Pre-Teenage Revelations
Epic Eight
Written by Cartman's Girl and Poe

A week or so passed, and it seemed Vist had regressed back into being, well, an ass instead of gentleman towards Athra, almost like he was upset over the whole waterballoon thing. Of course this had also deterred any thoughts of reconsolation or even investigation Athra might've had into his general moodiness over the situation, so the two had been waging a two-person war against each other everywhere in the skool. Finally, more than a few people got sick of the situation, and decided to just be done with the both of them; the janitorial closet, dark, cold and off from the main classrooms would be the perfect place for a death match, so to speak, so everyone around the skool might finally get some peace. The door of the closet opened, and Vist was shoved roughly in, despite his swearing and protesting to the contrary. He grumbled and glanced around, his eyes adjusting to the dark, then jumped when he saw Athra there, too.

"They got you too, huh?" she asked, arms folded over her knees that were bent up against her chest. Athra glared at the floor, muttering about the pathetic human race and how they shall all pay dearly once she gets home.

"Yeh," he muttered as well, groping the wall for a switch or a pull-string or something that would light the place up; nothing. He just sank down against the wall and growled, "What I wouln't have given fer Ivy's height.."

"You and me both... I'd kick them all in their foreheads and use their bodies as a housing development for fly larve." Athra snarled, pulling her wig off at least to air her antennae off since the wig was musty. He blinked and decided to follow suit, yanking off his wig and shaking his droopy, jointed antennae free. He pulled out his contacts, too, his orange eyes practically glowing in the dark as he glanced over at her.. He'd never actually seen her without her wig on, afterall. Athra thought it'd be a good idea to take her contacts off too, since they were itchy. She made a 'gorah!' sound as she pulled them out, and blinked a few times. Her pinkish-eyes blinking in the darkness.

"They are so going to pay for this..."

"Pink?" He wondered outloud when he saw them, snickering, "Figured you'd be more the blood red type.."

"Hey don't mock my eye colour." she snapped, folding her arms again. "Not my fault I got my Mother's eyes instead of my Father's."

"Not complaining," He grinned, his smirk practically able to be felt in the dark room, returning to the tone he'd had in his teasing prior to the watery incident. She remained quiet and just kept to herself now, she didn't need to be teased by him or anyone else right now. Athra just kept glaring at the mop which was slumped against the wall across from her, wondering if she was quick enough she could gourge Vist in the eye with it. He just snickered and leaned back, folding his arms behind his head and stretching his legs out; how he could do this in the cold room without being phased was unknown, but he didn't seem to be affected. The two sat in silence for a while, as time ticked on.

"...so." Athra finally said.

"Mng?" He blinked one eye open at her, like he'd been woken up from a nap.

"So what's new with you?" she asked. He opened both eyes and turned his head, staring at her blankly.

"Lemme get this straight," he wondered, "Yer actually interested in my life?"


"It's something to talk about, isn't it?" Athra shrugged, "You can ask about my life if you want." He turned his head back towards the wall he was facing, then towards the floor.

"'ve taken to eatin at the cafeteria," he muttered, "The stuff Mom'n Poe bring home fer dinner nowadays ain't exactly normal." He had an usually quiet tone.. it wasn't easy having rabid parents, afterall.

"They bring home dead things?" she asked quietly. She knew that her brother's parent in laws weren't exactly normal, it was a jab she made at Vist now and again just to get him riled up. The orange glow in the darkness flicked off, indicating he'd closed his eyes or turned his head away,

"Sometimes," he muttered, hunching over; he didn't exactly need to give her any more ammo for her insults.

"Sorry to hear that." Athra said gently. She scratched the side of her head, trying to think of another subject. "Hey, Vist?"

"Eh?" He glanced over his shoulder slightly, a bit surprised she hadn't used his admission as a launching point for a barrage of insults.

"...I didn't say thanks for taking that waterballoon last week..." she said, looking at his glowing orange eyes in the darkness. "...thanks." He blinked in further surprise, something that reflected in his eyes,

"Eh.." He shrugged, "Wasn't nothin." Athra smirked,

"Never thought you'd hear me thank you, huh?" she leant against the wall, shutting her eyes. "I don't blame you."

"Din't cross my mind, no." He returned to staring at his wall, "Actually thought you were mad at me for it." He then felt her hand pat his, first real time she'd ever really touched him without giving him a bruise, cut, scratch etc. etc.

"Nah, I wasn't mad.. I was thankful it wasn't me but still felt bad about it happened to you." Athra said, her pink eyes looking up at him. He froze and looked down at his hand, then down at her. He shrugged in the dark again, though this one seemed a bit more nervous,

"Like I said.. dunno.. what came over me." His voice wavered slightly, like his cool-headed exterior had actually been shaken slightly.

"Well you thank whatever caused it for me then." she said, letting his hand go and sitting back by herself against the wall.

"Heh.. 'll be sure to do that sometime." He was silent for a while, before he looked up at the vent, "Is it jes me or is it cold 'n here?"

"I thought it was warm in here." she said, glancing around. She sure felt warm.

"Hm." He snickered softly and went back to his teasing, "Must be due t' the fact that yer hot, huh?" Athra sat there for a while, then looked at him with a confused look.

"...are you saying I'm 'hot'?"

"Hey, you said it first, I jes saw an opening." He looked over his shoulder at her, his teeth glinting in the dark as he smirked.

"..oh." she had sort of hoped that was a compliment, her antennae lowering. He turned around again, looking down at her, sensing her lowered antennae.

"Din't say I didn't mean it, did I?" He then felt her fist connect with his arm, more sharply then it usually did. Obviously, he did touch a soft spot. After the punch she scooted more over so now she was in the corner, arms folded and head to the wall. "Ow!" He fell back from his position on his knees, rubbing his arms, and looked at her in confusion and disgruntledness, "I was complimentin' you!"

"In future make yourself more clear." she muttered, her back still to him. He rubbed the healthy bruise he had on his arm now beneath his sleeve, muttering beneath his breath. Something intriugied him, though, and he leaned over towards her,

"Why're you so touchy about that?" Her antennae folded back against her head, her eyes tightly shut.

"Why, so you can make nasty jokes about it in future?" Athra asked.

"No, so I can avoid upsettin' you again," He said, and there was a genuine tone in his voice, then added, "Don't wanna get punched again either." There was a pause, before she replied.

"I've never been complemented about my looks before, outside my family that is. Mom always says I'm a beautiful girl, and Dad always agrees and says how I've got their beauty in my genes." she turned her head to see him, then looked at the floor. "But no boy has ever said it to me. And I thought you said that, then said you didn't mean it. That's why I hit you." she sounded very genuine as she said this, obviously not about to make some sharp insult or comment at the end of it. She actually turned back to the corner, closing her eyes again. "Sorry I guess."

"S'alright." He pondered, sitting down not too far behind her, "Le's try it again then." He coughed and sat up, his voice actually smoothing out somewhat, away from the raspy accent he usually had, "I think you're b…" he faltered here, a sudden burst of shyness mangling his words, "real pretty." Athra opened her eyes, looking at him. She stared at him for a while, before speaking.

"Do you really mean that?"

"I mean it." He actually smiled - albeit somewhat crookedly, his pointy teeth still sticking out - but a smile nonetheless. She looked at him, before smiling gently.

"Thanks... and I think you're really..." Athra paused, looking for the word. "You're ruggedly good looking.." He blinked, raising an eyeridge and tilting his head,

"Ruggedly? That a nice way of saying I look like a Reject?" His tone wasn't defensive, though, still friendly, and there was a smirk in his voice.

"Nope." she shook her head, turning to face him now kneeling on the ground. "You're good looking... some say you aren't, but that's a quality I admire. Make more sense?" Athra grinned, leaning back slightly. He stared down at her, a grin spreading over his features, antennae raising unconciously as was honestly complimented.

"Guess it does." He looked around slightly, as though for witnesses, then back to her, "No 'n's.. ever complimented me on my looks 'fore either."

"Guess that's a first for both of us then." she smirked, then smiled at him brightly. "In a really weird way, I'm glad that you were the first for me, and I was the first for you." He hunched over slightly, folding his elbows on his knees, his head more level with her's now.

"Wha's so odd about it?"

"That ever since we met we've been at each other's throats, that's what weird about it." she pointed out.

"Guess so, but who else is ever gonna see'n appreciate our Irken forms?"

"Next to no one." Athra replied, then looked up at him and now the two shared eye contact. Not a thing they had usually done in the past at all. He stared back down at her, his proud, crooked smile sinking into something softer, even his ever-present teeth disappearing.

"S'a nice shade of pink." He added to the little eye colour exchange they had earlier. An actual blush now spread over Athra's features, and she smiled back at him gently,

"Your eyes are really nice too... even with the hint of dark under them." He smiled a bit more broadly at the blush, half-closing his eyes,

"Yeah, well your's have pretty lashes, too." He smirked faintly, falling into a sort of inverted version of the insult exchanges they usually had.

"That's cause I'm a girl, silly." she wasn't in the mood to really think up a smart retort to that, so she just went with the truth.

"Huh, still." He reached up slowly, brushing the long lashes with his thumb lightly, continuing onto her cheek. "'Silly? You goin soft on me?"

"No." Athra found her head leaning against his hand, her eyes half shutting. "I just don't feel like insulting you."

"Glad to hear," he mused with a rumble-ey tone, his hand gently settling onto her cheek fully and caressing her jaw.

"...y'know this is kinda nice. No arguing or anything..." she purred slightly, shutting her eyes now. He made an affirmative 'mmm' sound, and her eyes closing lead his to do the same; this set a certain familiar process in motion, though, and before he knew what he was doing he had leaned forward, pressing his lips against her's. Athra's eyes opened as she suddenly felt Vist kissing her. She wasn't sure what to do. To just sit there like a petrified rock and let him kiss her, to lean away and slap him across the face and tell him off, or to even probably kiss him back. After a few seconds thought, she put her hand to his neck and just very tentivly kissed him in return after her mind made up it's, er, mind.

He blinked in surprise when she kissed back, not only at the fact she was doing it, but it brought to light the fact he was doing it; he was tempted to break away with a sputter of apologies, but part of him said it could wait. He was too drunk on hormones to put up much of an argument. He leaned forward, running his hand down her neck, the other reaching for her waist. Athra tilted her head slightly, her mind still arguing about when to end this since it seemed sort of wrong. In the back of her mind she remembered how paniced her Dad felt, back when she told him of that dream all those years ago. She then very slowly stopped the kiss, but still kept her hand on his neck and the other which had placed itself on his arm. That seemed to snap him out of it, and he shook his head faintly, looking somewhat dazed.

"S-sorry, I din't mean to, well, I mean, yer face was so close and I just kinda leaned forward and.." She bit her lower lip, glancing at the ground.

"S'allright..." Athra cleared her throat quickly. He stared at her, not bothering to remove his hands either, remembering something in the back of his mind,

"Guess that means my theory 'bout Ragde and his human are true, huh?" Athra shrugged.

"I guess you're right then." she then glanced around the janitorial closet, then back at him lookings lightly confused now. "So... what do we do when we get out of here?"

"Good question," he murmured, looking around, "Can't imagine how the rest of the family'd react, so maybe.. we better not let them know."

"I think that'd be best." she replied, glancing to the side. "So we'll continue on as if nothing happening, right?"

"Yeah," He looked down at her, "'Cept for one thing."

"What?"

"Mind pulling yer punches in the future?" He winced, her hand currently on the spot she'd punched sharply earlier. She looked at her hand, then let go quickly.

"Sorry... again." Athra looked at her hand, and rested it in her other. "Guess I don't know my own strength sometimes..."

"Nah, it's alright. But I figure we have somethin' more pressing to worry about.." He looked over at the doors, which locked from the outside, "Just how're we gonna get out without drawin' too much atention?"

"Well.." she looked to her watch which seemed to appear when needed. "They're all in class so..." Athra stood up pulling her wig back on, and managing to get her contacts in again. "Better get ready Vist." He nodded and found his wig, setting it back onto his head, pulling his contacts out of his coat and setting them in.

"So what, we cut the door down with our pod legs?"

"Somethin' like that." Athra's pod then opened, the four legs springing out. Her joints though, were a deep red colour. The legs formed a squrae, and shot out lasers which cut a square into the door. Soon as the legs vanished into her pod again, the door square fell away and landed with a crash. "Out we go." she grabbed his hand and knelt down and stepped out of the hole, leading him with her. He practically had to crawl through the hole, coughing and looking around at the desolate hallway.

"I know yer a proper student and all, but," He glanced towards the main doors at the end of the hall, "Since we're already unnaccounted for, why don't we just bail?"

"Bailing sounds good." Athra picked up the door square and pushed it back into place.

"Alright then." He grinnted toothily and took her hand once she was done, and the two headed off towards the exit doors.

"So what are we now... Irkens who agrue yet kiss now and then, or Irkens who make people think we hate each other yet we don't?" she asked, looking up at him as they headed out the doors.

"Hmm.." He looked up thoughtfully, then glanced down at her, "Maybe a bit of both, eh?"

"I think that's about fair." Athra nodded, "I'm happy with that."

"Same here." He let go of her hand and set his arm around her shoulders instead. She smiled at him, putting her hand onto his.

"So Vist, what do we do for the rest of the day?"

"Dunno, I could always show you 'round the places I usually hang around when I'm by myself," He smiled back at her, one tooth showing this time, "Probably be more enjoyable with you there too, though." Athra pondered for a while.

"Yeah sure, why not?" It was a good way to spend the rest of the afternoon then sit in class. And you know how fun classes were.

[To be continued]