Here's the second chapter. Thanks to those who reviewed *mmuah!*
Scarlet Maple: I know how you feel. Hate non-yaoi fictions featuring Rukawa too. He's just not suitable for any type of girl, IMO. But then again, I'm not into yaoi either. It's one of life's toughest choices. Since I can't bring myself to write yaoi, I'll just have to do a non-yaoi one. ^_^. Thanks for ur review! And keep reading!
Tensaispira: I hate Rukawa's cheerleaders. Whenever they come on screen, I feel like throttling anyone near me. But then again, I guess I wouldn't mind cheering for Rukawa that loudly either! Heh heh!
Kka: Thanks a lot. I really appreciate it. J
Nellie: I like Fujima too. Maybe I'll attempt a fic on him someday. However, I have to admit, reading yaoi fics about him with Hanagata and who-knows-how-many-others has changed my way of looking at him a little bit. I'm starting to think he's better off gay! Aaaargh! No!
Neo-kun: thank u so much. I am kind of tired of having girls drooling over Rukawa and going after him themselves. It's time we see the big guy trip over his own ankles to get a girl, eh? J Hope you like this chapter!
Chapter 2.
She was having a hard time trying to make out what the squiggly lines on her text meant. King Richard VI knew he was hated and laughed, her brain translated. Laughed? What??
She peered closer, eyes narrowing and blinking in vain. Oh, hated and LOATHED.
"What's the matter?" one long-nosed classmate asked, swishing her ponytail like one of those commercial girls. "Can't even afford to read?" Her cliques smiled, standing behind her in a perfect semicircle.
Ika. Darn. She peered harder at her book. They're not there. I don't know them. King Richard VI knew he was hated and loathed. He took steps to –
"Heard you lost your glasses," Ika hooked a hip over the table and looked down. "Your mum must've been ballistic."
I don't know a thing. I don't hear a thing. King Richard took steps to ensure his throne. One of them was building a group of army with the intention of –
"Unless, of course, she's still in bed whining about her miserable life."
The book of text flew to the Ika's face. There was a shriek, and then she was sprawled on the floor, with the rest of her followers looking on with their mouths hanging open.
The cause of that crime stood up, her eyes flashing. "My mother does not whine," she said evenly. "Unlike the rest of you." Grabbing her book and the leftovers of her dignity, she rushed out of the class. To hell with King Richard whichever-number-he-is-now and his army!
Behind her, Ika and her bodyguards were screaming at her, struggling to catch up amid the busy crowd rushing in between classes. Sensing a drama was about to take place, half stopped in their tracks to be entertained. After all, this was not the first time it happened.
She was fuming. Why can't they leave me alone? What do they want? She reached her locker, yanked it open and slammed her books inside. When she turned back, they had already surrounded her.
"You better watch yourself," Ika snarled, her ponytail haywire. "Keep in mind that your mother works for my family. I can have her kicked out anytime I want."
It stung and hurt – a lot. "Just because she works for you does not make her your slave," her voice was mild, but the look she gave was murderous. "And neither does it make me the subject of your amusement."
"Keep on talking like that and you won't have breakfast on the table in the next few months, smart mouth." Ika took hold of her chin and flicked it sideways. It was more insulting than being slapped.
She knew what to do. Countless times she had daydreamed about the things she would do to Ika Kirani if she had the chance. The mildest one was decorating Ika like a pig and stuffing her with tuna over a smoldering fire. The more gruesome ones were … not suitable to be mentioned. But it was not in her power to do any of those creative ideas. Just like nothing else is in her power to do or change.
Suddenly, a big shadow loomed over them. Her gasp stopped at the edge of her esophagus.
It was him.
Sensing the end of the drama, the loitering students went their separate ways. Ika didn't move, but froze where she was. The other girls immediately stepped away, like scattering ants avoiding being stepped on. He flicked a single blank glance at them, causing several stirs and reddened cheeks. But they were not what he was here for.
"Hey," he said almost gruffly to the yesterday's girl. The one looking at him as if he was a monster who was on his way to Timbuktu but somehow got to her locker. "You're the one I bashed, aren't you? With my ball."
Mortification of the recent event flooded over her. However, it was quickly overcome by the wonder of him talking to her. "Uh, yes… I guess." Uh oh, uh oh! Brain not able to process data! "I - I guess."
He handed her a plain black package. "Here." It was placed in her hands. She could only stare at it, baffled. He turned to leave, but then abruptly turned back and looked at her straight in the eye. That made her heartbeats bump slightly. Those dangerous blue eyes...
"Don't wear it during practice."
Her brain snapped back. "W-what?" Don't do what?? But he was already gone. She blew a deep breath, willing her heart rate to return to normal again.
"What the hell did he give you?" Ika made a grab for the package. At the same time, their Mathematics teacher peeked out and yelled at them to "Come into the class, you pack of silly bums! You don't know how to calculate tangents in your later life, don't come crying to me!"
Ika gave one glare and then trooped off with her pack of friends. But she stayed awhile outside, figuring she wouldn't need to calculate tangents that often in the future anyway. She was still holding the present.
Is that what it is? A present?!!
Her fingers fumbled with the wrapping paper.
Wait. What if it's a trick box? She was no stranger to trick boxes. Tricksters who thought they were very funny had given her about twenty in the past few years. The last one she got was a real-life-looking, wriggling rat that sent her into bed with cold-fever for days.
He's not that type, is he?
Then again, there's really nobody you can trust.
Maybe he thought it was funny knocking her head with his ball. Maybe he's gotten more creative. Maybe he's got a candid camera somewhere to capture her humiliating reaction and screen it to the world. Maybe it's a plan co-arranged with Ika. Does he know Ika in the first place?
She wrenched the case open and prepared herself for the worst.
Nothing jumped out. No shuddering bodies with fake fur. No eight-legged freaks shaking those eight legs of theirs at her. Instead it was –
Her eyes widened. Then, she burst laughing.
A pair of brand-new reading glasses winked at her in the sun.
It's lovely. It's gorgeous. It fits. It's perfect. It's – she froze as a realization hit her.
It's expensive.
He didn't have with him a candid camera, but he was there to capture her reaction. It was all an accident. Really. Honest. Well, okay, so he did aim the ball in her direction on purpose, but only to the extent of having her look up and say something. All along, she had been around like a silent ghost and it's starting to bug him. Maybe he's used to the girls screaming around him after all.
But instead, the ball had gone a step further and whacked the girl out of her senses – and out of her glasses. It broke.
Okay, okay, it didn't just break. He broke it when he accidentally stepped on it.
Not that it was a big deal, right? They're just glasses. But she looked so… devastated. Like he'd scrapped her off her every precious possession. That led him to deal with his conscience, and he'd felt guilty. So he bought her a new one – hopefully, similar to the previous one. Besides, it was the right thing to do – and it wasn't like a kind act or anything. It was an obligation. You break it, you replace it. So no one could really accuse him of anything… naughty, could they?
He watched her laugh. Wondered what was so funny. Turned baffled at the look of despair on her face, a look that came out of nowhere. What? Wrong colour? Wrong shape? What? What??
Then she hurried back into class. Tangents. Bah!
Anyhow, he hoped she'd stop coming around watching him. It made him nervous, for some unknown reason.
Besides, her incredibly short skirt is rather distracting.
Hope you liked that. Go on, review!