Chapter Seven: The Importance of Not Being a Complete Spaz
Quote: "You got your tongue on my gums!" -Quest for Camelot
Update: Sunday, November 02, 2003
Author's Notes/Uncontrolled Babbling: Hey, I'm actually writing two days in a row, even though I'm not going to post for a few days. I'm really frustrated with fanfiction.net, though. I always post a story, and then discover when I look for it that it's on the second page. How the hell do I get it in a more prominent position so more people will actually read it? Also, my new summary is crap. I'm really not good at that. And when authors wrote in their summary, 'the story is better than the summary,' I was skeptical. I thought, 'Well, how competent of an author can they be if they can't properly string two general sentences together?'
I now see the error of my ways, and I certainly hope that my summary isn't reflective of the quality of my story. Oh yes, and someone sent me an email saying that I use big words. I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. FULIGINOUS. Take that. Anyway, no more bitter ranting. It's kind of sad, I can rant for hours without really thinking, but writing about a page of the story takes me forever. I also realized that I write with a stream-of-consciousness sort of style, like, I don't actually do any real planning, just write and pray that it goes well. It's worked pretty successfully, but I think that maybe I'll work on that.
*insert regular copyright shtick here*
Wonder twin powers activate! Form of next chapter!
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And I pressed the doorbell. I'll admit it. I panicked. I'd never been kissed, after all; so I did the only thing I could think of. Mamoru's face was inches from mine when the door swung open to reveal Mr. Tsukino. I screamed, slapped Mamoru lightly (so as not to injure him) and yelled, "Pervert!"
I rushed inside the house and watched with delight as Mr. Tsukino took an umbrella, the closest weapon he could find, to Mamoru's arm. "Get out of here!" he yelled, whacking Mamoru repeatedly.
Mamoru shot me a furious look before dashing off, Mr. Tsukino in hot pursuit, brandishing his umbrella. Mr. Tsukino stopped at the gate, still waving his umbrella menacingly. "And don't come back," he yelled at the retreating motorcycle.
I almost collapsed on the floor from laughter. I was reduced to wheezing, having run out of air. I quickly sobered before Mr. Tsukino re-entered the house. I thanked him gravely. Mr. Tsukino assured me that he would take care of Mamoru if he ever came back, and I smiled with feigned gratefulness. He also told me that the next time I shouldn't slap Mamoru, but sucker-punch him. Not sure whether or not he was joking, I put on a neutral face and walked to my room.
I couldn't quite wipe the smile off of my face for the rest of the night.
Next Morning, at School.
At the first class of the day, Mamoru slid into the seat next to me. He looked no worse for the wear, just a little peeved. He hissed into my ear, sending chills down my spine, "That was pure evil, Blake."
I pouted innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about. A mere slip of the hand. And since when are we using last names, Chiba?"
I turned back to the front of the class to avoid his heated gaze while the rest of the students filed in. The teacher began. I could feel Mamoru's watching me, still. "Slip of the hand, my ass! You slapped me, called me a pervert, and sicced your psychotic host father on me! I'll have umbrella-shaped bruises on my arm for days," he whispered harshly.
I flicked my eyes coolly to him, praying that my cheeks would not flush. After all, he was very close, and very attractive. Especially when he was mad. I suppressed the thought. "Please, Mamoru, I'm trying to listen to the lecture."
He snorted loudly. Haruna-sensei paused her lecture and turned to Mamoru. "Is there a problem, Mr. Chiba?"
"No, ma'am, just a cold."
I choked on my own spit, and began hacking loudly. "Ms. Blake, are you alright?"
I nodded, still choking. Haruna-sensei sighed. "Well, you two are no use as you are now. Why don't you both go to the infirmary? You're obviously distracted, and you're distracting the class in turn."
We both stood and exited the classroom. Once outside, Mamoru turned to me again. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Are you going to apologize?"
I turned to him. "For what?"
"You know very well for what. I thought that we were friends."
"Just because we're friends doesn't mean that I can't have some occasional fun, does it?"
"Not at my expense," he grumped.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mamoru," I cooed, patting his arm, "but it really was worth it."
I was suddenly aware of how much I wanted to grab him and kiss him when he pouted. I smacked my hand mentally. Bad Serena, bad thoughts.
"Well, I'm glad that someone had fun," he growled, though somewhat more gently.
I grabbed his sleeve and tugged. "Don't be that way. Come on, let's go the infirmary. They'll notice eventually if we don't."
Mamoru shrugged and allowed me to lead him. The nurse greeted us at the door. "What seems to be the problem, dears?"
"I have a cold," Mamoru said simply, and jabbed me in the stomach.
"I had an uncontrollable coughing fit, but I think I'm fine now. I was sent just to make sure."
The nurse nodded, turning to Mamoru. "Mamoru, dear, do you think that maybe your immune system didn't fully recover after the accident. I mean, very few people get colds at this time of year. And you do still look a little pale."
I furrowed my eyebrows at Mamoru. Accident? What accident? I made a mental note to interrogate him later. "Probably. But I don't think that the cold will really be damaging. It'll pass, Nurse Misao."
Nurse Misao turned to me expectantly. "Do you need a check-up, or are you feeling better now?"
I shook my head, and Nurse Misao said, "You both go back to class, then."
We walked down the hallways. I contemplated a good, gentle way to ask about the 'accident.' "What accident was Nurse Misao talking about?"
Bah, close enough. He glanced at me. And then it happened. We were just standing there, and all of a sudden he was kissing me. I'll admit it, I'd secretly fantasized that my first kiss would be somewhere romantic with someone I was desperately in love with. Or that I'd at least be dating him. Well, anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I really didn't expect it to be in the middle of a school hallway in a foreign country, when I should have been in class.
I fell back against a school locker and ran my hands through his hair, vaguely aware that I'd have a very large bruise on my head for days to come. Now, I'd never been kissed before, but I have to say, I highly approved of Mamoru's skills. Suddenly, it occurred to me what I was doing, and I planted my hands on his chest, firmly pushing him away.
"I think we got it right that time," he grinned.
I giggled and mentally slapped myself. No, no more schoolgirl. "You're just trying to distract me. It's not going to work."
"Fine, fine," he threw up his hands in defeat. "Meet me in the arcade after school. I'll talk to you there."
At the Arcade.
I sat at the counter, swinging my legs and staring into space. I heard a whoosh of air as someone sat next to me, and turned to Mamoru. "It was a motorcycle accident."
I blinked once, then twice. "I would have been okay with a simple, 'Hello.'"
He scowled at me. "Hello. Can't you ever be serious?"
"Touchy, touchy. And no, I can't ever be truly serious. Being serious depresses me, and no good has ever come of it. So, anyway, motorcycle accident? I'd think it'd have taught you a lesson about speeding on that death trap."
"It was raining. I turned a corner too sharply and skidded out into a car moving the opposite way." He shrugged. "I got into a tangle with a couple tons of metal, and the metal won."
I spun around on my stool to face him. "What happened to you? Are you OK, now?"
I furrowed my eyebrows and looked him over hurriedly, as though injuries would magically appear now that I knew he had been hurt. When he chuckled, I looked into his eyes, crinkled with laughter. "You know, Serena, that's what I like about you. You try so hard to pretend you're cool and disaffected, but deep down you're just a big softie, and a worrywart. It makes me wonder what you were like pre-parental-divorce."
I grabbed a milkshake from the counter and took a long slurp. "Giggly and prepubescent."
"Much like now."
I socked him in the arm. "And you tell me I can't be serious? But really, I'm listening."
Mamoru sighed a tired sigh. "I lost a crapload of blood, broke my collarbone and a leg, suffered from internal bleeding, and went into a coma, apparently. I woke up a couple of months later."
"You have no flare for the dramatic. Well, that story at least explains why you were so ghastly pale and sickly looking at the beginning of the school year."
Mamoru feigned hurt. "Ghastly pale? Sickly? I rather pictured myself as sort of angelically pale, yet still rakishly handsome." He did, not that I would ever admit it. He flipped his hair back and flashed a devastating smile.
"What do you think now?"
I willed myself not to blush, cursing myself for my weakness. A month ago, this would not have been a problem. I put my hand to my chin, briefly considering. "I think you look like an Herbal Essences commercial, except without the orgasmic moaning."
"Thank God for that," Motoki said as he passed by with a customer's order.
"So, Mamoru, you want to hang out tonight?" I asked in my best attempt at a casual voice.
Mamoru looked at me skeptically. "If I do, will I be attacked?"
"I can't guarantee that," I smiled sweetly.
"Fine, fine."
At Serena's House.
Mamoru and I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. My brain registered that people were talking and that a background was moving back, but it was all a blur. When Mamoru shifted closer to me on the couch, I snapped back into reality. His arm slid onto the couch cushion above my shoulders. "Serena, can you tell me what exactly we're watching?"
"Nope. But I think Gen just cured Keiko's incurable brain disease and now they're making passionate love on the hospital bed," I leaned my head back onto his arm.
"Ah, how silly of me not to have figured that out."
I could feel his breath in my hair, and suddenly became aware of just how close Mamoru was. "Mamoru-"
"Serena-" he began.
"You go first, Serena."
"'K. Um, I don't think I can do this."
Mamoru and I turned to face each other. "Do what?"
"I don't know. This!" I pointed to his arm.
"Serena, we're friends. Friends touch each other."
"Yeah, but it's hard to be friends when I know you want to stick your tongue down my throat. You stole my first kiss, you know!" I said, exasperated. Damn me and my verbal diarrhea. That hadn't been what I'd meant to say at all.
Mamoru flew off the couch and started ranting. "I want to stick my tongue down your throat? What are you talking about? You're the one who's been flirting. And, if I remember, correctly, you didn't seem to adverse to it at the time. I made it clear from the get-go that this was going to be a strictly platonic relationship. So I made a mistake, can you blame me?"
"Don't you dare pin this all on me, Chiba Mamoru! You were the one getting all cozy on the couch!" I screamed, pushing myself up off the sofa to face him.
As I yelled, I wondered why we were yelling at each other. I wasn't even sure what we were mad about. I'd never gotten so riled up as I did with him. We always seemed to be arguing. I've always hated arguing, because when you get to the point of arguing, no one's going to change their mind about anything, just get angrier.
"You know what? I'm going home. You're a complete brat. It's always about you, all the time. Everything everyone does is a personal affront to you. I don't know why I bother. I can never go right with you! It's been like this since we met, fluctuating between, 'Oh, Mamoru, you're such a good friend!' and 'You little rat-fink bastard!' Grow up, Serena. I'm not dealing with this anymore," he turned on his heel and started walking to the door.
"Fuck you, Chiba Mamoru. Fuck. You," I shrieked, desperate to say something crushing, anything.
The only response was the front door slamming. I waited until I heard the motorcycle's engine roar before collapsing onto the couch and screaming into a cushion.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Like, OMG, an update! No, but seriously, I had some free time, surprise of surprises, after months without it. I really will try to update more, but I was having serious writer's block in addition to having no free time. Also, I'm trying to rekindle my interest in the story. And while I've gotten great and positive reviews, I really would like to have more so I know that people are even reading "Love and Its Glory".
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW
Quote: "You got your tongue on my gums!" -Quest for Camelot
Update: Sunday, November 02, 2003
Author's Notes/Uncontrolled Babbling: Hey, I'm actually writing two days in a row, even though I'm not going to post for a few days. I'm really frustrated with fanfiction.net, though. I always post a story, and then discover when I look for it that it's on the second page. How the hell do I get it in a more prominent position so more people will actually read it? Also, my new summary is crap. I'm really not good at that. And when authors wrote in their summary, 'the story is better than the summary,' I was skeptical. I thought, 'Well, how competent of an author can they be if they can't properly string two general sentences together?'
I now see the error of my ways, and I certainly hope that my summary isn't reflective of the quality of my story. Oh yes, and someone sent me an email saying that I use big words. I'm sorry, but I have no idea what you're talking about. FULIGINOUS. Take that. Anyway, no more bitter ranting. It's kind of sad, I can rant for hours without really thinking, but writing about a page of the story takes me forever. I also realized that I write with a stream-of-consciousness sort of style, like, I don't actually do any real planning, just write and pray that it goes well. It's worked pretty successfully, but I think that maybe I'll work on that.
*insert regular copyright shtick here*
Wonder twin powers activate! Form of next chapter!
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
And I pressed the doorbell. I'll admit it. I panicked. I'd never been kissed, after all; so I did the only thing I could think of. Mamoru's face was inches from mine when the door swung open to reveal Mr. Tsukino. I screamed, slapped Mamoru lightly (so as not to injure him) and yelled, "Pervert!"
I rushed inside the house and watched with delight as Mr. Tsukino took an umbrella, the closest weapon he could find, to Mamoru's arm. "Get out of here!" he yelled, whacking Mamoru repeatedly.
Mamoru shot me a furious look before dashing off, Mr. Tsukino in hot pursuit, brandishing his umbrella. Mr. Tsukino stopped at the gate, still waving his umbrella menacingly. "And don't come back," he yelled at the retreating motorcycle.
I almost collapsed on the floor from laughter. I was reduced to wheezing, having run out of air. I quickly sobered before Mr. Tsukino re-entered the house. I thanked him gravely. Mr. Tsukino assured me that he would take care of Mamoru if he ever came back, and I smiled with feigned gratefulness. He also told me that the next time I shouldn't slap Mamoru, but sucker-punch him. Not sure whether or not he was joking, I put on a neutral face and walked to my room.
I couldn't quite wipe the smile off of my face for the rest of the night.
Next Morning, at School.
At the first class of the day, Mamoru slid into the seat next to me. He looked no worse for the wear, just a little peeved. He hissed into my ear, sending chills down my spine, "That was pure evil, Blake."
I pouted innocently. "I don't know what you're talking about. A mere slip of the hand. And since when are we using last names, Chiba?"
I turned back to the front of the class to avoid his heated gaze while the rest of the students filed in. The teacher began. I could feel Mamoru's watching me, still. "Slip of the hand, my ass! You slapped me, called me a pervert, and sicced your psychotic host father on me! I'll have umbrella-shaped bruises on my arm for days," he whispered harshly.
I flicked my eyes coolly to him, praying that my cheeks would not flush. After all, he was very close, and very attractive. Especially when he was mad. I suppressed the thought. "Please, Mamoru, I'm trying to listen to the lecture."
He snorted loudly. Haruna-sensei paused her lecture and turned to Mamoru. "Is there a problem, Mr. Chiba?"
"No, ma'am, just a cold."
I choked on my own spit, and began hacking loudly. "Ms. Blake, are you alright?"
I nodded, still choking. Haruna-sensei sighed. "Well, you two are no use as you are now. Why don't you both go to the infirmary? You're obviously distracted, and you're distracting the class in turn."
We both stood and exited the classroom. Once outside, Mamoru turned to me again. "Well?"
"Well, what?"
"Are you going to apologize?"
I turned to him. "For what?"
"You know very well for what. I thought that we were friends."
"Just because we're friends doesn't mean that I can't have some occasional fun, does it?"
"Not at my expense," he grumped.
"Oh, I'm sorry, Mamoru," I cooed, patting his arm, "but it really was worth it."
I was suddenly aware of how much I wanted to grab him and kiss him when he pouted. I smacked my hand mentally. Bad Serena, bad thoughts.
"Well, I'm glad that someone had fun," he growled, though somewhat more gently.
I grabbed his sleeve and tugged. "Don't be that way. Come on, let's go the infirmary. They'll notice eventually if we don't."
Mamoru shrugged and allowed me to lead him. The nurse greeted us at the door. "What seems to be the problem, dears?"
"I have a cold," Mamoru said simply, and jabbed me in the stomach.
"I had an uncontrollable coughing fit, but I think I'm fine now. I was sent just to make sure."
The nurse nodded, turning to Mamoru. "Mamoru, dear, do you think that maybe your immune system didn't fully recover after the accident. I mean, very few people get colds at this time of year. And you do still look a little pale."
I furrowed my eyebrows at Mamoru. Accident? What accident? I made a mental note to interrogate him later. "Probably. But I don't think that the cold will really be damaging. It'll pass, Nurse Misao."
Nurse Misao turned to me expectantly. "Do you need a check-up, or are you feeling better now?"
I shook my head, and Nurse Misao said, "You both go back to class, then."
We walked down the hallways. I contemplated a good, gentle way to ask about the 'accident.' "What accident was Nurse Misao talking about?"
Bah, close enough. He glanced at me. And then it happened. We were just standing there, and all of a sudden he was kissing me. I'll admit it, I'd secretly fantasized that my first kiss would be somewhere romantic with someone I was desperately in love with. Or that I'd at least be dating him. Well, anyway, what I'm trying to say is, I really didn't expect it to be in the middle of a school hallway in a foreign country, when I should have been in class.
I fell back against a school locker and ran my hands through his hair, vaguely aware that I'd have a very large bruise on my head for days to come. Now, I'd never been kissed before, but I have to say, I highly approved of Mamoru's skills. Suddenly, it occurred to me what I was doing, and I planted my hands on his chest, firmly pushing him away.
"I think we got it right that time," he grinned.
I giggled and mentally slapped myself. No, no more schoolgirl. "You're just trying to distract me. It's not going to work."
"Fine, fine," he threw up his hands in defeat. "Meet me in the arcade after school. I'll talk to you there."
At the Arcade.
I sat at the counter, swinging my legs and staring into space. I heard a whoosh of air as someone sat next to me, and turned to Mamoru. "It was a motorcycle accident."
I blinked once, then twice. "I would have been okay with a simple, 'Hello.'"
He scowled at me. "Hello. Can't you ever be serious?"
"Touchy, touchy. And no, I can't ever be truly serious. Being serious depresses me, and no good has ever come of it. So, anyway, motorcycle accident? I'd think it'd have taught you a lesson about speeding on that death trap."
"It was raining. I turned a corner too sharply and skidded out into a car moving the opposite way." He shrugged. "I got into a tangle with a couple tons of metal, and the metal won."
I spun around on my stool to face him. "What happened to you? Are you OK, now?"
I furrowed my eyebrows and looked him over hurriedly, as though injuries would magically appear now that I knew he had been hurt. When he chuckled, I looked into his eyes, crinkled with laughter. "You know, Serena, that's what I like about you. You try so hard to pretend you're cool and disaffected, but deep down you're just a big softie, and a worrywart. It makes me wonder what you were like pre-parental-divorce."
I grabbed a milkshake from the counter and took a long slurp. "Giggly and prepubescent."
"Much like now."
I socked him in the arm. "And you tell me I can't be serious? But really, I'm listening."
Mamoru sighed a tired sigh. "I lost a crapload of blood, broke my collarbone and a leg, suffered from internal bleeding, and went into a coma, apparently. I woke up a couple of months later."
"You have no flare for the dramatic. Well, that story at least explains why you were so ghastly pale and sickly looking at the beginning of the school year."
Mamoru feigned hurt. "Ghastly pale? Sickly? I rather pictured myself as sort of angelically pale, yet still rakishly handsome." He did, not that I would ever admit it. He flipped his hair back and flashed a devastating smile.
"What do you think now?"
I willed myself not to blush, cursing myself for my weakness. A month ago, this would not have been a problem. I put my hand to my chin, briefly considering. "I think you look like an Herbal Essences commercial, except without the orgasmic moaning."
"Thank God for that," Motoki said as he passed by with a customer's order.
"So, Mamoru, you want to hang out tonight?" I asked in my best attempt at a casual voice.
Mamoru looked at me skeptically. "If I do, will I be attacked?"
"I can't guarantee that," I smiled sweetly.
"Fine, fine."
At Serena's House.
Mamoru and I sat on the couch, staring blankly at the TV. My brain registered that people were talking and that a background was moving back, but it was all a blur. When Mamoru shifted closer to me on the couch, I snapped back into reality. His arm slid onto the couch cushion above my shoulders. "Serena, can you tell me what exactly we're watching?"
"Nope. But I think Gen just cured Keiko's incurable brain disease and now they're making passionate love on the hospital bed," I leaned my head back onto his arm.
"Ah, how silly of me not to have figured that out."
I could feel his breath in my hair, and suddenly became aware of just how close Mamoru was. "Mamoru-"
"Serena-" he began.
"You go first, Serena."
"'K. Um, I don't think I can do this."
Mamoru and I turned to face each other. "Do what?"
"I don't know. This!" I pointed to his arm.
"Serena, we're friends. Friends touch each other."
"Yeah, but it's hard to be friends when I know you want to stick your tongue down my throat. You stole my first kiss, you know!" I said, exasperated. Damn me and my verbal diarrhea. That hadn't been what I'd meant to say at all.
Mamoru flew off the couch and started ranting. "I want to stick my tongue down your throat? What are you talking about? You're the one who's been flirting. And, if I remember, correctly, you didn't seem to adverse to it at the time. I made it clear from the get-go that this was going to be a strictly platonic relationship. So I made a mistake, can you blame me?"
"Don't you dare pin this all on me, Chiba Mamoru! You were the one getting all cozy on the couch!" I screamed, pushing myself up off the sofa to face him.
As I yelled, I wondered why we were yelling at each other. I wasn't even sure what we were mad about. I'd never gotten so riled up as I did with him. We always seemed to be arguing. I've always hated arguing, because when you get to the point of arguing, no one's going to change their mind about anything, just get angrier.
"You know what? I'm going home. You're a complete brat. It's always about you, all the time. Everything everyone does is a personal affront to you. I don't know why I bother. I can never go right with you! It's been like this since we met, fluctuating between, 'Oh, Mamoru, you're such a good friend!' and 'You little rat-fink bastard!' Grow up, Serena. I'm not dealing with this anymore," he turned on his heel and started walking to the door.
"Fuck you, Chiba Mamoru. Fuck. You," I shrieked, desperate to say something crushing, anything.
The only response was the front door slamming. I waited until I heard the motorcycle's engine roar before collapsing onto the couch and screaming into a cushion.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Like, OMG, an update! No, but seriously, I had some free time, surprise of surprises, after months without it. I really will try to update more, but I was having serious writer's block in addition to having no free time. Also, I'm trying to rekindle my interest in the story. And while I've gotten great and positive reviews, I really would like to have more so I know that people are even reading "Love and Its Glory".
REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW REVIEW