The End of the Beginning
The room was buzzing angrily when Zidane walked in. He sighed and made his way through the desks, taking a seat in the most deserted area of the room. Zidnae glanced uninterestedly at the tight huddle of people where the noise was coming from. He wondered who they were attacking today. Every day, his fellow classmates would choose someone at random and verbally shower this poor victim with knives. Usually, they managed to dig up something stupid the victim had done in the past and tear the wound open again. Today, they appeared to even more savage because he could hear loud, choking sobs penetrating the human wall. Zidane looked doubtfully at the crowd but stood up and walked over to join them, wanting to see who was crying. As he approached them, a few people turned around to look at him and gasped in horror. Zidane raised an eyebrow curiously. They hurriedly left and took their seats, whispering quietly among themselves, their eyes still glued on Zidane. Zidane shrugged, looked towards the girl crying on the floor, and jumped backwards with surprise.
Zidane was shocked."Ruby!?"
The girl looked at him and broke into a relieved smile, with tears still streaming down her face. "Z-Zidane, you're finally here."
Zidane quickly helped her up and asked,"Ruby, why are you crying?" Then he glared angrily at the surrounding crowd and said,"They haven't hurt you, have they?"
Ruby shook her head. "Not physically, but-" Ruby paused and looked around at the threatening faces scowling at her.
"But what?" asked Zidane.
Ruby looked determinedly back at Zidane and said,"But they have hurt me in other ways. They said.. they said I- I wasn't good enough for you, and that if I really had any heart at all, I'd go date Steiner."
Zidane was furious. He turned to the crowd in general and bellowed," Who do you people think you are?! The power to decide whether or not she should go out with Steiner does not rest with any of you!! She, just in case you were wondering, is MY girlfriend, and if the topic of who is good enough for who doesn't come between us, it shouldn't even cross your minds!! Why should our relationship be any of your business anyway?!"
He paused to glower at the uneasy crowd and continued warningly," If I catch any of you slating Ruby again, I will personally make your lives as miserable as possible. Now, if you would get out of the damn way, I would like to leave."
They obediently moved out of the way, all eyes looking guiltily at the ground. Zidane stiffly muttered," thank you" and stormed out of the room wordlessly, with Ruby hurrying along at his side.
"Zidane.."
"Shut up."
"But-"
"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"
"Zi-"
Zidane was crouched on the ground, arms crossed with his face buried within them. His whole body was trembling. But as Ruby approached him, he stood up slowly and sighed, his face still facing downwards.
"Zidane, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.. " whispered Ruby tentatively.
Zidane shook his head and looked up at her, his face filled with sorrow. "It's not your fault. You never did anything."
"But I'm still sorry."said Ruby, slowly reaching to touch his arm.
Zidane pulled his arm away, looked up at the sky, and said laughingly," HAHA!! Why should you be sorry?? You didn't tell them to pick on you, did you? Of course not. And it's certainly not your fault my parents and friends don't like you. Am I correct?"
Zidane cracked up maniacally, laughing until he collapsed onto the ground with a hard thump. Ruby watched him with a contorted look on her face, halfway between horror and confusion.
"Ruby," said Zidane, "tell me, why does everyone hate you?"
Ruby looked uncertain. "Um..er.. I don't know..?"
Zidane laughed again."You don't know? What kind of stupid answer is that?" Then he looked at her solemnly " Ruby,I'm really sorry, but I don't think we're going to work out.. Everyone's pushing me to break up with you. And I know they're doing the same to you. Nothing makes sense anymore. That's why I'm leaving you, but when you can make sense of everything, tell me, and I'll come back to you, I promise."
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Another chapter. Tell me what you think of it, please.
The room was buzzing angrily when Zidane walked in. He sighed and made his way through the desks, taking a seat in the most deserted area of the room. Zidnae glanced uninterestedly at the tight huddle of people where the noise was coming from. He wondered who they were attacking today. Every day, his fellow classmates would choose someone at random and verbally shower this poor victim with knives. Usually, they managed to dig up something stupid the victim had done in the past and tear the wound open again. Today, they appeared to even more savage because he could hear loud, choking sobs penetrating the human wall. Zidane looked doubtfully at the crowd but stood up and walked over to join them, wanting to see who was crying. As he approached them, a few people turned around to look at him and gasped in horror. Zidane raised an eyebrow curiously. They hurriedly left and took their seats, whispering quietly among themselves, their eyes still glued on Zidane. Zidane shrugged, looked towards the girl crying on the floor, and jumped backwards with surprise.
Zidane was shocked."Ruby!?"
The girl looked at him and broke into a relieved smile, with tears still streaming down her face. "Z-Zidane, you're finally here."
Zidane quickly helped her up and asked,"Ruby, why are you crying?" Then he glared angrily at the surrounding crowd and said,"They haven't hurt you, have they?"
Ruby shook her head. "Not physically, but-" Ruby paused and looked around at the threatening faces scowling at her.
"But what?" asked Zidane.
Ruby looked determinedly back at Zidane and said,"But they have hurt me in other ways. They said.. they said I- I wasn't good enough for you, and that if I really had any heart at all, I'd go date Steiner."
Zidane was furious. He turned to the crowd in general and bellowed," Who do you people think you are?! The power to decide whether or not she should go out with Steiner does not rest with any of you!! She, just in case you were wondering, is MY girlfriend, and if the topic of who is good enough for who doesn't come between us, it shouldn't even cross your minds!! Why should our relationship be any of your business anyway?!"
He paused to glower at the uneasy crowd and continued warningly," If I catch any of you slating Ruby again, I will personally make your lives as miserable as possible. Now, if you would get out of the damn way, I would like to leave."
They obediently moved out of the way, all eyes looking guiltily at the ground. Zidane stiffly muttered," thank you" and stormed out of the room wordlessly, with Ruby hurrying along at his side.
"Zidane.."
"Shut up."
"But-"
"I SAID SHUT UP!!!"
"Zi-"
Zidane was crouched on the ground, arms crossed with his face buried within them. His whole body was trembling. But as Ruby approached him, he stood up slowly and sighed, his face still facing downwards.
"Zidane, I'm really sorry. I didn't mean to cause so much trouble.. " whispered Ruby tentatively.
Zidane shook his head and looked up at her, his face filled with sorrow. "It's not your fault. You never did anything."
"But I'm still sorry."said Ruby, slowly reaching to touch his arm.
Zidane pulled his arm away, looked up at the sky, and said laughingly," HAHA!! Why should you be sorry?? You didn't tell them to pick on you, did you? Of course not. And it's certainly not your fault my parents and friends don't like you. Am I correct?"
Zidane cracked up maniacally, laughing until he collapsed onto the ground with a hard thump. Ruby watched him with a contorted look on her face, halfway between horror and confusion.
"Ruby," said Zidane, "tell me, why does everyone hate you?"
Ruby looked uncertain. "Um..er.. I don't know..?"
Zidane laughed again."You don't know? What kind of stupid answer is that?" Then he looked at her solemnly " Ruby,I'm really sorry, but I don't think we're going to work out.. Everyone's pushing me to break up with you. And I know they're doing the same to you. Nothing makes sense anymore. That's why I'm leaving you, but when you can make sense of everything, tell me, and I'll come back to you, I promise."
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Another chapter. Tell me what you think of it, please.