1 Slayers Ressuerection
Chapter Two
Melina Caliie Rivers
The hustle and bustle of the lunchroom could be quite overwhelming. Noise was as much a constant as air or time, and even when the teachers were speaking, nothing was ever completely quiet. There was always one mouth moving, one person talking. There was always a constant clatter of trays hitting tables or being scraped across them. There was always trash being dumped, water running as the trays were washed, the cash register ringing as it registered peoples orders, kids grumbling as the dug deep into their pockets for lunch money. Noise was everywhere, and it was often, as Mel often remarked, too much. She was finding it hard to think rationally, and pressure was starting to build up behind her eyes. The day had not been good.
First, there had been the homework she had forgotten to do for her Mathmatics class that Zel had forced her to sign up for because he loved it so much. So while everone else read these long essays that their teacher had forced them to write about curves (some of the essays were quite perverted), and the rest of the class took notes, she doodled in her notebook. Why did it really matter? Zel was beside her, taking this stuff down like it was manna from heaven, and he'd lend it to her for their tests. And anyway, in what probably career would she even use theories like non-Euclidian Geometry? She was only in this class because of her best friend, who was in here because he was one of the sick, demented people commonly referred to as Mathematically Skilled.
After a boring hour of the teacher asking questions like 'what would it be like if we lived in a world where everything was curved?', and the long, boring discussions that invariably ensued, Mel was free, if you could call it that. Her only freedom, really, was to back fist Zel for continuing the last discussion in class, which Mel had totally zoned out for. After that, he had gone on to his Applicable Philosophy class, Mel had to run across the building to a course she was taking about old legends. And she was tardy.
As if that hadn't been bad enough, they were going to start a project that included partners, of all things! She had thought she had escaped that particular horror in middle school. This teacher was a retired middle school latin teacher, so she wasn't really surprised. But to her extreme displeasure, she was paired up with the new kid, Xelloss Metalium. It wasn't that she didn't respect him for what he had said to Fiona, but his eyes and expressions frightened her. The conversation that followed their appointment was actually quite scary.
"Hello, Miss Lina." He had said, smiling and sitting down beside her.
"Hi, Xellos. Still a annoying bastard?"
He looked a little shocked, but only for a moment, and so briefly that Mel hardly noticed that it happened. Then he smiled, his frustration, cold smile, and said "I don't know. Are you still as powerful as I remember you?"
Mel had frowned. The strangeness of this whole conversation was starting to dawn on her. "How" her eyebrows drew together "do you remember me?"
Xellos raised his eyebrows, then his smile widened. "Sore wa himitsu desu."
"What? What does that even mean?"
He opened his mouth, about to speak, when she interrupted him, acting on some weird impulse she'd never even had before. "Never mind. So what do we want to do for this project?"
He smiled again, and it was starting to get on Mel's nerves, but this time his eyes were open. She found herself staring at them, lost in the different-ness of them. They were like no other eyes she'd ever seen.
"I actually have been researching a Japanese mountain legend for some years now, as a hobby. I would like to go into it in more depth. In fact, I have some papers for you here." He had reached into his backpack and pulled out a thick stack of papers. After flipping through them, skimming here and there, she decided that these were the most interesting, complex legends she'd ever seen. They concerned a Dark Lord, that was not uncommon, a Dark Lord of Nightmares, master of chaos and creater of all things. At some point, the lord had created the races of the gods and monsters. Each species, that was what she assumed they were, was lead by its own Lord. Xellos's research seemed strongly directed toward the monsters, not that Mel cared. She found them far more interesting than the perfect Gods.
After skimming through all of his stuff, which took quite some time, because he had amassed a lot, she said "This is all well and good, but do you have any real expertiece in this field."
She met his eyes, open and glinting, and they sent shivers down her spine. She had to resist the impulse to push away from the table. But the moment passed, and he returned to his innocent expression.
"Oh, don't worry, Miss Lina" she wondered briefly why he kept calling her that but forgot to forget in the wonder of his eyes, "I'm sure you'll find my expertise quite" he smiled again, and she lost herself in his eyes "satisfying."
The rest of the day had been a blur. Between arriving at school and going to lunch, Mel had talked her way out of no less than three detentions. Having such an innocent face was very helpful sometimes.
Eric Zelgadis Grey
Zel could tell that something was wrong. Something about the way Mel was sitting, the way she picked at her food rather than eat to quickly for the motions to register in his vision, something about the way he hadn't even reacted when he accused her of being the lesbian lover of Fiona Drygoon told him that something was bothering her. He would have talked about it with her, but the noise was too much for conversation of any kind. Or, it had been too much. Zel frowned, as he realized that the entire lunchroom had become deathly quiet. He wondered who was the cause of this, and glanced around. Almost immediately, he noticed the person walking towards their table, slowly and surely, a smile on his face.
It was Xelloss Metalium.
And watching him, as he sat down, the idiotic grin still plastered on, Zel felt something that scared him very, very much. It was hatred.
"Who are you?" he heard himself ask iritably, which added to his fear. This was completely irrational. Zel had never hated anyone before in his life without a logical reason. There was no reason for him to hate, or even dislike this person, but something about him sent Zel wishin for his death. His voice, as he responded with
"Surely, you should know, my dear Chimera", sent shivers of anger or terror or both rippling down Zel's back. He felt the hairs that lined the back of his neck stand to attention, felt goosebumps rippling down his arms.
"No, I don't know. Answer me straight, you damned ma--" he cut himself off mid sentence, unsure of what he would have said, the unsurity making him hate Xelloss more.
Xelloss smiled again. "I am Xelloss Metalium."
"The hell you are." Part of Zel's mind was aware of noise beginning to bubble back into existence around the crowded cafeteria. He didn't care.
"I assure you, Zelgaddis," Zel took a sharp breath when he heard his name being said by such a voice "I am telling the truth." Lina seemed to be coming back to her senses. "Tell us why you're hear, Xelloss."
Zel was amazed at the calmness of her voice. Didn't she realize that this man was dangerous?
"Simply to enjoy your company, Lina-chan."
The pair locked eyes, Xelloss's a cool purple, Mel's looked red again, but neither showed any animosity that Zel could percieve. "Good enough." The tone Mel was using was making him angry at her, too.
Finally, the staring contest ended. "You see," Mel said, turning to Zel "his intentions are perfectly reasonable. Stop looking like you want to tear his throat out."
Zel couldn't take it anymore. "Don't you see? He's EVIL, Mel, he's a-a-a filthy--"
"A filthy what?" Xelloss looked confused. "I seem perfectly human to me."
"That's only the disguise you wear, you bastard!"
"Zel!" Mel's tone was harsh. "May I speak to you for a moment?"
Zel looked up at her sullenly. "What?"
"In private please?", she asked, sending a meaningful look at Xelloss, who pretended not to understand.
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm perfectly interested in what you have to say."
Mel smiled, and smacked Xelloss jovially, but hard, on the back. "No, that's okay, you just sit here and eat your lunch and Zel and I will go talk! Toodles!", she said, giving Xellos a cheeky finger wave, and before Zel noticed it, he was being halled to his feet and dragged toward the hallway. He felt the purple gaze upon him until Mel had closed the door, making everything strangely quiet.
Ami Rachel Wilson
Ami Wilson stared longingly after Zellgaddis, her one true love, and Melina, his best friend. "I wish I could go with them . . ", she sighed, her eyes alight.
"You could, you know. Follow them." Shocked, she turned to see the new kid sitting next to her. Confused, she turned to were he had been moments before, across the cafeteria at Melina's and,sigh, Zelgaddis's table.
"Wha-"
"Amelia", he said, like he was her distant cousin, just meeting her after long sparation, "long time no see!"
"Wha-"
"How's your father doing?"
She choked on the mouthful of milk she'd just poured into her mouth. "My father's been dead for years."
Xelloss looked confused. "No, he's fine, ruling Seyruun, the holy city."
"No, he's not. My father's never ruled anything. He was a struggling writer. He died of pneumonia, putting me in an orphan--"
Xelloss cut her off "My dear Amelia, you forget yourself. Your father is alive and well, and as I said, he is the prince of Seyruun. Prince Phillionell, rumored to be by far the most", he winced, "just of any ruler ever proceeding him."
"What are you talking about? My father's name was Frank. My brother's name is Phil, but that's not short for Phillionell. I don't know what your talking about."
Xelloss grinned, looking honestly delighted. "My my", he said, his voice rich with his amusement "the games fate plays are amusing, don't you agree?"
"I don't know what fate has to do with this-" she started to say, but he was already gone.
Eric Zelgadis Grey
Zel glared angrilly at Mel as she glared, just as angrilly, back. He took several deep, steadying breaths, and felt his anger ebb away. It was much harder to be mad at Mel when Xelloss wasn't around. "Why did you let him sit with us?"
"Why not?" Mel had dropped her anger too, she was adopting an unconcerned air which annoyed him.
"Because of what he is."
"Zel" her tone turned serious, cold and serious, "you have no proof. I know" she gave a small shiver, "how he makes you feel, sick and disoriented. I know you hate him, which is suprising, but we can't just refuse to let him sit with us without proof. We aren't the monsters here, are we?" he didn't say anything, but she continued as if he had agreed. "Then let's just put this behind us. If he wants to sit with us, I certainly won't stop him. Neither will I let you. Besides, he might turn out to be useful."
"Fine."
Lunch passed. School ended and let out. Zel didn't notice much though. His thoughts were all inward. Something was nagging at him about the conversation he and Mel had had in the corridor. He knew that there was something, something important, that if he remembered would solve most of his problems. Something about Xelloss, something Mel had said. It nagged at him through his practice with the other six people in his band. It tugged at his brain through dinner, which was mostly silent because Rezo was preoccupied as well. Zel would have worried more if he had noticed Rezo's odd behavior, he'd been acting weird all day, but he was too stuck within his own mind to care.
Finally, while lying in bed, trying to go to sleep, thinking about Xelloss and what could have began Zel's odd dislike of him, the phrase he had been searching for all day hit him. He could hear Mel saying it in his mind as clearly as if she had been standing in the room with him, and he murmured it under his breath.
"We aren't the monsters here, are we?"
Sabrina Grace Kyria
Sabrina Kyria stepped through her front door in a daze. She hung up her coat and scarf with a disconnected smile on her face. The smile remained through her long dance practice, through her homework and the essay she was writing for her Mathematical Theory class, on her theories about infinity, as that was the next unit they were starting. She smiled through cooking dinner, practicing some dance moves across the floor as she hummed to the radio.
When her mother came in, she greeted her as usual, but she was dettached, as she was all through dinner. She didn't even notice when her younger brother commented on her cooking being similar to the dog food he'd once had occasion to taste. She just smiled and patted Phib on the head, instead of using one of the sarcastic comments she usually reserved just for him. She finally 'came to' when her mother patted her on the shoulder.
"Honey, is there something wrong?"
"No, mother" she said without thinking about it, wondering how she could get to be alone, she loved her family, Phib excepted of course, but she needed to think things over.
"You've seemed upset all evening.
"You mean she's been as dumb as a bitch with tranquilizers up her ass all evening" interjected Phib.
Choosing to ignore that oh-so tasteful comment, Sabrina replied "I just have a headache. Could I spend some time up in my room, please?"
"Why, yes, of course, but do you want to talk it over?" Her mother took her hand, looking meaningfully into her eyes.
"Oh, puke. Forgive me while I barf." Phib commented, rudely gettin up from the table and stomping up stairs.
"No, I just want to be alone, thank you."
As soon as all the pleasantries had been made, she rushed upstairs to her room. Holding her stuffed bunny tight against her chest, she reached under her bed to the yearbook, and flipped feverishly to the 'R's.
There it was. Gabriel Riev III. She stared at the picture of the face that meant more to her than words could say. A loose messy scrawl around it said 'You're a really good cook, Samantha, have a really great summer. You're a really good cook' She blinked back tears as she remembered the conversation that she had tried to put out of her mind for the past day.
"Hey, Sabrina!" The voice of her best friend signified that she was in a really good mood.
"Hey, Fibi", she said, turning to face the beautiful blond standing above her, looking perfect in her school uniform, her navy skirt dancing in the breeze of the football field, where Sabrina had been watching the soccer players practice. Funny, part of her thought, the nasty part, the part she hated, the part that Phib brought out when he talked to her, she got all the looks and I got all the brains. Immediately, she regretted thinking it.
But Fiona hadn't heard her heart speak, she new nothing of what Sabrina was plagued by. "Ugh! Must you call me that stupid nickname?"
Sabrina got herself to smile.
"Yes, I must", she felt the words fall from her mouth as easily as they always did, and as diceitfully as they always did. Mentally she chided herself. This was her ugly side. She couldn't help but love Fiona, but who could? Fiona was so, so perfect. Of course, her perfection was the very trait that made Sabrina hate her. She couldn't stand the way that Fiona could have any guy she wanted, in fact, had the most wanted guy in school, always made straight 'A' honor roll, with Sabrina's help, always was voted prom queen, always had money, clothes, organic food, and anything else she wanted, but always found something to complain about. She led a charmed life! She was so happy, so preppy all the time! What did she have to complain about?
No, that wasn't fair. Sabrina knew about the many things that were wrong with Fi's life. Her older brother, for one. He was the most perfect, wonderful person in the world, even more so than Fi. All she could ever do was try to live up to him, but if she did, it wouldn't be anything big, because he had done it first. Yes, Malgasia was a bit hard to live up to, or live with. Sabrina personally disliked him and his annoying, contemptuous silence. But Fi was good at silence herself, not that she ever used it except for people she really hated. Sabrina was brought back to life by Fi's spirited voice. "Anyway, guess what?, no you'll never guess, so I'll tell you. I SAW him today!"
"Wow" Sabrina tried to keep the cold irony from her voice.
"Yea!" apparently Fi hadn't noticed the mockery in her tone.
Feeling guilty, what right had she to slander the only person in school who could stand her, she said "So how was Gaby?"
"Gaby?" Fiona looked affronted and confused.
Confused herself, Sabrina continued, "Yes, Gaby. Your boyfriend since ninth grade. Weren't you talking about him?"
"No, not at all." Fi suddenly smiled, a look of understanding coming across her face. Sabrina felt her knees weaken. Fi couldn't know, she couldn't have figured it out, could she have?
"You thought I was talking about Gaby? No insult intended", she smiled conspiriatorialy, "but he was SO ninth grade. I was talking about Val!"
"Val?" Sabrina had barely enough breath left to gasp the word. Val? As in Valerie Garth? The star of the Wiley Fox soccer, football and basketball teams, well, co star, excelled only by Xander Sword. Val, who was almost as perfect as Fi, almost as perfect as Malgasia? Val, one of Sabrina's best friends? "But", she paused for breath, "that's so wrong!"
Fi sat down beside her, her perfect hair, which was in a ponytail today, bringing a scent of citrus to Sabrina's nose. "I know" Fi said, watching as Gaby scored another goal in the scrimage they were playing, but not seeing it. "I know it's wrong of me. I know I have a boyfriend, who is the nicest, sweetest guy in the whole world. I know I shouldn't complain, but, sometimes I feel that what I say to him just goes in one ear and out the other. He's just so dumb, sometimes!" her voice rose, then broke. She looked down into her lap, blinking back tears. "And, and I know we're the couple of the month, of the year, and everything. I know we've become and item, but" she turned to look at Sabrina, who was startled to see tears running down her face, "he's not happy with me! It's like we can't be happy together! Everytime we get close, either I push him away, or he pushes me away! And I know what you think of fate and everything, but I honestly believe that we aren't meant to be!"
Sabrina met Fi's eyes evenly, forced her voice to be gentle and soft, calming, soothing Fi's emotional turmoil, saying "So why don't you dump him?"
"I knew you'd say that, and I know I should, but, but we've been together so long! I love him, Rina, I really do, but, but not that way, and I would dump him, but, but the truth is I'm scared. I've been scared ever since that piece of garbage talked to me. I've always been so popular, but what if other people hate me, like he does? What if everyone hates me, and if I gave up Gaby, I'd sink down to the lowest level of geek, totally friendless, and not even a smart geek, because that's all you."
Sabrina immediately felt terrrible. What could she say? 'I want you to dump Gaby because I've been in love with him for years?', 'The truth is I hate you, too', or, worse, the thing she knew Phib would say, 'If you did, it would only be what you deserve, you bitch!'. She took a deep breath, trying to quell all the nasty thoughts in her mind, and managed to murmur
"Your wrong, Fibi. You wouldn't become unpopular. Everyone loves you, not just for Gaby, but for you. So forget that evil guy. He's nothing but garbage."
Fi smiled, and let out a little laugh, reaching up to wipe her tears away. "You're right. Just garbage. Raw Garbage." She took a deep, shuddering breath and continued her monologe. "Rina, I have had a crush on Val for the longest time. He's so nice to me, so gentlemanly! And he's smart! I can talk to him without feeling that it goes in one ear and out the other! I want him to love me, I want to be loved by someone who won't push me away", and with that Fiona broke down again.
Sabrina moved in, gently hugging her friend's shoulders, murmuring comforting sayings. When Fi had her breath back, Sabrina pulled away and said "Fi, Valerie is in my dance class. If you want, you can come tomorrow and I'll arrange a meeting."
"Would you?" Fi said, wiping away her tears.
"Yes. After all, that's what friends are for."
That's what friends are for, Sabrina's voice mocked her in her own mind. Quietly, she whispered to her bunny "I just want her to dump Gaby so he will go out with me. I'm so mean! I hate myself!", and finally the tears she had been holding back came, came spilling down her cheeks as she colapsed onto her bed.
A.N.: Yay! Again, I had a fabulous time! Thanks to all of you who reviewed my work! It was really encouraging! (And I think I fixed the format!) Okay, what did everyone think of the take of Sabrina? I personally liked it. Everyone has a nasty side. Please review or flame or whatever more, just as long as it's feedback! Any suggestions would be SO appreciated!
I also put tags to indicate point of view up! Please tell me what you think of the new format! (I'm blanking out right now) Thanks! Bye!
~Divine Firefly
Disclaimer: I forgot all about this last time! Sorry! Okay, I don't own Slayers at all, but the idea and any unique charecter developments ARE mine, so don't take them unless you ask!
Toodles (again)
Chapter Two
Melina Caliie Rivers
The hustle and bustle of the lunchroom could be quite overwhelming. Noise was as much a constant as air or time, and even when the teachers were speaking, nothing was ever completely quiet. There was always one mouth moving, one person talking. There was always a constant clatter of trays hitting tables or being scraped across them. There was always trash being dumped, water running as the trays were washed, the cash register ringing as it registered peoples orders, kids grumbling as the dug deep into their pockets for lunch money. Noise was everywhere, and it was often, as Mel often remarked, too much. She was finding it hard to think rationally, and pressure was starting to build up behind her eyes. The day had not been good.
First, there had been the homework she had forgotten to do for her Mathmatics class that Zel had forced her to sign up for because he loved it so much. So while everone else read these long essays that their teacher had forced them to write about curves (some of the essays were quite perverted), and the rest of the class took notes, she doodled in her notebook. Why did it really matter? Zel was beside her, taking this stuff down like it was manna from heaven, and he'd lend it to her for their tests. And anyway, in what probably career would she even use theories like non-Euclidian Geometry? She was only in this class because of her best friend, who was in here because he was one of the sick, demented people commonly referred to as Mathematically Skilled.
After a boring hour of the teacher asking questions like 'what would it be like if we lived in a world where everything was curved?', and the long, boring discussions that invariably ensued, Mel was free, if you could call it that. Her only freedom, really, was to back fist Zel for continuing the last discussion in class, which Mel had totally zoned out for. After that, he had gone on to his Applicable Philosophy class, Mel had to run across the building to a course she was taking about old legends. And she was tardy.
As if that hadn't been bad enough, they were going to start a project that included partners, of all things! She had thought she had escaped that particular horror in middle school. This teacher was a retired middle school latin teacher, so she wasn't really surprised. But to her extreme displeasure, she was paired up with the new kid, Xelloss Metalium. It wasn't that she didn't respect him for what he had said to Fiona, but his eyes and expressions frightened her. The conversation that followed their appointment was actually quite scary.
"Hello, Miss Lina." He had said, smiling and sitting down beside her.
"Hi, Xellos. Still a annoying bastard?"
He looked a little shocked, but only for a moment, and so briefly that Mel hardly noticed that it happened. Then he smiled, his frustration, cold smile, and said "I don't know. Are you still as powerful as I remember you?"
Mel had frowned. The strangeness of this whole conversation was starting to dawn on her. "How" her eyebrows drew together "do you remember me?"
Xellos raised his eyebrows, then his smile widened. "Sore wa himitsu desu."
"What? What does that even mean?"
He opened his mouth, about to speak, when she interrupted him, acting on some weird impulse she'd never even had before. "Never mind. So what do we want to do for this project?"
He smiled again, and it was starting to get on Mel's nerves, but this time his eyes were open. She found herself staring at them, lost in the different-ness of them. They were like no other eyes she'd ever seen.
"I actually have been researching a Japanese mountain legend for some years now, as a hobby. I would like to go into it in more depth. In fact, I have some papers for you here." He had reached into his backpack and pulled out a thick stack of papers. After flipping through them, skimming here and there, she decided that these were the most interesting, complex legends she'd ever seen. They concerned a Dark Lord, that was not uncommon, a Dark Lord of Nightmares, master of chaos and creater of all things. At some point, the lord had created the races of the gods and monsters. Each species, that was what she assumed they were, was lead by its own Lord. Xellos's research seemed strongly directed toward the monsters, not that Mel cared. She found them far more interesting than the perfect Gods.
After skimming through all of his stuff, which took quite some time, because he had amassed a lot, she said "This is all well and good, but do you have any real expertiece in this field."
She met his eyes, open and glinting, and they sent shivers down her spine. She had to resist the impulse to push away from the table. But the moment passed, and he returned to his innocent expression.
"Oh, don't worry, Miss Lina" she wondered briefly why he kept calling her that but forgot to forget in the wonder of his eyes, "I'm sure you'll find my expertise quite" he smiled again, and she lost herself in his eyes "satisfying."
The rest of the day had been a blur. Between arriving at school and going to lunch, Mel had talked her way out of no less than three detentions. Having such an innocent face was very helpful sometimes.
Eric Zelgadis Grey
Zel could tell that something was wrong. Something about the way Mel was sitting, the way she picked at her food rather than eat to quickly for the motions to register in his vision, something about the way he hadn't even reacted when he accused her of being the lesbian lover of Fiona Drygoon told him that something was bothering her. He would have talked about it with her, but the noise was too much for conversation of any kind. Or, it had been too much. Zel frowned, as he realized that the entire lunchroom had become deathly quiet. He wondered who was the cause of this, and glanced around. Almost immediately, he noticed the person walking towards their table, slowly and surely, a smile on his face.
It was Xelloss Metalium.
And watching him, as he sat down, the idiotic grin still plastered on, Zel felt something that scared him very, very much. It was hatred.
"Who are you?" he heard himself ask iritably, which added to his fear. This was completely irrational. Zel had never hated anyone before in his life without a logical reason. There was no reason for him to hate, or even dislike this person, but something about him sent Zel wishin for his death. His voice, as he responded with
"Surely, you should know, my dear Chimera", sent shivers of anger or terror or both rippling down Zel's back. He felt the hairs that lined the back of his neck stand to attention, felt goosebumps rippling down his arms.
"No, I don't know. Answer me straight, you damned ma--" he cut himself off mid sentence, unsure of what he would have said, the unsurity making him hate Xelloss more.
Xelloss smiled again. "I am Xelloss Metalium."
"The hell you are." Part of Zel's mind was aware of noise beginning to bubble back into existence around the crowded cafeteria. He didn't care.
"I assure you, Zelgaddis," Zel took a sharp breath when he heard his name being said by such a voice "I am telling the truth." Lina seemed to be coming back to her senses. "Tell us why you're hear, Xelloss."
Zel was amazed at the calmness of her voice. Didn't she realize that this man was dangerous?
"Simply to enjoy your company, Lina-chan."
The pair locked eyes, Xelloss's a cool purple, Mel's looked red again, but neither showed any animosity that Zel could percieve. "Good enough." The tone Mel was using was making him angry at her, too.
Finally, the staring contest ended. "You see," Mel said, turning to Zel "his intentions are perfectly reasonable. Stop looking like you want to tear his throat out."
Zel couldn't take it anymore. "Don't you see? He's EVIL, Mel, he's a-a-a filthy--"
"A filthy what?" Xelloss looked confused. "I seem perfectly human to me."
"That's only the disguise you wear, you bastard!"
"Zel!" Mel's tone was harsh. "May I speak to you for a moment?"
Zel looked up at her sullenly. "What?"
"In private please?", she asked, sending a meaningful look at Xelloss, who pretended not to understand.
"Oh, don't worry about me, I'm perfectly interested in what you have to say."
Mel smiled, and smacked Xelloss jovially, but hard, on the back. "No, that's okay, you just sit here and eat your lunch and Zel and I will go talk! Toodles!", she said, giving Xellos a cheeky finger wave, and before Zel noticed it, he was being halled to his feet and dragged toward the hallway. He felt the purple gaze upon him until Mel had closed the door, making everything strangely quiet.
Ami Rachel Wilson
Ami Wilson stared longingly after Zellgaddis, her one true love, and Melina, his best friend. "I wish I could go with them . . ", she sighed, her eyes alight.
"You could, you know. Follow them." Shocked, she turned to see the new kid sitting next to her. Confused, she turned to were he had been moments before, across the cafeteria at Melina's and,sigh, Zelgaddis's table.
"Wha-"
"Amelia", he said, like he was her distant cousin, just meeting her after long sparation, "long time no see!"
"Wha-"
"How's your father doing?"
She choked on the mouthful of milk she'd just poured into her mouth. "My father's been dead for years."
Xelloss looked confused. "No, he's fine, ruling Seyruun, the holy city."
"No, he's not. My father's never ruled anything. He was a struggling writer. He died of pneumonia, putting me in an orphan--"
Xelloss cut her off "My dear Amelia, you forget yourself. Your father is alive and well, and as I said, he is the prince of Seyruun. Prince Phillionell, rumored to be by far the most", he winced, "just of any ruler ever proceeding him."
"What are you talking about? My father's name was Frank. My brother's name is Phil, but that's not short for Phillionell. I don't know what your talking about."
Xelloss grinned, looking honestly delighted. "My my", he said, his voice rich with his amusement "the games fate plays are amusing, don't you agree?"
"I don't know what fate has to do with this-" she started to say, but he was already gone.
Eric Zelgadis Grey
Zel glared angrilly at Mel as she glared, just as angrilly, back. He took several deep, steadying breaths, and felt his anger ebb away. It was much harder to be mad at Mel when Xelloss wasn't around. "Why did you let him sit with us?"
"Why not?" Mel had dropped her anger too, she was adopting an unconcerned air which annoyed him.
"Because of what he is."
"Zel" her tone turned serious, cold and serious, "you have no proof. I know" she gave a small shiver, "how he makes you feel, sick and disoriented. I know you hate him, which is suprising, but we can't just refuse to let him sit with us without proof. We aren't the monsters here, are we?" he didn't say anything, but she continued as if he had agreed. "Then let's just put this behind us. If he wants to sit with us, I certainly won't stop him. Neither will I let you. Besides, he might turn out to be useful."
"Fine."
Lunch passed. School ended and let out. Zel didn't notice much though. His thoughts were all inward. Something was nagging at him about the conversation he and Mel had had in the corridor. He knew that there was something, something important, that if he remembered would solve most of his problems. Something about Xelloss, something Mel had said. It nagged at him through his practice with the other six people in his band. It tugged at his brain through dinner, which was mostly silent because Rezo was preoccupied as well. Zel would have worried more if he had noticed Rezo's odd behavior, he'd been acting weird all day, but he was too stuck within his own mind to care.
Finally, while lying in bed, trying to go to sleep, thinking about Xelloss and what could have began Zel's odd dislike of him, the phrase he had been searching for all day hit him. He could hear Mel saying it in his mind as clearly as if she had been standing in the room with him, and he murmured it under his breath.
"We aren't the monsters here, are we?"
Sabrina Grace Kyria
Sabrina Kyria stepped through her front door in a daze. She hung up her coat and scarf with a disconnected smile on her face. The smile remained through her long dance practice, through her homework and the essay she was writing for her Mathematical Theory class, on her theories about infinity, as that was the next unit they were starting. She smiled through cooking dinner, practicing some dance moves across the floor as she hummed to the radio.
When her mother came in, she greeted her as usual, but she was dettached, as she was all through dinner. She didn't even notice when her younger brother commented on her cooking being similar to the dog food he'd once had occasion to taste. She just smiled and patted Phib on the head, instead of using one of the sarcastic comments she usually reserved just for him. She finally 'came to' when her mother patted her on the shoulder.
"Honey, is there something wrong?"
"No, mother" she said without thinking about it, wondering how she could get to be alone, she loved her family, Phib excepted of course, but she needed to think things over.
"You've seemed upset all evening.
"You mean she's been as dumb as a bitch with tranquilizers up her ass all evening" interjected Phib.
Choosing to ignore that oh-so tasteful comment, Sabrina replied "I just have a headache. Could I spend some time up in my room, please?"
"Why, yes, of course, but do you want to talk it over?" Her mother took her hand, looking meaningfully into her eyes.
"Oh, puke. Forgive me while I barf." Phib commented, rudely gettin up from the table and stomping up stairs.
"No, I just want to be alone, thank you."
As soon as all the pleasantries had been made, she rushed upstairs to her room. Holding her stuffed bunny tight against her chest, she reached under her bed to the yearbook, and flipped feverishly to the 'R's.
There it was. Gabriel Riev III. She stared at the picture of the face that meant more to her than words could say. A loose messy scrawl around it said 'You're a really good cook, Samantha, have a really great summer. You're a really good cook' She blinked back tears as she remembered the conversation that she had tried to put out of her mind for the past day.
"Hey, Sabrina!" The voice of her best friend signified that she was in a really good mood.
"Hey, Fibi", she said, turning to face the beautiful blond standing above her, looking perfect in her school uniform, her navy skirt dancing in the breeze of the football field, where Sabrina had been watching the soccer players practice. Funny, part of her thought, the nasty part, the part she hated, the part that Phib brought out when he talked to her, she got all the looks and I got all the brains. Immediately, she regretted thinking it.
But Fiona hadn't heard her heart speak, she new nothing of what Sabrina was plagued by. "Ugh! Must you call me that stupid nickname?"
Sabrina got herself to smile.
"Yes, I must", she felt the words fall from her mouth as easily as they always did, and as diceitfully as they always did. Mentally she chided herself. This was her ugly side. She couldn't help but love Fiona, but who could? Fiona was so, so perfect. Of course, her perfection was the very trait that made Sabrina hate her. She couldn't stand the way that Fiona could have any guy she wanted, in fact, had the most wanted guy in school, always made straight 'A' honor roll, with Sabrina's help, always was voted prom queen, always had money, clothes, organic food, and anything else she wanted, but always found something to complain about. She led a charmed life! She was so happy, so preppy all the time! What did she have to complain about?
No, that wasn't fair. Sabrina knew about the many things that were wrong with Fi's life. Her older brother, for one. He was the most perfect, wonderful person in the world, even more so than Fi. All she could ever do was try to live up to him, but if she did, it wouldn't be anything big, because he had done it first. Yes, Malgasia was a bit hard to live up to, or live with. Sabrina personally disliked him and his annoying, contemptuous silence. But Fi was good at silence herself, not that she ever used it except for people she really hated. Sabrina was brought back to life by Fi's spirited voice. "Anyway, guess what?, no you'll never guess, so I'll tell you. I SAW him today!"
"Wow" Sabrina tried to keep the cold irony from her voice.
"Yea!" apparently Fi hadn't noticed the mockery in her tone.
Feeling guilty, what right had she to slander the only person in school who could stand her, she said "So how was Gaby?"
"Gaby?" Fiona looked affronted and confused.
Confused herself, Sabrina continued, "Yes, Gaby. Your boyfriend since ninth grade. Weren't you talking about him?"
"No, not at all." Fi suddenly smiled, a look of understanding coming across her face. Sabrina felt her knees weaken. Fi couldn't know, she couldn't have figured it out, could she have?
"You thought I was talking about Gaby? No insult intended", she smiled conspiriatorialy, "but he was SO ninth grade. I was talking about Val!"
"Val?" Sabrina had barely enough breath left to gasp the word. Val? As in Valerie Garth? The star of the Wiley Fox soccer, football and basketball teams, well, co star, excelled only by Xander Sword. Val, who was almost as perfect as Fi, almost as perfect as Malgasia? Val, one of Sabrina's best friends? "But", she paused for breath, "that's so wrong!"
Fi sat down beside her, her perfect hair, which was in a ponytail today, bringing a scent of citrus to Sabrina's nose. "I know" Fi said, watching as Gaby scored another goal in the scrimage they were playing, but not seeing it. "I know it's wrong of me. I know I have a boyfriend, who is the nicest, sweetest guy in the whole world. I know I shouldn't complain, but, sometimes I feel that what I say to him just goes in one ear and out the other. He's just so dumb, sometimes!" her voice rose, then broke. She looked down into her lap, blinking back tears. "And, and I know we're the couple of the month, of the year, and everything. I know we've become and item, but" she turned to look at Sabrina, who was startled to see tears running down her face, "he's not happy with me! It's like we can't be happy together! Everytime we get close, either I push him away, or he pushes me away! And I know what you think of fate and everything, but I honestly believe that we aren't meant to be!"
Sabrina met Fi's eyes evenly, forced her voice to be gentle and soft, calming, soothing Fi's emotional turmoil, saying "So why don't you dump him?"
"I knew you'd say that, and I know I should, but, but we've been together so long! I love him, Rina, I really do, but, but not that way, and I would dump him, but, but the truth is I'm scared. I've been scared ever since that piece of garbage talked to me. I've always been so popular, but what if other people hate me, like he does? What if everyone hates me, and if I gave up Gaby, I'd sink down to the lowest level of geek, totally friendless, and not even a smart geek, because that's all you."
Sabrina immediately felt terrrible. What could she say? 'I want you to dump Gaby because I've been in love with him for years?', 'The truth is I hate you, too', or, worse, the thing she knew Phib would say, 'If you did, it would only be what you deserve, you bitch!'. She took a deep breath, trying to quell all the nasty thoughts in her mind, and managed to murmur
"Your wrong, Fibi. You wouldn't become unpopular. Everyone loves you, not just for Gaby, but for you. So forget that evil guy. He's nothing but garbage."
Fi smiled, and let out a little laugh, reaching up to wipe her tears away. "You're right. Just garbage. Raw Garbage." She took a deep, shuddering breath and continued her monologe. "Rina, I have had a crush on Val for the longest time. He's so nice to me, so gentlemanly! And he's smart! I can talk to him without feeling that it goes in one ear and out the other! I want him to love me, I want to be loved by someone who won't push me away", and with that Fiona broke down again.
Sabrina moved in, gently hugging her friend's shoulders, murmuring comforting sayings. When Fi had her breath back, Sabrina pulled away and said "Fi, Valerie is in my dance class. If you want, you can come tomorrow and I'll arrange a meeting."
"Would you?" Fi said, wiping away her tears.
"Yes. After all, that's what friends are for."
That's what friends are for, Sabrina's voice mocked her in her own mind. Quietly, she whispered to her bunny "I just want her to dump Gaby so he will go out with me. I'm so mean! I hate myself!", and finally the tears she had been holding back came, came spilling down her cheeks as she colapsed onto her bed.
A.N.: Yay! Again, I had a fabulous time! Thanks to all of you who reviewed my work! It was really encouraging! (And I think I fixed the format!) Okay, what did everyone think of the take of Sabrina? I personally liked it. Everyone has a nasty side. Please review or flame or whatever more, just as long as it's feedback! Any suggestions would be SO appreciated!
I also put tags to indicate point of view up! Please tell me what you think of the new format! (I'm blanking out right now) Thanks! Bye!
~Divine Firefly
Disclaimer: I forgot all about this last time! Sorry! Okay, I don't own Slayers at all, but the idea and any unique charecter developments ARE mine, so don't take them unless you ask!
Toodles (again)