(AN)-- My brain's over-fried and I'm lagging two (or is it three?) weeks of updates…that would be four (or six) chapters. Gawd, I'm screwed. I need to catch up – bad. Sigh. On a lighter note, you can see that this season focuses more on Reno and Yuffie's emergent relationship. Shrug. And can any of you notice my inconsistency with the mood of chapters? Hehehe… Oh, and next chapter will be really fun to write! So wait for tomorrow!
` p a n d o r a
s c h o o l b l u e s
vi. lapdog
She felt guilty – guilty for eavesdropping on a conversation not meant for her ears. Well, she couldn't fully well blame herself. It wasn't her fault she had walked in on something so precious and so dangerous all at once; it was pure coincidence. After that little event, however, her respect for the idiot redhead had multiplied ten times. He was a misunderstood teenager, a trait that she understood.
Feeling a need for some down time, Yuffie Kisaragi walked outside of the school and crossed the blacktop, simply to find the one person who had been involved in the conversation.
*
Who was she to act motherly towards the one person who hated mothers in general? She had already disgraced herself and she knew, she knew, what he didn't like.
Tifa rolled herself over on the grass with her back against the springy, fresh green grass. The sun pounded down on her face like a heavenly glow on a silver platter, shimmering and wonderfully beautiful. Sighing, she propped herself up on her elbows and smiled kindly when she saw Yuffie walking towards her, hesitantly almost, as she shot back a shy smile. This girl, the governor's daughter, already had an impact on her as a younger sister. She was like her in so many ways that it was uncanny. However, there were some differences.
Every one is his or her own person, right?
"Hi Yuffie." She greeted and patted the empty space beside her.
Yuffie gratefully accepted the silent offer and dropped down on the ground, the blades of grass tickling her bare legs like feathers on a whimsical ferry ride.
"What are you doing here?" The young girl inquired innocently; her brown eyes were the very essence of innocence.
"Just thinking. I had a mild spat with Reno." She shook her head and smiled ruefully to herself. "He can be such an ass sometimes, so delicate with emotions, prone to anger. He's complicated."
"I know."
Tifa cast her a glance of surprise and confusion. Yuffie paid no heed to her quiet response with a leisure wave of her hand.
"I can just tell. He's a walking, breathing mystery." She paused. "That and I…I overheard you talking with him earlier." She blushed.
Tifa said nothing but nodded in understanding. Yuffie continued:
"If you don't mind my asking, what was that all about?"
"By blood I was sworn to secrecy."
"Blood…?" Yuffie quivered. Just the sound of the word made her cringe, like there were tiny insects crawling all over her body.
"Another drawback to becoming a full-fledged Turk. All secrets are bound by blood. You share a secret, you share your blood. So I'm sworn to secrecy. Maybe you can get it out of him one of these days." She grinned.
"And diseases…?"
"Doesn't matter. We're family."
It was all that was said, and it was all that had Yuffie in complete understanding.
"Say," Tifa started unexpectedly, the topic greatly changing. "Do you want to come over to my house? Elena wants her hair cut."
"You cut hair?"
"No. She just wants me to surprise her. Although, if anything happens to that pretty blonde head of hers, it's of no fault on my part." Tifa giggled. "So what do you say? Maybe I could…you know, give you a makeover. For fun." She added.
"I guess. I have nothing else better to do."
"Great!"
*
After school, the three girls had begged and pleaded with Reno to take them to the Mideel Shopping Palace, a place that was quite dreadful for a general guy and he was not about to submit to their hankering for beauty products, jewelry, and any other of the feminine like. But somehow – and he was still trying to figure it out – they managed to get him to drive them all the way down to the center of town, drag him inside of the womanly hellhole, and managed to have them hold their bags. Of course, he didn't have much of a problem with joining them; there were legs everywhere! But all his sense of manly dignity had been sucked dry from his ego, something the guys would tease him for sure if they found out about his current situation.
Reno waited outside the girl's dressing room in another girly store, a bored expression written plainly across his face. Bags were strewn all over his feet and he was quite tired.
"When are you girls going to be done?" He asked weakly, but there was a demanding tone hidden beneath his question.
"After we find a right dress for Yuffie, so pipe down!" Elena retorted.
Not soon after, the distinct whine of Yuffie's resounded through the whole store. Apparently, the two older girls had chosen something…well, something Yuffie didn't like. Reno wasn't sure what but if it made her screech like that, it was bound to be something bad. Then, he grinned a goofy grin and it was all accidental – what he was thinking about anyway. If anything, Fates decided to play with his head into thinking about anything a normal warm-blooded male would do.
"Got you a dominatrix suit, did they?"
"Reno," Elena shrieked from within the dressing room, "I'll have your head for that one!"
Reno decided to press her buttons further. "I recall someone with a fetish for being the dominant type. It wouldn't strike me as odd for that someone to be naturally inclined to buy something like that."
And all he heard was silence.
Tifa came out of the dressing rooms and shook her head disapprovingly at Reno.
"Why do you insist on bringing up past memories, Reno, when you yourself don't like being reminded of them?" And other things, she added to herself. For example, the incident earlier…
"She asked for it." He shrugged lamely.
"She didn't ask for it. It came from your mouth; you started it. And that was pure infamy on her part. You do realize that she has yet to do something to you, right?"
"Yet she hasn't." He reminded her.
"Exactly my point."
A rustle from within the rooms had both their heads turning. Elena and Yuffie (who was blushing madly) appeared as if nothing had happened. Reno was only thankful that they were done. But before he could pick up his bags, Elena tugged on his ponytail…hard.
"Ow! What the hell was that for?" He demanded and released himself from her grip, tending to his head.
"Do you really think we're done? After that stupid comment you made earlier, you really think we're going to let you go that easily? Tifa and I need to do our own shopping before you can drop us off at her house. So sit down and relax, buddy, because you're not going anywhere."
"Since when did I have to wait on you guys hand and foot? I have places to go, 'Lene."
"Either you sit your ass down," she threatened, "or I'll tell everyone what happened over summer."
He gaped. She was threatening him? He looked at Tifa, his eyes pleading for help. He growled when all she did was throw an apologetic smile his way as if to say 'You deserved it.'
Yuffie, on the other hand, was having a ball. She bounced towards the two girls and chirped loudly, "What happened over summer? What happened?"
Elena bent down and whispered something in her ear. Then, a look of genuine perplexity spread all over the teenager's face. Reno had already gone red, knowing full well what that secret was.
"I don't see a problem with that."
"Well, yeah, I guess. But it would ruin his reputation for sure." Elena said with a smug grin. "And it may not be a big deal for us three, but to the other girls (and including the men on his insignificant level)-
"Hey!" Reno interjected but was completely ignored.
"-they might be thoroughly disappointed."
"Hey!" He yelled again. "Who gave you the right to tell that kid anything?"
Yuffie huffed and crossed her arms. "Stop calling me 'kid'! I am not a kid! I have a name, you know. It's Yuffie! Y-u-f-f-I-e! Besides, if you do I have the dirt on you now." She shot him a devious look. "I doubt you'd want that."
"Tifa," he whined boyishly. "Look what you guys did to her! You manipulated that…that kid into a conniving little, son of a-" He sighed.
Tifa walked up to him and gave him a comforting hug. "Don't worry. We're not that cruel. Besides, Elena is just teasing you."
"Still…" He pouted.
"Aw, cheer up, Reno." Elena looked at him innocently, batting her lashes. "I love you too much to do that to you."
Right then, she wasn't sure if a look of hatred passed through his eyes or something completely different. And, hopefully, something she would like to see shine through.
Passion, want, regret, and maybe – just maybe – love.
