MIDDLE SCHOOL YEARS
Chapter One) Hina Mameha
"Boy! I need your help!"
That's the first thing that Mameha said to me. She entered my life so suddenly. It was like there was no space between my life without her and with her. But then, maybe that was better. Mameha was so different, so something else, that I wouldn't have known what to do with myself if I had to have to experience "Hello, what's your name?"s.
It was a typical day: really boring. I was sitting in biology and, seriously, the class was pure crap because, so obviously, the teacher didn't know anything. I was trying to keep my brain from shutting off completely when someone pulled me off my seat.
Instantly put on guard, I put my arms up in self-defense when I got a snappy, "Don't get so intense, baka. Follow me."
It was a girl. A short little thing with black hair that was pulled so high on top of her head I wondered if she didn't get a migraine from her ponytail. I only had a second to wonder, because in the next moment, she pushed me out into the hall.
"Hey, I'm in the middle of class!" I argued. At the time I hadn't learned never to say 'no' to Mameha, though, I soon would.
"Three. . .two. . .one. . ." The bell rang then, as if she had summoned it to. "And class is over." The girl smiled at me, "Are you less worried now, geek boy?"
By that time, my brain was functioning enough for me to characteristically respond to the situation. I jerked my arm out of her grasp and gave her a glare. "Wait a minute. What the hell? Who are you and why are you dragging me out here for?"
For a second, the girl's eyebrows rose high on her forehead. Then, her face bloomed into a giddy laugh. Finally, with me gaping at her, she calmed down and managed to giggle. "My name Hina Mameha."
I just stared at her. One minute, I was sitting in biology. Next minute, I am standing in the hall gawking at some short girl like a freaking idiot. I admit, I was furious. I wasn't anyone to be taken lightly, like this little girl was doing so unhesitant now. Classic bitch . . .
"Listen, Hina Mameha. I want you to tell me what. . ."
"You can call me Mameha."
I blinked. "I can?"
It wasn't usual for a guy to call a girl by her informal name unless he was very close to her. Secondly, her air had taken an oddly submissive tone, instead of her previous haughty one.
"Yes, of course."
"Of course??!!"
"Then how else am I going to make this work, geek boy?"
Her haughty tone was back. Let me try to explain her tone then. It was just so incredibly arrogant that I wanted to pound on her head. And, secondly, she was flicking her hair around as if she was good-looking. A short and conceited bitch was pestering me. Great. What a day.
"Would you stop calling me boy? Is that, what, something you picked up in Permanent PMSing Weekly??"
"What else would I call you then?"
Now it was she who sounded ticked! Whatever. Frowning, I flicked my hair out of my eyes and snorted.
"Why do you need to call me at all? I mean, why the hell am I standing here next to a midget girl with an attitude problem."
Mameha burst out laughing. "Wow. I sure do choose 'em. If you must know, Mr. Smartmouth, I picked you because you were the greatest looking guy in biology, okay?"
That threw me off guard.
"Wha. . .what?"
Mameha, by the time I managed to choke this out, was distracted and only half-heartedly answered, "I like your body."
I was probably wearing my 'what the fuck is going on' expression that I usually reserve for my mom and sister. Mameha, though, was looking out the window. I looked too, but I saw nothing out of the ordinary but Mameha suddenly let out a squeal.
"He's here!"
"What?" Biology so does not explain girls!!!
"Quick! Tell me your name, geek boy!"
By this time I was so confused that I actually answered obediently.
"Trunks Briefs."
The look on her face at that second made me blush, which wasn't something I did often.
"Trunks, ah, Briefs. Are you like a mascot for your mother's underwear company?"
I exploded. "Listen, Mame-HAH! I don't need to be taking shit from
And suddenly, before I knew it, Mamha was in my arms.
Confused yet? Yeah, I was. She had been looking at me with an expression that showed clearly that she, though she didn't even KNOW me, thought I was a virus. The next second, tears were splashing down her heart shaped face and she was pressing herself on me.
Okay, the second part would have felt good except the girl was poisonous.
"I'm sorry, Trunks! I never meant to hurt you!!! Please, please forgive me! From now on, you, you are the only person in my life. Forever and ever!!! I promise!"
I stared at her, freaked. I was REALLY scared this time. I tried to push her out of my arms but she shrieked and clutched onto me more tightly. Ughughughugh!
"PLEASE DON'T LEAVE! Please, please, please! I'll die, I'll disappear and just, just DIE!!! Oh, Trunks! Forgive me, forgive me, forgive me!" Mameha was weeping hysterically now, clutching on to my hands and kneeling in front of me. "I'll forget him. I'll forget Ishiba! It was a mistake, I swear Trunks. Oh, Trunks!"
The way she said it, I was beginning to feel half uncomfortable and half sorry for whatever I hadn't done. You probably think this is stupid, but you didn't see Mameha's face at that moment. She was a complete wreck (not that she looked good before). Loose strands had escaped from her ponytail and were falling pathetically across her face that was ruined with tears. She sobbed in gasps, her voice cracking. You had to feel sorry for that.
"I love you, Trunks. I swear I do!"
It occurred to me that with such a commotion, we were being watched. Kids were filling up the halls and leaning out of their classroom window to catch a glimpse of us.
Two girls to the right of me were whispering furiously, glaring at me and sending pitying glances at Mameha. A golden haired boy I didn't know was looking at Mameha with such a horrified expression (hey, I understand) that I thought his face would melt off. Kakami, a girl in my class, announced in a sharp hiss, "So Trunks was the boy that broke Mameha's heart! I would have never have EXPECTED such things from him." To which another girl answered, "The good looking ones are always the most dangerous." At that, half the female population nodded assertively.
I had had enough.
"Listen, Hina Mameha, I don't know what you are talking about!"
Gasps echoed through the hall.
"I can't believe him." "Poor Mameha!" "That bitch deserves it!" "Go for the kill, Trunks!" "Don't cry!!!"
What was this, a sporting event? Why the fuck didn't these people have lives instead of encouraging whatever was going on???
Mameha looked up at me, tiredly. Her face was red with tears but her eyes were surprisingly clear. "I didn't think you'd forgive me Trunks. I can't expect it from you, when it was I who betrayed you." She said this in such a sweet voice that it bounced off the hallway walls and shook the audience with its soap drama-esque quality.
And the lady gets an academic award when I don't even know the plot of this story . . .
Just then, the golden haired boy pushed out from the crowd and ran till he was standing straight in front of Mameha. He glared at her with such a vile look I was surprised that she didn't flinch.
"So, you were dating, dating HIM," He spat out the word, his face was scrunched up so darkly that two fresh drops of tears splattered down Mameha's face. I think even she was a little scared. "You were dating him when you came to me, weren't you. And you deny everything! You, you disgusting -
He never finished his sentence because at that moment, his hand shot out and slapped Mameha across the face. The blow was so quick, so hard that Mameha fell to the floor and choked out blood.
It was over in a second. Even as the first indignant cry was rising from all the people that were watching, I had flattened the guy with two punches and a kick that sent him crashing into the wall.
Silence.
I stood still, realizing what I had done. Even in the middle of all those people staring at me, all I remember of that moment was Mameha staring at me with honest surprise. Her face was alight with wonder and her huge eyes were even bigger, her long eyelashes sticking straight up and giving her face an exaggerated look of surprise. She stood up, wiping her bloody mouth with her palm.
"Thank you." She finally whispered.
I let my hands fall down to my sides and I answered back just as quietly, "No problem."
Mameha thought about it for a moment and sent me a smile before she turned to go. When she was half way down the hall, she turned around and called back "I'll see you around?"
I don't remember why, I think it was just instinct, but I smiled after her disappearing back.