(((.-) Zel ||~.^|| Xelloss {{$.$}} Lina ((.^)|| Gourry ((^.^))Amelia
Seyruun High Jinx
Chapter 16
Friday had finally arrived. The last fencing match of the season was tonight.
Tournament games wouldn't begin until after the Thanksgiving holiday, so Zel
and Gourry would have next week off. Lina's new songs had inspired the band
members to work out instrumental parts after school, but they wouldn't all meet
again for band practice until Saturday afternoon - and even then, Filia and
Sylphiel had to leave early due to a football game.
Friday was also the bake sale, before and after school. Amelia's van was
delivering the cook's, Lina's, Zel's, and Sylphiel's baked goods to the school
by 7:30 AM. Val, Gourry, and Xelloss were on time and awaiting Kagome's
instructions. They helped set up the folding tables, lay out tablecloths, and
count cash for change. Filia's bus arrived at 7:45, bringing her helping hands
along with the first of their customers.
Zel stopped by to check on their progress.
"So far, it's been mostly parents taking stuff to share at work and
teachers buying stuff they can store in the teacher's lounge refrigerator. Kids
buy cookies. We'll have plenty left for
after school, unless Lina has money to burn," Xelloss reported.
"Where's this stuff going until after school?" Zel wondered aloud.
"The cafeteria staff has offered to carry it all into their refrigerator,
so we can get to class on time. Kagome has thought of everything." Xelloss
smiled as she walked up to check on sales. "So are
the play results posted yet?"
"No. There's a note taped to the door that says: MONDAY! So we can worry all weekend," Kagome
answered. "So how much $$$$ have we got?"
"Lay off, we've just started, you moron!" shouted Val, but not
angrily.
"I've just started. You are chatting!" corrected Filia
who was standing beside the green-haired punk kid.
"Mer-chan-diii-zing.
I'm talking up stuff for fast sales," Val defended himself.
"Oh you're talking all right. Yes, home baked…$4.50," said Filia in
answer to a customer's question.
"Ok, time to pack up. Let's see…$30
+ $45 that's $75 so far, that's great guys!"
Kagome gushed. "Thanks for all your effort so far. You
know, you might consider joining archery club. It's during school hours in
spring and counts for gym credit toward graduation."
"Really? Archery? Sounds
like fun, doesn't Val?" Filia asked.
Does now… Val
thought. "Gra-du-a-tion? I hadn't thought about graduatin',
really," he laughed. "But hey, might as well aim for the moon, right?
Archery's cool. And maybe I'll get to practice with a live target some
time." He took imaginary aim at
Lina, who stuck her tongue out at him.
"Another one I'll have to coach, I'll bet," Zel sighed. "Maybe I
should start charging."
And so they filed into composition class, where the teacher
handed back their persuasive essays, corrected and graded. Somewhere
along the line, the 'reading them aloud in class' part of the assignment had
been discarded in lieu of a new, refined torture. The students would now have
to schedule time to read it alone to the teacher outside of class, during
lunch, or before/after school.
"How convenient," Zel retorted, "that'll fill up all the gaping
holes in my schedule." He flipped though his planner, which was full to
the brim with tutoring, fencing, baking, play practice, band practice,
video-taping, homework, and advanced classes.
"Just do it at lunch. You don't eat anyway," Lina snorted.
"Oh, sure, just cut out my relaxed socialization. And they wonder why kids
flip out and shoot people."
"Now, now Zelgadiss," Xelloss piped up in a loud voice. "Let's
not arouse too much suspicion, especially when our plan is so near fruition.
They might discover the bomb plans in our locker-"
"Xelloss, go to the principal's office," the teacher sighed.
"But-"
"Just do
it; I'm sick of your antics in the morning."
"Just a moment," he fanned the air with his paper. "I'll get
this out of the way: 'Why I Should Not Be Sent to the Principal's
Officere: Damnation," he began reading his paper.
Luckily, by the time lunch finally rolled around, Zelgadiss had forgiven
Xelloss for his outburst. Besides, there was a new scheme: Lina had decided to
set up shop again, selling first pie by the slice, then anything else left in
the cafeteria fridge when that ran out.
"See, lunch is the perfect time to sell food, naturally!" Lina told
him in between taking money and handing over brownies.
"Makes sense," Zel shrugged. "Hey…I'll take a brownie."
He munched his treat, and sipped his Frappuchino.
"You know, maybe I should pick up archery, too. I haven't taken any PE
classes," she said to Zel.
It didn't sound like a good idea to Zel. He'd done his best to keep her out of
fencing, for fear of his own health, and Lina with arrows was at least as
threatening as Lina with a sword. Wisely, he didn't say a word.
Gourry handed Lina some bills and commented, "Your aim's not so good…oof!"
Lina pulled her fist out of his full gut. "Good enough, I'd say!"
Zel checked his watch. "Five minute lunch and social skill-building time
is now over. On to reading composition time. See you after school, for band?"
"Help us finish selling the goodies, and we can
all go to practice together!" smiled Filia.
"Why not?" Zel returned the smile and left.
With Zel gone, Amelia moved over to sit beside Kiki and Xelloss. Lina was up
and down selling bakery items when she realized Zel had gone.
"Hey! I gotta go do that English class thingy, too. Amelia, take over. And be sure to put the
money somewhere safe or find Kagome. Oh… and the leftover food goes back, too. Okay?"
Amelia nodded and proud to be of service, jumped to action shouting her wares
and selling the last piece before Lina had left the cafeteria. "There,
that's done! Say, Mr. Xelloss, you're awfully quiet today. Something
wrong?"
Filia, loving to find some way to make him uncomfortable answered. "He
couldn't keep his big mouth shut in class, so he got sent to the principal's
office. Such an idiot!"
"Miss Lina said she's scary and Mr. Zelgadiss did too. Are you going to go detention?" Amelia
asked warily. What happened to kids who broke the rules was all a mystery to
her.
"Not exactly," he answered, hiding his eyes.
"He'll probably have to do some demeaning job for her and beg forgiveness
from the English teacher, if he's
lucky," Filia sniffed. "I guess your paper wasn't as persuasive as it
could have been."
Xelloss still said nothing.
"Are you doing fine, Xelloss?" Kiki asked concernedly.
He brightened artificially. "Oh, yes. I'm fine. How are you, Kiki?"
And they had a satisfying conversation in French, which left Xelloss in a much
better mood as the bell rung and they all went their separate ways to class.
Zel had arrived ten minutes early to give his oral report in the English classroom.
The teacher smiled and asked him in. "That's fine,
the other student is not here yet. Please read your paper for me and take your
time."
So Zel read his plea for a cure for his skin condition.
When Lina raced into the room, late for her appointment, the teacher was
blowing her nose and drying her eyes. Apparently Zel's paper was very good.
"Oh hello, Lina, take a seat. I'll be right with you. Zelgadiss came early
and took your slot, so you can have his. sniff
Thank you for the paper, Zelgadiss. I could feel your pain."
"Drama queen, Zel…Thanks for the perfect lead-in for my self-serving
expose on why my sister should be committed to a mental institution,"
muttered Lina as Zel shouldered past with a smug expression on his face.
Zelgadiss entered computer lab in high spirits. He had a legitimate project
with a title and point. He spoke at length about it to the teacher, who was
almost as excited about it as he was. Too bad Xelloss wasn't. He stood, arms
folded and spoke in monosyllables. Zel wondered at that, but didn't have the
drive to do anything about it. If Xelloss wanted to be sullen and
uncommunicative, he was welcome to do so. At least he was quiet and not
annoying him.
After school, the bake sale was in full gear. Lina and company were such good
sales people that they had several other down-on-their luck clubs asking them
to help fundraise in the future. Lina went into negotiations and argued time
and percentages.
"She's damn slick," Gourry shook his head.
"She'd cheat you out of your soul. Man, she'll go far," Zel agreed.
The two boys just smiled and watched her in action.
Before Zel could add another observation, his voice was muffled by the
reverberation of a motorcycle roaring up to the front of the school.
"Well buy me a Cobra and call me Rally Vincent," Lina gaped.
"Gunsmith Cats, right?" Gourry smiled down at her. "We watched
that one together."
Lina winked.
A tough looking kid in black leathers hopped off and removed his helmet,
revealing a flowing white mane of hair.
"Inu Yasha!"
Kagome lamented. "Man, he just can't let me have a life away from him!
What'll I do? He'll get all huffy if I tell him to go away, but I just can't
deal with him right now, and he'll scare away the customers!" she held her
head in her hands. "Zel! You know him from
fencing! Go head him off for me, willya?
Please?"
Zel couldn't deny those big brown eyes, so dependant on him. But it was only
for a moment that he considered following her wishes, since reality crashed
down around his ears. It simply does not look good when you have another guy go
tell your boyfriend off for you. It doesn't look good at all. And knowing Inu's
violent tendencies and exceedingly jealous and possessive nature, Zel was not
going to risk it. Besides, he had to face him in fencing that night. Inu was
the kind of kid who lacked finesse and the finer points of technique, but made
up for it in strength, ferocity, and pure willpower. He had some sort of demon
aura around him. That, and he named his sword. 'Nuff said.
Luckily, Zel was spared the rock/hard place situation by a
strange phenomena. Inu was halfway to the tables, grinning a wolfish
grin kind of like Val's but even more smug, if
possible.
"Oh, no..." Kagome moaned. "He's almost here."
"Why are you just standing there, grinning like a fiend, Zel?! You missed
your chance. You're real on top of it today." Lina kicked him from under
the table, never taking her eyes off of Inu.
"Oh, don't worry," Zel told Kagome. "He's not going anywhere.
Just watch."
Like a magnet, Inu was collecting a starry-eyed young female crowd. He seemed
to be irresistible.
"Hey, I don't know you! Get outta my way! Why
the hell are you touching my hair!
Yes, it's my real hair, is that your real face?!" he growled, frustrated
and exasperated. He was being swamped. He could go no further, leaving the bake
sale crew to sell their goodies in peace. "Kagome!
Don't just laugh, do something you IDIOT!"
But Kagome was busy dealing with a new customer, a tall, friendly boy Zel
recognized.
"Kagome, I'd like to buy something to help out your club. That pie looks
fine. Say, would you like to go see a
movie this weekend?"
"Hojo? Er, ah…I have other plans this weekend…"
she shot anxious looks at the growling Inu. "I'm sorry. I'll see you
Monday at lunch, okay?" Kagome smiled.
Zel could feel a fight brewing, and Hojo wouldn't come out the winner. To
preserve the peace, he bravely jumped in and quickly lead Hojo to safety, well
out of Inu's sight and range.
"...And next time your terminal hangs up again, ask Xelloss if you can borrow
his. It's got a more powerful CPU and never crashes. I'm sure he wouldn't
mind," offered Zel, graciously.
"Gee, thanks!"
"WE DID IT!" Lina cried, lifting an empty
cookie tray above her head and waving it like a banner. "We finally sold
all the bake crap!"
"WOOOOO!!!" her comrades-in-arms cheered.
"Ha ha ha!
Take that, drudgery! I'm free!" she handed the overflowing cash box to
Kagome.
"Oh, thank you soooo much, all of you! And especially you, Lina! We'd
never have done it without your help. You've saved the archery club's ass for
another year!" she gushed.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm great. Remember to sign us all up for archery, too!"
Lina winked.
"KAGOME!" Inu demanded, having finally
shaken off the groupies.
"Hi, Inu!" she greeted him warmly. "Nice bike!"
He glowed with the unexpected praise. "Yeah, it is pretty sweet. It's my
rotten brother's, and he'll probably wanna kill me for taking it out, but hey,
it's too cool to just have rusting in the garage!"
"Okay now, everybody!" Lina called her buddies to action. "Let's
get the hell outta here! We've got band
practice!"
Each member of the Lina gang had purchased enough snack
at the bake off to suffice until dinner. Together they arrived at the practice
place and set up their equipment.
"So what's our band name gonna be, Lina?"
Gourry asked.
"Hey, that's right! We need a name." Lina's gears began to grind.
"Something short," advised Zel curtly.
"Swordslingers." smiled Gourry.
"Dragonwings," offered Filia.
"How about DragonSlayers Awash in Gore?" sneered
Val. "We can call ourselves the DAG."
"Oooooooo, how awful can you get?" cried
Amelia.
"DOA is worse," grinned Xelloss for the
first time all afternoon. "But DragonSlayers
isn't bad."
"Why poor dragons? Why any creatures of the earth?" cried Filia.
"Honestly, guys, I really like dragons. I have posters all around my
bedroom with dragons and unicorns and fairies…all living healthy lives, thank
you very much."
"She's right. There's no justice in killing beautiful creatures, imaginary
or otherwise. How about the Justice
Seekers? Or Slayers of the Unjust?" Amelia shouted
while standing on Xelloss' throne at the drum kit.
"Excuse me, Amelia, but that's not meant for standing on…Oopsie! My, my Zelgadiss what quick responses you have!"
Xelloss laughed as Zel darkened in a blush. Zel had caught Amelia as the stool
tipped over and now lay sprawled out on the floor with her resting safely on
his lap.
"Idiot!" Zel murmured as he helped Amelia
up, but no one could tell if he had intended the comment for Amelia, Xelloss,
or himself. Lina and Val chuckled, but kept their mouths shut.
Sylphiel turned to Gourry with a doe-eyed look. "I thought your idea was
good."
He just smiled and moved closer to his amp to make some adjustments. Lina
passed her ruby-eyed gaze over the group then smiled. "How about just The
Slayers? Slayers of Evil, Slayers of Baby Seal Killers, Slayers of Indecisive
Band Members Who Disagree Too Much When A Reeeeeally Good Name Is Chosen? Whatever someone wants to
fill in…we are just called:
'THE SLAYERS'!"
"Umm, I like it," answered Gourry meekly.
"Me too!" Sylphiel squeaked.
"Yeah, it's cool," added Val cautiously.
"It's a little...I can live with it," agreed Filia.
"Oh, Miss Lina. You are so clever. It's strong
and meaningful," cried Amelia enthusiastically.
"Ok-ay, do-kay with me, Lina my fearless
leader," Xelloss giggled.
"Oh joy, now that that is over with can we do some actual music now?"
Zel groused.
Everyone relaxed and found a place to get started. Val lead
Lina by the elbow over to the purple bass drum.
"Visualize THE SLAYERS painted right in the middle in…what color?
Red? Red and black with flames?
Shuddup, Xel-loss, I'm
having an ar-tis-tic workshop with our fearless
leader."
"I-I'm not sure…no that's not what I mean…I am quite sure that I don't
want you manhandling my drum over to that slum you call home…bleeep!"
Lina's eyes had become 'red and black with flames' as she grabbed him by the
collar and screamed, "He'll do it here, then! And you will be a gracious host, got it buster?!"
"Okay, but…oh, fine. As long as Filia agrees to what you guys plan to do. I respect her taste." And with that, he
marched off to go find something to drink.
Gourry and Zel worked on the guitar parts for each of Lina's new songs. Val,
Filia and Lina sketched out the bass drum design with their new band's logo.
Sylphiel and Amelia watched. Xelloss plopped down in a beanbag chair and
pouted.
"That's all we have time for today, Gourry. Thanks for going through that
with me. I've got a good feeling for the rhythm now. Hey Lina! Gourry and I
have to get changed and in place at our school in 45 minutes. I'm going
loft-side to change and Gourry's going to change in the bathroom, if that's all
right with you, Xelloss?"
Xelloss shrugged.
"I'll take that to be yes, then anyone who wants can walk with us. If you
want to stay here and practice more, I don't care. Is that ALL RIGHT
XELLOSS?"
He nodded.
"Fine. Be that way," Zel grumbled. "And
I thought I was supposed to be the
moody one."
As it turned out, everyone wanted the change of scenery, and so, Zel and Gourry
lead the group back to school.
The fencing match was entertaining. Inu's team nearly beat Seyruun High, but
Gourry's reach was unmatched. Zelgadiss was not inspired, but held up under
Inu's pounding.
"Zel? You have any un-bruised parts?" asked
Gourry as the group ambled to the hamburger joint. "That was a brutal
match."
"Tell me about it! I may be too tired to eat…and no, Lina, you can't have
my share...Gourry, when you order, ask them to put mine in a blender so I don't
have to chew."
"He's joking! Don't really…too late," laughed Lina.
Everyone found a place to sit in some booths near the back door. Zel sat beside
Filia at a table with Amelia and Val. When the waitress carried his 'shake'
over Filia grimaced, "That's disgusting! You are not really going to drink that, are you?"
Zel smirked, "Of course, if it bothers you, don't watch…stare at him and
tell me which is worse."
He was referring to Val, who was dribbling burger juices onto his plate with
each bite. Filia was a vegetarian and that was hard to tolerate.
"I will eat my salad and dream of a better world where animals are free to
roam and boys grow up to be gentlemen," she said.
"And where the just prevail and the righteous cause is the law!"
Amelia added with feeling. Then with a different feeling she said, "I am
glad to see you are eating something tonight, Mr. Zelgadiss. Mr. Xelloss isn't
though. In fact, he's been awfully quiet all day. Maybe he's decided to act
more…normal because of Kiki. What do you think?"
Zel paused in his partaking of a liquid diet to think. Filia tossed her hair.
"He's gay. He may deny it, but I know better. He's creepy and devious. I don't care what kind of sad
story he has. It's part of what he is and I don't like
him, however… he's clean and generous and is a talented drummer, so I can put
up with him...but… Please, let's not talk about him!"
That stifled the conversation a bit, which was fine for Zel. Val started to
tell a story about some idiot punk friend he hung out with last summer. Amelia
gazed at the silent Zel and the noisy tables next to them.
Lina was stuffing her face and telling Xelloss and Sylphiel, who were sitting
at the table behind her and Gourry, some story about her sister. It must have
been funny because Gourry and Sylphiel were laughing. Xelloss smiled slightly
and rested his head on his arms on the table.
"You don't look well. Are you ready to go? I'll walk ahead with you?"
Sylphiel asked graciously.
He raised his head, puzzled by her considerate attention. "Why thank you,
Sylphiel. I'd appreciate that. I've had a migraine coming on all day. I guess
now it's time to lay down in the dark."
"Lina, I'm walking Xelloss home. He's got a bad headache. Don't hurry,
just catch up later." Sylphiel walked to Amelia and explained the same
thing, then left.
"Well I think that's very sweet of her. I knew something was the
matter," Amelia said.
Zel had purposely stayed out of his and Lina's troubles. Sometimes as friends
pulled closer to him, depended on him, he would become more introverted to
avoid that closeness. If he wasn't careful he'd become a very lonely young man,
and he knew that. He had been fairly upbeat and outgoing all day, but the fear
of real friendships was once again overwhelming his personality. Tonight he was
too tired to fight the urge to be alone.
"I'm done. I'm beat. I'm going too," he said to those at his table as
he rose. Before anyone got a word out, he was out the door.
"That was rude and abrupt!" observed Filia, "What's with that guy? Don't get me wrong, I
have always been crazy about Zel. I mean imagine if that accident hadn't
happened. He'd be soo...Well anyway,
he must have been hurt in the fencing match, so I'll forgive him."
Lina had no more food remaining, so it was time to drag Gourry out.
"Everybody done? Let's go get our stuff and go home. There's band
tomorrow. You staying with Amelia this weekend,
Filia?"
"Yes, and I'll be at the practice, but Sylphiel and I have a football game
to get to…so we'll be leaving early," Filia added passing out the door
held open by Val.
"You seem to be spending a lot of time in town. Doesn't that bother your
folks?" Gourry asked.
"If it does, they haven't said. As long as my grades are good and I do my
duties to the settlement, I can have quite a bit of freedom." She hadn't
told her friends about the upcoming 'happy new brother or sister event'. It was
still too awful to accept.
Lina insisted that the group walk out of their way to avoid padding the dark
school again. She wanted no more bell tower scares or sprained ankles. Once at
Xelloss' place, everyone quietly packed up and waited for the Amelia van to
come. He was resting in his loft, Sylphiel told them. It was cool but clear
outside, so they closed and locked his door and waited in a puddle of light
from the streetlight. Ten minutes later the van pulled away.
No one saw a figure hiding in the shadows. The darkness hid the features of the
person who slid an envelope under the door, and then disappeared.
Zel was humming the theme song from Lost Universe, which he had downloaded off
an internet sight. He couldn't wait to read the latest about the movie, so as
soon as Zel reached his home he raced for the computer. This was refuge from
the world of reality. He had left it on in Suspend mode all day, so with a
single touch… "Whaat's this?"
=======Instant Messaging from: ||^_^||
"Xelloss, no,no,no,no,no,no,no... For some reason my grandfather's leaving
me alone. Why can't you? Oh, well… "
======= Have
U talked to UR Grandpa yet? ||^.^||
======= NO bye (((.-)
=======WAIT!!!! Then you don't know about the PLANS for the T-day HOLIDAY???
||-.-||
=======NO leave me alone (((.'-)
=======SHIT! Don't sign off U bastard! This is serious! ||-'.'-||
=======Nice language asshole.B fast (((."-)
=======UR gpapa
and MY mama are spending W,T,F,&S (?) nights at an
'administrators conference' at the coast.resort.catered.mints
on turned down sheets.& U R hired to be my goddamned f*****ing BABYSITTER. ||"""||
=======MY life sucks (((""")
=======Instant Messaging Off
Zel stared at his blank screen, cursor blinking. He could hear his
grandfather's footfalls outside his room.
"Zel? You in your room?
I have a job for you this holiday weekend."
****** (((_-) || -_-|| ******
End Seyruun High Jinx Chapter 16