folken said, "Fine." He learned that when Merle was pissed, it was best just to leave her along. Pressuring her to talk would only start an argument.
He turned to leave when he heard her say, "You know, I think from now, you should just go to lunch instead of walking me to class."
"Okay."
"In fact, we should stop seeing each other."
"Okay. Chill Merle, you're making it sound like as if we're dating." He laughed at his own joke but Merle didn't seem amused at all, she just gave him a look of disgust and continued to climb the stairs.
"Hey wait!" Folken grabbed her arm. "You're really serious about this?" his expression turned serious.
"Oh course, why wouldn't I be?"
"You really don't want us to be seeing each other anymore?"
"Why Folken, you're making it sound like as if we're dating," her voice was filled with mockery.
"This isn't funny Merle," he leaned closer so that people passing couldn't hear.
"You thought it was a minute ago."
'Fine,' he thought, 'two can play at this game.' "If that's what's you want, fine." He pretended not to care. For a second, a look of panic appeared over Merle's face, but she quickly hid it. Though it was only for a second, it was enough to show Folken what she really wanted. He pretended to turn and leave until he suddenly leaned over and captured Merle's lips with his.
He put everything he felt for the last two weeks into the kiss. All the joy, all the excitement and all the need. It didn't take long for Merle to begin responding. It would have been the perfect kiss if she didn't start struggling moments later. At first, Folken thought that she was just stubborn and didn't like that fact that he had so much control over her, but he finally understood that something was wrong with he felt something sharp against his lips and a sudden jolt of pain. Merle took the moment to pull away.
Folken opened his eyes and was about to demand an explanation for why she bit him until he saw tears falling from her eyes.
"You should just left me alone," she sobbed, "why do have to play me like this?"
"Wha-what do you mean?" he asked, reaching out for her. He didn't knowing what was going on. One minute she was kissing him back, the next she was crying her eyes out.
"Don't." she pushed his hand away.
"What did I do? I never played you." He exclaimed.
"Begin with a person when you have another in your heart is playing," she wiped her face. Seeing the look of confusion on his face, she asked, "Do you still love her?"
"What?"
"Sora, do you still love her?" she repeated.
"Of course, I…" he stopped realizing what this whole thing was about. "Merle…"
"I know I can never mean as much to you as she did," she looked him in the eye. "I don't want to be some kind of replacement. She was you're first love and you'll never forget her. Is there really any place left in your heart for me?"
Folken wanted to tell her there was but the words just couldn't come out of his mouth. He watched her watching him and when he couldn't take it anymore, he turned away.
"I don't want to be in a relationship where my feelings cannot be return. It's not fair."
"You're right," he managed finally to say.
Merle sighed. She opened her mouth to say something but instead gave him one last look and left.
***Well that's another chapter. Just when things start to finally work out, a new problem pops out. ^_^ but that's how life is…how will Merle deal with this? What is Hitomi going to do with her 'Peter Pan' costume? Find out in the next exciting episode of Normal Life! *Audiences coughs out loud*…okay maybe not exciting, but it's there's gotta be at least bit of interest if you guys are still here reading after all this times, *Bishouji puts on a hopeful look*. Anyways please review!!! I need feedback! Btw, with all the work school is dumping on me, I'm going back to my normal updating time (a new chapter every two week). Enjoy! Bishouji88***