CHAPTER 7
RING! RING! RING!
"Hello?"
Lina swallowed the tears that were about to come. "Hey, Duo. This is Lina."
Duo paused for a moment, "Lina-chan? Hey! What is it? Do you need something?"
Lina started to whimper and then began to sob, "Can . . . . you come get me? Please?"
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Don't worry, Heero and I will be right there!" Duo replied in a worried voice, "Where are you, Lina-chan?"
"The 7 Eleven across from the school. Please hurry. I'll be sitting by the ice box." Lina tried her best not to cry, "Good bye."
"Bye, Lina, we'll be there in about five minutes."
Lina slammed the phone down and crawled across the floor to the ice box. She buried her face in her arms and began to cry even harder. She tried to dry her eyes, but it was no use. She bought an ice cream bar and ate it quickly. She sat back on the dirty tile floor and sulked for a few moments.
Duo and Heero walked into the store and headed for the ice box. Lina looked up at them, "Hi."
Heero helped Lina off the floor and they headed for the car. She was silent the whole ride home. She'd only answer Duo's questions with a nod, a shrug, or the shake of her head. Lina thought about what had happened in the classroom. She suddenly found herself in tears again.
"What's wrong, Lina?" Heero asked her as he helped her out of the car.
She shook her head and cried even harder. "I . . . . no, nothing."
The three of them entered the house. Lordes took Lina's coat and noticed that there was dried blood on her hands. "Miss Lina! Look at the blood! What has happened?"
Heero looked at Lina's hands. "It's blood alright. Did you cut yourself, Lina?"
"No."
Duo looked at her, "Then what did you do?"
"I beat some kid up."
Three jaws dropped to the floor. Three sets of eyes got huge. Lina would never hurt a flea. She loved everyone and everything. Something must have really made her mad.
Lordes covered her eyes, "Miss Lina! You are joking, right? You didn't really . . . . did you?"
Lina nodded, ashamed.
"Why, Lina?" Heero asked in a surprised voice.
Lina began to cry, "They . . . . they made fun of . . . . you guys . . . . and Daddy and Papa!" she fell to the floor.
Duo scratched his head, "Why would they make fun of us? They've never even met us!"
" 'Cause you're . . . . ga . . .you and Heero . . . . are . . . ." Lina cried in a muffled voice.
Lordes knelt down to Lina. She patted her on the back and gave her a hug. "Miss Lina, please go on. Why did they make fun of our guests?"
Lina gulped and stood up. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and straightened her skirt out. She needed to tell them. This was something they had to know.
"Okay. They made fun of you because you're gay!"
Heero and Duo looked at Lina, then at each other. They both turned bright red. Heero sat down on the sofa and looked away. Duo just stood in shock.
"Wha . . . what did you say, Lina-chan?" Duo stuttered.
"You are gay, Duo! You and Heero are gay!"
Heero stood up and walked over to Lina, "How do you know this?"
Lina tried her best not to crack a smile. She went back through her memory of all the times she had "accidently" caught them. "I have my ways."
The two men turned red again. "Shh! Don't you dare say a word then, Lina-chan! Or you either, Lordes. I'll personally kill you if this gets out!", Heero hissed. Duo grabbed his shoulder to calm him down.
"Lina, Trowa and Quatre are gonna be so mad at you! You've gone through so many schools already! Something has to be done!" Duo scolded.
Lordes held Lina's arm. "Dear, let's get you into a bath before Quatre-sama and Mr. Trowa return from their trip tonight. I'll get the bath running and you can stay here. Listen for me to call, Miss Lina!"
Lina looked at her uncles. "I'll never say anything, Heero. I promise. But everyone knows already, so what would be the point of me saying anything?"
Heero's eyes widened and he ran toward Lina, "Why you!" He chased Lina around the living room. "When I catch you . . ."
Lina ran faster than Heero and escaped to the bathroom, "You can't get me in here! Ha ha ha ha!"
RING! RING! RING!
"Hello?"
Lina swallowed the tears that were about to come. "Hey, Duo. This is Lina."
Duo paused for a moment, "Lina-chan? Hey! What is it? Do you need something?"
Lina started to whimper and then began to sob, "Can . . . . you come get me? Please?"
"What's wrong? Did something happen? Don't worry, Heero and I will be right there!" Duo replied in a worried voice, "Where are you, Lina-chan?"
"The 7 Eleven across from the school. Please hurry. I'll be sitting by the ice box." Lina tried her best not to cry, "Good bye."
"Bye, Lina, we'll be there in about five minutes."
Lina slammed the phone down and crawled across the floor to the ice box. She buried her face in her arms and began to cry even harder. She tried to dry her eyes, but it was no use. She bought an ice cream bar and ate it quickly. She sat back on the dirty tile floor and sulked for a few moments.
Duo and Heero walked into the store and headed for the ice box. Lina looked up at them, "Hi."
Heero helped Lina off the floor and they headed for the car. She was silent the whole ride home. She'd only answer Duo's questions with a nod, a shrug, or the shake of her head. Lina thought about what had happened in the classroom. She suddenly found herself in tears again.
"What's wrong, Lina?" Heero asked her as he helped her out of the car.
She shook her head and cried even harder. "I . . . . no, nothing."
The three of them entered the house. Lordes took Lina's coat and noticed that there was dried blood on her hands. "Miss Lina! Look at the blood! What has happened?"
Heero looked at Lina's hands. "It's blood alright. Did you cut yourself, Lina?"
"No."
Duo looked at her, "Then what did you do?"
"I beat some kid up."
Three jaws dropped to the floor. Three sets of eyes got huge. Lina would never hurt a flea. She loved everyone and everything. Something must have really made her mad.
Lordes covered her eyes, "Miss Lina! You are joking, right? You didn't really . . . . did you?"
Lina nodded, ashamed.
"Why, Lina?" Heero asked in a surprised voice.
Lina began to cry, "They . . . . they made fun of . . . . you guys . . . . and Daddy and Papa!" she fell to the floor.
Duo scratched his head, "Why would they make fun of us? They've never even met us!"
" 'Cause you're . . . . ga . . .you and Heero . . . . are . . . ." Lina cried in a muffled voice.
Lordes knelt down to Lina. She patted her on the back and gave her a hug. "Miss Lina, please go on. Why did they make fun of our guests?"
Lina gulped and stood up. She brushed her bangs out of her eyes and straightened her skirt out. She needed to tell them. This was something they had to know.
"Okay. They made fun of you because you're gay!"
Heero and Duo looked at Lina, then at each other. They both turned bright red. Heero sat down on the sofa and looked away. Duo just stood in shock.
"Wha . . . what did you say, Lina-chan?" Duo stuttered.
"You are gay, Duo! You and Heero are gay!"
Heero stood up and walked over to Lina, "How do you know this?"
Lina tried her best not to crack a smile. She went back through her memory of all the times she had "accidently" caught them. "I have my ways."
The two men turned red again. "Shh! Don't you dare say a word then, Lina-chan! Or you either, Lordes. I'll personally kill you if this gets out!", Heero hissed. Duo grabbed his shoulder to calm him down.
"Lina, Trowa and Quatre are gonna be so mad at you! You've gone through so many schools already! Something has to be done!" Duo scolded.
Lordes held Lina's arm. "Dear, let's get you into a bath before Quatre-sama and Mr. Trowa return from their trip tonight. I'll get the bath running and you can stay here. Listen for me to call, Miss Lina!"
Lina looked at her uncles. "I'll never say anything, Heero. I promise. But everyone knows already, so what would be the point of me saying anything?"
Heero's eyes widened and he ran toward Lina, "Why you!" He chased Lina around the living room. "When I catch you . . ."
Lina ran faster than Heero and escaped to the bathroom, "You can't get me in here! Ha ha ha ha!"