Chapter 24: New Year Disappointments

        Christmas passed uneventfully, and the New Year came and went. Rue spent both holidays with the Klauses, while Mint spent them in her dormitory with Mrs. Cartha. Rod had invited her to a week-long hiking trip with him to the Nibelheim Mountains, but Mint didn't feel like going.

        The school year resumed. Mint sat alone in class, since Annette was still visiting relatives overseas and was scheduled not to come back until next week. Rue avoided her even worse than she avoided him, seemingly. The fact that Valen was his father still hung thickly in the air between them. And since there was no news and no new leads from Klaus, there wasn't anything they needed to talk about anyway.

        It was late Tuesday after the dismissal bell, and Mint walked out into the hall, planning to skip gymnastics practice that day. Hey, she already had a gold win under her belt—she sure as heck was entitled to some time off. It had been a long and weary Christmas break for her, if it could even be called that. Right then, she was feeling very eager to totally humiliate a certain someone at Nightmare Altar.

        But that would not be the case this afternoon. She heard quick footsteps and a familiar voice call to her, and she turned to see Tonia walking towards her at top speed.

        "What's the matter, Tonia?"

        From the look on the other's face, it wasn't good. "Trouble. Big trouble. You're wanted at the conference room beside the Principal's office, immediately."

        Mint frowned inwardly, even as she fell into a brisk pace alongside her upperclassman. "What happened?" Tonia merely shook her head, which Mint took as a sign that whatever it was, Tonia couldn't or wouldn't be the one to tell her. No matter, she'd find out soon enough. She opened the conference room door and went in.

        They were met with the entire Carona High school board and then some. Coach Mira was standing by the window with a worried expression. Principal Klaus was there too, one arm placed comfortingly around his wife. "What is going on here?!" Mint asked, momentarily forgetting her place.

        "Ms. Nikolai, and Ms. Vanguard?" An old gentleman motioned to them. "Please, sit down." Tonia nodded her thanks as she and Mint took seats at the long oval table of the conference room. "Alright, let's begin." The man introduced himself as Benjamin Atenacius, deputy chairman of the school board.

        He went straight to the point. "You all know why we're here. Cheating has always been considered a very serious offense, especially in inter-school competitions. Coupled with fraud, it could be grounds for expulsion. Ms. Vanguard," he turned. "Do you deny that you are the eldest daughter of his Majesty, Mathias East Heaven?"

        Mint abruptly stood up in shock. "W-WHAT?!! What has that got to do with anything?! I haven't cheated in any way!!"

        "Just answer the question, Ms. Vanguard. And please, sit down."

        Reluctantly, Mint obliged him. A pause, and she clenched and unclenched her fists at her sides. "Yes, I am his Majesty's daughter."

        "Then do you deny that you are psionic or psyche-strong?"

        "Y-yes, I mean, I don't deny it, but I still don't see—"

        Atenacius silenced her with a wave. "It is against the competition rules for the contestants to use artificial stimulants to improve their athletic prowess. In the case of psionics, they may not, repeat, not use their powers when competing with or against ordinary students. Non-wearing of committee-approved psyche-dampers for psionics during a tournament or competition is considered cheating and is a major offense."

        Mint's jaw dropped half-open. "I… I didn't know," she whispered so softly that only Tonia heard her. Suddenly she couldn't think clearly. How did they find out who I am? All of a sudden her vision turned blurry—No! She wasn't going to cry over this! Even if it seemed that only bad things had ever happened to her recently, she promised that she won't ever cry! First it was Doll Master, and then Maya and Belle's betrayal… And then there was Rue, Rue being who he is… and now this…

        She could only recollect vague pieces of rest of the conversation after that. "No proof that she…" "We have videos. Clearly you can see that she wore a pair…" "…no, it's not good enough." "The board cannot overlook an accusation of this magnitude!" "…if she can produce the bracelets, and we prove that they really are psyche-dampers, then she's off the hook."

        "Well, Mint?" It was Coach Mira who spoke next. "Where are the bracelets? You have them, don't you?"

        Mint blinked, suddenly realizing that she was the one being spoken to. "Err, what was that?"

        "Where are the bracelets that Belle gave you?" Mira asked insistently.

        She bit her lip so hard it almost bled. "I… I don't have them any more. I thought that…"

        "Then, I'm sorry," Atenacius spoke up. "There's nothing we can do. The board will now decide on the proper action."

        Klaus cleared his throat and was recognized. "My wife and I maintain that we have full confidence in Ms. Vanguard's innocence. Perhaps there's another way she can prove it. Will you accept it if she performs her dance sequence again in the same manner, while wearing the psyche-dampers of your choosing?"

        Murmurs of yea and nay were heard across the table, but the matter was quickly settled with a show of hands. "Alright," Atenacius said. "Ms. Vanguard will perform again this afternoon, in half an hour at the Carona High gymnasium, to prove her innocence of the charge of cheating during the Gamul competition. This meeting is temporarily adjourned."

        "Where did you put the bracelets, Mint?" Tonia was sitting down on a bench in the girls' locker room, watching the other change into her gymnastics uniform.

        "I told you," Mint answered as she fixed her hair in front of the mirror. "I don't have them anymore. I asked Mrs. Cartha to dispose of them for me."

        Tonia pursed her lips thoughtfully. "If I know Mrs. Cartha, she wouldn't have gotten rid of them just like that. She probably hid them somewhere." Tonia stood up. "I'm going to run over there and ask."

        But Mint grabbed her arm as she turned. "No, Tonia. I don't need those bracelets to prove myself. I can do this on my own." It was unspoken, but Tonia understood. Mint wanted her friend to be there.

        Tonia nodded. "Alright. I'll get the radio." Mint reached for a pair of silver bangles—the committee-issued psyche-dampers—and she snapped them on. Oddly enough, they felt like handcuffs.

        Together, she and Tonia stepped out into the training hall, where everyone was waiting for them. Tonia put the radio down on a long table by the window. "Dance like you've never danced before, Mint," she whispered in encouragement. "Not only the medal, but your position on the team is at stake as well."

        "Hey, have you ever known me to fail?" The words and the tone she used were as brash as usual, but Mint's expression did not mirror it. Ever so briefly, Tonia thought she saw a pained look pass over the wine-red eyes. With deceivingly confident steps Mint walked to her position at the center of the mats. "I'm ready!" Tonia turned the radio on.

        Mint danced. It started out as well if not better than her performance at Gamul was. But forty seconds into the sequence, it became apparent that something was wrong. Mint's eyes were blinking too much, as if she was having a hard time keeping them open. Suddenly she gasped and raised her arms in front of her awkwardly, right before collapsing into a dead faint.

        It was humiliation of the highest degree, especially for someone as proud as the displaced East Heaven princess. After a lengthy discussion, and as soon as the girl could stand, the school board publicly declared her crime, stripped her of her medal, and expelled her not only from her captaincy, but totally out of the gymnastics team. Her offence merited expulsion, but despite the evidence (or lack thereof) Klaus and Mira refused to acknowledge her guilt, and were somehow able to convince the board to be lenient. There would be no suspension from classes, although she was to write a formal apology and have it published in the local paper, as well as posting it in every bulletin board in school.

        Mint disappeared immediately after the board declared its decision. She was absent from class the next day, and by then, the entire school knew.

        Rue was distraught. He fully believed in Mint's innocence, even if half the class did not. Neil was using all of his verbal charm to convince those who opposed his views on the subject, and Rue could only nod quietly as he listened. It was big news of course, but it turned out that class's sentiments weren't as much sympathy or abhorrence as it was disbelief. The handful who have actually seen Mint perform asserted that the charge was a complete fraud, a certain select were convinced that Mint was a cheater of the highest order (how else would she have gotten into the A section with her abysmal grades?), while the rest of the class simply refused to form an opinion, still stunned and unable to believe that Mint was capable of such a thing. But they did pass the news along.

        The gymnastics team took it especially hard. They all but one had walked out on the school board's announcement yesterday in sympathy for their captain. They declared a boycott on gym practice for an entire week, and Coach Mira actually approved it. The atypical silence of the gymnastics hall that afternoon struck at Rue and unexplainably made him feel awkward.

        "Something on your mind?" Neil asked him as they did their kendo practice slashes side by side. Rue could only shake his head dismissively.

        I should have been there for her. For some reason, he couldn't stop thinking about it.

        They finished the extra drills and Rue and Neil changed out of their kendo garb. As Rue slung the strap of his violin case, he felt a hand on his shoulder. Neil inclined his head towards the exit where Tonia was frantically trying to get their attention. The boys walked towards her.

        "What's the matter?" Neil asked, but Tonia didn't know how to begin. "It's about Mint, isn't it? Where is she?"

        "We can't find her," Tonia said. "I already called Rod and Mrs. Cartha, and I went to her usual hangouts, but she's not anywhere."

        "Maybe she just needs some time alone," Rue suggested.

        Tonia sighed audibly, her expression serious. "I know that, but I'm worried. You know how high-strung she is, and especially after everything she's been through recently… I just want to be sure that, that she won't try anything we'll all regret…"

        They could see where Tonia was going with this, and Neil was starting to get worried too. He asked, "Have you tried the Starlight Mall? Or the one at Spencer?" Tonia nodded an affirmative.

        "She's not at either. Rod's out looking for her in the ruins they have visited together before—"

        "What about the Library?"

        "Rue, you know she never goes to the library!"

        "I'm going to the Atelier," Neil stated. "Maybe Mel knows something. Tonia, you'd better call Annette ASAP." Neil didn't even wait for an acknowledgement from them as he half-walked, half-ran out of the gymnasium.

        "What can I do?" Rue said apprehensively.

        "Mint usually visits the ruins when she gets like this. Rod said…" she bit her lip anxiously. "Rod said that once Mint impossibly climbed up the Winding Tower. Rue… if she's there… it's a long fall, even only midway…"

        At those words Rue's heart suddenly caught in his throat. Mint was just about impulsive enough to do it too. "I'm going." Slinging his violin case, he started out the door.

        "Wait, take this." Tonia grabbed his arm and thrust her cellular phone into his hand.

        "How will I be able to contact you then?"

        Tonia shook her head. "Call Neil—I'll contact him. I'm going to try the malls again."

        The sun had begun to set when he arrived at the Winding Tower. He sprinted up the spiraling stairs, stopping only when he came to the broken steps.

        They said she was able to climb up once… He shook his head. He couldn't risk the chance that she might be up there and just maybe do something rash. He had to climb up and check, or he'd never be able to live with himself otherwise.

        He surveyed the gap, and decided that it was too wide to jump. He had no rope, and even if he did there was no place to tie it to. How could she have climbed up? On a sudden idea, he looked out the window.

        Sure enough, there was a long crack just the right size for him to use as a foothold. If he could maneuver himself on the outside of the tower, using that crack to reach the next window, he could climb in and jump to the other side of the broken stairwell. The problem was that he couldn't quite reach the crack from where he stood.

        With a fiercely determined look, he took out the Arc Edge. He could make the crack longer if he bashed at the tower wall hard enough. It was dangerous, he knew—a couple of misplaced blows and he could very well bring the entire tower crashing down—no, probably not, but one could never tell. He judged that one properly-aimed strike should suit his purposes. He carefully climbed out the window and, gritting his teeth, he struck at the tower wall.

        CR-RNCH! He estimated correctly. The crack widened, just a little, and extended half a meter both ways. He had better not try it again. But the first one was enough. He dropped the Arc Edge on the inside tower steps and made his way across the outside. Eventually he reached the next window, climbed in and hurriedly walked up to the top.

        She wasn't there. And judging from the thin, windswept coating of dust over the flat marble floor, no one but him had climbed up there recently.

        He crossed the roof deck to the side nearest the lake and peered over the parapets. The waters rippled calmly far below him, undisturbed except for a gentle breeze. Sighing, he sat down with his back against the stone wall, torn between his feelings of relief and anxiety for his red-haired friend.

        Tonia's cellular phone rang. He stood, pulled it out of his pocket and clicked it on. "Hello?"

        "Rue? Rue, is that you?" A familiar voice called from the other end. "Thank the heavens. Where are you?"

        "Annette? I'm at the Winding Tower, but Mint hasn't been here—"

        Annette's voice interrupted him. "We've found her—she's at Cousin Jargen's bar. But Jargen says she seems really upset though." Her tone turned pleading. "Rue, could you go to her please?"

        He nodded unconsciously. "I'll go there straightaway."

        "Thank you so much." And then she hung up.

        It was late dusk when he finally found her at the bar. She was slumped over the counter, seemingly asleep, her twin ponytails covering her face, arms and shoulders. There were several empty glasses beside her, and Jargen was only then starting to clean up. He acknowledged Rue as the boy entered the almost empty shop.

        "Is she alright?" Rue whispered. Jargen merely shrugged as he cleared the glasses away. Rue walked over to the girl and gently shook her. "Mint? Mint, are you okay?" She muttered something incoherent, and he brushed the hair from her face. "Mint?"

        "Who cares?" She exclaimed, suddenly sitting up. At least she tried to—she shook a little, and Rue had to raise one hand to support her. "Who the [expletive] cares where the freak came from, anyway?! He's my friend, and that's all that matters… isn't that right, Annette?" She turned to him and blinked twice, squinting to see his face better. "Oh, you're not Annette… Hah, it's Rue! Hiya, Rue! Annette and I were just talking about you… where'd she go?"

        She plopped face-down on the table again. Drunk?! The fact that she was thinking about him while in such a state hadn't fully sunk in yet. Rue turned sharply to the bartender. "What's wrong with her?!"

        Jargen had been watching them wordlessly, and he was just as surprised as Rue. "I only served her a few malteds."

        "Spiked?"

        "Only with this. She seemed to need it." He indicated a bottle of a very mild tonic on the counter.

        Rue unscrewed the cap and sniffed at its contents. "Phew! Are you sure this thing is labeled properly?"

        Jargen took the bottle from him and smelled it. "Oh, no… It's gin pomelo. I'm really sorry about this—Doyle must've gotten careless again." His expression was sincerely apologetic. "Excuse me while I get rid of this, alright?"

        Rue sighed. "Well, it's too late now, and there's no point in laying blame…" Mint waved vaguely as Jargen ducked into the back storeroom. Rue turned to her then. What am I ever going to do with you…? "Come on, Mint. I'll take you home."

        At his touch, Mint abruptly sat up again. "Hey, Rue!" she swiveled her chair and leaned her face up to his.

        "Mint, you're drunk. We should go."

        She didn't seem to hear him. "Did I ever tell you that I've always thought you were weird? Weird. We-e-ei-rr-d. Freak—a—zoid." Her glazed eyes narrowed. "But you're cute."

        Rue's mind blanked suddenly, and he stood dumbly in front of her, unmoving, at a loss of what to do next. That was the very last thing he had expected her to say, and just like that the mood in the room had changed. Rampaging six-foot toys, manic animals and even monster mechavehicles mano a mano he could handle, but this—

        Mint turned angry all of a sudden. "Didn't you hear me? I said, you're weird, but I think you're cute. Can't you understand?!" She stood and stepped forward, her knees wobbling, and she would've fallen then if Rue hadn't suddenly rushed forward to catch her. She looked up into his face, her eyes bright and half-closed.

        Clumsily, impatiently, with one hand she pulled off his cap, letting it drop to the floor unnoticed. She tried to pull off the white bandanna as well, but her hands were already too feeble from dizziness. Rue for some reason found himself powerless to resist her. Mint lowered her hands with a sigh, finally giving up, and instead wrapped them weakly about his neck.

        She grinned innocently up at him like a child. "You're even cuter without the cap. Will you be my first kiss, Rue?"

        And then she promptly fell asleep in his arms.

        At this point, Rue was already beyond thinking. And so, like the gentleman that he was, he carefully picked her up and carried her all the way to her dormitory, ignoring the puzzled stares of people not used to seeing him without the ever-present orange-and-olive-green cap. After asking permission from Mrs. Cartha, he took her up to her room and tucked her into bed. Just once, with his fingers he gently traced the outline of her face and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her closed eyes.

        He made sure the door was locked when he left her alone in her room that night.

Author's Notes

13 March 2003. Adi's stripes are showing now insert emoticon here. I kept saying since the early chapters that I am an ardent Rue/Mint fan, so that should have been a clue already on how this story's going to go. Warning: I don't deal well with flames so don't even think about it. Opinions, criticisms and even negative comments are appreciated, however, if they are non-offensive (and not blatantly stupid like a few of the reviews I get sometimes. It's kinda flattering on hindsight, though).